Archive | September 2025

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 273

Sep30

Day 273 – Reading –  Malachi  1 – 4

Malachi is the last prophetic word from God until John the Baptist comes to announce the “Lamb of God/Messiah”; a long 400 years. (Although in the earlier Jewish Bible, Nehemiah was the last book, as it finishes Israel’s history.) 

Malachi’s prophecy was most likely written during the time Nehemiah temporarily returned to Persia after completing and dedicating the wall of Jerusalem.  Remember how angry the cupbearer was when he heard all the ways the Jews had slipped back into their old ways? (Nehemiah 13).

He hurried back to Jerusalem to try and correct the corrupt priests, the failure to support the Temple work by tithing, their working and selling on the Sabbath, and their intermarriage with pagans, even among the priests. Also, their earlier injustice towards the poor.

Malachi also addresses these sins.

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Malachi 1.

“The word of the LORD  to Israel.” And n insightful conversation with them.

The LORD: “I have loved you.”

People: “How have you loved us?”

The LORD: “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother, and I hated Esau.”  See all the ways I have judged and destroyed Esau’s people. I will be angry with THEM forever. But you, O Jacob, I have loved, even in judgment.

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Then God zooms down on the corrupt PRIESTS.

The LORD: “Where is My honor, My fear, O priests who despise My name?”

Priests: “How have we despised Your name?”

The LORD: “By offering polluted food on My altar.”

Priests: “How have we polluted you?”

The LORD: “When you offer blind animals as sacrifice. You offer the lame and sick. I have no pleasure in you, and I will not accept the offering from your hand.  My Name will be great among the NATIONS, and in every place incense and a pure offering will be offered in My Name.”

Priests: “Snort! What a weariness this is.”

The LORD: “Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.”

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Malachi 2.

MORE judgment comes onto the corrupt priests. God gives these men (who are supposed to represent God to the people) a choice – Listen and obey, OR “I will send the curse upon you and will curse your blessings.  I will rebuke your offspring. I will spread dung on your faces and on your offerings. (WHOA!) “And you will be taken away as the waste of the sacrifices is carried outside the camp and burned.”

Originally, God’s covenant with the Levite priests was “one of life and peace.”  As they feared God and stood in awe of His Name, “true instruction was in their mouths.”  They “walked with God in peace and uprightness, and they turned many from iniquities.“

(This is what our church leaders should do today as well.)

Then the LORD blasts those corrupt priests again.  “But YOU have turned aside from the way. YOU have caused many to stumble by your instruction. YOU have corrupted the covenant of Levi.  And so, I will make YOU despised and abased before the people.”

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Then the people of Judah get into the conversation again. It’s about the foreign women again.

People: “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us all? Then why do You say we are faithless and profane the covenant of our fathers?

The LORD: “You have been faithless, and abomination has been committed. You have profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which I love, and have married the daughter of a foreign god.  May any descendant of Jacob who does this be cut off from my people.”

People: “Why don’t you regard our offerings or accept them? Don’t you see our weeping and groaning?

The LORD: “Because I see the wives of your youth, to whom you have been faithless.  Did I not make you ONE, with a portion of the Spirit in your union?  I desired godly offspring.  The man who does not love his wife but divorces her (and marries a pagan woman), covers his garment with violence. GUARD YOURSELVES IN YOUR SPIRIT AND DO NOT BE FAITHLESS.”

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And then it seems God has had enough.

The LORD: “You have wearied the LORD with your words.”

People and priests: “How have we wearied Him?

Answer:  “By saying that, everyone who does evil (inferior offerings, pagan wives), is ‘good’ in the sight of the LORD because He ‘delights’ in them.”

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Malachi 3.

Then, one of the familiar passages in the book, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.  And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple;  and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, Behold, He is coming, says the LORD of Hosts.

He is like a refiner’s FIRE and like fullers’ SOAP. He will refine and purify the sons of Levi as silver and gold, so they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD.”

Notice the TWO MESSENGERS that God promises to send. 

  1. The messenger who will prepare the way…. (John the Baptist).
  2.  The Messenger of the Covenant will suddenly come to his temple. He will refine and purify… (Jesus, in both his first and second comings, refining the remnant).

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Then comes more of their rebellious conversation with God.

The LORD: “I, the LORD, do not change, therefore YOU, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.  As of old, you have not kept my statutes.  RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU.  But you will ask how to return.  Will a man rob God?  YOU are robbing me!

The people:  “How have we robbed you? 

The LORD: “In your tithes and contributions. The whole nation of you are ROBBING ME!

Again, another very familiar passage of God telling them (and us) that we can “test Him” on this. 

The LORD: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. PUT ME TO THE TEST, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

(I have done this – I have tested the Lord by giving a regular, full tithe.  And He proved more than faithful and delightful in His blessings to me. You won’t believe how he can stretch the amount that is left from the tithe!  We couldn’t see how it happened, but it did.  God was faithful.  He delighted in proving Himself in this test.  PRAISE HIM!)

Next, the whining people of the God of Israel bring up another point.  They say that “God is not fair. We serve Him by walking in His laws, and we are chastised, whereas evildoers do what they want and prosper.  They defy God and escape. It’s not fair!”

Malachi now mentions the “book of remembrance,” to counter the people’s complaint that the evildoers always prosper.  In that book are all the names of those who fear the LORD and esteem His Name. 

“THEY are mine!” says the LORD. “In the day of judgment, I will spare them. And you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does NOT serve Him.”

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Malachi 4.

Malachi continues the thought of the differences between the evildoer and the faithful.

  1. “The day of the LORD is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble, set ablaze till nothing is left. 
  2. “But for those who fear God’s name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.  They will walk all over the wicked for they will be ashes under their feet.

So, God’s final word to the arguing, complaining people of His Name?  “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and the rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.”

(Israel was still obligated to keep the Law……. until their Messiah came as the Lamb of God, sacrificed for their sin (fulfilling the Law).   

  • That time was coming! 
  • The saving Messiah was coming. 
  • Watch out for the herald who will announce Him! 
  • Watch and be ready!

 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers …………. lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

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John the Baptist was a “type” of Elijah, “preparing the way” of Jesus, in His first coming.

Elijah and Moses both appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Maybe it is Elijah and Moses as the two witnesses in the Great Tribulation.

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Okay, now.  It will be 400 years before they again hear the voice of God.  It comes in the form of Gabriel the angel, speaking to the priest Zacharias. 

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, AND GO BEFORE HIM IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH … to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

WOW.  Tomorrow’s study will be 400 years later than todays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 271 & 272

Sep29

Day 271 – Reading – Nehemiah  8 – 10

Day 272 – Reading Nehemiah 11 – 13, and Psalm 126

Today’s reading tells of the people weeping, experiencing “the joy of the LORD,” celebrating and rejoicing, and a deep and long confession of their sin and the sins of their ancestors, ending in a solemn commitment in writing to obey God.  All this … because they heard God’s Word read and explained.

(****Oh, LORD, may my reading and study of Your word elicit weeping, confession of sin, then joy & celebration with a commitment to love and obey You…from my heart.)

Day 271 – Nehemiah 8.

It was the first of the seventh month, usually when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated.  The people gathered as one to hear the Law of Moses read.  A wooden platform was built to elevate Ezra and 14 other priests who would help to read and explain the law. This was set up in the large area facing the Water Gate, south of the Temple Mount. 

Ezra opened the scroll, and all the people stood.  He blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people said, “Amen, amen.” 

While the people stood in their places, they read from the book of The Law of God, clearly, and gave the sense (meaning) so the people understood.  They read from early morning until midday, about six hours or more…. all standing.  And all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

Nehemiah and Ezra said to the people. “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  They told the people to go their way, eat and drink sweet wine, and send food to those who had nothing ready. It was a holy day to the LORD.  So there was great rejoicing.

The next day, all the heads of fathers’ houses, with the priests and Levites, came together to Ezra to study the words of the Law. They found it written that the people should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should publish it in the surrounding area. “Go out to the hills and bring branches and make booths.” 

So they obeyed and set up booths everywhere, living in them for the week. And day by day, they read from the Book of the Law of God.  They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Nehemiah 9.

And so, in the spirit of the solemn Day of Atonement, the people of Israel assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and earth thrown on their heads (a sign of deep contrition). 

They STOOD and CONFESSED their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 

They stood and read the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of a day. For another quarter of the day, they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

On the stairs, the high priest Jeshua and other priests cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

Then Jeshua and the others told the people to stand up and bless the LORD their God.

“From everlasting to everlasting, Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. YOU are the LORD, YOU alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve all of them, and the host of heaven worships You. You are the LORD, the God who chose Abraham….  And You have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.

And throughout the day, they recited the history of how God dealt with His chosen people, Israel.

  • “You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love … and you did not forsake them….. even when they made a golden calf…
  • “You in your great mercy did not forsake them in the wilderness…”
  • “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna…. and gave them water… sustaining them for forty years.
  • “You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner.”
  • “You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven…”
  • “So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness.”

They confessed the sin and rebellion of their fathers.

  • “But they were disobedient and rebelled and cast your law behind them….
  • “You gave them to their enemies who made them suffer…
  • “But when they cried out to You, You heard from heaven and sent saviors….
  • “Yet they turned again away from You and did evil… so You sent their enemies again.
  • “Many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.
  • “Many years You bore with them and warned them, yet they would not listen.
  • “Nevertheless, in Your great mercies, You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for YOU are a gracious and merciful God.

Now, they confess their own sins, and acknowledge that where they are, is because of their sin. 

  • “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, You have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
  • “Our kings, princes, priests and fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to Your commandments and warnings, they did not serve You or turn from their wicked ways…..
  • And now, behold, WE ARE SLAVES THIS DAY, in this land You gave our fathers to enjoy.  WE ARE SLAVES, and the land’s rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins.  They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in distress.

And so they wrote and signed a “firm covenant” to obey God and not repeat the sins of their fathers. 

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Nehemiah 10.

The people who signed the Covenant are listed in detail at the top of this chapter. Nehemiah, the Governor, is first. Then, all the leaders and nobles, priests, Levites, temple workers, and of the laity, those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the land to the Law of God, with their wives and children. They enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses, and to do all the commandments of the LORD.   They also pledged to give the yearly Temple tax to support the religious workers, and the regular required offerings. 

“We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our ground and of all fruit trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD.  Also, the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, herds, and flocks.”

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”

(These are bold and righteous commitments.  Can they keep them? (If they were like me and the people today, probably not, sadly.)

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Day 272 – Nehemiah 11

The leaders of the people lived INSIDE Jerusalem, while the rest of the people lived outside the walls in their towns and villages.   So the people cast lots to bring ONE OUT OF TEN to live inside the city walls.  Nehemiah did this to hurry up the reestablishment of homes and businesses in Jerusalem.  Names of people and places are listed in this chapter.

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Nehemiah 12.

Before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, there were 24 courses of priests, each course serving in the temple for a period of two weeks per year. (King David set up the schedule.)

Sadly, only FOUR of the 24 courses returned from Babylon.  These were now divided into 24 courses. 

  • (Only 22 are mentioned here, perhaps because these priestly families died out with no sons to follow at the time Zerubbabel originally named them.)

Next, the finished wall around Jerusalem was dedicated.   All the Levites were called in to celebrate the dedications with GLADNESS, THANKSGIVINGS, and SINGING.

The Priests and Levites first purified themselves, and then they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then Nehemiah brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two “great choirs” to give thanks.  One half went all the way south along the wall, and the other went to the north to meet them, all surrounding the House of the LORD.

They sang, offered sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. “And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away!   For long ago in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” 

(Thank you, David.  And thanks to all our own music directors and leaders who lead congregations in praise in churches around the world!)

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Psalm 126.

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them”

The LORD has done great things for us;

We are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negev!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home wit shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

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Nehemiah 13.

Now in the 32nd year of King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah returned to Persia as he said he would.  He’d organized and led the people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and they’d done it with God’s help and protection. The wall had been dedicated.  

But while he was back in Persia, bad things were happening again.  He (obviously) got news of it and asked permission from the king to return.

Problem #1. While they were reading from the Law of Moses each day in the annual cycle, they came on the portion (Deut. 23:3-6) that said “No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God because of that event with Balaam cursing them as they approached the Promised Land.”

As soon as they heard that law, the people separated out those of foreign descent from the temple workers, but…..  before the reading and the doing of this law, something awful had happened.  One of the priests – Eliashib, whom Nehemiah had caught siding with the enemy earlier (Neh. 2:10) – had smuggled Tobiah into one of the storage rooms of the temple, and he was LIVING THERE!   THE NERVE!

(You remember Tobiah, right?  He and Sanballat were two of the main hindrances to Nehemiah’s wall work.)

SO…………  when Nehemiah got back, he was VERY ANGRY!  He threw out Tobiah and all his household furniture from the chamber. Then he gave orders for the chamber to be cleansed, and for the vessels of the House of God to be brought back in.

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Problem #2. And while he was at it, Nehemiah found that the portions of support had not been given to the Levites, so they had gone home to work in their fields. 

Nehemiah confronted the officials, gathered the Levites back to their stations, and got after the people until they brought their tithes of grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. He then appointed a reliable priest, a scribe, a Levite, and his assistant to fairly distribute to the Levites. 

Then Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for His service.”

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Problem #3. Then our eagle-eyed Nehemiah spotted people working on the Sabbath. They were treading grapes in the winepresses, and bringing in heaps of grain and fruit and fish which they loaded and brought into Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath!!!   

Nehemiah confronted the leaders about this broken law. “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?  Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city??? You are bringing MORE wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

Nehemiah began closing all the gates in the walls of Jerusalem as it started to get dark before the Sabbath.  He gave orders for them not to be opened until AFTER the Sabbath.  And he stationed his guards to make sure it happened. 

Problem #4. Sooo… the merchants simply unloaded all their stuff outside the wall and held a “market” there.  But Nehemiah got after them as well.  “If you do this again, I will lay hands on you!”

He then told the Levites that THEY should purify themselves and come guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day HOLY.

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.”

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Problem #5. And….. AGAIN…… Nehemiah saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod (Philistia), Ammon, and Moab.  And half their children couldn’t even speak Hebrew.

Nehemiah confronted them.  And cursed them.   And beat some of them.  And pulled out their hair!

(I’d say he was pretty angry and zealous for the LORD!!)

And Nehemiah made them swear an oath NOT to give their daughters or take daughters to foreigners.

“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women???  Among the nations, there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel……. nevertheless, FOREIGN WOMEN made even him to sin!  Shall YOU now act treacherously against our God?

Nehemiah noticed that one of the sons of the high priest had married one of Sanballat’s daughters!!!  Nehemiah CHASED HIM AWAY!

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Problems #6+. Then Nehemiah cleansed them from everything foreign … and he established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work … and he provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for first fruits.

Wow.

And he prayed, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”

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(What a man and what a leader Nehemiah was!  He was strong and hard on sin.  He did not get distracted from his work. He honored his word.  He was honest and giving.  It seems he knew MORE of the law than even the priests and Levites knew.  He led the people in righteousness. And he prayed … again and again.

O LORD, for men in leadership like this today!  And I ask that some of Nehemiah’s “straight path” ways would be evident in me too.)

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 270

Sep27

Day 270 – Reading –  Nehemiah  6 – 7

Nehemiah 6. 

THIRD OPPOSITION:  When those three conspirators – Sanballat, Tobiah, the Ammonite, and Geshem, the Arab – saw that the wall was built (but still had no gates), they invited Nehemiah to lunch.  HA!  Our boy knew they meant to harm him and declined. “I’m working and can’t stop.”

FOUR TIMES they sent him this invite and four times he declined. (Seems they should have gotten the message.)

Next, Sanballat sent an open letter via his servant accusing Nehemiah and the Jews of rebellion, saying they planned to make him King, in opposition to the one in Persia.  Then Artaxerxes will come and make war. 

Nehemiah’s response was stinging. “Seriously?? You are inventing things to frighten us, thinking we will drop the work and not finish!  Go you way, I’m not frightened!” 

Nehemiah didn’t stew about this threat, he prayed. “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”

FOURTH OPPOSITION: Next they hired a false prophet, to try and lure Nehemiah into the Temple and escape a murder threat. “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the Temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you by night.”

Nehemiah held up his hand to halt the fellow. “Should such a man as I run away?  And what man such as I (not a priest) could go into the temple and live? i will NOT go in.”  With that, Nehemiah understood that this was not a prophet of God, but a man from Tobiah and Sanballat. 

And again Nehemiah prayed, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to theses things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.” (Ezekiel 13:17-18)

And so, despite all the opposition, the wall was finished.  It took 52 days under Nehemiah’s stead leadership and resistance to opposition … and prayer.   “And when all our enemies heard of it, all nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”

However, Tobiah continued to send letters to try to make Nehemiah afraid.  (What a jerk!)

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Nehemiah 7.

When Nehemiah had finally finished the doors, and the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites had been appointed, he gave his brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the governor of the castle,** charge over Jerusalem, for the governor was “a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.” 

**The “castle” was the “Tower of Hananel” set on the NW corner of the wall.  It was used as protection for the Temple. (See the map of gates in yesterday’s post.) When Herod rebuilt the temple area, he made this “fortress,” the Antonia, where the Roman guard was housed in Jesus’ time.

Nehemiah’s instructions to Hananiah and his brother were to “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors.”   Nehemiah called for this to prevent looting and sabotage by their enemies, for “Jerusalem was wide and large, but the people within it were few. None of the houses had been rebuilt.”  (Such a smart leader!)

Then God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to enroll the nobles, officials, and people by genealogy.  He found the original book of the people who had returned in the first wave under Zerubbabel.  In that book, it was written,

“These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua…. etc.”

Nehemiah updated this record.

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 269

Sep26

Day 269 – Reading – Nehemiah  1 – 5

Next in the 3rd book of the exile history is Nehemiah.

It begins in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes’ reign in the Persian capital of Susa. Nehemiah, born into Jewish exile, was neither a prophet, priest, nor descendant in the royal line. He was a working man in a high and trusted position of “cup-bearer” to the king.

It was his duty to personally serve the King’s wine, even to first swallow some if there was a concern about poison.  It was a lucrative position.  Nehemiah had gained personal wealth as mentioned in Neh. 8:5, 10, 14, & 17.

Nehemiah was also a man of prayer. This book records TWELVE of his prayers. Several of them are very short, “arrow” prayers, showing that Nehemiah knew God, had a close relationship with Him, and could send brief, urgent requests as the need arose, confident that the LORD  would hear and answer.

The book of Nehemiah was written by Ezra.

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Nehemiah 1.

One day, Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, visited him, having just arrived from Judah. Nehemiah quizzed him about what was happening, and the brother spoke of bad news. The remnant there was in “great trouble and shame.” The walls and gates of Jerusalem, which King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed and burned nearly 200 years before, were still in a state of rubble.  The Holy City, the Temple, and the people were defenseless. 

This broke Nehemiah’s heart, and he began fasting and praying to the God of Heaven. (1:5-11) 

  1. He acknowledged that the people of Israel had sinned greatly in God’s sight. 
  2. He confessed that this is the reason they were scattered among the nations. 
  3. He reminded God of his promise to gather them back to the land … which He had.
  4. Then Nehemiah asked that God would give him good success when he put a request before the king that day.

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Nehemiah 2.

The scene is now in the dinner hall of the palace. Nehemiah is waiting upon the king. He pours a wine glass and gives it to Artaxerxes.

The king looks up into Nehemiah’s face, expecting to see a calm, assured smile. (It was against the law to have a sad or mad face in the presence of royalty.)

“Why is your face sad?“ he asked. “You’re not sick, are you?“ (e.g. Did you drink poison???)  Then the king looks closer, sits back, and says to his butler knowingly, “This is nothing but sadness of the heart.”

Nehemiah gulps and says, “Let the king live forever! But why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”

Putting his fingertips together and raising an eyebrow, Artaxerxes asks, “What are you requesting?”

Here is one of Nehemiah’s “arrow” prayers.  All that’s said is, “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”  Then he states his request. 

“If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight … that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father’s graves, that I may rebuild it.

The king glances at the queen, who is sitting beside him, then asks, “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?”   (It would be 12 years before his return. see Neh. 5:14)

Boldly, Nehemiah asked the king for letters, 1.) to the governors of the “province Beyond the River” that would let him pass through, 2.) to the keepers of the forest to get timber for the gates and the house he would live in.  The king granted him all … “because the good hand of my God was upon me.”

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Nehemiah arrived and was there three days before anyone knew it.  He wanted to see the situation with his own eyes, so at night he tried to ride around the city. He looked at the rubble, especially the destroyed gates, making plans as he went, until he reached a point that was impassable, and returned. (The Valley Gate, Dung Gate, Fountain Gate, and the King’s Pool.)

Then he approached the city officials and the people, and told them how God had been with him, and how the king had okayed the project. “Let us rise up and build!”

FIRST OPPOSITION:  When the neighboring governors (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab) heard it, they jeered and protested. “What?? Are you rebelling against the king?”  they cried.

“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you, YOU, have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem!” responded Nehemiah.

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Nehemiah 3.

Read this chapter as you follow the map. It lists the Gates and portions of the wall that each group worked on, starting at the top.

Beginning with the High Priest and other priests at the Sheep Gate, the Tower of the Hundred, and the Tower of Hananel, these worked nearest to the Temple of God.   

Another group of priests worked on the Fish Gate and the Gate of Yeshanah.

Others worked all the way down the western side to the Dung Gate, the King’s Garden, and the Pool. 

More workers repaired on the ascent, or Eastern side at the Water Gate, Horse Gate,  Muster Gate, and the Corner Tower and Gate of the Guard. They closed the gap at the Sheep Gate again.  

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Nehemiah 4.

SECOND OPPOSITION:  Sanballat came again, angry and jeering. He said in the presence of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing?  Will they restore it for themselves?  Will they sacrifice?  Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish?”

Tobiah, beside him, said, “Yes, they are building.  But if a fox goes upon it, he will break down their stone wall.”

Nehemiah doesn’t fight with shouts and fist-waving.  He prays to God,  “Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked You to anger in the presence of the builders.”

When Sanballat and Tobiah, along with the Arabs and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls was going well, and the breaches were getting closed, they were VERY ANGRY.  They all plotted together to come, and fight, and cause confusion.

But what did Nehemiah do?  And we prayed to our God and set a guard day and night.”

But a quiet unease began to spread among the workers.

  • “Our strength is failing.
  • There is too much rubble. 
  • By ourselves, we won’t be able to rebuild the wall. 
  • Our families are telling us to come home.
  • Our enemies said they would come in and kill us.”

So, Nehemiah, in the lowest parts of the wall, stationed the people by clans with swords, spears, and bows. 

And he encouraged them with, “Do not be afraid of them, Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

And from that day on, half of his servants worked on the construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.  And the laborers worked with one hand on a tool and one hand on a weapon.  And he told everyone, if they heard the sound of a trumpet, they were to rally to the spot and help.

All of Nehemiah’s own brothers, servants, and guards did not take off their clothes, but stayed inside the wall all night, with a weapon in hand.

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Nehemiah 5.

Another problem arose about the lack of food and supplies, and families going hungry.  Just like in Jerusalem in the days before the fall, the wealthier people were mistreating the poor.  Sons and daughters were being sold as laborers/slaves to pay for food. Vineyards, fields, and houses were being taken for taxes.

“WHAT IS THIS??” An angry Nehemiah wanted to know. He was very angry, and as governor, he brought charges against the nobles and officials. “You ought to walk in the fear of our God.   My brothers and I are lending them grain and money. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.  Return this very day, their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses.  AND return the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you took!

Meekly, the elders and officials said, “We will restore and require nothing further. We will do as you say.”  And the people DID as they said.  (WOW!)

Nehemiah adds that in all the 12 years he and his brothers were there, they did NOT TAKE THE GOVERNOR’S ALLOWANCE.   Also, he bought no land and fed many at his own expense.  He and his servants were there to work… to the glory of his God.

And he prayed, “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people”

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 268

Sep25

Day 268 – Reading – Ezra 7 – 10

We are picking up the book of Ezra after studying the book of Esther in the Bible’s chronological order.  Now, in Ezra 7, it is about 60 years later than Ezra 6.  The current Persian king is Artaxerxes, who is Ahasuerus’s son and Esther’s stepson. (Perhaps the x-queen Vashti was his mother.)

The Temple of God has been finished under Zerubbabel’s leadership, and a second wave of exiles is about to return under the leadership of a 22-year-old Torah scholar (scribe), Ezra.  This young man traces his line back through a group of notable priests, including Zadok (in David’s time), Phinehas, Eleazar, and Aaron.  But Ezra is not a priest (at least not yet, not yet 30).

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Ezra 7.

Ezra had “set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel.”  King Artaxerxes had given him all he asked for, for the task (people and any funds or supplies he needed), “for the hand of the LORD his God was upon Ezra.”

This great crowd of Israelites, with some priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, departed from Babylon with literally tons of money and supplies.  Four months later, they entered Jerusalem, having walked nearly 1,000 miles. 

Ezra carried a letter from the king, verifying their journey, with all the people, and all the money. (If they required anything else, it was available through his treasury.) Artaxerxes wanted to be sure the God of the Jews, “who lived in Jerusalem,” would be pleased with the king and his sons.  Ezra was also commissioned to appoint magistrates and judges to keep the law in this “province Beyond the River.”

Ezra praised God in all this, for he could see “the hand of the LORD his God” working for him.

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Ezra 8.

Again, we find a list of genealogies of the Jewish heads of houses with Ezra. If women and children are included, this wave of exiles numbered 7,000-8,000. (Still, so many Jews remained in Babylon. There would be one more wave returning under Nehemiah.) 

Before Ezra set out with all these people, he proclaimed a fast, “that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and our goods.”

Ezra was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect them on the way, since he had told the king that “the hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him, and the power of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.”  (Now, Ezra really had to trust God, and God listened to his prayer and “delivered them from ambushes on the way”.)

Ezra divided all the valuables among the priests to guard and keep them on the journey.  On arrival, all was safe, and the new returnees joined those who had rebuilt the temple and offered offerings to the God of Israel..

Ezra 9.

All joy and thanksgiving… then Ezra gets the bad news. The officials (leaders) came to him and said,

  • “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have NOT separated themselves from the people of the lands and their abominations. They have taken some of their daughters to be their wives and their sons’ wives … so that the “holy race” has mixed itself with the pagan.“

(You are kidding, right??)

When Ezra heard this, “he tore his garment and his cloak and pulled hair from his head and beard and sat appalled.”  (This is how it all started!  This was the root of why they were exiled!!)  Others, who “trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of this FAITHLESSNESS, sat with Ezra, appalled until the evening sacrifice..  Then Ezra fell to his knees, spread out his arms to God, and interceded.

  • “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.”
  • From the days of our fathers to this day, we have been in GREAT GUILT. 
  • For our INIQUITIES, we have gone to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame.

 

  • Now, for a brief moment, favor has been shown us by the LORD our God.  … to leave us a remnant and to give us a “secure hold” within His holy place.
  • We are slaves. But our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but extended to us His Steadfast Love before the kings of Persia to return us to this place.

 

  • AND NOW, O OUR GOD, WHAT SHALL WE SAY AFTER THIS?
  • For we have forsaken your commandments.
  • After all that has come upon us, You, our God, have not punished us less than our iniquities deserved.

 

  • Shall we break Your commandments again???
  • Would You not be angry with us until you consumed us?
  • O LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, YOU ARE JUST.  WE STAND BEFORE YOU IN OUR GUILT….”

(Wow, what a prayer. It reminds me of the prayer of confession of sin that Daniel prayed.)

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Ezra 10.

While Ezra wept bitterly before the LORD, a great assembly of men, women, and children gathered around him and also wept bitterly.

Then a representative confessed, “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women.  But even now, there is hope for Israel in spite of this.  Let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children according to the counsel of the commandment of our God, according to the Law.”

Ezra arose and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said.  Then he withdrew from before the Temple and spent the night fasting and mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles.

Then a proclamation went out that ALL the returning exiles should assemble at Jerusalem within three days.  If they didn’t, they would lose their property and be banned from the congregation.

WHOA!

All the men of Judah and Benjamin complied. All the people sat down in the square before the House of God.  They TREMBLED because of this matter.

(and because it was raining hard)

Ezra is now called a priest, although he has not yet been initiated. He has interceded for them before God and been recognized as the chief spiritual leader.

Ezra gave them the two essential parts of repentance:

  1. Confess your sin to the LORD your God, and
  2. Do His will. (Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, from foreign wives.)

It was recognized that the task was huge (and it was raining), so it was agreed that the priests would set up court dates for each unlawful marriage, when the participants would come and formally “be separated” and offer their sin offering.  

It took THREE MONTHS, but it was done. 

Think of the heartbreaks involved. (Husbands who loved their wives; children who needed their daddies.) Sin always has nasty, horrible results that can taint us for a lifetime.

(Appropriate provision was probably made for the divorced wives and any children.)  

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**** O LORD, there is so much to learn from Ezra. His absolute trust and dependence on God. His desire to be a spiritual teacher and leader. His intercessory prayer for the people and confession of sin. His determination to get rid of any sin “in the camp.” 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 267

Sep24

Day 267 – Reading – Esther 6 – 10

Yesterday, we began the story of Queen Esther. 

A lot of intrigue and emotions have happened. (Read it HERE if you haven’t already.)  We left off after Esther invited the King and Haman to a second banquet.  Haman felt on top of the world UNTIL he passed by Mordecai sitting at the gate. The old Jew did not acknowledge the Prime Minister in any way, and that really infuriated Haman.  At home, he told his friends about the second invite and about Mordecai.  They suggested he get rid of Mordecai so he could enjoy the Queen’s party.  The master villain quickly built a 75-foot-tall gallows.

The next day, Haman would get the King to okay THE JEW’S HANGING!  Then he could go to the Queen’s party as a happy man. Haman went to bed and slept soundly.

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Esther 6.

But … that night, the king could not sleep.  He ordered some chronicles of the kingdom to be read and put him to sleep. The servant brought him the records from many months earlier. A passage recounted the incident where Mordecai had saved the King’s life by exposing an assassination plot.

“Was this man ever rewarded for saving my life?” the king wanted to know.

“No, my lord.“

At that moment, the king heard the determined footfalls of a man approaching across the marble tiles. “Who is in the court?” he asked.

When the King heard it was his Prime Minister, he called him to approach.  “Haman, what should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?”

Thinking the king was speaking about honoring HIM, Haman gazed into the distance and said, “Let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials.  Let them dress the man and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.” 

(Me thinks Haman had visions of becoming king himself!)

While Haman was in that dreamland, the king said, “Hurry, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”

MORDECAI???  (Gag, choke)

Haman obeyed the king’s orders, cringing and fuming all the way.  Afterward, he hurried home with his head covered and told what had happened. This time, his friends shook their heads at the “karma” and said, “If this Mordecai – before whom you have begun to fall – is a Jew, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

At that moment, the king’s coach came for Haman to take him to Esther’s banquet. 

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Esther 7.

Maybe by the third round of wine, Haman began to forget the humiliation of the day.  The food was great, and the Queen was beautiful. Perhaps it would work out… 

While they were sitting around, the King again asked Esther, “What is your wish? What is your request?  It shall be granted to you. Even to half my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”

“If I have found favor in your sight, O king,” began Queen Esther, “and if it please the king, (a strengthening breath), let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been SOLD, I and my people, “to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.”  (the very words of the decree)

WHAT!!  “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?  roared the king. 

The Queen turns to Haman.  “A foe and enemy!” she says, and points. “This wicked Haman!”

The Agagite is horror-stricken and speechless!

The enraged and half-drunk king charges out into the palace garden for air.

Haman stays to beg for his life, trips and falls onto Queen Esther on the couch.

The king returns and sees Haman on top of his wife and roars, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house??”

The attending eunuchs step forward and cover Haman’s face.  Before leading him away, the eunuch named Harbona says, “Moreover, the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai — whose word saved the king — is standing at Haman’s house.”

“HANG HIM ON THAT,” decreed the king.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.  And on that day, King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. 

 

King Saul, a Benjamite, failed to annihilate the Amalekites, and their King Agag and his family, as God commanded. 

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

Centuries later, a descendant of that evil king, Haman, the Agagite, coerced a Persian King into signing a decree to kill, destroy, and annihilate all the Jews.

Queen Esther, a woman also from the line of Benjamin, succeeded in obeying God’s command. 

Who knows if the beautiful Hadassah had not been placed into the kingdom, for just that purpose?

 

King Ahasuerus also made Mordecai his new Prime Minister and gave him the royal signet ring.  He had work to do.  Something had to be done to save all the Jews!

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Esther 8.

Again, Queen Esther braved the King’s courtroom and received the raised golden scepter.   “If it please the king and I have found favor in his sight… and if the thing seems right before the king… and I am pleasing to  his eyes… let an order be written to revoke the letters sent to destroy the Jews in all the provinces!”

The King answered her (and Mordecai too). “It can’t be done. A king’s decree in Persia cannot be revoked.  BUT…. you may write anything you wish – in my name using my seal – to the provinces about the Jews.”

So Mordecai wrote an edict (translated into Persian by the king’s scribes) to the 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, and sent it by swift, mounted couriers in the king’s service.

It said that the king allowed the Jews to gather and defend their lives… and to kill, destroy, and annihilate any armed force of any people that might attack them … and to plunder THEIR goods. This could happen on ONE day (which Haman had chosen for the attack by using lots (Purim). 

Mordecai went out – in fine royal robes and a crown – to announce it to the Jews in Susa.  And the city rejoiced. The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor, a feast and a holiday.

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Esther 9.

The day came, and the Jews defended their lives, families, and homes.  A strange fear of them came upon all the people who would have been killing and plundering them.  

“The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them.  In Susa alone, they killed 500 men, plus the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews.  But they did NOT plunder them.

Mordecai recorded these things and ordered that the month and days be kept as a holiday, a day of feasting and gladness and sending gifts of food to one another and to the poor.  And they called these days Purim, after the casting of Pur (cast lots).  And Queen Esther confirmed the practices of Purim. 

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Esther 10.

Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers… for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

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NOTE: Purim became one of the two festivals given “outside the Mosaic law”  to be celebrated in Israel. (Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is the other. see John 10:22) 

 

(****LORD, thank You, for Your sovereignty and providence in the lives of Your people. We KNOW you are at work in all things, for our good, and for Your glory. We honor and praise You!)

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 266

Sep23

Day 266 – Reading – Esther 1 – 5

Have you ever read the book of Esther straight through?

Jews read it (and sometimes play-act it) every spring on the holiday of Purim.  There are costumes, cheering and “booing,” ironic twists, and high drama. And special yummy foods to munch while you listen or watch.  Read it, and you will see why it’s a fun, but important, celebration.  And notice… the mention of God is no where seen in the pages. Hmmm.

Esther 1.

This Book takes place in Susa, the winter capital of Persia, sometime after Cyrus said the Jews could return to Israel to rebuild their Temple.  Thousands returned, but many did not. They continued to live in the 127 provinces.

This story takes place during the time of King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes in Greek) who followed King Cyrus.

The first section tells about his great party – 180 days long!!! (That’s six months!)  He showed off all his riches, royal glory, splendor, and pomp of his greatness. 

Take a look at the furnishings of the palace: white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of purple to silver rods. There were marble pillars, couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels of many kinds, although no one was required to drink. (Huh!) 

One thing remained for the king to show off – his uber beautiful Queen Vashti in her royal crown (and nothing else?).  She was giving a party for the women, and for probably many reasons she did not want to visit the king’s celebration.  She said, “no.”

WHAT!!  No one said “no” to the king of Persia.  After talking to the men (who now feared all their wives would begin to say “no” to them), it was decided that Vashti would be “fired” as Queen.  That would teach her, right?

But now, King Ahasuerus…. missed her.

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Esther 2.

So… he held a beauty contest. He gathered all the beautiful young virgins to his harem in Susa.  He had them prepared with treatments (diets?), and beauty agents FOR A YEAR!  Then he would “try them out” to see which one pleased him most.  That one would become the next Queen.

Now in Susa, there was a Benjamite Jew named Mordecai, who had been carried away captive from Jerusalem in the second deportation (same as Ezekiel) and he had an orphan niece he was caring for.  Her name was Hadassah, and she was beautiful.  She was taken in the king’s “cattle call” for lovely young virgins. Mordecai told his niece to “keep secret” the fact that she was Jewish.  No use having one strike against her.

The man in charge of the women took a liking to Esther (her Persian name) and gave her special treatments and instructions.  And so, when it was time for her to “see the king,” Ahasuerus was “wowed” by her and took her as his next Queen.

He gave another great feast, and even gave a remission of taxes, so all the people would be sure to rejoice with him over his new queen. (He did not make a mistake of inviting Esther to make an appearance in only her crown!) 

Oh, and as an aside, there was a small incident where two of the king’s eunuchs became angry with the king (wanted more pay or recognition??), and attempted to assassinate him. Mordecai heard of it, and warned the king.  The two were caught and hung.  The incident was recorded in “the book of the chronicles of Persia”  in the presence of the king. And then forgotten.

(Put a pin in that incident.)

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Esther 3.

Things settle down, and Esther gets used to living in the harem and only occasionally seeing the king. Meanwhile, we meet a man in the court that the king liked. He promoted him to second highest in the kingdom. (Think of Joseph with Pharaoh, or even Daniel with Nebuchadnezzar.)  He was a pompous, egotistical man.  His name was Haman (Boo-o-o-o!).  He was an Agagite.  (So what? you say, but oh, there is a reason his heritage is mentioned.)

You see, way back in the history of Israel when Saul was king, God gave him the task of KILLING ALL the Amalekites. (The reason why, is told way back when the Israelites were still in the wilderness. Check it out in Deuteronomy 25:17-19).  Saul’s army killed most of them, but he “kept” King Agag”(and probably some of the royal family) as a “prize for the LORD.” 

The prophet Samuel was furious with him, and ended up hacking King Agag to pieces himself. And the kingdom was torn from Saul’s lineage.  HAMAN (Boo-o-o) was a descendant of that Agag. So, the serious problem the Jews were going to have now in Persia – a chance to be wiped out – was because of Saul’s disobedience.

ANYWAY, when Haman (Boo-o-o) walked or rode through the streets of Susa, old Mordecai, who sat by the gate, in case any news came from Esther, sat on his bottom as he passed.  Mordecai (a Benjamite like King Saul) refused to acknowledge the Agagite.  This made Haman FURIOUS. He decided to kill NOT ONLY Mordecai, but ALL his people – the Jews – as well.  

Haman (Boo-o-o) drew lots to determine the day it would happen (“pur” means one lot, “purim” means lots).  Then he went to the king and set it all up, even offering to put 10,000 talents of his own silver in the King’s coffer to pay for the “destroying, killing and annihilating” of all Jews, young and old, women and children …. and plundering of all their goods.

Wow. This sounds like those plans to kill Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, as well as Daniel by decree because jealous provincial governors hated them.

WELL, as you might expect, the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.  The king and Haman? Well, they sat back with a drink and waited.  

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Esther 4.

Mordecai, with his ear always to the news of Susa, heard the king’s decree.  He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes (a sign of great distress and mourning).  He joined all the Jews in every province with loud and bitter cries.

Deep in the palace, Esther’s young servants and the eunuchs told her about Mordecai.  She sent clothes for him so he could take off the sackcloth and ashes.  He would not. Then she sent one of the eunuchs to go to Mordecai and find out why he was doing this.

Mordecai told the eunuch what had happened and the exact amount of money that Haman (Boo-o-o) had promised the king for the destruction of the Jews.  Mordecai also gave the eunuch a copy of the decree to take back to Esther.  And he commanded Esther to go to the king and beg his favor on behalf of the Jews.

The eunuch reported what Mordecai said and showed her the edict.

“Oh!” she cried and sent back this message.  “All the king’s servants and people in the provinces KNOW that no one goes before the king without being called, except the one to whom the king holds out his golden scepter.  Or else… that person will DIE.   And as for me… he has not called me to come in the last 30 days!”

Mordecai sternly told Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.  And who knows WHETHER YOU HAVE NOT COME TO THE KINGDOM FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.”

Esther sent back a message for Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa. “Hold a fast on my behalf for three days (I and my servants will too). Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 

Mordecai did all she asked.

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Esther 5.

After three days, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while he was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance. 

She stood silent.  The king raised his eyes. And …. he smiled. He raised the scepter that was in his hand.  Esther went close and touched the tip of the scepter.

“What is it, Queen Esther?  What is your request? It shall be given to you, even to half my kingdom.”

“It it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.”

“Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.”

Wow.

So, the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared.  As they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”

Esther answered, “My wish and my request is…. if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king, let the King and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king said. (reveal her wish).”

So it was arranged.

And Haman (Boo-o-o) went out “joyful and glad of heart.” 

BUT… when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, neither rising nor trembling before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.   But… he restrained himself, thinking of the Queen’s private party that night, and another the next night.  At home, he bragged about it to all his friends. 

But his friends saw the bitter cloud over him. “Grrr, yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

Then his wife and friends suggested he play “hangman.” 

“Build a gallows 50 cubits high (75 feet), and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then you can go to the Queen’s feast without a worry.”

Haman (Boo-o-o) had the gallows made.

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TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.  Can you wait?

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 265

Sep22

Sunday and Monday studies are (usually, but not this week) posted together on Mondays

Day 265 – Reading Zechariah 9 – 14.

Read the Scriptures first. Look for HOPE!  

In the two “oracles” (prophetic sections) in the last five chapters, Zechariah deals with the future. (Look for the phrase “in that day.”  He speaks of 1) the downfall of the nation, 2) the salvation of Israel, and 3) the Messiah, as king. 

In chapters 9-11, Zechariah deals with #1 and #3, and ends with the rejection of Christ as their Messiah at His first coming.  In chapters 12-14, he covers the #2 and #3 aspects of the future, and ends with the millennial kingdom of Messiah Christ.

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Zechariah 9.

First, here is a judgment on the nations surrounding Israel.  They cover Greece (Alexander the Great), who conquered  Assyria, Medo-Persia, Tyre and Sidon, and Philistia. God promised to protect Jerusalem from him. 

Next, Zechariah covers the two comings of Christ compressed together.  Old Testament prophets didn’t see the time between the to comings of Christ as the church age.  It was a mystery to them. (See Ephesians 3:1-9 and Colossians 1:27)

Verse 9 speaks of the well-known event of Jesus coming into Jerusalem a week before Passover.  “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Verse 10 speaks of Christ’s rule in the Millennium.  “…He shall speak peace to the nations; His rule shall be from sea to sea…”.

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Zechariah 10.

Judah and Israel is restored by the LORD.  They will become like a war-horse instead of sheep. And from Israel shall come “the Cornerstone.” (Jesus)  See Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6-8.

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Zechariah 11.

The flock of Israel seems doomed to Slaughter.  The sheep reject their True Shepherd, the Messiah at His first coming. And the people are judged for it, like trees in a sweeping fire.  God uses Zechariah, acting as a shepherd, giving up on his disobedient sheep (breaking his staffs and walking away from them without even getting his paycheck).

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Zechariah 12,

Zechariah now encourages the people with a description of restoration and blessing.  God will defend them from their enemies and strengthen them to fight as well.  The LORD will give salvation to the “tents of Judah first. He will protect Jerusalem, and the house of David shall be like the angel of the Lord. 

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirt of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on Me, on Him who they have pierced, they shall MOURN, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

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Zechariah 13.

“And on that day, there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the in habitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

How was this to happen?  The True Shepherd will be killed as an atonement for the sheep. “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”  Only 2/3 of Jews will believe, and those, God says, “I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people.” and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’

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Zechariah 14.

“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD.  

“On that day, the LORD will go out and fight for Israel.  His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives… and it shall be split in two, and You shall flee to the mountains…. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day, the LORD will be one and His Name One.

“Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to WORSHIP the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”

“And there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts … on that day.”

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Wow, such promises and pictures, and warnings. So hard to understand. Zechariah spoke as the LORD told him, but even he did not understand the prophesies. Today, we see Jesus, as Messiah and Savior. But we also see Jews – for the most part – not identifying Him as their Lord. But praise God for the promise in chapter 12, that when He returns, they will LOOK on Him and mourn. They will finally believe.

Oh, God of heaven, thank You for Your so great SALVATION!

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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 264

Sep22

Sunday and Monday studies are (usually, but not this week) posted together on Mondays

Day 264 – Reading Zechariah 5 – 8

Read the Scriptures first. What catches your attention?  

Day 264 – Zechariah 5.

The LORD gives Zechariah two more “visions in this short chapter: 1) a giant, flying scroll, and 2) a woman in a basket, which is very like the woman in the basket in Revelation. Are they the same?

First, Zechariah sees a flying scroll (it reminded me of the skyward advertisements you sometimes see, pulled by a small aircraft.  This scroll was the same size as the Holy Place of the Temple (30’x15′).  It was written on both the front and the back sides, condemning all who STEAL and all who SWEAR FALSELY.  These could be representative of both tablets of the law, concerning sins against each other, and sins against God Himself. Israel has been guilty of both, especially in the time right before their exile in Babylon. God’s harsh judgment follows.

Then Zechariah is shown a woman in a basket.  The angel who talked to Zechariah showed him the woman and called her “Wickedness.” She is kept imprisoned for a while with a lead weight on the opening.  She is being taken to “the Land of Shinar,” which is the old name for Babylon.  It also represents the empire of Babel, which God had to judge because of the people’s extreme wickedness. 

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Zechariah 6.

Next, Zechariah saw four chariots with different colored horses (again similar to Revelation).  The angel explained these chariots were going to patrol the earth (execute judgment on behalf of the LORD of all the earth – a Messianic title).  Compare them to the four horsemen of the apocalypse in Rev. 6:1-8.

These are to patrol the north and the south, the directions from which all Israel’s enemies come. (Assyria, Babylon, Seleucids, Romans, and from the south, the Egyptians.)

Then Zechariah is told to do an unusual thing. He is to see that a gold crown is made from Jeshua/Joshua, the High Priest.  This again symbolizes the dual rule that the Messiah, the “Branch,” is to have. He will be the “priest on the throne.”  A priest and king.

“And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

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Zechariah 7.

As a result of these visions, which described the future of Israel, and the coming Messiah and His Kingdom, the people were greatly encouraged.  And all was going well with the rebuilding of the Temple. 

Then a delegation from Bethel came with a question. The nation had been fasting in the fifth month to mourn the fall of Jerusalem.  Should they continue now that they are in the land again, even though the walls of the city still remain in ruins?

Even though their fasting sounded “religious,” God (as always) sees the heart.  They were not fasting for HIM, for repentance of their sin that caused the city’s fall, but for their own misery of a lost home and nation, and for being in exile.  And God gave them harsh words of truth.

“Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your HEART.”

But those “ingrates” reacted 70 years ago with malice.  “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words from the LORD of hosts.  

Therefore, great anger came from the LORD of hosts. “As I called and THEY would not hear, so THEY called and I would not hear… and the pleasant land was made desolate.”  So have they changed?

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Zechariah 8.

Still talking to those from Bethel, God gives them encouraging words through Zechariah, contrasting their past judgment of Jerusalem’s fall with the promise of future restoration (if they will repent and live righteously). 

  • “I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.  It shall be called, “the faithful city,” and the mountain of the LORD will be called, “the holy mountain.”
  • “Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets.” 

(I LOVE that passage!)

  • “I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.  They shall be MY people and I will be THEIR God, in faithfulness and righteousness.”
  • “There will be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit. The ground shall give its produce. The heavens shall give its dew.  And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel … so will I SAVE you, and you shall be a BLESSING.”

And concerning the question of their fasting on the day commemorating Jerusalem’s fall?  The fast days are to be turned to FEAST days, seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts.

  • “Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.
  • Ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that GOD IS WITH YOU!”

Wow. What encouragement!  It is all far in the future, but what a HOPE. (The title of the Jewish State’s national anthem today is ‘The Hope.”)  

(****O LORD, thank you for your word and its promises and hope for the future of Israel, and for believers living today.  We trust in You, in Your Goodness and Truth.  You are merciful, forgiving, and gracious. O THANK YOU!) 

(Monday’s study will be posted separately.) 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 263

Sep20

Day 263 – Reading – Zechariah 1 – 4.

Read the Scriptures first. Do you like reading prophetic visions?  

Today begins three days in the book of Zechariah.  Remember in Ezra 5:1-2, God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to get the Jews off their recliners and back to work to finish rebuilding the Temple. He was in a priestly line, born in Babylon and raised by his priest-grandfather, Iddo. He’s described as a “young man” in Zechariah 2:4, so he was probably younger than Haggai and hadn’t begun his priestly duties (age 30).  According to Matthew 23:35, he was murdered between the temple and the altar!

Not only did Zechariah challenge the Jews to complete the Temple rebuild, but he went on to encourage them concerning their Messiah and His glorious kingdom and new Temple in the future. 

In each of his three main prophesies, Zechariah begins with the present situation in Judah and goes forward to the exaltation of the Messiah’s reign.  It is sometimes called “the apocalypse of the Old Testament.”

God used Zechariah to bring an outburst of promise for the future to sustain the faithful remnant through the coming 400 “silent years” when no word from God was heard until John the Baptist’s words announcing “the Lamb of God.”

(I think it’s cool that Israel was in Egypt for 400 years, until they killed the Passover Lamb.  And soon there would be another 400 dark years until they heard the announcement of (and killed) Jesus, “the Lamb of God.”  See Mark 1:1-11)

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Zechariah 1.

“‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD.” were Zechariah’s first words. And the people repented. Then Zechariah gave these two visions for the comfort of the exiles.

  • 1.)  In the night, Zechariah “saw” a Man/angel among the myrtle trees, and 3 other riders of colored horses.  These men on horses patrolled the earth, and discovered all the nations (Gentiles) were at ease/rest, while Jerusalem & Zion lay in disaster.
  • The Man/angel then told Zechariah and the Jews these gracious and comforting words from the LORD.
  • “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem (the walls were finished 75 years later).  My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again “choose Jerusalem.” (during the Millennial Kingdom.)

 

  • 2.) Next, Zechariah “saw” four horns! He asked what they represented. 
  • The angel said they were “the horns (or powers) that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” (Maybe the four who attacked Israel: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, but most likely the four world empires of Daniel 2:7: Babylon, Persia, Greece & Rome.)
  • Then Zechariah “saw” four craftsmen (“hammers”), and asked the angel/man what these were coming to do.
  • The angel said, “These have come to terrify the “horns” that scattered Judah. The craftsmen will terrify them and cast them down.“

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Zechariah 2.

  • 3.)  Next, the prophet “sees” a man with a measuring line, and he asks the man where he’s going and what he’s planning to do.
  • “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and length.”  The angel/man then sends a runner after the measuring man to tell him that the future Jerusalem will have NO WALL. The LORD will be a “wall of fire” all around the city, AND He will also be the Glory in her midst.

Then Zechariah comes back to the present with a message to the Jews still remaining in Babylon.  “Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD.  Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon, who plundered you.  For he who touches you touches the apple of His (God’s) eye. I will shake my hand over them, and they (captors) shall become the plunder for those who served them.”

  • Then Zechariah again resorts to the distant future when the LORD will dwell in Zion, and many nations shall join themselves to the LORD and also be His people.  He will dwell in their midst, in “the holy land.”  He will again “choose Jerusalem.”  So, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion!”

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Zechariah 3.

This next vision reveals the need for Israel’s cleansing and restoration as a priestly nation.

  • 4.)  The LORD showed Zechariah the High Priest Jeshua, standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand (God’s or Jeshua’s?) to ACCUSE HIM.  This is symbolic. Jeshua stands in for Israel as a whole. Will he be rejected or accepted? 
  • The LORD rebukes Satan for his accusation. He tells the enemy that He has snatched him (Jeshua/Israel) out of the fire of destruction/exile, like a stick about to burn. 
  • Satan fires back, pointing out Jeshua’s filthy garments (Israel’s sin). 
  • The LORD commands that the filthy garments be removed from Jeshua. Then He says to the priest representing all of Israel, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

(This is righteousness imputed, as God does to those who believe in Jesus, the Christ.  Nothing that they/we do can make us clean. God changes our filthiness to purity and glory, and the ability now to serve Him.)

  • Then, Zechariah joins the scene and reminds them to put a clean turban on Jeshua’s head.  The priestly turban, inscribed “Holy to the LORD,” is placed on Jeshua’s head.
  • The LORD of Hosts then charges Jeshua, “If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access with those who stand here.” (Access to God’s throne room through offerings and prayer.)  “And behold, I will bring my servant, “the Branch.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)  I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. “

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Zechariah 4.

  • 5.) The angel/man came again to Zechariah and showed him a lampstand, all of gold. It had a bowl on top and seven lamps.  There were two olive trees by it, on the right and left, which supplied a continual flow of oil to burn.
  • Then the angel/man gave a message from the LORD to Zerubbabel. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” He was speaking of the task of finishing the rebuilding of the Temple. 
  • “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.  And he shall bring forward the “top stone” (finishing stone of the temple) amid shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall complete it!”

(And it WAS completed 6 years later.)

  • Zechariah asked about the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand with pipes to pour in the oil.
  • “Do you know what these represent?” asked the angel/man.
  • “No, my lord,” said Zechariah.
  • “These are the “anointed ones” who stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” 

Who were anointed to serve in Israel?  The king and the priest.  Representing these two offices (for the returned exiles) through which the blessing of God would flow were Zerubbabel, descended from the royal line, and Jeshua, from the priestly line.  Both together foreshadowed the Messiah, as priest and king.

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****LORD, thank you for all the imagery in this section, especially the courtroom scene where Jeshua stood before You, clothed in filthy garments.  This is like all the people of the world, sinners in need of cleansing.  Then YOU took off the dirty clothes and put on clean ones. YOU, not Jeshua. And you gave him access to YOU! 

 This is such a beautiful picture of what Jesus did for all who believe in Him.  Just like 2 Corinthians 5:21 says. “For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.”  Thank you, oh, thank you!