Contents and Introduction

Contents
1 Making Sense of History: Zerubbabel and Ezra—September 28–October 4 5
2 Nehemiah—October 5–11 18
3 God’s Call—October 12–18 31
4 Facing Opposition—October 19–25 44
5 Violating the Spirit of the Law—October 26–November 1 57
6 The Reading of the Word—November 2–8 72
7 Our Forgiving God—November 9–15 85
8 God and the Covenant—November 16–22 98
9 Trials, Tribulations, and Lists—November 23–29 111
10 Worshiping the Lord—November 30–December 6 124
11 Backslidden People—December 7–13 137
12 Dealing With Bad Decisions—December 14–20 150
13 Leaders in Israel—December 21–27 163

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Editor Lars Justinen
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Clifford R. Goldstein
Editorial Assistant
Sharon Thomas-Crews
The Teachers Edition components were written by the following:
The Overview, Commentary, and Life Application, Lessons 1—7: Jiří Moskala, seminary dean,
Andrews University, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Berrien Springs, MI, USA.
The Overview, Commentary, and Life Application, Lessons 8—13: Andrea Jakobsons,
pastor for youth, collegiate, and young adults at Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church, Silver
Spring, MD, USA.
© 2019 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. All rights reserved. No part of the Adult Sabbath
School Bible Study Guide (Teachers Edition) may be edited, altered, modified, adapted, translated,
reproduced, or published by any person or entity without prior written authorization from the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. The division offices of the General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists® are authorized to arrange for translation of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide
(Teachers Edition), under specific guidelines. Copyright of such translations and their publication shall
remain with the General Conference. “Seventh-day Adventist,” “Adventist,” and the flame logo are reg-
istered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists® and may not be used without
prior authorization from the General Conference.
1
The Gospel
According
to Ezra
and
Nehemiah
E zra and Nehemiah were exceptional, God-centered, Word-oriented, and Spirit-led

leaders who deeply desired that God’s people prosper and that His name be uplifted
and proclaimed worldwide. Their lives modeled what God can do through dedicated,
faithful servant leaders.
Because of our sinful natures, cultivated habits, and hereditary traits, we can experience lasting
changes only through the study of God’s transforming Word and the Holy Spirit’s assistance.
Believers live “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zech. 4:6, NKJV) and by embrac-
ing God’s promises by faith (Hab. 2:4), resulting in a vibrant spiritual life.
This quarter’s lessons illustrate that life is complicated. As soon as we try to do good things,
obstacles appear and opposition arises. Even friends may openly or secretly oppose us and, per-
haps, become our enemies. Hurdles and resistance to good demonstrate that Satan is alive and
that sin is real. Fighting Satan is humanly impossible because evil is stronger than we are. Only
God can secure victory, revolutionize thinking, and give us power to live balanced lives. Life’s dis-
couragements are opportunities for change. Disappointments may help us focus on essentials and
accelerate our spiritual growth, as we obtain victory in each crisis through God’s empowerment.
Neither of the books of Ezra nor Nehemiah ends with optimism. Sin is a serious matter,
spreading easily and quickly. The biggest challenge does not come from outside—but from
infidelity to God with His own people not following His revealed will. To be faithful to
the Lord and persevere in following His instruction is the strongest test for God’s church.
As Ezra correctly understood, the only power to change comes through diligently searching,
2
comprehending, and internalizing the Scriptures.
In order to fulfill the starting point of the prophecies of the 70 weeks and the 2,300 evenings
and mornings (which both began in 457 b.c.), God graciously intervened and influenced King
Artaxerxes I to allow Ezra along with a group of Israelites to return to Jerusalem, to ensure the
safety of their journey, and even to supply needed physical and financial provisions for the
temple services (Ezra 7:11–28).
The key theological themes of these two books are God’s To be faithful to the Lord
providence, faithfulness, and covenant. God fulfilled His prom- and persevere in follow-
ises, even though His people were narrow-minded, disoriented, ing His instruction is the
distracted, and stubborn. Through His servants, He called them
strongest test for God’s
from their state of lethargy to revival and reformation.
“The work of restoration and reform carried on by the church.
returned exiles, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and
Nehemiah, presents a picture of a work of spiritual restoration that is to be wrought in the
closing days of this earth’s history. The remnant of Israel were a feeble people, exposed to the
ravages of their enemies; but through them God purposed to preserve in the earth a knowledge
of Himself and of His law. They were the guardians of the true worship, the keepers of the holy
oracles.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 677.
Ezra and Nehemiah are historically linked, and they cover a crucial transition in the life of
God’s people. These 23 chapters form one big story—but with subunits; they are complemen-
tary and cover similar theological issues. By carefully studying the pattern revealed in the compo-
sition of these two books, we can discern God’s great historical actions and gracious leadership.
Keep in mind that not everything presented in these books is written in chronological order and
that some parts are composed in a thematic manner.
As we will see, the challenge for Ezra and Nehemiah was not to reconstruct the temple (it was
finished and dedicated in 515 b.c., more than 50 years before Ezra’s arrival) but to rebuild the
city of Jerusalem, its administration, and the national autonomy—all eventually paving the way
for the coming of the Messiah.
As we study God’s Word this quarter, may the Lord bless us by inspiring us, touching our
hearts, transforming our thinking, and enabling us daily to follow Him faithfully and enthusi-
astically.
Jiří Moskala, ThD, PhD, is dean and professor of Old Testament exegesis and theology at
the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He joined the faculty
in 1999. Prior to coming to Andrews, Moskala served in various capacities (ordained pastor,
administrator, teacher, and principal) in the Czech Republic.
3
How to Use
This Teachers Edition
“The true teacher is not content with dull thoughts, an indolent mind, or a
loose memory. He constantly seeks higher attainments and better methods.
His life is one of continual growth. In the work of such a teacher there is a
freshness, a quickening power, that awakens and inspires his [class].”
—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 103.
To be a Sabbath School teacher is both a privilege and a responsibility. A privilege

because it offers the teacher the unique opportunity to lead and guide in the study
and discussion of the week’s lesson so as to enable the class to have both a personal
appreciation for God’s Word and a collective experience of spiritual fellowship with class
members. When the class concludes, members should leave with a sense of having tasted
the goodness of God’s Word and having been strengthened by its enduring power. The
responsibility of teaching demands that the teacher is fully aware of the scripture to be
studied, the flow of the lesson through the week, the interlinking of the lessons to the theme
of the quarter, and the lesson’s application to life and witness.
This guide is to help teachers to fulfill their responsibility adequately. It has three seg-
ments:
1. Overview introduces the lesson topic, key texts, links with the previous lesson,
and the lesson’s theme. This segment deals with such questions as Why is this lesson
important? What does the Bible say about this subject? What are some major themes
covered in the lesson? How does this subject affect my personal life?
2. Commentary is the chief segment in the Teachers Edition. It may have two or
more sections, each one dealing with the theme introduced in the Overview segment.
The Commentary may include several in-depth discussions that enlarge the themes
outlined in the Overview. The Commentary provides an in-depth study of the themes
and offers scriptural, exegetic, illustrative discussion material that leads to a better
understanding of the themes. The Commentary also may have scriptural word study or
exegesis appropriate to the lesson. On a participatory mode, the Commentary segment
may have discussion leads, illustrations appropriate to the study, and thought questions.
3. Life Application is the final segment of the Teachers Edition for each lesson.
This section leads the class to discuss what was presented in the Commentary segment
as it impacts Christian life. The application may involve discussion, further probing
of what the lesson under study is all about, or perhaps personal testimony on how one
may feel the impact of the lesson on one’s life.
Final Thought: What is mentioned above is only suggestive of the many possibilities avail-
able for presenting the lesson and is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive in its scope.
Teaching should not become monotonous, repetitious, or speculative. Good Sabbath School
teaching should be Bible-based, Christ-centered, faith-strengthening, and fellowship-building.

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Contents

1 Making Sense of History: Zerubbabel and Ezra—September 28–October 4 5

4 Facing Opposition—October 19–25 44

5 Violating the Spirit of the Law—October 26–November 1 57

6 The Reading of the Word—November 2–8 72

7 Our Forgiving God—November 9–15 85

8 God and the Covenant—November 16–22 98

9 Trials, Tribulations, and Lists—November 23–29 111

10 Worshiping the Lord—November 30–December 6 124

11 Backslidden People—December 7–13 137

12 Dealing With Bad Decisions—December 14–20 150

13 Leaders in Israel—December 21–27 163

Principal Contributor Associate Editor Pacific Press® Coordinator

E zra and Nehemiah were exceptional, God-centered, Word-oriented, and Spirit-led

To be a Sabbath School teacher is both a privilege and a responsibility. A privilege

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