Home Runs with Broken Bats

One of the worship leaders on our staff, Andy Cherry, recently said in a meeting, �God loves to hit home runs with broken bats.� He was specifically referencing the story of Mary and Joseph. A teenage girl, pregnant, out of wedlock and the scandal of the small village looks like a very vulnerable and broken vehicle for God to bring the Savior of the World in, but He did. That is a home run with a broken bat. (For accounts of the most strike outs with broken bats look up the history of the Chicago Cubs.)

The story of Esther is a similar picture with a similar outcome. Esther is a young Jewish Queen with a price over her head as well as all of her people. She is in a culture where the last Queen was removed for refusing to dance! She is skating on thin ice because no one, but her Uncle, knows she is a Jew. She is about to take on the power brokers of Persia and try to rescue the lot. Sounds like a broken bat!

Now, let�s look at what her uncle says as he calls her to take the challenge of rescue:

�If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your Fathers� house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the Kingdom for such a time as this.� (Esther 4:14-15)

This is one of most amazing verses on the Sovereignty of God and the free will of a woman coming together.

The storyline is in God�s control and He will rescue the Jews. The genealogy depends on it. If the Jews do not stay in existence at this time there will be no Messiah. This will end the promise that God has made, and He will not allow that to happen. But, God allows Esther to actually play a hand in the rescue of her people and in our redemptive future. What a wonderful offer.

So, if today you are feeling like you are broken and not sure what you can add to the story, know that the same kind of offer is given to you today. You can see where God is working, pray for Him to reveal an opportunity and jump in on the redemptive history of your family, your neighborhood and even in the world. It�s always before you if you are willing and watching for the next turn at bat.

Tips for Reading - (Observation tip #17)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

Have you ever wondered what people write in their journals? One popular discipline that many Christians have in their time with God is journaling�but what does that mean. It may mean writing out prayers, or processing emotions through writing, but you can also use your journal to take notes about what you are reading in your Bible Study. I think it�s funny how I can believe that somehow I am going to remember what I am learning without writing it down and taking notes. For years I would not take the time to write out my thoughts about the chapters I was reading because I had a notion God would somehow make it stick since it was from Him. Now, I call that a shortcut and, to be honest, laziness on my part. The truth is, just like taking notes on your science reading so that you remember what you read, there is an appropriate time for taking notes on the Bible.

One way you can take notes is to spend some time summarizing what you have read. In other words, when you get done with a book of the Bible put it all together.

Here are a few helpful tips from Howard Hendricks in �Living by the Book.�

� While you are studying through the book assign titles to paragraphs or chapters. Be creative and make them your own, not just the titles already written in the Bible you are using. This will help you retain your insights in neat packages.

� Create a chart using all these titles you have been writing. Keep the charts simple. You can always add more detail later when you study the book again. The challenge is to clear away clutter.

� Just write the big ideas, the key characters to start with. Esther is an easy book to chart because it is a narrative with three different movements. See if you can title them creativity.

Next week Jeremiah will be harder to chart, but I think it will help to understand its twists and turns. I will give you a couple more tips in this area next week.

Notes from David�s Journal

One of the most amazing facts of history is the hatred of people toward the Jews. On several different occasions, the most recent being Hitler in World War II, leaders have tried to completely eliminate the Jews from the face of the earth. There is no other race of people on the face of the earth that has had to face repeated attempts of genocide!

The book of Esther describes one of those attempts. The attempt is authored by an evil man named Haman. We really don�t know exactly why Haman wanted to kill the Jews in the Captivity. Part of it was most assuredly jealousy of some positions held by Jews in the Persian court. I would also surmise that most of it had to do with the evil one in the dark, spiritual world, who knew it would be through the Jews that God would bring His Son, Jesus, into the world. He knew that through Jesus sins would be forgiven and the assurance of God�s ultimate victory over evil would be shown and given to all humanity. Therefore, the devil would stop at nothing to try and eliminate God�s Chosen from the face of the earth.

Esther is a Jewess who become queen of Persia. She is deeply loved and respected by the King. She is also a woman of extreme courage who loves her people. She realizes the plot of Haman and also realizes she alone is the one whom God is calling to save her people.

The story in the book of Esther reads like a Dan Brown novel, filled with strategy and intrigue. From page to page you wonder what is going to happen! I hope you read it with enjoyment like you would a novel.

However, as you read it, don�t miss the book�s primary message: the courage of a Godly woman. She knew this truth: �If you don�t have something to die for, you don�t have anything to live for.� She was willing to die for her faith. She was willing to die trying to help her people survive!

By the way, some early Jewish fathers did not think Esther should be included in the Old Testament canon. Why? Because, �God� is not actually mentioned. However, it eventually was. Why? Because, even though God�s name isn�t actually mentioned, you see His divine design, His hand working constantly behind the scenes in the story. You see faith guiding the major characters lives and actions. God is present, even though His name isn�t necessarily mentioned.

Enjoy the story! It�s a terrific testimony to God�s faithfulness. And remember this: one of the major reasons we should believe in God is the continued existence of God�s people throughout the ages!

Learn from Nehemiah and lead well

A while back we showed a video clip during a weekend service from the movie Braveheart. The movie is based on the life of Sir William Wallace, who was a Scottish Knight and is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Today William Wallace is remembered in Scotland as a patriot and national hero. I think what is compelling about his story is bravery and compassion, honestly and humility, all rolled into one man.

This is the same with Nehemiah. Look at these passages that exemplify his characteristics. �I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, �You are exacting interest each from his brother�� (vs. 5:7). It takes courage to challenge corruption and it takes compassion to do it for the sake of those who need help. Isn�t this like Christ in the temple in John 2? He challenged the religious leaders who were making profits and keeping the outsiders from being able to enter the temple and worship God.

Next let�s look at the honesty and humility of Nehemiah when he refuses to take an extra pay that he could have had from the Governor�s table. �Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah from the twentieth year to the thirty second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I not my brother at the food allowance of the governor� (vs. 5:14). Nehemiah was leading from principle and presence. He was in the midst of the community as one of them. This is another picture of Christ, leaving the splendor of heaven to become one of us on earth.

There are many more great and godly leadership characteristics Nehemiah had that I have no more room to comment on. But, the last word I will add is that godly leadership eventually gets the community to the place where they say with one voice, �We will not neglect the house of our God � (vs. 10:39).

Tips for Reading - (Observation tip #16)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

A Simple Question:

As we continue to study the leadership of Nehemiah, we can see a simple pattern he uses. He likes to ask questions. �Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God�? (Vs. 5:9) �Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?� (Vs. 6:3) �Should a man such as I run away?� (Vs. 6:11)

The question is one of the most powerful tools of communication. If I ask you a question, doesn�t it more or less force you to think? Nehemiah uses this tactic to engage the people and encourage them to discover the answers. These important questions lead us to consider how we approach God.

Do we take grace for granted? Do we abuse God�s gift and live for ourselves? Or, do we stand in awe of the work of Jesus on the cross that gives us the stamp of RIGHTEOUS before God. Because of this awe, we are called to live a life of gratitude devoted to the One who did the work for us.

As you read the book of Nehemiah pause when the author asks a question. Try to answer it for yourself before you move on. You can learn a lot about what you really believe when you let his questions penetrate your soul.

Notes from David�s Journal

After the wall is completed, Nehemiah has the problem of �sustainability� (as all leaders do - we succeed in something, then need to find ways to sustain the vision over time).

What does he do?

- He registers the people. He wants to know exactly whom he has �on his team.� They are then given their places in the land, their new homes. He knew people needed a place to call their own. From there they will continue to give Nehemiah and God their best work.

- He had Ezra reestablish Temple worship. This was brilliant. What could unite the people? Their common faith in God and their worship of Him. Nehemiah knew the importance of unity and worship in the Temple in Jerusalem was the pathway to that unity.

- He had Ezra read the Word of God. Nehemiah knew that the centrality of God�s Word had to be present for the people to have a moral consensus...this is necessary for a society to continue to address what is holy and pure and what is unholy and impure.

- He had the people confess their sins. This was like a sign of a new beginning for them all!

- He had them sign a covenant agreement, committing themselves to obedience to God in every way, especially in reestablishing the tithe to the Temple. Why was this important? For the Jew, the tithe represented the first fruit to God, giving God our best. Without this, how could they expect God�s blessing?

- He called the priests to purity in their spiritual leadership. He got rid of any who didn�t have a complete and wholehearted passion for God first. How could the people be spiritually pure unless the priests did so?

- He called the families to spiritual purity and maturity, for he knew that unless the family worked as God intended the nation could not operate as God intended, fathers loving mothers and vice versa, children and their spiritual growth as a high priority, especially the Dad�s being the spiritual leaders of their homes.

Then, and only then, did Israel have the hope of restoration, not only to the land but to God Himself. This was Nehemiah�s heart, as he ends the book with this prayer: �Remember this in my favor, O my God.� His greatest desire was to please God.

May this be our major desire too!

Before you move, PRAY

The first time Janet and I ever skied we were leading a group of 50 teenagers down the slopes. I remember trying to teach a bunch of the kids to ski the day I learned as well. I tend to be the kind of person that gets a little of the instructions, then moves and sees what happens. (My lovely wife however got the instructions well and as a result didn�t fall 42 times that weekend.)

The point is, this is the same way I approach God and His plans for my life. I get a little bit of the marching orders and then run ahead and ask God to bless the rest I am guessing at. I don�t slow down very well and listen. That�s why this section of reading is so helpful for me. Ezra and Nehemiah both pray before they move. Look at Nehemiah 1: 3-4, �They said to me�The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire. As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.�

What Nehemiah prays is both very humble and very practical. He begins by ADORING GOD. He describes him as Great and Awesome, a keeper of the Covenant and a steadfast lover (vs. 5). After that, he CONFESSES both his sins and the people�s sins. �We have acted corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments�� (vs. 6-7). I note this as humble because some of the offenses he confesses are the people�s sins and not Nehemiah�s. Yet he confesses them as his own. How humble and empathetic. (A beautiful picture of our Savior by the way, taking our sins on his own body.) He closes with THANKSGIVING and SUPPLICATION. �Give success to your servant today�(vs. 10-11).

It would be a great plan for me to slow up each day and pray through this template and let God move my heart this toward His plans. Shalom.

Tips for Reading- (Observation tip # 15)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

We are getting down to the end of our observation section of Bible study. Next stop in three weeks will be Interpretation. It might be a good time to go back over what you have learned and put them on an index card in bullet form so that as you go to the next part you take Observation with you.

Okay, here�s the next tip: look for things that are emphasized. I have been leading you to this in the above section because of the emphasis on prayer. Ezra�s prayer is very insightful to how God views our identity as the people of God and our calling to live it out in our homes. As we studied, Nehemiah prays about the future calling of the city God has chosen. What does these emphases say about God�s priority for our lives?

Write down what you think it says about your schedule and what�s important. How are we called to live in light of these truths?

Notes from David�s Journal

Nehemiah is my favorite example of leadership in the Bible. You see every aspect of Godly, spiritual leadership in this man�s life. It�s exemplary for our lives today, no matter who or where we may be leading.

In the first four chapters of Nehemiah, please note the background. Nehemiah is in Persia (the Persians having overtaken the Babylonians during Nehemiah�s time in captivity). He is the cupbearer to the king of Persia. Basically, this means he ate and drank everything before the king did to make sure the king�s food and drinks were not poisoned! Needless to say, he held a very important position in the king�s court, one that demanded total loyalty and commitment to the king. He was a trusted employee.

We see in Nehemiah what God wants in a leader. As you read these chapters, note how his leadership begins to unfold:

- He sees a vision of the broken down walls in Jerusalem (from the Babylonian destruction of the Temple and the walls in 586). He yearns to return to his homeland but he knows that unless these walls are rebuilt Jerusalem will be forever vulnerable to outside foes. That�s when God gives him the most important beginning point for leadership: a VISION - something that can be painted in words to motivate people to action.

- Then he prays. Every great spiritual vision is saturated in prayer. In this time, I think Nehemiah gets God�s �go for it!�

- Then he goes to the king and asks permission to leave and accomplish this call. This is COURAGE, for the king could very well have said �no,� plus have him killed immediately for insurrection! But, he still went and asked for permission to leave. What was the king�s response? He not only said �yes,� but gave him the lumber necessary and the armed guard for the 800 mile journey back to Jerusalem. It�s Ephesians 3:20 (you have to look this verse up, but it�s one of my life verses).

- He then rallies the people around his vision. They enthusiastically endorse the call, I think, especially when Nehemiah says, �Let US rebuild the walls.� The leader was willing to move ahead WITH the people.

- He stood firm against his critics, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab. Great visions always have critics. But Nehemiah would not let the critics stop the call!

- He refused to come down from the wall when tempted by smaller issues. He kept focused on what God had called him to do.

The wall is completed in a short time period. Nehemiah succeeded in what God called him to do.

These are great leadership principles, still true today. That shouldn�t surprise us. It�s God�s Word. It�s true yesterday, today and tomorrow. For all of us leaders who want to succeed, Nehemiah�s life is one to emulate!

One Story

I went to see the Lord of the Rings with my family a few years back. We all read the books and were so excited to see the first installment, �Fellowship of the Ring.� At the end of the movie we were left hanging in the middle of the adventures because there are still two long movies to go. But, if you didn�t know that, you might respond like someone in the audience did and yell out, �what a terrible ending.� My family just laughed, because we knew all three books were really just one long book.

In the same way, when you get to the end of books in the Bible, you might be tempted to say the same thing if you forget that the whole Bible is one book. For example, Acts leaves us in the middle of the story of the early church, where we�re not sure what happened to Peter and Paul.

In Isaiah, which we just finished, Isaiah seems to leave us in the future, while the people of God are in captivity. And, our reading in Ezra this week will help us out with that. The beginning of Ezra follows a timeline right after the period Isaiah was describing. It is like literally reading extra chapters in II Chronicles (which is probably written by the same author) or in II Kings (which covers the same period).

The book of Ezra begins with the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 25, �In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing.� (Ezra 1:1)

Historically, the Persians conquered the Babylonians and let many national groups captured by the Babylonians free. This included the Jews. But the point is that God�s hand was in it, so that the date was exactly what God had predicted 70 years before. (First exiles left in 605 BC and the return date here is 535 BC. By the way, there is also 70 years from the last captive leaving Jerusalem in 586 BC and the temple being completed in 516.)

One last note, I love the celebration in Chapter 3: �They began to sing responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.� (3:11)

If you see the work of God as one story, you can see a bigger picture of God�s faithfulness throughout the generations. How can you see this truth in your story today?

Tips for Reading - (Observation tip # 14)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

I recently watched the movie �Be Kind, Rewind� (very funny by the way), and the one thing that jumped out to me was their creativity. The characters in the movie basically retold 10-15 classic movies in their own way. It had me thinking that we if we approached the Bible in the same way the stories would jump off the page. For example, as you read through Ezra try to picture the stories from the Old Testament that this book is connected to.

What are your feelings as the Scriptures connect to each other? How does that connect to our story?

A few other ways to get creative is to read the chapters in different translations and look for the differences. Or, read one of the chapters aloud to yourself or somebody else. One of the chapters in Ezra is really like a mini sermon, so you could read it as such. What jumps out as you hear it?

Recently, I heard a pastor speaking and he simply read through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and sat down immediately afterwards. It was very moving.

Here�s one more that might be a real challenge; write a paraphrase of a story from your reading this week. Write it down in your own words. Then you can really see what you notice and understand and what you do not.

Notes from David�s Journal

While in captivity, many of the Jews longed to return home. Their hearts yearned for the �Promised Land,� the land they thought God had given them.

But, they knew two things had to happen. Two very important items needed to be reconstructed before they could go home.

First, they knew the walls around the city of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt. Every city needs protection from outside enemies in that day. Jerusalem�s walls had been destroyed when Babylon took some Jews away in the Captivity in 586 B.C. Who would be called by God to rebuild the walls? The answer, Biblically, is Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a man raised up by God in the Captivity to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls around the Holy City, the city of David. You�ll soon read this book in our �through the Bible� reading plan.

Second, the Jews in the Captivity knew the Temple had to be rebuilt. It too had been destroyed when Jerusalem was overthrown by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Why did it need to be rebuilt? Because, just as the walls protected the city realistically, the Temple protected the city spiritually. It�s where the people gathered to worship God, commit their lives to Him daily and regularly. Without this central, focal point of all spiritual and religious activity the Jews in the Captivity knew something essential would be missing.

The Book Ezra is the story of the person, Ezra, who God raised up to return to the homeland and rebuilt the Temple. It�s an exhilarating story of reprioritizing the purpose of worship. It�s the story of people standing for hours just to hear God�s Word! It�s the story of a people examining their hearts for places of sin and asking God for forgiveness and repentance.

As you read these first seven chapters of Ezra, look for keys to spiritual renewal, personally and nationally. They were relevant then. They are really relevant today, in our nation, as we stand on the crossroads of a nation that is becoming increasingly secular.

I hope you enjoy reading Ezra (and Nehemiah). They are two of my favorite Old Testament stories!