Good morning,
What happens after Israel’s seventy-year captivity? Do they continue to rebel? Do they ever get back to Jerusalem? What about the temple?
These questions will all be answered in the next couple of weeks. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah clearly answer these questions.
The plight of Jerusalem (1:3-4)
“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah’s prayer to God (1:5-6)
5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
What does Nehemiah do when he hears about the plight of Jerusalem? He prays, plans, and prepares. Why? Come back tomorrow and find out.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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