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Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) Paperback – June 1, 2014

by James M. Hamilton Jr. (Author), David Platt (Editor), Dr. Daniel L. Akin (Editor),
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 127 ratings
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Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition. Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah is written by Jim Hamilton.
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Exalting Jesus Commentary Series, Christ Centered Exposition Commentary Series, David Platt, Akin
Understand the Bible, Best commentary series, Useful Bible commentary, Bible study tool

God’s Word, Your Guide

Augustine said, “Where Scripture speaks, God speaks.” The Christ-Centered Exposition authors agree. We believe the Word is God-breathed, authoritative and timeless, so we strive to handle text carefully and accurately. This devotional-style commentary series provides pastors with a practical application of God’s written word, exalting Jesus as the hero of every book.

Understand the Bible, Best commentary series, Useful Bible commentary, Bible study tool

Best in class commentary series for Bible study, CSB Bible Commentary, NIV Bible Commentary

Bible questions, Bible application questions, MacArthur Commentary series, Understand the Bible

Editors

Dr. David Platt, Radical, Commentary Editor, Bible study Tool, Preaching tool

Dr. Danny L. Akin, Dr. Daniel Akin, SEBTS President, Bible Theologian, SBC, Souther Baptist

Dr. Tony Merida, Bble teach, Bible Theologian, Bible study Tool, Best commentary series

Dr. David Platt

David Platt serves as Lead Pastor of McLean Bible Church in Washington D.C. He is the founder and chairman of Radical, an international ministry that serves the church for the cause of Christ—to glorify God by making disciples and multiplying churches among all nations. He holds a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, and Something Needs to Change.

Dr. Daniel L. Akin

Dr. Daniel L. Akin is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Arlington and is the author or editor of numerous books and Bible commentaries including Theology for the Church and the New American Commentary on 1, 2, and 3 John.

Dr. Tony Merida

Dr. Tony Merida is lead pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He earned a Ph.D. in preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as Associate Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His books include Faithful Preaching and Orphanology.

Exalting Jesus in Psalms, Psalms Bible commentary , Study the Book of Psalms, Understand Psalms Exalting Jesus in John, John CCE, John Bible commentary, Study the book of John, Gospel Commentary Christ Centered Exposition Jeremiah and lamentations, Commentary of Jeremiah and lamentations Christ Centered Exposition Revelation, Study the book of Revelation, Revelation Bible commentary Christ Centered Exposition Leviticus, Leviticus Bible commentary, Understand Leviticus
Exalting Jesus in Psalms 51-100 Exalting Jesus in John Exalting Jesus in Jeremiah, Lamentations Exalting Jesus in Revelation Exalting Jesus in Leviticus
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Confidence in the truth and power of God’s written Word should prompt pastors and teachers not only to say worthy things about the Bible, but also to preach and teach with faithfulness from the Bible. The Christ-Centered Exposition series helps us to do just that. Theologically rock solid, this series is a clear, practical, and useful guide to the kind of biblical exposition that will please the Lord and build up his church.
 
Timothy George
Founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and general editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture
 
 
There is nothing more helpful to a pastor than resources that are biblically faithful and pastorally applicable.  The Christ-Centered Exposition series hits the bull’s eye. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the Scripture in its context in order to apply it in real life. 
 
Darrin Patrick
Lead pastor of The Journey, St. Louis, and co-author of For the City


David Platt, Tony Akin, and Tony Merida have launched a series that will give a rising generation of pastors a tremendous resource for seeing how all the Scriptures prepare for and proclaim the ministry of Christ. The pastoral focus, the preaching tools and the redemptive insights make this a series of immediate use and great aid to pastors who want to equip their people to serve the Lord in the joyous power of the gospel – rather than in the vain pressures of servile dread or slavish fear.
 
Bryan Chapell
President Emeritus, Covenant Seminary and Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church


James Merrill Hamilton’s contribution to the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series shines as a bright and clear star among all the books that seek to help explain Ezra and Nehemiah. Often overlooked or employed only when a church is undergoing a building program, Ezra-Nehemiah is treated like what is negatively termed the “fly-over” portion of the country—many are glad it is there but have no real reason or desire to visit. However, Hamilton’s work shows that in these books dwell the heartland of the story of the exiled people of God.  This is one commentary worth reading cover to cover and, as you do, you will smile as you see the Lord Jesus shining forth.
 
Jason G. Duesing, Ph.D.
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Assistant Professor of Historical Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 


It's one thing to know Bible stories; it's another to know the story of the Bible. It's one thing to be aware of the story's many heroes; it's another to have met the Hero himself. From the Old Testament that anticipates him, to the Gospels that manifest him, to the Book of Acts that proclaims him, to the Epistles that explain him, and to the Book of Revelation that tells of him coming again, your Bible is about Jesus. That's why I love the vision of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. It models for preachers and teachers how to proclaim—with pastoral focus and exegetical care—the beauty of the gospel from every page of Scripture.

Matt Smethurst
Associate Editor for The Gospel Coalition

Few things are more important for faithful biblical interpretation than reading Scripture in light of its master narrative. The Christ-Centered Exposition series aims to do just that.  In a postmodern age, these commentaries provide pastors and lay people an invaluable resource that is unswervingly committed to the authority of Scripture and the centrality of the Gospel in the Bible’s storyline.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

James Hamilton's newly published commentary on exalting Jesus in Ezra and Nehemiah is both scholarly and accessible, text-centered and warm-hearted—all of which comes through even in this brief interview. As we at The Gospel Coalition are preparing for our national women's conference this summer in which the plenaries will take us right through the book of Nehemiah, I'm especially delighted by the timely arrival of this commentary!  Even as we dig into great helps like these, we can take to heart Hamilton's reminder of the crucial importance of reading and re-reading the biblical text. His comments help inspire us to do that with increased attention and fervor. * * * * * * * * * *  In your introduction, rather than jumping right into the books, you ask your reader to imagine God building a theater. How does that picture help establish your aims for this commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah? Ezra and Nehemiah can be difficult because the authors assume their audience will know the backstory and the importance of the places in which these books are set. That introduction was my attempt to summarize the storyline that leads up to Ezra–Nehemiah in a way that captures the significance of the settings. We can put Shakespeare and Calvin together on this point: all the world's a stage, and the stage stands in the theater of God's glory. To understand Ezra–Nehemiah we have to understand their setting and their contribution to the wider narrative. These authors are assuming their audience will plug their books into the ramshackle narrative begun in earlier Scripture, and they assume their audience will ponder the significance of Israel having returned to the land.  Shakespeare's plays were enacted in the Globe theater as he held the mirror up to nature. The biblical authors set their stories in the real world, and they tell its true story. God built this theater "as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in [Christ]. . . . so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" (Eph. 1:10; 3:10).    The temple rebuilding and rituals are so central in both these books. Could you offer a few summary comments about how we believers today, with no temple in sight, should relate to all these passage about the temple? This is a fascinating aspect of the Bible's theology. After the exodus, Israel used the plundered wealth of Egypt to build the tabernacle. David was not allowed to build the temple, but he set Solomon up to do it by amassing great plunder from the Gentiles he conquered (1 Chron. 29:2–5). In Psalm 68, David brings the building of tabernacle and temple together as he describes the way the building of the temple on Mount Zion means that "Sinai is now in the sanctuary" (Ps. 68:17), then speaks of the use of enemy plunder in the building of God's dwelling place (68:18). In keeping with this pattern, Ezra 1–6 describes how the pagan kings Cyrus and Darius used their wealth to pay for the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:1–11; 6:1–15). God repeatedly builds his dwelling place with enemy plunder.   Jesus, scion of David, came as a carpenter, a builder, asserting that he would build his church (Matt. 16:18). When Paul describes how Christ built the church, he says that Jesus built the church the same way Moses built the tabernacle and Solomon built the temple: with the plunder of the enemy. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 to capture this point, as he describes the way that Jesus came down, bound the strong man, plundered his house, then "gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Eph. 4:11–12). And the body of Christ is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).  So under the old covenant in the days of Ezra–Nehemiah, God dwelt in the temple by his Spirit, and the focal point of God's cause in the world was his dwelling place. Now that Christ has inaugurated the new covenant and the church is the dwelling place of God by the Spirit, the focal point of God's cause in the world is the church.  Believers today can be encouraged to be as zealous for the upbuilding of the church as Ezra and Nehemiah were for the rebuilding of temple and wall.  You're not afraid to use leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah as examples to learn from—and yet you consistently set the text in its larger redemptive context. How have you learned to balance these various approaches? I hope I've learned this approach from the biblical authors themselves! I've also had good teachers, like Tom Schreiner, who helped me see it. Paul uses Israel as a negative example ("we must not . . . as some of them did") in 1 Corinthians 10:6–10, concluding in 10:11, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction." James uses Old Testament figures as examples, exhorting his audience to steadfast patience: "As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job" (James 5:10–11, cf. 5:7–9).  Peter calls believers to follow in the footsteps of Jesus (1 Pet. 3:21) as they endure unjust suffering. Across the Old Testament we see many key figures whose experience of unjust suffering anticipated Jesus, who fulfilled the pattern of the righteous sufferer.  So we have to read the biblical narratives as their authors intended them to be read: they contribute to the grand narrative that begins at creation and consummates in new creation, and they are "written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).   What do you especially love about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah? That in his weeping over the sin of the people (Ezra 10:1), Ezra anticipates the one who would weep over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).  That in his cleansing of the temple (Neh. 13:8–9), Nehemiah anticipates the one who would do that too (Mark 11:15–19).  I love that Ezra—who holds an important post in the Persian Empire—sets his heart to study, do, and teach the Torah of Yahweh (Ezra 7:10).  I love that Nehemiah is a man of prayer saturated in Scripture, that his inspiring call, "Come, let us build the wall!," results in the people strengthening "their hands for the good work" (Neh. 2:17–18). I love the way he labors with sword and trowel, not stopping for a change of clothes (4:17–23); the way he stands fast against Sanballat and Tobiah; and the way he so clearly loves God and God's purposes more than his own life. Your commentary is titled Exalting Jesus in Ezra and Nehemiah. How would you sum up the way Jesus shines forth from these two Old Testament narratives? Here I'd draw attention to the way that Jesus is the issue below the surface even when he isn't the issue on the surface. Two examples, one from each book:  When the people are intermarrying with idolaters in Ezra 9, Ezra says in 9:2 "the holy race [lit. seed] has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands." The preservation of the purity of the seed matters because the Messiah matters. These people have kept genealogies to trace the line of descent from the couple who heard God's words about the seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent's head way back in Genesis 3:15. That line has come down through Abraham, Judah, and David, and if the people intermarry with idolaters the line of descent is endangered. If the line of descent fails, the Messiah will not come, the world will not be saved, and there will never be Christmas. Even though the book of Ezra doesn't spell everything out, we can connect the dots: he is passionate about the purity of Israel because he knows the world's desperate need for Israel's Messiah to accomplish redemption.  The same dynamic is at work in Nehemiah's concern for the building of the wall. Nehemiah cares about the wall because the wall will protect the people. Nehemiah cares about the people because God loves them, because God redeemed them, covenanted with them, and promised to raise up the one who would crush the oppressor for them. If there's no wall, the people will be oppressed, which could lead to them being dispersed, either because they all flee or because they get carried off captive. But if there is a wall, they have protection from enemies without and can enforce the law within. And if they can stand against enemies and live in accordance with Torah, they can preserve the line of descent that flows down from David to Jesus.  In the mystery of God's providence, we have the efforts of Ezra and Nehemiah to thank for our Savior's birth, life, death, and resurrection. God saved us through Jesus, and we see God's sovereignty in tension with human responsibility as we consider how Ezra and Nehemiah worked to ensure that there would be a Joseph and a Mary so there could be a Jesus. They didn't know that would be his name, but it was concern for him, hope for him, that drew Ezra and Nehemiah back to the Scriptures, kept them on their knees, compelled them to call the people to repent, and caused them to seek the rebuilding of people and wall.
We're looking forward to TGCW14, our women's conference, in which the plenary sessions will take us right through the book of Nehemiah with expositional teaching. What words would you have for both teachers and listeners as we all prepare?
Imitate Ezra and Nehemiah! Both men had a deep and rich understanding of earlier Scripture, of the Bible's big story and their place in it. Both men understood their role in the story. Both were men of prayer.  Few things better prepare us for hearing the Bible taught than reading and re-reading the passages that will be exposited. And what could help our study of God's Word more than asking the Lord himself to open our eyes to see wonderful things in his law? 
Read the Bible. Pray for God's help. Understand your role in the unfolding drama. Enjoy! 
 

Kathleen Nielson serves as director of women’s initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. She holds MA and PhD degrees in literature from Vanderbilt University and a BA from Wheaton College. Author of the Living Word Bible studies, she speaks often at women’s conferences and loves working with women in studying the Bible. She shares a heart for students with her husband, Niel, president of Covenant College from 2002 to 2012 and now leading an enterprise developing resources for Christian schools around the world.

About the Author

James M. Hamilton is Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. Before coming to Southern, Dr. Hamilton served as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Houston campus and was the preaching pastor at Baptist Church of the Redeemer. He has written God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology and God's Indwelling Presence: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments along with several other titles, as well as contributing a number of book chapters and scholarly articles. In addition to his role at SBTS, he serves as the preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Holman Reference (June 1, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805496742
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805496741
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.61 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 127 ratings

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James M. Hamilton Jr.

James M. Hamilton Jr.

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Jim Hamilton is Professor of Biblical Theology at Southern Seminary and senior pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church.

He blogs at www.jimhamilton.info, and you can follow him on twitter @DrJimHamilton.

"Hamilton's work represents biblical theology at its best."

--Kevin Vanhoozer

“I was riveted. Never do I sit down and read sixty pages of ANY book that I get in the mail. But I could not stop—could not stop reading and could not stop rejoicing over God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment. It is the kind of overview of redemptive history Edwards wanted to write. It’s what I hoped would be written.”

--John Piper

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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

Tammy
5.0 out of 5 stars Book is excellent
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023
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The book is exactly what I needed, but the delivery was slow.
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Dr. Robert L. Burris
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017
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Dr. Hamilton has done a superb job of interpreting the text, showing a Christ centered historical perspective, encouraging believers to live for Christ, and as a bonus - he has engaging writing style. He covers technical difficulties without becoming burdensome. I have several good commentaries on Ezra-Nehemiah but this one is by the far the most useful. Very highly recommended.
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Thomas G. McIntyre
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights, but more importantly the illustrations and applications ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2014
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Outstanding Commentary. Buy it now. I'm a missionary in Taiwan and this has really ministered to me both personally and professionally. Great insights, but more importantly the illustrations and applications to life are very relevant. This is exactly what a commentary should be. I also have enjoyed James Hamilton's other book on Salvation through Judgement. Great author.
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Tim Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Living in a Poem
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016
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"Exalting Jesus in Ezra and Nehemiah" does a great job of connecting Ezra/Nehemiah to the larger Old Testament and New Testament narrative. It also includes excellent illustrations and applications. Some of my favorite parts are: pretend you've never heard of an acorn or butterfly; God's reality show (a.k.a. Living in a Poem); the "success" of the opponents to the rebuilding of the temple; and “Do you want to change the world?” Home run!
4 people found this helpful
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K&R Farney
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016
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Very helpful, practical and encouraging collection of sermons put into book form.
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Stan Obenhaus
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but Falls Short
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018
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There is much to be gained from James M. Hamilton Jr's commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah. He does a worthy job of setting the two books within the greater history of the Bible and of the ancient world. He explains the political dynamics as well as the cultural and social pressures that Ezra and Nehemiah had to confront. He stresses the unity and continuity of the two books with each other. He always starts with the big picture then explains the details in that context. He even draws lessons from the several lists of names (“All Scripture … is useful …”). Hamilton's commentary is well worth reading for these reasons.

However, Hamilton's commentary falls short of being a “Christ-centered” exposition. This goal seems to be an after thought. He only sporadically mentions Jesus except in the conclusions of each of the chapters. In his discussion of Nehemiah 13 for example he never once even mentions Jesus. The reader must wait until a final chapter after his exposition of the two books is complete to learn of the typological correspondence between Ezra-Nehemiah and Jesus. This was disappointing. It seems that so much more could have been brought to light regarding the role these these two books in the greater redemptive story of the Bible that culminates in Jesus.
9 people found this helpful
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BM
5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2015
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Along with Derek Kidner's commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah this is other commentary I have fallen back onto while studying and preaching through Nehemiah. Why I value this work especially is because of its Christological focus.
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D. G. Gloria
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2014
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Excellent book series, good for self study and teaching groups.
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Top reviews from other countries

bdezz
5.0 out of 5 stars Good thinking commentary
Reviewed in Canada on February 22, 2016
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Another topical book but with substance. Reminds me of a group of sermons but with more content. Quick and easy read. Authors draw in related ideas from the Bible that give more depth to understanding Nehemiah. A very good companion to Packer's, "A passion for faithfulness: Wisdom from the book of Nehemiah" if the reader wants to get as much out of Nehemiah as possible.

Each chapter unpacks a chapter in Nehemiah and provides an overview of the what it's about and finishes with useful, more penetrating questions for discussion and examination beyond personal opinion. Suitable for individual and group study and for causing me to think beyond the confines of my own comfortable but limited knowledge, experience and maturity. That's not to say this book is for dummies of which I'm one. It's not (and I'm not). As I said, it makes me think and it makes me want to find out more, two ingredients for a useful and appreciable, expository study.
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Gordon Smyrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly excellent new series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
This new series of "commentaries" is truly excellent. I've bought a number of them for use in teaching our young, aspiring leaders. They are just what we were looking for.

I've put the word "commentaries" in quotes because they are not what you would normally expect from commentaries. For a start they are eminently readable and understandable. They are not written in Theologically complex language, but they ARE Theologically sound and from an Evangelical standpoint. The authors have the knack of introducing complex ideas in a straightforward manner and without the need for lots of jargon.

Each chapter is gauged to provide someone with the background they need to prepare a sermon or a Bible Study. In other words they are written in "bite-sized" chunks.

The only niggle I have (and it is a very minor one) is that the only hint at what the structure of a book might be is the contents page. That said, I can highly recommend these books to anyone responsible for raising up a new generation of leaders.
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