The narrative of Ezra-Nehemiah is the story of God’s redemption of a people long in exile, abandoned to powerful forces, then awakened one day to an opportunity to participate in the “new thing” God promised to do. It’s the story of a period in history, one hundred years long, when God led His people out of exile, back to their homeland, and helped them rebuild what was lost or taken in captivity . . . all of it. The gospel of Ezra-Nehemiah is that “the night is nearly over; the day is almost here so we must put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light,” participating in the new thing God is doing in our day. This is bigger than one person, or one church, or even one generation. It involves all of them, each with their gifts.
The story of Ezra-Nehemiah: A nation once devastated by the exile is given permission from an unlikely source to rebuild. But sometimes the hardest work is that which is done in the people themselves before the building begins.
The story of Ezra-Nehemiah: A nation once devastated by the exile is given permission from an unlikely source to rebuild. But sometimes the hardest work is that which is done in the people themselves before the building begins.
Soon or later, everything about us – our families, our work, and especially our worship – takes the shape of an altar hidden in the routines of our lives.
If the altar builds the temple, then what (and how) we worship is what we will become.
Who are the people God will use to rebuild the city?
Nehemiah’s work is largely focused on rebuilding crumbling walls; but in this passage, he’s worried about a crumbling community. This sermon will walk through the forces that pulled Nehemiah’s community (and ours) apart – and the invitation of God to
Obedience is the best interpretation of Scripture.