3rd Sunday of Advent

Slide 1

Slide 2

In The Fullness of Time

Slide 3

“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” Matthew 1:17

Slide 4

Ezra-Nehemiah

Slide 6

The Exile

Slide 6

The Exile
“So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. …

Slide 7

The Exile
…They followed the practices Israel had introduced. Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.”

Slide 8

Timeline of the O.T. Prophets

Slide 9

Zerubbabel

Slide 10

Zerubbabel
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

Slide 11

Zerubbabel
But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

Slide 12

Ezra
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Slide 13

Ezra

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. Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices?

Slide 14

Ezra
Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 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.”

Slide 15

Nehemiah

Slide 16

Nehemiah
“Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work. … From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armour.

Slide 17

Nehemiah
The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.

Slide 18

Nehemiah
So the wall was completed … in fifty two days.

Slide 19

Spiritual Awakening
“They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.”

Slide 20

Spiritual Awakening
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Slide 21

Did it work?

Slide 22

Did it work?
Remember me with favour, my God

Slide 23

Did it work?
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Slide 24

In The Fullness of Times world.

December 15th 2024 - Exile: Ezra-Nehemiah