LESSON 5
The Controversy Continues
January 23-29
Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 30.
Memory Text: "And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of
the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, 'Let us rise up and build.' Then they set
their hands to this good work" (Nehemiah 2:18, NKJV).
When we compare the lives of David, Elijah, Hezekiah, Esther, and Nehemiah, similar themes
surface: God is able to use "insignificant" people to turn back the tide of evil. Through some of
these accounts we can see that, despite tremendous obstacles, we don't need to buckle under
overwhelming evil. Instead, we can stand firm, but only in the power of God, who is faithful to His
covenant promises, promises fulfilled for us in Jesus. When God's people endure in His might, they
will see that the forces of evil are not powerful enough to ultimately prevail.
The focus, and the challenge, is for us to rejoice in His deliverance. This does not always make
sense in the context of the overwhelming challenges that we sometimes find ourselves in,
challenges that are so much bigger than ourselves. Rejoicing in God's deliverance before
deliverance comes is an act of faith and worship, rather than the logical consequence of what
is happening around us. On the other hand, because of what Christ has done for us, trusting in
God's faithfulness is, really, the only logical thing we can do.
SUNDAY
David, Goliath, and Bathsheba
January 24
Life is complicated, and that's because, as humans, we are complicated. Imagine-creatures made
in the image of God, the Creator of the universe, who then corrupt themselves. No wonder that our
potential both for good and for evil can reach remarkable levels. And it isn't just that some people
attain great levels of "goodness" while others, unfortunately, drop to the extremes of depravity.
Instead, both extremes can be manifested in the same person! The great news is that some who, at
one time, were at the lowest have, by God's grace, done great things for Him and for humanity. Of
course, the opposite can happen, as well: those at the heights can fall to the depths. Satan is real,
the great controversy is real, and unless connected to the Lord, even the best of us can fall
prey to our foe (1 Pet. 5:8).
Read 1 Samuel 17:43-51. What words came out of David's mouth that are so crucial to
understanding his victory?
43 “So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the
Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give
your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a
javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take
your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds
of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for
the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried
and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out
a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his
forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling
and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of
David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its
sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their
champion was dead, they fled.
A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The words... ‘I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel’ and ‘ the battle is the Lord’s’.
In contrast, read 2 Samuel 11:1-17. David, Bathsheba, and Uriah
1 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent
Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and
besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
When kings go forth. The rulers of Western Asia generally started out on their military campaigns in the spring of the year.
The winter was unsuited for fighting because of the cold and the rain. Also the roads at that time were well-nigh impassable and
supplies of food were not readily available. The Assyrian annals show that almost invariably the spring of the year was chosen for the
armies to conduct their campaigns. With the Assyrians these were annual expeditions.
David sent Joab. Joab had spent the winter, or rainy season, at Jerusalem. As soon as the winter was over, David renewed the
conflict. During the previous season a crushing defeat had been inflicted on the Syrians, but the Ammonites still retained their power.
When attacked by Joab’s forces they had simply retreated within their city walls, whereupon Joab returned to Jerusalem (ch. 10:14).
The Ammonites were mainly responsible for this conflict and had hired the Syrians to help them (ch. 10:6). Hence it was necessary for
David to deal with them and thus eliminate the Ammonite threat to the security of Israel.
Without the aid of their Syrian allies, the Ammonites alone were no match for the forces of Israel. Since the Syrians had already
been subdued, it was only a question of time until the Ammonites, too, would be reduced to submission. David therefore did not
consider it essential that he personally take the field against Ammon, but entrusted the conduct of the war to Joab.
David tarried. While Joab carried on the siege of Rabbah, David remained behind at Jerusalem. He was now at the height of his
power. His enemies on all sides had been reduced to submission. Only a remnant of the Ammonites remained, and in a short time they
too would be completely subdued. Surrounded by the fruits of victory, receiving honor and acclaim from his own people and from the
nations about, his coffers overflowing with the tribute that was pouring in from his defeated foes, David lived a life of ease and
contentment. The greatness of his success exposed him to his greatest danger. Satan chose this moment to bring upon the king of Israel
a temptation that was to cause him deep humiliation and disgrace. David tragically forgot that there was an enemy greater than men.
Feeling himself strong and secure against his earthly enemies, intoxicated by his prosperity and success, while receiving the plaudits
of men, Israel’s honored hero and saint was thrown off his guard. Imperceptibly the inner defenses of his soul had weakened, until he
yielded to a temptation that transformed him into a shameless sinner.
2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the
king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to
behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba,
the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
2. In an eveningtide. Evening began in the midafternoon. David was probably arising from his midday siesta. The palace roof,
being, presumably, higher than the neighboring houses, provided a view of their courtyards.
3. Enquired after the woman. When the temptation arose, David did not resist it, but descended from the roof with the
determination to bring the evil thoughts of his heart into action. It was the tempter who had suggested the sin, and David should have
turned him aside with a “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Mark 8:33). Instead, he listened to the seducer, and obeyed the voice of Satan
instead of the voice of God. If David had paused for a moment, if he had turned his thoughts upward to heaven to pray, if he had
allowed his mind to engage itself with the responsibilities of his kingly office or given himself to the conduct of the affairs of state, the
spell of the enemy would have been broken. The conduct of David in this instance is a sad commentary on what a most godly man
may become when he forsakes the Lord, even for a moment. The experience is recorded as a lesson to others who might also be
tempted. It is not God’s plan to cover up or excuse sin, even on the part of the greatest heroes or saints. David’s sin was followed by
deep repentance and divine forgiveness; nevertheless its fruitage of evil overclouded all the remaining years of his life.
4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she
was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so
she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
4. Took her. There is no indication that David’s messengers took Bath-sheba by force. Bath-sheba was beautiful, and she was
not beyond temptation. Possibly she was flattered by the overtures made to her by the king, and yielded herself to David without
resistance.
5. Sent and told David. The information was necessary both for her own and David’s safety and for the king’s honor. Both
parties in the case of adultery were to be punished by death (Lev. 20:10); hence to escape the penalty, the guilty would naturally seek
to conceal the sin. Bath-sheba turned to David for help. If Uriah discovered that his wife was with child by David, he might avenge
himself by taking the lives of both David and Bath-sheba, or by inciting the nation to revolt because of such a disgraceful deed on the
part of the king.
6 Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to
David. 7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were
doing, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash
your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed
him.
6. Send me Uriah. David’s sin brought him into desperate straits. Concealment by deceit seemed to offer a hope of escape.
Instead of humbly confessing his sin and relying upon divine mercy and guidance, David took matters into his own hand, only to find
that he was adding sin to sin, and was constantly bringing himself into greater difficulties.
7. How Joab did. As an important and trusted officer, Uriah would be well acquainted with the course of the war. David now
sent for him as if to inquire for details concerning the course of the siege, and particularly concerning the conduct of Joab, as if he
were desirous of some confidential report regarding the commander in chief. The degrading falsehood and dissimulation to which
David stooped in the hope of concealing his sin reveals the results of a course of evil.
8. Go down to thy house. Go now to your home, refresh yourself after the journey, relax, and take your ease (see Gen. 18:4;
19:2). By sending Uriah to his wife, David evidently planned to deceive him into the belief that the child begotten in adultery was his
own.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go
down to his house. 10 So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David
said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11 And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab
and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and
drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”
12 Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah
remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Now when David called him, he ate and drank
before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants
of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
12. Tarry here. David thought that after a little extra time, Uriah’s scruples would no longer restrain him, and he would be
willing to return to the comforts of his home.
13. Made him drunk. David was reduced to desperate straits in resorting to this means to induce Uriah to go to his home. But
so strong was Uriah’s resolve that, intoxicated as he was, he still would not return to his home, but slept with the soldiers.
14 In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of
Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and
retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” 16 So it was, while Joab besieged the city,
that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 Then the men of the
city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and
Uriah the Hittite died also.
14. Wrote a letter. Every effort of David to conceal his sin proved of no avail. At length, in his desperation he decided to resort
to murder in order that the mouth of Uriah might be stopped and he himself might not be exposed. David had placed himself in the
hand of Satan, who now was determined to bring Israel’s new king to utter ruin and destruction, as he had Saul. Apparently David’s
sole desire was to avoid disgrace before the nation. He would not even stop short of murder in order to conceal his guilt. With Uriah
dead, Bath-sheba could be brought into the palace as another of David’s wives, and the king’s adultery would not be known.
By the hand of Uriah. So low had David sunk that he made his trusted officer the bearer of his own death warrant. The valor of
Uriah was to pay the price for the king’s transgression.
17. Died. Uriah approached one of the city gates (v. 23) whence the defenders made a sudden sally, slaying not only Uriah but a
number of the men who were with him..1
What stark contrast do we see here in the same man? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Here we see a
conniving, selfish, lusting and cold man as opposed to a committed, trusting and God-honoring
leader in Israel.
What made the difference? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: David had lost his connection with God and hence
he further lost sigh of the awesome privilege of selflessly, humbly following in the pattern of
Christ. He became cold, callous and calculating. He assumed the character traits of the enemy of
Christ and had identified with the kingdom of evil.
The same David who defeated the giant Goliath is the David who was defeated by his own lust
and arrogance. How many women did the man already have? And he sees one more,
a married woman, and suddenly where is all the talk about "the battle is the LORD'S" (1 Sam.
17:47) or "that there is a God in Israel" (1 Sam. 17:46)? If there were a time when David needed not
only to know that the "battle is the LORD'S" but also to fight that battle in God's armor, it wasn't on
the war zone in the Valley of Elah but in the recess of his own heart, where in each of us the great
controversy rages.
Upon coming to his senses after this terrible fall with Bathsheba, David had enough grief and guilt
to last a lifetime. His sorrow led him to write Psalm 51:1-19, in which he pleads for a clean
heart (Ps. 51:10) and the restoration of his fellowship with God (Ps. 51:11-12). In the great cosmic
struggle, mighty men are just as vulnerable as the person of the lowest rank; yet, God is willing
to work with all who truly repent.
Think about yourself, right now-the triumphs, the disappointments, the victories, the failures. How
can you apply lessons from either of these stories for whatever situation you face, right now? A
POSSIBLE ANSWER: From the Goliath, Bathsheba, and Uriah experiences we can apply lessons
by...1) trusting in the Divine over against the human arm... 2) taking courage knowing that the
same God is with us now and his arm is not short or weak... 3) by determining to respond to
today’s challenges in the same way... 4) by praying that the Holy Spirit would enlighten, inspire
and empower us according to His will... 5) by endeavoring to not trust ourselves...6) walking by
faith and not by sight... 7) by closing the doors to temptation and standing on the ‘Thus says the
Word of the Lord’.
MONDAY
To Turn Their Hearts
January 25
Elijah the Tishbite has to be one of the most colorful characters in Scripture. We first meet him
standing before a startled king and telling him there will be no rain for the next three years (1
Kings 17:1). It was not easy either to approach a king or to escape from him, but this hairy man
with his leather belt (2 Kings 1:8) just slips through the guards, delivers God's message, then runs
to the mountains, about twelve kilometers (7 miles) away.
These were sorry times for the northern kingdom of Israel. Most had forsaken the Lord God (1
Kings 19:10) and were worshiping fertility gods instead. To say that it would not rain was a direct
challenge to Baal, who was thought to bring rain to ensure fertile crops and herds that made
farmers wealthy. The prevailing religious rites focused on fertility and income.
For the next three years the fertility gods are impotent. Then Elijah confronts the king again and
asks for a showdown between himself and all the prophets of Baal and the goddess
Asherah (goddess of fertility)-one man against 850 (1 Kings 18:17-20).
1Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.
When the day arrives and the crowds gather at the top of Mt. Carmel, Elijah addresses the
people: "How long will you falter [limp] between two opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21, NKJV). Bulls are
chosen and prepared for sacrifice, and the people wait to see which god is powerful enough to
answer by fire from heaven. The bull was the most powerful object of the ancient fertility
religions. Surely the gods of fertility would show their strength.
Read 1 Kings 18:21-39. “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between
two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a
word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s
prophets are four hundred and fifty men.23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one
bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the
other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and
I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people
answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
1 Kings 18: 21. How long halt ye? The people of Israel stood at the crossroads. Would they reject forever the God who had
established them as a separate people, and accept Baal as their master and lord? If Jehovah was God, He was the one who should be
worshiped. If Baal was God, they should follow him. The challenge was presented, and the people were given an opportunity to
express themselves.
24. Answereth by fire. The test that Elijah proposed was entirely fair. The issue at stake was, Who was God, Jehovah or Baal?
If Baal was what the pagan priests claimed him to be, then let him demonstrate that fact by bringing forth fire from heaven. If he has,
indeed, the power of the rain and the storm, let him send forth his lightning bolts. Even the priests of Baal could not deny the fairness
of the offer made, though they must have feared the results.
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first,
for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of
Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one
answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for heis a god; either
he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be
awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and
lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until
the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one
paid attention.
27. Elijah mocked them. These priests of Baal needed to learn that their god could not answer their prayers. Elijah’s words to
them were expressions of supreme contempt. His scornful ridicule was not lost on the spectators, who were there to make their
decision between Jehovah and Baal. 29. They prophesied. These agents of Baal were called prophets (v. 19). The performance of
their service as a whole may have been considered an act of prophesying. Or probably in a more restricted sense they prophesied as
did Saul, who “prophesied in the midst of the house” when an evil spirit came upon him (1 Sam. 18:10). Saul’s experience may have
been like that of devil worshipers in Oriental lands today, who are said sometimes to work themselves up to a high state of religious
frenzy, when they give utterance to unintelligible noises and grunts. Satan and his angels were present at Carmel and would have done
anything within their power to bring down the desired fire had this been permitted by God. But the Lord, although allowing the
demons to exhibit some of the more revolting aspects of their presence in men, did not allow Satan to bring down fire in the name of
Baal.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him.
And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones,
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had
come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name
of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
30. Repaired the altar. In ancient times men had at this altar worshiped the God of heaven, but for a long time it had not been
used. Reverently Elijah brought together the scattered stones. There are many homes today in which the altar of God has been broken
down. It is time that a work be done similar to that upon Carmel. At evening God’s children should reverently come together at the
family altar for a period of quiet devotion. In the morning families should again unite in a season of prayer. The altar of prayer and
devotion should be kept in constant repair.
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill
four water pots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said,
“Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they
did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with
water. 36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the
prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day
that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your
word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God,
and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
36. Evening sacrifice. For long and noisy hours the priests of Baal had gone through their violent and excited leapings and
screamings, praying wildly, muttering incoherently, but with no results. Utterly wearied and exhausted, they at length retired in
despair. The multitude too were tired of the scenes of horror and excitement, and were in a receptive frame of mind for the
ministrations of the prophet of God. Of Abraham. Elijah addresses the God who is the Father of them all. He speaks to Him quietly
and reverently, in striking contrast to the frenzied shrieks of the prophets of Baal. Let it be known. The prayer was utterly simple,
utterly sincere, without excitement, straight to the point, and right from the heart. 37. Turned their heart. The great burden on
Elijah’s heart was the conversion of Israel—that their hearts which had turned to Baal might be turned back to God.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones
and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.39 Now when all the people
saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
38. Then the fire. With starling suddenness, like a great flashing of lightning, fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, and
even the stones of the altar. Never before had such a flash been seen by the assembled host. It was visible to all about, even to the
multitude gathered at the foot of the hill. The people recognized it as the consuming fire of God.
39. The Lord, he is the God. Hearts so shortly before devoted to Baal were now turned back to the Lord as the great God of
heaven and earth. With one accord the multitude raised a shout and acknowledged Jehovah as Lord.
Despite the obvious reality of the great controversy here, what did Elijah really want to see
happen in Israel, and why is that so relevant to us today? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: What he really
wanted to see was a revival that led the people back to the true God of Israel. It is relevant to us
today because it is the same need that we have.
First Kings 18:37 says it all. The miracle, impressive enough as it was, wasn't the real issue: the
issue was Israel's faithfulness to God and the Great Controversy. Notice, too, who had turned their
hearts. It was the Lord Himself, even before the miracle itself unfolded. But God doesn't force
hearts to return to Him. He sends His Holy Spirit, and the people, responding to that Spirit,
have to first make the choice to turn back to Him; only then, in His strength, can they act upon
that choice. It's no different today. It's the power of God alone that sustains the beat of every
heart, but He doesn't force even one of those beating hearts to follow Him.
TUESDAY
Words of Defiance
January 26
Hezekiah was king of Judah when the new superpower, Assyria, conquered the northern kingdom
of Israel and scattered its inhabitants across Mesopotamia (2 Kings 18:9-12). "That which He could
no longer do through them in the land of their fathers He would seek to accomplish by scattering
them among the heathen. His plan for the salvation of all who should choose to avail themselves of
pardon through the Saviour of the human race must yet be fulfilled; and in the afflictions brought
upon Israel, He was preparing the way for His glory to be revealed to the nations of earth."-Ellen G.
White, Prophets and Kings, p. 292.
A few years later, the Assyrian king Sennacherib turned his attention to Judah and captured all its
fortified cities and exacted heavy tribute (2 Kings 18:13-15). Although Hezekiah emptied the
temple and palace treasuries, the Assyrian king was not satisfied and sent officials to negotiate the
surrender of Jerusalem.
The Assyrians then taunted the people, warning that since the gods of the nations around them
didn't save them from Assyria, what made the Jews think that their God would do any
better? (See 2 Kings 18:28-30, 33-35.)
Hezekiah then did the only thing possible for him-he prayed (2 Kings 19:15-19). God had already
used Isaiah to encourage Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:6), and now God sends the prophet to him again.
Read 2 Kings 19:21-34, especially 2 Kings 19:21-22.
21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin, the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem Has shaken her head behind
your back! 22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you
raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 23 By your
messengers you have reproached the Lord, And said: “By the multitude of my chariots I have come
up to the height of the mountains, To the limits of Lebanon; I will cut down its tall cedars And its
choice cypress trees; I will enter the extremity of its borders, To its fruitful forest.
22. The Holy One of Israel. This is a favorite phrase with Isaiah. He uses it 27 times in his book. It appears only five times in
the rest of the Bible (Ps. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Jer. 50:29; 51:5).
23. Hast said. Isaiah here expresses the thoughts that were in Sennacherib’s heart. The Assyrian king was extremely selfconfident that with his numerous chariots he would be able to conquer any region he chose and that his armies could trample down all
opposition and overcome all obstacles that might stand in the way.
The tall cedar trees. This phrase may be applied both literally and figuratively. The Assyrians planned to cut down the
beautiful cedars of Lebanon for their own use. Figuratively, the phrase means the complete devastation of the entire country, with the
ruin of the nation’s stately palaces and proud inhabitants (see Isa. 2:12–17; 10:33, 34).
24 I have dug and drunk strange water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the
brooks of defense.” 25 ‘Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed
it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of
ruins. 26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They
were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted
before it is grown.
24. Digged and drunk. The meaning seems to be that Sennacherib feels himself able to cope with any difficulty. Mountains do
not stop him, he climbs over them. Deserts do not stop him, he crosses them, digging his own wells for water. Rivers do not delay
him, they dry up underneath his feet.
Rivers of besieged places. Perhaps a reference to Egypt. Egypt was beyond the desert and was cut up by many canals.
Sennacherib was making the boast that these would prove no obstacle to him, they would simply vanish before him.
25. I have done it. The Lord is now giving His answer to the Assyrian king. After all Sennacherib’s boasting as to what he
would do, the Lord asks him if he has not heard that Jehovah has the destiny of nations under His control, and that every nation
occupies its place only as permitted to do so by Him (see PK 535, 536). At that time the Assyrians were His tool for the carrying out
of His purposes (see Isa. 10:5–15).
26. Of small power. The success of the Assyrian arms was by divine permission. Assyria might have become a powerful
influence for good in the world if the nation had followed the reform that resulted from the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:5–10). When
the Ninevites turned from their temporary repentance to their former idolatry and on to the conquest of the world, they made certain
the doom of Assyria as a nation.
27 ‘But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against
Me. 28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will
put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you
came. 29 ‘This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, And in the
second year what springs from the same; Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. 30 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of
Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a
remnant, And those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.’
30. The remnant. This expression indicates the extent of the devastation wrought as a result of the Assyrian invasion of Judah.
31. Shall go forth. Much of Judah had been thoroughly devastated by the Assyrian armies. Probably large numbers had flocked
to Jerusalem to escape Sennacherib’s onslaught. Now from this city a remnant would go forth to repopulate and restore the land.
Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah frequently use the term “remnant” (see Isa. 10:20; 11:11; 14:22; 46:3; Jer. 23:3; 31:7; 40:11, 15; 42:2;
43:5; 44:14; Micah 2:12; 4:7; 5:7, 8).
32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. 33 By
the way that he came,
By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord. 34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s
sake.’”
Mine own sake. God’s honor was at stake, since Sennacherib had openly defied God..
What is God's message to His people amid this terrible crisis? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: That God knew
everything about the Assyrians and that because of their rage and tumult have come up to His
ears, He I will put His hook in his nose/bridle in their lips, and will turn them back By the way
which they came. The king of Assyria shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor
come before it with shield, nor build a siege mound against it. Out of Jerusalem shall go a
remnant. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. He will defend the city, to save it For My own
sake and for My servant David’s sake.
The outcome of all this was seen when the huge Assyrian army camped around the walls of
Jerusalem. The frightened inhabitants of the besieged city arose one morning, not to see the final
actions of a conquering army about to rip open the defenses of a besieged city but to see soldiers
lying scattered on the ground in a deathly stillness as far as the eye could see (2 Kings 19:35). The
disgraced Assyrian king went home, only to meet his end at the hands of two of his own sons (2
Kings 19:36-37).
How can we learn, even amid the most discouraging and seemingly impossible situations, to trust
in the Lord? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: By look back and see what He has done in the pass and then
recall His promises to honor His name by fulfilling them in our experiences. By praying for a
submissive humble heart committed to walk in the light of His guiding.
Why must we always keep the big picture in mind, especially when things don't always end, at
least now, in such a positive manner? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: It will be a means of settling us into the
truth. It will help us mature and behold the wisdom of God. It will enable us to not be so
concerned about self. Plus it would place us in a position to reflect Heaven’s management style.
WEDNESDAY
Death Decree
January 27
It's so hard for us today (as no doubt it has been for people from various cultures through the
centuries) to understand the customs and tradition of the ancient Persian Empire, where the story
of Esther unfolds. One thing is certain, though: the Lord had used that empire in the process of
fulfilling Peter and the Great Controversy promises to the nation of Israel, promises that went back
to Abraham (see Gen. 12:1-3, Isa. 45:1, 2 Chron. 36:23).
The young Jewish girl Esther found herself as queen. Though her ascent was through a route
rather different than, for example, Joseph's in Egypt or Daniel's in Babylon, she was (as Joseph and
Daniel were) just where the Lord wanted her to be, and she was used by God in a powerful way,
one that illustrates how the great-controversy theme can play out in history.
Read Esther 3:8-11. “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and
dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from
all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to
let them remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will
pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the
king’s treasuries.”
8. A certain people.. A large proportion of the Jewish exiles had elected to remain in the lands to which they had been carried
away captive. Josephus notes that the more well-to-do and influential Babylonian Jews were little inclined to leave their adopted
home. By now, there was evidently a large Jewish colony at Shushan also (see ch. 9:12–15).
Their laws are diverse. A true charge, but a weak argument for their destruction, more especially since the Persians allowed
all subject nations to retain their own religions, laws, and customs.
Neither keep they. This charge was not true with respect to laws in general. It was only when a royal edict required a Jew to
violate his religious beliefs that such a situation could arise. But the laws of the Medes and Persians were in the main fair and just, and
the Jews no doubt readily obeyed them. Had it been otherwise they would not have enjoyed the favor that was often shown them.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God strictly enjoined them to be law-abiding, peaceful subjects wherever they might be (Jer. 29:7).
9. I will pay. Even Ahasuerus could scarcely consider as a light matter such an act of genocide as Haman contemplated, but
Haman immediately fortified his proposal with a bribe such as even a king could not view with indifference.
Ten thousand talents. Based on the light Babylonian talent, this would be about 377 tons, or 343 metric tons (see Vol. I, pp.
168, 169). Herodotus says that Xerxes (Ahasuerus) once declined such an offer from one of his subjects. The recent Greek war had no
doubt made a heavy drain on the royal treasury, but it would be beneath the king’s dignity, perhaps, to accept a bribe.
10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha
the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the
people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
10. His ring. Literally, “his signet.” This was probably a ring, for signet rings were known to the Persians, though some think it
was a cylinder like that of his father Darius, now in the British Museum. In possession of the royal seal, Haman had power to issue
whatever edicts he desired, for the royal seal would give them full authority. Haman’s word was thus equal to that of the king, who in
effect gave Haman blanket permission to do what he desired.
11. The silver. Ahasuerus seems to have declined the bribe (see on v. 9).
Keeping in mind what God's plans were for the Jewish people, especially in regard to the coming
of the Messiah, what consequences would the success of this decree have? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: It
would seemingly annihilate the Children of Israel. At best is would be a test to the remnant and a
challenge to God’s ability to fulfill His purpose.
"Little did the king realize the far-reaching results that would have accompanied the complete
carrying out of this decree. Satan himself, the hidden instigator of the scheme, was trying to rid
the earth of those who preserved the knowledge of the true God."-Ellen G. White, Prophets and
Kings, pp. 600, 601. And from these same people, too, would come the Savior of the world.
How fascinating that the issue started over worship (see Esther 3:5, 8) and the refusal of a
distinct group of people to follow the laws and customs of the ones in power. Though, of
course, the context will be different at the end of time, the reality behind it-the great
controversy between Christ and Satan-is still the same, and those who seek to be faithful to
God will face something as the Jews here did. We have been warned that, in the closing scenes
of earth's history, the decree will go out, declaring that "as many as would not worship the image
of the beast [are to] be killed" (Rev. 13:15). The one thing we learn from history is that we don't
learn from history.
Why is it that we so often tend to be distrustful of those who are different from us? A POSSIBLE
ANSWER: With the difference, there is the accompanying consciousness that we don’t know what
they are thinking and hence what they will do. This feeds our suspicion and uneasiness. The lack
of knowledge combined with negative presuppositions leaves us distrustful.
Why should the powerful truths of Creation and Redemption, truths that reveal the worth of every
human being, show us just how wrong this attitude is? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Because it is the nature
of truth to enlighten the darkened mind. These truths are an expression of the mind of God and
will automatically expose anything contrary to it. Truth convicts and converts...hence if will
challenge the will and motives of all who come into contact with it. How can we purge our hearts
of this terribly faulty tendency? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: By acknowledging and confessing our
shortcomings and then asking God to help us submit our wills to the Holy Spirit. By accepting the
truth as the will of God and making intentional decisions to pattern our lives after the example of
Jesus. As we are empowered, walk in the light of God’s will.
THURSDAY
Nehemiah
January 28
The story of Nehemiah also comes at a time when the nation of Israel no longer existed as a
political entity but as a remnant scattered across foreign lands. God, though, as always, would be
faithful to His covenant promises, even when the people failed to live up to their end of Peter and
the Great Controversy.
Read Nehemiah 1:1-11. “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the
month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, Neh 1:2 That Hanani, one
of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that
had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
2. One of my brethren. The Hebrew word translated “brethren” is often used of more distant relatives than blood brothers (see
on 1 Chron. 2:7). Hanani, however, seems likely to have been the actual brother of Nehemiah, from the similar reference to him in ch.
7:2.
I asked them. The arrival of Hanani and other Jews from the homeland seems to have been the first contact Nehemiah had been
able to make with the returned exiles in Judea since the beginning of hostilities between Artaxerxes and Megabyzos, the satrap of the
province called “Beyond the River,” of which Judea was a part (see on Ezra 4:10). During the period of Megabyzos’ rebellion very
little reliable news from Judea seems to have reached Nehemiah, though he may have heard rumors of a Samaritan attack on
Jerusalem and the destruction by them of a part of the recently rebuilt city wall. This being the case, Nehemiah would be anxious for
further news. This came with the arrival of his own brother and other Jews with an eyewitness report of events that had probably taken
place during the interruption of communications between Persia and Judea. See p. 350.
Neh 1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province
are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates
thereof are burned with fire.
Nehemiah's Prayer
Neh 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned
certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, Neh 1:5 And said, I beseech
thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for
them that love him and observe his commandments:
Neh 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive,
and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee
now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of
Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
Neh
1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the
statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
Neh 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying,
If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Neh 1:9 But if ye turn unto me,
and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the
uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the
place that I have chosen to set my name there. Neh 1:10 Now these are thy servants and thy
people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Neh 1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and
to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant
this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. What is the
background of his prayer? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the
Persian kings, Nehemiah’s heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned
from tears to prayer, from man to God. He was informed by Hanani, one of his brethren and
certain men of Judah about the sad condition of his people in that the people in the province
were in great affliction and reproach.
In what ways is it reminiscent of Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9:4-19? 4 And I prayed unto the LORD
my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the
covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Keeping the covenant. Daniel begins his prayer with an acknowledgment of the faithfulness of God. God never fails to keep
His promises. He is a covenant-keeping God. He will fulfill His part of the agreement. If the covenant fails, man is to blame (see Heb.
8:8).
Love him. Love to God and the keeping of His commandments always go together. Those who love God are admonished to
demonstrate that love by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). The one essential carries the other with it. Love for God will
result in glad and willing obedience. The true church at the close of time will be distinguished by its commandment keeping (Rev.
12:17).
Dan 9:5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have
rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Dan 9:6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to
our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this
day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near,
and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their
trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Dan 9:8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our
fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
Dan 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled
against him;
7. Righteousness. Daniel contrasts the righteousness of God with the unrighteousness of Israel. In all His dealings with
mankind in general and with Israel in particular, God has always manifested righteousness.
9. Mercies and forgiveness. Literally, “the compassions and the forgiveness.” Despite Israel’s backsliding and rebellion,
Daniel remained confident that the Lord, because of His great mercy, was ever ready to forgive those who should come to Him with a
contrite heart. In this confidence Daniel pleads with God for the people of Israel. He sets forth in bold relief the compassion of God, in
contrast with the sinfulness of the people.
Dan 9:10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he
set before us by his servants the prophets.
Dan 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey
thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses
the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Dan 9:12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges
that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done
as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Dan 9:13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our
prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy
truth.
Dan 9:14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD
our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
Dan 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt
with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done
wickedly.
Dan 9:16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury
be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the
iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about
us.
15. Brought thy people forth. Daniel cites the former great deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian
bondage and bases his petition upon the great act of mercy performed by the Lord at the time of the Exodus.
16. Righteousness. In Hebrew the noun is in the plural, suggesting, doubtless, the many deeds of righteousness that God had
done on behalf of His people. Daniel does not present his plea on the ground of any goodness of his people; he cites the Lord’s
gracious dealings with Israel in times past as a basis for his petition.
Thy holy mountain. Israel should have been a light to all the world (see on 2 Sam. 22:44, 50; 1 Kings 8:43; 2 Kingss 23:27),
but because of stubborn rebellion, Jerusalem and Israel were now a byword and a reproach among the nation of earth.
Dan 9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and
cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
Dan 9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations,
and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for
our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Dan 9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O
my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Praying and confession. An appeal to the convenient and God’s character.
Remnant motif. An appeal to act based on God’s character. An acknowledgement that the
condition was due to the people’s sin.
In both cases, what is the issue, and how does this play out in the whole great-controversy drama?
A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The issues seems to be the failure of God’s people to represent His and carry
out His plan to enlighten and save all people.
Through the grace of the king, Nehemiah is given permission to return and rebuild in Jerusalem.
On his return, Nehemiah spends the first few days just looking. He tries to survey the city by night,
but the piles of rubble are so extensive that he does not get far (Neh. 2:14); so, he goes outside
the walls to survey them from there (Neh. 2:15).
Read Nehemiah 2:16-18. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had
not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work. 17 Then I said
to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire.
Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of
the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.
So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.
How do you think Nehemiah convinced the leaders to start working on something they had thought
impossible? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: First of all, the Holy Spirit must have impressed them. Then he
was inclusive in his appeal (distress we are in), appealed to their self-worth/pride, God was
gracious to him thus giving him credibility, and the support of the king.
What could Nehemiah teach our church today? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: To go forward even when
things seem insurmountable. Work together to achieve the impossible. Look back at Gods dealings
in the pass as an inducement to move ahead. Look for the evidences of God’s providence. Do not
let opposition deter hat which God has berthed in our hearts.
Although Nehemiah did not at first tell the leaders why he had come, there were some people
who were not happy and did all they could to prevent any work from being done to improve
Jerusalem (Neh. 2:10, 19-20). When work started on repairing the walls (Nehemiah 3:1-32), these
foreign officials were "furious and very indignant" (Neh. 4:1) and they mocked the efforts (Neh.
4:2-3, NKJV). When they saw that God's people were serious about their work (Neh. 4:6), they
became angry and planned an attack (Neh. 4:7-8).
It would have been so easy to back down; yet, despite all sort of machinations against their work,
they persisted. Trusting in God, Nehemiah saw to the rebuilding of the wall and left the threats of
his enemies in the hand of God (Neh. 6:14-15).
We all face obstacles. How do we know when to back down and when to keep going? A POSSIBLE
ANSWER: By listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and then analyzing the situation. Go
ahead if one sees God’s providence leading in a certain direction...stop if not. If progressing is in
accordance with the original plan of God...then go. Back down if it is evident that God is directing
you in a different way. Keep going if it is evident that the Enemy is endeavoring use people,
situations or things to thwart the plan of God in the particular situation.
FRIDAY
Further Thought:
January 29
No question, the Word of God, as we have studied this week, time and again shows God's
faithfulness to His people. Of course, in many cases, at the time things were happening, that
faithfulness wasn't always obvious or apparent. In the accounts we looked at, we were able to see
the beginning to the end; some of the characters involved, such as Uriah the Hittite, didn't. Today
we are ourselves immersed in the great controversy just as surely as were the people we have
studied. And not only them, but there were many others just as real as the ones who made it into
the text but who didn't always live to see things work out so well. That's why it's so important for
us, as Christians, to remember, especially when times are rough (as they so often can be), Paul's
wonderful words: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet
the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is
working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:16-18, NKJV). Here Paul is seeking to point
us to something beyond the daily toils, foibles, and weaknesses of humanity and toward the only
hope that makes life here anything more than a cruel farce.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are some of the other Bible promises that point to our ultimate hope? Gather as many as
you can, and either alone or in class read them aloud and dwell on what they say. What kind of
picture do they present to us?
2. What made David's fall so tragic was that he had been so singularly blessed of God. And yet,
despite all that he had been given-he still sinned the way he did. Yet, instead of focusing just on
the negative, think about the one positive aspect of his whole sordid story: God's grace, even to
someone who had fallen from so high to so low. What does that tell us about just how full and
complete the redemption that we have in Jesus really is? How can we have assurance that no
matter what we have done, or how far our fall, if we, like David, repent, forgiveness is ours?
Tuesday Jan. 28
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 286 – 292.
For a season these predicted judgments were stayed, and during the long reign of Jeroboam II the armies of Israel
gained signal victories; but this time of apparent prosperity wrought no change in the hearts of the impenitent, and it
was finally decreed, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own
land." Amos 7:11.
The boldness of this utterance was lost on king and people, so far had they gone in impenitence. Amaziah, a leader
among the idolatrous priests at Bethel, stirred by the plain words spoken by the prophet against the nation and their
king, said to Amos, "O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
but prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court." Verses 12, 13. To this
the prophet firmly responded: "Thus saith the Lord, . . . Israel shall surely go into captivity." Verse 17.
The words spoken against the apostate tribes were literally fulfilled; yet the destruction of the kingdom came
gradually. In judgment the Lord remembered mercy, and at first, when "Pul the king of Assyria came against the land,"
Menahem, then king of Israel, was not taken captive, but was permitted to remain on the throne as a vassal of the
Assyrian realm. "Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the
kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man
fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria." 2 Kings 15:19, 20. The Assyrians, having humbled the ten tribes,
returned for a season to their own land.
Menahem, far from repenting of the evil that had wrought ruin in his kingdom, continued in "the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." Pekahiah and Pekah, his successors, also "did that which was evil in the sight of
the Lord." Verses 18, 24, 28. "In the days of Pekah," who reigned twenty years, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, invaded
Israel and carried away with him a multitude of captives from among the tribes living in Galilee and east of the Jordan.
"The Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh," with others of the inhabitants of "Gilead, and
Galilee, all the land of Naphtali" (1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 15:29), were scattered among the heathen in lands far
removed from Palestine.
From this terrible blow the northern kingdom never recovered. The feeble remnant continued the forms of
government, though no longer possessed of power. Only one more ruler, Hoshea, was to follow Pekah. Soon the
kingdom was to be swept away forever. But in that time of sorrow and distress God still remembered mercy, and gave
the people another opportunity to turn from idolatry. In the third year of Hoshea's reign, good King Hezekiah began to
rule in Judah and as speedily as possible instituted important reforms in the temple service at Jerusalem. A Passover
celebration was arranged for, and to this feast were invited not only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, over which
Hezekiah had been anointed king, but all the northern tribes as well. A proclamation was sounded "throughout all
Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel at
Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.
"So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah," with the pressing
invitation, "Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to
the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. . . . Be ye not stiff-necked, as your
fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into His sanctuary, which He hath sanctified forever: and
serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the Lord,
your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come
again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you; if ye
return unto Him." 2 Chronicles 30:5-9.
"From city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun," the couriers sent out by
Hezekiah carried the message. Israel should have recognized in this invitation an appeal to repent and turn to God. But
the remnant of the ten tribes still dwelling within the territory of the once-flourishing northern kingdom treated the
royal messengers from Judah with indifference and even with contempt. "They laughed them to scorn, and mocked
them." There were a few, however, who gladly responded. "Divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled
themselves, and came to Jerusalem, . . . to keep the feast of unleavened bread." Verses 10-13.
About two years later, Samaria was invested by the hosts of Assyria under Shalmaneser; and in the siege that
followed, multitudes perished miserably of hunger and disease as well as by the sword. The city and nation fell, and
the broken remnant of the ten tribes were carried away captive and scattered in the provinces of the Assyrian realm.
The destruction that befell the northern kingdom was a direct judgment from Heaven. The Assyrians were merely the
instruments that God used to carry out His purpose. Through Isaiah, who began to prophesy shortly before the fall of
Samaria, the Lord referred to the Assyrian hosts as "the rod of Mine anger." "The staff in their hand," He said, "is Mine
indignation." Isaiah 10:5.
Grievously had the children of Israel "sinned against the Lord their God, . . . and wrought wicked things." "They would
not hear, but . . . rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which
He testified against them." It was because they had "left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them
molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal," and
refused steadfastly to repent, that the Lord "afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had
cast them out of His sight," in harmony with the plain warnings He had sent them "by all His servants the prophets."
"So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria," "because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their
God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded." 2 Kings 17:7, 11,14-16,
20, 23; 18:12.
In the terrible judgments brought upon the ten tribes the Lord had a wise and merciful purpose. That which He
could no longer do through them in the land of their fathers He would seek to accomplish by scattering them
among the heathen. His plan for the salvation of all who should choose to avail themselves of pardon through
the Saviour of the human race must yet be fulfilled; and in the afflictions brought upon Israel, He was preparing
the way for His glory to be revealed to the nations of earth. Not all who were carried captive were impenitent.
Among them were some who had remained true to God, and others who had humbled themselves before Him. Through
these, "the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10), He would bring multitudes in the Assyrian realm to a knowledge of the
attributes of His character and the beneficence of His law.
2 Kings 18:13-15 13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the
fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying,
“I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed
Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver
that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house.
2 Kings 18:28-30. 2 Kings 19:35 Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death 35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the
angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and
when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 2 Kings 19:36, 37 So Sennacherib king of
Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was
worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword;
and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 598 – 605.
Chapter 49 - In the Days of Queen Esther
Under the favor shown them by Cyrus, nearly fifty thousand of the children of the captivity had taken
advantage of the decree permitting their return. These, however, in comparison with the hundreds of thousands
scattered throughout the provinces of Medo-Persia, were but a mere remnant. The great majority of the Israelites had
chosen to remain in the land of their exile rather than undergo the hardships of the return journey and the reestablishment of their desolated cities and homes.
A score or more of years passed by, when a second decree, quite as favorable as the first, was issued by Darius
Hystaspes, the monarch then ruling. Thus did God in mercy provide another opportunity for the Jews in the MedoPersian realm to return to the land of their fathers. The Lord foresaw the troublous times that were to follow during
the reign of Xerxes,--the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther,--and He not only wrought a change of feeling in the hearts of
men in authority, but also inspired Zechariah to plead with the exiles to return.
"Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north," was the message given the scattered tribes of Israel
who had become settled in many lands far from their former home. "I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the
heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of
hosts; After the glory hath He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple
of His eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know
that the Lord of hosts hath sent me." Zechariah 2:6-9.
It was still the Lord's purpose, as it have been from the beginning, that His people should be a praise in the
earth, to the glory of His name. During the long years of their exile He had given them many opportunities to return to
their allegiance to Him. Some had chosen to listen and to learn; some had found salvation in the midst of affliction.
Many of these were to be numbered among the remnant that should return. They were likened by Inspiration to "the
highest branch of the high cedar," which was to be planted "upon an high mountain and eminent: in the mountain of
the height of Israel." Ezekiel 17:22, 23.
It was those "whose spirit God had raised" (Ezra 1:5) who had returned under the decree of Cyrus. But God
ceased not to plead with those who voluntarily remained in the land of their exile, and through manifold agencies He
made it possible for them also to return. The large number, however, of those who failed to respond to the decree of
Cyrus, remained unimpressible to later influences; and even when Zechariah warned them to flee from Babylon
without further delay, they did not heed the invitation.
Meanwhile conditions in the Medo-Persian realm were rapidly changing. Darius Hystaspes, under whose reign
the Jews had been shown marked favor, was succeeded by Xerxes the Great. It was during his reign that those of the
Jews who had failed of heeding the message to flee were called upon to face a terrible crisis. Having refused to take
advantage of the way of escape God had provided, now they were brought face to face with death.
Through Haman the Agagite, an unscrupulous man high in authority in Medo-Persia, Satan worked at this time
to counterwork the purposes of God. Haman cherished bitter malice against Mordecai, a Jew. Mordecai had done
Haman no harm, but had simply refused to show him worshipful reverence. Scorning to "lay hands on Mordecai alone,"
Haman plotted "to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of
Mordecai." Esther 3:6.
Misled by the false statements of Haman, Xerxes was induced to issue a decree providing for the massacre of
all the Jews "scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces" of the Medo-Persian kingdom.
Verse 8. A certain day was appointed on which the Jews were to be destroyed and their property confiscated. Little
did the king realize the far-reaching results that would have accompanied the complete carrying out of this
decree. Satan himself, the hidden instigator of the scheme, was trying to rid the earth of those who preserved
the knowledge of the true God.
"In every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning
among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes." Esther 4:3. The decree
of the Medes and Persians could not be revoked; apparently there was no hope; all the Israelites were doomed to
destruction.
But the plots of the enemy were defeated by a Power that reigns among the children of men. In the providence
of God, Esther, a Jewess who feared the Most High, had been made queen of the Medo-Persian kingdom. Mordecai was
a near relative of hers. In their extremity they decided to appeal to Xerxes in behalf of their people. Esther was to
venture into his presence as an intercessor. "Who knoweth," said Mordecai, "whether thou art come to the kingdom for
such a time as this?" Verse 14.
The crisis that Esther faced demanded quick, earnest action; but both she and Mordecai realized that unless
God should work mightily in their behalf, their own efforts would be unavailing. So Esther took time for communion
with God, the source of her strength. "Go," she directed Mordecai, "gather together all the Jews that are present in
Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast
likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." Verse 16.
The events that followed in rapid succession,--the appearance of Esther before the king, the marked favor
shown her, the banquets of the king and queen with Haman as the only guest, the troubled sleep of the king, the
public honor shown Mordecai, and the humiliation and fall of Haman upon the discovery of his wicked plot,--all these
are parts of a familiar story. God wrought marvelously for His penitent people; and a counter decree issued by the
king, allowing them to fight for their lives, was rapidly communicated to every part of the realm by mounted couriers,
who were "hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment." "And in every province, and in every city,
whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day.
And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them." Esther 8:14, 17.
On the day appointed for their destruction, "the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout
all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for
the fear of them fell upon all people." Angels that excel in strength had been commissioned by God to protect His
people while they "stood for their lives." Esther 9:2, 16.
Mordecai was given the position of honor formerly occupied by Haman. He "was next unto King Ahasuerus, and
great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren" (Esther 10:3); and he sought to promote the
welfare of Israel. Thus did God bring His chosen people once more into favor at the Medo-Persian court, making
possible the carrying out of His purpose to restore them to their own land. But it was not until several years later, in
the seventh year of Artaxerxes I, the successor of Xerxes the Great, that any considerable number returned to
Jerusalem, under Ezra.
Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.
Esther 3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in
all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s
laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.
Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
http://ssnet.org/lessons/16a/less05.html