Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel

PURPOSE: Announce God’s judgement on the nation of Israel and other nations; and to tell of eventual salvation for God’s people.

AUTHOR: Ezekiel

WRITTEN TO: Jews in captivity in Babylon and God’s people everywhere.

KEY PEOPLE: Ezekiel, Israel’s leaders, Ezekiel’s wife and Nebuchadnezar.

KEY PLACES: Jerusalem, Babylon and Egypt.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEME

GOD’S HOLINESS: Ezekiel had a vision that revealed God’s absolute moral perfection. God is morally, spiritually superior to Israel’s corrupt and compromising society. Ezekiel wrote to let the people know that God was also present in Babylon, not just in Jerusalem.

SIN– Israel had sinned and God’s punishment came. The fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile was used by God to correct the rebels and draw them back from their sinful way of life. Ezekiel warned them that not only the nation was responsible for sin, but each individual was also accountable to God.

RESTORATION: Ezekiel consoled the people by telling them that a day will come, when God will restore those who turn from sin. God will be their king and shepherd. He will give his people a new heart to worship him and he will establish a new government in a new temple.

LEADERS: Ezekiel condemned the shepherd, who the unfaithful priest and leaders who led the people astray. By contrast, he served as a caring shepherd and a watchman warning people of their sin. One day, God’s perfect shepherd the Messiah, will lead his people.

WORSHIP: An angel gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple in great detail. God told him that his presence had depart from Israel and the temple because of their sin. The building of a future temple portrays the return of God’s presence. God will cleanse his people and restore true worship.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

The accepted moral and theological underpinning of life to which the people of Ezekiel’s day held was evidently inadequate. Instead of right being victorious over wrong, evil forces were purely in control.

• 609 BC – EGYPTIAN CONQUEST / THE BATTLE OF MEGGIDO

In the spring or early summer of 609 BC, Eygytian Pharoah, Necho II had began his first campaign against Babylon, in aid of the Assyrians. He had moved his forces towards Syria, along the low tracts of Philistia and Sharon and prepared to cross the ridge of hills which shuts in the Jezreel Valley on the south. There he found his passage blocked at Megiddo by the Judean army led by Josiah, who sided with the Babylonians. After a fierce battle Josiah was killed.

After the failed siege of Harran, Necho left a sizable force behind, but returned himself to Egypt. On his return march, he found that the Judeans had selected Jehoahaz to succeed his father Josiah. Necho brought Jehoahaz to Riblah and imprisoned him there. He then deposed Jehoahaz and replaced with his older brother Eliakim as king, changing his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz had ruled for three months. Necho brought Jehoahaz back to Egypt as his prisoner, where Jehoahaz ended his days.

• 605 BC -BABYLONIAN CONQUEST / THE BATTLE OF CARCHEMISH

In 605 BC, the Battle of Carchemish ensued, led by Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar.  In the end, the Egyptian and Assyrian army was defeated and driven back, and the region of Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. Nabopolassar died in August that year, and Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to ascend the throne.

Nebuchadnessar’s victory over Egypt in one of the world’s great battle in 605 BC impossed Babylonian superiroty over Judah. Judah still maintained its national and cultural identity.

To avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, King Jehoiakim of Jerusalem, in his third year, changed allegiances from Egypt to Babylon. He paid tribute from the treasury in Jerusalem, some temple artifacts, and some of the royal family and nobility as hostages

• 597 BC – SIEGE AND DEPORTATION

Egypt was the regional power until Battle of Charchamesh. Later, Babylonia came and ended the Egyptian rule, and established its own rule, and made Judah its vassal. For three years, Judah paid taxes to Babylonia, until King Jehoiakim decided to stop giving taxes to Babylonia and went to war with Babylonia after Nebuchadnezzar’s  unsuccessfully attempted to invade Egypt. The failure had led king Jehoiakim to take a pro-Egyptian position and stopped paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar  dealt with the rebellion.He  besieged Jerusalem in 597 BC, and managed to capture the city and king Jehoiachin along with all of the aristocracy of Jerusalem. He also looted the treasures of the temple, including the golden implements. Then he exiled 10,000 captives, and the craftsmen, and 7,000 soldiers. Then, he appointed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah as king of Judah. Later, Mattaniah changed his name to Zedekiah.

Ezekiel and his wife were among the 10, 000 captives matched on to captivity. In Babylon, their living situation was reversed. As captives and slaves, they became inconsequel. Their captives taunted and shame them because of their allegiance to Yahweh. The gods of Babylonians were clearly no equal to their own God. Confronting persecution, the people of captivity faced the following alternatives;

1. They could agree that the gods of Babylon were superior to Yahweh, the GOD of Israel. That would mean to accept Babylon’s gods and serve them. Some captives so responded. This was a policy of accommodation.
2. They could maintain their political and military reversals for just in a matter of brief time, God would overthrow Babylon. They would then be able to return home to resume their former role. This was just a policy of blind fanatical nationalism.
3. They could submit to inevitability of national and spiritual amalgamation. Their present circumstances were bleak, but the future looked even worse.  This circumstances provide fertile soil for the growth of hopeless despair. Many of the captives, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC,  felt that the future held no hope. As far as they could see, they were no better than death men. This was a policy of fatalism.
4. They could rediscover the uniqueness of Yahweh worship and recapture the concept of divine sovereignty that had been evident in Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This  action  necessitated painful evaluation and rejection of current religious concept that had seem to be so adequate such as short term previously. It involved a new emphasize upon the ancient covenant with Moses with long list of demands for obedience to covenant stipulation.  Such approach provided explanation for the past, strength for the present and hope  for the future. Ezekiel chose this course. It was a spiritual policy of repentance and covenant renewal.

Destined to begin his life as a priest in 830 BC, Ezekiel was uprooted from his homeland and matched off to Babylon at age 25. For five years he languished in despair. At age 30 a majectic vision of Yahweh’s glory captivated Ezekiel’s being in Bablylon. The priest prophet discovered God was not confined to the now structures of Ezekiel’s native land, instead, he is a universal God who commands and controls persons and nations. In Babylon, God imparted to Ezekiel his word for the people. His call experience transformed Ezekiel. He became totally devoted to God’s word. He realized he had nothing personally to assist the captives but he was convinced God’s word spoke to their condition and could give them victory in death.

Ezekiel used various methods to convey God’s word to his people. He used art and drawing of Jerusalem, symbolic action and unusual  conduct  to secure their attention. He cut his hair and beard to demonstrate what God would do to Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

From 593 BC to 571 BC Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly  sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry, he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confide in their distanced future. He taught that God works through humanness. For 93 times, Ezekiel is called son of man. YAHWEH used this title to address a human messenger. Such a usage identified the prophet with his people. Such usage meant God has chosen to do his work through common men who could identified with the people and their grief,their pain and despair.

Even in defeat and despair, God’s people needed to affirm God’s sovereignty and Lordship. The term I AM YAWHEH (chapter 7:27) appears at least 49 times in the book, indicating God’s Soveriengty. Nothing could prohibit the accomplishment of His will. God’s sovereingty is universal. His presence is not limited to Israel. He was present in Bablyon and ruled over nations, using them as tools in his hands to accomplish his will.  Ultimately, he called his people into judgement. His own people were not exempt. Nevertheless, his wrath gave way to love and redemption to those who would accept and receive him.

God’s word never fails. No person or nation can prevent the fulfillment the fulfillment of God’s true word. God’s word may seem bitter at times. As Ezekiel received his word, he found to be sweet and effective. As he studied the scrolls of earlier prophet, he found that God’s word meets desperate needs. Thus he proclaimed it decisely, hoping that God would deliver Israel once again as he had delivered them from Egypt.

God is present and can be worshiped anywhere. Geography has no bearing on God. The people of Israel had so associated God with temple worship and sacrifices and services. They thought moving from Jerusalem temple made worship impossibility. In Babylon, Yahweh had no temple. So did that mean they could no longer worship him effectively? Ezekiel would reply, by no means. He himself fell before the God of Israel in reverential submission in Babylonian plains. Thus, God had become a living sanctuary for them in a foreign land. Worship did not depend upon impressive buildings but upon submissive heart. Worship was, in essence spiritual in nature. Anything less borders on idolatry.  With that concept, the Babylonian captives began the practice that produced synagogue worship, prayers, hymns and scriptures.

People are personally responsible for their actions. Ezekiel’s generation were swift to blame their circumstances on someone else. Ezekiel forcefully declared the doctrine of individual responsibility. Each person is responsible for his or her own response to God.

God’s people must obey God if they expect to receive God’s blessings. In Ezekiel’s day, the people tend to emphasize the blessing of only being a covenant people. They ignored the demands of faith and obedience and stipulation of God’s commandments. The prophet refuted those fallacies of those religious presumption. He called the people back to the blessings of covenant relationships.

God’s kingdom will come. With the collapse of the nations and the demise of the people’s aspiration, Ezekiel sought to focus people’s attention on the future. He described a kingdom established by God with a coming messianic ruler – my servant David (34:23) that will be without end. In him God’s promises are fulfilled. Thus the future belong to the people of faith, who would faithfully serve him.

God’s promised new covenant is superior to the Old Mosaic One. While Jeremiah preached about the new covenant being implemented in the face of mosaic covenant, Ezekiel assured the people of exile that God would one day make a new covenant with his people. There covenant would be associated with the coming Messiah. In him is an inward inclination to serve GOD.

God Provides for the worship needs of His people. In looking to the distant future, Ezekiel saw a time that the worship of God would be centered around a temple. The new temple would be vastly different from the former one. Even thought its size and design would be different, the most radical difference, would the absence of Israel’s sacred symbol – the ark of the covenant. Instead the very glory of YAWHEH would inhabit the temple and his followers would serve him.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

Book of Ezekiel calls us to join in a fresh encounter with the God of Abraham, Moses and the prophets. We must be overcomes or we will be overcomed.

Ezekiel offers us nine challenges;

1. To experience a life changing vision of God’s power, knowledge, eternal presence and holiness.
2. To let God to direct us from the expected path of service to the existing avenues of ministry.
3. To realize the weakness and effectiveness of God’s word to challenge and direct our lives
4. To comprehend the depth of and commitment to evil that lies in each human heart
5. To identify with the humanity of the very ones whose lifestyle we must understand and condemn.
6. To recognize that God hold his servants responsible for warning wicked men of their peril
7. To understand that momentary tragedies are not God’s purpose for our lives
8. To experience a living relationship with Jesus Christ who said that the new covenant is to be found in his blood.
9. To depend upon God daily, being confident that his kingdom will surpass both now and forever.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

605 BC – Daniel Taken captive to Babylon

597 BC – Ezekiel taken captive to Babylon

593 BC- Ezekiel becomes prophet to the exiles

586 BC – Judah Falls and Jerusalem is destroyed.

571 BC – Ezekiel’s ministry ends.

CONCLUDING REMARK

“I AM YAHWEH” means I am LORD – appears 49 times in the book of Ezekiel. This prase indicates God’s Soveriengty.

Introduction to the Book of Lamentation

PURPOSE: To teach people that to disobey God is to live in a disastrous situation. It is also written to show that God suffers when his people suffers.

AUTHOR: Jeremiah

KEY PEOPLE: Jeremiah and the people of Israel.

KEY PLACE: Jerusalem

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM: Lamentation is actually a sad funeral song for the great capital city of the Jews. The temple has been destroyed, the king is gone and the people are in exile. God had warn them that people will destroy them if they abandon him now afterward, the people realize their condition and confess their sins.

SIN’S CONSEQUENCES: God was angry with the long rebellion of his people. Sin is a cause of every evil and destruction and it is result of their sin. The destruction of the nation shows  the vanity of human glory and pride.

GOD’S MERCY: God’s compassion was at work even when Israel was experience the affliction of their Babylonian captivity. Although the people had been unfaithful, God’s faithfullness was great. He used affliction to bring his people back to him.

HOPE: God’s mercy in sparing some of the people for better days. One day the people will be restored to a true and vibrant relationship with God.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

The year was 586 BC. Jerusalem had fallen. The nation had been destroyed. The temple had been demolished and its secret vessel taken as spoils of war. The priest had been killed or taken to Babylon.

Jeremiah had warn of impending disaster and now it had come. How could the inhabitants of this land respond to this loss? Where was God when all this happen? Did God permitted barbaric Babylon to devastate God’s elect people with impurity? Or had the Lord himself been defeated. The book of lamentation poses such questions.

Lamentation as the name suggests is a series of five independent laments, each of which subjects lament the fall of Judah and Jerusalem.

Chapters 1 – 4 are alphabetic and poetic device in which successive verses or groups of verses begins with successive letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.

All five chapters centers on one question – How can one respond to the loss of all security? Those who have experience the powers of defeat, disruption of the economy and the ensuing famine and pestilence must have felt at times that God had abandon them. In such dire circumstances, the people had several theological options.

• First of all, they could decide that their God had been defeated and was impotent. They could abandoned their God and worship the gods of the victorious Babylonians.
• Second, the might decided that God did not really exist, and become basically atheistic.
• Third, they might abandon their religious zeal for a fanatical and political program becoming new zealots who tried to overthrow barbarian factors
• Fourth, they might try to understand how God could have brought the exile, and could be working through it.
• The last response is a position of lamentation. Inspite of the despair over defeat, personal suffering and loss, still the community must have hope. Even if God seem to have abandon them, they must be hopeful for the prophets tells them, hope is all we have left.

The book of lamentation, forthrightly and honestly express both individual and community despair over the plight of Jerusalem and Judah. From bitter sweet remenisense of greatness of the nation to the remnant of those who live beyond zion’s fall will have to answer for their own sins. The book laments what has been, but is no more.

Several theological themes stand out in this book.

• God is just.
• Sinful people will be punished for sins.
• God is not partial. Even his own elect people will be held accountable for their sins and if the people will repent and trust in God, they may have hope in the future.

The book describe horrifying details of ravaging war, famine and pestilence. But just as plainly the book states that the punishment was richly deserved. Jerusalem had graviously sinned. Jerusalem rebelled against God’s word. Jerusalem committed spiritual idolatry by worshiping false idols and gods. The prophets had failed to expose the people their sins and had given false prophecy.

God had been just in his punishment of his people. He is no capricious God. A just God must deal with a sinful and rebellious people. That is exactly what God had done. God had long spoken through his prophet Moses of the covenant requirements. If the people would keep the covenant, God would bless them. But if they disobey the covenant, God would put them under a curse.

Now the people of Judah had sinned. Therefore God had brought about punishment for their sins. God could not protect the people from the consequence of their sin. More was expected of Israel because of the unique covenant relationship. Yet despite the sin and punishment, the book of lamentation offers hope. In the midst of the book, surrounded by laments, the author cries to God in hope. It seems like the author is sure that God will hear and respond. The author calls to mind the past experience. When the people called out to God, he responded. Here he hopes, again that God will respond to those who  call on him. But a change is necessary. The people must examine their ways, repent, confess their sins and return to God. Then perhaps God can be forgiving. Such hope is all they had.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

Lamentation reminds us of the appalling consequence of sin.

God does not treat our sin lightly. Furthermore, we are responsible for our sin. We cannot pass the buck.

Nevertheless, there is also good news. None of us is beyond help. If we repent and confess, our gracious God will forgive. We still have the opportunity to respond to God through Jesus Christ. There in him, lies our only HOPE.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

• Around 586 BC.

Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah

Purpose: To ask God’s people to turn back from their sin and turn back to God

Author: Jeremiah

Written to Judah the Southern Kingdom and its capital, Jerusalem

Key People: Baruch, Ebed Melech, King Nebuchanezer, Rachebites and the Last five Kings of Judah –

• JOSIAH -Reigned 31 yrs 640-609 B.C.
• JEHOAHAZ – Reigned 3 months in 609 B.C and taken prisoner to Egypt by Pharoah Neco
• JEHOIAKIM – Reigned 11 yrs from 609-598 B.C. He died in Jerusalem.
• JEHOIACHIN – Reigned 3 months 598-597 B.C. Taken prisoner to Babylon by Nebucheadneezzar
• ZEDEKIAH-Reigned 11 yrs in 597-586 B.C. Taken prisoner to Babylon by Nebuchednezzar

KEY PLACES: Jerusalem, Ramar and Egypt.

• The period in which Jeremiah lived and worked was one of the most critical in Hebrew history.
• His public ministry began during the reign of King Josiah (640–609 B.C.) and lasted until sometime after the fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.
• He encountered strong opposition from King Jehoiakim (609–598 B.C.) and King Zedekiah (597–586 B.C.), and on more than one occasion, his life was threatened.
• After the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonians permitted him to remain in his homeland; many of his fellow countrymen were taken into captivity.
• Later, he was taken to Egypt against his will by a group of exiles who found it necessary to flee Jerusalem for their own safety. In Egypt, Jeremiah died after a long and troublesome career. This appears to be compete reversal of events – as Jeremiah in a role of Moses witness the move of God’s people from Promised land to Egypt.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

SIN – King Josiah’s reformation failed because the people’s repentance were shallow. They continued in their selfishness and worship of idols. All the leaders rejected God’s law and will for the people. Jeremiah list all their sins, predicts God’s judgement and begs for  repentance.

PUNISHMENT – Because of sin; Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple ruined and the people were captured and carried off to Babylon. The people were responsible for their destruction and captivity because they refused to listen to God’s message.

GOD IS LORD OF ALL – God is the righteous creator. He is the God who owes no one but himself. He wisely and lovingly direct all creation to fulfill his plans and he brings events to pass according to his timetable. He is Lord over all the world.

NEW HEARTS – Jeremiah predicted that after the destruction of the nations, God will send a new SHEPHERD – the Messiah. He will lead them into a new future, a new covenant and a new day of HOPE. He will accomplish this by changing their sinful hearts into hearts of love for God.

PEOPLE SERVICE – Jeremiah served God directly for 40 years. During that time, the people ignored, rejected and persecuted him. Jeremiah’s preaching was unsuccessful by human standards yet, he did not fail in his task.  He remained faithful to God.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

Jeremiah began his ministry in the 13th year of the reign of Josiah, the King of Judah, somewhere around circa 626 BC. He continued until sometimes after he was forcefully carried off to Egypt somewhere around 584 / 586.

Jeremiah’s ministry began a few years before Josiah’s reform and ended shortly after the destruction of Judah, Jerusalem and the temple of Solomon. Jeremiah thus witnessed both  the last flowering of Judean independence and Judah’s swift demise after the death of  her last great king Josiah.

Judah, after the death of her last great King Josiah, somewhere around 609BC faced three religious options which were also tied up with political realities of their time

1. They could continue on the cause of unswerving and exclusive faithfulness to the God of Israel on which Josiah’s reform had set them.
2. They could continue to worship their own God, at the same time re-incorporating the worship of other gods alongside the temple rituals set into practice before Josiah’s reform.
3. They could abandon the worship of their own God all together and give themselves over completely to the worship of Canaanites gods, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Judah from her king to the poorest of the land chose the second option, which they undoubtedly regarded as the wisest and safest, sensible middle ground. In Judah, people worshipped Sun, the moon, star constelations- particularly the very signs of Zodiak, and they also worshipped all the very signs of heaven meaning primarily the planets.

Besides the astrological worship, the Judeans were involved in the worship of the more specifically Caananite deities like Baal, Canaanine fertility gods – both in localized and universalized manifestations. Ashteroth, earth goddess, Molech, the god of the Amorites and then of course Chemosh,  the gods of the Moabites.

Why did the Judeans of Jeremiah’s day bring the worship of virtually all the gods of their neighbors into the very priesthood of the temple worship of Israel’s God and mix them up with worship of their own? Part of the reason was political power. Judah did not have it, and two of her neighbors did. Usually in the ancient near east, a battered king was expected to acknowledge the gods of his over-lord yet the rule of an outside power is not the real answer.

We see from the records of earlier Judean kings. Some of them had decided to be faithful to their God of Israel, in the face of over-lord’s demands. God had honored them for it. Judah’s last kings knew all of this, but the great majority of Judah’s kings returned to those gods after Josiah’s death ended his reform. For people and leaders alike, the reform had only been skin-deep – something to be tolerated because the king directed it.

Any Judean who knew about the world, knew that their own country could not match those great centers of civilization in any significant area of the achievement. If the Judean devotion to the God of Israel was not firm, whole and unshakable, they were like to conclude that God of their fathers was no match to the gods of their neighbors. In a polytheistic world, the easy and obvious solutions to rationalism was to incorporate the worship of their neighbors gods alongside and into the worship of Judah’s gods. The sophistication and the learning of Judah’s neighbors was more effective than theirs, inciting Judah to compromise their devotion to God.

Within these comprise very few people in Judah remained faithful only to God alone. Jeremiah was one of the few. His faithfullness by itself may not have brought him trouble, but  Jeremiah was commissioned by God to deliver a very unpopular message.

His first unwelcome message was that Judah’s unfaithfullness was sin and would be punished. His second message was labaled treason for an increasingly independent minded nation. God intended to use Babylonians under Nebuchnazer to punish Judah and her only chance of survival as a nation laid in submission to the great empire – God’s rule of Judgement.

Revolt and treaty with Egypt in an attempt to overthrow Babylonian yoke could only bring disaster.  Needless to say, Jeremiah’s message earned him animosity of most Judeans. Furthermore, God had told him ahead of time that his message would be rejected and he himself would be persecuted, but nevertheless the continued in the direction of the message that he knew was from God and of himself as God’ prophet. He proclaimed the message, but cursed the day of his birth.

Jeremiah, the man and the message, stand as a beacon of faithfullness in the midst of a nation that did not consider his ways and did not think that God would punish. Jeremiah’s resolve was to leave his people  without excuse for their unfaithfulness through example of his own faithfulness.

There are five practical teachings that we gleaned from Jeremiah’s practical theological teachings ministry.

1. Sovereingty of God
2. Faithfulness of God
3. Neccesasity of faithfullness in God’s people
4. The grace of God
5. God’s promise of a new covenant.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

God’s message to Judah came through Jeremiah at the most desperate hour yet many in Judah did not recognize the seriousness of their position. If we would take seriously God’s instruction through Jeremiah, the church and individual believers would avoid the spiritual blindness and bankruptcy which doomed Judah. Jeremiah teaches us to;

1. Take our new covenant with God seriously
2. Belief God
3. Trust God
4. Take our relationship with fellow believers seriosly
5. Take our agreements seriously
6. Be alert to recognize and apply God’s correction
7. Live in joyful expectation of God’s restoration of his people and his creation.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

• Jeremiah becomes a prophet in 627 BC
• Josiah killed in Batled 609BC
• Ezekiel taken captive 605
• Ezekiel prophecies in Babylon in 503 BC
• Judah falls, Jerusalem destroyed and Jeremiah’s ministry ends in 586BC.

Introduction to the Book of Isaiah

The book of Isaiah takes its name from its writer. Isaiah likely lived in Jerusalem, given the book’s concern with the city (Isaiah 1:1) and his close proximity to at least two significant kings during the period of his prophecy (7:3; 38:1). He was married to a prophetess (Isaiah 8:3), prophesied under the reign of four Judean kings—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1)—and he likely met his death under a fifth, the evil King Manasseh.

PURPOSE: To call the nation of Judah back to God and to foretell of God’s salvation through Messiah.

The people of Judah had turned their backs on God and alienated themselves from Him, which created the need for Isaiah’s pronouncements of judgment—declarations made in the hope that God’s chosen people would return to Him.

AUTHOR: The book was written by Isaiah with some insights placed in by his son – .

KEY PEOPLE: Isaiah and his two sons

–  She’ar-Ya’shuv, meaning “A remnant shall return” (Isaiah 7:3) and the younger, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning, “Spoil quickly, plunder speedily.” (Isaiah 8:3) The name of Isaiah’s second son happens to be the longest word in the Bible

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• HOLINESS – God is highly exalted above all creatures. His moral perfection stands in total contrast to that of Hebrew people and evil nations. God is perfect and sinless in all his actions, motives and nature though he is in perfect control of his power, just, love and mercy. His HOLY nature is our yardstick for morality.

• PUNISHMENT – Because God is Holy, he requires his people to treat others justly. He promised to punish Israel, Judah and other nations for faithless immorality and idolatry.  True faith had been regenerated into  national pride and empty religious rituals.

• SALVATION – Because God’s judgement is coming, we need a Savior. No man or nation could be saved without God’s help. Christ’ perfect sacrifice for our sin is foretold and portrayed in Isaiah.  All who trust God can be freed from sin and restored to him.

• MESSIAH – God will send the Messiah to save his people. He will set up his own Kingdom with the faithful prince of peace  to rule with righteousness. He will come as Sovereign Lord. But he would do so as a servant who dies to take away sins.

• HOPE – God promises comfort, deliverance and restoration in his future kingdom. The messiah will rule over his people forever in the age to come. Hope is possible because Christ is coming.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

The book of Isaiah presents an interesting challenge to the reader both by size and its content. Little is known of the argument of the book. The contents falls easily to two distinct divisions.

• Chapters 1 -39 historically set in 850 BC

• Chapters 40 – 66 historically set in 6th century BC

Did God revealed to Isaiah truths relevant to his own day in 850BC and truths yet to occur in 6th century? Were there two prophets involved?  Scholars will forever be divided in how to explain this difference. The two parts of the book are not contradictory, but they are complimentary showing God is not limited in revelation. Together they revealed the total message.

Isaiah lived in the troubled time when everything that was supposedly nailed down seemed to be coming loose. Three hundred years before the prophet’s ministry, David had ruled the thriving tribes together, subdued the neighboring groups and found a secure Israelite state.

David’s was the golden age. Solomon followed his father on the throne but created great contend with his lustrous living. The division of the king followed his death. Military struggle, false worship, weak leadership, internal confusion and external threat characterize the nation’s livelihood down to the 8th century.

In the first half of the eight century, both of these nations reached a strength, prosperity and security that they had not known before. They were free from the danger of being destroyed by other powers, nor be ruled over by capable kings. Jeroboam II in the North and Uzziah in the South.

The last half of the eight century was quite a different story. Assyria demanded a policy of expansion and conquest which would bring the destruction of the Northern Kingdom Israel and leave the Southern Kingdom, Judah in the position of paying tribute to this power.

The Prophet Isaiah was a citizen of the Southern Kingdom Judah and ministered there over a forty year period which witnessed the subjugation of Judah to Assyria in the days of King Ahaz and the attempt of King Hezekiah to bridge his people from Assyrian throne.  Surely God’s elect people must have pondered the meaning of such turmoltous events.

Is our nation in crisis because our God is weaker than the gods of Assyria? Is military strength the determining force in the history of nations? Could it be that bad times have come for us to see some things we could never see in the good times?  Has the love and confidence in good king Uzziah lead us to forget God as our true King? Is the external plan of our nation related in any way to the moral and ethical living of those of other nation? What does the future hold? Where is hope and security? Who speaks for God at such a time?

In the very year that the good King Uzziah died, God called Isaiah to help the people answer such  questions. After seeking and finding cleansing for his own sins, he responded to God’s call for spokesman with his well known words – “Here am I, Send Me.” His part was not be an angel but he was to help his people understand what God was saying to them in the present and in the future through the events of history.

History and doctrine intertwine in the book of Isaiah. To appreciate the teaching, we must keep in mind the history. Isaiah lived in 8th century when his people,the nation of Judah, were under Assyrian control. The doctrinal points of chapters 1 through 39 are linked with this historical setting.  Assyria continued control of Judah until the last half of the seventh century when she crumbled and fell.

After a brief period of independence, Judah came under Babylonian control, and in about 587BC was destroyed by this world power. A few thousand citizens of Judah were carried away into exile and settled into the ancient scenic city of Babylon. There they stayed for about 50 years, then again, around 538 BC Cyrus, the Persian King took control of the Babylonian Empire and thereby gain control of the Jews in exile. His policy towards captive peoples was more lenient than the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Cyru’s offer to the Jews to return to their homeland was accepted by some according to the Book of Ezra.

The last part of the book of Isaiah, chapters 40 through 66 relate closely to the rise of Cyrus and how God plan to use him to bring deliverance to his people.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

The major theological points revealed / expressed in the Book of Isaiah are five.

1. God is one.

2. God is Sovereign over creation and history

3. God is Holy

4. God is Judge

5. God is Redeemer

GOD IS ONE

While the book of Isaiah refers to the gods of other nations, these are names to ridicule them and declare them non-existent. In Isaiah’s lifetime, the people who knew the true God were tempted to become involved with other gods. This temptation must have intensified with those who were carried into exile. Surely they thought their captive’s gods were stronger than theirs, in the light of the destruction of their nation. Thus the message that there is only ONE God was a welcomed answer to a burning issue.

The idol worshiper is presented as one destined to disappoint, because these gods have no power to save. They cannot even  help themselves, but must be placed on a beast and carried from one place to another.  The one true God, however, lives and carries his people. The idol worshipers are mocked and scorned for believing they can make a god from a junk of wood. The people of the true God must not be so confused. Had not God himself eliminated all rivals  by identifying himself as the first and the last, and declaring, apart from me, there is no god. Should not those who know about this God tell others about him? The message of the book of Isaiah is a resounding yes.

The missionary vocation of the people of God is especially stressed in the second half of the book. When God brings his people out of exile, Israel must take up the work of the servant of God to be light for the gentile.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER CREATION AND HISTORY

Closely related to the doctrine of one God is the doctrine of Sovereignty of God over creation and history. The teaching of God as the creator of this world is clear but not prominent in the bible. One of the clearest and most dramatic presentation of this doctrine is in the book of Isaiah.

Chapter 40:12-31 sets the stage for emphasizing God’s sovereign control of history. With a mind and heart attuned to the working of God, Isaiah sought to convince the Kings of his day that God is the controlling force in the lives of nations. King Ahaz refused to believe this fact when Isaiah told him that God would deliver him from his enemies.

The powers of Israel and Syria were pressuring Judah under Ahaz to enter in alliance with them against threatening Assyrian. God assured Ahaz that God would remove these troublesome powers but will use Assyria as an instrument for judging the people of Judah.

Soon after this words were spoken, Assyria destroyed Syria and Israel, and made Judah pay tribute. Later, during the reign of Hezekiah, Isaiah, proclaimed that God was exercising his power over nations. On this occasion, Hezekiah, had revolted against Assyrian control bringing an Assyrian army which overrun the land of Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. Isaiah’s promise to King Hezekiah that Assyrian army would not enter Jerusalem, much of it as a dream at that time. The intervention of God in human history was never more drastically portrayed than in this climatic events. The destruction of Assyrian army and the retreat of the Assyrian Army back to his homeland, should have convinced the people of Judah that their God was in control of human affairs.

Much later when the citizens of Judah were in exile, God manifested his power over history by choosing and using a pagan ruler, Cyrus the Persian, as an instrument to deliver God’s people. God even allowed Cyrus to build an empire of military bridges over others. Cyrus was not always aware he was being used, but God had directed every step so that the purposes of God in history would be realized. Cyrus conquered Babylon, freed God’s people in exile, issuing a decree and allowing them to return to their homeland.

GOD IS HOLY

The one God who created this world and runs history is in his nature Holy. Isaiah’s favorite title for the God of Israel was the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. The primary meaning of HOLY is set apart or separated.

God’s holiness means, first of all, that God is not a human being. he cannot be put into human categories. Specifically, Isaiah meant to stress complete purity and unlimited power of God. In his call, Isaiah had seen a vision and had heard those words – Holy Holy, Holy which molded the prophet’s perception of God. As a fitting response to God’s holiness, the prophet confessed his lack of holiness and his need for cleansing. After receiving forgiveness was the prophet ready to God’s spokesman.

Holiness also suggest God is not human because God’s power is unlimited. The qouted was made by Isaiah in reference to Judah’s security as a nation. While the king sought for security in military might and alliances with other nations, Isaiah pleaded with him to lean on their God with whom is unlimited power. The Egyptians, for whom Judah often sought help, were humans. Their power was partial. Quiet and confident faith in the Holy meant the nation had a future.

GOD IS JUDGE

God is judge of all people. This follows God’s nature and uniqueness. All nations are accountable to GOD. Even though great attention is given to sinfulness of God’s people and God’s judgement against them, God’s people are accused of being in rebellion against God; a people sick with a disease of sin. God’s people are called to live in righteousness, in moral and ethical matters and not worship false things which God rejects. God lavished his attention on his people yet they were like fruitless vineyard which must does not bear fruit and must destroyed. God’s people were ripe for judgement, but God is reluctant.  He will have us do the reasonable thing – repent and experience cleansing and forgiveness. Even when his judgement does fall upon us, it is not meant simply as punishment, but rather meant to purify us and make us useable.

GOD IS A REDEEMER

After Judgement God will save a remnant of his people and will continue his work with a purified and forgiven group. Isaiah gave his two sons names to justify the coming judgement and a remnant being saved. In time, this announced judgement would fall on Judah and the nation would be destroyed. But God did save a remnant. From those taken to Exile, he through Cyrus the persian, rescued a portion of his people and brought them back to their homeland.

God as redeemer permeates the book of Isaiah, but is particularly evident, in the last part of the book. Already, it has been shown that God use his power to deliver his people. There is, however, much to the story of God as a redeemer in this book. God is a redeemer of all people and extends his redemption to all people. God calls upon his servant, understood at this point to be God’s elect people to take that message of redemption to others. The acceptance of the true God by the nations is part of the picture of the new age to come in a vision by Isaiah. This new age was described as time when a King from the land of David would reign. He would delight in God and his eternal kingdom would be one where righteousness and peace prevail. In this time of Messiah, others would come to know of God and experience his salvation.

In the last half of the book of Isaiah, the figure who would be God’s tool to bring redemption to others is known only as GOD’S SERVANT. The only way to identify this people is to think of people of God coming out of exile with a missionary task.

A higher application suggested one who would be God’s servant in a very special way. He would establish justice in the earth. That means he would suggest in the hands of those  he would serve. Finally, he would be brought to death. He would die willingly although he had done only good. Yet death was not the end . This servant of God would experience victory beyond suffering and death. The victory of knowing that God has brought redemption to others. Who is this servant?

A careful reading of the gospel leads one to realize that Jesus understood his mission in the world in terms of two great figures in Isaiah – THE MESSIAH KING and THE SUFFERING SERVANT. In combining these roles, Jesus fulfilled God’s plan of redemption.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

The God would guided the inspired prophet is the God who guides us today. We follow his son are his elect people.  Book of Isaiah calls us to live by these ageless truths.

• God is both separated from us by his holiness, yet ever with us in love and prayer.

• God calls us individually and as his people we find security for the future in him and not in our own human schemes.

• God is present, no matter where we choose to put him in our lives.

• God’s kingdom of righteousness is the only eternal kingdom

• As God’s people we are called to be missionaries,

• Jesus, the messiah walks with us through life’s experiences.

• The temptation is always with us to make our own gods and bow down to. But God still controls nations and is working out his purposes in history.

These ageless truths in Isaiah, if we ponder upon and apply, leads us to that abundant life which our God meant for us to experience.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

• The events of chapters 1 – 39 may have probably written Circa 700 BC
• The events of chaptes 40 -66 may have been written near the end of his life in Circa 681 BC

Introduction to Song of Songs

The song of Solomon is also known by two other names. It is also called the Song  of Songs and Canticle.

The Song of Solomon is basically a wedding song honoring marriage with explicit statements for sex in the bible.

The Purpose of the book is to tell a love between a bridegroom and his bride. To form the sanctity of marriage and to depict God’s love for his people.

AUTHOR: Solomon.

KEY PEOPLE: King Solomon, Shulamite Woman, The Young Women of Jerusalem

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

SEX – Sex is God’s gift to his creatures. He endorses sex but he restricted it expression to those committed to each other in marriage.

LOVE- As the relationship develops, the beauty and wonder of romance accorded to prince Solomon and his pride. The intense power of love affected the hearts, minds and bodies of the two lovers.

COMMITMENT – The power of love requires more than the language of feelings of protection. Sexual expression is such an intrical part of our selfhood that we need the boundary of marriage to safeguard our love. Marriage is a celebration of daily commitment to each other.

BEAUTY- The two lovers praise the beauty they see in each other. The language they use shows the spontaneity and mystery of love. Our love should not be limited to physical beauty. Beautiful personality and moral purity should also be praised.

PROBLEMS – Over time, feeling of loneliness, difference and isolation came between Solomon and his bride. During those times, love grew cold and barriers were raised.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

How does the believer express love to another human being? This is the issue in the Song of Songs. The issue was real for God’s people when this love song was written and sung for them.

Relationship between the sexes were not simply a private matter for Israel, the worship services of their neighbors involved sexual relationship between the worshiper and the member of staff in the high places where worship was held. We refer to such practices as cultic prostituition and the staff members of the high places as cultic prostitutes.

This was common in the worship of Baal.  It was believe that such prostitution guaranteed rain and fertility for human barrenness.  Those who refused to participate in such worship faced outrage from their neighbors when drought or calamities faced them. The bible declares that all of life stands under God’s control. The one God who created the universe rule over agriculture and fertility realm just as he rules over the political and historical realm.

The Song of Songs declares the independence of God’s people from religion which imprisons love and forces love and sexual relations into illicit relationships within the realm of Baal worship. The sexual acts of Baalism is not a sign of love.

The Song of Songs gives new definition to love. Love in sexual union is God-given privilege for man and woman to share. God’s people in the privacy of the existence together, not in worship place, may participate properly and happily in this dimension of life.

The theology of the Song of Songs must be discovered by the implications, presuppositions and suggestions of the book rather than  its direct teaching. God is never mentioned in the book. There is no clear historical situation to be reconstructed in relations to the writer. There is little structural movement to be found in the book. The beauty of expression and the theme of love relations to some degree of the preaching of what is true.

God made man and woman to complement each other in every way. God made man and woman to physically attract each other. God meant for the human sexuality to be expressed in exclusive relationships. The Song of Songs picked us from the account of the creation of man and woman leaves off. There, man and woman were both made in God’s image. This means they can have meaningful relationship with their creator and were made to have enriching relationship with each other.  This meaningful relationships, means, however sexual relationship that as a consequence leads them to multiply and fill the earth.

The Song of Solomon reflect such doctrine that God made man and woman physicallly attracted to each other. This is clearly evident throughout the Song of Solomon. The groom used all the resources of human language to express the beauty of his beloved, using explicit and frank words to describe her bodily features.  To him she was perfect. Although she seems to think of herself as less than attractive, she was probably a perfect mate. To him she was a queen. She too spoke freely and honestly about his physical attractiveness, each thrilled with anticipation of physical union.

The longing and pain of separation was contrasted with the search of joy and reunion. The desire of lovers to complete their union and lead each other to their own little love nest, should be understood by everyone who has experienced love’s mysterious power. It should be carefully noted that this intense love in the Song of Songs was an explicit love. It was a love so completely shared with each other that nothing was left for others. They were quick to let each know that they were unique. It is such special relationship and that means the feeling of jealous will probably come. This emotion is normal and healthy if kept under control

The desire for one man and one woman to share in love is consistent and normal in the book and ideal for marriage and the home. How powerful and how priceless is such a life.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

The practice in our culture of degrading human sexuality for gain offers a very real temptation to a ready of Song of Songs. We can easily seek to apologize for, skip over or attempt to hide the language of love and eagerness of these lovers to consumate their love.  The temptation to do this must be resisted.

Such bold matters of sexual nature are kept within the context of an exclusive love in relationship. The satisfaction of a biological urge is not the point. This love songs are private. The maiden is only willing to express her love only to her beloved. He reserves himself only for his bride.

The Song of Solomon, is not the last word on the matter of sexual relations. It reserves, however, the beauty of love shared by a man and a woman. The church need to teach the people the beauty and wonder of love in proper relationship.

THREE THEOLOGICAL CONCLUSION

1. God made man and woman to complement each other in every way.
2. God made man and woman physically attracted to each other.
3. God meant for human sexuality to be expressed in an exclusive relationship.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

1014 BC.

Introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes

The title “Ecclesiastes” comes from a Greek word indicating a person who calls an assembly.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this book is to spare the future generation of the bitterness of learning through experience that life is meaningless apart from God.

AUTHOR: The author identified himself in Ecclesiastes 1:1 by the Hebrew word qoheleth, translated as “Preacher.”

• The Preacher went on to call himself “the son of David, king in Jerusalem,” one who has increased in “wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me,” and one who has collected many proverbs (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 16; 12:9).
• Solomon followed David on the throne in Jerusalem as the only Davidic son to rule over all Israel from that city (1:12). He was the wisest man in the world during his time (1 Kings 4:29–30) and wrote most of the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:1; 10:1; 25:1). Therefore, we can safely identify Solomon as the qoheleth

The book was written to all people in general.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

SEARCHING – Solomon searched for satisfaction almost like it was a scientific experiment. He discovered that life without God was along a fruitless search for enjoyment and meaning and fulfillment. True happiness is not in our power to accumulate and obtain because we always desire more than we can have. There are circumstances beyond our control, which can snatch away our possessions.

EMPTINESS: Solomon shows how empty it is to pursue this life’s pleasures rather than  a relationship with an eternal God.  The search for pleasure, wealth and success is ultimately disappointing. Nothing in the world can satisfy our long and our restless hearts.

WORK: Solomon tried to shake people’s confidence in their own efforts, abilities and  wisdom, and directed them to God as the only sum basis for living. Without God, there is no reward in hard-work.

DEATH: The sentencing of death make all human achievements futile. God has a plan for human destiny that goes beyond our lives and death. Reality of aging and dying reminds of a day to come when God will judge each person’s life.

WISDOM: Human wisdom doesn’t contain all the answers. Knowledge and education, have their limits. To understand life, we need the wisdom that God be found only in God’s word to us – the BIBLE.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

Book of Eclessiastes addresses people desperately trying to find meaning and identity and retain security of their homeland. It shows us the value of the present world, without hope of eternal life and resurrection. The basic hope of a person facing death after a brief span of years – all of our lifes equal zero. So the point of life is to fear God and be careful.

We are often dissollutioned by how much time we have left. Many of the people who first heard or read Eclessiastes were wasting their lives foolishly.  The teacher confessed he had wasted much of his life. He was too old to correct his ways, but not too late for the young people.

Some, among the people who heard Solomon must have always heard that the wise will always prosper and be happy. But just like Job, the teacher says, this is not necessarily so. He made it clear that wisdom, wealth, materialism, education and religion, all claim in one way or another to be able to make life worth living. Solomon tried each in turn, but none work. He tried to encourage his audience to opt for simplicity in food and in  entertainment and work. He tried to encourage them to look for joy and companionship of their mates in cheerful disposition and most of importantly in reverence of God.

In Chapter 12, he makes clear that Solomon was not a man who has kept it to the end, but still had a passion for life. He seems to be skeptical and cynical. He shared his life experience to temper the optimism of the younger generation. He did not fear to question God. He refused to accept traditional simplistic answers to life’s questions. He loved the beauty of the son and was intriqued with the mystery of the wind. He knew about farming gardens and orchards. He was acquinted with by the music and enjoyed good food. He was committed with war, construction and fine houses.

Solomon loved life and justice. He became more skeptical in old age as he observed the injustices of life. He experienced hopelessness as he found himself unable to correct injustices of life. Even in skepticism, he was a realist and not a pessimist. He remained a believer not an agnostic. The aging Solomon wanted his congregation to avoid the pitfalls of life. He wanted his listeners and readers to change their lives before it was too late. He wanted them to understand, how life can best be lived.

The primary contribution of Solomon’s work could be viewed as a native one. It forces the world’s claims to be good life to face the light of truth.  Work, pleasure, drink, sex, human development, government, knowledge, use of pleasures, all entice us to follow them into paradise, hope and fulfillment. But none of them can deliver on their promises. None  is adequate to master life.

Eclessiastes view life as futile so that we will not follow Qohelet’s footstep,and make the same mistakes that he did. It has been said that the light is not brighter than when it shines in total darkness. Solomon creates a darkness that makes the light of the world, appear even brighter, when the messiah finally comes. He prepared the world for Jesus by showing how hopeless life is without him.

Eclessiastes is not totally dark. A few glimpses of light weave through the book. If we grant that the contendors to the throne of life are not adequate to masters  then we can find simple pleasures to brighten life. Pleasure, wisdom friendship, good and proper relationships to God can be helpful on a continous road of life.  They are, however, only helpful, when we fear God and obedience to his way of life, dominates our life.

Eclessiastes, as much as any other book, shows the sovereignty of God over  his created world. No human can fully understand God and his ways. Only God alone knows the thickness of the created order.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

There is a great theme that continues to apply to us today. To paraphrase Paul, the teacher could see, but a poor reflection of a mirror ( I Cor. 13:12). He looked at life on the other side of incarnation event. If the book of Eclessiastes describe the hopeless of life before Jesus, then we have comprehended a major message of Solomon.

The book of Eclessiastes is applicable through the contemporary scene. Solomon reflected a world with an impersonal view of God. Majority of our world knows nothing about a personal relationship with God. Qoheleth saw the hopelessness of human existence. Many modern philosophers reflect such fatalism.

The book also mirrors the people wearied by international charities, world-wide political unrest and faltering economy. No where is Solomon’s fatatism truer than today. The book keeps reminding us of the realistic possibilities of nuclear annihilation.

What makes life worth living?

Ancient man thought he could find meaning of life in materialism, wealth, vocational success, gain, fortune and the pleasures of the world such as good food, wine, slaves and yes, women . Today’s mass media spread the same misconception. The advertizing industry tells the same lies. But the end is always the same – FUTILITY.

In chapter seven verses 16 and 17 of Eclessiates, Qohelete reminded his peers to avoid extremes. We would do well to avoid extremism in our daily lives as well. We find repeated invitation to go out on a limb. We must see the good and the bad and set limitation. We would do well to take the middle way most of the time.

I think we can all agree that life is not always fair. More so back then even. The wicked are always punished and the righteous are always rewarded. Government authorities are always judged. Wise are righteous. We must always understand the limitation of life.

Concerning a matter of aging, Solomon had acquired a skeptical view in his old age. But then again, skepticism is not all bad. We need to be skeptical of world’s claim to make life meaningful for such claims can never be realized. Aging does not necessarily make you skeptical, but if you are inclined in that direction, aging exemplify  unhealthy skepticism.

The challenges one faces in aging process can cause skepticism. As we age, we loose our energy, our jobs, our friends, our mates and health. We loose the opportunity to begin again. We often  loose contact with the church. In an era when people are living longer and the problems of aging are becoming more prominent, the church must program for and minister to the aging.

Solomon did not give up on life completely. He could never answer the larger question of overcoming death and escaping futility. He could find hope in simple pleasure and duties of life through wisdom and listen to advice, acting at the right time and  relating each of life’s activities to God.

Eclessiastes does not offer the final light.  It does point a way to hope in the simple activities of life while giving us warning on some paths that seem so sure to lead us astray.

In the final analysis Eclessiastes  lead us to praise Jesus Christ, all the more for bringing us the final light that does brings true worth to life.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

Circa 940 and 935 BC

Introduction to the Book of Proverbs

PURPOSE;

• Teach people how to be understanding, just and fair in everything they do.
• Make the simple minded wise
• To warn young men about some problems they will face
• Help the wise become good leaders.
• To apply wisdom to daily live and provide moral instruction

AUTHOR

•  Solomon identified himself as the source of most of the book. His name appears at the beginning of three distinct sections—Proverbs 1:1, 10:1, and 25:1—covering almost all of the first twenty-nine chapters of the book.
• The final two chapters identify Agur (30:1) and Lemuel (31:1) as their authors, though the identities of these men remain mysterious in history.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

WISDOM – God wants his people to be wise.  Two kinds of people portray two kinds of people. The first is the fool and the wicked who is stubborn and cannot acknowledge the existence of God. Second is the wise who seeks to know and love God.

RELATIONSHIPS –  Proverbs give us instructions on how to develop relationships with friends, family and work. In every relationship we must show love, dedication and high moral standards

SPEECH – What we say reveals our real attitudes towards others. Our speech reveals what we are really like. Our speech is a test of how wise we have become.

WORK – God controls the final outcome of all we do. We accountable to carry out our work with diligence and hard-work and not laziness.

SUCCESS – Although people work very hard for money and fame, God views success as having a good reputation, moral character and a spiritual devotion to obey him.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

Ancient thinkers, apparently realized quiet early the orderliness of the world in which they live. They understand that that if they tried to live in harmony with the world in which they live,  and if they live in that order, life would be much more fulfilling and more joyful. We call this early thinkers wise men and their writings, we call wisdom writings.

Instruction of wisdom writings seems to have enable the early thinkers to master their lives and thereby discover happiness. Some people believe God has set the world to work in fixed order. All one had to do was to observe nature, learn that order and live in accordance to that order. Any small deviation from that order will bring quick destruction, even death.

In Israel, wisdom thinking probably began with a particular clan or early tribe. Such early Israelite wisdom consisted of simple observation about life. One generation handed this down to another and continuing search to life’s perplexing problems. Such observation probably dealt with topics such as integrity, contentment, sexual and family relationships.

Unlike their neighbors, the fear of the Lord provided a central theme, for the Israelites, tying all wisdom together.

If we were to put a capstone on the book of proverbs, it would be this. The book of proverbs clearly define how God expects his people to find meaningful existence. If we had to find a defining centralized theme, I think this would be it.

Two doctrines are emphasized. The human search for meaning and the nature of God. Though all mankind search constantly for meaningful existence, Israel’s search is unique in two ways. First, wisdom literature recognizes an orderliness of the world. It never says that one can know that order fully or that knowing it would automatically bring riches or a meaningful existence.

A revealed wisdom of proverbs clear teach how to humans can relate to God and to other people, or explicitly it teaches honesty, truthfulness, piety, hard-work, compassion towards one’s enemies, humility, proper sexual and marriage relationship, proper child-parent relationship  and trust in God. No doubt all of this collectively if followed will provide a more meaningful life.

Biblical wisdom centers uniquely on God. Wisdom outside of Bible speaks of gods who provide orderliness to creation and of the need for people to discover that orderliness.  The wisdom of Israelite’s neighbors does not speak of a god or gods seeking to reveal that order. Nor does it speak of such orderliness leading to eternal salvation.

From the very beginning to the end of proverbs the fear of the LORD (that produces obedience) is a constant theme. Proverbs clearly state the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. This is followed by a call to repent of sin and to place trust in the Savior. This theme is followed throughout the book (in different forms). The book ends by saying the one who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Proverbs emphasize that meaningful living comes only from the proper relationship with God. God inspired the book of proverbs to make this practical teachings readily available for his people to follow and find meaningful relationship with him. Unfortunately, the children of Israel never seem to understand nor follow such precedes and that gave way to God’s judgement

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

Proverbs teaches us that we are all walking on a long road of life, a road with two branches. The one chosen by the wise produces joy, happiness and meaningful existence as well as in eternal hope. The other road chosen by the foolish brings about sorrow, heart-ache and ultimate destruction. There is no middle ground. Wisdom pleads for humanity to

1.  Acknowledge God as creator and sustainer of the world
2. To repent of our sin and trust in God as savior of our lives
3. To so order our lives in accordance to his will so that his will is clear reflected in our relationship with our families, neighbors, strangers and even our enemies.
4. To teach these precepts diligently to our children both in word and in deed.
5. To praise God that he provides along life’s way.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

Solomon compiled these wisdom teachings earlier in his reign. Proverbs is said to be a book of wise sayings. It is a textbook for teaching people how to live godly lives through repetition of wise thoughts and wise actions.

Introduction to Psalm

Purpose: To provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship and confessions to God.

There are several authors of the book of Psalm.

Moses wrote one-  Psalm 90. David was responsible for many of them, composing seventy-three psalms. Asaph wrote twelve; the sons of Korah penned nine. Solomon wrote two, and Ethan and Heman (descendants of Korah) each wrote one. The remainder of the 51 psalms do not contain information about their authors. However, the New Testament attribute the anonymous Psalms -(two and ninety-five) to David.

Key Person – David. Key Place is God’s Holy Temple.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• PRAISE – Psalms are songs of praise to God, our sustainer, creator and redeemer. Praises recognizing, appreciating and expressing God’s greatness.

• GOD’S POWER – God is all powerful and is always acting at the right time. He is Sovereign over every situation. God’s power is shown over the ways he shows himself in creation, history and his word.

• FORGIVENESS – Many psalms are intense prayers, asking God for forgiveness. God forgives us when we repent of our sins and turn from sins.

• THANKFULNESS – We are grateful to God for his personal concern, health and mercy. Not only does God protect, guide and forgive us, his creation provide everything we need.

• TRUST – God is faithful and just. When we put our trust in him, he quiets our hearts. Because God has been faithful throughout history, we can trust him in times of trouble.

• The faith of Israel, set the music. That is what we find in psalm, the hymn book of the Bible. The authors wrote the book, providing source of praise, prayer and worship. The authors gave sounds of praise and laments. They allow God’s people to speak to him in every move of life.

Written over many centuries later, the psalms are a treasure of devotions – both personal and national. They were not written to be analyzed but to be read, recited and sang in the worship of God. Each psalm present a new setting in which author brings the challenges of life, needs, hopes, before the Lord of life. The psalm provide a way for the human creature to meet with his creator in private devotion or in public worship.

The theology of the psalm is not abstract or philosophical. It is popular theology, which emerges from corporate worship. It is really more –  the theology of the people than mere  thoughtful formulation of systematic theologians. This religious poems reflect faith in God.

The themes of the Psalms is the presence of God and the continue encounter of God in worship. God is present in heaven, in the world and in Israel’s worship. This presence of the divine is described as the face of God, the name of God and the glory of God. These terms all describe the nearness of God. The psalmist was certain, God was near and could hear their prayers.

The psalms thus constitute the theology of worship. God himself is the focus of psalm. They teach about his character and teach about many of his acts on behalf of his people. The psalmist teach, God is one. This reflect the clear monotheism of the Old Testament. Israel did not worship many gods. They gave all her praise to the one and only God. God is holy, he is separate and in a category by himself. He rightly expects his worshipers to be morally pure, and the articles used in worship to be ritually clean.

GOD IS HOLY. God’s mysterious holiness has set him apart from all created beings and things. God is a eternal spirit. His Spirit represents his power in the world. It gives healing and health. God is steadfast love. That his nature and the way he acts.

GOD LOVES. God’s love is a covenant love. God promises to be the God of his people as long as they stayed in covenant relationship of his revealed law. Divine love include God’s faithfulness and his total dependability. God cares and can be counted on  to keep his promises.

God’s love endure forever. This calls for corresponding faithfulness. God’s holy love is not to be taken lightly. God’s love is not limited to Israel. The psalmist praises the acts of God in lives of people and history. Historical acts of God are the basis for faith and trust. His actions reflect his character. God creates, saves, reigns, elects, judges and thus reveals himself to all person. Psalmist celebrates God’s creation. The Psalms also celebrates God’s creation of the nation of Israel by delivering them as slaves from Egypt. Pagan nations were called to praise Israel’s God. Psalmist calls upon the elements of sun, moon, stars to worship the God of Israel.

GOD RULES. Because God is creator of universe and director of human history,  he controls nature. Free human sins may seek to know his purpose. God’s ultimate goal for creation and redemption shall be achieved. The will of God shall be done on earth, in history and in heaven. The ultimate goal of God’s purpose is peace on earth. God cannot be controlled or manipulated by human actions. He saves from destruction and dispenses justice. His Kingdom is everlasting. God reveals himself. People do not discover God. He reveals himself to them e.g exodus and the coming of Christ. God disclosed himself to those ready to receive him. He used Moses to reveal his will to his people.

GOD CHOOSES. God chose to reveal himself to a particular man, elected Abraham, and the nation of Israel. But his purpose extends to all people.  Evangelism and Missions result from the electing love of God. God’s election is always of grace and always a divine initiative. No human deserve electing love of God. As human we can only experience his electing love and respond in praise, gratitude, obedience and worship. Election causes us to live in covenant relationship with God and with one another.

GOD FORGIVES. God takes sins seriously. All sin is opposed to God. All people are sinners. Psalms divide people into two groups. The friends of God are forgiven sinners. The enemies of God and his people are those who do not seek divine forgiveness. Psalm 1 depicts these two types of people. Because the psalmist took sin, iniquity, he emphasizes the forgiveness of God. Psalmist writes – created in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10. To experience true forgiveness, God’s people must turn from sin and return to the Lord.

GOD SAVES. Psalms define the path to salvation. God saves from sin to party. He saves from danger of death to life. Salvation in the psalm is both spiritual and material. God saves us in the midst of suffering with his presence, comfort and simultanously saves  . believers suffering and brutality of sin. God does not treat our sins fairly. God atones our sins. He lifts the burden of sin, cancel the sin’s death and no longer remembers our sin against us. Forgiveness and atonement are rooted in the nature and activity of God. He wants to be our redeemer. Psalmist teaches that we are endowed with moral choice.

God is the source of human dignity and is the hope of our destiny. He made us a little lower than heavenly beings and gave us glory, honor and dominion over created nature and animals. How can we respond? We respond by praising our creator.

Psalmist talks of existence after death in SHEOL. This was a shadowy existence of both the wicked and righteous death. While God’s presence might be in SHEOL they felt more certain of his presence in the land of the living. The truth of death is departure to be with the LORD, awaiting a fuller revelation. The Psalms do reflect the long of humanity for long life, however, at best the psalmist only had a hint of what was to revealed at the death and resurrection of the LORD.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

– 150 psalms causes to pray, confess, praise and testify.

The prayer path to God is open to all people, at all times and in all situations.

– At all times we should take our feelings to God. He hears and accepts us.

God in his own way answers us,

Sin plagues each of us. We all have rebelled. God forgives, redeems and renews our sin.

We can praise God. We need to be aware of God’s accomplishment in our lives in the saving action of Jesus Christ.

We can rejoice and praise God at all times.
God has chosen us to praise. We must daily testify what God has done for us.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

Psalms was written over several centuries.

Between Circa 1440 BC and Circa 586 BC.

Introduction to the Book of Job

Purpose: Demonstrate God’s Sovereignty and the meaning of true faith. It addresses the question, why do the righteous suffer?

The author was possibly Job. Some have suggested Moses or Solomon or Elihu.

Key People; Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

1. SUFFERING – Job lost his wealth, children and health. His friends were convinced that Job brought this suffering himself. Job’s greatest trial was not pain or loss, but rather not being able to understand why God would allow him to suffer.

2. SATAN’S ATTACK – Satan attempted to drove a wedge between Job and God by getting Job to believe that God’s governing of the world was not just and good. Satan had to ask God permission to touch Job’s health, wealth and children. Satan was limited to what God allowed him to do.

3. GOD’S GOODNESS –  God is all wise and all powerful. His will is perfect, yet he doesn’t always act in ways that we understand. Job’s suffering did not make sense because everyone believed that good people were suppose to prosper. When Job was at a point of despair, God spoke to him, showing him his great power and wisdom.

4. PRIDE – Job’s friend were certain that they were correct in their judgement of him. God rebuked them for their pride and arrogance. Man’s wisdom is always partial and temporary. Undue pride in our own conclusion is sin.

5. TRUSTING– God alone knew the purpose behind Job’s suffering. Yet he never explains it to Job. Inspite of these Job never gave up on God even in the midst of suffering. He never place his hope in his experience, wisdom, friends or his wealth. He focused on God.

AND AGE OLD QUESTION that has plagued mankind is: Why do bad things happen to good people? Job was a good person, innocent and righteous. Only Satan doubted Job’s sincerity. Satan’s question was, does God fear God for nothing?

Job’s external circumstances indicate to some that he was righteous. Traditional teaching show from experience that God blesses the righteous and curses the wicked. Job had been blessed with an ideal family, seven sons and three daughters. He was rich with houses and lands, servants, possessions and social standing, and he did observe all of religious practices. Outwardly, Job appeared to be righteous, but Satan claimed otherwise.

In a meeting of a heavenly council’s meeting Satan accuses Job of being good only because goodness paid dividends. Indirectly, Satan accused God. He said, God had given Job reason to practice religion, simply to get material rewards.  Satan claimed that God had placed an edge around Job and had blessed him abundantly. Why should Job not be religious?

Satan proposed a test to see if Job would continue to serve God, even if he lost everything and suffered personal anguish and pain. Satan was so sure of the shallowness of Job’s faith. He claimed that Job would curse God to his face. On the other hand, God had confidence on Job. He accepted Satan’s challenge and agreed to the test. However, God retained ultimate control over everything Satan could do to Job.

Job’s real problem began in heaven, but was carried out in the world. Job lost his property, his family, his health and his standing in the community. He wished he had been consulted. He had no control over the test, yet he experienced all this drama in purity.

What responses to God’s people have when bad things happen to them? Several such options may be considered. First of all, one response remains close to Job. He could not unlock the secrets of heaven and obtain perfect divine wisdom. God gives us wisdom, but only in limited amount. Job had deal with his problems with the limited wisdom God had given him. He did acknowledge God’s gifts and recognize that the God who gives good gifts, had the right to take away. Still he lamented his faith bitterly. Job defended his innocence, debated his accusers and questioned God’s justice.

Job’s three friends reacted differently. They considered his suffering evidence of his sinfulness. Elihu  argued that Job’s suffering was to primarily discipline and teach him. All this options may be legitimate in various circumstances. No one of the options can be  made into a general rule that covers every problem that any person may have. Job finally humbled himself before God. He confessed that God can do all things and that none of his purposes will fail.

The book of Job does not deal necessarily with the problem of evil in the world. It deals instead with a very practical problem and that is –  WHY AM I SUFFERING? The book is about the sufferings of one righteous man in the Old Testament. Most of us have occasion to raise Job’s questions.

The book of Job is concerned primarily with undeserved suffering. That issue is raised in several other places in the Old Testament and at least five theological conclusions can be drawn from the book of Job about God and undeserved suffering.

THEOLOGICAL CONCLUSION

First of all, suffering can come suddenly and explicitly to any one, even a righteous person for one day, Job lost his oxen, donkeys, camels and all his children. Later, Job lost his health.  Job knew the immediate causes of his suffering and loss, these storms and disease. But he believed that behind this immediate causes God was is in control of all things. God’s apparent failure to control this disaster, as Job had expected him to, disturbed Job.

Second, undeserved suffering raises the question of justice in the world and ultimately the justice of God. The book of Job is not a justification of the ways of God to man. Solutions to the problems of suffering outside biblical applications are not considered in the book of Job. Job pressed God for an explanation within his faith and one all powerful God. He questioned the ways of God, and God agreed Job was justified in doing so. God encourages people to exercise a moral judgement, even  to the point of questioning history of governing and nature. God does not, however, want us to justify ourselves by condemning him. Human wisdom is not adequate to solve problems of undeserved suffering. As we read and study this, we learn that Job was suffering because of a test of his faith. However, as readers of Job, we can never be sure of our suffering in not only God’s way of testing us. We like Job will suffer in the dark. Job and his friends used human wisdom to solve, articulate and debate possible reasons for Job’s suffering, but the never discovered the real reason. In the process, they said things that had no basis in fact. The friends were silenced, and Job confessed his faith with knowledge about things he did not understand.  Human wisdom is severely limited.  Only God has perfect wisdom.

The book of Job provides us with hints of possible explanation for suffering. Suffering may be a test. Our struggles and sufferings we can without knowing it, struggle and test for God’s honor. Suffering may be to discipline and to teach us. Suffering may be due to known and unknown sin. The three friends of Job believed that suffering is due to sins of the sufferer. This is not always so. Jesus said about the man blind from birth – no one sinned.

All the possible explanations we have may no help the sufferer. Only God can meet our needs at a time of suffering. Humans are unitarian beings. When our bodies suffer, our minds, emotions and spiritual lives are affected. The book of Job to deliver a spiritual message to tortured people. Job’s problem was not primarily physical.

The account of his healing and restoration serves only to inform the reader the test is over. Job’s problem was not primarily mental because Job was never given an explanation of his suffering. Job’s problem was mainly spiritual. Although he held on to his righteousness of faith, he felt his sufferings had separated him from God. When God spoke to him while he was suffering, Job found relief, but not from his suffering. God assured him that innocent suffering is no proof of isolation from God. Job and apostle Paul were sufferers in common.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

Suffering may come suddenly to anyone. Suffering does not necessarily mean God is angry with us or separate us from himself.

A mystery surrounds suffering. Human wisdom is severely limited to explain the ultimate causes of suffering. God can relief the distress and calm the fears of the sufferer. The sufferer in turn must have faith in God’s goodness and sovereignty.

God can transform evil into good as he did at the cross. This theological statement could not help meet our need when we suffer, rather, theological statement seek to point us beyond wisdom and knowledge, to a point of faith and trust.

Suffering causes us to renewed dialogue with God. In conversations with God, we, just like Job  can discover God’s personal presence with us. The joy and comfort of that presence may still our pain. It will, however, provide our greatest need of assurance that God still cares and accepts us even as we suffer.  His presence remind us that even our redeemer lives today, even after suffering and dying for us. He understand what we are doing and gives the ultimate answer, resurrection to life beyond pain.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

Time of Job is unknown.

Introduction to the Book of Esther

Purpose – To demonstrate God’ Sovereignty and his loving care for his people.

Author – Unknown, but some suggest Modercai, Ezra or Nehemiah’

Key People – Esther, Modercai, King, Harman

Key Places – King’s palace in Tursian, Persia

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY – Book of Esther tells of circumstances that were essential to the survival of God’s people in Persia. These circumstances were not a result of chance,  but of God’s grand design. God is sovereign over every area of life.

RACIAL HATRED – Jews in Persia, had been a minority since their deportation from Judah about 100 years earlier. Harman was a descendant of King Agag. He knew not the Jews. Lust for power and pride cause Harman to hate Modercai, Esther’s husband and convinces the King to kill all the Jews.

DELIVERANCE – The Jews of today, on February 28 celebrate the feast of PURIM which celebrates deliverance. Harman set a date for extermination of Jews from Persia, but God overruled using Queen Esther to intercede on behalf of  the Jews.

ACTIONS – Faced with death, Esther and Modecai set aside their fear and took action. Esther risked her own life by asking King to save the Jews. They were not paralyzed by fear.

WISDOM – The Jews were a minority in a world hostile to them. It took great wisdom for Modecai to survive. Serving as a faithful official  to the King, Modecai sought to understand and work with the Persian law, yet he did not compromise his integrity.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE

Book of Esther addresses God’s people at one of the lowest moment of their history. Persia had replaced Babylon as a dominant world power.  Jews had returned from Babylon to Palestine.

The temple had been rebuilt. Still, the great expectation for Jewish return to political power echoing major new redemptive act of God for his people  remained dreams unrelated to reality. Jews were scattered all over the known world. Each group began to device their own way of maintaining their religious tradition. Political and social condition threatened to destroy the unity of God’s people.

Geographical distance, ongoing generations without social integration into the Palestine culture lessened Jews ties to Palestine and the new Temple in Jerusalem. For some Jews the meaning of Babylon and Persia was economically feasible and prosperity made it too costly to worry about faithfulness to homeland and to any other religious tradition. The ancient festival look too far removed from life. Worship in the temple seemed distanced from their lives. They wondered what faith meant for modern living.

Original readers of Esther faced many options. They could ignore religious tradition of their fathers and become integrated to the modern progressive society of the Persian ruler. Or they could develop a special kind of Jewish religious practices cynical to life of persia without regard to continuity of Israelite life. Or, they could retreat  into a sect of Judaism version and completely avoid Persian life. They could turn their religion into a constant act of self-pitying and wailing. Or, they could pursue their economic goals within Persian world of trade and ignore the consequences of religious teachings. Or they could center their lives on apocaplytic expectations on the day of the Lord, withdrawn from the society and waiting for God’s final act of salvation. Or, they continue to recognize God’s action on their behalf even in the midst of the Persian political control. They could develop contemporary ways to celebrate continued faith of their religion and scripture.

The writer of Esther, skillfully formulated the story of Esther to provide Israelite, living under Persian rule  a model for faith and life; and a way to celebrate God’s work in their day.

Esther was written about circa 400 BC. The writer uses language and scenes that could remind biblically educated reader of God’s work in the dark days of Joseph to Moses, to God’s work in the life of an orphan Jewish teenager. The book of Esther describe God’s new deliverance of his people from the threat of foreign domination and extinction. The book gave God’s people in exile a special reason to celebrate God’s action for them and to let them remember annually the joy of living and serving the God who acted for his people no matter where they were living.

The book of Esther was inspired by God, even though the name of God, or the name of God does not appear in the book. This shows that God can teach his people through entertaining historical literature as well as through strongly theological writing. Theological teaching is not limited to any one form of writing. God choose many forms of writing to ensure his people understand the many acts that he is working for them, and of their proper response to him.

THEOLOGICAL LESSONS FROM BOOK OF ESTHER

• God works in all history, even when his actions are not obvious and does not raise up his prophets to interpret his actions.
• Positions of influence are opportunities to show loyalty to God and his purpose for his people
• Social status in birth doesn’t determine one’s potential for ministry.
• God’s people do not have to exercise political power or to have reason for celebration. Celebration of God’s victorious is not limited to one time, location or race. No age gives sufficient reason to forsake the faith of our fathers.
• We must always remember that history stands under God’s control. Outward condition may indicate that God has suffered defeat, and pagan powers of pagan kings have gained total control. Such occurences are only a limited range of history.
• Historical festival of God’s people reminds us of God’s control of history under Egyptian, Persian and Roman etc.
• The triumph of Modecai and Esther shows faithfulness of God to bring historical deliverance to his people through faithfulness.
• Understanding God’s working in history can also come through literature that refers to God in oblag langauge. God’s people are expected to be wise enough to know such language and confession of faith, even without religiously explicit references.
• Positions of influence may come to God’s people when they least expect it. Such positions may be in service of a pagan empire and bring moments of tension and crisis. Loyalty to God may bring testing to loyalty to ruler served. As long as service to the ruler does not conflict loyalty to God, it can bring glory to God. Loyalty to God must always come before loyalty to empire. Service to empire may be regarded as a gift from God with responsibility to look for opportunity to serve God’s purpose and to help his people.
• Righteousness sets limit a person can never overcome. Esther’s opposition seem nil. She was young, orphan, poor, female and living in a society dominated by upper class male. Humble obedience to God and trust opened opportunities for influence and service. Hereos of faith are often suprised.
• God does not work according to worldly values and expectation. He works through committed people willing to do his will, fulfilling his purpose in people and giving him the praise and honor. God’s people do not have to have political power to celebrate God’s power.
• Persian Jews who did not participate in exile  return to homeland seemed less likely to find reason to celebrate God’s powerful deliverance. Modecai seemed to have little opportunity. The jews seemed doomed under Harman’s decree. God used the unlikely Esther to open doors of opportunity.
• Faithful Jews under Modecai did not credit human integrity for deliverance and victory. They celebrated God’s festival  seeing their deliverance as momentary exodus. God’s power to deliver is greater than any danger we will face. Our job is revere God and to celebrate his deliverance.
• Celebration of God’ victories is open to every generation, everwhere without exclusion of any person. God’s deliverance from non-Jewish can celebrate the victory. Generations after Esther could not actively participate in the feast of Purim, celebrating the victory in Esther’s days. Such celebration kept alive new hope for victories of God and strengthened faith to face daily situation without immediate victory. In reading the book of Esther, without mentioning the name of God, they could worship God without religious language.
• Persia offered perfect opportunity for choosing to become part of the culture. There were many opportunities that made it easy to give us religious practices of their heritage. There was skillful planning for the book of Esther to remind Persian Jews were reminded of God’s great victories and called to retain their religious traditions even while serving in foreign empire. The stories of the lives of Jews in persia told in the literary version of Esther could become and evangelistic tool to invite other nationalities to join the Jewish people in maintaining their religious heritage and celebrating God’s deliverance of his people.

MODERN DAY APPLICATION

Esther stands as a beacon for people tempted to trade success for the faith of their fathers. It calls our society to be aware of God’s work in our day even through pathetic leaders.

It teaches us to trust God even in the darkest days of our lives. We must not understand our skills and abilities and even those of other people because of there wrong race, or class, sex or educational level. We must find ways to communicate God’s news to the people of our day rather than alienating them immediately.

We must worship moments of celebration that attracts even people outside our religious circle and maintain continuity with traditions of our faith, finding ways to our faith even in new social conditions.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

480BC

• Harman’s plot to destroy the Jews
• Esther intercedes for her people
• King orders Harman to be hanged
• Feast of Purim was instituted

Book of Esther has 10 chapters, 167 verses, 5637 words. The most unusual feature of Esther is that never once throughout the whole book, is God  or the name of God mentioned.

Introduction the Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah is the last of the Old Testament Historical Books. The purpose for Nehemiah being written is because the history of the third return to Jerusalem after captivity so they have the walls rebuild and the people renewed in their faith.

AUTHOR –

Much of the book is written in first person with Nehemiah  as author and Ezra serving as editor

KEY PEOPLE – Nehemiah, Ezra, Sanballat and Tobias

KEY PLACE – Jerusalem

The book of Nehemiah opens in the Persian city of Susa in the year 444 BC. Later that year, Nehemiah traveled to Israel, leading the third of three returns by the Jewish people following their seventy years of exile in Babylon. (The previous chapter on Ezra describes the earlier two returns.) Most of the book centers on events in Jerusalem. The narrative concludes around the year 430 BC, and scholars believe the book was written shortly thereafter.

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

WALL: Although the Jews completed the temple in about circa 516 BC the city walls remained unfinished for the next 70 years. This walls represented power, protection and beauty in the city of Jerusalem. They were needed to protect the Temple from desperate attack and ensure the continuity of worship. God put the desire to rebuild the Temple wall in Nehemiah’s heart giving him a vision for the work.

PRAYER: Both Nehemiah and Ezra responded to the problem with prayer. When Nehemiah began his work, he recognized the problem and immediately prayed and then acted on the problem.

LEADERSHIP: Nehemiah demonstrated excellent leadership. He was spiritually ready to heed God’s call. He used careful planning, team-work, problem solving and courage to get the work done.   Although he had tremendous faith, he never avoided the extra work necessary for good leadership.

PROBLEM: After the work began, Nehemiah faced scorn, slander and threat from enemy, as well as fear, conflict  and strive from his own workers.  Although these problems were difficult, they did not stop Nehemiah from finishing the work.

REPENTANCE AND REVIVAL: Although God had enabled them to build the wall, the work was not complete until the people had rebuild their lives spiritually. Ezra exhorted the people in God’s word and they recognized the sin in their lives, admitted it and assumed the task to remove it.

THEOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH

God’s people faced threat from two directions.

1. Temptation to empty  formalism and legalism threatened their worship life, planning disinterest and indifference, nagging constantly.

2. The loose of moral values threatened to replace God’s standards. Racially and religious mixed marriages were common place and was described as unfaithfulness to God.

Both threats faced the returning Jews.  The relationship to God became a weakened water. Ezra and Nehemiah preserve three major stories, written to counteract the threat and to strengthen the faith of a hopeless people.

1. First story is the rebuilding of the temple which demonstrated the importance of worship.

2. Account of repeat emphasize on God’s law by Ezra which underscores the absolute necessity for rules and regulations if worship and life before God was to be acceptable.

3. Nehemiah restoring the walls of Jerusalem and of his reforms. These reforms magnify the need for a genuine concern for reputation and for public image. What do the world think of people with broken city walls? What would distinguish God’s people through a guilt of intermarriage with those not in proper covenant relationship  with the one true God? Nehemiah’s drastic actions reminds the people and us, that it does matter what we think about and what others think about our faith.

Ezra and Nehemiah are a profound encouragement to God’s people to magnify worship as supremely important. They emphasize the need for and use of God’s word as the only authoritative rule for living and to be concerned about the image God’s people give the world.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are historical books. They contain the last century of Israel’s history that the bible records. Ezra begins with the first group of Jews to return from exile around circa 530 BC.  Nehemiah concludes with the last group around circa 432 BC.

These books centers on three main characters. (1) Zerrubabel (2) Ezra and (3) Nehemiah.

The two books are treated as one book for two reasons. First, they were one in the ancient Hebrew and Greek old Testament. Second, Ezra’s story climaxes in Nehemiah. Part of Nehemiah’s story is in Ezra.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are also, theological books. Thirteen times, God is described as the King of Heaven, nine times in Ezra and four times in Nehemiah. God is describe the same number of times as the God of Israel, but only in Ezra. Fifty one times, God is referred to as our God (sometimes my God), 23 times in Ezra, 28 times in Nehemiah. Proper name of God YAHWEH is only found 53 times – 37 in Ezra and 16 in Nehemiah. Strangely, God is called LORD only four times in Nehemiah.

Throughout the two books, theological themes abound. God gets much attention with 64 references. 44 times in Ezra, 20 times in Nehemiah. God’s law is directly referred to no less than 27 times. 8 times in Ezra, 19 times in Nehemiah, along with references to his command, ordinances, decrees and warning. Worship of God  is woven throughout both books. Much is said about the Temple, the levites, sacrifices, prayer, music and confession.

Books of Ezra and Nehemiah inform us of seven essential doctrines.

1. God’s word is trustworthy and is central for faith
2. Worship is necessary for God’s people
3. God’s disciple obey him
4. God gives his people leaders
5. Opponent enter God’s work
6. Prayer is our response to God’s presence
7. God is sovereign.

God’s word is essential and important. It must be greatly emphasized. It must be studied and heeded as the only authoritative rule for living. Ezra and Nehemiah, make it transparently clear how important and essential God’s truth is for God’s people.

Scripture is to be trusted. Ezra and Nehemiah were written to fulfill the work of the Lord. God’s work spoken through Jeremiah was literally fulfilled in these two books. God’s temple was rebuilt. God’s law was taught and God’s city was destroyed as predicted.

God is universally Sovereign. He is not limited. He can use Cyrus to release his people from Captivity and return to their fatherland. He can use Artetexes the other Persian King to authorize and finance the trip of Ezra to teach God’s people God’s law. This same King also has Nehemiah restore some measure of respectability to God’s Holy City.

Worship of GOD is absolutely necessary. It is so necessary that the worship center must be built. Enthusiasm for restoring the worship center can die quickly. God raised up a Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people back on course to complete the worship center. Nothing must zip the worship of God by his people.

Obedience to God is not optional. It is an obligation that sometimes comes with a high price. God had said, they should not marry certain people. When they did, they had to pay a painful price to correct the problem.  Spouse and people who were not of God were to be send away. God’s people must strive to be unique sometimes at a very high cost.

Hard work is necessary for obedience for worship. Re-directing the efforts of building a sanctuary is no easy job. Though expensive and difficult, it had to be done. Rebuilding Jerusalem temple was demanding and exhausting task. It had to be done.

Leadership is God’s plan. He raises up leaders. Some of God’s chosen leaders are unpopular and opposed at every angle. God raised up Zerrubabel. He chose Ezra and he used Nehemiah. Only Ezra was a religious leader. Zerrubabel and Nehemiah were laymen.

Opposition must be expected and prepared for. Zerrubabel and Nehemiah faced damaging opposition.  But God’s task had to be done. They stood their ground and kept confidence in God. Opposition to God’s people and God’s work cannot be a reason for God’s people not doing God’s work. When the Jews were building the temple, the eyes of God was watching over them and despite opposition, they were not stopped.

Encouragement is always in order. Opposition causes discouragement. Encouragement is always needed. God raises up encouragers like Haggai and Zechariah. When the work of the worship center came to a halt, Haggai and Zechariah showed up on the scene and God’s people continued to built and prospered under the preaching of Haggai and prophet Zechariah.

Godly uniqueness should characterize God’s people. Intimate relationship with those who are not God’s people undermine godly character. Correctly worldly attachment can be sad and very expensive. The Jews sending away their spouses and children must be understood in the right context. They separated themselves from unclean practices of their gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the GOD of Israel. The Lord filled them with joy.

God is immanent. He is with us. Ezra and Nehemiah portrays this. He says “for the hand of the Lord was with us.”

Prayer is fundamental and indispensable. Both of these books magnify this concept. Both men prays. Nehemiah prayed a lot of prayers. He prayed short prayers also.

Confession and covenant making are basic to a godly life. Ezra and Nehemiah teach about the need and how of confessing. Both practices indicate seriousness of attention and validate our faith.

MODERN DAY THEOLOGICAL APPLICATION

1. To magnify the pre-emminent, importance and supremeness of worship of God, of prayer to God and of the word of God.
2. To make up some changes and move up for God. Jews had to leave exile and return home.
3. To worship and leave according to God’s way and God’s word regardless of circumstances. (Case of Sanballat’s challenge)
4. To be a separate, distinguished people for God, and yet avoid racism, isolationism, nepotism.
5. To be willing to work hard, determined to complete the job began by God, like building the temple and city walls.
6. To ensure that God’s word is taught by skill, trained teachers like Ezra.
7. To be willing to confess our sins, openly at times, and to be willing to make corrections like Jews in sending away their non-Jewish family.
8. To make God’s ways and God word the determining factor in dealing with sticky social and ethical issues. Like Nehemiah we must be willing to work for some old-fashioned revival.

TIMELINE APPLICATION

Exile Return from Babylon – 538 BC

Temple Building Began – 536 BC

Completion of Temple – 516 BC

Ezra journeys to Jerusalem – 457 BC

Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem in 443 BC

Building of the walls – 443 BC.

Completion of Walls – 443 BC

Introduction to the Book of Ezra

PURPOSE

• Book of Ezra was written to show God’s faithfulness and the way he kept his promise to restore his people to their land.

AUTHOR

• Most scholars agree it was Ezra

KEY PEOPLE

• Zerubabel,  Zechariah, Cyrus, Darius Artaxerxes I and  Ezra

KEY PLACES

• Babylon and Jesuralem

MAJOR THEOLOGICAL THEMES

THE JEWS’ RETURN: By return to the land of Israel from Babylon, the Jews people showed their faith in God to restore them as a people. They returned not only to their homeland but to the place where their forefathers had promised to follow God.

RE-DEDICATION: In circa 531 BC Zurababel led the people in rebuilding the altar and laying the temple foundation. They re-instated the temple sacrifices and annual festivals and re-dedicated themselves to a new worship of God.

OPPOSITION – Opposition came soon after the altar was build and the temple foundation was laid. Enemies of the Jews used deceit to halt the temple for six years. Opposition tested their wavering faith.

GOD’S WORD- When the people returned to the land, they were also returning to the emphasize of God’s word. The prophet Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them while Ezra’s preaching of scriptures build them up. God’s word gave them what they needed to do God’s work.

FAITH AND ACTION – The working of Israel’s leaders motivated the people to complete the temple. Over the years, they had intermarried with idols worshipers and adopted their pagan practices. Their faith tested everybody and also led them to remove these things from their lives.