Winter 2015 – Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah
Providence is God using what is frequently called chance or mistakes to stitch events into a tapestry of meaning. It refers to God’s governance of all events as He directs them toward His intended end. The Old Testament Books of Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah provide a beautiful picture of God’s providence over the smallest of circumstances for the purpose of redeeming His people.
Too often we miss rich truths that can be discovered from exploring Old Testament books of the Bible. Ancient peoples and distant lands don’t always appear, at first glance, to be the most relevant for our own situation. Yet we do ourselves a disservice if we neglect the study of God’s dealings with His people under the old covenant. We miss portraits of the God who calls, chastens, heals, nourishes, fights and provides for, and ultimately redeems His people. We too need this God.
In the New Testament, Paul writes that Old Testament things were written for our instruction (1 Cor. 10:11). If a royal butler together with a theologian can rebuild a nation amid staunch opposition, if a peasant girl can become queen just in time to prevent ethnic genocide, we can be encouraged that there is nothing God cannot do.
We hope and prayer that this study of Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah will strengthen your faith in the God who orders all things for His renown and for the joy of His people.
Contact Pastor Josh to get a copy of the study guide and join us Sunday mornings at 9:30am. The Final Lesson for this Study will be February 22nd. Stay tuned to see what we will study next.
The Book of Hebrews is a wonderful and fascinating part of God’s Word. Like most Bible books, it can be challenging at times to correctly understand and apply, However, since it is God’s Word for God’s people we need to – and can – rightly understand and obey it. Many Christians have favorite Bible verses found in Hebrews, verses such as Hebrews 4:12 that speaks of God’s Word being sharper than a double edged sword. Or Hebrews 12:1-2 that focuses on running the race of faith with endurance and keeping our use fixed on Jesus. Speaking of enduring the race of faith with endurance and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. Speaking of enduring faith, many believers are drawn to the great roll call of faith in Hebrews 11, which begins with a memorable definition of biblical faith. The sections of Hebrews that Bible students most often find challenging to understand and apply are warning passages such as Hebrews 2:1-4, 6:1-6, and 10:26-31. yet these sections are equally rewarding to explore and understand.