Ecclesiastes at a glance

Ecclesiastes

 

This is the 21^st book of the bible. The author was Solomon. It was probably written around 935 BC, late in Solomon’s reign as King. 

 

The Purpose of writing this book was to “spare future generations the bitterness of learning thru their own experience that life is meaningless apart from God.”

 

The Setting of this book was Solomon looking back on his life, much of which was lived apart from God. It is interesting to me that the “wisest man” in all of history still spent a large portion of his adult life away from God. Even the wisest of men can be lured into the devils web. Focusing exclusively on Christ can be the solution.

 

Important Points found in this book: 

 

1) “Solomon was wealthy, wise, and successful in all his dealings, including building the first temple for God. However, he shared an emptiness in Ecclesiastes that comes from not conversing with God enough to have a strong relationship with him. Solomon had already tried many things to ease his sense of feeling lost in the world ... pleasure, work, and intelligence.”

 

2) “The book is 12 chapters long and reads like essays or even journals, where Solomon was simply thinking aloud. 

 

3) “This book is a favorite of several types of people. Those suffering from depression can relate to Solomon. Those with great intellect enjoy his wisdom, even if this book is greatly hopeful in its tone. People looking to fill a void that pleasure hasn’t filled will find it very relatable.”

 

Key Verses:

 

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” - Ecc: 3:1

 

“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” - Ecc: 12:13

 

Song of Songs is up next, so until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Applications Study Bible; The Bible at a glance.

Proverbs at a glance

Proverbs

 

The Blueprint: 

 

1) Wisdom for Young People ... Proverbs 1:1 thru 9:18 - The 1^st nine chapters were to be seen as a father giving advice to his child. The wisdom shared is helpful to all people of faith whether men or women, young or old. If you are looking for greater wisdom in your walk with the Lord there may be no better place to start than the book of Proverbs.

 

2) Wisdom for All People ... Proverbs 10:1 thru 24:34 - These next fourteen chapters come in the form of short, pithy sayings that reveal to us practical wisdom for daily living. It would do us a world of good to study them thoroughly as a means of integrating them into our lives. 

 

3) Wisdom for Leaders ... Proverbs 25:1 thru 31:31 - The final six chapters are general in nature; however, some are directed to kings and those who deal with the king. Scripture shows us that advisers to King Hezekiah collected many proverbs that Solomon or others wrote for guidance and direction. These wise sayings are very valuable for either leaders or those who plan on becoming leaders.

________________________________________________________

 

Although we can find a multitude of examples of wisdom throughout Proverbs, I hand-picked one that I believe exemplifies the true nature of this book.

 

Proverbs 4:23 New Living Translation

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

 

Our heart is what God is most interested in, for it is the home of our love and desires. Unlike man, the Lord examines the condition of a man’s heart to determine his intent. 

 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

 

We can guard our hearts by making sure our desires always lead us on the right path. It’s important for all serious believers to place boundaries around our desires. Don’t ever be afraid to ask the Spirit to provide wisdom and/or guidance at any time. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by detours that could lead to sin. 

 

That is how you use Proverbs for your own edification and encouragement so that you may live a productive life for our Lord.  Our next posting will look at Ecclesiastes ... until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

Proverbs at a glance

Proverbs

 

            This is the 20^th book of the Bible. Its author is David’s son, Solomon who wrote Chapters 1-29. Chapter 30 was written by a man named Agur. The first verse of that chapter states: “The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.” Nothing is known of Agur except that he was a wise teacher who may have come from Lemuel’s kingdom.

            Chapter 31:1 tells us the following: “The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.” All we know about Lemuel is that his name means ‘devoted to God’. There is a school of thought that Lemuel and Agur were both from the Massa kingdom in northern Arabia.

            This book is said to have been written early in Solomon’s reign as king of Israel. Proverbs was written for all to enjoy ... it’s a valuable writing that is seen as timeless. It is referred to as ‘the wisdom book’ of ‘the book of wisdom’. It’s lessons are valid to everyone throughout all generations.

 

The Book of Proverbs shares two very important points:

 

1) It is a short guide for living an effective life on earth. Proverbs contains no stories or theological teaching ... it simply states wisdom for all to read and learn from.

 

2) Two principles emphasized in this book are listening to those who’ve come before us & having humility. The reader is encouraged to avoid speaking rashly, for arrogance leads to unseemly consequences.

 

The Purpose of the Book: “To teach people how to attain wisdom, discipline, lead a prudent life, plus how to do what is right, just and fair - in short, to apply divine wisdom to daily life and to provide moral instruction.”

 

The Setting of the Book: It is a book of wise sayings for the purpose of teaching people how to live godly lives thru the repetition of wise thoughts. 

 

Interesting Fact(s): The Book of Proverbs uses varied literary forms, such as, poems, brief parables, pointed questions, and couplets.

 

The Blueprint: 

1) Wisdom for Young People ... Proverbs 1:1 thru 9:18

2) Wisdom for All People ... Proverbs 10:1 thru 24:34

3) Wisdom for Leaders ... Proverbs 25:1 thru 31:31

 

I will touch on the Blueprint found in Proverbs next time, but until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource:  The Life Application Study Bible & The Bible at a glance.

Psalms - Reasons to Read Them ...

Psalms  

Reasons to Read Them ...

 

            There are several important reasons for the writing of God’s Word. It was written to be studied earnestly, understood completely, and then applied to our lives. The Book of Psalms fits that criteria. We can easily relate to the subject of a psalm regardless of what it is speaking about.  As we strive to emulate our Lord, we end up identifying with the emotions shared by each writer.

            To be more like God / Christ, we must get to know Him as intimately as humanly possible. This can be done by not just reading His word but taking the time to study it. The Psalms touch on a wide variety topics that can aid in imitating our Creator. 

            When we are in need of comfort, or feeling worthwhile, we can turn to scripture, more specifically to the Psalms. When we want to know our Lord more intimately we can again turn to the Psalms. There are 150 psalms, so it stands to reason that you’ll find something that will speak to you. 

            If you’d like to give thanks to God or praise His name, you can find examples of that in the Psalms as well. I recommend reading the Psalms in their entirety. It will do you a world of good. Reading any portion of scripture will benefit you, because it was written to be a spiritual tool and guide that can educate, inspire, comfort, encourage, edify and in the end reveal all that needs to be known by us regarding our God. I trust this study within the grander study has opened your eyes to what a treasure the Psalms truly are. Next time we move on to the Book of Proverbs ... until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource used: The Life Application Study Bible.

Psalms - 5 Mega-Themes

PSALMS - The 5 Mega-Themes found in Psalms...

Praise - God’s Power - Forgiveness - Thankfulness - Trust

 

1) Praise - “Psalms are songs of praise to God as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. Praise is recognizing, appreciating, and expressing God’s greatness.”

Why is this important ... “Focusing our thoughts on God moves us to praise Him. The more we know him, the more we can appreciate what he has done for us.”

 

2) God’s Power - “God is all-powerful; and he always acts at the right time. He is sovereign over every situation. God’s power is shown by the ways He reveals Himself in creation, history, and His Word.”

 

Why is this important ... “When we feel powerless, God can help us. His strength can overcome the despair of any pain or trial. We can always pray that He will deliver, protect, and sustain us.” 

 

3) Forgiveness - “Many psalms are intense prayers asking God for forgiveness. God forgives us when we confess our sin and turn from it.”

 

Why is this important ... “Because God’s forgives us, we can pray to Him honestly and directly. When we receive His forgiveness, we move from alienation to intimacy, from guilt to love.”

 

4) Thankfulness - “We are grateful to God for His personal concern, help, and mercy. Not only does He protect, guide, and forgive us, but His creation provides everything we need.”

 

Why is this important ... “When we realize how we benefit from knowing God, we can fully express our thanks to Him. By thanking Him often we develop spontaneity in our prayer life.”

 

5) Trust - “God is faithful and just. When we put our trust in him, He quiets our hearts. Because He has been faithful throughout history, we can trust Him in times of trouble.”

 

Why is this important ... “People can be unfair, and friends may desert us, but we can trust God. Knowing God intimately drives away doubt, fear, and loneliness.”

 

There are a multitude of reasons for reading the Psalms. Next time we’ll go over these reasons. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Today’s information was available thanks to the Life Application Study Bible side study found on pp. 1111-1112.

Psalms - Book Five at a glance

PSALMS - Book Five at a glance

Psalms 107:1 - 150:6         

 

Summary of Book Five: “These psalms praise God’s works, recount the blessing of righteous living, thank God for deliverance and praise God for his wonderful word. They remind us that the best sacrifice we can offer to God is a faithful and obedient.” *

 

Interesting fact: The author of this third book is Asaph, who is one of the leaders of David’s Levitical Temple choirs. (see 1 Chronicles 25:1) Asaph explains that until he entered God’s sanctuary he could not understand the justice in allowing the wicked to thrive while the righteous endured hardship. However when he saw that one day justice would be done, Asaph acknowledged God’s wisdom.

 

The Blueprint - Book Five: “This collection of Psalms, mainly written by Asaph or his descendants, is similar to the book of Leviticus. Just as Leviticus discusses the Tabernacle and God’s holiness, many of these psalms discuss the Temple and God’s enthronement. Because God is almighty, we can turn to him for deliverance. These psalms praise God because He is holy, and his perfect holiness deserves our worship and reverence.” *

 

Next we will look at are the five mega-themes found in the book of Psalms, until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application

Psalms - Book Four at a glance

PSALMS - Book Four at a glance

Psalms 90:1 - 106:48

 

Summary of Book Four: “These psalms include a prayer of Moses, a psalm about oppressors, and a psalm praising God as our King. These psalms remind us that we should remember our place and be submissive before our mighty God.” *

 

The Basic Theme: “God’s eternal nature is contrasted with people’s frailty. Our time on earth is limited and we are to use it wisely, not living for the moment, but with our eternal home in mind.” *

 

Interesting fact: The first psalm in book four is Moses prayer, which he wrote himself. That makes Psalm 90 the oldest writing in all the psalms. While several of the 16 psalms in book four are attributed to King David, most of the authors are anonymous, as he or she is not known. This small collection of psalms 

 

The Blueprint - Book Four: “This collection of Psalms, mainly written by unknown authors, is similar to the book of Numbers. Just as Numbers discusses the relationship of the nation of Israel to surrounding nations, these psalms often mention the relationship of God’s overruling Kingdom to the other nations. Because we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, we can keep the events and troubles of earth in their proper perspective.” *

 

Next we will look at the fifth book of Psalms (107:1 - 150:6), until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

* The Life Application Study Bible

Psalms - Book Three at a glance

PSALMS - Book Three 

Psalms 73:1-89:52

 

Summary of Book Three: “These psalms celebrate the sovereignty of God, God’s hand in history, God’s faithfulness, and God’s covenant with David. These psalms remind us that our worship should be continual.” *

 

The Basic Theme: “The temporary prosperity of the wicked and the lasting rewards of the righteous. We should live holy lives and trust God for our future rewards.” *

 

Interesting fact: The author of this third book is Asaph, who is one of the leaders of David’s Levitical Temple choirs. (see 1 Chronicles 25:1) Asaph explains that until he entered God’s sanctuary he could not understand the justice in allowing the wicked to thrive while the righteous endured hardship. However when he saw that one day justice would be done, Asaph acknowledged God’s wisdom.

 

The Blueprint - Book Three: “This collection of Psalms, mainly written by Asaph or his descendants, is similar to the book of Leviticus. Just as Leviticus discusses the Tabernacle and God’s holiness, many of these psalms discuss the Temple and God’s enthronement. Because God is almighty, we can turn to him for deliverance. These psalms praise God because He is holy, and his perfect holiness deserves our worship and reverence.” *

 

Next we will look at the fourth book of Psalms (90:1-106:48), until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application

Psalms - Book Two at a glance

PSALMS - Book Two

Psalms 42:1 - 72:20

 

Summary of Book Two: “These psalms include a prayer for rescue, a call to worship, a confession of sin, an encouragement to trust God, a psalm for those hurt by friends, a prayer for those who have been slandered, ad a missionary psalm. These psalms can help us retain a sense of wonder in our worship.”

 

The Basic Theme: A thirst for God. When you feel lonely or depressed, meditate on God’s kindness and love.  The majority of this book is written by King David, while the rest are written by the sons of Korah, who were assistants and Temple musicians.

 

Interesting fact: “Psalms 42-49 were written by the descendants of Korah. Korah was a Levite who lead a rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16:1-35). He was killed, but his descendants remained faithful to God and continued to serve God in the Temple. David appointed men from the clan of Korah to serve as choir leaders (1 Chronicles 6:31-38), and they continued to be Temple musicians for hundreds of years (2 Chronicles 20:18-19).”

 

The Blueprint - Book Two:  There is a similarity between this section of psalms and the book of Exodus. “Just as Exodus describes the nation of Israel, many of these psalms describe the nation as ruined and then recovered.” Just as the Lord rescued Israel, He also rescues us. We don’t have to resolve our problems prior to seeking the Lord; rather, we can go to God with all our problems and simply ask Him for help. 

 

Next we will look at the third book of Psalms (73:1-89:52), until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Psalms - Book One at a glance

PSALMS - Book One

Psalms 1:1 - 41:13

 

Summary of Book One: “In this book, the psalm writers praise God for his justice, express confidence in God’s compassion, recount the depravity of humanity, plead for vindication, ask God to deliver them from their enemies, speak of the blessedness of the forgiven sinner, and portray God as a shepherd. We should worship God with the same sense of adoration found in these psalms.” ^[1a]

 

The Basic Theme: It takes a look at life’s two roads. The life of the faithful person is contrasted with the life of the faithless person.  Note: The author of this psalm is unknown.

 

Interesting fact:  It has been said that the dominant themes found in each of the five books of the Psalter compares favorably to the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), which is also referred to as the Pentateuch.  

 

The Blueprint - Book One:  The first 41 psalms, mainly written by King David, are similar in content to the writings in Genesis. The first book of the bible tells how mankind was created, fell into sin, and was then promised redemption ... many of these psalms identify humans as blessed, fallen, and redeemed by God.

            An important fact from scripture is found in the very first chapter of the 1^st psalm. “God doesn’t judge people on the basis of race, sex, or national origin. He judges them on the basis of their faith in Him and their response to his revealed will. Those who diligently try to obey God’s will are blessed. In contrast, those who don’t trust and obey God have meaningless lives that blow away like dust.” ^[1b]

            It pays for Christians today to remember that WE are NOT the judge of anything or anyone. Only God judges based on a person’s heart and lifestyle. The latter is an outcropping of the former. How we live our lives has everything to do with where we end up at the end of this life. The psalms are a wonderful source of encouragement and inspiration. 

 

Next we will look at the second book of Psalms (42:1 - 72:20), until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

^{[1a & b]} Footnote from The Life Application Study Bible, p.1112.

Psalms at a glance

Psalms

 

The 19^th book in the Bible that has many authors.  King David wrote 73 out of 150 Psalms. Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon wrote 2, Heman, Ethan and Moses each wrote 1. 51 Psalms are anonymous. The NT credits 2 of the anonymous psalms (Ps. 2 & 95) to David (see Acts 4:25 & Hebrews 4:7).  This posting serves as the introduction to the longest book in the Bible.

 

The Purpose of writing this book was to provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship, and confession to God.

 

The Setting of the book: For the most part, the psalms were not at all intended to be historical narrations; however, the often parallel historical events, such as David’s flight from King Saul and his adulterous sin with Bathsheba.

 

Interesting Fact: The Psalms follow a specific blueprint in that it is broken up into 5 Books. Book One includes Psalms 1:1 - 41:13, Book Two includes Psalms 42:1 - 72:20, Book Three includes Psalms 73:1 - 89:52, Book Four includes Psalms 90:1 - 106:48 and Book Five includes 107:1 - 150:6. Over the next 5 days we’ll be looking at the 5 books one at a time.

 

Important Points found in this book:

 

1) The Psalms are poetry, generally meant to be put to music, though the translations out of their original and beautiful language often makes that hard today.

 

2) Individual psalms were written as early as Moses’ time, around 1450 BC. More were added thru the time of David and Solomon around 1000 BC. Additions continued after the Babylonian captivity around 500 BC. This all means that the writing covered nearly 1,000 years.

 

3) The Psalms have always been quite popular because they apply to each and every situation and circumstance and every person in creation. Psalms of sorrow, psalms of praise, prophetic psalms, and words of encouragement still make this one of the most popular books in the Bible.

 

Key Verses: 

 

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4

 

“Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4

 

“Let everything that breathes sing praise to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” - Psalms 150:6

 

Next time we will look at the Book 1 of Psalms, but until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Books of the Bible at a Glance; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 18, 2018); The Life Application Study Bible. Note: I took my information from this lengthy compilation of bible book information for all 66 books of the Holy Bible & the margin notes from the study bible.

Job at a glance

Job

 

The 18^th book in the Bible whose author is unknown, though there is speculation that it could have been Moses, Solomon or Elihu*. When Job was written down is unknown but is thought to be during the time of the Patriarchs... perhaps around 1900 BC. Therefore, the book of Job was speaking of the time period from 2000-1800 BC.

 

The Purpose of writing this book was to demonstrate God’s sovereignty and the meaning of true faith.

 

The Setting of the book: The land of Uz ... more then likely located northeast of Palestine, near desert land between Damascus and the Euphrates River.

 

Interesting Fact: The beginning chapter of the book of Job shows us that Satan needs Almighty God’s permission to come against God’s children in the form of trials and temptations. Apparently the unsaved are fare game, with no permission from God needed. [“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will … If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:28-33). Jesus once said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37b).] Therefore, it would seem that unsaved people are only heard by God when they cry out for mercy or forgiveness. 

 

Stories told ...

 

1) Job is a story about a righteous man who goes thru serious and extreme testing of his faith as his children were taken from him, he lost his businesses and finally, his own physical health, by having his body covered in boils.

 

Important Points found in this book:

 

1) Chapter 1 focuses on Job’s many God given blessings, then the heavy losses by Satan’s own hand are described on thru the 2^nd chapter. If you read Job you’ll find that this was due to a request of God by the evil one to test one of God’s children.

 

2) In Chapters 3 - 37, Job speaks with 3 of his friends to came to visit him as Job sit on an ash heap covered in boils. His friends come to make him feel better but end up accusing him of being deserving of his punishment because of sin in his life. In fact, Job had NOT sinned, neither would he say a negative thing about his God.

 

3) In Chapters 37-40, God speaks out against his accusing friends and also Job saying that none of them were big enough or smart enough to question God about ANYTHING. Some may think that a bit tyrannical, however we must remember that God created all of humanity and therefore, just as a parent knows what’s best for their child, so Almighty God also knows precisely what is good for us in all situations. In reality, I’m quite certain that believers can ask questions of our Lord, but of an inquisitive nature and not in arrogance, like someone who believes that are above others as they begin to talk down to them. 

 

4) The closing chapter, No. 41, has God restoring all of Job’s losses blessing him with 2x as much as he had prior to the testing. Job was also given 10 more children.

 

Next time we will look at the book of Psalms, but until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Books of the Bible at a Glance; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 18, 2018); The Life Application Study Bible. Note: I took my information from this lengthy compilation of bible book information for all 66 books of the Holy Bible & the margin notes from the study bible.

* Elihu - He too was a friend of Job’s but was younger than the other 3 friends who had been judging Job (32:6-7). For that reason he didn’t speak up until he became angry that Job wouldn’t admit he had sinned. Elihu said Job’s suffering would not go away until he recognized his present sin. It would seem that he was a bystander to this conversation between Job and his friends that whole time.

Esther at a glance

Esther

 

The 17^th book in the Bible whose author is unknown, though there is speculation that it could have been Morecai (9:29). Some scholars have suggested that it may have been either Ezra or Nehemiah due to the similarity in writing style. Tradition tells us that it was written around 470 BC (Esther became queen in 479 BC).  This book records events from the 5 year period of 480-475 BC.

 

The Purpose of writing this book was to demonstrate God’s sovereignty and loving care for His people.

 

The Setting of the book: “Although Esther follows Nehemiah in the Bible, its events are about 30 years prior to those recorded in Nehemiah. The story is set in the Persian Empire, and most of the action takes place in the king’s palace in Susa, the Persian capital.” ^[1]

Interesting Fact: Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn’t mention the name of God, yet the story of Esther is quite godly. _{(see footnote at bottom)}

 

Stories told ...

 

1) The book of Esther tells the story of a Jewish woman who became queen in a foreign land and as a result of her position was able to stop a genocide meant to kill all Jews in the land of Persia.

 

Important Points found in this book:

 

1) Esther takes in Susa, east of the Tigris River, which is now part of Iraq. It’s the only Bible story to take place east of what is thought to be the Garden of Eden.

 

2) In Chapter 1 & 2, Esther becomes queen of Susa. A man named Mordecai had adopted Esther after she was orphaned and before she became queen. Chapter 4 features Mordecai discovering a plot to have all Jewish people in the kingdom executed. The evil plot was started by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite.

 

3)Esther was able to talk her husband, a very strong king, out of the genocide thru a combination of wits and humility, plus support from Mordecai.

 

4) The evil Haman ended up being killed on the very devices he had designed to kill the Jewish people in Chapter 7.

 

5) King Xerxes, Esther’s husband, cancelled the plot and, in the closing chapter, (10) Mordecai was promoted to second in command.

 

Next time we will look at the book of Job, but until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Books of the Bible at a Glance; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 18, 2018); The Life Application Study Bible.

Note: I took my information from this lengthy compilation of bible book information for all 66 books of the Holy Bible & the margin notes from the study bible.

 

[1] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/who-was-nehemiah-why-is-he-important-in-the-bible.html

 

Note: “Here are some reasons why God’s name may not have been referenced in Esther: first, one emphasis of Esther appears to be how God works behind the scenes. The book of Esther records no miracles and no direct intervention of God at all. In Esther’s story, the Lord redeems His people through the faith and courage of one strategically placed woman and her cousin. All the while, things are happening behind the scenes to bring about the final result.

 

Also, it is possible God is not mentioned directly in Esther because of the circumstances of its writing. Jewish tradition claims authorship by Mordecai. If Mordecai is the author, he wrote the book in Persia while serving under King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes). Instead of directly crediting God for the victory of the Jewish people, Mordecai may have written the book to better fit the polytheistic context of Susa. This would have kept him protected from harm by the king or other enemies while still communicating the account of God’s work through Queen Esther.”

[ www.gotquestions.com)

Nehemiah at a glance

Nehemiah

 

The 16^th book in the Bible whose author is Nehemiah, who is neither a spiritual leader or prophet. The name Nehemiah means ‘Yahweh has comforted’. “Before we even begin reading the book of Nehemiah, the name reveals that the words will bring comfort. Nehemiah offers hope and much more. This book guides us on how to overcome troubles and trust in God while showing Nehemiah’s prayer life, leadership, and faithfulness.” ^[1] Tradition tells us that it was written in between 445-432 BC and records events from the 20 year period of 450-430 BC.

 

The Purpose of writing this book is the final historical book of the OT. It tells of Israel’s 3^rdreturn to Jerusalem after their captivity, focusing on how the walls were rebuilt and how the people faith in God was renewed.

 

The Setting of the book: It should be noted that Zerubbabel* led the 1^st return to Jerusalem in 538 BC. Some 80 years later, in 458, Ezra led a 2^nd return. Nehemiah led a 3^rd group back home13 years later, in 445 BC. Nehemiah was to rebuilt the city walls.

 

Stories told ...

 

1) Nehemiah gets Israel’s leader to stop charging tax to the returnees from the Babylonian captivity.

2)  Nehemiah chastises male Jewish returnees who had married foreign wives. (Nehemiah 13:27)

 

Important Points found in this book:

 

1) Many biblical scholars believe this book is a sequel to Ezra as it picks up historically where Ezra left off.

 

2) Nehemiah was a layman, not a priest nor prophet.

 

3) Nehemiah helps rebuild the wall of the city against great adversity. The men of Israel worked in so much rubble it caused confusion, injuries, and exhaustion. They were mocked by their adversaries, yet finished the wall as recorded in Chapter 6.

 

4) Nehemiah continued to assist people who were returning to Jerusalem. In the final chapter (13), Nehemiah oversees the reestablishment of the laws and a supremely organized temple.

 

Key Verses: 

 

They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” - Nehemiah 1:3

“So on October 2[a] the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” - Nehemiah 6:15-16

 

Next time we will look at the book of Esther, but until then walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Books of the Bible at a Glance; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 18, 2018); The Life Application Study Bible.

Note: I took my information from this lengthy compilation of bible book information for all 66 books of the Holy Bible & the margin notes from the study bible.

[1] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/who-was-nehemiah-why-is-he-important-in-the-bible.html

Ezra at a glance

Ezra

 

The 15^th book in the Bible. Although it is not specifically noted, one could assume that the author was the scribe / scholar Ezra. Tradition tells us that it was written in about 450 BC and records events from a short 40 year period from 550-510 BC.

 

The Purpose of writing this book is to show God’s faithfulness and the way He kept His word to restore His people Israel to the land that was promised to them.

 

The Setting of the book: The Book of Ezra follows 2^nd Chronicles as a history of the Jewish people, recording the return to their land after the captivity. 

 

Stories told ...

 

1) When King Cyrus decreed that the work to rebuild the fallen Temple may begin.

 

2) God had “fierce anger” against the men who intermarried with foreign pagan wives. These men were required to send them all away. (Chapter 10)

 

Important Points found in this book:

 

1) Ezra details the rebuilding of Solomon’s Tempe after the Great Exile. (Chapter 3)

 

2) The Book of Ezra shows the unity among the returning peoples as they came home from the Babylonian Exile.

 

3) Ezra arrived back home with another 2,000 people. His enthusiasm and power from the Lord was on full display and sparked a spiritual revival.

 

4) At the end of Ezra the peoples of Israel had renewed their relationship with God resulting in spiritual obedience.

 

Key Verses: 

“So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.” - Ezra 6:21-22

 

In His Name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Books of the Bible at a Glance; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 18, 2018); The Life Application Study Bible.

Note: I took my information from this lengthy compilation of bible book information for all 66 books of the Holy Bible & the margin notes from the study bible.