SERMON: Old Testament Overview, Part 12: The Final Writings
Old Testament Overview Part 12 : The Final Writings This Session: The Final Writings (Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah) The Intertestamental Period I. Introductions We are (thankfully!) not studying twelve books tonight! We are focusing this evening on the Post-Exile: After the Babylonian Empire came the Persian Empire It is also under this empire that the Jews are finally allowed to return home. They failed to keep the yearly sabbaths for 490 years (once every seven years), so they were in captivity for 70 years (Jer. 29:10–11; 2 Chron. 36:21) 538 BC — Decree of Cyrus (1 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4) It is under this empire that Esther comes to prominence II. Esther “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) DATE: 483 BC to c. 473 BC Between Ezra 6–7 Ahasuerus: King Xerxes I, reigning 486 – 465 B.C. THEME: Preservation through providence; OUTLINE: I. The THREAT to the Jews (1 – 4) A. Esther becomes queen (1-2) B. Haman's plot against the...