Category: <span>Old Testament</span>

Esther 4-7

God was sovereignly working out His plan to preserve—even embolden—His people as they endured subjection to Persia. The narrative of Esther 4-7 moves naturally from problem to solution. When the queen heard the news of the king’s decision to exterminate the Jews, “she was overcome with fear” (Esth 4:4). Mordecai emboldened her saying, “Who knows, perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esth 4:14). Esther submitted herself into God’s hands and asked Mordecai to arrange a fast amongst God’s people so that she might have a favorable hearing with the king. Her devotion was clear, “If I perish, I perish” (Esth 4:16).

And Queen Esther won a hearing with the king. What was her request? Perhaps in order to further solidify the king’s benevolence toward her, she requested only that he—and Haman—attend a banquet she had prepared (Esth 5:3-5). At the height of the event, the king again asked of Esther’s concern, only to be invited to another feast on the following day (Esth 5:6-8). Then she would present her need to the king. Haman left the banquet elated; of all the king’s subjects, Esther had chosen only him to dine with the king!

But that night, King Ahasuerus could not sleep, “so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king” (Esth 6:1). Upon discovering the valor of Mordecai on his behalf, the king wished to honor the man who helped attend his gate—and who better than Haman to counsel the king in such a matter? When Haman heard of the king’s request, he was sure the king wanted to honor him. Thinking he was planning his own party, Haman informed the king that honor befitting such a subject should include being donned in royal apparel and paraded through the streets on a royal horse—in short being recognized in the glory of the king himself (Esth 6:7-9). In what must have seemed the conundrum of his life, Haman was commanded to carry out this plan, but for Mordecai (Esth 6:10-11). Haman returned home and even his family understood that in the eyes of Ahasuerus, Mordecai was of greater prestige than Haman. And then the king’s officials came to summon Haman to Esther’s banquet (Esth 6:14).

There the queen informed Ahasuerus that Haman had tricked the king into leveling an edict against the Jews. Esther told him that she and her people had been “sold out to destruction, death and extermination” (Esth 7:4a) by Haman. In anger “the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden” (Esth 7:7). When he returned, he found Haman falling on the couch where the queen was seated. While Haman was actually falling down before the queen to beg for his life, when the king saw it, he thought Haman was making advances upon Esther. In one of the most ironic turns in the Bible, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esth 7:9).

Because Esther and Mordecai knew of God’s faithfulness, they stepped out in faith and risked their lives for their kinsmen, the elect descendants of Abraham. In the storyline of Scripture, Israel had enjoyed God’s special providence throughout history—yet the majority of Israel failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. This was no small burden for Paul, who said that he was willing to be cut off from Christ for the sake of his countrymen if that would prompt them to enjoy fulfillment of God’s promises to them (Rom 9:1-5). Because many Jews rejected Christ, God hardened them for a time—that they might eventually become jealous of His blessing on the Gentiles and seek Him. That is in part the thesis of Romans 11, where Paul wrote, “I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentile, how much more will their full number bring!” (Rom 11:11-12).

Commentary Esther Old Testament

Esther 1-3

Esther is a controversial book. There is no reference to God, a Jewish woman married a pagan king, and the Jews initiated the Feast of Purim—the only biblical festival not commanded by God. The events of Esther took place during the period contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah.

The initial scenes of the book set the stage for the drama of the whole. King Ahasuerus was an opulent ruler (Esth 1:1-12). In the third year of his rule, he held a feast that lasted five months. In the presence of his officials, the king displayed his great wealth. This period concluded with a seven-day feast, at which wine was flowing freely, and no one was in want. At the end of the weeklong banquet, Ahasuerus sent seven of his attendants to bring his wife, Queen Vashti “to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful” (Esth 1:11). But against all customs of the day, Vashti refused and “the king became furious and his anger burned within him” (Esth 1:12).

Ahasuerus consulted with the wise men of Persia to determine the legal censure appropriate for the Queen’s rebellion (Esth 1:13-22). Memucan proposed that Vashti’s rebellion could have consequences throughout the kingdom; if the Queen could rebel against the great King Ahasuerus, then would not the common women of the kingdom do the same? The only suitable punishment, the counselors concluded, was to banish and replace Vashti—“so all women will honor their husbands, from the least to the greatest” (Esth 1:20). The king agreed.

Ahasuerus set forth a process to find a new queen (Esth 2:1-21). As the king’s commissioners searched for beauty, they happened upon Esther. Esther was in legal custody of her uncle, Mordecai, a Benjamite who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Immediately the king was struck by Esther’s appearance; he “accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received” (Esth 2:9). Since being the adopted child of an exiled Jew may have hindered Esther’s chance to become queen, Esther and Mordecai kept their proud lineage to themselves (Esth 2:10-11). Even though Esther refused any extra ornamentation to attract the king’s attention, she “won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her” (Esth 2:15)—including the king, who made her his bride (Esth 2:16-18). Yet, under the advice of her uncle, even when Esther was made queen, she did not tell the king that she was the adopted daughter of an exiled Jew.

In time, Mordecai rose to prominence by saving the king’s life (Esth 2:21-23). When Mordecai learned of an assassination plot by two of the king’s eunuchs, he informed Queen Esther, and she told the King of the eunuchs’ plan. The actions of the Queen’s uncle were so noteworthy that “this event was recorded in the court records of daily events in the king’s presence” (Esth 2:23). Mordecai was steadfast in devotion to God, a stance that would jeopardize all Jews. In time, the king honored one of his servants, Haman, promoting him to a position of prominence and even requiring all at the King’s gate to bow and pay him homage. Mordecai refused; he informed others at the gate that he was a devout Jew (Esth 3:3-4). Haman was furious at being spurned by one so lowly as Mordecai. But he went further: “He set out to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus’ kingdom” (Esth 3:6). He informed the king that it was “not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them” (Esth 3:8) since they operated by different laws than the Persians and refused to honor the king’s decrees. If the actions of Vashti could lead to upheaval, those of Mordecai no less. The king agreed and took every legal recourse for the destruction of the Jews throughout Persia, to commence on the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month (Esth 3:12-15).

From the moment when God called Abraham in Genesis 12 to Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land in Joshua 3, God demonstrated His faithfulness to His chosen people. Israel’s privileged status was the fulcrum of the drama in Esther 1-3. Though Israel had enjoyed God’s special providence at so many points in their history, many in Israel failed to recognize Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promises. Ironically, the Jewish leadership understood Jesus’ life and ministry to be a threat to their national standing in the Roman Empire. Israel’s privileged status can thus also be understood as the fulcrum of the storyline of Scripture. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many Jews, John wrote, began to follow Jesus. Jesus’ popularity threatened the Jewish leadership’s grip on national identity maintenance in the Roman Empire. They gathered the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? If we let Him continue in this way, everybody will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

Commentary Esther Old Testament

Nehemiah 8-13

Unfortunately, the behavior of the returned exiles quickly resembled their forefathers, whose sin prompted the exile (2 Kings 17, 25). The people again had an operational temple, but lacked the character required by the law of Moses. The final installment of the Ezra-Nehemiah sequence records the most significant reform since the days of King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34). Here the people heard the law and committed themselves to obeying it.

In Nehemiah 8-12, the author described the returned exiles’ efforts at reform, which began when Ezra read to them the word of the Lord. When Ezra began to read, the people—young and old, women and children—stood and with raised hands shouted, “Amen, Amen!” (Neh 8:6). As Ezra read, several Levites stood amongst the people and explained the law to the people. The people wept over their sin and the consequences that their ancestors had to endure as a result. Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites instructed the people to stop weeping and celebrate the holy occasion (Neh 8:9-12). God had shown His grace in bringing the people back to His land. Their strength would be found in faithful rejoicing for the Lord’s kindness upon them.

The people went on to celebrate the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles (Neh 8:13-18). According to Lev 23:33-44, this was to be an annual commemoration of how the Lord sustained Israel in their 40-year wandering. The people had understood that the Sabbath rest of the land had been fulfilled (2 Chron 36:21); theirs was a day of rejoicing—followed by confession of sin (Neh 9:1-37). Several of the leaders recounted God’s acts from creation to their return from captivity. Their final words show that weeping was not only for their sin, it was also for independence. They said, “Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it!” (Neh 9:36).

Having heard the law of Moses read to them and confessed their sins, the people vowed to follow the Lord’s ways (Neh 9:38-10:39). The people vowed that they would not intermarry with foreigners (Neh 10:30) or participate in commerce on the Sabbath (Neh 10:31). Rather, they would contribute to the work of the temple (Neh 10:32-34), bring the first of all their produce to the Lord (Neh 10:35-37a), and give a tenth of their income for the support of the Levites and the house of God (Neh 10:37b-39). They were focused on one goal: “We will not neglect the house of our God” (Neh 10:39). Having committed themselves to the Lord, the people resettled Jerusalem. They constituted temple practices (Neh 11:1-12:26) and dedicated the wall around the city (Neh 12:27-43). Two processions convened at the temple and, “on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy. The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away” (Neh 10:43). Despite these remarkable steps, after Nehemiah returned to his post in the court of King Artaxerxes, Israel’s spiritual zeal declined in Judah and Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked the king for a second leave of absence and worked to reform the people yet again (Nehemiah 13).

The celebration of the Festival of Booths in Nehemiah 8 provides a window for understanding the storyline of Scripture. Though prior to Nehemiah’s day the Festival of Booths had not been celebrated for generations (Neh 8:17), it would gain increased prominence up to the time of Jesus. During one of Jesus’ visits to Jerusalem for the Festival of Booths, John recorded in John 7:37-39 that on the last day of the feast, Jesus called out to any who were yet hungering and thirsting for spiritual substance to come to Him. He promised them streams of living water that would flow from within them. That living water was the Spirit—whom He would give to His people after He was glorified.

Commentary Nehemiah Old Testament

Nehemiah 5-7

While building the wall, Nehemiah heard the outcry of many of his people who were enduring extortion during a famine—at the hands of other Jews. Nehemiah condemned the oppressors in the harshest of terms. “What you are doing isn’t right,” he said, “Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?” (Neh 5:9). He continued, “Let us stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them” (Neh 5:10b-11). Even though the people pledged to fulfill his demand, Nehemiah was incensed at their lack of spiritual sensitivity. He shook the folds of his robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!” (Neh 5:13).

If that was not enough, Nehemiah had to endure the continued threats of pagan leaders who opposed the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Sanballat and Tobiah were so influential that they even employed one of Nehemiah’s contemporaries, Shemaiah, to arrange for Nehemiah to go to the temple. They knew that as a layman Nehemiah was restricted from entering, and if he had, he would have committed a ritual transgression and lost favor with the people (Neh 6:10-14). Though they conspired against him, as a wise and devoted leader Nehemiah would not break God’s law. When Nehemiah’s enemies learned that the wall was completed, he boasted, “All the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God” (Neh 6:16).

Although the city was fortified by the wall, Nehemiah knew that if left uninhabited, Jerusalem would be destroyed by Sanballat, Tobiah, and company. Nehemiah 7 records that Nehemiah enlisted the help of the Hebrews to build the wall; he also moved them from the outskirts of the city into the fortified area under the administration of his God-fearing brothers Hanani and Hananiah. Yet, to protect the purity of the people and the city, Nehemiah governed the resettlement according to genealogical records (Ezra 2), and “each of them returned to his own town in Jerusalem and Judah” (Neh 7:6).

The flow of Ezra-Nehemiah reveals a concern for the distinctiveness of the returned exiles as the people of God. Nehemiah was thus outraged that Hebrews would take advantage of their countrymen (Neh 5:1-13) and he saw to it that they followed protocol concerning the priesthood and national distinctions (Neh 7:61-65, 73). As the storyline of Scripture progresses to the coming of Christ, there is a noticeable movement toward commonality amongst all believers, regardless of national origin.

(1) John noted that after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Pharisees turned to one another in disgust as Greeks began to follow Jesus. “You see?” the Pharisees said to one another, “You’ve accomplished nothing. Look—the whole world has gone after Him!” (John 12:19).

(2) When Peter arrived at the home of the Roman centurion, Cornelius, he said, “In truth, I understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

(3) Paul described the new, corporate body of believers in Christ, saying, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all” (Col 3:11) and similarly, “For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:27-29).

Commentary Nehemiah Old Testament

Nehemiah 1-4

A few years after the temple’s completion, Nehemiah heard that the wall around Jerusalem had yet to be rebuilt. Artaxerxes succeeded Darius over Persia and Nehemiah rose to a prominent place in Artaxerxes’ court. When Nehemiah was informed of the situation of the city of David, he was ready to leave his post in the king’s immediate service and work to restore Jerusalem to its place of prominence.

After Hanani informed his brother Nehemiah that the returned exiles were in great trouble and that Jerusalem’s wall had not yet been rebuilt (2 Chron 36:19), Nehemiah “sat down and wept” (Neh 1:4). After prayer and fasting, Nehemiah beseeched God to act in behalf of His name, despite the sins of His people. Nehemiah prayed for success before the king; he wanted the king to release him from his duties in order to undertake the work in Jerusalem (Neh 1:10-11). When Artaxerxes noticed Nehemiah’s waning countenance, he inquired as to the cause of his sadness. Upon hearing the matter, Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah permission to fulfill the desire of his heart. Being “graciously strengthened” by his God (Neh 2:8), Nehemiah asked the king for orders of safe passage and timber “to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live” (Neh 2:8).

The author mentioned nothing of Nehemiah’s journey to Jerusalem, but moved quickly to the drama of Nehemiah’s investigation of the city and its walls (Neh 2:11-16). Nehemiah was ready to act. He exhorted the officials, “Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace” (Neh 2:17). And they did. Nehemiah 3 lists some of the Hebrews that devoted themselves to the work. Side by side, they rebuilt the walls, entrances of the city gates, and the towers.

But the work was not without opposition, as the author described in Nehemiah 4. Just as the enemies of Judah and Benjamin attempted to inhibit the construction of the temple (Ezra 4:1-5; 4:24-5:5), Israel’s enemies did the same when Israel attempted to rebuild the temple (Neh 4:1-2). Nehemiah and company did not falter before Sanballat and Tobiah, who even attempted to kill the inhabitants of the city and those constructing the walls (Neh 4:4-23). Half of the people continued to work, while the other half acted as guards, watching out for them with swords, spears, bows, and armor (Neh 4:13, 16-23). Nehemiah and the other leaders felt so threatened that they did not feel free to bathe without having a weapon at hand. Nehemiah charged the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes” (Neh 4:14).

Though Nehemiah was burdened to tears for the welfare of Jerusalem and toiled for its fortification, his beloved city was later overtaken. In the storyline of Scripture, the significance of Jerusalem reaches its pinnacle not in the kings of Israel and Judah, nor in the devotion of Ezra and Nehemiah, but in Christ. In Christ, the Mosaic law has been fulfilled and the city of David granted an eternal, spiritual quality that is distinctly related to Him.

(1) The author of Hebrews encouraged his audience that in Christ they had access to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God (Heb 12:22). The Jerusalem to come is the place of festive gathering of angels and the fellowship of all those whose names are written in heaven (Heb 12:22-23). The heavenly Jerusalem is where the righteous will enjoy fellowship with God the judge and Jesus the mediator, forever (Heb 12:23-24).

(2) John described the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as the place of God’s dwelling with His people (Rev 21:3). “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,” John wrote, “because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter (Rev 21:27).

Commentary Nehemiah Old Testament

Ezra 9-10

When Ezra returned to Jerusalem, the author described him as a man skilled in the law of Moses (Ezra 7:6). In addition, he said, “Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). And the returned exiles needed him. Upon arrival, Ezra was confronted by syncretism among the people. Their lifestyle resembled the previous generations whose sin led to the exile. In fact, the returned exiles had fallen into the same specific form of syncretism their fathers had committed as early as the days of Moses, when Israelite men intermarried with Moabite women. At that time, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel and Phinehas rescued them from the Lord’s wrath (Num 25:1-15; 31:13-17). Now it was Ezra’s turn.

Ezra was crushed when he heard the words of the leaders; the people, led by the priests and officials, had taken foreign wives (Ezra 9:1-2). Ezra was not alone in his despair: “Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles” (Ezra 9:4). Ezra’s prayer in Ezra 9:6-15 demonstrated his heart as a leader. He acknowledged that the behavior of the returned exiles was no different than in previous generations—the punishment of which had resulted in the exile (Ezra 9:6-8). But God had been kind to His people. Ezra reminded them saying, “Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 9:9). Ezra confessed that the people had sinned against the law of Moses, which warned the people of the dangers of intermarriage (Ezra 9:10-13; Deut 7:1-4). Ezra reminded the people that God’s punishment upon them was less than they deserved; they were without excuse before the Lord (Ezra 9:14-15).

Shecaniah joined Ezra in mourning but recognized that God had not yet sent a plague amongst the people nor commanded that the people be executed for their infidelity. Perhaps the brief moment of grace had not yet expired. Ezra thus led the people to renew their covenant saying, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Therefore, make a confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives” (Ezra 10:1b-11). The problem was so pervasive that it could not be settled in a single meeting. Ezra had to arrange a schedule for these men to come before the family leaders and receive their sentence (Ezra 10:12-17). The priests, Levites, temple singers, and gatekeepers were the first required to settle the matter and in turn all the Israelites who had united themselves to pagan women.

The returned exiles took foreign wives because they had forgotten their special place in God’s plan; their sin was vertical before it was horizontal. While the people had erected a new temple and celebrated the Passover, their moral vision as God’s special people had been lost along the way. Paul confronted the Corinthians along the same lines. They were indifferent to sexual sin in their midst because they had only lightly esteemed their status as God’s special people in Christ (1 Corinthians 5-6)—and he challenged their behavior in light of the sacrifice of Christ, their Passover. Paul’s argument to the Corinthians concerning the immoral brother among them was thus grounded in the storyline of Scripture. In 1 Cor 5:6-8, Paul told the Corinthians that Christ, their Passover, had been sacrificed. They should thus walk in sincerity and truth, moral uprightness.

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast, or with the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor 5:6-8).

Commentary Ezra with Select Psalms Old Testament

Ezra 7-8

The exiles, with the permission and support of the Persian kings, returned to the Promised Land in phases. In accord with his predecessors Cyrus and Darius, Artaxerxes displayed great benevolence toward the Jews. Ezra was God’s man for the moment—and Artaxerxes knew it. It was in the Persian king’s self-interest to allow the various people groups under his domain at least some freedom of religion. Artaxerxes even gave Ezra silver and gold to purchase animals for sacrifice, and any surplus was to be used at Ezra’s discretion (Ezra 7:16-18). He charged Ezra the priest to regulate life west of the Euphrates according to the law of Moses, appointing judges over those who knew it and teaching those who did not. The punishment for ignorance was severe: “Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a fair judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment” (Ezra 7:26). Ezra gathered a number of family leaders to return with him, including Levites and temple servants (Ezra 7:27-8.20); he confessed that all these joined him because “the gracious hand of our God was upon us” (Ezra 8:18).

Ezra 7-8 reads like an autobiography. Ezra presented himself as a man dedicated to the law of Moses. The law is mentioned nine times in the book, seven of them in Ezra 7. Ezra was “a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given” (Ezra 7:6); a man who “had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10); and “an expert in matters of the LORD’s commandments and statutes for Israel” (Ezra 7:11). King Artaxerxes’s letter was replete with references to Ezra as a man of the law (Ezra 7:12, 14, 21, 26). Why this emphasis? This was not primarily so that Ezra would have honor among the people as an expert teacher but so that the people themselves would be mindful of the law. If the Hebrews were going to have any success in Jerusalem, Ezra knew it would only be a result of faithfulness to the law.

The concept of the law of God is a central element for understanding the storyline of Scripture.

(1) Early in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus announced that He came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt 5:17-18). As the New Testament progresses, it becomes clear that the purpose of the law and the prophets was to point to Jesus, who would institute for His followers a law of love. The evening before Jesus was crucified, just after He washed His disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

(2) Paul’s understanding of the law reflected the teaching and sacrifice of Jesus. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to follow his example of unselfishness, which he displayed as one “under the law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21). Paul wrote that he was free to evangelize Jews by living as a Jew and free to evangelize Gentiles by living as a Gentile. Paul likewise challenged the Galatians—some of whom were submitting to life under the law of Moses and needed compassionate care from those stronger in faith among them—to “carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). It may in fact be the case that Paul understood Christians to be freed from the specifics of the law of Moses so that they could fulfill the law of love in Christ. Paul continued, “For you are called to freedom, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:13-14). Similarly, Paul wrote to the Romans, “The commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment—all are summed up by this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Rom 13:9).

Commentary Ezra with Select Psalms Old Testament

Ezra 4-6

The leaders of the returned exiles wished to provide them with a temple-centered theological vision. For Ezra, rebuilding of the temple so naturally accorded with rebuilding the whole of Jerusalem that he could write about the latter and the former without pausing to dip his pen. But Ezra recorded that those rebuilding faced sharp political opposition.

The non-Jewish inhabitants around Jerusalem opposed temple construction (Ezra 4:1-5:5). Initially “the enemies of Judah and Benjamin” (Ezra 4:1) proposed to join in the work; what better way to defile the construction than from within? Yet Zerubbabel and company saw through the scheme of their opponents, answering with devotion both to the Lord and to the Persian king who had authorized their work. The early opposition described here anticipated the difficulty Ezra and Nehemiah would later endure while building the wall around Jerusalem (Ezra 4:6-23). Re-establishing Israel’s system of worship at the temple in Jerusalem would not be for the fainthearted. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah “prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them” (Ezra 5:1) and the people continued the work.

Those who initially opposed construction, seeing that their attempts to frustrate construction of the temple had failed, took their case to Tattenai, the governor of the region. He in turn inquired as to who gave the Jews the authority to rebuild their temple. In Tattenai’s mind, if the Jews were slowly working toward a theocracy independent of, and potentially in rebellion to, Persia, then the project demanded his closest attention.

Ezra recorded that the Jewish elders were forced to appeal to Darius (Ezra 5:6-6:13). He was the Persian ruler after Cyrus, the king who had originally commanded the Jews to return and build the temple (Ezra 1:1-4). Darius searched the records of the Persian kings and ruled in favor of Zerubbabel and his cohort (Ezra 6:1-12). Darius went a step further than Cyrus. He decreed, “The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop” (Ezra 6:8). Darius declared that the people should continue to make sacrifices, even praying for him and his sons (Ezra 6:9-10), and threatened execution upon any who interfered with the work (Ezra 6:11-12)!

With the seal of the king to back their work, the returned exiles completed the work and dedicated their new temple to the Lord (Ezra 6:14-22). They were yet encouraged in the work by the work of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. When the temple was completed, “the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy” (Ezra 6:16).

Ezra noted that the returned exiles celebrated by sacrificing an abundance of animals and by separating themselves “from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land” (Ezra 6:21). Ezra’s statement provides a window for observing Scripture’s storyline. Ezra knew that if the nations were allowed to co-habit with Israel, Israel would be polluted and turned away from worshipping the Lord from a pure heart. Unfortunately, Israel failed just as Moses predicted (Deut 30:1-6). The New Testament records that purity before God is found only in Jesus Christ and is available to all peoples.

(1) Even at the outset of Jesus’ ministry, He challenged those who complained about His hospitable association with the unclean. After Matthew was converted, he gave a banquet for his friends. When the Pharisees observed Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, they were infuriated that He—a religious leader—had not followed the pattern that Ezra and the ancestors had established (Matt 9:9-13//Mark 2:15-17//Luke 5:29-32). “The healthy don’t need a doctor,” Jesus retorted, “but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32).

(2) At the outset of Paul’s ministry, he confronted those who argued that Jews should separate from Gentiles, even those in Christ. Paul wanted the Galatians to understand that Christian spirituality is not based on adherence to laws of separation but the outworking of love and truth by the Spirit for those who belong to Christ. So when Peter came from Jerusalem and led Barnabas to separate from the Gentiles at meals, Paul opposed him publicly saying, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:14).

Commentary Ezra with Select Psalms Old Testament

Ezra 1-3; Psalm 107

In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, the prophet Jeremiah announced that the Babylonian empire would soon overtake Judah, removing the people from the land for seventy years (Jeremiah 25). After Nebuchadnezzar’s first raid on Judah (2 Chron 36:9-10), Jeremiah sent a letter of encouragement to the exiles, affirming his prophecy of a seventy-year captivity followed by a return to the land (Jer 29:4-28).

Jeremiah’s prophesy of the conclusion of the Babylonian captivity was noteworthy for Ezra (Ezra 1:1-4). But King Cyrus of Persia may have had his own agenda in allowing the people to return. Having just conquered the Babylonian empire, Cyrus granted the Hebrews favor in hope of gaining their loyalty. God used this prudent politician to display His sovereignty and mercy over His people and the nations.

Ezra and Nehemiah described the origins of the post-exilic religious and political reforms of Judah. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem several years before Nehemiah and they shared a common worldview with the Chronicler. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah were also active during this time of restoration, each exhorting the returned exiles to be faithful with the opportunity God had given them.

Ezra recorded that the people got right to work on the temple (Ezra 1:5-11). In what must have seemed a miraculous turn of affairs, all who returned were actually funded not only by their family members remaining in Babylon, but also by the Persian king. Cyrus even “brought out the articles of the LORD’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:7) so that they could be taken back to the city of David. Zerubbabel led a company of Israelite men (Ezra 2:3-39), Levites (Ezra 2:40), singers (Ezra 2:41), those who would be gatekeepers (Ezra 2:42), temple servants (Ezra 2:43-58), and even those who wished to serve at the temple but were prohibited because their ancestry could not be documented (Ezra 2:59-63). Ezra 2 concludes with a placid scene: “The priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and some of the people settled in their towns, and the rest of Israel settled in their towns” (Ezra 2:70).

The peace would not last. The initial paragraph of Ezra 3 introduces the dramatic motif that would carry through Ezra and into Nehemiah. The non-Hebrew inhabitants of the land opposed the returned exiles’ efforts to build the temple. Despite this threat, the Hebrews “set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening” (Ezra 3:3). Beyond this, they celebrated the Feast of Booths (Ezra 3:4; Lev 23:33-43), appointed all Levites twenty years and older to supervise the construction (Ezra 3:8-9), and sang a familiar anthem of praise to the Lord: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever” (Ezra 3:11; 2 Chron 5:13; 7:3).

Despite the joy of the occasion, “many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this house” (Ezra 3:12; Hag 2:1-5). Why? Because it was of common stature in comparison with Solomon’s great edifice; their God was great, and in their minds, this temple did not do Him justice (2 Chron 2:4-6). Ezra captured the jumbled emotions saying, “The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly” (Ezra 3:13).

On the whole, Ezra portrayed the people as more excited than discouraged; hope was in the air. The New Testament authors looked back at the returned exiles’ hope as if it were none. Despite the fact that the temple had been rebuilt and the sacrifices could continue, those who returned yet lived in the days of shadow, before the substance, that is, the Messiah, had come (Col 2:17). Concerning the effectiveness of Christ’s unique self-sacrifice in redemptive history, the author of Hebrews wrote, “Now every priest stands day after day ministering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:11-12).

Commentary Ezra with Select Psalms Old Testament

2 Chronicles 36; Proverbs 30

The Chronicler was no dull historian. Throughout 1 and 2 Chronicles, he often expanded on information found in the record of 1-2 Kings, emphasizing specific aspects of covenant faithfulness through more detailed accounts of the reigns of Judah’s kings. But at the close of 2 Chronicles, there is an abrupt change in style. Here at the climax of his account of Judah’s history, the author set out to anger his contemporaries. He wanted them to fume at the unfaithfulness of past generations.

In 2 Kings, the four leaders described in 2 Chronicles 36 are afforded nearly twice as much ink. The Chronicler’s brief summary advanced the emotional impact of the fall of Judah—it happened abruptly. Jehoahaz (2 Chron 36:1-3) was deposed by the king of Egypt, who was also responsible for the death of Josiah (2 Chron 35:20-25). Jehoahaz’s reign became the pattern each subsequent king would follow. Pharaoh Neco replaced Jehoahaz with Jehoiakim (2 Chron 36:4-8). Jehoiakim did evil in the Lord’s sight (2 Chron 36:5). Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon dethroned Jehoiakim and plundered the temple, taking some of the gold to Babylon (2 Chron 36:7). Jehoiachin reigned only three months before Nebuchadnezzar removed him from the throne and brought him, with some of more the temple’s treasures, to Babylon (2 Chron 36:9-10). Zedekiah enjoyed the longest reign of the kings mentioned in the last chapter of 2 Chronicles. But during his eleven years on the throne, Zedekiah “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet at the LORD’s command” (2 Chron 36:12). Zedekiah placed himself in a position of rebellion and “All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the LORD’s temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem” (2 Chron 36:13b-14).

The fate of Judah was sealed, and the Chronicler wrote of the sad end of the nation. Though the Lord had sent prophets to warn them time and again, “they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the LORD’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy” (2 Chron 36:16). Finally, the Lord sent the Babylonians to plunder Jerusalem, destroying the temple and Jerusalem’s wall; any who escaped were taken captive to Babylon (2 Chron 36:17-20).

While the Chronicler employed the emotion of anger in the arrangement of this chapter, he also aroused a measure of hope in his audience. He reminded them that their Lord was sovereign over the 70-year exile, when “the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest” (2 Chron 36:21). At the conclusion of that period, the Lord prompted King Cyrus of Persia to allow the Hebrews to return to their land and rebuild their temple (2 Chron 36:22-23). Now was their time to be faithful.

From the Chronicler’s account of the last days of Judah in the Promised Land, it is clear that God’s discipline of His people was not without warning. Time and again their gracious God had sent messengers to warn them of the consequences of their actions but they would not listen (Isa 6:8-13; Jer 1:17-19). Perhaps this reality was on Jesus’ mind during the last week of His life, when He told the Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Matt 21:33-43//Mark 12:1-11//Luke 20:9-18) —a parable which provides the rubric of the storyline of Scripture. The Lord had sent many slaves to reap the harvest of the Promised Land; He had planted His people there for His glory (Deut 4:1-14) but to no avail. Jesus knew that His time had come, the builders were going to reject the cornerstone. It is thus no surprise that the Jewish leadership reacted so sharply to Jesus’ teaching. The Synoptic Evangelists note that the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Jesus from that very hour, because they knew He had told the parable against them (Matt 21:45//Mark 12:12//Luke 20:19).

2 Chronicles with Select Psalms and Proverbs Commentary Old Testament