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Pretty good discussion in class today.  A few thoughts emerged.  The object of the lesson was to acknowledge that God may require us to make radical changes in our lives when we have strayed.  For Judea – the name given to Judah on the return from exile – this meant that the community had to [...]

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of today’s lesson scripture – it’s about scripture after all.  The Word of God was first delivered to Israel in the Wilderness – then it was virtually lost during the First Temple Kingdom before being re-discovered during the reign of King Josiah.  During the exile that followed, the law [...]

Think about what travel was like at the time Ezra and the others journeyed back to Jerusalem.  It wasn’t just the lack of good roads and faster means of transportation such as we enjoy today.  It wasn’t just that there was no way of communicating with the Persian king for help if things went awry.   [...]

Today’s lesson scripture contains the concluding words of Artaxerxes’ instructions to Ezra: 25 ”And you, Ezra, according to the God-given wisdom you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River who know the laws of your God; and you shall teach those who do not know them. [...]

In today’s lesson scripture we learn of Ezra’s motivation in returning to Israel – to not only study the law of God, but to live it and to teach it.  Study for himself, live (obey) it for God, and teach it for others.  We also learn that Ezra led others, lay people as well as [...]

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally considered one and were separated by Origen and Jerome in the 3rd and 4th centuries (not for another 1200 years were they separated in the Hebrew Bible).  In the first six chapters of the book that bears Ezra’s name we are provided a history of the return [...]

I had occasion recently to talk with a friend and college room-mate who is now a family practioner in Florida.  He takes a whole person and spiritual approach to medicine and to some his methods may even seem unconventional.  One of the comments he made while we were talking about the power of faith to heal, [...]

Today’s lesson scripture begins to tell a story that will be retold throughout the history of Israel – indeed, throughout the history of the world: 1 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 The hand of Midian prevailed [...]

The story of Gideon continues today with Gideon receiving further assurance of victory.  You’ll note in today’s lesson scripture that Gideon seems to put more stock in the dream of an enemy that in the assurances he had received from God: 9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Get up, attack the camp; for [...]

Reading today’s lesson I was reminded of God using Pharaoh and the Red Sea to “make a point” – that he is God, the one, true God of not only Israel, but of all creation.  In today’s lesson scripture God makes the same point – winnowing the number of the warriors commanded by Gideon from [...]