Scripture: One Book at a Time
The whole of Sacred Scripture is a single narrative that promises and points to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the World. It is an epic story, the greatest ever told, and told "one book at a time." Each book makes it contribution to the narrative as God reveals God's self to us and his desire that all be saved.
Lesson 17: The Books of Ezra & Nehemiah
Ezra – Nehemiah
Although listed as two separate books it is really one composition. In the “timeline” Jerusalem has fallen and the people taken into exile in Babylon – not all the people as there were some who remained in the area, but the leadership across the spectrum of the life in worship, politics and society were all taken away (586 BC). Some 40 years later, after King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, he issued an edit directing the people to return – and so begins the Book of Erza-Nehemiah. It covers the period from the first wave of return in 536 BC, the building and dedication of the second Temple (516 BC) until the completion of the Jerusalem walls in 445 BC. If you are interested in additional information, you can read the supplementary document on this book:
For those who would like to explore details of this book, please consider videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program. You can find the entire playlist here.
Exile
Exiled from the Garden of Eden, exiled from the Promised Land, exiled in Babylon, and even after the return from Babylon, exiled while in their own homeland. Exile is a major theme of the Bible. When will the people of God finally “return.” Take a moment to watch the following video on the theme of Exile in the Bible.