God Brings His People Home
Session
5
God Brings His People Home THEOLOGICAL THEME: Worshiping God should be the first priority of
His people.
In Irish mythology, the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath is believed to be the center of Ireland and is designated as a “Thin Place” on the Irish countryside. “Thin Places” are said to be geographic locations where the eternal world and the physical world meet and mingle. 1 The concept of “Thin Places” finds its origins in the Celtic culture of the fifth century a.d. Mystical travelers come from all over the world to visit this hill, assuming they will encounter a divine presence there. As Christians, we don’t believe in mystic forces of divinity emanating from a goddess’s burial ground. But we do believe that God draws near to us in worship. There is a sense in which the metaphor of a “thin place” helps us see the beauty of biblical worship—as we become aware of God’s presence and attentive to His Word. In the story of the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem after a time of exile, we are reminded of how important it was for the Jews of the day to worship in a particular place.
Voices from the Church “The primary reason the church gathers is to glorify God. We gather together for corporate worship to ascribe unto God the worship that is due Him.” 2 –Matt Boswell
Name a place—perhaps a building or a location—where you had a powerful spiritual experience with God. What does that place represent for you today?
Date of My Bible Study:
______________________________
© 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.
55
In this session, we see how God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile and back to the promised land. As God’s people gathered in Jerusalem, they made their worship of God their first priority and proclaimed God’s faithfulness through their actions. As Christians, we celebrate and give thanks to God for bringing us out of our exile to sin and death. In our worship, we proclaim the goodness of the Lord so that others might taste and see that He is good.
1. God keeps His promise to bring His people home (Ezra 1:1-8). In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing: 2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.” 5 So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites— everyone God had motivated—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors supported them with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods. 8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under the supervision of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 1
Jeremiah’s prophecy, referred to in verse 1, fulfilled by Cyrus, comes from an often quoted passage: “For this is what the Lord says: ‘When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you’—this is the Lord’s declaration— ‘plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (Jer. 29:10-11; see also 25:11-14)
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Personal Study Guide
In contemporary Christianity, the latter verse is often used to encourage individual believers with the reality that God’s sovereign hand holds their future. In context, this passage is far more meaningful than simply a message for the individual because it depicts God’s faithfulness to the whole Israelite community. Ultimately, God’s plan here results in the Messiah, and through His resurrection will come the redemption of all that was lost in the fall of Genesis 3. The same God who kept His promise to Israel is the God who protects our future. Looking at Ezra 1:1-8, how did God orchestrate the events in order to bring about the people’s return from exile?
In what ways have you witnessed God using even non-believers to accomplish His purposes?
In response to God fulfilling His promise, these verses record that the natural response to God is the cheerful giving of one’s possessions to the Lord (vv. 5-8). The people’s joyful response recorded in Ezra 1 intersects with a larger biblical idea of giving our firstfruits to God. This is a farming illustration that acknowledges an important truth: the land and all it produces belong to God; we are simply stewards. As stewards of what is already His, God’s people joyfully and strategically give of the resources they are called to oversee for the furtherance of God’s kingdom mission.
Voices from the Church “It is only when we grasp God’s unyielding desire to be with us that we begin to see the ultimate purpose of the cross. It is more than a vehicle to rescue us from death; it transports us into the arms of Life.” 3 –Skye Jethani
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How should our stewardship habits change when we acknowledge that everything is the Lord’s and is to be used for His purposes?
2. God’s people gather to make worship their first priority (Ezra 3:1-7). By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people gathered together in Jerusalem. 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers began to build the altar of Israel’s God in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the Lord even though they feared the surrounding peoples. 4 They celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed, and offered burnt offerings each day, based on the number specified by ordinance for each festival day. 5 After that, they offered the regular burnt offering and the offerings for the beginning of each month and for all the Lord’s appointed holy occasions, as well as the freewill offerings brought to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, even though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid. 7 They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans, and gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they could bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia. 1
An easily overlooked detail in verse 2 is that the Israelites worshiped according to the law of Moses. The Law (the first five books of the Bible) gave God’s people clear warnings against worshiping Him like the surrounding nations worshiped their gods (ex. Deut. 12:30-31).
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One purpose of upholding the law was to make Israel into a community that stood in contrast to those surrounding them. The contrast was not intended to create an unhealthy distance from Israel’s neighbors but to demonstrate the better way of the Lord. In the Christian life, the Adversary works incrementally to draw God’s people away from faithfulness to Him. If Christians are not careful, we can slowly begin distorting the values of the kingdom by blending in with the surrounding culture. In order to remain faithful in our worship to God, we must continually renew our minds to His ways and to His plan. What are some aspects of Christian worship that differ from worship in other religions?
99 Essential
Christian Doctrines 8. Preservation of Scripture God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity through the text of Scripture, having inspired it and directed it to be free from error. God has also acted providentially throughout the course of history to ensure the biblical text is faithfully preserved for future generations. Our belief in the preservation of Scripture is supported by investigation into how the canon of Scripture was formed and how manuscripts were faithfully transmitted throughout the centuries.
Why is it important that Christianity not blend in with the surrounding culture?
A theme in Ezra 3:5-7 that is consistent with 1:1-8 is the gladness God’s people had that overflowed into giving to the Lord. The true worshiper is not miserly in their worship of God. 4 If we find it hard to incorporate giving as an integral part of worship, it is probably because we are treasuring God’s gifts more than God Himself. Likewise, we have a tendency to cling to the process or rituals of worship and not to the God whom we worship. In these verses, the sacrificial system is reinstituted, yet the temple remained unfinished. Since the temple had been destroyed, they rediscovered the ever-present nature of God and the appropriate value of the temple as a means of worship. Session 5
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What does your worship through giving say about your love and devotion to God?
How might our traditions of worship overtake our focus on the God we are worshiping?
3. God’s people proclaim the goodness of the Lord (Ezra 3:8-13). In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God’s house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites who were 20 years old or more to supervise the work on the Lord’s house. 9 Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah and of Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites, joined together to supervise those working on the house of God. 10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as King David of Israel had instructed. 11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid. 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this house, but many others shouted joyfully. 13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away. 8
A variety of worship forms can be observed in this scene. We read of God’s people declaring His goodness through liturgy (v. 11), playing instruments (v. 10), and shouts of praise (vv. 11-13) and weeping (vv. 12-13). 60
Personal Study Guide
The worship forms in these verses demonstrate different ways of worshiping that engage various parts of our being as humans. In church life, the tendency is for believers to quarantine themselves from others who participate in biblical worship in different ways. Typically, local church bodies tend toward a certain type of worship expression and have a tendency to caricature those who worship differently. The beauty is that these differences within the body are present so we can learn to express our love to God more robustly because we have learned from our brothers and sisters. What caricatures have you encountered regarding other worship styles?
What do you learn from people who worship differently than you do?
Another catalyst for diversity in worship is that the Lord brings people to Himself from various life circumstances. Verses 12-13 describe the worship event as a gathering of all ages, and the partial construction of the temple provoked unique responses from different age groups. Together, young people and old lifted praises to God with various expressions and from different stages of life. They produced a unified sound that glorified the Lord and could be heard from far away (v. 13). Worship of God is mission-focused in nature; the sight and sound of God’s people unified in all their diversity, celebrating His faithfulness in distinct ways, impacted the people that surrounded Israel. God’s people united in proclaiming the goodness of God is a powerful witness to the world. What are some ways God has been good to you and your church?
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Conclusion The primary task of these chapters in Ezra is to tell of the reconstruction of the temple, but the significance of this book points forward to the cross and to Jesus’ return. God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile in Babylon and restore their freedom to worship Him. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all humans have been in exile from the garden and are in need of deliverance. Jesus came to end this exile, bring His people home, and restore our freedom to worship. This directs our attention to a time when He will ultimately rule and reign unopposed in His kingdom.
Voices from the Church “To be sure, God makes His presence known in a particular way when we are quiet and alone. But God also makes His presence known when His people build houses for the homeless in His name. And God makes His presence known when a Sunday school teacher loves a bunch of rowdy three-yearold boys. And God makes His presence known when somebody extends a word of sympathy to a colleague who is going through hard times. And God makes His presence known when a boss offers grace to somebody who messed up on the job.” 5
In light of God’s revelation in the Book of Ezra, the “Thin Place” metaphor we mentioned at the start of this session is problematic. Still, there is a sense in which we who have the Spirit of God –Mark D. Roberts dwelling within us are to be “thin places” through whom God can make known His presence to others. Worship stands at the crossroads of the Christian’s twofold calling to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbor via the demonstration of His goodness. God calls the believer to make worship the first priority, no matter where He sends us or what the cost, so that others will see the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ and join us in the worship of our God. CHRIST CONNECTION: God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile in Babylon and restore their freedom to worship Him. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all humans have been in exile from the garden and are in need of deliverance. Jesus came to end this exile, bring His people home, and restore our freedom to worship.
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HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to make worship our first
priority so others will see the goodness of the Lord.
1. What has God given you to be a steward of, and how can you leverage those resources for God’s redemptive mission of making Jesus known?
2. Identify an upcoming situation in which you can testify to someone of the goodness of God. How can your group pray specifically for you in this?
3. H ow might we as a group incorporate regular times of praise and thanksgiving for God’s specific blessings?
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About the Writers
The Gospel Project® Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB Volume 5, Number 2 Winter 2016-17 Eric Geiger
Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer
General Editor Trevin Wax
Managing Editor Daniel Davis
Unit 1: Daniel Akin (sessions 1-4) is the President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and also a professor of preaching and theology. He and his wife, Charlotte, have four grown children. Walter R. Strickland II (sessions 5-6) serves as Special Advisor to the President for Diversity and Instructor of Theology at Southeastern Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three daughters, Hope, Kendra, and Kaiya.
Content Editor Josh Hayes
Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy
Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley
Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project®: Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB (ISSN 2162-7207; Item 005461524) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, email [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, email [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Unit 2: Jimmy Scroggins (session 7) is the Lead Pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He and his wife, Kristin, have eight children, James, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaac, Stephen, Anna Kate, Mary Claire, and Caleb. Matt Capps (sessions 8-10) is Senior Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, North Carolina. Matt and his wife, Laura, have three children, Solomon, Ruby, and Abby. D. A. Horton (session 11) currently serves as a pastor at Reach Fellowship, a church plant in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife, Elicia, have three children, Izabelle, Lola, and D. A. Jr. Robby Gallaty (session 12) serves as the Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church and President of Replicate Ministries. He and his wife, Kandi, have two young sons, Rig and Ryder. Special Session—Christmas: Rey De Armas serves as one of the campus pastors at Christ Fellowship in Miami, leading the Coral Gables campus. He is married to Lauren, and they have two daughters, Zoe and Lexi.
WRITERS
Notes SESSION 1
SESSION 4
SESSION 7
1. Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013), 36.
1. Joel Belz, “Dare to Be a Daniel,” WORLD [online], 30 March 1996 [cited 2 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.worldmag.com.
1. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 55:3-6, quoted in 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Marco Conti, vol. V in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) [WORDsearch].
2. Charles R. Swindoll, Daniel: God’s Pattern for the Future (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986), 17. 3. J. Hudson Taylor, quoted in Expect Great Things: Mission Quotes That Inform and Inspire, comp. Marvin J. Newell (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2013), 89. 4. David Helm, Daniel for You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2015), 28. 5. Heinrich Bullinger, Daniel the Most Wise Prophet of God, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2012), 247.
SESSION 2
3. Tony Evans, No More Excuses, 10th Anniversary Edition (Wheaton: Crossway, 1996), 112. 4. Menno Simons, “A Meditation on the Twenty-Fifth Psalm,” in Early Anabaptist Spirituality: Selected Writings, ed. Daniel Liechty (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1994), 248-49.
SESSION 5 1. “What are thin places?” Thin Places [online], 2014 [cited 3 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.thinplace.net.
1. Nate Saint, quoted in Introducing World Missions, 2nd ed., by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015) [eBook].
2. Matt Boswell, Doxology and Theology (Nashville: B&H, 2013), 15-16.
2. “How Firm a Foundation,” from John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), 456.
4. Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch].
3. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues, 4.8, New Advent [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.newadvent.org. 4. C. H. Spurgeon, “Consolation in the Furnace,” Spurgeon’s Sermons Volume 11: 1865 [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.
SESSION 3 1. Johann Wigand, Commentaries on Daniel, 12, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, 305. 2. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Daniel, vol. 21 in The Preacher’s Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988) [eBook].
SPECIAL SESSION—CHRISTMAS 1. C. S. Lewis, in The Quotable Lewis, eds. Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1989), 330. 2. Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 172. 3. Horatius Bonar, “Come, Lord, and Tarry Not,” in Christ in Song, by Philip Schaff (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 1869), 397. 4. Augustine, Sermons, 18.1-2, quoted in Mark, eds. Thomas C. Oden and Christopher A. Hall, vol. II in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), 186.
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2. Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, vol. 18 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch].
Personal Study Guide
3. Skye Jethani, With (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 110.
5. Mark D. Roberts, “Thin Places: A Biblical Investigation,” Reflections on Christ, Church, and Culture [online], 2012 [cited 4 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.patheos.com.
SESSION 6 1. Saint Augustine, City of God, 1.8, quoted in The City of God: Books I-VII, trans. Demetrius B. Zema and Gerald G. Walsh, in The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2008), 28-29. 2. William Wilberforce, quoted in The Life of William Wilberforce, by Robert I. Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce, vol. 5 (London: John Murray, 1838), 318. 3. Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary [WORDsearch]. 4. Ibid. 5. Ed Stetzer, “What You Celebrate, You Become,” Christianity Today [online], 2 June 2015 [cited 5 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.christianitytoday.com. 6. Charles Spurgeon, in 2,200 Quotations from the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon, comp. Tom Carter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 13.
2. Adrian Rogers, Adrianisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers, vol. 1 (Memphis: Love Worth Finding Ministries, 2006), 101. 3. John Wesley, Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, Christian Classics Ethereal Library [online; cited 13 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.
SESSION 8 1. Andrew Murray, Humility (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982) [eBook]. 2. J. G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, in The Daily Study Bible Series (Louisville: Westminster, 1985), 193.
SESSION 9 1. Jerry Bridges, I Will Follow You, O God (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2010), 91. 2. D. L. Moody, “Prevailing Prayer,” in The D. L. Moody Collection, ed. and comp. James S. Bell Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 1997), 253.
SESSION 10 1. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: IVP, 1973) [eBook]. 2. Amy Carmichael, If (United States: Popular Classics Publishing, 2012), 9. 3. John Stott and Christopher J. H. Wright, Christian Mission in the Modern World (Downers Grove: IVP, 2015), 27.
SESSION 11 1. John R. W. Stott, Culture and the Bible (Downers Grove: IVP, 1979), 12. 2. Augustine Pagolu, South Asia Bible Commentary, ed. Brian Wintle (Cumbria, UK: Langham Partnership, 2015) [eBook]. 3. A. W. Pink, “Eternal Punishment,” Providence Baptist Ministries [online], 2012 [cited 23 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www. pbministries.org.
SESSION 12 1. A. W. Tozer, quoted in Tozer on Worship and Entertainment, comp. James L. Snyder (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publishers, 1997) [eBook]. 2. Matt Papa, Look and Live (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), 246. 3. Michael Catt, The Power of Surrender (Nashville: B&H, 2010), 150.
5
God Brings His People Home THEOLOGICAL THEME: Worshiping God should be the first priority of
His people.
In Irish mythology, the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath is believed to be the center of Ireland and is designated as a “Thin Place” on the Irish countryside. “Thin Places” are said to be geographic locations where the eternal world and the physical world meet and mingle. 1 The concept of “Thin Places” finds its origins in the Celtic culture of the fifth century a.d. Mystical travelers come from all over the world to visit this hill, assuming they will encounter a divine presence there. As Christians, we don’t believe in mystic forces of divinity emanating from a goddess’s burial ground. But we do believe that God draws near to us in worship. There is a sense in which the metaphor of a “thin place” helps us see the beauty of biblical worship—as we become aware of God’s presence and attentive to His Word. In the story of the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem after a time of exile, we are reminded of how important it was for the Jews of the day to worship in a particular place.
Voices from the Church “The primary reason the church gathers is to glorify God. We gather together for corporate worship to ascribe unto God the worship that is due Him.” 2 –Matt Boswell
Name a place—perhaps a building or a location—where you had a powerful spiritual experience with God. What does that place represent for you today?
Date of My Bible Study:
______________________________
© 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.
55
In this session, we see how God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile and back to the promised land. As God’s people gathered in Jerusalem, they made their worship of God their first priority and proclaimed God’s faithfulness through their actions. As Christians, we celebrate and give thanks to God for bringing us out of our exile to sin and death. In our worship, we proclaim the goodness of the Lord so that others might taste and see that He is good.
1. God keeps His promise to bring His people home (Ezra 1:1-8). In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing: 2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.” 5 So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites— everyone God had motivated—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors supported them with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods. 8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under the supervision of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 1
Jeremiah’s prophecy, referred to in verse 1, fulfilled by Cyrus, comes from an often quoted passage: “For this is what the Lord says: ‘When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you’—this is the Lord’s declaration— ‘plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (Jer. 29:10-11; see also 25:11-14)
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In contemporary Christianity, the latter verse is often used to encourage individual believers with the reality that God’s sovereign hand holds their future. In context, this passage is far more meaningful than simply a message for the individual because it depicts God’s faithfulness to the whole Israelite community. Ultimately, God’s plan here results in the Messiah, and through His resurrection will come the redemption of all that was lost in the fall of Genesis 3. The same God who kept His promise to Israel is the God who protects our future. Looking at Ezra 1:1-8, how did God orchestrate the events in order to bring about the people’s return from exile?
In what ways have you witnessed God using even non-believers to accomplish His purposes?
In response to God fulfilling His promise, these verses record that the natural response to God is the cheerful giving of one’s possessions to the Lord (vv. 5-8). The people’s joyful response recorded in Ezra 1 intersects with a larger biblical idea of giving our firstfruits to God. This is a farming illustration that acknowledges an important truth: the land and all it produces belong to God; we are simply stewards. As stewards of what is already His, God’s people joyfully and strategically give of the resources they are called to oversee for the furtherance of God’s kingdom mission.
Voices from the Church “It is only when we grasp God’s unyielding desire to be with us that we begin to see the ultimate purpose of the cross. It is more than a vehicle to rescue us from death; it transports us into the arms of Life.” 3 –Skye Jethani
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How should our stewardship habits change when we acknowledge that everything is the Lord’s and is to be used for His purposes?
2. God’s people gather to make worship their first priority (Ezra 3:1-7). By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people gathered together in Jerusalem. 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers began to build the altar of Israel’s God in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the Lord even though they feared the surrounding peoples. 4 They celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed, and offered burnt offerings each day, based on the number specified by ordinance for each festival day. 5 After that, they offered the regular burnt offering and the offerings for the beginning of each month and for all the Lord’s appointed holy occasions, as well as the freewill offerings brought to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, even though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid. 7 They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans, and gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they could bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia. 1
An easily overlooked detail in verse 2 is that the Israelites worshiped according to the law of Moses. The Law (the first five books of the Bible) gave God’s people clear warnings against worshiping Him like the surrounding nations worshiped their gods (ex. Deut. 12:30-31).
58
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One purpose of upholding the law was to make Israel into a community that stood in contrast to those surrounding them. The contrast was not intended to create an unhealthy distance from Israel’s neighbors but to demonstrate the better way of the Lord. In the Christian life, the Adversary works incrementally to draw God’s people away from faithfulness to Him. If Christians are not careful, we can slowly begin distorting the values of the kingdom by blending in with the surrounding culture. In order to remain faithful in our worship to God, we must continually renew our minds to His ways and to His plan. What are some aspects of Christian worship that differ from worship in other religions?
99 Essential
Christian Doctrines 8. Preservation of Scripture God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity through the text of Scripture, having inspired it and directed it to be free from error. God has also acted providentially throughout the course of history to ensure the biblical text is faithfully preserved for future generations. Our belief in the preservation of Scripture is supported by investigation into how the canon of Scripture was formed and how manuscripts were faithfully transmitted throughout the centuries.
Why is it important that Christianity not blend in with the surrounding culture?
A theme in Ezra 3:5-7 that is consistent with 1:1-8 is the gladness God’s people had that overflowed into giving to the Lord. The true worshiper is not miserly in their worship of God. 4 If we find it hard to incorporate giving as an integral part of worship, it is probably because we are treasuring God’s gifts more than God Himself. Likewise, we have a tendency to cling to the process or rituals of worship and not to the God whom we worship. In these verses, the sacrificial system is reinstituted, yet the temple remained unfinished. Since the temple had been destroyed, they rediscovered the ever-present nature of God and the appropriate value of the temple as a means of worship. Session 5
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What does your worship through giving say about your love and devotion to God?
How might our traditions of worship overtake our focus on the God we are worshiping?
3. God’s people proclaim the goodness of the Lord (Ezra 3:8-13). In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God’s house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites who were 20 years old or more to supervise the work on the Lord’s house. 9 Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah and of Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites, joined together to supervise those working on the house of God. 10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as King David of Israel had instructed. 11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid. 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this house, but many others shouted joyfully. 13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away. 8
A variety of worship forms can be observed in this scene. We read of God’s people declaring His goodness through liturgy (v. 11), playing instruments (v. 10), and shouts of praise (vv. 11-13) and weeping (vv. 12-13). 60
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The worship forms in these verses demonstrate different ways of worshiping that engage various parts of our being as humans. In church life, the tendency is for believers to quarantine themselves from others who participate in biblical worship in different ways. Typically, local church bodies tend toward a certain type of worship expression and have a tendency to caricature those who worship differently. The beauty is that these differences within the body are present so we can learn to express our love to God more robustly because we have learned from our brothers and sisters. What caricatures have you encountered regarding other worship styles?
What do you learn from people who worship differently than you do?
Another catalyst for diversity in worship is that the Lord brings people to Himself from various life circumstances. Verses 12-13 describe the worship event as a gathering of all ages, and the partial construction of the temple provoked unique responses from different age groups. Together, young people and old lifted praises to God with various expressions and from different stages of life. They produced a unified sound that glorified the Lord and could be heard from far away (v. 13). Worship of God is mission-focused in nature; the sight and sound of God’s people unified in all their diversity, celebrating His faithfulness in distinct ways, impacted the people that surrounded Israel. God’s people united in proclaiming the goodness of God is a powerful witness to the world. What are some ways God has been good to you and your church?
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Conclusion The primary task of these chapters in Ezra is to tell of the reconstruction of the temple, but the significance of this book points forward to the cross and to Jesus’ return. God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile in Babylon and restore their freedom to worship Him. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all humans have been in exile from the garden and are in need of deliverance. Jesus came to end this exile, bring His people home, and restore our freedom to worship. This directs our attention to a time when He will ultimately rule and reign unopposed in His kingdom.
Voices from the Church “To be sure, God makes His presence known in a particular way when we are quiet and alone. But God also makes His presence known when His people build houses for the homeless in His name. And God makes His presence known when a Sunday school teacher loves a bunch of rowdy three-yearold boys. And God makes His presence known when somebody extends a word of sympathy to a colleague who is going through hard times. And God makes His presence known when a boss offers grace to somebody who messed up on the job.” 5
In light of God’s revelation in the Book of Ezra, the “Thin Place” metaphor we mentioned at the start of this session is problematic. Still, there is a sense in which we who have the Spirit of God –Mark D. Roberts dwelling within us are to be “thin places” through whom God can make known His presence to others. Worship stands at the crossroads of the Christian’s twofold calling to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbor via the demonstration of His goodness. God calls the believer to make worship the first priority, no matter where He sends us or what the cost, so that others will see the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ and join us in the worship of our God. CHRIST CONNECTION: God kept His promise to bring His people out of exile in Babylon and restore their freedom to worship Him. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all humans have been in exile from the garden and are in need of deliverance. Jesus came to end this exile, bring His people home, and restore our freedom to worship.
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HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to make worship our first
priority so others will see the goodness of the Lord.
1. What has God given you to be a steward of, and how can you leverage those resources for God’s redemptive mission of making Jesus known?
2. Identify an upcoming situation in which you can testify to someone of the goodness of God. How can your group pray specifically for you in this?
3. H ow might we as a group incorporate regular times of praise and thanksgiving for God’s specific blessings?
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About the Writers
The Gospel Project® Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB Volume 5, Number 2 Winter 2016-17 Eric Geiger
Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer
General Editor Trevin Wax
Managing Editor Daniel Davis
Unit 1: Daniel Akin (sessions 1-4) is the President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and also a professor of preaching and theology. He and his wife, Charlotte, have four grown children. Walter R. Strickland II (sessions 5-6) serves as Special Advisor to the President for Diversity and Instructor of Theology at Southeastern Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three daughters, Hope, Kendra, and Kaiya.
Content Editor Josh Hayes
Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy
Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley
Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project®: Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB (ISSN 2162-7207; Item 005461524) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, email [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, email [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Unit 2: Jimmy Scroggins (session 7) is the Lead Pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He and his wife, Kristin, have eight children, James, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaac, Stephen, Anna Kate, Mary Claire, and Caleb. Matt Capps (sessions 8-10) is Senior Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, North Carolina. Matt and his wife, Laura, have three children, Solomon, Ruby, and Abby. D. A. Horton (session 11) currently serves as a pastor at Reach Fellowship, a church plant in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife, Elicia, have three children, Izabelle, Lola, and D. A. Jr. Robby Gallaty (session 12) serves as the Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church and President of Replicate Ministries. He and his wife, Kandi, have two young sons, Rig and Ryder. Special Session—Christmas: Rey De Armas serves as one of the campus pastors at Christ Fellowship in Miami, leading the Coral Gables campus. He is married to Lauren, and they have two daughters, Zoe and Lexi.
WRITERS
Notes SESSION 1
SESSION 4
SESSION 7
1. Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013), 36.
1. Joel Belz, “Dare to Be a Daniel,” WORLD [online], 30 March 1996 [cited 2 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.worldmag.com.
1. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 55:3-6, quoted in 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Marco Conti, vol. V in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) [WORDsearch].
2. Charles R. Swindoll, Daniel: God’s Pattern for the Future (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986), 17. 3. J. Hudson Taylor, quoted in Expect Great Things: Mission Quotes That Inform and Inspire, comp. Marvin J. Newell (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2013), 89. 4. David Helm, Daniel for You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2015), 28. 5. Heinrich Bullinger, Daniel the Most Wise Prophet of God, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2012), 247.
SESSION 2
3. Tony Evans, No More Excuses, 10th Anniversary Edition (Wheaton: Crossway, 1996), 112. 4. Menno Simons, “A Meditation on the Twenty-Fifth Psalm,” in Early Anabaptist Spirituality: Selected Writings, ed. Daniel Liechty (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1994), 248-49.
SESSION 5 1. “What are thin places?” Thin Places [online], 2014 [cited 3 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.thinplace.net.
1. Nate Saint, quoted in Introducing World Missions, 2nd ed., by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015) [eBook].
2. Matt Boswell, Doxology and Theology (Nashville: B&H, 2013), 15-16.
2. “How Firm a Foundation,” from John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), 456.
4. Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch].
3. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues, 4.8, New Advent [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.newadvent.org. 4. C. H. Spurgeon, “Consolation in the Furnace,” Spurgeon’s Sermons Volume 11: 1865 [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.
SESSION 3 1. Johann Wigand, Commentaries on Daniel, 12, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, 305. 2. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Daniel, vol. 21 in The Preacher’s Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988) [eBook].
SPECIAL SESSION—CHRISTMAS 1. C. S. Lewis, in The Quotable Lewis, eds. Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1989), 330. 2. Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 172. 3. Horatius Bonar, “Come, Lord, and Tarry Not,” in Christ in Song, by Philip Schaff (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 1869), 397. 4. Augustine, Sermons, 18.1-2, quoted in Mark, eds. Thomas C. Oden and Christopher A. Hall, vol. II in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), 186.
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2. Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, vol. 18 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch].
Personal Study Guide
3. Skye Jethani, With (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 110.
5. Mark D. Roberts, “Thin Places: A Biblical Investigation,” Reflections on Christ, Church, and Culture [online], 2012 [cited 4 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.patheos.com.
SESSION 6 1. Saint Augustine, City of God, 1.8, quoted in The City of God: Books I-VII, trans. Demetrius B. Zema and Gerald G. Walsh, in The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2008), 28-29. 2. William Wilberforce, quoted in The Life of William Wilberforce, by Robert I. Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce, vol. 5 (London: John Murray, 1838), 318. 3. Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary [WORDsearch]. 4. Ibid. 5. Ed Stetzer, “What You Celebrate, You Become,” Christianity Today [online], 2 June 2015 [cited 5 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.christianitytoday.com. 6. Charles Spurgeon, in 2,200 Quotations from the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon, comp. Tom Carter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 13.
2. Adrian Rogers, Adrianisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers, vol. 1 (Memphis: Love Worth Finding Ministries, 2006), 101. 3. John Wesley, Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, Christian Classics Ethereal Library [online; cited 13 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.
SESSION 8 1. Andrew Murray, Humility (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982) [eBook]. 2. J. G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, in The Daily Study Bible Series (Louisville: Westminster, 1985), 193.
SESSION 9 1. Jerry Bridges, I Will Follow You, O God (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2010), 91. 2. D. L. Moody, “Prevailing Prayer,” in The D. L. Moody Collection, ed. and comp. James S. Bell Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 1997), 253.
SESSION 10 1. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: IVP, 1973) [eBook]. 2. Amy Carmichael, If (United States: Popular Classics Publishing, 2012), 9. 3. John Stott and Christopher J. H. Wright, Christian Mission in the Modern World (Downers Grove: IVP, 2015), 27.
SESSION 11 1. John R. W. Stott, Culture and the Bible (Downers Grove: IVP, 1979), 12. 2. Augustine Pagolu, South Asia Bible Commentary, ed. Brian Wintle (Cumbria, UK: Langham Partnership, 2015) [eBook]. 3. A. W. Pink, “Eternal Punishment,” Providence Baptist Ministries [online], 2012 [cited 23 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www. pbministries.org.
SESSION 12 1. A. W. Tozer, quoted in Tozer on Worship and Entertainment, comp. James L. Snyder (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publishers, 1997) [eBook]. 2. Matt Papa, Look and Live (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), 246. 3. Michael Catt, The Power of Surrender (Nashville: B&H, 2010), 150.
