Missing from earth’s honor rolls, how wonderful to have my name written above in the autograph of God. As we examine the list of names in Ezra 2, two facts should be obvious. First, as in many lists already viewed earlier in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Lord doesn’t miss a thing. Unlike world rulers, God […]
With “an understanding heart” (1 Ki 3:9), Solomon foresaw both human failure and divine forgiveness. Solomon had prophesied it (1 Ki 8:46-50). The Lord had promised it (9:3). Daniel had prayed it (Dan 6:10; 9:3-19). The angel Gabriel proclaimed it (v 24). Now the people were practicing it (see Ezra 2:1-70). What was IT? Solomon’s prayer included […]
Oh, if we could — by God’s grace — cultivate the same attitude as the boy with Down Syndrome on the soccer field, and then apply it to the Christian life, it would be impossible for us to lose. […]
Nothing but precious vessels for the Lord’s house! It’s the same now. Are you a vessel of honor? (2 Tim 2:20-21). It was time to pack up and head back to Israel. Jerusalem lay in ruins. The temple had been trashed and torched. It was with faith, mingling with hope, that Cyrus said to the […]
Read More… from March 3, 2025 — The Mystery Of The Missing Knife
True hope can only be found when we choose what Jesus thinks over what the god of this world thinks. And no wonder. One is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. The Other is the Giver of real Life, and that in abundance. This story, set—of all things—in a funeral home, shares the […]
Sometimes we need those people we least expect to remind us of our obligations to the Lord. What did the majority of Judah’s kings have in common? They abandoned, desecrated, or destroyed the house of the Lord! A recurring motif in Scripture is that God would often turn from His chosen people to seek those […]
Read More… from February 28, 2025 — Don’t Forget Your Offerings!
Armies break things and kill people. But Cyrus wants the Jews to return, rebuild, and refurbish the temple. Imagine this! Cyrus the Great was not only a king but an empire builder. His armies subjugated people, smashing their fortresses and pillaging their treasures. He had done it scores of times. According to Rüdiger Schmitt, professor […]
Cyrus welded together the world’s first true super-power. But this one letter was more important than that! The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are parts of one continuous history. In fact, the Hebrew Bible had them bound together as one scroll. Although Ezra and Nehemiah seem to be doing very different work—one restoring the temple […]