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Isaiah 1:1

The Lord’s Salvation

Like Obadiah, Micah, and Nahum, Isaiah’s prophecy came to him in a vision. Visions from God are a matter of genuine debate today. I’ve never had one. There have been times I wish God would send me one, but that hasn’t happened. But, I’m surely not going to be the one to say, “God doesn’t use visions today.” He doesn’t use them with me. To answer whether God uses visions today or not, the Christian “God Questions” website says, “Yes! Does God give visions to people today? Possibly. Should we expect visions to be an ordinary occurrence? No. As recorded in the Bible, God spoke to people many times by means of visions. Examples are Joseph, son of Jacob; Joseph, the husband of Mary; Solomon; Isaiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Peter; and Paul. The prophet Joel predicted an outpouring of visions, and this was confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts chapter 2. It is important to note that the difference between a vision and a dream is that a vision is given when a person is awake while a dream is given when a person is asleep.”[1]

The book opens up with the setting of Isaiah’s vision, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” This represents the 10th through 13th King of Judah. Uzziah reigned in Judah for 52 years. Jothan reigned for 16 years, Ahaz reigned for 16 years, and Hezekiah reigned for 29 years. Wow! Isaiah shared his vision with four kings over about 113 years. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. According to rabbinic tradition, Amoz was the brother of Amaziah, king of Judah. According to Ortland, “We know that Isaiah was a married man with children. We think he was a resident of Jerusalem. But the most important thing about Isaiah is his name. His Hebrew name means ‘The Lord saves.’ This man’s very identity announces grace from beyond ourselves. We don’t like that. We want to retain control, save face, set our own terms, and pay our own way.”[2]

God sent Isaiah a vision. It’s the vision of salvation. Can we ever relieve a troubled conscience? Is there really a pardon for sin? Do the dying really live on somewhere? Is there a future state? Is there really such a thing as eternal happiness? If so, how do I attain it? Is there really any purpose or meaning to life? Does it really matter what I believe? The answers to these questions and many more cannot be discovered by staring into outer space. They cannot be answered by looking within ourselves. They cannot be answered by studying the physical elements or the working of the brain, or the programs of a government. The only way we’ll ever know the answers to those questions is if we get an answer from beyond. Job asks some questions that call for a negative reply.  Job 11:7-9 says, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?  It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” We’ll only know the answer to these questions if God chooses to reveal them to us. He told them to Isaiah, who gave them to us. The message of Isaiah is his name: “The Lord’s Salvation.”

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/visions-Christian.html

[2] Ortlund, Raymond C., Jr., and R. Kent Hughes. 2005. Isaiah: God Saves Sinners. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Matthew 1:1

Joy to the world!

In Genesis 3:15, God promises Adam and Eve that he would send a man, a seed of the woman, who would deliver them from their sin. The curse of labor in delivery for the woman, hard work in the fields for the man, and animosity and strife with Satan and each other, as well as death, would be their state until the deliverer comes. Thousands of years go by, and the history of mankind is filled with these struggles; murder, strife, and war mark the entire history of mankind. The New Testament opens with the identification of Jesus as the promised deliverer. Matthew goes to great lengths to connect Jesus with the history of the human race by making the connection of Jesus with the promised seed. The first verse of the New Testament might be the title of the entire book and even the entire New Testament. It says, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The Handbook for Translators tells us, “The word Jesus is a Greek equivalent of a well-known Hebrew name. It is constructed from two Hebrew words which mean ‘Lord’ and ‘save,’ and it is probably best taken in its root meaning: ‘O Lord, save.’ In 1:21, the angel indicates to Mary the true and full significance of the name Jesus—he will save his people from their sins.”[1] This connects Jesus not only with Abraham and David but also with the promise in Genesis 3:15.

Luther’s German translation says, “This is the book of the story of Jesus Christ.” He preferred this translation because the Gospel includes not only Jesus’ connection with the past but also includes all of the words and deeds of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel. I don’t like the word “story.” It might imply that this is something other than fact. I’d rather translate it as “This is the book of the history of Jesus Christ.” The history of Jesus makes him an heir to the throne of Israel. Boice says, “Matthew’s genealogy proves that Jesus had descended from King David and was, therefore, qualified to be the Jews’ Messiah (‘Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me,’ 2 Sam. 7:16). And his reference to Abraham is a first and early suggestion that Jesus is also the one through whom the blessings of God would be given, not only to Jews but to the Gentile nations as well (‘All peoples on earth will be blessed through you,’ Gen. 12:3).”[2]

Exell gives four reasons why he believes this genealogy is significant, “The first record is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ. What does this signify? 1. A man’s beginnings, a man’s ancestors, have something to do with both his character and his life. 2. Christ was the sacred heir of all the ancient world. 3. The genealogy reminds us how all the past was preparing for Jesus. 4. But more than all, the generations of Jesus Christ show us the birth of the new world, the new time, and the new institutions, which are to end in the perfect glory of the Father and the perfect blessedness of the race.”[3] Christmas is a celebration of the coming of the Messiah, Not Santa Claus. Remember, the reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of the one who would save the world. This brings such a spirit of hope to Christians that celebrating this event is always joyous. Joy to the world!

[1] Newman, Barclay Moon, and Philip C. Stine. 1992. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Boice, James Montgomery. 2001. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[3] Exell, Joseph S. 1952. The Biblical Illustrator: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Song of Solomon 1:1

The Song of Songs!

There are vast differences in the interpretation of the book of Song of Solomon. O’Donnell writes, “The ninth-century Jewish rabbi Saadia likened the Song to ‘a lock for which the key had been lost.’ The nineteenth-century German Lutheran Hebraist Franz Delitzsch wrote, ‘The Song is the most obscure book of the Old Testament. Whatever principle of interpretation one may adopt, there always remains a number of inexplicable passages.’ More recently, Marvin Pope comments, ‘[N]o composition of comparable size in world literature has provoked and inspired such a volume and variety of comment and interpretation as the biblical Song of Songs.’ Daniel Estes adds, ‘Scholars vary widely on nearly every part of its interpretation.… Virtually every verse presents challenges in text, philology, image, grammar or structure.’[1]

One thing that is certain about the book: It is a song! It’s in the title! The first verse is actually the title: “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.” It’s a love song but the interpreters aren’t in agreement as to whether it’s a human love song between a man and a woman, or is it an analogy for Christ and his bride, the church. The image of marriage is used often in the New Testament to refer to the relationship between Christ and the church. The marriage supper of the lamb is prominent in this discussion with images of the celebrations observed at weddings in the Old Testament. I would suggest that we can see Song of Solomon as both a literal song sung at wedding celebrations as well as a picture of Christ and his relationship with the Church. As a song it should be sung according to O’Donnell, “This is a God-inspired love song! So I suggest we start some new traditions. Let’s write songs about the Song. Let’s sing those songs at Christian weddings. Let’s sing them during the reception. Let’s sing them as the couple is whisked away to their honeymoon.”

A song is a poem set to music, so we should consider the various aspects of poetry when we read Song of Solomon. Poems help you see something, not just think about it. Poems help you hear things, smell things and touch things through the use of various forms of literary devices. Assonance is one of those devices. It uses similar sounds of the words to excite our senses. It’s like Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.” He writes, “The silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain…” We hear the “s” sounds and can easily see the purple curtains and hear the sounds of their ruslting. The opening verse of the Song of Solomon uses assonance also. Notice the “s” sound. “The song of songs of Solomon.” Keeping the fact that the Song of Solomon is a poem accompanied by music, O’Donnell says as she begins his commentary of this book, “I’ll ask you, in a sense (and with your senses), to smell the myrrh, frankincense, and aloes, to touch the polished ivory, to taste the wine and apples, to hear the flowing streams, to see the gazelles leaping over the mountains … yes, to feel the flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.”[2]

[1] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 2012. The Song of Solomon: An Invitation to Intimacy. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

[2] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 2012. The Song of Solomon: An Invitation to Intimacy. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Ecclesiastes 1:1

The Meaning of Life

Now the wisest man in the world decides to share what he has learned to be the meaning of life. Some argue that since his name is never mentioned in the book Solomon is not the author. But there are too many clues in the book to accept that suggestion. The first verse introduces the writer: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Wiersbe explains the evidence for Solomon’s authorship. He writes, “Nowhere in this book did the author give his name, but the descriptions he gave of himself and his experiences would indicate that the writer was King Solomon. He called himself “son of David” and “king in Jerusalem” (1:1, 12), and he claimed to have great wealth and wisdom (2:1–11, and 1:13; see 1 Kings 4:20–34 and 10:1ff). In response to Solomon’s humble prayer, God promised him both wisdom and wealth (1 Kings 3:3–15); and He kept His promise.”[1]

Solomon calls himself “the preacher” according to the English Standard Version. The transliteration of the Hebrew word is used by other translations: “Qoheleth.” Today’s English Version translates it as “The Philosopher.” The writers of the Handbook for translators don’t like that term because it “may not be able to convey the fact that in Israel the wise man was a deeply religious person. Hence ‘sage’ or ‘wise man’ may be a better choice because it is more neutral.”[2]

Solomon wrote the Song of Solomon in his youth. Lust for a lady seems to have been its theme if you take it literally. Proverbs was written in his adult and midlife years when he struggled with finding meaning and purpose by satisfying other lusts in life. In Ecclesiastes, he looks back on his life and shares the wisdom that he has accumulated. Primarily it’s that none of the pleasures, powers, positions, or possessions can mean ultimate meaning and purpose to our lives. Many argue that the book is too pessimistic and should not be in the Bible. But reading it helps us face the true issues of life. Ryken says, “We should study Ecclesiastes to learn what will happen to us if we choose what the world tries to offer instead of what God has to give. The writer of this book had more money, enjoyed more pleasure, and possessed more human wisdom than anyone else in the world, yet everything still ended in frustration. The same will happen to us if we live for ourselves rather than for God.”[3]

[1] Wiersbe, Warren W. 1996. Be Satisfied. “Be” Commentary Series. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[2] Ogden, Graham S., and Lynell Zogbo. 1998. A Handbook on Ecclesiastes. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[3] Ryken, Philip Graham. 2010. Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Proverbs 1:1, 1 Kings 4:29-34

Life to the Fullest

Solomon is identified as the writer of three books in the Old Testament. He wrote “The Song of Solomon” in his youth. He wrote “Proverbs” in his leading, reigning years of middle age strength. He wrote “Ecclesiastes” in his old age as he looked back and evaluated life retrospectively.  He is also said to have written two Psalms, Psalm 72 and Psalm 127. Solomon is often referred to as the wisest man ever to live. That might be attributed to the fact that when given a choice of everything in the world by God, Solomon didn’t choose wealth or fame or power. He chose wisdom. God answered his request as promised and read about this in 1 Kings 4:29-34, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.  He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.”

Newheiser explains wisdom correctly. He writes, “The wisdom offered by the book of Proverbs is skill for living. Wisdom is not merely intellectual or academic; it is primarily moral. Solomon, as the wisest man on earth, demonstrated wisdom and skill as a naturalist, an administrator, and a judge. The book of Proverbs teaches you how to live skillfully in every area of your life including family, finances, friendships, speech, and work. The goal of wisdom is that you might achieve a life of beauty and significance so that at the end of your days you will have accomplished something worthwhile and lasting. Jesus is the one who exemplifies wisdom, as he lived on earth with perfect skill. It is through Christ that we are made wise and gain the ability to live wisely.”[1] Jesus is the wisdom of God and he came that we might have life to the fullest.

The first verse gives us the title and a summary of the book. It says, “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.” Proverbs are a genre of literature in and of itself. “Knowledge of the genre is essential to the interpretation. A valentine is not a recipe—a literal reading of one will dull the edge of love; a figurative reading of the other will blunt the edge of appetite. Taking care to understand how to read the Bible is as important as trusting in its power and authority. Our author has done us a favor by stating at the outset the kind of literature with which we deal.”[2] One must always interpret the writing according to its genre. A web article says, “When it comes to Proverbs, it’s important to realize that as a part of its genre, one of the most important interpretive principles is to remember that they are not promises by God; rather, proverbs are the way life generally goes.” They give us probably outcomes, not guarantees. This is true for all proverb literature. For example, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Eating fruit and vegetables can help you maintain a more balanced and healthy life, but no matter how many apples you eat, you’ll need to see the doctor sometimes.

[1] Newheiser, Jim. 2008. Opening up Proverbs. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications.

[2] Hubbard, David A., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1989. Proverbs. Vol. 15. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Psalm 5:1

We do not speak into space

Whoever compiled the Psalter gave instructions to the musicians for some particular Psalms. In the case of Psalm 5, the instructions are “To the choirmaster: for the flutes.” I can’t help but wonder what this song might have sounded like when sung by the choir. Maybe David was the singer. He is said to have written this Psalm, and although some argue that it had to have come at a later date, I see no compelling reason to doubt the description of Psalm 5, as accredited in Verse one as being “Psalm of David.” Being music, I can’t help but think of my own era of music, and I can’t help but think of Neil Diamond’s song entitled, “I am I said.” Neil’s song says, “I am I said, to no one there and no one heard at all, not even the chair.” David knew who he was addressing in his song Psalm 5. He sings, with the flute accompaniment, I assume, “Give ear to my words, Oh Lord.” Like many of our generation, Neil is a victim of the post-modern trend away from objective reality. To them, if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. The popularized question about a tree falling in the wilderness does not make any noise unless someone is there to perceive it. And if I don’t perceive it myself, it doesn’t make any noise. We are the center of the universe. It’s all about me.

But David’s song addresses the existence and the presence of the one true God who hears us in the deepest and darkest wildernesses of our lives. This is objective truth. Ronald Knox wrote a limerick to capture these ideas. He wrote, “There once was a man who said ‘God Must think it exceedingly odd If he finds that this tree
Continues to be when there’s no one about in the Quad.’” An unknown writer replied, “Dear Sir, your astonishment’s odd. I am always about in the Quad.
And that’s why the tree will continue to be since observed by, yours faithfully,  God.”

David wants God to hear him but also to recognize the existential alienation he feels. He not only wants God to “Give ear to my words, O Lord,” but he asks God to “consider my groaning.” The second stanza of Neil’s song intensifies his appeal also. It says,  “I am… I cried. I am… said I. And I am lost, and I can’t even say why.
Leavin’ me lonely still.” There is a profound personal address going on here. One looks to God; one looks to an impersonal universe that couldn’t care less about you or me. But like David, our words and prayers open a dialogue with God in which he is a partaker. Williams says, “We speak; God hears. His ear is inclined to us. We do not speak into space, we speak into the ear of the Lord.[1]

[1] Williams, Donald, and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1986. Psalms 1–72. Vol. 13. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Job 1:1, Various

A Life Marked by Repentance and Faith

The book of Job deals with some pretty deep issues: The existence and role of Satan, the limits of Retribution theology, the reasons for human suffering and the inscrutability of God’s will, to mention the main ones. One web writer says, “It is no wonder this book is so neglected in the pulpit. Any sane preacher would look at these obstacles and shudder at the thought of trying to bring his modern day, internet savvy and text messaging obsessed, congregation through such a quagmire!”[1] Job 1:1 says, “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”

The book opens by introducing us to a man from the land of Uz.  Norman Habel suggests that the book should begin with the phrase “Once upon a time.”[2] This beginning, in my opinion, begins the story in such a way as to lead us to expect talking lions, tin men, and living scarecrows. Uz is not the same as Oz! Oz is part of a fairy tale, and Uz is a real place that existed in real history. Uz is somehow connected to Edom. Edomites were the descendants of Esau and settled in their own lands, which became “Edom.” Lamentations 4:21 puts Edom inside Uz. It says, “Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz.” Jeremiah 25:20 includes the kings of peoples residing inside Uz in his prophecy that the kings will all drink from the cup of God’s wrath.  He lists many kings and includes  “all the kings of the land of Uz.” Most of the other kings mentioned can be demonstrated to be real kings of real places. Therefore Uz was a real place with real kings. Ezekiel includes Job in his list of three righteous men. We know the other two are real, so we need not doubt the historical nature of Job. He Includes Job alongside Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14). So, I doubt very much that there will be a yellow brick road leading to Uz.

The man’s name is Job. He gets glowing references in the opening verse. He was blameless and upright. He feared God and turned away from evil. Ash describes blameless very well, “When you see Job at work, when you hear his words, when you watch his deeds, you see an accurate reflection of what is actually going on in his heart. The word means ‘personal integrity, not sinless perfection.’”[3] Most agree that being “upright” has to do with Job’s dealings with others. He’s “a man you can do business with because he will not double-cross you, a man who deals straight.” Being a “God-fearer” suggests several things. Job “had a reverence, a piety, a bowing down before the God who made the world, so that he honored God as God and gave thanks to him.” Finally, it’s said that Job “turns away from sin.” This doesn’t mean he never meets it on the road of life; it means, as Ash concludes, “To turn away from sin is to repent. Job’s character was marked by daily repentance, a habitual turning away from evil in his thoughts, words, and deeds. So Job is a real believer, genuine in his integrity, upright in his relationships, pious in his worship, and penitent in his behavior. His life was marked by what we would call repentance and faith, which are still the marks of the believer today, as they have always been.”

[1] https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/jesus-and-the-book-of-job

[2] Reyburn, William David. 1992. A Handbook on the Book of Job. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[3] Ash, Christopher. 2014. Job: The Wisdom of the Cross. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Esther 1:1-3a

The Party Animal

The name of the King, or Emperor, is mentioned three times in the first couple of verses of the book of Esther. “Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, in the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and servants.” Let me set the scene with Guzik’s observations. “At this time, the Persian Empire was the largest the world had ever seen. It covered what we call today Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel; and also parts of modern-day Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Arabia. ii. Also, at this time, Ezra had returned to Jerusalem after it had been conquered by the Babylonians. The temple had been rebuilt some 30 years before, although more simply and without the glory of Solomon’s temple. iii. In 40 years, under the successor of Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes I), Nehemiah would return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the previously conquered city.”[1]

The English Standard Version uses “Ahasuerus,” as you see in the passage quotes here. But there is some confusion about that, and according to the Handbook for Translators, “Ahasuerus is widely recognized today to be Xerxes I (485–464 b.c.), the son of Darius the Great, though some historians, along with the LXX and the first-century a.d. Jewish historian Josephus, consider Ahasuerus to be Artaxerxes (464–423 b.c.). Other modern historians identify Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes II (404–358 b.c.). The Hebrew text refers to the king as Ahasuerus, from the Persian form of his name, and many translations transliterate this Hebrew form of the name (see the King James Version, the Revised Standard Version, the Spanish Common Language Version, the New Jerusalem Version, and the New Jerusalem Bible) Others use the better-known Greek form of his name, Xerxes (see Today’s English Version, the New International Version, the French Common Language Version, the Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and the German Common Language Bible).[2] Ahasuerus and Xerxes appear to be the same person. Xerxes oversaw an empire that recognized most of the known world from India to northern Africa.

Xerxes throws a party for his officials. Most think this party was the result of having put down the rebellion in Egypt, which enabled the consolidation of his authority over all 127 provinces. It was naturally a celebration of victory, and Xerxes felt pretty good about himself. The word “feast” in the English Standard Version might best be translated as “banquet” as in other translations. The Handbook for Translators gives us more information. “The word banquet comes from the root word meaning ‘to drink’ and is used in Esther to indicate eating and drinking on special occasions. The translator should use a word for a formal meal, a meal eaten during a festive event. Here banquet refers to festivities or a celebration that continued for 180 days.” According to Breneman, “Rulers used banquets to display their greatness and to help maintain the faithfulness and loyalty of their subjects. Herodotus described Persian royal banquets at which the king gave gifts to his fellow Persians. ‘It is said fifteen thousand might be his guests.’ The royal chamberlain afterwards had the duty of ‘putting his inebriated master to bed.’”[3] Xerxes is going to do things he regrets, which is quite common under the influence of Alcohol. Sarah Hallowell, a recovering alcoholic, says, “A whole lot of stuff that I did when I was drinking, I would never do sober. I would never have slapped my mother in the face, and I certainly wouldn’t steal and lie every day. Something that I have learned in recovery is that me drinking is another version of me. I take accountability for the harm caused and move forward vowing not to do it again.”[4] Xerxes is going to have some regrets.

[1] Guzik, David. 2006. Esther. David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

[2] Omanson, Roger L., and Philip A. Noss. 1997. A Handbook on the Book of Esther: The Hebrew and Greek Texts. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[3] Breneman, Mervin. 1993. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Electronic ed. Vol. 10. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[4] https://www.quora.com/Does-being-drunk-make-you-do-things-you-would-never-want-to-do-while-sober

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