Comments for November 29

5:14 - The construction in the original language here refers to 'the highest gallows that can be found' as opposed to gallows of this particular height, so Haman did not have these gallows built overnight, simply found and made ready for his use.

ch. 5 - Arrogant smug Haman could boast about his wealth and position. However the situation with Mordecai so ate into him that he had no peace. Thus we see that wealth and honour are no guarantee of happiness.
Of course Haman's problems were brought upon himself. His hatred of Mordecai was irrational.

ch.6 - And so to ensure that His people were preserved - but in a seemingly natural way - the king could not sleep and learnt of Mordecai's kindness to the king. Haman just happened to be around at that time and so got the job of promoting Mordecai to honour. Thus his hatred was intensified. He is being prepared for a great fall.

ch.6 gives us a wonderful insight into the working of the Lord our God, who invariably uses the circumstances and the people He has placed in positions of authority to bring about His purpose. We know this so well, so we can look forward with assurance to those things which God has promised, however unlikely it might seem in human terms that they will ever come to pass.

5:3 The promise that the king made to Esther is echoed by Herod to Herodias' daughter (Mark 6:22-23). The contrast is fascinating. Esther is seeking the head of Haman, the Jew's enemy whereas the daughter of Herodias is seeking the head of a faithful Jew.

6:13 Isn't it interesting that his friends knew that Haman's opposition to a Jew would be fruitless. Were they just superstitious or did they know what God had told Abraham? (Genesis 12:3)

5:7-8 One wonders why Esther did not make her specific request about her people at that time. Maybe it was because she wanted to be sure that Haman was the only one present with her and the king when she made her request lest other issues and court etiquette got in the way of her request for her people being heeded.

6:6 So self centred was Haman that he could not think of anyone else who would be great in the eyes of the king! We might smile at the way that things turned out for Haman but we would do well to reflect on our own attitude when there is work to do. Do we ever feel that we are the only one suitable for the job? Or are we willing to put forward others and to take a back seat ourselves?

5:13 We might think that Haman's problem was that Mordecai would not bow down to him. However it goes a lot deeper than that. We see in his enraged comment here that the problem that Haman had was that he was a "Jew".

6:6,7,9,11 The fourfold repetition of the phrase "the king delighteth to honour" forces us to realise that the king is being placed in a position whereby he will be prepared to sanction Esther's request in the banquet which took place on the next day (Est 6:14)

In Est 5:1 Esther put on her best clothes, and went into appear before the king.  But how hungry she must have been! She had fasted for 3 days and nights.

5:1 - on the 3rd day of fasting Esther puts on her royal robes. 5:2 - she "touched"<5060> the "tip/top"<7218> of the extended sceptre. Num 24:17,19 - Christ is the sceptre and star (the meaning of Esther) and similarly we have to grab on to Christ and hold fast to that which is good. Est 5:8 - she waits till after the 3rd day to petition the king for her life and that of Mordecai's people. Perhaps this was because only then could a symbolic divine approval be assured. 5:11 - we see an example of Haman's arrogance thinking he was the chosen one and in 5:14 he prepares to kill the true man of God Mordecai. Haman has a 50 cubit wooden assembly erected to hang Mordecai. We might note the number 50 is often associated with the Jubilee of mercy to a multitude during when people are delivered or freed from slavery and debts are considered paid in full.

6:11 - faithful Mordecai, the man the king delights to honour, is led through the capital streets on an animal, royally robed, with a small crest on his head like Esther's.

5:4 There was great address in this procedure of Esther's, for, by showing such high respect to the king's favorite, she would the better insinuate herself into the royal affections, and gain a more suitable opportunity of making known her request.

Haman was an evil person bent on destroying Mordecai and the Jews. But, as we shall see tomorrow, his intended mischief, like that of all perpetrators of evil, will boomerang: He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate (Psa 7:15,16).

5:3,6  Now Esther, the faithful Jewess organises a ‘banquet’ – so we have another party. However this one was rather different from the one that the king had organised. Whereas his had been one of decadence and excess Esther’s banquet has one simple objective – the salvation of her people.

6:4 One wonders how often Haman was in the king’s court when everyone else was asleep. It is evident that the king could not sleep because of the interference of an angel. So what about Haman?

5:3 Whist the king’s offer to Esther may seem very rash as he had no idea what her request might be his response actually provides what we might call an undesigned support for an earlier comment by Esther. In Est 4:11we learnt that entry into the king’s presence uninvited could bring certain death. The king, knowing this, must have realised that whatever Esther was going to request must be very important to her that she would risk death. The kings offer, therefore, was not a flippant remark but one designed to put Esther at ease before she made the request.

5:10 Haman did not openly reveal his hatred for Mordecai. He decided to bide his time until the twelfth month. Inwardly he was full of rage. What had appeared to have been a perfect day had been dampened. However, Haman consoled himself that the wait would not be very long. Soon Mordecai and all his people would be wiped away.

HUMBLE MYSELF

I might not be Haman, I might not even be as full of myself as Haman was, but I have still been caught in the same pride trap as Haman found himself tangled up in. When King Xerxes asked Haman, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?" (Est 6:6), Haman's mind thought only of himself. As far as Haman was concerned there was no one else in the whole kingdom that the king would like to honour.

Haman's reply to King Xerxes was a self centred one aimed at giving himself the honour that he wanted to have. But the next time the king opened his mouth, it was probably to see Haman's jaw drop to the ground and shock to be plastered all over his face. It was not Haman the king wanted to honour, but Haman's enemy, Mordecai.

Thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought will only get us into trouble. There are other people in the world besides us and if our lives become tainted with pride, God will often choose someone else instead of us. Like Haman, at various times I have found myself thinking I am more valuable than I really am, only to find that both God and other people have a different opinion.

Isn't it better to do what Jesus said to do and humble ourselves? Then, when God is ready, he can lift us up.

5:14  That Haman could, on the one hand, countenance murdering Mordecai, and on the other hand go ‘merrily’ to a banquet highlights the evil nature of the man. A man with no conscience.

5:9,13,14 Haman hated Mordecai. Haman was an Agagite (3:1). Agag was the generic name for the Amalek kings, just as Pharaoh was for the Egyptians. And so, Haman was a descendant of Amalek royalty. He would have known his nation’s history, and its interaction with Israel. Saul defeated the Amalekites (1Sam 15:7); then David continued the job (2Sam 1:1); and then the Simeonites mopped up (1Chron 4:43). Only a few Amalekites lived to tell the tale. Haman was, ultimately, one of those. And so, it is no wonder that he hated Mordecai the Jew. Little did he know that Esther was Jewish. Surprise!

5:9 Haman is completely oblivious to his impending fate. His reasoning is that the only reason why Esther would want only him and the king was that he saw himself as so important – it must never have crossed his mind that this had anything to do with Mordecai and the Jewish people

6:14 So the scene has been set – Haman has been humiliated, as he saw it, because of his attitude to Mordecai. Now he, even though doubtless encouraged by the request, is going to his doom!

Est 4:16 - sackcloth represents mourning and fasting is an echo of death so we have Mordecai (perhaps an echo of Christ) and Esther (perhaps true believers or faithful Israel who follow God and Christ) perhaps fasting/buried with Christ (echo of baptism?); Est 5:1 - new clothes on the third day perhaps echoes resurrection or a new life in Christ - perhaps the gate echoes the entrance to God's coming kingdom on earth.

Est 5:2 - the sceptre extended allowed access to the king and the sparing/saving of one's life; Esther (echoing believers in the new covenant) approaches the throne of grace having been buried with Christ with his death and united in his resurrection (Num 24:17-20;Heb 4:16;Rom 6:5,8;2Tim 2:11-12).

Est 5:4-6,8;6:14 - Esther had a new banquet (as opposed to Vashti's old banquet Est 1:9) prepared resulting in the saving of her people just as the new covenant banquet where Christ offered his flesh/bread and shed blood/wine offers believers salvation.

Est 5:9,13;6:10,12 - Mordecai was at the king's gate much like Christ who is the door/gate to the kingdom (John 10:7,9).

Est 5:11-12;6:6 - arrogance and pride contrast with Christ who was one who served (Luke 22:24-27) and the desire for worldly riches (1Tim 6:10) are the root of all evil.

Est 5:14 - "gallows" [Heb. "ets" (6086) means "tree, gallows, wood" etc.] and two others were hung on gallows (Est 2:23) which perhaps reminds us of the two thieves hung with Christ; "50" perhaps reminds us of a future Jubilee when those in bondage are set free to return to their inheritance (Lev 25:10,13,40,41).

Est 6:8-9 - the royal robe, royal crest and being led through the city on a horse was not unlike how Christ was honoured in God's sight though despised by his sinful enemies (Mark 11:1-10;14:3-5;15:17-20).

Est 6:1 - perhaps an echo of the book of life (Mal 3:16;Rev 3:5;20:12;Phil 4:3)

Est 6:12;7:8,10 - Haman was disgraced with his head covered and receiving a mortal blow as the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15;1Cor 11:4).

6:2  The event spoken of is recorded in Est 2:21. Though Mordecai had prevented the plot what he had done went unseen, providentially, in readiness for a time of great need.

6:1-3    The fact that the king could not sleep and that the part of the chronicles were read to the king which mentioned Mordecai of itself would not necessarily move the king to wish to bestow an honour on him. Another little details which helps the development of the fact that God was in control and bringing about His will with the Jews.

BLESSINGS

How does God bless us? Let us consider these ways: God could put us in a position of high authority - a powerful job and great respect. He could surround us with friends and family. He could give us vast wealth and possessions. We could have many children - and children to be proud of - children who are successful and who will go a long way. He could have given us special honours by royalty, the government or prestigious clubs. He could blessing us by setting us apart for special honour among notable people.

When I hear television evangelists telling us that God blesses (or should be blessing) us in these ways it makes me cringe. After all, the list of blessings we have just read were actually the boast of Haman. Only twenty-four hours before it all came crashing down on top of him, Haman had achieved what many people would consider as the blessing of God today.

The real blessings of God are usually found in very different things: trials, suffering, forgiveness, justice, godly children, contentment, joy, peace, and above all, knowing God. Too often we think of blessings as only material things (and they can be material things), but blessings from God are designed to draw us toward him. Let's learn to see through the pseudo-blessings we might have, to pursue the real blessings of God.

5:1      So even after all the elaborate preparations and prayers being made Esther went in unto the king not knowing the outcome of her visit. She could just as easily have been condemned to death. Like Daniel’s friends – Dan 3:16 – she had counted the cost and felt serving God was more important than a short term risk.

How are we saved?
Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court [1] of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.

So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favour in his sight [2], and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand [3]. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the sceptre.
Est 5:1-2 (NKJV)
 

The law for anyone entering into the inner court [1] of the king was that they would be put to death, unless the King favoured them (Est 4:11)[2]. Thus Esther's people were saved on the basis of the favour she had in the King's eyes[3]. This is a pattern of the way we are saved too. Jesus died and entered into the inner court of God. He was shown favour because of his perfect obedience. While there, he requests the saving of those who are his people.

Est 5:1-3 – At the request of Queen Esther, the Jews in Shushan were now in the third day of fasting.  They were to fast for her for “three days, night or day” (Est 4:16).  On the third day she would seek audience with the King to attempt to secure deliverance for her people from the decree of Haman.  Esther's audience with the king was granted, which led to the deliverance of the Jews throughout the Persian Empire.

When the Jews asked Jesus for a sign, he gave them a sign of his impending death. As the prophet Jonah was in three days and nights in the belly of the great fish so Jesus would be in the earth for three days and nights (Matt 12:39-40). On the third day he rose from the grave.  By Jesus sacrifice he would save his people from sin and death.

6:10   So begins the fall of Haman. He set himself against the Jews and so set himself against the God of heaven. If he had heard about Israel in Egypt and their deliverance it had no impact on him. Do we behave in ways consistent with what we know of our God or do we disregard what we know in order to satisfy our own desires?    

Est 5:10 - Haman's wife was "Zeresh" [<2238> means "gold"], so we have Haman perhaps representing sin and sin nature seemingly married to what the world values with the love of money being the root of all evil (1Tim 6:10); in his pride, hate, and love of worldly riches, Haman thought to confiscate the lives and material assets of the hated Jews. We can be married to Christ (who manifests his Father God) or we can be married to what the world values.

Est 5:14 - the 50 cubit gallows perhaps represents a Jubilee of sorts where sin and sin nature (i.e. Haman) was destroyed echoing Christ's sacrifice, and the ultimate Jubilee where sin and death will be put to death and those faithfully married to Christ will be free in the ultimate and eternal sense. 

5:11  The pride and loftiness of man is going to be brought low. Isa 2:12 is speaking particularly of Israel. However the principle applies to every individual. No flesh is to glory in His presence 1Cor 1:29.

5:5    ‘had prepared’ indicates that Esther did not wait for the outcome of the visit. In faith she prepared the banquet not knowing what would befall her when she went in, uninvited, to the king.

6:12     It would appear that the covering of the head was a sign of rejection – see Est 7:8.

The book of Esther does not contain “YHWH”, God’s name, in the Hebrew text. This has cast doubt in some minds as to the book’s divine authorship. As a consequence some have gone to great lengths to locate the Name somewhere, anywhere, anyhow, within the text.

In an effort to find YHWH some have sought to manufacture the Name from the first letters of four consecutive words in the Hebrew text (Y*** H*** W*** H***), and putting them together to form YHWH.  Then, searching for the same four letters occurring at the end of four consecutive Hebrew words (***Y ***H ***W ***H) put these results together to make YHWH. These two searches locate matches in Est 1:20 and Est 5:4.

It is quite common to find acrostics within the Hebrew Bible; a book of more than 300,000 words.
For example, if one were to search (as above) for the Hebrew ‘light’ (rAa 'owr) there are over 130 acrostics.

Extending the same searches for YHWH throughout the whole O.T. gives over 50 acrostics. Even more, if one chose to make the search on occurrences of second or third letters in consecutive words or first or last letters in every other word, or some other permutation!

Results can even be achieved in English (KJV & NET) versions, although not as prolific.
Isa 44:16 Yes, He Warms Himself; 

1Sam 22:13 Him, Why Have Ye.

Before considering acrostics to be a proof of divine authorship we should ask:-

Is it God’s intention that His name should be manufactured from the text in this way?
Are such searches something we are always expected to do with scripture?
Are they a necessary part of Bible study?
If so, where is this instruction given or even hinted at in the Bible?
What words should we be selecting for this treatment?
What does finding acrostics or not finding acrostics prove?
With the O.T. only, or both O.T. and the N.T.? 
Should searches be made only in the original languages?
Are searches ‘valid’ for other language translations or others versions or paraphrased works like the Message bible.?

Does the absence of “YHWH” in a book mean it is not of God?

“YHWH” occurs over 6,000 times in the OT.  But there are swathes of chapters, for example: most of Job; nineteen Psalms; all of Ecclesiastes and all of the Song of Solomon, where “YHWH” does not occur. Yet the authorship of these is not in doubt.

Furthermore Song of Solomon does not contain either “YHWH” directly in the text or in the same acrostic forms searched for in Esther.  Is SoS therefore not to be believed as of God?  Clearly not!

It can be concluded from this that neither the inclusion nor exclusion of “YHWH”, directly or in acrostic form, is proof that God did not inspire the Song of Solomon, other books, the chapters in Job or Psalms.

Other considerations:-

Est 5:4 where one acrostic occurs, (let come the king and Haman this day),is recorded as Esther’s speech. 
But would Esther have spoken in Hebrew at this point? 
This is most doubtful as to do so would be to “show her kindred” Est 2:20.
Was Esther, or were the Persians, into coded references?

Believing in the inspiration of scripture gives a different view. The point of the absence of the open use of the Divine name has to be an intended absence, designed by God, and directs us to what God wants us to appreciate or reckon with, bringing other scriptures to bear.

5:12    ‘all this availeth me nothing ...’ shows the emptiness of riches – Ecc 1:8 states this important principle in a few words.

6:2       I suspect that when Mordecai spoke of the chamberlains that the thought never crossed his mind that it might be an highly significant event in the future.

6:2 the fact that Mordecai’s actions had been forgotten until the king read about them that night makes us realise that whilst we may forget things we have done in the past for our fellow believers God does not forget – Matt 25:35-40

6:4-5 Haman was so obsessed with destroying the Jews that he can’t wait until the morning to speak to the king. But his plans blew up in his proud and arrogant face. He was so self-centred that he was not in the slightest bit circumspect in his response to Ahasuerus. We need to take care that we do not become so self-centred that we do not see anyone else having any value.

5:4 So Esther is begging her plan to defeat the counsel of Haman – though Haman would form a totally different view. He would see the invitation as some sort of honour.

5:3  Ahasuerus would have understood that Esther had put her life at risk to enter into his presence uninvited. Hence his question and subsequent response. He loved Esther and so sought to help her.

5:4-5  Notice the absence of any details of what was provided at the banquet. This is in marked contrast with what we are told about the king’s banquet – 1:3-7 . Esther’s focus was very different from that of the king and this is reflected in what we are told.

5:2  Vashti, when commanded, would not come to the king –  1:11-12. Esther, uninvited and against royal protocol, approached the king ad was approved. And it was the king who asked Esther what she wanted rather than commanding Vashti to do what he wanted. The book of Esther has a number of contrasts. Contrasts between the behaviour of those who were self-seeking and those who were God fearing.

v. 2 - The impossibility of escape from the watchful eye of God is often described in this sort of way - Job 20:6,7, 26:6, Psa.139:7-10, Isa.2:19, 14:16, Jer.49:16, 51:53

9:1 - 5 Yahweh was not restricted in what he could do against Israel. Even if they were taken out of the land He was still able to judge them.
This contrasted with the perception of Israel. They viewed Yahweh as a territorial God like the nations round about had many gods.
The taking into captivity into Assyria and then the taking of Judah into Babylon subsequently shows that Yahweh was still in control of their lives.

v.3 reminds us that God has power over all things in His creation. Maybe there is no such thing as a chance happening.

9:9-12 Whilst 9:11-12 is used (Acts 15:16) to speak of the call of the gentiles we should not forget that 'all Israel will be saved'. This is indicated with 'I will sift the house of Israel … ' We can take comfort that 'not the least grain will fall …' God knows all His children, whether Jew or gentile.

9:9 The assurance that when Israel are sifted 'not the least grain shall fall upon the earth' is a wonderful promise. God knows all of us. The hair of our head is numbered (Matthew 10:30) Such is our Father's care for us that not one of His children will be lost or forgotten because of His carelessness. Any loss will be our own fault.

Amos 9:11-15. Here we see five promises of Israel’s restoration.
      v.11. Tabernacle of David restored.
      v.12. Israel to possess the remnant of Edom.
      v.13. Abundance of food.
      v.14. Captivity of Israel to return.
      v.15.  Israel never to be removed.

9:15 Despite all the pronouncements of judgment and captivity there is a message of hope. The restoration of the nation - for ever - in their own land. Of course this will before a repentant nation. However it will happen. So we see the everlasting mercy of God.

V.15 The LORD promised to plant Israel so firmly and securely in their own land that they would never again be uprooted from the land that the LORD has given them (Jer 24:6). The surety of the prophecy, so frequently denied, is guaranteed by the words "saith the LORD thy God"

The symbolism of striking the lintel (tops of the pillars) for destruction (v.1) contrasts with the striking of the lintel for salvation (Exo 12:22,23).

Despite terrible prophecies directed mainly against the North, Amos’ words conclude with a time of blessing.  Amos 9:11-15 speaks of a time of return, building and plenty. God’s people will be planted in their Promised Land, and be no more pulled up.

9:8 Amos is very specific. Remember he has been speaking against Israel, the Northern kingdom. He now says that the Northern kingdom will be destroyed but the kingdom of Judah would not be completely destroyed. This is exactly what happened. Assyria took the Northern kingdom away and it ceased to exist. The Babylonians took Judah away but Judah and Benjamin returned during the time of Ezra.

V.5 Amos had threatened that at no time and nowhere could the Israelites be safe from the judgements of God, he now shows them God's omnipotent power to execute His threats. So in the case of the threat in yesterday's reading (Amos 8:8). God's power is shown to be the cause of mourning of "all that dwell" in the land, and of its rising "like a flood", and of its being "drowned, as by the flood of Egypt"

Verses 2-4 tell us in no uncertain terms that there's no way of running away and hiding from God, yet what is presented as a desperate situation in these verses is presented as a blessing in Psa 139:7-12. What we are being told is that the same situation can be bleak for one person and delightful for the next. In this case, the ability of God to find us out is presented as an absolute fact, yet depending on our relationship with God we either gain immense comfort from this or immense fear. This principle is given to us in many examples throughout scripture, the main two being Israel at Mount Sinai in Exodus, and Jesus in the gospel of John. In both cases it was the presence of the glory of God which separated between the just and the unjust. At Sinai it was the darkness and thunder which scared some, yet caused others to draw near. In John it was the light of Jesus' message which caused some to draw near and others to feel condemned.

These two examples are pulled together in Heb 12:18-25 where we are asked in v25 to hear Him who speaks (Jesus). In John we are told that it is our response to hearing the words of Jesus that will condemn or save us (John 5:24, 12:48). These words are words which lay bare our innermost thoughts, intentions, and motivation like nothing else can (John 4:12). Only if we have a clear conscience through faith in Christ can we bear to draw near to God and hear this word. So we can see that it is our conscience which will put us in one group or another, either to fear or love the all seeing eyes of God, and it is by that conscience that we will be saved or condemned (Heb 10:22). The practical lesson in this is that we should start listening to our conscience. If we find ourself drawing back from the word of God rather than drawing near, it may be that we need to urgently re-evaluate our relationship with Him.

9:4 The promise that they would go into captivity and the sword would kill them is a quotation of the curses in Lev 26:33. This is the last of a number of quotations from Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 in the prophecy of Amos showing them that the curses for disobedience were being fulfilled upon them.

Vs.9:13-15 gives a wonderful picture of the bounty that is in store in the Kingdom. Compare v.13 with Psa 72:16; v.14 with Mic 4:4; v.15 with Isa 65:22.

9:14 Amidst all the words of doom and captivity a ray of hope is held out. There would be a return. But clearly from the words that the prophet has spoken already that return is conditional upon repentance.

Amos 9:11-15 - V.11 David's tent/tabernacle/house restored; V.12 Gentiles being called too (as Peter Forbes noted in his 2002 comments); V.13 ["new wine" NIV or "sweet wine" KJV from Heb. "aciyc" (6071) meaning "fresh grape juice" or "anything pressed on, mead"] and this sweet wine, sometimes connected with blood (Isa 49:26), is connected to a future millennial age when the Lord will reign in Zion (Joel 3:13-18,21) - We read this Amos account in Acts 15:13-19 and how it relates to the call of the Gentiles.

9:13 The picture of abundant harvests is a glimpse of the fulfilment of Lev 26:5

9:1   It would be perfectly natural to flee from an enemy. However God is not speaking of just any enemy. He is speaking of His judgements. Here is no escape from them. Have we considered that we cannot actually escape the chastening hand of God?

Amos 9:7

“…Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

Amos tells us the Philistines came from Caphtor. We read of, “the Caphtorim, which came forth out of Caphtor” (Deut 2:23), and, “the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor” (Jer 47:4). The Philistines were the Caphtorim. Having established this, where is Caphtor? While disputed by many scholars, claims are made that they came from the isle of Crete, and had early cultural links with Greece. It appears, though, that Caphtor was located near Egypt, based on the genealogies provided in Gen 10:6, and 1Chron 1:12 where we read the Caphtors, or Philistines were the descendants of Ham, Noah’s son, and the Mizraim descended from Ham. “Mizraim,” also spelled, “Mitsraim,” is another word for the Egyptians. “Egypt” is Strong’s # <4714>, mitsrayim, thus the Caphtorim had a kinship with the Egyptians. Adjacent to Egypt is Gaza, which was known as a Philistine territory at the time of the Exodus (Exo 13:17).

“Philistine” is the Hebrew word, pelishtiy, Strong’s # <6430>, and means, “Philistine,” not Palestine, and “Philistine” does not come from the word, “Palestine” either, as often claimed. So, how then did the Philistines, or Caphtorim become Palestinians? The our generation Philistines simply changed the name, as their territory, Caphtor represented only a small coastal territory, which today corresponds to the Gaza Strip that borders Egypt on the southwest only - that territory being Philistia, hence their name, Philistines. The present day Philistines’ aim is to take over the West Bank and East Jerusalem with hopes of eventually claiming all of the land of Israel as being theirs again!

God never gave the land of Jacob, or Israel. (Gen 35:9-12) to the Philistines, but made His everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:5-7; Gen 17:7-8; Psa 105:8-11), and it was God who set the boundaries (Num 34; Deut 32:8-9; Exo 23:31)! The land known today as Palestine was before Joshua's conquests known as the “land of Canaan,” but after the conquest, it was called the, “land of Israel" (1Sam 13:19), and the, “land of the living,” a spiritual term used for those living away from the influence of Babylon (Eze 26:20). Even though Abraham had many sons, the land of Israel was only given to Isaac (Gen 17:18-19; Gen 26:3-4; Psa 105:8-11). And, even though Isaac had two sons, the land was given to Jacob (Gen 28:10-13; Gen 35:9-12; Psa 105:8-11), along with their descendants, and to no other.

9:8     God had promised Abraham that his seed would become a great nation – Gen 12:2 – so that nation would never be obliterated. Jer 30:11, 46:28. Israel are a powerful testimony to the existence of God.

9:6      In speaking of the things that God had done Amos is reminding Israel that their God was not simply a stock or a piece of God that could do nothing. He was a God who could bring about His will.

9:2   Dig to hell and climb up to heaven might be the way God’s enemies might try to avoid His judgements. However the Psalmist – Psa 139:8 – had already spoken of the omnipresence of God. The point being that it is impossible to avoid Him. 

9:14     The promise of being able to drink of their own vineyard is the exact opposite of the curse spoken in Deut 28:30.

9:4       ‘for evil’ echoes the words of the contemporary prophets – Isa 45:7, Mic 1:1 and echoes his earlier words –Amos 3:6.

9:8        The way in which Amos speaks of the preservation of Israel despite her enemy being destroyed is developed by a later prophet – Jer 30:11

9:1     The mention of the lintel and posts reminds us of the deliverance from Egypt – Exo 12:22 – but whereas then the mention of the lintel and posts spoke of deliverance on this occasions the prophet is using the idea whilst speaking of punishment from God.

9:1-4      there was to be escaping the judgments of God. Whatever attempts were made to avoid the judgments of God they would come. Even in captivity the sword of judgment would come.

9:5 in speaking of judgment on the land we see similar words in Mic 1:12.

9:3 In seeking to hide from God’s judgments the people behave as if they thought that God would not be able to find them. We should be aware that our father is always aware of where we are and what we are doing. A firm grasp of this truth would doubtless help us to lead lives which please Him.

9:5 Whilst the river Nile floods each year bringing fertility to the Nile Delta this is not what the prophet is speaking of. There was a flood which killed many in Egypt. It was the Red Sea returning and drowning the Egyptians who were pursuing Israel as they left Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The nation of Israel will be punished like the Egyptians were. Just like in verse 1 the language from the Passover is turned around to pronounce judgment on Israel.

9:2-4 The all-seeing God meant that it was impossible for the nation to hide from or escape the judgments of God.  Whilst it might be possible to avoid human difficulties we cannot escape the all-seeing eyes of our Father. Do we always behave as if we believe that this is true?

9:1-4 The significance of the fact that it would be impossible to hide from God’s judgments should not be lost on us. There is nothing we can do, nowhere we can hide, that will  enable us to avoid our Father. But, unlike the nation here, God is seeking to bless us because of our faithfulness – at least that is how we hope that we are behaving.

9:2-4 The judgment spoken of in the previous chapter is now about to come. And there would be no escaping it. Even in captivity the nation would be punished.

Once God has decided to punish His people there would be no escape and no matter how many attempts to hide there were escape was impossible.

2 v.5-7 - The significance of quoting Psa. 8 here is furthered by a consideration of the first part of the Psalm. Psa.8:1 - God has set His glory above the heavens - surely a reference to the return of Jesus and the future kingdom. It is the glory in Jesus that is referred to, which of course is borne out by the rest of Heb.2.

The main argument of chapter 1 is that God has spoken now by his supreme prophet - Jesus so we should give careful heed to what he said.
This status is conferred on Jesus because he was a man but is now living for ever. No other prophet can make this claim.

Chapter 2 focuses on the reason why Jesus was made 'a little lower than the angels'. Through his life and death Jesus developed the rapport which enables him to be a faithful priest now. A theme which the writer returns to regularly through the letter.

1:6 Firstbegotten - quoting Psalm 89:27 ties the risen Christ into the promises to David. A link we understand but here is Scriptural evidence.

2:10 Is saying that Jesus was 'made perfect through sufferings' we are introduced to the relevance of the humanity of Jesus which in turn will be used to highlight the purpose of chastening in our lives.

1:13-14 The use of Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 104:4 to compare the status of Jesus and the status of angels after the resurrection of Jesus is interesting.

2:16 Whilst Jesus was of the same nature as those he came to save the Spirit, quoting Isaiah 41:8, has Jesus as 'the seed of Abraham' to show the Jews that Jesus came to fulfil the promises to Abraham.

1:3 In describing Jesus as 'the brightness of his glory' quoting Eze 1:28 we are being shown the exalted status of the risen lord Jesus Christ.

2:15 The 'bondage' referred to which was a consequence of the fear of death was humanity - alienated from fellowship with God.

2:1 The difference between hearing and listening may be acute. To hear may mean merely to perceive sounds that do not necessarily require or create action. To listen means to pay thoughtful attention to sounds that enter the ear, and as a result generate a positive action. A child may be told by his parents to do something and ignores it, he heard it, but failed to listen; There was no action. The writer to the Hebrews says that we all must direct our minds towards listening attentively to the Word of God.

1:2 worlds (KJV), universe (NIV) refers to the messianic age and not to the universe as Trinitarians would have us believe.   Christ is the leader of a new spiritual generation (1Cor 15:20; 2:10).   The gospel is the recognition of Christ as being at the center of his kingdom accompanied by this new spiritual generation (Acts 8:12).   Those destined to be with Christ share the same purpose with him (2:11).   If we were to take this passage in the same way as Trinitarians link Christ to God: Christ and His brethren are one; and Christ and God are one; then God, Christ, and His brethren are one.  Trinitarians, perhaps, would claim that this is syllogistic.  Indeed, the link, as it relates to person is untrue, but true as it relates to purpose.  Trinitarians confuse these two entities.

The popular notion that everyone has a guardian angel is dispelled in 1:14.  Only those who have believed the true gospel and have been baptised into the saving Name of Jesus are covenanted with the LORD (Acts 8:12).  Those thus covenanted are granted angelic help in their walk to the Kingdom.

1:14  Having emphasised the exalted status of Jesus - more excellent than angels – we are now reminded that the angels do have a job – ministering to us.

2:3  Continuing the point made in November this year we see that it was not a matter of preference whether one trusted the law of Moses or the sacrifice of Jesus – it was a matter of life and death. The choice was as stark as that.

Scripture plainly states that Jesus was a flesh-and-blood human being (2:14; 1Tim 2:5).  Some so-called Christians believe that Jesus was actually the archangel Michael.  The apostle Paul says that the worshipping of angels is a false practice (Col 2:18).  According to 1:5 Jesus could not have been an angel.  Scripture tells us that angelic angels are immortal (Luke 20:36).  Jesus died, which showed that he was mortal and not immortal. 

2:14 ‘he also himself’ highlights Jesus’ commitment to service which qualified him for priesthood – Heb 5:2

2:14 ‘power of death’ quotes Hos 13:14

The LORD spoke to men through His prophets (Amos 3:7). And now, he speaks through the greatest prophet of all, His Son Jesus. This is a ringing endorsement of Jesus’ authority.

2:11 Jesus and His brethren (collective noun meaning brothers and sisters) are one (spiritually). Given that, should not those who call themselves brethren of Christ act like they are a unity?

1:11 That which is to ‘perish’ quoting Isa 51:6 is the system of worship according to the Law of Moses. The context of Isaiah 51 shows this. Notice they are to be ‘changed (Heb 1:12The writer will later – Heb 7:12 show what is to be changed is the priesthood which brings about a necessity for the law to be changed also.

Angels (lesson 20 of 20 from "Outline of Basic Bible Teachings" by Wes Booker)

I. Old Testament - MALAK = messenger or agent. New Testament - AGGELOS = messenger or agent. "Angel of heaven (or God)" = always His IMMORTAL messengers. "Angel" can be mortal or immortal messengers, depending on context.

II. The immortal angels

     A. They do God's will - Psa 103:20-21; 104:4 (KJV)   B. They minister to us - Heb 1:13-14;Psa 34:6-7   C. They also bring God's destruction on evil - 2Sam 24:15-17;Psa 78:49   D. They will be with Christ at his second coming to gather the elect and participate in the judgment - Matt 24:30-31;25:31;13:47-50   E. In appearance they look human, and are frequently mistaken for men, e.g. in the experiences of Abraham (Gen 18;19:1-5), Joshua (Josh 5:13-15) and Manoah (Judg 13:9-23). See Heb 13:2 and compare Gen 18 & 19:1-29.   F. One of the promises to the faithful - to be like the angels and die no more - Luke 20:34-36   G. Although immortal and therefore incapable of sinning, there are things that they do not know (unlike God) - Mark 13:32;1Pet 1:10-12;Gen 22:9-12   H. Only two referred to by name:   1.) Gabriel ("strength of God") - mentioned on 3 occasions: Dan 8,9; and Luke 1   2.) Michael ("who is like God?") - mentioned on 4 occasions: Dan 10,12;Jude 1;Rev 12

III. The word is used of human messengers - Mal 2:7;3:1;Matt 11:7-10;Luke 7:18-24;9:51-53;James 2:25.

All the chapters of Hebrews are part of one long discourse by Paul on how we might be saved, not by direct inheritance gained by belonging to the family of Israel, but by inheriting what has been given to Jesus. The parable of the prodigal son is helpful here, because having squandered all his own inheritance, this son returned home to live from his brother's share (see Luke 15:12). We also can only inherit part of Jesus's share, not our own, which he is willing to share with us if we are his brothers (Heb 2:11).

2:18 ‘succour them’ quotes Isa 49:8 where the context shows that God provided Jesus to confirm a ‘covenant’ which brought about freedom (from sin and death)

Christ destroyed the devil in his death!

This is a powerful verse to use with our interested friends. How is it that Christ destroyed the devil in his death?

It says Christ had human nature Heb 2:14, so that by his death he might destroy the devil. If the devil is a person, how could Christ's death destroy him? It would be kind of strange.

But if the devil were a personification of sin, then this verse would make sense. And this verse is backed up by many others to prove this true. Rom 8:3, Heb 9:26, Gal 5:1-26

If sin is personified, and if sin is the devil, and the devil is a title that can mean adversary or enemy, well then I would say that the Christadelphian position is pretty watertight.

2:11   The way in which the writer talks of Jesus not being ashamed to call us brethren is to highlight the fact that he was now ‘perfect’ – previous verse – he is not aloof from us.

Heb 1:2

“… hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…”

“His” is not in the original text, but was inserted to favour Trinitarians. The correct translation is, “by a Son,” leaving room for bringing many sons to glory (Heb 2:10).

Heb 1:1

“GOD (Yahweh) who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.”

GOD spoke first through the angels, the instruments of His power, then prophets, the channels of His utterance. GOD now speaks to us through a Son, Jesus the Messiah who was God manifested in the flesh (1Tim 3:16) and, therefore, the builder in manifestation, and consequently made higher than all the messengers before him (Heb 1:5-7; Heb 3:3-6).

2:7-10  The repeated use of “all things” expounds  Psa 8:6 which has been quoted in verse 7.

Heb 2:14,15.

It has often been stated by Christadelphians that this section of Hebrews is one of the best places to go to show what the true Biblical devil is. What are some points that can and should be made on a first principle level on this important topic?

What follows are 5 basic points that I like to make using this passage when instructing others about what the devil is and is not.

1. The writer emphatically states that Jesus had exactly the same nature that all men have. Note in the K.J.V. - he also himself likewise took part of the same (i.e. flesh and blood). And he makes the same point in Heb 2:17 & Heb 4:15.

2. If Jesus destroyed the devil through his death, then how is it that the devil is still around tempting people to sin?

3. Also, how is it possible for a supernatural immortal fallen angel to be destroyed? The Greek word means to make of none effect and is translated by the following words or phrases - abolish, do away, cease, etc.

4. But if "the devil" = sin nature (as the writer in the first part of the verse goes to great pains to say that Jesus had), then all makes sense. Jesus could and did destroy it through a perfect life, and a sacrificial death, and a resurrection on the third day to eternal life.

5. The writer states clearly that the devil has the power of death. In a number of other New Testament passages, various writers say that sin has the power of death. Here are several with others listed that you can look up to see the point.

Rom. 6:23 - "Forthe wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jam. 1:14,15 - "...but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown gives birth to death."

1 Cor. 15:56 - "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law."

See also Rom 8:3; 1John 3:8; Heb 9:26. So if these (and other) passages say that sin has the power of death, and the writer here states that the devil has the power of death, then the devil must equal sin. And therefore in this context, it is a personification of that sinful human nature that Jesus had and successfully overcame.

1:2  The ubiquitous use of ‘all things’ here and elsewhere in the New Testament is a quotation from Psa 8:6 which speaks of the supremacy of the risen Jesus over the whole of creation.

2:11-12     We see here that Psa 22:22 is speaking of the glorious relationship believers have with God because of Jesus’ victory. 

1:7   Whist the use of Psa 104:4 is designed to highlight that angels do not have the status of the risen Jesus there is still encouragement in the quotation from the Psalm. The quotation from the Psalm shows that God does indeed care for his children.

Heb 1:2 the word slip speaks of drifting as a boat that has not let down its anchor. Heb 6:19 A boat that drifts on the sea without security is extremely dangerous it could end up anywhere! If we let our studies and dediaction to God slip who knows where we could end up!

2:1     The warning that we may let the words of God “slip” seems to pick up the way in which Samuel faithfully listened to God’s words – 1Sam 3:19

2:4     The New Testament records that Jesus showed he was Christ by signs and wonders on a number of occasions. One is  2:12

Heb 1:14

“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

It has been asked, “What part do angels take in the Kingdom of God? Robert Roberts answers this question. He writes, “They will be the glorious attendants on Christ at his coming (Matt. xxv. 31). They will take part in the triumphant ascription of praise to his glory (Rev. v. 11), and they will be the visible mediums of communication between heaven and earth during the reign of Christ (Jno. i. 51).” (Matt 25:31; Rev 5:11; John 1:51 cf. Mark 13:26,27; Acts 1:11; 1Thess 4:16).

Scripture is very clear that subject to certain conditions human beings will become saints, never angels. This being the case, it is important to understand the nature of angels as our “job description” differs.

God created the angels in such a way that they retain the essence that God originally intended for them. The angels are incorruptible substances; they cannot die, decay, or produce other angels. The root of corruptibility in a substance is matter, and in the angels there is no matter. As pure created spirits, they are in heaven doing the will of their Creator. Christ is the only human being to have ever ascended into heaven (cf. John 3:13), and sitting at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55,56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1).

The angels were never addressed by God as “my son,” nor did His angels address Him as Father (Heb 1:5). God is our Father through Christ and we may address Him as such (Matt 6:9-13; cf. 1Cor 8:6; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2. Man is not the highest created form of life, the angels are (Psa 8:5; Heb 2:7) and this distinguishes their creation from ours. Christ “took not on the nature of angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham”- that is, human nature (Heb 2:14,16).

Heb 2:11,12

“… for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name (Yahweh) unto my brethren…”

As our brother, Christ is our kinsman redeemer. Christ bought us out of the curse, out of our destitution, and made us his bride. We read of this beautiful picture in Ruth 3; 4, wherein Boaz covered Ruth with his protection, redeemed her, and made her his wife. They had a son, Obed, who was the grandfather of David, the line from which Christ descended.

The words kinsman and redeemer must go together, or the integrity of this message crumbles and is lost. Those who know what kinsman redeemer means also know what God’s plan and purpose is and leaves no room for a clean flesh theory, which is all it is, and a false one at that.

Kinsman, defined in Webster’s Dictionary, 1847, as “a member of the same race or family; one related by blood.” Strong’s Concordance defines kinsman, ga al, # <1350>, as, “to redeem… to be the next of kin… to purchase, ransom, redeem (er), revenger.”

Redeemer, defined in Webster’s Dictionary, 1847, as “… to purchase back, to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage; to rescue and deliver from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law, by obedience and suffering in the place of the sinner, or by doing and suffering that which is accepted in lieu of the sinner’s obedience” (cf. Gal 3:13). Strong’s Concordance defines redeemer, also as ga al, # <1350>. So then, the words kinsman and redeemer are the same Hebrew word. Redeemer means to act the part of a kinsman and kinsman means to redeem! A kinsman redeemer must be of “one of his brethren” who “may redeem him… or that is near of kin… may redeem him” (Law of the Kinsman, Lev 25:47-55).

Revenger, as read in Num 35:19, is a ‘revenger of blood” or “avenger.” Likewise, in Josh 20:5. It is the Hebrew word, ga al # <1350>.

Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, met all these requirements, and will avenge in due time (2Thess 1:8). He was human, born by virtue of being a descendant of Adam (Luke 3:23-38), and as with us, because of Adam’s transgression, inherited sin in the flesh (cf. Job 14:4), subject to death even though he had not committed sin (Rom 5:12,14,19). Why do babies die, some shortly after birth, and never committed sin? We inherit Adam’s sinful nature from the moment of conception, as natural death reigns even in the womb! I have been told that “life begins at birth when the first breath of life is taken through the nostrils,” citing Gen 2:7!  What an abominable teaching! This was made a matter of fellowship, that those who abort do nothing wrong, since a “fetus” does not have the breath of life! How then how does the “fetus” die, sometimes long before birth (cf. Job 34:14)?  No, life begins at conception and to use Adam as an example is a false analogy, a false teaching!  

To know our roots is fundamental, as it helps us and leads us onto a correct path based not on our views, but on God’s. We are a product of the Fall, sinful by nature, separated from God. In Christ and through Christ we are reconciled to God in repentance of our sins by being washed and cleansed and walking in newness of life. A contrite heart, a broken heart, a humble heart, which is a reflection of true repentance, God will never despise (Psa 51:17; Isa 57:15).

1:1     Debate often arises as to who wrote the letter to the Hebrews;. But the opening of the letter tells us. It says “God”. Clearly there was an inspired human writer but this focus in the letter is on the fact that it came from God. The fact that all of Paul’s letters start with “Paul” reinforces this point – and adds nothing to the debate as to who was the human writer.

Heb 1:1,2

“… Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”