11/29/2006

Back and forth

Esther 2:11 - Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

I wonder what Mordecai did for a living. How did he have time to pace back and forth in front of the harem every day? Esther's beauty treatments lasted a year. I wonder if he really tried to check up on her every day for that whole time. Maybe it wasn't all day and maybe it wasn't without its benefits, but I wonder if there wouldn't have been another way to get the info he wanted about Esther.

I wonder what exactly it was that he hoped to learn about her. Did he need or want to know how her training was going? I doubt he had to worry about her health or safety -- she was in the king's care -- how much better could it get?

I wonder how close to the palace and harem Mordecai lived. Did he have to travel far each day to check on his cousin?

11/28/2006

Esther's secret

Esther 2:10 - Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.

I wonder why Mordecai refused to let it be known that Esther was a Jew. Hadn't he been the one to enter her in the contest in the first place? Why should he then expect her to keep this a secret? Did no on ask where she was from? If they did ask, I wonder what her answer was. Did she lie? Did she avoid the question? I wonder if she confided in anyone about her nationality and background.

11/27/2006

Vashti dis's Xerxes

Esther 1:10-12 - On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas—to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

I wonder why Vashti refused to obey Xerxes and come to his party. Was she afraid of what might happen to her there? Was she fearful of what else she might be asked to do in a roomful of guys? Was she too busy entertaining her own (female) guests? Did she not understand the request? (That doesn't seem likely.) I wonder if she understood the possible ramifications of her refusal to obey the king's command.

11/25/2006

Foreigners in the assembly

Nehemiah 13:1-3 - On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.

I wonder how it got started that foreigners were allowed into the Israeli assembly. How long did it take before it became common practice? And how long after that until no one realized it was wrong?

Singing in Jerusalem

Nehemiah 12:40-43 - The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets—and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

I wonder how far "far away" was. Was it several miles? Many miles? I wonder how they knew it could be heard far away. I suppose someone may have told them later on that they could be heard from a distance. Or maybe someone asked, "What was all the noise coming from Jerusalem yesterday?"

11/20/2006

Ezra lays down the Law

Nehemiah 8:9 - Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

I wonder which parts of the Law made the people mourn and weep. Obviously it was those parts that showed where they had failed to do something God commanded and the resulting punishments and curses. But I wonder which of those commands in particular made them cry. I suppose it might have been different parts for different people.

When was the last time reading or hearing God's Law made you cry?

I wonder if Ezra ever got to the parts that contained God's promises of a Messiah and the forgiveness he would bring. Either he didn't get to them soon enough or the people didn't understand them...or else Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites wouldn't have had to tell the people outright that this really was a happy day.

11/19/2006

Building the wall

Nehemiah 3 - Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King's Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib's house to the end of it.

The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner, and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

I wonder what the people thought when they saw priests -- even the high priest -- doing hard labor. It should have served as a good example for them. It should also have prompted some to step up and do the work instead of the priests, who really should have been at the temple (and elsewhere) performing their normal priestly duties.

This chapter mentions 10 gates and 4 towers. I wonder what the circumference of Jerusalem was at this time.

I wonder if the men of Tekoa who worked next to Zadok were the same men who worked next to Pedaiah and the temple servants. If so, why did men who weren't willing to give the job their best effort allowed to work on two sections?

I wonder how many of these builders had any previous experience in wall repair. Did any of them have to be trained first? Or maybe they all did have experience (even the priests) and that's why they were the ones doing the building.

11/16/2006

The wall in the dark of night

Nehemiah 2:13-15 - By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

I don't know the exact configuration of the city of Jerusalem -- the location of its buildings inside the walls and their relative locations compared to the walls. Neither do I know how broken a piece of the wall had to be before it was actually called "broken." Did it have to be leveled? Only chipped? Have a hole you could walk through? Did you have to be able to see over the top? What I'm leading up to is: If the wall was broken, why did Nehemiah have to go outside the city to examine it? Wouldn't the damage be just as visible from the inside?

I wonder if he went out during a full, or nearly full, moon. There was no electricity. No streetlights. No searchlights. No flashlights. Maybe torches. He only took a few men with him, so only a few torches at best.

I'm not sure why he kept his mission a secret at first. He doesn't seem to have been afraid to carry out the mission or afraid of those who opposed him. I wonder if he just wanted it to be a pleasant surprise.

11/15/2006

Cupbearer to the king

Nehemiah 1:11-2:6 - I was cupbearer to the king.

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

The king said to me, "What is it you want?"

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I think that being cupbearer was a potentially dangerous occupation. If I remember correctly, not only did you bring the wine to the king, but you had to taste it before he did. If anyone was trying to kill the king by poisoning his wine....

That said, being cupbearer seems like a fairly lofty position at the same time. After all, you got to see the king (and queen) up close and in person several times each day. You probably learned a lot about the political situation of the day. If you were good at your job and the king took a fancy to you -- as seems to be the case with Nehemiah -- so much the better for you.

Now, I wonder how you get to be cupbearer. Did Nehemiah volunteer? I would think that the king would consider you expendable -- after all, you could die after any given sip. So being an alien from one of the conquered nations was not unlikely. Yet you would have to be trustworthy too. Artaxerxes seems to have thought highly enough of Nehemiah to want him to remain in his service. When Nehemiah left for Jerusalem, the king would have to appoint a new cupbearer -- or maybe bring in the backup. But he did want Nehemiah to return; he asked him how long he would be gone, and Nehemiah gave him a time.

I wonder if there were other (behind-the-scenes?) duties involved with being cupbearer to the king.

11/14/2006

Shecaniah's suggestion

Ezra 10:2-4 - Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."

I didn't remember that the same Shecaniah I rediscovered in Ezra, chapter 8, would be the one to suggest that the Israelite men who had intermarried should send those wives away. I wonder if the fact that he wasn't one of them made it easier to bring up the idea. I wonder if any of the men who did have to send wives away took issue with Shecaniah for making the suggestion.

11/13/2006

Shecaniah

Ezra 8:5 - ...of the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men....

In my writings here, I have used what I thought was a fictitious name: Shekaniah. I see now that it's not so fictitious. Any resemblance between my Shekaniah character and this Shecaniah or any other -- past, present, or future -- is purely coincidental and should not be otherwise construed or misconstrued.

Ezra makes good time

Ezra 7:8-9 - Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.

I wonder if Ezra considered the 4-month trip from Babylon to Jerusalem better than average time-wise. I wonder how long it took those who didn't make good time.

For perspective, consider that today 3 months is a major portion of the business year. It's a quarter. Ever heard of quarterly reports and all that they entail? Ezra and company would have missed 2 quarter-ends! Horrors!

11/12/2006

Temple 2

Ezra 6:15 - The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Several Babylonian kings came and went before the temple was rebuilt. I wonder how long that was; that is, how long it took to build this second temple.

Whose temple is it?

Ezra 4:1-5 - When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us."

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

I can understand why the others wanted to help build the temple, but I wonder why they then did a 180 and did all they could to hinder the construction after they were told to stay away. What purpose would it serve them if no temple were built? They had to go out of their way to cause trouble for Zerubbabel and his crews. They could have just stayed home and done business as usual. I wonder if some just had too much time on their hands. Or were they not truly followers of the true God as they insinuated at the beginning?

11/10/2006

Geneology 101

Ezra 2:61-63 - And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

Knowing your lineage had always been very important among the Israelites from the time when the land was first parceled out to them in Canaan. It was similarly equally important among the priests and Levites who did not receive land as the other 11 tribes had.

It seems as if each family was expected to keep a record of their own lineage. I wonder why -- especially for the priests -- a central historical record was not kept. Or was there such a record, but the portion referring to Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai just could not be found? It's actually more surprising that these were the only 3 men who lost their records in the move to Babylon and back.

Since no records could be found, I wonder if they were still considered Levites, but just not priests. Perhaps it didn't matter.

We don't know exactly what Urim and Thummim were. I wonder if they were objects. If so, were they easy to come by? It sounds like no priest had them (or at least no priest was setup to use them) right away.

11/09/2006

The other Elam

Ezra 2:2-35 - The list of the men of the people of Israel:
the descendants of Parosh 2,172
of Shephatiah 372
of Arah 775
of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
of Elam 1,254
of Zattu 945
of Zaccai 760
of Bani 642
of Bebai 623
of Azgad 1,222
of Adonikam 666
of Bigvai 2,056
of Adin 454
of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
of Bezai 323
of Jorah 112
of Hashum 223
of Gibbar 95
the men of Bethlehem 123
of Netophah 56
of Anathoth 128
of Azmaveth 42
of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
of Ramah and Geba 621
of Micmash 122
of Bethel and Ai 223
of Nebo 52
of Magbish 156
of the other Elam 1,254
of Harim 320
of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
of Jericho 345
of Senaah 3,630

I wonder what it was like to be known as a resident of "the other Elam." I wonder why, in an area as small as Judah, they named two places the same. If the one became known as "the other" because it was the smaller of the two, that wouldn't likely be true anymore. Note that both places had 1254 men move back into town!

11/08/2006

Cyrus' task

Ezra 1:2 - "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

" 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.' "

I wonder if God spoke directly to Cyrus -- either by waking revelation or in a dream. Or did he send an angel with a message? Or did a prophet tell him what God wanted him to do?

I wonder if Cyrus had any ulterior motives in rebuilding the temple. Would it be good for the Persian economy? Would it increase his political popularity?

Go home, Josiah

2 Chronicles 35-20-25 - After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, "What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you."

Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Neco had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.

Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, "Take me away; I am badly wounded." So they took him out of his chariot, put him in the other chariot he had and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.

I wonder, just as Neco did, why Josiah thought he needed to pick a fight with the king of Egypt. Was he afraid Neco would come after him later when he had finished his current campaign? Had some of his advisers prompted him to fight? Was he acting on incorrect intelligence gathered from his spies?

I wonder how long after the death of Josiah this account was written. In other words, how long did it take before the singing of the laments about Josiah was considered a tradition? I wonder how long the tradition lasted.

11/05/2006

Put that ark back where it belongs!

2 Chronicles 35:1-3 - Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the LORD's temple. He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the LORD: "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.

This implies that the ark was not in the temple and that it was (regularly?) carried on the shoulders of the Levites. I wonder if it was carried when and where it should not have been. Did they use it in parades like we have marchers carry a flag today? I wonder where else they might have carried it. Was it just into the courtyard or the outer part of the temple? In any case, it sounds as if it wasn't being put to its designated use in its designated place.

11/01/2006

What Shaphan read

2 Chronicles 34:14-21 - While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.

Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: "Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers." Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book."

I wondered earlier if Shaphan had read the book before taking it to Josiah. After reading this similar account, I'm almost certain he did read at least some -- maybe even all -- of it before going to the king. I wonder which section he read to Josiah. At least part of it must have been about laws they had not been keeping and probably the resulting curses that God promised to send on the law breakers.

I wonder how Shaphan decided which section to read. Did he pick out the part about worshiping idols? Did he take what he thought was the most poignant? The harshest? The most commonly broken?