When the ark of the covenant arrived in Jerusalem, the people gathered and King David delivered a psalm, which included the following words of praise: O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.1 Chronicles 16:34 Many years later, when the temple of Solomon was completed, the occasion was marked by music: singers, cymbals, psalteries,... Continue Reading →
“I Will Gather Them from Thence”
While serving in the palace of the king of Persia, Nehemiah was devastated to learn of the sorry state of the city of Jerusalem. The people who were left there were "in great affliction and reproach." The walls of the city were broken, and the gate had been burned. As Nehemiah pleaded with God for... Continue Reading →
Fasting with Purpose
I am impressed with the feelings and the desires which motivated Ezra and Nehemiah to fast. When Nehemiah learned firsthand of the state of Jerusalem—walls broken down, gates burned, and the people "in great affliction and reproach"—he was devastated. "When I heard this," he wrote, "I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I... Continue Reading →
Ezra 1; 3-7; Nehemiah 2; 4-6; 8: “I Am Doing a Great Work” (July 18-24)
"Nehemiah Inspects The Walls of Jerusalem," by Robert Theodore Barrett Seventy years after being taken captive by the Babylonians, the former inhabitants of Judah were permitted to return. Jeremiah had prophesied, "After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place" (Jeremiah 29:10). About a... Continue Reading →
Take Root and Bear Fruit
There's a lot of change going on in my life right now. A couple of examples: I just started a new job, and the boundaries of our church congregation recently changed. Perhaps this explains why a simple sentence in 2 Kings caught my attention this week. The prophet Isaiah was reassuring King Hezekiah that he... Continue Reading →
“They Followed Vanity, and Became Vain”
Among the sins committed by the northern ten tribes which led to the Assyrian captivity, one stands out to me. The author of 2 Kings writes, "They followed vanity, and became vain" (2 Kings 17:15). The Hebrew word hebel (הֶבֶל), which is translated "vanity" in this passage, means literally "vapor" or "breath." The word habal... Continue Reading →
“With Everlasting Kindness”
Suboptimal circumstances can create glorious opportunities. When the kingdom of Israel was scattered by the Assyrians, it was a direct consequence of their disobedience to the commandments of God: They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and... Continue Reading →
“I Will Heal Thee”
Hezekiah was very ill. The prophet, Isaiah, visited him and told him that he would not recover. He was going to die. But Hezekiah wasn't willing to accept that answer. Laying on his bed, he turned toward the wall and offered the following heartfelt prayer: "I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked... Continue Reading →
“Set Thine House in Order”
King Hezekiah provided steady, fearless leadership to his people during the invasion of the Assyrian army, the same army which had destroyed their northern neighbors. After the Assyrians withdrew, Hezekiah faced a more personal challenge: He became ill and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, who had fortified Hezekiah's faith throughout the invasion, now... Continue Reading →
Neither to the Right Hand nor to the Left
As Moses prepared his people to enter the promised land, he warned them multiple times not to turn "to the right hand or the left," but to stay focused on keeping God's commandments (Deuteronomy 5:32, 17:11, 20, 28:14). After Moses' departure, the Lord reiterated this charge to Joshua, who extended it again to the Israelites... Continue Reading →