Application Questions:

Was the letter and its requests legitimate? How accountable are God’s people to governing authorities? Is there a place for civil disobedience?

Were the Jewish leaders honest about their past? What can be learned from their self-evaluation? How has your past and your family history shaped who you are?

Did the Jews have a legal right to rebuild the Temple?

One commentator wrote about this letter, “History is a dialogue between God and humankind.” Do you agree? In what providential ways was God working behind the scenes?