52 Weeks in the Word - Week 20

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 Week 20!  I don't know about you, but to me, that feels like a huge accomplishment!  This past week has been the most challenging so far to keep up with all the reading.  I certainly found listening to it a big help!  This week, we will finish 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and begin reading the book of Nehemiah.  

Here is a quote from the Bible Project's page on the books Ezra and Nehemiah:

In most modern Bibles, Ezra-Nehemiah is two separate books, but that division            happened long after it was written. It was originally a unified work written by a single author who lived long after the Babylonians’ invasion of Jerusalem and the exile (2 Kgs. 24-25). Ezra-Nehemiah picks up some fifty years later and tells of the return of some Israelites to Jerusalem and what happened when they rebuilt their lives and the city.
More specifically, the book focuses in on three key leaders who led the rebuilding efforts: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Zerubbabel first led a large group back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). About 60 years later, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and to rebuild the community (Ezra 7-10). He was soon followed by Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls (Neh. 1-7).

All three stories are designed to be parallel to one other. Each begins with a king of Persia being prompted by God to send a leader to Jerusalem while offering resources and support. Then, each leader encounters opposition in their efforts, which they overcome, but in a way that leads to a strange anticlimax.

As you can see, we are still reading through the historical book section of the Bible.  

  Looking ahead to Week 20:

The reading for Week 20 includes: 2 Chronicles 34 - Nehemiah 9.

I hope the above knowledge helps a little more as you read this week.  We are looking forward to hearing from you this week as we read.  All the books we've read thus far in the Bible have been setting the foundation for what is to come in the rest of the books.  It also shows us that God not only had a relationship with everyday, ordinary people, completely not perfect people - and He used them for His glory!

Have a blessed week and keep the questions and comments coming!

Blessings!

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