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)
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
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
Vision de Daniel à SuzeBy: Stephanus Garsia (11th Century) 8:1-2 – Daniel has a vision three years after the dream of chapter seven (approximately 550BC) while Belshazzar was still in Babylon (and his father, Nabonidus, still king of all Babylon). Perhaps the reason he repeats the “vision” three times is because it was so disturbing… Continue reading Daniel 8 – The Vision of the Ram and the Goat
<!–[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
12:1-2 – The key to the following prophecies in Ezekiel is found in these two verses. “They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people” (see Isaiah 6:9; 43:8; Jeremiah 5:12; and the same thing stated concerning idols in Psalm 115:57).… Continue reading Ezekiel 12-13 – Blind and Deaf Leaders
