People of the Bible: Isaiah

Who was Isaiah?

• He was a prophet around the year 700 BC

• His name means “God is salvation”

• He spoke some concerning Israel but mostly Judah (The Southern Kingdom)

• He was known for his prophecies about Jesus

Isaiah was in the position of prophet for about 50-60 years. He served in this role while Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah served as kings of Judah. During this time, Israel and Judah were in great distress. The nation of Israel had already been divided into a northern and southern kingdom, and they were facing threats from outside enemies constantly. God used Isaiah to spread the word on why these things were happening, what they could do to stop it, and what the world would be like in the future.

Isaiah’s message was for Judah to repent of their sins and turn to God. Judah followed Israel into sin instead of setting themselves apart and living for God. They made idols for themselves and turned their backs on God. Because of this, God sent judgement and told Isaiah to share this news to give them a chance to return before further punishment ensued.

Isaiah also prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. Jesus would not be born for about 700 more years, but his predictions are incredibly accurate. So much so, that Jesus often quoted from the book of Isaiah when it came to telling people why it is that he was sent to the earth.

Isaiah was concerned about the salvation of Judah, but in a wider sense, he was concerned about the salvation of all of God’s people. Today we know that salvation comes through Jesus because he died as an eternal sacrifice for our sins. Through his death and resurrection we are given the chance to return to God and accept his salvation.

Isaiah also makes prophecies about the second coming of Jesus and we know that these are going to be accurate because all the rest of the predictions in his book are strikingly accurate. We can trust in his words because it is the Word of God and has been proven to be correct over and over again. Know this, God always keeps his promises. We see this over and over in His Word, the Bible, and it still remains true today.

Key Takeaways:

• Turn to God

• Jesus gives salvation

• God keeps his promises

Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about the life of Isaiah this Sunday, both in-person and online.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

People of the Bible: Esther

People of the Bible: Esther

Book of the Bible: Esther

The book of Esther is about the Jewish people coming under persecution and the story of how a few significant people allowed God to use them to save the lives of many others! The book of Esther is different because it’s the only book in the Bible that doesn’t mention God by name. Throughout history, that has caused some controversy. However, even though He isn’t mentioned by name, it’s clear that He is in the story.

Who was Esther?

Esther is the star of this story. She lived during the time that Israel was in exile away from their homeland. Her parents died when she was young so she was raised by her godly cousin Mordecai.

The King at that time was vastly wealthy and ruled over a great region. He threw a banquet and requested that his wife come but she refused. The King became infuriated and set up a plan for someone else to become Queen. Esther was a beautiful young woman and she had a great character. After the search was complete, the King chose Esther to be his new Queen. Esther, following the instructions of Mordecai, kept her Jewish descent a secret.

After she became Queen, Mordecai overheard people planning an assassination of the King. Mordecai told Esther about it and she was able to prevent the attempt from taking place! She won Mordecai and herself the King's favor.

But more trouble followed. Haman, a high official in the land, began to point out the Jewish people were a problem. He pointed out that they kept themselves apart from everything and that they were disobeying the King. Haman suggested these people be destroyed to preserve the Kingdom. The King agreed to this plan and put Haman in charge of executing it.

An order was given out to destroy all the Jews.

The Jews began to mourn this news. Esther was their only hope. However, it was against the law to approach the King, even for the Queen. Approaching the King unsolicited was punishable by death, but Esther stepped out in boldness, put her trust in God, and did what she felt was right! She approached the King to save her people.

The King showed favor to her and asked her what she wanted. Esther put a masterful plan into motion that only God could have constructed. By the end of the situation, the Jews were saved, Haman was executed, and Mordecai was honored. Esther’s boldness and trust in God saved the Jewish people from destruction.

In the same way, Jesus has paved the way for all people to escape destruction. Jesus is the savior of the world and anyone who believes in Him will be saved and escape the oncoming destruction.

Like Esther, as parents, we need to demonstrate how to be bold in our faith, how to trust God in every situation we face, and stand up for what we believe in as Christians. Our children learn from our example.

Key Takeaway:

• Be Bold

• Trust God

• Stand up for what you believe in

Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about the life of Esther this Sunday, both in-person and online.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

People of the Bible: Nehemiah

Book of the Bible: Nehemiah 

Who was Nehemiah?

Nehemiah’s story begins with him as a slave in a foreign land. He hears news that his home city of Jerusalem is in dire need of help but he is trapped where he is. Nehemiah prays and fasts and God provides an opportunity for him to go to Jerusalem and serve as its governor. Nehemiah takes the opportunity.

Jerusalem’s walls had fallen approximately 70 years before when the Babylonians attacked, captured, and destroyed the city. Nehemiah, along with Ezra, took the responsibility of rebuilding the city and the walls. Having strong walls around the city was important to guard it against attacks. Nehemiah showed great leadership and rallied the people around his cause.

Unfortunately, while they were rebuilding the walls, the Israelites faced great opposition from the surrounding countries. The surrounding countries feared that if they were successful at rebuilding the walls, then God would make Jerusalem a powerful nation once again.

Nehemiah was a great leader and encourager. He knew his enemies were trying to stop his people, but he didn’t go out to fight them. He had faith and trusted that God would deliver them from their enemy like he had done so many times before. He encouraged the people while they were under persecution and together they rebuilt the walls that had previously laid in ruins for 70 years. It only took them 52 days!

The story of Nehemiah shows us how strong leadership can influence a situation. But, beyond that, we are shown the power of prayer. It was Nehemiah’s prayers and his relationship with God that led to immense success. We see this in Jesus’s life as well. Jesus would often go out on his own to pray and spend alone time with God. This strong relationship with God helped Jesus follow God's will every step of the way and gave him the ability to lead people with his vision and the truth of the coming of the kingdom of God.

Prayer gives us the ability to be in a close relationship with God and discern what He wants from us. Jesus even taught us in Mark 11:24- “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Let me encourage you, prayer changes everything! Begin your day with prayer. Fill your day with prayer. End your day with prayer. Have faith, like Nehemiah, that God will answer your prayers!

Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about the life of this Nehemiah Sunday, both in-person and online. Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids. To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.