CONCLUSION OF THIS BIBLE STUDY:

EZRA and NEHEMIAH (Re-Building the Temple)

This has been a very interesting study, both historical knowledge and spiritual knowledge concerning the return of this nation. Question has arrived. To my surprise, I didn't know that Ezra was a priest, and Nehemiah was a governor.

Ezra is the one person who is prominent in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Both books end with prayers of confession (Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9) and a subsequent separation of the people from the sinful practices into which they had fallen. There's a good concept of the nature of the encouraging messages of Haggai and Zechariah, who are introduced in this narrative (Ezra 5:1), may be seen in the prophetic books that bear their names. Very interesting!

The Book of Ezra covers the return from captivity to rebuild the Temple up to the decree of Artaxerxes, the event covered at the beginning of the Book of Nehemiah. Haggai was the main prophet in the day of Ezra, and Zechariah was the prophet in the day of Nehemiah.

We see in the Book of Ezra a continuation of the biblical theme of the remnant. Whenever disaster or judgment falls, God always saves a tiny remnant for Himself—Noah and his family from the destruction of the flood; Lot's family from Sodom and Gomorrah; the 7000 prophets reserved in Israel despite the persecution of Ahab and Jezebel. When the Israelites were taken into captivity in Egypt, God delivered His remnant and took them to the Promised Land. Some fifty thousand people return to the land of Judea in Ezra 2:64-67, and yet, as they compare themselves with the numbers in Israel during its prosperous days under King David, their comment is, "We are left this day as a remnant." The remnant theme is carried into the New Testament where Paul tells us that "at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace" (Romans 11:5). Although most people of Jesus' day rejected Him, there remained a set of people whom God had reserved and preserved in his Son, and in the covenant of His grace. Throughout all generations since Christ, there is the remnant of the faithful whose feet are on the narrow road that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). This remnant will be preserved through the power of the Holy Spirit who has sealed them and who will deliver them safely at the last day (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30).

The Book of Ezra is a chronicle of hope and restoration. For the Christian whose life is scarred by sin and rebellion against God, there is great hope that ours is a God of forgiveness, a God who will not turn His back on us when we seek Him in repentance and brokenness (1 John 1:9). The return of the Israelites to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple are repeated in the life of every Christian who returns from the captivity of sin and rebellion against God and finds in Him a loving welcome home. No matter how long we have been away, He is ready to forgive us and receive us back into His family. He is willing to show us how to rebuild our lives and resurrect our hearts, wherein is the temple of the Holy Spirit. As with the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, God superintends the work of renovating and rededicating our lives to His service. 

The opposition of the adversaries of God to the rebuilding of the temple displays a pattern that is typical of that of the enemy of our souls. Satan uses those who would appear to be in sync with God's purposes to deceive us and attempt to thwart God's plans. Ezra 4:2 describes the deceptive speech of those who claim to worship Christ but whose real intent is to tear down, not to build up. We are to be on guard against such deceivers, respond to them as the Israelites did, and refuse to be fooled by their smooth words and false professions of faith.

In my conclusion these are thoughts to take in consideration: God bless you!

 

 1. Nehemiah was obedient to God and His Word. He refused to compromise. He was obedient to the will of God. He condemned the evils severely. He had fearless convictions and stood by them.

 2. Nehemiah kept focused on the right issues. He refused to let people side track him. He knew his priorities and stuck with them. He kept focused on his goals and objectives. Nehemiah kept working for a permanent correction to the evils of his day. But he also had the future of the nation in mind.

 3.  He was a man of prayer (13:14; 22; 29; 31). He was bold in the presence of God. He was consistent in his devotion to the Lord.

 4.  Nehemiah took bold action when he knew it to be the will of God. When you deal with sin you have to deal with it head on. You cannot put off what must ultimately be done. The longer you wait, the worse it gets.

 5.  Has a Tobiah wormed his way into your life and now sits enthroned where Jesus Christ should be? Is the temple of the Holy Spirit cluttered with Tobiah's filth and defilement? Do you need to do some spiritual temple cleaning so Christ will be the Lord of your personal life? What are some attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, and compromises that diminish your love for Christ?

 6.  Has a daughter of Sanballat captured your affection and stolen your loyalty to Christ? How sad when Christian youth choose to enter into a marriage covenant with unbelievers. It would be far better to break your heart now than later when life really gets complicated. Yes, it does grieve the heart of God.

There can be no half-measures in the Christian life. Throw Tobiah out of the temple. Clean it up now.

 

Nehemiah was abandoned to the will of God. That is the first requirement of a great leader and all followers.

 

This great builder, reformer and Jewish leader were a man with his faith focused on God. He concluded his testimony to God's faithfulness, praying, "Remember me, O my God, for good." That is my prayer!

The apostle came to the end of his life's ministry and declared: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). 

 

Ending Prayer……….

 

Let's Pray…………

Father God, we come to in Jesus' name, we honor You, we give glory and praise for the things You have done; Thank You for the gift You have put in our lives. Thank You for understanding us, and for Your grace and mercy in our lives. Help us to accept Your discipline, and honor Who You are. Please bless us so we want disappoint You. Help us to make it our priority to obey You in everything. Forgive us so we can enter into Your presence with thanksgiving in our hearts. Bless us to be bold to come before You with all our problems, and our praises. We will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in our heart, and into Your courts with praises. Thank You, Father. Bless us to learn from all the mistakes we learn about those in this study, and help us to be bold like Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Zerubbabel, and all those prophets who came before us. Help us not to accept anything from the enemy, in Jesus' name. Bless us to keep our temple clean and presentable and acceptable for Your Holy Spirit to dwell in us always. Thank You for Jesus bringing us out of captivity and darkness, and place us in Your marvelous light. This study has been a blessing, Lord. Please, Father, continue to bless us with the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to live a holy life before You. We need Your presence in our lives daily. Continue to help us build our live in a holy manner. Bless our country, Lord, and bless all countries that honor You as the God of all creation, this we pray in Jesus' name. Lord God, continue to save those who are lost. AMEN.

 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

 

See you in the next study

Evangelist Claudia Jordan

MORE WORDS TO CONSIDER:

 

Aaron's Rod                           

Pollution

Transformation

Indwelling

The Altar of Burnt Offering

Week # 8 QUESTIONS

Questions for Review

1. Can you see this spiritually? Explain in full detail, please.
   
   Yes, I can! The Old Testament is the natural side of this, and the New Testament is the spiritual side. Everything God does there is a revelation to it. The Temple in the OT represent our natural bodies according to the works done in the NT. We are the temple of God's Holy Spirit. God came to cleans us through Jesus, so He could dwell in us. At the time that every unbeliever is saved, not only does he receive eternal life and become a member of the Body of Christ and a living stone in the temple, but he receives the Holy Spirit as a seal. God places the Holy Spirit in him as a seal. Ephesians 1:13 says, "In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise." Is that not our history? We have heard the gospel of our salvation and have believed in Christ. What happened after we believed? We were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit as the seal. It is very obvious that the Holy Spirit does not belong just to some special Christians and that only specially sanctified Christians have life. The Scripture says that all who have heard the gospel of salvation and who have believed, have received the Holy Spirit as the seal. This proves that the seal of the Holy Spirit is something that all Christians have in common. As soon as one believes, he is saved and has the Holy Spirit in them, dwelling in his/her body, which is the temple of God Himself.
2. How are we created?
   
   In Psalm 139:14 we read that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, our Creator, and we should praise Him.
3. How did Apostle Paul shed light on the human body?
   
   2 Corinthians 6:16-17 says, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."
4. What is the spiritual temple?
   
   Our bodies is to house the Holy Spirit, which is the spiritual side.
5. What is the purpose of God's creating the human body?
   
   A major purpose in this life is to grow in the righteous character of God. Through His dwelling in us by the power of His Holy Spirit, we are helped in achieving that purpose in life that will enable us to live forever in His family.
6. What does (2 Corinthians 6:16-17) says?
   
   As said earlier, we are the temple of God; God comes and dwell in us when we become born again by His Holy Spirit.
7. What is God's promise concerning our minds?
   
   God promises to give a peace of mind that can help us cope with stresses and trials that sometimes war against our temple of the Holy Spirit. Thinking about things God wants us to think about will promote spiritual health to the temple.
   
    
8. How would you describe the current state of your temple-your body?
   
   Each day I try to keep my body clean for God's present in me. If I do wrong, which I do, then I ask God for forgiveness and cleansing in my body, and I ask God to not take away His Holy Spirit from me in Jesus' name. I try to present my body a living sacrifice unto the Lord daily. I am conscious of what happen in my body daily.  
9. How do you know you have the Holy Spirit?
   
   I know in my knowner that the Holy Spirit dwells in me, because we do talk together, and I know He answer me. I was promised through the Word of God that He would come when I was born again years ago, and I truly believe this is true. My life is not what it uses to be. I do not deny Him.
10. If someone ask you about receiving the Holy Spirit, how would you explain, and what scriptures you would give?
    
    I would encourage them to read the book of Acts because it tell us that we must be filled with the Holy Ghost, which is the Holy Spirit; Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to help us live a life unto God that is well pleasing to Him. The Holy Spirit would keep us, talk with us, and God could guide us through His Holy Spirit. How? We must believe, we must ask for it in prayer, then we receive it by faith, and the Holy Spirit will fill us. Acts 2:38:"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 8:9; 14, Acts 10:44-46).

READING ASSIGNMENT

Let's read the book of Esther


Saturday through Sunday 1-10;

I have finished reading the book of Esther, very good! It shed light on this study.

OUR WEEKLY WORD

………Mercy Seat

 

The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27). Within the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant which included the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).
The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies. Also within the ark were the golden pot of manna, such as was provided by God in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:4) and Aaron's almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13). On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.
In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God's people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God's laws covered.
The Greek word for "Mercy Seat" in Hebrews 9:5 is hilasterion, which means "that which makes expiation" or "propitiation." It carries the idea of the removal of sin. In Ezekiel 43:13-15, the brazen altar of sacrifice is also called Hilasterion (the propitiatory or mercy seat) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) because of its association with the shedding of blood for sin.
What is the significance of this? In the New Testament, Christ Himself is designated as our "propitiation." Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans: "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed" (Romans 3:24-25 NKJV). What Paul is teaching here is that Jesus is the covering for sin, as shown by these Old Testament prophetic images. By means of His death, and our response to Christ through our faith in Him, all our sins are covered. Also, whenever believers sin, we may turn to Christ who continues to be the propitiation or covering for our sins (1 John 2:1, 4:10). This ties together the Old and New Testament concepts regarding the covering of sin as exemplified by the mercy-seat of God.

This Week's Prayer:

Let's pray..........

 

Father God, we come to You in humble spirit, asking for Your grace and mercy right now in Jesus' name. Bless us to sit in the lap of grace, and cause mercy to embrace us in Jesus' name. Thank You, Lord for who You are to us.  You opened the Gospel with the story of a couple seeking lodging among strangers and whose newborn slept in a manger, for there were no room in the inn. You've told us that we, too, have no abiding home on earth. We're strangers and pilgrims, looking for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God. You've told us to show kindness to fellow pilgrims in this world. Some, having done so, have entertained angels without knowing it, hallelujah! So Lord, give us compassion for the homeless and all those who need our help. Give us smiling hearts for strangers. Deliver us from being indignant when we should be compassionate. Help us to serve the lease of these, and may we love our neighbors as ourselves. We have learned of Your Spirit who indwells us and desire to be obedient to the Holy Spirit, which is our keeper, our guide, and our teacher these evil days. Father God, the Israelites did not obey You years ago, and evil came upon them, please forgive us, and please do not take Your Holy Spirit from us. Keep us clean, create in us a clean heart, and renew the right spirit in us so we can be acceptable to Your Holy Spirit in our temple. These prayers we pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.

WEEK # 7 QUESTION # 6 (?)

SHARING:

 

On question 6 I really didn't understand it because it didn't say who (them) was; I read chapter 13 this morning and saw this

 

Nehemiah 13:10-11

"¹⁰ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.

¹¹ Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place."

 

 

That was a good question, amen!  The question was………….

 

When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall what did he ask them?

 

"Why is the house of God forsaken?"

 

They had left building the House of God, the Temple at this time.

 

"Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?"

Haggai said this! (Haggai 1:4), and then he said this "Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?" (Haggai 2:3).

 

Let's think back now to Ezekiel………………

This section of Ezekiel is a sad era in the history of Israel. The Glory of the Lord led Israel out of Egypt. The Glory of the Lord appeared to Moses, in the burning bush on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 3:3-4).  He appeared to them in a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, the very presence of God, He nurtured Israel in the wilderness providing food and water. 

 

Four hundred years after Israel took possession of the land, they were instructed to build a House for the presence of God in Jerusalem.   Solomon completed this Temple in 960 B.C., the presence of God, the Glory of the Lord, affirmed and blessed the House, by filling it with His presence.   

"10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,11" so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. I Kings 8:10-11   

  

Here in Ezekiel chapters eight to eleven reveals how the presence of God, leaves His Temple, Solomon's Temple, because of the sins taking place.  Before He leaves, Ezekiel is brought to the Temple to witness why God's presence is leaving the Temple.  Ezekiel testified to what the nation's leaders are doing in secret, thinking God did not know.  He witnesses the idolatry taking place in secret how the nation's leaders worshipped abominations in the Temple.  God asks Ezekiel, "Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness" (Ezekiel 8:12).

God then allows Ezekiel to see the events in the spiritual realms; God calls His angelic "Guards" to slay the idolaters in the city (Ezekiel 9).  This action is later fulfilled when the armies of Babylon destroy the city and slay its inhabitants in 586 B.C. 

After witnessing the slaughter and judgment in the spiritual realms, Ezekiel cries out asking God, "Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?" (Ezekiel 11:12). God responds by promising a day of restoration, even though they are judged, they will be restored, God will bring them back to the land and put a "New Spirit in them", they will be given a "heart of flesh", they will then be "my people".  Even though the events seem bleak for the nation, God is not done with Israel, they will be restored.

This restoration of obedience will take place in the last days, the end-times, when Israel comes to know their Messiah.  Ezekiel 36 to 48 deals with these progression of events.

 

 Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit right now, and if we defile it God will remove His Holy Spirit, spiritually, amen.

Bible Study: EZRA AND NEHEMIAH WEEK # 8

"Re-Building God's Temple"

 

Subject:      A Spiritual Message: Part 2

 

Scripture Reading:        John 2:19; 2:21, I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19, Revelations 11:19

 

Let's look at the Temple and the human body in this section. We are created by God. The Bible put it this way.

 

Fearfully and wonderfully made:

"Fearfully and wonderfully made" is how King David described God's creation of human beings (Psalm 139:14). David praised God for this marvelous work called the human body. There are several references in the Bible where the body is actually likened to a temple (John 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

There is a purpose behind everything God does, and the creation of the human body is no different. A major purpose in this life is to grow in the righteous character of God. Through His dwelling in us by the power of His Holy Spirit, we are helped in achieving that purpose in life that will enable us to live forever in His family.

The apostle Paul shed light on the purpose of the human body when he told the brethren in Corinth, "For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:16-17).

Paul explained that God will dwell in men by the power of His Spirit. If our bodies are to serve as a temple or dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, does God have specific expectations about how we treat and care for our bodies?

Your body is to house the Holy Spirit:

Paul taught members the need to remember what was dwelling in them and how they would be held accountable for their care of their spiritual temple. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

We human beings are accountable to God for the way in which we care for our bodies. The analogy of a temple points to the temple in Jerusalem that Paul knew at that time. This temple was a rebuilt version of the magnificent temple Solomon had built long before.

Later on, in 1 Corinthians 6 Paul warned the Church about sexual immorality, stating: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!" (v.15); and again in 1 Corinthians 6:18 he wrote, "Flee sexual immorality."

His meaning is clear: Sexual immorality is a sin that defiles our bodies—making a mockery of the temple in which the Holy Spirit is to dwell.

Care for the body:

The human body needs to consume food for energy virtually every day. But not everything that crawls, runs, flies or swims was designed by the Creator to be consumed by people. Does God Care What Meats We Eat?" We also care for our bodies with proper sleep and exercise and appropriate social activities. It is no secret that even the things we think about can impact our health. Solomon wrote, "A good report makes the bones healthy" (Proverbs 15:30). What we choose to think about and even the words from family and friends can affect our health. Paul wrote: "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

God promises to give a peace of mind that can help us cope with stresses and trials that sometimes war against our temple of the Holy Spirit. Thinking about things God wants us to think about will promote spiritual health to the temple.

Limitations:

Of course, there may be limitations to what we are able to do to preserve our health. Part of the equation is genetic or may involve environmental factors that are beyond our control. For example, the New Testament gives us the example of a man blind from birth, through no fault of his own (John 9:1-3).

In the same manner, some health weaknesses may not be caused by lack of self-discipline or failure to follow practices that would honor God, but may result from genetic predisposition or factors in our environment or life situation over which we have no control. However, given those constraints, God expects us to do as we are able to follow balanced guidelines pertaining to diet and exercise.

A temple like no other:

The temple Solomon built was magnificent! Many parts of the temple were overlaid with pure gold, including the altar and the inner sanctuary (1 Kings 6:21-22).

Our bodies, which are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, are also quite special. Anything that contains God's presence is deemed holy. The body that receives the gift of the Holy Spirit is special to God and is to reflect His nature.

How would you describe the current state of your temple—your body? We have the freedom to choose how we will care for this precious body lovingly designed by the Creator. It is His intent that we care for it and use it properly. Fearfully and wonderfully made is this body God created—the temple of the Holy Spirit!

Learn more about how we receive and are to respond to the Holy Spirit in the articles "What Is Baptism?" and "How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?"

 

Week # 8     QUESTIONS

 

Questions for Review

1. Can you see this spiritually? Explain in full detail, please.
2. How are we created?
3. How did Apostle Paul shed light on the human body?
4. What is the spiritual temple?
5. What is the purpose of God's creating the human body?
6. What does (2 Corinthians 6:16-17) says?
7. What God's promise concerning our minds?
8. How would you describe the current state of your temple-your body?
9. How do you know you have the Holy Spirit?
10. If someone ask you about receiving the Holy Spirit, how would you explain, and what scriptures you would give?
    
    Review these………………………
    
    Spiritual Temple: The Body:
    
    I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19
    
    2 Corinthians 6:16
    
    Ephesians 2:20-22
    
    I Peter 2:5
    
    Spiritual Cleansing:
    
    Isaiah 1:16
    
    Jeremiah 4:14
    
    Acts 22:16
    
    I Corinthians 5:17
    
    2 Corinthians 7:1
    
    2 Timothy 2:21
    
    I John 3:3
    
    Weekly Word # 8: Mercy Seat
    
    Let's read the book of Esther………………..Saturday through Sunday 1-10

Our weekly reading for this week:

       

Nehemiah 10-13

I finished reading this week's reading assignment.

Our Weekly Word Week # 7

Ark of the Covenant:

 

God made a covenant (a conditional covenant) with the children of Israel through His servant Moses. He promised good to them and their children for generations if they obeyed Him and His laws; but He always warned of despair, punishment, and dispersion if they were to disobey. As a sign of His covenant He had the Israelites make a box according to His own design, in which to place the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. This box, or chest, was called an "ark" and was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The Ark was to be housed in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. This chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant.

The real significance of the Ark of the Covenant was what took place involving the lid of the box, known as the "Mercy Seat." The term 'mercy seat' comes from a Hebrew word meaning "to cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel or make atonement for." It was here that the high priest, only once a year (Leviticus 16), entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark was kept and atoned for his sins and the sins of the Israelites. The priest sprinkled blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to appease the wrath and anger of God for past sins committed. This was the only place in the world where this atonement could take place.

The Mercy Seat on the Ark was a symbolic foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for all sin—the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the remission of sins. The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee and one familiar with the Old Testament, knew this concept quite well when he wrote about Christ being our covering for sin in Romans 3:24-25: "…and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Just as there was only one place for atonement of sins in the Old Testament—the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant—so there is also only one place for atonement in the New Testament and current times—the cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we no longer look to the Ark but to the Lord Jesus Himself as the propitiation and atonement for our sins.

My Answers

Week # 7     QUESTIONS

 

Questions for Review Answers

 

1.     Did God give us human bodies to use and abuse as we like, or does He expect more?

No, God want us to honor Him in our bodies in worship to Him and only to Him. Yes, He expect more from us as His people who are called by His name.

2.     How does He expect us to view and care for the marvelous bodies He designed?

God expect us to rebuild our lives to honor Him, and He want us to view our bodies as His righteous temple.

3.     Our body is what to the Holy Spirit?

Our bodies is the temple of the Holy Spirit, (I Corinthians 3:16) and read verse 17 too. It's a living place for Gods' Holy Spirit while here on earth.

4.     How does God want us to think, and what mind should we have?

(I Corinthians 2:16) says, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ." We get this mind when we are born again, and when we read God's Word daily. This is the rebuilding of the Temple of God's Spirit.

5.     Who enabled Nehemiah and the people to rebuild the wall?

God did, and the mind they had to work; they honored God with their whole heart, mind, and soul.

6.     When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall what did he ask them?

Sorry about this question, it was a little confusing not knowing who he asked. I would think he was talking about the people helping him rebuild the wall, but I can't find a question, except the one he asked Sanballat and Tobiah in (Nehemiah 6:3). Sorry!

7.     When Nehemiah ask the people to help who volunteer first?

Nehemiah 3:1 says, "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel."

8.     Should we include our families to pray with us?

Yes, we could! God designed the family to pray together.

9.     Who was Sanballat, and what was his problem?

Sanballat was a governor of one of the region in the Babylon/Persia kingdom; he was Nehemiah's enemy and didn't want them to rebuild Jerusalem, because God had gave their land to the Jew.

10.            Who was Tobiah?

Tobiah was also another governor a region in the Persia kingdom, and didn't like the Jew, because God gave his land to the Jews too.

11.            Did Nehemiah stop working when the enemy started his attack?

No, Nehemiah was a warrior he was determine to do what he needed to do to get the job done. He loved his people and country.

12.            What was the conflict and injustice at this time?

Nehemiah 5:7.  I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them." He concluded that the problem lay with the nobles and the officials, and the men of influence.  They were stealing from the people.

13.            When conflict come what must we do as a Church and an individual?

We must confront the issue by bringing it out in the open, confront that person. We must pray too. Apostle Peter confronted the problem in the early church concerning the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their wives were neglected in the daily ministration, (Acts 6:1-7).

14.            How many chapters are in the book of Nehemiah?

There are thirteen chapters in the book of Nehemiah.

This Week's Prayer

Prayer: 

 

Lord God Almighty, we come to You in the name of Jesus Your Son, asking for You to open the eyes of our heart to see this message in a spiritual way, help us to be receptive of divine revelation concerning the building of our house unto You. Our bodies is the Your temple so we can worship You, and You can dwell in us forever. Create in us a clean heart, and renew the right spirit in us, so we can see You. "Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord Open the eyes of our hearts we want to see You we want to see You Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord Open the eyes of our hearts  we want to see You we want to see You To see You high and lifted up Shining' in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy Open the eyes of  our hearts, Lord Open the eyes of our hearts we want to see You we  want to see You Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord Open the eyes of our hearts we want to see You we want to see You To see You high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy; To see You high and lifted up Shining' in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy To see You high and lifted up is our desire today, in Jesus' name, we pray, AMEN."