“Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. (Zechariah 2:10) God promised the people, through Zechariah, that He would be in their midst and called for them to shout for joy and be glad because of that promise....

So tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies. (Zechariah 1:3)  When the people of God returned home after their Babylonian exile, they were initially enthusiastic...

‘Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies. This is the promise I made to you when...

The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. (Haggai 1:5, 7) Twice in this chapter of Haggai we see God commanding His people to “think carefully” about their “ways.” In this particular context, the call was to recognize that they were focusing on building on their homes...

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the...

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sent for the Levites wherever they lived and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. (Nehemiah 12:27) The Israelites faced quite the challenge in building the wall, but they...

Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns. (Nehemiah 11:1) Jerusalem was designated as the “holy city,” one that...

We will bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the Lord’s house year by year. (Nehemiah 10:35) The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem brought renewal to the people of Israel. This included a passion to give their best to the Lord, which was not...

You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us, because you have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly. (Nehemiah 9:33) It was important for the people of Israel to confess their own sin and realize how they were repeating the sins of their ancestors. They didn’t stay focused...

And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Don’t grieve.” (Nehemiah 8:11) While we would expect the people returning to Jerusalem from exile would be filled with immense joy, we discover that there was mourning at that time. This was because they heard the...