Reading Beneath the Surface: The Book of Esther

Who was King Ahauerus?
King Ahauerus was the father of Darius (Daniel 9:1). Ahauerus was a crazy king. It is recorded he put his wife on trial before the court and had her executed. He then married another wife (Esther).

It is recorded Ahauerus was a wild man. He would do things on impulse and relied on his seven chamberlains for advice. It was normal custom and tradition to take everything before the court and have them make laws and decrees. The king could wield his power by doing a royal decree.


Why was the king celebrating?
The Babylonians, Medes and Persians all knew the prophecy decreed by Jeremiah, stating that in 70 years, Israel’s captivity will be completed.

Jeremiah 25:8-14
8“Therefore this is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will [d]completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and [e]hissing, and an everlasting place of ruins. 10Moreover, I will eliminate from them the voice of jubilation and the voice of joy, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11This entire land will be a place of ruins and an object of horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their wrongdoing, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’”

Knowing God’s word, the king threw a huge party when the seventy years were  completed and Israel remained in captivity. The king brought out the gold and silver vessels. These were the items used in the Temple service. These are the items King Nebuchadnezzar carried away from Jerusalem.

Their was an error with the king’s logic. It was that he counted the 70 years of Israel’s captivity from the time the Israelites were first taken captive. Remember, there were three different times King Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. Each time, he took some captives.

The prophet Daniel also makes this mistake. In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel petitions God to end the captivity. Daniel also references Jeremiah’s prophecy:

1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (Daniel 9:1-2)

When Jeremiah’s prophecy is fulfilled, it is 70 years from the last captivity until their freedom. Needless to say, King Ahasuerus was celebrating too early. Because he believed God’s word was broken, he gave a party for 180 days for his nobles and princes. He then gave a party for all the people for 7 days. The party for the people can be seen as a way the king can beat down the Israelites and emphasize his power over them. Their God failed them. They were going to be in captivity forever.

The king is mentioned to be swearing royal garments. It is stated in jewish tradition, these garments were the ones worn by the priests of the Temple in Jerusalem. The priestly garments were worn as a symbol of atonement for the people.

The tunic, which covers most of the priest’s body, atones for killing. The pants atone for sexual transgressions. The turban, worn on the head, stones for haughtiness. The belt, wound around the body and worn over the heart, atones for the sins of the heart (i.e., improper thoughts). The breastplate atones for errors in judgment. The ephod atones for idolatry. The robe atones for evil speech. The High Priest’s crown atones for arrogance.

Keeping in mind all the garments and what they atoned for, by the king of Persia wearing them, he committed most (if not all) the sins. One of the worst ways to disrespect God is by using HIs holy vessels for common use and using his holy garments to be worn and stained at a party. (Side note: The garments worn by the priests would not be stained or soiled. If they were, the services they rendered while their garments were impure render the service invalid.)

With this picture painted, we may now understand why Mordecai does not want Esther to reveal her identity. Although the Israelites were part of the Persian kingdom, they were not respect or seen in high esteem. It was best if Mordecai and Esther did not reveal their ancestry. Remember, Mordecai was in the king’s gate and Esther had a chance at becoming queen.


Who was Memucan?
There are seen chamberlains listed for the king. When things are listed in Hebrew, they are listed from the person of being in highest authority to the lowest. Memucan is the last chamberlain to be listed. Therefore, he is the one who is the lowest in authority, and yet, it is Memucan who offers the kind advice. Memucan’s name appears to be a slang word which means to stumble or talk out of turn. Many believe Memucan is actually Haman.

When Darius becomes king, he only has six chamberlains (instead of seven). This means one of Darius’s father’s chamberlains must have died before Darius came to power, and that chamberlain was never replaced. Haman and his death fit the bill for this story line.


It was not a beauty contest
It is easy to read the Book of Esther and believe Esther and Mordecai was happy that Esther was selected to be part of the search fro the next queen of Persia. The truth is, Esther had no choice. Looking at the Hebrew, in verse 8 of chapter 2, the English reads Esther was brought into the king’s house. The Hebrew word “laqah” is translated into English as “brought”. This is a terrible translation. “Laqah” means to be taken captive, to snatch away, to seize, to be stolen or to be taken away. Needless to say, Esther and Mordecai had no choice in the matter. Esther was selected and she was taken captive.

Furthermore, once the girls had gone through the purification process, the king then raped each girl. After he was done with the girl, she was sent to the concubine house. The girl could never be married and would hav to stay in the house until she was called by name to spend more time with the king. It was not a glamorous life. The girls lived their lives in solitude. Unless they got pregnant from the one night spent with the king, they had no children.


The King’s Gate
At the end of chapter 2 in verse 21, we are told Mordecai sits in the king’s gate. This is slang for Mordecai being part of the king’s officials. Sitting in the gate could be a literal action.

The walls surrounded cities and king’s palaces. The only way in and out of a city was through the city gates. The city gates were often passageways which had side rooms. In the side rooms, court was held and official business was conducted. Citizens of the city were allowed in and out of the city. Visitors to the city may or may not be allowed into the city. For this reason, court was held at the gates. Those individuals who were not citizens of the city could appear in court without having to enter the city. Moreover, people passing in and out of the city through the gates provided protection for the city. Criminals could be apprehended if they were recognized entering/exiting the city through controlled passageways.

It is recorded the king’s gates for Susa were 35,000 square feet. These are some of the largest gates ever recorded. The king’s gates surrounded the palace and ensured no one would have access to the royal grounds without bring questioned and examined by a number of officials.

We are told there was a crime and the punishment for the crime was hanging on the gallows. This is a little bit of foreshadowing for the rest of the story. One thing to note, only the king or conviction by the court could order someone to be hung on the gallows. This is important to note because Haman builds gallows to hang Mordecai. Building gallows and using them to kill someone would go against the king and the court. This gives us insight into how haughty Haman must have felt when he was elevated to second in command. Haman felt emboldened to make the gallows. Perhaps he also saw himself as king and thought he could start issuing decrees to kill people just like the king. The irony is the gallows were found out and instead of Haman using them to kill Mordecai, the king orders Haman to be hung on his own gallows.

Lastly, the gallows Haman made were 75 feet tall. Ten feet equal one story. So the gallows Haman built were 7.5 stories tall. Haman’s gallows would have been visible to all his neighbors.


The King’s Signet Ring: More powerful than all the prophets
In verse 10 of chapter 3, we read that the king takes off his signet ring and gives it to Haman. This single act is more powerful than all the prophets in the Old Testament. For years, Israel was told to repent and to turn back to God or terrible things would happen. Once Haman receives the king’s signet ring, this becomes the most powerful tool used to make the Israelites repent and turn back to God. Once Haman uses the signet ring to make a declaration that the Jews are to be destroyed, the Jews realize they need to turn from their current ways and seek God.

In chapter 4 (verses 1-3), we read about Mordecai and the Jew putting on sackcloth and ashes, and they wept and mourned. The people were repenting of their ways and turning back to God. It is amazing how a signet ring had more power on the Israelites than the 45 prophets and 8 female prophets in the Bible.

As we look at this story, is this the same in our lives? Do people tell us we need to get on the right path, turn from our evil ways and seek God? Are their words effective? What will get us motivated to change? Is it a sudden financial strain, a death of a loved one, a medical diagnosis? God can use people and things to get our attention, but it often seems as though benign items (such as a signet ring in this case) are more powerful and effective than our fellow man.


The courier system in Persia was one of the best
There were horses mounted throughout the kingdom. The relay system worked in much the same way as the pony express gif in the USA. One horse would ride to a destination in which one or more horses would be waiting. The message was passed along and the horse(s) would continue on, distributing the info along the way and continuing to relay the message to other horses and their riders. This system allowed information to be spread quickly in the kingdom, which was HUGE!

The Book of Esther and the Amalekites

Imagine being given a command via a prophet of God to do a specific task. The task is not hard--destroy the enemy and all his possessions. But instead of obeying, you decide to spare the best of the loot for yourself. You claim you are going to give the items as offerings to God, but God knows your heart. You are greedy and only wish to enjoy the spoils of war. This is what happened King Saul was told to utterly eradicate the Amalekites. King Saul kept King Agag alive. King Agag's descendants would inflict harm on the Israelites and almost succeeded in completely eradicating the Israelites from the face of the earth.

The Origins of Amalek
In Genesis 36:12, we are introduced to Amalek. "And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife."

Jewish tradition holds that Timna was from royal Egyptian lineage. She wanted to be part of Jacob's family; however, she was not accepted. After being rejected, Timna did the next best thing she could think of, she attached herself to Jacob's brother's family, Esau. Remember that Esau and Jacob were twin brothers. Jacob bought the first born rites from Esau for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-34). Jacob also received the favored blessing from his father Isaac after deceiving him (Genesis 27:1-29). Esau had a son named Eliphaz. Timna became Eliphaz's concubine and bore Amalek. Thus, Amalek was Esau's grandson.

Although Genesis 36:12 proclaims the birth of Amalek, the Amalekites are first mentioned all the way back in Genesis 14:7. ("And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and conquered all the country of the Amalekites.") If one counts the Hebrew letters from the first letter of the word Amalekites and counts until the last letter in Amalek's name in Genesis 36:12, one counts 12,110 Hebrew letters. The Book of Esther also has exactly 12,110 Hebrew letters. God knew from the beginning that Amalek's birth would be a thorn in Israel's side for many, many generations.


Leaving Egypt
When the Israelites left Egypt and had crossed over the Red Sea, the first person to attack them was Amalek. "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said onto Joshua, 'Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand'" (Exodus 17:8-9). All the nations feared the Israelites when they heard how God delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea and destroyed Pharaoh and his army. However, Amalek's attack on Israel cooled some of the surrounding nations' fear. As one rabbi said, "Israel coming out of Egypt was like a boiling pot. No one wanted to get near them. When Amalek attacked Israel, he cooled down the pot. This gave courage to the surrounding nations that Israel could be defeated."

God's anger is stirred up over Amalek attacking His people. God gives several promises to Amalek that his end will be destruction. "The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:16). "And he looked on Amalek, and took up this parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction" (Numbers 24:20). "Blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget it" (Deuteronomy 25:19).

Lastly, God gives Israel one last command regarding Amalek: once Israel is settled in the land, they should destroy Amalek.

"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget." (Deuteronomy 25:17-19)



Saul's commission to utterly destroy the Amalekites
Saul was Israel's first king. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and the son of Kish. "Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son, whose name was Saul" (1 Samuel 9:1-2a).

Also recall, King Saul received a word from the LORD from the prophet Samuel to slaughter King Agag and the Amalekites. King Saul decided to spare his life. The prophet Samuel had to execute King Agag. (Read 1 Samuel 15)

1Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. 2Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. 3Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

4Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. 12Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.” 13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18and the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

20Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 



22Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.”

24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal. (1 Samuel 15:1-33)


A Closer Look at the Details of 1 Samuel 15
Once Saul was established as king, he received instructions from the prophet Samuel to go to war with the Amalekites and completely destroy them. "Then Samuel said to Saul, 'The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both men and women, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey"'" (1 Samuel 15:1-3).

Saul goes to war with the Amalekites and defeats them. However, Saul fails to carry out God's complete command to destroy Amalek and everything associated with the Amalekites. "So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amaleites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the failings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed" (1 Samuel 15:7-9).

Saul seems blind to his disobedience. He believes he has fulfilled God's command. Samuel, however, can see through Saul's lies and knows Saul has disobeyed God. "Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, 'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.' But Samuel said, 'What then is the bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'" (1 Samuel 15:13-14) There is an interesting play on words here in the Hebrew. To obey in Hebrew is shema which translates to hear, listen and/or obey. Samuel is saying if you heard and obeyed the word of the LORD why is it I hear sheep and oxen which God commanded to be destroyed?

Saul's disobedience to spare Agag and the best of the things from the Amalekites has many implications for the future. First, God takes away the kingdom from Saul. "Samuel said, 'Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king'" (1 Samuel 15:22-23). "And Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you'" (1 Samuel 15:27-28).

Second, Agag's descendants live on. If Agag and all his descendants would have been executed, the Amalekite's lineage would have been cut off. However, since Saul spares them, their descendants continue into the future. Nearly 400 years later, Agag's descendant, Haman, attempts to craft a plan to exterminate the Jews. ("The king took off his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the Jews' enemy" Esther 3:10.) This is the basis for the Book of Esther. Interestingly, the heroes of the story, Esther and Mordecai are descendants from Saul. ("There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite" Esther 2:5. Recall that King Saul’s father was Kish.) So, although Saul does not obey God, his descendants do.

We can see through King Saul’s lack of obedience, his actions almost causes the complete extinction of the Jewish people. It is amazing to see how one act of disobedience can completely change history.


Mordecai, King Saul and Benjamin
As we read the book of Esther, we learn Mordecai is from the descendants of Kish and the Benjamites ("There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite" Esther 2:5.) Going back to King Saul’s lineage, we see that King Saul’s father was Kish: 

1Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. 2He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. (1 Samuel 9:1-2)

One may think this is a nice coincidence that King Saul did not execute the Amalekites, but his descendant Mordecai did. But what most do not know is the Amalekites could only be defeated by the tribe of Benjamin.

Eleven of Jacob’s sons bow down to Esau
When Jacob deceives his father, he leaves to go live with family in Paddam-aram. He marries Leah and Rachel and has relations with the two handmaids. While in Paddan-aram, Jacob has 11 sons. When Jacob returns back to the land of Canaan, his brother Esau comes to meet him. Jacob, in a panic, runs to meet his brother. Then the wives and handmaids along with all the children come and bow before Esau.

1Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. 7Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. (Genesis 36:1-7)

From reading the text, all Jacob’s sons bowed down, except Benjamin. Benjamin was not born yet. This is important because by having all of Jacob’s sons bow to Esau, this made all of Jacob’s sons (and their descendants) subservient to Esau (and subsequently Esau’s descendants). Recall who was Amalek descended from?

9These then are the records of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau’s wife Adah, Reuel the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz. 12Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. (Genesis 36:9-12)

In a nutshell, Amalek was Esau’s grandson. So, all the sons of Jacob, except Benjamin, had bowed down to Esau (and indirectly to Amalek). With this said, no one from any of the 11 tribes could destroy the Amalekites. Only those people who were from the tribe of Benjamin could utterly eradicate the Amalekites.

Now you may understand the importance of Saul being a Benjamite and being given the decree to slay King Agag and the Amalekites. Many may have wondered if God wanted the Amalekites destroyed, why did He not ask David to do it? David was a valiant warrior. The answer is King David was from the tribe of Judah. Judah bowed down to Esau. Thus, King David could not kill the Amalekites because his ancestor had bowed down to Esau. The task could only be completed by a person from the tribe of Benjamin. And Mordecai was a descendant from Benjamin. Thus, Mordecai was allowed to fulfill God’s wishes of killing the Amalekites.

Purim & An Introduction to the Book of Esther

One of my favorite holidays of the year is the festival of Purim. Unlike other Jewish holidays in which there are strict observances set forth in the Torah, the only command for Purim is that it is to be celebrated on the 14th day of the Jewish month Adar (which occurs in February or March on the Gregorian calendar.) This year Purim will be celebrated from sunset on February 25 through sunset on February 25. Purim is mostly a holiday filled with lots of fun events and eating good food!

The Basics
The entire holiday of Purim is set aside to celebrate the Jews triumphal victory over the wicked Haman and his evil plot to exterminate the Jews as detailed in the Book of Esther. During the holiday, the Book of Esther is read in synagogue. (And I would suggest, if you wish to appreciate all the characters and things associated with Purim, it would be very beneficial to read the Book of Esther as well.) When the book is read, any time Queen Esther or Mordecai are mentioned, the audience breaks out into spontaneous cheers and shouts of joy. When the evil character Haman is mentioned, the crowd stomps its feet and shouts out booing.

The word Purim is derived from the Persian language which translated into English means lots. In the Book of Esther, Haman casts lots (i.e., throws dice or uses some sort of divination) to determine when he should carry out his evil plan of exterminating the Jews. The 13th of Adar (Adar is the 12th month on the Jewish calendar) was slated to be the date. On the 13th of Adar, the Jews and the Persians fought. On the 14th of Adar, the Jews in the Persian kingdom celebrated a glorious victory over their foes. (The Jews in the Persian capital city of Sushan fought for a second day on the 14th of Adar. On the 15th of Adar they held a giant celebration.) From this time forth, the 14th of Adar has been remembered and celebrated as a joyous day when the Jews defeated their enemies.


Other Facts
Esther's pagan name is derived from the Hebrew astir. Astir means hidden. This is symbolic in that God’s name is not mentioned in the Book of Esther; hence, God is “hidden”. Esther's Hebrew name is Hadassah. Hadassah is derived from the Hebrew word hadas which means myrtle tree. According to Jewish tradition, a myrtle trees represents righteousness in Scripture. The sages in the Midrash take this one step father and say just as a myrtle tree has a sweet smell and a bitter taste, so too Esther was good and listened (sweet) to the righteous Mordecai. She was adverse (bitter) to the wicked Haman.

The Book of Esther, known as "the Scroll" (Megillah) in Hebrew, is a book in the third section (Ketuvim "Writings") of the Jewish Bible. It is one of five scrolls (Megillot) in the Hebrew Bible. The Books of Esther and Song of Solomon are the only books which do not explicitly mention God in the text.

The book of Esther consists of an introduction in chapters 1 and 2; the main action occurs in chapters 3 to 9:19; and a conclusion is given in chapter 9:20-10:3. The plot is structured around banquets (mishteh), a word that occurs 20 times in the Book of Esther and only 24 times in the rest of the Hebrew Bible. This is apropos given that the Book of Esther describes the origin of a Jewish feast, the feast of Purim.

The Book of Esther became the last of the 24 books of the Tanakh (Old Testament) to be canonized by the Sages of the Great Assembly. It is usually dated to the fourth century BC. The Greek Book of Esther included in the Septuagint is a re-telling of the events of the Hebrew Book of Esther rather than a translation. The Greek book includes additional traditions which do not appear in the original Hebrew version. One such addition is the identification of Ahasuerus with Artaxerxes and includes details of various letters. The Coptic and Ethiopian versions of the Book of Esther are translations of the Greek version rather than the Hebrew version of the Book of Esther.

(Side note: The Tanakh also called the Mikra or the Hebrew Bible, is the canonical collection of Jewish texts, which is the textual source for the Christian Old Testament. These texts are composed mainly in Biblical Hebrew, with some passages in Biblical Aramaic. The traditional Hebrew text is known as the Masoretic Text. The Tanakh consists of 24 books.

Tanakh is an acronym of the first letter of each of the Masoretic Text's three subdivisons: Torah ("Teaching", also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ("Prophets") and Ketuvim ("Writings"). Hence it is called TaNaKh. The name Mikra, meaning "that which is read", is another Hebrew word for the Tanakh. The books of the Tanakh were passed on by each generation, and according to rabbinic tradition, they were also accompanied by oral tradition called the Oral Torah.)


When did the Book of Esther take place?
The story of Esther happens directly after the Book of Daniel. It occurs in Persia during the New Persian Empire, which began about 550 B.C. with the reign of King Cyrus and ended around 330 B.C. The end of the Book of Daniel takes places at the beginning of the New Persian Empire.

We know that the setting for the Book of Esther is sometime between 485 B.C. and 460 B.C. It cannot be later than about 460 B.C. because Ezra, the Levite Priest who would lead a delegation of Hebrews back to Judah to complete the rebuilding of the Temple and restoring Jerusalem’s walls is involved in the story of Esther. So, the Book of Esther had to happen before Ezra headed back to Israel to complete those tasks. Esther occurs after the time of the Persian King Cyrus (who reigned at the end of the Book of Daniel). So, we get around a 25 years window when the events of Esther seem to have occurred.


The Story in a Nutshell
The Persian Empire of the 4th Century BC extended across 127 lands from northern Africa and Asia Minor in the east across to India in the west. All the Jews living in this region were ruled by the Persians. When King Ahasuerus has his wife, Queen Vashti, dethroned for failing to follow his orders, he arranged for a search to find a new queen. (I like to call this the very first beauty pageant, Miss Queen of Persia.) A young Jewish woman, Esther, found favor in the king's eyes and became the new queen. Under the command of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther never divulges her Jewish nationality.

Subsequently, Haman, a Jew-hating man, was appointed as prime minister of the empire. Mordecai defies the king's orders and refuses to bow down to Haman. Haman becomes infuriated and convinces the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th day of the month Adar, a date picked via casting lots (purim).

When the decree is made public, Mordecai rallies the Jews, convincing them to repent, fast and pray. Moreover, he entreats Esther to ask the king to rescind his decree. Esther bravely goes before the king's throne and asks him (and Haman) to join her for a feast. After her courage fails her the first day, Esther asks the King and Haman to join her on the following day for another feast. At the second feast, Esther reveals to the king her Jewish identity. Haman begs the queen's forgiveness, but the king orders Haman to be hung. When Esther reveals to the king that Mordecai is her cousin, the king appoints Mordecai to be prime minister. A new decree is issued, granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemy.

On the 13th of Adar, the Jews kill many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rest and celebrate their triumphant victory. In the capital city of Sushan, the Jews take one more day to finish killing their enemies.


Who is Haman

Central to the story if Esther is the man Haman. Haman was a man filled with jealousy when Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman. We are told in the Book of Esther (chapter 3 verse 1) Haman was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite.It is believed the term Agag was a dynastic name for the kings of Amalek similar to Pharaoh being the dynastic name for the kings of Egypt.

Support for this can be seen in Numbers chapter 24. Remember Balaam is a prophet hired by the king of the Moabites to prophesy against Israel. Instead, God tells Balaam he cannot speak evil about Israel. Balaam gives his third prophecy which speaks about Agag being a highly exalted king:

5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. (Numbers 24:5-7)

Remember Lot's Wife

Remember Lot’s Wife
In the story of Lot and his family fleeing from Sodom, we are given an interesting piece of information. As they were fleeing, Lot’s wife stopped and looked back at Sodom, which was in direct opposition to a command given in verse 17:



17 When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the surrounding area; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.”

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:17, 23-26)

There has been a lot of debate about the meaning of Lot’s wife’s actions. She deliberately sinned by disobeying the angel’s command. What was so important? What was she looking back for? Why did she stop? Although we cannot be 100% sure, we know she probably was looking back to the place where she had all her hopes and dreams. Lot’s wife had built her life in the city of Sodom. Perhaps her family was there. Her friends were there. Could she really leave all this behind and flee with two strangers into the unknown?

Lot’s wife is brought to remembrance again in Luke 17, when Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man.

28 It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, the one who will be on the housetop, with his goods in the house, must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. (Luke 17:28-32)

Looking back is also spoken about by Jesus for those who are fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:57-62
57 As they were going on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”


Nachshon and heroic actions

Nachshon was a prince of the tribe of Judah. He was the brother-in-law of Aaron, the high priest. When everyone else hesitated, he jumped into the swirling sea. He was Nachshon, the son of Aminadav.
Here is a portrait of the man whose quiet action left an indelible mark on our nation.


Family Origin
Nachshon was a fifth-generation descendant of Judah, son of Jacob. (His father was Aminadav, son of Ram, son of Chetzron, son of Peretz, son of Judah.) (1 Chronicles 2:4-10)

Nachshon is also the father-in-law of Rahab (the harlot from Jericho). Nachshon was through Boaz a direct descendant of David. (Recall Boaz married Ruth. Ruth and Boaz had a son Obed. Obed had Jesse. And Jesse had a son named David. (Ruth 4:20-22)) Nachson was exactly halfway in the direct line between Judah and King David.

He appears for the first time in the Torah when Aaron marries Nachson's sister: “Aaron took for a wife Elisheba, daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon.” (Exodus 6:23) The Torah generally records names only when mentioning someone new, and the commentaries wonder why Elisheba’s brother is mentioned here as well.

They suggest that before marrying Elisheba, Aaron had inquired about Nachshon, his future brother-in-law. We learn from Aaron that when searching for a wife, it is important to vet her brothers. Fine, upstanding brothers indicate that the sister will be a fitting life partner.


At the Splitting of the Sea
Seven days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites found themselves trapped between a raging sea and the vengeful Egyptian army. Then God gave Moses a command that seemed impossible to fulfill: “Speak to the people of Israel; they shall travel.” (Exodus 14:15)

The order was given to go forward in verse 15. But who would make the first move? At that moment, Nachshon’s devotion and bravery came to the forefront. The Midrash and Talmud share the following account:

When Israel stood facing the Sea of Reeds, and the command was given to move forward, each of the tribes hesitated, saying, “We do not want to be the first to jump into the sea.”

Nachshon saw what was happening—and jumped into the sea.

At that moment Moses was standing and praying. G‑d said to him, “My beloved ones are drowning in the stormy seas, and you are standing and praying?”

Moses replied, “Master of the world, what am I to do?”

Said God, “You lift your staff and spread your hand over the seas, which will split, and Israel will come into the sea upon dry land.”

And so it was. Following Nachshon’s lead, the Israelites entered the sea and were saved.


Nachshon’s Reward
The Midrash enumerates the rewards that Nachshon’s brave deed earned him:
He was given the name Nachshon, since he jumped into the waves (nachshol) of the sea.
Five heroes of Israel were among his descendants: David, Daniel, hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The eternal kingdom of Israel was given to his tribe, Judah, and it follows that Messiah will be his descendant as well.

After Moses completed the Tabernacle in the desert, the princes of the twelve tribes of Israel offered special inaugural sacrifices and gifts. Even though Judah was not the most senior of the tribes, Nachshon, prince of Judah, was the first to bring his sacrifice. (Numbers 7:12) This may have been a reward for his special deed of devotion.

Nachshon is speculated to have also been among the seventy elders upon whom Moses conferred his spirit. (Numbers 11:16-30)


A Symbol of Strength
Nachshon’s name has become synonymous with courage and the will to do the right thing, even when it’s not popular.

Inspired by Nachshon, King David wrote in Psalms, “I have sunk in muddy depths, and there is no place to stand; I have come into the deep water, and the current has swept me away . . . Let not the current of water sweep me away, nor the deep swallow me, and let the well not close its mouth over me.” (Psalm 69:3, 16)



Lessons we can learn

One of the lessons we can learn from Nachshon is that we must stay focused on our life’s mission. Even if there is a seemingly impossible sea in front of us, we must go forward. When we do everything which is in our power—for Nachshon that was wading into a sea until it reached his nostrils—only then did God intervene. When we have done everything we think we can do, only then will God produce a miracle and show us a way foward. If we sit on the banks of the sea crying out to God, the sea will remain. Our enemy will creep closer and closer.

We may feel as though there are only four options:


1. Throw ourselves into the sea.


2. Surrender and return back to our former situation (for the Israelites that would be returning back to Egypt and becoming slaves again…if the Egyptians were nice. The Israelites who surrender would have most likely faced the death penalty for fleeing.).


3. Take up arms and fight the enemy.


4. Cry out to God, do everything possible and keep going forward until the sea splits.


In Closing
 We can go a lot of places and think we are escaping from God. We can do a lot of things, and think we are escaping from God. We can hold our tongue and not do as God instructs us, and yet, God will make our lives unbearable so that we have to do what he commands. Whether it is a fierce tempest which causes us to be tossed into the sea to be swallowed up by a giant fish or having God’s word burn within us, there is no place for us to flee. There is no one to fear except God. Even when we are promised we will be  persecuted, God is faithful to deliver us, even if we must endure much suffering. If we fear God, then there is no one else to fear.

7Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

11If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,”

12Even the darkness is not dark to You,

And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

13For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

15My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 137:7-16)

Who do you fear? Fleeing from God.

As I was scrolling through Facebook, a woman asked a provocative question: “Who do you fear more than God?” The immediate answer which came to mind was, “No one.” As I was reflecting on this thought, I started thinking about Scripture and the erroneous thoughts which pervade all our minds. We do not put our trust 100% in God. We think we can do things better ourselves. We believe the past is better than what God can give us in the future.

Jonah

The first story which came to mind was Jonah. Jonah was a prophet from the Galilee. He was supposed to go to Nineveh to proclaim God’s future destruction on the city unless the people repented. What we may not know as readers in the 21st Century is that Nineveh was a fierce enemy of Israel’s. God calling Jonah (an Israelite) to travel to Nineveh would be like God asking an American to go to Iran and start teaching the Bible in the middle of Tehran, Iran’s capital city. The America would be extremely likely to be captured or killed on sight. This was the same prospects Jonah had going to Nineveh.

Jonah 1:1-3
 1The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah did what we would have all done. He got up, went to Joppa (a city located on the Mediterranean coast) and got on a ship to Tarshish. (The exact location of Tarshish is often debated, but in Scripture it always implies a region far away from Israel. Many believe Tarshish was Great Britain.) Verse 3 gives us clarification of Jonah’s intentions. He believes by leaving Israel, he an escape from God’s presence.

Many people have told me this was a dumb idea. “Doesn’t Jonah know God is everywhere?” The answer is yes, Jonah knows God. Jonah is a prophet. Jonah believes by leaving Israel, God cannot call him to go to Nineveh. By going to Tarshish, Jonah is going in the opposite direction. It is much harder to go to Nineveh if Jonah is halfway around the world.

We are the same as Jonah. If God calls us to do something, especially something which is dangerous, do we jump up and say, “Here I am! Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)? No, we often make excuses and find something else to do. We may even make plans which will directly interfere with what God wants us to do.


Jonah’s Outcome
Although Jonah boarded a ship and started sailing toward Tarshish, God interferes and causes a great tumult to arise. Jonah is thrown into the sea. A giant fish swallows Jonah and vomits him right back on shore, to the very place Jonah was trying to flee from. As hard as Jonah tried to flee from God, God brought Jonah back. Now Jonah had no excuse for not going to Nineveh. And now Jonah was wearied from his adventures at sea and for his time inside a giant fish. Jonah had to do what God wanted. There was fleeing from his task.


Fleeing from God by not no doing what God wants us to do
If there is one person in the Bible who had a miserable life, it was the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is called from a young age to preach God’s word.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6
Then I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because I am a youth.”
7
But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8
Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10
See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to tear down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1: 4-10)

Jeremiah is told the people will not listen to him. Moreover, the people will fight against Jeremiah, but they will not overcome him as God is with Jeremiah.

13And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north the evil [d]will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come and place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the cities of Judah. 16And I will [e]pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have abandoned Me and have [f]offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17Now, belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1:13-19)

Jeremiah has a rough life. He is constantly attacked verbally, is thrown into prison and his words are never believed. Jeremiah’s life seems to have no utility as everything he does is met with resistance. Jeremiah decides he will do what is logical. He will stop proclaiming God’s word. If Jeremiah does not speak, he will not have to suffer the consequences.

Jeremiah 20:7-18
Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
Everyone mocks me.
8
For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the word of the Lord has [b]resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
9
But if I say, “I will not remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.
10
For I have heard the whispering of many,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
All my trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”
11
But the Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have [d]failed,
An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12
Yet, Lord of armies, who tests the righteous,
Who sees the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have disclosed my cause.
13
Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has saved the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.
14
Cursed be the day when I was born;
May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
15
Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
“A boy has been born to you!”
And made him very happy.
16
But may that man be like the cities
Which the Lord overthrew without relenting,
And may he hear an outcry in the morning
And an alarm for war at noon;
17
Because he did not kill me before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb forever pregnant.
18
Why did I ever come out of the womb
To look at trouble and sorrow,
So that my days have been spent in shame?

Unfortunately, this does not work. Jeremiah was a faithful man. God’s word burned within him. As hard as he tried not to proclaim God’s word, he could not resist. Jeremiah is forced to proclaim God’s word and to continue suffering the consequences. Poor Jeremiah. He seems to have a very hard life.


The end of Jeremiah’s Life
Jeremiah continues to preach God’s word, and he continues to face persecution. When Jerusalem is plundered and destroyed by Babylon, Jeremiah is taken into custody. He is given the choice to go to Babylon or to go back to Israel. Jeremiah chooses to go to Israel.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God promised this disaster against this place; 3 and the Lord has brought it and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, this thing has happened to you. 4 But now, behold, I am setting you free today from the chains that are on your hands. If [a]you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will [b]look after you; but if [c]you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, [d]do not come. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go.” 5 As Jeremiah was still not going back, [f]he said, “Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land. (Jeremiah 42:1-6)

Jeremiah goes to Mizpah, where the new Israeli government will be set up. A man by the name of Gedaliah is chosen to be the leader of the government. A coop is formed by some men from Ammon. They kill Gedaliah and his men. The coop takes the Israelis captive. A man by the name of Johanan and his forces rescues the Israelis. The Israelites decide they do not want to receive punishment from the king of Babylon because the leader he had appointed (Gedaliah) was slain. The Israelites decide they will go to Egypt. (Jeremiah 40)

In Jeremiah chapter 41, the Israelites ask Jeremiah what they should do. Jeremiah tells them they should stay in the land of Israel. If they go to Egypt, they will die.

Jeremiah 41:8-22
and said to them, “This is what the Lord says, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea before Him: 10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent of the disaster that I have inflicted on you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I am with you to save you and rescue you from his hand. 12 I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. 13 But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” so as not to listen to the voice of the Lord your God, 14 saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, or hear the sound of a trumpet, or hunger for bread, and we will stay there”; 15 then in that case listen to the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “If you really set your minds to enter Egypt and go in to reside there, 16 then the sword, of which you are afraid, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there. 17 So all the people who set their minds to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; and they will have no refugees or survivors from the disaster that I am going to bring on them.”’”

18 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “As My anger and wrath have gushed out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will gush out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation, and a disgrace; and you will not see this place again.” 19 The Lord has spoken to you, you remnant of Judah, “Do not go to Egypt!” You know for certain that I have admonished you today. 20 For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.” 21 So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God in whatever He has sent me to tell you. 22 And now you shall know for certain that you will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague in the place where you desire to go to reside.


Jeremiah delivers God’s words, but the Israelites do not want to believe them. The text says Jeremiah is taken with the Israelites to Egypt. The Hebrew used in the text implies Jeremiah was taken (along with the rest of the men, women and children) by force to Egypt. Oral tradition supports this and states Jeremiah was kidnapped and taken to Egypt.

The rest of the Book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah gives more prophecies about Egypt being conquered by Babylon. The last chapters of Jeremiah are about prophecies against varies enemies of the Israelites—Ammon, Edom, Moab, etc. The destruction of Pharaoh and Babylon are also predicted. In chapter 45, we have a confirmation of God to Baruch, Jeremiah servant, that his life will be preserved. What happened to Jeremiah is not recorded in Scripture.

The lessons we can learn from Jeremiah is no matter the consequences, if we are called to do something by God, we should obey. We may suffer harsh cruelty and persecution, we may be dragged off to a foreign land, but God will not abandon us. If would have horrible for Jeremiah to not proclaim God’s word to the people and the people remain in darkness. Instead, Jeremiah tells the people about the coming destruction and judgment by God. The people could make the decision to follow God or follow their own heart’s desire.

There is an account of one person being nice to Jeremiah, and that person receives a reward for his actions.

Jeremiah 38:8-13
8 and Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here [e]under your authority and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his [f]authority and went into the king’s palace to a place beneath the storeroom, and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags, and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes”; and Jeremiah did so. 13 So they pulled Jeremiah out with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

For his faithfulness and kindness to Jeremiah, Ebed-melech receives a word from God.

Jeremiah 39:11-18
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders regarding Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, 12 “Take him and [h]look after him, and do not do anything harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the [i]Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the [j]Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; 14 they even sent word and took Jeremiah out of the courtyard of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.
15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, saying, 16 “Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for [k]prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. 17 But I will save you on that day,” declares the Lord, “and you will not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will assuredly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as plunder, because you have trusted in Me,” declares the Lord.’”

The Woman Caught in Adultery

Introduction
In John chapter 7, Jesus is at the Feast of Sukkot teaching in the Temple. Many believe starting in John chapter seven verse 53 through John chapter eight verse 11 another story of Jesus is added to the text. This addition to the text is the story about the adulterous woman. There is no doubt this encounter actually occurred. Many believe when the text was copied, this story may have been taken from another section of Scripture and added here because there was room in the text. I only mention this as this story most likely did not happen during the Feast of Sukkot which is mentioned in chapter seven. Also, if you take out this story, chapter eight verse 12 picks up with Jesus still at the Feast of Sukkot. Some translations have chapter seven verse 53 through chapter eight verse 11 in parenthesis to emphasis this section may not be in the exact order as it was written in the original text.

The adulterous woman has been preached by many throughout the centuries. There have been many good points made, but also there have been many essential pieces which have been overlooked. Many believe Jesus freed this woman by simply setting her free by grace. Preachers proclaim Jesus triumphed over the law (Torah). Jesus forgave this woman her sins, and she was set free from the Torah. However, this teaching is quite erroneous. Jesus uses the Torah to show the scribes and Pharisees their inaccuracies in interpreting Scripture.

(Remember, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

The Text
John 8:2-11
Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more."

Brief Overview
The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in the temple. They want to test Him as to what should be done regarding this woman. The Pharisees and scribes believe it should be an easy case. The woman was caught violating Torah (for committing adultery is sin). There should be no way Jesus should be able to set this woman free. The Pharisees and scribes believe they have an iron clad case. If Jesus shows mercy to this woman, He would not be following Torah. If Jesus does not follow Torah, the Pharisees and scribes would have evidence to prove Jesus was not the Messiah. (Remember, Jesus MUST follow Torah. Violating Torah is sin. "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness (Torahlessness); sin is lawlessness (Torahlessness)" (1 John 3:4).

Text breakdown
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery: The scribes and the Pharisees were some of the most learned people of the Torah. The Pharisees were a denomination of Judaism. During Jesus' time, there were seven factions of Pharisees. The scribes copied down the Torah to create new Torah scrolls. They also taught the Torah. The Pharisees and scribes knew the Torah backwards and forwards. Most of them had the Torah memorized.

We are not given the exact details, but this woman was supposedly "caught" in adultery. We do not know how she was "caught". Did one of the scribes and Pharisees actually see the adultery being committed? Or was this woman's adultery told to a scribe or Pharisee and he "arrested" the woman and brought her to the temple?

Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act: The scribes and Pharisees are trying to prove their case that this woman is 100% guilty. There is an error with their case. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, where is the man? A woman cannot commit adultery by herself.

Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such a woman: One thing we are not told is if this woman was a married woman or betrothed. It is not extremely important to know if the woman was married or betrothed since the penalty for adultery was death of both the man and woman. The Torah considers a betrothal (engagement) the same as being married.

"If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10).

"If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge evil  from Israel" (Deuteronomy 22:22)

"If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).

Again, the scribes and Pharisees are setting themselves up for failure. They bring up the Law of Moses, which states if a woman commits adultery, she must be put to death. However, the Torah also states the man must be put to death. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, the man should have also been apprehended and brought before Jesus. However, the Pharisees ans scribes only brought the woman.

But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground:  This sentence has puzzled many scholars for many centuries. People want to know what Jesus was writing on the ground. While we are not told what Jesus is writing, we can use Scripture to perhaps shed light on this topic. In Jeremiah 17 verse 13, we find the following:
"O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD."

According to Jeremiah 17:13, all those who forsake the LORD  will be written down. It is possible as Jesus was stooping down, he was writing the names of each of the Pharisees and scribes in the dirt. Being well versed in Scripture, when they saw their name, they would have been reminded of this verse in Jeremiah.

But when they persisted in asking him: Jesus seems as though He becomes deaf to the Pharisees and scribes for a little bit. We see from Psalms, Jesus appears to be acting out some more Scripture.

"They also that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs" (Psalm 38:12-14).

Jesus' silence also leads us into Jesus' rebuke. This continues a theme we see in Psalm 50:
"But to the wicked God says, 'What right have you to tell of My statues and to take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you associate with adulterers. You let your mouth loose in evil and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes" (Psalm 50:16-21).

He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her: Jesus tells the Pharisees a very interesting thing: whoever is without sin, that man is to throw the first stone. There is a major stumbling block here. Torah states a crime can only be committed if two or three witnesses see the infringement to Torah. "At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worth of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" (Deuteronomy 17:6).

We can be fairly confident none of the Pharisees and scribes present saw the woman in the act of adultery. Furthermore, if they did see her, they would have been obligated to bring both the woman and man with them to accuse them.

By Jesus answering the Pharisees and scribes, He is speaking in terms the Pharisees and scribes can understand: "Answer not a fool according to his folly, least you also be like onto him. Answer a fool according to his folly; least he be wise in his own conceit"(Proverbs 26:4-5).

When they heard it, they began to go out one by one: Jesus' words seem to have pierced the hearts and souls of the scribes and Pharisees to such a point that no one was able to continue standing before Jesus and no one was able to throw a stone. This emphasizes two points:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened onto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

"Judge not that you not be judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you use, it shall be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2).

Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?:  Suddenly, the woman is left alone with Jesus. All her accusers have vanished.

"Behold, all they that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they that strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and shall not find them, even them that contended with you. They that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing. (Isaiah 41:11-12)

And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more": Jesus is acting as the judge in the woman caught in adultery's case. In order for a crime to have been committed, there has to be at least two witnesses. Now that all the accusers have left, there are no witnesses. If there are no witnesses, no violation of the Torah has occurred. Jesus is rendering a just decision.

"Judges and officers shall you make in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment." (Deuteronomy 16:18)

Jesus next tells the woman to sin no more. This implies although the woman has not been charged with a violation of the Torah, Jesus knows the woman has sinned.

"He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

"Wash you, make you clean, put away evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins be as scarlet,, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'" (Isaiah 1:16-18)

"Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call upon him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

"'Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,' says the LORD God. 'Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have not pleasure in the death of him that dies,' says the LORD God. 'Wherefore turn yourselves, and live.'" (Ezekiel 18:30-32)


In Summary
The scribes and the Pharisees are trying to set a trap for Jesus. They want to have Jesus execute a woman caught in adultery. Jesus uses the Torah to vindicate the woman. The Torah requires both the man and woman to be brought to justice. Only the woman was brought. If the woman was actually caught in adultery, the man would have been also apprehended. Since the scribe and Pharisees did not actually see the adultery take place, they could not be witnesses to the crime. Torah states on the evidence of two or three witnesses may a person be convicted of a crime (Deuteronomy 17:6). None of the Pharisees or scribes can honesty state he saw the act. Thus, with no witnesses, the scribes and Pharisees cannot bring charges against the woman.

The Path to Freedom: Having Faith God will Deliver Us

As we read the story about Moses receiving the call from God to return to Egypt after being exiled for 40 years in the land of Midian, we witness God’s amazing hand at letting the people of Israel out from the oppression of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

As we read about plague after plague God sends on Pharaoh, his servants and the Egyptians, it can be hard to comprehend the effects of all these afflictions. Can we imagine having gnats, flies and frogs cover the earth?

Frogs over the Land
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants.” ’ ” 5Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’ ” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?”

10Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13The Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Insects
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

20Now the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. 23I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.” ’ ” 24Then the Lord did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:1-24)

Can we imagine having intense storms with hail and lightning which have not been seen in Egypt before?
The Plague of Hail
18Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.” ’ ” 20The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who paid no regard to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22Now the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail. (Exodus 9:18-26)


Can we imagine living for three days in complete darkness?
Darkness over the Land
21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 9:21-23)

No, most of these plagues are beyond our ability to imagine. We whine and complain when our phone does not work or the internet goes down—things which Pharaoh and the Egyptians would never ever consider a necessity.

And then there came the final plague—the death of the firstborn.
The Last Plague
1Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 2Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ (Exodus 11:1-7)

29Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said. 32Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” (Exodus 12:29-32)

When the Israelites are preserved if they put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and remain inside their dwelling, a great victory comes to the Israelites. Despite this triumph, it is recorded in Jewish literature, only 20% of the Israelites leave Egypt. Yes, that’s right. It is recorded 4 our of every 5 Israelites remain behind in Egypt. Despite God’s many wonders, it was easier to remain in the land of slavery than to leave the comfort and safety of the unknown to travel to freedom.

Fleeing from the enemy; pushed up against the sea
After God delivers Israel from the hand of Pharaoh, the Israelites travel into the wilderness. Before they are able to completely escape the clutches of Pharaoh, the find themselves trapped between the sea of Reeds and Pharaoh’s army. The situation looks bleak. God did 10 incredible miracles and now everything is going to end. If the Israelites are captured, they will be executed by Pharaoh and his army. There seems to be no hope.

10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided
13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”

15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

19The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:10-31)

Verse 31 seems to be a poignant one. The Israelites only began believing in God once the Sea of Reeds was parted and God drowned their enemies. This seems unbelievable to many people. How could God do so many miracles, and yet, the Israelites had so little faith?

The answer is that they were hardened under the harsh hand of slavery. They lived in constant fear. The Egyptians punished them and treated them cruelly. It is often easier to stay in an abusive relationship than to flee to safety because there is comfort in the known, even if that comfort comes at a high cost.

For the Israelites, being rescued from Egypt was still not enough. Throughout the 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites constantly whined and complained to Moses that it would have been better for them to stay in bondage in Egypt. Do we do the same thing? Does God rescue us from oppression and then we lament to God how hard our life is?

Often freedom comes at a high price. We must travel on an unfamiliar path. We must be brave and be willing to fail. We must trust God and know that even if it takes 40 years to reach the Promised Land, God is faithful. He will not break His oath. He will guide us and lead us.