Kevin Milan

Nehemiah 8

The 1st day of the 7th month was the Jewish New Year celebrated as the Feast of Trumpets.  Ezra read the Book of the Law from daybreak til noon as the people listened for about 5-6 hours attentively to it.  Can you imagine listening that long???  I can't, but that was the respect they had for it.  When Ezra opened the book, the people lifted hands saying "Amen" and then bowed down with their faces to the ground worshipping God.  According to my NIV Self-Study Bible notes,"worshipped,” in its original sense in Hebrew is a verb meaning "to prostrate oneself on the ground."

Nehemiah 2

Because the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and the gates burned by fire, Nehemiah is sad before King Artaxerxes.  He prays a quick prayer to God, then asked the King if he can go rebuild the city of his fathers.  It pleased the king to send him.  Verse 8 says, "...And because the GRACIOUS HAND OF MY GOD WAS UPON ME, the king granted my requests."  Once again, Nehemiah senses the hand of God on him.  After arriving in Jerusalem and staying there 3 days, He set out to do what "GOD HAD PUT IN MY HEART TO DO for Jerusalem" v.12.  Once again, God is the one who moves hearts!  Without telling anyone, he quietly went out at night to inspect the walls.  Then he told the people who would be doing the work, "The GRACIOUS HAND OF MY GOD WAS UPON ME and what the king said to me" (v.18).  But Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem mocked and ridiculed them.  The reason for the opposition was political.

Ezra 6

King Darius researches and finds the decree of King Cyrus.  He tells his governors not to interfere with the work on the temple and to fully pay the expenses of the men out of the royal treasury.  He decreed stiff penalties and curses on anyone who would change this edict or try to destroy the temple in Jerusalem.  So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah.  The Temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

2 Peter 3

Peter wrote both of his letters to stimulate wholesome thinking.  He said that the Day of the Lord would come, and that God will bring judgement on the earth, burning it with fire.  In light of that, he encouraged us to strive to live pure, holy lives without spot or blemish as we await his coming.  "Without spot or blemish" ... sound familiar?  Jesus is our spotless lamb without blemish...the perfect sacrifice.  We should live our lives modeled after him.  He warned that false teachers and scoffers would come saying, "Where is this 'coming' he promised....