GOING HOME: TWO GREAT JOURNEYS OF ISRAEL

Nehemiah 9:9-25

Where were they?

The Exodus: Egypt (430 years)

The Return from Exile: Babylon (70 years)

How many?

The Exodus: About 1 million

The Return from Exile: 60,000

How long did the journey take them?

The Exodus: 40 years and 2 attempts

The Return from Exile: 100 years and 3 journeys

Who led them?

The Exodus: Moses/Aaron/Joshua

The Return from Exile: Zerubbabel/Ezra/Nehemiah

What was their purpose?

The Exodus: To reclaim the Promised Land

The Return from Exile: To rebuild the Temple and city of Jerusalem

What obstacles did they face?

The Exodus: Red Sea/Wilderness/Enemies

The Return from Exile: Ruins/Limited Resources/Enemies

What failures did they experience?

The Exodus: Complaining/Disobedience/Retreat—all of which turned a journey of a few weeks into a 40-year ordeal

The Return from Exile: Fear/Discouragement/Apathy—all of which turned a project of a few months into one that required a century to complete

What successes did they have?

The Exodus: Eventually entered the Promised Land

The Return from Exile: Eventually rebuilt Jerusalem’s Temple and wall

What lessons did they learn?

The Exodus: God will build his nation. God is both faithful and just. God will accomplish great acts to make his promises come true.

The Return from Exile: God will preserve his nation. God will continue to have a chosen people, a home for them, and a plan to offer himself to them.