Unit 18 Session 5
A BURDENED PEOPLE
MALACHI ; JAMES 2
All humans are guilty because of sin, but those who feel the shame of their sin and repent will receive the Lord's compassion.
Ezra and Nehemiah both led groups of exiled Jews back to Jerusalem, recognizing God's hand in putting them under Persian rulers who didn't mind their return to their homeland and worship of their God. But just because God's hand was leading didn't mean the people had turned back to the Lord completely. Just like Moses dealt with the sins of the Israelites who had accompanied him out slavery in Egypt, so Ezra and Nehemiah dealt with sin even in the midst of rebuilding the temple and the walls. Had they fallen so far away from God that they didn't even feel their guilt?
Points to consider:
✞ The sins of the wicked incur their guilt.
* How does God use guilt and shame to
draw us back to Himself?
✞ The boasting of the wicked reveals
their shamelessness.
* What are some examples of harsh
words we might be guilty of speaking
against the Lord?
✞ The fear of the Lord among the righteous
prompts His compassion.
* What are some ways we should speak to
one another as those who fear the Lord?
* Seeing how spiritual disciplines helped
the Israelites in this volume to act with
righteousness, how can these disciplines
help us to fear and serve the Lord?
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