Summary: Chapter 11 lists all those that won the lottery to go live in Jerusalem. Chapter 12 lists priests/Levites working in service to the church and preaching of the Word and ministering to the people. Chapter 13 Nehemiah focused on reforming the people to bring them back in line with God’s wills and help them to avoid being tempted away from worshiping the one and only God.
Key verse:
Nehemiah 13:14 “Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.”
View of God: This verse reminds me of how I need to remember who it is that I am to please. Who I put my full trust and obedience in. That He is the one I answer to and He is the one I work for no matter the cost.
Change to me: This helps change my perspective on leading God’s way. It helps me understand that sometimes leadership can be difficult but necessary.
I’ll go forward with God trying my best to do everything as if I’m doing it for God (Colossians 3:23) Remembering not to be afraid of people and their opinions as long as I am following God’s instruction.
I see Jesus in how quickly and wholeheartedly Nehemiah carried out God’s commands.
Summary: Chapter 8 opens in the square where the remnant of Israel had gathered. Ezra re-initiate God’s command to gather the people to hear the Law being read aloud. They start having “Church”! Everyone was emotional and I imagine it is the movement of the Spirit through the people. The Levites (priests) remind everyone that worship time is a holy time and Nehemiah impresses upon them that it is to be joyous and not miserable. Church continues with the remembrance of their ancestors’ nomadic lifestyle before reaching the promised land, confessing their sins, and worshiping God acknowledging His patience, forgiveness, grace, compassion, and abounding love. They close their worship with a commitment to follow the Word.
Key verse:
Nehemiah 8:3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
View of God: these chapters strongly affirmed and deepened my conviction that God’s Word is the truth and it is the guide for me to focus, work, and strive for my relationship with Him.
Change to me: Bible Vision 2020, the pandemic, and these chapters have all validated the fact that faith’s primary development comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17).
I go forward with God determined to incorporate more reading of the Word during our d-times, zooms, skypes, and facetimes as well as ask others to read the Word to me so that my faith can be increased.
I see Jesus in the celebration and joyousness of the worship as the priests/Levites remind the Israelites that it was a holy day!
As the Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, some problems began to arise. First off, the wealthy land-owning Jews in the time were extorting the poorer Jews and making them their subjects. They were charging their fellow Jews interest in the money they lend them and causing them to sell their daughters and become slaves to their own kind. This gets the attention of Nehemiah and he confronts the Jews who were doing this, and they agree to give back what they have taken. Another problem that arises is that the builders of the wall receive opposition for building it from neighboring towns after the wall is completed in only 52 days.
What is one key verse?
“So, the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” Nehemiah 6:15-16
How does what you read change your vision of God?
God is eager to do the work of his people. Building the wall in only 52 days was nothing short of a miracle. The neighboring cities did not even believe it was possible in Ne 4:1-3. But God blesses those who get up and do his work.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?
When the enemies of the Jews building the wall saw how quickly its was built, fear overtook them because they knew it was the power of God that it was built. It says that they lost their self-confidence. This reminds me that trusting in the Lord to work on my behalf will always trump over any self-confidence I have. Whether that confidence in my finances, abilities, or physical strength.
How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)
“I want to give God something to bless.” One of the brothers that recently moved away from Dekalb has this as his motto and I think it’s a very accurate statement. I cannot just sit around waiting for God to move. I need to start building my own walls, not on my own strength, but relying on the God who provides.
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)
I see Jesus’ teachings reflected a lot in the section where Nehemiah was rebuking the nobles for how they were treating the poorer Jews. Jesus entire nature was to be that of a servant and was always eager to give than to receive. “More blessed is it to give than to receive.”
In today’s reading, God’s people continue to build the wall around Jerusalem. Chapter 3 goes into detail about everyone and their role in the building. The bible describes it as people being next to each other and working together to build the wall. Chapter 4 focuses on the enemies of the Israelites and how they were trying to oppose the building. Their enemies tried to plot against the Israelites, but the Israelites inquired of God and prayed about the situation and took action. After their enemies heard of the Israelites being wary of their plans and God stopping them, the Israelites continued to build while protecting themselves.
A key verse from these chapters is Nehemiah 4: 7-9, which says:
“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”
I chose this scripture because it made me think about the power, effectiveness, and importance of prayer. When the Israelites were plotted against by their enemies, the first thing they did was pray to God and rely on His guidance. This makes me think about my prayer life. I need to remember to come to God about all parts of my life. If I am struggling with anything, I need to remember that God wants me to rely on Him and trust in Him, but I can only build that kind of relationship if I am praying to and seeking Him. Through this quarantine, I’ve been given time to reflect and pray to God so I need to take advantage of an opportunity to grow closer to and build a stronger relationship with God.
In today’s reading, Nehemiah is mourning for the people of Jerusalem who survived the exile. He is weeping after he discovers that their wall has been broken down and their gates have been burned with fire. He begins fasting and praying to God. In chapter 1, he proclaims a beautiful, powerful prayer to God. He declares that he knows that God keeps his promises and his steadfast love for his people if his people listen to him, but he also knows that God punishes those who stray away from God. He cries out to God for the people of Israel and for the sins that they have committed. He also pleads for God’s forgiveness for his people.
In chapter 2, Nehemiah is a servant for the king. He goes to the king, and the king asks him why he looks so sad. Nehemiah is afraid to respond, but he explains how he is sad that the city of Jerusalem is in ruins. Then he asks for the king’s permission to rebuild the city. The king agrees and sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem with a military, letters, and building materials. Nehemiah then leaves for Jerusalem, knowing that God is with him during his journey. Some people hear that Nehemiah is rebuilding the city, and they believe that it is a rebellion against the king. Meanwhile, Nehemiah shares his plan of rebuilding the city with others.
A key verse from these chapters is Nehemiah 1:5-6, which says:
“And I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.’”
These verses are important as we reflect on how awesome our God is during the challenges that we face in our lives. To some, it may feel like we are in exile right now, similar to the Israelites. However, we need to remember that even during our trials, our God is there for us if we love him and keep his commandments. Our God listens to our prayers and comforts us when we are feeling weak. Thus, these verses symbolize how it was God’s plan all along to bring Jesus to save us from our sins. God knew that we were going to have struggles, and he brought us Jesus to redeem us. Our God is an AWESOME GOD!
After reading and reflecting on these chapters, I will go with God by dedicating time to prayer every day.
Ezra remorses and weeps as he finds out how the Israelites have sinned against God by marrying wives from foreign countries. He prays and laments to God about how He has shown mercy even as the Israelites have committed such great sins against him. He also poses the question to God that if he does not harshly punish his people will they then continue to break his commands.
In chapter 10, we then see a congregation of people come around Ezra as he is weeping. They realize that they have sinned and vow to make it right before God. The chapter ends by listing out all the men who got rid of their foreign wives to repent of their sin.
A key verse in these chapters is Ezra 10:11.
“Now honor the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”
This verse is the one that stuck out to me because it reminds me to live as a changed person. We should live as a people that have been chosen by God and strive to separate ourselves from the world. I think this is something we can all strive to do more of, especially in this time of a lot of hopelessness and loss. We as Christians can rise up to share the hope we have through Jesus and not fall into the sin of the world. We can continue to encourage and help out others and not fall into the temptations of the world.
As Ezra finishes his prayer to God in chapter 9, he mentions that not one us can stand in your presence (v. 15). Even though Ezra is speaking many, many years ago this is still relevant to us today. Not a single one of us can stand in the presence of God without Jesus. We need Jesus to even have any chance of being with God. This is such a great blessing we have over the people of this time period.
This takes place after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem (and the temple) and took many of the Israelites into exile. Ezra 7-8 picks up as the Israelites are starting to return. King Artaxerxes issues a decree that any Israelites that wish to follow Ezra back to Jerusalem may do so. Additionally, Ezra is tasked with appointing judges and magistrates to judge all of the king’s provinces.
What is the key verse? Why?
Ezra 7:6 ESV
“This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.”
The king did not want the wrath of God to be against him and his sons. That is why King Artaxerxes granted Ezra all that he asked, “for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.”
How does what you read change your vision of God?
These chapters of Ezra are a reminder that God will always prevail, and He takes care of those who are faithful to Him. He fulfills His promises and He guards our safety along the way.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?
This changes my vision/view of myself because I have been grafted into God’s family, and this is a reminder that he is always taking care of me and watching out for me.
How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)
This increases my faith and trust in the Lord, to go and do His will and be unafraid of losing the battle, because it’s already been won by God. This enables me to be more confident in my actions at work, with friends and family, and at church.
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)
I saw Jesus shine through God fulfilling His promise to bring the Israelites back to Jerusalem. Reading over any of God’s promises fulfilled reminds me of how Jesus allowed me to be a part of God’s family, and that now I get to share in His promises as well.
I hope this helps you see the bible with new vision!
Within these chapters, the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord. The approached them, asking to build alongside them, because they also seek after God. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of the families denied their request. So those surrounding the families of Israel decided to make it their job to discourage the people. They even went as far as hiring counselors to work against them. Throughout the next couple of chapters, we see the back and forth between king Artaxerxes and those that were set out against the people of Israel. There are letters exchanged between the men of the Trans-Euphrates and King Artaxerxes, they state that the Jews that came from Jerusalem were threatening the King’s reign and sovereignty because Israel has historically been a mighty force. The King ordered them to stop building. The Jews stopped building, but in Chapter 5, they began rebuilding with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The elders of the Jews continued to build the temple and the end of chapter 6 is a joyous celebration, as the Passover was restored.
What is one key verse?
Ezra 4:4 “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.”
How does what you read change your vision of God?
This reading changed my vision of God because it is easy to think that once becoming a disciple, no harm will come near you. This chapter shows that even though they were restoring the temple of God, those that were against them seemed to overpower them. The building stopped for two years. I’m not sure about you, but two years seems like a pretty long season of waiting. God takes us through waiting seasons so that we can really establish our hearts. Once they were able to start building again, they jumped in! I know that waiting can sometimes cause bitterness or hesitation, but God isn’t making us wait to cause those things. Of course not, He never causes us to sin. These things aren’t caused by your situation, they are already inside of you. So, God uses opportunities to prune us in order to have our full hearts as we work for Him.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?
Although they faced persecution and had to cease work, the people of Israel did not rebel against the king because they could not work. Nor did the people rebel against God, as we had witnessed time and time again in past chapters. This reading will help me see that even though people may have made mistakes in the past, as the Israelites did, God does not hold that against them as long as they repent and surrender to Him. I, like God, need to not hold anyone’s past wrongs against them.
How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?
A step I will be taking, after reading these chapters, is to be present with God. Currently, the whole world is in a weird period of waiting. Things are scary, confusing, etc. I know that if I make the most of this waiting period, God will bless it. The people of Israel picked right back up and started building again after their waiting was over, I pray and hope that we all know our next steps we wish to take once God decides our waiting is over.
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)
Jesus was not a violent man. He always responded with love… The people of Israel may not have responded in love, I was not there to be able to know. But, there is nothing stating that they fought against their oppressors. So, in their avoidance of violence, Jesus’ heart was revealed. Because like the people of Israel, Jesus faced many oppressors, but He never retaliated.
In the first chapter of the book of Ezra, Cyrus the king of Persia was stirred up by God to set the people of Israel free so they could go back and rebuild the temple. God had also stirred up the hearts of many of his people to undertake this task. The Israelites were given many gifts of silver, gold and other expensive items before they left. The second chapter is a detailed list of all the people who went back. It also mentions how many of the families donated what they could in order for the temple to be built. In the third chapter, the people erect an altar on which they offer many burnt offerings to God. Later in the second year they laid the foundations of the new temple. It says that while many people shouted for joy some of the old men who had seen the first temple wept with a loud voice.
Key Verse
Ezra 1:5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.
Vision of God
Through this reading, we have an example of God’s justice and mercy. Because of their extensive wickedness, God had exiled His people, but He does not forget them forever. Instead He stirs up their hearts to do His will and to once more be a Holy people.
Vision of Self
I am encouraged by the people’s enthusiasm and joy. It talks about how the people donated what they had so that the temple could be built. They were working for something that was greater than themselves and so it became very important to them. I want to be someone with that kind of attitude.
Go with God
I will do my best to remember how this life is temporary. Too often I lose track of this, and then start living for myself. Everything starts to revolve around what I want to do, instead of how I can do God’s will and be a positive influence on the people He has put in my life.
Where’s Jesus?
The 2nd temple did not last forever. It was destroyed by the Roman Empire a little while after Jesus’s death and resurrection. However, because of Jesus, a new temple is now being built within us!
Summary: After the reign of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29-32, these chapters walk us through the reigns of Manasseh (Hezekiah’s son), then Amon (Manasseh’s son), then Josiah (Amon’s son), then Jehoahaz (Josiah’s son), then Jehoiakim (Jehoahaz’s brother, once named Eliakim), then Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim’s son), then Zedekiah (Jehoiachin’s uncle). Jerusalem went through a major time of turmoil during the reigns of these men. Manasseh “did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” (33:2) He essentially restored all of the altars to Baal and Asherah poles that his father Hezekiah had done away with and led Jerusalem away from God. But God sent the King of Assyria to take Manasseh prisoner. Manasseh cried out to the Lord and humbled himself, pleading for him to restore him. And the Lord did.
After Manasseh died, his son Amon also did evil in the eyes of the Lord and was assassinated by his people. King Josiah, who was only 8 years old when he began his reign, was a good king. During Josiah’s reign, priests found the Books of the Law given to Moses. “When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.” (34:19) Just like with Manasseh, God responded to King Josiah’s humble behavior: “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.” (34:27) Then Josiah destroyed all of the idols remaining.
Then followed more kings who did evil in the eyes of the Lord and His wrath overflowed. He brought the King Nebuchadnezzar against them and Jerusalem fell.
What is one key verse?
2 Chronicles 33:12-13 – “In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.”
I feel that this is a key verse because it shows us that even when we do horrible, despicable things, we can be redeemed if we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask for his forgiveness.
How does what you read change your vision of God? I feel like the fall of Jerusalem reminds me of Adam and Eve’s exile from Eden, the Flood, and the Exodus in that they are all examples of God being merciful for so long that he eventually has to allow something painful to happen to the people. And I feel that my vision of God has changed because of these moments in history because I see Him more as a parent trying so very hard to keep his children on the right path, but eventually having to let them fall and learn from their mistakes.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others? God’s actions reinforce in me how difficult it is to be a parent, but I need to be kinder to myself when it comes to my perceived parenting “fails”.
How will you Go With God because of this reading? I will strive to be more merciful and offer more grace in my parenting.
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? I saw Jesus in King Josiah and his steadfast love and commitment to doing good for the Lord.
2020 Bible Vision 