LBC Weekly SPARK – January 26, 2012

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. Isn’t it good to be called children of God? Everyday, we are reminded of the effects of sin in our own lives and in the lives around us. Praise God that He offers us forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord! We have so much to be thankful for if we are in Christ. The benefits of our salvation are too numerous to count. And we rest assured that God is with us, He cares for us, and He will never abandon us. He truly is a wonderful Father. I want to encourage you to take some time today to consider the amazing goodness of God and to think about all you have to be thankful for (1 Thess. 5:18).

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. Flocks. Don’t forget that our monthly flocks meet this week in various homes around the community. For more information about flocks, please visit the website. If you don’t know which flock to attend, you can contact Cesar Vigil-Ruiz (jn316niv@gmail.com).
  2. Midweek Bible Studies. Because of flocks week, all our midweek Bible studies will be cancelled. This includes Lumos Youth, College Life, Single Life, and Kids’ Club.
  3. Sunday School. We will be taking a break from our regular Adult Sunday School classes this weekend. Instead, there will be a chance to get to know the elders of LBC a little better. We’ll be having an Elder Q&A in the sanctuary during the Sunday School hour. Regular Sunday School classes will resume next week (2/5).
  4. Parent/Child Dedication. For all you parents of small children, it isn’t too late to sign up to participate in this weekend’s Parent/Child Dedication. If you would like to participate, please email Pastor Patrick with your child’s full name and birthdate.
  5. Baptism Service. We will be having a baptism service this Sunday evening at 4:00pm at the church. Please note that this is a bit earlier than previous baptism services. There are several individuals who will be sharing their testimonies and professing their love for Christ, so please come out and support them!
  6. Sister Connection. Ladies, please don’t forget to sign up for Sister Connection, which is a great opportunity to fellowship with one another. College Life sisters will be paired up with a Single Life or Grace Life sister. If you would like to participate, please sign up with Lillian Kim (Grace Life), Janet Shih (Single Life), or Deborah Wong (College Life). You can also email sisterconnection@gmail.com to sign up. The last day to sign up is this Sunday.

(Editor’s Note: If you want an easy way to stay up-to-date with LBCevents, you can sync your cal­en­dar with any of the var­i­ous church cal­en­dars that are avail­able online).

Youth Ministry in 2011

by Grace Wu

Some highlights from this past year in Lumos are:

  • June: Graduations galore! Three of the youthies graduated high school, and one stayed around in Lighthouse and is now a part of CollegeLife. Two graduated middle school and are now freshmen in high school. One graduated from 6th grade in elementary school and started middle school this year. Graduations also mean the arrival of new youth kids. Our two newest additions just started middle school this fall.
  • August: We had our first joint youth retreat with LBCSJ’s youth group at UC Santa Barbara. LBCSJ got to UCSB before we did, and hid in a dorm room to surprise us. The youth kids (myself included!) were ecstatic to be reunited with their best friends for a weekend. Some highlights from retreat were exploring the campus, an “Untalent Show,” and listening to preaching from both JR Cuevas and Roger Alcaraz. To honor them for their work, we had a “Build-a-Pastor” game where we made models of them from sand at the beach. Though it was a 5-hour drive from SD, the long journey was worth it for such a sweet weekend of fellowship.
  • September: By the time school started in September, our staff looked very different from summer. Out of 7 staffers, 4 had stepped down to meet other ministry needs. That meant there were only 3 of us left to do the work of shepherding, planning, and supervising the entire youth group. I was doubting how we were going to pull this off. Planning youth retreat was stressful enough– how were we going to plan for an entire school year?
  • October-December: God has a funny way of working everything out. As I was worrying about the staff shortage, God was working in the hearts of several people who had a desire to serve on youth staff. They have been observing Bible studies, attending study hall, and offering input during small group times. Their love for the youth is evident in how they prioritize spending time with them and teach them.

I am looking forward to see what works He will do in youth group in 2012!

BOB – Nehemiah

by Stephen Rodgers

NEHEMIAH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Returning Jewish Exiles rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem.”

TITLE

In the ear­li­est Hebrew man­u­scripts, Ezra and Nehemiah were con­sid­ered a sin­gle book. They were later divided into two scrolls (by Origin), known to the Jews as 1 Ezra and 2 Ezra, which became known as Ezra and Nehemiah in English Bibles (it is inter­est­ing to note that this diverges from the typ­i­cal pat­tern, as they are 1 and 2 Ezra in both the Greek Septuigent (LXX) and the Latin Vulgate (Vg.)).

The book takes its name from the main character Nehemiah (“Jehovah comforts”), a Jewish leader who served as the cupbearer to King Ataxerxes of Persia. (See AUTHOR &AUDIENCE)

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Jewish and Christian tra­di­tion both ascribe author­ship of Ezra-Nehemiah to Ezra. This tra­di­tion is largely inde­pen­dent of whether Ezra was also the author (“the Chronicler”) of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Although the author of Ezra never states his author­ship, inter­nal argu­ments (the use of both Aramaic and Hebrew, access to tem­ple and Persian records, the shift from 1st per­son to 3rd per­son) favor him strongly.

We know the fol­low­ing about Ezra:

  • He was a capa­ble and respected leader, as he led the sec­ond wave of exiles in their return to Israel from captivity
  • He was a godly man, and func­tioned as a scribe of the law (Ezra 7:10)
  • He had access to the royal archives of the Persian Empire (Ezra 1:2–4; 4:9–22; 5:7–17; 6:3–12)
  • He was a con­tem­po­rary of Nehemiah (Neh 8:1–9; 12:36)

According to Jewish tra­di­tion, he was also the founder of the Great Synagogue (aka “Great Assembly”), where the OT canon was first for­mally recognized.

The intended audi­ence of Nehemiah was the gen­er­a­tions of Israelites who returned from exile in Babylon. The author clearly wanted his read­ers to rec­og­nize the power and love of God toward his cho­sen peo­ple and their covenant respon­si­bil­i­ties toward Him.

DATE

Since we know that Nehemiah 1 begins in 446 BC, with Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem in 445 BC, the book could not have been written prior to that.  Furthermore, the book documents both his first (445 BC to 433 BC) and second (approximately 424 BC) terms as governor of Jerusalem (as recorded in Nehemiah 1-12 and 13, respectively). It is likely that Nehemiah was written by Ezra sometime after or during his second term, but prior to 400 BC.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Hundreds of years prior to the time of Ezra, God had used the prophet Jeremiah to warn His peo­ple that if they broke their covenant with Him, He would allow another nations to take them into slav­ery (Jer 2:14–25). Israel failed to heed that warn­ing, and God brought the Assyrians and Babylonians down upon them as pun­ish­ment. Eventually the Babylonians them­selves were con­quered by the Persians, and the king (Cyrus) decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem.

We know from the previous article that decree is where the book of Ezra begins; Nehemiah begins some 92 years after that (in 446 BC).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are three themes that are prevalent in the book of Nehemiah:

  • Renewal. It helps to understand that there are two rebuildings occurring in Nehemiah: there is the obvious rebuilding of the wall, but also the less-obvious rebuilding of the Jewish nation and religious obedience. And just as the beginning of the book is filled with suspense and overwhelming odds regarding the wall, the book ends in a suspenseful manner regarding the people forgetting their obedience to the LORD until Nehemiah returns to personally oversee it.
  • Prayer. Nehemiah is characterized often by his work (in my line of work, he is occasionally referred to as the “patron saint of project managers”), but he should also be recognized for how he brought his work before the LORD in prayer (Neh 1:4; 2:4; 4:4; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14,22,29,31).
  • Opposition. Nehemiah did not have an easy job, and he was opposed in almost every imaginable way (Neh 2:19-20; 4:1-15; 5:1-19; 6:1-14). However, with God’s help he was able to overcome the opposition he faced.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are a couple of minor issues that should be understood when reading Nehemiah in order to avoid errors:

  • Since much of Jerusalem is explained in regards to the gates, you should familiarize yourself with a good map of the city.
  • Also, the reader should understand that the events in Nehemiah 1-12 took place over the span of approximately one year, that there is a 20-year gap between chapters 12 and 13, and that Nehemiah actually served two governorships in Jerusalem (see DATE).

LITERARY FEATURES

The pri­mary form of Nehemiah is his­tor­i­cal nar­ra­tive, specif­i­cally…

Nehemiah is a sequel to Ezra. Two main actions occur: the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and the recommitment of the returned exiles to fulfill their covenant obligations. There is something for virtually everyone—a general’s diary, a governor’s report, a civil record, a management handbook, and a memoir—all in one short book. (ESV Study Bible)

OBJECTIONS

There are two objections that are sometimes raised against Nehemiah, a chronological objection (which was previously addressed in the article on Ezra), and a literary objection.

  • Some scholars claim that Nehemiah was not intended to be read as history, but rather is some sort of allegorical fiction, much like Aesop’s fables.  However, to come to this conclusion, you have to deliberately overlook a number of literary conventions that would seem to ground it solidly in history: 1) the dating of events (Neh 1:1), 2) references to historical settings confirmed by archaelogists (such as Susa), and 3) the naming of historical personages (King Ataxerxes, Sanballat, etc.).

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Nehemiah 1:11
  • Nehemiah 5:19

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The NT does not directly quote the book of Nehemiah.
  • Nehemiah is never mentioned outside of the book of Nehemiah.
  • The cupbearer’s duty was to choose and taste the king’s wine to ensure it was not poisoned. The need for these precautions is obvious when you consider the intrigues that plagued the Persian court: Xerxes (the father of Ataxerxes I), was killed in his own bedchamber by a courtier.
  • The Sheep Gate (Neh 3:1) was still known in NT times as being near the Pool of Bethesda.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Nehemiah Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Nehemiah”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Nehemiah”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Nehemiah”
  • NET Bible, Nehemiah
  • NIV Study Bible, “Nehemiah”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Nehemiah”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Nehemiah”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Jesus Loves the Little Children

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday, January 22, 2012, was the thirty-ninth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade. In that decision, the Supreme Court ruled that it was the fundamental right of women, in accordance with the “due process” clause of the 14th amendment, to terminate a pregnancy in order to protect the mother’s health. The court also made it clear in that ruling that the unborn child is not protected as a person by the Constitution, and so the “right to life” does not apply to the child (Part IX, Sec. A). Roe v. Wade was ruled in conjunction with Doe v. Bolton, in which the court defined a woman’s health in broad terms taking into consideration “all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age.”

Since the Roe v. Wade decision, there have been over 50 million abortions in the United States alone. There are about 3,700 abortions each day in the U.S., and according to the Center of Bio-Ethical Reform, about 42 million abortions are performed annually worldwide. Only about 1% of abortions are performed after rape or incest, and only 6% are performed to protect either the mother’s or child’s health. An overwhelming 93% of abortions occur because of social reasons (i.e., the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

The Bible explicitly teaches that God values the lives of little children. During Jesus’ ministry, He claimed that the kingdom of heaven belonged to those who were dependent like children (Matt. 19:13-14). He even used a child to illustrate the principle of true greatness in humility (Matt. 18:1-6). Psalm 139:1-16 helps us to understand that God is intimately involved in the details of a person’s life, and that those details are in mind even when a child is in the womb.

When John the Baptist was not yet born, he leaped for joy in his mother’s womb when Mary approached (Luke 1:41-44). Even from this passage alone, it is clear biblically that life and personhood begins in the womb. John not only exhibited deliberate human behavior in the womb, but even human emotion. It used to be commonly thought that babies in the womb were insensitive and incapable of feeling pain. However, Dr. A. W. Liley found that a baby in the womb clearly experiences fear and pain:

“When doctors first began invading the sanctuary of the womb, they did not know that the unborn baby would react to pain in the same fashion as a child would. But they soon learned that he would. By no means a ‘vegetable’ as he has so often been pictured, the unborn knows perfectly well when he has been hurt, and he will protest it just as violently as would a baby lying in a crib” (H. M. I. Liley, Modern Motherhood, rev. ed. (New York: Random House, 1969), 50).

As we examined this past Sunday, the greatest example of God’s love for little children is seen in His willingness to forgive their sin and give grace to save them from eternal judgment. Even though Scripture is clear that people are born in sin (Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Eph. 2:3), the Bible also teaches that there is hope for babies that die.

When Job despaired of life and cursed the day he was born, he believed that to die stillborn or even to have miscarried would have brought him rest (Job 3:1-17). Solomon agreed that it would have been better to miscarry than to have a man be fooled by the pleasures of this world without understanding the greater purpose and meaning of life (Eccl. 6:3-5). Neither Job nor Solomon was concerned that a baby that died would spend an eternity in hell. When King David’s child died as a baby, he was comforted by the thought that they would one day be reunited in heaven (2 Sam. 12:23). In contrast to these examples, there is no place in Scripture that explicitly teaches that babies who die are destined for hell because of their innate sin.

My point is that God obviously loves children, and He obviously agrees that life begins in the womb. He loves these children even to the extent that He would freely save them by a special means of grace (not because they are sinless, but because he is gracious and good!). He does not condemn them eternally because of Adam’s sin. He certainly does not dismiss them as some tissue that can be disposed of. And if God would show such love, such care for these children, then we should likewise cherish them and love them.

Any American should appreciate the value of personal liberties, but there are certain principles that take priority over the exercise of personal liberty. This is obvious. I am not at liberty to steal someone else’s property or to take their life without punishment because of the laws and principles of this land. For the Christian, it is evident that the child in the womb is an individual person created in the image of God and valued by God, and God is the one who prohibits the taking of innocent life. The issue of how to view life in the womb is not as much about personal liberties as it is about loving the Lord, trusting what His Word says, and making life choices in response to its principles.

…That They Had Been With Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Acts 4:13

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, ‘Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness;’ but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, ‘He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of Him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions.’

A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blush to own your religion; your profession will never disgrace you: take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus, very valiant for your God. Imitate Him in your loving spirit; think kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say of you, ‘He has been with Jesus.’ Imitate Jesus in His holiness. Was He zealous for His Master? So be you; ever go about doing good. Let not time be wasted: it is too precious.

Was He self-denying, never looking to His own interest? Be the same. Was He devout? Be you fervent in your prayers. Had He deference to His Father’s will? So submit yourselves to Him. Was He patient? So learn to endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try to forgive your enemies, as He did; and let those sublime words of your Master, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,’ always ring in your ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is godlike. Be godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all may say of you, ‘He has been with Jesus.’

2.11a

Weekly Links (1/20/2012)

Many prayers fail of their errand because there is no faith in them. Prayers which are filled with doubt are requests for refusal. Imagine that you wrote to a friend and said, ‘Dear Friend, I am in great trouble and I, therefore, tell you, and ask for your help because it seems right to do so. But though I thus write, I have no belief that you will send me any help. Indeed, I should be mightily surprised if you did and should speak of it as a great wonder.’

Will you get the help, do you think? I should say your friend would be sensible enough to observe the little confidence which you have in him and he would reply that, as you did not expect anything, he would not astonish you. Your opinion of his generosity is so low that he does not feel called upon to put himself out of the way on your account.

When prayers are of that kind you cannot wonder if we ‘have not, because we ask amiss.’ (Charles Spurgeon, Ask and Have)

by Richard Shin

Here are some weekly links for you to chew on this weekend.

  • Michael Patton gives a defense of Christianity to himself. Can you, in your own mind, give a defense for the hope you have?
  • He also gives some very practical advice for those who know Christians doubting their faith.
  • Ray Ortlund shares an excerpt on how Zwingli and fellow scholars studied the Bible back in the 16th Century. It’s a sobering reminder that we ought to rejoice in the abundance of resources, thanks to the many scholars that came before us and the Holy Spirit that empowered them.
  • As we close our time during second hour on biblical manhood and womanhood, John Piper and Darrin Patrick discuss this topic in this video.
  • Rick Holland wrote an open letter to his son, who turned 16 this past week. Some wise advice from a loving father to his son.
  • Dan Philips from the Pyromaniacs blog asks a simple question, “Is Christianity rational?”
  • The Resurgence posted about The Great Debate. If you haven’t heard it before, you need to hear this now.

That’s all folks. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Coram Deo

Joining Sonlight Staff

by Diana Yu

My interest in Sonlight first started when I was thinking about serving in a ministry, a few months after becoming a member of the church. I was originally praying for a willing heart to serve wherever there was a need, with the understanding that the effectiveness of ministry and the work of the Lord was not determined by my contributions (or lack thereof), but ultimately by God’s sovereignty and grace. I had been keeping an eye out for opportunities to serve in the Sunday bulletin and noticed that Sonlight’s listing was in the bulletin for many Sundays in a row. Somehow, I finally decided to email Abe about my interest in applying. He asked me to observe a few times and to go from there.

The observations were a great opportunity to talk to the children and staff to really see what Sonlight is about. Through my observations, I understood that sharing the gospel with children and training them up in the Lord can be very different from doing so with adults. I realized that for the children, truly understanding the implications of the gospel and what they learn in Sunday school may not come until later. But I know that the challenge lies in faithfully teaching God’s Word to them, regardless of how much they actually understand. We have to trust in God’s sovereignty and power to use what He wills for His kingdom, especially when the fruit of our labor may not be seen (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The teachers’ love and care for the children was and is very apparent, and the complexity of the lessons surprised me. One of the teachers explained to me that the Word of God cannot be diluted just because they are children, but that the entire Word of God must be taught fully and completely to them because this is what believers are called to do. The children grasp more than I give them credit for. At the same time, a lot of it can look like rote memorization. That is why the power to change people’s hearts, including the children’s hearts, rests in the Lord’s hands. We as believers are simply called to plant seeds. The growing is left to the Almighty God (Mark 4:26-27). What a great blessing it is for them to know and learn about the great and mighty God at a young age! Even though their lives may not be very complex, the glory continues to go to God when they can witness and identify moments of God’s love in their lives.

After these realizations and through prayer, I wanted to be a part of these children’s lives and to show them God’s love. As Abram and Lillian put it, Sunday school is not about behavior modification because we want these children to see their sins and understand that they need God. That is why it is not only important to teach them God’s Word but also to show that love and care to them, as God has shown us. And one day, Lord-willing, if I were to have children of my own, I would similarly have to teach them God’s word faithfully and to love them in Christ-likeness. I know I will not be able to force them into becoming believers, but that it will be through the mercy and grace of our loving God that they will ever desire to follow Christ and worship God. I look forward to serving in Sonlight because it will be a good reminder of the gospel that saved me–that it is truly by grace I am saved. And that is a reminder that I should never tire of!

BOB – Ezra

by Stephen Rodgers

EZRA IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Spiritual renewal begins after the Jews return from exile.”

TITLE

In the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, Ezra and Nehemiah were considered a single book. They were later divided into two scrolls, known to the Jews as 1 Ezra and 2 Ezra, which became known as Ezra and Nehemiah in English Bibles (it is interesting to note that this diverges from the typical pattern, as they are 1 and 2 Ezra in both the Greek Septuigent (LXX) and the Latin Vulgate (Vg.)).

The book takes its name from the traditionally-held author Ezra (“Jehovah helps”), a famous scribe-priest of the time. (See AUTHOR & AUDIENCE)

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Jewish and Christian tradition both ascribe authorship of Ezra-Nehemiah to Ezra.  This tradition is largely independent of whether Ezra was also the author (“the Chronicler”) of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Although the author of Ezra never states his authorship, internal arguments (the use of both Aramaic and Hebrew, access to temple and Persian records, the shift from 1st person to 3rd person) favor him strongly.

We know the following about Ezra:

  • He was a capable and respected leader, as he led the second wave of exiles in their return to Israel from captivity
  • He was a godly man, and functioned as a scribe of the law (Ezra 7:10)
  • He had access to the royal archives of the Persian Empire (Ezra 1:2-4; 4:9-22; 5:7-17; 6:3-12)
  • He was a contemporary of Nehemiah (Neh 8:1-9; 12:36)

According to Jewish tradition, he was also the founder of the Great Synagogue (aka “Great Assembly”), where the OT canon was first formally recognized.

The intended audience of Ezra was the generations of Israelites who returned from exile in Babylon. The author clearly wanted his readers to recognize the power and love of God toward his chosen people and their covenant responsibilities toward Him.

DATE

Since we know that Ezra led the second return from Persia in approximately 458 BC (the first led by Zerubbabel in 538 BC and the third led by Nehemiah in 445 BC), it is likely that the completed book was written sometime in the next several decades (457-444 BC would be a likely range).

Chronologically speaking, Zerubbabel’s return (538 BC to 516 BC) is documented in Ezra 1-6, and the second return (458 BC) begins in Ezra 7:1.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Hundreds of years prior to the time of Ezra, God had used the prophet Jeremiah to warn His people that if they broke their covenant with Him, He would allow another nations to take them into slavery (Jer 2:14-25). Israel failed to heed that warning, and God brought the Assyrians and Babylonians down upon them as punishment. Eventually the Babylonians themselves were conquered by the Persians, and the king (Cyrus) decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem.

That decree is where the book of Ezra begins.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two prevalent themes in the book of Ezra:

  • God’s Sovereignty. The events of Ezra show God’s sovereignty in keeping His promises, even extending to being sovereign over future events and foreign kings.
  • Restoration. In some ways, the events of Ezra parallel the events in the Pentateuch and Joshua: God makes promises to His people, frees them from slavery, provides a land for them amidst their enemies…contingent upon their obedience to Him.  Even specific events (the rebuilding of the temple) have obvious parallels, although Ezra notably does not mention that the presence of the LORD returned to occupy the temple this time.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

As with any book of the Bible, there are a number of issues that need to be resolved.  To my mind, the two most interesting are reconciling the chronologies of the post-Exilic prophets (Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) with Ezra, as well as reconciling the chronology of Esther with Ezra.  In regards to the prophets:

  • Haggai and Zechariah prophesied during the period of Ezra 4-6 when temple construction was resumed.
  • Malachi wrote during Nehemiah’s revisit to Persia (Neh 13:66)
We’ll discuss Esther when we get to that book.

LITERARY FEATURES

The primary form of Ezra is historical narrative, specifically…

…a story that narrates the return of groups of people to their homeland after exile. But the flow of the story is interrupted by a variety of documentary material—lists of people and supplies, transcripts of official documents, the genealogy of Ezra, royal and other official letters, memoirs, and prayer. Sometimes the material tells a story; at other times it resembles a daily newspaper or modern archived material. (ESV Study Bible)

OBJECTIONS

There are three objections that are occasionally raised against the historical reliability of Ezra: one based on the language of the Persian decrees, one based on a supposed late date of Ezra, and one based on alleged discrepancies between Ezra and Nehemiah.

  • Scholars at one point doubted the authenticity of the proclamations of the Persian government (Ezra 1:1-5; 4:8-10,11-16,17-22; 5:6-17; 6:6-12; 7:11-26). They claimed that the language seemed too theological and/or didn’t follow standard Persian form. However recent discoveries of other letters from the Jewish community at Elephantine, Egypt has silenced these criticisms.
  • Some scholars have tried to assign a later date to Ezra by pointing to the geopolitical climate of Egypt during the reign of Artaxerxes II (404 BC to 359 BC) as being the only likely candidate for the events described in the book.  The reasoning goes that Persia would only be interested in strengthening their relationship with a buffer region during a time of unrest; while this may be true, it also overlooks the fact that Egypt also revolted around 459 BC and the rebellion was not put down until around 454 BC.
  • Finally, some claim that the book of Ezra is not reliable due to alleged contradictions between it and Nehemiah. However these alleged contradictions tend to rely on a skewed or suspect reading of the relevant texts. For example, the issue with Eliashib the high priest can be easily reconciled with the fact that the Eliashib mentioned in Nehemiah 3:1 and 20 is most likely Eliashib II, a later priest.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Ezra 7:10
  • Ezra 8:22

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The NT does not directly quote the book of Ezra.
  • The story of Esther fits into the interval of nearly 60 years that separates Ezra 6:22 from Ezra 7:1
  • ANE kings maintained an elaborate network of informers and spies, including those mentioned in Ezra 5:3-5

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Ezra Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Ezra”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Ezra”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Ezra”
  • NET Bible, Ezra
  • NIV Study Bible, Ezra
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Ezra”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Ezra”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Lessons from a Child’s Heart: Unashamed

by Elder Mike Chon

I continue to be amazed as a father how much my children teach me about my own heart and my own weaknesses. Since my oldest son is only five  years old, I have the opportunity to observe how unashamed my children are about themselves, as well as being unconcerned about what others think about them in terms of appearance or popularity. For instance they are proud to be the one that passes gas and announces out loud that they were responsible for that sound as well as the odor that quickly follows. As well they are proud when they are able to pick their noses and pull out a big booger which they proudly show the other siblings as a badge of honor. Even my youngest daughter when I tell her that she is a “big girl” never gets offended by that but instead it encourages her. For some reason as we grow up and reach our late elementary years into middle school we begin to preoccupy ourselves with our self and what others think of us.

As believers we can become self-absorbed with our self and what others think about us. We fall into the trap of believing the lies of this world which teach us to increase our self-esteem, to believe in ourselves, and to be politically correct. When we start to believe in these lies we begin to focus more on our self and less on God and the Scriptures. No matter what the world teaches we must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word that teaches us that we are not to be conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2). This starts with following Christ’s call for all believers, to deny ourselves, take up the cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). This call is a call to self-death, not self-belief. We are to do exactly the opposite of what the world teaches us to do. Only when we die to our self can we fully and completely trust in Christ. We don’t look to boost up self-esteem, or self-worth, instead we look to Christ as the One who fulfills, empowers, and gives purpose to our lives. There is nothing in this world, including our accomplishments and self-worth, that can compare to knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior (Phil. 3:8).

The other lie that the world teaches us is to be politically correct. As believers we can become fearful of what others may think of us especially when it comes to speaking about Christ. The Scriptures tell us exactly what others will think when we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:22-23). The message of a Jewish Messiah that came to die on a cross for the sins of this world will be offensive. The only problem is that this is the only message that we are to preach because this is the only message that can save. We are called to be unashamed of the gospel message for it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16-17). The question is not whether the message will be offensive but whether you are more afraid of what others may think of you than what they will think about the gospel message? My children teach me to be unashamed by the silly things they do and remind me that I can’t be consumed by what others think of me. Instead I am reminded that my life has been crucified with Christ and that I live this life not for myself but for the one that died on my behalf.

I Have Blotted Out…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Isaiah 44:22

Attentively observe THE INSTRUCTIVE SIMILITUDE: our sins are like a cloud. As clouds are of many shapes and shades, so are our transgressions. As clouds obscure the light of the sun, and darken the landscape beneath, so do our sins hide from us the light of Jehovah’s face, and cause us to sit in the shadow of death. They are earth-born things, and rise from the miry places of our nature; and when so collected that their measure is full, they threaten us with storm and tempest. Alas! that, unlike clouds, our sins yield us no genial showers, but rather threaten to deluge us with a fiery flood of destruction. O ye black clouds of sin, how can it be fair weather with our souls while ye remain?

Let our joyful eye dwell upon THE NOTABLE ACT of divine mercy-‘blotting out.’ God Himself appears upon the scene, and in divine benignity, instead of manifesting His anger, reveals His grace: He at once and for ever effectually removes the mischief, not by blowing away the cloud, but by blotting it out from existence once for all. Against the justified man no sin remains, the great transaction of the cross has eternally removed His transgressions from him. On Calvary’s summit the great deed, by which the sin of all the chosen was for ever put away, was completely and effectually performed.

Practically let us obey THE GRACIOUS COMMAND, ‘return unto me.’Why should pardoned sinners live at a distance from their God? If we have been forgiven all our sins, let no legal fear withhold us from the boldest access to our Lord. Let backslidings be bemoaned, but let us not persevere in them. To the greatest possible nearness of communion with the Lord, let us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, strive mightily to return. O Lord, this night restore us!

2.10p