When Ezra returned to Jerusalem, he found the people there had once again turned away from God. They had taken foreign wives and were worshipping their gods. This was the same offense that caused the original exile to Babylon. Seeing their sin, Ezra called upon the leaders of Jews to repent. In accordance with the Will and Law of God, they did.

Nehemiah was a cup-bearer for the king of Persia when he asked permission to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. The King agreed and gave him the authority to do what was necessary. Despite threats of violence, subterfuge, and blackmail, Nehemiah was able to complete the work that God had commanded and the walls of Jerusalem were reforged. After the construction, he returned to the king of Persia as promised and remained with him for a period of time. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he found that the people had once again ignoring the Commandments. As a result, Nehemiah established reforms that ensured that the Law of God was honored in Israel.

Malachi was the last prophet recorded in the Old Testament. After him, no other prophets were raised up for 400 years. His book records the sins of Israel during the time of Nehemiah’s absence and calls for the coming Messiah. In Malachi 3:1, a Messenger is spoken of. This messenger is the same Messenger mentioned in Isaiah 40:3. He is the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He would be, John the Baptist.

Men love the Darkness. The Bible says that, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). It is easier to sin than to obey the word of God, and that is witnessed by the constant backsliding of Israel. Only when a prophet or man of God convicted the people of their sin did they recognize their evil acts and repent. There is so much we can learn from the Old Testament.

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God had a plan for Esther. His Providence is on display throughout the book bearing her name. Esther replaced Vashti as queen of Persia after the latter refused to obey the command of King Xerxes. Even in this pagan kingdom, God had the right people in the right place, at the right time.

Haman was a descendent of the Amalekites; the same Amalekites that God had ordered Saul to destroy but were not. As such, Haman’s hatred for the Jews was fierce and he vowed to kill them all. With the king’s approval, a plan was approved for all the Jews to be killed.

Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, encouraged her to go before the king and beg for both her life and the life of her people. Esther was afraid to act because appearing before the king without being summoned was punishable by death. Yet, in the face of this reality, she petitioned the king and he accepted her. When Haman was exposed to the king as the one who threated the queen and her people, he was executed for his crime. God had once again shown that He was always in control and the Jews were saved.

Our God is both immanent with us and transcendent beyond us. He is everywhere, in everything, and always in control. Yet, at the same time, He is above and beyond His Creation, completely unaffected by it. Our God is all power and almighty! Amen!

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After 70 years of captivity, the punishment of the Israelites had come to an end. As Isaiah had prophesied, King Cyrus was the instrument of God and commanded that the Jews return to their homeland. The Jews were to return back to Judah, back to Jerusalem, and rebuild the Temple of God.

Even with this decree, not all of the Jews left Israel. After 70 years, it had become the home to the few survivors who remembered Judah and it had always been home to a majority of the Jewish population. When Zerubbabel returned to Judah in 536 BC, only 42,360 Jews came with him.

When the construction the Temple began, the Samaritans from the north offered to help with the rebuilding process. Because these Samaritans worshiped other gods and kept idols, the Jews refused their help. As a result, the reconstruction of the Temple was delayed 16 years due to the constant interference of the rejected Samaritans.

In the second year of the rule of King Darius of Persia, due to the Word of God from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the construction was restarted. The king gave a decree that all the workers should be paid in full and that they would be provided with everything that they required for the Temple for free. In the sixth year of the rule of King Darius, the Second Temple was completed.

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Daniel was a loyal and humble servant of the Lord. In all that he did, he followed the Law of God first, then the law of men. Ezekiel even named him alongside Noah and Job in speaking of the most righteous men in Hebrew history. God blessed Daniel in all that he did.

Daniel was deported to Babylon when he was only 15 years old. God blessed him along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. This was due, at least in part, to the fact they alone kept the dietary restrictions to which the Israelites were bound. Daniel was also given the ability to interpret visions.

Throughout his life, Daniel honored God. When Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to interpret a dream, Daniel told him that there is a God in heaven who had revealed the dream to him. Years later when asked to interpret the writing on the wall, Daniel told Belshazzar that he could keep his gifts, but he would reveal the meaning anyway. Daniel did not seek personal wealth and gain, but because of his humble and obedient nature to God, he was blessed with these things.

Daniel’s faith was put to the ultimate test when a law was enacted saying that he could not worship anyone but Darius for the next 30 days under penalty of being casted into a den of lions. No one could keep Daniel from offering praise to God though. Daniel did not try to escape from sentence, but instead trusted in the Lord. After a night in the den of lions the king called down to Daniel to see if he was alive. Daniel answered him, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” The faith of Daniel and the power of our Most Holy God had prevailed.

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Judah was just as idolatrous and evil as Israel. Even though King Hezekiah destroyed the altars dedicated to foreign gods and turned Judah back to the worship of the one, true God, the nation would soon turn away again. Under King Manasseh, the altars were rebuilt and the Lord was provoked to anger. In 2 Kings 21:10-15, the Lord promised the destruction of Judah.

After the death of Manasseh and the short reign of his son Amon, King Josiah began his reign. When Josiah read the Book of the Law he was greatly grieved over the sins of Judah. He, like Hezekiah, destroyed the altar to the foreign gods and restored true worship in Judah. The Bible records that there was no king before or after Josiah who responded to the reading of the Word as he did. However, despite his efforts, Judah was still on the path to destruction.

After Josiah’s death, Jehoiakim was put in power by Pharaoh Necho II. Jehoiakim was a wicked king and did evil in the sight of God. In addition, he taxed the people heavily in order to pay tribute to Egypt. It was in the last years of Jehoiakim, in 598 BC, that Babylon first attacked Judah and finally destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC.

Babylon was the nation that God had strengthened in order to take Judah into captivity. The Israelites would be punished for their years of idolatry and faithlessness. According to the prophet Jeremiah, the exile would last for 70 years and then the people could come home. And as always happens when the Lord promises something, this thing too came to pass.

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The Northern Kingdom never had a good ruler. Starting with their first king, Jeroboam, Israel had embraced idols and the worship of false gods. Their actions violated the covenant that their fathers had made with God. When Hoshea came to power, the end had arrived. The hedge of protection had been removed from Israel.

Hoshea began his reign by becoming a vassal to the Assyrian King and promising to pay tribute. However, when he achieved a military alliance with Egypt, Hoshea stopped paying tribute and incurred the wrath of the Assyrian empire. All of the Northern Kingdom was destroyed and the people were deported to foreign lands. The ten tribes of Israel were lost.

Judah struggled with the same sins that caused the destruction of Israel. Their own destruction was at hand. It was in that dark hour that a light of hope was seen in Judah. Because of the faith and efforts of a good king, they were temporarily spared the fate of the Northern Kingdom. This good king’s name was Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was a king worthy of David’s throne. He feared the Lord and worshipped Him. He tore down all the altars and idols in Judah and told the people to only worship at the temple. It was through his prayer that God sent an angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrians during the night, sending their army into retreat. Though Hezekiah set Judah back on the right track, it was only a short respite in a line of wicked kings.

Manasseh became king when Hezekiah died. He was as wicked as any before him, reestablishing the high places for the worship of foreign gods. It was at this time when the prophecies were given for the destruction of Judah. The covenant was broken, judgment had been given, and Judah was to be destroyed as well.

God sent prophets to His people to warn them of their sin. Yet, despite all the warnings and calls for repentance, their sins became more flagrant and abominable. They would not serve the one, true God, so judgment came upon them.

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The Kingdoms were split. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was on a path toward destruction. Each new king was more evil than the one before him. They had forgotten the Lord their God. When King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, came to power, they officially sanctioned the worship of Baal by building an altar to him in Samaria. The end would come soon, but not before God would show His mercy and give His people another chance.

Elijah was a great man of God. The Lord allowed Elijah to work great miracles in the land of Israel. Through his prayer, Elijah was responsible for keeping the rain from Israel for three years. Even though Elijah foretold the drought and the reason for it to King Ahab, the king would not turn from his wicked ways. An awesome display of God’s power was about to be arranged.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel to prove who was God once and for all. He mocked the prophets of Baal when after hours of dancing and chanting, there was no response from Baal. When it was his turn, Elijah carefully built his altar and prepared his sacrifice. To add further effect, he had everything doused with buckets of water. Then, with a simple but powerful prayer, the Lord demonstrated that He is the one and only God by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the altar, the dust, and the remaining water. As a result, the Israelites slew the prophets of Baal because they had proven to be false prophets.

Following Elijah was Elisha. Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit and performed many miracles in the land of Israel. He continued on Elijah’s mission of witnessing to the people of Israel. Yet, despite their warnings, teachings, and working of miracles, the Northern Kingdom continued on its path to destruction.

The Lord has mercy and the Lord saves, but eventually the wicked are judged for their deeds and disbelief.

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The Kingdom was to be torn apart. Because of the sin of Solomon, God had promised that the Kingdom would be ripped away from the son of Solomon. Only the tribe of Judah would remain to the house of David.

Jeroboam was selected by God to be the king of the northern ten tribes of Israel. The Lord promised him that if he would just follow the Commandments and Statutes of God then his house would be built just as David’s house was. When Rehoboam ignored the pleas of the people and swore to make their lives harder, the Kingdom split just as Ahijah the prophet had said. Jeroboam didn’t trust God to fulfill His promise of blessings, so he sought his own path.

Jeroboam feared that the people would return their loyalties to the house of David if they were allowed to go to the Temple and worship. Committing sins that were beyond any before him, Jeroboam had two golden calves created. He told the people that these were the gods that brought them out of Egypt. He appointed priests that were not from the tribe of Levi to oversee this new religious system. He led the people of Israel astray and the Kingdom was ripped from his hands.

God blesses those who honor Him. In the Old Testament, Israel is blessed when they acknowledge God and serve Him (Kingdom under David) and then are punished when they deny God and serve foreign gods (Kingdom under Jeroboam). Would it not just be easier to trust God, take the blessings, and skip the punishment for disobedience? The more you read the Bible, the more I’m certain you will agree.

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Elimelech and Naomi traveled to Moab from Israel to avoid a famine in the land. They along with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion would be in Moab for 10 years. During that time, their sons married, Mahlon to Ruth and Chilion to Orpah. Unfortunately, Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all died, leaving their wives widowed.

Naomi implored Ruth and Orpah to return to their homeland and their gods as she would not be able to offer them new husbands. While Orpah went away, Ruth stayed saying, “…your people will be my people and your God my God”. Ruth was loyal to Naomi.

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, but they were poor. Ruth volunteered to go glean fields in order that they could have some food. Through the providence of God, she went to a field belonging to Boaz.

Boaz took notice of Ruth and showed her kindness. Despite being over 50, Boaz agreed to be the kinsman redeemer to Ruth. As such, Boaz purchased back the land that Naomi sold so she could live, and he took Ruth as his wife. From their union, Obed was born. Obed would be the father of Jesse, the father of David.

When Naomi had returned to Bethlehem, she wanted people to call her Mara (meaning “bitter”). She felt as though God’s hand was against her and that nothing good could come from her life. Little did she know that it was through her life and the life of her daughter-in-law that God would continue the Messianic line. Whenever you face trouble in your life, remember, God is always there and working for the good of His people. Trust in the Lord and He will renew your strength!

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Solomon was greatly blessed by God. Living in David’s legacy, he began his rule by following the commandments and statues of God. For this reason, God gave him wisdom, honor, and riches.

Solomon ruled during the most prosperous time in the history of Israel. David had expanded the kingdom during his reign through warfare, and Solomon extended his influence further through treaties. Israel was a center for trade and they had peace along all their borders. The riches of Solomon outshone every other king. Yet for all of his blessings, he forgot to honor the one who had blessed him.

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Every peace treaty brought with it another wife to seal the agreement. It was the wives of Solomon who turned his heart from God. His wives brought their foreign gods into the land of Israel and continued to worship them.  Solomon sinned and built altars on the high places in order that sacrifices could be made to these heathen gods. The God of Israel is a jealous God though, and His holy anger burned against Solomon. Solomon was told that his kingdom would be ripped away from his son for his disobedience.

God continually gave the people of Israel chances to serve Him. No matter the amount of blessings, the hearts of the Israelites still fell away from God. When the Israelites broke their covenant with God, He would give them over to destruction. It is a theme repeated throughout the Old Testament.

Intelligence, wisdom, money, and power do not bring happiness or a good relationship with our Heavenly Father. Honoring and submitting to our Holy Creator is the source of true happiness. Solomon learned that the hard way.

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