Posts Categorized: Bible study

Acts 2:21 – Everyone Who Calls

Following the crucifixion of Jesus and His rising from the grave, He met with His disciples, telling them to wait in Jerusalem because they would be imbued with power from on high.  Indeed, as they met and prayed, the Holy Spirit came upon them, filling them with the power and authority of God Himself.  In…

Nehemiah 2:10 – It Displeased Them Greatly

The account of Nehemiah’s efforts is another marvelous example of having faith in that which is unseen and acting to bring it about.  As one of the Jewish exiles, Nehemiah had settled into his fate, serving his captors in a righteous manner and representing Yahweh well.  As cupbearer to the king, he had always kept…

Ezra 9:11 – The Peoples of the Lands

Ezra was a righteous man, a man of God, who desired to please the Lord and do His will.  Because his heart was toward Yahweh, He used Ezra mightily to accomplish His purpose of rebuilding the temple in the midst of the Jewish people’s exile to Babylon. God shone His favor on Ezra and the…

Ezra 8:22 – The Hand of Our God

Ezra’s account of how the 2nd temple was built in Jerusalem reveals several aspects of God’s character.  The Lord worked specifically through three pagan kings to cause them to show favor toward the people of Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple.  He first stirred up Cyrus to decree that Yahweh was…

Ezra 5:3 – Who Gave You a Decree?

The enemy is insidious and extremely persistent.  When he sees the people of God gaining ground that he thinks is his, he’ll do whatever is necessary “by any means possible” to take it back, no matter how underhanded.  Satan is the prince of the earth and of the power of the air.  He has claimed…

John 19:38 – Secretly for Fear

Immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus, two men showed their allegiance to and faith in Him. They received permission from Pilate to remove His body from the cross and to place it in a tomb.  The one man, Joseph of Arimathea, had not previously been mentioned in Scripture.  We know from Luke 23:50-51 and Mark…