Week 14: Discovering the Character of God through Ezra and Nehemiah
14.1 Invite the group to define MERCY (not getting what we deserve) and GRACE (getting what we don't deserve)
14.2 These two words are possibly the most commonly used to describe God - and these characteristics are particularly evident in the period between the end of the days of the kings and the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. In fact, we can learn much about God's character simply by studying what happened in between these two periods. Handout overview and list of characteristics. Invite the group to circle words as they get impressions of God's character while reading the history of the exile.
14.3 A closer look at Ezra: Ezra is first introduced in Ezra 7. Read Ezra 7:1-6a (good luck with the names!). Lists were really important to the Jews - they lived very much by the old adage, 'it's not what you know, but who you know.' This is most obvious in Matthew's gospel. He was writing to the Jews and in order to prove to his readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah, he opens his gospel with a list of names showing that Jesus is Abraham's descendant. Back to Ezra 7 and this is exactly what the writer (Ezra) is doing. The names show that God hasn't forgotten Israel during their exile; nor the promises He made to them centuries before. It's not by chance that the man He is now using to restore His people and His temple is a direct descendant of Aaron - one of the two brothers God used to deliver His people out of Egypt. God is finishing what he started.
14.4 Read Ezra 7:6b-10 the impact of Ezra's heritage was great and significant however it wasn't enough for him. He could have sat back on his laurels and said, 'You know what? My great-great-great-great.......-granddaddy was Aaron the Priest, so I've got it sorted.' But he couldn't - and wouldn't - cling to the faith of his family; instead he discovers God for himself. Verse 10 shows us how Ezra 'devotes himself' (NIV) to the 'Law of the Lord' - not, 'His parents' teachings'. We can't get to get heaven on the others' faith: our parents, friends, boy/girlfriend will not save us. Only Jesus can do that. This is the relationship that Ezra had with God and the relationship God wants with each of us: direct and intimate - not through a third party.
14.5 The intimacy that Ezra has with God is something that he has in common with Nehemiah. Read Nehemiah 1:1-4. Before we're even five verses into the book, Nehemiah is found weeping - but not for himself; for Jerusalem, God's people. This is the profound effect of intimacy with God. The more we know God's word, the more we devote ourselves to is - and Him - and the better we know how God has worked in the past like Ezra and Nehemiah did (check out the rest of Nehemiah 1), the more in tune we end up being with Him. We know His heart, because by being in that intimate relationship with us, He is able to share it with us. We find ourselves rejoicing in what pleases Him and grieving for what breaks His heart.
Week 14: Summary
From the beginning of our studies through to Solomon, the theme has appeared strongly to be 'Sin and Consequences'. With Josiah, Ezra and Nehemiah, the message seems now to be 'Get to Know Me.' Knowing God's character is to know Him. Some of the characteristics we've learned this week include:
14.1 Invite the group to define MERCY (not getting what we deserve) and GRACE (getting what we don't deserve)
14.2 These two words are possibly the most commonly used to describe God - and these characteristics are particularly evident in the period between the end of the days of the kings and the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. In fact, we can learn much about God's character simply by studying what happened in between these two periods. Handout overview and list of characteristics. Invite the group to circle words as they get impressions of God's character while reading the history of the exile.
14.3 A closer look at Ezra: Ezra is first introduced in Ezra 7. Read Ezra 7:1-6a (good luck with the names!). Lists were really important to the Jews - they lived very much by the old adage, 'it's not what you know, but who you know.' This is most obvious in Matthew's gospel. He was writing to the Jews and in order to prove to his readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah, he opens his gospel with a list of names showing that Jesus is Abraham's descendant. Back to Ezra 7 and this is exactly what the writer (Ezra) is doing. The names show that God hasn't forgotten Israel during their exile; nor the promises He made to them centuries before. It's not by chance that the man He is now using to restore His people and His temple is a direct descendant of Aaron - one of the two brothers God used to deliver His people out of Egypt. God is finishing what he started.
14.4 Read Ezra 7:6b-10 the impact of Ezra's heritage was great and significant however it wasn't enough for him. He could have sat back on his laurels and said, 'You know what? My great-great-great-great.......-granddaddy was Aaron the Priest, so I've got it sorted.' But he couldn't - and wouldn't - cling to the faith of his family; instead he discovers God for himself. Verse 10 shows us how Ezra 'devotes himself' (NIV) to the 'Law of the Lord' - not, 'His parents' teachings'. We can't get to get heaven on the others' faith: our parents, friends, boy/girlfriend will not save us. Only Jesus can do that. This is the relationship that Ezra had with God and the relationship God wants with each of us: direct and intimate - not through a third party.
14.5 The intimacy that Ezra has with God is something that he has in common with Nehemiah. Read Nehemiah 1:1-4. Before we're even five verses into the book, Nehemiah is found weeping - but not for himself; for Jerusalem, God's people. This is the profound effect of intimacy with God. The more we know God's word, the more we devote ourselves to is - and Him - and the better we know how God has worked in the past like Ezra and Nehemiah did (check out the rest of Nehemiah 1), the more in tune we end up being with Him. We know His heart, because by being in that intimate relationship with us, He is able to share it with us. We find ourselves rejoicing in what pleases Him and grieving for what breaks His heart.
Week 14: Summary
From the beginning of our studies through to Solomon, the theme has appeared strongly to be 'Sin and Consequences'. With Josiah, Ezra and Nehemiah, the message seems now to be 'Get to Know Me.' Knowing God's character is to know Him. Some of the characteristics we've learned this week include:
- God is merciful
- He gracious
- He doesn't forget us
- God wants a direct relationship with us.
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