September 2015 Bible Study Companion

The Bible Study Companion

Reflections, questions, and observations on God’s Holy Word

September

More than a Bible reading plan, the Bible Study Companion goes beyond a mere reading of the Word. The Bible Study Companion asks difficult questions about the text. It searches for a deeper meaning behind the stories and events in the Bible. In addition, it helps bring clarity to some confusing passages in the Bible.

The Bible Study Companion is a series of 365 daily readings that walks you through the Bible in Chronological order.

How to use the Bible Study Companion: Read the daily scripture using the translation of your choice.

For insight, observations and questions about each day’s passage refer to the study notes in this guide.

Make notes and ask questions as you study the Bible as well.

Presented by Gregory L. Jones, Pastor West York Church of the Brethren http://www.westyorkcob.org

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September September 1: Psalm 137, 1 Chronicles 5 Psalm 137 •

The emotions in this Psalm swing from a deep sense of loss to a deep sense of revenge. If this Psalm was written near the end of the Babylonian exile, perhaps the psalmist desired that Persia also attack Edom; hoping that she would be captured and destroyed for her cutting remarks 70 years earlier. Perhaps the psalmist had misplaced anger. Although Edom stood on the sidelines cheering for Jerusalem’s fall, it was Babylon that fought the war.

1 Chronicles 5 •

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 Reuben’s fall from grace is mentioned here, helping people understand why Judah and not Reuben received the right of the firstborn.

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1 Chronicles 5:3-10 The family of Reuben lived all along the eastern portion of the Jordan River (the Trans-Jordon); from Mt. Hermon in the north to an area southeast of the Dead Sea. The Old Testament calls this the land of Bashan, Gilead, Ammon, Moab, and Edom.

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1 Chronicles 5:11-17 The Family of Gad is listed nowhere else in the Bible. It seems the writer of Chronicles was able to assemble this list of names from documents that had been compiled during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (793-753 B.C.)

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1 Chronicles 5:18-22 This military encounter took place during the reign of King Saul, perhaps during his wars with the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:1-11).

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1 Chronicles 5:23-26 The fate of these three tribes is explained here. One had the tendency to forget that some of Israel lived east of the Jordan. The nation was more than the tribes to the north (Israel) and the tribes in the south (Judah). When Israel fell to Assyria, this included the tribes living in the Trans-Jordon region.

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September 2: 1 Chronicles 7-8 1 Chronicles 7 •

I Chronicles 7:1-5 The writer continues to trace the families of Israel. These verses list some of the descendants of Issachar.

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1 Chronicles 7:6-12 This is an abbreviated listing of Benjamin. Genesis 46:21 mentions 10, although some of them might have been grandsons. The Chronicler devotes chapter 8 to the expanded listing, concentrating mostly on Bela, who just happened to be King Saul’s ancestor (1 Chronicles 8:33).

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1 Chronicles 7:13 The Tribe of Naphtali is given only one verse.

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1 Chronicles 7:14-19 Manasseh’s descendants are not listed in Genesis since he was a child of Joseph. Of note is the mention of Zelophehad, who had only daughters. This is the family mentioned in Numbers 36:1-9.

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1 Chronicles 7:20-29 The incident mentioned here probably took place while Israel was still in Egypt. The Philistines in Gath must have caught these two rebellious boys raiding the livestock back in Canaan. It seems that some Israelites still traveled back and forth between Egypt and Canaan. This would explain how Ephraim’s daughter Sheerah could establish two towns back in Canaan even though the nation, as a whole, still lived in Egypt. Joshua was a descendant of Ephraim.

1 Chronicles 8 •

1 Chronicles 8:1-5 If you try to compare the list of names here with the Benjamin listing in chapter 7, you’ll notice a difference. This section becomes an expanded listing, apparently to draw the line from Benjamin to Saul.

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1 Chronicles 8:6 This is not the same Ehud who became a Judge. Ehud the Judge was the son of Gera. This Ehud was the son of Jediael (1 Chronicles 7:10).

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1 Chronicles 8:8 The tribe of Benjamin seemed a rather unruly sort. Siblings attacking one another (see verse 7), and now divorce.

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1 Chronicles 8:21 It is possible that this is the same Shimei who insulted King David (2 Samuel 16:5-13). He was from the tribe of Benjamin, and a relative of Saul.

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1 Chronicles 8:29-40 I’m not sure why the Chronicler felt it necessary to trace the heritage of Saul. Because of his disobedience he lost the honor of Kingship for himself and his descendants. But at least we able to keep track of his offspring, just in case we need to know.

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1 Chronicles 8:34 This Merib-baal is better known as Mephibosheth, the boy with the crippled feet that David cared for (2 Samuel 4:4).

September 3: Daniel 4, Ezekiel 40 Daniel 4 •

Daniel records a letter here written by Nebuchadnezzar. It’s pretty clear that Nebuchadnezzar wrote this letter to the Kings of the World after the events of this chapter had concluded. This dream and the events that followed are pretty fantastic, but I don’t want to discuss the details of this event. However, I do want to point out two things that this story seems to infer. First of all, it appears that Nebuchadnezzar’s reverence for God would come and go. I mean, he still called Daniel by the name of his god (Bel is another name for the god Marduk, and Daniel was called Belteshazzar). He also felt the spirit of the gods lived in Daniel. So even though Nebuchadnezzar had glorified God in two earlier occasions, it seems the seed planted in this King’s heart fell among the rocky soil (see Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:5-6). Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was still not prepared for God’s message to take root. So God keeps chiseling away.

God continued to knock this king down until he would praise and honor God as supreme. However, after his seven years of madness, he seems to have had a change of heart. It seems this time he genuinely revered God; he praised God and honored the King of heaven. These verbs indicate continued action. And he even admitted that God was right in dealing with him in this way. This sounds like the heart of a regenerated man.

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The second thing that occurs to me in this story is how God orchestrated events to make sure a righteous man would be able to stand before this Gentile king and speak God’s truth. What are the chances that the Best of the Best would end up in a place of prominence before a powerful king like Nebuchadnezzar? What are the chances that God would send a dream to haunt this king, and that one of the people he captured would be gifted with the ability to interpret dreams? None of this happened by chance.

God was orchestrating these events. God brought Daniel to Babylon for just this very purpose; so that he might give God a voice among the pagan Gentile people. In a way, what God was doing to Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, He would do years later for the whole world. What the church though was persecution was actually God’s way of dispersing the Best of the Best throughout the world, giving God a voice among those pagan Gentile nations that had never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. This kind of makes you look at trials a little differently.

Ezekiel 40 •

Ezekiel 40:1 At the time of the Exodus, Israel’s New Year began between the months of April and May (month of Nisan). But in later years the New Year began between the months of October and November (Tishri). So the date would have been either April 28, 573 BC, or October 22, 573 BC. That date in October was also the Day of Atonement.

The next three chapters describe what this new Temple will be like. It is called the Millennial Temple because when Israel rebuilds this Temple it will usher in the millennial reign of Christ.

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Ezekiel 40:5-16 This section describes the East Gateway (G on the following map).

Please take note of its size. This entrance hallway, from the time you climb the steps to the time you pass into the Outer Courtyard, is 87 ½ feet long. This should give you an idea of the size of this new Temple.

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Ezekiel 40:17-19 This section describes the Outer Courtyard. Again note the size. The area in front of the main Temple is nearly the size of three football fields.

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Ezekiel 40:20-27 Since the Temple will face East, the North Gate is on the right, and the South Gate is on the left, according to the map on the next page.

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Ezekiel 40:28-37 These gateways to the Inner Courtyard (G on Map) were similar in size and construction to the outer gateways.

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Ezekiel 40:38-43 According to this section, animal sacrifices will be reinstituted during the Millennium. However, some claim that this Temple reference is not to be taken literally but figuratively. Actually, there is no theological problem with the Animal Sacrifice. Even in Old Testament times the animal sacrifice did not save a person, only Christ can accomplish that. No one in Israel was ever saved because they offered a lamb or a goat at the Temple. They were saved by grace through faith. The sacrifice merely helped restore their fellowship with God. Even after the Church began, believers

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continued to worship at the Temple (Acts 21:26). The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes the argument this way: Levitical sacrifices were connected with Israel’s worship

of God. When the church supplanted Israel in God’s program (cf. Rom. 11:11-24) a new economy or dispensation began. The Levitical sacrificial system, which looked forward to Christ, was replaced by the Lord’s Supper, which looked back to His death and forward to His second coming (1 Cor. 11:24, 26). At Christ’s second coming Israel will again assume her place of prominence in God’s kingdom program (cf. Rom. 11:25-27).

The Lord’s Supper will be eliminated, because Christ will have returned. It will be replaced by animal sacrifices, which will be memorials or object lessons of the supreme sacrifice made by the Lamb of God. The slaughtering of these animals will be vivid reminders of the Messiah’s suffering and death. 1 •

Ezekiel 40:44-46 These rooms for the priests are located alongside the Inner Court (RP on the map).

September 4: Ezekiel 41-43 Ezekiel 41 •

This chapter describes the building that houses the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.

This design is similar to the one Solomon built but on a larger scale. As I was reading this section, I was amazed that in this vision Ezekiel was able to remember all these precise measurements. Only by the power of the Spirit would I have been able to record all these things with such accuracy

Ezekiel 42 •

These rooms and measurement are depicted on the map (previous page, labeled as PC). And the overall dimensions of this Temple are given as well. But beyond the size and the location and the descriptions of what things will look like, I still have to wonder about this Temple’s function. I imagine you have the same questions. If Christ has atoned for all our sin, and if my guilt is taken away by merely confessing my sin, then

1 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Eze 40:38–43). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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why would I have to bring a sin offering or guilt offering? If Christ mediates on my behalf, why would I need a peace offering or a fellowship offering? And since I am a Gentile, will I be required to worship God as a Jew? Honestly, I could speculate all day long and still not arrive at an answer. The only reasonable explanation that comes to mind is that this will be God’s way of restoring Israel to its former glory. It will be symbolic of the days when God did dwell among the people of Israel. All of this will be for their benefit, and that’s okay for me. I will rejoice when the elder son receives his promised inheritance. And who knows, if I’m around during this time, maybe I might just enjoy it!

Ezekiel 43

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Ezekiel 43:1-12 Although this particular Temple was not built once Israel returned from captivity, this image and the idea of God returning to dwell among the nation would have become a strong motivator for the people to mend their wicked ways. At one time in Israel’s history, there was a great reverence for the Temple and for God. But over time that sense of holiness faded away. No one seemed to revere God or the place that He would dwell. I think Ezekiel was told to go back and describe this New Temple to the people to give them hope and assurance. Ezekiel, it seems, was called to cast a vision before the people. Although the Temple they rebuilt did not match the splendor of Solomon’s, Zerubbabel’s Temple (as it was called) was still erected. And the people do make an attempt to remove sin from their lives and live in holiness. Maybe this image was designed to put some passion and zeal for God back into the heart of Israel.

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Ezekiel 43:13-17 Dimensions of the new altar are given here. I sure hope none of the new priests are afraid of heights. With no railing around the edge (just a gutter), a priest's head might spin standing 18 feet off the ground.

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Ezekiel 43:18-27 One of the first events to take place in the new Temple and upon this new Altar is a purification ritual similar to the ceremony performed by Moses (Exodus

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40:10) and Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:8-9). It’s important to keep in mind that this event will happen sometime in the future; a time after Christ paid the atonement for sin. So this purification ceremony will not be done to remove sin from the people but mark the resumption of Israel’s fellowship with God. To a Gentile, these traditions seem pointless. Our fellowship with God is not tied to these kinds of activities. And yet even we Gentile Believers have certain rituals and ceremonies that we observe to remind us of our fellowship with God. In my denomination we observe what is known as Love Feast; a ceremony that depicts the whole Upper Room experience between Christ and His Apostles. A person does not find forgiveness of sin by engaging in this activity, but it does remind them of their fellowship with God and their fellowship with other believers. I think we need to look past the sacrifice and instead see the fellowship behind these instructions God gave Ezekiel.

September 5: Ezekiel 44-46 Ezekiel 44 •

Ezekiel 44:1-3 The Eastern Gate of the New Temple is to remain closed to everyone except the prince. He alone will be allowed to tread where God has walked. This prince, as we have seen earlier, cannot be Jesus. The prince will offer sacrifices to purify himself (Ezekiel 45:22), and Jesus, being sinless, should not need to be purified.

As suggested earlier (Exodus 34:23), it seems that David will be the prince.

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Ezekiel 44:4-9 Just in case anyone in captivity wondered why God was so upset with Israel, He gives some of the reasons here. There was no reverence for God’s dwelling place, so consequently no reverence for God. And considering where God now dwells (1 Corinthians 6:19), perhaps we should be treating ourselves (and other believers) a little better.

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Ezekiel 44:10-14 Because some Levites did not truly act as a shepherd to the people, God would diminish their responsibilities. There are consequences for allowing the flock to wander away, and faithful to His word, God will hold them accountable for their lack of care and concern.

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Ezekiel 44:15-31 Zadok was Chief Priest when Solomon built his Temple so he would have been the first Levite to lead the people in the Temple ceremonies. God says that only these descendants are allowed to serve in this capacity. God also repeats several Mosaic Laws concerning the priest in this section as well.

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Throughout the years that Israel and Judah fell away from God, the descendants of Zadok remained faithful to God. 1 Chronicles 6:8-15 lists the descendants of Zadok, and records that this family did indeed serve as faithful priests up until the Babylonian Exile. After Israel returned and a new Temple was built, the descendants of Zadok continued to serve as high priests until 171 BC. After that, a group of Hellenizers (people who embraced the Greek culture) assumed power but then lost it during the Hasmonean revolt (this revolt is celebrated during Hanukkah). The Dead Sea Scrolls, (written by a monastic group of Jews that arose after the Hasmonean takeover of the high-priesthood) repeatedly emphasizes that only those descended from Zadok are allowed to serve as priests.

Ezekiel 45 •

Ezekiel 45:1-8 The land mentioned here will not be all of Israel. This basically becomes the borders of Jerusalem; a city about 8.3 miles square on each side. It will consist of an equal portion for the priests and the Levites (both 8.3 miles long and 3.3 miles wide) as well as a section for other residents (8.3 miles long and 1.6 miles wide).

There will also be land allocated for the prince (and princes), lest they become greedy for the people’s land. In Old Testament times, the priests and the Levites lived scattered throughout the land. Here it says that they will live around the Temple.

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Ezekiel 45:9-12 God sets standards of measurement; Ephah being a dry measurement and Bath being a liquid measurement. A Bath equaled about 5 gallons and an Ephah about half a bushel. A homer represented about 50 gallons, or six bushels, and may have referred to what is known as a “Donkey’s Load”. The Hebrew word Homer is possibly related to the Hebrew word for Donkey ( Hamor).

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Ezekiel 45:13-17 Did you notice this? The prince is to supply the items for the sacrifice.

The people are supposed to give to him, and he then takes from what he has been given and gives to God. Now I know much of this seems to point to a future time and a

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future Temple and a future Israel, but please keep in mind that when Israel returned from exile she would not be ruled by a king. Governors would lead the nation. Maybe these instructions were not just for the distant future but for when Israel comes home from Babylon as well. Maybe this was a call to those who would lead Israel to take that responsibility seriously; to recognize that they stand before God responsible for the entire nation.

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Ezekiel 45:18-25 Israel is instructed to celebrate three main celebrations; New Year celebration, Passover, and the Feast of Tabernacles. But why did Ezekiel omit the other celebrations (Pentecost, Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement)? Maybe it’s because God has a different plan for Israel, and these three other Feats would be unnecessary. Or maybe I’m just reading more into this than I should. I mean, God is specific on the things that actually matter, and maybe I shouldn’t be making a fuss about something that doesn’t really matter at all.

Ezekiel 46 •

Ezekiel 46:1-15 These instructions for worship at the new Temple seem very specific and regimented. What happens in the Temple is to be done in an orderly fashion. I guess when we consider the vast number or people present, order seems to make sense, like coming through one door and leaving by another. But instead of there being a gate marked in and another marked out, the text simply says a person should exit the opposite door through which they entered (Ezekiel 46:8-9). So you would have people coming and going through the same gateway. What is the point? Is there some spiritual significance to this? Or is this simply an instruction to make sure a person walks through instead of turning back and creating a traffic jam? I honestly don’t know.

My guess is that all these instruction are given to merely preserve order.

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Ezekiel 46:16-18 Unlike what had happened in the past, the prince is given his own land to give away as he sees fit. But he may not take any land from the people of Israel. Remember what Ahab did to Naboth (1 Kings 21:1-16)?

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Ezekiel 46:19-24 There is a significant reference to holiness made in this section (Ezekiel 46:20). The kitchens in the new Temple are toward the rear, located along the western side. Presumably, the only people traveling this part would the priests who are

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on duty. The rest of those in attendance would remain out by the front courtyard. The Hebrew in this verse speaks of mixing, so it could be said that the kitchens are placed back and out of the way so these offerings are not mixed. But not mixed with what?

According to Old Testament instructions, a portion of these offerings belong to God and a portion belongs to the priests. What is offered to God is burnt at the Altar. What is given to the priests is cooked in the kitchen. The two do not become mixed. I do not know how this mixing of offerings would transmit holiness to the people, but it does seem clear that this was a way to keep separate what belonged to God and what belonged to men.

September 6: Ezekiel 47-48 Ezekiel 47 •

Ezekiel 47:1-12 Will this be a literal river or is this merely symbolic of the work of Christ out into the world? Well, we’ve taken everything else at face value, why not this. It will truly be a miraculous stream, beginning small and shallow, but growing deeper the further it travels. It doesn’t seem to be fed by side streams, although Zechariah says the water will divide (Zechariah 14:8). This water will bring life to everything it touches, which reminds me of Christ’s words to the woman at the well (John 4:13-14). I suppose if we wanted to make any symbolic reference to this river it would be Jesus. He does bring life to everything He touches. Even that which is lifeless can be restored to life by the power of Jesus.

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Ezekiel 47:1323 Perhaps this map might help explain this section a bit more clearly.

Ezekiel 48 •

I think this map and it’s outline help make this chapter a bit more clear..

September 7: Daniel 7-8, Daniel 5 Daniel 7 •

Daniel 7:1 This vision (or dream) came to Daniel in about 553 BC when Belshazzar ruled as coregent with his father, Nabonidus. What’s interesting is that this helps us determine Daniel’s age when he was thrown into the lion’s den. When Daniel received this vision he was about 68 years old, for Daniel was probably only 16 when he was taken captive in 605 BC. Darius the Mede began to rule in Babylon 14 years later in

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539 BC. Daniel would have been around 82 years old when he was thrown into the Lion’s Den. The Flannelgraphs in Sunday School got Daniel’s character all wrong.

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In the dream that follows, it’s best to read this in a Bible translation that is more literal than interpretive. I’ve found the interpretations leave out a few key elements. For example in Daniel 7:2 the NLT simply says that strong winds blew from every direction.

But the NASB says that “the four winds of Heaven were stirring up the great sea.” What makes this significantly different is that the word winds can also refer to spirits or angels (compare Revelation 7:1). If we apply this meaning to the text, then the stirring of the sea was not merely by chance. God was the one who awakened the beasts from the sea. This seems to fit with Daniels’ claim to Belshazzar that God is the one who causes kingdoms to rise and fall (see Daniel 5:21).

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Daniel 7:4 Daniel said that these four beasts represent four kingdoms (Daniel 7:14).

So we need to use that bit of information to guide us in our interpretation. A lion and an eagle were used to represent Babylon (Jeremiah 4:7, 13). The violent plucking of its wings may refer to Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity or the deterioration of the kingdom after he died. The image of this lion being made to stand on its feet and given the heart of a man may symbolize that this King lost his beastly attitude and began to show compassion. This seems to fit with Nebuchadnezzar’s change of attitude after his period of insanity.

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Daniel 7:5 The Bear seems to represent the Medo-Persian Empire (see Amos 5:19).

The fact that one side seemed to be stronger is revealed historically by the fact that the Persian Empire was much more organized than the Medes. The three ribs may represent Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon; the three great empires that had fallen. Or it might be Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt, three nations conquered by the Medes and Persians. Both views work, but I tend to believe it was the empires that had fallen before the Medo-Persian Empire rose to power. That just seems to fit with the theme here.

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Daniel 7:6 This Leopard had swiftness beyond its natural ability, considering the addition of four wings. Like the other beasts, the leopard was a predator. And what it would devour (or conquer) would happen quickly. Greece conquered the entire Medo-

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Persian Empire between 334 and 330 BC. A few years after Alexander died, his kingdom was divided into four parts (compare Daniel 8:8, 22).

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Daniel 7:7 This beast is not given a description. Perhaps it was a combination of the three other beasts (see Revelation 13:2). Notice what this beast did. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder. Whatever was left from these former kingdoms was assimilated into this new one.

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Daniel 7:8 The ten horns represented 10 kings (see Daniel 7:24). The little horn that began to grow was noted for its intelligence (eyes of a man) and for its blasphemy.

What nation did this beast represent? And who were these kings? Be patient. I’ll get to that in a bit.

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Daniel 7:9-12 It’s interesting that Daniel’s vision of God’s throne (the Ancient of Days) is similar to Ezekiel’s (notice the wheels in verse 9). As God takes His seat upon this throne (an image reflecting what a king would do when he was about to judge), books were opened before Him. And in God’s Courtroom this final beast is judged and then destroyed. The very God who grants power to the world’s kingdoms will also judge those world kingdoms. It’s also interesting that the other beasts had merely been conquered; allowed to exist, but ruled by another. But this final beast (kingdom) is destroyed. It seems this event will end what is known as the Time of the Gentiles (see Luke 21:24), and usher in the Kingdom of Christ; a kingdom that will never end. For all its boasting, this last kingdom and its loud-mouthed ruler will be overthrown. Kind of like what God did to Assyria and Sennacherib (Isaiah 37:10-13).

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Daniel 7:13-14 A few key things to note about this Son of Man. He did not arise from the Great Sea like the other kings, but instead came to the Ancient of Day on a cloud from heaven. Rather than being birthed from the earth, this King is birthed in Heaven.

Also, this King did not look like a beast. He resembled a man. Rather than ruling like a wild animal, this King will rule with civility, wisdom, and all the other characteristics that separate a man from an animal. This Kingdom will be given to the Son of Man after the final beast is destroyed; when the time of the Gentiles comes to an end. As we look at the world right now it’s easy to see that the time of the Gentiles has not concluded. So this Kingdom of Christ has yet to be established. And yet God is in the process of

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preparing a people who will be ruled by the Son of Man. In a way Christ does rule in a Kingdom, except that it is a spiritual Kingdom. He rules in the heart and soul of all who surrender to Him as Lord. For now, those who call Him Lord live as aliens in a foreign land. One day here on earth people will be able to live in Christ’s physical Kingdom upon this earth.

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Daniel 7:15-28 I appreciate that the vision was explained, but frankly, I wish we were given names. However, even though these kingdoms remain nameless in the Bible, it’s not too difficult to name them. Consider the following maps:

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Because these words of hope were spoken to Daniel while in exile, we need to keep in mind that this dream (or vision) was given so he and his people would not lose hope.

Israel was being disciplined, and it began with the rise of the first beast, the Lion of Babylon. I know it’s tempting to think about this vision in light of current world events, but we have to remember that the Church had not been birthed at this time. So the Saints God is speaking about here are His people; the sons and daughters of Israel.

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Although Daniel could make sense out of the first three beasts (Kingdoms) it was the fourth beast and the boastful horn that left him puzzled. Several characteristics of this boastful horn are given:

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1. It came after the ten kings (horns) had ruled, and it was one of their contemporaries. It would exist at the same time these other ten would exist.

2. It would uproot and replace 3 of the other kings.

3. It would be intelligent.

4. It would be boastful, and try to change Jewish customs.

5. He would persecute the Saints (meaning the Jewish People).

6. He will overpower Israel.

7. He will be judged by God. Once freed from this king, Israel will again be blessed.

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When the Hordes from the north conquered Rome in the 5 century, they did not unite to form another empire. Instead the Roman Empire was divided, and several nations emerged, many who still exist today. Sometime later (and no period of time is given), this little horn (or king, or kingdom) will rise to power. At first this king will appear as Israel’s friend (9:27), but will eventually overthrow Israel and make Jerusalem his capitol for 3 ½ years (Times = 1 year. Times = two years. Half a time = six months).

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As this looks forward to the time known at the Tribulation, it seems from Daniel’s vision that Israel will be the recipient of this trial, but what of the Church? Will the church suffer with Israel as well? That’s the question many scholars toss back and forth.

Some say it will be the Church because the Church is now the recipient of God’s Grace.

Others say no because these words were given to Daniel before the rise of the Church.

From a theological aspect, the Church did not replace Israel. God’s promises did not transfer to the Church once Christ rose from the dead. The Church actually was adopted into God’s family. So it seems that the Church will participate in the same persecutions that Israel will face, just not the tribulations. Regardless of your interpretation, one thing is certain; no one who displays faith in God should fear the Tribulation. The rise of this boastful horn should give us courage. For although he may make things difficult on earth, God will shut the mouth of this king and usher in the Kingdom of Christ upon this earth. The Boastful Horn (that arrogant king) is the one who should fear the Tribulation, not you and me.

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Some people feel that the “little horn” has already appeared in the past. Based on Daniel’s vision, this view is wrong because we’ve not seen a ruler gain worldwide status (7:23), subdue 3 of 10 kings who were ruling at once (Daniel 7:24), persecute Israel (Daniel 7:21) for three and one-half years (Daniel 7:25), and then be destroyed forever (Daniel 7:26) by Christ’s return. Some people think of Hitler and the way he came to power, but he was not defeated by the return of Christ. And some people think of the Pope, but the Catholic Church has existed a lot longer than 3 ½ years, never concentrated on persecuting Israel, nor been destroyed by Christ’s return.

Daniel 8 •

Daniel 8:1-2 Two years after Daniel’s vision in chapter 7, he has this vision. Susa is one of the Royal cities in Persia, 200 miles east of Babylon. What’s notable is that a hundred years after this vision, the Persian king Xerxes will build a magnificent palace there, and form the backdrop for the events that are mentioned in the book of Esther (see Esther 1:2). And Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer in the Susa palace (Neh. 1:1).

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Daniel 8:3-12 So in this vision Daniel sees that a king will arise (similar to the fourth beast in chapter 7) who will subjugate the people and land of Israel, desecrated her temple, interrupted her worship, and demanded for himself the authority and worship that belongs to God. But the real question is when, and who? So Jesus (the one speaking with the human voice in Daniel 8:16), tells Gabriel to give Daniel the answer.

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Daniel 8:19 What is called the time of wrath has been made known as the Time of the Gentiles; that period of time between Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of Christ. We need to keep in mind that from God’s point of view, the events of the world are secondary. What is primary to God is what happens to His people. So, all the events of this world center on what happens in His nation to His chosen people, not the other way around.

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Daniel 8:20-21 The two-horned ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The Shaggy Goat represents Greece. The first horn best represents Alexander the Great who defeated the Medo-Persian Empire in a speedy conquest. He quickly conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia (in 334 BC). Also, as Daniel was shown in his

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dream, the Persians were helpless to resist him (Daniel 8:7). History indicates that Alexander died of malaria and complications from alcoholism in 323 BC at the age of 32 in Babylon. At the height of his power he was cut off (Daniel 8:8).

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Daniel 8:22 Because Alexander had no children, the kingdom was divided and given to his four generals (four horns). But the divided kingdom did not have the same power it had enjoyed under Alexander. Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor.

Cassander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia, and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander’s empire which included Syria, Israel, and Mesopotamia.2

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Daniel 8:23-25 According to The Bible Knowledge Commentary, The king referred to

here is known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. After murdering his brother, who had inherited the throne in the Seleucid dynasty, he came to power in 175 BC. In 170 BC. Ptolemy VI of Egypt sought to recover territory then ruled over by Antiochus. So Antiochus invaded Egypt and defeated Ptolemy VI and proclaimed himself king in Egypt. This was his growth “in power to the south”. On his return from this conquest, trouble broke out in Jerusalem so he decided to subdue Jerusalem. The people were subjugated, the temple desecrated, and the temple treasury plundered. From this conquest Antiochus returned to Egypt in 168 but was forced by Rome to evacuate Egypt. On his return he determined to make the land of Israel a buffer state between himself and Egypt. He attacked and burned Jerusalem; killing multitudes (see Daniel 8:10). The Jews were forbidden to follow the Mosaic Law in observing the Sabbath, their annual feasts, and traditional sacrifices, and circumcision of children (see Daniel 8:11). Altars to idols were set up in Jerusalem and on December 16, 167 BC the Jews were ordered to offer unclean sacrifices and to eat swine’s flesh or be penalized by death. (Though his friends called him Epiphanes [“the Illustrious One”] the Jews called him Epimanes [“the Madman”].)3 2 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Da 8:22). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

3 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Da 8:23–25). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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Daniel 8:26 The rule of this madman was to last a set amount of time, 2300 days as this verse indicates. We could view this as literal days (a little more than six years), or as an indication of how many daily sacrifices are prohibited. If we look at the six-year view, Antiochus invaded Jerusalem in 170 BC. Judas Maccabeus purified the Temple in 164 BC. If we view it from the amount of sacrifices prohibited, the time works as well.

At two sacrifices a day, we come up with 1,150 sacrifices; three years on the Jewish calendar. Antiochus desecrated the Temple on December 16, 167 BC, so the three year interpretation works as well.

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There is one particular verse that makes the interpretation of Antiochus alone a little difficult. Daniel 8:25 speaks of this king opposing the Prince of princes. Well, the Prince of princes can only be Christ Himself, and Antiochus didn’t live to see the day Jesus was born. Many scholars believe this vision speaks also of an event yet to be fulfilled. Antiochus merely foreshadowed an Antichrist who is yet to come, and by these events in the past we can learn something of what to expect in the future. This ruler who will oppose Christ will:

1. Achieve great power by subduing others 2. Rise to power by promising security 3. He will be intelligent and persuasive 4. He will be controlled by another (by Satan) 5. He will be an adversary against Israel and rule over her 6. He will rise up in opposition to Jesus 7. His rule will end through divine judgment Daniel 5 •

Daniel simply says Many Years Later. But those many years stretched at least from the death of Nebuchadnezzar (562 BC) until Belshazzar began to rule about 24 years later (553 BC). When Nebuchadnezzar died, his son Evil-Merodach ruled for only two years (see 2 Kings 25:27-30). He was murdered in August 560 by Neriglissar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law. Neriglissar then ruled four years. When he died, his

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young son Labashi-Marduk ruled, but only for two months (May and June 556) before he was assassinated and succeeded by Nabonidus, who reigned 17 years (556-539 BC). Nabonidus was absent from Babylon for 10 of his 17 years, from 554 through 545.

In Haran he restored the temple of the moon god Sin, and then he attacked Edom and conquered parts of Arabia where he then lived for some time. Belshazzar was Nabonidus’ oldest son and was appointed by his father as his coregent. All of that is summarized by Daniel’s words “many years later”.

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Daniel 5:1 At the time of this feast, Babylon was being besieged by the Persian army, led by Ugbaru of Gutium. Instead of calling the people to action, Belshazzar throws a great feast. That’s pretty pointless.

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Daniel 5:2 These items would have been used in God’s Temple back in Jerusalem.

They would have been sacred objects that honored the God of Israel. This act of blasphemy might have been done on purpose. If Nebuchadnezzar truly did have a change of heart about God, then the worship of pagan gods may have stopped in Babylon. Perhaps this is why Belshazzar’s father (Nabonidus) worked so hard to restore pagan worship back to the land. And this act would have been a way to defy the God of Israel; the God Nebuchadnezzar apparently honored.

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Daniel 5:7-12 Does any of this remind you of what happened to Joseph (Genesis 41:814)? This Queen Mother was probably Belshazzar’s grandmother, who would have been quite familiar with what Daniel was able to do.

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Daniel 5:13 Either Daniel had lost his place of prominence given to him by Nebuchadnezzar, or Belshazzar was purposefully trying to belittle him. He calls Daniel a Judean prisoner, not a man of prominence and honor. Daniel apparently picks up on this slander because he tells the king to keep his promised rewards (Daniel 5:17).

Daniel didn’t need the king’s junk or his respect. Daniel desired that the king show some respect and honor for God, which just might happen quite soon.

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Daniel 5:18-24 You preach it Daniel. I love a man who shows no fear before those who can only take away life. This is why I keep calling Daniel the Best of the Best. A weaker man would not have spoken the truth, especially a truth that offends. A lesser man would have softened the blow lest he anger the king. This is why God brought

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Daniel to this place; to stand and speak the hard words that people needed to hear.

Remember that there were over 1,000 people gathered in that place (unless some went running out in fear). This is the kind of servants God needs to stand in His pulpits Sunday after Sunday. When there is a truth to proclaim, God is looking for His faithful servants to speak that truth, even if it convicts and brings shame. Without conviction there can be no repentance. And without repentance there can be no salvation.

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Daniel 5:30-31 Keep in mind that while all of this was happening, the city was still under siege. Babylon anticipated this, and had stored enough supplies to last for 20 years.

They had plenty of water as well, since the Euphrates River ran through the city from north to south. That’s why Belshazzar had a false sense of security. But the Persian army diverted the water north of the city by digging a canal from the river to a nearby lake. And when the water receded, the soldiers were able to enter the city by going under the sluice gate. Since no one in Babylon was guarding the walls, the Persians were able to conquer the city without a fight. This not only fulfills Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 5:28) but also a prophecy made by Isaiah (Isaiah 47:1-5). The overthrow of Babylon took place the night of the 16th of Tishri (October 12, 539 BC).

September 8: Daniel 6, Daniel 9, Ezra 1 Daniel 6 •

Daniel 6:1 This is one of those verses that make people question the Bible, or at least the historical accuracy of Daniel. There is no historical evidence outside of the Bible for a King named Darius the Mede. However (I always seem to find a “However”, don’t I?), it is not uncommon for someone to have their name changed when a significant event takes place in their life. Even Daniel had his name changed (to Belteshazzar). So perhaps Darius the Mede is another name for Ugbaru. According to the Nabonidus Chronicle (http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrus_I/babylon02.html), Ugbaru conquered Babylon on October 12, 539 BC. Cyrus entered the city 17 days later. Eight days after that, Ugbartu died. If Ugbartu is another name for Darius, this view really begins to make sense. Darius was 62 when he took over Babylon. His death a few weeks later

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would not be unusual (see William H. Shea, “Darius the Mede: An Update,” Andrews

University Seminary Studies 20. Autumn 1982, pp. 229-47).

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Daniel 6:4-5 I want you to notice this. Daniel still was technically a prisoner. He had been captured and taken by force to a foreign nation and forced several times to adapt their ways. However, Daniel refused to compromise his beliefs. But he did treat these people with dignity and respect. And he worked with diligence, integrity, and honesty.

He did this not to honor the Kings of Babylon, but to honor his God. When we are given a task to perform, and especially when everyone else knows we are Christian, our work ethic becomes a testimony to our God.

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Daniel 6:6-9 What is important here is that these 122 men knew that Daniel would never pray to Darius. They knew Daniel’s faith well enough to know that this plot would work. I wonder if we show that amount of faithfulness to our coworkers. Would your classmates in school know for sure what you would do when forced to compromise your Christian beliefs?

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Daniel 6:14-16 What is impressive about this is that Daniel’s character and faith had deeply influenced Darius in such a short amount of time. I don’t think we Christians realize the impact we make on society by exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit. Our Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control contrasts sharply with the selfishness, arrogance, pride, jealousy, immorality, impurity, and greed found in the world. I don’t think we fully realize the witness we give to God by exhibiting these characteristics (the good ones, that is).

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Daniel 6:19-23 I wonder what Daniel had been praying before he was arrested? It says he found out about the plot, but went and prayed anyway (Daniel 6:10-11). What would you be asking God to do? I’d be asking God for a way out of this predicament. I’d want spared from being thrown in the lion’s den in the first place.

But God had other plans. God chose not to

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keep Daniel from the pit, but to keep him safe in the pit. And God would use that fearful night as a way to show His power to this Persian ruler named Darius. Had God spared Daniel this time of hardship, Darius would not have known the mighty power of Daniel’s God. So, every time I hear someone preach a prosperity gospel, I’d like to take them back to this story and ask them to show me how their theology works when stacked up against these events.

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Daniel 6:28 When it comes to naming who Darius might have been, there is a footnote attached to this verse that says “of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian .” 4 Perhaps Darius was another name for Cyrus.

Daniel 9 •

Daniel 9:1 Darius the Mede is now king in Babylon. It’s been 66 years since Daniel had been taken captive back in Jerusalem. With a copy of Jeremiah’s scroll in hand, Daniel was trying to make sense of the current world events. Darius (again, probably another name for Cyrus) had just conquered Babylon, and like anyone else would do, Daniel turned to the scriptures for wisdom and guidance. Finding the 70 year promise made in Jeremiah 25:11-12, Daniel begins to pray.

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Daniel 9:4-19 Now that’s a prayer. Daniel says that God was right and just to punish Israel. He saw God’s holiness through this time of punishment (that’s an uncommon trait). Instead of pointing the finger of blame on the kings of the world, Daniel says that the shame belonged to God’s people who did not act like God’s people. This is the kind of prayer the church needs to be praying today. As we watch godlessness permeate our society, it is not the godless that are to be blamed. Judgment should fall upon the godly for remaining silent as their neighbors drift away from righteousness.

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Daniel 9:21 Did you notice this? Even though Daniel could not get back to Jerusalem, and even though there were no sacrifices being offered in Jerusalem, Daniel still observed this time of day as a time of prayer. Perhaps this was one of the three times a day he prayed.

4 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. (3rd ed.). Carol Stream, IL: 28

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Daniel 9:22-23 Although Jeremiah spoke of events leading up to the end of the 70 year exile, God was going to reveal through Daniel what would happen next. Previously, Daniel was given a vision of the future of the Gentiles. Here Gabriel gives him an answer to what will happen with Israel.

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Daniel 9:24 You and I think in terms of tens (ten years makes a decade, ten decades makes a century), but in Daniel’s time Israel thought in terms of seven. Seven days in a week. Every seventh year was the Sabbath Rest (Leviticus 25:1-7). 7 sevens brought them to the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12). So then this span of 70 sevens equaled 490 years. Since Israel had failed to observe the Sabbatical Year through her history, God would enforce this upon Israel (Leviticus 26:34-35). It would take 490 years to complete this. But when God is finished with this, He will have accomplished the six things mentioned in this verse:

1. To end their transgression (or rebellion). They would repent.

2. To make an end of sin. They would confess their sin.

3. To make atonement for iniquity (or wickedness). Blood would cover the stain of their sin.

4. To bring in everlasting righteousness. Their debt of guilt would be paid once and for all, not repeated year after year.

5. Confirm the prophetic visions. What God said would happen, did happen.

6. And anoint the Most Holy place. Or perhaps the anointing of the Holy One. •

Daniel 9:25 The 70 sevens would begin when a decree is made to rebuild Jerusalem.

The decree to rebuild Jerusalem came from Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 5, 444 BC (see Nehemiah 2:1-8). This is the decree mentioned in this verse. All of this prophecy points to a time when the Anointed One begins to rule. Gabriel says this will happen in three stages. First there is seven weeks, or 49 years. From the time Artaxerxes said rebuild Jerusalem (444 BC), 49 years passed until it was completed (395 BC).

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Daniel 9:26 When the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt, another set of weeks will unfold; 62 weeks (or 434 years). At the end of that time the Anointed One will be cut off. So these first two segments of years, running consecutively, spanned from March 5, 444 BC until March 30, 33 AD; the crucifixion of Christ. When He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday He presented Himself as the Messiah; the Anointed One, and 69 of the 70 weeks were fulfilled.

The 483 Years in the Jewish and Gregorian Calendars Jewish Calendar (360 days per year *)

Gregorian Calendar (365 days a year)

(7×7) + (62×7) years = 483 years

444 B.C. to A.D. 33 = 476 years

483 years

476 years

×

360 days

×

365 days

_____________

_____________

173,880 days

173,740 days + 116 days in leap years + 24 days (March 5–March 30) __________________________ 173,880 days

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It’s vitally important in this interpretation to keep in mind that this prophecy speaks of Israel’s restoration. We are in the Time of the Gentiles (Luke 24:21). So at the crucifixion of Christ, 69 of the 70 weeks had transpired. There is still a week to come.

Right now we are living in the Church Age, but that too will end before the last week from Daniel will begin. When the Church is raptured (taken away), the final segment of this prophecy will unfold; the seven years known as the Tribulation.

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The prince who is to come speaks of the fourth kingdom, that final beast in Daniel 7:7.

And Jerusalem would be destroyed by the people of this fourth kingdom. Indeed, Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome under the rule of Titus in 70 AD. And from that moment until now, Jerusalem has been under Gentile dominance.

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Daniel 9:27 I suspect the Church will not be present for the final week (7 years). It doesn’t seem likely to me based upon this study in Daniel, nor based upon Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12. I know the Time of the Gentiles could refer to who has dominion in Jerusalem, but it could refer to the time of the Church (based upon Christ’s words in Matthew 21:42-43). However, whether the church faces this final week is irrelevant. The point is that in this last 7 year period a ruler will rise (the boastful horn in Daniel 7:8) who will seem to be Jerusalem’s savior for half a week (3 ½ years). Halfway through, his true colors will be revealed.

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As stated earlier this boastful horn will arise from the fourth kingdom that had been divided. Rome fell to the Horde that came from Europe, and Rome was divided into about 10 different nations. So Prophecy experts believe that a European ruler will muscle himself to power, overthrow three kingdoms, and then pretend to protect Israel (who by this time is defenseless). But when he breaks this Peace Covenant, he will move from Europe to Jerusalem (Daniel 11:45). He will end the entire Levitical system of sacrifice. Not only will this final ruler gain world-wide political power, he will strive for world-wide religious power as well. And perhaps Israel will be the last of the nations to hold out against his religious reforms. So look for a one-world government that will soon be followed with a one-world religion. I don’t know if we will be around to see this, but to me it’s unlikely. I just don’t see this world leader being able to come to power without the church calling out foul!

Ezra •

Ezra was a priest and a scribe (Ezra 7:21) who wrote this record of events after Cyrus gave his decree for Israel to rebuild the Temple. The first six chapters cover 23 years (538-515 BC). Chapter’s 7-23 deal with events that took place once Ezra came to Jerusalem (458 BC). Either this writing was in the form of a diary, or Ezra sat down one day to write his memoirs. As we read through this book it’s important to keep in mind that there were three groups that returned from Babylon (in 538, 458, and 444 BC).

Zerubbabel led the first group in order to rebuild the Temple. Ezra led the second group

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to help the people reestablish their work of the Covenant. Nehemiah led the third group in order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

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The Events recorded in the book of Esther took place between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7.

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One other note is that by this time Aramaic was becoming ingrained into the Hebrew culture. Almost one fourth of Ezra is written in this language. Later on this language usage will divide the people.

Ezra 1 •

Ezra 1:1-4 According to Jewish historian Josephus, Cyrus was shown the words found in Isaiah 44:28, and he desired to fulfill this prophecy. Even so, that still does not make this event any less amazing because they happened exactly as God said they would and when He said they would. From the time Jerusalem was taken into exile and the time the Temple was rebuilt, it was 70 years (605-536 BC). Now although it might seem that Cyrus was a God fearing man, much of what he was doing with the Jews was from selfish ambition. According to the Cyrus Cylinder (dated 538 BC), he wanted the gods of all nations under his rule to be on his side. A portion of that reads, “May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me.” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/cyrus_cylinder. aspx).

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Ezra 1:5-6 This reminds me of what Egypt did during the exodus when Israel moved out (Exodus 12:35). That’s a mighty fine parting gift there Mr. Barker.

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Ezra 1:7-11 Sheshbazzar is probably another name for Zerubbabel. If you look at this list of items, most of them would have been things used in the simple parts of worship.

One has to wonder what became of the Sacred Items that were holy; the items only a priest could touch and see.

September 9: Ezra 2-4 32

Ezra 2 •

Ezra 2:1-67 To you and me, this is one of those boring lists of names in the Bible. But for the people reading this back then it would have been a great encouragement. Who knows how much interaction these exiles would have had with one another? It would have been so encouraging to hear the name of a neighbor or relative listed in the group that returned. However, I do want to point out a few names from this list. The Jeshua mentioned in Ezra 2:2 is later referred to as Joshua in the books of Haggai and Zechariah. He was a grandson of Seraiah, a priest whom Nebuchadnezzar killed at Riblah (see 2 Kings 25:18-21). Also, the Nehemiah in this verse is not the same one who would return to Jerusalem 90 years later. And the Mordecai in this verse is not the same man who was Esther’s cousin. The events in the book of Esther unfold about 60 years later. Now, if you’re an accountant (or work for the IRS) you may have been checking Ezra’s math and found a discrepancy. The number of dependents does not add up. According to Ezra’s list we get 29,829. However, the total in verses 64-65 is recorded as 49,897. One suggestion is that the larger number includes women and children. Others suggest that what were recorded were only the people from Judah, not the people from Israel who might have joined them on the 900 mile trek home.

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Ezra 2:68-70 An offering is given to help rebuild the Temple. Bible scholars who like to compare numbers will point out that the figures in these verses are not the same as recorded in Nehemiah 7:70-72. If we get hung up on the differences we miss the point that these people did indeed bring a significant amount of wealth back with them from Babylon. Either these offering represent what was given to them by the people of Babylon, or that the Jews sure did prosper while in captivity.

Ezra 3 •

Ezra 3:1 The Altar is rebuilt either seven months after they returned from exile, seven months after their homes were rebuilt, or in the seventh month, which would put them in the September/October period. Most scholars seem to think it meant in the seventh month because of the desire to begin sacrificing once again. There were three main festivals which took place at that time: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement,

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and the Feast of Tabernacles. And the Altar appears to have been repaired in time to celebrate these (see Ezra 3:4-6).

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Ezra 3:3 Just who were these local residents? Rather than destroy the cities it conquered, Assyria would deport the native residents and import some of its own people to occupy those cities. So it was for Israel. In the 50 years that Jerusalem laid waste, there is a good chance some of these foreigners moved to the towns nearby.

The Jews who returned did not want to anger God again, so they set straight to work reinstituting the instructions of Moses.

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Ezra 3:7-9 The work on the Temple did not begin until the second year after the Jews returned to Jerusalem, between May & June of 536 BC, 70 years after the first group of Jews were deported to Babylon. What’s interesting is that Solomon began work on the first Temple between May & June of 966 BC. Considering that many of the building materials came from Tyre and Sidon, which were under Persian rule, permission for this shipment had to come from Cyrus. Perhaps that would explain the delay.

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Ezra 3:10-11 Notice that we are not told how long it took to rebuild the Temple’s foundation, only that it was completed. When someone has not been able to put up a Christmas tree for many years, the date the tree was decorated isn’t nearly as important as the fact that they have a tree.

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Ezra 3:12-13 I’m not sure why Ezra included this observation. It could be a rebuke, or it could be to demonstrate the range of emotions present that day. I kind of see it as a rebuke because these older people could only see what they had lost, not what they had been given. Israel had been given a second chance, something the other nations around her would not experience. It’s okay to mourn a loss for a while, but there is also a time for rejoicing (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

Ezra 4 •

Ezra 4:1-3 When the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians, King Eserhaddon deported many of the Jews and imported Assyrians into the land (2 Kings 17:23-24).

When they arrived these Assyrians began to blend the practice of their religion with the religion practiced by the people of the Northern Kingdom. Unfortunately what they

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learned from the remaining Jews in Israel was not the true worship of God. Remember how Israel had prostituted herself by running after other gods? Over the many years since that time, the remaining people of Israel intermarried with these Assyrians, becoming a people whose lifestyle no longer resembled the true descendants of Abraham. These people became the forefathers of the New Testament Samaritans.

Judeans rejected them because of the impurity of their faith. And Zerubbabel feared their corruption would spread into the hearts of those who remained faithful to God’s covenant commands. From this point forward there will be a growing animosity between these two peoples.

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Ezra 4:4-5 Do these Samaritans remind you of anyone in your church? I have looked all through the Bible and nowhere did I find discouragement listed as a Spiritual Gift.

This constant haranguing lasted for about 18 years.

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Ezra 4:6-23 These verses are inserted here as a parenthesis of what had taken place; a highlight of what kind of opposition Jerusalem faced from the Samaritans. The opposition was so bad that the Samaritans actually wrote a letter to the King of Persian (Artaxerxes), asking him to do a little research. They suggested that if the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, the people would rebel. What’s interesting is that after some research, the King did confirm the Samaritan accusations. This, of course, would have actually strengthened the faith and resolve of Jerusalem. Even some foreign king acknowledged their strength.

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One has to wonder how Ezra got his hands on these letters. I can understand how Zerubbabel might have had a chance to read the letter written by Artaxerxes, but how would he have seen the letter written by Rehum and Shimshai? If you’ll recall Ezra was not part of the group that came to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. He came in the second group (about 80 years later), so these letters are out of chronological order. As I said, Ezra inserted these parenthetically; using them to illustrate just how severe the opposition was. And considering he would have still been in Babylon when the letters arrived, is it possible that he was the one to translate these letters for the king?

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Ezra 4:24 picks up where verse 5 left off (that’s a lengthy parenthesis). However, while Ezra pointed to external problems for the delay in rebuilding the Temple, Haggai points to a spiritual problem.

September 10: Daniel 10-12, Haggai 1 Daniel 10 •

Daniel 10:1-3 By now the Jewish exiles had been freed, and work had begun back in Jerusalem. Apparently due to his age, Daniel remained in Babylon. It’s interesting that before the vision came, Daniel had been fasting for three weeks. Evidently his heart was grieved about something, and he was seeking a word from the Lord. Sometimes this is the way God works in the hearts of His people. Sometimes the Spirit within us prepares us for what we are about to hear.

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Daniel 10:4-6 Cross checking this date with the Persian calendar, we can pinpoint this reference to April 23, 536 BC. The man who appeared before Daniel was an angel, not the pre-incarnate Christ. Although he resembles the Jesus we see in Revelation 1:13, Jesus would not be hindered by a demon or need the help of an angel (Daniel 10:13).

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Daniel 10:7-11 I know these words are true, but could you imagine hearing them from an angel; “You are very precious to God”. Those would be the exact words Daniel needed to hear. The Spirit within him was troubled and grieved, but Daniel didn’t understand why. This is why he had been fasting; so God would reveal what was going on. Perhaps Daniel wondered if he had done something wrong. Whatever he may have been thinking, there is nothing more comforting than hearing the Father’s words of affirmation.

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Daniel 10:12-14 The big question here is, who might this Prince of the kingdom of Persia be? Who was it that could stand opposite an angel, and restrain that angel?

Well, you and I cannot control angels for they are not under our authority, so this “Prince” must have been a satanic adversary; one who was able to withstand a fellow angel. And it seems there was a demon of Satan assigned to Persia. This is not a farfetched idea; for it appears Michael and Gabriel have been assigned to the nation of

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Israel. We see these two angels speaking to this nation time after time. And considering how Satan loves to mimic the things of God, it’s not unlikely he did the same. A lesser, but still significant question is why; why would a demon want to stop an angel of God from giving Daniel his answer? The only thing we can conclude is that the answer must have been one of eternal significance. It would reveal something that Satan did not want to be exposed. And it would strengthen what Satan wanted to remain weak. Considering the details of Daniel’s final vision, it easy to understand why Satan was so desperate to keep Daniel “In the dark”.

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Daniel 10:15-18 How do we know when we have been in the presence of the Lord? Or how can we know that we have been visited by one of God’s messengers? We are strengthened by the encounter. I’ve felt the presence of spiritual forces several times throughout my lifetime, and in every encounter something happened to the Spirit within me. In the times that I am lifted to the mountain top, I know I have been strengthened

by God. In the times that it feels my very life has been drawn out of me, I know I have been visited by Satan. When I am near God, I want to run toward Him. When I am near Satan, I want to flee.

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Daniel 10:19-21 So what is the Book of Truth? It’s probably the record of God’s truth in general and what He intends to do. Perhaps it is (as Ted Dekker has written) a Book of History; a record of what God will do and how He will accomplish it. In a way, the Bible is an expression of this; for in it God declares what His is going to do. For example, this Messenger is about to tell Daniel God’s plans for Israel under Persia, Greece, the Tribulation, and the Millennium. And this truth will be revealed to the nation through Daniel.

Daniel 11 •

Daniel 11:1 Some manuscripts connect this verse with the end of Chapter 10. The significant part of this verse is that this messenger supported Darius in some way, not just Daniel or the people of Israel. This is something we often don’t consider; that God would dispatch one of His angels to comfort, guide and encourage someone who is not one of His children. Christians wrongly assume that since God is for us He must be against the world. But God’s greatest desire is that the world might turn to Him and be

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saved. It seems we Christians have a tendency to forget that where the people of the world are now, we too once were. And if He would love, comfort, guide, and encourage us while we were yet sinners, He would do the same for those who still are.

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Daniel 11:2 Okay, another history lesson for you. In fulfillment to what Daniel was told in this verse, consider this history of Persia. Following Cyrus’ rule in Persia, his son (Cambyses) would take the throne in 530 BC. He was followed by Pseudo-Smerdis, who reigned for a very short time in 522 BC. Persia’s next king (the third in this prophecy) was Darius I Hystaspes who ruled from 521 to 486 BC. The fourth king after Cyrus was Xerxes, known in the Book of Esther as Ahasuerus, who ruled from 485 to 465 BC. Xerxes, by the way, was the most powerful, influential, and wealthy of the four.

During his reign, he fought wars against Greece. On a side note, the nation we call Greece is known as Javan in the Hebrew text, meaning (are you ready for this?) Land

of Japheth; son of Noah (see Genesis 10:2-5).

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Daniel 11:3-35 In this section Daniel is told about the rise and fall of the Greek Empire, beginning with Alexander the Great and ending with Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Because we have such a wealth of Greek history, it’s very easy to piece together world events with the prophecy given here. Alexander was the great king represented by the bronze belly and thigh in Daniel 2:32, the winged leopard in Daniel 7:6, and the prominent horn of the goat in Daniel 8:5-8. As stated earlier, Alexander conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and the land of the Medo-Persian Empire between 334-330 BC. After he had died (at a young age), the kingdom was divided among his four generals. Two of those generals (Seleucus, over Syria and Mesopotamia, and Ptolemy, over Egypt) were continually battling one another. The Ptolemies who ruled over Egypt were called the kings “of the South.” The Seleucids, ruling over Syria, north of Israel, were called the kings “of the North.” Eventually, the prophecy brings us to a Seleucid named Antiochus IV Epiphanes (see Daniel 11:21-35). He is described as the little horn in Daniel 8:9-12 and foreshadows the little horn that will arise and desecrate the land of Israel (Daniel 7:8). Although his name Epiphanes means the Illustrious One, he was contemptible and given the nickname Epimanes; the Madman. In 168 BC, he moved against Egypt (the Ptolemies), only to be met by Rome, who would not let him invade the land.

Humiliated, he stopped in Jerusalem, as he marched home, and took out his frustration

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upon Israel (Daniel 11:30). He abolished the daily sacrifice. His general attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath. And in an effort to end any religious practice of the Jews, he set up the abomination that causes desolation on December 16, 167 BC; an altar to Zeus placed on the altar of burnt offering outside the temple. He had a pig offered on the altar, and the Jews were forced to do the same on the 25th of each month to celebrate his birthday. Any Jew who would submit to this was promised a great reward if they worship Zeus, the god of Greece. Sadly, many Jews obeyed. Those who did refuse were persecuted and martyred. This gave rise to the Maccabean revolt.

Mattathias, a priest, refused to submit to this false religious system and in 166 BC he and his sons fled from Jerusalem to the mountains, beginning the Maccabean revolt.

One of his sons was Judas Maccabeus (the Hammerer), who in late 164 BC began cleansing the Temple •

Although there is a lot of other history associated with this portion of Daniel, the main point is that it focuses on the rise and fall of Greek rule in Israel. As we look at these events, we can easily see how they fit within the recorded history of Greece. As a matter of fact, the prophecies are so accurate that skeptics have denied that this portion th

of Daniel was written in the 6 century BC. Of course, these skeptics must worship a pretty small God; one too small to know the future. What follows next, however, are events yet to come.

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Daniel 11:36-45 The events described in this chapter up to this point have already taken place. But in this section a leader is described simply as the king. Some suggest that this describes the further action of Antiochus, but when we compare recorded history with the biblical prophecy here, there is a discrepancy. Antiochus did not become what is described in these verses. That’s why most scholars conclude that this must point to a future time for Israel. We could spend days trying to guess who this king is or will be. But what we should be doing is learning what he will be like and what he will do, that way if we see someone filling this description, we will be prepared for the time to come. What is described in this section is the final seven years of the 70 sevens (Daniel 9:24).

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When we compare Daniel’s prophecy to what was revealed to John, the pieces begin to fit together. This king’s rise to power is described in Revelation 13:1-8. There he is called the Beast and is given his power by the dragon. This earthy king’s power will come from Satan. And this king will come to power, not by military conquest, but rule by the consent of the 10 other kings (Revelation 17:12-13). He will exercise absolute authority over those ten kings and their kingdoms, and set himself above every other country in the world. He will also claim absolute authority in all matters of religion, not just claiming all religions false, but claiming he is above all gods, even the God of creation (see 2 Thessalonians 2:4). The world will be persuaded to worship him because of the great miracles performed by the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-15).

His influence will spread throughout the world, both politically and religiously (Revelation 13:7-8), for three and a half years. God had determined the length of his time.

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After 3 ½ years, the kings of the south will come against this king by passing through Israel. But because Israel had bought into the king’s promise of peace, the king will come to their rescue. He will subdue most of the nations that rose against him (except the few mentioned in Daniel 11:41), then turn against other neighboring nations (Daniel 11:43). While in Israel, he will pitch his tents somewhere between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, probably right in Jerusalem. Considering this king is empowered by the Antichrist, He will want to present himself as the nation’s Savior, and want to enter Jerusalem as such; maybe even riding on his own donkey. However, once there his time will run out.

Daniel 12 •

Daniel 12:1-3 As Daniel received this vision he was probably quite worried about his people, the nation of Israel. So he is given two great promises here. First he is told that Michael, Israel’s defender, will intervene on their behalf. He will step in and thwart Satan’s plans to exterminate every descendant of Abraham (Revelation12:15). Some will perish, but a remnant will be spared (perhaps the 144,000 in Revelation 7:4). By the way, this does not speak of individual salvation, but a national salvation from Gentile Rule. The second promise speaks about the resurrection. Many Jews will lose their

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lives in the events described in Daniel 11. Some will rise to everlasting life, some to shame and disgrace.

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Daniel 12:4 Obviously Daniel and those living with him would have a hard time understanding all of this. But a time would come when understanding would be granted. We can look back at history and see where God was working. Daniel’s words seem much clearer, especially since we have the words of Christ,

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Daniel 12:5-10 Two final questions are asked before this vision ends. An Angel asks the messenger (probably Gabriel) how long will the events last (probably the events listed in Daniel 11:36-45)? His reply is 3 ½ years. Although the king will rule for 7 years, during half of that time Israel will experience great peace. She will be a land of unwalled villages (Ezekiel 38:11). But when the Antichrist comes to live in Jerusalem, Israel will experience persecution unlike anything she has ever experienced before.

Daniel’s question concerned the outcome (Daniel 12:8). The messenger’s answer seems a bit unusual. When we read that something is concealed and sealed up, we think of things kept hidden and secret. But what the messenger meant was that these events are finalized and will not be changed. They are readily available for all to read, but God will not change a thing. His words have become notarized. However, these events are not designed to destroy but to purify and refine those who believe, and purge unbelievers from among those rescued (Daniel 12:10).

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Daniel 12:11 If you do the math, 3 ½ years equals 1,260 days. Here it is listed as 1, 290. Some have suggested that 30 days before the persecution begins, the Antichrist will place a statue of himself within the Temple and demand Israel worship this image.

Some in Israel will readily agree while others will rebel, beginning the time of persecution.

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Daniel 12:12 An additional 45 days is given beyond the end of the time of persecution.

Some scholars feel that 45 days after Jesus reappears in the sky (Matthew 24:30), He will descend to the earth and His feet will touch the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:11). The messenger also informed Daniel that he would witness none of these things. He would soon pass away, but in the end he would rise in righteousness and receive the blessing granted him because of his faithfulness.

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At the end of this book, I wonder just how Daniel must have felt. I suspect he had mixed feelings about all of this. Daniel was not a selfish man so he would not have just rejoiced over his final reward. I’m sure Daniel was concerned for those who would not remain faithful till the end. I suspect his heart was heavy for the tribulation his people would face. Daniel wasn’t just thinking about today. He had his heart and mind on tomorrow and wondered if there might be something he can do today to help those who come tomorrow. I believe this attitude should be found in anyone who wants to call themselves a Christian.

Haggai Haggai is the first prophet to appear once the exiles returned from Babylon. He is given a word of God while the people had been too discouraged to complete their work. His words are not lengthy, but rather direct to the point. His four short prophecies span a little less than a year.

Remember that Cyrus had sent some Judeans back to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple, but because of Samaritan harassment and Persian pressure, the work stopped after rebuilding the Altar and laying the foundation. Spiritual Apathy set in and there was no further work for 16 years. Once Darius became king, the Lord gave these words to Haggai in the second year of his reign (520 BC).

Haggai 1 •

Haggai 1:1 The date can be accurately crosschecked with surviving Persian records, and so we can accurately say that this word came to Haggai on August 29, 520 BC. It was on a sunny Thursday afternoon around 2:30 (okay, so maybe not quite THAT precise).

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Haggai 1:2 Haggai said to Zerubbabel and to Joshua, “The people are saying it’s the wrong time to rebuild the Temple.” But Haggai wants the leaders to know that this is not what God is thinking.

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Haggai 1:3-11 The significant part of all this is that God was the one withholding things from the Judeans. He was doing this because the Judeans were withholding things from God. And it wasn’t faith or tithes or holiness that God addressed; it was priorities.

Considering that this remnant had returned from at least 50 years in exile, many of these people knew nothing but obedience to some foreign king. When a king of Babylon or a king of Persia said no, for the most part, these people obeyed. They had lost their understanding that a person is first obedient to God. So when the people of Samaria began to harass and the King of Persia started to pressure, they stopped working on the Temple. The external pressure was just too great. As I read this, I’m reminded of God’s rebuke to Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 12:5). One has to wonder what God was trying to get across to these people. He sure didn’t need the Temple rebuilt to have a place to live. So why the pressure to get this done? I think it had to do with building a sense of National Pride. The people needed to be united with God and around the worship of God. If they remained concerned only about themselves and their own needs, these Judeans would become self-reliant, self-centered, and probably disconnected from their fellow countrymen; building walls between one another instead of building a Temple to unite them.

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Haggai 1:12-15 So the leaders and the people were encouraged to start working on the Temple once again. But if so, why did it take about a month for the work to resume?

Maybe it’s because they went to get the materials. Maybe they needed to organize the workforce once again. After 16 years, it would take some time to call people back to work.

September 11: Haggai 2, Zechariah 1-5 Haggai 2 •

Haggai 2:1-9 About a month after the rebuilding began, Haggai speaks another word from God. This was on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. As this festival was coming to a close Haggai speaks to those who wept when the foundation was laid (see Ezra 3:12-13). The promise is that the future glory of the Temple will exceed that of the

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past. Was God speaking about Herod’s Temple? No, because it was shaken and destroyed. God was talking about a future Temple that will not be shaken (see Hebrews 12:26); a Temple that will withstand all divine judgments (Hebrews 12:28). It could not refer to the first advent of Christ. But it does refer to the Second Advent when Christ will reign for a thousand years from Jerusalem and her new Temple.

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Haggai 2:10-15 At the end of that same year Haggai receives his third message from God. He teaches a lesson on how sin corrupts and stains a person; how it makes them unclean. Even sacrificial worship is defiled because of disobedience. This lesson, however, is not to imply that the Judeans had stopped working again. It points back to the time earlier that year when they were living in disobedience (see Haggai 2:15).

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Haggai 2:16-19 “From this day forward”, says God. These Judeans will be blessed because of their obedience. Even the seed that is already in the ground will be fruitful.

The point here is that God HAD tried to get their attention through natural disasters and unfruitful labors, but the people would not listen. Finally, He sent a man with a message. This makes me wonder what message God is trying to get across to us through natural disasters or through fruitless labors. Is there a lesson we have been ignoring? And when will a man be given a Word from God so we might turn and be saved?

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Haggai 2:20-23 To overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms seems to imply more than just the rise of another foreign power to replace Persia. It seems to point to a day when the Gentile Nations will no longer rule in this world. Now in case you didn’t notice, the world is still governed by Gentiles. And it’s been a long time since this promise was made to Zerubbabel. How has he been honored? If you look back at what happened just before the exile, God said He would remove the signet ring from Jehoiachin’s hand and give it to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 22:24-25). What God is saying to Zerubbabel is that He is reversing that curse; the line from David to Christ would now continue. And Zerubbabel’s faithfulness reversed that trend.

Zechariah 44

Zechariah was probably born in Babylon and was among the 50,000 Judeans who were freed

by King Cyrus of Persia. In the first year of their return, the Altar was rebuilt and sacrifices were once again offered. By the second year, the foundation of the Temple was rebuilt. But because of depression and oppression, the work stopped for about 16 years. It was then that God called Haggai to speak to the people for Him; urging them to unite together and finish the work on the Temple. That same year, shortly after Haggai’s second message, God called Zechariah to speak on His behalf. His words speak more of the Messiah and the Church than any other book in the Old Testament. Actually, the New Testament quotes or alludes to Zechariah at least 41 times. His letter (or Book) consists of eight different visions or dreams that he had one night, and they all reveal something about God or the church or the Messiah in very figurative (apocalyptic) language.

Zechariah 1 •

Zechariah 1:1 These words begin sometime between October and November of 520 BC. Zechariah was not only a Levite but also a priest.

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Zechariah 1:2-6 Perhaps in a Temple address, Zechariah confirms what many people knew. But it seems they needed to be reminded or encouraged to be obedient to God and not to men. Yes, the Temple fell because of the sins of their fathers. But these Judeans were just as disobedient because of their refusal to continue to rebuild the Temple. Zechariah’s words here were spoken about two months after the people said they would get back to work; a revival because of the words we read in Haggai 1:12-15.

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Zechariah 1:7 Notable here is the use of the word Shebat for the eleventh month, a Babylonian name adopted by the Jews after the exile. This is February 15, 519 BC.

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Zechariah’s visions came in a single night, each interpreted by an angel, and each describing the future of Israel. Each time Zechariah saw the vision, he asked a question, and for that I am thankful. This is what makes the Word of God different that other “prophetic” literature. God is not afraid to tell us what something means. For the most part, we don’t have to figure out the important stuff on our own.

Zechariah’s Eight Night Visions Vision

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Reference

Meaning

The Red Horse Rider among the

1:7–17

Myrtles The Four Horns and the Four

blessing on restored Israel 1:18–21

Craftsmen The Surveyor with a Measuring

God’s anger against the nations and God’s judgment on the nations that afflict Israel

Chapter 2 God’s future blessing on restored Israel

Line The Cleansing and Crowning of

Chapter 3 Israel’s future cleansing from sin and

Joshua the High Priest The Golden Lampstand and the

reinstatement as a priestly nation Chapter 4 Israel as the light to the nations under

Two Olive Trees The Flying Scroll

Messiah, the King-Priest 5:1–4

The severity and totality of divine judgment on individual Israelites

The Woman In the Ephah

5:5–11

The removal of Israel’s sin of rebellion against God

The Four Chariots

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6:1–8

Divine judgment on Gentile nations5

Zechariah 1:8-11 The man riding the Red horse seems to be the rider with the highest authority. Later (chapter 3) we will learn that this was the pre-incarnate Christ. As things have been happening in the world, both the Lord and the attentive angels have been watching events unfold. This seems to be a central theme throughout scripture; that God is quite aware of what is happening in this world. It’s difficult to understand the significance of the colors of the horses, or even if there is supposed to be any significance. Maybe Zechariah merely pointed them out. But, if the different colors were not significant, then why point them out. It’s tough to argue either way.

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Zechariah 1:12-17 This revelation of God’s anger is significant. He intended to punish Israel and Judah for their sins, but the nations through which He worked carried things too far. This makes me question why or how someone, through whom God was working, could work contrary to His will. The answer is, of course, that sin takes what is good from God and perverts it. God has created love, yet humanity has twisted and

5 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Zec 1:6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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perverted love. God grants us money, but we use that money for unholy things. In the same way, God was using the nations to punish Israel (and remember punishment is discipline in love), but because of sin these nations got carried away in their excess; taking what God had designed for good and making it something wicked. God gets blamed for all the evil in this world, yet we are the ones who permit this evil to continue.

We are the ones who do what is unholy and unrighteous. And for God to stop this evil against our will would be to break His own rule of granting us free will.

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Zechariah 18-21 The four horns represent the four nations that had (past tense) scattered all of Israel – probably Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and Medo-Persian Empire.

But because of God’s anger (see verse 15), He was sending four Blacksmiths to destroy these horns. This can either be four different nations or four kings of a country.

When we think of blacksmiths, we think of an industry or perhaps war. Perhaps this would be the Greek and the Roman Empire. Or, as some have suggested, it may point to the future Messianic Kingdom.

Zechariah 2 •

Zechariah 2:1-5 A general theme is developing here in Zechariah’s visions; he is shown a future of hope, peace, and prosperity. This vision reconfirms an earlier promise that the Temple will be rebuilt, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, the land will be at peace, people will prosper, and that God will be present with His people once again (Zechariah 1:16-17).

The young man in this vision (verse 4) is Zechariah.

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Zechariah 2:6-13 Directed at both those who have returned and those still in Babylon, this vision speaks of the promised Messiah. The best translation of Zechariah 2:8 is “After He has honored Me and sent Me”, seeming to imply that when the Messiah comes He will judge the nations that plundered Israel and that He will display His glory.

When “He” comes, many nations will join themselves to the Lord, which is exactly what we have seen happen. Since Christ’s first Advent, we have seen Christianity spread throughout the four corners of the earth.

Zechariah 3

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Zechariah 3:1-2 Joshua, the one who had returned with the first group of Jews, was performing his priestly duties when Satan brought charges against the man. Notice that God does not argue with Satan. He doesn’t refute the accusations (perhaps pointing out that he is unholy and full of sin). But the Lord (Jesus) rebuked Satan. Jesus refuses to accept the charges. The grace and the mercy of the Lord overruled the accusations. This vision is significant because it sheds some light on what actually happens when our name is brought before God by the accuser. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Sadly, Satan’s accusations against us are valid. And the only reason you or I are spared the punishment is because Christ had taken it upon Himself. God will not look at us and say we are sinless, but He will show mercy and grace to those who call upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13).

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Zechariah 3:3-5 The process here is significant. First the Lord rebuked Satan and chose to ignore his charges against Joshua. Only then were Joshua’s filthy clothes removed, not before. He works the same way in our lives as well. Satan’s accusations against us (that we are unworthy and undeserving of grace) are true. We are filled with sin. We have done things in our lives that have soiled our garments. We did not clean up our act before we came to God. We did not remove the stain of our sin through personal effort or by the power of our will. And no religious activity removed that sin either (this is evident in the fact that Joshua had already been serving as a priest). God supplied the holiness. God supplied the grace and the mercy. God removed the stain of sin.

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Zechariah 3:6-7 After God dresses Joshua in clothes of righteousness, He then gives him this stipulation; be humble and obey God’s requirements for a priest (compare 1 Kings2:3). If Joshua will act according to God’s commands and do according to God’s instructions, then God will use him in a mighty way to keep the ministry of the Temple pure and holy. This promise to Joshua is very sacred; “God spoke solemnly” as the NLT translates in verse 6. This was serious stuff. The ministry of the Temple should never be taken lightly, nor should the ministry of the church. Pastors need to keep in mind that they have been charged by God to not just call the people to holiness, but to strive for holiness in their own lives. Their holiness should actually exceed that of those they lead. This is Pauls’ charge in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. As a matter of fact if Joshua (and a

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pastor as well), were to maintain his personal holiness and his commitment to follow God’s commands, he would walk with the Lord (seen in the phrase “among those who stand here”). What comfort that must have brought Joshua. It should bring comfort to a pastor as well, knowing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are standing with him as he ministers and leads God’s people.

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Zechariah 3:8-10 The point of this vision is finally explained. Joshua and the rest of those who serve as priests become a symbol of what is to come. Joshua serves and intercedes on the people’s behalf until the day when the Branch (referring to the Line of David in Isaiah 4:2) is revealed. In one day that Branch will remove the sins of the land.

When Christ died on the cross, the need for priestly atonement ended. The sacrificial system became obsolete because of the sacrifice of Christ. What God is saying here is that the day of Priestly Intercession will soon end. No longer will a priest need to stand before God and intercede on the people’s behalf. Jesus will be the one to accomplish this. And all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. They don’t need a leader within the church to do this for them. Faith in the Law was the foundation of righteousness in Old Testament times. Once Jesus died on the cross, faith in His atoning death becomes the foundation of righteousness. He is the stone upon which the kingdom is founded (1 Peter 2:6). The eyes on that stone possibly refer to the Holy Spirit (see Revelation 5:6).

Zechariah 4 •

Zechariah must have gone back to sleep after the previous vision, thinking the Lord was finished. But there was much more to say. In this vision, Zechariah is told that Zerubbabel will complete the construction of the Temple, but it will happen through the Spirit of God, not by human might or power. In other words, God will make sure the construction happens. Things will just seem to fall in place (figuratively and literally).

The work will progress smoothly. That’s because the Spirit of God will be watching over things. He will remove obstacles (Zechariah 4:7). But Zechariah didn’t seem to understand all that he saw. For example, he asks twice what the two Olive Trees represent. Finally, he identifies them as the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the earth. These anointed ones would represent Christ on the earth as both Priest and

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King. Here it refers to Joshua and Zerubbabel. But in reality it could refer to any who are anointed to represent Christ until He comes, both before His first Advent and His second. The vision becomes very powerful, especially for those anointed by God and called to stand before the world in Christ’s service. If those who have been called by God will remain faithful and pure (see Zechariah 3:6-7), the people around them will be blessed and strengthened for the work they have been called to do. Once again we see the difference a servant of God can make in this world. The anointed servant becomes a source of hope and strength, building up the faith of those around them. And in doing so, the people begin to serve the Lord with passion and drive.

Zechariah 5 •

Zechariah 5:1-4 Two things help make this vision easier to understand. The dimensions of this scroll are the same size as the Tabernacle (the sacred Tent built by Moses). Also symbolic is the writing on this scroll. There was writing on both sides, similar to the stone tablets of the Law (Exodus 32:15). The two crimes mentioned speak of two of the Ten Commandments found on the Stone Tablets; stealing (a sin against a brother) and misusing the name of the Lord (a sin against God). So this curse seems to be directed at those who violate the Law of God in Israel and throughout the rest of the earth (Entire Land).

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Zechariah 5:5-11 Within a securely covered basket, wickedness was held captive. At one time, wickedness was rampant throughout the land. But now it seems no longer free to lead people astray. This wickedness manifested itself in many different ways; civil, ethical, and religious evil. That’s why the angel kept this woman (representing wickedness) securely confined (the lead cover). However, two female looking creatures pick up the basket and carry it away. Some Bible scholars believe they served demonic forces seeking to protect wickedness. They took her away to Babylon where a shrine would be built and she (wickedness) would be worshiped. Eventually out of Babylon wickedness will arise, only at that time it will be destroyed, not just captured (Revelation17:3-5). The obvious question here is what or who has captured wickedness? What restrains it until that time it is released to be worshiped once again?

Yes, yes, I know that seems a bit strange; to suggest that wickedness is currently

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restrained, but how else are we to interpret this text? Someone or something has placed it under protective custody. I believe it is the presence of God’s Spirit. Paul speaks of the Spirits restraining power in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7. It is the presence of God’s Spirit on this earth that confounds the work of lawlessness (or wickedness).

Because of the Spirit, wickedness is seen to be wicked. But take righteousness away and there is no plumb line. Darkness only becomes dark in the presence of light.

September 12: Zechariah 6-8, Ezra 5 Zechariah 6 •

Zechariah 6:1-8 There are no riders in these chariots. That’s interesting. From between two figurative mountains they come, traveling throughout the earth to do the Lord’s will. Based on the symbolism of their colors, the black horse travels north (to Babylon) taking with it death and famine, followed soon afterward by the white horse, riding in victory and triumph. The dappled horse travels south (to Egypt) bringing pestilence and plagues. The Lord (speaking now in verse 8) says the horses riding north will appease His wrath against Babylon; a reference back to what He said in Zechariah 1:15.

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Zechariah 6:9-15 As these eight visions come to a close, Zechariah is given instructions on what to do with a gift of silver and gold from the Jews still living in Babylon. Zechariah is instructed to make a crown for Joshua (the Priest), not Zerubbabel (the Governor). This is a symbolic gesture pointing forward to the time the Messiah sits on the throne, both as King and as Priest. A Levitical Priest could never become king and sit on the throne, but Christ can and He will (Isaiah 9:7). As I said, this is a symbolic gesture because once the Temple is rebuilt this crown was to be placed there; waiting to be worn by the coming Messiah (His second coming). Christ came first as a redeemer. He will come again as a ruler and a king.

Zechariah 7 •

Zechariah 7:1-2 About two years after his night visions and when the people were about halfway finished rebuilding the Temple (520-516 BC), Zechariah is given four

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messages from God. These are in reply to questions asked by a delegation sent from Bethel (12 miles north of Jerusalem). Even though these men had foreign-sounding names, they were Judean (or Jewish as they are now called). Apparently they acquired these names while living in Babylon. Maybe they were younger men who had been born in Babylon, looking to seek clarification on some annual rituals they did not understand. For instance, the annual ritual of mourning held on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple (Zechariah 7:3) apparently made no sense to these two men, so they traveled to Jerusalem looking for a ruling.

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Zechariah 7:4-14 It’s interesting that God gives no answer here (but He will later on).

Instead, He questions their motives. For whose benefit were they mourning in the first place? God asks several penetrating questions here, which is often not a question but a proclamation of what is in a person’s heart. Certainly God knew the motivation behind these fasts and times of mourning. God says they mourned because the people felt sorry for what they lost. Their mourning was for the loss of a building, not the loss of a nation’s holiness and righteousness. If they actually did feel any remorse, it should have been for their ancestors hard hearts, not that the Temple was destroyed. It does not take a Temple to live a life according to God’s Laws, something God had been trying to get people to realize for generations. But those people did not have ears to hear and eyes to see. Instead, they looked to the Temple structure as an indication of God’s pleasure with them. But in reality God’s pleasure was poured out upon the people who obeyed the heart of the Law (Zechariah 7:9-10).

Zechariah 8 •

Zechariah 8:1-17 In this second message to the people of Jerusalem (also referred to as Mount Zion – Zechariah 8:2) God declares that just as people saw His hand in the destruction of Jerusalem, they will see His hand in the restoration of Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:13-15). But, and don’t miss this but. God still calls this present generation to the same degree of ethics as He did the past generations (Zechariah 8:16-17).

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Zechariah 8:18-19 Now God answers the question asked by the delegation from Bethel. He says the time of mourning is to end. Four different times of mourning are mentioned here. Besides the one mentioned by the delegates, the Judeans (Jews)

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observed three other times of grief. Along with mourning the destruction of the Temple th

midsummer (5 month), they observed the death of Gedaliah (see Jeremiah 41:2) in the th

autumn (7 month), the beginning of the siege against Jerusalem in the winter (10

th

th

month), and the day Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in early summer (4 month).

These fasts were self-imposed and had been observed for nearly 70 years. Oddly, some Jews still observe these fasts yet today, awaiting the Advent of the Messiah, which is actually the Second Coming.

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Zechariah 8:20-23 Although we can view this as part of the Millennial promise, it some small way we see these words coming true while Christ walked the earth. I keep thinking about the delegation of Greeks who came to Philip asking to meet with Jesus (John 12:20).

Ezra 5 •

Ezra 5:1-2 Work on the Temple had stopped for 15 years (Ezra 4:1-5). That’s when Haggai and Zechariah spoke to the people. Haggai spoke from August to December of 520 BC, Zechariah spoke over a two-year period beginning in October of 520 BC. Both these men addressed internal factors that caused the lack of work. Ezra, on the other hand, spoke of external opposition. But for whatever the reason, the words of these two prophets aroused the passion in Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the work resumed.

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Ezra 5:3-5 No sooner did work resume when another group comes trying to discourage the work. It seems a bit presumptuous for Governor Tattenai to challenge Jerusalem’s right to rebuild the Temple, but it appears from a historical record dating back to 502 BC that he was in charge of the Syria/Palestine region. It seems Darius did not inform him of his command to rebuild. To avoid serious political unrest, he needed to stay on top of everything that was happening.

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Ezra 5:6 As with a previous letter, perhaps Ezra was either the one to translate the message before the king, or he was the messenger that delivered the letter (see reference to these letters in Ezra 7:11).

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Ezra 5:7-17 Several things stand out in this letter. First of all we find out that the work on the Temple was continuing with enthusiasm (Ezra 5:8), indicating that Haggai and

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Zechariah were able to reignite some passion in the people. Zerubbabel and Joshua called themselves servants of God, not servants of Persia (Ezra 5:11), a clear indication that the Jews saw themselves as free people. They said that Yahweh was the God of Heaven, a slam against Darius’ god Ahura Mazda who he called the god of Heaven.

Zerubbabel and Joshua also confess that they knew why the nation had been punished (Ezra 5:12); an indication that the remnant had at least learned their lesson. As stated earlier, Sheshbazzar might have been another name for Zerubbabel, or it might have been a different man. He could have been someone of Persian authority who came with the Jews to make sure the work was started, and the Jewish Leader Zerubbabel would have begun the work. Either way, reference is made about some paperwork indicating these instructions from King Cyrus, and Tattenai suggest checking the archives. Archeological discoveries prove that records this accurate were kept in Babylon.

September 13: Zechariah 9-14 Zechariah 9 •

Zechariah 9:1-8 What Zechariah is saying here points to the conquest of the lands of Palestine by Alexander the Great after the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. The result of this is that the people of Syria (Damascus), southward along the coast to Tyre and Sidon, then continuing to the land of the Philistines (Gaza), will be conquered. However, the most fascinating part is in Zechariah 9:7. Through this conquest (not necessarily destruction) the people living in Gaza (think Gaza Strip) will lay aside their detestable practices and become more holy and righteous than they had been in the past. And they will be like a clan in Judah. The Philistines will be purged of their wickedness and become like a remnant of God. Although there is no evidence this happened when Alexander invaded, the Philistine people did lose their individuality in that region. What made a person a Philistine culturally no longer exists. We even are hard pressed to find someone who can trace their ancestry back to Philistine origins. That’s how integrated they became in the surrounding culture. That being so, the Palestinians who live in Gaza today are not Philistines, so I can’t figure how they can claim the land is theirs.

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Zechariah 9:9 When a King rode into to town riding a stallion, he came to conquer. If he came on a donkey, he came in peace. Oddly, Zechariah says the awaited King will come victorious through peace. Too often people want to pick one or the other when describing Jesus. They want to point out His triumphant judgment against all people, or point out His peaceful love for all people. But God says it will be both. Through peace, the Messiah will conquer the people of the earth. Through peace, He will pass judgment. How is this possible? It’s possible when you realize that the Messiah came to conquer the evil which enslaves a person’s heart. The Messiah does not subdue and imprison people. He frees them from the prison of sin. Historically, many Jews did not realize they were enslaved by sin. They thought they were free from sin. They felt it was other nations that held them prisoner, when in reality the greatest threat came from the wickedness of their own heart. So as this King rides into town He will declare those who feel they are free to be slaves (judgment), and free (bring peace) those who are willing to admit they are slaves. He will set them free by conquering not man or nation, but the sin which entangles us. The same is true today. It is necessary for Jesus to judge us as slaves, and it is necessary for us to be in agreement with His judgment before we can be freed. But Christ does not accomplish this against our will (not as a conqueror), but as a humble Messiah who brings peace between God and Man.

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Zechariah 9:10-12 The Messiah promises the end of conflict and war within the land.

Some of this prophecy was fulfilled when God called the remaining Judeans back from Babylon several years after Zechariah’s prophecy. But there is a future promise being given here which points to the end of the Millennium. This is not just a promise for Israel. This promise is for the whole world (End of the Land), and not just a promise of worldly peace, but spiritual peace as well. God made a covenant sealed with blood (perhaps His covenant with Moses, or perhaps looking forward to the covenant of Christ’s blood). And because of that covenant God’s people are no longer held prisoner; a prisoner of sin which condemns them.

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Zechariah 9:13-17 The rest of this chapter seems to refer to the Maccabean revolt while Jerusalem was under Greek (or Javan) rule (169-135 BC). Note in verse 13 that both Judah and Israel (or Ephraim) are mentioned. They will be reunited in this rebellion against Javan (Greece). Of course, as with most prophecies, there seems to

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be a two-fold understanding. If these words did point to the Maccabean revolt (compare Daniel 11:32), then they also point to a time when Christ will be present upon the earth once again. The words In that day typically point ahead to the time when Christ comes as conqueror. On His first advent, He came as a Savior. On His second advent, He will come to rule and reign, conquering His enemies.

Zechariah 10 •

Zechariah 10:1-5 Continuing from the previous chapter, God paints a contrast between the Messiah and the gods of other lands. The Messiah will provide blessings, unlike the foreign gods who will fill the earth. But it also points out that when the Messiah does come (first advent) He will speak out against those who were supposed to be caring for the people. In other words, He will come as the Good Shepherd who cares and watches over the Sheep of Israel. This is a description Jesus used for Himself in John 10:11. What’s also significant about this section is that when you read about the argument the people made against Jesus in John 10:33, and how Jesus points to the things He was able to do (signs) and basically says “Only God could perform such signs”, we are drawn back to the contrast found in this section of Zechariah.

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Zechariah 10:6-12 The Messiah will also call His people home. Again there is imagery here also found in John 10:16. The Messiah will call His people from other lands (Assyria and Egypt represent all the nations where Israel has been dispersed). Those who follow the Shepherds Voice will have sins forgiven and forgotten as if they had never happened.

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Zechariah has given us a description of what this Donkey riding King will accomplish.

He will strengthen and redeem His people. He will purge the land of wickedness. He will demonstrate that He is God through signs and wonders. He will gather the people of Israel together and make them one. He will judge those who refuse to admit they have sinned, and bring peace to those who admit that they have.

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Zechariah 11:1-3 For all that this promised Messiah would do for Israel, we come now to a section that speaks of His rejection by the very ones He came to save. Weeping and wailing are mentioned here because of the destruction of forests and trees and pasture lands. This may point to the loss of Israel’s glory when the Temple is again destroyed in 70 AD.

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Zechariah 11:4-14 In this passage Zechariah presents the Messiah as the Good Shepherd. This Good Shepherd was to care and direct and protect the flock (Israel) destined to be slaughtered (by Rome). It does seem odd that the people of Israel would reject the Good Shepherd who truly cared for His sheep, while the other shepherds (religious leaders) didn’t care one bit about the condition of the sheep (Israel). While Jesus walked among them, He healed the sick, fed the hungry, forgave sin, demonstrated power over nature, and held absolute authority over Satan. These are the very things Zechariah had said the Messiah would do, yet the people still rejected Him. Because of this, God no longer took pity on them and left them to face the wolves alone. The three evil shepherds in Zechariah 11:8 possibly refer to three different Jewish leaders – prophets, priests, and kings; evil shepherds who were doing the people harm. Yet the people’s hatred would still be directed toward the Good Shepherd. Because of this, God would revoke His covenant with the people (breaking of the staffs). Taking His leave, the Good Shepherd withdrew from the flock and asked them to just pay Him for what His service was worth. They decided it was worth 30 pieces of silver; the amount to be paid for a slave gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). The Good Shepherd; the One God sent to care and comfort and protect and guide His people was worth no more than the price of a dead slave. That’s pathetic. The Good Shepherd knew this too, and would throw it to the potter (for the fulfillment of this prophecy, see Matthew 26:14-16 and Matthew 27:3-10). As sad as this prophecy is, Zechariah does mention the suffering flock. They recognized this Good Shepherd for who He was (Zechariah 11:11).

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Zechariah 11:15-17 Switching roles, Zechariah speaks of another shepherd who will arise to lead Israel. Only this shepherd will be the antithesis of the Good Shepherd. He will not care or lead or protect the people. It seems this would point to the antichrist that

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will come to Jerusalem pretending to bring peace when in reality he will turn and devour Israel.

Zechariah 12 •

The next three chapters speak about “that day,” referring to the day in the future when all of God’s promises come true. It’s the final chapter in God’s Book of History where all the events He has planned come true. According to this Oracle, several things must first happen before the Messiah’s Kingdom comes. First of all, the Gentile world powers that oppose Israel (and Judah) must be overthrown. Also, the Jewish people will need to be regenerated (or Born Again). In this chapter, we will begin to see how God will bring about these promises.

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Zechariah 12:1-9 God begins first by giving all Israel physical deliverance from her enemies. Although the nations come against Israel, she will not be laid waste. The other nations will stagger, stumble, and fall as they try to subdue Israel. Because Zechariah uses “That Day” frequently here, it seems to point to the day all the nations of the earth come to war against Jerusalem in the great battle known as Armageddon. In this battle not only will God intervene on behalf of Israel, but the Warriors will be given great strength. In the end, the Gentile world powers will be overthrown.

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Zechariah 12:10-13 Apparently after their defeat of the world powers, God will pour out His Spirit upon all Jewish people. Then they will realize just what they had done (the One they pierced at the Crucifixion). They will look both physically (because this event happens at the Second Advent) and spiritually upon Jesus, and recognize Him as the Messiah. Perhaps they will regret all they had done and all they had missed over the years. Either way there will be great mourning, not because of their victory, but because of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah says the nation will mourn just like they did when King Josiah was killed in the plains of Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:20-27). Interestingly, we derive the word Armageddon (meaning Mount of Megiddo) from the word Megiddo. This mourning will be both private and corporate. Individuals will mourn, and the nation will mourn. Kings, Prophets, and Priests will weep (David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei), and it will not just be for show ( mourning separately).

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Zechariah 13 •

Zechariah 13:1 When Christ was crucified, this fountain of cleansing was opened potentially for anyone; any Jew or Gentile, any man or woman, any slave or free, anyone who would believe (Galatians 3:28). At this time, the Second Advent, the people will experience this cleansing; this regeneration (see Jeremiah 31:31-37). Those of us who have been cleansed by faith in Christ know exactly what Zechariah is talking about. A veil is removed from our heart to not only know God but to understand the things of God. I remember well the day this veil was removed. Suddenly the Word of God became clear, I was able to perceive the things of God in the world around me, and my troubled heart found peace. On That Day, Israel will have the chance to experience what we Christians have known for centuries. And then God’s Covenant with the nation will come true.

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For those who want to insist that the Church has replaced Israel (Covenant Theology), they are hard pressed to make sense of this promise to Israel. At this time in God’s Final Chapter, the Church has already been raptured. The 7 years of Tribulation have already occurred. The Antichrist has risen to power, deceived Israel and the rest of the world, and turned the world against Israel. At this point, the Battle of Armageddon has taken place. Christ has come to Jerusalem to reign on earth for a thousand years.

Then there is an outpouring of God’s Spirit upon Israel, and the people are regenerated; Born Again, thus completing God’s covenant promise to Israel. Salvation comes to the Jews. In reading this chapter, I find it difficult to imagine that someone would believe that Christians have replaced Israel. That’s what happens when Christians only read portions of the New Testament and none of the Old.

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Zechariah 13:2 The idol worship mentioned here probably refers to the worship of the image of the Beast that has been placed in the Temple (Daniel 11:31).

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Zechariah 13:3-6 These false prophets were people who spoke for false gods or for Satan himself. Reminiscent of the Prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:28), there were cuts on their bodies, marks that they had cut themselves as part of divining a prophecy. When Israel is regenerated, these people will be ashamed of what they had done; so ashamed that they will lie.

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Zechariah 13:7-9 Here God says that He will direct the death of His Good Shepherd (verse 7). As a result the sheep will be scattered (even His own disciples), possibly a reference to the persecution Jewish Christians endured (as told in the Book of Acts).

Zechariah seems to speak of two events in this single prophecy, making a change in verse 8. He seems to also point to the scattering of Israel because of the Tribulation (compare Revelation 12:6). Two-thirds are driven away, but the surviving one-third will remain and turn to Christ.

Zechariah 14 •

This last chapter of Zechariah takes us from the plundering of Jerusalem near the end of the Tribulation, through the judgment of the Gentile nations, to the reign of Christ on His throne in Jerusalem. So this final chapter of Zechariah has yet to be fulfilled.

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Zechariah 14:1-2 Before the Lord empowers Jerusalem, the Gentile Nations will seem to dominate the Jewish people. They’ll walk right into town and take people’s possessions right before their eyes. Half of the population will be left in the city to be ruled by occupation troops. This happens right before God steps in and gets involved.

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Zechariah 14:3-5 At the pinnacle of this occupation, Christ will return suddenly and without warning. He will appear on the Mount of Olives; the very place He left (Acts 1:11-12). The reference to the earthquake in Uzziah’s time is merely referenced in Amos 1:1, but Jewish historian Josephus regarded it as Divine judgment on Uzziah for assuming the priestly duties (2 Chronicles 26:16).

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Zechariah 14:6-11 When Christ stands upon the earth as Judge, the whole earth will be changed. There will be earthquakes, climate changes, and even changes in the sun (compare Matthew 24:29). I find this contrast interesting. The first time Christ appeared He brought peace. The waters were stilled, the storms were calmed. This time it’s the other way around. This is a side of Jesus people either chose not to see or else are not aware of. Truly when Jesus was with us the first time He practiced incredible restraint.

But we would be mistaken to assume that Christ will always exercise restraint. We question whether or not Jesus would have Christians kill Muslims. We struggle with picturing a Jesus who takes the life of any human being. That’s because we only see a

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Jesus restrained. Christians need to keep their eyes and mind open to the full revelation of who Jesus is.

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Zechariah 14:12-15 This portion looks back to the destruction mentioned in Zechariah 12:2-9 (That fought against Jerusalem). God fought against them by sending this plague.

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Zechariah 14:16-19 The armies of the nations will be destroyed during the Battle of Armageddon, but not the people of those Gentile nations. It seems that as Christ sits on His throne in Jerusalem, leading the world for a thousand years, certain aspects of Old Testament Jewish worship will be followed, such as the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). It appears that after the Rapture, the Tribulation, and Armageddon, some people will finally recognize Jesus as Lord, Messiah, and Savior.

They will become His sheep. But, some will still deny Him and reject Him. Bad idea.

Remember that this is the Jesus who has come as judge, and He is not restrained as He was during His first advent. He will sit on His throne and make life miserable for those who reject Him and His commands. The time of punishment for our behavior has begun.

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Zechariah 14:20-21 As if to confirm this, Zechariah says that holiness will define life during the Millennial reign of Jesus. That’s why He will not tolerate acts of disobedience. Disobedience defiles holiness. Lest you think that being alive during the Millennial reign of Christ will be blissful, keep in mind that those alive during that time will still be fully human. The carnal human nature will still be present in the hearts of all Mankind. Although there will be peace on earth at last, people will still struggle with sin and righteousness just as they do today. Now I’m not saying Jesus will forget grace, but I am saying with the Lord standing before you here on earth, the pain of sin in our lives will run far deeper than you and I can imagine today.

September 14: Ezra 6, Esther 1-4 Ezra 6

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Ezra 6:1-2 Ecbatana (modern day Hamadan) was 300 miles northeast of Babylon and the capital of Persia. The reason this record was kept there is because Cyrus had spent the summer of 538 BC in that city. The same summer he issued the decree.

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Ezra 6:3-5 It’s commonly held that the dimensions of the Temple should be written as 45 feet high, 90 feet long, and 30 feet wide. Those would have been the dimensions of the original foundation (1 Kings 6:2). The Syriac version of the Bible actually does include the reference to the width. It is surmised that Cyrus merely spoke some numbers to appear gracious, and it was those random numbers that were recorded. It does not mean that those dimensions were the size of the Temple foundation.

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Ezra 6:6-12 I, Darius, have spoken. So it is written, so shall it be done. Don’t you love it when the bully is the one punished? Vindication just seems so sweet some days.

Darius’ curse is quite interesting. Consider what happened to those who did destroy the Temple. Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated the Temple in 167 BC died insane three years later. Herod the Great (37 BC-4 AD), who added extensively to the temple to glorify himself, had domestic trouble and died of disease. The Romans, who destroyed the temple in 70 AD, eventually watched their entire empire crumble and fall.

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Ezra 6:13-15 The work on the Temple is finally completed in March of 515 BC, 21 years after it began, four and a half years after Haggai spoke to the people, and 70 ½ years after it had been destroyed on August 12, 586 BC.

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It’s pretty clear that the people had learned their lesson from the exile. The nation is now led by godly priests and served by godly Levites. They even lead the people in a Passover celebration. Significant is the fact that the Jews had become so much more holy in their behavior and attitude that they are beginning to influence the people around them (see Ezra 6:21). These others could have been Judeans who had been left behind, but it seems more likely that they were Gentiles that either migrated to the area after Jerusalem was destroyed, or who had been sent there by a foreign empire.

Reference is made to King Darius in verse 22, here called the King of Assyria. Even though Darius was Persian, he was now ruling over what was Assyria. And if some of those who had turned to God had been Gentiles transplanted to Israel from Assyria, this statement might make a bit more sense.

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Esther The story of Esther unfolds during the time when many Jews had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. The events here take place in the 57-year span between Ezra 6 and 7.

As we learn from this story, many Jews decided to stay in Persia, even though Isaiah and Jeremiah urged them to come home (compare Isaiah 48:20 and Jeremiah 51:6).

Esther is the only book in the Bible in which the name of God is not found. The New Testament does not quote from the book, and there were no copies found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is no mention of the Law and no reference to the sacrifice. This actually confirms our suspicions that the Jews still living in Babylon had abandoned the worship of God. They were Jew by name only. It seems that Esther and Mordecai were interesting in preserving nothing more than National Heritage. However, those who were trying to return to the worship of God had reached a stumbling block back in Jerusalem. They needed encouragement that strengthened them. So the events recorded in Esther would have demonstrated that although the world was against Israel, God was still watching over them.

With that being said, it’s likely that the Book of Esther was written by a Jew who had returned to Jerusalem to demonstrate to those still interested in serving God that God was working in Persia to keep His people safe. It doesn’t seem likely that this letter was written for a Persian audience.

We may argue about the historical accuracy of this book, but this we know: Xerxes was a real king of Persia, his drinking parties were well known, he did have an irrational temper, he had a palace in Susa, and he had a large harem.

Esther 1 •

Esther 1:1 Xerxes (called Ahasuerus in Hebrew), ruled the Persian Empire from 485 to 465 BC (21 years). He is mentioned elsewhere in Daniel 9:1. Several sources outside

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of the Bible also describe his kingdom as stretching from modern-day Pakistan all the way to the Upper Nile Region (Southern Egypt, all of Sudan, and Northern Ethiopia).

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Esther 1:2 The winter palace was located in Susa. An archeological inscription found in the area reported that the palace was later destroyed sometime during the reign of Artaxerxes. So considering that the author of Esther mentions this palace indicates that the book was written some time before the fire. Anyone living later would not have known about the palace in Susa.

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Esther 1:3-4 If the year this great feast took place is accurate (483 BC), then perhaps this meeting was a planning session for the invasion of Greece, which took place in 481 BC. However, Xerxes was defeated at the battle of Salamis in 480 BC and the Battle of Plataea in 479. So he had to retreat home. It is then that Esther gained his favor, in the seventh year of his reign (see Esther 2:16).

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Esther 1:5-12 By the end of the second banquet, the king and the people were probably quite drunk. Although we don’t know why the queen refused, it would be my guess that she had grown weary of being paraded before a bunch of drunken men just to show off her beauty.

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Esther 1:13-20 As I said, this group of men were quite drunk by now, which would explain how they could come up with such an idiotic plan. What woman is going to respect her husband just because the King said she should? The logic just doesn’t make sense. I suspect that when the other women learned of what Vashti did, they were encouraged to do the same regardless of the repercussions.

Esther 2 •

Esther 2:5-7 It’s better to understand here that Kish, Mordecai’s great grandfather was the one deported by Nebuchadnezzar. If it had been Mordecai, he would have been about 115 and Esther about 80.

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Esther 2:10-14 Whoever wrote this story pointed these things out to remind the faithful that even when His people are not faithful, God remains faithful. Esther would not have been allowed to marry a pagan (Deuteronomy 7:1-4), nor sleep with a man who was not

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her husband (Exodus 20:14). But in spite of their unfaithfulness, God still watched over them and protected them.

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Esther 2:19 Somehow Mordecai had earned a prominent place in the empire’s Judicial System. That’s what sitting at the gate implies. He was there to hear legal cases and decide if they should be brought before the king.

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Esther 2:21-23 The two conspirators were not hanged by the neck, but more likely impaled upon a pole. This is a gruesome form of torture, driving a pointed stick into the rectum and using a sledgehammer to drive it the rest of the way through the body. I say that this is probably what Xerxes did because his father, Darius, once impaled 3000 men. Any man willing to punish a criminal this brutally has no respect for human life.

None at all.

Esther 3 •

Esther 3:1 What is an Agagite? Archeologists have discovered an inscription that indicates Agag was a province of the Persian Empire. Haman was from this region, whose location is unknown.

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Esther 3:2-4 When Mordecai foiled the plot to kill King Xerxes, perhaps he was expecting a reward. It was probably an oversight, considering the King’s reaction in Esther 6:1-3. Maybe this would explain his refusal to pay respect to Haman (this was not worship comparable to what we see in Daniel 3:8-15). He probably refused to bow because of pride, not because he was Jewish. Mordecai did not even use his nationality as an excuse. The other officials did (Esther 3:4).

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Esther 3:5-6 Haman boiled with rage, a sure sign of a foolish, weak man (Proverbs 14:29). Note here that Haman didn’t want just the Jews in Persia killed, but all the Jews in the Empire, which would have included those in Palestine (Israel). This is one of the first examples of anti-Semitism; a pathological hatred of Jews.

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Esther 3:7 The Persian people were very superstitious. Haman cast lots to determine when fate would be in his favor. The Babylonian word for “Casting Lots” is Pur. But what Haman did not know was that God, who is above even fate, was working things out so the Jews would have an entire year to prepare for this. The Lot was cast on April

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of 474 BC. The Lot fell on March 7 , 473 BC. Haman had determined that’s when Fate would be against the Jews. Of course, the Jews are delivered, and they celebrate this deliverance on the Feast of Purim (see Esther 9:26); a holiday filled with costume parties, drinking, eating triangle shaped cookies, and where the Book of Esther is read out loud, omitting the name of Haman.

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Esther 3:8-9 Haman lied here (big surprise). And he offered a bribe to get the king to agree. He offered to give 750,000 pounds of silver to the Royal Treasury. At today’s prices ($505.00 per pound) that’s about $378,750,000.00.

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Esther 3:10-15 , Of course, the king agreed (big surprise). He gives Haman his signet ring which means Haman could make any proclamation and sign it with the King’s Ring.

A small drop of hot wax was placed at the bottom of the document and the ring was pressed into it before it hardened. It’s similar to having a document notarized today. To entice the officials to comply, they were told they could have the property of any Jew they killed. Does Haman’s wickedness remind you of Hitler? However, within the city of Susa the people were confused. Either they wondered how the Jews had been disobedient (indicating that the people in Susa knew the accusations were false), or the other minorities living in the land wondered if they might be next. Remember the size of the Persian Empire?

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Persian Empire during the reign of Darius Esther 4 •

Esther 4:1-3 Perhaps Mordecai felt remorse not just because of Haman’s decree, but because this feud between the two of them had gotten out of hand. And now Mordecai realized that he brought this on by his refusal to bow in Haman’s presence. I’m not saying Mordecai was wrong. I would refuse to pay tribute to someone as wicked as Haman. But I too would feel remorse for the way my stand for righteousness was now going to cost the lives of innocent women and children.

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Esther 4:4-8 Although Esther had been the king’s wife for four years, she simply couldn’t just appear before the king. This gives us a glimpse into the way these women lived. She was well cared for and had many luxuries, but she was closed off from the rest of society. To arrive unannounced or uninvited could be perceived as a threat, and she may be killed. This would explain the presence of leaders at the front gate to the palace. A person would have to be referred to the king by them.

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Esther 4:13-17 As stated earlier, Esther lived in disobedience to the Law by marrying a pagan man and by sleeping with someone who was not her husband. But this still did not disqualify her from being used by God. What Mordecai points out is true. In preparation for this very event, God placed Esther in the position of the queen to intercede on behalf of her people. She didn’t have to be perfect. She didn’t have to be a model, Jewish citizen. She simply had to be obedient to the call. The same is true for you and me. God actually placed us in a position to fulfill His will. God actually uses imperfect people like you and me to carry out His work in this world. The words of Paul echo the words of Mordecai (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

September 15: Esther 5-8 Esther 5 •

Esther 5:1-8 The good news is that King Xerxes was pleased to see Esther. But it seems he could tell she wanted something. In a wise move, she only asks to dine with the King and Haman. Why was this a smart move? It was smart because if Haman

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was like the other manipulative people we know, he worked best when he could gain support from others. Haman was like many bullies today who rouse others against their foe. They are too timid to confront someone face to face. They need the support of the crowd. This happens in churches from time to time as well. When we become offended, don’t we try and gather people on our side that are sympathetic? We will speak to everyone else in the church about the incident, but we will not talk to the individual. We don’t have the courage to do that. Take away the crowd and Haman would have to stand on his own before Esther.

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Esther 5:9-14 Here we see the cowardice of Haman. What was he doing here? He was trying to rouse sympathy from the crowd. Truthfully, if Haman took issue with Mordecai’s irreverence, why not call him before the king and speak about the issue face to face? But Haman was a big chicken. He’d rather get his wife to pat his hand and say, “There, there. You poor thing”. It almost seems she grew tired of his whining.

“Have him executed right now” she says, “and stop making the rest of us miserable.”

The pole would have been higher than the trees. Mordecai would have served as an example of Haman’s power.

Esther 6 •

Esther 6:1-3 Although the name of God is not mentioned in Esther, it’s easy to see Him working in the life of these people. Remember that this story came to the Jews living back in Jerusalem. They had begun to stumble, as revealed in the whole marriage debacle (Ezra 9:1-2). Through this story, they would be able to clearly see the hand of God. Xerxes just happens to have trouble sleeping. He just happens to have someone read from the royal history books. By this time, Xerxes had been ruling for 12 years, so there would have been a significant number of court records to choose from. The librarian just happens to pick up the volume that mentions the time Mordecai saved the king's life (five years before these events). And Xerxes just happens to think back to that event and ask a seemingly innocent question right before Haman steps into the room. The timing is just too perfect to be a coincidence.

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Esther 6:4-6 Xerxes must have been awake for some time by now, and Haman enters the court ready to ask permission to have Mordecai impaled. But at that very moment God places a thought in Xerxes mind.

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Esther 6:7-10 This is what selfishness does; it blinds someone to the possibility that honor just might belong to someone else (compare Luke 14:1-11). Note that Xerxes calls Mordecai a Jew. Apparently the king discovered this truth somehow.

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Esther 6:11-14 True to his nature, Haman runs home and cries on everyone’s shoulders. But truthfully, Haman brought this embarrassment upon himself. Verse 13 here is very significant. People from a foreign nation are now confessing that no one can prevail against God’s chosen. No, they don’t mention God, but it’s pretty easy to see the inference.

Esther 7 •

Esther 7:1-7 It’s easy to see how afraid Esther was here. She seemed concerned that the king would fly into a rage much like he did with Vashti (see Esther 1:9). Esther says that if she and her people had simply been sold into slavery, she wouldn’t have bothered the king. But someone has planned to have her and her people killed. When she pointed to Haman, Xerxes became quite troubled. And it’s no wonder. Haman was someone whom the king trusted, but even worse is that Xerxes realizes he had been schemed and manipulated; he never even saw it coming. That’s enough to upset anyone; to realize they had played the pawn in someone else’s little game.

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Esther 7:8-10 Haman was kneeling next to the couch where Esther was reclining (similar to what is depicted in Greek and Roman art). There were others in the room with them. But this scene fueled Xerxes anger. Apparently the Eunuch Harbonah knew of Haman’s plot against Mordecai and informed the king. Perhaps many in the palace didn’t like Haman, maybe even in the whole town as well. A prideful, arrogant, scheming man like Haman doesn’t make many friends. He was a man that used people for his own gain, and who discarded them when they were no longer an asset. The pile of used people must have been quite large. The lesson here for you and me is obvious.

Our conduct in this world becomes the clearest testimony of our character. And if we

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ever find ourselves falsely accused and on trial, our character becomes our best witness.

Esther 8 •

Esther 8:1-2 By taking away Haman’s property, he was being treated as a criminal.

Funny, isn’t it, how Haman said the people could take the property of the Jews, but it is a Jew who takes his property. I confess to reading stories like this and sometimes wishing that God would take away the wealth of my enemies and give it to me. But then I begin to realize that times are different now. I live in a democracy, not ruled by a tyrant. So I wonder if God directed Xerxes to give away all Haman’s property, or if it was merely the eccentric behavior of a man.

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Esther 8:3-17 The decree was written by Mordecai about 9 months before the decree

by Haman was to be executed. It did not undo the first decree (to kill all the Jews), but merely called the Jews to defend themselves. It would seem then that the Jews were given special prominence in the Persian kingdom. Perhaps they had more power and freedom that did the other nationalities ruled by the Persian Empire. Some people, fearing this new power, became Jewish, not necessarily because they wanted to worship God, but because they feared the people. That’s a poor excuse. To become Jewish was to follow God’s Laws, and it seems some people did. But I wonder about their love and commitment to God. This sounds like some people who want to join a church. They will go through all the motions, but never have that relationship with God through Jesus Christ. To some people, joining a church is nothing more than a ritual.

“You mean all I have to do is call Jesus Lord and be baptized and I can join? Great, I’m in”.

September 16: Esther 9-10, Ezra 7-8 Esther 9 •

Esther 9:1-19 It doesn’t appear that the Jews took any initiative to proactively attack th

those who came against them on March 7 , 473 BC; the day the two decrees were to take effect. Instead, this seemed to be an organized defensive movement. Even in 70

Susa it appears that 500 people tried to attack the Jews, including the 10 sons of Haman. I really don’t see this as a counteroffensive because three times we are reminded that the Jews who defended themselves did not take any plunder. Do you see a difference in the attitude of the Jews and in what Haman had desired? Haman wanted to take Jewish property (Esther 3:13), but when given an opportunity, the Jews did not.

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Esther 9:20-32 Here we see the creation of the Festival of Purim, and an explanation of its significance. Oddly, this festival was not instituted by God but by Mordecai (and confirmed by Queen Esther). Like the times of fasting and mourning, the Jews decided this for themselves (Esther 9:31). This doesn’t make the observance of Purim wrong; it just needs to be viewed in its proper perspective.

Esther 10 •

The Book of Esther ends mentioning the eventual significance of Mordecai in the Medo/Persian Empire. Reading this, it’s easy to see the hand of God in these events.

Too many things happened just at the right time to be attributed to chance or fate (as Haman would have suggested). Even though Esther does not mention the name of God, any Jew reading this story back in Jerusalem could have easily seen the hand of God directing and guiding events. And I have my suspicions that even the Gentile people living back then could see God’s hand protecting His people. What I wonder is if you or I could recognize the hand of God as we look back upon our lives. Would we be able to see that He has been directing and guiding our lives?

Ezra 7 •

Ezra 7:1-5 There is a span of 57 years between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. The Temple was rebuilt in 515 BC. Darius 1 dies in 486 BC and his son Xerxes becomes king for 20 years (485-465 BC). The events from the book of Esther take place between chapter 6 and chapter 7 of Ezra. Following Xerxes, his son, Artaxerxes ruled from 464-424 BC. And as Ezra introduces himself to his readers, he makes sure to trace his heritage all

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the way back to Aaron; giving credence to his right to teach and serve the people in the name of God. •

Ezra 7:6-10 Ezra makes a trip home, along with other Jews who were still living in Babylon. What’s interesting is that Ezra found favor in the eyes of King Artaxerxes even though he held no official position (unlike Nehemiah, for example). God was with this scribe who had earned a reputation among his peers and his neighbors. And we are given the impression that the trip home went smoothly (taking only 4 months), apparently unlike others who had made the journey. “The gracious hand of his God was on him” (Ezra 7:9) because Ezra was determined to study God’s law, to obey God’s law, and to teach God’s law. These are excellent qualifications for anyone called to the ministry.

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Ezra 7:11-26 This is an amazing letter. Who could have imagined that some foreign king would show such kindness and respect not only toward the descendants of Jacob but the God of Israel as well? Perhaps since Ezra had earned the respect of this king, he openly talked and taught about the God of Israel (compare Ezra 8:22). Perhaps the events in the book of Esther had an effect on the king’s son. Or perhaps the history of Israel’s destruction because of her disobedience really had an impact on the nations around Israel. For whatever reason, King Artaxerxes acted wisely. Considering the distance Israel was from Babylon, it would be prudent to keep the peace. If the people knew he was supporting them, Artaxerxes could possibly avoid uprisings in the area.

Ezra 8 •

Ezra 8:1-14 Most of the people mentioned in this list were related to the group who had returned to Israel with Zerubbabel (compare 2:3-15).

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Ezra 8:15 Even Zerubbabel had relatively few Levites in the group that returned to Israel with him (less than 1.5 %). For a Levite to go back to Israel meant not just a change of location but a change of lifestyle as well. They were the men responsible for teaching the word and performing service within the Temple. And according to the law they had to live off of the graciousness of the people (the Tithe). Perhaps this is why not a single Levite showed up for this trip back to Israel.

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Ezra 8:21-30 Yes Ezra, it’s one thing to say that you trust God to protect, but when you are facing the reality of putting that faith to the test, it can become a bit unnerving. So to calm the fears of the people and perhaps himself, Ezra leads a prayer service. And truthfully they had a lot to fear. Can you imagine transporting several million dollars across the land, traveling by foot, camel, or horse, without any military support?

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Ezra 8:31-32 The 900-mile journey took 4 months, and in His faithfulness to their faithfulness, God protected the 1,514 Israelites the entire way. Ezra, in a display of his character, credits God with their safety, not human cunning or wisdom. Perhaps it is this character trait that Artaxerxes saw in Ezra, and would explain why he looked favorably upon him. A Christian would be wise to keep this example in mind while working and serving in the world. Most of us don’t consider the impact our Christian character has on our boss and on our coworkers.

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Ezra 8:36 Did you notice what Ezra says here? He gave the Kings letter to the Persian governors and officials overseeing the land. When they read the letter, they actually assisted Israel by supporting them and contributing to the worship of God at the Temple. Leaders who were not Jewish were helping Jews in their worship of God. That’s an amazing change of events.

September 17: Ezra 9-10, Nehemiah 1-2 Ezra 9 •

Ezra 9:1-2 The Jewish leaders who came to Ezra were possibly men who had returned with Zerubbabel, and who had become leaders. Apparently Ezra had earned a reputation in the few short months since he came to Jerusalem. One thing is for sure, these leaders knew that outward forms of worship were only acceptable as long as there was inward holiness. And by marrying these women from other lands, the men of Israel were being led astray once again. This was a major concern. These leaders knew that it was just this sort of behavior that had sent them to exile in the first place.

Something needed to be done. Sad, isn’t it, that repentance for some people is short lived. By the way, this is not a lesson against interracial marriage. This is a lesson on marriage with a person who does not share your same commitment to God. No matter

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how faithful you may be or even how wise, being yoked with someone outside of your faith can and will lead to temptation. Just remember what happened to King Solomon (1 Kings 11:3-5).

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Ezra 9:3-4 Tearing your clothes in grief is one thing. Pulling out your hair is something else; especially the facial hair! Ezra’s grief was unusually intense. Most would just tear their clothes.

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Ezra 9:5-15 Other similar prayers are offered by men who stood humbly before God. Reading this, I was reminded of Daniels prayer (Daniel 9:4-19). I was also struck by the words of Jesus in His prayer found in John 17, specifically John 17:15-16. In Ezra’s prayer, I hear a confession that although Israel must live in this world, they must not become part of this world. This is what Jesus prays for His Apostles. It is what He prays for you and me. For 70 or 80 years, we live out our earthly lives upon this planet.

While we are here, our spirit battles our flesh. For those who desire to be Christian, there is a war being waged inside of us. And by what a person allows in their life, they determine which side is strengthened. You cannot win a Spiritual battle when all your effort is focused on fueling the flesh.

Ezra 10 •

Ezra 10:1-4 Apparently this intermarriage had been going on for a long time. And it took the presence of one man of God who knew the law to convict them and set them straight. One man, armed with a humble heart and knowledge of God’s Word, can have an incredible impact on an assembly of people. That being said, the proposal by Shechaniah would be quite difficult. It would create hard feeling and a profound sense of loss. Children would be sent away. The lesson here is obvious. Think long and hard before you attach yourself to something of this world. There may come a time when God convicts you to let it go. And parting with that is going to be a long and hard process. And you will constantly be reminded of what it cost you in the end.

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Ezra 10:5-14 Ezra’s plan shows wisdom. He gives the people three days to decide what will be “cut off”. Either these men cut off their ties with foreign wives, of they cut off their ties with Israel. They had to make the choice. Reminds me of what Joshua says in Joshua 24:15. The men were to come to the Temple in groups, accompanied

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by their respective leaders. These leaders would know the families and would know whether a man’s wife actually did worship other gods. Some of them might have turned to God, even though they were of foreign birth.

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Ezra 10:15 It’s not known why these four men opposed the idea. Maybe they wanted to solve the issue right then and there. Maybe they wanted to avoid the issue.

Meshullam was one of the men who had intermarried (Ezra 10:29).

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Ezra 10:16-17 Those willing to have their marriages examined by the judge came to Jerusalem between December 29, 458 BC and March 27, 457 BC. Although Ezra did not say what happened to those women and children, we can presume that they returned to their own countries. The rest of the chapter reveals the results of those examinations. I respect these men because they came forward to have their marriages judged. They knew a list would be made of those found guilty. This shows they sincerely looked to repent. Unfortunately, we will see the next generation of Hebrew men falling into this same sin (see Nehemiah 13:23-28).

Nehemiah 1 •

It was now 444 BC, 14 years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem. Although Ezra had brought religious reforms back to Jerusalem, the city was still in terrible shape. What’s odd here is Nehemiah’s reaction for a city he has never seen. His great-grandparents may have been part of the group taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, but he would have been born in Babylon (or perhaps Susa). It’s obvious he would have been old enough to travel back with Ezra’s group, but he declined. Maybe he didn’t return because he had already become a man of prominence in the Persian Kingdom. By this time he held the crucial position of cupbearer, a position demanding trustworthiness and honesty.

But think about this: if he had such a profound sense of national pride, why didn’t he return when he had the chance? I suspect God had something to do with this. I suspect God was preparing Nehemiah for this task, and part of the preparation came in watching the king manage affairs and run an organized empire. Nehemiah was learning leadership skills while being the king’s servant. We need to keep this in mind for our own lives. The lowly job we may have today might be God’s way of preparing us for

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tomorrow. A wise person does not grumble about where they are working but looks for opportunities to learn and grow from the experience.

Nehemiah 2 •

Nehemiah 2:1-2 If you’ll recall, the work on the wall of Jerusalem was stopped by King Artaxerxes himself. The Samaritans living around Jerusalem petitioned the King to force the Jews to stop working (Ezra 4:1723). So naturally Nehemiah was a bit afraid when the king asked him what was wrong.

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Nehemiah 2:3-8 Notice that Nehemiah only says “My City,” not mentioning Jerusalem, probably a touchy political subject. In fact, it seems Nehemiah was waiting for just the right moment to mention this. Four months had passed since he received the news. And this was probably a private meeting considering that the queen was seated with the king. Nehemiah had also given some thought on how long he would be gone, for he was able to give a satisfactory answer to the king right away. By the way, this agreement to rebuild the city was prophesied by Daniel 95 years earlier th

(Daniel 9:25). According to the prophecy in Daniel this decree, on March 5 , 444 BC marks the beginning of a 483-year span until the Messiah will appear. The words in Daniel 9:25 are quite clear. When the decree is given, which is what Artaxerxes has just done, the Messiah will appear after 7 sets of 7 and 62 sets of 7 (49 + 434).

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Nehemiah 2:9-10 Even with official government papers and a military escort, two men, in particular, object to the rebuilding process. Sanballat was probably from Beth-Horon, about 15 miles north of Jerusalem. Tobiah was from Ammon, a Nation just east of the Jordan River. According to a document known as the Elephantine papyri (written in 407 BC), Sanballat was called “governor of Samaria.” Elephantine was a small island on the Nile inhabited by a Jewish Community (http://www.formerthings.com/sanballat.htm).

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Nehemiah 2:11-16 Nehemiah was truly a wise man. He knew that it would be futile to only point out the problem to the Jewish officials. The right way to deal with the problem is to present a solution. So Nehemiah spent three days surveying the situation, praying, and coming up with a plan.

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Nehemiah 2:17-20 I wonder how long the people of Jerusalem had been listening to the criticism of the Samaritan people and the people of other nations. I suspect these outsiders had been practicing their criticism for a long time. Notice how quickly they criticized Nehemiah - as if it was their common practice. I think Jerusalem needed a positive, optimistic, thinker like Nehemiah to lead them in the process. And they needed Nehemiah to be the encouraging mouth of God. Even today these negative people find their way into a church, and sometimes will even become leaders within a church. And any idea that is not their own immediately receives their criticism. If you look past their irritability, you’ll find a pathological hatred of anyone succeeding. They hate it because when others succeed they feel like failures. So when facing critics and irritated people, the lesson we need to learn here is obvious. Nehemiah didn’t argue with his critics (Nehemiah 2:19-21). Notice how they challenge his authority (Are you rebelling against the King?). Nehemiah didn’t produce the papers. He didn’t get suckered into a fight.

He simply said (in my own words), “I believe with God’s help we will accomplish this.

And no one is forcing you to help. If you think it’s going to fail then now’s your chance to back out”.

September 18: Nehemiah 3-5

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Nehemiah 3 •

It’s amazing how much one man can accomplish with a plan, a calling from God, and a positive attitude. These people had been present in and around Jerusalem, but there was no one to unite them in the work. This list of people and the work they accomplished is amazing. My word, just imagine what one church could accomplish for the Kingdom of God if its leaders would just stop listening to the critics.

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Okay, okay, I’ll ask the obvious question here. What if a critic is speaking for God? What if God was trying to get Nehemiah to stop rebuilding the wall, and He was using these critics as His voice? First of all God would not criticize and call someone a loser.

He would not attack a person’s character. Instead, God would point blank say, “Don’t!”

Secondly, have you noticed how often Nehemiah prayed? He spent three days discerning this work after he arrived in Jerusalem. He spent two months traveling to Jerusalem, plenty of time for God to tell him “no.” So when you feel God directing you, practice these two things. Spend some time thinking and praying before you act. And secondly, when you do hear from a critic (and you will), remember that God will speak

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about the issue, not degrade and criticize who you are. When people talk about your idea, be sure to hear the wise advice but ignore the criticism.

Nehemiah 4 •

Nehemiah is one of the best books in the Bible that addresses leadership, and it does so quite honestly. Although Nehemiah was following God’s will in rebuilding the wall, God did not remove all the obstacles out of his way. There were tons of rubble to be moved. There were bricks to be made and wood to be cut. God did not miraculously make the walls appear. But God did supply the passion and drive to see that the work happened. God did not silence the critics either. As a matter of fact, their verbal attacks became worse. When that did not discourage the people of Jerusalem, they threatened physical attacks. Facing these obstacles, Nehemiah continued to encourage, but the people started to lose faith. This seems to be a common trend by those who are critical and irritable. The more we resist their attempts to discourage, the harder they try. And those we are trying to lead do not necessarily have the same strength we do, so they need to draw their strength from their leader. It can be exhausting for a leader, especially if that leader depends upon themselves too much.

It’s important that the encourager and the leader continually spend time with God seeking His encouragement and His strength while facing critics. The critics are being fueled by Satan, so naturally the encourager needs to be fueled by God. Don’t rest and rely upon your own strength while doing the work of God.

Nehemiah 5 •

Nehemiah 5:1-7 Up until now, Nehemiah had faced outside opposition. Now we see that there was corruption from within. What fueled this corruption was a food shortage (Nehemiah 5:2). By working on the wall so much they could not work in their fields.

This led to a money shortage (Nehemiah 5:3). So the people were forced to mortgage their property to borrow money for food. But because they had borrowed money for food, there was none left to pay the tax to King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 5:4).

Compounding this problem, the local officials were overtaxing and keeping the excess for themselves (Nehemiah 5:5). All of this led to the working class people being forced to sell themselves into slavery (Nehemiah 5:5). This is a serious problem; one that

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Nehemiah probably never anticipated when he created his plan. And truthfully do any of us take into account people’s selfishness and corruption when beginning a project?

It’s especially difficult for a trustworthy and honest person like Nehemiah to think that others are not going to be as noble. So what does Nehemiah do? He thinks things over (Nehemiah 5:7). No rash decisions here. This godly leader thinks and prays before he acts. Smart move.

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Nehemiah 5:8-13 In a public assembly Nehemiah points out the problem head on. He reminds the people of God’s Law found in Leviticus 25:35-38. God had already spoken about this, so the lesson comes not from Nehemiah but from God. But Nehemiah was not asking these nobles to do more than what he was willing to do himself. Nehemiah had already been redeeming fellow Jews, only to have them sold back into bondage by those looking to profit from a neighbor’s misfortune. When confronted with God’s word, it seems the nobles and officials agreed that what they were doing was wrong. But Nehemiah has learned his lesson. He wanted to make sure their response was not just because of public pressure. He makes them take a vow.

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Nehemiah 5:14-16 In contrast to what the Jewish nobles and officials had been doing, Nehemiah provided food for himself and his servants from his own personal resources.

Where those funds came from is not known, but it must have been quite impressive to do this for 12 years. Nehemiah displays superb leadership qualities here; valuing those whom he led, providing for those he led, working alongside those he led, and standing up for them when they were oppressed.

September 19: Nehemiah 6-8 Nehemiah 6 •

Nehemiah 6:1-4 To distract Nehemiah, the critics invited him to meet with them in Ono, a town about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem, near the border of Samaria. Although no threat was spoken, Nehemiah wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t about to become Facebook friends with these men. Their real motives are shown by asking him four times to leave the city. If they were really interested in meeting peacefully with Nehemiah, they would

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have come to Jerusalem where he was working. Those critics knew that Nehemiah was the source of strength in this project, and if they can remove him, they stand a good chance of ending this work.

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Nehemiah 6:5-9 So if intimidation and threat will not work, critics will then try character assassination. Here we see the lie fabricated by those who wish to assassinate Nehemiah’s character. Of course, it was a lie, and I suspect King Artaxerxes would have surmised this. He was no fool. A man does not stay in power for as long as he did by being a poor judge of people. Oh, and did you notice that the letter was already opened? That’s a subtle trick to make Nehemiah think that others had read this letter as well. Once again Nehemiah saw through their scheme. As a matter of fact verse 9 seems to imply that Nehemiah told the other leaders about the lie ( Trying to frighten us).

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Nehemiah 6:10-13 Next the critics hired someone on the inside, a priest named Shemaiah. That’s a sad testimony to this man’s integrity. Imagine someone getting a deacon to turn against a leader in the church. Nehemiah must have trusted him initially, but it didn’t take too long to figure out what was up. Nehemiah knew that he had no business being in the Temple. Only priests were allowed in the sanctuary (Numbers 3:10). To waltz inside would mean that he disregarded God’s commands, and he would have lost favor with the people. This displays the depth of deception exercised by these men. They used criticism, threats, intimidation, character assassination, and even trickery to stop Nehemiah from his work in Jerusalem. The sad part is that these ploys are not unusual. They even happen today. I’ve experienced these things in my ministry, and there’s a good chance you have as well. Anyone who is willing to do work commanded by God will face the critics, the back-stabbers, and the assassins. Their greatest desire is to see you fail and your work fail. But what they do not realize is that they are not fighting against you or me. Their attack is against God. He is the One directing the work or the ministry. And I just can’t imagine God allowing them to gain the upper hand.

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Nehemiah 6:15-16 The walls were completed just 52 days after the work began. The previous December Nehemiah heard the report from his brother. In April the following year he was allowed to travel back to Jerusalem. He arrived in July and began work 3

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days later. By October 2 , 443 BC, the walls were finished; a testimony that God was indeed working through those living in and around Jerusalem.

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Nehemiah 6:17-19 Tobiah was not only related to the Jews through his father-in-law, but his daughter-in-law was the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah, who actually helped work on the wall (Nehemiah 3:4). Some within Jerusalem remained friends to Tobiah even though he was seeking to destroy the work of Nehemiah. This makes no sense to me. Why would the people who were going to benefit from Nehemiah’s ministry seek to destroy his work? For that matter, why do the people who benefit from a pastor’s ministry try to destroy that pastor’s ministry? Why would someone criticize a church leader who they elected to the position in the first place?

Nehemiah 7 •

Nehemiah 7:1-3 So I wonder, would a stranger be able to get into town? It seems Nehemiah was taking precautions to keep the critics and the saboteurs out of town. But in doing so, might they lose their trust of others? Nehemiah seems wise enough to realize that someone is innocent until proven guilty, but I’m not so sure every person who watched the gate would be that discerning.

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Nehemiah 7:7-65 If you compare this list with the one found in Ezra 2, you will see some differences. Nehemiah’s list contains over 1,200 more people. It has been suggested that Ezra’s list did not include those who joined the people either during their travel to Jerusalem, or that some from the other tribes migrated to Jerusalem because they saw that God was with them. The point is that we should not be making a big deal out of the different numbers. Even different ushers get a different number when counting Church attendance on any given Sunday.

Nehemiah 8 •

Nehemiah 8:1-2 Here we catch a glimpse into the work Ezra accomplished in the 14 years he had been in Jerusalem. When he arrived, the people had little or no commitment to God’s Law. But we’ll see very shortly that his teaching had a significant impact on the people. I’d venture to say that Nehemiah would not have been able to successfully lead had Ezra not preceded him. A heart turned toward God is a heart

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willing to obey God. And a heart ready to obey God is prepared to do the work of God. But so often we get this backward. We want people to do the work of God, but never teach them the Word of God. •

Nehemiah 8:3-8 Notable here is that Ezra stood out on a platform, not inside the Temple. The Word of God was not something only for the Priests and the Levites but made for all the people. From what this text says it appears Ezra would read a bit, then the gathered Levites would wander through the crowd helping people fully understand what was being taught (Nehemiah 8:7).

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Nehemiah 8:9-12 When the Word was read, Ezra, the Priests, and the Levites, shouted with joy, but the people began to mourn. What had happened was that Ezra and the teachers made the Word relevant to these people possibly for the first time in their lives.

Ezra was able to point to the Law then point to current events and help the nation make the connection; something Ezra and perhaps the other leaders had already been able to do. Yes, there is weeping the moment God’s Word penetrates your heart. But this is exactly what it is designed to do. God’s Law, His promises, His grace and Judgment are designed to bring a person to repentance. It is only in this place of regret that God’s Word can fully do its work. So because the people began to weep, there was to be rejoicing; for repentance and grace had fallen upon this city that day.

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Nehemiah 8:13-18 It’s been a long time since there was a celebration like this; all the way back to when Joshua was still leading the new nation of Israel. I suggest to you that the reason there was a great celebration was because first, the people had been taught the Law by Ezra and, second, they had united in a great work under Nehemiah.

The celebration became sweeter because they had united as one in purpose and in spirit.

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I wonder if this celebration or even this reading of the Word would have happened if either Ezra or Nehemiah were not present. These two men working together accomplished much; one bringing spiritual life and the other bringing unity. Sometimes I think I try to accomplish both. Sometimes I think I’m trying to accomplish the work of two people, and perhaps that’s why my results seem sporadic. Maybe, just maybe, the best marriage between Pastor and Church happens when the church has one gift and

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the Pastor has another. Then between the two they can accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.

September 20: Nehemiah 9-10 Nehemiah 9 •

Nehemiah 9:1-4 There would be few Christians today willing to stand for three hours and confess their sin. Few Christians would be willing to sit for three hours and pray.

I’d venture a guess that most would grow weary or become distracted after only 5 minutes. What does that say about the attitude of most Christian’s today? This reminds me of a conversation I had a short while ago. Teased about “Keeping up with the Jones”, I told the person if they were really interested in keeping up with me, then they need to study their Bible two hours a day. The look I got was priceless.

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Nehemiah 9:5-37 This historical reading follows the typical practice of making a covenant, especially in the Middle East. Historically this is what God did for Israel. And Israel confesses that she had broken her end of the covenant. But what is significant is that this group of people confess that although they were unfaithful and deserved God’s punishment, and even when God did punish, He did not abandon them. Every time the people repented and turned back to God, He was there ready to forgive (Nehemiah 9:27). So this group of Jews is asking God to do the same again; to hear their cries of repentance and forgive, However, what began with Assyria will continue for a long, long time. Israel will not be free from bondage until sometime in the future. What began with the destruction of Jerusalem continues until today. Although the Jews are living in Israel, they are ruled or restrained by Gentiles. Since Assyria and Babylon she has not been a nation totally free. Even today there are restrictions placed upon her by the UN, and there are foreigners occupying the land.

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Nehemiah 9:38 To ratify their repentance and their part of the covenant, the people have their leaders sign a document holding them to their word.

Nehemiah 10 •

Nehemiah 10:1-27 Nehemiah sets the standard here and is the first to sign the covenant.

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Nehemiah 10:28-29 Seeing the leaders sign the document, the people take a vow to hold themselves accountable, and to allow God to hold them accountable.

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Nehemiah 10:30-39 This is the vow signed by the leaders and ratified by the people.

Notice that it begins with the whole intermarrying issue that Ezra had to deal with. Also notable is the refusal to buy or sell on the Sabbath. This must have been an issue at one time. It kind of makes sense, though. If you were trying to get God to turn against someone, you would entice that person to sin. There’s no doubt the Samaritans harbored bad feelings for these Jews who remained pure. Some of them could have been the sons or daughters cast aside by the Jewish men when their marriage to pagan women was challenged (Ezra 10:16-17).

September 21: Nehemiah 11-13 Nehemiah 11 •

Nehemiah 11:1-4 It was decided that one tenth of the general population should live inside the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem. So a lottery was held (casting lots). But it seems that some of those chosen did not want to move (see Nehemiah 11:2). That’s why the ones who were chosen AND volunteered to move were commended. Even some of the Priests and Levites decided to live nearby, and simply commute on the days they were to serve. What follows (up to verse 19) is a listing of the 3,044 people whose names were chosen and who volunteered to relocate into the city.

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Nehemiah 11:21 Ophel was located southeast of the Temple. It’s a hill that rises up from the Kidron Valley. The entire city of Jerusalem used to occupy this hill, but eventually expanded under the leadership of righteous kings.

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Nehemiah 11:22-36 Nehemiah wanted to make it clear that the Jews were not living in fear huddled together inside Jerusalem. They had begun to spread out into their land once again. Beersheba was 32 miles south of Jerusalem, and the people lived all the way north into the land of Benjamin. This northern border becomes the dividing line between Judah and Samaria.

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Nehemiah 12:1-26 Why did Nehemiah give us this list of people who served in the Temple? He gives this as a record of the people’s faithfulness to their covenant. An important part of the covenant they made with God was to follow His decrees and regulations, and in order to lead the people in their worship, there needed to be an adequate number of leaders, and those leaders needed to come from the line of Levi or Aaron. This roster becomes a testimony of their faithfulness. For example, if you’ll look closely at Nehemiah 12:35 you’ll see that Nehemiah traces Zechariah’s heritage all the way back to Asaph, showing that he was indeed qualified to lead music in the Temple.

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Nehemiah 12:27-43 I think that Nehemiah is the one who planned this celebration, but I believe the idea of ritual cleansing came from Ezra. In this celebration, I see the advice given from a man who knows the Word of God to a man who desires to obey the Word of God. So in obedience, Nehemiah sends musicians along the top of the wall the whole way around the city. That would have been a spectacular sight.

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Nehemiah 12:44-47 The people didn’t mind caring for the Priests and the Levites because they knew the Priests and the Levites were caring for them. This is a testimony of the leader’s character and faith. They didn’t see their work at the Temple as a job but a calling. And the people they served could see this and sense this. Isn’t it interesting that some in ministry need to demand their compensation while others receive more than enough? Do you suppose it has to do with attitude, character, and faith?

Nehemiah 13 •

Nehemiah served as governor for 12 years (444-432 BC). This seems to have been the amount of time he told King Artaxerxes that he would be gone (see Nehemiah 2:6). But a short time later he returns to Jerusalem (perhaps 2 years) and finds a real mess.

Some people started back down that road to disobedience, and started doing the very things they had agreed not to do; things they confessed during the covenant they made with God (Nehemiah 10:30-39). I almost weep with Nehemiah. The people had agreed that these things should not be happening in Israel. Ezra read the Law. Nehemiah asked them if they agree with the Law. They people said yes. They agreed that they should be held accountable for breaking that Law. But they go and break it anyway.

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Isn’t it strange? I thought these people felt remorse and grief for what their ancestors did? I thought they felt remorse for what they had done? Well, I believe they truly did, but no one taught them how to change their behavior. See, they had been in the habit of sinning. When confronted with their sin, they felt remorse and sadness. They came to the Altar in repentance. There they found forgiveness. But what they were lacking was someone to disciple them; to walk with them and teach them a new way of living.

This is what happens to many people today who seem to struggle with letting go of their former life. No one steps into their lives and teaches them how to change their behavior. I believe the greatest need in the Church today is for an older, wiser, more experienced Christian to come alongside a younger Christian and help them learn to walk in the ways of God. There is a serious absence of mentoring taking place; an absence of someone coming along side another and calling them to hoy living. This is what Nehemiah did when he came home. He called the people up to a higher and more righteous way of living. I think the need is just as great today.

September 22: Joel 1-3 Joel 1 •

Joel 1:6 The NASB says that a mighty nation has invaded the land, not a swarm of locusts. The way the army devoured the land was like a swarm of locusts.

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Joel 1:9 For those who want to date Joel in the time after Babylon invaded, they need to keep in mind that the Temple was destroyed then. Joel speaks here as if the Temple still stood. Or maybe he is talking about Zerubbabel’s Temple. It’s difficult to say.

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Joel 1:15 Like the destruction and devastation by this army, so too will be the Day of the Lord. Looking at the destruction, Joel thought of the Day of the Lord. Today we look at destruction and think of Christ’s return.

Joel 2 •

Joel 2:1-2 Joel goes into more detail about the coming judgment by God; the feared Day of the Lord. In Old Testament times God’s judgment was seen through defeat by foreign armies or through natural disasters. Joel says that this judgment through an

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invading army will be unlike anything Jerusalem has ever seen. If they thought the destruction caused by Jehoash was bad, just wait until this army arrives.

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Joel 2:3-11 If this army is either the Assyrians or the Army from Babylon, then their reputation will precede them. An Assyrian inscription from the time of Sargon II (722-

705 BC.) vividly illustrates the effects of an invading army on a land: “The city of Aniash-tania … together with 17 cities of its neighborhood, I [Sargon] destroyed, I leveled to the ground; the large timbers of their roots I set on fire, their crops [and] their stubble I burned, their filled-up granaries I opened and let my army devour the unmeasured grain. Like swarming locusts I turned the beasts of my camps into its meadows, and they tore up the vegetation on which it [the city] depended; they devastated its plain”. 6 Perhaps Joel was speaking about the Babylonian invasion of 597 BC when 10,000 of Judah’s finest men were deported (see 2 Kings 24:10-16).

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Joel 2:12-17 Why did the devastation in the past happen, and why will the devastation come? It came probably because Jerusalem had contaminated their worship of God with the worship of Idols. Also, it seems their repentance and mourning was merely superficial (Joel 2:13). Judah didn’t like the punishment for their sins, and they repented so that God might relent. They did not feel grief for the sin; they felt grief for the punishment. We do the same thing today. We are not upset because we were speeding, we are upset that we got caught speeding. But the Lord is calling us to feel remorse for our crimes.

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Joel 2:18-20 The Northern Army refers to an army from the north, not Judah’s neighbor to the north (Israel). Although the first army that gave Judah a taste of the future was Israel, this army that will bring severe devastation will come from further north. The Hebrew word means “northerner”.

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Joel 2:21-27 Either these things will happen ( even if Judah does repent), or they might happen (unless Judah does repent). It’s difficult to say. If, however, we see this army as the Babylonian invasion, then God is promising it will happen once Judah has paid

6 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). Vol. 1: The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1411). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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for their crime. Just as God brought the army because of Judah’s sin, He will remove the army once His people have been punished.

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Joel 2:28-29 God says here (through Joel) that once their land is restored, He will pour out His Spirit upon all mankind (or “flesh”). He does not say how long once things are restored, just that it will happen after this. So if we try to look at an Old Testament period in which God’s Spirit was found in young, old, free, and slave, we will not find an example. But if we turn to the book of Acts, we see God’s Spirit being given not only to Jews, but to Gentiles as well. This pouring out of His Spirit was to be a sign for the nation; a sign post to look for that says we are still on the right path, and that God is still with us on our journey.

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Joel 2:30-32 Speaking about these signs and wonders, Joel seems to indicate another season of war (blood, fire, smoke). But this time the war will not be a form of discipline, it will be a time of Judgment. And only those who call upon the name of the Lord will be spared. What is it that will cause a person to be saved? Is it those whom the Lord has called or is it those who have received His Spirit?

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Looking at this section it’s easy to see that Joel might be speaking figuratively to all people. We all experience a dry time; a barren time when spiritually we are empty. But one day we hear about the judgment to come, and we truly repent. Because of our repentance, God pours out His spirit into our lives so that on the great day of Judgment, we are spared. Now, I’m not saying this is a correct interpretation, but it kind of fits in with what we all experience. The Spirit is given only after repentance and restoration.

And it is the presence of God’s Spirit that spares us the Judgment. In a grand scale, what God did for Israel, He does for you and me.

Joel 3 •

Joel 3:2 The Valley of Jehoshaphat is not a known geographical location. The place is not important, but the meaning of the name is: “The Lord Judges”. It seems this whole section speaks of God’s final judgment upon the nations, as well as judgment against those who took Israel and Judah out of the land during the exile. God used these other nations to discipline Israel and Judah, and call them to repentance, but they went too far (Isaiah 47:5-11).

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Joel 3:4-6 The judgment threatened here probably was fulfilled, at least in part, in the fourth century BC. The people of Sidon were sold into slavery by Antiochus III in 345 BC, while the citizens of Tyre and Gaza were enslaved by Alexander in 332 BC.

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Joel 3:13-16 What is feared by the wicked is comfort for the righteous. This Day of Judgment that Joel has been talking about is not a day to be feared by God’s chosen people (and remember that at that time it is those who have received His Spirit, not just the Jews). This will be a day of deliverance. The trembling of the mountains and the earth, and the darkening of the sky caused by the thunderous voice of the Lord, can be allusions to how the false gods of the earth will fall on the mighty Day of the Lord.

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Joel 3:21 The translation of this verse in the NASB is probably the most accurate. It reads “And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged”; speaking about the blood of God’s people which was shed by those wicked nations.

September 23: Malachi 1-4

Malachi Malachi began his ministry around 438 BC, either during or shortly after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. In light of what he says here, it’s possible Malachi was given God’s word while Nehemiah had returned to Persia (Nehemiah 13:6), considering that he speaks about the corruption of the Priests and the people. Some of the very things Nehemiah addresses when he returns (see Nehemiah 13) are addressed by Malachi.

Malachi reminds his readers that to reap the benefits of God’s Covenant, they needed to be faithful to that Covenant. This could refer to both the Covenant God made with the people through Moses and the one renewed through Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 10:30-39). What Malachi is trying to point out here is that a person of God should not live in any way they choose. As God’s holy nation, these Jews were required to act as God’s holy people. God’s expectations for personal conduct were laid out in the Mosaic Covenant. In the same way Christians are called to demonstrate their faith in the way they live. A Christian should not act like a person of this world.

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Malachi 1 •

Malachi 1:1-5 God speaks to Israel and says that He loves them; in other words He had chosen to reveal Himself to them from among all the nations, and to make a Covenant with the descendants of Jacob. He did not choose Esau. The NLT rightly renders this as “Rejecting Esau” rather that the NASB (Hating Esau). God did not display the human characteristic of hate here, but rather made a choice to reject the first born and accept the younger (Jacob). However, Israel reminds God that based upon present circumstances, it sure seems that He has rejected them. God replies by asking Israel to consider the condition of Edom. Both Edom and Israel received judgment from God th

through the Babylonians in the 6 century. Israel has been restored; Edom has not. As a matter of fact, Israel wasn’t facing anything like Edom was or would in the near future. th

In the 5 century an Arab people known as the Nabateans would invade Edom, forcing the descendants of Esau to migrate westward into a land known as Idumea. 100 years later the Nabateans would invade that area as well. The lesson here is obvious; a person should consider the lives of others less fortunate before they come to God grumbling about their own miserable life.

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Malachi 1:6-10 Isn’t it true that God sees what no one else can? Isn’t it true that the degree of our righteousness is a reflection on the amount of respect we show God? Here God speaks about giving Him that which is worthless or defiled. These Jews were basically giving God their leftovers. Today many Christians do the same, and it does not just apply to our financial giving. Too many, far too many Christians give God the time they can spare. Other things in life take a higher priority. They give God the bare minimum of their attention, thought, time, and talents. Too many Christians live their life asking “What’s the least amount I can do and still make it to heaven”. Do they really think God doesn’t notice this? Do they really think He doesn’t care? I love the point God makes at the end of Malachi 1:8. Try giving these things to the King of Persia and see how he likes it! If some Christians treated their boss the same way they treat God, they’d be fired on the spot.

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Malachi 1:11 A careful reading of this verse is necessary. The NLT and some other translations say My Name is honored, while others say My Name will be great (NASB).

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The logical reading of this verse should be future tense, not present. Presently (in Malachi’s time) the offerings given by pagan people to their pagan god’s are not acceptable. Jews who were still dispersed throughout the world could not offer an acceptable offering because it was to be done in the Temple by the High Priest. Not even Paul insinuated that the worship of an unknown God in Athens was acceptable (Acts 17:22-31). But if we read this in a future tense, this verse points to a time when Gentiles will see the light and worship the Lord themselves. Other prophets point to this same future event as well (compare Isaiah 49:5-7).

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Malachi 1:12-14 The Priests had an attitude problem, that’s why they said “Oh, it’s just too hard to serve the Lord”. In other words, they apparently recognized that the sacrifices being offered were unacceptable, but they didn’t seem to care. They saw their work as a burden, not a blessing. Have you ever met clergy who feels this way?

Malachi 2 •

Malachi 2:1-4 It’s a shame for the regular Christian to defile God by their actions, but it’s even worse for the Priest or Pastor. Their indifferent attitude toward God and His commands shames them before the people. When a Pastor does not take his calling seriously, he will lose the ability to lead. His work will become impotent; unable to affect change in people’s lives. The thought on many people’s minds is what Christianity should look like, and they look to their pastor to find the answer. If they can’t see a reflection of God or a life committed to Christ, that Pastor loses all respect.

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Malachi 2:5-9 God intended for those called to give instruction; to turn people to God or even back to God. This is what the Pastorate is all about; to teach, train, and equip the flock in the ways of God. But, like the Priest’s in Malachi’s time, some Pastor’s cause many to drift away from God. This rebuke should be taken seriously by all Pastors.

Every Pastor should spend time with God asking Him to reveal what must be done in order to reach and engage the people God has entrusted into his care.

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Malachi 2:10-17 Here Malachi addresses personal relationships. As mentioned earlier, a reference is made to intermarrying with pagan women (or men), something forbidden

by God ages ago (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Also the topic of divorce is mentioned. It seems that after the Jewish men divorced their Jewish wives to marry pagan women,

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their offerings were no longer acceptable, which caused these men to weep and wail at the Altar (Malachi 2:14). It was God’s intention that the people remain as one, and that they should only marry someone of the same faith. They should not divorce and marry someone of another faith. “I detest this practice of divorce”, says God. “I hate it”. It seems these Jewish people were taking their commitment in personal relationships lightly. There was a casual attitude about something God says is quite serious. And what is striking is that these Jews acted in this way, yet still felt they could come and offer a sacrifice. This is all wrong. A person is not right with God because they put money on the offering plate. A person is right with God when their actions and behavior and their attitude reflect His holiness. And Malachi says that by their cavalier attitude concerning their personal relationships, they are, in effect, saying that a person can behave any way they want and still be right with God. Sadly, this attitude is still seen today.

Malachi 3 •

Malachi 3:1 Jesus made reference to this verse when mentioning John the Baptist.

Malachi spoke this verse to the priests, the Levites, and all Jews living in Israel. Soon a messenger will come (a mal’āḵî, which in English is rendered Malachi). And he will prepare the way for the Lord; the Messiah. But, when He (the Messiah) does appear, it’s not going to be all fun and games.

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Malachi 3:2-5 Again Malachi point to the big problem with people feeling that they can act any way they desire and still be the recipient of God’s grace. This is just not true.

Even these Jewish people will be put on trial, something they didn’t think they needed.

They will be refined. They will be purified. And they will be held accountable for their actions. Now, if God would address this toward His chosen people (the Jews) why would a Gentile think that they would be spared? It frustrates me to no end that some today claim they can live any way they please and any way they desire and still be under God’s grace. Where is this taught in the Bible? I grow weary of those who teach that God does not expect us to change. Again, where is that teaching found in the Bible? Malachi speaks of what the Reformation called Piety; a life that reflected what the mouth confessed. My friend, there is a need, a great need for Piety in the church

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today. If a person is going to call themselves a Christian then they need to act like a Christian. And in order to act like a Christian there are certain behaviors and attitudes that must go. To be a Christian is to invite Jesus into your life. And as He sits before you, He will refine you; removing the things from your life that do not belong.

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Malachi 3:6-15 In this case Malachi addresses the sin of withholding the Tithe. But beneath this issue there is something even deeper. Notice the question the Jews ask in Malachi 3:8 and Malachi 3:13. These people were sinning but felt no conviction. This is probably the source of all their problems; the people lived as they saw fit, and felt nothing; no conviction, no remorse, no sadness. Without conviction there can be no repentance. And without repentance there can be no salvation. Without salvation, a person lives condemned to death. They are a dead man walking. Don’t get hung up on the tithing reference here. I mean, if God would not receive a sacrifice from a person with the wrong attitude, He’s not going to credit the tithe of a person with indifference and wickedness in their heart. The lesson here concerns a heart not convicted of sin.

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Malachi 3:16-18 Apparently some people were convicted by what Malachi has spoken, and agreed to turn from their wicked ways. This is exactly the response God was looking for. He desires everyone to heed His word and respond accordingly. Jesus says the same thing toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27).

God heard their repentance and declared them righteous. This did not happen because of their offerings or their sacrifices. My friend, keep this in mind if ever you feel your participation in church activities will credit you with salvation. God is looking for heart transformation.

Malachi 4 •

It’s interesting that the wicked will stand before God and be consumed while the righteous will be purified. For some, the coming of the Lord will bring Judgment, but those who Fear God (take Him seriously) will be healed. This is something I’ve come to realize over the years. The fire that Malachi is speaking about will be a blaze that burns away the dross in my life, helping me to become more Christ like day by day. Because I hunger and thirst for righteousness, I look forward to the day of refining. But others reject this judgment, and they will be burned up and cast aside. In preparation for the

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arrival of the Messiah (who does judge, by the way), Elijah will return and turn the people’s hearts back to God. This is exactly what John the Baptist did. He called people to repent for the forgiveness of sins; calling Jews in his day to remember what God had promised their fathers in the past.

The New Testament When we last visited the Jews living in and around Jerusalem, they were ruled by a Persian King. Malachi was the last recorded prophet to speak for God. This silence lasted for about 400 years, but there were major changes taking place in the land – changes foretold by Daniel.

In the 330’s BC the Persians were overthrown by the Greeks under Alexander the Great who ruled from 334–323 BC. The Jews were introduced to Greek (Hellenistic) culture and the Greek language. Following Alexander's death his empire was divided among four of his generals.

From 320 to 198 BC, the Jews were controlled by the Egyptian Ptolemaic Empire. A sizable Jewish community also grew in Egypt, and a large Jewish colony in Alexandria was influential well past the time of Christ (consider Apollos in Acts 18:24). A Greek translation of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) was made in Egypt around 250 BC, and of the rest of the Old Testament by about 130 BC (together commonly called the Septuagint). Most of Palestine's countryside, outside Jerusalem, adopted Greek culture (Hellenism).

In about 198 BC, the Seleucid (Syrian) Empire to the north of Palestine gained control over the Jews. The Seleucids attempted to spread Hellenism throughout their empire. The Jews were forbidden, on pain of death, to practice their traditional way of life, including their religion. The Jerusalem temple was turned into a pagan shrine, and persecution became prevalent. This defilement led Mattathias and his five sons to lead a revolt. After Mattathias's death, leadership fell to one of his sons, Judas (called “Maccabeus”). Judas and his successors eventually won independence. In 164 BC the temple was cleansed, and the daily burnt offering and other religious ceremonies resumed. The event is still commemorated by Jews each December as Hanukkah, the “Feast of Lights.”

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During the Maccabean period (164–63 BC) all rulers were from the same family of Jewish priests (also called the “Hasmonean” family after the Hebrew name of Simon, an early Maccabean leader). Nine rulers followed Judas Maccabeus to the throne, including two of his brothers. From the second generation onward, the Maccabean rulers became progressively dictatorial, corrupt, immoral, and even pagan. Internal strife led Jewish leaders to ask the Roman general Pompey to come and restore order. Pompey did come, but he also brought Roman rule, which began in 63 BC and lasted into the fourth century AD. When Pompey took Jerusalem, he entered the temple and even the Most Holy Place. To the Jews, this was the ultimate insult, but the Romans could not understand why. Pompey was a ruler, and a ruler would do as he pleased. After this, deep suspicion began to grow between Rome and Israel; a growing tension that lasted over a century until the Jews rebelled and the Romans destroyed the Jewish state in 70 AD. The Jews realized their mistake and continued to look for ways to remove themselves from under Roman rule, even though the nation, as a whole, benefited from Roman rule. The Roman Government did establish Israel’s rulers and even determined who could be High Priest, but for the most part the Jews were allowed to practice their religion within the confines of Roman Law. All of the tensions the remnant experienced in the years after the exile become an undercurrent that colors much of what takes place in Israel during the ministry of Jesus.

These are events that defined who the Jews had become. It is into this tension that Jesus arrives claiming to be the Messiah. But somehow the people of Israel missed all that the Messiah would accomplish. He would bring freedom to the Jews and He would reestablish the dynasty of David, but not until He first accomplished Salvation to those nations that had never called on the name of God. If the Jews who were alive when Jesus began to minister had truly understood even Daniel’s prophecies, they would have realized many more kingdoms needed to arise before the time of the Gentiles would come to an end. The Messiah would first come as a Savior. And when that work was accomplished, He would come as a Ruler. But because of the tension in Israel, the Jews were looking for a Ruler. They had no desire to see the Messiah as Savior. They were not the ones needing saving. They were Jews. They were 96

God’s chosen people. And they had no desire to see their enemies come to God. Reminds me of Jonah’s attitude toward Nineveh!

The Recorded Ministry of Jesus As we begin our study of the four Gospels (the first 4 books of the New Testament), let me say that I flatly deny the existence of a mysterious document named “Q”. Some Bible scholars believe that Matthew, Mark, and Luke incorporated their own personal observations into a source called the Quelle, or “Q” for short. They observe that 93 % of Mark can be found in Matthew and Luke, and that the 200 verses common in Matthew and Luke must have then come from a different source. If this theory were true, and if this document was truly valuable to the church, then why was it not preserved? If both Matthew and Luke found this document worthy repeating, why didn’t the church find it worthy of preserving? No early church father mentions this mysterious lost document. So I reject the theory. It’s really no surprise to me that there are similar stories in these three accounts of Jesus’ life. Matthew walked with Jesus.

Mark spent time with Peter. Luke spent time interviewing those who witnessed the events.

But most of all, the Holy Spirit helped these men remember all that Jesus had said to them (John 14:26).

September 24: John 1, Matthew 1, Luke 1 John Although John never mentions that he is the author of this Gospel, this fact was accepted by the Early Church. Even as we read the Gospel of John certain facts are given that clearly testify to the authenticity of the book. For example, in Chapter one the author mentions the time of day that he and Andrew left for the place Jesus was staying (John 1:39). Or consider John 20:3 where the other disciple outran Peter, or John 21:10 where we are given the exact number of fish caught. Only someone actually present would point out such details.

Early Church Fathers insisted that John was written later in his life, although several scholars today say that it may have been written as early as 45-66 AD. The traditional-held belief is that John wrote his Gospel account between 85 and 95 AD. Evidence for an older date can be seen in John 21:18-19. John points out that Jesus indicated how Peter would die. It just 97

seems to make sense that by the time John wrote his Gospel account, Peter had already died and he was able to make the connection.

One thing you will notice as you read through John is that he mentions seven different signs that testify Jesus is the Messiah. Also you’ll notice that John’s Gospel does not read like the other three. John attempts to teach us more about who Jesus is rather than to tell us what He did and what He said. And considering the rise of Gnosticism during the end of the First Century, it makes sense that John would attempt to refute those ideas. This is why John begins his Gospel long before the physical birth of Jesus. He begins way back in the beginning.

John 1 •

John 1:1-18 Did you notice how often John mentions The Word in this section. The Greek word he used here is Logos, and to the Greeks, Logos meant “The rational principle that governs and develops the universe”. Within the Greek culture, there was this philosophy of Logos. Centuries earlier a philosopher from Ephesus named Heraclitus defined Logos as “That which moves and regulates things”. The Greek thinkers felt that Logos was the thought of God stamped upon the universe. The Logos kept things in order. Logos had existed from the beginning (see comments about Heraclitus at www.philosophy.gr/presocratics/heraclitus.htm. Knowing this makes John’s introduction of Jesus nothing short of brilliant. He says that the Logos has been around since the beginning of time (verse 1); that it was involved in the creation (verse 3); that the Logos is life and light to all people (verse 4). He tells them that there was a man who gave testimony to these things (verse 6); that this Logos would open the minds of everyone (verse 9); that some would not believe (verse 11). This Logos would be their intermediary between the earth and God (verse 12). Then John tells them that this Logos became flesh and that he witnessed all of this (verse 14). It’s not until the end of verse 17 that John finally gives the Logos a name; Jesus Christ. A brilliant introduction to open the minds of a Greek reader. He informs them that their philosophers were right. There really was someone who held it all together, and His name is Jesus.

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There is another reason John began his Gospel account this way. By the second half of the First Century, a group of thinkers began to blend the world’s wisdom with the reality of Christ. And by doing this they diminished the Deity of Christ. According to their reasoning, there was a time when Jesus was not; that He was the first thing created by God. So John, the one who witnessed all of these things, firmly establishes that Jesus was with the Father even before time began. John says that Jesus was eternal; there never was a time when He was not. He throws the Gnostic argument out the window.

Jehovah Witnesses have a hard time with this section. As a matter of fact in order to support their theology that Jesus was created by God they actually had to change verse one. They’ve manipulated verse one to say “The Word was a God”.

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John 1:21 John’s first sign. Skipping the narrative about Jesus’ birth, John jumps into the story with the testimony of John the Baptist. Of significance here is the first reference to Elijah. It’s interesting that these Levites and Priests came to investigate what John the Baptist was doing. They apparently were looking for the sign of the Messiah’s coming based on Malachi 4:5. And they also wondered if he was the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15. I find it significant that they went looking for signs, but would not believe when they were shown the signs. Jesus said and did everything the Old Testament prophets said He would do, but because He looked and walked and talked like an ordinary human, they would not believe.

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John 1:23 John the Baptist described himself as the voice ( phone), while Jesus is called the Word (Logos).

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John 1:24 The Pharisees asked an interesting question here, but doesn’t it seem odd that they would criticize him for baptizing people who repent of their sins? If the people he had been baptizing were Roman soldiers or Samaritans, no one would have questioned him. But John was baptizing Jews and Galileans; people who were already part of God’s covenant. Why would a good Jew need to repent? The prescribed method for the forgiveness of a sin was to offer a sacrifice. But John was suggesting a whole different way to be restored to God; an outward symbol of an inward cleansing.

This is why the Pharisees questioned his right. He was introducing a new way to forgiveness.

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John 1:32 John’s second sign. John the Baptist either addressed those gathered or perhaps he was speaking directly to the deputation from Jerusalem. But he points to Jesus and, in effect, says, “I tell you that this man standing over there is the One who will take away the sin of the world. I didn’t know who it would be, but God told me that it would be the One on whom the Spirit descends and dwells”. This is significant because John would have known Jesus. They were related. John was about 6 months older than Jesus (see Luke 1:26), yet he says that Jesus existed long before him (John 1:30).

For John to make this break from seeing Jesus as merely a man to seeing Him as the promised Messiah, what he witnessed must have been very convincing. So the second sign is the testimony of John the Baptist

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John 1:35 The first day was probably when the group of Pharisees from Jerusalem arrived. Day two was when Jesus came back to the camp, perhaps returning from His 40 days in the wilderness (see Luke 4:1-2). On day three John the Baptist points out the Lamb of God to two of his (John’s) disciples; Andrew and John (the Apostle).

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John 1:40-51 Look how quickly Andrew was convinced. He spent maybe half a day with Jesus, unless they stayed up all night talking. Andrew wastes no time finding his brother Simon and telling him that the Messiah has come. After Jesus, Andrew, Simon Peter, and John arrive in Bethsaida (a distance of about 100 miles), Jesus calls Phillip.

Phillip runs and tells Nathaniel. So in a short amount of time there are at least 5 people following Jesus, plus others who believed He was the Messiah (such as John the Baptist). If this happened after the 40 days in the wilderness, then Jesus testifies to Satan that He did not need his (Satan’s) help in completing His ministry. Satan tempted Jesus to take a shortcut; claiming that he (Satan) would give the world to Jesus (Luke 4:5-7). But here we see Jesus taking the world in spite of Satan.

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John 1:48-51 The language here could possibly mean that Nathaniel was meditating in a quiet place, not merely sitting beneath a Fig Tree. Perhaps Nathaniel was meditating on Jacob’s life, specifically the event mentioned in Genesis 28:12. I say this because of Jesus’ response to Nathaniel in verse 51. It is quite similar to Jacob’s vision. Here, Jesus says that He is the ladder; that He is the One to mediate between heaven and earth. If it is true that this is what Nathaniel was thinking, then what Jesus said to him

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would have been much more significant. Jesus knew what was going on inside Nathaniel’s mind.

Matthew The early Church consistently attributed the first Gospel to Matthew, the Tax-Collector called to follow Jesus. And considering his background in finances, he kind of tells on himself by the many references to money. He references three different types of coins not found in the other three Gospel accounts (The “two-drachma tax”, Matthew 17:24; a “four-drachma coin”, Matthew 17:27, and “talents”, Matthew 18:24). In Matthew’s Gospel, he refers to himself as “Matthew, the Tax-collector”, but Mark and Luke only call him Matthew.

It’s difficult to determine exactly when Matthew wrote his Gospel, but there are two points that frame a boundary for us. It seems some period of time elapsed between the resurrection and Matthew’s account. In Matthew 27:7-8 and in Matthew 28:15 he mentions things that are still happening “to this very day”. The other point is that Matthew wrote his Gospel before the Temple was destroyed. He writes as if the city and the Temple were still intact (compare Matthew 4:5 and Matthew 27:53). So a date of about 50 AD, give or take a few years, seems reasonable.

It’s clear from Matthew’s writing that his audience was mostly Jewish because Matthew uses may terms familiar to the Jewish culture. Some actually believe Matthew was written in Aramaic, although only Greek copies have been found. If it were written in Aramaic, typically only a Jew would have been able to read the manuscript.

Matthew 1 •

Matthew 1:1-16 To teach the unbelieving Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, Matthew begins with a heritage that takes Him all the way back to Abraham. If Jesus were the Messiah, then He should be part of the rightful line of David. Matthew traces the line through Joseph, who was Jesus’s legal father. In contrast to Luke’s heritage, Matthew mentions a Shealtiel, who was the son of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah). In Luke, the Shealtiel is the son of Neri. Also, four women are referred to in this list. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes, Ruth was a foreigner from Moab, and Bathsheba committed adultery. This is a clear sign that a person need not be perfect for God to use them to

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accomplish His will. Lastly, Matthew finishes this list by changing his wording. Instead of mentioning who begat who as he did through the rest of this list, he concludes by saying that Jesus was “born of Mary” (Matthew 1:16). Joseph was his legal father, not His physical father. Not every name is listed here. There are 14 names between each section; between Abraham and David, between David and the Exile, and between the Exile and Jesus.

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Matthew 1:18-23 The Hebrew people had a custom of making a marriage arrangement.

Each set of parents would agree that their children would marry, and a ceremony would take place. The couple was married, according to Hebrew custom. But the marriage was not physically consummated for an entire year. The bride would live with her parents and the groom with his. If, within that year, the bride was to be found with child, her unfaithfulness would be obvious and the marriage could be annulled. If she were found faithful at the end of that year, the groom would come to the bride’s home in an elaborate procession and lead the bride back to their new home. Then the marriage would be consummated. Matthew says that Joseph, not Joseph’s father, decided to break off the marriage quietly. This is a significant statement. There are some who believe that Joseph was much older than Mary; that he was a widower looking for a new wife. Their argument may be correct because it would be awfully difficult for a young man still living at home to quietly end the marriage. However, Joseph still could have been a young man. It’s possible he convinced his parents to end the marriage without bringing Mary’s condition to the town council. According to Jewish Law, Mary could have been stoned to death, and it seems this was unacceptable to Joseph. This is an indication of his character. Whatever his age, Joseph demonstrated a deep love for this girl.

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Matthew 1:24-25 It would appear that the Immaculate Conception of Jesus took place shortly after the marriage arrangement was made. In Luke’s Gospel, we read that Mary traveled to Jerusalem and visited Elizabeth. She stayed with her 3 months (probably until John was born). Then she returns to her home, meaning to her parents’ home.

Possibly 4 months into the pregnancy, Mary was by now showing a bit. And what’s interesting is that rather than waiting the full year, Joseph takes Mary into his home right away, perhaps to spare her any public shame. Of importance here is that Joseph kept

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Mary a virgin until Jesus was born, which makes you wonder why the Catholic Church insists that Mary remained a virgin all her life. You can read more about the Catholic view of Mary at http://www.catholic.com/tracts/mary-ever-virgin.

Luke First of all it’s important for to keep in mind that Luke was a Gentile believer, possibly converted while tending to the Apostle Paul (see Acts 16:6-10). As Luke wrote his history, the language changed in Acts 16 from “they” to “we”. The Spirit may have prevented Paul from preaching by making him sick, and Luke the Physician is asked to heal him. Instead, Luke is converted and begins traveling with Paul. As he writes both his Gospel and the book of Acts, Luke speaks to a Gentile audience. He uses different words (teacher instead of Rabbi). He aligns Jewish events with Roman events (when so-and-so was governor). He describes to the reader where certain places were located in the region. To a Jew, this would not be necessary.

Luke 1 •

Luke 1:1-4 Theophilus literally means “Lover of God”, so either Luke wrote to a particular man or wrote to all who Love God. If he was an individual, he must have been someone important, for Luke calls him “Most honorable” or “Most Excellent.”

Regardless of whom Theophilus was, Luke interviewed a lot of people to get the facts.

Like an investigative reporter, he talks with those who were still alive, perhaps even to Mary herself. It seems he even talked with Jewish religious leaders in an attempt to ascertain what really happened and what actually took place. I think he was already a believer at this point but wanted to learn what he had missed by never personally meeting Jesus.

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Luke 1:5 This is one of those references that someone outside of Palestine would have needed in order to draw the story together. Herod, King of Judea. But if you were from Judea, Herod needed no reference. He ruled from 37 to 4 BC.

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Luke 1:8-10 Watch how God is at work here. This is great. According to the divisions of priests drawn up in David’s time (see 1 Chronicles 24:7-18), this group of priests would have been on duty two weeks out of the year, serving a week at a time. Luke

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says that Zacharias was chosen by lot (drawing the short straw, so to speak). Because of the large number of priests, this would have been probably the only time in his life that he would have been able to perform this task. Maybe this was a one-time shot.

Who know. So who do you think was guiding the casting of lots? Based on Numbers 8:24-25, a Priest served between the age or 25 to 50. So Zacharias would have been no older than 50. Hey, I don’t think that’s “Very Old”. Come on Luke, give me a break!

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Luke 1:12-17 What is significant about this is that Zacharias’ son, John the Baptist, was the son of a Levitical Priest. If John was out baptizing people beyond the Jordan River at the age of 30, then he was neglecting his duties and responsibilities as a Levitical Priest. He should have been back at the Temple following the commands of God. Perhaps this is why the delegation from Jerusalem came out to see what he was doing (John 1:19).

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Luke 1:19-20 Zacharias was unable to speak, but it was not just a punishment for his unbelief. It was also a sign that something significant had happened while inside the Temple (Luke 1:22). The other part of this equation is that when Gabriel made the announcement, Zacharias must have believed to some degree. He demonstrated faith simply by the fact that John was conceived, if you get my point. I mean, Elizabeth did not experience Immaculate Conception. So let’s not be too critical of Zacharias. He was just a little slow in the belief department, but he did eventually believe.

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Luke 1:27 There are those who like to point out that the word translated as Virgin in Isaiah 7:14 can be interpreted to simply mean “Young Maiden” ( ‘almâh); a young woman who is of child-bearing age but not married. Okay, fine. But Luke uses an entirely different word here. He calls Mary Parthenon; not known by a man. Why is the doctrine of the Virgin Birth so essential to a Christian? The first man and woman sinned, and their human nature was changed. They were marked as sinners by the curse of death. So something changed in Adam and Eve at the Fall. And that change has been passed down from one generation to the next. The act of intercourse is not sinful, but because every human being since Adam and Eve have been recreations, not new creations, every child conceived inherits humanity’s sin. So the sin nature inherent in Adam and in Eve is passed along when Chromosomes combine to form a baby. That

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baby inherits the curse of sin. But to create a human who was flawless and a human worthy of sacrifice (see Luke 1:35), God breaks the chain of sin by creating life once again. Only this time He works through the womb of a peasant girl. And this child, when He grows, will face the Tempter and win, unlike Adam and Eve, who failed. So if the Child inside Mary had been conceived by a man, then this child was not sinless and consequently not a suitable sacrifice for our sin.

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Luke 1:41 John did backflips inside his mother’s womb; a fulfillment of Gabriel’s promise (see Luke 1:15). Okay, I know. I saw the notes in the margin too. Another possible interpretation of verse 15 says that John would be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb. But like the early Bible translators, I agree with the accepted wording of this text in light of the incident that occurs in verse 41.

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Luke 1:60 Apparently Zacharias wrote down for Elizabeth what happened that day he was inside the Temple. He must have indicated that the child was to be named John.

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Luke 1:67-79 What Zacharias says here is immensely important. In his Psalm of praise (known as the Benedictus), he recognizes that his son will not be the Messiah but that John will prepare the way for the Lord. He says that the Messiah is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel and also to the rest of the world. Notice that the Messiah will give light to those living in darkness and death.

September 25: Luke 2, Matthew 2, Mark 1 Luke 2 •

Luke 2:1-2 History has a difficult time harmonizing with these verses. According to Roman history, Quirinius was governor of Syria from 6 to 7 AD, yet Jesus is said to have been born when Herod the Great was king (compare Matthew 2:1). His rule ended in 4 BC. It seems highly unlikely that Luke could have made such a blatant mistake. One possible solution is that instead of translating the word protos as “first”, we might translate it instead as “before”, as is done in John 15:18. Using that meaning here, the verse would then read “this was the census that took place before Quirinius was governor of Syria” (before 6 AD). Truthfully, this is not manipulating words to make

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the story say what we want, this is clarifying a point. I could say to you that I finished the race first but would be just as accurate to say I finished it before everyone else.

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Luke 2:3-5 As Matthew had indicated, Joseph was a descendant of David, so he would need to travel to the town of his ancestors to register for this census. The plot of land just outside Bethlehem was almost lost centuries earlier. Had it not been for Boaz stepping up to be a family redeemer, this property would have passed into another’s hands. Somehow I get the feeling God knew this and established the Family Redeemer Law in preparation for this event; so that a law was in place when Naomi lost her husband and her sons, and so the land might be kept in the family for this very day (see Deuteronomy 25:5-10). From what I know of God, no minute detail is missed, and it just wouldn’t surprise me if He didn’t see this day coming and make plans ahead of time.

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Luke 2:6-7 Please note here that the text says Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, indicating that Mary did have other children. Jesus was born in a cave near an inn and wrapped in strips of cloth instead of a warm blanket. That would be an unusual way to cover a newborn child. That would explain why the Angels made this announcement to the shepherds.

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Luke 2:8-12 Isn’t it strange that God would make His announcement to a group of shepherds? You would think that the Sanhedrin or at least a Levitical Priest would have been told first. I don’t know why He chose shepherds. Perhaps they were guarding sheep that were to be used for the Passover celebration. Wouldn’t that have been interesting!

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Luke 2:16-18 What’s the first thing these shepherds did with this Good News? They told other people. And I suspect they invited the people in the town to come and see for themselves. Compare this with what Andrew says to his brother, or what Phillip says to Nathaniel (John 1:42-46). Sometimes I think the church makes sharing the Good News too complicated and perhaps too difficult. Sometimes the Good News is buried beneath a multitude of programs. Maybe the best evangelism happens when we just invite someone to “come and see”.

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Luke 2:21-24 Joseph, Mary, and Jesus travel the short distance to Jerusalem in obedience to the Law. A son was to be circumcised (Leviticus 12:3), a firstborn son

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was to be dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 13:2), and a woman was to offer a purification sacrifice after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8). The fact that they could afford only two birds indicated how poor the couple was.

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Luke 2:25-35 It does not say that Simon was a Priest. We are just told that he was a very godly man. We could probably compare him to an Old Testament prophet, for he was gifted by the Spirit, and the Spirit of the Lord spoke to him. The message the Spirit gave him was short; more of a declaration of praise than a pronouncement of God’s judgment (like Jeremiah, for example). Mary and Joseph had already known that their Son was the long-awaited Messiah, but what probably amazed them here is that their Son (the Messiah) would be a light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). That bit of news might have been an eye opener.

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Luke 2:36-38 Also at the Temple that day was Anna (actually, she was there all the time). Again, she probably did not have an official capacity, but was merely a woman whose heart was focused on God. She too was filled with the Spirit and began speaking to others about the fulfillment of God’s promised Messiah.

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Luke 2:40 There have been many theological debates as to when Jesus the child knew who He was and what God had in mind for His life. When did Jesus become aware of who He was (is). Since Jesus was eternal (existed with the Father in the beginning), when did Jesus know of His divine nature? Since He was not a new person (like you or me when we were born), did He have the mind of a child or the mind of Christ? None of us can know for sure what truly happened with the child Jesus, but we can be sure of one thing: the child Jesus did not have a sin nature. And without a sin nature this Child would have been gracious and loving and peaceful. His parents would not have to battle the wickedness inherent in every other child for there was no wickedness in Him. God had created Jesus without using natural human reproduction. So the sin nature was not reproduced in Jesus. No wonder He grew in wisdom and was filled with God’s grace. Now, with that being said, can you imagine what a time Mary and Joseph had with their second child!

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Luke 2:41-52 It’s clear that by age 12 Jesus knew who He was, knew who His Father was, and knew the Father’s plan for His life. As He dialogued with the teachers of the

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Law, Jesus knew enough to ask very wise questions, and you almost wonder if He wasn’t sitting there teaching them; not lecturing them, but trying to get them to think by asking a question. There is a good chance that He had been in Jerusalem not just for the one day Passover celebration but for the whole 8-day celebration of Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5-6). At the end of the festival, the entourage from Nazareth begins the journey home. When they stop for the night Jesus isn’t found, so Mary and Joseph begin the one day journey back. On the third day is when they find Him in the Temple. Now I’m sure this man and woman knew who Jesus was, but can you imagine going to God and saying “Sorry Lord, I lost your Son.” I love Mary’s remark. “Jesus, how could you do this to me?” Jesus indicates that by the age of 12 He knew His mission, but it seems His earthly parents did not. However, out of respect He did return to Nazareth and obeyed His human parents.

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Matthew 2:1-2 Although we do not know exactly when, the Magi arrived sometime after the birth of Jesus. So those Manger scenes that include them at the birth are not entirely accurate. They arrived when Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were staying in a home (Matthew 2:11), and Jesus was a child (paidion), not and infant (brephos). Another question people ask is just who were these Magi. Some have suggested that they were important officials from a kingdom northeast of Babylon. Perhaps they had encountered some of the exiled Jews living in Babylon and knew of the Old Testament prophecies.

Others have contended that they represented members of each of Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Inspired by God, these men traveled to Jerusalem to pay tribute to the Nation’s new King and the World’s Messiah. However, that there were three is not mentioned. I tend to think the first theory is more correct. After giving their gifts to Jesus, these men returned to their country, not countries (Matthew 2:12).

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Matthew 2:3 Isn’t it odd that the people did not know about this birth, especially considering what the Shepherds, Simeon, and Anna proclaimed about the boy (Luke 2:25-38). Either they did not pay attention or enough time had passed and they had forgotten. It says here that Herod was alarmed. Well, he should have been. He was not a legitimate king. Herod was from Idumea, meaning that he was a descendant of

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Esau; an Edomite. He had no right to be sitting on the throne of Israel. Only a descendant of David could do this. This would explain why the people hated him and why he was suspicious of everyone. Herod had many of his own family killed because of growing suspicion. It was safer to be a swine in his household than a son.

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Matthew 2:7 Lots of people have debated about this star. Some have said it was an unusual alignment of planets which caused a bright spot in the sky. Okay, but please then explain to me how a “Star in the East” could suddenly move to the South-West, which is exactly what would have needed to happen for the Magi to leave the Palace in Jerusalem and see the Star over Bethlehem. Planets and stars move east to west across the sky, not north to south. Some have supposed that this would have been the Glory of God as seen by the Jews for 40 years in the wilderness. I honestly doubt that a group of stargazers from the north of Babylon would see a cluster of planets and think “King of Jerusalem”.

Something supernatural was going on here.

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Matthew 2:11 Notice that it mentions a house where they found Jesus and Mary. How old was Jesus by this time? Perhaps He was already two years old, considering Herod’s plan to kill all babies in Bethlehem under the age of two. It seems Herod was scheming all along, which is why he wanted to know how long ago the Magi saw the star in the east (Matthew 2:7). The Gold, Franken(stein)cense, and Myrrh were probably used by Joseph to fund their trip to Egypt.

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Matthew 2:19-23 I have a lot of respect for Joseph. He certainly was attuned to the voice of God. Apparently ready to return to Bethlehem, God warns him to move north into the region around Galilee. This was the area Solomon tried to give to King Hiram (1 Kings 9:11).

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Mark Although Mark does not mention himself in this Gospel, an early Church Father named Papias indicated that the account was written by Mark, an associate of Peter. These would have been the words Mark heard Peter preach. According to Papias (who wrote around 110 AD) Mark was not an eyewitness follower of Jesus, he traveled with Peter and learned of Jesus through his (Peter’s) preaching, he wrote down what Peter said, but not necessarily in the order the events happened, he was Peter’s interpreter (probably through the written word, rather than verbal translator), and that his account is entirely reliable.

Mark (his Latin name) is the same one called John (Hebrew name) Mark in the book of Acts (see Acts 13:5). Some have supposed that Mark’s home in Jerusalem was where the Last Supper took place. The Apostles met in this house quite often (see Acts 12:12).

Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and was probably led to Christ by Peter (compare 1 Peter 5:13).

Dating the book of Mark can be rather difficult, especially when some scholars believe it was written before Matthew and Luke. Some claim that Matthew and Luke copied a lot of Mark’s material when writing their own Gospels. But of course, the words of the first three Gospels were handed down orally at first, so it seems to make sense that this oral tradition is what is written. A well-accepted view among conservative scholars is that Mark was written before Peter or Paul was martyred. Since it’s obvious Mark knew Luke (2 Timothy 4:11), and Luke wrote his Gospel before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and Acts ends with Paul still in prison, it’s quite likely that Mark wrote down his account while Peter was still alive, perhaps between 57 to 59 AD. Mark 1 •

Mark 1:1-4 Mark, like the other Gospel writers, attributed this passage from Isaiah 40 to John the Baptist. Unlike Matthew and Luke (or even John), Mark begins with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. As said earlier, Mark was Peter’s translator, and those outside of Palestine would not be interested or concerned with the Davidic line of Jesus.

Perhaps the document we have was written by Mark for the Gentile people in Rome while Peter was preaching there.

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Mark 1:7-8 John knew he was preparing the way for the Messiah. His father probably told him of this. So John knew one day the Messiah would show up, but he did not know who this Messiah was. He didn’t know until he saw the sign God had promised, which is revealed in Mark 1:9-11. It’s important to note here that Jesus did not come confessing sin. I think He came to be baptized so that John might see and know that his cousin’s Son was indeed the Messiah. Actually, by being baptized, Jesus confirms that a new way has been opened for the forgiveness of sin. God was planning to end the sacrificial system very soon by offering the One and final sacrifice for all of humanity. The voice from Heaven echoes what is found in Isaiah 42:1. Jesus’ baptism did not change who He was. He did not become divine after the Spirit filled Him or after the Father blessed Him. Jesus was already divine, “ For in Him all the fullness of Deity

dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

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Mark 1:12-13 The traditional sight of this 40-day testing was northwest of the Dead Sea, immediately west of Jericho.

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Mark 1:14-15 Mark skips about a whole year here. Jesus had traveled back to Galilee with Andrew, John, and Peter (John 1:43). He was in Galilee for a while interacting with the people there, traveled back to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:13), and stirred up some trouble. John was still a free man at this time (John 3:23). Later, Jesus traveled back to Galilee by way of Samaria, meeting the woman at the well (John 4:7).

At this time Andrew, Peter, James, John, and perhaps many others were simply following Jesus, watching Him and learning from Him. Matthew also inserts this story early in the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 4:12), right after the temptation in the wilderness.

But it’s clear from John’s Gospel that a lot happened before John the Baptist was arrested. This is important because it helps us understand what comes next.

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Mark 1:16-20 These four men knew Jesus and had already spent some time traveling with Jesus. However, once they returned home, they all went right back to work; stepped into their old life. But Jesus was about to challenge them. Christ was asking them to leave their line of work and instead allow Jesus to be their Rabbi; to be their Teacher.

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Mark 1:21-28 Mark frequently speaks about Jesus teaching, but he seldom mentions what He said. What He said here was probably similar to what was expressed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:28-29). The Scribes and the Jewish Teachers taught much like most pastors or Sunday School Teachers. They talk about what was written or who said what about God. But apparently Jesus said things like “I say to you”, speaking to the crowd as if His were the words of God. To their credit, the people in this Synagogue recognized the difference and accepted the teaching (at least for a while).

However, there is something in this story that strikes me as odd. Did you notice it too?

At church that day was a man possessed by an evil spirit. We usually don’t associate church attendance by those possessed. You would think the evil spirit would keep that person away from church, lest they may hear the Truth and repent. But apparently this church service was a safe place for an evil spirit. I wonder how many evil spirits feel safe in attending my church or your church.

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Mark 1:32 Notice that the people waited until sunset to bring the sick and demonpossessed to Jesus. They didn’t want to break any Sabbath Laws (Exodus 20:10), or any local regulations (compare Mark 3:1-5).

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Mark 1:35-39 The disciples almost seem irritated with Jesus for leaving and not telling them. Maybe the crowds started banging on Simon Peter’s front door before he was awake. That would make me a little grumpy too. The announcement about leaving town might have been difficult for these four men to hear. What about my family? How will they feed themselves? Who will care for them?

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Mark 1:40-45 Notice here that Jesus reached out and touched the man with Leprosy.

For an average person, this would mean that they had become unclean. Cleanliness is defiled, not defilement cleansed. Yet Jesus doesn’t seem concerned. Exodus 29:37 comes to mind here. The offering for cleansing is prescribed in Leviticus 14:2-32.

Jesus told the man to go to the priest and present himself. The priest would have to admit that the man was clean and have to give credit to the Man who cleansed him.

Thus, the priest would testify about Jesus. But instead the former Leper runs and tells everyone else.

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September 26: Matthew 3, Luke 3 Matthew 3 •

Matthew 3:1-4 Here John the Baptist is described a bit more in detail, as opposed to what John and Mark have to say. Oh, and I sure hope he had honey coated locusts. I actually thought of including a picture of a locust here, but didn’t want to spoil anyone’s appetite. Yuck! Maybe that would explain why John seemed a bit irritated with the delegation from Jerusalem (“Morons. I’m surrounded by morons. I distinctly remember ordering a mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich on flatbread”).

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Matthew 3:7-12 See how irritated John was! Actually, he was irritated by their apparent hypocrisy. Their hearts had not changed. These religious leaders were merely going through the motions. Matthew gives us the impression that they saw this as some fad, not the heart and soul of Christianity.

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Matthew 3:13-17 This is a rather difficult text to understand. Did John know that Jesus was the Anointed One before he witnessed the Spirit descend upon Him? It seems unlikely. But considering that his mother knew Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that John would have been Jesus’s second cousin, there is a good chance John knew Jesus was unique. The statement John made probably had more to do with the life John had lived and the life Jesus had lived. From what sin did Jesus need to repent? Obviously none. But John felt he had sinned, so his objection probably has more to do with what he knew and had seen of Jesus up until this point, and in comparison Jesus had lived an exemplary life. But then we have to ask why Jesus felt it necessary to fulfill what God requires (or fulfill all righteousness). The Law had no requirements for baptism, so what did Jesus mean? Well, if Jesus was to provide righteousness for sinners it was necessary for the Messiah to identify with sinners. Actually, the real meaning of “baptize” is “identify”. So Jesus tells John that it is necessary to identify Himself with those seeking righteousness just as it is necessary for those seeking righteousness to identify themselves with Jesus.

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Matthew 3:16-17 The “he saw” in verse 16 could refer to John or it could refer to Jesus.

The most accurate translations of the Bible indicate that John is the one to see this

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event, in holding with what John the Baptist said in John the Apostle’s Gospel (John 1:32-34).

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Luke 3:1-2 You gotta love Luke. He never misses an opportunity to accurately date an event. This places the beginning of John’s ministry in the year 29 AD.

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Luke 3:7-17 Luke adds a few remarks here not mentioned in the other Gospels.

People of all backgrounds were asking what repentance looked like. Apparently most were Jewish, but it seems that a few might have been Romans living in the land to uphold Roman Law. But notice that Luke does not mention any specific Jewish Religious sect. He includes everyone in the “Brood of Vipers” group, which would be fitting for who might be reading Luke’s account. It could be that the Jewish Religious leaders who came out to Bethany Beyond the Jordon never even asked what they must do; what repentance looked like. Perhaps they just didn’t care.

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Luke 3:18-20 Luke adds a side note here about the eventual outcome of John’s ministry. As stated, John began preaching in 29 AD. It seems he spent a year preaching and about two years in prison, although it is actually difficult to tell. What we do know is that by the time we get to Luke 9, John is already dead.

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Luke 3:21-22 Luke testifies to the filling of the Spirit into Jesus. One gets the impression that more than Jesus and John saw this event. Perhaps there were others in the crowd that saw it too and were able to testify this fact to Luke as he wrote his history.

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Luke 3:23 Luke did not suppose that Jesus was 30. It means that Jesus was around the age of 30, well prepared to enter into ministry. And if there was any doubt that Luke had made sure he had all the facts, he traces Jesus all the way back to Adam. He even points out that some people supposed Jesus was the son of Joseph, but Luke wanted his readers to know differently.

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Luke 3:24-38 76 names are given here, some similar to Matthew’s and some different.

Luke traced Jesus back to David through Nathan, Matthew traced Him back to David through Solomon. Why the difference? Some feel that Luke was tracing Jesus’

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heritage back through Mary, not Joseph. This may be true, but it still causes problems.

Perhaps legally Joseph was the son of Jacob because while he was still young his birth father Eli passed away (compare Luke 3:23 and Matthew 1:16). But even then that doesn’t cause a problem. Luke is still able to trace Jesus back to David, even back to God!

September 27: Matthew 4, Luke 4, John 2 In an attempt to harmonize the Gospel accounts around the life of Jesus, I have been using a book called A Harmony of the Gospels compiled by Archibald T. Robertson. These books are designed to help the reader bring the life or Jesus together as a chain of events, not a collection of stories or reflections. A good student of the Bible should have a book like this in their collection.

Matthew 4 •

Matthew 4:1-2 For whose benefit was this? Was it designed to strengthen Jesus?

Was it designed to prepare Him for what lay ahead? I’m not so sure. Jesus has always existed, but not always existed as flesh and blood. If Jesus were with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1), you could be sure Jesus knew all about Satan. It may have been an opportunity for Jesus to see what it is like to deal with Satan as flesh and blood; to see what kind of tactics the Devil uses, but I seriously doubt Jesus needed to be strengthened here. All the fullness of God dwelt in Jesus in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Jesus could have sent Satan packing with just a word from His mouth. So that’s why I think it was a time for Jesus to experience what you and I experience each and every day. Satan attacks us when we are weakest. And it is refreshing to know that my Savior knows what I deal with all the time.

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Matthew 4:3-11 In the first temptation Satan was trying to seduce Jesus into disobeying the will of God; to act independently of God. In the second temptation, Satan starts quoting scripture (and don’t miss the significance of that). Blending Malachi 3:1 and Psalm 91:11-12, Satan tempts Jesus to do something spectacular so the people will follow Him; to sensationalize His ministry. Once again this would be stepping outside of God’s will. The inherent meaning of Psalm 91:11 indicates that the angels will guard

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the person who is living within God’s will (“Keep you in all your ways”, as in the New King James). So in other words if God commanded it, Jesus should obey it. But Jesus was not about to do something that God had not clearly planned or instructed. And speaking of God’s plan, the third temptation surrounded Satan’s temptation to accomplish the end result in a different way; to step outside of God’s will once again.

The kingdom’s of the world did indeed belong to Satan, for he is the ruler of this present age (2 Corinthians 4:4 and John 12:31). Had Jesus succumbed to this temptation there would be no redemption of humanity. Jesus might have controlled the world, but he would not have redeemed it.

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Matthew 4:12 It’s not clear how much time passed between the Temptation and when John the Baptist was arrested. But this we do know: John was still a free man when Jesus returned from being tempted by Satan. Based on John 3, Jesus had moved to a different place after the wedding in Cana (John 2), and after He and His disciples had been baptizing people as well (John 3:22-23). Apparently John the Baptist was arrested while Jesus was in Judea for the second time. He (Jesus) was there once during His baptism and once during Passover (John 2:13). If the events here align with John 4, then it is at this point Jesus travels through Samaria and meets the woman at the well.

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Matthew 4:17 I find it significant that Matthew records these words; Jesus calls a person to repent and turn to God. Not only does repentance indicate that a person just might be living a life in opposition to God, but it also admits that there is a standard by which all people must live. However, the popular trend among liberal theologians today is to rewrite and reinterpret Scripture according to our own standard. A page at www.religioustolerance.org says, “It is important to change the interpretation of those

passages in religious holy books that are violent and unjust by today's standards .” They say that the Bible can be changed in light of modern ethics and understanding. This teaching is finding its way into seminaries, and pastors are being trained in this kind of thinking. This type of thinking is growing rampant even in my own denomination. And those who think otherwise are viewed as unenlightened buffoons. The point is, Jesus called humanity to repentance, indicating that there is a lifestyle to repent from and that the unrepentant are living separated from God. 116

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Matthew 4:18-22 As recorded in Mark 1 and Luke 5, Matthew indicated that Jesus called four men (two sets of brothers) to a full-time ministry. Instead of just believing that Jesus is the Messiah, these men (and perhaps Philip and Nathaniel as well), were called to work alongside Jesus. And as stated in John’s Gospel, these men had already spent some time with Jesus.

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Matthew 4:23-25 I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 7:13 here. “Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent?” This is a bent and twisted world in which we live, and only God can undo the effects of sin. The significant part about this is that Jesus accomplished a whole lot more after He called the four men into full-time ministry with Him. Perhaps the four men went into the town and told people about the Messiah, and that’s why they came out to see Him. This ministry would have had to be well organized. If not, people would have been pushing and shoving their way to see Jesus.

Luke 4 •

Luke 4:1-13 Here is Luke’s account of the Temptation. Notice that Luke reverses the nd

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2 and 3 temptations compared to Matthew.

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Luke 4:14-30 As popular as Jesus had become, His message didn’t seem to be very well received in His hometown. Notice that Jesus did no miracles there, He merely read from Isaiah 61:1-2, although He omitted the end of verse 2; the part of God’s vengeance. The people were quite impressed but did not believe that Joseph’s Son could possibly be the Messiah. This is why Jesus gave no signs to testify He was the Messiah because the people wouldn’t believe even then (compare Mark 6:5). It’s like trying to debate an atheist. An atheist has already made up his mind that God does not exist, so no intelligent argument or divine intervention will ever change their heart. They are bind because they choose to be. Anything Jesus did that day in Nazareth would have been ignored. They might have felt God was working through Jesus, but not that Jesus was God.

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Luke 4:31-37 This is the same event as recorded in Mark 1:21-28. Again I am amazed that an unclean spirit did not feel threatened within the synagogue. I wonder if this is why so many congregations have conflict. Perhaps the conflict comes because the

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unclean spirit gets uncomfortable when the Spirit of God begins to move in a church, and working through an individual or a group, the unclean spirit leads people to cause dissensions, divisions, and disruptions.

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Luke 4:38-41 This repeats what is mentioned in Mark 1:38-41. Note that Peter’s mother-in-law showed no after effects. We all know how weak a fever makes us. It takes a few days to gain back our strength. But this woman was able to serve immediately (verse 39) as if the fever had never existed.

John 2 •

John 2:1-2 The next day (or “the third day”) here refers back to the calling of Philip and Nathaniel. It seems pretty clear that this wedding took place before Jesus traveled back down to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration (John 2:13), so that places it before He returned to Galilee, called Peter and Andrew and James and John, and before He stood up and spoke in His hometown.

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John 2:3 A typical Wedding Feast would last 7 days. This event would take place after the end of the year’s engagement and after the Groom came to the bride’s house and escorted her back to his home. It seems that there was too much week left at the end of the wine.

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John 2:4-12 Did Mary expect a miracle here? Probably not, especially considering what is mentioned in John 2:11. The comment “What does that have to do with us” was actually quite common. It spoke of a person’s involvement in the affairs of others, even in the affairs of other nations, kingdoms, or realms. And probably the most important part of this was His statement that “My time has not yet come”. Jesus was committed to following the Father’s timing and had not received any instruction to make Himself known through miracles just yet. Remember that this scene takes place before the healing of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue. What changed? Did Jesus suddenly hear from the Father “Give them the wine”? You know, it’s not clear. But what is clear is that only a small group truly knew what had happened. It wasn’t until a little bit later that He openly demonstrated His glory (see John 2:11).

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John 2:6 As stated, these water pots, containing up to 180 gallons of water, were used for Jewish ceremonial washing. The Pharisee’s must have been afraid of germs. They made people wash their hands before they ate, while they ate, and after they ate.

Bowls of water were placed on the table, and a good Jew would dip his hands in the water at mealtime (compare Matthew 15:1-2). Well, the water used for this was now gone. It had all been turned into wine. What were these people to do now that the water pots were empty? Maybe the wine was so good that they would be too drunk to notice. Or maybe it was symbolic of the New Way to righteousness; not through rituals but through the blood of Jesus.

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John 2:13 I know it seems strange to say up to Jerusalem, but the city does sit high atop a hill, and the Temple sits even higher.

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John 2:14-17 As a convenience to pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for the Passover, sacrificial animals could be purchased in the Court of the Gentiles outside the Temple wall. And strangely, animals that someone had brought with them just were not acceptable; they were rejected by the priests. However, for a small fee, a new, unblemished animal could be purchased. Isn’t that just so wonderful! And here Jacob thought he would have to go back home and bring another. Boy, these priests think of everything. And the money-changers, well that’s something special as well. The Temple Tax had to be paid in the Jewish currency. Well, wouldn’t you know it; the exchange rate was, unfortunately, a little bit biased toward the Jewish currency.

Shucks, is just too bad that foreign currency isn’t as valuable as good Jewish currency.

Well, Jesus sees all of this and gets ticked off. No, really! This angers Jesus, it really does. How could this level of corruption have crept into God’s sacred Temple? So He takes authority and turns the tables (so to speak). This is Jesus’ first warning to those conducting business when they should be leading people to holiness. Here he questions how the Temple could have become a place of business. In another similar incident, Jesus calls the place a den of thieves (Luke 19:46).

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John 2:18-22 , Needless to say, the Jewish Religious leaders are bit perturbed with Jesus. And Jesus response shocked them. Now get this. Herod was not too pleased with the Temple built by Zerubbabel (see Haggai 2:3). It was not as nice as the one

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Solomon had built. So they began rebuilding it in 19 BC. 46 years later the Temple was still not finished. As a matter of fact history tells us that the Jewish leaders worked on the Temple up to 63 AD; only to have it destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. Of course, they didn’t realize that the Glory of God did not dwell in a building but in the Man standing before them. Not even the disciples understood this until the Spirit was given.

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John 2:23-25 A belief in Jesus based on sensationalism is not a belief in Jesus. It is a lust for things that impress and amaze. Jesus knew this. He knew the people were simply impressed with what He could do, not who He was.

September 28: John 3-4, John 3 •

John 3:1-3 Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin; the ruling council of 70 who governed the religious affairs of Israel and who were responsible to the Romans for maintaining civil rule. Nicodemus was also a teacher (rabbi) and a Pharisee, so he would have been the best of the best. And yet the best Israel had to offer came to Jesus at night and could not grasp spiritual matters. I think John mentioned the evening visit for an important reason. Consider what Jesus says in John 3:19. “Night” is an important theme here, and under the cover of darkness, a person’s sins just don’t seem as bad. The impression I get here from Nicodemus is that he approached Jesus hesitantly, perhaps even somewhat jealous. How long had Nicodemus been ministering for God? It doesn’t say, but it seems to me that Nicodemus saw something in Jesus that he didn’t see in himself. I get the impression that Nicodemus was looking for advice on how his life and his ministry could become deeply rooted in Spiritual things.

“People never respond like that when I preach,” Nicodemus observed. “What must I do to have that kind of effect on people”? I think that’s what was going through his mind, especially considering how Jesus responds. “You want this kind of Spirituality then you will need to be born from above (or “born again”). Notice that Nicodemus never even asks a question. He merely states that Jesus is truly gifted by God. And in response,

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almost knowing what Nicodemus was thinking, Jesus tells him to be Born Again; to have a Spiritual transformation.

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John 3:5 What did Jesus mean by being born of the water and of the Spirit? There are several views. Some feel that this refers to “natural” birth and “Spiritual birth”. Others believe that it refers to the act of being baptized, a necessary part of regeneration (although this view contradicts other passages that say otherwise, like John 3:16, for example). Still others say that it implies the work of John the Baptist combined with the work of Jesus. This view actually seems plausible. John called the nation to repentance and symbolized a repentant heart through a water baptism. Jesus called the nation to belief through faith in Him. So these words possibly mean that Jesus looked at Nicodemus and said, “If you want to understand what’s going on here, you will first need to repent of your sins, and instead of placing your faith in a system, put your trust in Me”. And for a Pharisee to hear that he needed to repent of sin was a difficult statement to comprehend.

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John 3:9 Nicodemus wondered how a Spiritual transformation can take place.

Shocked, Jesus wonders how he could not know this. Nicodemus was THE teacher in Israel, so how could such a learned man miss passages like Isaiah 32:15, Ezekiel 36:25-27, or Joel 2:28-29. The answer is obvious; God will institute a Spiritual awakening. And Jesus is trying to tell Nicodemus that He is the One through whom this awakening will come (John 3:14-15).

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John 3:16 This gift of eternal life and of salvation is to be received, not earned. That’s what makes it the most unusual statement by any god humanity has ever created. No other god offers life to those who simply believe. No other god is so gracious and loving. No other god has ever provided the means necessary for a person to receive the reward of Heaven. This is the one phrase that sets Christianity apart from all the rest. Jesus tells Nicodemus that He will do what Nicodemus cannot do for himself, if only he would believe that the Man standing before him is the long awaited Messiah; the Christ.

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John 3:17 The word “Judge” in this verse is the Greek word Krino which means “to be summoned to trial. So what Jesus says is that He did not come to earth the first time to

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summon us to trial but to provide a way to escape the trial altogether. However, this does imply that a day is coming when all will be summoned to trial.

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John 3:18-21 Wherever Christ is, there is light. And when the light of Christ shines, darkness is revealed. I think this is why some people do not like coming to church.

Some people talk about how judgmental Christians are, but I actually meet few judgmental Christians. What I think is happening is that a person (like Nicodemus) starts hanging around followers of Christ, and soon their sin stands in stark contrast to the righteousness of Christ. It is not the Christian who judges them; it is their sin that judges them. Even Christ does not judge (yet). He merely reveals. In the darkness, it is difficult to distinguish black from blue or red. Only when exposed to the light are we able to detect any difference. And frankly, I think this is what happens to people who get all nervous around Christians, especially around Christians filled with the Spirit of God. They are nervous because they are not such a wonderful person after all. They are not as perfect as they had been led to believe. So they are given two choices, either confess their sin or run and hide. It’s that simple. And those who run and hide have already admitted they are sinful. I ask this simple question to those who reject Jesus or hate Christians. I ask what they are afraid of; why are they trying to hide, and what do they want to keep secret. I think this is what was going through the mind of Nicodemus, I really do, but the good news is that apparently his attitude changed.

Looking ahead at John 7:50-51, we see Nicodemus not so silent or secretive about his feelings toward Jesus. He even helped bury Jesus once He died on the cross (John 19:39-40).

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John 3:25 The debate about ceremonial cleansing surrounded the idea that a Jew needed to be immersed. You see, Ritual Washings were already happening. The Essenes (monastic Jews living in the countryside ) had their own prescribed ritual of immersion, as indicated in their Manual of Discipline (a document found among the Dead Sea Scrolls). The Pharisee’s had their particular mandates on washing. So what was significant about John’s baptism? What stands out here is that John’s baptism was in preparation for something, not the end of something, unlike the Essene Baptism or the Ritual Hand Washing. Truthfully, the end of the Christian journey is not reached on

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the day of water Baptism, nor is it reached on the day of Spiritual baptism. Actually, these two baptisms more appropriately mark the beginning of the Christian journey.

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John 3:26-36 In John’s testimony, there is a truth that is often missed by most. John the Apostle mentions God’s Wrath several times, a point not mentioned in the other three Gospels. It’s important to note the wording, though. Look closely at John 3:36, specifically the second half of that verse. “Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never

experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment .” Do you see the important word here? “Remains,” says John. In other words, all are under God’s angry judgment. “The wrath of God abides on us all.” God’s wrath is not given to those who reject Jesus; His wrath is already there. That explains what Jesus meant in John 3:18.

In other words, we are all born into sin; all have fallen short of the glory of God. It is not God who sends anyone to hell; we condemn ourselves. We condemn ourselves to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth by rejecting Jesus as Lord. God sent His Son to redeem us and rescue us. Is He then to blame for our rejection of the Son?

John 4

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John 4:1-6 Because of the hatred between Jews and Samaritans, most Jews would take a route east of the region. However, John says that Jesus needed to go through Samaria. Really? He was in that big of a rush? I suspect Jesus needed to go through Samaria because He had an appointment with a woman at a well.

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John 4:7-19 In the first part of this dialog Jesus basically is calling this woman to repentance. She is asked to confess her sin, ironically quite similar to what Jesus told Nicodemus to do (born of the water and of the Spirit). The woman does confess. She admits that she has no husband. But when Jesus tells her the real depth of her sin (you’ve had five so far), notice how quickly she changes the subject (see John 4:20).

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John 4:20-24 She changes the subject and talks about proper worship. In other words, she was trying to find out if she could worship God while still remaining an unrepentant sinner. She felt (and many do today as well), that worship was something external; that God could be worshiped regardless of the condition of our heart. But that simply is not true. It’s important for us to know this. We can worship God while a sinner, but we need to admit that we are sinners (“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”, not “who are righteous”). She was not willing to admit she was living in sin; consequently her worship was missing that essential element of spirit.

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On a side note here, some today want worship to be purely spiritual; an exercise in feeling good. Others pound the pulpit and leave people feeling miserable and helpless.

True worship is a combination of both. True worship happens when sin is revealed, our helplessness is seen, and our salvation is made known.

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John 4:28-30 I’m not convinced this woman was truly born again, but Jesus certainly impressed this woman. “Could this be the Messiah,” she asked. However, she must have been quite enthusiastic about her discovery. And her enthusiasm was contagious enough to attract a crowd.

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John 4:35 Jesus obviously had His eyes opened to the Spiritual hunger of those around Him, for example, the Samaritan woman and the crowds who came out to see Him. If the disciples were sensitive to Spiritual things, they would see the Spiritual hunger in those around them as well. It even seems that Nicodemus had a Spiritual hunger.

Sadly, this problem still exists within the Church today. Sometimes the Church is long on judging someone a sinner and short on offering grace. Jesus could have spent time condemning this Samaritan woman (as I’m sure the disciples would), but instead He offered her Spiritual food. Perhaps the Church needs to wake up as well and look to the world with Spiritual eyes and a sensitive heart.

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John 4:39-42 Samaritans believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Amazing, isn’t it? These were the descendants of Israel (the Northern 10 tribes) who turned from the worship of God back in the days or Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25-33). These were the people who had intermarried with the Assyrians who had been moved into the land after their conquest.

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John 4:43-45 Jesus now returns to Galilee, putting this portion of John alongside what we read in Matthew 4:17 or Luke 4:14.

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John 4:46-54 This government official was possibly Jewish, not Roman, because Jesus included him in the group who would not believe unless a sign and wonder were given.

Perhaps he served in Herod’s (Antipas) Palace. It’s also clear that this is a different event then what is recorded in Matthew 8:5-10. There is no rebuke from Jesus in that account. This makes you wonder why Jesus spoke so harshly to this man. Well, perhaps it was not directed at the person, maybe it was directed to those living in the area. Or maybe He could see what was in the man’s heart and spoke to the absence of

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faith. If we contrast this story with the incident in Samaria, this man was looking for proof while the woman at the well believed merely by His testimony. Either way, it is clear the man’s faith in Jesus was awakened by this incident because not only did he believe, but so did his whole household. The Seventh Hour would have been either 7 pm according to Roman Time or 1 pm according to Jewish Time.

September 29: Matthew 8, Luke 5, Mark 2 Matthew 8 •

Matthew 8:14-17 The way Matthew organizes his book can be frustrating for those who want to read the Gospels in chronological order. These few verses are tucked within other events that happened a little later. After Jesus was in Cana, He traveled to Capernaum where He spoke in the Synagogue and drove out the demon (Luke 4:3335). After that event is when He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. The next day is when the people couldn’t find Him, and when He begins a ministry tour of Galilee. At one point during that tour . . .

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Matthew 8:2-4 A man with Leprosy asked Him for help. I think Jesus appreciated what the man said. He didn’t say “if you can heal me, but if you are willing. Of course Jesus can, but the question is if healing is part of His will. This is an important lesson for us.

Of course Jesus can heal our sicknesses. We just need to discern if it is within His will at the present time to heal them. Mark’s Gospel adds that the man went and told everyone what happened (Mark 1:45).

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Matthew 8:5 This event actually does take place after the Sermon on the Mount, which we will discuss next month.

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Matthew 8:6-13 I find it significant that this Roman Centurion was concerned about the health of a servant boy. Impressed with the man’s faith and his concern for human life, Jesus contrasts this “outcast” with those who were “sons of the Kingdom”. And He turns the tables. Those who thought they were in would be out, and those who thought they were out were in. Using the image of a great banquet, Jesus says that a lot of people will be surprised at who is seated at the table and who is not. Indeed, a Son of

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the Kingdom was not based on birth or heritage but on behavior, faith, and obedience to the King. What was it the Lord desired from His people? Not to mechanically follow rituals and customs, but to have a heart that desires to “do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

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Matthew 8:18-22 Inserted here as almost an afterthought, Matthew mentions the cost involved with following Jesus. But this cost, it seems, applies more to those entering into the service of the Lord rather than those who merely express faith in Jesus. It appears the Scribe wanted to come alongside Jesus and work with Him, not just express faith that He is the Messiah. It seems the Scribe was lured into service because of the crowds and the present fame. But Christ warns him that there is a great sacrifice in laboring with Jesus. To labor with Jesus means giving up everything. The Apostles gave up their jobs; they left their families and their homes. Many times they lived off the graciousness of others. Jesus tells the scribe that if he is in the ministry for the money and the fame, then he’s in it for the wrong reason. Later, Matthew will contrast the attitudes of the two men here with his own life (Matthew 9:9).

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Matthew 8:23-27 To demonstrate Jesus’ authority, Matthew gives two examples here; one demonstrating His authority over nature, and another demonstrating His authority over demonic forces. As fishermen, most of these men would have been familiar with the sudden storms that appear on the Sea of Galilee, but this one really got their attention. Was it the product of Satan? Did Satan know where Jesus was heading and what He would do next? It’s unlikely because Satan is not omniscient; he doesn’t know the future. Perhaps God provided the storm to demonstrate to the disciples the extent of Jesus’ authority. And Christ sure does demonstrate authority, doesn’t He? “Knock it off,” He says. That’s right, He simply speaks! It’s amazing that a word from His mouth can accomplish so much. But if He truly is the Author of creation, you would expect Him to have authority over His creation.

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Matthew 8:28-34 Matthew records two demon-possessed men while Mark and Luke mention one. Critics love to use this to discredit the Bible. To me, it authenticates the Bible. You see, a group of men didn’t simply sit down and try to get the story straight; they told the story as they remembered it. It shows authenticity. It reads like an eye-

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witness account, not a fable that has been polished and refined. Regardless if it was one or two men, a few things stand out in this story. The demons recognized Jesus immediately and recognized His authority over their freedom. He would shackle the forces of evil instead of the forces of evil holding someone captive. And this raises an important point about who hold authority over a Christian. Can a Christian be possessed by the Devil? Of course not, for that would mean that the Devil could overpower Christ. But can a Christian be influenced by the Devil? Of course they can. The Devil and our own fallen human nature are antagonistic toward God. The two forces wage war against us (see Romans 7:23). But greater is He who is within us than he who is in this world (1 John 4:4). Another thing that stands out is the pigs. Although it is not mentioned, it would seem that those watching over the pigs were Jews. Perhaps they were. The territory was under the rule of Herod the Great, and he was governor of the Jewish state. However, since it is not expressly stated, we can only assume. If the men guarding this flock were Jewish, then we are left to wonder why they were raising pigs in the first place. I find it interesting that an unclean spirit was sent to an unclean animal.

Luke 5 •

Luke 5:1-10 Jesus, apparently concerned that those in the back could not hear Him, climbs aboard a boat, and speaks from there. Luke gives a bit more detail in how the four fishermen were called (compare Matthew 4:18-22). I especially appreciate Peter’s response here. This is what should happen to all of us. As we come to know Jesus more and more, we will come to know our sin more and more. Next to Him, our righteousness is like a filthy rag. This makes me wonder how a person can claim to be a Christian yet never feel convicted about their sin. It suggests to me that they merely know about Jesus but do not Know Jesus.

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Luke 5:11 One thing stands out in this call to be Fishers of Men, and that is Jesus’ timing. Jesus had just brought great prosperity to their business. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had such a large catch that it took two boats to hold it all. As fishermen, this was the way they earned a living. So as they made their way to shore I imagine they were thinking how much profit they would make in the marketplace. And yet it was at that very moment Jesus asks them to follow Him. Isn’t that just like Jesus?

Doesn’t He seem to do this often times in life? It seems the Lord brings us to a place in our lives where we must make a choice, and usually it is a choice of opposite blessings.

For you and me, the real test comes in what we value the most. These four fishermen make a choice to love Jesus more than they love the fishing business; words Jesus will ask Peter later on. You and I must choose as well. “Do you love me more than these,” Jesus asks (compare John 21:15).

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Luke 5:12-14 This is the event mentioned in Matthew 8:2-4.

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Luke 5:17-26 In this account, Luke tells us that great crowds had begun to follow Jesus, presumably because he could heal their broken bodies. But some Pharisees and Teachers of the Law started visiting Him as well. Perhaps they were checking up on what He was up to or what he was teaching. I think Jesus knew this. I think Jesus knew why the Jewish religious leaders were there, that’s why He forgives sin instead of doing what He had been doing all along (healing). Aghast, the Pharisees rightly surmise that only God has the authority to forgive sin. Jesus didn’t forgive this man for what he had done to Jesus. Jesus forgave this man for what he had done against God. Of course, anyone could come along and say someone’s sins are forgiven. How would anyone really and truly know? But there would be no doubt that a broken body has been healed. So to authenticate what He said about the man’s sins, Jesus heals his broken body. “If you don't believe because of what I say, then believe because of what I do,” says Jesus. And guess what, many did believe!

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Luke 5:27-29 There is a contrast here to what is said in Matthew 9:9-10. Matthew calls it a dinner, Luke calls it a banquet. Although Luke was not there, several of the Apostles were. For a wealthy Tax collector, it probably didn’t seem like that big of a

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deal. But to a group of fishermen who struggled to put food on the table it must have felt like a great feast.

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Luke 5:30 This remark was also directed at Matthew. As a tax collector, he would gather money from Jews to pay Rome. So Matthew was seen as an enemy of the people. What’s worse, apparently these tax collectors could require any amount they wished; pocketing the surplus for themselves (consider the confession of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8).

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Luke 5:32 The NLT exposes the truth behind Jesus’ statement; “those who think they are righteous”. No one is righteous, so Jesus obviously came to call everyone to repentance. But if a person thinks they are already righteous, why would they heed the call to repent! This attitude still plagues the Church today. In some churches today, sin or repentance is not mentioned, only love and acceptance. Love is the new popular theology. Sadly, it seems, Christ has no fellowship with them because one of the signs that a church is being effective for the kingdom is the number of sick (spiritually) in its midst – people willing to admit they are sick.

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Luke 5:33-39 Apparently someone else in the group spoke up in protest. You know how this works. Get one person to complain and suddenly there is a whole group of people grumbling. They objected that Jesus wasn’t doing ministry like everyone else.

Well, no kidding! He wasn’t (isn’t) like everyone else. The way the Pharisees and the way John the Baptist served the Kingdom was different than the way Jesus served the Kingdom. His point here is that the New and the Old do not mix. It’s important that we don’t try to make this text apply where it doesn’t belong. Jesus isn’t talking about mixing two forms of worship or two forms of church structure. He’s talking about the old way of righteousness and the new way. In the Old Way, holiness was found in a system of Laws and Customs. In the New Way, holiness would be found by grace through faith in the One God sent to redeem. And quite simply, the two just will not blend. The only accurate application of this text today is contrasting between a church that preaches Salvation by works and a church that preaches Salvation by grace. For example, I recently received a letter from a troubled Christian who actually told his mother she would not go to heaven because she does not wear a head covering. And what this

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man has said conflicts with grace by faith. So it would be wrong to try and combine his teaching with what Christ teaches.

Mark 2 •

Mark 2:1-13 This section repeats the story found in Luke 5:18-26. Reminiscent of Isaiah 43:25, Jesus attributes the forgiveness of sins to Himself. He is able to claim forgiveness, which is something many assumed only God could make. But if Jesus could declare forgiveness then that makes Him God, something the Scribes and Pharisees were not ready to accept.

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Mark 2:14-22 This repeats the story found in Luke 5:27-39.

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Mark 2:23-28 Oh for crying out loud. Sometimes it seems like people are inventing things to grumble about. Why didn’t they fuss about how far they had been walking as well? A “Sabbaths Day Journey” was a distance of about a mile. According to Exodus 16:29, a Jew was restricted in his travels on the Sabbath. But how far from home was permitted? So the Jewish leaders actually created what are known as Boundary Laws.

This is just one example. How far can I walk on the Sabbath? How much grain can I pick on the Sabbath? Jewish leaders had created 613 such laws not expressly mentioned in the Old Testament. Irritated that they had elevated the Sabbath above people (and apparently above God), Jesus teaches something that a Seventh Day Adventist does not like to hear. The Sabbath was created by God for our benefit and refreshment. The Sabbath was not created so we would have a long list of burdensome restriction and regulations to follow.

September 30: Matthew 9, John 5 Matthew 9 •

Matthew 9:1-8 After the incident in Gadara, Jesus and his disciples travel back across the lake to Capernaum. It is then that the incident with the paralyzed man takes place (compare Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26).

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Matthew 9:9-13 Matthew calls it a dinner party. But to the rest of the disciples it was a banquet. Matthew adds a reference to Hosea 6:6 here, about God’s desire for mercy and compassion rather than empty ritual and sacrifice. The irony is that Matthew lived an unholy life up until he met Jesus. So I suspect those words from Hosea really struck a chord in Mathew’s heart. And it makes me wonder if part of the reason the church is failing to attract the “sick” is because the church is presenting ritual and customs instead of Jesus.

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Matthew 9:14-17 This repeats the story found in Mark 2:18-22 and Luke 5:33-39.

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Matthew 9:18-26 When comparing this section with both Mark and Luke (see Mark 5:22-43 and Luke 8:41-56), we learn that this man was named Jarius, a Synagogue official (Mark 5:22), and that his 12-year-old daughter was dying (Luke 8:42). Matthew gives a little detail like compared to the other accounts, which is why he says that she had died. And truthfully the girl did die before Jesus got there. So there is no discrepancy. Jesus was delayed because of a woman who had a bleeding problem.

It’s interesting that she had this bleeding problem for the same amount of time the girl had been alive (12 years). According to Leviticus 15:19-30, the woman was unclean and should not be seen in public nor touch anyone in public. By touching Jesus she should have defiled Him, but instead His cleanliness transferred to her. Stopping to inquire who touched Him (see Luke 8:45-47), I can imagine that Jarius has become quite agitated by all the delays. As a matter of fact, it is right after this interruption that messengers deliver the news of the girl’s death (Luke 8:49). Not stopping, Jesus and His disciples continue to the house, and Jesus restores the girl to physical life. His statement that she was just sleeping does not mean that she was still alive. It means that Jesus understood death in a way many did not. Death, for most of us, means the end of something. But in reality death is a time of transitioning from one existence to another. So in effect Jesus merely states that the girl has not ceased to be, she is merely transitioning, and He will step in and call her back to this form of living. In light of what people have said about their death experiences, I wonder what this girl said when she came back to life.

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Matthew 9:27-31 I like the fact that Jesus touched people to heal them. There’s something warming about the touch of the Master’s hand.

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Matthew 9:32-34 Here we see the beginning of the Satan Excuse; where the experts say that Jesus can work these signs and wonders because He is empowered by the Devil. What a stupid statement! And Jesus will point this out in a little while. So, can Satan perform counterfeit miracles and give counterfeit gifts? It appears so. We see the Egyptian magicians performing parlor tricks in opposition to Moses. But those tricks work against God and for Satan. Jesus has been working against Satan and for God. So there is an enormous difference, which Jesus will point out quite soon.

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Matthew 9:35-28 Isn’t it sad that the Jewish people were like sheep without a shepherd? The shepherds were not caring, protecting, instructing, and leading the sheep. Sounds a bit like God’s rebuke in Jeremiah 23:1-2. And once again Jesus looks at His disciples and points to the harvest and wonders where all the workers are. I suppose He would say the same thing today. There is so much work to be done for the Kingdom of God, but many of the workers are just keeping a pew warm.

John 5 •

John 5:1 This might have been another Passover celebration.

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John 5:2-12 Early manuscripts of John’s Gospel do not contain the words in verses 3b and 4. And truthfully they sound more like superstition than anything else. However, there must have been a reason the people gathered at that place. Maybe there truly was a healing at one point in time. The sad part about this narrative is the lack of care and compassion for a fellow human being. Listen to the man’s words; “I have no one to help me”; “others get there first”. It seems this man was left to fend for himself. For 38 years he found no relief and no help. Perhaps now the disciples will learn what Jesus meant when He said the harvest is plentiful. Maybe they will understand why He had compassion on those who were like lost sheep. Contrast the compassion of Jesus with the cold-hearted traditionalism of the some Jews. “You can’t carry that mat, it’s the Sabbath.”

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John 5:14 Sin did not create this man’s sickness. What Jesus meant was that the misery he endured for the past 38 years was nothing compared to what he might face in hell.

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John 5:18 Jesus had been doing a lot of things on the Sabbath that irritated the Religious Leaders. Jesus healed this man by the pool, He and His disciples were picking grain (Mark 2:23-28), he healed a man with a shriveled hand (Mark 3:1-5), and he healed a demon-possessed man in the synagogue (Luke 4:31-35). They also were plotting to kill Jesus because He was calling God His Father, making Himself to be equal with God. You know, I’ve actually heard people say that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah or the Son of God. I’m pretty sure these individuals have never read their Bible. That’s part of the reason the Religious Leaders wanted to kill Him, and here is the verse that proves it!

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John 5:19-24 Jesus does not work independently of the Father. His work does not contradict the work of the Father. Jesus does not present a different God to the world, as some have claimed. Jesus and the Father work together as One. Their message and ministry are in harmony, and this is important. Christ reveals to us what God the Father is like; how He feels, or the depth of His love and grace. Now you would think that these Religious leaders would be aware of this. If anyone had a clear understanding of God, it should have been those who studied His word and followed His commands. But for some odd reason they got in their minds that the Promised One would not look like one of them.

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John 5:25-32 This emphasizes what Jesus was trying to say about Jarius’ daughter.

She may have died in this life, but she was not dead. She continued to exist. This is what Jesus is trying to teach the Religious Leaders in this section. Everyone who has died is not dead. A time is coming when those who have died will be called to stand before the Son. And the Father has given the Son the authority to judge everyone.

This is how things will unfold in End Times. The Son will call everyone to judgment.

But judgment is not necessarily a bad thing. By our faith, we will be judged as righteous. Without faith, we will be judged condemned. This is nothing new, and these Jewish leaders should have known this. But what they didn’t like was that someone

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standing before them appearing like a Son of Man was placing Himself on par with the Father and indicating that He will be the one to judge. •

John 5:33-47 John gives the Religious Leaders what they have asked for; other witnesses to testify that what He says is faithful and true. He points to what John the Baptist confessed. He pointed to His miracles. He pointed to the Father (which these men apparently did not know). And lastly He pointed to the Word. Throughout the Old Testament, the Words of God had been speaking about the Messiah. The people were told what the Messiah would do, how He would lead, and what He would say. Yet these leaders apparently ignored all of this. Either that or they were unable to make the connection because of Spiritual Blindness.

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