In Ezra 9 and 10 we will wrap up the book of Ezra. This ending brings us full circle because the book began with a celebration. The energetic march of miraculously released exiles joyfully returning home. But the conclusion of the book of Ezra is an eerie reversed scene. The quiet shuffle of frightened women and children tearfully leaving home.…
A man named Ezra actually wrote the book of Ezra in the Bible, and with it he captures the story of God stirring the hearts of His people to return to Jerusalem. That return takes place in three waves. In Ezra 3 we’re exploring the first return that Ezra documented but was not actually a part of himself.…
The Old Testament has five divisions. The first division is called the Pentateuch or Books of the Law, and it contains the first five books of the Bible. The second division is the History Books, and with Ezra 1 we start the 10th of 12 books in this division. Here’s a great visual: Books of the Old Testament.…
In today's Esther 3 commentary, King Xerxes promotes Haman to chief officer. But when Mordecai refuses to bow, Haman's wounded pride explodes into a plot to annihilate every Jew in the Persian Empire. He manipulates the king into signing an irreversible decree. Yet behind the scenes God is quietly positioning His people. Esther is inside the palace, and Mordecai is strategically positioned outside.…
During the four years between Vashti's banishment and Esther's coronation, King Xerxes fights and loses a war with Greece. Upon his return, the advisors devise a national beauty competition to distract the king and save themselves. Young Hadassah, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, is taken into the harem where she finds favor and becomes Queen Esther.]…