The Messiah and the Ritual of Israel (Continued)

The Temple that was destroyed by the Babylonian forces

Sacrifices and offerings

The inter-testamental period

The priesthood

The destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the army of Nebuchadnezzar changed the culture and politics of Israel for centuries. The northern kingdom of ten tribes had already been overthrown by the Assyrians. Totally absorbed, they have been lost to history. The sovereignty of the southern kingdom (Judah) passed from the Babylonians to the Persians and then to the Greeks, after which the territory of Israel was the object of Egyptian conquest and then Syrian.

It was a widely held view that the Babylonian exile was the result of national failure to obey the divine code delivered to Moses and accepted as law by the nation. Idolatry and neglect of the Torah had brought judgment upon the nation. They had lost the tenancy of Israel in accordance with the terms of the Land Covenant. Canaan was designed to be a home for Israel. A home that would be a place of safety and peace where they could live in comfort – a place where there would be food and drink to sustain them, and protection from outside influences. It had been all this to them – a fertile and well watered country that provided a balanced diet for its occupants. The peace and safety was provided by the Lord.

But the Land Covenant, which had expanded the land aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant, had made the occupation of Canaan conditional on obedience and faith. It was also an incentive to godly living. And as an incentive it was of five star quality - walk with God or lose your homeland – it could not be clearer. Moses, God’s spokesman, inspired in his oratory, reminded the nation that exile awaited any generation that turned from the Lord. Having used the carrot, that is, declaring that obedience brought blessing, he wielded the stick - disobedience brings judgment. “And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other.” (Deut. 28:63-64) And the promise for obedience was not simply occupation of the designated territory, but blessing – blessing on the nation, blessing on families, blessing on crops. In addition, there would be protection from any nation that had ambitions to conquer. This was an agreement that was heavily weighted in favour of the nation. But sin makes a person foolish, and Israel played the fool with other gods that could neither bless nor protect. She reneged on her relationship with the Lord and was exiled as a result.

The Return of the Exiles

But, in the purposes of God, the displacement of the Jewish nation had a time limit. There was an ‘until’; it was to last 70 years as prophesied by Jeremiah. “And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). The captivity of Israel ended at the time appointed when Cyrus permitted those Jews who wished to, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The book of Ezra records the fact. “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1–3)

Those that returned to Jerusalem and Judea after the Babylonian exile resolved to organize themselves into a different kind of community. They would be a nation given over to Torah and religious observance. The priestly class came to have political dominance, certainly from the time of Ezra. The High Priest would be the supreme ruler both politically as well religiously. Since sovereignty over the province of Judea was held by foreign emperors civil rule no longer rested with the house of David. In the land, the High Priest held primary authority, an office that was hereditary and occupied for life. There also developed a council of elders as his advisors and administrators of government. Thus Judea became a separately administered province with the rebuilt Temple at its centre and the High Priest at the helm.

It was Ezra, a priest, who gave substance to the desire to return to Torah observance. He determined that the remnant that returned to Jerusalem and Judea could not obey the Law if they lacked knowledge so he set in motion a programme to educate the nation in the Law of Moses. He set up a school for Scribes (Sopherim) who would master the Mosaic code and then be able to pass their knowledge to the wider public. Ezra, long considered the founder of Jewish legalism, gave impetus to the formulation of a binding set of rules to be imposed on the Jewish nation. These legal requirements were still in place at the time of the Messiah and indeed, to a degree are still observed to this day.

In this fashion, the Jewish people became a nation dominated by two different groups – the interpreters of the Law, the Scribes, and the operators of the Temple, the priests. The government of Israel would ultimately rest in a body called the Sanhedrin which would be dominated by two parties, the Pharisees and the Saducees. Scribes had allegiance to the party of the Pharisees while the High Priest and the chief priests were Saducees.

So it was subsequent to the exile and the return to the land that the character of the nation was reformed. The pious among them considered it their chief occupation to fulfil with zeal and conscientiousness the Law as expounded by the Scribes. The success of the work of Ezra’s reforms can be measured in that, at the time of the Macabees and the conflicts that took place at that time, the religious party interpreted the command to observe the Sabbath so strictly that they would rather die than fight on that day.

New Books from the pen of Bryan W. Sheldon

Jesus of

Nazareth :More than

just a Messiah.

About the book:

The life of Jesus of Nazareth has divided history into two. His influence has been felt all around the globe. His followers number millions. His teaching has guided nations. What was there about Him that should have such an enduring effect? The key to the answer lies in who He was. The Church has long held that He was God revealed in flesh - “the Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance  of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father.” This belief has come under attack once again. This modest volume offers some Biblical evidence in support of the doctrine of the deity of Christ in the hope that some will find it helpful in repelling the arguments of those who wish to diminish the One who died for the salvation of sinners, at the same time strengthening an appreciation of the greatness of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Living for God:

The Principles and Practice of Discipleship

About the book:

The call to discipleship is seldom heard today. This book places before all those who have been blessed with the salvation provided by the Son of God, the challenge of Christian living. It suggests that it will require the full use of one’s abilities, energy and resources; but while the cost might appear to be heavy, the rewards will be immense and the quality of life will be special. This title revises and enlarges the previous volume ‘Discipleship Considered’. It now includes studies in the lives of Daniel, Joseph, Hannah, Ruth and Esther.

Gleanings from the Hebrew Calendar

Tishah b’Av (8th/9th August 2011)

The ninth of Av is the traditional collective symbol of the Jewish people’s greatest disasters, failures, sufferings and exiles. Its stature as a 25 hour day of fasting is shared only with Yom Kippur. On the 9th Av in 586 B.C. the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonian forces of Nebuchadnezzar with many deportations at that time. On or about the same time some 600 years after the Babylonian captivity, in 70 A.D., the Roman legions of Titus destroyed the second Temple. Again, on or about the same day in 135 A.D. Bar Kokba’s fortress at Betar fell to Hadrian’s army, marking the end of the last vestige of Jewish self-government until 1948.

For all of these tragedies to coincide on one day takes some interpreting but received wisdom suggest that they are all of a piece. All periods of exile stem from the first events in 586 B.C. which had been brought about by God’s will to punish His people who had besmirched their capital, strayed from His teachings and sinned greatly (especially guilty of the sin of idolatry).

Tefillin

The liturgy of Tishah b’Av includes the five poems of the Book of Lamentations. Observance of this day requires a rigorous confrontation with one’s own weaknesses. It is a day of fasting - and a day when those that observe it are forbidden to wear leather shoes, to bathe, to wash anything. They do not greet friends or acquaintances and the Torah is not studied except for those passages that are immediately relevant to the day. Tefillin are not worn until afternoon prayers because they are considered ‘glorification’.

But even if it is a day of great mourning, at the heart of it there is still hope because Jeremiah’s lament contains the words:

"Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord." (Lam.3:22–26)

The Messiah and the Ritual of Israel (Continued)

The Suffering Servant of Isaiah

No study of the cross in the T’nach is complete without a consideration of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, who not only dies for sin and transgression but is also exalted. Isaiah, chapter 53 especially, is the counterpoint to Psalms 22 and 110. As the centre chapter of this most remarkable section of Isaiah’s writing (chapters 40 to 66), it is clearly the beating heart of his message of consolation. It describes the price that will be paid by the Servant of YHWH to enable the mercy of God to be exercised while the righteousness of God is protected. It is one of the most important passages, perhaps the most important passage that the prophetic writings of the T’nach have given us. In some senses it could claim to be the deepest and the loftiest. That it applies to the Messiah of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth is clear. He was in focus in 42.1-7

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. ”

Matthew records the events that fulfilled the first section of this prophecy;

“And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust”  (Matt. 12:15–21).

Simeon also refers to the Isaiah prophecy when, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he said,

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30–32) This makes direct reference to Isaiah 49.6 which reads: “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:6). This helps to direct our attention to the central theme of this study, which is, that the sacerdotal structure of Israel was designed to be salvific for the world, not just the nation. The execution of the Messiah, ordered on the Temple mount at the instigation of the High Priest, and performed within sight of the Temple, was in fulfillment of those prophetical pointers that indicated that the sacrifice, which was within the priestly culture of Israel, should benefit all peoples, as Isaiah reported the words of YHWH: “You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth”.

Chapter 53 is especially pertinent to our purpose in that it describes in some detail the decease of the Servant. Accepting that it applies to Jesus, the first three verses refer to His life and His ultimate rejection by the nation’s leaders. “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Is 53:3).

Verses 4-9 is the central message, describing as it does a substitutionary sacrifice, in accordance with the principles on which the Hebrew religion was founded—from the Passover sacrifice at the time of the exodus from Egypt, to the Levitical offerings that were the cornerstone of the Tabernacle and Temple ministry. Verse 4 reads; “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted” (Is 53:4). The word ‘stricken’ in this verse and again in verse 8, “For the transgressions of My people He was stricken”, helps us understand what was entailed in Jesus, the Lamb of God, bearing away the sins of the world. It is a word used in connection with leprosy—leprosy being understood as the stroke of God against sin.     Because of Satanic activity, our first parents had disobeyed the clear command of God and incurred the consequence that God said would follow, “…in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen.2.17). They did not immediately fall to ground but were subject to a ‘living death’, a process of dying; the Hebrew could be translated, “dying you will die”.  Leprosy, also called ‘the living death’, was considered a visual of the stroke of God in the Garden.  The Hebrew for leprosy, ‘tsara’ath’, is related to the Arabic word that signifies ‘to strike down or scourge’. Tsara’ath (leprosy) was considered the scourge of God.  This truth is re-emphasized in the T’nach where God judged individuals who rebelled against His will and struck them with leprosy.  When Miriam rebelled, “... the anger of the LORD was aroused …and … suddenly, Miriam became leprous, as white as snow” (Num.12:10). Uzziah contracted leprosy when he discarded the priestly protocol       contained in the Mosaic law: “leprosy broke out on his forehead … because the LORD had struck him” (2 Chron.26.19).

Two words that are strongly connected with leprosy are ‘naga’ (touch, reach, strike); and its derivative ‘nega’ (stroke, plague, disease).   In Leviticus chapter 13, there are         instructions for the diagnosis of leprosy, and in chapter 14 instructions for the          performance of those rituals required in those cases of leprosy that had been cured.  In these two chapters ‘nega’, translated ‘plague’ in the KJV and sometimes ‘plague’ and sometimes ‘sore’ in the NKJV, is used some eighty times.  Again, the connection is - the plague (nega) of leprosy is the visual of the stroke of God.  In Isaiah 53, both these words occur, but there the plague is sin, and because of that plague, God’s Messiah must suffer God’s stroke, that is, He was ‘smitten of God’. The substitutionary aspect is emphasized. To repeat—of the Suffering Servant it says, “He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due” (Isa.53:8). And again, “Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isa.53:4). In connection with the image that sin is a plague; the Isaiah passage equates salvation to healing: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed”. (53:5)

It is evident that the provision of salvation for humankind through a substitutionary sacrifice was not an exercise in fire-fighting, undertaken by God because He had been taken unawares by the activity of Adam and his posterity. He knows the end from the beginning (Isa.46.10). Not only did He know that the sacrifice would take place, but He knew when, where, and how. So much so, that He included the date in the prophetic calendar He gave to the Jewish nation, and He included details of the execution in the T’nach. When the Ethiopian statesman read from this very chapter of Isaiah’s narrative of the Suffering Servant, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ... For His life is taken from the earth” (Acts 8:32,33),  he asked the question, “... of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” (Acts 8:34) The only answer that could be given is—He is referring to Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God and the Savior of the World.

More Next Time:

The Messiah and the Ritual of Israel (Continued)

Solomon's Temple

We return to an earlier theme which we had left some weeks ago, that of the Messiah and the Priesthood of Israel.

A great change in the worship of YHWH took place after David had conquered the Jebusite town of Jerusalem on the southern slope of Mount Zion. He understood that sacrificial offerings could only be made in the place that the Lord selected, as revealed in the Torah: “Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you” (Deut. 12:13–14). He subsequently understood that Mount Moriah was to be that place (1 Chron. 21:28-22:1). “Then David said, ‘This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel’” (1 Chron. 22:1: See also 2 Chron.6:20; Ps.132:13). So he set in train the arrangements that would result in replacing the Tabernacle with a more permanent building on what was to be known as the Temple mount. While David had the vision to build, it was Solomon, his son, who had the privilege to construct the First Temple.

But continuity is the watchword in the worship of the Lord, so the patterns received by Moses were incorporated in the blueprint for the Temple. Indeed, history tells us that the Tabernacle was disassembled and stored in an underground room beneath the Temple itself, while some of the Tabernacle furniture was absorbed to be used in the Temple services. This preserved the continuity in the worship of YHWH that was required of Israel by maintaining a connection between the Tabernacle and the Temple. As with the Tabernacle, the blueprint for the Temple was provided by God to one of His prophets, namely David. “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the articles of service in the house of the Lord. He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver; also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl; and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. ‘All this,’ said David, ‘the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans’ ” (1 Chron. 28:11–19). So all that was intended for Israel to observe in their approach to God was multiplied, strengthened and given extra impetus by the man ‘after God’s own heart’.

Solomon and the Temple

Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba, succeeded to the throne of Israel, and in keeping with the wishes of his father, took responsibility for the building of the Temple. David had already organized the priesthood into 24 courses, so that when the Temple was fully commissioned and operative they would be able to fulfill all the duties expected of those members of Israel that were responsible for maintaining the testimony of the nation as a ‘kingdom of priests’.

When the building was completed, Solomon sent particular invitations to the elders and dignitaries of Israel to join him in a service of dedication. The strength of Israel, its manpower, was already required to come, for the dedication service was diarized to coincide with the pilgrim feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, in the seventh month.

But first, the ark had to be brought to its new home. David had embarked on such a project when he brought the ark up from the house of Obed-Edom. Solomon, no doubt with an acute knowledge of the problems that David had encountered, made sure that those who had been commissioned for the care of the ark, and were properly authorized to carry it, were the only ones to bear it. So it was with great ceremony and also with acknowledgement of the principle of blood sacrifice that Solomon brought the ark to the Temple. Before the ark was placed in the inner sanctum, Solomon and Israel’s leaders offered many sacrifices in honor of the arrival of the ark of the covenant, thus simultaneously dedicating the new brazen altar. It is mentioned that the ark still housed the two tablets of the Law, confirming that the Mosaic Covenant with its sacerdotal culture was still in place. It was only after Solomon felt that proper honor had been shown to the sacred chest, was it taken into the Holy of Holies to be lost from sight to all except the High Priest. When David brought the ark to Jerusalem he had an honor guard of thousands of soldiers lining the route, while Levitical musicians and singers performed the Psalms, especially Psalm 24: “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7–10).  Solomon took care not only to equal the dignity accorded the ark by David, but to exceed it.

Solomon had built a high dais from which he could be seen to offer obeisance to the Lord. It also allowed him to turn to face Israel and bless the assembled company. From his high platform he offered a prayer of dedication connecting the building of the Temple with the inspired wishes of his father David and the Davidic Covenant.

The prayer of dedication acknowledged that the Temple was only a shadow of reality, since God dwelt in heaven, and not behind the veil. Nevertheless, he was confident that he had the listening ear of YHWH and so petitioned God that since this house, this Temple, was to be known as the place where God had placed His Name (in accordance with the revelation made to David), that those that offered penitential prayers towards it should receive forgiveness. Jesus Himself initially acknowledged the Temple as the Father’s House, although early in His ministry He indicated that there was a change afoot. He instructed His disciples to pray towards heaven, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name … forgive us our sins” (Luke 11:2–4) for He was already instituting a dispensation when prayer could be made directly to the Father without priestly mediation. His words to the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar elucidated the principle: “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father … the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21–24).

But Solomon’s prayer of dedication, together with its answer from heaven, would avail for rest of the Mosaic dispensation, i.e. until the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. The dedicatory prayer concluded: “Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. Now therefore, Arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; Remember the mercies of Your servant David” (2 Chron. 6:40–42). The responsibility imposed on Solomon by David, and that by the command of the Lord, together with the description of how that responsibility was discharged, re-enforces the continuing principle that has been evident since Abel – that the only approach to God was through blood sacrifice. Moreover, the channel through which that approach could be made was the Aaronic priesthood, and the only place where that approach was possible was Jerusalem. In particular, the strict sacerdotal guidelines promulgated in the Decalogue, made the inner courts of the Temple (now consecrated as the place where the Lord had placed His Name), the focal point of any approach to God, whether individual or national.

More Next Time:

Living for God in an Uncertain World

The Book of Esther (Continued)

The Unseen Hand of God was still at work

That night the king could not sleep and so called for the journal of recent events to be read to him. Mordecai’s act of loyalty was listed in the records and so was brought to the attention of Xerxes, who asked if this faithful citizen had been rewarded for his deed. When he was advised that nothing had been done for him, he decided that Mordecai should be honoured without delay. He called for a counsellor and Haman was escorted into his presence. Haman, armed with less than the complete picture, believed that the king wished to honour him, and suggested a public reward that he would enjoy, that is to be dressed in the king’s robe, and ride the king’s steed, and have a herald precede him declaring the greatness of his person. Even as Lucifer said, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14), so Haman echoed that ambition in his unimaginative request. But Lucifer learned that pride comes before a fall, and Haman did likewise. When he found that he had to personally escort and praise the very man who refused to honour him, he was inconsolable. The inevitability of his fall was then predicted by his nearest family and friends when they began to understand that Mordecai was receiving help from an unseen source.

True to his promise the king attended Esther’s banquet where she unfolded the plight of her people and herself. She still did not identify herself as Jewish at this point, only that she would be one who would suffer from this plot formed against one of the nations of the empire. The king asked who had done such a vile thing. Haman was accused. Xerxes, in some distress left the room, while Haman remained to plead for his life with Esther. When the king returned, he believed that Haman, in his absence, had behaved improperly towards his Queen and ordered his execution. The gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai was used to carry out the punishment, so fulfilling for Haman, the proverb “whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

The king’s signet ring was given to Mordecai to reverse the effects of the edict. Haman’s property was confiscated and given to Esther, and Mordecai was appointed to oversee it. So now the Jewish nation celebrates this great deliverance annually at the feast of Purim.

Is Esther a book of coincidences or is it the providence of God?

No. 1: Out of a myriad candidates Esther was chosen as queen. (No coincidence – as Mordecai expressed, ‘who knows if you have come to the throne for such a time as this?’)

No.2:  Mordecai learned of an assassination plot. (No coincidence, according to the ancient Jewish writings. It was accomplished only with the help of God).

No.3 : The king could not sleep, learns of Mordecai’s loyalty and thus was prompted to reward him. (Xerxes, like Nebuchadnezzar before him, had to be compliant to the will of God.)                     

Other Examples of Providence

Are we confident in seeing the unseen hand of God working for the protection of His ancient people in Esther? Are there any other Scriptural incidents in which God is working His purpose out in hidden ways? It seems there are many.

For example, Eliezer, Abraham’s servant was sent to look for a bride for Isaac. He prayed, “Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master” (Genesis 24:14). Rebekah was that woman. It was a sensible test, inasmuch as Eliezer was looking for a woman who would demonstrate ‘hesed’, that is, ‘loving-kindness’, a quality highly thought of by God and men. Rebekah demonstrated ‘hesed’ to a stranger and Eliezer identified the hand of God in the incident. He said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren” (Genesis 24:27, KJV).

Also the life of Joseph demonstrated the guidance and protection of God. The unseen hand of God is apparent in his elevation to a position in Egyptian life where he could exercise influence for good to the nations of that part of the world. This was in spite of several obstacles. He summarised his experience: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ” (Genesis 45:7, ESV)

The life of William Cowper also springs to mind. Having endured many setbacks and suffered severe depression, he moved to Olney where he became great friends with John Newton. He and Newton co-authored the Olney Hymnal, of which Cowper authored 68 of the hymns. They include: “O for a closer walk with Thee” and another which he wrote after reading of the forgiveness of God in Paul’s letter to the Romans. It suggests that Cowper knew something of the working of God in providence.

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform

He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by fearful sense but trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour

The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain.

God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.

We must be assured that God is working His purpose out as year succeeds to year. Let us make sure we are a part of His plans for ‘who knows whether we are where we are for such a time as this’. How can we ensure we are in the centre of God’s will? Let us imitate Eliezer who said, “I being in the way, the Lord led me”. Walk according to light you have and more light will be given.

Lessons from the Life of Esther

We continue our study in the book of Esther

Haman is introduced

As in Daniel, there is an evil influence at large, always ready to try to thwart the purposes of God. Even as the unseen hand of God is evident for good, so the unseen hand of Satan is evident for evil. The Devil is going to use Haman, an Agagite, to try and destroy the Jewish nation. This is a reference to the old enemy of Israel, the Amalekites, whom Israel fought after the exodus. They are spoken of as implacable enemies of God who would war with him “from generation to generation” (Exod.17:16). Haman was promoted, and like his evil master, his pride and ego knew no bounds. As evidence of his promotion above all the princes in the empire, he required people to bow and make obeisance to him as he rode past, in accordance with the king’s commandment. But Mordecai refused to bow to him. The exact reason for Mordecai’s reluctance is not given. It could be because, in the society in which he was placed, some high dignitaries claimed honour because of the god they served. If that was the case then there is an echo of the problem that the three Hebrews faced when they refused to bow to the golden image. One Targum suggests that no self-respecting Benjamite would bow to an Amalekite. Whatever the reason, Haman was outraged and plotted his revenge on all Jews. Haman’s actions reveal how deep his anti-Semitic feelings ran.

Haman, described as “the enemy of the Jews” (Esther 3:10), brought an accusation to the king - an accusation that has been regularly expressed by many of those who wish to do them despite. He said, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them” (Esther 3:8). Haman was a spokesman for the Devil, the true enemy of the Jews, described in the New Testament as “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev.12:10 (NKJV)). His deception is further evidenced inasmuch as the Jewish race is not identified by name, just called ‘a certain people’. Xerxes delegated authority to Haman by letting him use his signet ring. Haman arranged for the ‘pur’, that is ‘the lot’, to be cast, to set the date for the extermination of the Hebrew nation, and they sought to guarantee the cooperation of all other peoples of the empire by declaring the possessions of all Jews to be spoil that could be taken by those engaged in the genocide. ‘Pur’ is a Hebrew form of the Babylonian ‘Puru’ which means ‘lot’ but also means ‘fate’. The casting of the lot would be part of the duty of the astrologers to find the most favourable day in which to carry out this devilish plan. On hearing the news, Mordecai immediately entered into mourning, tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth and ashes. Esther was advised of Mordecai’s dress and countenance, but did not yet know of the decree. She contacted him through messengers and heard of the plight of her people. Mordecai instructed her to go in to the king, and intercede for them, but she spoke of the danger. She advised Mordecai that those that enter the king’s presence without an invitation could face execution. “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live ”(Esther 4:11). In addition she informed her guardian that it was unlikely that she would see the king any time soon because she had not been called into his presence for more than a month.

The response of Mordecai was measured: “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  (Esther 4:13–14). Mordecai had hit the nail on the head. Even so, Esther’s response was magnificent: “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

In the meantime Haman, with the authority of the king, had begun dispatching messengers to all parts of the empire, publicizing the edict and the rewards available to those who would participate in the genocide.

Esther, who was still in good grace with the king, no doubt in part due to her previous communication to him of the assassination plot, was granted an audience in which she obtained a promise that he would join her at a ‘banquet of wine’. Haman also joined them. While she had the good favour of the king, Esther proposed another banquet the following day for the king and Haman. Proud Haman, of course, was delighted to be incorporated into the immediate society of both the king and the queen. Nevertheless his pleasure was tainted because Mordecai would still not honour him. Haman’s wife and close friends advised him to execute Mordecai and be rid of him entirely. That he had the power to do so is evidence that Satan also has followers in high places. But both Satan and Haman are going to realise that one young woman, with God’s help, will be more than enough to overturn any evil plan devised against God’s ancient people for “... God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27, KJV). Haman decided to proceed with his persecution of Mordecai, and press for an immediate hanging, after which he could enjoy the high honour that was to be paid to him as a special guest at Queen Esther’s banquet. He lost no time in getting a 75 foot high gallows built.

More Next Time:

Lessons from the Life of Esther

The Book of Esther

The Providence of God

Introduction

When the Bible seeks to present God’s reign as universal, it uses examples of how He maintains a strong influence over great empires. The events of the book of Daniel are set in a vast domain ruled over by incredibly powerful men such as Nebuchadnezzar, Darius and Cyrus, yet the message of the book is summed up in the phrase, “…  that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men.” (Daniel 4:17).  This is repeated several times. For example, Nebuchadnezzar was disciplined for a period: “...  you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:25). This is rephrased in 4.26 when Nebuchadnezzar is told that his discipline would cease after he came to understand something of the sovereignty of God: “... your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules”.

In the book of Esther we are again in the same great empire, albeit about a century later in its history. The King is Xerxes I (Xerxes is the Greek equivalent of the Persian khsyayʾrsha which is written in Hebrew Ahasuerus). Xerxes inherited the very extensive empire from his father, Darius I. It comprised of one hundred and twenty seven provinces “from India to Ethiopia” (Esther 1:1). At this time there were still many Jews living in exile. Similar to the book of Daniel, Esther is written as a book of encouragement, the lesson being, ‘you are far from home, but God has not forgotten you’ and it repeats Daniel’s message, which is ‘God reigns even when it doesn’t look like it’. To the untrained eye the book of Esther looks like a book of coincidences, but with God there are no coincidences.

God’s First Move – Esther’s Elevation

In the capital of this vast empire, Vashti the queen had offended the king, and was to be replaced. Out of the large number of young women available, Esther was among those that were chosen to be presented to the king. But first, along with many others, she had to be dressed, educated and adorned to be fit to be presented at court. Just as Daniel’s attitude and behaviour brought him into favour with Nebuchadnezzar’s officers, Esther’s beauty, personality and poise brought her into favour with the royal attendants that were caring for the candidates, and she was given all the assistance that could be offered to prepare her for an audience with the king.

God is sovereign and will lift up whom He will and this time it is to be a young Jewish woman to be queen. Early in the book it is anticipated that Xerxes, a Gentile, will be required by God’s sovereign will to elevate God’s choice to a place of influence, and this he does. On instructions from her cousin Mordecai, who had taken the young girl under his protection, she did not, at least at that time, reveal that she was Jewish. But like Miriam, Deborah, and Ruth, this young woman is identified as one who will emerge as a heroine for her people. The mystery of the book is that God is only present implicitly, but not explicitly. By that we mean that He is not mentioned at any time, although we are aware of His unseen hand. Throughout the narrative the will of God is understood to be the force behind events. Although the Hebrew people were oppressed and anti-Semitism was evident, God brought a Jewish woman into the royal court to become queen. Just as Joseph was introduced to the court of the Pharaoh and Daniel to the court of Nebuchadnezzar, Esther came to the court of Xerxes for a similar purpose.

Joseph’s leadership meant food for his famine-stricken family and their eventual prosperity.

Daniel’s leadership led to a new status of acceptance of Jews in Babylonia.

Esther’s leadership would yield similar results.

The common element in all three is that it was God who brought about these results.

The other major character in the book is, of course, Mordecai, Esther’s cousin: “Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away” (Esther 2:5–6). The relationship of Mordecai to Esther is given. “He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter” (Esther 2:7).  For those who had been orphaned, adoption in the extended family was widely practiced among the Jewish community.

God’s Second Move – Mordecai’s Discovery

Mordecai was probably an official at court, sitting in ‘the king’s gate’. Some suggest that it was Esther, now in a position of influence, who had Mordecai promoted.  In a secular record of the same period there is made mention of an accountant who carried out an inspection tour for the king and who had a similar name. Whether it was this Mordecai we are unsure. Nevertheless it is clear that he had access to an area of the palace complex where he would be able to carry out his duties and also be aware of much that took place in higher society. It was in these surroundings that he learned of a plot. Two of the king’s officers, Bigthan and Teresh, conspired to assassinate the king. Mordecai told Esther and she told the king, giving credit to Mordecai for the information. However, the Targums suggest that Mordecai’s discovery of the plot was by God’s design, not by Mordecai’s wisdom. The assassins were caught and punished but Mordecai, in the will of God, received no reward. But it did bring both Esther and Mordecai into the good grace of the king, although at that time it seemed as if Esther’s cousin was overlooked – a bit like Joseph in prison, forgotten by the one he had helped. But God does not forget, although He does expect Mordecai, like Joseph, to exercise patience. The key fact is that the episode was recorded in a book. As the narrative unfolds we will see Xerxes, a man of great power, required to be compliant to the will of God.

More from Esther next time

Lessons from the life of Ruth

Ruth - Living for God in an Uncertain World

Introduction

The strong leadership of Moses and Joshua had brought Israel from Egypt into Canaan. Under Joshua the land had been occupied with each of the tribes having their own area to inhabit. For several centuries after Canaan had been divided up and each tribe had settled in a different area, there was hardly a time when the nation was again united. The surrounding nations took advantage of this fragmentation of Israel and mounted invasions against them. The book of Judges is the history of this period. It was a time of testing, permitted by the Lord, to see if the new generations of Israelites would keep the Law that was mediated by Moses, and remain faithful to Him who had redeemed them. But the Israelites did not stand the test. Dwelling in the midst of the Canaanites, they contracted marriages with them, and served their gods, contrary to the express prohibition of the Lord in Ex. 34:16; 23:24, and Deut. 7:3, 4. When this took place, they lost the protection of Jehovah and became servants to foreign rulers. It was only when they repented of their folly and returned to the old paths that they were delivered.  

At the time of the book of Ruth, parts of Israel had gone through several such periods of apostasy followed by deliverance.

The oppression by Chushan-Rishathaim of Mesopotamia lasted 8 years before they were delivered under the leadership of Othneil, after which they had 40 years of peace.

The oppression by the Moabites lasted 18 years, before Ehud rose up to deliver them. They then enjoyed an extended period of peace which lasted 80 years.

The oppression by the Canaanitish king Jabin lasted 20 years before Deborah and Barak arose to deliver them. The peace that was then secured lasted 40 years.

The oppression by the Midianites lasted 7 years before God raised up Gideon as their deliverer. The peace obtained lasted 40 years.

Many suggest that the events recorded in the book of Ruth took place during the 40 years of peace that followed the Midianite invasions. The first verse of the book gives the historic location of this personal history of the family from Bethlehem. “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1). This places the events of the book of Ruth into the period when Israel’s experience was very unstable. There was no unity among the tribes and the worship of Jehovah was often neglected. It was an uncertain world. There was no prophet to speak a word from the Lord and there was no word from the priest to keep the nation close to God. Even after the remarkable victories achieved by Gideon, Israel was never fully cleansed of idolatry. It was at this time that Bethlehem knew a lengthy and severe famine. It seemed as if the heavens were as brass both physically and spiritually.

The famine had compounded the devastation that seven years of Midianite invasions had produced. Although the invaders had been only loosely organized, there was a clear pattern to their tactics. Just when the freshly seeded crops had begun to sprout, hordes would erupt from across the Jordan, bringing with them their own livestock and camels, and even their tents. The raiders would set up camp at strategic locations, from where they would send their herds out in search of pasture and launch their raiding parties. This extended period of Midianite terror had had a devastating effect on the Israelite economy and emotion. They had been like locusts, consuming every green plant in sight, leaving the land ravaged, with nothing left over for the Israelite flocks and herds. Fearing the brutality of the invaders, as soon as they appeared on the horizon, the Israelites had fled to the hills, using natural geological features as defensive strongholds.

Elimelech lived in Bethlehem with Naomi his wife and his two sons, Mahlon and Chillion. Because of the famine there was little food available. This is especially poignant inasmuch as Bethlehem means ‘house of bread’. There was no bread in the house of bread! Elimelech and Naomi decided to escape to Moab for a while. If they had been caught up in the national apostasy and served other gods, then it would explain the attraction of Moab for them. It turned out to be a disastrous decision. If Elimelech had been an Israelite committed to Jehovah he would have known better.  He should have lived up to his name, which means ‘My God is King’. History should have warned him that Moab was not the place to take his wife and children. No doubt he took the course of action he did, because he thought he was doing his best for his family. However, in taking them to Moab he failed in his responsibility. In Scripture, Moab represents the flesh. The father of the nation is the son of Lot who was the child of an incestuous alliance. The activities of Moab in their relationship to Israel also support the sense that it was a sensual nation. When Israel was journeying towards Canaan, on the advice of Balaam the prophet, they offered their prettiest women to the men of Israel. Moses recorded the event. “While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (Numbers 25:1–3). Intermarrying between an Israelite and a Moabite was displeasing to God. Elimelech should not have left Israel for Moab, especially as his sons married Moabite women. The story of Elimelech’s family demonstrates what can go wrong when there is a lack of commitment to the Lord.