I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the minor prophets. I prefer stories. And while there's some of that in those smaller books, it's mostly prophesying. But, I'm reading Haggai because he was the prophet during Ezra's time and his whole book (all two chapters of it) are about Zerubbabel and the building of the temple.
OK, so now that my preface is done (haha), I'll write what was actually interesting about chapter 1.
Apparently, the people had some nice homes while the temple laid in ruins. This displeased God. He wanted to get the people's attention so He stopped blessing them as much. "You Looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house" 1:9.
That might sound harsh but, when you think about it and after reading Ezra and Nehemiah, the people didn't really have to pay for the rebuilding of the temple. God had the other nations pay for it plus the king who ruled over them gave back their temple belongings. So, really . . . c'mon people! Why would someone ever think that it wasn't right to provide the very best for the God that takes the very best care of them?
Gotta look at life from above the world's perspective to really see it clearly.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Ezra
Ezra . . . who was he? Well, as I read along I realized that he wasn't exactly like Nehemiah.
When I read the Bible I don't really expect to see the personality of a person. I'm not sure why, I guess it could be that I assume the since the basics are usually what's written that it won't be thought nessesary to express. Now this is clearly a WRONG assumption because obviously David has a strong personality that is expressed in scriptures, as well as Peter, and many others. This is just one of those "first thought" assumptions that I still have even though I know from previous experience that it's wrong.
Nonetheless, I was still amazed to see the differences between Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah seemed more logical (not that Ezra wasn't—he was) in the sense that I didn't really see him display emotions such as mourning. Whereas Ezra tore his garments and wept and pulled out his hair when hearing about the peoples sin. Their sin broke his heart and he responded from the heart.
When Nehemiah had to deal with the sin of the people he displayed more of an anger than bitter sadness. Not that he lost his cool (cause he was very calm, cool, and collected) but it affected him in a different way. He didn't display much personal emotion. He was very no-nonsense and just wouldn't take certain things. He would speak strongly to the people and expected change right away.
Ezra dealt with things with words as well and expected change but first he dealt with his personal emotions. Whereas it seems that Nehemiah dove right into the heart of the matter . . . i.e. the merchants selling things on Sabbath.
Annnd . . . something I just realized in flipping through Nehemiah just now is that Ezra is in Nehemiah! In chapter 8 he reads the law to the people. I totally didn't even remember him. Ha!
Anyway . . . I'm wondering . . . you know, Ezra was a scribe . . . and writers, I think, tend to be more emotional—it's because we're, in a sense, artists. And Nehemiah was definitely a leader . . . and leaders tend to, I think, look for results quickly and how something can get accomplished in the best, quickest, and easiest way before dealing with how the situation makes them feel.
Hmm . . . just a thought.
When I read the Bible I don't really expect to see the personality of a person. I'm not sure why, I guess it could be that I assume the since the basics are usually what's written that it won't be thought nessesary to express. Now this is clearly a WRONG assumption because obviously David has a strong personality that is expressed in scriptures, as well as Peter, and many others. This is just one of those "first thought" assumptions that I still have even though I know from previous experience that it's wrong.
Nonetheless, I was still amazed to see the differences between Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah seemed more logical (not that Ezra wasn't—he was) in the sense that I didn't really see him display emotions such as mourning. Whereas Ezra tore his garments and wept and pulled out his hair when hearing about the peoples sin. Their sin broke his heart and he responded from the heart.
When Nehemiah had to deal with the sin of the people he displayed more of an anger than bitter sadness. Not that he lost his cool (cause he was very calm, cool, and collected) but it affected him in a different way. He didn't display much personal emotion. He was very no-nonsense and just wouldn't take certain things. He would speak strongly to the people and expected change right away.
Ezra dealt with things with words as well and expected change but first he dealt with his personal emotions. Whereas it seems that Nehemiah dove right into the heart of the matter . . . i.e. the merchants selling things on Sabbath.
Annnd . . . something I just realized in flipping through Nehemiah just now is that Ezra is in Nehemiah! In chapter 8 he reads the law to the people. I totally didn't even remember him. Ha!
Anyway . . . I'm wondering . . . you know, Ezra was a scribe . . . and writers, I think, tend to be more emotional—it's because we're, in a sense, artists. And Nehemiah was definitely a leader . . . and leaders tend to, I think, look for results quickly and how something can get accomplished in the best, quickest, and easiest way before dealing with how the situation makes them feel.
Hmm . . . just a thought.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
It Wasn't His To Take . . .
. . . but he took it anyway.
That this statement could be good or bad depending on what you read into it. For example, 'the car wasn't his to take but he took it anyway.' Or in the case of Jesus, our sin wasn't His to take (meaning he hadn't sinned to cause Him to carry that burden) but He took it anyway. In this particular case Ezra is involved and it's more like the last example.
I like to read a Bible promise before I go to bed each night, it just helps to refocus my mind as I attempt (haha) to drift off to sleep—sometimes easier said than done. Last night I read this amazing verse (Job 16:20, 21) that says, "My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend."
This is what Ezra did for the people he wept for the sins that they had committed. What they did, while he wasn't part of it, rocked him to his core. He loved his nation, he was proud of his nation and the God they served, but not their sin. And the fact that they sinned—this people he loved—ripped his heart.
Chapter 10:6 says "Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God [he had just finished talking with the Levites and preists], and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity." [Emphasis added by me.]
He felt it so strongly. I really believe that something the Christian church needs more of are people who are willing to take what isn't theirs. haha . . . not thieves, but people who realize that souls are holy to God and are willing to "carry them home" not to the physical city of Jerusalem, but the heavenly city by the same name.
Yeah . . .
That this statement could be good or bad depending on what you read into it. For example, 'the car wasn't his to take but he took it anyway.' Or in the case of Jesus, our sin wasn't His to take (meaning he hadn't sinned to cause Him to carry that burden) but He took it anyway. In this particular case Ezra is involved and it's more like the last example.
I like to read a Bible promise before I go to bed each night, it just helps to refocus my mind as I attempt (haha) to drift off to sleep—sometimes easier said than done. Last night I read this amazing verse (Job 16:20, 21) that says, "My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend."
This is what Ezra did for the people he wept for the sins that they had committed. What they did, while he wasn't part of it, rocked him to his core. He loved his nation, he was proud of his nation and the God they served, but not their sin. And the fact that they sinned—this people he loved—ripped his heart.
Chapter 10:6 says "Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God [he had just finished talking with the Levites and preists], and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity." [Emphasis added by me.]
He felt it so strongly. I really believe that something the Christian church needs more of are people who are willing to take what isn't theirs. haha . . . not thieves, but people who realize that souls are holy to God and are willing to "carry them home" not to the physical city of Jerusalem, but the heavenly city by the same name.
Yeah . . .
I Am Holy?
Apparently. "You are holy to the LORD . . . " 8:28. This is what Ezra told the the people who were carrying the freewill offerings of silver and gold, which the king had given them, when they returned to Jerusalem.
I'm not sure why Ezra tells them this in addition to telling them that what they are carrying is holy also. But it's a neat reminder that we are holy to God. Perhaps he said this to them because he wanted them to know that, yes these articles are holy, but before God you are too. Perhaps it's because these articles, these freewill offerings, wouldn't mean anything without the person's heart also, and so the articles were a type (an example) of what was really holy and sacred to God—the people who were carrying the items.
I'm not sure why Ezra tells them this in addition to telling them that what they are carrying is holy also. But it's a neat reminder that we are holy to God. Perhaps he said this to them because he wanted them to know that, yes these articles are holy, but before God you are too. Perhaps it's because these articles, these freewill offerings, wouldn't mean anything without the person's heart also, and so the articles were a type (an example) of what was really holy and sacred to God—the people who were carrying the items.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
"He Answered Our Prayer"
I finished Ezra up last night by reading the last three chapters in one sitting. It was nice to read them through without waiting a day. I feel like I got to know Ezra better . . . mainly because he was actually in these three chapters! haha. ; )
So, like a said, I'm going to focus on one or two things that made a difference to me or impacted the way I think. (I'll still blog the different chapters separately, however.)
There is a section of chapter eight, right in the middle, where Ezra has the people fast and pray. Essentially they are humbling themselves before God and asking for his protection as they journey from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra had the people diligently seeking God for protection because he knew they would need it during the 4 month journey back. He and the people had also boldly told the king, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." And now he felt too ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers as they traveled back. I mean, yeah, I probably would be too. 'Oh, King, our God is big enough to protect us . . . but you know, uh, could we ask you for . . .' Yeah, that just wouldn't fly.
So, what do the people do? They put their trust where their mouth was and humbly asked God to provide the safety they needed. And you know what, "He answered our prayer" 8:23b.
That isn't to say they didn't run into the enemy on the way back. They were almost ambushed on the trip home but read this, "He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road" 8:31b.
So, here's the old cliche that we probably all know: God may not remove the trouble but He will be there as we go through it. We just gotta trust. Oh, how that's so hard at times. But perhaps if we humbled ourselves more before God, it would become easier.
Or, like a young couple I know of (I went to school with their younger siblings), they knew that to stay strong in God they needed to be in a position where they had to rely on Him 24/7 for their very life. He put them in that position, and they are strong as ever. And . . . more in love than ever before! ; ) Hey, trusting God has it's perks. haha.
To hear their story, click here.
So, like a said, I'm going to focus on one or two things that made a difference to me or impacted the way I think. (I'll still blog the different chapters separately, however.)
There is a section of chapter eight, right in the middle, where Ezra has the people fast and pray. Essentially they are humbling themselves before God and asking for his protection as they journey from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra had the people diligently seeking God for protection because he knew they would need it during the 4 month journey back. He and the people had also boldly told the king, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." And now he felt too ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers as they traveled back. I mean, yeah, I probably would be too. 'Oh, King, our God is big enough to protect us . . . but you know, uh, could we ask you for . . .' Yeah, that just wouldn't fly.
So, what do the people do? They put their trust where their mouth was and humbly asked God to provide the safety they needed. And you know what, "He answered our prayer" 8:23b.
That isn't to say they didn't run into the enemy on the way back. They were almost ambushed on the trip home but read this, "He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road" 8:31b.
So, here's the old cliche that we probably all know: God may not remove the trouble but He will be there as we go through it. We just gotta trust. Oh, how that's so hard at times. But perhaps if we humbled ourselves more before God, it would become easier.
Or, like a young couple I know of (I went to school with their younger siblings), they knew that to stay strong in God they needed to be in a position where they had to rely on Him 24/7 for their very life. He put them in that position, and they are strong as ever. And . . . more in love than ever before! ; ) Hey, trusting God has it's perks. haha.
To hear their story, click here.
-ITEM OF BUSINESS-
The blog style is going to change a bit. I'm not sure about all the logistics yet but I'm going to stop recapping the entire chapter because I think that's just plain boring to read. haha. Instead I'm going to focus on sharing one or two points that were meaningful to me and why.
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Friday, May 27, 2011
FINALLY!!!
Ezra FINALLY shows up. Even my Bible titled the first section of chapter 7 "The Arrival of Ezra." haha.
But most of the chapter was a letter from King Artaxerxes. Ezra had two paragraphs at the end which he wrote—in the personal journal style that I loved about Nehemiah no less! ; )
I was again so impressed by how God worked through the king who was over the Israelite's (Artaxerxes) to provide pretty much all of their needs.
I was thinking, These kings are pagan worshipers, full of themselves, yet they are giving so much and in the name of the God of heaven!
On top of that, there is a certain sense of respect in their words about this.
They were taking this seriously!
Seeing the pagan kings respond in this way give new meaning to the promise (and I really like how the New Living Translation says it), "The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm" Exodus 14:14.
Artaxerxes allowed anyone who wanted to return to Israel to go with Ezra. (So tomorrow I get to read unfamiliar Bible names again! haha. ; )
However, unlike Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel before him and Nehemiah after him, Ezra wasn't going to do any sort of rebuilding, he was returning to teach the people the Law of God—how they should live their lives. In the king's letter to him, Artaxerxes actually commanded Ezra to teach the law even to those who didn't know it. This may seem like a no-brainer but I was impressed simply because Artaxerxes wasn't just including the Israelite's in that category but also the people who lived within the communities who had tattled on the Israelite's. So basically, Ezra was given a command to evangelize other nations under the command of King Artaxerxes (or at least that's how I understand it).
The King also commanded (and I love this part), "Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently [there's that word again!!] be done for the house of the God of heaven" 7:23a.
Artaxerxes sent Ezra with money and a bit of a budget to buy things needed for the temple. Whatever else was needed, he commanded the regions beyond the river to provide . . . diligently!
What I love about this chapter and the last chapter is the no nonsense seriousness of this king. These were people he ruled! Who were they but his servants? Yet who was he but a creation made by God. Reading these two books (and especially Ezra) shows how God works above and beyond where our reasoning stops. I mean, who would have thought that the king would side with the Israelite's with all their different beliefs and oddities. I certainly didn't.
But perhaps that's the beauty in this story . . . it's learning to see life at God's level where anyone can become a blessing no matter who they are. Even the enemies were blessings because if they hadn't tattled, would the king have ever even looked at the records and discovered that a few kings back from him the Israelite's were given a command to rebuild their temple? Eh, who knows? But through that letter of complaint, God provided the means to rebuild and restore their lives on the right track.
"So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me . . ." 7:28b. —Ezra
But most of the chapter was a letter from King Artaxerxes. Ezra had two paragraphs at the end which he wrote—in the personal journal style that I loved about Nehemiah no less! ; )
I was again so impressed by how God worked through the king who was over the Israelite's (Artaxerxes) to provide pretty much all of their needs.
I was thinking, These kings are pagan worshipers, full of themselves, yet they are giving so much and in the name of the God of heaven!
On top of that, there is a certain sense of respect in their words about this.
They were taking this seriously!
Seeing the pagan kings respond in this way give new meaning to the promise (and I really like how the New Living Translation says it), "The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm" Exodus 14:14.
Artaxerxes allowed anyone who wanted to return to Israel to go with Ezra. (So tomorrow I get to read unfamiliar Bible names again! haha. ; )
However, unlike Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel before him and Nehemiah after him, Ezra wasn't going to do any sort of rebuilding, he was returning to teach the people the Law of God—how they should live their lives. In the king's letter to him, Artaxerxes actually commanded Ezra to teach the law even to those who didn't know it. This may seem like a no-brainer but I was impressed simply because Artaxerxes wasn't just including the Israelite's in that category but also the people who lived within the communities who had tattled on the Israelite's. So basically, Ezra was given a command to evangelize other nations under the command of King Artaxerxes (or at least that's how I understand it).
The King also commanded (and I love this part), "Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently [there's that word again!!] be done for the house of the God of heaven" 7:23a.
Artaxerxes sent Ezra with money and a bit of a budget to buy things needed for the temple. Whatever else was needed, he commanded the regions beyond the river to provide . . . diligently!
What I love about this chapter and the last chapter is the no nonsense seriousness of this king. These were people he ruled! Who were they but his servants? Yet who was he but a creation made by God. Reading these two books (and especially Ezra) shows how God works above and beyond where our reasoning stops. I mean, who would have thought that the king would side with the Israelite's with all their different beliefs and oddities. I certainly didn't.
But perhaps that's the beauty in this story . . . it's learning to see life at God's level where anyone can become a blessing no matter who they are. Even the enemies were blessings because if they hadn't tattled, would the king have ever even looked at the records and discovered that a few kings back from him the Israelite's were given a command to rebuild their temple? Eh, who knows? But through that letter of complaint, God provided the means to rebuild and restore their lives on the right track.
"So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me . . ." 7:28b. —Ezra
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A Happy Ending . . . In th Middle
I feel like the book of Ezra could end right now at chapter 6. Except for the minor detail that Ezra himself hasn't stepped into the picture yet. : \ This amuses me.
This chapter really does have a stereotypical "happy ending" for the children of Israel.
The kings beyond the river tattled to King Darius about the Israelite's rebuilding the temple to God in chapter 5. Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai asked Darius to check the records to see if Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission.
I imagine that Darius must have been a little annoyed by these two guys bothering him about details like this because after he found in the records that Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission, he decreed that their tax money be what paid for the rebuilding of the temple! He also decreed that if the Israelite's needed anything, the two guys from beyond the river were to provide it! And on top of that, if anyone did not go along with this a "timber" from his house was to be removed for the purpose of hanging him. Intense!
Oh, wait, and I love the ending of the decree: "And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently," 6:12.
The Bible doesn't record how Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai reacted except that they "diligently did according to what King Darius had sent" 6:13b.
So the temple was finished and the money was supplied by the enemies and the people rejoiced and celebrated during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread "for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel" 6:22b.
What a great ending . . . in the middle of the book! haha . . . I think Ezra enters the picture tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to finally reading about him!
This chapter really does have a stereotypical "happy ending" for the children of Israel.
The kings beyond the river tattled to King Darius about the Israelite's rebuilding the temple to God in chapter 5. Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai asked Darius to check the records to see if Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission.
I imagine that Darius must have been a little annoyed by these two guys bothering him about details like this because after he found in the records that Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission, he decreed that their tax money be what paid for the rebuilding of the temple! He also decreed that if the Israelite's needed anything, the two guys from beyond the river were to provide it! And on top of that, if anyone did not go along with this a "timber" from his house was to be removed for the purpose of hanging him. Intense!
Oh, wait, and I love the ending of the decree: "And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently," 6:12.
The Bible doesn't record how Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai reacted except that they "diligently did according to what King Darius had sent" 6:13b.
So the temple was finished and the money was supplied by the enemies and the people rejoiced and celebrated during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread "for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel" 6:22b.
What a great ending . . . in the middle of the book! haha . . . I think Ezra enters the picture tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to finally reading about him!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Was I Ever Right!
I was right when I wrote in my first blog post about Ezra that "I'm probably just not an experienced enough Bible scholar yet to understand the intricacies of this magnificent work of historical documentary!" Haha! (Not that I am now . . . but the book has drastically risen on my interest level!)
It's day number 5 (chapter 5 as well) and Ezra has turned around. But not just in chapter 5 . . . this turnaround is retrospective of the previous 4 chapters I've read. Especially the rather "dry" chapter no. 1.
Let me see if I can explain it well. ; )
In chapter 4 the enemies sent a letter to the king basically tattling about what the Israelite's were doing. The same thing happened again in chapter 5. First, however, the enemies (Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai) tried to stop the progress but were unable so they sent the a letter to King Darius in hopes that just as in the past (chapter 4) they could get a king to stop the progress. (Just so you know these weren't the same letter writers from chapter 4.)
The King's response comes tomorrow so I'm not sure what's going to happen . . . but I did find some other interesting things out. ; )
This whole time in Ezra, Ezra hasn't shown up yet. This is probably why I haven't found the book too exhilarating when compared with Nehemiah. In Nehemiah, he was in the picture from the very beginning . . . so there was no waiting for the main character to arrive.
This whole time I'm thinking, this is why the first GYC Eboard mentions wanting to be like Nehemiah in their mission statement and not Ezra! haha.
However, now in chapter 5 of Ezra I realize that the first main character of this book might not be the namesake, but rather a guy named Sheshbazzar, who wasn't just any guy, but a prince of Judah who was in Persia. He was the guy that King Cyrus, sent back with the temple articles which Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated. From chapter 1 you would think that he was the guy in charge of the whole mission back to Jerusalem. But then >BAM< he's not mentioned again, and in chapter 2 this guy Zerubbabel is named as the one people are leaving Persia with. I totally missed all this the first time around . . . I was too board reading all the names of the people leaving! Bible names . . . yeah. (I didn't even blog that day.)
So anyway . . . I get to chapter 5, still plodding along finding little things here and there that are interesting when I read, " . . . King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God. Also, the gold and silver articles . . . were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he [Cyrus] had made governor" 5:13, 14.
Not overly thrilling, but being one that likes finding out the meaning of names (with my amazing little concordance that I bought at the ABC for 5 cents during the campmeeting sidewalk sale one year), I looked it up . . . but there was NO meaning! Just the reference to where I could find it in the Bible! So I tried Google. This is where I realized I'd read the name at the beginning of the book (they also had references listed) and that it might be a synonym for Zerubbabel. Other sources stated that Zerubbabel might also be a relative of Sheshbazzar and that Sheshbazzar started the work but Zerubbabel finished it. Whatever the case, I was intrigued.
But it doesn't end there.Through checking out the different references for Zerubbabel, discovered that the whole book of Haggai is the prophesy for this event—the building of the temple by Zerubbabel. So . . . that might be my next read.
I think that's it for now . . . and Sheshbazzar (according to birthvillage.com) means: joy in tribulation; joy of the vintage. And according to my concordance, Zerubbable means: scattered in Babylon.
I'll see tomorrow how King Darius responded to those tattle tales! haha. ; )
It's day number 5 (chapter 5 as well) and Ezra has turned around. But not just in chapter 5 . . . this turnaround is retrospective of the previous 4 chapters I've read. Especially the rather "dry" chapter no. 1.
Let me see if I can explain it well. ; )
In chapter 4 the enemies sent a letter to the king basically tattling about what the Israelite's were doing. The same thing happened again in chapter 5. First, however, the enemies (Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai) tried to stop the progress but were unable so they sent the a letter to King Darius in hopes that just as in the past (chapter 4) they could get a king to stop the progress. (Just so you know these weren't the same letter writers from chapter 4.)
The King's response comes tomorrow so I'm not sure what's going to happen . . . but I did find some other interesting things out. ; )
This whole time in Ezra, Ezra hasn't shown up yet. This is probably why I haven't found the book too exhilarating when compared with Nehemiah. In Nehemiah, he was in the picture from the very beginning . . . so there was no waiting for the main character to arrive.
This whole time I'm thinking, this is why the first GYC Eboard mentions wanting to be like Nehemiah in their mission statement and not Ezra! haha.
However, now in chapter 5 of Ezra I realize that the first main character of this book might not be the namesake, but rather a guy named Sheshbazzar, who wasn't just any guy, but a prince of Judah who was in Persia. He was the guy that King Cyrus, sent back with the temple articles which Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated. From chapter 1 you would think that he was the guy in charge of the whole mission back to Jerusalem. But then >BAM< he's not mentioned again, and in chapter 2 this guy Zerubbabel is named as the one people are leaving Persia with. I totally missed all this the first time around . . . I was too board reading all the names of the people leaving! Bible names . . . yeah. (I didn't even blog that day.)
So anyway . . . I get to chapter 5, still plodding along finding little things here and there that are interesting when I read, " . . . King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God. Also, the gold and silver articles . . . were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he [Cyrus] had made governor" 5:13, 14.
Not overly thrilling, but being one that likes finding out the meaning of names (with my amazing little concordance that I bought at the ABC for 5 cents during the campmeeting sidewalk sale one year), I looked it up . . . but there was NO meaning! Just the reference to where I could find it in the Bible! So I tried Google. This is where I realized I'd read the name at the beginning of the book (they also had references listed) and that it might be a synonym for Zerubbabel. Other sources stated that Zerubbabel might also be a relative of Sheshbazzar and that Sheshbazzar started the work but Zerubbabel finished it. Whatever the case, I was intrigued.
But it doesn't end there.Through checking out the different references for Zerubbabel, discovered that the whole book of Haggai is the prophesy for this event—the building of the temple by Zerubbabel. So . . . that might be my next read.
I think that's it for now . . . and Sheshbazzar (according to birthvillage.com) means: joy in tribulation; joy of the vintage. And according to my concordance, Zerubbable means: scattered in Babylon.
I'll see tomorrow how King Darius responded to those tattle tales! haha. ; )
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A Grand Halt (and probably a boring post)
Avery Johnson, coach for the New Jersey Nets, writes in his book Aspire Higher that you have to distance yourself from people who are losers—who don't want to see you succeed and will try to sabotage you.
That's exactly what happened to the Israelite's as they were trying to rebuild their temple and wall in chapter 4 of Ezra. The people around them tried to sabotage their mission. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin came and said, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
But the Israelite leaders said 'no.' The surrounding nations couldn't help. In response to that no, the enemies started trying to discourage them. 'Hey, if we can't be part of this, then you better not be able to finish!'
It really stinks because all through the rest of Cyrus' reign and the reign of Darius (which I really don't know how long that whole time was—but it sounds like a long time : \ ) this sort of discouragement was going on. Finally when king Artaxerxes came into power the enemies sent him a letter and persuaded him to have the progress halted on reason's that the people would stop paying taxes to the king if the work was finished and their city was reestablished.
Now, I'm not sure how the whole time line is laid out, but apparently the work was halted until the second year of Darius' reign . . . but I'm not sure if that's the same Darius that was mentioned earlier . . . I'd assume that it is . . . but anyway . . . the writing on that point was a bit out of sync.
So, over all . . . this book is getting better! : )
That's exactly what happened to the Israelite's as they were trying to rebuild their temple and wall in chapter 4 of Ezra. The people around them tried to sabotage their mission. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin came and said, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
But the Israelite leaders said 'no.' The surrounding nations couldn't help. In response to that no, the enemies started trying to discourage them. 'Hey, if we can't be part of this, then you better not be able to finish!'
It really stinks because all through the rest of Cyrus' reign and the reign of Darius (which I really don't know how long that whole time was—but it sounds like a long time : \ ) this sort of discouragement was going on. Finally when king Artaxerxes came into power the enemies sent him a letter and persuaded him to have the progress halted on reason's that the people would stop paying taxes to the king if the work was finished and their city was reestablished.
Now, I'm not sure how the whole time line is laid out, but apparently the work was halted until the second year of Darius' reign . . . but I'm not sure if that's the same Darius that was mentioned earlier . . . I'd assume that it is . . . but anyway . . . the writing on that point was a bit out of sync.
So, over all . . . this book is getting better! : )
Monday, May 23, 2011
Laughter & Tears Mingled Together
Ezra is slowly getting better. LOL. No, it's good, I'm just slowly getting into it. ; ) haha.
Here is something I thought was pretty humorous (not to be sacrilegious—it was just interesting trying to imagine what happened, you know—the scene) from the end of chapter three.
" . . . old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off" 3:12,13.
I was trying to imagine what that would have been like; all these older people crying with disappointment while all the younger people were thrilled with the progress—and the whole time the difference of the two distinct emotions could not be distinguished from the collective sound of the crowd.
P.S. I think the title makes this entry sound more philosophical than it really is.
: o
Here is something I thought was pretty humorous (not to be sacrilegious—it was just interesting trying to imagine what happened, you know—the scene) from the end of chapter three.
" . . . old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off" 3:12,13.
I was trying to imagine what that would have been like; all these older people crying with disappointment while all the younger people were thrilled with the progress—and the whole time the difference of the two distinct emotions could not be distinguished from the collective sound of the crowd.
P.S. I think the title makes this entry sound more philosophical than it really is.
: o
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Ezra . . . the adventure begins . . . I hope there's an adventure!
Since I enjoyed Nehemiah sooo much, I decided to stay close by and check out Ezra. I'm moving backward with the whole chain of events to when the Israelite's were told by King Cyrus that they could go back and rebuild their temple. It was a bit odd at first since with Nehemiah I was reading past this part in their history.
So, anyway, yes, as my title evokes, I wasn't too excited about the book. Chapter 1 was a bit dry to me this morning . . . (I'm probably just not an experienced enough Bible scholar yet to understand the intricacies of this magnificent work of historical documentary—lol) but I'm sure it will get better. : )
My favorite part was reading about King Cyrus, who declared that he was commanded by God to build Him a "house in at Jerusalem" 1:2. He sent the Children of Israel back with the temple items which King Nebuchadnezzar had taken when he conquered them.
I thought it was really cool that a Pagan king would declare this. I don't know much about King Cyrus but according to my Bible's "What's it mean" blurb about him, he allowed the nations he conquered to continue worshiping their own gods. I was also sad to read (also in that section) that he died in battle. I thought he deserved to have a more peaceful death. Plus since he seemed so congenial, the world seemed to be a better place with him during that time.
So, anyway, yes, as my title evokes, I wasn't too excited about the book. Chapter 1 was a bit dry to me this morning . . . (I'm probably just not an experienced enough Bible scholar yet to understand the intricacies of this magnificent work of historical documentary—lol) but I'm sure it will get better. : )
My favorite part was reading about King Cyrus, who declared that he was commanded by God to build Him a "house in at Jerusalem" 1:2. He sent the Children of Israel back with the temple items which King Nebuchadnezzar had taken when he conquered them.
I thought it was really cool that a Pagan king would declare this. I don't know much about King Cyrus but according to my Bible's "What's it mean" blurb about him, he allowed the nations he conquered to continue worshiping their own gods. I was also sad to read (also in that section) that he died in battle. I thought he deserved to have a more peaceful death. Plus since he seemed so congenial, the world seemed to be a better place with him during that time.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Good-bye, Nehemiah
Today was the last day . . . not forever hopefully, but for a while at least. I'm moving on to another book (not sure which one yet). It was a good last day in the book of Nehemiah, however.
Nehemiah ended up going back to his post as the King's cupbearer in Shushan but when he returned for a visit to Jerusalem he found the people almost back to where they were before. That was the sad part. Yet he didn't give up on them. He fought back in the name of the Lord and cleaned up the city again. This guy was dedicated to something much more than just his own ambitions.
There were merchants selling on the Sabbath, the priest weren't getting their allotted living stipends, and someone had actually moved into the temple to live there. Mercy!
He threw out the merchants, locked the gates from Friday evening to Sabbath evening, and when they camped outside the gates over Sabbath he knew what to do.
"Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" 13:21.
They never returned on the Sabbath again.
Very much a no-nonsense kind of guy who wasn't afraid to stand up and fight for what he believed in.
That's what's up!
Nehemiah ended up going back to his post as the King's cupbearer in Shushan but when he returned for a visit to Jerusalem he found the people almost back to where they were before. That was the sad part. Yet he didn't give up on them. He fought back in the name of the Lord and cleaned up the city again. This guy was dedicated to something much more than just his own ambitions.
There were merchants selling on the Sabbath, the priest weren't getting their allotted living stipends, and someone had actually moved into the temple to live there. Mercy!
He threw out the merchants, locked the gates from Friday evening to Sabbath evening, and when they camped outside the gates over Sabbath he knew what to do.
"Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" 13:21.
They never returned on the Sabbath again.
Very much a no-nonsense kind of guy who wasn't afraid to stand up and fight for what he believed in.
That's what's up!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Nehemiah . . . this guy!
Tomorrow is my last day in the book of Nehemiah. I've been reading through it this month and have grown to really love it. I've also grown to admire Nehemiah's leadership (I'm sure somewhere out there is a book about leadership based on this guy . . . or at least there should be!).
Nehemiah was fearless and strong. But not on his own. He was clear about the fact that it was through God that he was fearless.
He had to deal with prophets/secret informants (who were really hired by the enemy) who attempted to get him to sin before God by telling him a false prophesy. As well as neighboring kingdoms who tried to sabotage the rebuilding of the wall by attempting to trick him come to a "meeting" with them where they were planning to hurt him. Then they tried to intimidate him by making up and spreading rumors about him. Pretty intense stuff.
But the whole time, Nehemiah was calm, cool, and collected—because he chose to trust and obey God and stay focused on the work he was doing. He wasn't running around trying to win any popularity contests. He knew he had a job to do and he was going to accomplish it! And do an A+ job at it too!
On top of all of it, he had to be social justice reformer, cleaning up the corruption within the leaders in Jerusalem and relieving the people from their oppression. But he did it without shrinking back. And he succeeded!
Here are some of my favorite verses from Nehemiah (along with some notes I wrote in the margins ; )
Random side note I just thought of: A really cool thing about the book of Nehemiah is that he wrote it kinda like a journal.
"O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer" 1:11.
—Ok so I didn't actually write this note in my Bible's margin but I did think about this, and that is, I can really relate to Nehemiah's prayer here. I love how he says, "be attentive to the prayer of Your servant . . . who desire to fear Your name." That's me, I have this desire but my actions don't always follow suit. And so I think it's really cool how he prays in such an honest yet humble manner. He's not ashamed to go before God even if he doesn't have it all together. He's just going to choose to trust and rely on God anyway. I think that's awesome.
I also had a big interview for a project I'm working on around the time I read this, so the end of his prayer really spoke to me too, "I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."
~~
". . . the people had a mind to work" 4:6b. I just love that line! That's all.
~~
"And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, "Each of you is exacting usury from his brother." So I called a great assembly against them. And I said to them, "According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?" Then they were silenced and found nothing to say" 5:6-8.
He went on to tell them that this what they were doing was wrong [this was when the people came to him about the oppression they were experiences from the leaders] and what he was doing to help the people. He was very strong with them about what they needed to do. They listened and followed his example and he was promoted to governor over Judah.
~~
"Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me" 6:12, 13.
[The note from my margin]: God will never require you to sin to save your life. //
Also, God does not use fear to motivate us, which is what these false prophets were attempting to use against Nehemiah.
~~
"My God remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid" 6:14.
Same thought at up there ^: God will never use fear to motivate us. Fear is a torture technique for the mind and that's not really what He's into.
[Note from my margin]: Never let anyone cause you to be afraid. //
~~
"So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in the fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was done by our God" 6:15, 16.
[Note from my margin]: Wow! How powerful is that?! When you persevere despite the odds people will attribute [your success] to God!
~~
There's more, but that's all for now.
Suzanne Ocsai
Nehemiah was fearless and strong. But not on his own. He was clear about the fact that it was through God that he was fearless.
He had to deal with prophets/secret informants (who were really hired by the enemy) who attempted to get him to sin before God by telling him a false prophesy. As well as neighboring kingdoms who tried to sabotage the rebuilding of the wall by attempting to trick him come to a "meeting" with them where they were planning to hurt him. Then they tried to intimidate him by making up and spreading rumors about him. Pretty intense stuff.
But the whole time, Nehemiah was calm, cool, and collected—because he chose to trust and obey God and stay focused on the work he was doing. He wasn't running around trying to win any popularity contests. He knew he had a job to do and he was going to accomplish it! And do an A+ job at it too!
On top of all of it, he had to be social justice reformer, cleaning up the corruption within the leaders in Jerusalem and relieving the people from their oppression. But he did it without shrinking back. And he succeeded!
Here are some of my favorite verses from Nehemiah (along with some notes I wrote in the margins ; )
Random side note I just thought of: A really cool thing about the book of Nehemiah is that he wrote it kinda like a journal.
"O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer" 1:11.
—Ok so I didn't actually write this note in my Bible's margin but I did think about this, and that is, I can really relate to Nehemiah's prayer here. I love how he says, "be attentive to the prayer of Your servant . . . who desire to fear Your name." That's me, I have this desire but my actions don't always follow suit. And so I think it's really cool how he prays in such an honest yet humble manner. He's not ashamed to go before God even if he doesn't have it all together. He's just going to choose to trust and rely on God anyway. I think that's awesome.
I also had a big interview for a project I'm working on around the time I read this, so the end of his prayer really spoke to me too, "I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."
~~
". . . the people had a mind to work" 4:6b. I just love that line! That's all.
~~
"And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, "Each of you is exacting usury from his brother." So I called a great assembly against them. And I said to them, "According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?" Then they were silenced and found nothing to say" 5:6-8.
He went on to tell them that this what they were doing was wrong [this was when the people came to him about the oppression they were experiences from the leaders] and what he was doing to help the people. He was very strong with them about what they needed to do. They listened and followed his example and he was promoted to governor over Judah.
~~
"Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me" 6:12, 13.
[The note from my margin]: God will never require you to sin to save your life. //
Also, God does not use fear to motivate us, which is what these false prophets were attempting to use against Nehemiah.
~~
"My God remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid" 6:14.
Same thought at up there ^: God will never use fear to motivate us. Fear is a torture technique for the mind and that's not really what He's into.
[Note from my margin]: Never let anyone cause you to be afraid. //
~~
"So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in the fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was done by our God" 6:15, 16.
[Note from my margin]: Wow! How powerful is that?! When you persevere despite the odds people will attribute [your success] to God!
~~
There's more, but that's all for now.
Suzanne Ocsai
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