Dr Paul Allen

It’s possible to hear what is being said but not listen, to watch but not see, to be present and yet absent. In such a condition, we may miss important messages meant for us. As Ezra read God ’s instructions to the people of Judah, “All the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (Neh. 8:3). Their attention to the explanation produced understanding (v. 8), which resulted in their repentance and revival. In another situation in Samaria , Philip, after the persecution of the believers broke out in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), reached out to the Samaritan people . The crowd not only observed the miraculous signs he did, but they also “paid close attention to what he said” (v. 6). “So there was great joy in that city” (v. 8). The mind can be like a wandering adventurer that misses a lot of excitement close by. Nothing deserves more attention than words that help us discover the joy and wonder of our Father in heaven. —Lawrence Darmani Lord, our minds are so prone to distra

Ezra: Israel returns to her foundations After 70 years in exile, the people of Israel were coming back home. The new Persian emperor Cyrus had decreed that they return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of their God—which had lain in ruins the whole time ( Ezr 1:1–4 ). Zerubbabel and Jeshua, descendants of King David and Aaron the priest, answer the call to rebuild the house of God. But the temple wasn’t the only thing that needed attention. Many of the returning Hebrews had forgotten God’s laws—and were disregarding them in front of the people. They needed to remember the covenant they’d made with God. They needed to remember why they were in their situation: why they had to go to Babylon (which you can read about in  Kings  and  Chronicles ), and why they’d been allowed to come back. The temple needed a new foundation, but the people needed to return to the foundations of their faith, too. Ezra, the scribe, answers the call to teach Israel the ways of God again ( Ezr 7:10

in the . (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) This ancient clay cylinder dates from the sixth century BC and contains a declaration from Cyrus the Great .  The first section describes Cyrus ’ greatness and mercy—common themes in such declarations.  The second section, composed of Cyrus’ own words, describes how he returned captive peoples and their gods to their native lands.  It also records his hope that all the returned gods will intercede before Bel and Nabu (the chief Babylonian gods ) on his behalf. The description of Cyrus’ mercy and efforts to return captives supports the biblical account of Israel ’s restoration from exile ( Ezra 1 ). Ezra Introduction:  After being held captive in Babylon for decades, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. The priest Ezra emerged from one of the first waves of refugees. He taught the people the law and reformed their religious life so the other nations around them could see they were God’s chosen

“And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” ( 1 Kings 3:28 ) Although God ’s wisdom is expounded in depth in the Scriptures , there are only seven times that the specific phrase “the wisdom of God” is used as such. The above text is indicating that God’s wisdom can actually be manifested in men through divine inspiration. The Persian king recognized this also in Ezra . “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges . . . all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” ( Ezra7:25 ). The wisdom of God thus is always consistent with the laws of God—that is, with the Scriptures. The first New Testament reference is from Christ . “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles” ( Luke11:49 ). Here the Lord is applying a scriptural principle from 2 Chronicles 36:15-

Psalm 1 in 1628 printing with tune, metrical version by Thomas Sternhold. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “I will worship toward thy holy temple , and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” ( Psalm 138:2 ) Praise and worship are widely taught in Scripture but are seldom used to describe the same actions. “Worship” describes an attitude of obeisance and reverence (usually by bowing or prostrating) during a formal act of sacrifice or some other structured observance. “Praise,” especially this word used in Psalm 138 , emphasizes joyous thanksgiving, recognizing God ’s specific blessing or God’s worthiness in character, power, deed, or authority. There are only two events recorded in Scripture where the people of God both “ worshipped ” and “praised” at the same time. The first was at the dedication of the great temple of Solomon . When the prayer of dedication was finished, the fire of God’s glory descended on the

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." ( Nehemiah 8:8 ) Most people—even most Christians—devote very little time to the Scriptures, complaining that they are either too hard to understand or too uninteresting. Yet, when Ezra read "the book of the law of Moses " to the whole congregation of Israel , he read "from the morning until midday," even "one fourth part of the day," and "all the people stood up" as he read ( Nehemiah 8:1 , 3, 5; 9:3). Such a scenario is almost impossible to imagine today. Ezra's congregation evidently understood what he was reading and found it of vital interest. "For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law" ( Nehemiah 8:9 ). For "another fourth part |of the day| they confessed, and wo

Torah inside of the former Glockengasse Synagogue in Cologne (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." ( Ezra  7:10 )   It does not come naturally into our hearts to seek, obey, and then teach others the words of God as found in the Scriptures. Therefore, like Ezra, we must prepare our hearts.   The Hebrew word for "prepare" means to "stand erect," and thus takes special effort. One's natural "heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" ( Jeremiah 17:9 ), not at all inclined to "stand up" for the Word of God.   But Ezra did, even in the court of a pagan king and in the midst of the enemies of God's people in a far country, and even among the backslidden people of his own nation. He prepared his heart, fixing it in firm faith on the laws and promises of God. And because he did, he could te

Self-portrait as the Apostle Paul (by Rembrandt) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that Christians are not to be yoked together with unbelievers. While this has a range of applications concerning relationships, the most obvious and perhaps strongest implications is the intermarriage of Christians and non-Christians. But, if one spouse in a marriage of nonbelievers becomes a Christian, how does the prohibition of 2 Corinthians 6:14 apply? If, as Paul continues, “light cannot have fellowship with darkness,” how can such a union be appropriate for the Christian who desires to bring every area of his or her life into conformity with the command of Christ ? It is often painfully clear that when only one of the partners in a marriage becomes a Christian, the potential for biblically defined spiritual growth together as a family can be frustrated or even seem impossible. For example, the believing partner will desire to pray with his or her spouse and to sha

Winged sphinx from Darius' palace at Susa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Cyrus's tomb lies in Pasargadae, Iran, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2006). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Cyrus' cylinder (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The exile was a major turning point in the history of Israel. Judah and Jerusalem had fallen to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Many of the people of the land had been taken captive to Babylon , while others had fled to Egypt and parts unknown. A small number of the poor had remained behind in Judah. The ultimate curse of the covenant had been realized. After centuries of prophetic warnings, the death penalty had been carried out on Israel.  The land was in ruins, and the people were in exile. In 539 B.C., however, Babylon fell to the Persians, and in 538, Cyrus issued a decree permitting the exiled Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the temple. Were the prophecies of restoration now to be fulfilled? Would the messianic kingdom of God now be established? These