GOD in the Old Testament - Nehemiah - Part 1

Nehemiah 1:4-6

    When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

 

            "LORD, the God of heaven, the great and 

        awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love

        with those who love him and keep his 

        commandments, let your ear be attentive and

        your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant

        is praying before you day and night for your 

        servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins

        we Israelites, including myself and my father's

        family, have committed against you."

(see all Nehemiah 1)

 

Nehemiah 2:4-5  

    The king said to me, "What is it you want?"

    Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it."
 

Nehemiah 2:8  

"And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

 

Nehemiah 2:11-12  

    I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days, I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

 

Nehemiah 2:18  

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

    They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

 

Nehemiah 2:20  

    I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."

(see all Nehemiah 2 - 3) 

   

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 8

Ezra 9:10-11  (continued)

            "But now, our God, what can we say after this?

        For we have forsaken the commands you gave 

        through your servants the prophets when you said:

        'The land you are entering to possess is a land

        polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their

        detestable practices they have filled it with their

        impurity from one end to the other.' "

 

Ezra 9:13  

            "What has happened to us is a result of our evil

        deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you 

        have punished us less than our sins deserved and

        have given us a remnant like this."

 

Ezra 9:15  

        "LORD, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are

        left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you

        in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can 

        stand in your presence."

(see all Ezra 9)

 

Ezra 10:1  

    While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites--men, women and children--gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.

 

Ezra 10:2-3  

Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law."

 

Ezra 10:6  

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

 

Ezra 10:9  

    Within three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain.

 

Ezra 10:11  

"Now honor the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives."

 

Ezra 10:14  

"Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us."

(see all Ezra 10) 

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 7

Ezra 8:31-33  (continued)

    On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

     On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

 

Ezra 8:35  

    Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

 

Ezra 8:36  

They also delivered the king's orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

(see all Ezra 8)

 

Ezra 9:4  

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

 

Ezra 9:5-6  

    Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God and prayed:

 

            "I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, 

        to lift up my face to you, because our sins are 

        higher than our heads and our guilt has reached 

        to the heavens." 

 

Ezra 9:8-9  

            "But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our 

        God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant 

        and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and 

        so our God gives light to our eyes and a little

        relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our

        God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has 

        shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of 

        Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the 

        house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has 

        given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem." 

(Ezra 9 continues tomorrow) 

    

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 6

Ezra 7:25-26  (continued)

        And you, Ezra, in accordance with the

    wisdom of your God, which you possess,

    appoint magistrates and judges to administer

    justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates--

    all who know the laws of your God. And you

    are to teach any who do not know them. 

    Whoever does not obey the law of your God

    and the law of the king must surely be punished

    by death, banishment, confiscation of property, 

    or imprisonment. 

 

Ezra 7:27-28  

    Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisors and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

(see all Ezra 7)

 

Ezra 8:17-18  

... and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of God. Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah's sons and brothers, 18 in all; ... 

 

Ezra 9:21-23  

    There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

 

Ezra 8:24  

    Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisors, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God.

 

Ezra 8:28  

    I said to them, "You as well as these articles are consecrated to the LORD. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your ancestors."

 

Ezra 8:30  

Then the priests and the Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem. 

(Ezra 8 continues tomorrow) 

    

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 5

Ezra 7:15-17  (continued)

    Moreover, you are to take with you the silver

    and gold that the king and his advisors have 

    freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling

    is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and

    gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon,

    as well as the freewill offerings of the people and

    priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.

    With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and 

    male lambs, together with their grain offerings

    and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the

    altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

 

Ezra 7:18-20  

        You and your fellow Israelites may then do

    whatever seems best with the rest of the silver

    and gold, in accordance with the will of your God.

    Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles

    entrusted to you for worship in the temple of

    your God. And anything else needed for the

    temple of your God that you are responsible

    to supply, you may provide from the royal

    treasury. 

 

Ezra 7:21-23  

        Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the

    treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide

    with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the

    teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may

    ask of you--up to a hundred talents of silver, a 

    hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, 

    a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without

    limit. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed,

    let it be done with diligence for the temple of the

    God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the 

    realm of the king and his sons?

 

Ezra 7:24  

    You are also to know that you have no authority to

    impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests,

    Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or 

    other workers at this house of God.

(Ezra 7 continues tomorrow) 

    

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 4

Ezra 6:16-18  (continued)

    Then the people of Israel--the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles--celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

 

Ezra 6:21-22  

So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

(see all Ezra 6)

 

Ezra 7:6  

... this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD the God of Israel had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. 

 

Ezra 7:9  

He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.  

 

Ezra 7:12-14 

        Artaxerxes, king of kings,

 

    To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

 

    Greetings,

 

        Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, 

    including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to 

    Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and 

    his seven advisors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem 

    with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.

(Ezra 7 continues tomorrow) 

    

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post

GOD in the Old Testament - Ezra - Part 3

Ezra 6:3-5

        In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a

    decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

        Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present 

    sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be

    sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three

    courses of large stones and one of timbers. The 

    costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also the 

    gold and silver articles of the house of God, which

    Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem 

    and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their

    places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be

    deposited in the house of God.

 

Ezra 6:7-10  

    Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God.

    Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders

    rebuild this house of God on its site.

        Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for 

    elders of the Jews in the construction of this house

    of God:

        Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal

    treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so

    that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed--young

    bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God

    of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as

    requested by the priests in Jerusalem--must be given

    them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices 

    pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-

    being of the king and his sons.

 

Ezra 6:12  

    May God who has caused his Name to dwell there, 

    overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change

    this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

        I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with 

    diligence.

 

Ezra 6:14 

So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

(Ezra 6 continues tomorrow) 

    

(parentheses are mine) 

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Limited to 15 verses per post