Bent Oak Church

We begin a new series this week on the gospel of Luke. We explore the background of the book as well as Luke's introduction to the work. Luke wrote Jesus's story so that we might have greater certainty and conviction about who Jesus is, what he taught, and what he has done for us. 

As we conclude our look at Ezra and Nehemiah, we come across an unexpected chapter. The story does not resolve as expected. Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to find the people slipping back into the same sins. His anger explodes, and the book concludes with the simple but poignant prayer, "Remember me, O my God, for good."

Having repented and renewed their covenant with God, the people gathered to dedicate the new walls of Jerusalem. They did so by worship. The city was filled with the sounds of worship, and it produced a joy that was heard far outside of Jerusalem. We explore how repentance has its natural end in a surprising experience of joy. 

Having reminded the people of God's steadfastness and having repented of their own unfaithfulness, Ezra led the people in renewing the covenant. We take a closer look at God's covenant with his people and how the story of Nehemiah helps us recognize the covenant we have received. 

Having celebrated God's faithfulness, the people were finally ready to consider their own unfaithfulness. On the twenty-four day of the month, they came together in sackcloth and ashes to repent before the Lord. But even in their repentance, God's mercy and steadfast love were at the center. Chapter nine offers a long prayer of repentance and remembering. It offers us a model for what our own repentance can look like. 

Having completed the wall, the people of Jerusalem began to gather. They called for Ezra to return and read the law. As the law was read, they began to weep, but Ezra commanded them to stop. Instead, he reminded them that the joy of the Lord was their strength. We take a closer look at those familiar words and how they sustained the people of Jerusalem and how they sustain us as well. 

Nehemiah had faced opposition before. He often faced threats and risks from the neighboring nations, but suddenly Nehemiah found opposition coming from within the walls of Jerusalem. We take a look at how Nehemiah responded to betrayal from friends and learn why God can be trusted in times of our own difficulties. 

In the previous chapter, we saw a picture of unity. God's people shared the work, protected one another, and sacrificed to build a better city. But it didn't take long for things to fall apart. Soon they were taking advantage of one another in ways that aligned them with their pagan neighbors. It's a warning about how quickly we pick up the ways of the world and how naturally we justify it to ourselves. 

Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem began to rebuild the city. Each family took their section of the wall and built it together. But, as has been the pattern, opposition soon emerged. First, it was taunting and then the threat of violence. But the people did not give up. They guarded one another, encouraged greater faith, and committed to seeing the project through. 

When Nehemiah learned of the disrepair of Jerusalem, his heart was broken. He longed to rebuild the city, but Nehemiah also served the king of Persia. His loyalties would be questioned, and his life would be at risk, but Nehemiah prayed, trusted, and sought to return to the city. We take a closer look at the man, his situation, and the complexity of the task.