Study Notes

I.      Ezra-Israel is in captivity to the Assyrians and Babylonians because of disobedience.  King Cyrus, a Persian, overthrows Babylon and gets control of the God’s people and commands that the Jews retun to Jerusalem and rebuild the House of God

A.    1:4-11-God has His people go build His house and the first thing that it mentions is them being supplied with the money and things necessary to get the job done

1.     2:69-Their sowing towards the building of God’s house

B.     When it was time to go do the work of God there was abundance

1.     5:8-These guys write a letter to the King because they didn’t want the house of God built; God’s making their work to prosper

2.     6:4-5-New timber? They were building God’s house & the King was paying for it

3.     6:6-14-The guys who opposed them ended up giving them money to build it

a.    MSG-I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God: 1.All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates. And pay them on time, without delays. 2.Whatever is required for their worship—young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request—is to be given to them daily without delay so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

4.     6:21-When they were seeking the Lord it was prosperity

C.    The prosperity of Ezra-He was sent to investigate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Word of God

1.     7:6-Ezra was granted whatever he asked of the King

2.     7:15-27-King Artaxerxes sending Ezra with silver and gold in abundance to God’s people and the house of God

3.     8:21-He’s praying that his stuff stay safe

4.     8:25-26-They’re going from Babylon to Jerusalem and talking the stuff there

II.     Nehemiah-Much like Joseph, Daniel, and Esther Nehemiah attained a significant role in the palace that then ruled the ancient world, a position from which God could use him to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls in spite of its implications for Persian control of that city.

A.    1:11-He’s praying to prosper

1.     Prosperity is everything from wisdom, to protection, to the finances to build

B.     2:8-The Kings financing the rebuilding of the wall, including building him a house

1.     2:9-Protection prosperity

2.     2:10-He’s seeking the prosperity of God’s people

3.     2:16-20-The God of heaven will prosper us

C.    5:1-12-Rulers were taking their money & Nehemiah got control of the financial arena

1.     5:15-He’s got the right relationship with money and he’s prospering to the point where he’s feeding 150 people a day

D.    7:70-73-People are sowing into the house of God

E.     They knew their God as a God of prosperity

1.     9:21-25-The knew the history of the God of prosperity

2.     9:35-38-God’s a God of prosperity

III.   Esther-Mordecai had been carried away from Jerusalem in captivity and he had adopted Esther as his daughter-2:6

A.    Esther prospered

1.     1:19, 2:17-Esther was made queen and got the royal estate of Queen Vashti

2.     5:3-Esther is offered half of the Kingdom

B.     Mordecai’s prosperity

1.     2:21-23-Mordecai saves the King’s life

2.     3:1-6-Mordecai wouldn’t bow to Haman

3.     3:9-Haman comes along and wants to kill the Jews and He’s willing to pay $20 million (THEN) 135 million (NOW) to see to it that it gets done

4.     5:11-Haman was a very rich man

5.     6:7-11-Mordecai’s prosperity

6.     8:1-2-Haman and all of his stuff was given to Esther and she gave it to Mordecai

7.     Notice that Esther didn’t take any of that money for herself; she has a right heart, not to mention that she doesn’t need it

8.     8:15,9:4,10:1-3-Mordecai’s prosperity