Insights from Ezra & Nehemiah (Ezra 1:1-5) [Doug Shackelford]

Ezra and Nehemiah led God’s people when the problems were similar to ours—difficulty in trusting and obeying God, strife and division, and challenges from the prevailing culture. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah show how a Godly community arose following exile. We see God’s hand leading to miraculous reconstruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem. We watch an impoverished Jewish remnant grow in their faith as they face internal and external enemies. We gain a sense of the importance of Scriptures as God’s Word enables them to be holy and different.