NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum.
Bible Passages: Ezra 1, 3
Discussion Questions:
- How have you seen God’s providential and restorative hand at work through the storyline of the Old Testament?
- What do worship and sacrifice look like today if there is no altar or physical sacrifice?
- What keeps you from trusting that God is for you and not against you?
Food for Thought:
Because life tends to head toward decay, we are in the constant work of restoration, whether restoration of our house or car through painting and construction, restoration of our youthfulness through skin treatments, or restoration of estranged relationships through communication. We feel the need to restore things when they are broken. God feels that same weight, but even heavier.
God’s people, the Israelites, were taken into exile and captivity because of their idolatry and unfaithfulness, but God always had a plan of restoration.
From start to finish, the book of Ezra is a testimony of God’s faithful work rousing hearts, providing goods, returning articles, and more. God raised up King Cyrus to allow the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and resettle in the land.
Having returned, the first thing the priests did was rebuild the altar so that they could continue offering sacrifices to the Lord. The worship of God demanded sacrifice, and sacrifice required an altar. The people understood that after God disciplined them for worshiping idols in addition to Him. They couldn’t wait to show God they were serious this time. They started with worship and celebration as people of God.
When God restores us we should praise Him, recognize that only He is worthy of praise, and celebrate by remembering His goodness and faithfulness.
We may try to restore our lives on our own, but we know such restoration can only come from God. And in times of brokenness, we can hold on to the hope that God is a restorative God. He fixes what is broken and makes complete what is not whole. And He does it all for His glory and our good.
The Israelites were in captivity for 70 years, so it would have been easy to lose hope. Yet God was moving to teach, discipline and restore them. He did that with His people thousands of years ago, and He still does that with us today. We simply need to hold on to hope and trust God through the process of restoration, patiently waiting on His timing alone.
The Gospel Project
The Gospel Project is a chronological, Christ-centered study for kids, students and adults. The Bible is not a collection of stories. It is one story of God’s plan to rescue His people from sin and death. It is the story of redemption, the gospel message of Jesus Christ. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/gospelproject.
Related posts:
LifeWay celebrates new headquarters in Nashville 
Bible Study: Slow to repent? 
4 entity heads address messenger questions 
LifeWay trustees approve new division, elect vice president for technology God the Holy Spirit ~ His Deity and Personhood 
Half of pastors support Trump, but many are hesitant to share preference 
FIRST-PERSON: What the Bible is & why it matters 
ACP analysis reveals areas of decline, growth in SBC
