Weekly Reading

Our weekly reading for this week:    Ezra 1-3

  It was great!  I finished this week's reading.

Weekly Word

Week # 1     our weekly word………The Holy Place:

 

 When the priest entered the holy place he was entering the tabernacle structure. The tabernacle tent was the main feature in the complex. It was a rectangular structure measuring 30 cubits (45 feet) in length and 10 cubits (15 feet) in both height and breadth. The Holy Place where the priests set out the bread of the Presence was a room 20 cubits long by 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits in height (30 feet x 15 feet x 15 feet). Its sides were formed by the golden upright frames. The beautiful linen curtain with its pattern of cherubim could be viewed through the framework in the front and on the ceiling. There were four golden pillars at the entrance and in the back of the room was the holy veil behind it was the ark of the covenant. Inside the room every piece of holy furniture was golden. The golden lampstand was on the left, the table of shewbread on the right, and the golden altar of incense in the back before the veil. This was different from the Holy of Holies.

 

Reviewing this somewhat extended discus­sion, we draw a few pointed conclusions:

1.  God is holy by nature, and desires us to become holy by being greatly changed into His image by re­creation, and thus partaking of the divine nature.

2. Wherever God chooses to reveal His presence, that place becomes holy because of His presence.

3. The place above all in which God desires to dwell by His Spirit is in the human heart, and when He dwells there it becomes a holy place.

4. Looking upon His people of old in the bondage of sin, He directed that a place be prepared where He could dwell among them and prepare the way to dwell in them. The result was the building of the tabernacle, which because of His presence in it be­came a holy place, a sanctuary.

5. All 'through the Scriptures, from Exodus on, that dwelling place of God is referred to as either the holy place or the sanctuary.

6. Since this place was a pattern of the heavenly tabernacle not made with hands, that original, as well as the earthly pattern, is called "holy place" or "sanc­tuary" in the book of Hebrews, in which the entrance of Christ, the true High Priest, upon His work in the heavenly sanctuary, is vividly portrayed.

How very moving it is to contemplate what God has done through the ages to bring the sinner back to the holy estate from which the first man fell. How solemnly impressive is the thought that Jesus is now almost at the close of His heavenly ministry of grace in the holy place in "heaven itself.' He will not fail in the great purpose He set before Himself, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." The cry of our spirit is "Come, Lord Jesus, and take up Thine abode in my heart, that it may become a holy place for Thine eternal dwelling." AMEN.

WEEKLY PRAYER

Prayer:

 

Father God, we come to in Jesus' name, we honor You, we give glory and praise for the things You have done; Thank You for the gift You have put in our lives. Thank You for understanding us, and for Your grace and mercy in our lives. Help us to accept Your discipline, and honor Who You are. Please bless us so we want disappoint You. Help us to make it our priority to obey You in everything. Forgive us so we can enter into Your presence with thanksgiving in our hearts. Bless us to bold to come before You with all our problems, and our praises. We will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in our heart, and into Your courts with praises. Thank You, Father. Bless us to learn from all the mistakes we learn about King Hezekiah in this study. Help us to be bold like Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Zerubbabel, and all those prophets who came before us. Help us not to accept anything from the enemy, in Jesus' name. Bless us to keep our temple clean and presentable and acceptable for Your Holy Spirit to dwell in us always. Thank You for Jesus bringing us out of captivity and darkness, and place us in Your marvelous light. AMEN.

Bible Study: EZRA AND NEHEMIAH Wk # 1

"Re-Building God's Temple"

Subject:      Hezekiah is Tested:

Scripture Reading:        (2 Chronicles 28:24, 25; 32:1-33; Isaiah 38:1-5, 39:1-8)

 

Anciently, in Israel, God's chief concern was with the events happening inside the nation and temple. At that time, the temple was the only place on Earth where God's work could be found. History shows, as things went in the temple, so went things with the nation. Study Judah's annals. Its kings either led the people to God and His temple or astray into paganism. God holds the same concern for His temple, or Church, today. God's primary concern is always His temple. Why? God's work is always done from His temple. There are many lessons we must learn from Israel's history. Hezekiah was considered one of Judah's greatest kings. At one point in Hezekiah's reign, Assyria was about to destroy the nation. Hezekiah appealed to God through Isaiah and God miraculously saved the nation. He turned another nation against Assyria. God solved this major problem for Hezekiah and the nation of Judah. You can study more about this incident in Isaiah 37.

Hezekiah then had to face another big problem. "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live" (Isaiah 38:1). Isaiah came to Hezekiah and told him that he would die as a result of his sickness. This came as quite a shock to Hezekiah. At this point in his life, he handled the situation correctly. "Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore" (verses 2-3). Hezekiah turned to God and prayed. At this point in his life, Hezekiah was close to God. Look at how God responded to Hezekiah's prayer. "Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years" (verses 4-5). God saw that Hezekiah was walking by faith. He saw Hezekiah's tears. Isn't it impressive that God took note of his tears? God added 15 years to Hezekiah's life. Then God performed another great miracle for Hezekiah. "And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down" (verses 6-8). God reversed the rotation of the Earth to prove to Hezekiah that He would fulfill His promises to him. Although God performed some mighty miracles in his life, the end of the story about Hezekiah is not a happy one.

Hezekiah's Fatal Mistake:

Not long after his healing, Hezekiah had to face another difficult problem. The king of Babylon sent communication to Judah's king that he was very concerned about his illness. But was he really concerned about his illness? "At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not" (Isaiah 39:1-2). This time Hezekiah fell into a serious trap. He became all puffed up knowing that the king of Babylon was so concerned about him. In his vanity, he showed the king's messengers all of his treasures—a fatal mistake. Isaiah was more suspicious and wise about the king of Babylon's message. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked him some hard questions. But Hezekiah did not respond to all of Isaiah's questions. "Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed  them" (verses 3-4). Notice here that Hezekiah does not answer Isaiah's first question—he completely ignores it! He does answer Isaiah's second question. Why did Hezekiah not answer the first question? Could it be that at this point he was beginning to turn away from God? Remember, God did add 15 years to his life. This proved to be tragic for this great king. Hezekiah fell away from God during these additional years allotted to him. By the end of the story, it looks as though Hezekiah had lost it all spiritually. Could it be that Hezekiah did not answer the first question because he was cozying up to Babylon? The fruits of Hezekiah's life prove this to be so!

Too Close to Babylon:

Hezekiah's vanity got to him. Notice that he answered Isaiah's question in a boastful manner. A king from a far country was interested in him. He told Isaiah that they were come "unto me." Hezekiah showed them all of his treasures. In his vanity, he allowed potential enemies to see all that God had blessed him with. Never did it dawn on Hezekiah that these men could possibly want to destroy him and carry off his treasures. Isaiah was concerned about Hezekiah's actions because he could see far better than Hezekiah could—spiritually speaking.

Isaiah did not trust the king of Babylon. He recognized that Hezekiah was getting too close to Babylon. He prophesied about the end result of Hezekiah's relationship with the king of Babylon. Isaiah showed that this relationship would prove to be fatal, not only for Hezekiah's descendants, but for the nation of Judah as well. "Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon" (verses 5-7). What a tragic end for Hezekiah. These actions by Hezekiah were the beginning of the undoing of his family's lives and the undoing of the nation of Judah. The king of Babylon destroyed God's temple and carried the nation of Judah away captive.

Facing Hard Questions

There is a very clear lesson here for all of us. What was Hezekiah's main problem? He evaded some hard questions from God's prophet. He did not want to tell Isaiah what the messengers from Babylon said. At times it is so easy for us to evade hard questions. Carnally, we want to let the hard questions slide. Facing, or not facing, hard questions generally marks a turning point in our lives. Being willing to face hard questions can turn our lives around spiritually. Evading hard questions can take us away from God. Hezekiah evaded a hard question from Isaiah. But Isaiah pinned him down (verse 4). Isaiah wanted to show him that he was beginning to rely on his own treasure or strength, instead of God. Isaiah wanted Hezekiah to recognize that he was beginning to rely on Babylon. Unfortunately, Hezekiah was not moved by his discussion with Isaiah. The whole nation was conquered by Babylon. What a terrifying punishment! What about us? Sometimes God, through His ministers, has to ask us some very hard questions too.

 

WEEK # 1      QUESTIONS:

Questions for Review

 

1. What kind of response do you hope for when you give someone a gift?

2. How does gaining fame and fortune affect a person's tendency to express appreciation to others?

3. What was the occasion of Hezekiah's prayer to the Lord? (32:24)

4. How did the Lord respond to Hezekiah's prayer? (32:24)

5. What kind of attitude did Hezekiah display after he was healed? (32:25)

6. What kept Hezekiah and the people from being under the wrath of God? (32:26)

7. What did Hezekiah do with all of his wealth and power? (32:27-30)

8. What remarkable engineering feat had Hezekiah accomplished while he was king? (32:30)

9. How did God test Hezekiah? (32:31)

10. What famous Bible prophet wrote about Hezekiah? (32:32)

11. What did the people think of Hezekiah when he died? (32:33)

12. Who succeeded Hezekiah as king? (32:33) Get It

13. How does a serious illness or accident change our prayer habits?

14. What causes us to forget to thank or praise God for His blessings?

15. What kind of response does God want from us when He gives us good gifts?

16. Once we have sinned and disappointed God, what can we do to avoid His discipline?

17. In what ways do you feel God has tested you recently?

18. What unfortunate legacy did Hezekiah leave another generation because of his pride?

19. Why might a person turn down a gift offered by another person or even by God?

20. What could you do this week to help your regular prayer life become more like your emergency prayer life?

21. If the Lord tested you this week, what would be your greatest motivation and priority?

 

Weekly Word # 1:          The Holy Place

 

Our weekly reading for this week:    Ezra 1-3

Bible Study: Introduction: 5/12/17

EZRA AND NEHEMIAH

"Re-Building God's Temple"

 

 

Names and Places in Scripture Both books entitled Ezra and Nehemiah were originally placed by the Jews in the "writings" section of the OT (Part 3), among the "historical" books, following Daniel. The two were regarded as one book. The LXX (Greek translation of the OT) also regarded them as one book. Jerome's Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible refers to Nehemiah as the second book of Ezra, as do also the early English translations (Wycliffe etc.). Later English translations (AV) make the division under the names "Ezra" and "Nehemiah." It's interesting to note this, since Ezra has been regarded as the compiler of both books of Chronicles as well as Ezra and Nehemiah. The books have much in common. Authorship Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries. Both were leaders of returning expeditions of the Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra was from the Levitical high-priestly family of Eleazar. Nehemiah was a Jewish high-ranking official in the Persian government. Part of the book of Ezra refers to Ezra in the first person, and much of Nehemiah refers to Nehemiah in the first person as well. This indicates, of course, that each may have authored at least part of the books bearing their names. Only Ezra contains sections written in Aramaic. Since Ezra did not participate in the events of the first half of his book, he may have used sources for that part of his book. Many similarities in the writing style and language of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah support the view that Ezra may have compiled all three, adding the memoirs of Nehemiah into a trilogy (group of three) at the close. Yet of this we cannot be absolutely sure. We can be sure, however, that these books were written under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.

One of the most interesting aspects of Judah's ancient history is the events and people who were involved with the building of the second temple. Ezra and Nehemiah discuss these events in great detail. But few people realize that these ancient events are actually prophecies for our time. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah make that clear in their prophecies concerning the temple.

 

This study reveals the heavy prophetic flavor contained within the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  I wanted to add to this study some background history before the rebuilding of the Temple. And to say, that we will look at this naturally and spiritually. We will have prayer, read these books (Ezra,, Nehemiah, and Esther), questions for review, weekly word, a natural look at these books, a look at the spiritual revelation of our transformation as the temple of the living God's Holy Spirit.

 

Table of Contents

 

Week # 1………………….Hezekiah is Tested

Week # 2………………….Outline of Ezra and Nehemiah

Week # 3………………….Who was Ezra?

Week # 4………………….Who was Nehemiah?

Week # 5………………….Re-Building the Temple First:

Week # 6………………….Re-building of the Walls of Jerusalem:

Week # 7………………….A Spiritual Message Part 1

Week # 8…………………A Spiritual Message Part 2

 

Scripture weekly reading for this lesson (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther) will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Esther will be the last week of the study for the whole week.

 

Week # 1………………….Ezra 1-3

Week # 2………………….Ezra 4-6

Week # 3………………….Ezra 7-9

Week # 4………………….Ezra 10- Nehemiah 1-2

Week # 5………………….Nehemiah 3-6

Week # 6………………….Nehemiah 7-9

Week # 7………………….Nehemiah 10-13

Week # 8………………….Esther 1-10

 

See you in the study………………………………………………

COMING SOON

Our next Bible Study is coming soon: no date yet!

 

We will be studying "Re-building God's Temple" by Ezra/Nehemiah; the most famous priest, writers, and leaders of the Israelites in Biblical time . Their example is a blessing to integrity and upright in heart. The re-building of the Temple of God was in their hearts no matter what. This study will be a blessing in knowledge of who they were, and spiritually of what we should do to be like them in re-building our temple for God's Holy Spirit to dwell in.  Some people think and teach not to consider the Old Testament too much, but if it were not for the Old Testament, the New Testament would not be here.  The Old Testament is for our learning just as the New Testament is. The Old Testament is the prophecies of God's plan; the New Testament is the fulfillment of those prophecies. I had chosen another study by another author, but God moved me to do some research and share what He placed on my heart. I am looking forward to the gaining of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of these men of God.  See you soon………….

HAPPY EASTER: PRAYER

DAY 10: 

PRAYERS:

 

Most heavenly Father who are in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die in our place. Everything Jesus did was to bring us back to You, Father. Thank You for sending your Son to earth as a baby so many years ago.  Thank you that He paid the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross.  And thank You that He rose again to prove that death was truly defeated. We place our trust in You to be our Savior. Guide us through the dark times of our life and give us courage to live for You.  Thank You Lord, for the gift of Your love. May we be a shining example of that love to others each and every day, not just on Passion Week, but always.  Our hearts are grateful for what You have done for us. We were not there, but our hearts burns because we know in our hearts that it is true. Jesus, (personally), I wished I had been there, but then again, I wonder if I could have endured what Your believers went through years ago. I pray that we all endure now what we must, so we can be with You in eternity. Help us, Lord, to share this truth with all who will listen this day and for as long as we live on this earth. As we study these lessons or just our Bible, please help us to live it just as much as we study it, in Jesus' name. Father, give us the passion Jesus had when He went to the cross on our behalf. He didn't have to do it, but You ordained it to be, so He did. Thank You Lord Jesus Christ! Today, we cry out to You, Father, for all in need of a blessing; for our government, every church leaders, teachers, law enforcers, sick and shut-in, those who need jobs, the elderly, all family members, Christian everywhere on this earth, and especially for the youth. Heavenly Father, thank You for the United States of America, which was founded upon Christian freedom and Your Word! Thank You for other nations that also have foundation that reflect biblical principles. Thank You for the Founding Fathers, Lord who looked to You for guidance to develop the kind of government that would be pleasing to You. Our president and his advisors need Your wisdom to safeguard freedom. By wisdom You laid the earth foundation, and by understanding You set the heavens in place. We pray that these leaders will turn their ears to Your wisdom and apply their hearts to understanding. May the light of Your Word run swiftly and prevail throughout the country, and Your love burn brightly in this land, and other nations that trust You. Give us a rebirth of freedom, in the name of Jesus. AMEN.