Nehemiah : WK 1 - INTRO
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
All of Scripture chronicles God's audacious rescue mission as He seeks to bring His fallen children home. The story repeats in concentric circles. His children succumb to selfishness and wayward thinking, drift further from God, and become ensnared. This critical error offers no hope of recovery, evoking Windows’ blue screen of death or Mac’s eternally spinning wheel. But just when all seems lost, God executes a hard reboot on the lives He desires for His people. He held down the power key as Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden under the prophecy of a coming Messiah. He shocks His children back to life as Noah’s family fills the ark, at the Tower of Babel, and at the dry bed of the Red Sea. He will completely reset His mission from a humble manger and a hoisted cross. However, before He boldly marches into the New Testament, God makes one final attempt with the wandering Children of Israel.
You might not know that there are two Exodus stories in the Old Testament. From the moment the Hebrews left Egypt, they often turned to idolatry, embraced paganism, and strayed from the God of salvation. Eventually, six hundred years before Christ, God used the Babylonian armies to exile His people and start fresh.
If asked, many of us would mention Jeremiah 29:11 as a favorite Bible passage that inspires us during discouraging times. Some of us wave it around like a magic wand used to bring miracles to life. In doing so, we overlook its context and true meaning.
This well-known verse is part of a letter to the Jews in Babylonian captivity. In it, Jeremiah cautions against false prophets who claim imminent release and return to Judah. Note the rarely quoted words from Jeremiah 29:10, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.’” In this instance, the reboot requires holding down the power key for seventy years—all of this to bring His children home.
So, dear reader, welcome to our study of the first half of the book of NEHEMIAH. It tells the story of returning home, following God's calling, and grappling with the challenges of rebuilding the life He intends for us to live. We will start with a prologue to set the context, understand the surrounding events, and get a sense of how various puzzle pieces fit together. To assist with this, I’ve included a timeline of events. Refer to it for context as we explore the final chapters before the Old Testament falls silent in preparation for the greatest reset of all, Jesus.
Lovewell,
Pastor Dave Ferguson and the Crosswalk Series Guide writing team
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
All of Scripture chronicles God's audacious rescue mission as He seeks to bring His fallen children home. The story repeats in concentric circles. His children succumb to selfishness and wayward thinking, drift further from God, and become ensnared. This critical error offers no hope of recovery, evoking Windows’ blue screen of death or Mac’s eternally spinning wheel. But just when all seems lost, God executes a hard reboot on the lives He desires for His people. He held down the power key as Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden under the prophecy of a coming Messiah. He shocks His children back to life as Noah’s family fills the ark, at the Tower of Babel, and at the dry bed of the Red Sea. He will completely reset His mission from a humble manger and a hoisted cross. However, before He boldly marches into the New Testament, God makes one final attempt with the wandering Children of Israel.
You might not know that there are two Exodus stories in the Old Testament. From the moment the Hebrews left Egypt, they often turned to idolatry, embraced paganism, and strayed from the God of salvation. Eventually, six hundred years before Christ, God used the Babylonian armies to exile His people and start fresh.
If asked, many of us would mention Jeremiah 29:11 as a favorite Bible passage that inspires us during discouraging times. Some of us wave it around like a magic wand used to bring miracles to life. In doing so, we overlook its context and true meaning.
This well-known verse is part of a letter to the Jews in Babylonian captivity. In it, Jeremiah cautions against false prophets who claim imminent release and return to Judah. Note the rarely quoted words from Jeremiah 29:10, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.’” In this instance, the reboot requires holding down the power key for seventy years—all of this to bring His children home.
So, dear reader, welcome to our study of the first half of the book of NEHEMIAH. It tells the story of returning home, following God's calling, and grappling with the challenges of rebuilding the life He intends for us to live. We will start with a prologue to set the context, understand the surrounding events, and get a sense of how various puzzle pieces fit together. To assist with this, I’ve included a timeline of events. Refer to it for context as we explore the final chapters before the Old Testament falls silent in preparation for the greatest reset of all, Jesus.
Lovewell,
Pastor Dave Ferguson and the Crosswalk Series Guide writing team
No Comments