Questions On The Old Testament (2)

Question 6. I have a project on prophets or prophetesses in school and I chose Esther. I was wondering if you know anything about her.

Answer As far as Esther is concerned, she is not classified as either a prophet or prophetess but she is tremendously important in the history of Israel.  She lives during a period of time when God's people face being exterminated by one of the Persian officials.  At this time, the Persians are ruling over the Jews as well as many other nations.  Before the Persians, the Jews as well as other nations had been ruled by the Babylonians.  It was the Babylonians who had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and had carried many of the Jews away into captivity, to Babylon and the surrounding lands.

When the Persians defeated the Babylonins around 539 BC, this ended the captivity and all nations, including the Jews, were allowed to rerun to their own countries where they could rebuild their cities and temples.  Around 536 BC, the Jews begin to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

There would be two other groups that would return to Jerusalem, one in about 458 BC and the other around 440 BC.  Esther comes on the scene several years before the second group returns to Jerusalem.

Although she is a Jew, she is placed in the position of being Queen of the Persian empire.  In that position, she saves her people from being destroyed by their enemies who are led by an evil official named Haman.  How this happens is an amazing account that shows God's care for His people and how He works things out so that they will be preserved and protected.  Here is a summary of what happened.  Although God is not mentioned in the book, we see how He acts on behalf of His people so that they will be protected.  But first, start by reading Esther chapter 4 where we find the terrible situation that calls for Esther to become one of the most important people in Jewish history. EST 4:13 ¶ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. EST 4:14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" EST 4:15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, EST 4:16 "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." EST 4:17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

Here is a summary of what happened.  How did this situation come about?

1.  The King declares that all should bow down to Haman, his leading official.   All do, except for the Jew, Mordecai, Esther's uncle.  Haman becomes so angry with him that he goes to the King to get him to issue an order so that all the Jews will be killed.  Est. 3:8-10.

2.  Esther risks her life by going to the King (although he has not called her) and requesting that he and Haman attend a banquet that she is preparing.  Although the King asks her what she wants, she hesitates and invites them to attend another banquet with her the next day.  Est. 5:3-8.

3.  Haman, on his way home from the banquet, sees Mordecai who does not bow to him.  Haman is so angry he tells his wife and friends and they advise him to build a gallows on which to hang Mordecai.  Est. 5:11-14.

4.  Because the King could not sleep that night, he called for the Chronicles to be read to him.  As he listened, he discovered a Jew named Mordecai had reported a plot where some had planned to kill the King.  However, Mordecai had not been honored by the King.  Therefore, wanting to honor him, he asked the advice of Haman, who thinks it is he the king wants to honor.  Surprised, Haman is forced to honor the one he hates so much.  Est. 6:10-11.

5.  At the banquet, Esther reveals Haman's evil plan and he is hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai.  Est. 7:3-6.

6.  Mordecai is appointed in his place and he issues a decree so that the Jews can arm themselves against the King's men on the day that is appointed for their destruction.

Therefore, God's people are saved and His plan to save mankind through Jesus, a descendant of David, continues to unfold.  In the same way, if we are Christians, God works out all things for our good if we remain faithful to Him.  Rom 8:28-39.   In order to become a Christian, we must believe in Jesus as the Son of God, repent (change our mind) about our sins, confess Jesus as the Son of God before other Christians and then be baptized (immersed in water) for the forgiveness of our sins.  Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:36-38, 8:34039, 22:16.  Contact Gary

Question 7. Is Job the oldest book or the first book in the Bible?

Answer It may have been. Here is some information from some Bible dictionaries:

JOB, BOOK OF

Authorship and Date. No one knows who wrote the Book of Job. A few scholars have taken the position that it may have been written by Moses. Other have suggested that the patriarch Job himself may have written this account of his experiences. But these theories have no solid evidence to support them. The only thing we can say for certain is that the book was written by an unknown author.

The exact date of the book's writing is still something of a mystery. Some believe its unknown author put it in writing as late as the second century B. C. Others insist it must have been written about the time the people of Israel returned from the captivity in Babylon about 450 B. C. But many conservative scholars assign the writing of the book to the time of King Solomon, about 950 B. C. Historical evidence favors this date, since this was the golden age of biblical Wisdom literature.

Historical Setting. The events described in the Book of Job must have occurred many centuries before they were finally written. Job probably lived during the time of the patriarch Abraham, about 2000 to 1800 B. C. Like Abraham, Job's wealth was measured in flocks and herds. In patriarchal fashion, Job's married children were a part of his household, living in separate tents but subject to his rule as leader of the family clan.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

JOB, BOOK OF

JOB, BOOK OF. This splendid dramatic poem belongs to the Wisdom Literature of the OT. It is universally recognized as superb literature. The poem takes its name from its chief character, Job, 'iyyob. Interestingly enough, the name occurs in the Berlin Execration Texts as the name of a certain prince in the region of Damascus in the nineteenth century B.C. (Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 82 [1941]: 36). The name is also found in the Amarna correspondence dating c. 1400 B.C. referring to a prince of Pella. Job of the biblical story was a dweller in the land of Uz <Job 1:1>, which evidently lay somewhere between Damascus on the N and Edom on the S; that is, in the steppes E of Palestine-Syria.

JOB, BOOK OF

Time and Composition. Great disagreement prevails as to the composition. Critics date the composition of the book anywhere from patriarchal times (Ebrard) to as late as 400 B.C. (Eissfeldt; Volz) or even the third century B.C. (Cornill). Probably the most likely date is the Solomonic era, (Franz Delitzsch; Keil), because it bears evidence of the creative beginning period of Wisdom Literature. It comprehends ideas similar to parts of Proverbs (cf. <Job. 15:8> and chap. 28 with <Prov. 8>).

(from New Unger's Bible Dictionary) (originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (C) 1988.)  Contact David