BIB202 Historical Books

BIB202 Historical Books
- Ezra 1:1-2:70 1st Return
  - 1:1-4 Decree of Cyrus
    - extended version of 2 Chron 36:23
    - provides for materials for the temple via soliciting donations from Exiled Jews
  - 1:5-11 Exiles Return
    - all the people whose hearts the Lord had moved prepared to return to build the temple
    - their neighbors gave them gifts
    - original articles from the temple -taken by Babylon - returned by Cyrus
  - 2:1-67 List of the returned exiles
    - concentrating on temple personnel and priests
  - 2:68-70 Arrival at Jerusalem
    - received more offerings and settled in
- Ezra 3:1-6:22 Rebuild the Temple
  - 3:1-13 Beginning of the Temple
    - led by Jeshua - legitimate priest and Zerubbabel - legitimate Davidic descendant
    - rebuilt the altar first and sacrificed
    - celebrated feast of tabernacles
    - all according to the law
    - they began the work on the temple structure
    - when the foundation was finished they praised the Lord
      - He is good, His chesed endures forever
    - all the people shouted with praise
    - many of the older priests wept when they saw the foundation laid
      - ambiguous, were they weeping for joy
      - were they weeping because they missed the old temple and glad it was being replaced
      - were they weeping because the new temple was not anywhere near as grand as the old temple?
    - the sounds of joy and the sounds of weeping mixed together
  - 4:1-24 Temple work stops because of opposition
    - enemies heard
    - first sought to help (genuine offer or scheme?) - probably scheme b/c they are called enemies
    - Zerubbabel refused - "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God"
    - next sought to discourage them and make them afraid
    - next hired people to interfere
    - next made accusation to the authorities
    - copy of a letter sent to Artaxerxes
      - accuses them of rebuilding the entire city, incl. walls
      - tells to search archives for history of Jerusalem as rebellions city that did not submit to foreign kings
    - copy of king's reply letter
      - confirms the Jerusalem had history
      - ordered the work to stop
    - the Jews were compelled to stop work on the house of God until the 2nd year of Darius
  - 5:1-6:12 Temple work renewed
    - Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to motivate the Jews to finish the temple
    - Jeshua and Zerubbabel restarted the rebuilding
    - The prophets of God were there helping
    - The governor asked who authorized them to rebuild
    - v. 5 "But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his reply received.
    - copy of letter to Darius
      - we asked the Jews who authorized and they replied:
      - we are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and we are rebuilding His temple
      - Because our fathers angered God, He punished them via Babylon, who destroyed the temple.
      - Cyrus made a decree to rebuild
      - we have been constructing from that time to this.
      - search the archives and find the decree of Cyrus.
    - Darius searched the archives and a scroll was found
    - copy of Cyrus' decree found on the scroll
      - let the temple be built
      - the costs are to be paid by the royal treasury
    - Darius' letter to the governor
      - stay away - do not interfere with the work on the temple
      - not only that - pay their expenses so that work will not stop
      - so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to God and pray for the King [Darius]
      - If anyone changes this decree, he will be killed
  - 6:13-22 Temple completed and dedicated
    - the governor carried out Darius' orders
    - The Jews continued to build under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah
    - they finished building the temple
      - by the command of God
      - and the decree of Cyrus
    - The people dedicated the temple with joy
    - They installed the priests for service - according to the Law of Moses
    - They celebrated the Passover for 7 days with joy
    - because God changed the attitude of the King of Assyria to help with the work of the house of God
- Ezra 7:1-8:36 2nd return
  - 7:1-10 Ezra returns to Jerusalem
    - genealogy of Ezra - back to Aaron
    - v. 6 "He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given."
    - The hand of the Lord was upon him, so the king granted his requests
    - came from Babylon with other Israelites, including priests and temple personnel
    - arrived in Jerusalem
    - The gracious hand of his God was on him
    - v. 10 "Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."
  - 7:11-28 Letter of Artaxerxes
    - copy of letter Artaxerxes gave to Ezra -
      - kind of official letter of recommendation
      - Any Israelite who wished to go to Jerusalem may go
      - Ezra sent to inquire about Judah with reference to the Law of God
      - sent with money for sacrifices and any need of the temple
      - orders the kings treasuries to pay whatever is needed for proper worship of God - insuring against God's wrath on his kingdom
      - Ezra to appoint judges to administer justice according to the law of God and to teach the Law
      - Whoever breaks the Law of God must be punished
    - Ezra praised God for this favor
    - "because the hand of the Lord my God was on me" I took courage and went
  - 8:1-14 List of the returning exiles
  - 8:15-36 The trip to Jerusalem
    - no Levites among those planning to return, so search was made
    - "Because the gracious hand of our God was on us" 240 men were found to go with them
    - proclaimed a fast to humble selves before God
    - did not ask for soldiers because "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him."
    - God answered the prayer
    - weighed out all the precious metal and entrusted it to certain men
    - "The hand of our God was on us, and He protected us from enemies and bandits"
    - arrived in Jerusalem
    - weighed out the precious metal again and none was missing
    - offered sacrifice and delivered the king's orders
- Ezra 9:1-10:44 Rebuild Separation
  - 9:1-4 The problem of foreign marriage
    - the people have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples and their detestable practices
    - note not racism, but separation from idolatrous practices is at the root
    - they are intermarrying and the leaders are leading in this unfaithfulness
    - Ezra publicly mourned when he heard this
    - all who trembled at the Words of God assembled to Ezra
  - 9:5-15 Ezra's prayer
    - I am too ashamed to lift my face to you
    - our sins have reached to the sky
    - we have been in captivity because of our sins
    - You have been gracious to us in returning us here
      - God has not deserted us in our slavery
      - He has shown us kindness and granted us new life to rebuild the temple
    - what can we say now - we have disregarded your commands
    - We have done just what you commanded not to do - which caused the exile
    - the exile is less punishment than we deserve
    - We are doing it again, so we cannot stand before you
  - 10:1-17 Confession of Sin
    - others gathered and wept with Ezra and repented
    - made a covenant to stop and put away the foreign wives - according to the Law
    - Issued a proclamation for all the exiles to gather
    - Ezra confronted them with this sin
    - they confessed and planned to make it right
    - they methodically investigated and dealt with it
  - 10:18-44 List of guilty parties
    - many were priests and Levites
- Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 3rd Return
  - 1:1-11 Nehemiah's prayer
    - serving the King of Persia in Susa
    - heard about the state of Jerusalem from his brother
    - Wept and mourned and fasted and prayed
    - Content of prayer
      - Awesome God who keeps covenant, listen to my prayer
      - Confesses sins of himself and his Fathers - re: exile
      - Reminder of God's promise to bring His people back
      - Grant me success in the presence of the King
    - foreshadowing - I was cupbearer of the King
  - 2:1-10 Nehemiah's return 2:1-10
    - king saw his sadness and asked what he wanted
    - He quickly prayed (internally) and asked the king to send him to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall
    - "Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests"
    - Foreshadowing - the Ammonite officials were disturbed that someone came to the aid of the Jews
- Nehemiah 2:11-7:73 Rebuild the Walls
  - 2:11-20 Inspection of the walls
    - at first didn't tell anyone the plan
    - inspected the walls at night (in secret)
    - "Come let us rebuild the walls"
    - "I told them of the gracious hand of my God on me and what the King had said"
    - They replied "let's start building"
    - Sanballat and Tobiah mocked
    - Nehemiah replied "The God of heaven will give us success - you have no share in Jerusalem"
  - 3:1-32 Building of the walls
    - list of the different people/families and the different sections of the wall they repaired
    - a lot of different people each did a small part under Nehemiah's initiation and leadership
  - 4:1-6:14 Opposition to building
    - 4:1-23 Opposition
      - Sanballat and Tobiah again mocked and tried to discourage
      - Nehemiah prayed
      - The wall was rebuilt to 1/2 height b/c the people worked with all their heart
      - Sanballat and Tobiah plotted to fight Jerusalem
      - Nehemiah prayed and posted a guard
      - the people were discouraged and afraid
      - Nehemiah posted more soldiers encouraged - "remember the Lord, who is great and awesome"
      - half worked, half guarded
      - worked with one hand and carried a sword in the other
    - 5:1-19 relief for the poor
      - outcry because of poverty
      - Nehemiah confronted those Jews who were loan-sharking to their fellow Jews
      - They agreed to not take advantage of the poor
      - Nehemiah did not exact taxes from the people for his own office, but supported it himself
      - Prayer that the Lord would remember this righteous act
    - 6:1-14 Opposition
      - Sanballat and Tobiah sent a message - come meet with us
      - Nehemiah replied - :I am doing a great project and cannot" priorities
      - 4 times tried, 5th time with a threat to expose him as rebel - blackmail
      - Nehemiah replied - "This is not true, I have truth on my side"
      - Nehemiah prayed
      - Tried to discourage/frighten him via an inside man
      - Nehemiah replied - "I will not run away" realized that God had not sent him
      - Nehemiah prayed
  - 6:15-7:3 Completion of the walls
    - The wall was completed
    - The work had been done with the help of God
    - Tobiah still trying to hinder the Jews
    - Nehemiah put his brother in charge of Jerusalem - man of integrity who feared God more than most do
    - appointed gatekeepers and guards
  - 7:4-73 List of the returned exiles
    - almost the same as Ezra ch. 2
- Nehemiah 8:1-13:31 Rebuild Righteous Religion
  - 8:1-18 Ezra reads the Law
    - all the people assembled together
    - Ezra brought the book of the Law
    - He read it aloud from dawn until noon
    - All the people listened intently
    - The Levites translated and/or explained the meaning to all throughout the crowd - so that the people could understand what was being read
    - the people were weeping and mourning as they heard the Law
    - they were instructed to not weep because of the joyous occasion of the sacred day
    - they celebrated "because the joy of the Lord is your strength"
    - all the leaders gathered to give attention to the Words of the Law
    - they read about the feast of booths - so they celebrated the feast of booths
    - Ezra read from the Book day after day
    - real revival!
  - 9:1-5 Confession of sins
    - The people gathered together in repentance and mourning
    - They separated themselves from foreigners
    - They confessed their sins
    - They read from the Law and confessed and worshipped
    - real revival!
  - 9:5-37 rehearsal of God's faithfulness and Israel's history
    - Great God created all
    - Lord God chose Abraham and made a covenant
    - Rescued His people from Egypt
    - Gave His Law at Sinai
    - They were arrogant and did not obey
    - God did not abandon them in His great compassion
    - God gave them victory over Kingdoms and inheritance of their land
    - They were disobedient and rebelled
    - God had compassion and rescued them
    - They did evil again
    - God warned them via the prophets
    - They rejected His warning
    - In His mercy He did not wipe them out
    - Prayer of confession of their sad state because of national sin, but hope that God will move
  - 9:38-10:39 Covenant of obedience
    - making a covenant
    - list of people committing to the covenant
    - list of covenant promises
      - separation from foreign marriage
      - keeping the Sabbath
      - supporting the temple with offerings
      - bringing in firstfruits
      - upholding proper preisthood
      - "we will not neglect the house of our God"
    - real revival!
  - 11:1-12:26 List of the returned exiles
  - 12:27-47 Dedication of the wall
    - two groups of singers walked around the city on top of the wall in opposite directions
    - one led by Ezra, one followed by Nehemiah
    - ended at the temple
    - all rejoiced and worshipped
    - all supported the temple and its functions
  - 13:1-31 Nehemiah's reforms
    - Book of the Law read aloud
    - excluding foreigners from Israel
      - In obedience to the Law, they excluded the foreigners
    - Tobiah squatting at the temple
      - While Nehemiah was back in Susa serving the King, Tobiah had taken up residence in one of the store rooms of the temple
      - When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he promptly kicked him out
    - Neglecting of tithes
      - also the tithes had not been given to support the temple personel, so Nehemiah rebuked the leaders and fixed it
      - Prayer that God would remember Nehemiah for this
    - Breaking the Sabbath
      - Saw people breaking the Sabbath
      - Nehemiah rebuked the leaders and prevented selling on the Sabbath
      - Prayer that God would remember Nehemiah for this
    - Foreign Marriage
      - Saw that some had married foreign women
      - Nehemiah rebuked them and beat them
      - Prayer that God would remember Nehemiah for this
    - Purifying the priests
    - Prayer that God would remember Nehemiah with favor