During the Jews captivity, the Bible relates the story of a young Jewish maid who became a queen. In the days of King Ahasuerus, all the young ladies were brought before the king as a new queen was to be chosen (Esther 2:1-4). Esther was beautiful and she pleased the king so that he chose her as queen.

"The king loved Esther above all the women and she obtained grace and favour in his sight - so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen (Esther 2:17).

One day the king promoted a man named Haman to be over all the princes and king's servants and they bowed and reverenced Haman, that is, all except Mordecai, Esther's uncle who was a Jew (Esther 3:2). This enraged Haman who got the king to give him letters of authority to kill all Jews (Esther 3:5-13). Mordecai urged Esther to go before the king to plead for her people, reminding her that she too was in danger, being a Jew. To go before the king without "being summoned" meant certain death, unless the king held his "golden sceptre" out to her. Mordecai appealed to her honor "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this" (Esther 4:8-14). Esther decided to help her people saying-

"I go in unto the King, which is not according to the law: and if I perish I perish" (Esther 4:16).

 

Esther gave a banquet for the king and his subjects, and informed the king that "someone wanted to kill her." This angered the king, and finding out it was Haman, ordered that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had Mordecai (Esther 7:4-10).

In the book of Job we read about a very unusual man and how God allowed Satan to test his faith. It takes a lot of faith to "endure suffering" when we don't understand why. God already knows how much faith we have and has promised not to allow us to be tested beyond our endurance. Job was perfect and upright and feared God and hated evil (Job 1:1). He was very rich, "this man was the greatest of all the men of the east" (Job 1:3).

The Lord spoke with Satan one day saying "whence comest thou?" "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it," said Satan (Job 1:7). The Lord said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, there is none like him in the earth." Satan said if you put forth your hand and take away what he has he will "curse thee to thy face" (Job 1:8-11). You make a poor man out of him, said Satan to God, and he won't love or serve you anymore.

The Lord said unto Satan, "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand" (Job 1:12). One day a messenger came telling Job all his servants and sheep -were killed. While he was yet speaking a servant came and said his camels were killed and his house was tom down by a great wind (Job 1:15-20). Job fell down and "worshipped God" saying-

"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord "In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly " (Job l:21-22)

Job was smitten with boils from his head to his feet. His nagging wife was telling him to "curse God and die" (Job 2:5-9). Job told her she "spoke as a foolish woman" and Job did not sin with his lips. His well meaning friends kept telling Job he was suffering because of some sins he had done. Job endured because his faith was in God and not in man or earthly goods. Job knew he was an upright man and that his sufferings were within the will of God. The Lord blessed Job with more sons and daughters and twice as many earthly goods as he had before.

Jonah was taught a very good lesson by God in the belly of a big fish - you can't run from God. The word of the Lord came to Jonah telling him to "arise, and go to Nineveh, and against it: for their wickedness is come up to me." Jonah ran to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, he thought. He got on a ship, found him a nice soft place and went to sleep. A great wind arose, the mariners aboard "all cried to their gods" and this didn't help. They woke up Jonah and told him to pray to his God. The men knew Jonah was running from his God so they threw Jonah overboard and the seas ceased (Jonah 1:2-15).

"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).

 

Now some folks pray real good inside the belly of fishes, and Jonah was a quick learner. He tells his experience, "the weeds were wrapped about my head" and "when my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord," and the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land (Jonah 2:l-10). So Jonah went to Nineveh and began to preach for the people to repent and turn to God and they did, "from the greatest of them even to the least of them" (Jonah 3:1-5). When God saw their works of repentance "God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not" (Jonah 3:10). Prayer and repentance can change the mind of God.

During the time of Jewish captivity another story evolves about the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The king had sent for some young men, Jewish captives, to serve in his court. Among them were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. To these four children God had given much knowledge, skill and wisdom while Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17). King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which troubled him and no one could interpret the dream. He was angry and sought to kill all the wise men of Babylon. Then in a night vision, the secret was revealed to Daniel by God and Daniel praised God saying-

"He (God) changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and sitteth up kings, he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Daniel 2:22).

The king asked Daniel if he were able to interpret the dream, regarding a great image. In the king's dream he saw a stone smite the image and the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:32-35). Daniel interpreted saying, four kingdoms would arise and during the time of these happenings the God of heaven would set up a kingdom which would "never" be destroyed and it will consume all these kingdoms and it shall "stand forever." (Daniel 2:44). This was a prophecy of the church God would set up in the "last days" (Luke 9:27).

King Nebuchadnezzar made an "image of gold" and commanded the people to "fall down and worship the golden image." Those that didn't would be thrown into a "furnace of fire." Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the image and were thrown into , the fire (Daniel 3:5-17). The king rose up saying "did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:21-25). We may go into many "fiery furnaces" of trials in our lifetime but God always goes in with us. The king made a decree that no one should speak against the God of heaven and promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3:27-30).

It wasn't long until pride and sin took over in the kings heart and God was crowded out. King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream which Daniel interpreted warning the king to break off his sin and shew mercy to the poor (Daniel 4:27). The king was about to learn a lesson on pride, for he said:

"Is not this great Babylon; that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty. "

"While the word was in the kings mouth, there fell a voice from heaver4 saying, 0 King Nebuchadnezzar to thee it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from thee" (Daniel 4:30-31).

God had to give the king a lesson on "who sets up kings and removes kings" (Daniel 2:21). His diet was "green grass", his dwelling place was not the palace, but with the beasts of the field until he learned that God rules the kingdoms of this earth, and gives it to "whomsoever he will" (Daniel 4:32). The same hour the king did eat green grass as the oxen, his "body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers and his nails like bird claws" (Daniel 4:30-37). He repented and praised God, honouring him as his creator, saying.

"All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:37).

King Darius took over Belshazzar's (Nebuchadnezzar's son) kingdom making Daniel ruler. Daniel's enemies, not being able to find any fault in him, had King Darius make a royal statute, that anyone who prayed to any God other than the king for 30 days should be cast into the den of lions. Daniel prayed to God as was his custom and Daniel was cast among the lions (Daniel 6:3-16). God saved Daniel "no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God" (Daniel 6:23).

The book of Hosea is a short book in the Bible, but says much. Hosea married a woman named Gomer. Their story represents Israel's relationship to God. Israel was God's wife or bride and she had been unfaithful to God so many times committing "spiritual adultery". Just as Hosea forgave Gomer for adultery, God forgave Israel many times.

God's power is great. He loved, helped, guided and performed many "Wondrous Works" in Israel's life. Prophets were sent time after time warning them to return to God as he waited with outstretched arms. But there is one power God will not use on us and that is power over our own will. We were born with a choice. If we continually reject God's love there comes a time when God will reject us (Hosea 4:6).

This concludes our study in the Old Testament. I hope it has been an enjoyable one.

1. Name the queen who went before King Ahasuerus to plead for her people the Jews. ___________ (Esther 4:8-16)

2. Did Job ever blame God for all of his troubles?___________ (Job 1:21-22)

3. The word of the Lord came to Jonah telling him to "arise, and go to ________________" (Jonah 1:2) and tell the wicked people of that city to repent.

4. A great storm arose and the mariners threw Jonah overboard and he was swallowed by a ___________ ___________ prepared by the Lord (Jonah 1:17)

5. Jonah preached to the city of Nineveh. Did they repent of their sins? _______________ (Jonah 3:3 & 10).

6. Who has the power to "set up kings and remove kings?" __________________ (Daniel 2:20-21)

7. Who had given Daniel his great knowledge, wisdom and understanding of visions and dreams? _________________ (Daniel 1:17).

8. Three young Jewish men were thrown in the fiery furnace because they would not fall down and worship a _________________ image (Daniel 3:12).

9. King Nebuchadnezzar said he saw ___________ men in the midst of the fiery furnace and one "is like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:23-35).

10. Who took King Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom away from him and made him eat "green grass" because of his pride?__________________ (Daniel 4:30-37).

NAME__________________________ LESSON RECEIVED____________________

ADDRESS_______________________ LESSON RETURNED____________________

________________________________ GRADED BY____________ GRADE________

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I will promptly grade them and mail you the other lessons.

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