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The Ten Commandments:
Commandment X
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
We are not to greatly desire the things that other people have but be happy with the blessings that God has given us.
The Ten Commandments are some of the laws that God has given us to live by. Following the Ten Commandments not only makes God happy, but also helps us stay out of trouble. But what's the big deal about wanting something more than what you have?
Just ask David. His first recorded sin was to covet his servant's wife. This lust led to adultery, lies and ultimately murder. Do you think David thought the tenth commandment was meaningless when he prayed to God for forgiveness? Is there something you really want? Is it something you can't seem to get off your mind? Does your neighbor have a new car and the thought that you don't have one as nice upset you? This tenth commandment is a sin that can easily lead to other sins and is as dangerous as any of them. Don't underestimate it! Rather, be thankful for the protection that it will give you.
Here's something to keep in mind while reading this. The Jews were captives now for about 70 years. Assuming that Daniel was in his teens when he was taken captive, he was likely in his 80's by this point. This means that he likely had no conviction to join his nation in their return to Jerusalem. That's not to say that he didn't care about them or that he wouldn't want to see his boyhood home again. He likely just had lived his full life and wasn't physically prepared for a journey of this magnitude. Daniel struggled to understand what was told him, and to be honest, I am also. I don't want to read too much into this for fear of giving out the wrong impression. :)
If you do the math, the rebuilding of the temple started about twenty years before this point. The people had turned their efforts toward building their own homes. This shows me that God was no longer first in these settlers' lives. Haggai went to the governor of Judah and set the situation straight in record time. God is the provider of everything! If His will was sought first, everything else would be well with Judah. Amazingly, this did spark the desired reaction and the rebuilding continued again. Sometimes we need a swift kick in the pants, sometimes a gentle reminder. Our God knows which one is needed at all times.
Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23 and Zechariah 1:7-5:11.
This reading is really about the preparation for a homecoming. God decreed that Jews from around the world would return to Jerusalem and the temple must be ready for them. I see this as a symbolic decree as well. A healthy church is more than a well-built structure. It is God-fearing people that make up a church. The body of Christ is in you and me, no matter what the meeting place is. The Lord is our glory and our protection. We need no other arrangements.
We also don't need to listen to the accusations of Satan. You may not have heard any audible things from him, but we all have wondered if we were truly good enough for God to accept. Sure, atonement was made, but what about all the bad things we've done? What about murderers? What about adulterers? We are all burning sticks pulled from the fire. Retribution is there for us, though. 24/7, He is waiting for us.
Politics is nothing new, and this story is not the first example. Tattenai visited the temple site and immediately questioned what was happening and under who's authority. The letter went to Darius for confirmation, but during this time, the building continued. The response points out what was likely the underlying question that Tattenai had. The coffers of the royal treasury funded the work. Darius confirmed this and also told the observers to stay out of the way of progress under threat of humiliation and death. The Jews had friends in high places. And they still do.
Now that's a promise of protection! Israel is promised complete restoration here, as well as a warning to any nation who dares to attack His chosen people. In return, He is asking them to look to him for everything that they need. That sounds like a more-than-fair deal!
Nevertheless, it is written that one day, Israel would be besieged by the nations of the world. When they are surrounded by impossible odds, that is when the power and glory of God will truly be shown. I'm reading the Left Behind book series and I believe that this ultimate battle will be toward the very end of the Tribulation. When faced by insurmountable odds, the time becomes right for God to care for His people. Although Israel is still precious to God, "His people" are not limited to Jews any longer.
And so begins the story of Esther. Esther was a beautiful woman living in Persia with her cousin, Mordecai, under the rule of Xerxes. From the beginning of Xerxes' rule, the Jewish people were unliked and she kept her genealogy to herself, especially when she was chosen as a finalist to be the new Queen of Persia and when she was crowned, the secret had to be kept at the potential cost of her life.
Now Mordecai was put into a position to learn of a plot to kill king Xerxes, and that seems to be a minor thing at first, but by alerting Esther of this plot and saving the king, a door was opening for him and for all of the Jews. They just didn't see it yet. When Haman was raised to a high seat of honor, this door became incredibly valuable. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman and in his fury, Haman pushed a decree through that would be a death warrant to all Jews. Queen Esther was their only lifeline.
After three days of fasting, Esther approached Xerxes and Haman, inviting them to a dinner. At the dinner, she didn't tell them her wishes, but invited them to another dinner the following evening. As Haman returned home, he saw that Mordecai still refused to bow to him and was enraged. His advisors and his wife told him that Mordecai needed to be removed and encouraged him to have a gallows erected.
A sleepless night for the king was also a way for God to work on the situation. Xerxes called for the book of the chronicles to be read to him in the hope that he may fall asleep. I didn't do so well in High School history, but it never put me to sleep! That's not the point, though. In this reading, Xerxes discovered that it had been Mordecai who exposed the attempt on his life. Some sort of award was needed for this hero! Who could counsel the king on how such a man should be honored? Haman. This gets a little funny here.
True to his selfish ways, Haman thought he was the one to be honored, so he really played up the reward! Such a man deserves to wear a robe of the king and ride the king's horse before being honored in a parade around the city led by Haman. That makes me chuckle. Haman was forced to do great honor to the man he hated above all. The fury in this man must have been stoked to extreme levels by this time!
At the second meal, Esther revealed her wish and also her lineage to the king. Her people were targeted for extermination and she pleaded with him to avert the disaster. End result: Haman's hatred got the best of him a second time, this time at the cost of his own life on the gallows he had intended for Mordecai. The cherry on top of this sundae is that Mordecai was given the late Haman's position and possessions. Don't forget, though, that an order of the king of Persia couldn't be overturned, even by the king. (You'd think they would have changed that rule by now)
They could defend themselves, however. Mordecai used his position to make sure everyone knew that and this proclamation had the desired effect to save the Jews from destruction. When the dust cleared, the Jews were whole, but their enemies that insisted on fighting them were killed or captured.
A group of men, collectively known as the men of Trans-Euphrates, wrote a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia after Xerxes, imploring a loss of revenue once the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt and the need to stop that from happening. This time, their request was granted and force was used to stop the Jews. So why did Artaxerxes send such a supportive letter to Ezra? That's called "separation of church and state." The Jews could build a temple and worship as they pleased, but to consider themselves and their revenue separate from the kingdom of Persia was not to be tolerated.
Weekly LinkMexico, Belize and Guatemala When I was young, my family spent some time in Belize as missionaries. I remember the lizards and tarantualas quite well. They were all over, and they seemed to like our home quite well! The people were very nice and the scenery was incredible! It's too bad I didn't notice all of the nice scenery at the time. I do remember climbing to the top of one of the Mayan ruins with my father. My hand was so red when we got to the top because of his protective grip. If you want a look at this incredible feat of earlier people's work, check out this week's link! |
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