I've moved on now to Esther, which is as easy as any.You could have done one post since both books were originally one. Yet I look forward to your presentation of Ezra.
But seemingly their deeper devotion still tripped over Israel's classic Stumbling Block of Self-Salvation, as it does even today.Yes, but in their defense, even the Disciples who walked with Christ for 3 years stumbled with it. It's hardly fair to expect the Scholars at the time of the return from exile to understood it 400 years before Christ was even born.
What a dense lot they were: "Well, gollllllly, Christ's atonement even counted for the Gentiles! Whodathunkit?"
Now by the time Christ showed up
Job got it, 2200 years before. Even Isaiah was confused over self-salvation, arguing for it in one breath while extolling grace with the next. Satan always provides a full smorgasboard of preoccupations and excuses: take your pick and help yourself!