June 28 - July 2, 2010

Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew 4:12-13

I love the journey we are on. I especially enjoy coming back to the Galilee; both in the pages of the The Book, as well as on my journeys back to Israel. The Galilee is divided into two major regions, the Upper Galilee and the Lower Galilee. The lower region is nestled around the largest freshwater lake in Israel, the Sea of Galilee. I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word “sea,” but I would imagine it is something a bit more substantial than the Sea of Galilee. This freshwater lake is about 13 miles (21 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. The total circumference of the sea is only about 33 miles (53 km). Its rugged terrain mixed with its accessibility to water cause the area to have a rare beauty in this desert land. Date trees, flowering plants and bushes, and mountain slopes with irrigated crops weave a beautiful tapestry on which the life of Christ was displayed for all to see.

This week we meet many of the main characters that will play a part in the rest of our journey. Some we will walk with till the end, others we will meet briefly, but their influence will be felt for the remainder of our time in the pages of The Book. The first person we have the honor of journeying with is John the Baptist. We met him briefly last week, but he was just a baby then. Now we see the fulfillment of God’s word in this God-fearing man. John was not just some obscure preacher tucked away in some remote place that only a few knew about. The people recognized him as a great rabbi of the day. His preaching of “repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins” had caused a great stir among the Jewish people. So great was his influence that the religious leaders began to wonder if he was the Messiah they had been waiting for. On numerous occasions, John has to reiterate that he is not the One. What an amazing role model John is for us today. Here is a man who understood his call in life and walked it out with integrity. Although he had gained the respect of the people, he never let it go to his head. He never grasped at the limelight and demanded to be the center of attention.

Rabbis were teachers of the Law. Unless one was a rabbi with authority, they would teach whatever their rabbi had taught them. When rabbis would come into an area, they usually taught in the synagogues, but if there were large gatherings, they would also teach in open areas. And if there was one thing we know for sure, John had the ability to draw a crowd! The people did not recognize John as just another rabbi; they saw him as a teacher of the Law who had authority. We will see this clearly when the Pharisees & Sadducees come and question Jesus where He got His authority from. Jesus posed a question that they dared not answer – “Where did John get his authority from?” Jesus knew that John’s authority came from the same Holy Spirit that endowed Him with authority. A rabbi with authority could interpret Scripture for himself. He was not bound to teach what the rabbi that taught him said. John’s message was different that the rabbis of his day. He had one focus; to declare the coming Kingdom of God and awaken people to its King in their midst.

A true rabbi was not a lone ranger; he was a teacher with a devout following. This following was not merely the people who came to see their favorite preacher when he would come to town; it would be made up of men who left everything to follow him. A true disciple had one goal in life – to be an exact copy of the one he followed. Those who were devouted to this extent would have been personally called by the rabbi to do so and would be known as his disciples. From the very beginning of our journey through the Galilee, we are introduced to several of John’s most committed disciples. Andrew was walking with his rabbi when he was told, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!” Andrew wasted no time in heeding the message and obeying his rabbi. Immediately Andrew got in step behind Jesus. When Jesus stopped and turned to ask Andrew what he wanted, Andrew’s first word said it all, “Rabbi.” What was Andrew saying to Jesus? He was saying, “I want to be your disciple and become just like You!”

Andrew was the first of six of John’s disciples that are mentioned by name and who became, not only a disciple of Jesus’, but later became one of the twelve apostles. As you continue your journey, be sure to identify the other five. I think you may see these men in a whole new light. Although they were passed over by the religious system of the day, they were not ignorant men. They would have been well versed in the Scriptures and would have had extensive Torah studies, not only as children but also as John’s disciples. Keep in mind that John was not just another Jew; he was a Kohanim, a direct descendant of Aaron! His father was serving in the Temple when the angel Gabriel told him he was going to have a son and he was to name him John. Zechariah, John’s father, would have had much of the Old Testament memorized. For sure, he could have quoted the first five books of Moses by heart!!! And as a priestly descendant, and with the call on his son’s life, you can be sure he passed this down to his son. Learning and quoting Torah would have been a part of John’s life from the time he would have been old enough to parrot his father. John disciples may have been untrained in the legal oral traditions of Jewish hierarchy, but they knew the Law!

As we travel with Jesus this week, we are introduced to life in the synagogue. The word “synagogue” means “assembly.” The formalization of synagogues grew while the Israelites were in Babylonian captivity. Realizing that their plight was because of their disobedience to the Law of Moses, they determined to pay stricter heed to the Torah, the books of Moses which are the first five books of the Old Testament, the Prophets, and also to the Mishnah, the written record of oral laws that were passed down. Synagogues were not a substitution for the Temple and sacrifices were not brought there, and the Jews were still obligated to travel to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals. So what were synagogues created for? They were the gathering places for community events, the courtrooms for communal judgments, the places of study of Scripture, and houses of prayer. As a result, most Jewish communities endeavored to build a synagogue, no matter how minimal it might be. The Mishnah gives us insight into the schooling of a Jewish boy in the time of Christ.

At five years old [one is fit] for the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others)

Ray Vander Laan, a powerful teacher with great understanding of Jewish culture in the time of Christ, has beautifully documented the educational plan of a Jewish boy. You may want to take a moment to stop by his place at http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1636. I think you will find it well worth your time.

The setup of a synagogue was very different than our churches of today. Elevated benches for the leaders of the community flanked the room and were also along the front wall.

The rest of the community sat on the floor in the middle of them.

In the front of the meeting hall would be a table for the Torah Scrolls called the bema.

The seat of Moses would be off to the side.

Services on the Sabbath would include someone standing at the bema and reading the daily text. If he were a teacher, he would then sit down on the Seat of Moses, a special seat reserved for rabbis, and explain the meaning of the passage. Much of our time with Jesus this week is spent in the synagogues that sprinkled the Galilee. Perhaps, if we are good disciples and are willing to learn, we will find our understanding of what is taking place to be increased, as our understanding of the times and culture is increased. May we understand with greater clarity what it means to “follow the Rabbi!”

JUne 21-25, 2010

Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Matthew 3:5-6

This week we shift gears in our Journey Through the Word. Our time with Joel ends with great promise; God will set up His rule and reign in Zion and make His home in Jerusalem. It is obvious that Satan believes God’s intent and, to this day, fights to control Jerusalem. Whether you are of the opinion that Jerusalem means “possession of peace,” “foundation of peace,” “city of peace,” or “inhabitant of peace,” it is for certain that only the Prince of Peace will bring peace to its existence. When Messiah sets His throne within her walls, God promises she will never be conquered again.

The promise of mountains dripping sweet wine, hills flowing with milk, and the brooks of Judah flowing with water is a vivid contrast to Joel’s earlier description of a dried up, withered wasteland. Not only is this outpouring on the land; it is poured out on the inhabitants.

And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and you sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions, and even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29

I don’t think it is any coincidence that our introduction of the One who was to come begins with a man who baptizes in the waters of the Jordan. What an amazing reminder that God would cause the land to flow with fresh water. And what a message that this flow begins in the waters of repentance.

As we begin our journey through the New Testament, the first thing we are confronted with is two very different genealogies. At first glance, it would appear that they are both related to Joseph, one going back to Abraham, the other taking us clear back to Adam. But a quick comparison shows these family trees to be quite different. Why is there such discrepancy? The answer is quite simple; one gives us the ancestral line of Joseph, while the other gives us the lineage of Mary. But which one is which?

Matthew’s account gives us some information that identifies his genealogy as the line of Joseph. His ancestry shows the line of David going through Solomon. It clearly says that it went through Jeconiah at the time of the deportation. Not long ago, we learned something very important about the descendants of Jeconiah and their right to the throne of David. Let me jog you memory.

Thus says the Lord, “Write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.” Jeremiah 22:30

What a sad commentary! Jeconiah’s line was cut off from any right to David’s throne. As a result, Matthew’s genealogy cannot be the line of Mary, for if it was, Jesus would have been disqualified from being Messiah, the One who will set up His kingdom and rule on David’s throne forever. On the heels of this information, Matthew quickly revealed Jesus’ true Father; that He was born of a virgin by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.

According to Jewish law, genealogy had to be traced through the line of man. But what if you were wanted to show someone’s lineage through the line of a woman? The answer is that you would have to use the husband’s name. That brings us to another question: How would we know it was the woman’s line and not the man’s if we are using his name? To understand this, we need a quick Hebrew and Greek grammar lesson. In English we would never put the definite article “the” before a proper name. But this is often the case in both Greek and Hebrew. If we were Greek scholars and could read Luke’s genealogy in the Greek text, we would discover that there is the definite article in front of every name with only one exception – the name Joseph! And what would we know? We would know that the name is not actually being used for “the Joseph,” but for his wife Mary. This would be the same if it were written in Hebrew. Obviously, the Jews understood this grammatical code because the Talmud speaks about Mary as the daughter of Heli.

But one may argue that it clearly says in Luke 3:23:

And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli. (Note - Also spelled Heli)

This same verse could be correctly translated in a different way:

And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being (supposedly the son of Joseph) the son of Eli.

As we look at Mary’s lineage, we discover that her line also traces back to David. But this time it does not run through Jeconiah. Her genealogy clearly shows that her Son was truly in the kingly line and had right to the throne. But where did her line divert from that of Josephs? I would encourage you to compare the genealogies and see if you can find the “fork in the road.” Once you do, you might also find it interesting to search out who was the mother of this son of David. What significance is there in this piece of information?

Our journey continues through the pages of Jesus’ young life. We find that His birth quickly touched every class of life. Consider the list with me.

A businessman – the innkeeper

Shepherds – who watched over the sacrificial lambs in the hills of Judea

Magi – royal ambassadors

A King – a worldly leader

Religious teachers – Herod called the chief priests and scribes to obtain information regarding Messiah’s birth

An elderly prophet and a prophetess – who were faithful and looking for the Messiah

I find it interest that the chief priests and scribes had no desire to go with the magi to find the Messiah. They knew where Scripture said He would be born. They certainly knew these magi had been told something. Herod believed it was important enough to get the facts and asked them to return with the information. But the religious leaders were content with what they had, even though God had told them there was more to come. There was no desire to seek a face-to-face encounter with the Messiah. Perhaps they knew He would object to their ways and preferred to keep Him at a distance. They had their form of godliness, what did they need with a true relationship with the Christ?

Anna, the eighty-four year old prophetess is usually given a quick glance, but there’s more to this old woman than meets the casual eye. She actually fulfills a prophecy given by Jacob eons earlier. On our introduction to Anna, we are told that she is from the tribe of Asher. You may recall that before Jacob died, he called his sons together to bless them and tell them what would “befall them in the last days.” To Asher he said:

As for Asher, his food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties. Genesis 49:20

Unlike Simeon who prophesied both the blessing and the cursing Jesus would bring, Anna’s words were only words of thanksgiving and praise. And unlike Simeon who knew his life was over now that he had seen the Messiah, Anna’s declaration of the Messiah King was spoken to all who were looking for His appearing. Her food was rich and she served royal dainties to all who came to the King’s table!

We are covering familiar territory, but I encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open. Sometimes we miss the beauty of the small flowers because the larger ones are more prominent and more easily seen. Let’s see if we can enjoy the finer details in the pages of our journey!

Third Quarter Reading Schedule - 2010

We have emailed the third quarter reading schedule to all those who have registered with us. If you did not receive it and would like the chart version instead of this text version, please let us know. The chart is a bit easier to follow, but at least you have this for now.

JULY 2010

Date Pages Read to, but not including

Thu 1 1322-1324 Jesus Calls Levi

Fri 2 1324-1329 A Discussion about the Sabbath

Mon 5 No Reading

Tue 6 1329-1332 The Sermon on the Mount

Wed 7 1332-1334 Teaching about Love for Enemies

Thu 8 1334-1338 The Tree and its Fruit

Fri 9 1338-1340 Jesus and John the Baptist

Mon 12 1340-1343 Women Who followed Jesus

Tue 13 1343-1345 Read to end of page

Wed 14 1346-1348 Read to end of page

Thu 15 1349-1351 Jesus Heals Two Demon Possessed Men

Fri 16 1351-1354 Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

Mon 19 1354-1358 The Death of John the Baptist

Tue 20 1358-1361 Jesus Walks on Water

Wed 21 1361-1363 Read to end of page

Thu 22 1364-1366 Read to end of page

Fri 23 1367-1369 Read to end of page

Mon 26 1370-1372 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by and Evil Spirit

Tue 27 1372-1375 Using the Name of Jesus

Wed 28 1375-1376 Read to end of page

Thu 29 1377-1379 A Woman Caught in Adultery

Fri 30 1379-1382 Jesus Sends Out His Disciples

AUGUST 2010

Date Pages Read up to, but not including

Mon 2 1382-1384 Jesus and the Prince of Demons

Tue 3 1384-1387 Read to end of page

Wed 4 1388-1389 Read to end of page

Thu 5 1390-1393 The Narrow Door

Fri 6 1393-1394 The Cost of Being a Disciple

Aug continued

Mon 9 1394-1397 The Rich Man and Lazarus

Tue 10 1397-1399 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Wed 11 1399-1401 Story of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

Thu 12 1401-1403 The Rich Young Man

Fri 13 1403-1405 Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Mon 16 1405-1409 Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Tue 17 1409-1412 Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Wed 18 1412-1415 The Withered Fig Tree

Thu 19 1415-1418 Story of the Great Feast

Fri 20 1418-1421 The Most Important Commandment

Mon 23 1421-1422 Jesus Warns the Religious Leaders

Tue 24 1422-1424 Jesus Foretells the Future

Wed 25 1424-1428 The Time of Jesus’ Return

Thu 26 1428-1431 The Plot to Kill Jesus

Fri 27 1431-1433 Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

Mon 30 1433-1435 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Tue 31 1435-1437 Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

SEPTEMBER 2010

Date Pages Read up, but not including

Wed 1 1437-1439 Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy

Thu 2 1439-1441 Read to end of page

Fri 3 1443-1444 Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested

Mon 6 No Reading

Tue 7 1444-1446 Jesus before the Council

Wed 8 1446-1449 Jesus before the Council

Thu 9 1449-1451 Jesus Sentenced to Death

Fri 10 1451-1453 Read to end of page

Mon 13 1454-1456 The Death of Jesus

Tue 14 1456-1457 The Burial of Jesus

Wed 15 1457-1458 The Resurrection

Thu 16 1458-1461 The Walk to Emmaus

Fri 17 1461-1465 The Ascension

Mon 20 1465-1467 Peter Preaches to a Crowd

Tue 21 1467-1469 Peter Heals a Cripple Beggar

Wed 22 1469-1471 The Believers Share Their Possessions

Thu 23 1471-1473 Seven Men Chosen to Serve

Fri 24 1473-1477 Persecution Scatters the Believers

Mon 27 1477-1479 Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Tue 28 1479-1481 Read to end of page

Wed 29 1482-1484 Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison

Thu 30 1484-1487 Paul Turn to the Gentiles

Thu 1

	1322-1324	Jesus Calls Levi
Fri 2	1324-1329	A Discussion about the Sabbath
Mon 5		No Reading
Tue 6	1329-1332	The Sermon on the Mount
Wed 7	1332-1334	Teaching about Love for Enemies
Thu 8	1334-1338	The Tree and its Fruit
Fri 9	1338-1340	Jesus and John the Baptist
Mon 12	1340-1343	Women Who followed Jesus
Tue 13	1343-1345	Read to end of page
Wed 14	1346-1348	Read to end of page
Thu 15	1349-1351	Jesus Heals Two Demon Possessed Men
Fri 16	1351-1354	Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute
Mon 19	1354-1358	The Death of John the Baptist
Tue 20	1358-1361	Jesus Walks on Water
Wed 21	1361-1363	Read to end of page
Thu 22	1364-1366	Read to end of page
Fri 23	1367-1369	Read to end of page
Mon 26	1370-1372	Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by and Evil Spirit
Tue 27	1372-1375	Using the Name of Jesus
Wed 28	1375-1376	Read to end of page
Thu 29	1377-1379	A Woman Caught in Adultery
Fri 30	1379-1382	Jesus Sends Out His Disciples

June 14-18, 2010

For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 2:7

This week we begin our final footsteps with the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. I don’t think it is any coincidence that there is one minor prophet for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We have heard God plead with His people to turn from their sins before He brought punishment and exiled them to Babylon. We have watched as a group of exiles returned to their homeland to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. We have shaken our heads at the stubbornness of those who, in spite of all they had been through, began to act like their forefathers, somehow forgetting that they had been humiliated and exiled for these same actions. Talk about slow learners!!! - aren’t we?!?! Before moving on to the conclusion of the Old Covenant, Nehemiah goes over the events of the returned exiles. Their positions - priests, Levites, gatekeepers, etc.- are put down on record, never to be forgotten.

Continually Nehemiah calls on God to remember! He calls him to remember the good that he had done, the bad that those who opposed God’s work had done, and to remember the words God had spoken to His people. Nehemiah was aware that someday God will open books of remembrance, and he made sure the good, the bad, and the ugly were written down as a reminder. Nehemiah was confident that he had done all he could do to live his life to honor God’s name, and without fear, he asks God to remember his deeds. What a faith walk! You can be sure that Nehemiah was not a perfect man, but he knew he had lived his life before God as righteously as possible.

Later in the week, we hear from Malachi, whose name means “ My messenger,” or “My angel.” Make sure you tuck that information away for a later time. We will be considering it again in a few months. One would hope that when the exiles returned from captivity they would remember all that God had said and done to them as a nation, and to some degree they did. Unlike the time before their captivity in Babylon, God’s words are not in regard to their idolatry. God’s displeasure results from more subtle sins. As we consider God’s words to that generation, we can easily hear the warning for our generation. God’s rebuke, as usual, begins with the priests. They had adopted the policy “Anything goes!” They presented to God whatever the people brought, even if they knew that the animals they received were unfit to present as an offering. When confronted with their sin, they were unable to admit their guilt. God’s promised curse to rebuke the seed the people planted would have a direct affect on the priests since they received their food from the offerings brought by the people. With little or no crops, the priests would be the first to feel the pressure.

God also held the priests and Levites accountable for not preserving the knowledge of God, by failing to give the people proper instruction. The Levites had been called to be the teachers of God’s Law. They were to be scattered among the people to assure that there was proper teaching and understanding of God’s commands. But unfortunately they taught their own ways as truth and caused the people to stumble. This is an interesting thought when you consider the teachings of the rabbis after their captivity in Babylon. In an effort to never break the Law of God again, the teachers of the Law put fences of protection to keep them safe. For example, one of the laws said that a kid should not be boiled in his mother’s milk. To be sure that never happened, they forbid the people to consume any kind of milk or milk product in the same meal with meat. To this day, you quickly learn not to order a cheeseburger in Israel!!! They substituted the spirit of the Law with the letter of the Law, only to find they had created their own man-made laws. Instead of keeping the people on the straight and narrow, it caused them to leave God’s paths and walk on rocky roads that caused them to stumble.

Not only had the priests and Levites failed to live God’s ways, so had the people. Intermarriage continued to be a problem. Adultery, divorce, and compromise were acceptable practices. They justified their actions by saying that everyone is good in God’s sight. Human nature never changes! Today the most sordid sinners are eulogized as worthy of entering into God’s presence when they die. They are praised as if heaven is richer because they have been welcomed in. Belief that all men are good and accepted in God’s sight is a popular teaching today. What’s God’s response to their arrogance? JUDGMENT IS COMING!!!

God called the people to return to Him. What was their reply? “Why should we return? We’ve never left!” God’s proof of their unfaithfulness still causes a stir of obstinacy in people today. What proved the stubbornness of their hearts? They neglected to bring the tithe! God’s words are quite clear, “You have robbed Me!” Ten percent of all that God blessed them with was to be given back to Him as an offering. It was and is His portion and it belonged to Him. They were welcome to do as they pleased with the other 90%, but the tithe was to keep God’s priests and His service going. The priests and Levites lived off what was brought since they had no inheritance in the land. God had promised that He would be their inheritance. They would live off the offerings that were presented to Him. God had just chastised the priests for their failure to live godly and teach His Word properly, and yet He reprimands the people for their failure to bring them the tithe. One might ask, “Why should they bring the tithe to these wayward priests?” The answer is quite simple – the tithe is not ours, it belongs to God. Whether it is being used rightly or wrongly, it is still not ours to keep! It is God’s provision for His ministers and His ministry. One day, those of us who have served as ministers will have to give an account for what we did with the monies we received. We will be judged by our honesty and faithfulness! But God makes it clear that each of us will stand before Him to answer for what we did with the tithe that belonged to Him. As individuals, our responsibility is to present it as an offering to God. In spite of what His ministers do, God’s promise is that He will bless those who honor Him!!!

On Friday we meet Joel, the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. It is generally believed that Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament, but there are those who would argue that it was Joel. Unlike the others we have walked with in our journey, it is impossible to narrow down the years of Joel’s prophetic ministry. There are several reasons why it would fit just about any time period of Israel’s history. Obviously that is the way God intended it! The bottom line is that when God’s judgment comes, it strips the land bare. Conversely, God is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love. Heartfelt repentance moves His heart to bless His people. The call to change is issued to EVERYONE – elders, children, bridegrooms, brides, and priests. All are called on to examine their lives and turn to God while there is still time. As we have already seen, Joel’s words cannot be narrowed down to a specific generation. His message is as relevant today as it was in the generation he lived. And so is God’s promise to pour out His Spirit on all who believe!

June 7-11, 2010

“The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

Nehemiah 1:4 NASB

This week we begin our journey with Ezra as he heads to Jerusalem. Because of Ezra’s lineage as a direct descendant of Aaron, and because God moved on Artexerxes to show him favor, Ezra has been commissioned by the king to return many of the Temple artifacts that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar and rebuild the wall. Ezra has enough sense to recognize that the king’s favor was God’s doing and not his own and he gives God the glory!

Although the Temple is complete, Ezra finds that the walls of the city are broken down. I’m not just referring to the stones and gates surrounding the city, but the living stones who made up the city. The first thing Ezra is confronted with when he reaches Jerusalem is the situation of intermarriage with the people of the land. It is amazing how quickly people forget how they wound up in such dire straits. It’s like the man who is in financial debt and acquires a large sum of money. He pays off his creditors, doesn’t change his lifestyle, and ends up back in the same situation he was before. What had he learned from his experience? Absolutely nothing!!! His stubborn heart didn’t seek council to gain wisdom and there was no change in his ways. There is a great adage that sums up this kind of action. “It is insanity to keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results!”

Unfortunately, many people under the New Covenant don’t understand the reasons for the ban of intermarriage under the Old Covenant and treat interracial marriage as sin. If marriage to a foreigner was a terrible sin, even under the Old Covenant, Moses, Boaz, David, and many others were guilty. It was not their race that was the problem; it was the gods they served. It is obvious from the narrative of the account of Moses that his father-in-law Jethro and his wife Zipporah recognized YHWH as the one true God. Boaz took Ruth, a Moabite, as a wife because of her faithfulness to God and His people. Abigail’s words regarding the power of the God of Israel and her understanding of His authority obviously won the heart of David. Nothing derogatory is ever said of these marriages because God was at the center of them. God did give a pretty sad review of Solomon’s marriages, because Solomon married foreign woman who never turned to God, and he allowed them to continue their pagan practices.

If you ever want to see broken down walls today, just look at homes that struggle with marriages where one is a believer and the other wants to live by the world’s standards. Although God’s presence may fill the “temple” of the believer and they may be wholeheartedly dedicated to Him, the effect of the other often wreaks havoc in the lives of the children! That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2Cor. 6:14

There is a powerful message to parents in this scenario of Ezra. The influence of a strong, godly marriage is like the walls of a city! They are the best protection you can give your kids today!

As we continue our week, Ezra lists the names of those who have incurred guilt. Every walk of life has been affected, from priests to commoners. It’s a sad claim to fame when the only way your name is forever memorialized in the Bible is on a guilty list!

The next portion of our journey is taken with Nehemiah, the cupbearer of the king. His name meant “comfort of YHWH.” To be in his position he would have had to be a man of great character, good looks, and tremendous courage. A cupbearer’s life was on the line every day. Because of the continuous plots to overthrow ruling powers, kings constantly looked for people they could trust. A cupbearer’s duty was to serve the wine at the king’s table. He would only give the cup to the king after he personally drank from it. That way, if someone was trying to poison the king, the plot would be exposed by the death of the cupbearer. This high-risk position, like all risky jobs, came with great benefits. The pay was great and the direct access to the king even greater. Because the king fully trusted his cupbearer, he would often confide in him. It is apparent that the king not only trustedNehemiah, but he had become endeared to him. Nehemiah’s concern for the condition of Jerusalem and her walls was quickly met with positive actions by the king.

Nehemiah barely reached the city of Jerusalem before Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem confronted him. Who are these three troublemakers? They are the leaders of Samaria. You may recall that when the Assyrians captured the northern kingdom of Israel, that the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-vaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, but God sent lions in their midst. To try and stop the attacks, the Assyrian king sent one of the exiled priests to teach the people to fear the God of the land and keep His customs. Unfortunately, the result was that the Law became tainted by the customs of the pagan people and a new form of Judaism took shape. The Jews who had remained in the land intermarried with the incoming displaced Assyrians and the breed of Samaritans took shape. The Samaritans did not see themselves as taking their name from the region of Samaria, but from the Hebrew word meaning “keepers.” They claimed that the religion that the Jews brought back with them from Babylonia was altered and that they were the true “keepers of the Law.”

To this day, the Samaritans have their own version of the Torah. Although there were vast numbers of them until the end of the Roman Empire, they began to dwindle drastically. As of November 1, 2007 there were 712 Samaritans living in Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nabulus (Shechem) which is in the West Bank and also in Holon, an Israeli city. They continue to believe that they are the true descendants of Abraham, and that they have the true understanding of the Law that God gave through Moses. They only accept the first five books of the Law, which is called the Samaritan Torah. This gives us more insight into Nehemiah’s remarks when he tells them in no uncertain terms

“The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem!” Nehemiah 2:20

Once we gain understanding of the development of the Samaritans, we can see why the problem of intermarriage brought such grief to Ezra. The Samaritan religion was the result of a mixture of the worship of Assyrian gods, the sin of Jeroboam, and the Law of Moses. Nehemiah has no tolerance for it and is certainly not intimidated by it! He also understands that the only antidote for such mixture is to teach the people what the Word actually says. And so a platform at the Water Gate is set up for the reading of the Word. When people are hungry enough to stand for hours to hear God speak to them, you can be sure it will bring lasting change. My goal is to get people willing to sit down and read it for 10 to 15 minutes a day. Thank God for the few who do. May the truth of God’s Word guard us from mixture and keep us pure!!!

June 1-4, 2010

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Esther 2:16

This week we have the opportunity to spend time with a very special woman. Esther’s story is one of the most favored among the Jews. Although God is not mentioned once in the book, it is obvious He is in control of the events.

Often when we hear Esther’s story, we fail to understand where it fits in the timetable of events. This is when a timeline really helps to bring perspective. Although there are different authorities that come up with different years, I believe the following time-line is pretty accurate.

605 BC – This would have been about the time that Daniel was taken into captivity

598/597 BC – Jehoiachin was deported to Babylon

587/586 BC – The destruction of the Temple

562-560 BC – Evil Merodach releases Jehoiachin

559-530 BC – Cyrus II (The Great) permits the Jews to return to Jerusalem and Judah

522-486 BC – Darius allows the Temple to be rebuilt

515 BC – The Temple is dedicated

486 – 465 BC – Xerxes reigned – This is believed to be the king Esther was married to.

It has been over seventy years since Evil Merodach released Jehoiachin and the Jews began to return to their homeland. The Temple in Jerusalem has been completed for thirty years, but the wheel of progress for the Jews has been rather slow. Although the people of Judah were taken captive and were exiles in Babylon, they had become comfortable in their captivity. More had chosen to remain in the land of bondage, than to endure the difficulties of rebuilding in their God-given territory. They had become comfortable with the Babylonian way of life and their limited success in the land. The Jews adaptation to Babylonian culture is quite evident in the book of Esther. Take note of the names of the month mentioned throughout the book. Before the Babylonian captivity, months were referred to by numbers – example: the fourteenth day of the first month. By Esther’s time, the months of the year had taken on the names of the Babylonian calendar. This information is an important clue to major events during the Passion of Christ - but let’s not get ahead of ourselves! It wasn’t that the Jews had quit being Jewish, but they had assimilated to Babylonian life and were not about to give it up. I hope you see the parallel to many Christians today!

Since we have a tendency to skim over dates given in Biblical accounts, perhaps we have missed the time span of Esther’s story. Let me give you a general time-line and ask you a few questions.

519 BC – Birth of Xerxes. Xerxes was assassinated in 465. He lived 54 years.

486 – 465 BC – Xerxes reigned – This meant that Xerxes reigned approximately 21 years. The following events are given in relationship to the beginning of his reign.

3^rd year – Xerxes held his banquet for princes, attendants, army officers, nobles and governors of provinces. This party lasted 180 days – that’s about six months!!!

7^th year, 10^th month (Tebeth) – After a year of preparation, Esther has her night with the king. This event would have taken place a few months after Xerxes returned in disgrace from his war with the Greeks. Xerxes would have ordered the roundup of virgins from the empire in a time when he was relatively successful in battle. But by the time he came home, he was struggling with the agony of defeat. Perhaps he used this pursuit for a queen to squelch his great disappointment.

12^th year, from the 1^st month to the 12^th month – Haman casts lots to ascertain when he should punish the all Jews.

13^th year, 13^th day of the 1^st month – Scribes are summoned to take Haman’s dictation and prepare the letters which were to be taken throughout the empire decreeing the annihilation of the Jews.

14^th year, 13^th day, 12^th month – This was the day that had been decreed for the destruction of the Jews. Instead, it became the day of the Jews great victory over their enemies.

Now that you have all this information, you can see that Esther’s story was not a short tale. Let me just add another small tidbit and then let’s see if we can learn a bit more about this extraordinary woman. A young virgin of rare beauty would have been snatched up pretty quickly in that time period. We can pretty much surmise that Esther would have been around 15 to 16 years of age at the most. Using this as a guideline, let’s see if we can’t become more acquainted with this daughter of destiny.

Questions:

1. How old was Xerxes when he began to reign?
2. How old was Xerxes when he took Esther as his queen?
3. How many years after Esther became queen did Haman cast lots and plan his annihilation of the Jews?
4. About how old would she have been?
5. How many years had Esther been queen when the Jews had victory over their enemies?
6. About how old was she?
7. How old was Esther when Xerxes was assassinated?

Hopefully, you will do the math and become a bit more aware of who Esther really was. But the story isn’t really complete until we understand the root of Haman’s irrational hatred. It was Mordecai who had slighted him, but it says

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. Esther 3:6

This was definitely more than a personal vendetta with one man; Haman was angry at a whole race! But why? We find our first clue in Esther 3:1

Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire.

Haman was an Agagite! Our second clue is found in Esther 2:5

Now there was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

These two pieces of information tell us all we need to know! Some feuds never go away. To understand the heart of Haman’s hatred for the Jews and Mordecai’s disdain for Haman, we have to go back hundreds of years in time, clear back to Saul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin and the first king of Israel (Whose father was also named Kish!). The account can be found in I Samuel 15. Through the prophet Samuel, God had told Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites. Because of the overwhelming sinfulness of these people he was ordered to kill every man, woman, child and animal that belonged to them. Instead of following orders, Saul kept Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive. Samuel confronts Saul and in the end Samuel hews down Agag. Haman was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. Because Saul failed to fulfill God’s command, the line of Agag survived. Not only was it a Jew who would not bow down – it was a Benjamite!!! When Haman found out Mordecai’s genealogical roots, he was determined to do to the Jews what God had intended Saul to do to the Amalekites. This is not so shocking when you consider that the tension in the mid-east today goes clear back to Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Some wars will never die until the Prince of Peace brings the victory!

Although in previous journeys through the Word you may have already met Esther, Mordecai, Haman and the rest of the characters in this narrative, I hope you will slow your pace and take time to look into their eyes. You may find yourself closer to them this time than on your last trip and experience greater change in your life as a result.