The Big Read – Ezra-Nehemiah

Powerpoint Pictures: Bed; Toys; Family; Pets; Wi-Fi; Hug

What do you like about being home? *[Comfy bed; Your toys to play with; Being together with your family; Wi-Fi; Pets; Feeling safe]*

Home for many people is a happy place to be.

Now for a number of years, God’s people Israel, were not at home.

Because of their sin and disobedience God punished them, and the punishment was exile.

The Babylonian army came to their home and took them away, far away from everything they knew and enjoyed.

How they longed to be home again.

Well, eventually they were allowed to return home.

The Persian king, Cyrus the Great gave permission for the Jews to return home to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

But only some decided to.

There were those like Mordecai and Esther who decided to stay where they were living.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell us what happened when those who returned arrived home, and the big thing we learn in those books, is that God’s people returned home from exile to worship God.

They returned home to worship God and they did this by serving God as they rebuilt the temple and the city walls, and by seeking to obey God as they said they would carefully do all God commanded them to do.

*“…and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of the Lord our Lord.” (Nehemiah 10:29)*

The return home from exile is a picture of what God’s salvation is like.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah remind us that Jesus builds His church by bringing people back from exile of God’s judgment because of their sin, to worship God by serving Him and seeking to obey Him.

And one day we will do that perfectly when we are really home in heaven.