As an expression of God’s creative power, the stars cause us to praise the Lord. As an object of worship, the stars lead to destruction. But those who serve God in righteousness will shine as the stars forever. Let us all worship and serve our great Creator.
A covenant is a solemn agreement. The most important covenants in the Bible are those in which God makes a covenant with man: the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, etc. Here is a covenant which man makes with God. The Israelites recognize the importance of God and covenant together to wholly follow Him.
This is one of the great revivals in the Bible. As usual, it is a revival of the word of God. When God’s people return to the word and obey its teachings, they experience great joy and are greatly blessed by the Lord.
The Jews had been taken captive because of their disobedience. Here, they return to the Promised Land and begin to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They begin with the Temple—the place of worship. Later, Ezra restores spiritual purity to their obedience. Finally, Nehemiah rebuilds the walls for protection.
Since the first man Adam fell, man has been trying to hide his evil actions from God. The lesson teaches us that this is not only impossible but a foolish thought.
