Babylonian Exile and Return Sept 11 Oct 2, Sept 18, 2011 Weekly Reading: Joel, Daniel, Ezra 1-6, Psalms 137

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1 Sept 11, 2011 Weekly Reading: Ezek Title: Valley of Dry Bones Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Subject: New Life from the Spirit of God Notes: Sept 18, 2011 Weekly Reading: Joel, Daniel, Ezra 1-6, Psalms 137 Title: They Would Not Bow Text: Daniel 3 Subject: Friends in the Fire Notes: Sept 25, 2011 Weekly Reading: Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Ezra 7-10 Title: For Such a Time as This Text: Esther Subject: Notes: October 2, 2011 Weekly Reading: Neh; Psa 126; Mal; Matt 1; Mark 1; Lk 1-2 Title: Broken for His People Text: Nehemiah 1 2:10 Subject: Prayer before anything else Notes:

2 Ezek 37:1-14 Valley of Dry Bones Week 1, September 11 th Introduction In chapter 33, Ezekiel s prophecies change from focusing on judgment and doom to focusing on hope for God s people. In chapters 1-24, the prophecies focus on the judgment of Judah because of her sin. Chapters record the prophecies of judgment upon the Gentile nations. The first half of chapter 37 records an extraordinary vision that God gave Ezekiel concerning the future of His people. Death in the Valley: The End of Hope [v. 1-3] The literary formula used in this account suggests that this was a vision given Ezekiel by God as opposed to an actual event. 1 Ezekiel was lead by the Spirit of the Lord into the middle of a valley that was filled with dead men s bones. As he carefully walked around and among the bones, he noticed that there were many bones on the surface of the ground, exposed to the elements of the sun and the weather. He described the bones as very dry. There is no question that they had been there for a long time and the flesh had been picked clean by the vultures and varmints. The Spirit of the Lord asked Ezekiel, Can these bones live? Allen notes, It was a ridiculous question. A seeming corpse might be revived, but these pathetic piles of bones were hopelessly dead. 2 Ezekiel doesn t know the answer to that question. Instead of trying to guess, he defers to the only one who can answer, the Lord Himself. Certainly, the giver of life who created the bones in the first place would know if there was any hope of new life. Discussion: Often times we are confronted with difficult questions that we can t answer. It would serve us well to follow Ezekiel s example and put our trust and our hope in the Lord to provide the right answer. I ve often been asked by a hurting individual, is there any hope for...(addiction, finances, marriage, children, etc). My answer is almost always, There is always hope with the Lord. Signs of Life [v. 4-8] Without giving Ezekiel the answer, the Lord told him to prophesy to the bones. He was to call upon the bones to listen to the word of the Lord. Imagine the preacher standing in a field full of open graves proclaiming to the bleached out skeletons. The Lord says, Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive. A key word in this passage is the word translated breath. The Hebrew word is ר וח (pronounce ruach with a hard ch like a k ). It is the same word used for wind, breath, and spirit. We find all three uses in this story. Seven times ruach is translated breath. In verse five, the plural form is translated winds. In the first and last verse, ruach is used to refer to the Spirit of the Lord. In verses 4-7, Ezekiel obeys the command of the Lord to prophesy to the bones. In the command, the Lord promised that once the body is restored He will put breath back in the renewed bodies. Following Ezekiel s initial prophecy, there is an exciting scene of bones rattling, and coming back together. However verse 8 indicates that though the sinews, flesh and skin had returned, there was still no breath in the bodies. Discussion: Why do you think that the breath had not returned yet? Is it possible to have the semblance of a living being but still be dead? What about spiritually dead? 1 Allen, L. C. (2002). Vol. 29: Word Biblical Commentary : Ezekiel Word Biblical Commentary (183). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. 2 Ibid, 184.

3 The Spirit of God [v. 9-10] Our key word appears five times in these two verses. Four times it is translated breath. The other time it is used to describe the four winds. Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy specifically to the breath in this passage. He tells it to come from around the world, every point on the compass represented in the four winds. The verb, breathe, in verse 9 borrows from the image of Genesis 2:7. It is the same word used when God breathed life into the original man. Ezekiel is again obedient to prophesy as God has commanded him. As promised, the breath came into the restored corpses and they came to life. Standing on its feet before him, Ezekiel saw an exceedingly great army. Discussion: How much faith was required to Ezekiel of obey God in these circumstances? Can you imagine what Ezekiel was seeing in that valley? What would be your first thoughts? A Threefold Application [v ] Following this incredible vision, God spoke directly to Ezekiel to explain what it meant. The bones represented the nation of Israel and their profession that our bones are dried up and our hope is gone (v. 11). The Lord encourages Ezekiel to prophesy to the nation that he will renew their hope, open their graves, renew their life and restore them to their land. In verse 14, the Lord seems to make an additional promise that is related to the new covenant (see Jer. 31:31-33). He says, I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life. Once again we see the key word breath used. This is the only time in this passage that it carries the personal pronoun my. The prophecy in the vision simply went out to the generic breath. Here God promises to place His breath or Spirit within His people. Following the miraculous resurrection of their very lives, they will know that He is the Lord. There are many possible applications of this passage. I want to simply suggest three for discussion. First, it is clear that the Lord intended to encourage the exiled Jews. He had not forgotten them. Even though all hope seemed to be lost, He would again breathe life into a dead nation. Second, there is a clear picture of the coming new covenant found in verse 14. As New Testament believers, we understand that through the sacrifice of our Savior we have received His Spirit in us as a part of His promise (Eph. 1:13-14). Third, this text can provide hope to all people, families, communities and nations. No matter how dark or how dead a circumstance seems, there is always hope for new life and restoration with the Lord, who created life and can give new life as He pleases.

4 Daniel 3 They Would Not Bow Week 2, September 18 th Introduction Daniel and his three friends were taken into captivity in 605 b.c. as part of Nebuchadnezzar s first deportation of Jews from Jerusalem (see 1:1 7). Nebuchadnezzar had asked his military leaders to return from their siege of Jerusalem with some young men who could serve in his court. They were to be youths in whom was no defect, who were goodlooking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge (1:3). They were brought into the king s court and educated for three years. During this time Daniel and his friends were given the unexpected privilege of being educated in the king s own court. This, however, presented them with problems right from the start. 3 In chapter 1, Daniel had to make a difficult choice concerning his diet. Would he accept the king s bountiful supply of food or stick to the strict dietary codes of his religion. This is but one example of the struggle that would come to Daniel and his friends because of their place of privilege and their faith in God. The story for our study today is one of the most famous in the Old Testament and certainly among the prophets. Daniel is not its central character. Here his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah take center stage. They are most well known by the names given to them by Nebuchadnezzar: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. In fact, Daniel appears to be out of town or he certainly would have faced the same dilemma that his friends did. Setting [3:1-7] The first seven verses set out the problem that would challenge the young men s faith. The king had just put down a coup attempt. The likely background for the events of chapter 3 was a coup attempt against Nebuchadnezzar that occurred in December 595 January 594 b.c. This event was significant enough to have been recorded in the Babylonian Chronicle. 4 The king established a loyalty test for his followers. He built a giant statue of himself, measuring approximately 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. It was placed in a prominent position where people could easily see it. All the members of his court and government were called before the king. They would all be required to bow down before the statue and worship it upon hearing a specific signal. All who failed to bow down would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Acting Upon Faith [3:8-18] It was noted by some of the Babylonians that some of the Jews who had been placed in leadership were not following the king s decree. The Chaldeans identified Daniel s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, as the offending Jews. Greatly angered by this news, Nebuchadnezzar had the three young men brought before his throne. He asked them if the charges were true and, if so, would they like to reconsider. The three Hebrews stood absolutely firm. Their response to the king in verse 16 suggests that they did not even need time to think about it. They knew where they stood. In verses 17 & 18, we find one of the greatest responses of true faith in scripture. Their response is threefold. First, they affirm that the God whom they serve is fully capable of delivering them from anything that Nebuchadnezzar could do to them. Second, they suggest that they believe that the Lord will deliver them from the hand of the king. What may be the most powerful of all the statements found in their response is the third part. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego tell the king that even if God chooses not to deliver them, they will still worship Him alone and will not bow to their false idols. Discussion How did the three friends display their faith? Does it require more or less faith to stay true when things don t go our way? What happens to our faith when God doesn t choose to deliver us from the fires of life? 3 John William Drane, Introducing the Old Testament, Completely rev. and updated, 226 (Oxford: Lion Publishing plc, 2000). 4 Charles Dyer, Eugene Merrill, Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Nelson's Old Testament Survey : Discover the Background, Theology and Meaning of Every Book in the Old Testament, 706 (Nashville: Word, 2001).

5 God s Deliverance [3:19-25] The king quickly responded to their refusal to obey his decrees. As one would expect, he was filled with wrath. Verse 19 records that his facial expression was altered toward them. His countenance became harsh and flushed with anger. 5 He was red-faced and fuming! He demanded that the furnace heat be turned up as high as it would go. With urgency that did not even allow the tormenters to strip the three young men, they were ordered bound and cast into the fire. The fire was so hot that those who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego into the furnace were themselves killed by the flame. Regardless, the three young men fell into the flames all tied up. When the king peered into the furnace, he was amazed by a miraculous sight. Not only were the three Jews still alive and walking around in the furnace, there was now a fourth man in the furnace with them. What impressed Nebuchadnezzar most of all was that now the three Jews had been joined by a fourth man, and this one looked like a son of the gods. 6 There is much debate concerning the identity of the fourth person in the fire. Much of evangelical scholarship identifies this as one of the appearances of Christ in the Old Testament. Miller says it well in his commentary: From the Christian perspective, we know that the preincarnate Christ did appear to individuals in the Old Testament. Most likely the fourth man in the fire was the angel of the Lord, God himself in the person of his Son Jesus Christ, a view held by many expositors (cf. comments on 6:21 22). It is certainly true that when believers go through fiery trials Christ is with them. The three Hebrews experienced literally the promise, When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Isa 43:2). 7 Discussion God never promises us that we will not face difficult times. In fact Jesus promises just the opposite for those who follow Him (John 16:33). How can you find encouragement in this passage? Have you experienced God s presence in the tough trials of life? God s Name is Glorified [3:26-30] The king called the three men out of the fire. When they walked out, all of the court officials gather around in amazement. They noted that the fire had no affect on the Jews. Their hair was not singed. Their bodies were not scorched. Their clothes didn t even smell of smoke. Nebuchadnezzar was driven to decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks any offense against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego would be harshly punished. What an incredible turn of events. The young men who faced certain doom at the hands of the great king now were protected and prospered by his decree. Discussion What happened to the fourth man? Why did He not come out of the fire? Do you believe that God is able to bring you through the fire? What if He chooses not to deliver you? 5 Stephen R. Miller, vol. 18, Daniel, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, 121 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001). 6 Ibid., Ibid.,

6 Esther 4:1-17 For Such a Time as This Week 3, September 25 th Introduction The book of Esther is a compelling narrative. On one hand, it is the story of how God elevated an orphaned child and elevated her to the highest of positions. On the other hand, it describes one of many times that the Jewish nation struggled for their very existence. It is set in the time of the Persian kingdom. Kings Xerxes is identified by the Hebrew name Ahasuerus. The books primary character is Esther who becomes the Queen of Persia after Xerxes divorces his wife, Vasti, for her disobedience. Esther s uncle, Mordecai, Xerxes and Haman (the antagonist in the story) also play key roles. Though the work of the Lord is certainly implied throughout the book, this is the only book of scripture where His name is not found. In order to properly teach this lesson, the Sunday School teacher will need to read the entire book through in one setting. It will be important to give a quick overview of how Esther ascended to power, Mordecai s relationship to Esther and why Haman desired to destroy the Jews. There are several great truths that can be gleaned from this story. For the purpose of this lesson, we will focus on chapter 4. Here we find the critical point of decision upon which the rest of the story hinges. Another avenue for fruitful discussion would be to follow the story of Haman and consider how pride destroyed his life. Mordecai s Plea for Help [4:7-10] Haman had been promoted by the king to the position of second in command. His pride had gotten the better of him and he insisted that everyone bow to him as a show of respect. When Mordecai refused to bow, Haman was overcome with anger. He devised a plan to get back at Mordecai by having his entire race destroyed. The king had no idea that his new bride, Esther, was a Jew. He went along with Haman s plan and issued a royal decree that required all of the Jews throughout his territory to be killed on a particular day about 10 months into the future. Chapter four begins with Mordecai in a public act of morning for himself and his people. He chose the most public of places in front of the palace to mourn and wail while dressed in burlap. When Esther hear about Mordecai s mourning, she was distressed and sent him cloths to replace his burlap. (see 4:4) Mordecai refused the clothes, prodding Esther to find out what was troubling him. Mordecai replied by messenger sending along a copy of the king s decree to have the Jews killed. At the same time he asked that Esther go before the king and beg for mercy. Esther s Initial Reluctance [4:11-12] Esther s initial response was to balk at the idea of going before the king. She relayed that she was not allowed to enter the king s presence unless she was summoned. To go before the king on her own, she would be putting her life in danger. If the king was not receptive to her, he could immediately have her killed. Discussion Was Esther s fear well grounded? Should she have had more courage? Mordecai s Response [4:13-14] Mordecai s response to Esther was threefold. First, he reminded her that she was a Jew. Because of the nature of the King s decree, her life was in jeopardy anyway. Second, he suggested that this situation may be the very reason that she had been entrusted with such a powerful place in life. Third, Mordecai showed incredible faith when he said, If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Here Mordecai showed his belief that God would provide protection, but Esther would miss out on her opportunity to be used and would pay a price for her lack of faith. Discussion Reflect on the phrase found in verse 14: Perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this. Have you ever considered that God has made you exactly as you are for a particular purpose at a particular time? Do you believe that God needs you or can He fulfill His purposes in spite of your disobedience?

7 Esther Begins with Prayer [4:15-17] Esther s reply to Mordecai was encouraging. She had seen his points and decided to step out in faith and take her plea before the king. Before she did, she needed wisdom. So she sent back a request that Mordecai summon all of the Jews in the area for a time of fasting and prayer. After this prescribed time of prayer and fasting, she would then take her case before the king. Discussion How did Esther s response reflect wisdom? Do you think she came up with her plan or did she need this time of prayer to get instruction from God? Four Parallel Truths for Modern Christians 1. Our neighbors are under a death sentence. 2. We have the message that will help them. 3. It may not be easy or safe. 4. God will accomplish His work, but He wants to use us. 5. He has placed us where we are for such a time as this.

8 Nehemiah 1-2:10 Broken for His People Week 4, October 2 nd Introduction The story lf Nehemiah essentially closes out the Old Testament. The events described took place around 445 to 420, nearly 200 years after the first deportation of Jews by the Babylonian Empire. A short overview of this historical setting will help the teacher prepare. Here is a clip from the New American Commentary briefly describing the political treatment of the Jew during the Exile. Before Babylon fell to Cyrus in 539 b.c., many of the Babylonians looked upon Cyrus as a liberator. They were not happy with the way Nabonidus had neglected their religion. The Jews also looked with expectancy on the political change, for Cyrus adopted a new policy toward his subjected peoples. The Assyrians had been very cruel. They had harshly suppressed the peoples they conquered; many times they had moved entire populations from one land to another and then replaced them with other conquered peoples. This was the case when they conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 b.c. The Babylonians, although somewhat less cruel, followed much the same policy. Thus when Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 b.c., many of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon. When the Persians took control, however, Cyrus encouraged the peoples he conquered to develop their own culture and continue their own religion. He and some of his successors even helped support the local priests in conquered nations. After conquering Babylon, he restored the place of Marduk as their principal god and allowed captive peoples to return to their homelands. 8 When Cyrus, the Persian king, defeated Babylon the change in the entire political landscape profoundly impacted the Jews. His policies immediately allowed them to return to their homeland. However, the economic circumstances in Judah were horrible. The sparse population was very poor and there was no protection from the surrounding enemy communities. Ezra 1-2 describes the happy time in 538 b.c. when the first Jewish exiles were permitted to return to Judah. This was a day that was to have profound significance for the whole subsequent history of God s people. Nevertheless, the group that returned under Sheshbazzar was small. According to Ezra 2:64 65 the number of those returning was 49,897. Later we know about five thousand returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:1 14), and other groups of Jews probably also arrived from Babylonia from time to time. 9 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are often studied together. Ezra led a group of exiles to return to Jerusalem in 458 with the purpose of re-establishing the worship of Yahweh in the temple. 13 years later Nehemiah led an effort to rebuild the city of Jerusalem providing God s people with the stability and protection from their surrounding enemies. Note the Ezra s return is 80 years after Cyrus first allowed the Jews to return to their homeland! Nehemiah was greatly used of God to lead his people out of a difficult situation. His story is incredibly compelling. This lesson will focus only on the first two chapters of Nehemiah. We will see how God challenged his heart. We will also see how Nehemiah responded to a call that God had put on his life. Nehemiah s Burden [1:1-5] In the 1:1, we immediately see that Nehemiah was a man with a good career who was living pretty well. He resided in the King s palace in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire. He worked directly for the king. While he was serving there, he began to hear disturbing news concerning his homeland. Certainly this was his homeland by history and by faith. It is extremely unlikely that Nehemiah or any of his immediate ancestors (parents or grand-parents) would 8 Mervin Breneman, vol. 10, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001). 9 Ibid., 30.

9 have ever lived in Jerusalem. It had been well over 120 years since the destruction of Jerusalem and death or deportation of its citizens. The context makes clear however that Nehemiah had a heart for the homeland of his faith. During a visit from Hanani, a brother of Nehemiah, and some of his friends from Judah, Nehemiah inquired of the welfare of those who had returned to Jerusalem and the city itself. He was informed (v. 3) that the people were in great distress, the walls of the city were in ruins and its gates had been burned down. Nehemiah responded with tears and morning. One must assume that his heart was filled with great compassion for his people though they lived in a distant land. He responded with fasting and prayer turning to God with his burden. Nehemiah s fervent prayer is recorded in verses Discussion Why would a man of Nehemiah s stature even care about a far away city and people that he had likely never seen? Why would he be so impacted Hanani s stories of hardship in Jerusalem? What do you thing of his initial response? Nehemiah s Prayer [1:6-11] Nehemiah s prayer contains insight into his broken heart. It is a great picture of the appropriate response of a heart rightly aligned with God. The prayer if filled with indications of a humble heart that simply desires to hear from God. It seems that Nehemiah has no immediate agenda other than to bring his burden before his God. Nehemiah begins his prayer with a praise and worship. He reflects on the power, promise and loving kindness of God. He then humbly asks for God to hear his prayer, not assuming that he is worthy to even be heard by an awesome God. Nehemiah confesses his sin and the sin of his people. He then reflects on the covenant promises of God. Nehemiah then concludes his prayer with a simple request for favor: a successful day and compassion before the king, his boss. Discussion Why do you think Nehemiah doesn t directly ask for a miracle in Jerusalem s protection or rebuilding? Do you think Nehemiah even knew what was going to come next for him? Is he just seeking God at this point? Nehemiah s Journey Begins [2:1-8] In the short phrase at the end of chapter one we find that Nehemiah was the king s cupbearer. This lays the foundation for the opening words of chapter 2. The events of chapter two took place about four months after he had received the news from his brother and friends. The phrase the wine was before him indicates that these events took place during a banquet or celebration of some time. Nehemiah s countenance clearly didn t match the occasion. So the King inquired of him why he was downcast. The conclusion of verse 2 indicates that Nehemiah was afraid. The fact that the king had taken notice of his depression and was probing may indicate that the king was concerned about a plot by Nehemiah. A gloomy appearance, as well as lack of courtesy, might well be interpreted as evidence of plotting against the king. 10 Nehemiah responded with a simple show of respect. He then told the king that he was downhearted because of the news that he had received concerning his homeland. Instead of being threatened, the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted to do? This is a direct answer to Nehemiah s prayer for favor in 1:11. God had prepared the heart of the King. Nehemiah s response is very instructive. HE PRAYED! Nehemiah was simply travelling the path that God had set before him. It is intriguing that Nehemiah didn t already have a plan or at least some thoughts of what he would do next. So He simply returned to God in prayer before answering the king. After a time of prayer, Nehemiah asked that he might be allowed to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. The king then sent Nehemiah on his way with his blessing and letters giving him authority to do all that he had asked. Discussion Reflect on the importance of prayer in Nehemiah s life. Discuss the fact that he didn t seem to have his own agenda. How might we position ourselves to receive and walk according to God s agenda instead of our own? 10 H. G. M. Willamson, vol. 16, Word Biblical Commentary : Ezra-Nehemiah, Word Biblical Commentary, 179 (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002).