SESSION 28: Job

If you desire an email of this session for ‘Thinking through the Bible’, send your request by email to carlsonpj@gmail.com. You may also request a full set of notes on the OT Books of Poetry if you want to read more than this summary of the session presented on Sunday morning. Those who attend the sessions on Sunday mornings benefit the most by reading the Book of the Bible as if they were living at the time of the Book we are covering in the session.

REMINDER
As you ‘read and think’ through the Bible, think like a 5 ½ year-old boy who phoned his granny after receiving his very first library book and told her, “Grandma, I can really read now and I’m so happy that I am having a party in my brain!”

“These had God married, and no man shall part,
Dust on the Bible, and drought in the heart.”

INTRODUCTION

In our approach to ‘Thinking through the Bible’, we are to fit the books of poetry in their historical place in God’s Story we have read this far:

• Job fits somewhere in Genesis 1-11.  This gives further insight into the times of the patriarchs. Job and his friends give insight into worship, faith, life after death, holiness, family living, respect for elders, hospitality, and treatment of the poor and oppressed.
• The Psalms fit into Israel’s history in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles (David’s monarchy).
• Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon fit into 1 Kings 1-11 and 2 Chronicles 1-9 (Solomon’s monarchy).
  

INTERPRETATION

Wisdom Literature

The Five Books of Poetry are known as ‘Wisdom Literature’, divided into:

• Books of Wisdom: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which are didactic in character, and deal with convictions – they teach us.
• Books of Poetry: Psalms and Song of Solomon deal with affections – they let us feel something.

Hebrew Poetry

Much of the Books of Poetry are written in Hebrew poetry. The three main varieties of this poetry are:

• ‘Synonymous parallelism’, where the second line essentially repeats the idea of the first. Psalm 3:1:

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!

Many are they who rise up against me.

• ‘Antithetic parallelism’, where the second line contrasts with the idea of the first. Psalm 1:6:

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

• ‘Synthetic parallelism’, where the succeeding line or lines add to or develop the idea of the first. Psalm 42:1:

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

Use of Poetry

Turn to Job 9:13 and also 26:12:

Translators handle the word ‘Rahab’ in different ways:

• Job 9:13 (NKJV):

God will not withdraw His anger,

The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

The word for ‘proud’ is translated in the NIV as ‘Rahab”.

• The NLT translates it as ‘monsters of the sea’.
• The GNT helps by expanding it as ‘Rahab, the sea monster’. A footnote says that this refers to a ‘legendary sea monster which represented the forces of chaos and evil’.
• Turn to Psalm 87:4 (NKJV):

 “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me…”

• The NLT translates it as “Egypt”, with a footnote saying that it is ‘a poetic name for Egypt’.

Wait until the Books of Prophecy and you’ll get another reference. Then you’ll be able to find out that ‘Rahab’ in God’s Story is a reference to an evil power defeated by God.

Sharing:

• Connecting ‘just words’ does not keep the Scriptures in their context. The reference to ‘Rahab’ in Job is not a connection with the woman, ‘Rahab’ at Jericho in Exodus.
• ‘Rahab’ is similar to the use of ‘Abimelech’ in Genesis.

Essential to the correct understanding of the Books of Poetry is that you remember that they are ‘poetry’. They are written this way for some good reasons:

• Aid in memory: Poetry gives a brief, particular expression of truth, phrased in a way it can be memorized.
• Skill for life: Essential to wise living is ‘patience’. The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Patience always wins over pride! Beginnings can go wrong; it takes patience to withhold judgment until the end.
• Hymnbook: 120 of the Psalms made up the hymnbook for Israel. The Psalms are a guide to worship.
• Emotional expressions: Poetry appeals to the emotions, giving an excellent way to express the thoughts of the heart. It helps to relate honestly to God and to reflect on Gods Story. J. I. Packer’s describes the purpose of mediating on God’s Word: Its purpose is to clear one’s mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let his truth make its full and proper impact on one’s mind and heart… Its effect is ever to humble us...
• Praying: There are sixty prayers in the Psalms. People who know their God are before anything else, people who pray. They focus on God’s cause.
• Attributes: Psalms 92:5: O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. Poetry help describe who God is.
• Fear of God: Job, David, and Solomon remind us that the fear of God is essential to life (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Remember that we are reading poems and hymns, and not doctrinal treatises. These are not sermons with an introduction, explanation of truth, and an application. They reflect teachings, but they are not intended to be made into a system of belief. Read Psalm 23 and then convince yourself that you’re supposed to be living on a farm!

JOB

The Chronological Bible introduces Job just after Genesis 11:26. Scholars suggest that Job was 40 years old at Noah’s death.

The name “Job” appears in ancient Near Eastern texts, identifying a legendary wise man. There are no genealogies given for Job. He is not a fictional character, for the Bible plainly states: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job…  (Job 1:1). His residence in the land of Uz marks him as belonging to a branch of the Aramean race, which had settled southeast of Palestine on the borders of Edom, nearby the Sabeans and Chaldeans.

Theme

The main theme of the Book of Job is captured in the beautiful poem in Job 28, which speaks of the search for wisdom. After describing human ingenuity in extracting precious minerals from the belly of the earth (Job 28:1-11), the writer asks in Job 28:12:

“But where can wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?”

We scan the earth, the sea and the heavens but cannot find wisdom. Nor can we buy it with all the gems we possess (Job 28:13-19). The question is repeated (Job 28:20) and the absence of wisdom in the created universe emphasized. The end of the human search for wisdom is indicated in the words in Job 28:23:

“God understands its way,

And He knows its place.”

And then God expresses the essence of wisdom in Job 28:28:

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,

And to depart from evil is understanding.”

This is the message of the Book, as incarnated (made human) in and exemplified by Job.

Job knew that he had done nothing to deserve the wrath of God. In his speeches he declares his innocence and expresses his frustration at the agony he had to endure. He cannot understand why such things have happened to him. His comforters are horrified to hear such talk, taking it to be blasphemy. They persist in trying to persuade him that he doubts God. Each one urges him repeatedly to confess his sin and admit that God is fair and just, and we get what our choices deserve. Just as insistent, Job argues that life is unfair. Elihu, the youngest and final speaker of the comforters, defends God’s superior knowledge and ways. This is the closest it comes to an answer for Job, and it looks as if Job is going to have to settle for Elihu’s partially satisfying answer. Then suddenly God speaks and corrects Job and puts the situation in perspective. He also vindicates Job over against the so-called wisdom of his friends.

Job’s journey of faith is easily separated into the topic of conflict in chapters 1-2, which is written in prose; the debates in chapters 3-37, which are written in poetry; and repentance in chapters 38-42, which is written in prose.

God and Faith

God is incomprehensible, which means that He is beyond human understanding. He knows all things without waiting until the event. This is in the forefront in His dealings with Job. Job is the narrative in God’s Story where the problem of evil is described to its fullest. It brings us to our knees when realizing that God in His infiniteness is beyond human reason and logic.

Job’s solution was to accept both that God is sovereign and that humanity is responsible. He left this antinomy alone so that, instead of arguing these two parallel truths that have no earthly conclusion, he repented before God and worshiped Him. His pain and suffering of evil went way beyond an academic exercise to an acceptance of good and trouble from God. Job worshipped the God who allowed his health, children and wealth to be taken away, responding as only a man who fears God can do:

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

(Job 1:21)

Job’s faith is tested and proven genuine through his exclamation:

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

(Job 13:15)

Sharing:

• Job’s first response to disaster proves his depth of faith.
• Even though Job did not understand all that was going on, he did not sin.
• Job’s reaction to loss in his life was to worship God. This is not the typical human response.
• Job knew that God saves, and not man.
• Even though he faltered in his faith, Job could not lose his salvation in God.
• All through the suffering in his life, Job knew that change would come. In his despondent prayer, in Job14:7, 14-15 Job prays:

“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes.
You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.”

The Man Job

The character of Job is described as blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). Blameless implies that he was a man of moral integrity; upright implies that he was completely fair and honest in his dealings. Feared God implies that he was committed to obeying the will of God above all else. It stands for a solid trust in God. Shunned evil shows that he was determined to avoid anything which God would disapprove. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion (The Message).

Representative

Contrary to normal Eastern practice, Job is introduced without genealogy and without reference to his tribe or clan. Job is not simply a man from the past. It seems that by leaving out Job’s genealogy, the writer composes a literary account in which Job is representative of all who live by faith, especially in times of severe suffering. We are found in the lineage of Job when we are found among God’s people of faith.

Wealthy

God richly blessed his faithful servant. The writer uses the numbers three, seven, and ten, which many biblical scholars suggest are symbolic of completeness, to demonstrate that Job’s wealth was staggering. He resided in a city, and he owned and cultivated land nearby and employed numerous shepherds who tended his flocks at a great distance from his home. We note that his material wealth had not led him to pride, but seemed to have deepened his sense of humility and his awareness of sin.

Patriarch

The period of the patriarchs cover from Adam to Moses. There are five patriarchal fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Job. These were heads of families or tribes. In its highest sense it is a title of ‘Him whose offspring all men are’. The phrase the patriarchs usually refer to the tribal leaders of Israel who lived before the time of Moses.

Job was a man in the land of Uz (Job 1:1), which is a reference to people of the East, made up of the inhabitants living along the northern Euphrates River (Genesis 29:1). God also displayed His favor on Job by giving him seven sons and three daughters. The ideal of seven children is referred to in Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:5. Naomi is reminded of seven sons in Ruth 4:5.

Priest

Job regularly offered burnt offerings. As the patriarch of his family, he did this for his entire family. There is no suggestion that he excluded himself from atoning for sins. We are told in Job 1:22: In all this Job did not sin. This does not suggest that Job never sinned. For Job to even offer sacrifices, he would have to perform the purification washings (illustrated in Genesis 35:2) required for him to officiate as priest on behalf of his household. Then only could he present offerings that atone for every possible sin.

Each of Job’s sons periodically held a seven day feast. When all the festivals had gone round, Job offered burnt offerings for all his children, just in case any of them had been unthankful to God in their hearts. Before making the sacrifices Job sent servants to make sure that his children were ritually cleansed for the occasion.

“Skin for skin”

Satan challenged Job’s uprightness, suggesting to God that Job would exchange his fear of God for a healthy life. The Lord consents, but with one limitation: ‘Job loves Me for who I am, not for what I give him. Do whatever you want with his skin, he will never forsake Me.’ Satan turned Job into a monster of pain. Itching and open sores, feelings of terror, maggots feeding in the ulcers, sleeplessness, nightmares, depression, putrid foul breath, failing vision, rotting teeth, uncontrolled weeping, emaciated (thin), fever, corrosion of bones, skin blackened and falling off. He became a repulsive, chronic invalid.

Comforters

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place — Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him… they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2:11-13). Motivated by their love and commitment, Job’s friends came to console and comfort him.

Curse-Lament-Speeches

Overcome by dismay yet adhering to tradition, Job’s three friends offer consolation and comfort in sympathetic silence, waiting for Job to speak. It would be very inappropriate for them to speak before Job is ready to express himself (Job 3). Job’s speech is his cry of anguish in his darkest hour. Here is a man on a trash heap, among the ashes, a monster of pain, not even recognized by his friends, who is scraping his itching skin with broken pottery! Here is a husband whose wife told him to renounce God and die. Give up. At best, his wife is suggesting that he go on blessing God, but all he’ll get for it is death!

Sharing:

• I recently heard a message on the radio that Job’s family was taken away, except for the wife who should have been. We should rather think of Job’s wife as not necessarily bad, but a broken-hearted mother. She was a wife who watched her husband suffer.
• The word for ‘curse’ in Job 1:5 and 2:9 means ‘bless’ in a negative context. It was as though Job’s wife was asking God why Job was suffering.
• Job gets a glimpse of himself, and in chapter 3 he ‘curses’ his life.

Three rounds of poetic debate starts between Job and his friends. It all starts with a word (Job 4:2) that opens a floodgate of words simply because the parties are entrenched in their respective theological positions and do not want to consider each other’s point of view. The question before them: “Why does a just God afflict God-fearing Job?” Their comfort expressed their faulty theology: evil for evil because God is just. Their solution: repent due to cause and effect. They could not handle a world or a God that could not be explained, so they lived by experience, tradition, and presumption.

There are three courses of dialogues between Job and his three friends. The first course begins the debate (chapters 4-14); the second the growth of the debate (chapters 15-21); and the third the height of the debate (chapters 22-27). This is followed by the solution of the debate in the speeches of Elihu (chapters 32-37).

As you read the arguments of Job’s three friends, focus on what each one emphasizes:

• Eliphaz correctly acknowledges that God does great and unfathomable deeds in governing the world. He utilizes his power and wisdom to bring about social justice, whether delivering the lowly or frustrating the plans of crafty criminals. Sometimes He disciplines humans through suffering. Eliphaz incorrectly accuses Job of possessing a distorted view of God in heaven where He cannot see what is happening on earth.
• Bildad emphasizes that God is just because He never rejects an innocent man but punishes the wicked. He proclaims God's sovereign power and awe-inspiring rule over creation.
• Zophar agrees with Eliphaz that God is wise and immeasurable to man, and states that He is omnipotent.

Wrongly assuming that Job's condition indicates some secret sin, all three friends urge him to repent so God can deliver him.

Sharing:

• Job’s true friends did right by remaining silent until Job spoke, which was a correct cultural response.
• It hurt them to see their friend suffering.
• We can’t blame Job’s friends too much because they didn’t understand what was going on.
• Their intentions were good, but they applied their theology incorrectly.
• Just like Job’s friends, we try to figure why things happen and then try to help.
• Do we lose faith when things go wrong, like Job’s friends thought Job did?
• His friends missed the fact that Job loved God for who He is, and not just for what He gives.
• With a limited understanding of God, we try to explain things. It is better to read God’s Story and get to know the God of the Bible.
• It is better to know God than to know the answers.

Attributes

There are numerous attributes ascribed to God:

• Almighty (Job 5:9; 6:4; 9:5-12).
• Omniscient (Job 11:11; 21:22).
• Wise (Job 12:13; 24:1).
• Incomprehensible – beyond human understanding (Job 11:7-9; 36:26).
• Invisible (Job 9:11).
• Supreme Governor of the world, and He controls everything in the world (Job 5:9-13; 9:5-10).
• Creator of all things (Job 4:17; 10:8-11; 35:10; 38:4-10).
• Perfectly pure and holy (Job 15:15-16; 25:5-6).
• Eternal (Job 10:5).
• Spiritual Being (Job 10:4).
• Gracious and ready to forgive sin to the repentant (Job 5:17-27; 11:13-19; 22:21-23; 33:23-28).
• Hearer of prayer (Job 33:26; 12:4; 22:27).
• Dispenser of life and death (Job 4:9; 10:12; 33:4).
• Communicates His will by revelation to humankind (Job 4:12-17; 33:14-17).

Job’s Faith

Job exercised a tremendous faith in Sovereign, Almighty God as Ruler of His creation. He knew Him as the Lord, Almighty, Jehovah, and by his personal name Yahweh.Li

Job understood that there were messengers as a mediator who takes up the sufferer’s case. This led him to believe there were also evil messengers – evil spirits – with one known as the accuser, sometimes referred to as the satan (not a proper noun). He accepted that humanity is fallen and seeks to cover his sins like Adam.

Job knew he had a “Judge” (Job 9:15), which created his need for an “umpire” (Job 9:33) and a “witness” in heaven (Job 16:19). He takes it a step further: his “Redeemer” will one day vindicate him, and somehow Job will be there to witness it! When you consider how little God had revealed in Job's day about the future life, these words become a remarkable testimony of faith.

Life after Death

Job and his friends struggled with the implications of the grave, thinking of it as dark and gloomy where there was a land of silence and no productive activity.

It was a common understanding in Job’s day that death was irreversible. It is difficult to determine in Job’s story the teachings of life after death, or if he did live after death, what the conditions would be. It does give us early development and belief of the idea of the future state. There is no distinct and formal statement about eternal life. There is no mention of heaven as a place of rest. There is knowledge of a sovereign God, and there is reference to a future state of being; but there is no distinct notion of heaven as a place where the righteous would dwell together forever.

There is no clear reference to a bodily resurrection (the word is never used in the Old Testament). The closest mention comes in Job’s expression of trust in his Redeemer in Job 19:25-27. Whether his deliverance takes place before or after Job’s death, we can be sure that Job believes that he will see his Redeemer, and that he expects to be physically present at his vindication.

I “Know”

Job himself may not have known the full meaning of all that he said. Imagine this patriarch driven onto an ash heap, mourning the ridicule of his so-called friends, charged by them with all manner of wickedness until he is driven to his breaking point. At the same time his body is shriveling up with excruciating pain and the mental anguish over all that he has lost. At last, he bursts out with something he knows for sure:

“I know that my Redeemer lives…
after my skin is destroyed, this I know…

I shall see God…

I shall see Him for myself!”

(Job 19:25-26)

Sharing:

• Job’s speeches are filled with questions even though he is holding on to what he does know.
• Job’s friends did not fit into what they should have known about God.
• One modern-day preacher suggests that if a missionary is on his way to a village and his car has a flat tire, God would not allow a person who did not hear about God to spend eternity in hell. This is a failure to recognize that eternity is in the hearts of humankind so that there is no escape from getting to know God. God’s Story shows  that salvation is made available throughout the Old Testament.

Yahweh’s Speeches

The writer of Job uses the covenant name Yahweh to declare God’s absolute self-existence. He comes onto the scene in a whirlwind. It’s time for Job to hear God say, “You just didn’t understand what I was doing.” He talks to Job like a teacher instructing a student who fails to understand an important matter. “Job, you need to understand something about My created order and My wise care.”

Yahweh speaks twice (Job 38:1-40:2; 40:6-41:34), and Job responds both times (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). God does not charge Job with committing any specific transgression because He has already said that he is “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Yahweh reminds Job who is in control with his very first question: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” In a way, God is showing Job that He is holy, which means ‘set apart’. God is set apart from everything sinful.

Sharing:

• Why did God challenge Job for the questions he asked? God was telling Job that he did the right things, but he should not limit Him as Creator. God is holy – that is, He is set apart from His creation. God’s encounter with Job was not necessarily a strong rebuke. It could have been a tender moment of teaching.
• As much as Job did not really know God, yet he did know who He was.
• There is no indication that Job was disappointed when his questions were not answered. He did not question God, but repented, learned his lesson, and was restored.
• We learn patience through suffering.
• Many focus on the fact that Job’s wealth was restored. The true restoration was with God, his friends and family relationships.
• We should read the narrative of Job as instructions against depression.
• I was once angry with God because we had adopted children who were into drugs. I asked God why. After reading the narrative of Job, I needed to repent of rebelliousness toward God and be forgiven of my self-righteousness.
• God restored everything to Job. This shows God’s grace. He was saying, “I have you. You are for My purposes.”
• Job’s wife is not mentioned in the end. We can think of this as her being virtuous because in a patriarchal society, when a wife is upright in a household, she is not necessarily mentioned. When the patriarch is righteous, it works through his household.
• We have experienced where I, as the husband and father of our household, am considered upright. If my wife was not upright, I would not be considered a man of integrity.

The Epilogue

God begins Job’s story with a prose prologue and concludes with a prose epilogue. Just as we were left with many unanswered questions in the prologue, so we are left with many unanswered questions in the epilogue (Job 42:7-17). Some may be used to hearing that the epilogue ends with Job’s prosperity, and in so doing miss the significance of Yahweh’s lesson about forgiveness and restoration. Job’s friends and acquaintances deserved God’s wrath. Instead, He extends His mercy through Job. Paraphrased, God says: “Job, your friends will bring a burnt offering in recognition of their sin, and you are to pray for them. You will be their mediator, the very kind of messenger you requested!”

Yahweh restored Job’s losses only after Job prays for his friends. The point is that true forgiveness is essential to restoration. The restoration includes his health, his livestock, and his sons and daughters. But all of earthly goods are secondary to Job’s significant restoration – the true restoration for Job lay in forgiveness and restoration of friends and acquaintances. It’s easy to seek material wealth; but what is of true eternal value is relational restoration, for this is what goes into eternity.

The naming and special attention given to Job’s daughters is significant. Besides it being unheard of at that time and in his culture, to name his daughters and give them an inheritance takes Job’s restoration to new levels. God’s grace is showered on Job by including his daughters’ names and their inheritance. This was unheard of in society during that time. Sons received the inheritance, and daughters are included only when there are no sons.

The final paragraph in the story starts with the words: After this, and proceeds to report on the one hundred and forty years for which Job enjoys life after his restoration. The man who faced the bleak prospect of dying without any offspring saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. When he eventually died, he was old and full of days. His simple, dignified ending reminds us of the peaceful deaths of the patriarchs in Genesis.

NEXT SESSION

Come prepared to share from the Psalms in our next session. Select a Psalm that is meaningful to you from the Psalms Chart hand-out. Consider your Psalm in its category and time in history.

SESSION 27:Esther

If you desire an email of this session for ‘Thinking through the Bible’, send your request by email to carlsonpj@gmail.com. You may also request a full set of notes on the OT Historical Books if you want to read more than this summary of the session presented on Sunday morning. Those who attend the sessions on Sunday mornings benefit the most by reading the Book of the Bible as if they were living at the time of the Book we are covering in the session.

When you think of Esther, think of another Ruth!

HISTORICAL PERIOD

The record of Esther gives us insight into Persian customs, etiquette, and history. A strong sense of Jewish nationalism is shown through the Hebrew calendar and customs.

God’s account of Esther takes place between Ezra chapters 6 and 7, during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Hebrew), or Xerxes I (Greek). Fifty-two years after Cyrus had permitted Zerubbabel to lead the first group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Judea, Xerxes became king of the Persian Empire.  Esther covers the 483-473 B.C. portion of his Persian reign. Although the book of Esther appears as the final Old Testament Historical Book in our Bible, Ezra 7-10, Nehemiah, and Malachi (final prophet) report later Old Testament history than Esther.

The events of Esther occurred between the first return of the Jews after seventy years of captivity in Babylon under Zerubbabel, and the second return led by Ezra. Nehemiah’s return from Susa occurred later.

God’s Story of Esther takes us back to His story of He brought the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt. Esther and Exodus both describe how foreigners tried to eliminate the nation of Israel, and how God sovereignly preserved them in accordance with His covenant to Abraham. Esther chapters 9 and 10 record the beginning of ‘Purim’ – an annual festival in the 12th month (February-March) to celebrate the nation’s survival. Purim became one of two festivals given outside of the Mosaic legislation. The other is the ‘Festival of Lights’.

Sharing:

• Before Esther, there was Queen Vashti. She had a high moral ground compared to the king, who held ‘drunken parties’ that lasted for months. The king showed his wealth as a means to wage a campaign against Greece. She refused to appear before the king on the seventh day so that he could show off his ‘trophy wife’. She may have been pregnant at the time, and was not prepared to succumb to the king’s bid. It would have been immoral for her to appear publicly while pregnant. She was not prepared to be humiliated.
• The story is filled with schemes and plots. Jews were hated because of their belief in a ‘good’ God, and history shows how there have been attempts to systematically bring them to an end. They believed in a sovereign God, and traditionally they have never assimilated well.

CHARACTERS

God

God is obviously the main character in the story of Esther, even though His name is never mentioned.  He is seen in the conduct of His people. He sovereignly prevailed to save the Jews, not through miracles, but through providential control of every event and person. Mordecai and Esther kept their Jewish heritage a secret, but their faith is still evident. When Mordecai heard of the plot to annihilate the Jews, he asked Esther to go in to the king to make supplication to him. In reply to her fears of appearing before the king without an invitation, Mordecai said: “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Encouraged by this, Esther replied: "Go and get all the Jews in Susa together; hold a fast and pray for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant women and I will be doing the same. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die" (Esther 4:16, GNT).

Sharing:

• God’s name is not specifically mentioned in the story of Esther, but a ‘life testimony’ is obvious. It reminds us of what St. Francis said: “Share the Gospel, and when necessary, use words.” At Mordecai’s request, Esther did not reveal that she and her family were Jews until it was necessary. But her character proved her value.
• The sovereignty of God is shown throughout this story.

Xerxes I

For 180 days, King Xerxes of Persia hosted various officials of Persia’s 127 provinces in the capital city of Susa, evidently seeking to impress them with his wealth and power. At the end of the six months, he gave a lavish week-long feast. His father, Darius the Great (fourth king of Persia), had been defeated by Greece at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. Eight years later Xerxes put on a feast to most likely build morale for an assault on Greece.  Xerxes was defeated by Greece in 480 B.C. and 479 B.C. Despite such defeats, he controlled the vast empire of Persia for 21 years until 465 B.C., when he died by assassination.

Esther

Ruth and Esther are the only Old Testament books named after women. “Hadassah” (Esther 2:7) means “myrtle”, the Hebrew name of Esther, which comes from the Persian word “star” or possibly from the name of the Babylonian love goddess, “Ishtar”. As the orphaned daughter of her father, Abihail, Esther grew up in Persia with her older cousin, Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his own daughter.

Sharing:

• All the girls brought into the king’s harem had to learn the language and customs of Persia. They were intelligent.
• It must have been a culture shock for Esther to go to the palace of the king and be put through one year of training in a different culture.
• Esther appears in the story as humble (she never made any demands), submissive, and beautiful. Among the beautiful ladies, she stayed within the bounds, and her relationship with God added to her beauty. She never went beyond what was asked of her. Her character was probably quite visible.

Esther was not only beautiful and did what she had to do, but she used no outward adornment to further enhance her beauty.

Esther did not think about herself, but of her own people. It would have been easier for her to say, “Don’t kill Mordecai or me!”

Mordecai and Haman

The story played out between Mordecai, a Benjamite descendant of Saul (Esther 2:5), and Haman, an Agagite (Esther 3:1), goes back almost 1,000 years when the Israelites exited from Egypt. They were attacked by the Amalekites, whose lineage began with Amalek, grandson of Esau. God pronounced His curse on the Amalekites, which resulted in their total elimination as a people (Exodus 17:14). Although Saul received orders to kill all the Amalekites, including their king Agag (1 Samuel 15:2-3), he disobeyed and incurred God’s displeasure. Samuel finally hacked Agag into pieces. Because of his lineage from Agag, Haman carried deep hostility toward the Jews.

The time of Esther arrived 550 years after the death of Agag, but even after such a passage of time, neither Haman the Agagite nor Mordecai the Benjamite had forgotten the tribal dispute that still smoldered in their lives. This gives insight into why Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman (Esther 3:2-3) and why Haman attempted to exterminate the Jewish race.

Sharing:

• God used a drunken party to get Vashti out in order to intervene in Jewish history. The story exemplifies God’s sovereignty, especially in how Haman was caught in his own plot. Even though things happen without us praying about them, God still intervenes because He wants what is best for us. He is always in control.
• Xerxes was not a good king in that he signed an edict to kill all the Jews.
• That Haman built a 75-foot gallows shows a little overkill in the ‘gallows building’ department!
• The story did not end with Haman hanging on the gallows he intended for Mordecai, but continued with the plan to undo what Haman had started. It was necessary to the word out that the edict had been reversed. The letter service to outlying areas must have been efficient. It is suggested that the present-day postal services motto comes from this era – to deliver without fail.
• Mordecai gave Esther the stark reality of the danger in approaching the king. He was willing to risk his own ‘daughter’. Children need to know the consequences of their choices.
• It seems the Jews had a hard time listening, but here it is encouraging to see them in obedience to God. They had a different attitude. When we are being disciplined, are we prepared to walk in obedience?
• Right after the Jews were rescued, Ezra appears on the scene (Ezra 7). It was time to bring them back to their rightful place of worship before their God. The Law was read and explained, and the Jews repented.
• It is an irony in part where Haman decided what to do to honor Mordecai. It not only shocked him, but Haman had to be the one to lead the horse that Mordecai rode.

GOD’S WAY WITH ESTHER

Esther easily falls into two parts:

• Threat to the Jews (1-4)
• Triumph of the Jews (5-10)

The events recorded in the book took place in the capital city of the Persian Empire early in the reign of King Xerxes I at a time when a few thousand Jews were returning to resettle Judea and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Other Jews were scattered throughout the Persian Empire. They had settled down in the land of their captivity, and were prospering in business and agriculture. This story shows how God dealt with the Jews of the dispersion, whereas Ezra and Nehemiah show how He dealt with them in their restoration. The story stretches over a period of ten years. The whole story turns on a night when the king of Persia could not sleep: That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king (Esther 6:1).

The design of the story is to display the wisdom, providence, and power of God, in the preservation of His people, and in the destruction of their enemies. We learn from it that the most casual events which take place in the affairs of the world are connected with His plans concerning His people. The most basic things of life are appointed and directed by God to bring about His purposes. Haman trusted in chance and worshiped the god of the ‘Lots’. Mordecai trusted in the God of ‘Providence’, and put his faith in the Lord God of Israel.

Esther is a Jewish girl who became the wife of King Xerxes I of Persia. The king’s chief official, Haman, plotted to have all the Jews in the Persian Empire murdered. Risking her life, because it is forbidden to approach the king unless summoned by him, Esther goes to the king and invites him and Haman to a banquet. At a second banquet, Esther exposes Haman’s plot and he was hanged on gallows he planned to have Esther’s uncle hanged on. Afterwards, Jews were permitted to protect themselves.

Sharing:

• The conversation between Mordecai and Esther is like one between a father and daughter. Mordecai did not sugar-coat the situation, but gave the harsh reality. They were looking for a way out by facing it. It was time to step up and deal with the situation. Mordecai was putting his daughter on the line because of a greater purpose.
• God used a woman to fulfill a commandment given to Saul to kill all the Amalekites. 1 Samuel records how Samuel killed the King Agag of the Amalekites because Saul failed to do so. Over 500 years later, God dealt with Saul’s failure to obey Him by having a woman take a prominent role in His purpose. Esther had unprecedented authority, and though she was offered half the kingdom, she refused.
• Esther took an extra day to have Haman’s ten sons killed. By not taking the plunder, the emphasis in the narrative is on killing the enemies and not just on winning a victory.
• The Jews did not take the plunder even if they were able to. It is the exact opposite of what happened before, when they were not supposed to take the plunder, and yet they did!
• It is very possible that the people feared the Jews because they remembered stories from the history of Israel, when God protected them by destroying their enemies.

The Feast of Purim is celebrated in memory of these events, as Haman had cast lots (‘purim’ means ‘the casting of lots’) to decide the day on which to have the Jews annihilated. Israel’s history in the Old Testament falls between Passover and Purim. They are separated by one month in the Jewish calendar. These two festivals both reenact Israel’s deliverance: from death and annihilation in Egypt; from death and annihilation in Persia.

Although His name is never mentioned in this story, God is overwhelmingly present through His control of events. He rules even in the counsels of the ungodly.

Prepare for our next session by starting your reading through the five OT Books of Poetry. They fit into God’s Story that we’ve been reading and thinking through so far, so they give you an opportunity for review.

SESSION 26: Nehemiah

If you desire an email of this session for ‘Thinking through the Bible’, send your request by email to carlsonpj@gmail.com. You may also request a full set of notes on the OT Historical Books if you want to read more than this summary of the session presented on Sunday morning. Those who attend the sessions on Sunday mornings benefit the most by reading the Book of the Bible as if they were living at the time of the Book we are covering in the session.

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that it was a second offence and that justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,” explained the mother, “I plead for mercy.” “But,” declared the emperor, “he does not deserve mercy.” “Sir,” cried the mother, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” “Well then,” said Napoleon, “I will have mercy.” And her son was spared.

Notice God’s mercy when you think through God’s narrative about Nehemiah…

CHART AND MAP

If you are following the chart, as we enter into Nehemiah, we are around 500 B.C., where many Jews returned from exile in Babylon, to the land of Judah.

The Persian Empire rules Judah. Nehemiah is in Susa, 800 miles east of Jerusalem, serving as cupbearer to the sixth king of Persia, Artaxerxes I, in the 20th year of his rule. This would put the date around 445 B.C. It is in the month of November (Chislev), which means that Nehemiah is in the winter residence of the Persian king.

INTRODUCTION

Ezra had been in Jerusalem for thirteen years when Hanani, the brother of Nehemiah (7:2), and possibly the head of Jewish affairs in Judah, met Nehemiah in Susa. In response to Nehemiah’s question about the survivors of the exile now in Jerusalem, Hanani gives a report:

"Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." (Nehemiah 1:3, NIV)

Nehemiah’s response sets the tone of the entire story: he prayed. In fact, he ‘sat down, he wept, he mourned, he fasted, and he prayed for many days’ (Nehemiah 1:4). Like Ezra, he identified with his fellow Jews by confessing that “we” have sinned (Nehemiah 1:6).

God uses Nehemiah in two significant ways, which are easily shown in the division of the book:

• Reconstruction of the Wall (1-7)
• Restoration of the People (8-13)

Nehemiah was in a position of high honor as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. The previous king died by poisoning. Esther was Artaxerxes’ stepmother, suggesting that she may have arranged Nehemiah’s appointment as cupbearer. None of this prevented Nehemiah from remembering his own people.

Four months after receiving news about his people, in March, Nehemiah appeared before the king with a sad countenance. This would normally anger the king, but the king asked why he had a sad face. Before Nehemiah answered the king, he ‘prayed to the God of heaven’ (Nehemiah 2:4).

Sharing:

• The God of heaven’: The first time this title is recorded of God is in Ezra when King Cyrus used it. It continues to be used by Nehemiah.
• This title makes God more than a tribal deity. It takes us back to Exodus, where God ‘moved into Israel’s neighborhood’. He is not a God like pagan ‘gods’ who are restricted to one place.
• This title speaks of God’s sovereignty.

NEHEMIAH – Man of Prayer

When you think of Nehemiah, think of another Moses! Here is a man of prayer. There are eight references to prayer throughout the narrative:

4:9: Ruined walls exposed the Jews to the enemy, and Nehemiah knew it was time to remind the God of heaven about His promises to His people. His burden was to have favor and mercy with God and with the king. When you are burdened with bad news, talk through chapter 1 with God.

2:4: Before presenting his request to return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah stood before the king and prayed. The king granted his request, which Nehemiah acknowledges was ‘according to the good hand of my God upon me’ (vs. 8). When you have a request for someone, talk through chapter 2 with God.

4:4-5: The Samaritans, represented by Sanballat, mocked and ridiculed the rebuilding of the walls. In his anger, plotting, and hostility, Sanballat, joined by Tobiah the Ammonite, criticized the Jews. Imagine standing next to Nehemiah and hearing his prayer about the enemy. He addressed God’s anger. When the enemy opposes God’s work, talk through chapter 4 with God.

4:9: When the work progressed, the animosity intensified. The Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites conspired together to attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nehemiah’s solution was to get the workers together for prayer, and then set a continual watch against the enemy. When there is the need for unity against opposition, talk through chapter 4 with God.

5:19: An unselfish person needs to be rewarded by someone, and Nehemiah knew that. The people around him were oppressed by the economic stress from their Jewish brothers. Nehemiah turned the situation around through his generosity. He knew that “God would defend the right” (Churchill), so he prayed: ‘Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.’ When others are taking advantage of you, talk through chapter 5 with God.

6:9, 14: The enemy feigned concern for Nehemiah, so tried infiltrating the ranks by instilling fear in them. The enemy tried to draw Nehemiah away from the safety of Jerusalem – all the way to Ono in the northwestern corner of Judah. When he recognized the plot, Nehemiah prayed. When there is a conspiracy against you in the Lord’s work, talk through chapter 6 with God.

13:14: Disobedience to God was rampant, with the priests polluting worship, and the Jews neglecting the financial matters of the temple, their day of rest, and their marriages. Nehemiah knew he needed help, so he prayed: ‘…do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of God…’  When you are distracted by disobedience in your service to God, talk through chapter 13 with Him.

13:29: The wall was repaired, and the lives of the people were restored. It was time for Nehemiah to pray for the people. When the lives of others around you are torn apart, talk through chapter 13 with God.

13:30: Duties in service were assigned, and Nehemiah knew only God brought spiritual maturity. So, he prayed: ‘Remember me with favor, O my God!’ When you sense the need for God’s favor, talk through chapter 13 with God.

All these prayers show something about God’s attributes. Do you see any of them?

Sharing:

• Our prayers reflect our relationship with God. We are concerned about how they sound and what words we use. God focuses on the heart! When we read about the prayers of men like Nehemiah, we discover a personal relationship with God where prayer is natural, forthright, and honest.
• Our immediate reaction to our circumstances reveals our relationship to the God in heaven. We should learn to respond with prayer without hesitation in our journey of faith. They may be brief prayers and very specific, but they can address the issues we are facing at the time.
• Prayer is the real work! It is an act of submission to God, when we acknowledge that He is sovereign, in control of all things.

COOPERATION

S.D. Gordon said: “Co-operation increases efficiency in amazing proportions. Two working together in perfect agreement have fivefold the efficiency of the same two working separately… the moment co-operation is sacrificed as an essential, real power is at the disappearing point.” There’s no better demonstration of this than Nehemiah’s narrative.

Opposition

Nehemiah challenged his countrymen to rebuild the shattered walls of Jerusalem. Wherever there is cooperation, there is opposition. Nehemiah was surrounded by the enemy, and his answer to them was, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build…” (Nehemiah 2:20). Worse than the opposition from without was the internal dissention. The people of Judah protested: “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall” (Nehemiah 4:10). Nehemiah 4:14 explains how the matter was settled: And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your house.”

Oppression

There was also internal oppression because of a food crises in the Jerusalem area. In addition, there were heavy taxes under the king so that the people borrowed money. People were prepared to take advantage of the situation by charging high interest rates, which resulted in slavery by men selling their children to settle their debts. Nehemiah dealt with these matters. His prayer in Nehemiah 5:19 shows how he understands that God defends the right: Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

In spite of the opposition, the task was completed in only fifty-two days. By contrast, the task of reviving and reforming the people of God demanded years of Nehemiah’s godly life and leadership.

Sharing:

• Nehemiah first did a quiet, nighttime survey of the conditions before starting the work. A good leader makes a proper evaluation before starting a project.
• How do we recognize when it is a plot against us or when it’s against God? All things are determined by God. Whenever there is a ‘plot’, whether against us, or God, that is the time to pray. The adversity (‘plot’) may very well come our way so that we are reminded to turn to God in prayer. Nehemiah knew it was a plot because of the history of the enemy – he recognized the evil. We should know our enemy enough to know how to identify their intentions. Whether a plot is against us or against God, prayer is where we should start. Prayer gets us in line what God is doing.
• Every so often there is something humorous in the story, and we get a glimpse of that when the enemy mocked the work by suggesting that “if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall” (Nehemiah 4:3).
• Nehemiah had to deal with his own people when building the wall. He was not afraid to confront sin when it was present.
• Nehemiah prayed for protection, and then acted. We should not just sit back and watch.
• Nehemiah required that the people build the wall in front of their own houses. The work is not going to be shabby when you have to depend upon it for your own personal safety.
• It is encouraging to read that Shallum and his daughters made repairs (Nehemiah 3:12). The status and importance of women are elevated to their rightful place in God’s work.
• The rubble was cleared and then used to rebuild the wall. First removing the rubble is essential to good building.

Completion

Ezra was in Jerusalem as the preacher, and, along with an unknown number of returning exiles, Nehemiah came on the scene as the civil engineer. The first requirement was to protect the families in the community, so four times in Nehemiah 3 it says in almost the same way: ‘…made repairs in front of his house.’ The real work for God begins at home.

The completion of the wall of Jerusalem marked a great victory and a great achievement, but it was no moment for relaxation on the part of the builders. In fact, this was a moment of extreme danger. Mountaintop experiences warn of the valley! When it came time to delegate responsibility, Nehemiah did not look for someone to volunteer for the task; he instead gave charge to a man who had already proved himself competent: I gave charge to… Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many (Nehemiah 7:2). Once Nehemiah completed the gates of the city, he organized the inhabitants into watchers for the safety of the city. Each one was required to guard “in front of his own house” (Nehemiah 7:3).

Renewal

The people gathered together in Jerusalem for the Feast of Trumpets (Nehemiah 8:2: on the first day of the seventh month – see Leviticus 23:34), where Ezra read and expounded the Book of the Law of God. The people’s response: all the people wept. Ezra’s response: “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep” (Nehemiah 8:9). Obedience followed: true Jews separated themselves from all foreigners; they confessed their sins and those of their fathers; they stood and read from the Book of the Law for three hours; and for another three hours they confessed and worshiped God (Nehemiah 9:1-3). Read the prayer of the Levites in Nehemiah 9:5-38 and appreciate the references to God’s attributes.

After an absence of twelve years, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to bring about reform over the same matters Ezra faced: corruption among the priests; neglect of the temple; breaking the Sabbath; and intermarriage with foreign wives. Nehemiah cleansed them of everything pagan (Nehemiah 13:30). Like the book of Ezra, Nehemiah does not end on a high note, but on the note of the need for continual reform.

Sharing:

• After the good experience of having the wall built, the people became less challenged and less aware of sin. After good times, it is easy to become complacent and fall into sin.
• Nehemiah was aggressive in his leadership, while Ezra was passive. Both types of leaders are needed.
• Ezra and Nehemiah cooperated and had a greater impact because they had different target groups. Ezra dealt with those who were ready to deal with the issues. Nehemiah prodded those who resisted change.
• The ongoing story shows of lives of restoration and repentance. Repentance is an action, but we can be really good actors. Sending the foreign women away shows the real cost in their actions. This is what it takes for true repentance. We need to be aware of our potential to move our worship to something or someone else.
• The women and children were sent away as an act of mercy that provided the women with those who could take care of them later in life.
• How do we respond to sin our each other’s lives? Do we pray and then do nothing about it? God doesn’t work in magical ways, but through His people.
• The prayer of Nehemiah 9:5-37 shows an amazing depth of the understanding of God.
• Nehemiah 9:18-19 seems to indicate that God simply passed over Israel’s sin of worshiping the golden calf. We need to recognize the timing of Israel’s journey of faith. They had lived in idolatry during their bondage in Egypt, and were not yet trained in their faith in the God of Israel. When we see sin in others, we need to be mindful of God’s dealing with people where they are in their journey, rather than judge them hastily. We need to come alongside new believers and get to know where they are in their relationship with God. God is merciful in His relationship with us as we grow in Him.
• Nehemiah ends with the reminder that God needs to remember us!

Prepare for our next session by reading through Esther, the Jewish queen for thirteen years under King Xerxes I of Persia. Her position gave the Jews status at the king’s court and made it possible for Nehemiah to rebuild the Jerusalem walls.