Here are my “Seven Leadership Principles (Hopefully No One Has Ever Taught) From Ezra-Nehemiah” (I’m still waiting on the book deal): (7) Demand that all members divorce any foreigners (Ezra 9-10) (6) Remove from membership anyone missing a special business meeting (Ezra 10:8) (5) Always carry a weapon to attack those who oppose your work… Continue reading Seven Leadership Principles From Ezra-Nehemiah
Ezra begins his record in 538 BC just after the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus king of Persia (cf. Ezra 1:1) and describes some of the events leading to his own work in Jerusalem some eighty years later (458 BC) where Nehemiah takes up his primary work some twenty more years later (430-424 BC; cf.… Continue reading Brief Introduction to the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah (with Bibliography)
7:1-10 – Haman Hanged. After the second banquet, the king once again asked what Queen Esther wanted (“petition” and “request”) and offered her whatever she should ask for. Her answer was to ask whether he truly favored her or not and to make a “petition” for her own life and a “request” for the life… Continue reading Esther 7-8 – The Plot of Haman Reversed
3:1-6 – Haman…the Agagite. Whereas the last we read would have suggested that Mordecai should have been rewarded by the king, we find only the mention of another man who instead receives honors and acclaim from the king…and this man will seek for the destruction not only of Mordecai, but of all the Jews. Haman… Continue reading Esther 3-4 – A Time for Action
1:1-3 – The stage is set. According to Adele Berlin, chapter one “portrays the Persian court in all its decadent lavishness” and “sets the tone of the book” which is a “tone of excess, buffoonery, and bawdiness” (3). This would characterize Xerxes and Haman, but does not seem to accurately describe either Mordecai or Esther. … Continue reading Esther 1-2 – Parties That Bring Change
11:36-39 – The king who exalts himself. This king does have certain levels of overlap with Antiochus IV Epiphanes (and many commentators believe that this individual is one and the same), but the description does not fit as it did in the verses prior. The best explanation seems to be that this king is some… Continue reading Daniel 12 – The Vision of the End
11:2-4 – Persians and Greeks. Why should there be note of telling “the truth”? It appears to emphasize that because what follows is given as prophecy of kings and kingdoms that are yet to come, even though some of these things may seem incomprehensible they are yet “the truth” and therefore to be believed. The… Continue reading Daniel 11 – The Vision of the Kings of the North and the South
10:1 – The Time and General Content of the Vision. The third year of Cyrus king of Persia would place this vision in approximately 536-535BC. This would also suggest that the recently begun work on rebuilding the Temple of the LORD by the returning exiles under the supervision of Ezra had been stopped temporarily by… Continue reading Daniel 10 – Prepared for the Final Vision
9:1-2 – Understanding the date. This chapter occurs some time after chapter five and perhaps after chapter six. If this “Darius” the Mede (which seems likely) is “Cyrus” as explained in earlier notes (6:28) then the year would be 538BC and Daniel would be approximately 82 years old. The NIV has curiously followed the LXX… Continue reading Daniel 9 – The Vision of the Seventy Sevens
<!–[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]–> <!–[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]–> 2:1-3 – The disturbing dreams of a king. (cf. Gen.41) Nebuchadnezzar appears to have had dreams that were disturbing his sleep and the notation of time seems confusing (“in the second year of his reign) until it is understood that it likely refers to the… Continue reading Daniel 2 – Dreams From God
