(REFLECTIONS ON Ezra 3:1-13) Yes, it’s complicated. Life is complicated, our emotions are complicated, relationships are complicated, even our faith is complicated. Life is full of complications and that is why it is such a challenge to see eye to eye on things even if we are all seeing the same thing happening right in front […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Ezra 2:1-70) 61 And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 62 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. […]
(REFLECTIONS ON Ezra 1:1-11) I. QUICK RECAP In the Book of Jeremiah 29:10, the Lord said, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.” II. THE LORD MOVES HEARTS 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order […]
19–25 August 2018. Ruth 1 (click to read). Ruth is one of the shortest books in the Bible, but also one of the most beautiful. It’s so moving because at each step of the story we see the profound importance of kindness, compassion, and love. In chapter 1 we see this at two different levels. […]
18–24 September 2016. Ezra 7–8 (click to read). Over the last few months we have read how the Israelites attacked each other, went to war against each other, and killed each other. This went on for centuries until outside empires finally came and stopped it all by destroying both Israel and Judah! As a result, […]
5–11 June 2016. Ruth 3–4 (click to read). Anyone who has lived in a different country knows how hard it is to be a foreigner. We often get pushed away or treated badly just because we’re different. Sadly, the ancient Israelites often treated foreigners in shocking ways: oppressing and rejecting them, even murdering foreign women, children and […]