Leaders Who Believe

 Ezra 2-3; Luke 8 

“Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah…Mordecai…).

Ezra2:1, 2

God’s fulfillment of his promise to deliver the remnant of his people out of Babylonian captivity after seventy years was experienced by those who responded to this promise with faith. Zerubbabel returned as a community leader, Jeshua as a priest, and Nehemiah as a rebuilder. Mordecai, as a civil servant within the Persian kingdom, had seen God’s deliverance and favor in his own family. If these are the same Nehemiah and Mordecai as recorded elsewhere in Scripture they are a reminder to us that God works through those who are willing to risk everything to see his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The deliverance of people and nations today from the captivity of sin and unbelief can be no less than God’s deliverance was for the Babylonian captivity.

Where are the ‘Nehemiahs’ and the ‘Mordecais’ of our day?

“Lord Jesus, you are our Deliverer and returning King, for your glory.”