​Before we read the passage I need to give you some context. Neiamiah was an administrator, a great and courageous man, who was administering under the kings of the Persian empire. At that time all of the Jews had been taken out of Judah -they were in exile. To give you the context, about a 1,000 B.C. there was David, then Solomon and the temple was built under Solomon and then after Solomon passed away there was the division of the kingdom into Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Israel in the North was taken away about 722 B.C. and was never again to return. The remnant, when we talk about the exiles that came back from Babylon, it’s the people that were in Judah. 

​Before we look to a new teaching series after summer in the psalms I’d like to I guess do a bit of a transition and talk about something that’s been on my heart from Oasis camp. If you remember from Oasis Sunday, the second day covered the theme that God has the power to comfort. That was the story of Elijah from 1st Kings when God whispers your name. Elijah is a character that, over the years, I’ve really come to love in a number of ways so the opportunity to portray him. Teaching some of his experiences to the campers has been really amazing for me and I’ve learned a lot from it. I’ve been meditating and thinking about it since then it just kept resonating through my mind through the month of August when I was on holidays.