Friday

5-July

Ezra 7-8; Job 25; 2 Corinthians 8

Ezra 7: Who was king of Persia at the time that Ezra went to Jerusalem?  How much time had passed between chapter 6 and 7? (You’ll have to do a little research!!)  Why did Ezra go to Jerusalem?

Ezra 8: Who was missing from the group returning to Jerusalem and why was this worrisome?

2 Corinthians 8: What is Paul encouraging the Corinthians to do and who does he use as an example?

Journal Prompt: Paul calls the Corinthians to ‘excel in the grace of giving’. How do you excel in this grace?

Answers:

Ezra 7: “Some 60 largely uneventful years passed between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. The ruler of Persia at the end of that period was Artaxerxes, who is also known to history as Artaxerxes Longimanus, the successor to Xerxes, the king who married Esther. the events of the Book of Esther took place between Ezra 6 and 7.” (From David Guzik)
Ezra went to Jerusalem because he, “had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (verse 10) and he was sent by the king “ to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel.” (v. 15)

Ezra 8:  No one from the tribe of the Levites volunteered to return with this group to Jerusalem.  Since a major responsibility of Ezra was instituting Temple worship and sacrifices, he needed the Levites, the priests and those God designated to serve in the Temple.

2 Corinthians 8: Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to give generously and he uses the churches in Macedonia as examples of giving beyond their means.