Now that Ezra has been teaching in Israel for a while, the returned exiles are beginning to see their sinful ways of living. We see how, once again, Israel’s problem is the worship of other gods, or marrying from other nations, and the process of Israel’s recovery.
As we continue in Esther we find Esther and Mordecai in a difficult situation as they try to save the Israelites from Haman and Xerxes. Dean talks to us about the importance of knowing who you serve and how to remain steadfast in times of difficulty.
As we begin in Esther, we read about the introduction of Esther, or Hadassah, to the court of the King of Persia. Johnny talks about the importance of good stories, life in the king’s court, and how God often works in simple and unremarkable ways through simple and unremarkable people.
In the last chapters of Nehemiah, once the city is complete, Nehemiah returns to Persia for a while, and when he returns to Israel, he finds it in sin once again. Dean highlights three actions of Nehemiah in this chapter: how he leads the people in thanksgiving, how he kicks Tobiah out of the temple, […]
