Adult Sunday School Lesson

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2025

MAY 4, 2025

David’s Sacrifice
Printed Text: 1 Chronicles 21:14-30
Devotional Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-18
Background: 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

MAY 11, 2025

Solomon Dedicates the Temple
Printed Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-7, 11
Devotional Reading: 2 Chronicles 6:12, 14-27
Background: 2 Chronicles 7:1-20

MAY 18, 2025

Worship Restored After Exiles Return
Printed Text: Ezra 3:1-6, 10-13
Devotional Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Background: Ezra 1-13

MAY 25, 2025

A Covenant Renewal
Printed Text: Nehemiah 10:28-39
Devotional Reading: Psalm 66:8-20
Bible Background: Nehemiah 10:28-39 

Zoom Sunday School Classes – 4 May 2025, 09:00 AM EST

Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09

David’s Sacrifice
Printed Text: 1 Chronicles 21:14-30
Devotional Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-18
Background: 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

Zoom Sunday School Classes – 4 May 2025, 09:00 AM EST

Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09

David’s Sacrifice
Printed Text: 1 Chronicles 21:14-30
Devotional Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-18
Background: 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

KEEP IN MIND:

“But King David said to Ornan, "No; I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”’  1 Chronicles 21:24

LESSON AIM:

REFLECT on how God’s plans for us are greater and more satisfying than our plans for ourselves; and

SEEK God’s wisdom in planning for the future.

BACKGROUND

No mention is made in this book of David's sin in the matter of Uriah, neither of the troubles that followed it: they had no needful connection with the subjects here noted. But David's sin, in numbering the people, is related: in the atonement made for that sin, there was notice of the place on which the temple should be built.

After a time of relative peace, 2 Samuel 24:1 indicates that Israel angered the Lord.  The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21:1 states that Satan rose up against Israel who then “incites” David to take a census.  While this may seem contradictory, we know that God does not lead us to sin.  He does, however, on occasion allow Satan to have access to tempt people (Job 1).

David’s sin was not in taking the census but the pride behind his decision.  God built the nation of Israel, defeated their enemies, and established David’s kingship, and in arrogance, David wanted an account of the kingdom “he” built.  Despite warnings from Joab, captain of Israel’s army, that a census would bring the Lord’s judgment, David proceeded.  Nine months and twenty days later, the census was completed, and David regretted his decision.  God, in His displeasure, sent the prophet Gad to give David three options to choose as a discipline: three years of famine, three months of enemies’ attacks, or three days of a plague.  David chose the plague.  God sent the prophet Gad again with further instructions of how to end the plague: consecrate the spot that would eventually be built u into the Temple.

Lesson Commentary:

David’s Sin Affects Israel (1 Chronicles 21:14-17, NRSV)

¹⁴So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; and seventy thousand persons fell in Israel.
¹⁵And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but when he was about to destroy it, the LORD took note and relented concerning the calamity; he said to the destroying angel, "Enough! Stay your hand." The angel of the LORD was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
¹⁶David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
¹⁷And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave the command to count the people? It is I who have sinned and done very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house; but do not let your people be plagued!"

The Lord was angry with Israel, and the pestilence which came to His people was justly deserved, not only because of David’s sin but because of Israel’s sin.  How ironic that David seeks to learn how many Israelite warriors are at his disposal, and as a result of his finding out, the numbers are changed by 70,000 men.  The plague comes upon every part of the nation.  The destroying angel of the LORD seems almost to retrace the steps of those who numbered the nation.  

Now the angel approaches Jerusalem, ready to bring calamity there as well. David is enabled to see the angel of the LORD, with his sword lifted high, ready to slay many in Jerusalem.  We have already been informed, however, that God had relented of bringing further calamity.  David’s faith in God for judgment was well founded.  God had poured out His wrath on His people, but now He took compassion on them.  The angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite when he was ordered to halt.

David could not have known God’s purposes yet, and so he petitioned God in an attempt to halt the plague.  He pled that God’s anger be satisfied by pouring out His wrath on him and on his father’s house (not unlike that which had occurred to Saul’s house in 2 Samuel 21).  God had a better plan, which He will communicate to David through the prophet Gad in the concluding verses of this great book.

David Seeks Ornan’s Threshing Floor (1 Chronicles 21:18-25, NRSV)

¹⁸Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to tell David that he should go up and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
¹⁹So David went up following Gad's instructions, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD.
²⁰Ornan turned and saw the angel; and while his four sons who were with him hid themselves, Ornan continued to thresh wheat.
²¹As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David; he went out from the threshing floor, and did obeisance to David with his face to the ground.
²²David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the LORD—give it to me at its full price—so that the plague may be averted from the people."
²³Then Ornan said to David, "Take it; and let my lord the king do what seems good to him; see, I present the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I give it all."
²⁴But King David said to Ornan, "No; I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing."
²⁵So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.

Gad came to David with another solution – sacrifice. David was to erect an altar to the LORD right there on the threshing floor of Ornan.  Immediately, it seems, David began to make his way up to the place where the angel of the LORD had been halted. Ornan and his four sons were there at the threshing floor, threshing wheat.  He looked up to see the angel of the LORD and also David and all his servants making their way to where he was (1 Chronicles 21:20-21).  It must have been a terrifying moment for Ornan (called Araunah in 2 Samuel).

Ornan was not in a great negotiating position either.  Here was the angel of the LORD, still in sight, and David was ascending with a number of his servants.  Ornan was a foreigner who was lucky to be alive, let alone having land so near to David and the city of Jerusalem.  He owned a prime piece of land and had just been told by David that he must have it.  David told him to name his price.  Ornan thought this was a good time to make David a deal he could not refuse.  He offered to give David not only the land, but also his oxen and the threshing sledges, so that he could offer a sacrifice to the LORD.

Ornan must have been shocked by David’s response.  He refused to accept Ornan’s generous offer of a prime piece of land.  If David accepted this offer, his sacrifice would cost him nothing.  How can one offer a “sacrifice” without making any sacrifices to do so?  David purchased the land at full price and then offered his sacrifices.  When this sacrifice had been made, the Lord heard the pleas of His people and stopped the plague.

David’s Builds an Alter (1 Chronicles 21:26-30, NRSV)

²⁶David built there an altar to the LORD and presented burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. He called upon the LORD, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
²⁷Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
²⁸At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he made his sacrifices there.
²⁹For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon;
³⁰but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

The site of Ornan's threshing floor, once secured, was consecrated to its appointed purpose.  The altar was raised, the priests were summoned, the offerings were prepared, the prayers were offered; and then the favor of the Most High was manifested, and the nation was spared.

The offerings which were presented on this occasion were of two kinds.  The burnt offerings were typical of the consecration of the worshipper, body, soul, and spirit, to the God of Israel.  The peace offerings were expressive of reconciliation and fellowship with Gods Kingdom.

Through David's offering he reveals characteristics of himself: 1. His obedience.  As appears from 1 Chronicles 21:18, he was acting in literal and immediate compliance with the direction he had received from the Lord through the angel.  He had learned from Samuel the seer that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."  In this case the sacrifice and the obedience were one.  2. His prayer.  David called upon the Lord.  He was emphatically a man of prayer, and it was in answer to his prayer that the plague was stayed.  We learn that his sacrifice was not merely a ceremonial act, but that it was accompanied by spiritual desires and acknowledgments.  3. His humility and submission.  The king clothed himself in sackcloth and fell upon his face; and the man who in such a spirit sought to avert the Lord's anger would certainly accompany his offering with contrition and submission.

God’s acceptance was apparent in two ways.  First God answered him from heaven by fire, showing that the sacrifice and the worshipper were not rejected.  Secondly, the Lord commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath.  His wrath was laid aside, his mercy was manifested, the people were spared.  The offerings of David are a symbol of the one Offering, Christ Jesus, provided by God himself.

DISCUSS THE MEANING:

1.    How seriously do you take repentance?  Is there currently something for which you need to repent?  What is keeping you from doing so.

2.    What does this passage reveal about God’s character and His promises?

3.    What do you believe the threshing floor symbolizes? (21:22).

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY:

In today’s society, people seem to struggle accepting responsibility for their actions.  We are naturally self-preservers, seeking to shift the blame.  As a result, society as a whole suffers.  David took individual responsibility for his role in the destruction of the plague.  His example of repentance, investment, and action is one for us all.  Significant and overwhelming problems exist in our neighborhoods, communities, and families.  But David shows us that one person taking responsibility and obediently following the Lord can have a life-altering impact on the masses.

NEXT WEEK LESSON: 11 May 2025

Solomon Dedicates the Temple
Printed Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-7, 11
Devotional Reading: 2 Chronicles 6:12, 14-27
Background: 2 Chronicles 7:1-20

Zoom Sunday School Classes – 11 May 2025, 09:00 AM EST
Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09

Solomon Dedicates the Temple
Printed Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-7, 11
Devotional Reading: 2 Chronicles 6:12, 14-27
Background: 2 Chronicles 7:1-20

KEEP IN MIND:

“When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.’” (2 Chronicles 7:3, NRSV)

LESSON AIM:

EXPLAIN the idea of “dedicating” or “consecrating” something.

STATE how one can respond to God’s presence and love with worship and sacrifice; and

ASPIRE to worship Him in both simple and grand ways.

BACKGROUND:

While King Solomon was given the honor of building and dedicating the Temple, his father, King David, first conceived the idea of building a spectacular house for God (2 Samuel 7:2).  Although God did not grant King David permission to build the Temple, King David designed the Temple, gathered building materials, designated its caretakers, and planned the worship services (1 Chronicles 22-26), as Solomon was still young and inexperienced.

Commonly referred to as Solomon’s Temple, it is one of the king’s most notable accomplishments.  The Temple was built in 949 BC in Jerusalem and was completed in seven years by the best craftsmen and with the finest materials (1 Kings 5:6, 6:2-38).  Here, God’s name is remembered, and this holy place would become the entrance of sacrifice, worship, and spiritual strength for the Jewish people of that day.

LESSON COMMENTARY:

God’s Glory Fills the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:1-2, NRSV)

¹When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
²The priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house.

This lesson will demonstrate how God responds with approval to our faithful prayers and worship.  How do you show your thankfulness to God?  King Solomon has completed the prayer he began in the previous chapter.  As a sign of divine approval for the completed Temple, and also for Solomon’s prayer, God sent fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice that Solomon had placed on the alter (2 Chronicles 7:1).

While we no longer present animal sacrifices to God, we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).  Our bodies are now the temple which God fills with His glorious presence (2 Chronicles 6:16).  As we present our lives to God, He will fill us with His Spirit so that we manifest the attributes of His presence (Galatians 5:18-26).

1.            As a congregation, how can we know when our sensing of God presence is genuine?

2.            When God answers our prayers, how does it produce greater faith?

3.            Do you set aside a space or time to be holy to God where you can spend intentional time with Him?

The People Worship God (2 Chronicles 7:3, NRSV)

³When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."

When the people saw that God’s presence had filled the Temple, they bowed down and worshipped Him.  They shouted praises, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.”  Here we are shown the perfect response to God’s presence, worship!

Worship takes on many forms in believer’s lives.  In the physical sense, worship may include standing, kneeling, bowing down, or lifting hands in reverence.  In a deeper sense, worship is living in obedience to God’s Word.  When God’s presence has consumed us, our hearts will be in a continual state of worship and we will be willing to obey Him in every area of our lives.

 1.            How has disobedience to God produced negative consequences in your life as well as others?

        2.       What changes might we experience by being more mindful of God’s goodness, mercy, and love? Why?

Sacrifice and Celebrations (2 Chronicles 7:4-7)

⁴Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD.
⁵King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
⁶The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD—for his steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Israel stood.
⁷Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the offerings of well-being because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat parts.

A “great congregation” gathered to celebrate the dedication of the Temple.  Many people brought sacrifices, and Solomon himself provided 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats.  The bronze alter could not fit so many sacrifices, so King Solomon had to consecrate the courtyard to be used for sacrificial offerings.

God’s faithfulness to us is endless and unparalleled.  He does not judge us by the size of our offerings, but the motivation of our hearts.  Our most significant worship comes from heartfelt obedience, which pleases the Lord (Psalm 51:16-17; Micah 6:6-8).  Give from your heart and God will always be honored by your gift.

The Temple Completed (2 Chronicles 7:11, NRSV)

¹¹Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house; all that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished.

The passages 2 Chronicles 5:3; 7:8-10 indicate that the temple dedication occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three annual pilgrimage feasts (Deuteronomy 16:13-17; 31:10).  Solomon had committed himself fully to the completion of the temple, focusing all his resources to that effort.  But more than it being about a building, it was also about a people. He recruited many artisans and craftsmen to help as they used their skills for God's glory.

Solomon, like any other king, also built a palace (the king’s house).  His palace had a footprint more than four times that of the temple (11,250 square feet and 2,700 square feet, respectively; see 1 Kings 6:2 and 7:2).  Compared to the seven years it took to build the temple, the 13 years to build his palace is understandable!

The palace had to be larger than the temple because it needed to house the king, his numerous wives, many officials, etc.  A palace was not just a grandiose house but a small city within the city.

DISCUSS THE MEANING:

1.            How can pride hinder our reconciliation with God and others?

2.            What steps can we take to facilitate healing in our community as we support those experiencing human rights violations?

3.            What steps can we take to better express our reverence and thanks to God?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY:

The temple became the center of ancient Israel's religious life.  It was the place where they could meet God.  Sacrifices and prayers would occur at that temple for generations.  While Solomon could not have foreseen the details of the long history of worship that followed his actions, his trust in God was proven by his prayer, worship, and actions.  These reflected confidence in God's holiness, power, and enduring love.

Solomon prayed to God to remember His promises to his father and to previous generations.  The king's prayer was integral to his worship.  His focus on completing the temple before he started his own house showed his heart (read and contrast Haggai 1:2-4).

God has not forgotten or turned His back on our communities.  He has promised never to forsake us.  But have we, as believers, forsaken Him?  Are there more folks in the clubs on Saturday night than in the church on Sunday morning?

We must continue to find our inspiration and hope by adhering to and leaning on God’s promises.  As believers, we are bound together by our deeply rooted faith in Christ, and only by sharing and celebrating His love for us will we improve our communities and bring peace to our world.

Unfortunately, this interconnection of faithful prayer, worship, and actions would not last.  It didn't last for the people (2 Chronicles 36:15-21), and it didn't last for Solomon himself (1 Kings 11:4-11).  Will it last for you

NEXT WEEK LESSON: May 18, 2025

Worship Restored After Exiles Return
Printed Text: Ezra 3:1-6, 10-13
Devotional Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Background: Ezra 3:1-13

Zoom Sunday School Classes – 18 May 2025, 09:00 AM EST
Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09

Worship Restored After Exiles Return
Printed Text: Ezra 3:1-6, 10-13
Devotional Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Background: Ezra 3:1-13

KEEP IN MIND:

"And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel." And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. " (Ezra 3:11, NRSV).

LESSON AIM:

OUTLINE the history of Judah’s exile to Babylon and return to Jerusalem. 

RECOGNIZE the power of unity in Ezra's work and

GRASP the importance of unity in doing God's work.

BACKGROUND:

The children of God were getting organized to rebuild. After so many years of captivity, they had to start over again. A type of census was taken to see how many people there were; how much silver and gold; and the people's occupations.  In Ezra 2 we learn that there were 42,360 in the congregation. This did not include the 7,337 menservants and maidservants and 200 men and women singers.  They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.  Ezra 2:68-70 reads like this from the NIV:

"When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns."

LESSON COMMENTARY:

The Children of Israel Gather to Build and Offer Burnt Offerings

(Ezra 3:1-3, NRSV)

¹When the seventh month came, and the Israelites were in the towns, the people gathered together in Jerusalem.
²Then Jeshua son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his kin set out to build the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as prescribed in the law of Moses the man of God.
³They set up the altar on its foundation, because they were in dread of the neighboring peoples, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the LORD, morning and evening.

The exiles left in the spring and arrived in Palestine in the early fall.  For some time after their arrival, they were occupied in the necessary work of rearing habitations for themselves amid the ruins of Jerusalem and its neighborhood.  After the people were settled in their cities and towns, a general assembly was called and all the people gathered in Jerusalem on the "first day of the seventh month."

It was the seventh month, the number of completion and the children of Israel did an awesome thing.  They gathered themselves together with one purpose.  They also understood that it would take solid unity to rebuild the temple.  They were just freed from captivity and settled in their towns when the assembly was called.

Just as with any task, there must be a leader or leaders.  There must be someone to point the way and organize the people.  Jeshua and Zerubbabel and assistants rose up first to build an altar and offer burnt offerings to the God of Israel.  They were doing things in order.  Before they would take on the great task of rebuilding the temple, they would make a sacrifice, according to the law of Moses. The Scripture says that despite their fear of those around them, they built an altar and offered sacrifices day and night.

The leaders of the people resolved to celebrate their feasts just as if the temple had been fully restored.  The first priority of the exiles was to build an altar to the Lord.  It would take a while to get the temple built, but getting the altar built immediately was an absolute necessity.  The altar was the center of Jewish worship.  The altar was the place where atonement for their sins was made.  It was also the place to obtain the divine blessing on their preparations for the temple, as well as stimulate their feelings of piety and patriotism for the completion of this national work.

The motivation for the building of the altar was the people's understanding of their role on earth as "a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19:6).  They could only fulfill their divine calling by becoming what God intended them to be.  A second reason for getting the altar built quickly was because of the danger of the "people of those countries" or the nations around them.  The people realized that God would protect them from their enemies, but only if they approached Him in faith and obedience (see Exodus19:5; Hebrews 4:16).

Setting "the altar upon its bases" means that the people reared the altar upon its old foundation, so that it occupied as nearly as possible the site on which it had formerly stood. Deeming it their duty to perform the public rites of religion, they did not wait until the temple was rebuilt and dedicated.

The Children of Israel Organize to Build the Temple (Ezra 3:4-6, NRSV)

⁴And they kept the festival of booths, as prescribed, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinance, as required for each day,
⁵and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the sacred festivals of the LORD, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the LORD.
⁶From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.

The altar of the Lord being fully established brought about resurgence among the people of Israel.  It encouraged them to seek the Lord and worship Him in their culturally traditional ways.  “They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month” (Nehemiah 8:14, NASB).

As the fire within the chosen people’s hearts burned to worship Yahweh, the flames and intensity were kept ablaze.  We see from Ezra 3:4-5 that their participation in the various celebrations, festivals and offerings was “continual.”  From the first day of their cultural month to the last day, the people of Israel realized the extreme intimate bonding and unity that could be established as they worshiped Yahweh as “one.”

Worship of Yahweh at the altar remained constant and strong among the people of Israel.  In particular, we have the burnt offering, which served as the primary sacrificial ceremony in reverence to the Lord

The people were making the daily burnt offerings, but the foundation of the temple was not laid.  The command was to build the temple.  This reveals to us that sometimes we can get so involved in ceremonial rituals and forget about the more important job at hand.  It was wonderful that the offerings were going on, but God gave a commandment to work.  They were freed from captivity; now it was time to take the next step.

In verse 7, they proceeded with the plan of rebuilding the temple.  They gave money to the masons and carpenters.  The workers were being paid for their work and supplies.  The business was being taken care of properly.  Food, drink, and oil were given to Sidon and Tyre to bring by sea, the trees from Lebanon.  The temple would be restored in style!  The best of everything.  This is what Cyrus king of Persia granted.

The Children of Israel Lay the Foundation and It's Time for Rejoicing

(Ezra 3:10-13, NRSV)

¹⁰When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the LORD with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, according to the directions of King David of Israel;
¹¹and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel." And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
¹²But many of the priests and Levites and heads of families, old people who had seen the first house on its foundations, wept with a loud voice when they saw this house, though many shouted aloud for joy,
¹³so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted so loudly that the sound was heard far away.

Phase one was completed and the people were rejoicing.  The builders laid the foundation.  No longer was building the temple a faraway dream; their eyes of faith were seeing the final project.  The foundation encouraged them that the end was not far.  They started a good work, and God was going to see them through it all.  God promised that He would.

When the foundation of the temple was finally laid, the priests were clothed "in their sacred vestments.  These vestments included: (1) a breastplate, which was a square containing 12 precious stones placed in four horizontal rows of three.  The name of each of the 12 sons of Israel was engraved on each stone; (2) a robe; (3) a tunic; (4) a turban; (5) a sash; and (6) an ephod, which was a loose-fitting sleeveless garment that extended to the knees.  It was worn like an apron over the priest's robe.  The temple musicians began to play and the people began to praise the Lord according to the prescribed system by David who had given clear instructions on the use of music in the temple (1 Chronicles 25:1-6).

The work of rebuilding the temple began the year after the Israelite exiles arrived in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:8).  It took seven months (from the seventh in year 1 to the second month in year 2) just to prepare to build the temple.  The preparation time demonstrates the importance which the people attached to the holy project.

The people sang songs of praise to the LORD when they saw the foundation of the temple laid because it represented God's answer to their prayers and His goodness to them.  Their song of praise pointed back to David's song of thankfulness after the Ark of the Covenant had been brought into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:1-36, especially v. 34).

Fifty years after its destruction in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians, the temple was being rebuilt.  Because the new temple was built on the same foundation as the first one, the two structures were similar in size.  However, the old structure was vastly more elaborate and ornate.  Solomon's temple was the center of a thriving metropolis, while Zerubbabel's temple was surrounded by ruins.  Many of the older people remembered the glory of the first temple and wept because the second temple was far less grandiose.

The celebration, after the laying of the temple's foundation, was marked by a contrast in the people's emotions.  Many of the people were relieved that the shame of their destruction as a nation was now over.  Yet some of the older exiles remembered Solomon's grander temple and they wept at the new temple.

Those painful emotions were caused by several sad contrasts; the prosperity of the nation when the first temple was begun and the reduced state of the country of the second temple, as well as the beauty and splendor of the first temple compared to the second.  Perhaps the main cause of grief was that the second temple would be destitute of those things which formed the great and distinguishing glory of the first, namely, the ark, the shekinah (glory cloud), the Urim and Thummim, etc.  Zerubbabel's temple may have been a grand and beautiful structure, but no matter how great its material splendor, it was inferior to that of Solomon's.  Among Eastern people, expressions of sorrow are always very loud and vehement.  Expressions of both sorrow and joy are often indicated by wailing, the howl of which is sometimes not easily distinguished.

DISCUSS THE MEANING:

1. Explain what it means to be "as one man"?

2. Why did the children of Israel offer burnt offerings to the Lord?

3. Why do you think the foundation was not "yet laid" in verse 6?

4. What does "according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia" mean?

5. Why do you think the people wept and shouted once the foundation was laid?

6. What observances or sacrifices do we need to reinstitute to restore and rebuild our relationship with God?  As you ponder this question, think of your own relationship with the holy God.

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY:

Some wonderful things can be accomplished when people come as "one man" as we see in today's lesson.  The power of unity is awesome.  It takes unity to build a business, a family, a church, and a country.  If Christian people will become like the "one man" Christ, there is nothing we cannot do.  Think of some projects you were a part of where wonderful results were accomplished because of unity.  Also, think of some projects that have failed because of discord.

NEXT WEEK LESSON: 25 May 2025

Covenant Renewal
Printed Text: Nehemiah 10:28-39
Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 31:27-34
Background: Nehemiah 8:1-10:39

Zoom Sunday School Classes – 25 May 2025, 09:00 AM EST

Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09

Covenant Renewal
Printed Text: Nehemiah 10:28-39
Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 31:27-34
Background: Nehemiah 8:1-10:39

LESSON AIM:

EXPLAIN the details of the returned Israelites' oath to God,

UNDERSTAND the privilege of honoring the Sabbath and giving of their time and resources to support God's work, and

DETERMINE to give of themselves and honor God with their tithes and offerings.

KEEP IN MIND

³⁹  For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and where the priests that minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not neglect the house of our God. " (Nehemiah 10:39, NRSV).

BACKGROUND:

After the building of the walls was completed, which provided for the nation's security, the people are now ready to rededicate themselves and their nation to the Lord.  The first week of the seventh month was set aside to observe the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6).  This feast was a time when the people would humble themselves and confess their sins of arrogance.  On the first day of this feast, all the returned exiles gathered themselves together, and Ezra read the book of the law to them from daybreak until noon.  Because most of the people had forgotten their native tongue, the Levites translated the reading from Hebrew to Aramaic (Nehemiah 8:1-17).

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the people came together again to seek the Lord through fasting and humbling themselves.  The people separated themselves from all foreigners and gathered together to hear the Word of the Lord, confess their sins, and commit themselves to keeping the statutes of the covenant.  The people prayed a very long prayer that recapped the deliverance of their ancestors from Egyptian bondage (9:18-37).  Rehashing all that God had done for their ancestors assured the people of God's faithfulness and encouraged the people that He would perform miraculous feats to affirm His promises.  At the end of the prayer, all the people agreed to an oath to the Lord: "In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it (v. 38, NIV).  The oath was put in writing and sealed by the signatures of the nation's leaders: Nehemiah, the political leader, and the Levites and priests, who served as religious leaders.

The binding oath contained six basic provisions.  The people agreed not to marry foreigners, to observe the Sabbath and the Sabbath year, and to provide for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple.

LESSON COMMENTARY:

Promise to God (Nehemiah 10:28-30, NRSV)

²⁸The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to adhere to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding,
²⁹join with their kin, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his ordinances and his statutes.
³⁰We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons;

The revival that took place in the seventh month was one of the greatest revivals in Old Testament history.  The revival resulted in a renewed commitment to serve the Lord and a separation from ungodly influences.  As a result, the people felt it necessary to separate themselves from the neighboring people in order to purify and consecrate themselves.  All the returned exiles joined together, from the humblest farmer to the greatest leader, along with their wives and the children who had reached the age of understanding, and renewed the covenant with God.

The oath was the same covenant given to the people in the time of Moses.  If the people abided by the promise, God would bless them: "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NIV).  On the other hand, if the people were not faithful to the covenant they would be cursed: "However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you" (v. 15, NIV).

When the remnant entered into the oath with God, the first thing they did was to separate themselves from their pagan neighbors.  This action was not taken because the Israelites felt superior or better than their neighbors but as a means of separating themselves from ungodly influences.  The people agreed to end the practice of marrying women from among their pagan neighbors.  If the Israelites were going to be a separated people witnessing to God's glory, it was essential that they avoid the temptation to worship the gods of their neighbors.  That is why God prohibited them from intermarriage (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).

No matter how good our intentions, it is always best for those in a covenant relationship with God to separate themselves from ungodly influences.  This is why Scripture commands us, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14, NIV).  Believers have a responsibility to allow God to shape and mold them into the image of Christ.  This means we must control our environment, our entertainment, and our social and marital relationships.

Promoting the Sabbath (Nehemiah 10:31-33, NRSV)

³¹and if the peoples of the land bring in merchandise or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy it from them on the sabbath or on a holy day; and we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
³²We also lay on ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
³³for the rows of bread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed festivals, the sacred donations, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

The next thing the people promised was a recommitment to honor the Sabbath and to keep it holy.  God at the beginning of creation established a Sabbath day's rest (see Genesis 2:2-3).  It was confirmed in the Old Covenant: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-10, NIV).  The Sabbath was a sign that the Israelites belonged to God.  Honoring the Sabbath meant setting apart one day from all the others.  On this day, people would cease from their work to rest and honor God.

God knew that the greatest temptation to dishonor the Sabbath would be in the love of money.  So, the people agreed to prohibit trade with their neighbors on the Sabbath.  By refusing to conduct business on the Sabbath, the Israelites affirmed that money would not become their God.

The Old Testament Sabbath also included a Sabbath year.  Every seventh year was also set apart to honor God.  Every seventh year, the cultivated land was to rest: "For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused (20:10).  All debts acquired from fellow Israelites during the previous six years were forgiven in the seventh year: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.  This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he made to his fellow Israelite or brother because the Lord's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed" (Deuteronomy 15:1-2).

Not only were the people prohibited from doing business on the Sabbath day, but also all debt was to be forgiven during the Sabbath year.  God knows that money is one of the greatest lures the devil has to tempt God's people.  Wealth can easily lead one into sin.  Money itself is not evil, but to serve money rather than have money serve you is idolatry.  That is why Scripture adamantly teaches, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13).

The oath the Israelites agreed to required a time and financial sacrifice.  The greatest sacrifice we can make to God is that of our time and our resources.

Provision for Temple (Nehemiah 10:34-37, NRSV)

³⁴We have also cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, by ancestral houses, at appointed times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law.
³⁵We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our soil and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
³⁶also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks;
³⁷and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our soil, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns.

The final part of the oath concerned the upkeep and maintenance of the temple that had been built under the leadership of Ezra the priest about seventy years earlier (Ezra 6:14-15).  To cover the cost of maintaining the temple, an annual temple tax was imposed on every male twenty years and older.  The tax was one shekel, or about 1/8 ounce of silver (Nehemiah 10:32; cf. Deuteronomy 30:11-16).

The people also agreed to provide the ingredients for the "Bread of the Presence."  This was bread that was baked on the Sabbath and placed in the holy place in the temple (Leviticus 24:6).  They would also provide the daily grain offering and animals to be sacrifices for the daily offering as well as animals for the special holy days.

Finally, the people agreed to give the firstfruits of the annual harvest and the firstborn calves of their cattle and flocks.  The practice of offering the firstfruits was instituted at the time of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 13:12-14).  The offering of the firstfruit acknowledged God as the ultimate owner of the land and provider of life.

The practice of offering firstfruit was not carried over into the New Testament, but the practice of giving God the first portion of our time and resources is still a valid means of demonstrating trust in and obedience to God.

Finally, the people agreed to bring a tenth of their produce to the temple for the support of the Levites who took care of the temple.  The Levites gave a tenth of what they collected to the priests for their support.  The principle of giving and tithing was given to ensure the support of the house of God and of those He appoints to service.

The New Covenant is an oath that Christians have entered into with God.  This covenant is ratified by the blood of Jesus.  Unlike the Old Covenant, which was conditional, the New Covenant is unconditional.  It is purely a product of God's grace.  However, our love for God and appreciation for all He has done for us compels us to promise Him to live our lives to please Him and glorify His name in all the earth.  We glorify God when we give freely of our time, our possessions, and our resources to accomplish His work, build His church and encourage His people.

Pledges to the House of God (Nehemiah 10:38-39, NRSV)

³⁸And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
³⁹For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and where the priests that minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not neglect the house of our God.

These offerings of firstfruits were to be brought into the chambers of the house of God, where they were to be kept in store, and distributed to the priests for their support.  "And the tithes of our ground (will we bring) to the Levites; and they, the Levites, receive the tithes in all our country towns.  The Levites, having received a tenth of all land produce, were required to give a tenth of this to the priests.  The Levites were charged with the additional obligation to carry the tithes when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the priests.

“We will not forsake the house of our God.”  This solemn pledge was repeated at the close of the covenant as an expression of the intense zeal by which the people at this time were animated for the glory and the worship of God.  Under the pungent feelings of sorrow and repentance for their national sins, of which apostasy from the service of the true God was the chief, and under the yet fresh and painful remembrance of their protracted captivity, they vowed, and (feeling the impulse of ardent devotion as well as of gratitude for their restoration) flattered themselves they would never forget their vow, to be the Lord's.

DISCUSS THE MEANING:

1. How can we discipline ourselves for godliness and yet avoid falling into rigid legalism?

2. How does the law of sowing and reaping (Gal. 6:6-7) fit in with God’s grace?

3. The Hebrew parents arranged marriages for their children. Should parents today take a stronger role in whom their children marry? If so, how?

4. If Christians are not under the law of the tithe, how should they determine how much to give?

5. Is it necessary for Christians to separate themselves from non-Christian friends and relatives in order to live holy lives? What are some ways that association with non-believers can negatively impact our walk with Christ? How can Christians positively impact the lives of non-Christians?

6. Old Testament believers celebrated the Sabbath on the seventh day. Christians celebrate the Sabbath on the first day of the week. What does the first day commemorate? Does God care which day is set aside or the fact that one day per week is set aside to rest and worship?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY:

In most western movies Native Americans are portrayed as savages who burn, pillage, and rape defenseless white women and take scalps.  The culture of these once proud people has been destroyed, and even today they are ridiculed as emblems for various sports teams.

However, the truth is far from what we have been led to believe.  Far from their being inherently hostile, history has shown Native Americans to be a giving people. The first European settlers in America would have starved to death if the Native Americans had not shared their resources and taught the settlers farming and survival skills.

These gracious Native Americans were perfectly willing to share their land with the European newcomers. They entered into treaties that allowed the newcomers a portion of the land they had absolutely no legal right to. To the Native Americans, these treaties were blood oaths and therefore unbreakable. To the Europeans, the treaties were nothing more than words on paper. Eventually the newcomers devised a plan called "Manifest Destiny," which decreed the European right to all the land in America from sea to shining sea.

The European greed for land put the Native Americans in a precarious position. The only way to nullify a blood oath was for someone to die. So the Native Americans went to war. They were outnumbered, vastly outgunned, and eventually they died as a nation.

Today's lesson resumes the story of a nation brought back to life.  After recounting their blessings in a prayer of gratitude, the returned Israelites entered into an oath with their creator and redeemer. To violate this oath would mean their death as a nation.

NEXT WEEK LESSON: 1 June 2025

Cain and Abel Offer Sacrificies

(The Offerings of Cain and Abel)
Printed Text: Genesis 4:1-16
Devotional Reading: Luke 20:45-21:4
Background: Genesis 4:1-25

SOURCES:

Achtemeier, Paul J. Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.

Biblical Studies Press: The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006.

Breneman, Mervin, The New American Commentary Volume 10, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993

Braun, Roddy, Word Biblical Commentary Volume 14 1 Chronicles, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2015

Brown, Raymond E., S. S., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J.; Roland E. Murphy, O Carm. The Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.

Dillard, Raymond B., Word Biblical Commentary Volume 15, 2 Chronicles. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988

Dummelow, J. R., M.A. Rev. The One Volume Bible Commentary. New York: The Macmillan Company Publishers, 1961.

Gaebelein, Frank E., Richard D. Patterson, The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Volume 4) 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.

Leslie, Allen, Ralph W Klein, New Interpreter's Bible Volume III: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Tobit, Judith, New York: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Morris, William, ed., Dictionary of the English Language, Houghtn Mifflin Company, 1981.

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: 1 Chronicles. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: 2 Chronicles. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: Ezra. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: Nehemiah. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004

Strong, James, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, Electronic Edition STEP Files, QuickVerse, a division of Findex.com, Inc., Omaha Nebraska. 2003.

Thompson, J. A.: 1, 2 Chronicles. The New American Commentary Volume 9. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.

Vine, W.E. Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Edited by Merrill F. Unger and William White Jr., Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.

Williamson, H.G.M., Word Biblical Commentary Volume 16, Ezra - Nehemiah. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2015.