365 Days of Pursuit.org

OVERVIEW:

Job continues his response to Eliphaz: Job reproaches his friends; Bildad’s theory about Job’s tribulation; Job’s response to Bildad; Zophar’s accusations against Job.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we saw in yesterday’s reading, Eliphaz was the first of Job’s friends to offer his “counsel”. (Job 3-4) In chapter 6, Job responds to Eliphaz’s speech. As we move into chapter 7 today, Job is in the midst of continuing his response. It’s as if he opens his soul and cries out, “If there is a set time for man to be upon the earth, surely my time is about up!” (7:1) Through all that has befallen Job, he has been brought to the total depths of despair. He feels there’s nothing left to look forward to in life but long, empty days and sleepless nights. (7:3–4) On one hand, he’s afraid his life is over, and on the other hand, he’s afraid that maybe it isn’t! In the midst of it all, however, Job has no clue that the things that have happened to him were actually the result of how blessed God was with Job’s godly character and pure heart. Job simply assumes that because all of these horrific things happened to him, for some unknown reason, God must have been displeased with him. As we read of Job’s awful plight, certainly our hearts go out to him. If we put ourselves in Job’s situation, we certainly have no problem understanding why he is so distraught. As Job brings his response to Elizphaz to a conclusion at the end of chapter 7, he readily admits that he is a sinner like everybody else, but holds tenaciously to the fact that his “tribulation” is not because of some secret sin in his life that he is refusing to confess.

Then in chapter 8, Bildad, the second of Job’s friends begins his “counsel”. Whereas Eliphaz at least made an attempt to grace his accusation that Job must be guilty of some secret sin, Bildad goes right for Job’s spiritual jugular. In effect, he tells Job that he’s sick of listening to his excuses, and that he’s full of hot air. If that weren’t assaulting enough, he even has the audacity to tell Job that his 10 children also had to be guilty of sin, and that they had gotten from God’s hand exactly what they deserved. Wow! With friends like Bildad who needs enemies?! Do be aware, however, that there are “Bildads” in every church. They are typically well-intentioned, but they are majorly misinformed! The typical problem with these people, however, just as in Bildad’s case, is that it is impossible to convince them of that. Basically, Bildad points the finger at Job and tells him that if he would simply pray and earnestly seek God, all of his “tribulation” would go away. As our wealth of biblical knowledge increases, we must be very careful that we don’t turn into a bunch of “Bildads”! We must guard against the pride that causes us to think that we know why every person goes through the things they go through. As Job can tell us, that arrogant and judgmental attitude can be extremely hurtful. Like Bildad, we can also be very wrong!

In chapter 9, Job responds to Bildad’s accusations. Though there were many things he could have said to defend himself, much of what Job chose to do was admit the truth of Bildad’s words. Do note that most of the things that all three of Job’s friends said to him were actually true. They all possessed a great deal of information about God and His ways. They were simply off in their timing and application of that truth.

Note the seven “IF’s” in chapter 9: 

• the 1^st “IF” – (9:16–18);
• the 2^nd “IF” – (9:19);
• the 3^rd “IF” – (9:20a);
• the 4^th “IF” – (9:20b–26);
• the 5^th “IF” – (9:27–28);
• the 6^th “IF” – (9:29);
• the 7^th “IF” – (9:30–35).

As chapter 10 begins, Job sets forth a series of questions for God. Job wants to know how God could understand the sufferings of a man, since He had never been one. Obviously, Job could say that in his day. But no one in the world has been able to register that complaint against God for the past 2000 years, because God has since become a man. We now have a God who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15a) because He became one of us, and was “tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15b) Because of that, Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:16, that we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help him in time of need.”

In chapter 11, Zophar, the third of Job’s friends begins to offer his “loving counsel.” He, too, comes on with both feet, saying, in effect, “Job, I’m not going to let you get by with all of your meaningless talk and lies!” (11:2–3) Like Bildad and Eliphaz, he also tells Job that it’s obvious that what he needs to do is repent, get his heart right with God, and everything would be all right.

Have you ever been an Eliphaz, Bildad, or Zophar, all up in somebody’s face, thinking you knew what they needed, when what they really needed was someone to simply be a loving friend to them? Maybe there’s someone you need to contact today, seeking their forgiveness for your haughty spirit and judgmental attitude.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through JOB’S SORROWFUL CONDITION — Job 7:1–6 (Christ is called “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” — Isaiah 53:3; Mark 15:34)

• Through the “DAYSMAN” (mediator) Job longed for — Job 9:33 (The Lord Jesus Christ is the only mediator (daysman) between holy God and sinful men. —  2^nd Timothy 2:5)

OVERVIEW:

Job’s godly character and wealth; the dialogue between God and Satan; Satan permitted to afflict Job; the negative counsel of Job’s wife; Job’s three friends come to visit; the first speech of Eliphaz; Job’s response.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Job is one of the most incredible men in the entire Bible! In fact, he was of such impeccable character that God Himself used the sacrifice, service, and surrender of Job to get in Satan’s face in Job chapter 1. As God and Satan dialogue concerning him, Satan basically told God that the only reason Job did the things he did, and was the man he was, was because of all the good things God had done for him. In other words, Satan accused God of “buying” Job’s affection. Satan tells God, “You take all of your blessing away, and see how worthy Job thinks You are of his follow-ship and service!”

God tells Satan to go ahead and do whatever he wanted to do to Job, without harming Job’s physical condition. And boy, did he! In one day, Job gets word that all of his oxen and donkeys had been killed, along with all of his servants who kept them; that fire had fallen from the sky and burned up all the sheep, along with those who tended them; and that all of his camels had been stolen, and his servants who kept them had been murdered. His entire fortune had been lost in only a few hours! But then to make the news of all of those dreadful things seem rather trivial and somewhat insignificant, he gets word that all of his sons and daughters had been at the eldest brother’s house for a family gathering when a tornado hit the house, killing every last one of them!

What would your response to God be if all of these things had befallen you? Would God still be God to you? Would you still consider Him good? Would He be worthy of your follow-ship? Would you, or could you praise Him?

Note also, a few practical things it will be important for us to glean from these chapters:

Concerning Satan: Satan is extremely powerful, but not all-powerful. Though he “goes to and fro in the earth…walking up and down in it,” the book of Job lets us know he is actually on God’s leash! He can only go as far as God permits him. That lets us know that everything that takes place in our lives is either APPOINTED by God, or ALLOWED of God. Take heart! 

Concerning Suffering: Suffering is not a matter of misfortune or bad luck, nor is it always chastisement from God for some wrong that we have refused to remove out of our lives. Sometimes we suffer for doing what is right. God’s own testimony of Job was that he “was perfect and upright and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (1:1, 8) 

Concerning People: As well-meaning as people can sometimes be, they can also be used by Satan, as in the case of Job’s “friends”, to criticize, accuse, and condemn, thinking they have everything all figured out, when they don’t really know all of the facts, and are functioning off of human reasoning, temporal values, and half-truths.

Some of the things in the book of Job that are not as easily seen as some of those practical gleanings just listed, have been laid out in one of the most incredible commentaries I have ever read. The commentary is entitled: Job: Adventures in the Land of Uz! and was written by Pastor Jeff Adams. (It can be obtained through realitylivingpublishing.com)

Jeff writes,

“In Job, God gives us an incredible illustration of believers in tribulation. If ever anyone qualified for enduring tribulation it was Job! Remember that the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar is a seven-year period we often call the “Tribulation” which will fall upon this earth. Some of the prophecies in the book of Revelation are incredible and probe the limits of our imagination. To help us understand, God has given us the story of a man named Job. More than a simple story about his trials, Job is a wonderful picture of the coming time of Tribulation, and helps us to better understand the future.

“As you approach Job’s book, consider the picture that is drawn. The parallels between what happened to Job and the prophecies of the coming time of Tribulation are too many to be mere coincidence…  

“The story of Job takes place in the land of Uz, exactly where the faithful remnant of Jews will be hidden during the Tribulation. Uz always has a connection with Edom in the Bible, and the famous “Petra” (from the Greek word for “rock”) is in Edom, the refuge God has prepared for His people… 

“Job sits in his misery for seven days, while his friends look on speechless. In the coming Tribulation, the Jews will suffer at the hands of the antichrist for a seven-year period. The world will be powerless to help, and most will genuinely believe that they are only getting what they deserve. Don’t think that World War II did away with anti-Semitism.

“Actually, the “Great Tribulation” is the last half of the seven years, though we often apply the word “Tribulation” to the entire period. The first three and a half years are a time of false peace, when the antichrist comes into power through a brilliant series of treaties that brings peace to the Middle East, and structures a disarmament. (Daniel 8:11-14, 25, 9:27; Isaiah 28:18)

“At midpoint of this seven-year period the antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel, and in the reconstructed Jewish temple, declares himself to be God. This is the abomination spoken of by Daniel. (Daniel 9:27; 8:13-14; 11:31; Matthew 24:15) These last three and a half years are of world war and great destruction. The book of Revelation counts it as a period of 42 months. (Revelation 11:2) Chapter divisions in the Bible were not added until several hundred years ago, and most people may not believe that God had anything to do with it.  But it is interesting to notice that Job has 42 chapters…  

“Very few people can boast that the devil himself has personally persecuted them, but Job could. He was the direct target of Satan. This is also a figure of what will happen to Israel in the time of Tribulation. Israel will be attacked by the very devil…

“At the end of the book of Job, Job’s captivity is turned, and he receives double all that he lost. In similar way, the captivity of Israel will be turned around after the purging of the Tribulation, and will be restored to the position of blessing.”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• In the dialogue between God and Satan — Job 1:6–12 (Through it we can understand the meaning of Christ’s statement to Peter, that Satan desired to “sift [him] as wheat”. — Luke 22:31)

OVERVIEW:

King Ahasuerus issues another decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies; the Jews defeat and destroy their enemies; the feast of Purim is instituted to commemorate this victory; Mordecai’s prosperity and promotion.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

To this point in our overview of the book of Esther, our emphasis has primarily been on the storyline, or the “historical” application. What an intriguing story it is! It is literally packed full of all the things that typically hold our interest as humans when reading a story: a villain, a hero, hatred, love, danger, and romance. While all of these things have been recorded in Esther’s book with precise historical accuracy, it is important to note that in the “doctrinal” or “prophetic” application, this story is actually an incredible picture of the unfolding daily “drama” of the Christian life as “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” (Galatians 5:17)

From the perspective of the “doctrinal/prophetic” application (i.e. what a verse, passage, chapter, or book of the Bible is actually “teaching” us through the “real-life” illustrations in pictures and types):

• King Ahasuerus is a picture of the human soul, and particularly our will. (Where DECISIONS are made, POLICIES are determined, and DECREES are put into motion.)
• Vashti is a picture of the fallen human spirit, representing our “old” or “fallen” nature.
• Esther is a picture of the human spirit, revived by the Holy Spirit, representing our “new” nature.
• Mordecai is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
• Haman is a picture of the flesh.  

With these pictures in mind, understand that it is a monumental thing when Ahasuerus gives his ring to Haman in chapter 3:10, for whoever has possession of the king’s ring has the “power” or, is “in control”. Chapter 3 becomes, then, a perfect picture of the flesh (Haman) in control, “lusting against the Spirit (Mordecai)”, and chapter 4 becomes a perfect picture of the “Spirit (Mordecai) lusting against the flesh (Haman)”.

Note also in chapter 4, that when the flesh (Haman) is in control, the Spirit (Mordecai) is “grieved”. What an incredibly graphic and horribly sad glimpse of what actually takes place in “the midst of our city” (or, on the inside of us) when the flesh is “wearing the ring” or, is “in control” of our lives. We “grieve” the Holy Spirit of God within us! (Ephesians 4:30) Oh, what a difference it would make if we could only see and hear what Esther 4:1 describes through the picture of Mordecai, as the Holy Spirit in us is wearing “sackcloth and ashes” and weeping with a “loud and bitter cry”. God help us!

Notice also in today’s reading in Chapter 8, that because of the law of the Medes and Persians (8:8), the king could not cancel the decree that had been written to put the Jews to death. The only way to prevent the execution demanded by the old law was to institute and implement a new law. It is a perfect picture of what Paul revealed to us in Romans chapter 8. The law of sin and death (the Old Testament) is binding and in effect. “The wages of sin” is most certainly “death”. (Romans 6:23a) There is no reversing that. The only remedy is the institution and implementation of the new law provided in and through our Lord Jesus Christ that supersedes the old law, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:2) Hallelujah!

In light of these incredible pictures, Esther 8:8 also becomes a beautiful verse that pictures for us the New Testament teaching of the “eternal security of the believer.” As pictured in the law of the Medes and Persians, once something had received the “sealing” of the king, no man had the ability to reverse it, not even the king himself! In the New Testament, Ephesians 1:12–14 and 4:30 teach us that the moment we called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone for our salvation, He “sealed” us with His own Spirit! Ephesians 1:14 even calls this “sealing” the “earnest” (or “down payment” and literally, “engagement ring!”), guaranteeing our complete redemption, and the inheritance of eternal life. May we not only rejoice, but rest in the fact that when the King of creation and salvation seals us with His Holy Spirit, we are secure in Him for all of eternity! (Also see Daniel 6:17.)

Esther 8:10–14 is a beautiful picture of the urgency of taking the life and death message of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Observe how the scribes hurriedly wrote the message and the official ambassadors quickly took the “good news” to the four corners of the kingdom. Likewise, we have become the King’s “ambassadors” commissioned to take the message of “good news” to the four corners of the globe while we still have time! Note also, that when the Jews received the message of “good news”, namely, that the OLD law ensuring DEATH had been superseded by a NEW law ensuring LIFE, it not only provided deliverance, but incredible rejoicing! 

In chapter 9, note that the Jews avenged themselves of their enemies, trusting God to destroy them all; all 75,810 of them! (75,000 in 9:16; 500 in 9:6; 300 in 9:15; and the 10 sons of Haman in 9:13.) Note also in chapter 9, while comprehending the actual history of what actually was happening in Esther’s day, at least six powerful New Testament principles concerning the Christian life that apply directly to believers in our day:

Principle #1: What I do to ensure victory TODAY, is the same thing I must do to ensure victory TOMORROW.  (9:12–13)

The middle of verse 13 says, “…do tomorrow also according to this day’s decree…” The victory in the Christian life is simply a matter of reckoning our death to self and Christ’s life within us on a daily basis. (Romans 6:11; 2^nd Corinthians 4:10–11; 1^st Corinthians 15:31)

Principle #2: Even though my flesh is already dead, I must take it out daily and nail it to the cross. (9:13–14)

The end of verse 13 says, “…and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.”  Notice that the ten sons of Haman were already dead, but they still took them out and hanged them the next day. (See Romans 6:11–15)

Principle #3: In order to attain and sustain victory in my spiritual walk, my motives must be free of self-interests. (9:10b, 15b,16b)

Verse 10 says, “…but on the spoil laid they not their hand.” Verse 15 says, “…but on the prey they laid not their hand.” Verse 16 says, “…but they laid not their hands on the prey.”

See 1^st Corinthians 6:19–20.

Principle #4: As I walk in the victory of the fullness and power of the Spirit, God’s love will be shed abroad through me causing me to fulfill the “one another” commands of scripture toward my brothers and sisters and causing me to express compassion for the poor. (9:22)

See Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love…” See Romans 5:5, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” See the New Testament “one another” commands. (John 13:34; Romans 12:5, 10, 16; 13:8; 14:13, 19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16; 1^st Corinthians 4:6; 6:7; 11:33; 12:25; 16:20; Galatians 5:13, 15, 26; Ephesians 4:2, 25, 32; 5:21; Colossians 3:9, 13, 16; 1^st Thessalonians 3:12; 4:18; 5:11; 1^st Timothy 5:21; Hebrews 13:13; 10:24-25; James 4:11; 5:9, 16; 1^st Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:9-10; 5:5, 14; 1^st John 1:7; 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11)

See Galatians 2:10, “…remember the poor.”

Principle #5: There is a memorial feast that I am to celebrate in remembrance of the day God turned my inevitable destruction into deliverance and salvation. (9:17–32)

See 1^st Corinthians 11:23–26.

Principle #6: I must constantly remember that God’s Spirit (Mordecai) will not override my will (King Ahasuerus), and only through yielding my will to Him will I ever experience the spiritual wealth and peace of the Spirit in the kingdom I call my life. (10:1–3)

See Romans 6:13–22.        

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through MORDECAI — Esther 10:3. He became “next unto the king” after delivering God’s people from sure destruction. Jesus “sat down on the right hand of God” after delivering us all from sure destruction. (Hebrews 10:12–14)

OVERVIEW:

Mordecai and the Jews mourn over the king’s commandment to destroy them; Esther and Mordecai work a plan to save the Jews; Esther plans a banquet for the king at which she makes her request of him to save her people, the Jews; the king belatedly honors Mordecai for his service to him in uncovering the assassination plot; Esther accuses Haman before the king and Haman is executed. 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In chapter 4, Mordecai grieves and weeps in sackcloth and ashes in the streets of the city over the decree issued by the king to destroy the Jewish race. He does this right in the king’s gate where everyone could see him, without fearing the consequences, and certainly without being ashamed of his God or his people. Esther, not understanding why Mordecai was expressing such extreme public emotion (and commotion!), sends a servant to find out what was wrong. Mordecai sends word back to her explaining his actions, along with a copy of the king’s decree to exterminate the Jews, so she might understand just how desperate the situation actually was. Mordecai proceeds to convince Esther that she is the one that God wants to use to deliver His people, suggesting that her rise to such an exalted position in the kingdom might well have been “for such a time as this.” (4:14) We must admire Esther, for she presents herself before the king as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) to do God’s will, knowing she could die if the king doesn’t hold out the golden scepter to her. 

Based on Mordecai and Esther’s behavior, we would do well to ask ourselves two simple but very sobering introspective questions: 

• Am I like Mordecai in that I am deeply concerned for those who are condemned?  
• Am I like Esther in that I am willing to sacrifice myself to intercede on behalf of those who are facing inevitable judgment?

Rather than just being forthright with her request to the king concerning her people, however, Esther very wisely presents herself before him, extending what might be considered somewhat of a formal invitation to attend a special banquet that she wanted to prepare for him and Haman. She was obviously keenly aware of the king’s strong affinity for food and wine, and decided her best chance for getting her request granted would be when the king was of a “merry heart”. (Proverbs 15:13, 15; 17:22) At the banquet, the king asks Esther what was on her mind, and confirms his willingness to grant her petition, even if it were for half of the kingdom! Once again, rather than present such a grave and monumental request at an inappropriate or inopportune time, she chooses to invite him to yet another banquet on the following day. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

As Esther’s first banquet came to an end, Haman walks out feeling like he was sitting on top of the world! He ponders the fact that not only was he the king’s “right-hand man” but that he was the only man in the entire kingdom that the queen invited to her special banquet. As he walks past the king’s gate after the banquet, however, he once again finds himself enraged because of Mordecai’s refusal to do obeisance to him. When he gets home, he tells his wife and friends about the “high” of his day, with the special “honor” of his exclusive time with the king and queen, and the “low” of his day, with that “despicable Jew” not bowing to him in the gate! They suggest for Haman to command gallows to be made for Mordecai’s “terrible insurrection” and that he be hanged on them the next day.

At the same time that Haman is plotting these things against Mordecai in his house, for some strange reason, the king, in his house, finds himself unable to sleep. He commands that the recent chronicles of his kingship be read to him, and as they are, he is reminded of how that it was Mordecai that was used to foil the recent assassination attempt against him. He is also reminded that no kindness had been extended to Mordecai for his heroic deed, so he decides to do something special to honor him but found himself at a loss for just exactly how to do it. He hears that Haman is in the court, and calls him in to seek his counsel on what he thought would be an appropriate way for the king to bestow honor upon a very special individual. Thinking that the king must certainly have been referring to him, Haman wastes no time concocting an extravagant plan to exalt himself before all the people. The king thought Haman’s plan was absolutely perfect and was excited to see it enacted. What a humiliating shock it was to Haman when the king gave him the personal assignment to see that every last detail of his plan be lavished upon “Mordecai the Jew”! (6:10) Haman was so beside himself that he immediately goes home to tell his wife and his counselors what had unfolded in his meeting with the king, and rather than attempt to encourage him, they basically tell him that this will prove to be something he will not be able to overcome. (6:13) While they were discussing this matter, the king’s chamberlains came to tell Haman that it was time for Esther’s second banquet.

As the banquet begins in chapter 7, the king is very anxious to find out just what the request is that Esther has in her heart, and why it was that she was being so mysterious about it all. When she finally tells the king that there was a conspiracy unfolding to exterminate her and her people, the king is absolutely wroth! He wants to know immediately “who” it is that has devised such a heinous plan, and “where” is he! What an unbelievable surprise it is to the king when Esther points across the table and says, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” The chapter ends with the king ordering that Haman be executed upon the very gallows that he had commanded to be built to hang Mordecai.                  

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through ESTHER – Esther 5–7.  Esther goes before the king pleading for the salvation of her people knowing it may cost a very high price: her own life! Jesus goes before the Father (or King) on our behalf as our Advocate (1^st John 2:1, Revelation 12:9–10) to plead our case for forgiveness considering the very high price He had to pay to obtain it: His own life!


OVERVIEW:

Vashti (a Gentile woman) is removed from her royal position as queen; Esther (a Jewish woman) is chosen to be the new queen; the evil plot of Haman against the whole Jewish race.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The events of Esther take place between Ezra 6 and 7. When verse 3 of Esther chapter 1 sets the time as the third year of Ahasuerus, the year is actually 483 B.C. Note that the term “Ahasuerus” is not a particular man’s name, but was the title used to refer to the supreme ruler in Persia at this period in history, just as “Pharaoh” was the title of the supreme ruler in Egypt. 

It is interesting to note that God’s name is not found anywhere in the book of Esther, although Jewish scribes have found the name Jehovah “hidden”, as it were, in five different verses. It illustrates a beautiful spiritual lesson: when it seems that God is nowhere to be found, if we look beneath the surface, we will actually find Him working “behind the scenes” to accomplish His purposes for our lives! (Romans 8:28)

The book of Esther opens with the king holding a seven-day feast for all those in his palace. (1:5) After seven days of excessive drinking (1:10), Ahasuerus decides to show off Vashti, his beautiful “trophy wife” and queen, to all of his male friends. In her wisdom, however, and with her apparent high moral values, Vashti refuses to cater to the king’s selfish and carnal drunken request. This, of course, infuriates the male chauvinist king, and all his male chauvinist princes, so they collectively decide that it would be best for the king to remove her from her exalted position, and to spread the word of her removal, so that all the women in the kingdom might not follow her “rebellious example”, but would rather “learn from her mistake”, and would be sure to “honor their husbands”.

After about four years, however, the king begins to miss his wife, and regrets his rash decision to put her away. (2:1) Recognizing, not only his regret, but his loneliness, the king’s servants convince him to pick a new queen, from among the many beautiful women in his kingdom, by holding what might be considered the equivalent of a “beauty pageant”. “It just so happens”, that God had placed a Jew, a man named Mordecai, in a very important position, seated at the king’s gate. (2:21) Mordecai, a cousin of Esther, who had not only brought her up from her youth, but had actually become like a father to her (2:7), decided to enter her into this “contest” to potentially become the next queen. Per the instruction of Mordecai, Esther did not let it be known to anyone, however, that she was a Jew. (2:10, 20) 

In God’s sovereignty, and because of her distinct character and beauty, Esther was chosen by the king to be his new queen, and a feast was held in her honor. At the end of chapter 2, Mordecai finds out about a plot to kill the king. He notifies Esther, who in turn, tells the king in Mordecai’s name, and it all gets written down in the book of the chronicles of the king. While this may seem like a rather insignificant detail at the time, we’ll find that it ends up being the very thing that God uses to save His people from destruction! Isn’t it just like God to save His people by something written in “the Book of the King”?! (Romans 10:17)

Chapter 3 begins with a man named Haman getting a big promotion from the king. Haman becomes the king’s “chief advisor” and “right-hand man”! It might be important to note, that he just happens to despise the Jews! Haman, as a perfect picture of the flesh, is a selfish, self-seeking, self-serving, egomaniac. When he sees that Mordecai refuses to bow to him as he passed by, he becomes incensed. (3:5) Haman decided to offer the king the equivalent of about $25 million in silver if the king would pass a law condemning the entire Jewish race to death (including women and children). This money would, no doubt, come from the revenue acquired from the sale of the property of the slain Jews, much like what has happened at other times in history, such as with Hitler during WWII, and the Roman Catholic Church during the crusades. The king passes the law and the date for their execution was set by casting lots. (Esther 3:7, Proverbs 16:33) In God’s providence, the date for the extermination of the Jews was set an entire year away (3:7), providing plenty of time for the “plan of God” to unfold through the “plan of Mordecai”, to halt this satanically generated plot against the Jewish people.                   

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through KING AHASUERUS — Esther 1–2. There is coming a day very soon when God will remove (rapture) the church (His Gentile bride and queen) off of this earth because of her unfaithfulness to Him and replace her with the nation of Israel (His Jewish queen) for His 1000-year reign on earth as King.

OVERVIEW:

The list of leaders who placed their seal on the covenant with God; the city of Jerusalem is populated by the Jews; the dedication of the city wall; Nehemiah condemns the people’s wicked ways and reforms the abuses.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

After making a “sure” covenant with God in chapter 9 to do all things according to His word, the leaders then “sealed” it. (9:38) Chapter 10 then lists for us the names of those that entered into this covenant with God that day by sealing it themselves. Little did they realize that their names would be recorded eternally in God’s word as an example for believers in every subsequent generation! In 10:28–39, we see the people actually applying the word in a practical way to their everyday lives. They gave evidence that they weren’t just coming to the word of God to gain INFORMATION but that they were coming to it because they were desiring TRANSFORMATION! It’s one thing for people to pray and sign a covenant; it is quite another thing for people to actually separate themselves from evil (10:28), straighten out their homes (10:28–30), honor the sabbath (10:31), contribute to the house of God (10:32–33), and serve God with their tithes and offerings! (10:34–39) In the 21^st century, too many Bible conferences, Bible studies, Bible lessons and church services end with people feeling emotionally stirred and blessed, but somehow it doesn’t seem to translate into repentance, obedience, and transformation of life! Maybe this is a good time for all of us to honestly ask ourselves:

Am I able to detect life change through the things God is teaching me through the ministry of the word in and through my own local church, and through the 365 Days of Pursuit?

In chapters 11 and 12, the city of Jerusalem is populated, and the wall of Jerusalem is dedicated. It was necessary to at least get a portion of the Jews to live in the city, both for the good of the city and for the glory of God. This, of course, demanded faith because it required them leaving their homes for an unspecified place. Notice that all of the leaders moved into Jerusalem, some of the people graciously volunteered to move there by faith, and the rest of the people cast lots to determine who was to go so that a minimum of 10% of the people were actually dwelling in the city of Jerusalem. (11:1–2) Were you to take the time to do the math in 11:3–19, it would reveal that 3044 men actually made the move into Jerusalem. If this represents 10% of the male Jewish population that had returned from exile back into the land that was promised, it reveals just how small the returning remnant actually was. It certainly reiterates the principle Jesus taught in Matthew 7:14: ”Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.”

From Nehemiah 7:2 and 13:6, we learn that Nehemiah had returned to Babylon for a few years, leaving the actual governing of the city in the hands of his brother, Hanani. Even though Hanani was “a faithful man, and feared God above many” (7:2), when Nehemiah returned, he discovered that the people had fallen back into their old ways. We would be wise to force ourselves to both observe and meditate on the horrible biblical reality that sin in the lives of God’s people tends to find a way of repeating itself! We can certainly never allow ourselves to become complacent! When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem: he found that the inner parts of the house of God were being used to commit fornication (13:7); the Levites were not being supported for their work in the temple, forcing them to forsake their work in the house of God to work in their fields in order to sustain themselves (13:10); the sabbath day was being abused (13:15–22); and the Jewish men had repeated the sin of taking for themselves heathen wives. (13:23– 27; Deuteronomy 23:3–5) In fact, even the priests had sinned in this way! (13:28–31) It was necessary for Nehemiah, the courageous saint and leader that he was, to honestly confront the people with the reality of their sin, and to explain God’s judgment concerning it—and that’s exactly what he did! (13:1–3, 8–9, 11) Let his example cause us to examine whether we are judging the sin in our own lives, and whether we are being a good enough friend to those we say we love (or are leading) to confront them with their sin, that our Lord might receive the glory that is due His name through their lives.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the WALL OF JERUSALEM — Nehemiah 12:27. God is our fortress in whom we trust. (Psalm 91:2)


OVERVIEW: 

The anger of Nehemiah regarding the way the wealthy Jews had taken advantage of the poorer Jews; the enemy attacks with deceit, slander, and threats; the people who returned are numbered; the word of God is preached to the people; the Levites cry out to God praising Him for His mercy and goodness. 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Nehemiah 5 is just a sad chapter. The Jews are selfishly preying upon one another for the sake of material gain and wealth! It just so happens, that no building takes place in this chapter! There were great economic burdens on the Jews, not only because of the famine (Haggai 1:7–11), but also because of taxes and tributes that were being inflicted upon them. To provide food and the basic necessities for their families, the poorer Jews were being forced to mortgage their property and sell themselves into servitude to their own Jewish kinsmen. God had instructed and admonished His people, the Jews, just as He has Christians today, to watch out for one another; to love one another; to help one another; and to care for one another. They did the exact opposite! Rather than “PRAY FOR” each other, they “PREYED UPON” each other. Proverbs 3:27 tells us to, “withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.”  Philippians 2:4 says, “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” It is a great reminder to us that if we aren’t careful, we can become so selfish and self-serving that we choose to make money on those to whom we should be ministering! Note that Nehemiah’s extremely angry response to witnessing the Jews gauging one another for personal gain is the same response our Lord Jesus Christ had when this same type of thing was happening in His day! (Mark 11:15–17) Nehemiah very wisely put this evil and selfish practice to an end, and refocused the people to the work at hand. (Nehemiah 5:9–12)

In chapter 6 the work on the walls resumes. Recognize that it is no coincidence that when the work restarted, the enemy also reappeared! This time, however, Sanballat and his men aim their attack against Nehemiah, the leader. Satan knows very well that everything rises and falls on leadership. He knows that if he can get Nehemiah to stop leading, the work of rebuilding the walls will soon come to a complete halt. It should be noted, that if you are in any type of leadership position (i.e. pastor, father, mother, teacher, discipler, etc.), there is a high price to pay! There is a large target on your back for which the enemy is constantly seeking to take aim. It is of great necessity and importance, therefore, that we learn to put on the whole armor of God on a daily basis! (Ephesians 6:10–18) 

Observe that Sanballat repeatedly tries to arrange a meeting with Nehemiah “just to talk”, as it were. Nehemiah did not fall for this deception, however, because he was “not ignorant of Satan’s devices.” (2^nd Corinthians 2:11) Let us, likewise, learn to beware of the smiles of the enemy, for Satan is often more dangerous when he appears to be our friend than when he appears to be our enemy! Sanballat extends four invitations to Nehemiah, and he wisely refused them all. (Nehemiah 6:3–4) Again, let us likewise, learn to keep ourselves focused on the task at hand when our enemy extends an invitation designed to deceptively redirect us in an attempt to halt the work of the Lord through us. When the first four “invitations” failed to get the response Sanballat was hoping for, notice that the fifth messenger was sent with a different strategy. He arrives with an “open letter” filled with slanderous accusations against Nehemiah. (6:5) “It is reported”, as it says in 6:6, is one of the devil’s chief weapons when wanting to disrupt the people of God and the work of the Lord. “People are saying…” or “I’ve been hearing…” and “Did you know…” are usually phrases that introduce gossip and lies. In this case, Nehemiah’s life and character, however, refuted every lie in the letter. Note that as a tremendous leader of God’s people, once again, Nehemiah takes this problem to the Lord in prayer. (6:9) As servants of God, may we learn that we can’t control what people may say about us but we can certainly control what kind of character and testimony we have! And we can certainly do with the accusations against us what Nehemiah did: we can take them to the Lord in prayer! Recognize that had Nehemiah stopped the work to defend his reputation, the walls would never have been built! Because he gave the problem to God, the walls were completed in just 52 days! (6:15) The result was, God was glorified and the enemy was embarrassed! (6:16). May all the work we allow the Lord to do through us end with this same incredible result!

Chapter 7 is a numbering of all the people who had returned from the exile. In Chapter 8, Ezra returned to Jerusalem to assist Nehemiah with the dedication of the walls and the sanctifying of the people. It is significant that the people gathered to hear the word of God at the “water gate” (8:1) as water, in the Bible, consistently pictures the word of God. (Ephesians 5:26) Notice also, that 8:1–9 provides a description of what we might refer to as the “perfect church service”! 

• The people all assembled to listen.
• The Word was exalted high.
• The preacher read and explained the word so the people could understand it.
• The people wept at hearing the word, which no doubt, revealed their sensitivity to the working of the Spirit as He revealed areas of sinfulness in their lives!  

This reading of “the word of God” in chapter 8, provoked the leaders to pray to “the God of the word” in chapter 9. All of chapter 9 is simply a prayer that provides us a beautiful spiritual summary of the Old Testament history of the Jews. In this prayer, they praise God for His mercy to them despite their unfaithfulness to Him. Let us praise Him today for the same!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through NEHEMIAH — Nehemiah 5:17–19. He was the governor of the people, yet, he fed all who came to his table (Jews, nobles, and even Gentiles!) at no cost to them.

OVERVIEW: 

Nehemiah prays to God about Jerusalem’s desolate condition; Nehemiah petitions the king for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; Nehemiah organizes the people and they begin repairing the walls; opposition to the work arises.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As the book of 2^nd Chronicles came to an end, we saw that God’s people were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. In the book of Ezra, we saw that God worked in the heart of Cyrus, the pagan king of Persia (note, that while Israel was in captivity, the Babylonians were overtaken by the Persians), to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, and to restore temple worship. After this small “revival” (only a remnant of God’s people chose to return), which began around 536 B.C., God used a prayerful man named Nehemiah in 445 B.C. to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the ruined city. God’s purpose behind this mission was to restore both safety and order to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

After hearing reports of the sad state of the city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah became burdened for his brethren and began to pray. This was all in spite of the fact that he was in a high position in the king’s court (he was the cupbearer — Nehemiah 1:11) and truly had no worries for himself. After all, it wasn’t his fault that the city was in the condition it was in! He could have easily justified not doing anything but praying. Instead, he risked his own life by going before the king with his request to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:1–6) Unlike Nehemiah, so often we pray, expecting God to do all the work. Nehemiah, however, was willing, not just to pray, but to get up off of his knees, stand to his feet, and do something about the need at hand! Proverbs 16:9 talks about the Lord directing our steps but for Him to do that, keep in mind, it necessitates that we be standing and moving! Notice that God did more than just get the king to grant his permission for the work to be accomplished! He also worked in the king’s heart to make him willing to fund the entire project! It becomes yet another example of the fact that our God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!” (Ephesians 3:20) But do recognize, that just like Nehemiah, we need to ASK and then we need to ACT! We must, as the old saying goes, “PRAY as if it all depends upon GOD, but WORK as if it all depends upon US!” God expects us to DO the POSSIBLE and TRUST HIM for the IMPOSSIBLE.

In chapter 3, notice that God lists the names of the workers and the actual work He used them to accomplish. Note that each man had a specified area of responsibility. It is a great reminder of the principle that “NO man can do EVERYTHING, but EVERY man can do SOMETHING.” It is interesting to note in verse 5, however, that some of the “nobles” didn’t do anything! God talked about this very thing through the Apostle Paul in 1^st Corinthians 1:26–29, when he said, “not many NOBLE are called” to do the work of God. Perhaps we should do some major introspection if we find ourselves at a place in time where we are not involved in the work of the Lord. It may be because we feel that we’re “above” doing such insignificant tasks, or that we have the egotistical attitude that we are too “noble” for such trivial work. Note that God also used the Apostle Paul to talk about those who think of themselves “more highly than [they] ought to think”! We must always keep in mind, we are “SERVANTS of the MOST HIGH God!” (Daniel 3:26)

Note also, that there are 10 gates that were repaired in this chapter. They paint for us an incredible picture of the Christian life:

1. The SHEEP Gate. (3:1) This speaks of Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. This was the first gate to be repaired, for without the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, there is no salvation. Note that the Sheep Gate had no locks or bars, for the door of salvation is always open for the sinner to enter!


2. The FISH Gate. (3:3) Symbolizing that as the recipients of salvation, we have been called to be “fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)


3. The OLD Gate. (3:6) Pictures the fact that we are to follow the “old paths” of the word of God, that we might find “rest for [our] souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)


4. The VALLEY Gate. (3:13) Picturing that we are not to think more “highly” of ourselves than we ought to think, but to “lower” ourselves, having an attitude of humility, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did. (Philippians 2:5–9)


5. The DUNG Gate. (3:14) This is the gate through which the waste of the city was taken, picturing the fact that we are to “…cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2^nd Corinthians 7:1)


6. The Gate of the FOUNTAIN. (3:15) This points to our need to “be filled with the Spirit”. (John 7:37–39, Ephesians 5:18)


7. The WATER Gate. (3:26) This gate speaks of the word of God. (Ephesians 5:26) Notice that this “just happens” to be the seventh gate mentioned! (As we have previously seen, seven is the number of perfection/completion in the Bible.) Psalm 19:7 says that God’s word is “perfect”! As you might could suspect, it “just so happens” that this gate needed no repairs!


8. The HORSE Gate. (3:28) The horse is a symbol of war in the Bible, and pictures for us the fact that we are in a warfare as soldiers of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:10–17; 2^nd Timothy 2:1–4)

9. The EAST Gate. (3:29) This is a picture of Christ’s return; that time when the “Sun of Righteousness” will rise in the east with healing in His wings. (Malachi 4:2)


10. The Gate MIPHKAD. (3:31) This gate is a picture of God’s judgment. Note that the Hebrew word “miphkad”, that the translators chose to not translate here, means “appointment, account, or census.” It points us to the reality that one day we all have an “appointment” with our Lord Jesus Christ at His Judgment Seat, at which time we will give an “account” of the life we lived after being inhabited by His Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:10–12; 2^nd Corinthians 5:10)    

If you’ll take just take a minute to walk back through the 10 gates, you’ll notice that even the very order in which the gates are mentioned is highly instructive about how we have been called to walk as believers now that we’ve entered through the “narrow gate” of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Note in chapter 4 that the enemy appears. There is one thing for which we can always be certain: when God’s work is being accomplished, the enemy will always show up to come against it! The enemy will ridicule us, try to discourage us, and/or attempt to strike fear in us, anything to try to halt “the work of the Lord” through us! Notice what chapter 4 reveals about how this remnant actually overcame their enemies! It was through prayer! (4:9) Again, notice in verse 9, that Nehemiah did not just depend on prayer alone; he also set a watch! Four times in the New Testament Jesus told us to “watch AND pray!” (Matthew 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36) May God also find us giving diligence to both!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the KING’S CUPBEARER — Nehemiah 1:11 (Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer – i.e. He served the king beverages at his table, just as Jesus drank the cup of the King’s wrath for us on the cross – Luke 22:42.)

• Through NEHEMIAH — Nehemiah 1–3 (Nehemiah left the king’s court and his high position behind, to go far away (approx. 750 miles) to build a wall of protection for God’s people, in the same way that Jesus left the King’s court and His exalted position to build a wall of protection for us!)

• As the SHEEP GATE — Nehemiah 3:1 (Jesus is the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” — John 1:29. The only way we can become one of Christ’s “sheep” is by entering through the right “door,” which is none other than Christ Himself — John 10:1, 7, 9, 10.)

OVERVIEW:

Ezra leads a second group of Jews to return to the land; the sinful condition of the people; Ezra’s prayer and confession; the people repent.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Ezra chapter 7 begins approximately 60 years after the end of chapter 6. Ezra is now leading a second wave of Jews who had chosen to leave their captivity and return to Jerusalem. Ezra, who obviously had a good testimony before King Artaxerxes, receives a letter from the king authorizing their return. The description of Ezra in 7:6–10 is one we all should desire to be said of us. 

Note that 7:6 says he was a “ready scribe in the law of Moses”. Though Ezra could not perform all of his duties while in captivity, he still had made himself “ready” for the time when God would use him. We would do well to ask ourselves, “Am I preparing myself through my relationship with God and His word for whatever it is that He may want to accomplish in and through me in the future?” No, for whatever reason, we may not be able to accomplish it now but what are we doing now to make ourselves “READY” for when God does change our circumstances and allows it to happen?!

The good news is, chapter 7 reveals to us just what it was that Ezra did to make himself “ready”! Verse 10 says, “Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Notice that Ezra recognized that he first must “seek the law of the Lord.” Proverbs 2:4–5 lets us know that when we’re seeking God’s word as if it were “silver”, and searching for it as we would for “hid treasure,” that’s when it will do its transforming work in us! It is “then” that we will understand “the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God!” Can you honestly say that you are presently “preparing yourself” for what God may have for you in the future by seeking the truth of His word like that now? 

Secondly, notice that Ezra was “prepared” to “DO it”! Many of us have a good handle on the “KNOWLEDGE” of God’s word, however, the real key is, are we “prepared” to “DO it”? (John 13:17) We know we should “seek the things which are above” (Colossians 3:1–2), but do we “do it”? We know we should “submit ourselves one to another” (Ephesians 5:21), but do we “do it”? We know we should “love our neighbor as our self” and not “bite and devour one other” (Galatians 5:14–15), but do we “do it”? We know we should be “patient” with one another and not hold “grudges” or be “bitter” against others, offering the same forgiveness to them that we have received from God (James 5:9; Ephesians 4:32), but do we “do it”? There are lots of things we “know” but how much do we actually “put into practice”?  

Thirdly, notice also that “God’s hand” was upon Ezra. (7:6, 28) Recognize that this was certainly not a coincidence! God’s hand was upon Ezra because he was a man surrendered to His purposes. To put it in the words of 1^st Peter 5:6, God’s hand was upon Ezra for the simple fact that he had “humbled himself under God’s mighty hand”! We, too, can have God’s hand upon our lives, if we, like Ezra, will be willing to humbly surrender ourselves under God’s hand and for His purposes. (1^st Peter 5:6) Many 21^st century Christians want the blessing of God’s hand upon their lives and yet, in their pride, pursue their own purposes. It doesn’t work that way!

Once Ezra approaches the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem, he soon learns of the true condition of those who had previously returned. Though they had “physically” returned to the place God intended them to be (the land promised), they were not “spiritually” in the place God intended them to be! Once again, God’s people had fallen prey to their own sinful flesh and were involved in the same abominations as the heathen around them. We must remember that even though we may “physically” be in a good church, and even though “physically” we make our way into the 365 Days of Pursuit on a daily basis, it is no guarantee of our true “spiritual” condition! The battle with the flesh is a daily “spiritual” battle not just a “physical” one! We can never get to the place that we think we’ve conquered our flesh or that we think we can coast spiritually. Remember 1^st Corinthians 10:12! The very time we think we are the strongest, is actually the time we are the most vulnerable!

Notice that Ezra’s response to news of the spiritual condition of God’s people was absolute brokenness. What an incredible example of the heart God intends those in positions of leadership, in the lives of His people, to possess! In 9:3, Ezra testifies, “And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down ASTONIED.” Physically, Ezra was so distraught, he was unable to even move a muscle! He says that it was as if he actually had turned into “a stone”!  In 9:5 he says, “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my HEAVINESS…” Notice that sin in the lives of the people of God was actually a weight in this godly and passionate leader’s soul! As you proceed in chapter 9, and you begin to listen to Ezra’s prayer, it is very interesting to consider how this leader personally identifies himself with the people of God! Note the continual references throughout his prayer, not to “they, their, and them” but to “our, we, and us”! (9:6–15) Rarely do leaders in the 21^st century express the type of brokenness over sin that Ezra demonstrated in this prayer not to mention, the personal identification with the people we’re seeking to lead. Oh, we may talk to others about it; we may think it’s terrible; we may have even expected that something of this nature was going to happen; but rarely in Laodicea are we truly broken and in heaviness because of it! If you listen to our prayers, seldom, if ever, will we ever even get close to identifying ourselves with our people because of sin in our midst. Perhaps that’s the reason we also fail to see the revival Ezra was able to lead God’s people to experience! 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through EZRA (a priest) making intercession for his people. — Ezra 9:1–5; 10:1 (Hebrews 7:25–27 says Jesus is our High Priest who “…ever liveth to make intercession for them.”)

OVERVIEW:

The decree from Cyrus; the returning Jewish families are listed; the altar and temple are rebuilt; the adversaries come against the work.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin the book of Ezra today, keep the “big picture” in mind. This book breaks down into two sections, each based upon the leader and the time period. Chapters 1–6 are under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Chapters 7–10 are under the leadership of Ezra and take place approximately 60 years after chapter 6.  

As the books of 2^nd Chronicles ended and Ezra begins, also keep in mind that the children of Israel have been in captivity for 70 years. It is then that God works in the spirit of Cyrus, a pagan king, to issue a decree for the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. This fulfills the prophecy in Jeremiah 29:10 and Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1. Because of the wording of the decree and its emphasis upon God as “THE God,” many have speculated that Daniel had an influence upon the king’s decree, or even wrote the decree on the king’s behalf. Whatever the case, the Jews returned to their homeland, not because of Cyrus, or even because of Daniel, but because God said they would!

Recognize, however, that the Jew’s captivity in Babylon was not the same kind of slavery and bondage they had endured in Egypt. The Jews had actually functioned quite well as a people during the Babylonian captivity. That’s why only a remnant of the Jews chose to return to their homeland when Cyrus issued the decree. The ones who chose to return, however, made it to the land, and once they did, immediately began the process of restoring the temple.  

The restoration is led by Zerubbabel from the “king’s” line, and Jeshua from the “priest’s” line. Knowing the scope and magnitude of this great work, in their wisdom, these two men lead the people to keep God Himself the priority (as opposed to the project!) by first establishing the altar. It is a great reminder to make certain that we constantly keep WORSHIP as our first priority, recognizing that we are all always very susceptible to allowing ourselves to be so caught up in the “WORK” of the LORD that we forget the “LORD” of the WORK! 

The remnant begins rebuilding the temple in the second year after their return to the land, starting, of course, with the foundation. (3:8) Once the foundation was completed, an emotional dichotomy erupted amongst the people! The Jews who were too young to have recollection of the glory and magnificence of Solomon’s temple looked at the foundation and were so emotionally overjoyed and jubilant that they burst forth with great shouting and praise! (3:11) The older generation, who had witnessed the previous temple, however, looked at the size of the foundation of this new temple, and immediately burst forth with wailing and weeping. (3:12) The emotional responses were so dramatic on both ends of the spectrum that it was impossible to discern the wailing from the rejoicing! (3:13)

The foundation of the temple was completed in chapter 3, and as chapter 4 begins, the people of God begin to experience opposition to the work. First, the adversaries offer their services to join the Jews in the building of the temple. However, when Zerubbabel and Jeshua refuse their offer, their real motives surface. The adversaries begin to trouble the people (4:4), and even hire counselors to “frustrate their purpose” (4:5). The adversaries then appeal to the new king to make the people stop the construction, citing the history of the Jewish people as the reason, and in essence, accusing them of being a “rebellious” people, constantly guilty of “sedition” and “insurrection”. The new king investigates their claims and comes to the same conclusion, so the work was halted.

However, Zerubbabel (from the kingly line) and Jeshua (from the priestly line), along with the prophets, are able to encourage the people and lead them to begin the work again, even without permission. When they are questioned about it, they make request to the king and their request to continue the work is granted.

My, oh my, what a beautiful picture of the restoration God intends for our lives! It begins by making sure that like this remnant in Ezra 4, we, too, are being led by a King and a Priest. A “King” that we submit to as Lord to do His will; and a “Priest” that not only can “cleanse us from all sin” but can also be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities”! There are times, folks, when we just need to get back to the altar of God, where it is just us and God so that the intimacy of our fellowship with Him can be restored and revived! The good news is, unlike the Jews in today’s reading, we don’t have to lay the foundation again! First Corinthians 3:11 says that Christ is our foundation! He is the foundation that cannot be moved! (2^nd Timothy 2:19) We need only to concern ourselves with how we build “our temple” upon that foundation! (1^st Corinthians 3:10–15) As we do, may we keep ever-present in our minds, that there will be adversaries! (1^st Corinthians 16:9) 

As pictured in today’s reading, we must recognize that the first attack of the enemy will be an attempt to get us to compromise by becoming “unequally yoked” with them. (4:1–2; 2^nd Corinthians 6:14–18) If that doesn’t work, the adversary will then “trouble us” attempting to “frustrate our purpose.” Many well-intentioned Christians have been knocked out of the battle for the simple reason that their purpose was frustrated. When those times come (and they will!) we need to persevere in the work to which God has called us, and appeal to our King to intervene on our behalf. We don’t always know how God’s plan will unfold. Our responsibility, however, is simply to be faithful to our purpose and persevere in the work of the Lord! (1^st Corinthians 15:58) 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the GREAT STONES used in building the temple of God — Ezra 5:8. Christ is the Stone which the builders rejected, and He has become the Cornerstone of our faith. (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42)