Ezra Who?

Doesn't feel much like the 3rd of July around here, but I'll take it. You know I'm a cold weather fan!

Let's get down to business. . .

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What is the name of the king of Persia? What did God tell him to? (2 Chron 36)
2 Chronicles 36:22-23 22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 23 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-- may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

And here's the question of the day:
In what unusual way did the man named “Barzillai” get his name? (Ezra 2)

And here's the reflection of the day:
Well, we've come to Ezra. This is probably a book of the Bible you don't know too much about. So, let me give you some background.

Ezra and Nehemiah were originally considered a single literary work entitled "Ezra." Then some of the church fathers decided to separate it (Ralph W. Klein, NIB Commentary, "The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah"). (I couldn't find a reason why they did it--sorry!) Until recently, scholars believe Ezra-Nehemiah was also a part of 1-2 Chronicles. Now it is generally believed they were written separately.

At this point in history Jerusalem was destroyed (586 BCE) and the Israelites found themselves in exile again, this time at the hands of the Babylonians and in Babylon. When Jerusalem fell, many of the learned and well-to-do Jews were sent into exile, thereby stunting the growth of the Israelites. The future of the Israelites looked bleak, to say the least, but God's prophets continued to reassure them that God would provide.

And God did provide, in the form of a generous Persian king named Cyrus who conquered the Babylonians and invites the Jerusalem exiles to return home to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the Temple, which was finished in 516 BCE.

Cyrus' successor, Artaxerxes I (pronounced "art-a-zerk-sees"--how 'bout that name for a 2 year old!), sent Ezra to Jerusalem to lead the Jews back to Jerusalem, "deliver gifts offered by the Persian authorities and by the people to the Temple, make inquiry about conformity to the law in Judah and Jerusalem, and appoint magistrates and judges to teach the law" (Klein).

So, Ezra leads the people in a confession of sin for "their intermarriage with foreigners" (not because they were racist but because foreigners often brought with them other religions which led the Israelites away from God). AND, he led a "commission that carried out the removal of the foreign wives and their children." (Sheesh. Don't sign me up for that job!)

These are the main things to watch out for when you read Ezra and Nehemiah:
1. the return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple
2. the initial activities of Ezra
3. Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls
4. the climax of Ezra and Nehemiah's work
5. the final acts of Nehemiah


I hope all this helps as you being to read Ezra and Nehemiah. Let me know if you have any other questions!!
Allison

Sleeping with the Enemy

Good morning! Boy, I'm glad I turned the furnace back on last night--it was chilly. For those of you who are gardeners, I hope your plants survived the cold! Let's get down to business.


Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Monday: Why did Hiram, King of Tyre, send envoys to Solomon? (I Kings 5)
1 Kings 5:1 When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.

And here's the question of the day:
Tuesday: Which came first: the palace or the temple? (I Kings 6-7)


And here's the reflection of the day:
Today's readings from 1 Kings 6-7 provide us with a few interesting little tidbits of information.

For example, check out verse 1 in 1 Kings 6: "In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt . . . " It is common for passages of Scripture to start with some "sign posts" to help clue people in on the time and place of the story. And Israel's history always dates back to their liberation from Egypt by the hand of God. Even though Solomon is king 10-12 generations AFTER the exodus, it is still fresh in the mind of the authors of 1 Kings. After all this time, they still "remember" what their ancestors went through at the hands of Pharaoh in Egypt.

Now, look at verse 8 in 1 Kings 7: "And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married." It's just a little narrative detail in the midst of two grand chapters describing the temple and the palace, but it's an important detail: THE KING OF ISRAEL MARRIED THE DAUGHTER OF EGYPT'S PHARAOH!

It doesn't get more shocking than that does it? One might try to justify this as a diplomatic marriage, but come on . . . really? (said like Amy Pohler and Seth Myers on SNL!) Does this seem like a wise move, o great and wise Solomon??

Never has God been a fan of Israel "marrying outside the faith." The Israelites was always forbidden from marrying foreigners not because they're foreigners, but because they do not worship Yahweh, Israel's God. God wants to preserve Israel's faith and way of life as a community, which is no easy task . . . a task made all the more difficult when Israel's leader is literally sleeping with the enemy.

In the midst of all these grand details of the palace and the temple (don't these 2 chapters sounds like someone describing what a museum looks like?), God interrupts, like God so often does. In 1 Kings 6:11ff, "The word of the LORD came to Solomon: 12 "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel." 14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it.

In other words, God says, "Using this temple, if you will follow my decrees. . . I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel." Everything hinges on the temple and Solomon's wise obedience to God's decrees. It's that important; hence all the description and detail that goes along with it.

This "little" disobedience I mentioned earlier may be a foreshadowing of things to come for Solomon and the Israelites. You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens next!!

Have a splendid day!
Allison