Ezra
This Persian king allowed God's people to return to Jerusalem.
Who is Cyrus?
Before leading a rebuilding project, Nehemiah served the Persian king in this position.
What is cupbearer?
She was queen before Esther.
Who is Vashti?
I was a priest and scribe devoted to studying, obeying, and teaching God's Law.
Who is Ezra?
After God's people returned from exile, this important place of worship was rebuilt before Jerusalem's wall.
What is the Temple?
Rebuilding this part of Jerusalem wasn't enough; God's people also needed to return spiritually to God and His Word.
What is the wall/physical Jerusalem?
Temple, wall, and preservation correctly match these three books in that order.
What are Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther?
This man led the first group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem.
Who is Zerubbabel?
Broken walls and burned gates were the troubling news Nehemiah received about this city.
What is Jerusalem?
His anger over Mordecai's refusal to bow eventually led to a plan to destroy the Jewish people.
Who is Haman?
I served as the king's cupbearer before receiving permission to rebuild Jerusalem's wall.
Who is Nehemiah?
After Jerusalem's wall was rebuilt, this man publicly read God's Word to the people.
Who is Ezra?
Nehemiah doing this before taking action reminds us that our first response to difficult situations should include dependence upon God.
What is prayer?
Cyrus, Artaxerxes, and Ahasuerus/Xerxes demonstrate that God could accomplish His purposes even through people holding this kind of position.
What are kings/rulers/people in authority?
Unlike Nehemiah's later project, this was the major structure God's people rebuilt after returning to Jerusalem.
What is the Temple?
Before making plans, traveling, or rebuilding anything, Nehemiah responded to Jerusalem's condition by doing this.
What is praying?
Esther risked this consequence when she approached the king without being summoned.
What is death?
I raised Esther as my own daughter and refused to bow to Haman.
Who is Mordecai?
Mordecai challenged Esther to take this dangerous action on behalf of her people.
What is approaching the king/pleading with the king for her people?
Esther becoming queen, the king's sleepless night, and Mordecai's forgotten service all demonstrate this truth about God.
What is God was working even when His work could not clearly be seen?
Ezra's Temple was rebuilt before Nehemiah's wall, and both occurred before the events involving this Jewish queen.
Who is Esther?
Ezra was devoted to doing these three things with God's Word.
What are studying, obeying, and teaching God's Word?
Despite threats and opposition, Jerusalem's wall was completed in this many days.
What is 52 days?
DAILY DOUBLE
A sleepless night led this Persian king to hear the record of Mordecai's previously unrewarded service.
I gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild.
Who is Artaxerxes?
The royal records revealed that this man had uncovered a plot against the king but had never been properly rewarded.
Who is Mordecai?
Opposition in Ezra and Nehemiah demonstrates that encountering difficulty does NOT necessarily mean this.
What is that we are outside God's will / that God has abandoned His plan?
DAILY DOUBLE
Returning from exile, rebuilding despite opposition, and surviving Haman's plot all demonstrate this characteristic of God.
The return from exile and rebuilding of the Temple demonstrated this major truth about God's promises.
What is God remained faithful and kept His promises?
Prayer, preparation, and continuing the work despite opposition demonstrate this important lesson from Nehemiah.
What is remaining faithful/trusting God despite opposition?
This theological word describes God's working through circumstances to accomplish His purposes, even when His work is not obvious.
What is providence?
We opposed Nehemiah and tried to prevent Jerusalem's wall from being rebuilt.
Who are Sanballat and Tobiah?
The structure Haman prepared for Mordecai eventually became the place of this man's own execution.
Who is Haman?
Physical rebuilding without this kind of rebuilding would leave God's people with restored structures but unchanged hearts.
What is spiritual restoration?
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther show that difficult circumstances, opposition, and even an unseen God cannot prevent this.
What is God's purposes/plans from being accomplished?