The Book of Jude and English Bible Translations

erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus by Albrecht Durer (1526)

I’m finished with my rough translation and about 50% of my detailed grammar work for my own translation of the Book of Jude. I still have to (1) classify all the accusatives and datives, (2) re-evaluate my translation of the tense, voice and mood, (3) look over pronouns again, and then (4) look at the textual critical issues. I’m using the TR for my base translation, and there are several areas where it differs from the UBS-5. This will make a difference if, for instance, you compare the NKJV to the ESV.

It is fascinating to see how the different conservative English translations offer different, but legitimate, takes on how to translate the text. This is precisely why the English reader would do well to switch his primary devotional translation for a change of pace. This is also precisely why I decided to translate the Book of Jude for myself, so I could point these issues out.

Here is a teaser issue . . . compare Jude 20-21a:

  • KJV:  “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God . . .”
  • NASB: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God . . .”
  • NET: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, maintain yourselves in the love of God . . .”
  • Me: “But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God . . .”

What is Jude communicating here? There are two clear options:

  1. Is he telling them how to keep themselves in the love of God? Is he telling them what to be doing and also how to do it? Is he saying that we keep ourselves in the love of God (1) by building ourselves up in our faith and (2) by praying in the Spirit?
  2. Or, is he simply describing two complementary actions they ought to be taking (i.e. building themselves up and praying) while they are keeping themselves in the love of God? Is this statement really just a descriptive aside before the command to “keep themselves” in Jude 21?

Here is the Greek text in question:

  • ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἑαυτούς, ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ προσευχόμενοι

This whole issue hangs on the preposition ἐν. Most translations (e.g. KJV, NKJV, Tyndale, ISV and NASB) see this preposition expressing association, and just use the word “in,” as if the these are merely two complementary actions that accompany the command to “keep themselves.” The NET and the Lexham English Bible, however, understand the preposition to be describing the means by which the first action is achieved. Thus, Jude is telling them that they keep themselves in the love of God by means of (1) building themselves up in their faith and (2) praying in the Spirit.

What difference does this make? Here is a paraphrase of the two options:

  • Option #1: “But you, dear ones, as you build yourselves up in the most holy faith and pray in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God . . .”
  • Option #2: “But you, dear ones, by building yourselves up in the most holy faith and by praying in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God . . .”

I go with the second option, because I believe the context makes more sense that way. Otherwise, you just have a vague imperative command to do something, and no earthly idea how to achieve it.

But, what’s the “right” answer? How should it really be translated? The interesting thing is that there really isn’t a definitive answer. Both translations are plausible and even probable. In fact, only two English translations even agree with my own translation – most disagree. I could say more, but you get the point!

We are blessed in the English-speaking world with a wealth of wonderful translations. We should start making more use of them!

 

When is God Merciful?

Ps 51 (1-2)

The Psalms are a collections of songs, written by different people over many, many years. The Psalms have always been treasured because they express the most basic and fundamental human emotions in poetic form – they give voice to what so many of us experience in our lives. If you’ve ever had a favorite song on the radio that expresses emotions, fears, anxieties and values that particularly resonate with you, then you’ll understand why the Book of Psalms is such an important part of the Bible. These psalms do the very same thing, but from a spiritual perspective – which makes them much more valuable than the catchy song on the radio!

Psalm 51 has always had a treasured place in Christian’s hearts, because every Christian can see himself in David’s words. We can transport ourselves into David’s world, understand his fears, feel his anxieties and experience the aching shame of regret for our sin. This is the value of the psalms – they express the timelessness of human emotions towards God. It doesn’t matter when the Psalm was written; it conveys feelings and attitudes that are universal. Time does not and cannot render these emotions obsolete.

In this Psalm, King David is begging God for mercy:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1)

  • Why is David asking for mercy?

He realizes that he has done something wrong, something wicked, something that God is not pleased with, something that is disgraceful to the Lord. Only somebody who belongs to the Lord by repentance and faith in Christ will actually feel ashamed of their conduct and beg for mercy.

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (Romans 3:11)

Now, this isn’t to say that unbelievers will never feel sorry for foolish and sinful things they do. What I mean is that it is impossible for unbelievers to feel a sense of accountability to the Lord, and a corresponding sense of shame and sorrow for their failure to serve Him. This is why the Apostle Paul warned us that, in our natural state as lost and rebellious sinners (cf. Romans 3:9-18):

  • There is nobody who is righteous
  • There is nobody who seeks God
  • Everybody is inherently worthless to God
  • There is no fear of God before anybody’s eyes

So, it’s important to realize that the only reason why David is even begging God for mercy in the first place is because he is a believer – and he therefore feels a profound and deep sense of sorrow and shame for his sins, so he begs God for mercy. Mercy is when God decides to withhold punishment that you deserve – this is what David is begging for.

  • What grounds does David have to ask God for mercy in the first place?

There two – (1) God’s lovingkindness and (2) the multitude of His tender mercies.

David can ask for mercy because he believes in God’s promise of the coming Savior – Jesus Christ. From our perspective, Jesus has already come, lived a perfect life for our sake, been tortured and executed for our sake, and rose miraculously from the dead to prove His jurisdiction, power and authority over Satan. From David’s perspective , this is all future – and he believes that God will do it. Know this – the only basis you have for begging God for mercy in the first place is if you have obeyed Jesus’ command to repent and believe the Gospel.

David is a believer in the future Messiah, Jesus Christ, and therefore has a right to lay claim to God’s lovingkindness and His tender mercy.

  • What does David ask God to do once mercy is granted?

He asks God to “blot out” out his transgressions because of the multitude of God’s “tender mercies.” If you belong to the Lord by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, then you have a perfect forgiveness and perfect assurance of forgiveness. Only a saved person can pray this kind of prayer.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:2).

 

I can’t think of a more beautiful metaphor for the kind of forgiveness and mercy God shows to His adopted children. David speaks of a complete washing and cleansing from all sin, and the clear conscience that comes from knowing you’ve actually been forgiven.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

This is all present-tense, and this is the kind of forgiveness and mercy that David believes in and looks forward to – and asks God for. What Christian cannot read David’s words and reflect on his own life, his own moral failures, his own unworthiness and his own need for forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation and adoption into God’s family by Jesus Christ!?

More on Psalm 51 next time . . .

Why the Book of Esther Matters Today

Esther

What in the world does the Book of Esther have to teach the modern Christian? I believe there are three primary things we can learn from this wonderful book.

  • #1 – God uses imperfect people to do important things, even if they don’t realize it

He used the Assyrians to punish the Northern Kingdom. He used the Babylonians to punish the Southern Kingdom. He used a Medo-Persian King, Cyrus, to destroy the Babylonians, even going so far as to call Cyrus “his anointed” (Isa 45:1). He used Cyrus to send a huge wave of exiles back to Israel.

More specifically, He used secular, probably unbelieving Jews like Esther and Mordecai to save the Jewish people from genocide at Haman’s hands. They weren’t “good,” pious and faithful Jews like Daniel, Ezra or Nehemiah. The name of the one, true God isn’t even mentioned in the book by anyone, certainly not Esther or Mordecai – do you know why?

It’s because they were secularists who weren’t very worried about God, His covenant promises, or obedience to Him.[1] If they were, they’d be in Jerusalem helping to put the community back together with their fellow Jews! But . . . God used them anyway. God uses all kinds of people – even sinful and disobedient ones.

  • #2 – God keeps His promises

This book is about how God protected the Jewish people from certain destruction. Satan had been trying to destroy the Israelites, by any means necessary, for a very long time. If Satan had succeeded, Christ wouldn’t have come.[2] After all, Haman’s edict of genocide included all the Jews in Jerusalem, too!

  • #3 – God is in charge of this world

Behind all the free and admittedly un-Godly actions of Esther, Mordecai, King Ahasareus and Haman . . . God was working and was in charge of what was happening. I’ll elaborate on this more as we begin our study of the text itself next time!

[1] Whitcomb wrote, “Why, then, were God’s name and all the theocratic ideas obviously and meticulously avoided throughout the book? It was not because God’s presence was vague or uncertain. Nor was it because thousands of Gentiles died at the hands of Jews. Nor was it even because the Jewish hero and heroine of the book were probably unregenerate. The true reason is that Mordecai, Esther, and the Jews of Susa not only were outside of the promised land but, moreover, were not even concerned about God’s theocratic program centered in that land,” (Esther, 25-26).

[2] “It must not be forgotten that if Haman’s plot had succeeded, not only Jews in Susa but also the theocratic community in Jerusalem would have been wiped out. As Jacob Hoschander observed, no Purim would have meant no Israel, which would mean no Christianity,” (Whitcomb, Esther, 25).

More on English Bible Versions

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William Tyndale hard at work on his English translation of the New Testament

I’ve begun translating the Book of Jude over the past week or so. I’m doing this for three reasons:

  1. Jude is a really short and managable book,
  2. I want an excuse to use and improve my Koine Greek, and
  3. I want to use my study as an opportunity to discuss why Christians should switch their primary English Bible translation for something a bit different

I’ll be comparing my own translation with a couple of others, most likely William Tyndale’s 1526, the KJV, NASB, ESV, ISV and the NET. My translation won’t be very good, and certainly won’t be the best English in the world. I’m not doing this so I can win any Koine Greek awards or stylistic points. Instead, this is a great opportunity to point out why using different English translations can give you an extra glimpse or insight into the Biblical text that one single translation simply cannot do. For instance:

  • Is Jude the servant or slave of Jesus Christ?
  • Is he the brother of James or Jacob?
  • Did Jude write to Christians who are beloved by God, or to those who have been made holy and sanctified by Him?

Depending on which English translation you read, each of these questions will be answered completely differently – and that’s just from the first half of verse 1!

Looking forward to talking about this in the next few weeks . . . once I finish translating Jude!

Storing Up God’s Word

Ps 119(11)

If you don’t know what God’s word says, then you can’t use it to cleanse your life. If you can’t use God’s word to cleanse your life, then you will be unholy, impure, rebellious and disobedient to Him. The Word of God is the sword the Holy Spirit uses to fight against wickedness, evil, temptation and sin in your life (cf. Eph 6:17). If you do not read the Bible, then . . .

  • you will not grow,
  • you will not cleanse your life,
  • and you will be a disgrace to God

The psalmist is describing such a depth of familiarity with the Word of God that he can speak of it as being hidden or stored up in his heart, preventing him from sinning against God. Let me say this emphatically:

  • Many Christians have absolutely no idea what their Bibles say
  • Many Christian do not read their Bibles
  • Many Christians do not hide God’s word in their hearts
  • Many Christians live their Christian lives on the basis of a potpourri soup of sermons, anecdotes and traditions they’ve inherited – not on what the Bible actually says

All this means their conduct may or may not be governed by God’s word, and when God’s word is brought to bear clearly and accurately to settle an uncomfortable situation . . . they become upset, agitated, unsure of themselves, angry and defensive – because their potpourri soup of inherited tradition and half-remembered bad sermons is being directly challenged by God’s word – and that makes people angry!

If you don’t read God’s word and internalize it (all of His word, not just the convenient parts) . . .

  • then you won’t hide it in your heart,
  • then you won’t obey it because you don’t know what it is,
  • then you’re telling God you prefer your potpourri of tradition to His inspired word,
  • you won’t be cleansing your life,
  • you won’t be taking heed to His word,
  • and you’ll be a disgrace to Him

The psalmist understands all this – it’s why he’s saying what he’s saying. He doesn’t want to be like that. Do you?

All About the Book of Esther (Pt. 2)

Esther

We stopped last time just as I was about to introduce the two most important charactersa in the Book of Esther – Mordecai and Esther herself. Let’s do that now

Esther:

Esther was a secular Jew who was not a passionate follow of God. She doesn’t have many positive lessons to teach us. Instead, we’d be better off learning how not to act from her! Please take time to re-read those last three sentences again! Many people have a warm, friendly view of Esther. Some Bible study books even trumpet Esther as a role model for young women. That is a terrible thing. If you want your little daughter to be like Esther, then you haven’t read Esther very closely! Here is why, and this will be explained more as we go through the book:

  • #1 – She actually wanted to be the wife of a pagan king

We now this because she made sure she pleased the man who took care of the young virgins who were gathered for the king:[1]

Esther 2:8-9a So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him . . .

  • #2 – She didn’t eat kosher food when she entered the king’s harem, like Daniel did
  • #3 – She hid the fact that she was a Jew, because the king allowed Haman to issue a decree that all Jews in the kingdom should be killed!

If she concealed the fact she was a Jew for so long, it must mean that she didn’t live her life like a Jew. She may have even worshipped pagan gods along with her husband; if she hadn’t, it would have at least raised a few eyebrows. Contrast this with the faithfulness of Daniel. Contrast this with the faithfulness of Ezra.

Ezra 7:6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

Don’t believe that Esther had to hide her Jewish faith upon fear of death – that’s not true and the exilic returns prove it. It’s not as though Jews would be killed if they lived their lives as Jews – after all, Ezra did was a renouned scribe raised in the Jewish community in Babylon. Jews had their own little communities all over the Persian Empire – that’s why Haman was able to issue his decree to kill them all, because they knew where to find them.

The very best that could be said about Esther is that she was a secular Jew.[2] She was born as a Jew, she knew about God and the various covenant promises. She was a brave woman, no doubt – and good for her. But, her faith was lukewarm – if it even existed at all. Her piety and devotion was practically non-existent. She probably worshipped pagan gods, or at the very least pretended to.

Mordecai:

Mordecai was Esther’s older cousin (Est 2:7). He was a secular Jew who was not a passionate follower of God. He doesn’t have many positive lessons to teach us. Instead, we’d be better off learning how not to act from him! Here is why:

  • #1 – A godly Jew wouldn’t tell Esther to keep conceal her Jewish identity

Esther 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.

Christians who read Esther usually assume that her life would be in danger if she lived like a Jew. This is nonsense. As I mentioned above, Ezra was trained as a scribe in the Jewish community in Babylon, and earned the king’s favor. Cyrus had instituted a policy of kindness and tolerance towards Jews about 100 years earlier. Nehemiah lived as an open Jew and was the cupbearer to this king’s son.

Nobody really knows why Mordecai told her to keep it a secret. We do know that her life wasn’t in danger. We also know that it might have been a political calculation on Mordecai’s part – i.e. she’d have a better shot at being the new Queen if she concealed her Jewish identity and simply assimilated.

  • #2 – Mordecai started the feud with Haman:[3]

Esther 3:1-4 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment? Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

Don’t get the idea that Mordecai was a pious man because he refused to bow and “worship” Haman. Bowing wasn’t a form of worship; it was a mandated sign of simple respect for their culture. Mordecai simply didn’t like the man.

  • #3 – Mordecai kept his Jewish heritage a complete secret until the feud with Haman started (Est 3:4)[4]

He only told them he was a Jew when his co-workers asked him why he wouldn’t bow to Haman. He was likely just using his Jewishness as an excuse[5] – compare that to Daniel’s real piety!

The best you could say about Haman is that he was a secular Jew. He raised Esther as a secularist. He was a secularist. He knew about God and the various covenant promises. He had a high sense of national, Jewish pride. He may not have even been a saved man – only God knows.

More on why the Book of Esther should matter to you next time . . .

[1] Ronald Pierce wrote, “. . . one finds here a diaspora Jewess who desires a chance at the throne so greatly that she is willing to betray her heritage at the advice of her cousin without a hint of resistance. Moreover, she participates in the contest with no evident reluctance, resulting in the king being pleased with her more than all the other women and thus giving her the crown (2:16),” (“The Politics Of Esther And Mordecai: Courage Or Compromise?” Bulletin for Biblical Research 02:1 [1992], 85).

[2]  “If it seems incredible that the Jews who remained in exile should have so utterly lost all knowledge of God and all religious habits and instincts, as the book of Esther indicates, we have only to recur to the testimony of the prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel to have all doubt removed. Esther becomes only the natural and necessary sequel to the appalling apostasy and depravity to which both these prophets testify,” (Smith, “Esther,” 399).

[3] Joyce Baldwin observed, “It is still part of eastern courtesy to bow in recognition of age and honour, and there is evidence that Israelite culture was no exception. While obeisance was given supremely to God and the king, suppliants bowed when seeking favour (so Jacob to Esau, Gn. 33:3) or when expressing indebtedness (e.g. David to Jonathan, 1 Sa. 20:41). Mordecai stubbornly refused to submit for any reason to Haman; indeed there seems to have been a general lack of respect for this man, otherwise there should have been no need for a royal command that people should bow down to him,” (Esther, vol. 12, TOTC [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984], 72). See also Whitcomb (Esther, 63-64).

[4] See Whitcomb (Esther, 64-65).

[5] “Probably this persistent (day after day) refusal stemmed more from pride than from religious scruples. For several years Mordecai had not let Esther tell the king she was a Jewess (2:10, 20), but now Mordecai was using their national heritage as an excuse for not giving honor to a high Persian official,” (John A. Martin, Esther, Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 [Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985], 705).

Seeking God Day by Day

Ps 119

Many people assume that “seeking God” is something that only lost people do. That’s wrong.

Psalms 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Christians should always be seeking to know God better:

  • to love Him more,
  • to serve Him more faithfully,
  • to be a more willing and eager slave for His righteousness,
  • to be vessels that He can mold and shape for His own purposes

In short, it is a basic and fundamental duty for a Christian to be a slave for Christ.  This means a Christian should be continually seeking the Lord with everything he (or she) has. More than that, it means a Christian should be in prayer for the courage and conviction to not wander far from God’s word.

Do you seek God with everything you have? The psalmist isn’t interested in a passive, apathetic, convenient and lazy kind of faith – he loves the Lord and seeks Him with his whole heart. If you’re seeking Him with your whole heart, you’ll be willing to cleanse your life by taking heed according to God’s word – no matter how difficult it might be.

The excuses and lame justifications that might have held you back before should be meaningless to you now – if they’re not meaningless, your duty is to echo the psalmist’s prayer and ask God to make those excuses meaningless to you!

Obedience to the God’s word is more important than friendships, loyalties, warm fuzzy memories, and anything else in this world. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve come between a rock and a hard place before, and in that moment as you stood there at the fork in the road, you knew what the right thing was to do. That’s not the hard part – the hard part are the pathetic justifications and sinful “what if” scenarios that pop into your mind.

Let me urge you to adopt my patented three-step self-test questionnaire whenever you come to a fork in the road again, and you have to decide between the Bible and your own personal feelings and loyalties:

  1. Identify the problem
  2. Ask yourself – what does God’s word say to do about this problem?
  3. Ask yourself – why am I still even still conflicted about this?

You must be merciless about this, and that requires courage and determination. Some people would call this attitude “cold-blooded” and callous – I call it obedience, and so would the psalmist.

If you read God’s word, understand it, and deliberately decide to ignore it, then Christ is not Lord of your life, you are – there is no gentle way to put that!

Some Good Thoughts on English Bible Translations

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Mark Ward (PhD, Bob Jones University) has some excellent thoughts on English Bible translations which go along with something I recently posted:

English speakers are looking for the wrong thing when we look for best. As I said, we need to look for useful. Does that sound too pragmatic? Let me clarify. We need to ask, “Which English Bible translation is most useful for preaching?” “Which is most useful for evangelism?” “Which is useful for reading through in a year?” “Which is conducive to close study?” How about for reading to kids? For memorization?

The average Christian has umpteen Bibles at home; we can afford, financially, to buy different editions for different purposes.

He is quite right. I love the KJV for preaching, because it is majestic, beautiful, and follows the original Greek text very closely. I am growing to love the NET for personal devotions, because it flows better in modern English, and is a bit more interpretive, especially in the Old Testament. (You can purchase the NET Bible here, or read it for free online here).

I’ll be posting more on the various English Bible translations in a few weeks. For now, feel free to read Mark Ward’s entire article here.

All About the Book of Esther! (Pt. 1)

Esther

I preached a short 12-sermon series through the Book of Esther a while back. I really enjoyed the study, and I hope at least a few of the folks in my church did, too! I’ll be re-producing that study in a series of posts on this blog.[1]

The Book of Esther was written by an unknown Jew in Persia around 400-450 B.C.[2], and it is set during the time of the Medo-Persian Empire (in modern-day Iran). It takes place from roughly 483–464 B.C. Many Christians are very fuzzy on their Old Testament History (and the entire Old Testament in general!), so let me give you some dates so you know how Esther and Mordecai found themselves in their situation:

  • 722 B.C. – the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians
  • 586 B.C. – the Assyrians, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, were conquered by the Babylonians
  • 538 B.C. – the Babylonians were conquered by the Medo-Persians

Incidentally, the rise and fall of both the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires were prophesied by Daniel (Dan 2:36-45; 7:17-28).

As a direct result of the Babylonian’s victory over Judah, there is a large Jewish population in Babylon – descendants of the untold tens of thousands deported by the Babylonians. Their tactic was to conquer an area, then deport all but the poorest people, thereby ripping them from their homes, religion and heritage. The idea was that, within a generation or two, they would simply assimilate into their culture and forget about their national heritage. This is exactly what has happened to the Jews in Esther’s day in the Persian Empire – many of them didn’t bother to return to the Promised Land when they had a chance to, because they liked their lives in Babylon.[3]

The first wave of exiles returned to the Promised Land from Babylon from 537-538 B.C. the Book of Ezra tells us all about it:

Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

Isn’t it amazing that God used a pagan king to return His chosen people to their land, to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah in about 538 years!? Almost 50,000 (Ezra 2:64-65) Jews returned, less than 60 years after the Babylonians destroyed the Southern Kingdom. This gives you an idea of how many Jews lived in this area.

The second waves of exiles returned to the Promised Land from exile Babylon in 457 B.C.

Ezra 7:11-13 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

This time, only 1500 men returned (generously figuring wives and three children for each, you still only have 6000!).

The third wave of exiles returned to the Promised Land in 444 B.C.

Nehemiah 2:4-6 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Why are these dates necessary? Why should you care? The events from the Book of Esther took place approximately 51 years after the first wave of exiles returned to Israel. It’s important you know that any Jew in Esther’s day, living in the old Babylonian (now Medo-Persian) Empire, could have returned to the Promised Land if he had wanted to![4].

The temple was being re-built. The priesthood was being re-instituted. God was being worshipped at Jerusalem, which was what the Old Testament commanded! And yet . . . Esther and Mordecai didn’t go – they voluntarily cut themselves off from the divinely-appointed way of worshipping and serving God! This is very similar to a modern Christian, who claims to love God, but never joins a local church in his life, and moreover, never attends church, either! You wouldn’t necessarily say such a person isn’t a Christian without more information. What you could say, immediately, is that such a person isn’t a very good, very dedicated or very obedient Christian.

This leads us to draw some brief sketches of the main characters, which may be a bit shocking, because Esther and Mordecai are usually given very high marks for spirituality that they don’t deserve.[5]

More on that next time . . .

[1] Substantive commentaries on Esther are surprisingly hard to find. The best are (1) John Whitcomb (Esther: The Triumph of God’s Sovereignty [Chicago, IL: Moody, 1979], (2) Joyce Baldwin (Esther, vol. 12, TOTC [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984], and (3) Karen H. Jobes (Esther, NIV Application Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999; reprint, Kindle, 2010).

[2] Gleason L. Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, revised and expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2007), 395-396. Whitcomb observes that the author betrays a first-hand knowledge of King Ahasuerus’ temple at Susa, which was destroyed in 435 B.C. This goes even further to pin down the date of composition (Esther, 13).

[3] The following dates for the various exilic returns are taken from Leon Wood (History, 333-338).

[4] See especially Whitcomb (Esther, 22ff). “There seems to be no evidence that Mordecai or Esther harbored any desire to relate to the heart of God’s theocratic program by journeying to Jerusalem, offering the prescribed Mosaic sacrifices on the altar through Levitical priests, and praying to Jehovah in His holy Temple. Nor is there any evidence given that they were in any way prevented from going.”

[5] Charles Smith observed, “Their triumph over Haman is their single great achievement. How much honor does it shed upon them? Let us give them all the credit they possibly deserve! To Mordecai, astuteness, statesmanship, courage, leadership; to Esther, fortitude, prompt action, the power of beauty, queenliness, patriotism. But does either touch the high level of prophet or saint? Is Mordecai a David, a Daniel, a Zerubbabel? Is Esther a Deborah, or a Ruth? By no means. We can admire her as a superior woman, who, at a critical moment, acted with promptness and good judgment so as to save her own life and that of many others. But she was not a champion of God’s righteousness, or a savior of souls. Her success was in that lower realm where success or failure does not seem, in the long run, a matter of much importance,” (“The Book of Esther,” Bibliotheca Sacra 082:328 [Oct 1925], 400-401).

Cleansing Your Life

Ps 119

Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

People can only be cleansed by doing what God’s word says – no matter how difficult, hard, painful or unpleasant it is. Cleansing is a perfect word to use here, because the Psalmist is asking how a believer can keep his life pure, holy, undefiled, uncorrupted and blameless before God and the other people in the congregation.

The phrase “young man” representatives the normal, average believer – it represents you, if you’re a Christian. The “cleansing” represents the activity and the work the average believer needs to be doing – identifying sin, confessing sin, forsaking sin, replacing that sin with godliness. This “cleansing” is present-tense;[1] it’s something that needs to be done continually, regularly, and often. 

You are never finished cleansing your life. Just as dirt begins to accumulate on the carpet as soon as you put your vacuum away, so sin begins to accumulate in your life the very moment you relax and let your internal guard down in your Christian life. You need to be on the lookout for sin, laziness, neglect and moral filth and corruption in your life on a regular, ongoing, present-tense and active basis.

In the first part of this verse, the psalmist asks a question (“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?”), and now he gives us a very simple answer:“by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

You keep your life morally pure by continually cleansing it according to God’s word. If you’re a Christian, then you belong to God and your life is not your own (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). This means that God cares what detergent you use, what vacuum you use, what kind of soap you use – in short, He cares about what method you use to cleanse your life. God says that you cleanse your life by doing what His word says.

If you don’t do what His word says . . .

  • then you don’t care about His word,
  • you don’t care about Him,
  • then you’d prefer to be disobedient,
  • and you’re in deliberate rebellion against Him

This is a very black and white statement. There are no shades of gray to be found (not even 50 of them . . .) There is a general trend in popular culture to avoid making absolute black and white statements, and many Christians have absorbed this Satanic tendency without even realizing it. We have become a culture of wimps, both inside the local church and outside. We like what God’s word says in the abstract, as long it doesn’t become personal – the same way we like the idea of exercise and good health, but shrink from ever actually doing anything to achieve it

However, when God’s word does become personal, when it stops being abstract and theoretical and becomes intimate and practical, this is when all the pious talk, the flowery prayers, and all the outward actions need to be translated into action.

Do you have the nerve, the courage and the commitment to actually cleanse yourself and your life by taking heed to God’s word day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year – or is your faith nothing but hot air?

I’m deliberately calling this trend of Christian wimpiness “satanic,” because it is intentional disobedience wrapped up in a filthy cloak of pretend righteousness. It’s cowardice. It’s rebellion. It’s pathetic. It’s blasphemous. And we are all subject to this epidemic of wimpiness and fearful compromise, because we live every day in a wimpy, fearful and compromising culture!

The psalmist tells us that a Christian continually cleanses his life by doing what God’s word says. Period. This is a black and white statement, and there is nothing we can do to change this very simple precept:

  1. What’s the problem?
  2. What does God’s word say to do about this problem?
  3. Why are we still talking about this?

Anything else is nothing but excuses, self-deception, and self-delusion. If you want your personal life to be cleansed and be holy, you must take heed to do what God’s word says. The same is also true for the corporate life of a local congregation:

  1. What’s the problem?
  2. What does God’s word say to do about this problem?
  3. Why are we still talking about this?

If you love the Lord, you’ll want to honestly demonstrate that love by doing what He says. That’s not so hard to understand, is it!?

Luke 6:45-46 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

[1] At least, it’s present-tense in the LXX (κατορθώσει)!