Looking Back and Looking Forward and more

Reading and Responding to the Law

Nehemiah 8:18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.  They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

• What are your first thoughts, feelings, and actions when you have successfully accomplished a significant task or reached a monumental goal?
• God's Word and sincere worship unite His people.

Confession and Obedience

Nehemiah 9:3  They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

• ...a more horrifying fact remains: We sin directly against God Himself.
• God's Word compels His people to confess sin, repent, and obey God.

Dedication and Renewal

Nehemiah 13:14. Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

• We all yearn for new beginnings.
• Devotion to God requires dedicating every aspect of life to Him.

God's Final Word

Malachi 3:18  And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

• God speaks to our hearts through His Holy Spirit and His written Word.
• God reveals His faithful love through His judgment and blessing.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Ezekiel 36:36  Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate.  I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.

• Recognizing God's persistent work in our journey through life requires thoughtful meditation, intentional reflection, and active faith.
• God's Word reveals His enduring faithfulness and calls us to faith-filled action.

BSF Notes Exile and Return Lessons 25-29