Life Lessons from Ezra and Nehemiah Lessons in Leadership

It reminds me so much of chapter six in the book of Nehemiah. He is building a wall, and the townspeople are at the base of that hill saying, Nehemiah calling him all these names, saying all these things, come on down. Every single time he had the same message four times in a row, I cannot come down. I am busy building.

The book of Nehemiah chapter 13.

So Nehemiah he's finishing strongly what happens what always happens remember I mean golly yesterday we kind of talked about how here's the story and here's how it unfolded all the way back to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and then here's slavery in Egypt and instead being set free here's Moses and Joshua all those folks and unfaithfulness faithlessness essentially and they were doing well I mean yes we had the prophets who had to speak to the people who had come back from exile because they weren't building the temple right away because they weren't building the walls and yet there seemed to be less idolatry there seemed to be less division seemed to be more faithfulness and what happens Nehemiah goes back to spend some time his summers with King Artaxerxes he went back to spend some time with Artaxerxes who had just let him go on alone right it wasn't like he had sent Nehemiah free from his service he had given him the chance to go to Jerusalem and Judah and rebuild the walls to have this project of renewal and he did that so he had to of course go back to Artaxerxes and check in and all those things he comes back and what happens when he comes back and well it seems like the more things change the more things stay the same and so the people had been unfaithful and so what has to happen is he takes charge of all these things and makes sure that people who have corrupted temple worship no longer corrupt temple worship and people who have intermarried are no longer making those steps you know and again even cites King Solomon this is one of those huge pieces for us that just gosh you know Saint Paul's going to say this towards the end of the New Testament as well where that sense of you know if you want to have a family united in faith don't start it out disunited in faith that is not wise it is not a wise thing to do and here is Nehemiah at the very last chapter last section of the last chapter in this whole book of Nehemiah saying did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women on account of such marriage there was no king like him and he was beloved by his God and God made him king over all Israel nevertheless foreign women made even him to sin you know basically that so are we going to do any differently and and that's a key for us later on of course in the book of Malachi

But for Ezra today, we went through a couple of chapters, right? Five and six.

One is that in chapter four, the rebuilding of the temple was put on hold and in chapter five, it's resumed.

Why is it resumed? Well, this is where we have this incredible confluence in the coming together of the book of Ezra as well as the books of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, because chapter five begins with, 'now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews who were in Jerusalem and Judah that basically go start rebuilding and the prophets of God were helping them.'

And when you enter this period of the return, the two narrative books that you're going to be really focusing on are Ezra and Nehemiah.

And then in the second wave back from captivity, Ezra, and Ezra is going to bring back, I guess you could say, or revitalize the people with the Word of God. He's going to teach the Word of God.

We have the final chapter in Nehemiah.

The book of Nehemiah chapter 13. Foreigners separated from Israel.

Nehemiah goes back to spend some time, his summers with King Artaxerxes.

He comes back and what happens? Well, he comes back and well, it seems like the more things change, the more things stay the same. And so the people had been unfaithful.

And so what has to happen is he takes charge of all these things and makes sure that people who have corrupted temple worship no longer corrupt temple worship, and people who have intermarried are no longer making those steps. And again, he even cites King Solomon.

And by the way, you know, when you enter this period of the return, the two narrative books that you're going to be really focusing on are Ezra and Nehemiah.

And so when you read Ezra and Nehemiah, you're going to get a play-by-play of the return, the problems that they faced in returning, the problems that they faced in rebuilding the temple and the walls around Jerusalem.

You have in the second wave back from captivity, Ezra.

but then there's also this prophecy about almost 500 years after this an anointed one is going to come and again this is one of those things where we're like wait a second is that Jesus because the timeline actually depending on how you interpret it right and depending on how you say okay when did this almost 500 years start and when did it end exactly is a prophecy of the anointed one not just an anointed one but the one who would come and establish a kingdom without end.

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem. And at the dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate their dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with symbols, harps and liars.

The joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Later on in the book of Nehemiah, Nadia, a woman we don't know much about is described as a prophetess.