Division 1( SII C 14
Section \i £> O
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT
CHARACTERS
BY
WILBERT WEBSTER WHITE, Ph. D.
Second Revision.
NEW YORK
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION PRESS
1907
COPYRIGHTED, 1 9OO, BY
VHE INTERNATIONAL COM-
MITTEE OF YOUNG MEN**
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION*
ENTERED AT STATIONEM*
•♦XL. LONDON, ENGLAW4)
PREFACE
THE AIM AND THE SCOPE OF STUDIES IN
OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
While the purpose in " Studies in Old Testament Characters "
has been to present for the student a course primarily devotional and
practical, it may be that the scope of the Studies, which is larger than
anything merely biographical, is not sufficiently indicated by the title.
Not only is the attempt made to interpret each character studied
in the light of the immediate historic situation, and to derive valuable
personal instruction from utterances, acts and manifest motives, but
the relation of each character to a greater national and world move-
ment is to some extent considered. This requires a study of the
movement itself. It is sought to know how each age, with its
accumulation from the past, grew out of the past and beyond itself
and moulded its characters, and how in turn each character moulded
his own age and influenced the future.
Characters are personifications of times, and they are products
and potentialities. Into the proper study of Old Testament Charac-
ters, Old Testament History, Psalm and Prophecy must enter.
Moreover, it should be noted that this course is restricted in its
reach by its avowed aim. It must not do critical or much exhaustive
work. It takes for granted that there is in the curriculum a certain
amount of literary and critical Bible Study. This course is the third
of a cycle which is designed to supplement rather than to supersede
college class-room work.
The authors of " Studies in the Life of Christ " and " Studies in
the Acts and Epistles " (the two preceding courses of the series) had
bases for their work already at hand in " A Harmony of the Gospels "
by Stevens and Burton, and " Records and Letters of the Apostolic
Age " by Burton. The advantages of such re-arrangement of the
Bible text as is found in these books have been clearly shown by the
use of these courses by students. The value of similar analysis and
re-arrangement of the material in the Old Testament is equally great
in providing a basis for the study of Old Testament characters. The
amount of material in a volume containing a reprint of the entire Old
Testament text would be too large, however, to meet the purposes for
which this book has been prepared.
The accompanying Analytical Outline it is believed will meet all
the needs of the student pursuing this course. This outline has a
chronological arrangement, and it puts in parallel columns references
to duplicate material.
The Diagrams of Books of the Bible, and of periods of time will
explain themselves. It is hoped that they may help to a clearer grasp
of many historical situations, and a more comprehensive knowledge of
the Old Testament Scriptures.
The words of Professor Burton in his preface to " Records and
Letters of the Apostolic Age" in reference to critical questions as
related to his work, are so suitable to the problems met in the Old
Testament field, that I take the liberty to quote them here, changing
only such words as are necessary to adapt the passage to the Old
Testament : " For the purpose of this work it is assumed that the
claims of authorship made in the books themselves are true. This
course is indeed the one which is most congenial to my own opinions.
While the evidence, or lack of evidence, in a few cases certainly justi-
fies the treatment of the question of genuineness as an open one, such
examination and estimation of it as I have been able to make has not
led me to a positive conclusion against the genuineness of any of the
books with which we here have to do. Yet I have constructed the
work on this basis not so much for the purpose of expressing an
opinion on each of the points at issue, as because, in my judgment, it
best adapts the book to the uses for which it is intended. The ordi-
nary student of the Bible, not specially trained in biblical science,
may well make the genuineness of the Old Testament books his work-
ing hypothesis at least. The mature scholar, if he has reached the
conclusion that all the Old Testament books here under consideration
are genuine, will of course desire them assigned to a place consistent
with this conclusion. If he has reached a different conclusion in any
case, the plan here adopted will at least furnish him a basis of criticism
in an arrangement whose faultiness he will be able to point out."
CONTENTS
FAGE
Titles of the Studies , viii
General Suggestions, ix
Principal Divisions of the Old Testament History
of Abraham and his Posterity xi
Analytical Outline of the Old Testament History
of Abraham and his Posterity, .... xiii
Studies in Old Testament Characters, i
Appendix— Diagrams 217
vii
Titles of the Studies
Study i. Abraham, the Friend of God
Study 2. Abraham, the Friend of God
Study 3. The Sons of Abraham to the
Third Generation
Study 4. The Sons of Abraham to the
Fourth Generation
Study 5. Moses, the Man of God
Study 6. Moses, the Man of God
Study 7. Moses, the Man of God
Study 8. Joshua and the Judges
Study 9. Samuel, the Judge and Prophet
Study 10. Saul, the Rejected of the Lord
Study ii. David, the Man after God's Own
Heart
Study i 2. David, the Man after God's Own
Heart
Study 13. David, the Man after God's Own
Heart
Study 14. David, the Man after God's Own
Heart
Study 15. Solomon, the Son of David
Study 16. Kings and Prophets of Pre- Assy-
rian Times
Study 17. Kings and Prophets of Early-
Assyrian Times
Study 18. Kings and Prophets of Early
Assyrian Times
Study 19. Kings and Prophets of Early
Assyrian Times
STUDY 20. Kings and Prophets of Middle
Assyrian Times
Study 21. Kings and Prophets of Middle
Assyrian Times
Study 22. Kings and Prophets of Late
AssyrianTimes, withReview
Study 23. Jeremiah the Prophet and his
Contemporaries
Study 24. Jeremiah the Prophet and his
Contemporaries
Study 25. Jeremiah the Prophet and his
Contemporaries
Study 26. Jeremiah the Prophet and his
Contemporaries
Study 27. Among the Captives in Babylon
Study 28. Among the Captives in Babylon
Study 29. Leaders of the Reconstruction
Period
Study 30. Leaders of the Reconstruction
Period
§ 1 to § 2 inclusive
§ 2
§ 3 to § 7 inclusive
§ 8 to § 14
§ i5to§ 18 -
§ 18
§ 19 to § 21 inclusive
§ 22 to § 28
§ 29 to § 35 «
§ 36 to § 41
§ 38 to § 43 "
§ 44 to § 54 "
§ 55 to § 63 "
§ 64to§ 71
§ 72 to § 77
§ 78 to § 84
§ 85 to § 91
§ 9 2 to § 99
§100 to §101
§102 to §106 "
§107 to §108 "
§108 to §114
§115 to §117 "
§118 to §128
§129 to §136
§137 to §140
§141 to §142
§142 to §147 "
§148 to §160 "
§161 to §169 M
Studies in Old Testament Characters
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
Read over these suggestions at the beginning of each week.
Scripture supplies no shortcuts for the interect. Expect to apply the
mind with even more vigor in this study than in any other. God's
Word surely has messages to you. Be very simple and sincere in
giving heed.
Follow the order of the day's work. Read and follow each direction
as you come to it. Do not read even the second part of the first
direction before doing the first part.
Do exactly as directed. If the direction is : Glance over the section,
do not read it.
Work with regularity. Do the work of each day in its day.
Employ a portion of the best of the day. Let it be if possible the
first part of the day.
Study the material itself. Do not let the mind wander.
Hurry never, but do not waste time. Be expeditious.
Be always thoughtful.
Be always applying to your life when there is material applicable. Do
not force applications.
Do not strain the material for thought. Let it yield what is there and
be content.
Do not be sidetracked. Keep to the work in hand. Note additional
lines of thought and investigation which suggest themselves, but work
them out at another time.
Develop the historical imagination, but be careful that it be true to
history.
Be on your guard against estimating the characters of ancient times
by present day standards. Take sufficiently into account the political,
religious and social conditions of the times.
Record thoughts, impressions, questions and difficulties. Do not
insist that all questions be answered and all difficulties be removed at
once. Study and wait.
ix
Use the maps and diagrams freely.
Do not pass by marginal references and footnotes.
Be on special guard not to derive answers to questions propounded in
the Studies from some other source than the text. As a rule answers
will be found in the text.
Be patient and persistent. Results will come if you work and wait.
Emphasize prayer. Howsoever brief the time of study may be, at
the beginning of it, definitely lift the heart to God for help and direction.
Make rigid application of the personal thought to the life. Form the
habit of recalling often during the day points from the lesson of the
morning.
z
PRINCIPAL DIVISIONS OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT HISTORY OF ABRA-
HAM AND HIS POSTERITY
Part I.— PREPARATORY CENTURIES: From Abraham until
Moses.
Part II.— NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: From Moses until Solo-
mon.
Part III.— NATIONAL DECLINATION: From Solomon until the
Babylonian Captivity.
Part IV.— TIMES OF RECONSTRUCTION: From the Babylonian
Captivity until Nehemiah.
xi
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT HISTORY OF ABRAHAM
AND HIS POSTERITY
ARRANGED IN PARTS, CHAPTERS, AND SECTIONS
PART I.
PREPARATORY CENTURIES
FROM ABRAHAM UNTIL MOSES
Chapter I. The Generations of Terah
Section
i. The Migration of the Terachites.
Genesis 11:27-32.
2. The History of Abraham.
Genesis 12:1-25:11.
Chapter II. The Generations of Ishmael
3. Names and Dwellings of the Sons of Ishmael.
Genesis 25:12-18.
Chapter III. The Generations of Isaac
4. The Birth and Early History of Isaac's Sons.
Genesis 25:19-34.
5. The Subsequent Career of Isaac.
Genesis 26:1-35.
6. The Blessing of Jacob by Isaac.
Genesis 27:1-40.
7. The Fortunes of Jacob.
Genesis 27:41-35:29.
[Chapter IV. The Generations of Esau]
[Genesis 36:1-37:1.]
Chapter V. The Generations of Jacob
8. The Wickedness of Jacob's Sons.
Genesis 37:2-38:30.
9. The Fortunes of Joseph in Egypt.
Genesis 39:1-41:57.
xiii
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Section
io. The Famine in the Land of Canaan.
Genesis 42:1-45:28.
11. The Descent of Jacob to Egypt.
Genesis 46:1-30.
12. The Settlement of Jacob and his Family in Egypt.
Genesis 46:31-47:12.
1 3. The Last Days of Jacob in Egypt.
Genesis 47:13-49:33.
14, The Las/ of Jacob's Sons.
Genesis 50:1-26.
PART II.
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FROM MOSES UNTIL SOLOMON
Chapter VI. The Life of Moses from his Birth until the Arrival at Sinai
15. The Birth, Training and Call of Moses.
Exodus 1:1-7:7.
16. The Plagues and the Passover.
Exodus 7:8-12:36.
17. The Exodus and the Journey to Sinai.
Exodus 12:37-19:2.
Chapter VII. The Life of Moses from the Arrival at Sinai until His
Death
18. Legislation at Sinai.
Exodus 19:3-40:38; The Book of Leviticus.
19. The Journeyings of Israel in the Wilderness.
The Book of Numbers.
20. The Wilderness Hymn.
Psalm 90.
21. Farewell Addresses, Song and Death of Moses.
The Book of Deuteronomy.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Chapter VIII. Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan
SlCTION
22. Preparation for the Conquest of Canaan.
Joshua 1:1-5:12.
23. The Central, Southern and Northern Campaigns.
Joshua 5:13-12:24.
Chapter IX. Joshua and the Division of Canaan
24. The Inheritance of the Tribes ; Last Acts and Words of Joshua,
Joshua 13:1-24:33.
Chapter X. The Times of the Judges until Samuel
25. The Earlier Judges until Gideon.
Judges 1:1-5:31.
26. Gideon and his Successors.
Judges 6:1-10:5.
27. Jephthah and Samson.
Judges 10:6-16:31.
28. Internal Glimpses of the Times of the Judges.
Judges 17:1-21:25; the Book of Ruth.
Chapter XI. The Life of Samuel until the Anointing of Saul
29. The Early Life of Samuel.
1 Sam. i:i~4:ia.
30. Invasion of the Philistines ; Judgment on the House of Eli.
1 Sam. 4:1^4:22.
31. The Ark of God.
1 Sam. 5:1-7:1.
32. The Gathering at Mizpah ; Ebenezer.
x Sam. 7:2-17.
33. The Request of the People for a King.
z Sam. 8:1-22.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Chapter XII. Samuel and Saul until the Anointing of David
Section
34. The Anointing, Election and Establishment of Saul as King.
1 Sam. 9:1-11:15.
35. Samuel's Valedictory.
1 Sam. 12:1-25.
36. Saul's Wars with the Philistines.
1 Sam. 13:1-14:46, 52.
37. The Rejection of Saul.
1 Sam. 15:1-35.
Chapter XIII. The Decline of Saul and the Rise of David
38. The Anointing, Advancement and Popularity of David.
1 Sam. 16:1-18:9.
39. Saul's Early Attempts on David's Life.
I Sam. 18:10-20:42.
40. David's Life as an Exile.
I Sam. 21:1-27:125 1 Chron. 12:1-18.
41. Closing Scenes of Saul's Life.
1 Sam. 28:1-30:31.
1 Sam. 31:1-13; 1 Chron. 10:1-14.
42. Psalms Reflecting David's Experience as a Shepherd.
Psalms 8, 19, 23, 29.
43. Psalms Reflecting David's Life as an Exile.
Psalms 7, 34, 35, 52, 56, 57, 63, 142.
Chapter XIV. David's Reign over Judah at Hebron
44. The Song of the Bow.
2 Sam. 1:1-27.
45. The Rivals of David Defeated.
2 Sam. 2:1-4:12.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
xvn
Chapter XV. David's Reign over all Israel at Jerusalem
Section
46. David Established as King over the Nation.
2 Sam. 5:1-55 1 Chron. 11:1-3.
I Chron. 12:23-40.
2 Sam. 5:6-10; 1 Chron. 11:4-9.
47. Catalogue and Exploits of David's Mighty Men.
2 Sam. 23:8-39; 1 Chron. 11:10-47.
48. David and the Tyrians and the Philistines.
2 Sam. 5:11-25; 1 Chron. 14:1-17.
2 Sam. 21:15-17.
a Sam. 21:18-22; 1 Chron. 20:4-8.
49. Removal of the Ark to the House of Obed-edom.
1 Chron. 13:1-5.
2 Sam. 6:l-ll; I Chron. 13:6-14.
50. Removal of the Ark to Jerusalem.
2 Sam. 6:12-23; 1 Chron. 15:1-16:7.
Portions of Psalms 105, 95, 106; 1 Chron. 16:8-36.
1 Chron. 16:37-43.
51. Songs of the Removal of the Ark.
Psalms 15, 24.
52. The Promise of Eternal Dominion to the House of David.
2 Sam. 7:1-29; 1 Chron. 17:1-27.
53. David's Foreign Conquests.
2 Sam. 8:1-18; I Chron. 18:1-17.
54. David's Great Hymn of Thanksgiving.
2 Sam. 22:1-51; Psalm 18:1-50.
55. Other Royal Hymns.
Psalms 101, 20, 21, 60, no.
56. David's Kindness to Saul's Son.
2 Sam. 9:1-13.
^7. The Famine and the Execution of Saul's Sons.
2 Sam. 21:1-14.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Section
58. David's Wars with the Ammonites and their Allies.
a Sam. 10:1-19; 1 Chron. 19:1-19.
2 Sam. 1:1; I Chron. 20:1.
2 Sam. 12:26-31; I Chron. 20:2, 3.
59. David's Great Sin and His Repentance.
2 Sam. 11:2-12:25.
60. Psalms of David the Penitent.
Psalms 51, 32.
61. David's Family Troubles.
2 Sam. 13:1-14:33.
62. The Rebellion of Absolom.
2 Sam. 15:1-20:26.
63. Some Psalms Which Reflect Experiences of David's Later Life.
Psalms 41, 39, 55, 3, 4, 25, 28, 58, 61, 62, 63, 109, 143
64. The Census and the Plague.
2 Sam. 24:1-25; 1 Chron. 21:1-27.
65. David's Preparation for the Building of the Temple.
1 Chron. 21:28-22:19.
66. Other Psalms Ascribed in the Psalter to David.
Psalms 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 22, 26, 27, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38,
40, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 86, 103, 108, 122, 131, 133, 138, 139,
140, 141, 144, 145.
67. David as an Organizer.
1 Chron. 23:1-27:34.
68. Solomon Chosen to be David's Successor.
1 Kings 1:1-53.
69. David's Charge About the Temple ; the Offerings and the Prayer
I Chron. 28:1-29:25.
70. David's Last Charge to Solomon.
1 Kings 2:1-9.
71. The Last Words of David.
2 Sam. 23:1-7.
1 Chron. 29:26-30; 1 Kings as 10, II.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Chapter XVI. Solomon, the Son of David
Section
72. Solomon Established upon the Throne of David.
1 Kings 2:12-46.
73. The Ideal King.
Psalm 72.
74. The Wisdom of Solomon.
1 Kings 3:1-4:36; 2 Chron. 1:7-13.
75. The Temple and the Palace of Solomon.
I Kings 5:1-8:66; 2 Chron. 2:1-7:10.
76. The Glory and the Decline of Solomon.
I Kings 9:1-11:42; 2 Chron. 7:11-9:31.
77. The Books Commonly Attributed to Solomon.
The Canticles, The Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
PART III.
NATIONAL DECLINATION
rtOM SOLOMON UNTIL THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
Chapter XVII. Kings and Prophets of Pre-Assyrian Times
78. Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel.
I Kings 11:26-14:31; 2 Chron. 9:31-12:16.
19. A Man of God and an Old Prophet.
1 Kings 13:1-34.
Bo. Ahijah the Prophet and Jeroboam the King.
1 Kings 14:1-20.
Si. Abijam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel.
2 Chron. 13:1-22.
82. The Kings Abijam and Asa of Judah.
1 Kings 15:1-24.
83. The Chronicler's Account of Asa of Judah.
2 Chron. 14:1-16:14 (cf. 1 Kings 15:9-24).
84. The Five Kings of Israel Next After Jeroboam.
1 Kings 15:25-16:27.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Chapter XVIII. Kings and Prophets of Early Assyrian Times
Section
85. Elijah and the Famine in Ahab's Time.
1 Kings 16:28-19:21.
86. Ahab of Israel and Ben-hadad of Syria.
1 Kings 20:1-43.
$7. Ahab of Israel and Naboth the Jezreelite.
I Kings 21:1-29.
88. Ahab of Israel and Micaiah the Prophet.
I Kings 22:1-40; 2 Chron. 18:1-34.
89. Jehoshaphat King of Judah.
1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Chron. 17:1-21:1.
90. The Last Days and the Translation of Elijah.
1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 2:18.
91. Elisha the Prophet,
2 Kings 2:19-8:15.
92. The Sons of Ahab of Israel and of Jehoshaphat of Judah.
2 Kings 8:16-29; 2 Chron. 21:1-22:9.
93. Elisha the Prophet and Jehu King of Israel.
2 Kings 9:1-10:36.
94. Athaliah Queen of Judah and Jehoiada the Priest.
2 Kings 11:1-20; 2 Chron. 22:10-23:21.
95. Jehoiada the Priest and Joash King of Judah.
2 Kings 11:21-12:21; 2 Chron. 24:1-27.
96. Elisha the Prophet and Jehoash King of Israel.
2 Kings 13:1-25.
97. Amaziah of Judah and Jehoash of Israel.
2 Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chron. 25:1-28.
98. The Kingdom of Judah and Joel the Prophet.
Joel 1:1-3:21.
99. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Jonah the Prophet.
2 Kings 14:23-29; The Book of Jonah.
100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the Prophet.
2 Kings 14:23-29; The Book of Amos.
101. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Hosea the Prophet.
a Kings 14:23-29; The Book of Hosea.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Chapter XIX. Kings and Prophets of Middle Assyrian Times
Section
i 02. The Last Six Kings of Israel and Hosea the Prophet.
2 Kings 1 5:8-3 1 j 17:1-41; The Book of Hosea.
103. Uzziah King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet.
2 Chron. 26:1-23; Isa. 6:1-13.
104. Jotham King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet.
2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chron. 27:1-9; Isa. 2:1-5:30.
105. Ahaz King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet.
2 Kings 16:1-20; 2 Chron. 28:1-27; Isa. 7:1-12:6; 14:28-32.
106. Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah, and Micah the
Prophet.
The Book of Micah.
107. Hezekiah King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet.
2 Kings 18:1-20:21; 2 Chron. 29:1-32:33; Isa. 36:1-39:8.
108. Songs of Deliverance from the Assyrian.
Psalms 75, 76, 46, 47, 48.
109. A Summary of Isaiah's Preaching — "The Great Arraignment."
Isaiah 1:1-31.
Chapter XX. Kings and Prophets of Late Assyrian Times
no. Manasseh and Amon Kings of Judah.
2 Kings 21:1-28; 2 Chron. 33:1-25.
111. Nahum the Prophet and the King of Assyria.
The Book of Nahum.
112. Josiah King of Judah.
2 Kings 22:1-23:30; 2 Chron. 34:1-35:27.
113. The Prophet Habakkuk.
The Book of Habakkuk.
1 14. The Prophet Zephaniah.
The Book of Zephaniah.
Chapter XXI. Jeremiah the Prophet and His Contemporaries
115. The Kings of Judah in Jeremiah's Time.
2 Kings 22:1-25:30; 2 Chron. 34:1-36.
xxii ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Section
i 1 6. The Call and the Commission of Jeremiah.
Jer. 1:1-19.
117. The Substance of Jeremiah's Message During the Reign of
Josiah.
Jer. 2:1-6:30; 11:1-12:17.
1 1 8. The Arrest of Jeremiah for Preaching in the Temple Court.
Jer. 26:1-24.
119. The Message of Jeremiah for Which He Was Arrested.
Jer. 7:1-10:25.
120. Jeremiah as an Intercessor.
Jer. 14:1-15:21.
I2i. The Prophet Remaining Unmarried.
Jer. 16:1-13.
122. Various Messages of Warning.
Jer. 16:14-17:27.
123. The Potter's House Visited and the Lesson.
Jer. 18:1-23.
124. The Potter's Vessel and the Lesson.
Jer. 19:1-13.
125. Jeremiah Smitten and Imprisoned by Pashhur.
Jer. 19:14-20:18.
126. Wine Offered by the Prophet to the Rechabites.
Jer. 35:1-19.
127. The Roll Cut and Burned by Jehoiakim.
Jer. 36:1-32.
1 28. The Message of Jeremiah to Baruch.
Jer. 45:1-5.
1 29. Prophecies Against Judah and the Nations.
Jer. 25:1-38; 46:1-49:39.
130. The Linen Girdle and Its Message.
Jer. 13:1-27.
131. The Kings and the False Prophets Arraigned.
Jer. 22:1-23:40.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE xxiil
Section
132. The Vision of the Baskets of Figs.
Jer. 24:1-10.
133. The Symbolic Yokes and Bands.
Jcr. 27:1-11.
134. Jeremiah's Conflict with False Prophets in Judea.
Jcr. 27:12-28:17.
135. Jeremiah's Conflict with False Prophets in Babylon.
Jer. 29:1-32.
136. The Message about Babylon.
Jer. 50:1-51:64.
137. The Book of Consolation, Including the Account of the Pur-
chase of the Field.
Jer. 30:1-33:26.
^38. The Last Days and the Capture of Jerusalem.
Jer. 21:1-14; 34:1-39:18; 52:1-34.
*39. Jeremiah and the Remnant in Judea.
Jer. 40:1-43:7.
140. Jeremiah and the Remnant in Egypt.
Jer. 43:8-44:30.
PART IV.
TIMES OF RECONSTRUCTION
FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY UNTIL NEHEMIAH
Chapter XXII. The Seventy Years in Babylon
141. The Call and the Commission of Ezekiel.
Ezek. 1:1-3:27.
142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Captivity of Judah.
Ezek. 4:1-24:27.
143. Judgments on the Nations.
Ezek. 25:1-32:32.
144. Visions of Restoration of Land, People, and True Worship.
Ezek. 34:1-48:35.
145. The Story of Daniel and His Friends.
Dan. 1:1-6:28.
xxiv ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Section
146. The Visions of Daniel.
Dan. 7:1-12:13.
147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the Exile.
Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137.
Chapter XXIII. The First Return and the Building of the Temple
148. The Edict and the Aid of Cyrus.
Ezra 1:1-11; 2 Chron. 36:22, 23.
149. The Returning Clans.
Ezra 2:1-70.
1 50. The Building of the Temple Undertaken and Delayed.
Ezra 3:1-5:1.
151. The Message of Haggai.
Haggai 1:1-2:23.
152. The Message of Zechariah.
Zech. 1:1-14:21.
153. The Temple Completed.
Ezra 5:2-6:22.
Chapter XXIV. Queen Esther and the Feast of Purim
154. Esther Made Queen.
Esther 1:1-2:23.
155. Hainan's Promotion and Plot.
Esther 3:1-15.
156. The Deliverance of the Jews.
Esther 4:1-9:16.
157. The Feast of Purim.
Esther 9:17-10:3.
Chapter XXV. The Second Return under Ezra
158. The Decree of Artaxerxes and the Journey to Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:1-8:31.
159. The Grief and the Prayer of Ezra.
Ezra 8:32-9:15.
ANALYTICAL OUTLINE
Section
i 60. The Reforms of Ezra.
Ezra 10:1-44.
Chapter XXVI. The Third Return under Nehemiah
161. The Occasion and Circumstances of Nehemiah's Journey to
Jerusalem.
Nch. 1:1-2:8.
162. The Building of the City Wall in Spite of Opposition.
Neh. 2:9-6:19.
163. Reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Neh. 7:1-8:18.
164. A Praiseful Prayer.
Neh. 9:1-38.
165. The Covenant and its Approvers.
Neh. 10:1-12:26.
166. The Dedication of the Walls.
Neh. 12:27-13:3.
167. Correction of Abuses by Nehemiah.
Neh. 13:4-31.
168. The Message of Malachi.
Mai. 1:1-4:6.
169. Some Psalms of the Restoration Period.
Psalms 85, 97, 105, 106, 118, 119, 126, 135, 136, 146-150-
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY i : ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD
ist Day: Preliminary Survey
"Biography is the only true history." — Carlyle.
i. The embodiment of ideal character is in Jesus Christ. As
these are to be Studies in character, for the purpose of character-
building, let the Perfect Model be kept constantly before the mind.
This is the more necessary because, since we are to study the rec-
ords of human lives, we shall often discover imperfections. As an
old painter kept before him perfect gems of different colors that by
frequent glances he might keep his eye perfectly toned while he
wrought, so should the student view every life which he examines
in the light of Him who always did those things which pleased the
Father.
2. The necessity of right living on the part of the student in
order to be able to discern character cannot be overlooked. Ponder
well the meaning of the words of Jesus : "If thine eye be single thy
whole body shall be full of light."
3. The student should reflect as he proceeds, upon the faithful-
ness with which the record relates the evil that men did as well as
the good. The reliability of the record should be judged in the
light of this. You have been taught, probably, that the Bible is
true because it is of divine origin. If it is truly of divine origin it
is true to human nature. God cannot deny Himself, and He has
made man. As you study the records ask yourself: Is this true to
what I know of man? Would one under such circumstances so
act? Apply the psychological test to this Old Testament material.
4. Read the first Psalm for a description of ideal character. Get
the two contrasted scenes there described, vividly before the mind.
A striking parallel to the first Psalm is found in Jeremiah 17*5-8-
Read the verses and note what takes the place here of the chaff in
the picture. See margin of v. 6.
Personal Thought: Which more nearly describes me, the
fruit-bearing tree or the wind-driven chaff? The fruit-bearing tree
or the tamarisk in the desert?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY i : ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD
2d Day: Preliminary Survey
"Whoever reads these writings wherein he is equally convinced, let
him go on with me ; wherein he equally hesitates, let him investi-
gate with me; wherein he finds himself in error, let him return to
me ; wherein he finds me in error, let him call me back to him. So
let us go on together in the way of charity, pressing on toward Him
of Whom it is said, Seek ye His face evermore." — Augustine.
1. Today get before the mind a general view of the scope of these
Studies and the method to be pursued. First read the "General
Suggestions" on page ix. slowly and thoughtfully.
Glance over the Titles of the Studies, page viii.
2. Commit to memory the four Principal Divisions of the Old
Testament History of Abraham and his Posterity, given on page xi.
Glance rapidly through the Analytical Outline as given on pages
xiii to xxv.
Briefly examine Diagrams I, II, and III, in the Appendix.
3. Recall the picture of ideal character given in the first Psalm.
Recall the contrast used in Jeremiah 17:5-8 referred to yesterday.
Read the fifteenth Psalm, which by one has been appropriately called
"The Gentleman's Psalm."
Personal Thought: "Speaketh the truth in his heart" (Psa.
15 :2). Meditate on this. Note the order and the connection in the
verse of "Walketh," "worketh" and "speaketh."
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY i : ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD
3d Day: Preliminary Survey
"Let the whole soul be fed by the study of the whole Bible, that
so there may be no irregularity or inequality in the growth of its
parts and powers." — H. Bonar.
1. Read the first verse and the last verse of Genesis.
2. The account of the creation of all things is confined to one
verse ; the account of the preparation of the earth for man is lim-
ited to one chapter; the account of God's dealing with the fallen
race as a whole under Adam and a second time under Noah, ends
with the eleventh chapter; and the record of God's dealing with
a single individual (Abraham) and his descendants occupies the
remainder of the Old Testament.
In both the instances of God's dealing with the race as a whole
(«. e., from Adam until Noah and from Noah until Abraham), man
failed to respond to God's efforts to reclaim him from sin. Consider
the change of policy (but not of purpose) on God's part in dealing
with man when and after He called Abraham. Glance at Diagrams
II, and III, in the Appendix.
Glance at Diagram IV in the Appendix. Read all the statements
connected therewith.
3. Examine Diagram V in the Appendix, in the following order:
(1) Read over the chapter titles found in the spaces 1-50; (2) Note
the general division of the material by the heavy line between 11
and 12 and drop the eye down to the outline under B; (3) Rapidly
turn through the book following the suggestions under D about the
arrangement of the material. Note especially the narrowing down
process ; (4) Glance over E-I, but do not look up references.
Personal Thought: "I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac
and of Jacob." From what you know of Genesis, think what kind
of a God is there revealed. What is He to me?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY i : ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD
4th Day: § i. The Migration of the Terachites (Gen. ii:
27-32)
§ 2. The History of Abraham (Gen. 12:1 — 25:11)
"He knoweth the way that I take" —
"That thy way may be known upon earth,
Thy saving health among all nations."
1. Read Gen. 11:27-32. For a statement of the religion of
Abraham's ancestors, read Joshua 24 .2 [cf. Deane's Abraham :
His Life and Times, Chapter 1, in Men of the Bible Series.*]
With v. 31 compare Acts 7:2-4.
Read Hebrews 11 :8. How harmonize this with the words "to go
into the land of Canaan" in Gen. 11:31. If you do not at once
think of an explanation, proceed to the next suggestion.
2. Read Gen. 12:1-3. Is there any indication here that the
writer of the account introduced into Gen. 11:31 his own knowl-
edge of the destination of Abraham, and that Abraham really did
not know where he was going when he left home?
Dwell upon the greatness of the promise which was given to
Abraham when he was called to make a great sacrifice. Does God
always give more than He takes if we will receive?
3. What indications does Gen. 12:1-3 give that God was choos-
ing Abraham with a world-wide and beneficent purpose in view?
Are we to think of the Jewish Nation as chosen to favoritism or to
service? Glance at Diagram II. Note the relation of, and dwell
for a moment upon the words, "Be thou a blessing." How fully
have the words of vv. 2 and 3 been already verified?
Personal Thought: "There is no man that hath left house, or
wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God's
sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this time and in the
world to come eternal life" (Luke 18:29, 30). Do I believe this?
*The student is not expected during the time of daily study to look up
references to historical sidelights, nor is it necessary that he do so at all. It
is recommended, however, that later the portions be read.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY i : ABRAHAM, THE FRIEND OF GOD
5th Day: § 2. The History of Abraham (Gen. 12:1—25:11)
" 'To know the Lord.' That is a bold aim for my finite soul, and
yet it will be satisfied with nothing less. It is not by searching thou
canst find out God — it is by following Him." — Matheson.
1. Read Gen. 12 :4-
3* 'A- Read
Proverbs 1 :24~30.
Personal Thought: Saul was rejected because he refused to
obey God. The lesson of his awful failure is : "To obey is better
than sacrifice." Let me think for a moment to what extent, if at
all, I am making the fatal mistake of trying to make amends for
failure to obey God by external, formal worship.
72 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY ii : DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
ist Day: § 38. The Anointing, Advancement and Popularity
of David (I Sam. 16:1 — 18:9)
"A biography should be read with an endeavor to find out what
were the vital forces of the man, and what the leading principles
that ruled and toned his conduct and relations. Find the one thing
that most impresses you in every life, and that will suggest the
message God meant to send by making, endowing and guiding that
man." — Tuck.
1. The following outline should be often recalled as the life of
David is studied:
I. David until the death of Saul:
1. His life as a Shepherd.
2. His life as a Courtier.
3. His life as an Exile.
II. David's Reign over Judah at Hebron.
III. David's Reign over all Israel at Jerusalem.
1. Period of Prosperity.
2. Period of Adversity.
3. Period of a Measure of Tranquillity.
2. Read the headings of Chaps. I-XV in the Analytical Outline.
Read the titles of sections under Chaps. XII-XV.
3. For some early glimpses of David, read the following pas-
sages: 1 Sam. 9:1, 2; 16:6-13; 16:17-21; 17:32-37; 17:45-47;
18:1-5.
For a late glimpse of David, read 1 Kings 2:1-4.
4. On the propriety of the title of this Study, read 1 Sam. 13:13,
14; 1 Kings 11:4; Acts 13:22. In deciding what was chiefly in
Samuel's thought when he used the words, "The Lord hath sought
him a man after his own heart," do not fail to observe that he was
thinking of and speaking to Saul. Note what he regarded as Saul's
great failure. Read again 1 Sam. 13:13, 14.
Personal Thought: "The Lord seeth not as man seeth
the Lord looketh on the heart." How large a part does personal
appearance, social position, or intellectual attainment have in my
estimate of others? Is my judgment of myself and other men
regulated by the true standard?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 73
STUDY 11: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
26. Day: § 39. Saul's Early Attempts on David's Life (i
Sam. 18:10—20:42)
"To act the part of a true friend requires more conscientious feel-
ing than to fill with credit and complacency any other station or
capacity in social life." — Mrs. Ellis.
1. The section contains four important interviews, in every one
of which Jonathan appears. We study David today by studying
chiefly his friend. The order and limits of these interviews are
given below. As you read the passages, do not fail to give full
weight to the fact that Jonathan was heir apparent to the throne.
Was ever a friend so disinterested? (1) 1 Sam. 19:1-7; (2) I
Sam. 20:1-23; (3) 1 Sam. 20:27-34; (4) 1 Sam. 20:41, 42.
2. "The name of Jonathan will remain forever as the perfect pat-
tern of friendship. — Kingsley.
"The possibilities of noble and self-denying friendship lie in
character It was religious rather than natural affinity which
brought these young men into fellowship." (Read here 1
Sam. 14:6 and 17:47.) "Such self-sacrificing love was only pos-
sible to two pious souls Friendship rises into its full dignity
only when the strain of life brings stern testing times
Through Jonathan comes to us this divine revelation : True
friendship never hesitates at self-sacrifice, for it is of the very es-
sence of friendship that each should love the other more than him-
self, and therefore should be ready to 'lay down his life for his
friend.' " — Tuck.
Personal Thought: Jonathan gave place— he laid down his
life for his friend. "While we were yet sinners Christ died for
us" (Rom. 5:8). How does my life stand the test of my best
friend's words: "Ye are my friends if ye do the things which I
command you?"
74 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY ii : DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
3d Day: § 40. David's Life as an exile (i Sam. 21:1 — 27:12;
1 Chron. 12:1-18)
"God doth not need
Either man's work, nor His own gifts. Who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at His bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest.
They also serve who only stand and wait." — Milton.
1. Read the following passages, which yield much in the way of
revealing the real character of David. Think, as you read, of the
expression, "A man after God's own heart" 1 Sam. 22:22, 23;
23:2-4, 9-17; 24:3-15; 25:32, 33, 39; 26:7-11, 17-24. "This was
the man after God's own heart, the man who thoroughly believed
in God as a living and righteous Being; who in all changes of for-
tune clung to that conviction; who could act upon it, live upon it;
who could give himself up to God to use him as He pleased; who
could be little or great, popular or contemptible, just as God saw
fit that he should be ; who could walk on in darkness secure of
nothing but this, that truth must prevail at last, and that he was
sent into the world to live and die that it might prevail ; who was
certain that the triumph of the God of Heaven would be for the
blessing of the most miserable outcasts upon earth." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: How fully have I come to believe and to
rest m the assurance that if I quietly and faithfully proceed to do
my duty as it is made known to me, no one can prevent my coming
to the place and doing the work which God has in His thought
for me?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 75
STUDY 11: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
4th Day: § 40. David's Life as an Exile (i Sam. 21:1 — 27:12;
1 Chron. 12:1-18)
§ 41. Closing Scenes of Saul's Life (i Sam. 28:1—
31:13)
1. "We certainly should not shrink from describing David in the
terms in which the Bible itself describes him. It sets before us
broadly and without comment just the temptations which a man in
such a position would be likely to fall into, — and leaves it to our
conscience, enlightened by its own teaching, to say when he did or
did not fall into them, — it takes still more pains to make us under-
stand what the man himself was, the purpose of his being, the light
by which he was guided. David in the cave of Adullam, amidst
his wild, reckless companions, is essentially the same man as David
in the sheepfolds, or David fighting the Philistine. He had not
chosen his own circumstances, he had been thrown into them. He
did not rebel against Saul. He did not deny his authority, or plot
against his life even when he had cast him off. He had no home,
and he was compelled to seek one where he could find it. I do not
know where a better home could have been provided for him than
among these men in distress, in debt, in discontent. If it behooved
a ruler to know the heart of his subjects, their sorrows, their
wrongs, their crimes ; to know them and to sympathize with them ;
this was surely as precious a part of his schooling, as the solitude
of his boyhood, or as any intercourse he had with easy men who
had never faced the misery of the world, and had never any motive
to, quarrel with its laws." — Maurice.
2. With the suggestion of the above quotation in mind about
the education of David which his years of exile life afforded him,
read 1 Cm-on. 12:1-18; 10:1-14 and as far into 1 Sam. Chaps. 21 —
31 :i3 as your time will permit, not forgetting to be on guard against
judging David by standards of a more enlightened age than his own.
In reading today you might pass over the portions read yesterday.
Personal Thought: "And David said in his heart, I shall now
perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for
me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines." 1
Sam. 27:1. Was this proper reasoning? Consider it in the light
of former deliverances. How often is my reasoning like this?
76 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY ii : DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
5th Day: § 42. Psalms Reflecting David's Life as a Shepherd
(Psalms 8, 19, 23, 29)
'The finest poetry was first experience." — Emerson.
1. Do not miss the point that in Psalm 8 man's greatness in
God's plan is brought out in contrast with his physical insig-
nificance. This may be called The Midnight Hymn. "One thing
seems clear: that even if this psalm were not written during Da-
vid's shepherd life, it must, at least, have been written while the
memory of that time was fresh in his heart, and before the bitter
experiences of his later years had bowed and saddened his spirit."
2. Compare "Thy heavens, the work of thy fingers," Psalm 8, and
"The firmament showeth his handiwork," Psalm 19. Read Psalm
19, noting as you do so the progress of it from, (1) the external,
vv. 1-6, to (2) the internal, vv. 7-10, to (3) a personal application,
vv. 11-14. This Psalm (19) may be called The Sunrise Hymn.
3. "I do not suppose that the Twenty-third Psalm was written
in the Psahnist's childhood ; but it is at least a reminiscence of it,
and brings vividly before us the scenes and feelings which his
memory recalled when it was reverted to the golden morning of his
youth." — Binnie.
Compare "Restoring the soul," Psalm 19, and "He restoreth my
soul," Psalm 23. Read Psalm 23, noting the marginal reading of v.
4, and allowing this to suggest the continuation of the figure of the
shepherd and the flock. The figure of the host takes the place of
that of the shepherd in the last two verses.
4. Psalm 29 may be called The Thunderstorm Hymn. Delitzsch
calls it the Psalm of the Seven Thunders. It begins with "Gloria
in Excelsis," and ends with "Pax in Terris." The description is
so vivid that the direction of the storm may be traced. Picture the
shepherd receiving the impressions of this scene as he crouched with
his sheep under some rock for shelter. There was evidently a
rainbow after this storm as suggested by the words: "The Lord
sat as king at the Flood."
Personal Thought: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want"; (1) His constant presence; (2) His knowledge of my
need; (3) His provision; (4) His guidance; (5) His protection.
Think on these things. To what degree do I enjoy these blessings?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 77
STUDY 11: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
6th Day: § 43. Psalms Reflecting David's Experiences as an
Exile (Psalms 7, 34, 35, 5 2 , 54, 56, 57,
59, 63, 142)
"The sweetest songs are those
Which tell of saddest thought."
I. "The passage from the visions of youth and the solitary re-
solves of early and uninterrupted piety to the naked realities of a
wicked world, and the stern self-control of manly godliness, is ever
painful and perilous. Thank God ! it may be made clear gain, as it
was by this young hero psalmist." — Maclaren.
2. As you read Psalms 7, 59 and 34, which may express David's
experiences as an exile, note :
1. The imagery suggestive of wilderness and camp life.
2. The protestations of sincere innocence.
3. The frequent expression of calm trust in God and assur-
ance of deliverance.
'Come, ye children/ he says in a psalm (34) which a reasonable
tradition connects with this part of his life: 'Come, ye children,
and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that
lusteth to live, and would fain see good days? Keep thy tongue
from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile. Eschew evil and
do good, seek peace and ensue it. The eyes of the Lord are over
the righteous: His ears are open to their cry.' This is no dull
sermon of a man discoursing to wretched people against sins to
which he has no mind. It is the honest, hearty, sympathetic voice
of a captain speaking to a band, eacli one of whom he knows, telling
of a right of way which they may follow together, and of a wrong
way into which he is as much in danger of straying as ourselves." —
Maurice.
Personal Thought: Meditate upon the statements in Psalm
34, in which the word all occurs, and ask yourself to what extent
your experience corresponds to that of the psalmist.
78 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY ii : DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
7th Day: § 43. Psalms Reflecting David's Experiences as an
Exile (Psalms 7, 34, 35, 52, 54, 56, 57,
59, 63, 142)
"A man has only as much religion as he can command in the time
of trouble." — Andrew Fuller.
1. Recall the circumstances which the superscription of Psalm
52 suggests. Note "I trust," "I will wait," vv. 8, 9.
"Not for himself alone was David led through such experiences.
As face answereth to face in a glass, so doth the heart of believer
to believer in religious experience ; and these psalms are but like
the speaking-tubes in the chamber of affliction, through which we
may send up our cry to Him who is our helper." — Maurice.
2. Note the superscription and read Psalm 57. Observe the
prevalence of petition at the beginning, and the predominance of
praise at the close.
3. Psalm 142 is a gem. Read it thoughtfully. It is worthy a
place on the list to be memorized as soon as possible.
"In desultory warfare, and in eluding the pursuit of Saul, against
whom David never employed any weapon but flight, several years
were passed. The effect of such life on his spiritual nature was to
deepen his unconditional dependence on God ; by the alternatives
of heat and cold, fear and hope, danger and safety, to temper his
soul and make it flexible, tough and bright as steel. It evolved
the qualities of a leader of men ; teaching him to command, and
forbearance, promptitude and patience, valor and gentleness." —
Maclaren.
Personal Thought: Dwell upon the words of Psalm 131, "I
have stilled and quieted my soul." What do they mean in the light
of the figure? Have I recovered from the disappointment of not
having my own poor little way, in the enjoyment of the larger life
which God had in mind for me when He took child's food and
toys away?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 79
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
1st Day: § 44. The Song of the Bow (2 Sam. 1:1-27)
1. Recall the outline of the life of David given in Study EI, 1st
Day.
Read again the headings of Chaps. XII-XV of Analytical Outline
and the titles of §§ 38-71.
2. Read 2 Sam. 1:1-27. The story of the Amalekite was clearly
a fabrication. This most pathetic of funeral odes is divided into
two parts : vv. 19-24 laments the fall of Saul and Jonathan ; vv.
25-27 commemorates the friendship of Jonathan and David. Note
the strophical arrangement marked by the thrice used refrain which
gives the keynote of the elegy, "How are the mighty fallen." Read
1 Sam. 18:4; 1 Sam. 20:20. Have we in the name of this elegy
a reminiscence of the gift of the bow to David?
"Not only is there in David's lament no revengeful feeling at the
death of his persecutor but he dwells with unmixed love on
the brighter recollections of the departed. He speaks only of the
Saul of earlier times, the mighty conqueror, the delight of his peo-
ple, the father of his beloved and faithful friend." — Stanley.
Personal Thought: Note in Psalm 11 how reason comes in
to repel the insinuations of the tempter that the foundations were
removed, and that there was no alternative but to flee. Faith is
strengthened by the consideration that the Lord is trying the
righteous. In what measure do I intelligently resist temptation?
80 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
26. Day: § 45. The Rivals of David Defeated (2 Sam. 2:1—
4:12)
"All things come round to him who will but wait." — Longfellow.
1. Read the 101st Psalm, and ask yourself as you proceed today
whether the sentiments might have been those of the son of Jesse
as he took the throne at Hebron.
2. Examine the section (2 Sam. 2:1 — 4:12) to note: (1) Da-
vid's delay for divine direction, 2:1; (2) The conciliatory message
to the men of Jabesh-gilead, prompted probably by both policy and
gratitude, 2:5-7; (3) The widespread knowledge that David had
been chosen by God to be Saul's successor, 3:17,18; (4) The vin-
dictive unscrupulousness of Joab in slaying Abner, 3 -.27. Did
jealous fear of Abner as a rival likely enter into the motive for this
deed? (5) The political bearing of David's lamentation over
Abner, 3:31, 35, 36, 37. But was it not sincere? See 3:28; (6)
The revelation of character in David given in 4:9-11.
3. Recall the thought of Psalm 101, and read the following:
"If David took this disordered, miserable country of his fathers into
his hands, — not as a prize which he had won, but as a heavy and
awful trust for which he had been prepared in the sheepfolds, which
he could only administer while he remembered that the Lord was
his Shepherd, and that He was the Shepherd of every Israelite and
of every man on the earth, — then, however hopeless seemed the
materials with which he had to work, and which he had to mould, —
he might believe confidently that he should be in his own day the
restorer of Israel, and the witness and prophet of the complete
restoration of it and of mankind." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: Do I heartily approve and act in harmony
with the / wills of Psalm 101 ? -
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 81
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
3d Day: § 46. David Established as King Over the Nation
(2 Sam. 5:1-5; 1 Chron. 11:1-3; 12:23-40; 2
Sam. 5:6-10; 1 Chron. 11:4-9)
§ 47. Catalogue and Exploits of David's Mighty
Men (2 Sam. 23:8-39; 1 Chron. 11:10-47)
"Unless we beware, the Word, which is meant to point us away
to God, may actually intervene and hide Him from us. The mind
may be occupied and interested and delighted at what it finds, and
yet because this is more head knowledge than anything else, it may
bring little good to us. If it does not lead us to wait on God, to
glorify Him, to receive His grace and power for sweetening and
sanctifying our lives, it becomes a hindranca instead of a help." —
Murray.
1. Read 2 Sam. 5:1-5, and the parallel passage, 1 Chron. 11:1-3.
In reading did you notice the addition in the account in Chronicles?
The combined account gives what reasons for the choice of David
as King by the elders? Glance at 1 Chron. 12:23-40, noting espe-
cially vv. 32, 38-40.
2. Spend a moment only on the account of the capture of Jeru-
salem, 1 Chron. 11 :4~9. Read Judges 1 :2i. Examine 2 Sam. 23 :8-39
for its light on David's character and management of men. The
story of the Bethlehem well is the most interesting part. Note es-
pecially vv. 19, 23.
Personal Thought: "Now I know that the Lord saveth." By
what do I know this? What are the two or three clearest evi-
dences that He has saved and does save me?
82 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
4th Day: § 48. David and the Tyrians and the Philistines
(2 Sam. 5:11-25; 1 Chron. 14:1-17; 2 Sam. 21:
15-17; 2 Sam. 21:18-22; 1 Chron. 20:4-8)
§ 49. Removal of the Ark to the House of Obed-
edom (1 Chron. 13:1-5; 2 Sam. 6:i-ii; i
Chron. 13:6-14)
"Five minutes spent in the companionship of Christ every morn-
ing — ay, two minutes, if it is face to face and heart to heart, will
change the whole day, and make every thought and feeling differ-
ent." — Drummond.
1. Read the Samuel passages given above with the title of § 48,
noting what is said about David's reference of matters to the Lord.
See passage in 1 Chron. 20:4-8, on statement in 2 Sam. 21:18-22
about Goliath. Look a second time at 2 Sam. 5:12. What two
things did David perceive?
"The distinguishing peculiarity of David as a King was that he
recognized in the most loyal manner the higher royalty of God,
and regarded himself as a mere human vice-regent." — Taylor.
2. Read 1 Chron. 13:1-14. Read Numbers 4:5, 15, 19, 20.
What effect would this severe stroke upon the first violation of the
law likely produce upon David and the people?
Personal Thought: "Let us have grace whereby we may offer
service well-pleasing to God, with reverence and awe : for our God
is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28). What is the tendency of the
present time in the matter of reverent fear? In what measure have
I yielded to this tendency? By what am I admonished to be on
guard against a lack of reverence for God?
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STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
5th Day: § 50. Removal of the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam.
6:12-23; 1 Chron. 15:1 — 16:43)
§ 51. Songs of the Removal of the Ark (Psalms
15, 24.
Saith an old divine: "Make me what thou wilt, Lord, and set
me where thou wilt — anywhere where I may be serviceable. Let
me be employed for thee, or laid aside for thee, exalted of thee, or
trodden under foot for thee. I freely and heartily resign all to thy
pleasure and disposal."
1. Read 2 Sam. 6:12-23, noting especially v. 21. Read the paral-
lel account in Chron. 15:1 — 167, looking for any results of the
death of Uzzah (see 15:2 ff., especially v. 13).
2. Read and meditate upon Psalms 15 and 24.
"The unity of the nation does not stand in the walls of the capi-
tal city. When David had made this conquest from the Jebusites,
and had set up his throne in it, he was impatient until he had
brought the Ark of God there, and placed it, with songs and shout-
ings and dancings, on the holy hill. That Ark had been the wit-
ness to the people that they were one people, because they had the
one God dwelling in the midst of them. It spoke to them of a
permanent Being, of a righteous Being, always above His creatures,
always desiring fellowship with them — a fellowship which they
could only realize when seeking to be like Him. 'Who shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord?' So spake David as he brought the Ark
to its resting place. 'Even he that hath clean hands and a pure
heart.' " — Maurice.
Personal Thought: How does my life stand the test of the
fifteenth Psalm?
84 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
6th Day: § 52. The Promise of Eternal Dominion to the
House of David (2 Sam. 7:1-29; 1 Chron.
17:1-27)
One characteristic of the Old Testament is that it has "a forward
look, an air of anticipation of things yet to come. If the skeptic
will not acknowledge prophecy, all the more he must acknowledge
what in reality is every bit as wonderful, the power to forebode,
as the bud forebodes the blossom and the fruit. If there were noth-
ing else to divide the Old Testament from all other religious books,
it possesses this one, this unique distinction, that it expects the
New Testament, that it bears in its bosom the stirring of a life
more august, more profound than its own life."
1. Referring to 2 Sam. 7:1-20 note: (1) What of the sentiment
underlying v. 2? (2) Notice in v. 3, and ff., the distinction made
between the prophet's private opinion, and his message when in-
structed by God; (3) Do not miss the antithesis in vv. 5 and 11;
(4) The reply of what New Testament personage to a message
from heaven, does v. 25 remind one? Give thought to: (1) The
content and significance of the message of the prophet, and (2) The
manner in which the information was received by David. This
humble, grateful prayer of faith here recorded, contains a revela-
tion of David's character well worth studying.
Personal Thought: "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my
house that thou hast brought me thus far?" Pause a moment to
answer this question. Then pass to think of the assurance for the
future which you are justified in having. This should induce hum-
ble, grateful prayer as in David's case.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 85
STUDY 12: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
7th Day: § 53. David's Foreign Conquests (2 Sam. 8:1-18; 1
Chron. 18:1-17)
§ 54. David's Great Hymn of Thanksgiving (2 Sam.
22:1-51; Psalm 18:1-50)
"You know how often Christ and His apostles in their epistles
speak of hearing and not doing. If you accustom yourself to study
the Bible without an earnest and very definite purpose to obey, you
are getting hardened in disobedience. Never read God's will con-
cerning you without honestly giving up yourself to do it at once,
and asking grace to do so." — Murray.
1. Examine key verses in 2 Sam. 8:1-18. They are 6, II, 14, 15-
2. Give your time and thought to Psalm 18 in § 54. 'This
Psalm throbs with the life blood of devotion." There is here a
"continuous tide of unmingled praise." Before reading this Psalm
continuously, note: (1) The substance of the Psalm might be ex-
pressed thus : I love Thee, O Lord, because Thou hast heard my
prayer and hast granted me great deliverance, for which I will give
Thee thanks everywhere forever; (2) Name over and think of the
significance of each of the figures in vv. 1, 2; (3) Read v. 16 after
v. 6, observing that between these verses is a "description unsur-
passed in sublimity and grandeur. Instead of pagan attempts at a
likeness of God, we have here painted, with equal descriptive ac-
curacy, poetic force and theological truth, the pitchy blackness
which hides Him All this splendor flames out because a poor
man prays, and all the upheaval of earth and the artillery of heaven
have simply this end in view, that a poor man may be delivered.
The paradox of prayer never found a more bold expression than in
this triumphant utterance of the insignificant occasion for, and the
equally insignificant result sought by the exercise of the energy of
Omnipotence." — Maclaren.
. Personal Thought: "Thy condescension hath made me great"
(Psa. 18:35). What meaning do these words convey to me?
Am I able to say I believe I know something of the transforming
influence of the love of God? Can I in reality use the first expres-
sion of this Psalm?
86 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
1st Day: § 56. David's Kindness to Saul's Son (2 Sam.
9:1-13)
§ 57. The Famine and the Execution of Saul's
Sons (2 Sam. 21 n-14)
§ 58. David's Wars with the Ammonites and their
Allies (2 Sam. 10:1-19; 1 Chron. 19:1-19; 2
Sam. ii :i; i Chron. 20:1; 2 Sam. 12:26-31; 1
Chron. 20:2, 3)
"What a chimera then is man! What a novelty, what a monster,
what a chaos, what a subject of contradiction, what a prodigy! A
judge of all things, feeble worm of the earth, depositary of the
truth, cloaca of uncertainty and error, the glory and shame of the
universe !" — Pascal.
I. Read for today the passages given above with titles of §§ 56
and 57, making such record of results as you may deem proper.
As one becomes better acquainted with the customs and laws of
the times of David, there is less of surprise at the revolting parts
of the account, and increasing wonder at the number of acts and
words which were manifestly in advance of the age. But as we
learn more of history and of our own heart, are we not constrained
to cry : "How vain at best is man !" Truly the patience of God
with our race and with us as individuals is infinite. When will
His goodness lead us to repentance? When you have opportunity,
read note II, p. 234, in the Cambridge Bible Com., on 2 Sam., where
the execution of Saul's sons is considered ; also Mozley's Ruling
Ideas in Early Ages, Lecture VIII., on the Law of Retaliation.
Personal Thought: We condemn foul crime in the ancients.
Are we sure we have not the possibilities in us? If this darker
self which is not very far from the surface in any one of us, gets
the upper hand, to what lengths may it not run? A simple change
of environment makes devils of apparently civilized men. Am I
sure I am beyond that? Lord, have mercy and preserve us from
ourselves.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 87
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
2d Day: § 59. David's Great Sin and His Repentance (2 Sam.
11 :2 — 12:25)
"I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see
them not ashamed." — Dean Swift.
1. Read 2 Sam. 11:2—12:25, after thinking for a moment of
three precursors to David's fall. They were Prosperity, Idleness,
and Self-indulgence. As you read note the aggravations of his sin,
and how one sin leads to another.
2. "It is one object of the Holy Scripture to paint sin in its true
colors. No friendly flattery, no false modesty, draws a veil over
this dark scene in David's life. It is recorded as a warning (1
Cor. 10:11, 12) that even holy men may yield to temptation and
fall into gross sin ; that one sin almost inevitably leads to others ;
that sin, even when repented of, brings punishment in its train." —
Kirk Patrick.
"How can we presume of not sinning, or despair for sinning,
when we find so great a saint thus fallen, thus risen." — Bishop
Hall.
"Why should we dwell on the wretched story? Because it
teaches us, as no other page in the history of God's church does,
how the alchemy of Divine love can extract sweet perfumes of
penitence and praise out of the filth of sin; and therefore, though
we turn with loathing from David's sin, we have to bless God for
the record of it, and for the lessons of hope that come from David's
pardon." — Maclaren.
Personal Thought: Read 2 Sam. 12:5, 6. Here is rapid and
bitter condemnation by a transgressor, of sin in another transgres-
sor. How true to nature is this! Have I been trying to hide the
light which would show me the foul spots in my own soul, by
projecting these spots outside of myself, and pronouncing sentence
upon them in another man? "Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst
visit him!"
88 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
3d Day: § 60. Psalms of David the Penitent (Psalms 51
and 32)
"Many make a mock at David's sin who say nothing of his re-
pentance. It is enough for them to read in one place that he was
the man after God's own heart, and in another that he committed
these great sins, and forthwith they turn the battery of their scorn
on the religion of the Bible What really is the distinction
between the people of God and the wicked on the earth? Is it that
the one class commit no sin, while the other fall into iniquity?
No. The difference lies in this: that when the child of God falls
into sin, he rises out of it and leaves it, and cries to God for par-
don, purity and help ; but when the ungodly man falls into sin, he
continues it. It is a poor, shallow philosophy that sneers at such a
history as this of David ; it is worse : It is the very spirit of Satan,
rejoicing as it does, in the iniquity of others." — Taylor.
"Nobody buys a little passing pleasure in evil at so dear a rate,
or keeps it for so short a time as a good man." — Maclaren.
1. Probably about a year passed between the crime and the confes-
sion. For David's experience during that time read Psalm 32 :3, 4,
What glimpses of this wretchedness does Psalm 51 furnish? Psalm
51 comes first in order of time. Read it for its profound views of
sin, for its depth and fervor of penitence, and for the wideness
of the mercy of God which it reveals. Read Psalm 32. The very
gladness of it witnesses to the sadness of sin which had gone be-
fore.
Personal Thought: Reflect upon the relation of the words,
"And in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psa. 32:2) to what pre-
cedes them in the Psalm. Does my belief that Christ died for my
sins produce in me increasing hatred of sin and resistance to sin?
If it does not, in my spirit there is guile, and my sin is not covered ;
my transgression is not forgiven.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 89
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
4th Day: § 61. David's Family Troubles (2 Sam. 13:1—14:33)
§62. The Rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1—
20:26)
"Sorrow tracketh wrong
As echo follows song.
On! On! On! On!"
1. Recall the outline of the life of David given in Study 11, ISt
Day. Spend a moment on the subjoined table of approximate dates.
Reign of David at Hebron B.C. 1055-1048
Reign of David at Jerusalem 1048-1015
Period of foreign wars (2 Sam. c. 8). 1045-1035
Adultery with Bath-sheba 1035
Amnon's outrage 1034
Absalom's rebellion 1023
Period of tranquillity and growth 1023-1015
David's death 1015
2. After reading 2 Sam. 13:1—14:33, consider the following:
(i)The curse of the clever but unprincipled friend; (2) ; The char-
acteristic of human nature to hate one whom you have injured; (3)
David's hands weakened in dealing with his sons by consciousness
of his own guilt; (4) The sons probably incited to evil by their
father's sins; (5) Chap. 13:39, and Chap. 14 indicate that political
and judicial reasons stood in the way of the recall of Absalom;
(6) Have you already discovered what an advantage Joab had over
David owing to David's sins? (1) Would not Absalom justify him-
self for killing Amnon, and would not popular sympathy be with
him? (8) Poor David! How his sin is finding him out! His suf-
fering must have been intense. Surely the enemies of God did not
let go the great occasion given them to blaspheme. (See 2 Sam.
12:14.)
Personal Thought: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap." What am I sowing? Am I deceiving myself with the
thought that because the evil effects of indulgence are not at once
apparent, therefore the harvest will never come? Am I patient
in well-doing, assured that in due season I shall reap if I faint not?
go STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 13: DAVID THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
5th Day: §62. The Rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1—
20 :26)
"Sorrow tracketh wrong
As echo follows song.
On! On! On! On!"
1. The two chapters for today are 2 Sam. 15, 16. Try to extract
the thought without reading every word. Key verses for estimat-
ing the real David are: 13:21; 15:24; 16:10, 11, 12. There is
no single day of Jewish history of which so elaborate an account
remains as that on which David fled from Absalom. ( Sam. 15:16
— 17:22.) With 2 Sam. 16:1-4, compare 2 Sam. 19:24-30. Which
man was the rascal?
2. "In one word, David is a man of faith and a man of prayer.
Faith, again, it is, to turn from David's highest to his lowest
phase — faith in God, it is which has made that 51st Psalm the model
of all true penitence forevermore. Faith in God, in spite of his full
consciousness that God is about to punish him bitterly for the rest
of his life. Faith it is which gives to that Psalm its peculiarly
simple, deliberate, manly tone, free from all exaggerated self-accu-
sation, all cowardly cries of terror. He is crushed down, it is true.
But crushed by what? David has discovered a forgiving God.
This model of all truly penitent prayers — is that of a man who is to
be punished, and is content to take his punishment, knowing that
he deserves it, and far more besides." — Kingsley.
"David's great characteristic was faith in God, a deep and abiding
realization of the unseen Lord and an entire dependence upon His
guidance. It showed itself most living and most potent in his great
repentance. It is seen also in his resignation under God's chastening
hand, in his meek endurance of the punishment of his sin, in the
humility which caused him to bear reproach and contumely as only
a righteous retribution." — Deane.
Personal Thought: Meditate upon 1 Sam. 15:25, 26. Try to
penetrate to the heart of the man who uttereth these words, and to
understand him. In spite of his sins, what is the effect of a compari-
son of his religion with mine? Does my faith hold me as high as
David's held him?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 91
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
6th Day: § 62. The Rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1—
20 :26)
"Sorrow tracketh wrong
As echo follows song.
On ! On ! On ! On !"
1. The two chapters for today are 2 Sam. 17, 18, and as you
read them, try to divine David's thoughts during those days when
he was crushed in spirit, humiliated before his people, and degraded
in his own estimation. Think with him his thoughts in the night
watches and be instructed against sin.
2. "Faults ! the greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious
of none. Readers of the Bible, above all, one would think, might
know better. Who is called there the man according to God's own
heart ? David, the Hebrew king, had fallen into sins enough ; black-
est crimes; there was no want of sins. And thereupon unbelievers
sneer and ask, Ts this your man according to God's heart?' The
sneer, I must say, seems to me but a shallow one. What are faults?
What are the outward details of a life, if the inner secret of it — the
remorse, temptations, true, often-baffled, never-ending struggle of
it — be forgotten? Of all acts, is not, for a man, repentance most
divine? The deadliest sin, I say, were that same supercilious con-
sciousness of no sin. That is death. The heart so conscious is
divorced from sincerity, humility, and in fact — is dead. David's life
and history I consider to be the truest emblem ever given of a
man's moral progress and warfare here below. All earnest souls
will ever discern in it the faithful struggle of an earnest human
soul toward what is good and best. Struggle often baffled sore,
baffled down into entire wreck, yet a struggle never ended; ever
with tears, repentance, true, unconquerable, purpose begun anew.
That a man's struggle be a faithful, unconquerable one, that is the
question of questions." — Carlyle.
Personal Thought: The last sentence of the quotation above
may well be used to test my life. How faithful, how unconquer-
able has been my fight? Is it possible that I am saying, There is no
hope of victory? If so, it is because I have not been faithful. I
have been regarding sin in my heart. "Renew a steadfast spirit
within me, O God."
92 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 13: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
7th Day: § 63. Some Psalms Which Reflect Experience of Da-
vid's Later Life (Psalms 41, 39, 55, 3, 4> 2 5>
28, 58, 61, 62, 63, 109, 143)
"In our religion we want nothing so much as more of God. Un-
der heaven there is no way of getting this but by close personal com-
munion. Do not be content in your morning watch with anything
less than seeing the face of God, having the assurance that He is
looking on you in love, and listening and working in you." — Murray.
1. You will recall characteristics of Psalms of the Exile life (see
Study 11, 6th day). The Psalms which most likely reflect the
experience of the times of Absalom's rebellion both resemble and
differ from these. Their resemblance consists chiefly in their expres-
sion of confidence in God. In these later Psalms there is prominent :
(1) Absence of assertion of innocence; (2) Submission to the will
of God; (3) Assertion of trustfulness in God in spite of everything;
(4) Much of prayer.
2. Read Psalm 143, which on account of its prevailing tone of
despondency and Septuagint superscription has been thought by many
to belong to the period in mind.
Judge of the propriety of the following statements, as you examine
the Psalms indicated : "Psalm 63 was probably written between the
flight from Jerusalem and the passage of the Jordan. Psalm 3 is a
morning hymn, and Psalm 4 an evening hymn composed on the day
following that on which he quitted Jerusalem." — Kirkpatrick.
Personal Thought : What a God these Psalms reveal ! One to
whom one may go in his distress. One to converse with whom but
for a moment, renews the strength. One before whom the heart
may be laid open with assurance that no confidences shall be betrayed.
"As for me, I will call upon God. My hope is in Thee."
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 93
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
1st Day: § 64. The Census and the Plague (2 Sam. 24:1-25;
1 Chron. 21 -.1-27)
"Don't let your doubts trouble you too much ; and don't feel that
you've got to resolve them all. Often the best thing you can do with
your doubts is to hang them up to dry. Then, when a good time
comes, you can take them down again to look at. In many cases
you'll find that somehow they've settled themselves ; they are no
longer doubts." — Bushnell.
1. These words of Bushnell about doubts have an application to
certain difficulties connected with today's section. You may or you
may not be satisfied with explanations which are given in various
commentaries and lives of David. Make yourself acquainted with
these as you have opportunity. Do not prejudge, is the one cau-
tion here given. Until you are sure that all the evidence is in, wait.
2. After reading the passage in Samuel (2 Sam. 24), see if a
comparison of the account in 1 Chron. 21:1-27 sheds any light on
the situation. Grasp and keep where they belong, such central
thoughts as: (1) David charged himself, not God, with foolishness
and sin. Even Joab anticipated trouble, but David insisted ; (2) The
sin when recognized was confessed; (3) While the account does
not exculpate Israel, David takes all the blame to himself ; (4)
David's large experience with both man and God led him to believe
the divine compassion to be greater than that of man; (5) The grace
of God in staying the plague, and in providing for the expiation of
the sin.
Personal Thought: "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man,
and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord"
(Je. 17:5). How much thought do I give to avoidance of the
perilous way here pointed out?
94 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
2d Day: § 65. David's Preparation for the Building of the
Temple (i Chron. 21:28 — 22:19)
A prayer — "O God, who hast commanded us to be perfect, as Thou
our Father in heaven art perfect : put into our hearts, we pray Thee,
a continual desire to obey Thy holy will. Teach us day by day what
Thou wouldst have us to do, and give us grace and power to fulfil
the same. May we never, from love of ease, decline the path which
Thou pointest out, nor, for fear of shame, turn away from it. Amen."
1. Give a few minutes to Diagram XVI. (See Appendix.) One
of the great differences between the accounts about David in Samuel
and Chronicles is, that in Samuel David the man is prominent, while
in Chronicles the theocratic ruler establishing Jehovah's worship is
emphasized. You will not fail to observe the prominence given in
Chronicles to the Ark and the Temple with the arrangements for
worship.
2. What led David to the conclusion announced in 1 Chron. 22:1?
Read Chap. 22 :2-i9 for its revelation of David's character.
With David's words to Solomon, v. 13, compare Deut. 31 :6, 7, and
Joshua 1 :6, 7.
The great ambition of David's life was to build a house for the
Lord. The spirit in which he abandoned the project is most
commendable. A most instructive contrast is traceable between Saul
and David in their treatment of the messages of God sent to them
by men. David invariably followed instructions. His life's motto
was: "I come to do thy will, O my God." Do you say he failed?
He did not fail, as a rule. It was in his heart to obey God. Such
was not Saul's purpose.
Personal Thought : As I review my past, how continuously have
I responded without hesitation to the will of God as made known
to me? Am I able to recall any instances when I have been re-
buked by God's message? How did I act then? Did I confess and
turn from sin, or did I resent or ignore the message?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 95
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
3d Day: § 66. Other Psalms Ascribed to David (Psalms 5, 6,
9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 22, 26, 27, 30, 31, 35, 36,
37, 38, 40, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 86, 103, 108, 122,
131, 133, 138, 139, 140, 141, 144, 145)
"There is still a good deal of obscurity, and consequent differ-
ence of opinon on several points necessary to be determined before
the precise number of the Psalms contributed by David can be
ascertained Meanwhile the approximate estimate is sufficient
to show that the reign of David was, beyond all controversy, the
Augustan age of sacred psalmody." — Binnie.
"The force of David's character was vast, and the scope of his
life was immense. His harp was full-stringed, and every angel of
joy and of sorrow swept over the chords as he passed; but the
melody always breathed of heaven. — Edward Irving.
1. A glance at the list of other Psalms ascribed to David (see
above, § 66) will indicate that half of them are before the fortieth.
The Psalter was divided into five books. In the superscriptions of
the first book (1 — 42), no author except David is mentioned.
We shall assume in these Studies that the superscriptions are
correct, reserving the right to judge as we read each Psalm wheth-
er it is likely David wrote it, and if so, when in his life he did
write it. We should, however, be on double guard, not to allow
questions of date and authorship to monopolize our time for feed-
ing the soul.
2. Remembering that the words are records of a soul's utterance
before God, read Psalms 5, 6 and 9, noting how many of the
sentiments you can breathe out heartily to your God. Offer as
your prayer as much of these Psalms as appears appropriate.
Linger on the portions which most strikingly express what you
feel you would like to say to God.
Personal Thought: The Psalmists did not complain about
God, but they did not hesitate to tell Him their troubles, and to
call upon Him for help. What conception of God is one led to be-
lieve the writer of the 5th Psalm to have had ? Does it differ from
our best conception of God?
96 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
4th Day: § 67. David as an Organizer (i Chron. 23:1 —
27:34)
"It is one thing to ask God to help us in our plans; it is quite
another thing to ask God how we can be helpers in His plans.
Every man is glad to have God's help ; only now and then is a man
found whose first thought is how he can help God. What is your
chief desire in your morning prayer for the day? Your honest an-
swer to that question may reveal to you your spirit and purpose in
life." — Trumbull.
"What Moses had commenced, and Joshua had for a time and
in part completed, what Samuel had lived but to accomplish, and
had but half realized, was established first on a permanent basis by
David. He gave to his nation that unity which made combination
for national good practicable His piety was thoroughly practi-
cal, and he aimed at making the whole nation of one mind with
himself in this important matter. He elaborated a grand system of
worship, and secured the regular and decent performance of divine
service David showed remarkable ability in organizing." —
Deane.
1. Read Psalm 13, noting how soon the suppliant passes from
the deep valley to the mountain top. Account for this.
2. Read Psalm 16. Note the use made of it in Acts Chap. 2.
What is your choice of verses?
3. Read Psalm 17. Of several choice parts, do not miss the
contrast in vv. 14, 15, suggested by the words, "They are satisfied
— I shall be satisfied."
Personal Thought: Re-read the words of Trumbull above and
answer the question asked. As you meditate upon this let your eye
rest upon the first verse of Psalm 17.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 97
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HEART
5th Day: § 68. Solomon Chosen to be David's Successor (i
Kings 1:11-53)
§ 70. David's Last Charge to Solomon (i Kings
2:1-9)
"A short special communion with the Unseen and Eternal pre-
vents the soul from ever being again so completely the slave of
the things of sense and time." — Brooks.
1. Read 1 Kings 1:1 — 2:11. Consider David's advice to Solo-
mon about Joab and Shimei in the light of 1 Kings 1 :j ; 2 :22, 27,
28, 36, 37, 38, 42-46. Is one justified in concluding at once, that
David's advice to Solomon was in satisfaction of private rancor,
and was actuated by personal resentment? Were not these two
men foul plotters against the stability of Solomon's rule, and was
it not with the public weal in mind that David thus advised his son?
2. "We have seen that the life of David is the life neither of a
mere official, fulfilling a purpose in which he has no interest, nor of
a hero without fear and without reproach ; but of a man inspired
by a divine purpose, under the guidance of a divine teacher, liable to
all ordinary errors, as likely as any of us to fall into great sins.
The interest we feel in him is strong and personal We
should have wished, perhaps, to see his sun set with peculiar splen-
dor ; to be told of some great acts, or to hear some noble words,
which would assure us that he died a saint. The Bible does not in
the least gratify this expectation. It represents him in the bodily
feebleness, in something like the dotage of old age. The last sen-
tences which are reported of him concern the after-administration
of his son's kingdom, and the punishment of some of his mischiev-
ous subjects. Of all his words, they are perhaps those which we
least care to remember Not by momentary flashes does God
bid us judge of our fellow-creatures; for He who reads the heart
and sees the meaning and purpose of it, judges not of them by
these." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: "Be thou strong therefore, and shew thy-
self a man." What is it to shew one's self a man, and how may I
be strong in the truest sense?
98 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
6th Day: § 69. David's Charge About the Temple; the Offer-
ings and the Prayer (i Chron. 28:1 — 29:25)
"Our reverent feeling toward God is always in danger of setting
Him afar off, as if He did not care for and had little to do with
these lives that He has made." — Brooks.
1. The section for today is rich in its revelation of David's char-
acter, and of the nature of God and His relation to character. As
you read (1 Chron. 28:1—29:25) you will not fail to get vividly
before you the picture of the aged king advising his young son
and the people over whom he was to rule in the hearing of each
other. Note the emphasis which he puts upon true sincerity of
heart. Observe how he seizes the opportunity for securing large
contributions to the Temple fund, and himself sets an example of
liberality. Give special attention to David's prayer, which is the
core of the section.
2. "It was David's supreme peculiarity that he was sensitive to
the presence of God, to the thought of God, to the working of God
David learned in early life heart-rest in God. And this was
the dominating force of his life. This gave him his uniqueness,
his individuality. Here was a man to whom God was a living, bright
reality. Wherever he was, he was with God. Into whatever com-
pany he went he carried the suggestion of God. Back of David
men could always find God So it may be said that David's life-
power lay in his personal piety. His character — his religious char-
acter — his strong sense of God and of God's direct relations to every-
thing that concerned him — these give the revelation which was carried
in the person of David to all generations. It is plain that early piety
may be expected to unfold into a life of steadfast good. This man
was a man after God's own heart because he was a child after
God's own heart, an open-souled child, to whom the sense of God
would come, could enter in, could do its transforming work." —
Tuck.
Personal Thought : How real to me, and how constant is a
sense of the presence of God? How may I cultivate this sense?
What are the advantages of this sense?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS oo
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
7th Day: § 71. The Last Words of David (2 Sam. 23:1-7; 1
Chron. 29:26-30; 1 Kings 2:10, 11)
"The hearts of men are their books ; events are their tutors ; great
actions are their eloquence." — Macaulay.
1. Read 2 Sam. 23:1-7. Note: (1) What is said of David; (2)
What of his rule; (3) The figure used to represent the results of
this rule. Think into the full force of this in the light of the rainy
season in Palestine; (4) Consider whether the portrait here drawn
looks forward to an ideal ruler; (5) Give heed to the marginal
readings.
2. Read 1 Chron. 29 -.26-30. Recall the occasion on which Nathan
is mentioned in the history of David ; also that with which Gad
was associated. Dwell for a moment once more on the uniformity
of David's disposition to heed the prophetic voice.
Look again at 1 Sam. 13:14, and its immediate context, and read
the following: "When Samuel, speaking of David, said that he was
a man after God's own heart, he did not mean that he was a man
sinlessly perfect, but that he was a man who would go right where
Saul had gone wrong; a man who would regard himself not as su-
preme in the state, but as God's vicegerent there, and in the govern-
ment of the people would aim at fulfilling not his own will, but the
will of God." — Macgregor.
3. Read the following very slowly and note to what extent you
approve the estimate here given : "Perhaps the most striking charac-
teristic of the life of David is its romantic variety of circumstances.
None of the great men of Scripture touched human life at so many
points. His character also was singularly full and versatile. David
is like his own harp of many chords, through which the breath of
God murmured, drawing forth wailing and rejoicing, the clear ring
of triumphant trust, the low plaint of penitence, the blended har-
monies of all devout emotions. The man had faults — grave enough.
Let it be remembered that no one has judged them more rigorously
than himself That union of the soldier and the poet gives the
life a peculiar charm We see the true poetic temperament, with
all its capacities for keenest delight and sharpest agony, with its
ioo STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 14: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN
HEART
7th Day: § 71. The Last Words of David
tremulous mobility, its openness to every impression, its gaze of
childlike wonder, and eager welcome to whatsoever things are lovely,
its simplicity and self-forgetfulness, its yearnings 'after worlds half
realized/ its hunger for love, its pity and its tears. He was made
to be the inspired poet of the religious affections.
"And on the other side, we see the greatest qualities of a military
leader of the antique type Sagacious, full of resource, prudent
in counsel, and swift as lightning in act ; frank and generous, bold
and gentle, cheery in defeat, calm in peril, patient in privations and
ready to share them with his men, modest and self-restrained in
victory, chivalrous to his foes, ever watchful, ever hopeful — a born
leader and king of men.
"The basis of all was a profound, joyous trust in his Shepherd God,
an ardor of personal love to Him, such as had never before been
expressed, if it had ever found place in Israel. That trust 'opened
his mouth to show forth' God's praise, and strengthened his 'fingers
to fight' He has told us himself what was his habitual temper, and
how it was sustained: T have set the Lord always before me.
Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore
my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth.' " — Maclaren.
Personal Thought: "The Lord is my shepherd." The Oriental
shepherd knows his sheep ; is the constant companion of his sheep ;
leads, protects, and provides for his sheep. "Lo, this God is our
God, He will be our guide even unto death." How fully do I take
this in? Can I not go out into this day with new strength because
of a clearer grasp of this greatest of truths?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 101
STUDY 15 : SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
1st Day : § 72. Solomon Established upon the Throne of David
(1 Kings 2:12-46)
§ 73. The Ideal King (Psalm 72)
"After all, the principal work in life for any man, whatever his
calling or profession, is in bringing men to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. I would have every young man who is pursuing a liberal
education, bear in mind that it is not through scholarship that this
work is to be done. In my opinion, the best specific preparation for
this, the great work of every Christian's life, is a thorough mastery
of the English Bible from Genesis to Revelation." — Principal Coy.
1. Read 1 Kings 2 112-46, noting the fact that the request of Ado-
nijah, according to the customs of those days, would be understood
as a reassertion of his claims to the throne. Interpret David's
last words to Solomon, § 71 (1 Kings 2:5-9), in the light of this
record.
2. Spend a little time thinking out and estimating the influences
brought to bear upon Solomon up to the time of his coronation.
Psalm 72 (§ 73) sets forth the kingly office more fully and more
ideally than any other Old Testament passage. It is traditionally
ascribed to this period when the national development reached its
height.
3. Examine the Psalm, asking yourself whether it might be an ex-
pression of David's wish for his son. Consider the universality, the
beneficence, and the permanence of the reign here described. Sol-
omon did not fulfil the hope of this prayer. Does not one feel in-
stinctively that a greater than Solomon is here? Did not Solomon
at his best serve as a suggestion of David's greater Son?
Personal Thought: What measure of assurance do I possess
that the ideal described in the 72d Psalm shall one day be realized?
How much is my life stimulated and directed by the vision of this
world ruled in righteousness by Jesus Christ?
102 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 15 : SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
2d Day: § 74. The Wisdom of Solomon (i Kings 3:1 — 4:34;
1 Chron. 1 7-13)
"To know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom." — Milton.
1. Read 1 Kings 3-1-28, making a record of such thoughts as
impress you. Merely glance at vv. 1-28 of the following chapter
(1 Kings 4), and read vv. 29-34.
Three books of the Bible are commonly ascribed to Solomon — The
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. After a good deal of
what we believe to be unprejudiced investigation, we cannot say that
we are sure that tradition is totally misleading here. Of the Song of
Songs, Farrar in Solomon: His Life and Times, pp. 171-173, says:
"Perhaps the conjecture may be too bold, but if the beautiful Shula-
mite had her prototype in Abishag, whom Adonijah sought in mar-
riage, and the mere mention of whose name made Solomon flame
in pitiless anger, then the poet may conceivably have meant to point
a silent contrast between the mother of Solomon, who though wedded
and rich, yielded with disgraceful facility to the temptations of a
guilty king, and 'the fairest among women/ the village maiden, who
inflexibly resisted a more innocent advance."
2. The central theme of the Song of Songs is found in 8 :6, 7.
"Love is strong as death. Many waters cannot quench love." Read
the verses. The Song of Songs in form is idyllic. It "tells us in
dramatic form of how pure love in humble life triumphed over the
splendid seductions of a royal wooer."
3. Recur in thought, for a moment, to the choice of Solomon with
which this day's Study began.
Personal Thought: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt.
6:33). What application has this verse to the case of Solomon?
How completely dominant over my life is the command here given?
What definite experience have I had of the truth of this promise?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 103
STUDY 15: SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
3d Day: § 77. The Books Commonly Attributed to Solomon
"The nobler the truth or sentiment, the less imports the question
of authorship." — Emerson.
1. Following is a practical outline of the book of Proverbs :
Superscription and introduction, Chap. 1:1-6.
I. The Wisdom section, Chaps. 1:7 — 9:18.
Here are set forth the blessings of wisdom, and the dangers of
unchastity. In every chapter is found the expression, "My son."
II. The great collection of moral, religious and prudential precepts,
with appendices. Chaps. 10:1 — 24:34.
1. Single-sentence maxims, Chaps. 10:1 — 22:17.
2. Appendix 1, Chaps. 22:18 — 24:22.
3. Appendix 2, Chap. 24 :23-34.
III. Gleanings by the men of Hezekiah, with appendices,
Chaps. 25 :i — 31 131.
1. The Hezekiah collection, Chaps. 25:1 — 29:27.
2. Appendix 1, The words of Agur, Chap. 30:1-33-
3. Appendix 2, The words of Lemuel, Chap. 31 H-31.
2. Spend a few minutes only on Prov. Chaps. 1-9 as a whole,
underlining the expression, "My son" and the word "wisdom," and
allowing your mind to dwell on a verse here and there as it is
inclined. Chap. 3:13-18 is a good passage to memorize.
3. Read aloud Proverbs, Chap. I, checking with pencil in the
margin most striking sentiments. Read James 1:5-8; 3:13-18.
Personal Thought: Note the sentiment of two or three pas-
sages which you checked with pencil as you read, and ask yourself
why you marked them. Test your life by them and by Prov. 2 13-5.
104 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 15 : SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
4th Day: § 75. The Temple and the Palace of Solomon (i
Kings 5 :i— 8:66; 2 Chron. 2:1—7:10)
"Every student needs a wider life and a deeper life. Christ did
those two things for His disciples. He widened the circle of their
ideas, and He deepened the intensity of their convictions. The
hardest things in the world to unite are breadth of apprehension
with intensity of convictions." — President Faunce.
1. While many modern critics have questioned (for reasons
which we think inconclusive) the Solomonic authorship of Proverbs,
Chaps. 1 — 9, there is general agreement that the bulk of the remain-
der of the book is Solomon's. No more time can be given in these
Studies to these valuable precepts, but the student is advised himself
to make place for them, if at all possible. If you find that the
directions here given do not consume all your time for daily Bible
study, read a chapter from the Proverbs in addition each morning
until you have completed the book. Mark the most striking proverb
of each chapter.
2. Read I Kings 8:12-66, for its revelation of God as conceived
by Solomon, and for its revelation of Solomon at his best. Note
what is said about the stranger. In this is part of the revelation of
God here given.
3. Read Acts 7 146-49 J John 4 :2i-23.
Personal Thought: Continuing on this passage in John, con-
sider the Father as the object of worship. Think of the meaning
of worship. It is worthship. The Father seeks those who appre-
ciate and acknowledge His worth. What place in my devotions does
worship have ? How am I to grow in appreciation of the worthiness
of God?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 105
STUDY 15 : SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
gth Day: § 76. The Glory and the Decline of Solomon (i
Kings 9:1 — 11:42; 2 Chron. 2:1 — 7:10)
"In your morning watch, let renewal of surrender to absolute obe-
dience for the day be prominent: let confession and prayer be defin-
ite. Let your outlook on the day you are entering upon be a
very determined resolve that obedience to God shall be its controll-
ing principle." — Murray.
1. Read 1 Kings 9:1-9. Compare the parallel passage, 2 Chron.
7:11-22. Recall the time and occasion and message of the former
dream. (See 1 Kings 3:5 ff. Compare 1 Kings 6:38; 7:1; and see
2 Chron. 8:1 for time.) It would appear that this second com-
munication from God came to Solomon at or near the middle of his
reign. The second twenty years of Solomon's reign witnessed his
greatest external, political glory and his religious decline. Did you
notice the note of warning in this second dream?
2. Have you yet noticed a marked difference between the
record of David's life and that of Solomon? David as a man is
much more fully set before us, and in the record of him is much of
spiritual instructiveness ; whereas Solomon's life is composed mainly
of details about commerce, buildings and organizations. Solomon,
the official, is more prominent than Solomon, the man.
Personal Thought : In my best moments — when the unseen and
eternal is most real to me, and when visions of God and self come —
am I warned against anything which I am allowing? I may be able
to pray in public better than ten years ago, but how much stronger
am I in my heart against the seductions of sin?
io6 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 15: SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
6th Day: § j6. The Glory and the Decline of Solomon (I
Kings 9:1 — 11:42; 2 Chron. 7:11 — 9:31)
"Tis but the moral of all human tales:
'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past:
First freedom and then glory: when that fails,
Wealth, vice, corruption — barbarism at last." — Selected.
1. Read 1 Kings Chap. 11. Why is the account of Solomon's
apostasy not found in Chronicles? Spend a moment or two on Dia-
grams XVI and XVII, noting the time, purpose, etc., of the writing
of the Kings and Chronicles. What indications have you that Sol-
omon's religious decline was gradual? Does the passage for today,
compared with 2 Chron. 8:11, furnish one? What was the secret
of this failure? What reason is given in today's passage?
2. What is your opinion of the following estimates of Solomon?
"I have not read of any king who so belied the promise of his
early days, and on whom prosperity produced so fatal an apostasy
as Solomon." — Lord.
"Saul, with his early meekness and magnanimity, and his troubled
soul, and his tragic end ; David, in his heroism, and his fall, and his
penitence, are far more interesting and significant figures for man-
kind than the brilliant builder and trafficker who grew into an uxo-
rious, a ruined and an apostate autocrat. The story of Solomon is
the story of one whose heart was perverted and his will enervated
by luxury and pride." — Farrar.
"Saul was self-willed ; David was self-subdued ; Solomon was self-
contained. The religion of Saul was associational ; the religion of
David was personal; the religion of Solomon was official. The
story may be read in yet another light. Man is a composite being,
and each man has to decide which part of himself shall rule the
whole. Saul made the body rule; David made the heart rule, and
Solomon made the mind rule. So these first three kings illustrate
primary religious truths for all the ages." — Tuck.
Personal Thought: "His heart was not perfect with the Lord
his God, as was the heart of David his father." From my knowledge
of David what characteristic of his do I understand the writer to
have in mind when he wrote these words ? Is my heart perfect with
God in this sense?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 107
STUDY 15: SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
7th Day: § yy. The Books Commonly Attributed to Solomon
(Canticles, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes)
"Lord, before I commit a sin it seems to me so shallow that I may-
wade through it dry-shod from any guiltiness ; but when I have com-
mitted it, it often seems so deep that I cannot escape without drown-
ing. Thus I am always in the extremities; either my sins are so
small that they need not my repentance, or so great that they can-
not obtain Thy pardon. Lend me, O Lord, a reed out of Thy sanc-
tuary truly to measure the dimensions of my offenses. But O, as
Thou revealest to me more of my misery, reveal also more of Thy
mercy." — Thomas Fuller.
1. The following from the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus (not
Ecclesiastes) 47:13-21, well marks the stages of Solomon's career:
"Solomon reigned in a peaceable time, and was honored ; for God
made all quiet round about him, that he might build an house in
His name, and prepare His sanctuary forever. How wise wast thou
in thy youth, and as a flood, filled with understanding ! Thy soul
covered the whole earth, and thou filledst it with dark parables. Thy
name went far into the islands ; and for thy peace thou wast beloved.
The countries marveled at thee for thy songs, and proverbs, and
parables, and interpretations. By the name of the Lord God, which
is called the Lord God of Israel, thou didst gather gold as tin,
and didst multiply silver as lead. Thou didst bow thy loins unto
women, and by thy body thou wast brought into subjection. Thou
didst stain thy honor, and pollute thy seed: so that thou broughtest
wrath upon thy children, and wast grieved for thy folly. So the
kingdom was divided, and out of Ephraim ruled a rebellious king-
dom."
Apart from all questions of authorship, there is a fitness in the as-
sociation of the Song of Songs with the pious youth of Solomon,
the Proverbs with his prosperous manhood, and the book of Ec-
clesiastes with his later and declining years.
2. Key expressions and words are in Ecclesiastes: (1) "Under
the sun," which occurs about thirty times; (2) "under heaven";
(3) "on the earth"; (4) vanity, work, no profit, toil, etc.
The thought of the book of Ecclesiastes may be stated in the
108 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY is : SOLOMON, THE SON OF DAVID
7th Day: § 77. The Books Commonly Attributed to Solomon
(Canticles, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes). Con-
tinued
words of 1 Cor. 7:31: "Use the world, as not abusing it: for the
fashion of this world passeth away." The theme might be stated
thus: A discussion of the abuse and use of this world.
The theme as developed might be stated thus:
I. The abuse of the world is folly. Note the expression "under
the sun." This proved:
I. By an exhaustive personal experience.
^ 2. By extensive observation.
3. By consideration of various forms of so-called earthly
good.
II. The use of the world should be moderate and in the light of
two facts:
1. What you enjoy is God's gift.
2. Remember that the judgment is coming.
3. The book does not yield satisfactorily to an outline. The fol-
lowing is as good as any:
Prologue — The problem — 1:1-11.
I. The Highest Good not found in wisdom, pleasures, or toil,
Chaps. 1, 2.
II. The Highest good not found in commercial or political
pursuits, Chaps. 3, 4, 5.
III. The Highest Good not found in wealth and the golden
^ mean, Chaps. 6 — 8:15.
IV. The Highest Good found in enjoying present and hoping
for future good, Chaps. 8:16 — 12:7.
Epilogue — The solution, Chap. 12:8-14.
Give attention for the remainder of your time today to the epilogue
(Chap. 12:8-14). If possible before passing to the next Study,
read the entire book without interruption in the light of suggestions
given above.
Personal Thought: Meditate upon the prayer found at the
head of this day. Ask God to help you to make it in reality your
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 109
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
1st Day: § 78. Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel
(1 Kings 11:26 — 14:31; 2 Chron. 9:31 — 12:16)
"Early and provident fear is the mother of safety."— Burke.
1. Discover in 1 Kings 11:26-40: (1) What is said of Jero-
boam's ancestry, character, and ability; (2) What is said about
David; (3) The reasons assigned for giving Jeroboam ten tribes;
(4) The condition on which his kingdom would be established.
2. Look up on a map the location of the tribe of Ephraim to
which Jeroboam belonged. Ephraim was the son of Joseph the
great ruler of the past time. Joseph's bones were in the North
country (see Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32). Note in this connec-
tion where Rehoboam went to be made king (1 Kings 12:1).
Joshua belonged to Ephraim also. These facts throw light upon
and explain the significance of the revolt against Judah as headed
by the tribe of Ephraim. Think down into this.
3. Examine 1 Kings 12:1-20 for: (1) Its revelation of the char-
acter of Rehoboam, (2) Some new light on the character of Solo-
mon. In the advice of the old men is found a suggestion of the
influences of the last days of David, and in that of the young men,
a suggestion of the influences of the last days of Solomon. Think
on the lowering of the level of morality which must have occurred
during the reign of Solomon.
Personal Thought: "He took counsel with the young men
that were grown up with him, that stood before him." Whose coun-
sel do I seek? What should one be on double guard to avoid in
seeking counselors? Does the Wonderful Counselor have His place
in my life?
no STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
2d Day: § 78. Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel
(1 Kings 11:26—14:31; 2 Chron. 9:31—12:16)
"When the Lord changes our petitions in His answers it is always
for the better. He regards (according to that well known word
of St. Augustine) our well more than our will. We beg deliverance ;
we are not unanswered if He give patience and support." — Robert
Leighton.
1. Read 1 Kings 12:21-33. Who was the messenger of God to
Rehoboam? Did Rehoboam show any disposition to consult God
about plans? Who had before advised Jeroboam of God's will?
What indication is there that Jeroboam, after becoming king, did not
seek this prophet's advice, or that of any other man of God? Note
the expression in v. 30. "And this thing became a sin." Locate
Bethel and Dan.
2. Note what is said in 2 Chron. 11:1-23 about the migration
of the God-fearing priests and people.
3. What is Shemaiah called in 2 Chron. 12:15? What was he
called in the record of yesterday? .(See 2 Chron. 11:2.) Re-read
2 Chron. 12:12-14, and 1 Kings 14:21-31, and estimate the charac-
ter of Rehoboam.
Personal Thought: "He did that which was evil, because he
set not his heart to seek the Lord." What is it to set the heart to
seek the Lord? What is there in setting the heart to seek the Lord
which delivers from evil doing?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS in
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
3d Day: § 79. A Man of God and an Old Prophet (i Kings
I3.I-34)
"In the absence of a clear command, stay where you are and do
your stint as if it were the finishing touches of the universe. Wait
on close and present duty. Let only a clear, sharp call cause you
to look up. Be willing and obedient and busy. God will make you
hear." — Wooley.
1. The quotation given above has a special application to the
incident related in today's portion. Be looking for it.
Read 1 Kings 13:1-34.
"It is not difficult to trace the inducements which led to the ut-
terance of that lie. The old prophet was one of those whose souls
had once been visited by the visions of the Most High. But they
seem to have vanished from him. His continued residence at
Bethel, now that it had become the house of idols, was an actual in-
stance and for the future an unlimited promise of compliance with
evil. In such an one, painfully conscious of the fading away of the
prophetic power, there would, of necessity, be a craving for ac-
knowledgment by a brother in the great company of the prophets,
even for the satisfaction of his own uneasy conscience The
temptation to the other came in so seductive a shape — for old proph-
ets counselling ease to kill the self-denying zeal of younger spirits,
are ever Satan's chosen instruments He who had received his
own command direct from God, suffered it to be overborne by the
word of a man Surely we must read in such a spectacle the
glory and the risk of being the servant of the jealous God." —
Wilberforce.
Personal Thought: Dwell upon the last sentence above and
upon the quotation at the head of the page.
112 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
4th Day: § 80. Ahijah the Prophet and Jeroboam the King
(1 Kings 14 :i-2o).
§ 81. Abijam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel
(2 Chron. 13:1-22)
"You do not educate a man by telling him what he knew not, but
by making him what he was not, and what he will remain forever."
— Ruskin.
1. Read 1 Kings 14:1-20. What is the most striking fact or
lesson here set forth? Do not miss the point, which seems to be
plain, that Jeroboam did not trouble himself about true prophets until
he himself got into trouble. Has there been any intimation in the
record that he ever consulted Ahijah after the announcement that
he should be king, until this time?
2. Note the omission (2 Chron. 13:5) by Ahijah of the condition
upon which the throne was to be established. (Compare Psalms
132:12 — 89:30-32). Yet it is involved in later statements (2 Chron.
13:11, 12, 18). What is the great lesson of this passage?
Personal Thought: Dwell upon the quotation by Ruskin above,
and upon the last verses referred to. What is it to acknowledge
God in all one's ways? What was Jeroboam's fatal mistake in the
light of Proverbs 3:5?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 113
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
5th Day: § 82. The Kings Abijam and Asa of Judah (i Kings
15:1-24)
§ 83. The Chronicler's Account of Asa of Judah
(2 Chron. 14:1 — 16:14 (cf. 1 Kings 15:9-24)
"Spend the time you have spent in sighing for fruits, in fulfilling
the conditions of their growth. The fruits will come, must come."
— Selected.
1. Give two minutes each to Diagrams XVIII, XIX and XX, and
spend three minutes on Diagram XXI.
2. Read 1 Kings 15:1-8. Read again v. 3. Refresh your memory
about the sins of Jeroboam by glancing at 1 Kings 14 :2i-24. Have
you noticed how often David is referred to as a standard in this
history? Note the expression in v. 7 ff. Yesterday's passage taken
from Chronicles is an expansion of this.
3. Read 1 Kings 15 :9-24. Look at Diagram XXII. What influ-
ences upon Asa in early life would incline him towards evil?
What two persons mentioned would naturally have large influence
over him? How do you account for his zeal for good? Who estab-
lished the schools of the prophets? Were there active teachers of
the true faith at this time? Do you recall the names of any
prophets or seers lately mentioned? Glance at Diagram XXI.
Read 2 Chron. 14:1 — 15:8, noting especially 14:11 and 15*1-8;
and think about what light these last verses throw upon questions
asked above?
Personal Thought : In order to be able truly to make the pray-
er of 2 Chron. 14:11, what must be true of the enterprise in which
one is engaged ? Note : "in Thy name," "against Thee."
H4 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
6th Day: § 83. The Chronicler's Account of Asa of Judah
(2 Chron. 14:1—16:14; cf. 1 Kings 15:9-24)
"When you are studying, study; when you are recreating, re-
create. Do one thing at a time, and what you are doing, do with
your might; take hold sharp, and let go sharp." — Bushnell.
1. Read 2 Chron. 15 :8 — 16:14. In the light of this account, how
must the statements that Asa's heart was perfect all his days be
understood? Is there not a reference to idolatry here?
2. Give a moment or two to Diagram XXIII. Can a revival
be made to order? Read again 2 Chron. 15:13. What now do you
think of the expression in yesterday's portion (1 Kings 15:14),
"Asa's heart was perfect, but the high places were not taken away"?
Was not the intention and effort of the king one thing, and the
practice of the people another?
3. Note 2 Chron. 16:7-10, and think about the teaching. Here
is an early instance of conflict between king and prophet. We shall
have more of this. Recall David's treatment of the prophets. Verse
9 is a good one to be memorized.
The statement in v. 12 implies that Asa ignored God; that in his
distress he refused to recognize God, and sought human aid alone.
The sin was not in seeking to the physicians, but in putting God
aside.
What is your estimate of Asa's character? Can the great lesson
of Asa's life be stated better than in 2 Chron. 15 :3ft? What is
your estimate of the God of Asa?
Personal Thought: What effect upon me has the teaching that
God is continually discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart ;
that one's ways are before the eyes of the Lord? Do I shrink from
Him, or do I welcome the fullest investigation? What considera-
tions will encourage the habit of taking God into fullest confidence
in everything?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 115
STUDY 16: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF PRE-ASSYRIAN
TIMES
7th Day: § 84. The Five Kings of Israel next after Jeroboam
(1 Kings 15:25 — 16:27)
"No action, whether foul or fair,
Is ever done, but it leaves somewhere
A record, written by fingers ghostly,
As a blessing or a curse, and mostly
In the greater weakness or greater strength
Of the acts which follow it." — Longfellow.
1. Give two or three minutes to review of Diagrams XIX, XX
and XXI.
2. The First King, Nadab the son of Jeroboam. Read 1 Kings
15 ^25-32. What was the sin wherewith Jeroboam made Israel to
sin? Read 1 Kings 12:26-33.
The Second King, Baasha an usurper. Read 1 Kings 15 :33 —
16:7. Note specially the reason given in Chap. 16:7 for the dis-
pleasure of the Lord.
The Third King, Elah the son of Baasha. Read 1 Kings 16:6-10.
What light does the passage yield on his character?
The Fourth King, Zimri an usurper. Read 1 Kings 16:11-20.
The Fifth King, Omri founder of the fourth dynasty. Read 1
Kings 16:21-28. Note the emphasis of Omri's wickedness, and
that he founded Samaria. Read Micah 6:16. Glance at Diagram
XVIII, for general idea of the relation of the times of Omri and
Micah.
3. What is the great lesson of this record? What is the appli-
cation of the quotation from Longfellow?
Personal Thought: Re-read the words of Longfellow above
and think of the evil which Jeroboam did after his day. What lay
at the root of all the evil? Am I sure that I am keeping myself
from idols?
u6 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
1st Day: § 85. Elijah and the Famine in Ahab's Time (i
Kings 16:28 — 19:21)
"You can do whatever you earnestly undertake." — Stonewall Jack-
son.
1. Read 1 Kings 16:28-34 to know what kind of a man Ahab
was.
2. Read James 5:16, 17, observing marginal renderings.
Read 1 Kings 17:1. What according to the passage in James
preceded this message to man? What have we learned, in lives
already studied, about the place of training in secret before a public
career?
3. Read 1 Kings, 18th chapter. What is the great lesson of the
passage? Reflect on Elijah in the presence of: (1) Obadiah;
(2) Ahab; (3) The false prophets; (4) God.
Read James 5 : 18.
Personal Thought: "How long halt ye between two opinions?
If the Lord be God, follow Him : but if Baal, then follow him."
Here indecision in opinion was the result of indecision in practice.
To what degree, if at all, is failure to act the cause of my unbe-
lief?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 117
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
2d Day: § 85. Elijah and the Famine in Ahab's Time (i
Kings 16:28 — 19:21)
§ 86. Ahab of Israel and Benhadad of Syria (i
Kings 20:1-43)
§ 87. Ahab of Israel and Naboth the Jezreelite (i
Kings 21:1-29)
The following prayer was prepared by Dr. Arnold of Rugby for
his personal, daily use before going into the schoolroom:
"O Lord, I have a busy world around me; eye, ear and thought
will be needed for my work to be done in that busy world. Now,
ere I enter upon it, I would commit eye, ear and thought to Thee.
Do Thou bless them, and keep their work Thine; that, as through
Thy natural laws my heart beats and my blood flows without any
thought of mine for them, so my spiritual life may hold on its
course at these times when my mind cannot consciously turn to
Thee to commit each particular thought to Thy service."
"He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust."
Read 1 Kings 19 :i-2i, for an illustration of the truth of the
above words. Note the order in v. 10, and the "burning of his
bridges behind him," by Elisha, v. 21.
Read 1 Kings 21 for its revelation of human character in: (1)
Ahab; (2) Jezebel; (3) Elijah; (4) Naboth.
Personal Thought: Am I allowing persons to influence me
against my better judgment as Ahab did? Dwell on the contrast
between Elisha by Elijah (Chap. 19) and Ahab met by Elijah
(Chap. 21).
n8 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
3d Day: § 88. Ahab of Israel and Micaiah the Prophet (i
Kings 22:1-40; 2 Chron. 18:1-34)
"In life's small things be resolute and great
To keep thy muscle trained ; knowest thou when Fate
Thy measure takes, or when she'll say to thee,
T find thee worthy; do this deed for me'?" — Lowell.
1. Read this most instructive selection, 1 Kings 23:1-40, allow-
ing the attention to be concentrated upon the moral heroism of the
prophet Micaiah. Do not be diverted from this by curious ques-
tions. We shall learn more later about the character and methods
of false prophets. The words of Ahab indicate that he had met
Micaiah before. Josephus said it was he who condemned Ahab for
letting Benhadad go free.
2. Micaiah speaks ironically. Did you discover this in reading?
Give due weight to the fact that Ahab preferred false prophets after
having been warned by the true prophets. Recall here his contact
with Elijah. Read Micah 3:5, 6.
3. The special severity of the test of Micaiah was that the
encounter was not with prophets of Baal, but with men who
professed themselves to be even as he was, prophets of Jehovah.
"The gift of prophecy could, it seems plain, be turned by the re-
ceiver into evil. He might trifle with it, he might dumb its utter-
ance through fear of man The crisis of his moral trial had been
accomplished when first for fear or for gain, he tampered conscious-
ly with the truth; when he 'divined for money.' Now he was the
victim of what he then chose. We read not so much of the false
prophets prophesying consciously a lie as of their seeing lying
visions and so uttering deceits." — Wilberforce.
Personal Thought: What influences are brought to bear upon
me to induce me to believe, speak and live a lie? How may I
resist them? How may I determine who are true prophets today
and who are false? How does my judgment of preachers today
compare with that of Ahab?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 119
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
4th Day: § 89. Jehoshaphat King of Judah (i Kings 22:41-50;
2 Chron. 17:1 — 21:1)
"You have no business with consequences : you are to tell the
truth." — Johnson.
1. In 1 Kings 22 :4i-50 is an interesting summary about Je-
hoshaphat. We learn there that: (1) He walked in all the ways
of his father Asa; (2) He made peace with the king of Israel; (3)
He put the remnant of the Sodomites out of the land. You will
recall from yesterday what Jehoshaphat did in the matter of Mi-
caiah the prophet.
Chapters 18 and 19 of 2 Chronicles furnish interesting accounts
of Jehoshaphat's words and work. His introduction of systems
of religious instruction and judicial administration was most com-
mendable.
2. Read 2 Chron., Chap. 20, which is one of the most instructive
in the entire book. Give the bulk of the time to the prayer of
Jehoshaphat and the instruction of Jahaziel the Levite. Note that
the victory was accepted and acted upon in faith before it was, in a
material sense, achieved. Re-read vv. 19-22.
"Jehoshaphat was certainly the ablest and most energetic king
that had reigned over Judah since the time of Solomon. While it
cannot be denied that the one fatal mistake which he made in
joining affinity with Ahab, had, in course of time, the most disas-
trous consequences, leading as it did to the desecration of the
Temple, the complete apostasy of the state during the space of six
years, and the almost entire destruction of the seed of David ;
yet the immediate results were, in a worldly point of view, ad-
vantageous." — Deane. We shall learn very soon how fatal Jehosh-
aphat's mistake was.
Personal Thought: "Neither know we what to do: but our
eyes are upon thee." What do these last words mean? How con-
stant is the maintenance of this attitude in my life? What are
helps toward such constancy?
120 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
5th Day: § 00. The Last Days and the Translation of Eli-
jah (1 Kings 22:51 — 2 Kings 2:18)
"Persist, persevere, and you will find most things attainable that
are possible." — Selected.
1. Have Diagram XXIV before you as you read 1 Kings 22 :50—
2 Kings 1:18. What is the great lesson of this portion? Is it not
the folly of forsaking God?
Read the remainder of the section (2 Kings 2:1-18).
2. Reflect on the words of Elijah, "The Lord the God of Israel
before whom I stand."
"The events of Elijah's life are so full of dramatic interest
that we are tempted to dwell upon them, and gather the lessons that
they teach. But the actor in the scene of Carmel was far greater
than the scene which he enacted ; and the true lesson of his life — the
revelation which is sent to the race through him — is only learned
as we realize his marked individuality, and understand the message
which is carried by his solitary, unsupported, but overwhelming
testimony for Jehovah, the one living, spiritual, holy God. Because
he stood for God, he could dare — under the most extraordinary cir-
cumstances of strain and peril — to stand alone." — Tuck.
Personal Thought: "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha."
What evidence had the sons of the prophets that this was so?
"The works that I do shall ye do also." Who said this? To
whom? How were the works to be performed? What evidence
have I that the Spirit of Christ rests on me?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 121
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
6th Day: § 91. Elisha the Prophet (2 Kings 2:19 — 8:15)
1. "This one thing I have found, that it is not in man to think
out a gospel, or to make a state of light by phosphorescence at his
own center. He can have the great mystery of godliness only as
it is mirrored in his heart by an inward revelation of Christ. Do
the will and you shall know the doctrine — this is the truth I have
proved by my twenty years of experience." — Bushncll.
2. In 2 Kings, Chaps. 2:19 — 5:27 are accounts of: (1) The
healing of the spring at Jericho ; (2) The denouncing of the youths ;
(3) The victory of the three kings over Moab ; (4) The widow's
oil; (s) The birth, death and restoration of the Shunammite's child ;
(6) The poisoned pottage; (7) The multiplication of the loaves;
(8) The healing of Naaman.
3. Read today the story of the healing of Naaman the leper,
found in 2 Kings 5th chapter. The little maid's remark is a fine
illustration of a word fitly spoken which is like apples of gold in
baskets of silver.
Dwell upon the secret of the change in Naaman which enabled
him to say, "Now I know." Notice that before he said, "I thought."
Read again the words of Bushnell at the top of the page.
Personal Thought: The prophet Elisha was frequently sought
after. Under what circumstance was this, and why? How help-
ful am I to others? How may I become more so?
122 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 17: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES.
7th Day: § 91. Elisha the Prophet (2 Kings 2:19 — 8:15)
"You need not tell all the truth, unless to those who have a right
to know it all. But let all you tell be truth." — Horace Mann.
1. Today's section, 2 Kings 6:1 — 8:15, contains accounts of:
(1) The swimming of the axe-head; (2) The horses and chariots
of fire in the mountain; (3) The siege of Samaria, and the four
lepers ; (4) The return of the Shunammite after the seven-year fam-
ine; (5) The visit of Elisha to Damascus. Read without interrup-
tion 2 Kings 6:8 — 7:15 and note the most striking result.
2. One cannot help being impressed by the diversity in character
and work between Elijah and Elisha. The one was the prophet of
solitude; the other was the prophet of society. The one was the
prophet of judgment, the other of mercy. In a sense these two
men foreshadow John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Spend
a little time on the parallel. "It is not possible to mistake the char-
acter of the series of miracles which Elisha wrought. From first to
last they bear upon them all the attributes of visitations of mercy.
They are the very opposite of the judicial inflictions with which,
through Elijah, the power of God broke forth to punish evil and to
overawe the guilty." — Wilberforce.
"The more strong one's apprehension is of the degradation of the
Israelitish people at that time, of their low, sensual idolatry, of
their reverence for evil powers, — the more one feels how acts of
this kind must have been needed to counteract their materialism,
to undermine their religion of fraud and hatred, to establish, as no
words or arguments could, the proof of an actual and gracious
ruler." — Maurice.
Personal Thought : "We do not well : This day is a day of
good tidings, and we hold our peace." What application of these
words of the lepers may be made to the proclamation of the gospel
today? Why do so many hold their peace? How may they be
made to do as the lepers did? What part have I in making known
the good tidings?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 123
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
1st Day: § 92. The Sons of Ahab of Israel, and of Jehosha-
phat of Judah (2 Kings 8:16-29; 2 Chron.
21 :i — 22:9)
"Your prime, one need is to do right, under whatever compulsion,
till you can do it without compulsion, and then you are a man." —
Ruskin.
1. Read the passage in Kings (2 Kings 8:16-29), referring, as
you do so, to Diagrams XXIV and XXV. Try to get the whole
situation clearly before you. Look a second time at v. 19. Re-
read v. 28. Who before this had been in a similar alliance? The
results of the fatal mistake of Jehoshaphat in marrying his son
to the daughter of Jezebel are beginning to appear. Be looking
for more serious disasters yet to come.
2. Read from the parallel passage in Chronicles, 2 Chron.
21:5-7, and 2 Chron. 21:11-15, and 2 Chron. 22:9.
Personal Thought: The warning of this lesson is against en-
tangling alliances. Am I sure that I do not need it? What is the
only safe course to pursue in the choosing of associates?
124 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
2d Day: § 93. Elisha the Prophet and Jehu King of Israel
(2 Kings 9:1 — 10:36)
"You often understand the true connection of important events
in your life, not while they are going on, nor soon after they are
past, but only a considerable time after." — Selected.
1. Read the Section for today (2 Kings 9:1 — 10:36) without
interruption, and allow the dramatic character of the story duly to
affect you as well as the dreadful lesson on sowing and reaping.
2. "It causes great scandal to many amiable and worthy people
that the Scripture does not stop to comment on these atrocities of
Jehu, but appears to commend his zeal, and to rejoice that what he
began he accomplished. I believe that a true portrait can never be
a mischievous one, and that this is essentially true. Nothing is said
to gloss over the ferocity of Jehu; you do not want words to tell
you that you must hate it ; your impulse, and it is a right one, is to
do so. But there may be in the most ruffianly and brutal characters,
not merely strength, but an intense hatred of hypocrisy, a determina-
tion to put it down, not for selfish ends, but because it is hateful :
which determination is good and inspired of God. The Scripture
teaches us to confess this, and, by so doing, clears, not confuses,
all our earlier conceptions and judgments. We do meet with these
characters in the world, — characters with something devilish lying
close beside something which is really divine It is in the quiet
time that a man is tested. Then we find out not only what he can
do, but what he is. The test in this case failed." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: "Afterward it yieldeth." (Heb. 12:11.)
Read Gal. 6:7. Read again the quotation at the top of the page.
Reflect on the harvest of Ahab's and Jezebel's sins which the king-
doms of Israel and Judah garnered. What am I sowing?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT^ 'CHARACTERS 125
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
3d Day: § 94. Athaliah, Queen of Judah, and Jehoiada the
Priest (2 Kings 11:1-20; 2 Chron. 22:10 — 23:21)
"Woman is at once the delight and the terror of man."— Selected.
"Women are ever in extremes ; they are either better or worse than
men." — Selected.
1. Read 2 Kings 11:1-20.
The following, while referring more directly to the characters
studied yesterday, is not without its application to the story of today:
"Elisha the son of Shaphat and Jehu the son of Nimshi did then
together carry out the words of the prophet. For those words
depended upon no mortal agency; they were the expressions of an
eternal law which in some way or other would fulfil itself. This is
the great lesson which the Bible teaches in every page. The right-
eous Will moves on steadily and irresistibly toward its own end;
the unrighteous will struggles with it; seems to prevail; is broken
in pieces. But seeing it is Will and not a blind necessity which
rules in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth,
it is all-important whether those who execute its decrees work in
cheerful submission to it, or in blindness, with base and private
designs. This was the great question for the ministers of God's
purpose, whether they were prophets or soldiers, to consider then;
it is the great question for us now. We may be sure that at
the last, by our evil doings and the fruits of them, if not by our
zeal for that which is sincerely good, we shall help to demonstrate
the existence of a divine order in the world, and shall foretell its
victory. It is for us to say in which way we shall perform the
divine commission." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: To what a pass has Judah come! A
daughter of the idolatrous Jezebel is on the throne of David ! Did
Jehoshaphat dream of this when he began to be friendly with Ahab ?
Reflect on the Personal Thoughts of the last two days.
126 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
4th Day: § 95. Jehoiada the Priest and Joash King of Judah
(2 Kings 11:21 — 12:21; 2 Chron. 24:1-27)
"Never be afraid to doubt. Never try to conquer doubts against
time. Never force yourself to believe. If you try this way (that
is, living up to the light which you have, whatever happens), you
must be anything that it requires, a Jew, a Mohammedan, ready to
go to the world's end, anything; most probably you must be a
Christian." — Bushnell.
1. Read 2 Kings 11 :2i — 12:21. What about the character of the
two men, Jehoiada and Joash, does 12:2 disclose?
2. Look for answers to the foilowing questions in 2 Chron.
24:1-27. Why did the house of the Lord need repairing? Had the
influence of the idolatrous worship introduced into Judah as the
result of the alliance in Jehoshapbat's time, been destroyed with
Athaliah the queen? Was Judah left in her evil course without
warning? What most wicked deed did Joash the king sanction?
What other generation was like this one? For answer to this last
question, read Matthew 23 ^9-39.
Personal Thought: Which am I most like, Jehoiada or Joash,
as seen in 2 Kings 12:2? What is essential in the character of one
who is able not only to stand, but to help others to stand?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 127
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
5th Day: § 96. Elisha the Prophet and Jehoash King of Is-
rael (2 Kings 13:1-25)
§ 97. Amaziah of Judah and Jehoash of Israel (2
Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chron. 25:1-28)
"Sorrow tracketh wrong
As echo follows song.
On! On! On! On!"
1. Read 2 Kings 13:1-25, noting what is said about the sins of
Jeroboam. In connection with this account of the sickness and
death of Elisha, think for a little of his character and work. What
estimate of these would you infer from the record, was held in
his own day? " 'O my father, the chariots of Israel and the horse-
men thereof!' These were the words which a king of Israel of
Jehu's house spoke to Elisha as he lay sick and dying. He felt
that a power was passing out of the world which was greater
than his, and than that of all the kings who had been before him,
because it was a power which had spread health and peace around
it."
2. What is the reason assigned in 2 Chron. 25:14-16 for the
sorry plight into which Judah had come? Have you noticed the
frequency of the mention of prophets since the time of the disrup-
tion of the nation?
Personal Thought : Reflect on 2 Chron. 25 :8, 9. When had
the mistake been made about the one hundred talents? Why
had it been made? What lesson is here for me?
128 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
6th Day: § 98. The Kingdom of Judah and Joel the Prophet
(Joel i :i — 3:21)
"God is not a crutch coming in to help your lameness, unnecessary
to you if you had all your strength. He is the breath in your lungs.
The stronger you are, the more thoroughly you are yourself, the
more your need of it, the more your need of Him." — Phillips Brooks.
1. The arguments (wholly internal) for and against the early
authorship of Joel are about of equal weight. We give the prefer-
ence to the early date. As intimated in 1st Day of this Study, there
is good reason for assigning the prophecy to the reign of Jehoram
of Judah. Some maintain that he prophesied in the reign of Joash
of Judah. There is much in the message suited to more times than
these two between the reigns of Jehoshaphat and Uzziah of Judah.
After all, the determination of the date of this book is not essen-
tial to our present purpose. The thought of the book may be ex-
pressed in ten words, thus: Locusts — Drought — Locusts destroyed
— Drought removed — Spirit given — Enemies destroyed. Note the
progress of thought as more clearly suggested by the following:
Locusts and Drought (Chap. 1).
Repentance and Prayer (Chap. 2:1-17).
Removal of Locusts and Drought (Chap. 2:18-25).
Removal of Spiritual Drought (Chap. 2:26-32)
Enemies vanquished and blessings bestowed (Chap. 3).
2. Read Chap. 2:12-32; Acts 2:16-21. Was that an exhaustive
fulfillment of Joel's words? Was it the first fulfillment? Is it not
probable that there was in his own time a response to the prophet's
plea, and consequent blessing? What estimate of Joel as a man do
you form from this glimpse into his book?
Personal Thought: "The dreams which Joel and Peter speak
of, indicate a closer contact with realities, a more inward commu-
nion with Him who is true, an intolerance of shadows, a longing for
substance." What is the judgment which the above sentence ren-
ders upon my dreams?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 129
STUDY 18: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
7th Day: § 99. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Jonah the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Jonah)
"What has not been universally observed is that the reality of the
characters is inseparable from the truth of the narrative, and stands
or falls with it."
"Read this dialogue between God and man; and the writer is a
man. A man yourself, you are shocked at the man and you bless
God. The writer has given God the last word and the best
The book of Jonah is generally underrated ; one reason is, it is
judged by commentators who have never tried to tell an immortal
story The truth is that 'Jonah' is the most beautiful story
ever told in so small a compass In 1328 words you have
a wealth of incident and all the dialogue needed to carry on the
grand and varied action. You have also character, not stationary,
but growing just as Jonah grew, and a plot that would bear vol-
umes, yet worked out without haste or crudity Only the great
artists of the pen hit upon the perfect proportions of dialogue and
narrative To my mind, speaking merely as an artist, the
Acts of the Apostles eclipses all human narratives, and in the Old
Testament, Genesis, Samuel, Jonah and Ruth stand pre-eminent,
and Jonah above sweet Ruth by the greater weight of the facts
and the introduction of the Deity The God of Jonah is the
God of the New Testament Skimmers have discredited and
sneered at a record they have never tried hard to comprehend:
'Facile judicat qui pauca considerat.'" — Charles Reade.
The Thought of Jonah may be summarized thus :
1. Chap. 1. — The Commission and the Flight.
2. Chap. 2. — The Punishment and the Deliverance.
3. Chap. 3. — The Preaching and the Result.
4. Chap. 4. — The Anger and its Rebuke.
The key passage in Jonah is 4:1-2, which reveals God as kind
in contrast with man who wished sudden destruction. Read and
reflect about the God of Jonah.
Personal Thought: "It is not enough to fast for sin; we must
fast from sin." What is the nature of my repentance? What must
be the result if it is not real?
i 3 o STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
1st Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Amos)
"If the characters of the Scripture are both a marvel of the mind,
and also aids to faith, surely we ought to give up skimming them,
and study them. Put them at their lowest, and they are a gold-mine ;
and in that mine surface washing has been productive ; but to dig is
better."— Reade.
1. Read Amos 1 :i. Consult Diagrams XXVI and XXIX. Amos
must have prophesied late in the reign of Jeroboam. What were the
material and political conditions of the Northern Kingdom at that
time? For answer, read 2 Kings 14:23-29.
Read Amos 1 .2. This is the text. It summarizes the entire
prophecy. Compare Joel 3:16. Did Amos take his text from Joel?
What is the general import of this text of Amos?
2. In chapters, 1, 2, we have a series of foreign prophecies. Read
in order Chap. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; also Chap. 2:1, 4, 6. Consult Dia-
gram XXVIII. The expression, "For three, yea, for four," is prob-
ably rhetorical, and means, for abundant, yea, for superabundant.
Go over the series, noting: (1) What is to occur; (2) Why this
is to occur. Is there anything significant in the use of the word pal-
aces by Amos? Is fire to be understood literally? What striking
difference in the cause assigned appears when the speaker reaches
Judaii? Is anything said about wrong having been done God in the
case of the other nations? Why this distinction? Again consult
Diagram XXVIII, and think of the relationship of these nations to
the children of Israel. What aggravation in the case of Israel is
mentioned in Chap. 2:9-11? Would not the Israelites approve
Amos' utterances about the other nations? In doing so, were they
not unconsciously condemning themselves?
Personal Thought: One of the great revelations of Amos
2:9-11, is that judgment is according to knowledge and opportunity.
What special privileges have I? How faithful am I in the im-
provement of these? Would Amos 2:9-12 condemn me? To what
will abuse of the mercy of God certainly lead?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 131
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
2d Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Amos)
"I cannot forgive God for the suffering of others; when I look
abroad upon this world and behold its cruel destinies, I turn from
Him with disaffection ; nor do I conceive that He will blame me for
the impulse. But when I consider my own fates, I grow conscious
of His gentle dealing; I see Him chastise with helpful blows, I feel
His stripes to be caresses ; and this knowledge is my comfort which
reconciles me to the world. All those whom I now pity with indig-
nation, are, perhaps, not less fatherly dealt with than myself
If I from my spy-hole, looking with purblind eyes upon the least
part of a fraction of the universe, yet perceive in my own destiny
some broken evidences of a plan and some signals of an over-ruling
goodness; shall I, then, be so mad as to complain that all cannot
be deciphered? Shall I not rather wonder, with infinite and grate-
ful surprise, that in so vast a scheme, I seem to have been able to
read, however little, and that little was encouraging to faith." —
Robert Louis Stevenson.
1. We studied yesterday the series of foreign prophecies found in
Amos, Chaps. 1, 2. In Chap. 3 is a series of questions. Read the
series (noting marginal rendering in v. 3, a verse usually misin-
terpreted because torn from its connection), and answer each by,
No. They prepare for the thundering application in vv. 7, 8, which
is: "My presence here announcing such a message ought to be
evidence to you that what I have declared will surely come to pass."
Think down into this paragraph. It is most graphic and most true.
2. Read the remainder of the chapter, not omitting to observe the
striking force of calling the heathen to witness and to be surprised
at the evil in Samaria (vv. 9, 10). Chaps. I, 2 ended with judg-
ment. How does Chap. 3 end? What is the text of Amos?
Personal Thought: "You only have I known therefore
I will visit." The very reason given by the people why they doubt-
ed the word of Amos that judgment was coming, is declared by him
to be the reason why the judgment would come. To what extent
has the awful delusion ensnared me, that because I am a child
of God I may therefore do wrong with immunity? How may I
meet this in myself and others?
i 3 2 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
3d Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Amos)
"The slightest sorrow for sin is sufficient if it produces amend-
ment, and the greatest is insufficient if it does not." — Colton.
1. What was the series for 1st Day? What for 2d Day? Today
in the fourth chapter of Amos we find a series of past warnings.
After reading the chapter note: (1) The chapter opens with a spe-
cific anouncement of captivity (vv. 1-3). Cf. "Thus will I do unto
thee" (v. 12) ; (2) Vv. 4, 5 are ironical, referring to the multiplicity
of the formal ceremonies; (3) Beginning with v. 6 is mentioned a
series of five past calamities, viz.: famine (v. 6), drouth (vv. 7, 8),
locusts, etc. (v. 9), pestilence (v. 10), Sodomlike visitation (v. 11) ;
(4) The refrain, "Yet have ye not returned unto me," indicates the
object of these visitations and the result.
2. Pause here to think back (aided by Diagrams) over the his-
tory of the Kingdom of Israel for visitations of war, famine, etc.
Continue to note: (5) because of the refusal of His people to heed
His warning, God announces (v. 12) that He is about to come in
judgment, and calls upon His people to meet Him as their enemy;
(6) v. 13 describes the kind of God who must now be met by His
rejecters. Pause here for reflection.
While judgment is so prominent in this chapter, and in the book
as a whole, have you not already discovered that it is reluctantly
resorted to, and only after every effort of love to reclaim has failed?
Personal Thought: "Thy God, O Israel." Reflect on the God
who was in the conception of the writer of Amos, chapter 4.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 133
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
4th Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel, and Amos the
Prophet
1. 'The exercise of prophetic ministry in Israel of old, was always
a proof of the nation's decline We shall find, in considering the
ministry of the prophets, that, not only had each prophet a distinct
ministry committed to him, but that, also, in one and the same
prophet, there was a double mission ; the Lord dealt with the con-
science about present evil, while He pointed the eye of the faithful
to the future glory. His cry was : 'O Israel, thou hast destroyed
thyself; but in me is thine help.'" — Selected.
2. The two chapters of Amos (5th and 6th) for study today,
reveal only judgment, although there is in chap. 5 a series of invita-
tions. Recall the series of the past three days. Look in chap. 5
for invitations introduced by the word "Seek." Chapter 5 begins
with a lament, and the case is represented as hopeless ; it ends also
in the same strain (v. 16, ff), and after another ironical outburst at
formal worshipers, who, because of their observances, thought them-
selves to be immune from the day of the Lord, the prophet an-
nounces captivity beyond Damascus. Consult here Diagram
XXVIII. If all the nations mentioned in chapters 1, 2 are to fall,
whence must the destroyer come?
As you read chap. 5 now, ask yourself why the invitations are
introduced if the case is hopeless. Possibly they refer to past invita-
tions which had been unheeded. Probably they refer to the time of
speaking, when, in the mercy of God, if Israel will, she may yet be
saved. Apparently there is no response. It seems to be necessary
to supply some such idea between vv. 15 and 16 to furnish a reason
for the sentiment of v. 16 ff.
Note how each chapter thus far ends with a sledge-hammer blow
of judgment. So every chapter except the last (ninth), which ends
with blessing.
Personal Thought: Reflect upon the God of Amos (see 4:13;
5:8). Where did Amos thus learn God? What is my conception
of God as compared with that of Amos? What relation has one's
conception of God to one's character? How may I cultivate a sense
of the greatness and of the majesty of God?
134 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
5th Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Amos)
"There is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's life, passing
the highest efforts of the orator's genius." — Chalmers.
1. Examine chapters 7, 8, 9 of Amos (omitting 7:10-17 and 9:11-
15) in verification of the following:
I. A series of visions is: (1) Locusts (7:1); (2) Fire
(7:4); (3) The Lord with a plumb-line (77); (4) A basket of
ripe fruit (8:1); (5) The Lord standing by the altar (9:1).
2. II. Indications of a climacteric order in these visions may
be noticed as follows :
1. Prayer is made and answered in the first two; it is not found
in the last three.
2. The fire is more severe than locusts.
3. The prayer in the second is more intense than in the first.
Destruction is threatened in both the first and second.
4. "I will not again pass by them any more," in the third, is
indicative to Amos that it is needless to pray. By the plumb-
line, decision has been rendered. Destruction is assured in
the third.
5. "I will not again pass by them any more," is preceded in the
fourth vision by the words, "The end is come upon my
people Israel." This is a decided advance upon the plumb-
line vision. Destruction is imminent in the fourth.
6. The Lord is represented as Himself giving orders, and
superintending the demolition of the structure and the slaying
of the people in the last vision. Destruction is represented
as in progress in the fifth.
3. III. Observe the completeness and the severity of the destruc-
tion as depicted in vv. 2-4 of chapter 9.
IV. Note the discrimination used even in punishment as
indicated in verses 8-10 of chapter 9.
Personal Thought : Reflect further on the God of Amos as pre-
sented in 4 : 13 ; 5 :8, and 9 :5, 6. Read yesterday's Personal Thought.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 135
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
6th Day: § 100. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Amos the
Prophet (2 Kings 14:23-29; Book of Amos)
"We speak of omens and signs and premonitions ; perhaps we know
not what we mean. Even in Genesis the leaves are stirring ; the air
blows upon us as from another world. You feel that some one is
coming, and so all through the Old Testament. Now it is a sudden
flash of light, now a transparent darkness. We feel it in history, in
psalms, in prophecy. Sometimes a great voice of thunder, some-
times a still, small voice of comfort. Did I hear the blast of a trum-
pet miles and miles away, rising and falling in a cadence? It is the
sign of the King's approach. There will be a new personality
amongst us."— Joseph Parker.
1. Read Amos 7:10-17. In the intimation by Amaziah that Amos
was prophesying for a living, what does the priest of Bethel disclose
as to his own character? Do not miss the strong contrast in the
words, "Thou sayest," "Thus saith the Lord." What is the real force
of v. 14?
2. Read Amos 9:11-15, and consult Diagram XXXI.
"Does it seem to you that a hope so confident as this, — a hope of
life arising out of death, light out of darkness, is inconsistent with
that vision of utter ruin which rose up a moment ago before us ? We
shall not know the heart of the Jewish prophet till we learn to see
not only how these things are compatible, but why they are insepar-
able." — Maurice.
What three traits of character in Amos are worthy of imitation
by preachers and teachers of to-day?
Personal Thought : "He revealeth His secrets unto His servants
the prophets," "I have told you before it come to pass Ye are my
friends." What place has sympathy, fellowship with God in His
work, in bringing one into appreciation of God's message? How
much has the lack of this in my life to do with my dullness in appre-
hending the Word of God?
136 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 19: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF EARLY
ASSYRIAN TIMES
7th Day: § 101. Jeroboam II King of Israel and Hosea the
Prophet (2 Kings 14 123-29, Book of Hosea)
"Love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it." — Bible.
Hosea is pre-eminently the prophet of love. Between him and
Amos is an instructive contrast. "The two men are types of a con-
trast which runs through the whole history of religious thought and
life down to our own time. The religious world has always been
divided into men who look at questions of faith from the standpoint
of universal ethics, and men by whom moral truths are habitually
approached from a personal sense of the grace of God." — Robertson
Smith.
I. It is difficult to outline the book of Hosea. The following is
suggested as the most suitable for the purpose of these Studies :
1. Chapters 1-3, prophecies concerning apostate Israel under the
figure of the marriage relation.
II. Chapters 4-14, a series of prophecies relating chiefly to
Israel's downfall.
The best explanation of chapters 1 and 3 is, that they disclose a
real and bitter domestic experience through which the prophet was
brought into intelligent sympathy with God in the treatment which
his chosen people had given him. A man, true to an unfaithful wife,
declares the message of a true God to an unfaithful people.
Think of the prominence in the Bible of marriage as illustrative of
the relation between God and His people.
2. Read the 2d Chapter of Hosea. Do not miss the beauty and the
power of this passage by allowing difficulties of interpretation of
details to absorb attention.
Personal Thought: Read Hosea 2:16. Compare our Lord's
words, "No longer do I call you servants. .. .but I have called you
friends." Think on these things.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 137
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
1st Day: § 102. The Last Six Kings of Israel and Hosea the
Prophet (2 Kings 15:8-31; 17:1-41; Book of
Hosea)
"The very curse of an evil deed is that it must always continue to
engender evil." — Schiller.
1. Read 2 Kings 17:1-41, referring to Diagrams XXVII and
XXXII. This entire chapter is very instructive. Look again at
v. 13 ff. Vv. 24-41 are interesting as relating to the Samaritans.
2. The following striking features of the book of Hosea may be
simply read over today: (1) The connection between the message
of the prophet and his own personal experiences ; (2) The figurative
character of the language (especially notice the different figures by
which Israel is characterized : as, Harlot, Stubborn Heifer, Silly Dove,
Unturned Cake) ; (3) The condensed, broken character of the com-
position ; (4) The prominence given to Ephraim in the book. Hosea
was evidently primarily a prophet of the North country; (5) The
proportion of the book given to describing the moral condition of
Israel. One-half of the verses refer to this; (6) The emphasis of
the love of God.
Personal Thought: "The sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat
which made Israel to sin." Down through the entire history of the
Northern Kingdom, covering nearly 250 years, this sentence has been
ringing in our ears. What is the great lesson of the story of the
kingdom of Israel, the end of which we have now seen? How fully
does my life today show that this lesson has been learned by me?
138 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
2d Day: § 102. The Last Six Kings of Israel and Hosea the
Prophet (2 Kings 15 :8-3i ; 17 :i-4i ; Book of
Hosea)
"The longer I live, the more I wonder at the forbearance and com-
passion of the Divine Mind." — Rev. Edward White.
1. Read over the striking features of the book of Hosea, given
in yesterday's lesson. Concentrate attention today upon the last two
of these, viz: (5) The moral condition of Israel at the time, and (6)
The emphasis of the love of God in the book. Read a key passage
on each as follows: Chaps. 4:1-8; 11:1-9. As you examine the
chapters, do not miss the force of the words, "For," "Therefore,"
"Because." Read a moment or two, beginning at chap. 4:1, with
these words in mind.
2. There is not a more tender passage in the Old Testament than
Hosea 11 :i-9, already examined to-day. Read chap. 14, which alone
of the chapters of Hosea is one of almost unmingled brightness. It
is with regret that we pass on from the study of Hosea. But the
limits of these Studies require it. One says : "There is, I conceive,
in every prophecy, and in every book which God has intended for the
instruction of men, a leading thought which forces itself upon the
mind of a serious reader, almost without knowing it." What is
the leading thought of Hosea for you?
Personal Thought: Meditate upon Hosea 14 :g. What i> meant
by "these things" ? What profit have I received from them ?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 139
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
3d Day : § 103. Uzziah King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet
"In a word, this was felt to be the supreme need: 'to get God's
man, in God's place, doing God's work, in God's way, for God's
glory.' 'God alone is sufficient for God's own work.' " — Hudson
Taylor, on the secret of the success of the China Inland Mission.
1. Read the following key verses about Uzziah in 2 Chron. 26th
chapter: 5, 16-18, 20.
2. Preparatory to reading Isaiah, 6th chapter, read Isa. 1:1. In
the reigns of what kings is he there said to have prophesied? Read
6:1 and 7:1. Observe that if there is any recorded prophecy belong-
ing to Jotham's time it does not come in chronological order, else it
would appear after chap. 6th, and before the events recorded in
chap 7th. Isaiah is not arranged chronologically.
The account of this vision of Isa. 6 may have been originally re-
lated in Jotham's time in justification of utterances which the prophet
was making about the sins of his day and the judgments to come.
We may easily understand the men of his day saying to Isaiah, "What
right have you to talk to us thus?" Imagine the effect of his reply-
ing, "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord," etc.
Read now Isa. 6:1-13. Note the progress of the thought as fol-
lows: (1) A vision of God; (2) A vision of self and other people;
(3) A confession of sin; (4) A cleansing from sin; (5) A call
heard; (6) A response signifying readiness to do whatever might
be required; (7) A commission to perform a difficult work.
Read one of the following three passages in which Isaiah 6th
chapter is quoted: Matt 13:14, 15; John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27. Is
not the freedom of the persons to whom the message was proclaimed
fully recognized in all these passages as well as in Isaiah? What is
the effect of wilful rejection of truth?
Personal Thought: "When he was strong, his heart was lifted
up, and he trespassed against the Lord." How may I cultivate
humility, and thus avoid the fate of Uzziah ? "I saw the Lord."
When was I most conscious of the actual presence of God? How
may I perpetuate the conscious presence of God? Fill out the fol-
lowing: "Blessed are the , for they shall see God."
i 4 o STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 20:
KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
4th Day: § 104. Jotham King of Judah and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chron. 27:1-9;
Isaiah 2:1 — 5:30)
"We are not to suppose a faithful ministry is any easy task. The
prophets of the Lord have always been opposed to the age in which
they lived. Whenever the ministry has fallen into accord with the
age it is not the age that has gone up, it is the ministry that has
gone down." — Selected.
1. Read the key verse about Jotham — 2 Chron. 27 :6.
The question how long Jotham reigned after his father's death
is difficult to settle, nor are we sure that we have any prophecy in
Isaiah which belongs to Jotham's time. Chaps. 2-5 are the most
likely. Yet these do not strongly impress us as so appropiate to the
days of Jotham as to those of Ahaz, e.g., 3:12. "This," says one,
"points to a time when the vigorous administration of Uzziah and
Jotham had been succeeded by the weak and inefficient government
of Ahaz."
2. Examine without reading Isa. chaps. 2:1 — 5:24 in the light of
the following, noting the place of prediction of remote blessing in
preaching, which was meant to have real influence in the prophet's
own time. Read Chap. 2 -.2-4 and 4 :2-6, noting contrast with sur-
rounding portions.
2 :2-4
2:5 4:r
4 :2-6
5:i-30
Remote future
Present, and im-
Remote future
Present, and im-
mediate future
mediate future
Bright
Dark
Bright
Dark
Promise
Threatening
Promise
Threatening
External glory
War
Internal glory
War
Do you get the force of Chap. 2:5? It is this: In the future
all nations will believe in God (2:2-4). Why should you not do
so now, O Israel?
Personal Thought: With the song of the vineyard in mind (Isa.
5 :i-7) — What has God done for me which would justify His looking
for more fruit in my life than is now appearing? Why should I see
to it that the fruit which is expected is produced?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 141
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
5th Day: § 105. Ahaz King of Judah and Isaiah the Prophet
(2 Kings 16:1-20; 2 Chron. 28:1-27; Isaiah
7:1—12:6; 14 :28-32)
"Our business in life is not to get ahead of other people, but to get
ahead of ourselves. To break our own record, to outstrip our yester-
days by todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever
dreamed we could, to whip the tempter inside and out as we never
whipped him before, to give as we never have given, to do our work
with more force and a finer finish than ever, — this is the true idea, to
get ahead of ourselves. To beat some one else in a game may mean
much or little. To beat our own game means a great deal." —
Trumbull.
1. For a summary of the career and character of Ahaz read
2 Kings 16:1-20. Consult Diagram XXXIV, and read Isaiah 7:1-25.
2. "Ahaz has left behind him the reputation of being among the
worst, if not actually the very worst, of all the princes of the house
of David. He had neither courage, nor patriotism, nor energy, nor
prudence, nor piety, nor even a decent regard for the traditions of his
house and nation In vain did Isaiah warn him, rebuke him,
offer him signs, threaten him, urge him to rely on Jehovah ; he dog-
gedly pursued his own course, sought help in every quarter but the
right one, put his trust in arms of flesh or in the gods of the nations,
cared not how he degraded his country or disgraced his noble lineage,
persisted in evil, ever trespassed more and more until God cut him
off in the very prime of life." — Raii'linson.
Personal Thought : "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not
be established." Is faith ever demanded without evidence? What
special incentive to believe was proposed to Ahaz? What is the
place of the will in belief? Do I believe to the extent to which I am
authorized to believe? Is the object of belief a proposition or a
person?
142 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
6th Day: § 106. Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Judah
and Micah the Prophet (The Book of
Micah)
"Do thy part with industry, and leave the event with God. I have
seen matters fall out so unexpectedly that they have taught me in all
affairs neither to despair nor to presume." — Feltham.
1. Note in Micah, first chapter, the following striking facts: (1)
Micah was contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea. (Cf. introductory
verses of the books.) Imagine these three men in conference; (2)
Micah's vision concerning both Samaria and Jerusalem. It must
have been then before what date? (3) The graphic manner in
which the prophet describes his feeling when he sees that suffering
will reach even to Jerusalem.
2. In Micah, second chapter, note: (1) The denunciation in v.
1, of the principles that might makes right; (2) The use of the
word devise in v. 3. Cf. v. 1 ; (3) The correspondence between
sin and the punishment, vv. 4, 5; (4) The emphasis in vv. 7-10 of
the fact that evil is occasioned by wrong doing. This is an answer
to the charge of the false prophets, v. 6. Cf. also v. 11; (5) The
promise in vv. 12, 13, in contrast with the preceding declaration of
coming disaster which occasioned the charge against Micah by the
false prophets.
3. In Micah, third chapter, note: (1) The prominence of
priests, prophets, rulers and judges as leaders in evil doings; (2)
The force of the figure (cannibalism) in oppression in vv. 2, 3; (3)
The emphasis of the fact that sinners shall be punished according
to their sins, v. 4, and that gifts perverted shall be withdrawn, vv.
5-7; (4) The declaration by Micah, v. 8, of his mission under God
to tell the truth in opposition to the false prophets.
4. What, from today's study is your estimate of Micah as a man?
Personal Thought : Meditate on Micah 3 :8. Does the Micah
type of prophet prevail today? What reason have I to believe that
I am not of the false-prophet type here described?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 143
STUDY 20: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
7th Day: § 106. Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Judah
and Micah, the Prophet (The Book of
Micah)
"One comfort is, that great men, taken up in any way, are profit-
able company. We canot look, however imperfectly, upon a great
man, without gaining something from him. He is the living light-
fountain, which it is good and pleasant to be near." — Carlyle.
1. Examine Micah, fourth chapter, for the following: (i)- The
presence of a passage (vv. 1-3) which is found almost word for
word in Isa. 2:2-4; ( 2 ) The promising character of this chapter in
the main; (3) Recognition of the fact that the expected glory
would come after a period of suffering; (4) The mention of Baby-
lon in v. 10; (5) The difference between God's view of things and
the world's view, vv. II, 12.
2. In chap. 5 note: (1) The presence in v. 2 ff, of the remarkable
Messianic passage quoted in the New Testament (Matt. 2:6) ; (2)
The contrast of this with the statement in v. 1, that the king of
Israel should be smitten on the cheek; (3) The connection of this
Messianic passage with the anticipated deliverance from Assyria,
v. 5-
3. Consider chap. 7, noting: (1) The wail of the prophet over
the very corrupt state of affairs, vv. 1-6; (2) The striking similarity
of v. 6 to words uttered by our Lord. Cf. Matt. 10:21, 35, 36;
(3) The fact that the good, in the midst of such distress and wicked-
ness, manifest faith in God; (4) The world-wide view here, vv. 12,
16; (5) The remarkable tribute of praise to God as one who for-
gives sin and puts it away forever, vv. 18, 19.
What is your estimate of Micah?
Personal Thought: "Who is a God like unto thee?" is a free
translation of the name Micah. What have I discovered in the God
of Micah which assures me that He is the only God? What attri-
bute of God is most prominently set forth in Micah, 7th chapter?
Do I know by experience that this is a true description of God?
144 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 21 : KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
ist Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1—32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
"The characteristic of heroism is its persistency. All men have
wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you
have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try
to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the
common, nor the common heroic. Yet we have the weakness to
expect the sympathy of people in those actions whose excellence is
that they outrun sympathy and appeal to a tardy justice!" — Emerson.
1. The topic for today is the reformation of Hezekiah. Consult
Diagrams XXIII and XXXV. Read 2 Chron. 29:1-11. What did
Hezekiah do? What did he say, and to whom? When did he say
and do these things? Glance through the remainder of 2 Chron.,
ehap. 29. Note the expression, "all Israel," twice used in v. 24. It
appears from the next chapter that Hezekiah's design was to reunite
the whole nation into a single religious community. The Northern
king was already a vassal of Assyria, and the end of the kingdom
of Israel was near.
2. Read 2 Chron. 31:1-21, also 2 Kings 18:4. Think about the
thoroughness with which this reformation was conducted, and the
opposition which must have been encountered. But is idolatry de-
stroyed when the idol is removed by force? What part do you
imagine Micah and Isaiah had in the reformation of Hezekiah?
Personal Thought: "And in every work that he began he
did it with all his heart." Read the entire verse (2 Chron. 31:21).
What good work have I begun in which I have not persisted ? Read
the quotation at the head of the page. "Create in me a steadfast
spirit, O God."
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 145
STUDY 21: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
2d Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1—32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
The following is continued from yesterday. Read the quotation
there and continue here "If you would serve your brother, bec?use
it is fit for you to serve him, do not take back your words when you
find that prudent people do not commend you. Be true to your own
act, and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange
and extravagant and broken the monotony of a decorous age. It
was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, 'Al-
ways do what you are afraid to do.' " — Emerson.
1. The history of Hezekiah as given emphasizes four important
events, the most probable order of which is as follows: (1) The
reformation; (2) The illness and recovery; (3) The embassy from
the king of Babylon ; (4) The invasion of Sennacherib. Consult
Diagram XXXV. The reformation occurred before the fall of
Samaria, which was besieged by Shalmaneser but actually taken by
Sargon. Sargon afterwards made an expedition to the West which
affected Judah. Read Isa. chap. 20.
The illness of Hezekiah most likely occurred 713 B. C. There
was an eclipse in September, 713, with which the going back of the
shadow may have been connected.
2. Read 2 Kings 20:1-11. The announcement of Hezekiah's
death was apparently unconditional. Was it really so? Why was
not the condition expressed? Compare your thought in reply to the
last question with the following : "The condition is not expressed
because God would draw it from him as a voluntary act."
Personal Thought: Meditate upon the words: "Thou has cast
all my sins behind Thy back" (Isa. 38:17). How should I live to-
day if God has done this for me?
146 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 21 : KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
3d Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1 — 32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
Read quotations of the last two days and continue here : "Times
of heroism are generally times of terror, but the day never shines
in which this element may not work. Whoso is heroic will always
find crises to try his edge. Human virtue demands her champions
and martyrs, and the trial of persecution always proceeds. —
Emerson.
1. The account of the visit of the embassy from the king of
Babylon given in Isa. chap. 39, is practically the same as that found
in 2 Kings 20:12-21. Read the latter passage. Read 2 Chron. 32:
31. What reason is there given why the embassy came? In view of
political conditions what was likely the real reason why the visit
was made? Is the prophet's condemnation to be interpreted on the
assumption that an alliance between Judah and Babylon against
Assyria was in contemplation? Why should such an alliance be
open to objection?
2. Read again 2 Chron. 32:31. Does "he" in the expression "that
he might know" refer to Hezekiah or to God? Read Deut. 8:2-3.
"The tendency to worship the gold of Ophir, to think of that as
the strength of men and nations, lay near the heart of this king and
people, as it is near the heart of us all Hezekiah showed all his
treasures It was otherwise with the prophet. He had been
taught to look through the mere temporary representatives of a
principle to the principle itself." — Maurice.
Personal Thought: "God left him, to try him, that He might
know all that was in his heart." How would I stand such a test as
Hezekiah met? How thoroughly have-: I learned that my heart is
deceitful above all things? What is the only means by which I may
today meet God's expectations in respect to my life?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 147
STUDY ax: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
4th Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1—32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
"Persevere against discouragement. Keep your temper. Preserve
self-possession and do not be talked out of a conviction. Be
guarded in discourse. Be not forward to assign reasons to those
who have no right to ask. In all your transactions remember the
final account." — Maxims of Bishop Middleton.
1. The invasion of Sennacherib is the fourth event made prom-
inent in the record of Hezekiah's reign. Recall the other three.
Read Isa. 14 :24-27. State in a brief sentence of your own the
leading thought of this paragraph.
2. Read 2 Chron. 32:1-8. Does this noble confidence in God
endure? We shall see.
3. Read 2 Kings 18:14-16. But did Hezekiah obtain permanent
relief? Read 2 Kings 18:17-37. What did Hezekiah do under the
circumstances, and with what results? Read 2 Kings 19:1-7.
"In all the Bible there is not a personage more clever than this
Rabshakeh, nor more typical. He was an able deputy of the king
who sent him, but he represented still more thoroughly the temper
of the civilization to which he belonged A clever, fluent diplo-
matist, with the traveler's knowledge of men and the conqueror's
contempt for them a creature able to speak to natives in their
own language, full and ready of information, mastering the surface
of affairs at a glance, but always baffled by the deeper tides which
sway nations; a deft player upon party interests and the superficial
human passions, but unfit to touch the deep springs of men's religion
and patriotism." — G. A. Smith.
Personal Thought : Returning in thought to the inconstancy of
Hezekiah's trust in God, inquire into your own record in respect to
the same, and try to answer the question: How may I continue
steadfast in my devotedness to God? Are there means to this end?
If so, what are they? Am I employing them?
148 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 21 : KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
5th Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1—32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him ;
I will be with him in trouble." — Psalm 91 :i5.
1. Continuing the study of Sennacherib's invasion, read Isa. 17:
12-14. What is the application of these verses to the subject?
2. Read 2 Kings 19:8-37. Who is the hero of the occasion?
"This scene is a parable of the everlasting struggle between faith
and force, with doubt and despair between them. In the clever,
self-confident, persuasive personage with two languages on his
tongue, and an army at his back; in the fluttered representatives of
official religion who meet him; in the ranks of the dispirited men
who hear the dialogue ; in the sensitive king so aware of faith, and
yet so helpless to bring faith forth to peace and triumph; and, in
the background of the whole situation, the serene prophet of God,
grasping only God's word, and proving that faith can be the sub-
stance of things hoped for— we have a phase of the struggle
ordained for every generation of men." — G. A. Smith.
Personal Thought: Read 2 Kings 19:4, 19. On what did Hez-
ekiah ground his hope? Would failure to receive a favorable re-
sponse to my prayer bring reproach upon God? How often do I
use Hezekiah's argument in prayer? Are my interests and God's
interests identical?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 149
STUDY 21: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
6th Day: § 107. Hezekiah King of Judah, and Isaiah the
Prophet (2 Kings 18:1 — 20:21; 2 Chron.
29:1—32:33; Isaiah 36:1—39:8)
"Fame is vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wings, those
who cheer to-day will curse to-morrow, only one thing endures —
character." — Horace Greely.
1. Spend two or three minutes on Diagram XXXIII, with special
reference to chaps. 7 — 12. Note what this portion is called. Glance
over the chapters for the word Assyria and underline it wherever
found. Is there anything more dramatic than the first part of chap.
10? Spend any remaining moments in working out the contrast
between the forest (chap. 10), and the twig (chap. 11). Reflect
upon the occasion and content of these Messianic passages.
2. "Israel never wholly lost the grace of the baptism wherewith
she was baptized in 701 B. C. There is no event even in her history
in which the unaided interposition of God was more conspicuous.
It is from an appreciation of the meaning of such a providence that
Israel derives her character — that character which marks her off so
distinctively from her great rival in the education of the human
race, and endows her ministry with its peculiar value to the world
In Greece the human is greater than the divine In Judah
man is great simply as he rests on God. The rocks of Thermopylae,
how imperishably beautiful do they shine to the latest ages with the
comradeship, the valor, the sacrificial blood of human heroes ! It is
another beauty which Isaiah saw upon the bare, dry rocks of Zion,
and which has drawn to them the admiration of the world. There!'
said he; 'Jehovah is glory for us, a place of broad rivers and
streams.'"— G. A. Smith.
Personal Thought: Read Isa. 11:2, and measure yourself
thereby. "Your heavenly Father is willing to give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask Him."
ISO STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 21 : KINGS AND PROPHETS OF MIDDLE
ASSYRIAN TIMES
7th Day: § 108. Songs of Deliverance from the Assyrian
(Psalms 75, 76, 46, 47, 48)
"Just in the last distressing hour
The Lord displays delivering power;
The mount of danger is the place
Where we shall see surprising grace."
1. Read the 75th Psalm, which is regarded by many as celebrating
if not anticipating the deliverance from Sennacherib. The psalm
opens with ascription of praise, passes to the announcement of God's
righteous judgment, and closes with a determination to publish the
praise of Jehovah forever.
2. Read the 76th Psalm, which is generally regarded as celebrat-
ing the overthrow of the Assyrian King in Hezekiah's time. Note
the division into four strophes of three verses each. Characterize
each strophe. This psalm has interesting modern historical associa-
tions. "When the Covenanters at Drumclog closed their ranks to
meet the onset of Claverhouse and his dragoons, they sang the
opening verses to the tune of Martyrs. A century earlier in 1588,
when the first rumor of the discomfiture of the Spanish Armada
reached Edinburgh and the citizens assembled to render thanks to
God, Robert Bruce, addressing them, took this psalm for his text."
— Binnie.
"Charles Kingsley had a special love for this 76th Psalm. When
sailing up the Rhine, and looking on the ruined strongholds of the
old freebooters, he writes, 'How strange that my favorite psalm
about the hills of the robbers (hills of prey) should have come in
course the very day I went up the Rhine ! ' " — Ker.
Personal Thought: "For neither from the east nor from the
west, nor yet from the south cometh lifting up. But God is Judge :
He putteth down one, and lifteth up another." — Psalm 75 :6, 7.
How fully do I recognize this truth? Do I rejoice in it? What
are the reasons why one should rejoice in it?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 151
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE
ASSYRIAN TIMES, WITH REVIEW
1st Day: § 108. Songs of Deliverance from the Assyrian
(Psalms 75, 76, 46, 47, 48)
"The Bible will richly repay study, but only if the conditions are
observed which common sense dictates. It has no power of working
like a charm, so that a chapter read in a couple of minutes by a pre-
occupied mind can do any good. The mind must rest on it and give
itself time to receive impressions. It requires the whole force of our
thinking and the whole force of our feeling." — Stalker.
1. The subject of the last Study is here continued. Psalms 46,
47 and 48 are the portion for to-day. Of the 46th Psalm Per-
rowne says, "This and the two following psalms are hymns of tri-
umph, composed on the occasion of some great deliverance. I am
inclined to think that they all celebrate the same event, the sudden
and miraculous destruction of the army of Sennacherib under the
walls of Jerusalem Such a deliverance must have filled a whole
nation with wonder and joy. The old days of Moses and David
would seem to have returned. The hopes of prophets, so great and
so glowing, yet so often apparently defeated, seemed now nearer to
their accomplishment. The times were at hand when Jerusalem
should be indeed the joy of the whole earth, when all nations should
acknowledge Jehovah as their king The burden, alike of pro-
phecy and psalm, is Immanuel, God with us."
In the light of the above read Psalm 46.
2. Read Psalm 47, "a practical expansion of 46:10, T am exalted
among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.' "
3. Read Psalm 48, noting that the assurance for the future of
v. 14 is based upon a record of the past, and an experience of the
present (see v. 8a).
Personal Thought: "We have thought. O God, of thy loving-
kindness." How much have I thought of it? How has it been
manifested to me? How may my life more fully show forth the
loving-kindness of the Lord?
152 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE
ASSYRIAN TIMES, WITH REVIEW
2d Day: § 109. A Summary of Isaiah's Preaching — "The
Great Arraignment" (Isaiah 1:1-31)
"The hope for God's future is the cheer for man's present." —
Selected.
1. Recall the names of the four Principal Divisions of the Old
Testament History of Abraham and his Posterity. (See p. xi.)
Read attentively the titles of chapters I-XIX in the Analytical Out-
line. What chapters are included in the first six sub-periods? With
what two sub-periods are the Assyrian times coterminous? What is
the number and what are the limits of the divisions of the Assyrian
times (see Diagram XVIII) ? By what nation and when was the
Northern Kingdom destroyed? How was the power of this nation
broken so that the Southern Kingdom (Judah) escaped its hand?
It is meet that in this course we give one more day to Isaiah.
May one result of these Studies be a full year spent some time by
each one following them, upon the book of Isaiah.
"The Great Arraignment' is the title appropriately suggested
by Ewald for the prophecy found in Isaiah 1. Jehovah is the plain-
tiff, Israel the defendant, the prophet a deeply interested bystander
and interlocutor. Hence the prophecy naturally falls into four
strophes, dividing at vv. 10, 18, 24. Str. I contains the charge with
an appeal to the witnesses; II meets a preliminary objection of
Israel's to a production of a charge; III offers reconciliation on
condition of Israel's amendment; IV fulminates the judgment which
the rejection of this gracious offer renders inevitable. The prophecy
begins by addressing the whole people as equally guilty ; then directs
itself more especially to the higher classes ; and last of all anticipates
that some will be converted and so escape destruction. There is no
finer specimen of prophetic oratory than this."— Cheyne.
Read Isaiah, chap. 1, which is an introduction to, and at the same
time a summary of, the entire collection of the prophet's writings.
Personal Thought: "When ye make many prayers, I will not
hear : Your hands are full of blood." Is this charge in any sense
applicable to me? Meditate on Isa. 1 :i5-i8.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 153
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE
ASSYRIAN TIMES, WITH REVIEW
3d Day: § no. Manasseh and Amon Kings of Judah (2 Kings
21:1-28; 2 Chron. 33:1-25)
"You may depend upon it, religion is, in its essence, the most gen-
tlemanly thing in the world. It will alone gentleize, if unmixed with
cant; and I know nothing else that will alone; certainly not the
army, which is thought to be the grand embellisher of manners." —
Coleridge.
1. Spend one-half of the time today if necessary in reviewing the
periods of the kings of Judah and Israel. Consult Diagrams XVIII,
XIX, XX, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXXII, XXXV, XXXVI,
XXXII. Think through these times, locating the prophets as you
may be able, and recalling the relationships, mission and character
of each.
2. Read about the son and grandson of Hezekiah in 2 Kings
21 :i-26. What expression in v. 16 reminds one of the first king of
Israel? Did God leave Manasseh without witness that he was doing
wrong? Read vv. 10-12. What was the worst of Manasseh's sins?
What are the names of the reformers who antedated Manasseh's
time? Consult Diagram XXIII. The history of Israel seems to
show a development in parallel lines of both good and evil. Each
reformation is followed by more determined effort on the part of evil
to undo the good. The faithful remnant is preserved and purified.
Personal Thought: "The Lord spake unto Manasseh and to his
people: but they gave no heed." What was the result? Is there
any message from God to which I am not giving heed?
154 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE ASSYRIAN
TIMES, WITH REVIEW
4th Day: §111. Nahum the Prophet and the King of Assyria
(The Book of Nahum)
"To try too hard to make people good is one way to make them
worse. The only way to make good is to be good — remembering
well the beam and the mote. The time for speaking comes rarely ;
the time for being never departs." — George MacDonald.
1. Nahum must have prophesied after the fall of Thebes (No-
Amon), which occurred about 664 B. C, see Nahum 3 :8. It is likely
that the book which bears his name was produced some time between
660 and 640 B. C. The style of the prophet is most graphic. " Na-
hum describes the fate of the vast city in images which human imag-
ination or human language has never surpassed." — Milman. "In
grandeur of style, in condensed energy, in elevation of sentiment and
rapid transitions, and in a certain completeness of representation,
Nahum stands, if not the very first, yet near the very first of the
Hebrew prophets." — B. B. Edwards.
2. As regards the teaching of Nahum, Farrar says : "It is less
directly spiritual than the prophecies of Hosea, Isaiah or Micah, yet it
forcibly brings before us God's moral government of the world, and
the duty of trust in Him as the avenger of wrong-doers, the sole
source of security and peace to those who love Him."
The theme of Nahum is : Judgment upon the bloody and rapacious
city and empire of Nineveh with all its gods. The book may be out-
lined as follows :
I. The judgment announced, chap. 1.
II. The judgment described, chap. 2.
III. The judgment reviewed, with special reference to the cause
of it, chap. 3.
In the light of the above, read the book of Nahum aloud if possible.
Think of it as an oration as you read.
Personal Thought: Consult Diagram XXXVIII. Think of the
different circumstances of the prophecies of Jonah and Nahum and
reflect upon the revelation of God made in these two little books.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 155
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE ASSYRIAN
TIMES, WITH REVIEW
5th Day: § 112. Josiah King of Judah (2 Kings 22:1—23:30; 2
Chron. 34 :i— 35 -27)
"Meditation, with the sense of God being present, is the most
precious of all kinds of meditation. Many know well what it is to
think habitually with the sense of the presence of another human
mind. Religious meditation is thinking with a sense of having our
judgments, our intentions and conduct reviewed by the mind of God;
and the blessed result of it is that it gradually forms in our minds
the habit of checking the whole tenor of our outer and inner life by
considering how each thing would look in the eyes of God." — Stalker.
1. If you will work out the following properly you will be much
interested and profited. Read (2 Chron. 34:1 — 35:27), recording
answers to the questions below as you proceed : What did Josiah do
and when? Why did he act as he did?
The most noteworthy addition to the account in Chronicles is in 2
Kings 23 : 15-18. Read in connection with this 1 Kings 13 :i-5.
2. The passover was commemorated by Josiah in 622 B. C, just
100 years after the destruction of Samaria, which occurred 722 B. C.
These are two dates worth remembering.
The book of the law which was read is believed to have been
Deuteronomy. How often was the public reading of the book of the
law required? See Deut. 31 :io-i3. Why was Josiah ignorant of it?
See Deut. 31:26. Cf. 2 Kings 22:8. Wherein lay the weakness of
Josiah's work of reformation? Wherein lay its strength? Was much
of the personal influence of the king manifest in the movement.
Personal Thoughts "In the eighth year of his reign, while he
was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father :
and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah. In the eighteenth
year he sent Shaphan to repair the house of the Lord." There is food
here for reflection. Josiah made an early and right start, and pro-
gressed and was pertinacious to the end. How does my life com-
pare with his in these things?
156 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE ASSYRIAN
TIMES, WITH REVIEW
6th Day: § 113. The Prophet Zephaniah (The Book of Zeph-
aniah)
"The great privilege of the prophets and apostles was not their
being inspired and working miracles, but their eminent holiness. The
grace that was in their hearts was a thousand times more than their
dignity and honor, than their miraculous gifts." — Edwards.
"If anyone," says a writer, "wishes all the secret oracles of all the
prophets to be given in a brief compendium, let him read through this
brief Zephaniah."
I. Zephaniah evidently prophesied early in the days of Josiah.
Read Zeph. 1:1-3, and cf. Jer. 4:23-26 for the dark picture of
idolatry and the announcement of judgment to come.
As you examine this short book note further: (1) The frequent
use of the word day referring to a future time of judgment for the
nation; (2) The moral condition indicated by Chap. 1:12; (3)
The prominence given to sin as the cause of coming evil, 1 :ij and
elsewhere; (4) The urgency of the call to repentance before it should
be too late, Chap. 2:1-3; (5) The mention of five different nations in
Chap. 2, which would be engulfed in the coming destruction ; (6)
The graphic picture of Nineveh laid waste, Chap. 2:13-15; (7) The
charge in Chap. 3:3, 4 ; (8) The contrast between the rulers of
earth and God, Chap. 3 :5 ; (9) God's hope that His own people would
take warning at judgments sent on others is disappointed, Chap. 3:7;
(10) The assurance that a remnant will survive; (11) The bright
future with which the prophet concludes his message. Contrast the
gloomy opening. "Dies irae" is based on Zeph., Chap. 1. What con-
ception of God had Zephaniah? Read Chap. 3:5, 17.
Personal Thought : Reflect upon what must have been the char-
acter of Zephaniah. As an aid to conclusions, read 1:6; 2:3; 3:4.
What place does study of and reflection upon the character of God
have in producing such a character as Zephaniah? Do I think
enough about God as revealed in the Scriptures?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 157
STUDY 22: KINGS AND PROPHETS OF LATE ASSYRIAN
TIMES, WITH REVIEW
7th Day: § 114. The Prophet Habakkuk (The Book of
Habakkuk)
"One should often recall that quiet resolution of President Ed-
wards : 'Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most for
God's glory and my own good, profit and pleasure on the whole,
without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so
many myriads of ages hence' This is civil engineering that amounts
to something— surveying and laying out a track through eternity."
1. The motto of Habakkuk might be taken from the heart of the
prophecy, Chap. 1 14. Where in the New Testament are these words
found? See Rom. 1:17b; Heb. 10:38.
Habakkuk probably prophesied early in the reign of Josiah. Some
hold that he uttered his message in the reign of Jehoiakim. "The
design of this prophecy is to portray the sovereignty of God as chas-
tening His people for their sins, and also visiting with deserved pun-
ishment those who as godless agents seek to destroy them. Wicked-
ness shall not go unpunished, but woe unto those who take the rod of
God into their own hands. The consoling thought as illustrated in
the prophet's experience is that a good man, though deprived of all
human support and stripped of his earthly possessions, may still be
happy in God alone, as the bestower of higher spiritual blessings."—
Steams.
2. Examine the prophecy following the outline given below :
1. The questioning of faith, Chap. I.
2. The listening of faith, see especially Chap. 2:1.
3. The waiting of faith, Chap. 2 .2, 3.
4. The triumphing of faith, Chap. 3, especially vv. 17-19- Note
the prominence of the word salvation in the last chapter. Answer
the question in Chap. 3 :8 by reading verse 13.
Personal Thought : The character and personality of the prophet
as intimately related to his message is strikingly illustrated in Habak-
kuk. He had real difficulty and through real travail of soul came to
the knowledge of God and His will which is here presented. Reflect
on Chap. 1:12, 13, and Chap. 3:18, 19. "When your troubles be-
come too great for prayer then begin to sing."— Luther.
158 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH, THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
1st Day: § 116. The Call and the Commission of Jeremiah
(Jeremiah i :i-i9)
"There is a growing need in this world that we must meet not by a
contribution of money but of self." — Dr. Boynton.
1. The following reasons may be assigned for a careful study of
the book of Jeremiah: (1) It is comparatively little known; (2) The
book gives more details about the life, methods and work of an Old
Testament prophet than does any other; (3) It abounds in material
for character study ; (4) It is invaluable for its great moral lessons ;
(5) The period in which Jeremiah lived is one of the most important
and interesting in Old Testament history.
Consult Diagram XXXIX for a general idea of the arrangement of
the book of Jeremiah. Read everything in connection with the
Diagram.
2. Read Jer. 1:1-10 aloud with care, making note of everything
which strikes you. Did you observe: (1) "The words of Jeremiah
to whom the word of the Lord came?" Glance over the first
page or two of the text of Jeremiah and note how often the expres-
sion, "The word of the Lord" or its equivalent occurs. We have
here the true words of man, and the real Word of God; (2) give
close thought to vv. 5-10. What was the message of God to Jere-
miah? What objection did Jeremiah make? How did God meet it?
What was Jeremiah commissioned to do?
Personal Thought: "I have appointed thee I am with thee."
When may I rely without question upon God to be with me? How
may I know that I am where God wishes me, and that I am doing
His work?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 159
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
2d Day: § 116. The Call and the Commission of Jeremiah
(Jeremiah i :i-i9)
"I am being taught never to be disappointed but to praise." — James
Hannington.
1. Re-read the reasons given in Study 23, 1st Day, for the study
of Jeremiah; afterwards consider the following additional ones: (6)
The history of Jeremiah bears a closer analogy to that of Jesus than
that of any other prophet of the Old Testament; (7) "So far as we
have data for a judgment Jeremiah was the healthiest, strongest,
bravest, grandest man of Old Testament history." — Ballantine.
2. Read Jer. 1 :n, 12. Which is expressed here, the content or the
certainty of God's revelation? Note the marginal readings for in-
dication of punning in the original. Introduce the sounds given in
the margin as you read aloud vv. 12, 13. Attempting to reproduce the
force of the play on words into the English it would be : "I see the
rod of an early awake I am early awake in respect to my word
to perform it."
3. Read Jer. 1:13-16. Consider the force of the figure. A flood
is often used to describe destruction. Think of what a boiling flood
would mean.
4. Read Jer. 1:17-19. Reflect upon the expressions, "defenced
city," "iron pillar," "brazen walls" (v. 18), in the light of Jeremiah's
confession in v. 6. Read Isa. 41 :i4, 15, getting the contrast between
"worm" and "new, sharp threshing instrument having teeth." But
was Jeremiah's work to be aggressive or defensive? Which is the
more difficult? Reflect further on the expressions in v. 18.
Personal Thought: "A defenced city." — How much resistance
of sin am I good for?
"An iron pillar."— How much iron have I in my spiritual life?
"Brazen walls."— How much patient endurance do I possess?
How may I have all these things? Read v. 19b.
i6o STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
3d Day: § 115. The Kings of Judah in Jeremiah's Time (2
Kings 22:1 — 25:30; 2 Chron. 34:1—36:23)
"The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference
between men — between the feeble and the powerful, the great and
the insignificant — is energy, invincible determination, a purpose once
fixed on, then death or victory. This quality will do anything that
can be done in the world ; and no talents, no circumstances, no
opportunities, will make a two-legged creature a man without it." —
Sir Thomas Fowell Button.
1. Seek to get today a clearer view than you now possess, of the
political and religious situation in Jeremiah's day. To this end
read again Jer. 1 :i-3.
2. Draw a line across a sheet of paper, assigning the first part of
it to Josiah, the second part to Jehoiakim, and the third part to
Zedekiah. Make a note on the portion assigned to Josiah that
Jeremiah began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign.
Turn now to 2 Kings, Chap. 22. Read vv. 1-3, making note of
times mentioned. Read also 2 Kings 23:23 — 31:36; 24:8, 18-20;
25:1. Consult Diagrams XL-XLIII. Read now as much of 2
Chron. 34:1 — 36:23 as you have time for, thinking all the while
of the time of Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office and trying to
imagine what he must have said and done. Do this with especial
care in connection with the events of Josiah's reign. Who doubt-
less largely influenced Jeremiah in early life? Did he likely figure
prominently in the reform measures of Josiah?
Personal Thought: "While he was yet young he began to seek
after the God of David." Think for a moment of the character of
'the God of David. What is it to seek after God? How may I
more truly seek after God? What are some results of seeking after
God?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 161
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
4th Day: § 115. The Kings of Judah in Jeremiah's Time
(2 Kings 22:1 — 25:30; 2 Chron. 34:1—36:23)
"Here is a man who is manifestly sustained as well as guided by
influences from heaven. The Holy Spirit dwells in him. God
speaks through him. The heroism, the nobility, the pure and stain-
less enthusiasm at the root of his life come, beyond question, from
Christ. There must, therefore, be a Christ; and it is worth while
to have such a helper and redeemer as this Christ undoubtedly is,
and as He here reveals Himself in this wonderful disciple." —
Stanley on Livingstone.
1. Give this day chiefly to getting still more clearly in mind the
political and religious situation in which Jeremiah wrought. Read
again Jer. 1:1-3. Glance again at Diagrams XL-XLIII. Give the
remainder of today's time to new material in 2 King's 22:1 — 25:30,
all the while keeping before you the prophet Jeremiah as you read,
and trying to imagine how he acted and what he said. See how
much of his career you can forecast. Read Jer. 1:17-19.
Personal Thought: "Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak:
for I am a child Say not I am a child I have appointed
thee I am with thee." What was the secret of Jeremiah's
success as so far indicated? Think down into this. Am I distrust-
ful of self? Am I trustful of God? Do I act upon His word?
j62 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
5th Day: § 117. The Substance of Jeremiah's Message During
the Reign of Josiah (Jer. 2:1 — 6:30; 11 :i —
12:17)
"The first thing that a human being should recognize about him-
self is that his character is his distinguishing feature. It is not the
amount of money, the amount of power, the amount of brains that
a man has that is his distinguishing feature, but his character. In
God's sight men are what they are in their wishes and ambitions.
The supreme ambition of every one should be to be worthy in
character." — Selected.
1. The Book of Jeremiah is thought of by many as the backslid-
ing book. This is a mistake. Practically all there is in the book
about backsliding is found in the 2d and 3d chapters. Keep prom-
inent in your mind today the moral and religious condition of Judah
in Jeremiah's time. Note down any striking statements about
this as you proceed. Study this subject in the light of the character
of God as set forth in this passage. At once read Jer. chap. 2 :5, 6,
*3> 3 1 J 3 :I 2-i4, for definite statements about God. Read now chap.
2 of Jer., not pausing for definite understanding of what may at
first be obscure, but reading for the general impression of the moral
and religious situation which the chapter will give you.
Jer. chap. 2:17, 19; chap. 3:23, should be put on your list of pas-
sages to be memorized. Correct the usual wrong interpretation of
Psalm 121:1 by Jer. 3:23.
Personal Thought: Reflect on 2:17, 19. Recognizing now
more clearly the fact that sin pays in bitterness, what shall be my
policy toward it today.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 163
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
6th Day: § 117. The Substance of Jeremiah's Message During
the Reign of Josiah (Jer. 2:1—6:30; 11 :i—
12:17)
''To understand Jeremiah implies such a profound insight into
human character, into the lessons of the past and the facts of the
present, into the religious history of the race and the perils of to-
day, as our happy circumstances and prosperous material civilization
with difficulty allow. To understand Jeremiah is to understand the
world's need of Christ." — Ballantinc.
1. Chapters 4-6 might be called "The Immediate Danger Chap-
ters." They are most graphic. Read aloud today chap. 4. Put
yourself as really as you can in the prophet's place.
On the fourth chapter answer the following questions: (1) What
is stated in v. 4 as the cause of evil to come? (2) What is the char-
acter of the foe as described in vv. 5, 12, 13? (3) Is weakness of
character indicated in the prophet by v. 19? (4) What is the saving
clause in vv. 23-28? (5) What modern poem do these verses
suggest?
2. On the fifth chapter answer: (1) What do vv. 7-9 indicate as
to the condition of the people and the character of God? (2) What
is the force of the comparison in vv. 22, 23? (3) Imagine the sit-
uation described in vv. 26-31.
Read chap 6, vv. 10-15.
Personal Thought: Read Jer. 6:16. Am I in danger of ac-
cepting popular ways instead of right ways? What place has the
character of people who are in a way, in aiding me to determine
whether that way is a right one or not?
164 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 23: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
7th Day: § 117. The Substance of Jeremiah's Message During
the Reign of Josiah (Jer. 2:1—6:30; 11 :i —
12:17)
"It is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us
rich." — H. W. Beecher.
1. The chapters for today are Jer. 11 and 12. The reference
to the covenant in chap. 11 favors assigning this portion to the
reign of Josiah and associating it with the reformation of Josiah.
From Jer. 1:1 we learn that his home was at Anathoth, a little
town about three miles from Jerusalem. The latter part of chap.
II will be more interesting if we note that the conspiracy to kill
the prophet was made in his home town.
2. Read now without interruption chap. 11. Afterwards read
the prayer in 12:1-4. Note that the prophet though perplexed does
not doubt God, v. 1. What was the prophet's difficulty? To whom
did he go with it? The difficulty was real and great. The lan-
guage of 12:5, 6, means what? It indicates that greater suffering
awaits the prophet. Had Jeremiah for the moment forgotten the
promises which God had made when He called him to the work of
a prophet? Read Jer. 1 :i9. Is there not a clear indication that the
turning of Jeremiah from a child into an iron pillar and brazen
walls was a process, and that he was to be made perfect through
suffering? Read Jer. 12 7-17.
Keep in mind in your further study of Jeremiah that his natural
temperament was such that in order to perform the work required
of him, he passed through the most intense anguish of spirit. Was
the wisdom of God manifest in this? Could a man of different
temperament have done the work to which Jeremiah was called?
Would the wicked kings and people have listened to announcements
of coming judgments from other than tear-filled eyes?
Personal Thought: When I am in difficulty to whom do I go?
How heartily can I preface every investigation of a moral problem
by the words, "Righteous art Thou, O Lord"? In whom only is a
satisfactory answer to some questions to be found?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 165
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
1st Day: § 118. The Arrest of Jeremiah for Preaching in
the Temple Court (Jer. 26:1-24)
"Measure thy life by loss and not by gain,
Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth;
For love's strength standeth in love's sacrifice,
And he who suffers most has most to give."
1. With pencil in hand read Jer. 26:1-24, taking care to allow
the words to bring most vividly before you the scene described.
Picture the prophet standing in the court of the Lord's house ; listen
to his words ; look into the faces of his auditors ; read their thoughts.
2. Go over the material again and note: (1) V. 2 indicates that
the prophet took advantage of some feast day when many people
would hear him; (2) Vv. 3, 13 indicate the condition on which God
can forgive. In the instances where He is represented as repenting,
His unchangeableness is clearly manifest; (3) The prophets men-
tioned in v. 7 were false prophets ; (4) Not all that Jeremiah said
on this occasion is here reported. Tomorrow we shall study a fuller
report; (5) Imagine the tumult occasioned by the question in v. 9;
(6) Reflect upon the character of the man who under the circum-
stances could utter the words of vv. 12-15; (7) In connection with
vv. 18, 19 read Micah 3:12; (8) The account of Uriah given in vv.
20-23 is likely inserted here to show in what peril Jeremiah was
at the time. Considering the character of the opposition and of the
king himself, it was little short of a miracle that the prophet escaped
death.
Reflect further on the character of Jeremiah as manifested in vv.
12-15, recalling as you do the prophet's own estimate of himself and
the figures given to represent him when strengthened by God? Was
there not in Jeremiah a rare combination of gentleness and fidelity ?
Personal Thought: "Speak all the words that I command
thee; keep not back a word." How fully dominant is the will
of God in my silences as well as in my speaking? What may I
learn from Jeremiah respecting the manner of speaking God's
truth?
166 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
2d Day: § 119. The Message of Jeremiah for which He was
Arrested (Jer. 7:1 — 10:25)
"It is well to think well ; it is divine to act well." — Horace Mann.
1. The importance of reading these chapters with the historical
siituation vividly in mind cannot be overestimated. Read Jer. 7:
2-4. Where was Jeremiah when he spoke? What gesture would he
likely make as he uttered the words of v. 4? What would be his
tone of voice?
2. Use your own judgment in the use of your time today on
the passage (Jer. 7:1 — 10:25), taking care not to feel that you
must cover the entire section, and reserving two or three minutes
for the quotation below, and the Personal Thought. In reading the
section the following outline may be helpful: (1) Rebuke for
shameless idolatry and pollution of the very temple, 7:1 — 8:3; (2)
Announcement of punishment, 8:4 — 9:22; (3) Reasoning on the
folly of idolatry and exhortation to follow the only true God,
9:23—10:25.
"It is difficult to conceive any situation more painful than that
of a great man condemned to watch the lingering agony of an ex-
hausted country, to tend it during the alternate fits of stupefaction
and raving which precede its dissolution, and to see the symptoms
of vitality disappear one by one, till nothing is left but coldness,
darkness and corruption." — Lord Macaulay.
Personal Thought: "This house, which is called by my name,
wherein ye trust" (7:14). How sure am I that my religion is not a
formal thing; a trusting in a place or a book, or a set of relation-
ships? In what does true religion consist? Read 9:23, 24.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 167
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
3d Day: § 120. Jeremiah as an Intercessor (Jer. 14:1 —
15:21)
"Remember you are not a tree, that can live or stand alone. You
are only a branch. It is only while you abide in Christ, as the
branch in the vine, that you will flourish, or even live." — McCheyne.
1. The passage for today is packed with tragic interest. It is
not too long for you to read comfortably in the time, only take good
care to enter as fully as possible into the spirit of the prophet. In-
tense suffering on the part of the prophet is here portrayed. First
of all read his prayers in chap. 14 7-9, 19-22 ; his lament in chap.
15:10, 11, and his prayer and God's answer in chap. 15:15-21. Is
there any indication that he was tempted to give up? What evi-
dence of growth in Jeremiah's character does this passage give?
2. Spend any further time at your disposal in examining the set-
ting of the above passages in Jer. 14 :i — 15 :2i.
"So far as we have data for a judgment, Jeremiah was the health-
iest, strongest, bravest, grandest man of the Old Testament history.
There is not a scrap of evidence that he was otherwise than nat-
urally ardent, hopeful, buoyant, with a soul as full of song as a
bird's, and as receptive and radiant of light as a diamond. Every
reserve which we make in estimating his temperament is a gratu-
itous subtraction from the tragic objective truth of history. It is
only when we admit what the fall of Judah meant to one so clear-
eyed, so healthful, so elastic as Jeremiah that we begin to see how
dreadful that fall really was." — Ballantine.
Personal Thought: Read again thoughtfully chap. 15 :i9, 20, as
an answer to the questions in v. 18, and test your own life by these
words of truth. Have the words, "If thou take forth the precious
from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth," any present application
to me?
168 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
4th Day: § 121. The Prophet Remaining Unmarried (Jer.
16:1-3)
§ 122. Various Messages of Warning (Jer. 16-14—
17:27)
"If any work is really God-given, and He puts it either into our
hearts to devise, or into the power of our hands to do, no fear but
He will also provide stuff sufficient, whether metal or mental." —
F. R. Haver gal.
1. Read Jer., chap. 16, answering the following questions: (1)
Why is the prophet forbidden to marry? (2) Why is he forbidden
to enter the house of mourning? (3) Why is he forbidden to enter
the house of feasting? (4) What did the people answer Jeremiah
when he told them these things? (5) What answer was he directed
to give them? (6) Who were worse, the people of Jeremiah's time
or their fathers? (7) What, in v. 15, is assumed as having taken
place? (8) What figures in v. 16 are employed to represent the
enemy? (9) What will the nations learn from God's treatment of
Israel? (10) What will Israel learn from God's treatment of her?
2. What verses in chap. 17 resemble a part of the first Psalm?
Read vv. 9 and 10 of chap. 17 together. Who knows the heart?
Read 1 John 3:19, 20. What do we learn of the character and mis-
sion of Jeremiah from 17:12-18? What is the message about the
Sabbath in 17:19-27? Why do you think the Sabbath is here made
a test?
Personal Thought: Thinking of Jeremiah as revealed in to-
day's chapter, ask yourself the following questions : What personal
sacrifices am I making for the sake of the Kingdom of God? To
what extent am I willing to be misunderstood for Christ's sake?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 169
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
5th Day: § 123. The Potter's House Visited and the Lesson
(Jer. 18:1-23)
§ 124. The Potter's Vessel and the Lesson (Jer.
19:1-13)
"I never was happy until I gave up trying to be a great man and
was willing to be nobody." — Edward Payson.
1. Read chap. 18, answering the following: (1) To whose house
was the prophet directed to go? (2) What did the potter do when
the clay was marred? (3) What application of this was made to
Israel? (4) What does God say He will do when a nation repents
of its wrong doing? (5) What does God say He will do when a
nation refuses to do His will? (6) Does the passage indicate that
God's treatment of man is arbitrary? (7) What stage in sin is in-
dicated by v. 12? (8) Who were the leaders against Jeremiah?
(9) What was the animus of the opposition? (10) Is the prayer of
vv. 19-23 vindictive? In judging of this must we not take into con-
sideration the character of Jeremiah? Should we judge his charac-
ter by the words, or the words by his character?
2. From chap. 19 answer the following: (1) What was the
prophet directed to say? (2) Whom was he to take with him? (3)
Where was he to go? (4) What was he to do with the bottle?
(5) What application was he to make of this action?
Personal Thought: The potter deals with the clay according
to its nature. So does God deal with us. He takes into account
our nature, as free and responsible agents. He does not deal arbi-
trarily with us, although He does deal sovereignly, for in making
us He hath made us thus free and responsible. How am I using
my freedom? How am I meeting my high responsibility to God?
i;o STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 24: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
6th Day: § 125. Jeremiah Smitten and Imprisoned by Pash-
hur the Priest (Jer. 19:14)
§ 126. Wine Offered by the Prophet to the
Rechabites (Jer. 35:1-19)
"No need is greater in this increasingly noisy world, than the need
of knowing what we want. This is a matter genuinely subject to
inspiration, and the last thing to be taken for granted; yet nothing
is supposed to be so settled, so axiomatic, as that a man knows what
he wants." — Trumbull.
1. From chap. 20 answer the following questions: (1) Who was
Pashhur? (2) What did he do to Jeremiah? (3) Why this treat-
ment? (4) How long did Jeremiah remain in the stocks? (5)
What name did Jeremiah give to Pashhur? (6) Why this name?
(7) What country is here specifically mentioned as the captor of
Judah? (8) When the prophet would refrain from speaking God's
word, what occurred? (9) Was the prophet utterly cast down, or
did his trials develop faith in God? (10) What do the last verses
of this chapter indicate as to the suffering of the prophet in accom-
plishing his work?
2. From Jer. 35:1-19 answer the following questions: (1) In
whose reign did this occur? (2) Why were the Rechabites in Jeru-
salem (v. 11)? (3) Why did the Rechabites refuse to drink wine?
(4) What is emphasized in the contrast between "their father" and
"me" in v. 16? (5) What was the message of God by Jeremiah to
the Rechabites?
Personal Thought: Dwell further on the contrast between the
Rechabites in their respect for the single commandment of their
father, and God's people in their rejection of His oft-repeated ap-
peals, as brought out in chap. 35 : 14-16. What characteristic of God
is here emphasized? How fully have I come to appreciate the pa'
tience of God?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 171
STUDY 24 : JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
7th Day: § 127. The Roll Cut and Burned by Jehoiakim
(Jer. 36:1-32)
§ 128. The Message of Jeremiah to Baruch (Jer.
45:i-5)
"Jeremiah is the most misunderstood of all the great men of his-
tory. To be one of the healthiest of men and to be thought morbid,
to be one of the strongest and to be thought weak, to be one of the
bravest and to be thought faint-hearted, to be a titan and to be
thought a pygmy, has been his hard fortune." — First sentence in "A
Character Study," by Dr. Ballantine, which should be read by all.
1. The time in which the events we now study occurred, was
a crisis time for Jeremiah, and not for Jeremiah only, but for his
generation and for the world. "Politically the fourth year of Jehoia-
kim, in which Nebuchadnezzar won his great victory over Pharaoh-
necho at Carchemish on the Euphrates, was the turning-point of the
age."
Read Jer. 36:1-32.
"This narrative throws important light upon a prophet's mode of
working. There was a long period of oral teaching, during which
he committed nothing to writing; and obviously it can only have
been a condensed summary of that teaching which was embodied
in the roll. Doubtless it represented faithfully the sum and sub-
stance of the message which he had been commissioned to deliver;
but it can scarcely have repeated the ipsissima verba of discourses
spread over a period of more than twenty years. It is interesting
to observe the instrumentality of the faithful disciple Baruch, acting
as the prophet's amanuensis, as Tertius did for St. Paul (Rom.
16:22). And further, it is to be noted that the first form of this
collection of prophecies was not its final form. Much was added
when it was rewritten." — Kirkpatrick.
2. Read Jer. 45:i-5-
Personal Thought: Am I like Baruch seeking great things for
myself? What is the great thing which I should first of all seek?
Matt. 6 :33. Am I really doing this ?
172 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
1st Day: § 129. Prophecies Against Judah and the Nations
(Jer. 25 n-38, 46 :i— 49 :39)
"The day returns and brings the petty round of irritating con-
cerns and duties. Help us to play the man, help us to perform them
with laughter and kind faces ; let cheerfulness abound with industry.
Give us to go blithely on our business all this day, bring us to our
resting beds weary and content and undishonored, and grant us in
the end the gift of sleep." — Robert Louis Stevenson.
1. Read over the titles of the twenty-six chapters of the Ana-
lytical Outline, noting their distribution under the four General
Divisions of the Old Testament History of Abraham and his Pos-
terity.
Read over the titles of the Thirty Studies in Old Testament
Characters.
Read over the titles of sections 1 15-140.
Spend a few minutes in reviewing Diagrams XXXIX-XLIII.
2. From Jer. 25:1-38 answer the following questions: (1) In
what year of whose reign did the message come? (2) How long
had Jeremiah prophesied and with what results? (3) What king
of Babylon would take the people captive? (4) What special title
is here given to him? (5) How long would the bondage continue?
(6) How would God treat Babylon? (7) What reason is assigned
for such treatment? (8) What is the prophet directed to do in con-
nection with his announcement of evil upon the nations? (9) How
are the nations assured that the evil announced will come (vv. 28,
29)? (10) By what figure is the Lord represented in the latter
part of the chapter?
Personal Thought: "And the Lord hath sent unto you all his
servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them." What
has been my response to the messages which God has sent to me?
Is there any message now ringing in my ears? What answer shall I
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 173
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
2d Day: § 130. The Linen Girdle and its Message (Jer.
13:1-27)
§ 131. The Kings and the False Prophets Arraigned
(Jer. 22:1—23:40)
"Only he who lives a life of his own can help the lives of other
men." — Phillips Brooks.
1. Review Diagrams I-III.
Read Jer. 13:1-27. The application is sufficiently plain. There is
a theory that "Euphrates" should be "Phrath," which is equivalent
to Ephrath or Bethlehem. It is better, however, to believe that
Jeremiah was absent from Judah during a part of the reign of
Jehoiakim, and that the Euphrates is here referred to. Is the feeling
of the prophet indicated in v. 17 to be understood as representing
God's reluctance to punish? Is not the "weeping prophet" an in-
terpreter of the divine compassion ? Note the real application of
the words, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his
spots?" by reading the whole of v. 23. What is emphasized at the
close of the chapter as the cause of Israel's suffering?
2. As you examine Jer. 22:1-30, consult Diagrams XLI, XLII,
and note: (1) Four of the five kings of Judah who reigned during
Jeremiah's lifetime are here mentioned, see vv. 11, 18, 24; (2) The
chapter may be broken up as follows: vv. 1-9 contain general ex-
hortation mingled with threats and promises directed to the king
of Judah; vv. 10-12 refer to Jehoahaz ; vv. 13-19 are about Jehoia-
kim; and the remainder of the chapter refers to Jehoiachin the son
of Jehoiakim.
Personal Thought : "Then may ye also do good that are accus-
tomed to do evil." Read the whole of Jer. 13 :23. Am I the slave
of any evil habit? Can I deliver myself? How may I secure the
mastery? Read 2 Cor. 9:8.
174 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
3d Day: § 131. The Kings and the False Prophets of the
Nations Arraigned (Jer. 22:1 — 23:40)
"I sometimes think that this is the peculiar sin of the present age —
the attempt to make up for lack of character by outside service. It
can never be done. It is zeal without knowledge." — Campbell Mor-
gan.
1. Read Jer. 23:1-8. Who are referred to by the sheep? Who
are referred to by the shepherds? What are the names given here
to the future ideal ruler?
2. Read Jer. 23 :9-i4. What is the character of the prophets and
priests here described? The remainder of chap. 23 treats of false
prophets. It will stand careful, thoughtful reading. See quotation
from Wilberforce in Study 17, 3d Day, last paragraph. With v. 17
read 6:14. These false prophets never dreamed of giving a mes-
sage such as v. 19 contains. Vv. 33-40 contain a most interesting
play upon the expression, "the burden of the Lord." This expres-
sion of the true prophets had been so misappropriated by the false
prophets that its use was entirely forbidden.
Read Matt. 7:15-23; also 1 John 4:1-6.
"What is the straw to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word
like as fire? saith the Lord; and like the hammer that breaketh the
rock in pieces ?" Jer. 23 :28, 29.
Personal Thought : "If they had stood in my council, then had
they caused my people to hear my words." Jer. 23 :22. How may
I discern who is a true prophet? What is it to stand in the council
of God? What place has the Bible in enabling one to stand in the
council of God? What place the Holy Spirit? Am I standing in
the council of the Lord?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 175
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
4th Day: § 132. The Vision of the Baskets of Figs (Jer.
24 :i-io)
§ 133. The Symbolic Yokes and Bands (Jer. 27:1-11)
"Neither Moses, nor Joshua, nor Samuel, nor Elijah, nor Paul,
was ever subjected to a tithe of what Jeremiah endured. As a suf-
ferer he stands next to our Lord Himself. Why should we attribute
his distress to morbid predisposition to melancholy? If he shrank
from the stern task assigned him, Moses and Isaiah had done the
same. If he yielded to discouragement in defeat, Joshua had done
the same. If he longed for a lodge in the wilderness, the bold
Elijah had sought the same. If he cursed the day of his birth, Job,
the great example of patience, had done the same. If he wept over
Jerusalem, so did our Lord. That Jeremiah preserved the sweetness
of his affections, and the loyalty of his piety, and the boldness of his
official testimony to the end, argues rather a pre-eminently ardent,
high spirited, heroic nature." — Ballantine.
1. Read Jer. 24:1-10. Consult Diagram XLIII, and read v. 1
again for the historical situation. There was a strong party which
believed that the people already taken to Babylon would be restored,
and that Zedekiah and the remnant would not be taken into captivity.
What was Jeremiah's belief? Was he truly patriotic in this? Read
vv. 6, 7. What in Babylon was favorable for producing such re-
sults? Was not Babylon the headquarters of idolatry? Which is
worse, to be among pure heathen, or to be among heathenish pro-
fessors of truth?
Read Jer. 27:1-11. In whose reign did this message come to
Jeremiah? For answer, note marginal rendering of v. 1. What was
the prophet directed to put on his neck? To whom and by whom
was he to send the yokes? What messages were these yokes to
emphasize? Who delivered a different message?
Personal Thought: God spake in prophets by divers portions
and in divers manners. God hath spoken in His Son. How shall I
escape if I neglect the message? Do I thoroughly believe that God
has spoken? Am I heeding His message to me? Reflect on the
opening verses of Hebrews, chaps. 1 and 2.
i 7 6 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
5th Day: § 134 Jeremiah's Conflict with False Prophets in
Judea (Jer. 27:12 — 28:17)
"Give what thou commandest and command what thou wilt."—
Augustine.
1. Do not fail to grasp clearly the political situation and the stand
which Jeremiah took in relation to it. We have now reached the
reign of Zedekiah, the last of the kings of Judah. Josiah his father
was a probable vassal of Assyria. At any rate he met his death in
an attempt to prevent a march of the king of Egypt against Assyria.
Josiah's son Jehoahaz, who succeeded to the throne, was taken cap-
tive by Pharaoh after a three months' reign. Jehoiakim was a vassal
of Pharaoh, and was made captive by Babylon. In the fourth year of
his reign Nebuchadnezzar won the famous battle at Carchemish and
thereby became master of the West. Jeremiah advised submission to
Nebuchadnezzar. The false prophets sided with the kings and ad-
vised resistance to Babylon, judging that by the aid of Egypt they
would be able to succeed.
2. Read Jer. 27:12-22. Whom did Jeremiah warn against heed-
ing the false prophets? What was the message of the false prophets
about the vessels of the house of the Lord? What test does Jere-
miah submit to the false prophets? In what captivity had part of
the vessels already been taken?
3. Read Jer. 28:1-17. This passage is most instructive in its
picture of Jeremiah dealing with a false prophet. Study the an-
swer of Jeremiah in vv. 6-9, and in his action as recorded in v. II.
What do these indicate respecting his character and trust in God?
Personal Thought: Reflect further on the test of a true mes-
sage submitted by Jeremiah in 28 7-9 The old prophets are ap-
pealed to. A true message must agree with them. Then any man
who cries "Peace, peace" to a man or a nation pursuing a wicked
course may be judged false. Am I dealing truly with myself? with
others?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 177
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
6th Day: § 135. Jeremiah's Conflict with False Prophets in
Babylon (Jer. 29:1-32)
"Circumstances do not change one; they simply develop what is
in one." — Selected.
1. Get the situation clearly before you before reading Jer., chap.
29. Recall the parable of the baskets of figs, chap. 24. Zedekiah
and the remnant at Jerusalem were represented by the bad figs. The
good figs represented those to whom Jeremiah wrote. Remember
that Ezekiel and Daniel were among the captives. Jeremiah is here
truly a prophet to the nations. He had warned the kings round
about against false prophets, see 27:3, 9; he had warned Zedekiah at
home; he now by letter warns the exiles.
2. Read chap. 29 -.1-32. The chapter is full of interest. There is
no need of comment upon it.
Memorize v. 13. Attention might here be called to a number of
familiar and valuable verses found in the book of Jeremiah. Read
the following: 1:19; 2:17, 19, 22; 6:14; 8:20; 8:22; 13:23; 17:9;
23:29; 29:13; 31:34.
Of the foreshadowings of Christ in the days of Jeremiah, Dr. G. S.
Goodspeed writes : "Jeremiah himself in the manifold experience
and wonderful development of his personal and public character is
after all the most striking foreshadowing. He carried Israel and
Jehovah in his own heart. The one was broken and revived in him.
The other revealed His love and power through him. There was
the nation in the individual. There was the communion of God and
man, the suffering, the redemption, the restoration which were ac-
complished within, — the prophecy and assurance of the sorrow and
triumph of the cross."
Personal Thought: "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart." Have I found God in
reality? What is it to search for God with all the heart?
178 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 25: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
7th Day: § 136. The Message About Babylon (Jer. 50:1—
51:64)
1. "It is sound opinion, not multitudinous opinion, that takes the
force of law. Have faith in truth, never in numbers. The great
surge of numbers rolls up noisily and imposingly, but flats out on the
shore and slides back into the mud of oblivion. But a true opinion
is the ocean itself, calm in its rest, eternal in its power. The storms
and tumultuous thunders of popular rage and bigoted wrong will
sometimes pause in their travel round this sphere and listen to its
powerful voice. And if the night comes down to veil it for a time,
it is still there beating on with the same victorious pulse and waiting
for the day. A right opinion cannot die, for its life is in the moral
element, which is the life of God. Have patience, and it shall come
to pass in due time that what you rested in the tranquillity of reason
has been crowned with the majesty of law." — Horace Bushnell on
the Moral Tendencies and Results of Human History.
2. Give your time today to reading such portions of Jer. 50:1 —
51 -.64 as you may elect. The whole of the material may be collected
in thought about the two propositions : Babylon shall be destroyed ;
Israel shall be delivered. Try to enter into the spirit of the descrip-
tion as you read. Read aloud if possible.
Re-read the words of Bushnell above.
Personal Thought: "Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast
well seen : for I watch over my word to perform it." How fully do
I rest in the assurance that no word of God shall be void of power?
What is the reason if I have not this assurance?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 179
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
1st Day: § 137. "The Book of Consolation," Including the
Account of the Purchase of the Field (Jer.
30:1—32:26)
"In the deepest darkness of that age of declension which sealed
the fate of an ancient Israel, when the true prophet could no longer
see any other end to the degenerate nation than a consuming judg-
ment, the voice of spiritual faith rises high above all the limits of the
dispensation that was to pass away, and sets forth the sum of true
religion in words that can never die." — Robertson Smith.
1. Chapters 30-33 of Jeremiah have been called "The Book of
Consolation." It is the bright part of the book of Jeremiah. The
heart of these chapters is in chap. 31 '.31-34, where we read about the
New Covenant. Read the verses and note three things: (1) The
law will be written on the heart; (2) There will be individual, per-
sonal knowledge of God; (3) There will be forgiveness of sin.
2. Study today the story of the purchase of the field and the
prayer which followed. Read Jer. 32:1-25. Under what circum-
stances did the message here recorded come to Jeremiah? Why had
he been imprisoned? Who offered the field for purchase? At
whose suggestion did Jeremiah purchase it? What care did he exer-
cise to have the purchase known and secured? What did he do
after the purchase (v. 16)? What prompted this prayer? What is
a striking characteristic of this prayer? Is there much of petition
in it?
3. The answer of God is found in the remainder of the chapter,
vv. 26-44. Vv. 26-35 contain the first part of the answer; vv. 36-44
the second part. In connection with the burning of Jerusalem (v.
29) read Deut. 13:12-16. After reading vv. 28-35, return to vv. 26,
27, and after re-reading them (noticing as you do the last expres-
sion in v. 18), read vv. 36-44, where an explanation of the purchase
of the field is given.
Personal Thought: "Now after I had delivered the deed
I prayed." Do I perform clear duty even if I do not understand,
going to God afterward for explanation?
180 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
2d. Day : § 137. "The Book of Consolation," Including the
Account of the Purchase of the Field (Jer.
30:1—33:26)
"Superficially regarded, the reformation of Josiah seemed to
promise a future of divine blessing to the land. But the true
prophet could not be deceived by a superficial improvement that made
no change in the inward disposition of the people; and under the
kings Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, he repeated with increasing
definiteness his testimony to the impending destruction of the whole
commonwealth. All vain hopes, especially excited and fed by false
prophets, he inexorably denounced In opposition to all unholy
confidence in the outward form of the theocracy and its means of
grace, Jeremiah proclaimed that man can only attain salvation
through a complete change of mind, and that only in virtue of His
forgiving mercy, by a complete remoulding of His relation to His
people, can the Lord realize the true purpose that He has always
had in view for them Just in the later saddest time, when the
judgment, as he knew, was going on its way unhindered, and he
himself had to undergo the most painful martyrdom, under the reign
of Zedekiah, Jeremiah was often raised to the ideal height of the
glorious future, of which formerly he was permitted to speak but
seldom." — Orelli.
1. Read as much of chaps. 30 and 33 as your time will permit,
entering as heartily as possible into the times and the spirit of the
prophet.
2. Read, note the connection of and meditate upon the following
verses: Jeremiah 31:3 and 33'3-
Personal Thought: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and
will show thee great things and difficult, which thou knowest not."
Jer. 33:3. "I bow my knees unto the Father to the end that
ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge."
Eph. 3:14-19. How fully do I recognize and act upon the fact that
spiritual things are spiritually, not intellectually, discerned?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 181
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
3d Day: § 138. The Last Days and the Capture of Jerusa-
lem (Jer. 21:1-14—34:1—39:18—52:1-34)
"Jeremiah was a patriot whose duty it was to discourage national
hopes and counsel submission to a foreign foe. Though a patriot
he seemed to his fellow-citizens a traitor, without faith in his coun-
try or sympathy for her defenders." — Ballantine.
1. Read Jer. 21:1, 2. It would seem that Zedekiah hoped for
some miraculous deliverance similar to that of Hezekiah from Sen-
nacherib. Read verses 3-10 for Jeremiah's advice to the king and
the people. In connection with v. 7, read chap. 52:11, and Ezek.
chap. 12:13.
2. Before reading chap. 34:8-22, read chap. 37-5-10. This pas-
sage gives the occasion of the re-enslavement of the servants. Read
now chap. 34 :8-22.
3. Read chap. 37:1-21, and estimate the character of Zedekiah.
What traits does Jeremiah here display?
"Let us compare Jeremiah with Samuel. Samuel mourned for
Saul as Jeremiah did for king Josiah. But it was Samuel's privilege
to anoint David, a man after God's own heart, and to lay the
foundation for a far more splendid kingdom. How slight the sor-
rows of Samuel, how large his encouragements, compared with those
of Jeremiah ! During the twenty-two years that intervened between
the death of Josiah and the final catastrophe, three of his sons and
one grandson successively disgraced the throne. Set up and pulled
down by foreign conquerors, each was finally carried away to die in
captivity, except Jehoiakim, who was murdered and cast forth with
the burial of an ass. Each of these weaklings during his brief abuse
of power had time enough to demonstrate his incapacity, duplicity,
vanity, obstinacy, rapacity and impiety. Through all the slow, heart-
breaking steps of this political decadence Jeremiah went down with
his nation into its grave." — Ballantine.
Personal Thought: Read and reflect on Jer. 1:17-19 in the
light of the situation described in today's portion. How much iron
is there in my blood? How great is my patience? How long would
I keep sweet under such trials as Jeremiah had ?
182 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
4th Day: § 138. The Last Days and the Capture of Jerusa-
lem (Jer. 21:1-14—34:1—39:18—52:1-34)
"Compare Jeremiah with Elijah, who is thought to have been the
boldest of the prophets He fled To him it was revealed
that circumstances were not so bad as they seemed What
Elijah mistakenly supposed to be his own lot was really the lot of
Jeremiah. Still Jeremiah was not permitted to flee away. Firm at
his post where Elijah had not the courage to stand, Jeremiah stood
to the bitter end.
"Compare Jeremiah with Paul. Paul wrote: 'I have great sor-
row and unceasing pain in my heart/ but this was only a part of
Paul's experience. He had the privilege of going far away from
unready Jerusalem to do a work of magnificent constructiveness
among Gentiles, where multitudes of converts became his joy and
his crown. Jeremiah, through his long ministry, had only the great
sorrow and unceasing pain in his heart, and nothing more. His
duty was to stay year after year in Jerusalem, rejected, threatened,
set in stocks, cast into the miry dungeon, repeating over and over
a fearful message to unwilling ears, with never the joy of a single
success." — Ballantine.
1. Read Jer. 38:1-39:18. This passage is full of dramatic in-
terest. Do not fail to enter fully into the scenes described. Study
the characters of Zedekiah, Ebed-melech, and Jeremiah as you pro-
ceed.
Personal Thought: "Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the
Lord, in that which I speak unto thee : so it shall be well with thee,
and thy soul shall live." Jer. 38 :20. What must be in the charac-
ter of a man to enable him to address a fellow-man thus? Note:
"I beseech thee," "the voice of the Lord in that which I speak," "it
shall be." What of these elements do I possess?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 183
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
5th Day: § 139. Jeremiah and the Remnant in Judea (Jer
40:1—437)
"Let us contemplate for a little this grand figure standing there in
the solitude of its grief over the ruins of the noblest experiment of
ancient times. There he stands, comparing the divine ideal of a
visible kingdom of God on earth with the reality, comparing the
possibilities and hopes of the past with the facts of the present and
the certainties of the future. In him we see the dignity of unselfish
grief. In him we see the manliness of tears. Looking at him, we
see that tjie broadest, truest, strongest, bravest, may for that very rea-
son be the saddest Jeremiah's mood was justified by the facts.
It was necessitated to a healthy, clear-eyed nature by the situation.
For there was no bright side to those facts to look upon. To have
felt otherwise than Jeremiah did would have argued a little or a
frivolous mind, unable or unwilling to see and feel the truth." —
Ballantine.
1. Today read the story of the Remnant in Judea found in Jer.
40:1 — 42:22, dwelling longest on chap. 42. Note there the relation
of prayer to the communication of God's message to the prophet;
the delay of ten days ; and the evidence in the reply that Jeremiah
realized that the request for direction had not been made in good
faith.
Personal Thought: "For ye have dealt deceitfully against your
own souls; for ye sent me to pray unto the Lord your God
but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in anything
for the which He hath sent me unto you." What is the relation
between prayer and obedience? What evidence have I that I am
not dealing deceitfully against my own soul in the matter of prayer?
How often do I obey when the direction is not according to my
taste ?
184 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
6th Day: § 140. Jeremiah and the Remnant in Egypt (Jer.
43 :8— 44 :30)
"Looking at Jeremiah and pondering the lessons of his tears, we
begin to suspect that our unreadiness to understand him may come
from the influence on our mind of the popular fallacies which per-
vade the literature of the day. In his presence the hollowness of
these fallacies becomes more than ever apparent. Here are some of
them:
"First Fallacy: That one should always look on the bright side.'
"Second Fallacy : That all things are for the best.'
"Third Fallacy: That truth is mighty and will prevail.'
"Fourth Fallacy : That great crises always produce great men.'
"Fifth Fallacy: That revolutions never roll backward.'
"Sixth Fallacy : That if religion is rightly presented, people will
always welcome the preacher.'
"Seventh Fallacy: That in politics we may rely on the sober
second thought of the people.' " — Ballantine.
1. Read Jer. 43:1-13. How did the leaders explain away the
message from God? To what place in Egypt did they go? What
message did God send by Jeremiah in Egypt? Who was to be the
conqueror of Egypt? Note the irony of burning in fire the house
of the god of the sun, v. 13.
2. Read chap. 44 and note: (1) The substance of the prophet's
message in vv. 1-14; (2) The answer to the prophet in vv. 15-19;
(3) The reply of Jeremiah in vv. 20-30.
"Verily, all that tender sympathy, faithful reproof, long delay, and
admonitory forewarnings could do to reclaim and save guilty men
was faithfully and fervently done to save this guilty nation, but in
vain. The hour of retribution must come at last. It came, and its
vengeance was terrible."
Personal Thought: "And this is the message which we have
heard from him, and announce unto you, that God is light, and in
Him is no darkness at all God is love My little children,
guard yourselves from idols." 1 John 1:5; 4:16; 5:21. How sure
am I that I am free from idolatry? What is idolatry? Am I put-
ting anything in the place which God should occupy in my heart?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 185
STUDY 26: JEREMIAH THE PROPHET AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES
7th Day: Review and Estimate of the Character of Jeremiah
Glance over Diagrams XXXIX-XLIII. Read over headings of
§§ 1 15-140. As you read over the following headings dwell for a
minute on each, recalling what you know of them: (1) Jeremiah
and the Rechabites ; (2) The burning of the roll; (3) The dungeon
experience; (4) The potter's house; (5) The potter's bottle; (6)
The Temple discourse; (7) The conspirators at Anathoth ; (8) The
baskets of figs; (9) The linen girdle; (10) The release of the cap-
tives; (11) The false prophet Hananiah; (12) The false prophets
in Babylon; (13) The purchase of the field; (14) The secret inter-
view with Zedekiah; (15) The experience in Egypt.
1. The study of Jeremiah's character is of great interest. He has
been called the prophet of "the bleeding heart and the iron will."
He combined the most contradictory traits of character. His en-
duement was such that he did not omit duty, but to perform duty
often caused him keen anguish of heart. He was naturally diffident,
yet was made steadfast in the will of God. He was timid, yet spake
boldly in the name of his God. He possessed intense national feel-
ing, yet was possessed of broad views. He was a man of prayer.
He was jealous for and obedient to God. He was often perplexed
and sometimes despondent, yet was continually sustained by the
grace of God. This combination of traits in Jeremiah "is a strong
proof of the divine origin of his mission."
"He is not a hero by nature, but by grace ; and in his sometimes
strange confessions we clearly read that grace never expelled nature.
His life was at once the most natural and the most supernatural in
the Old Testament. Let us then be patient with ourselves ; God is
better than our fears, and more generous than our highest hopes, if
in base cowardice we do not shrink back from His call." — Cheyne.
2. Give your last moments to a review of Jer. 1 :i-ic».
Personal Thought: Read Jeremiah 15:18-20. If God has not
been found by me always what I expected, what has probably been
the trouble? What meaning for me have the expressions, "If thou
return," "If thou take forth the precious from the vile"?
186 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
1st Day: § 141. The Call and the Commission of Ezekiel
(Ezek. 1 :i — 3-27)
"Christ was not only the preacher of the message, He was the
message." — Robert E. Speer.
A leading characteristic of Ezekiel is given in the last statement of
1 :i, "I saw visions of God." The first chapter contaias a descrip-
tion of the vision connected with the prophet's call. Before you
read Ezek., chap. 1, by noting the following expressions taken from
1 -.22 and 26, get clearly in mind the fact that the sight which most
affected the prophet was not the strange creatures and the wheels
within the wheels, but the one who sat upon the throne, which throne
was upon the firmament, which firmament or platform was above
the wheels and the living creatures. The expressions are : "Over
the head of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firma-
ment," "And above the firmament that was over their heads was the
likeness of a throne and upon the likeness of the throne was a
likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above." In order that
you may get still more clearly before you the picture as you read,
take now a sheet of paper and draw two horizontal parallel lines
about one inch apart across the middle of the paper. Below the
lines write, "Wheels within wheels — Living Creatures." Between
the lines write, "Platform." Above the lines write, "Throne," and
above throne write, "Man on throne." Around those draw a_ circle.
This combination was seen in a great storm-cloud in the North.
Get the whole scene vividly before you.
1. Read Ezekiel 1:1-28. Recall the description of Isaiah's vision
when he was called (Isa. 6:1-2). Is Jeremiah represented as having
witnessed any strange vision when he was called (cf. Jer., chap. 1)?
Read Rev. 1 : 12-17.
2. Returning to Ezekiel, chap. 1, re-read vv. 25-28. Is it forcing
meaning into the vision to think that the likeness to the "bow that
is in the cloud" suggested the covenanted mercy and faithfulness of
God?
Personal Thought: "The Lord sat as king at the Flood; Yea,
the Lord sitteth as king forever." Psalm 29:10. With what feel-
ings do I contemplate the sovereign (not arbitrary) power of God?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 187
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
ad Day: § 141. The Call and the Commission of Ezekiel
(Ezek. 1 :i — 3-27)
"Just now there is a great clamor and demand for 'culture/ but it
is not so much culture that is needed as discipline." — W . G. T.
Shedd.
1. Glance over Isa. 6:1-13, for the call and the commission of
Isaiah, and over Jeremiah 1 :i-iq, for the call and the commission of
Jeremiah. Recall the prominent features of the vision of Ezekiel
given in chap. I, and read Ezek. 2:1 — 3:27. Compare these three
calls and the commissions. Write out points in common, and dif-
ferences. Give some time to this, as only a quotation follows for
today.
2. "Ezekiel's position is unique in the history of the prophets.
He was far from Palestine, in which alone the prophets had hitherto
appeared. That he should have been so was the hope of his people,
for he thus became a center round which those could gather who
were at last, under pressure of trouble, inclined to return to Jehovah.
His words became the seed of a religious revival, which, two genera-
tions later, resulted in the return, and, through that, to the whole
future development of the spiritual kingdom of God The ex-
iles might have thought with Jacob, that, with the sacred soil where
they had been wont to have access to the Creator, they had left His
presence behind. But when the Divine Majesty appeared to Ezekiel
on the banks of the Chebar in the land of the heathen, it showed
that, if God had left His local sanctuary at Jerusalem, He was still
with His people, and that, even without a temple, He was as accessi-
ble as when He sat between the Cherubim." — Geikie.
Personal Thought: "Son of man, all my words which I shall
speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears."
What is it to receive the words of God in the heart? Am I today
welcoming truth and doing God's will?
i88 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
3d Day: § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity of Judah (Ezek. 4:1 — 24:27)
"It is the absence of love, not its fulness, that makes us so impa-
tient of the weaknesses and inconsistencies of our Christian breth-
ren." — Selected.
1. Consult Diagram XLV, and seek clearly to apprehend the fact
that half of the book of Ezekiel refers to the events and the experi-
ences preceding the fall of Jerusalem. Glance at the following pas-
sages for the order of arrangement of the book, which is, in the
main, chronological : 1:2 — 8:1 — 20:1 — 24:1 — 26:1 (here the chrono-
logical order yields to the geographical order in which the prophecies
about foreign nations are arranged); 29:1 — 31:1 — 32:1 — 32:17 —
40:1.
2. Read Ezek. 4 n-3. Of what was this to be a sign to the house
of Israel? Was not this in harmony with what Jeremiah at the
same time was declaring at Jerusalem? Who were delivering a dif-
ferent message both in Babylon and in Judea? See Jer. 29:8-10.
Read Ezek. 4 :4-i7. What is the point of this parable? Keep before
you constantly as you read this and following passages that the bur-
den of the prophet's message was as stated in the section at the head
of this page. There may be a difference of opinion as to the literal
or figurative character of this narrative, but after all to determine
this is not the most important thing. See that you grasp the truth
which each story is intended to convey.
3. Read Ezek. 5:1-4. Read now the explanation in plain lan-
guage in vv. 6-17. Are you keeping before you the fact that these
prophecies belong to the latter days of Jeremiah's work in Jeru-
salem? Consult Diagrams XL-XLIII.
Personal Thought: "Because thou hast defiled my sanctuary —
therefore will I also diminish thee." Ezek. 5:11. "Your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit." — Paul. Am I keeping myself pure?
What is the penalty of not doing so? What is the reward for doing
so? Answer in the words of a beatitude.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 189
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
4th Day: § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity OF JUDAH (EZEK. 4:1 — 24:27)
"There is nothing so powerful as example ; we put others straight,
by walking straight ourselves." — Selected.
1. Note in Ezek., chap. 6, verses '7, 10, 13, 14, the expressions,
"shall know that I am the Lord." With this in mind, read the
chapter, in which the prophet apostrophizes the land, and declares
that evil can only be effectually rooted out by depopulation and deso-
lation. Continuing, rapidly read chap. 7.
2. Turn now to Ezek., chap. 36, in which again the land is the
subject. This is after the desolation. Seek to grasp clearly the
balancing of the two parts of the book of Ezekiel. Note the titles
of the two parts of Diagram XLVI. The words Pre-exilic, Denun-
ciation, Desolation, balance the words Post-exilic, Consolation,
Restoration. Examine chap. 36 and note especially vv. 25-33, n °t
omitting to notice the prominence given in the chapter as a whole
to the restoration of the desolate country and cities. Dwell for a
moment upon v. yj. What reason can you think of why there are
some things which God cannot give until they are asked for?
"It is not a little noteworthy that it was precisely from the date
of the overthrow of priestly rites and temple service, and the substi-
tution of spiritual worship and continuous religious instruction that
religion revived. Ezekiel was the true forerunner of Ezra." — Geikie.
Personal Thought: "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but
now I observe thy law." What is often one result of affliction?
But is one always to infer that evil is in the life because affliction is
present? How should affliction be borne? "Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and of the end of the Lord."
iqo STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
5th Day: § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity of Judah (Ezek 4:1 — 24:27)
"After all, the kind of world one carries about in one's self is the
important thing ; and the world outside takes all its grace, color, and
value from that." — James Russell Lowell.
1. Turning to Diagram XLV, read what is said about chaps. 8-1 1
just above the Notes.
2. Read chap. 8, noting such key expressions as "yet other
greater abominations," "therefore will I also deal in fury." Note
v. 12. Examine headings of paragraphs of chap. 9. Cf. v. 9 with
8:12. Glance over chap. 10, which is mainly a repetition of the
version of chap. 1. The one who gives directions concerning the
city and prepares to take his departure therefrom is identified by the
prophet as the same whom he saw in vision on the Chebar. Read
Chap. 11. What here suggests a scene in the life of Jeremiah?
In the Studies on Jeremiah several quotations from A Character
Study, by Dr. Ballantine, were made. The same writer has written
A Literary Study of the Prophet Ezekiel which is very illuminating.
From it more than one extract will appear in this and the next Study.
Read the whole of it if possible.
"Ezekiel's principal themes are five: (1) God's majesty; (2)
Israel's apostasy and chastisement; (3) The judgments to come on
heathen nations; (4) Israel's restoration; (5) The final consumma-
tion of the kingdom of peace The prophet gives the world a
fresh conception of the divine majesty in the sublime vision of the
Cherubim Chariot We take it that the vision of the Cherubim
Chariot, in spite of its exactitude of details, is not to be regarded as
anything more than a symbolic representation of God as enthroned
over all the elements and powers and forces of creation, whether
animate or inanimate In contrast with the majesty of God,
Ezekiel had to describe the apostasy of Israel. This, as we have
seen, is one of three chief burdens of the Old Testament. It is part
of the proof of the absolute need that the world had for Christ.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 191
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
5th Day: § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity of Judah (Ezek. 4:1 — 24:27)
"The completion of this demonstration was necessary to that 'full-
ness of time' in which God should send His Son. The Old Testa-
ment, in so far as it touches man, is a record of utter failure. The
sins of Ezekiel's day were violence, bloodshed, unchastity, diso-
bedience to parents, oppression, Sabbath-breaking, bribery, extortion,
and in general an extraordinary hardihood in wickedness. False
prophets, profane priests and wolf-like princes, all deceived and
preyed upon a populace which shared their vices. Idolatry of all
kinds, copied from the abominations of all the nations from Egypt
to Assyria, a perfect syncretism of revolting rites, culminating in
that last triumph of superstitious infatuation, child-sacrifice, had
displaced the worship of Israel's covenant God, Jehovah Eze-
kiel's view is the opposite of that view which sees in the Hebrew
religion an evolution of the religious genius of the people themselves.
He knows nothing of 'the firmness and the consistency' of the He-
brew people in seeking perfect religion. He sees only the spon-
taneous love of God pressing its gifts upon the grossness and stub-
bornness of men. Light has come and all men love darkness rather
than light. 'Thus saith the Lord God,' he cries, '1 do not this
for your sake, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name, which ye
have profaned among the nations whither ye went.' " — Ballantine.
1. Read Chap. 18.
Personal Thought: "For they say, The Lord seeth us not; the
Lord hath forsaken the earth." What is the tendency of the life
which ignores the presence of God? How may I be conscious of the
presence of God? What are the advantages of such consciousness?
192 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
6th Day : § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity OF JUDAH (EZEK. 4 II — 24:27)
"Prosperity is a great teacher ; adversity is a greater. Possession
pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it." — Hazlitt.
"Israel's proneness to idolatry is depicted by the prophet under the
figure of a wife's infidelity. This he does in the long 16th chapter and
in the almost equally long twenty-third chapter. In these chapters
the relentless realism of our author's methods is most startling. The
subject is a loathsome one. The instinct of delicacy is to escape
from it as speedily and euphemistically as possible. But Ezekiel
means not merely to suggest the picture, but to make us see it. We
feel that we might be spared some of the ranker words, some of the
more revolting situations, some of the more indecent exposures.
Must we 'the supervisors grossly gape on,' as Shakespeare would
say, and behold the very acts of shame? Yes: down through one
step after another we go like men who must explore a sewer and
who, as they proceed, sink up to their noses in filth. It is dreadful
to read; but the result is such an expression of the odiousness of
apostasy from God as is without a parallel in literature. — Ballantine.
1. Read Chap. 16. After reading think by which you are the
more impressed, the awfulness of the apostasy of man, or the great-
ness of the love of God in forgiveness of sin.
Personal Thought : "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardon-
eth iniquity?" How heartily can I utter those words? Do I prove
by loving much that I have been forgiven much?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 193
STUDY 27: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
7th Day : § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity of Judah (Ezek. 4:1 — 24:27)
"It was reserved for Christianity to present to the world an ideal
character It may be truly said that the record of those three
years of active life has done more to regenerate and soften mankind
than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of
moralists." — Lecky in his History of Morals.
1. Re-read the quotation found in the 6th Day of this Study.
Read now Ezekiel, Chap. 23.
2. Read further the words of Dr. Ballantine : "The burden of
the Old Testament is to exhibit, first, the only living and true God
as the Creator and Governor of the world, in His holiness, justice
and spontaneous love, unwearily occupied with some effort of grace ;
and secondly, men in general, and the Jews in particular, as inex-
cusably wicked, swinishly treading under foot the pearls of privi-
lege which heaven again and again offers. The Old Testament
closes with this vivid impression of a God infinitely glorious and
gracious, but who has up to that point failed to try any remedy
powerful enough for the inveterate backsliding of men. The serv-
ants sent to the vineyard all fail. Some are beaten, some are
stoned. It remains only for God to send His Son. The strongest
proofs of the inspiration of the Old Testament are the perfection
of the divine character portrayed and the profound view of human
wickedness, both leading up to the expectation of One whom the
love of God shall send to save His people from their sins. Was
there ever a book so grand, so sad, so hopeful, as the Hebrew
Scriptures?"
Personal Thought : Read and reflect upon Ezekiel, Chap. 20 -44.
194 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
1st Day: § 142. The Certainty and the Necessity of the Cap-
tivity of Judah (Ezek. 4:1 — 24:27)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"Search thine own heart ; what paineth thee
In others, in thyself may be ;
All dust is frail, all flesh is weak;
Be thou the true man thou dost seek !" — Whittier.
1. The Jews to whom Ezekiel was sent had the idea that they
were suffering exclusively on account of the sins of their forefathers.
This is refuted in Ezek. 18, the central thought of which is, "the
soul that sinneth it shall die." One of the chief messages of Ezekiel
was this doctrine of individual responsibility. Read Chap. 33.
Compare vv. 13-20 with the message to Jeremiah at the potter's
house (Jer. 18:1-12). Read Ezek. 33-21-33 with care. Key verses
are 21, 24, 29, 33. You will be much interested in vv. 30-32 as de-
scriptive of the effect of the prophet's preaching. The downfall of
Jerusalem would be evidence that he spake truly. Read again v. 24.
Nothing short of the actual destruction of their sacred city would
convince the Jews that it could fall, so literally did they interpret
the promises of God. Read again vv. 13-20.
2. What estimate of Ezekiel as a man do you feel justified in
making at this time?
Personal Thought: "Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely
song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an in-
strument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." Do I
take heed how the preacher speaks, or do I take heed how I hear?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 195
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
2d Day: § 142. Judgments on the Nations (Ezek. 4:1 — 24:27)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"There is but one test of a good life : that the man shall continue
to grow more exacting about his own behavior." — Robert Louis
Stevenson.
1. The capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar was but a part
of a great Western campaign which resulted in the submission to
Babylon of the various nations round about Palestine, even of Egypt
itself. You will recall what Jeremiah, who had been compelled to
go to Egypt with the remnant which feared Nebuchadnezzar, said
as he placed stones in the brickwork at Tahpanhes. (See Jer.
43:9-12; Cf. 44:29, 30.)
2. Glance at Diagram XLV, noting the portion of the book of
Ezekiel composed of prophecies against foreign nations. The
lamentation for Tyre (Ezek., chap. 27), is of peculiar archaeological
and historical value, and is highly poetic in conception.
3. Give today's time to the prophecies about Egypt. You should
recall the fact that the latter kings of Judah looked to Egypt for aid
and were encouraged to do so by the false prophets. Read Ezek.
29:1-9, where Egypt is represented as a crocodile. Read enough
of Ezek., Chap. 31, to get the force of the comparison with Assyria.
If you have not time for the whole of chap. 32, read from the 17th
verse to the end. "Nothing that Dante ever wrote surpasses the
dreary ghastliness of this appalling scene under the murky skies of
Sheol 'Dull and heavy' we would not call this dirge, but grim
as the clank of chains and dreadful as the knell of doom."
Personal Thought :
"The wicked shall return to Sheol,
Even all the nations that forget God." — Psalm 9:17.
What is my duty to the state?
196 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
3d Day: § 144. Visions of Restoration of Land, People and
True Worship (Ezek. 34:1 — 48:35)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"The Christian is an unique phenomenon. You cannot account
for him ; and, if you could, he would not be a Christian." — Selected.
1. There are three portions of Scripture which should be always
associated together. They are the twenty-third Psalm, the tenth
chapter of the Gospel by John and the thirty-fourth chapter of
Ezekiel. Repeat aloud Psalm 23 if you are able. Read John 10:
1-18. Give the remainder of today's time to Ezekiel 34 , which you
will much enjoy.
"As might be expected from a calling so important and familiar
to the Israelites, many comparisons and lessons are- drawn from
pastoral life. The constant presence of the shepherd among his
sheep and his protection of them were arresting features that were
easily transferred to higher relationships. Psalm 23 remains the
simplest and profoundest expression of trust in God. The depend-
ence of the sheep upon the shepherd is not a figure for the begin-
ning of the spiritual life merely — to be left behind when we know
as we have been known; the redeemed and glorified are still being
led to the living fountains of water (Rev. 7:17)." — Mackie in Bible
Manners and Customs.
Personal Thought : "And other sheep I have, which are not of
this fold: them also I must bring." What measure of my Lord's
yearning have I for the lost? Read and reflect on Ezekiel 34 :i8, 19.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 197
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
4th Day: § 144. Visions of Restoration of Land, People and
True Worship (Ezek. 34 11—48 135)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"Let us be content, in work
To do the thing we can, and not presume
To fret because it's little." — Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
1. Read Psalm 80.
2. This is the last day that we may give to Ezekiel, although
much remains of great interest.
"We said that Ezekiel was the prophet of Israel's renaissance.
This appears in the famous vision of the Valley of Dry Bones
Isaiah has a thought like Ezekiel : but it is far from the realism of
Ezekiel, who does not ask our imagination to supply what he sug-
gests, but simply to see what he supplies. Yet mark the artistic
repose, the surpassing sublimity of the total effect. It is like the
cathedral of Milan. Each stone is a separate work of art and yet
the whole is a unit." — Ballantine.
2. Read Ezekiel, chap. 37:1-28, making such notes as you think
best. Chaps. 40 — 48 describe under the "precise forms of geogra-
phical surveys, architectural specifications and ritualistic rubrics,"
the glories of the golden age. Read the first twelve verses of chap.
47 and then read Rev. 32:1-5. The key expression of all these
chapters is the last one of the entire book — Jehovah-shammah — The
Lord is there.
Personal Thought: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people,
and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev.
21 :3. How constant is my sense of the presence of God and what
is the effect of recognizing God's presence? Am I grateful for it?
iq8 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
5th Day: § 145. The Story of Daniel and His Friends (Dan.
1:1—6:28)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"Circumstances are beyond the control of man, but his conduct is
in his own power." — Disraeli
1. Read the first chapter of Daniel chiefly for the instruction which
it gives about the method of carrying out a purpose of the heart.
Note the words in v. 8, "Daniel purposed — therefore he requested."
2. Read the second chapter of Daniel, which is rich in revelation
of the character of the man. The verses which will yield most are
vv. 14-23, 27-30. Write down traits which you recognize.
The dream is found in vv. 31-35, and the interpretation in vv.
36-45. In v. 44 the Messianic Kingdom is announced. Following
are some of its declared characteristics: (1) It was to be of super-
human origin; (2) It was to be of small beginning; (3) It was to
progress gradually; (4) It would become universal; (5) It would
endure forever.
3. In the third chapter of Daniel, vv. 17, 18, are the keys for the
study of the character of the three friends of Daniel. This account
is doubted by some on the ground that there was not occasion suffi-
cient for such supernatural displays. Great caution should be ex-
ercised in thus judging. One is inclined to ask what causes entered
into the permanent cure of the Jews of idolatry during this sojourn
in Babylon, and whether thus to cure the nation to which were en-
trusted the oracles of God did not afford sufficient occasion for
exceptional manifestations from heaven.
Spend a moment on Diagram XLVI.
Personal Thought: "But if not we will not serve thy
gods." How frequently do I manifest the spirit here shown? Is
the infrequency due to absence of occasion or to my weakness?
Has God ever failed me when thus trusted?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 199
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
6th Day: § 145. The Story of Daniel and His Friends (Dan.
1:1—6:28)
1. "I have a life with Christ to live,
And, ere I live it, must I wait
Till learning can clear answer give
Of this and that book's date?
"I have a life in Christ to live;
I have a death in Christ to die;
And must I wait till science give
All doubts a full reply?
"Nay; rather, while the sea of doubt
Is raging wildly round about,
Questioning of life and death and sin,
Let me but creep within
Thy fold, O Christ, and at Thy feet
Take but the lowest seat;
And hear Thine awful voice repeat,
In gentlest accents heavenly sweet,
'Come unto me and rest ;
Believe me and be blest'." — S hair p.
2. Read either one of chaps. 4, 5, or 6 of Daniel today. Do not
miss the conception of God given in chap. 4 :26, 32-37 ; nor the key
expressions, "though thou knewest all this," and, "God hast thou
not glorified" in chap. 5 :22, 23. Note also "as he did aforetime,"
and, "thy God whom thou servest continually" in chap. 6:10, 16.
Personal Thought: "Our God whom we serve is able to de-
liver" "Thy God whom thou servest continually he will de-
liver thee" "The living God hath delivered Daniel from the
power of the lions." What is the relation between continuousness
of service of God and the presence of evidence of His existence
and power in the life? Do I serve God continually?
200 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 28: AMONG THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON
7th Day: § 146. The Visions of Daniel (Dan. 7:1—12:13)
§ 147. Some Psalms Reflecting Experiences of the
Exile (Psalms 44, 74, 79, 80, 102, 137)
"Have thy tools ready; God will find thee work." — Selected.
1. Compelled as we are to select material for one day from the
whole of the second half of the book of Daniel, we shall choose the
ninth chapter. Read this chapter and record five striking things about
it. You should give some thought today to the place of prayer in
Daniel's life. It is worth while to observe that the knowledge
which he derived from books concerning the time of the end of the
captivity, did not interfere with his praying for deliverance. It
was rather an incentive to prayer.
"From the first Daniel stands firm to what he felt was right for
him; and in that power to stand firm, and keep to the position he
took up, may be found his marked individuality. No one could
ever turn him. He could be gentle, patient, unobtrusive, but what
he made up his mind was right for him to do he just kept on doing,
overcoming all hindrances by his quiet persistency Men say it
was wonderful that Daniel braved the lions' den ; they do not see
how much more wonderful it was that he stood fast amid daily asso-
ciations for long years, kept his integrity, sustained his ministry,
braved his difficulties, held fast to the right, became known as ready
to serve, but as uncorruptible, until at last 'no fault could be found
in him' It is usual to make out that Daniel was a singularly
gifted man. The record does not say so. The whole force is given
to producing the impression of sterling character, firm, decided, con-
stant, enduring. Daniel did not reach his position by any sudden
spring. It is easy to miss seeing that years intervened between the
incidents narrated concerning him, and that during those years he
was building up the confidence which alone made his elevation pos-
sible and acceptable." — Tuck.
2. Read Psalm 137.
Personal Thought: What is the best lesson for me from the
life of Daniel? How much do I need to be on guard against com-
promising in order to succeed?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 201
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
1st Day: § 148. The Edict and the Aid of Cyrus (Ezra i :i-ii ;
2 Chron. 36:22, 23)
§ 149. The Returning Clans (Ezra 2:1-70)
§ 150. The Building of the Temple Undertaken and
Delayed (Ezra 3:1-5:1)
§ 169. Some Psalms of the Restoration Period
(Psalms 85, 97, 105, 106, 118, 119, 126, 135,
136, 146—150)
"It appears to be a fundamental principle of the divine adminis-
tration never to do in an extraordinary way that which can be
equally well accomplished in an ordinary way." — Selected.
1. Spend not more than five minutes on Diagram XLVII. Read
Ezra, chap. 1:1-2; also chaps. 2 164 — 3:13. Re-read chap. 2 -.64, 65 to
be sure you have a definite idea of the number returning. Do not
miss the prominence given in this account to the agency of God in
bringing to pass a very unlikely event.
2. Various psalms have been suggested as having been used on
the occasion of the laying of the foundation of the temple. Among
these are 87, 106, 107, 118 and 136. Note the refrain in
Psalms 118 and 136, and read Ezra, chap. 3:10, II. Read Psalm
118 and judge how appropriate its sentiments would be for the
occasion referred to above. Of this psalm Luther wrote: "I have
taken in hand my precious psalm, the Coniitcmini, and put on paper
my meditations upon it. For it is my own psalm; which I delight
in. For although the whole Psalter and the Holy Scripture is dear
to me, my proper comfort and life, I have taken so to this psalm in
particular that I must call it my own. Many a service has it done
me; out of many great perils has it helped me."
Personal Thought: Read Psalm 118:6; also Heb. 13 :5, 6, in
the Greek if possible, in order to get the force of the negatives. I(
is equal to, "I will not in any wise forsake thee, nor will I at all
ever under any circumstances leave thee in the lurch." How fully
do I know the trust expressed in Psalm 118? Does my heart fully
respond to God's promises and say, I will not fear?
202 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
2d Day: § 150. The Building of the Temple Undertaken and
Delayed (Ezra 3:1 — 5:1)
§ 151. The Message of Haggai (Haggai 1:1—3:23)
§ 169. Some Psalms of the Restoration Period
(Psalms 85, 97, 105, 106, 118, 119, 126, 135,
136, 146—150
"You can never escape a duty by not acknowledging it." — Dr.
Alex. Mackenzie.
1. Read Ezra, chap. 4 n-24. The delay lasted about fifteen years.
Read also Ezra, chap. 5 :i.
2. Examine the prophecy of Haggai, following the outline sug-
gested below :
"No prophet ever appeared at a more critical juncture in the
history of the Jewish people, and, it may be added, no prophet was
more immediately successful. The prophecies of Haggai are dated
with unusual precision, and are therefore very easily distinguished
from one another. There are four distinct utterances :
(1) In the first (chap. 1:1-11), Haggai reproaches the people
for their neglect of the rebuilding of the temple. The good result
of this appeal is narrated in vv. 12-15.
(2) In the second (chap. 2:1-9), delivered about a month after
the work had been resumed, he counteracts the disparaging observa-
tions the old men had been making on the rising temple.
(3) In the third (chap. 2:10-19), delivered exactly three months
after the building had been resumed, he explains to the people why
their past prayers had been unanswered, and promises them abun-
dant crops if they go on vigorously with the temple.
(4) In the fourth (chap. 2:20-23), delivered on the same day
as the third, ample assurances of support and protection are given
to Zerubbabel." — Dods.
Personal Thought: "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell
in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?" Consider
whether there is an application of these words to the present. Is
there an application of them to my own present? Shall I heed the
message?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 203
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
3d Day: § 152. The Message or Zechariah (Zech. 1:1 —
14:21)
"Every noble life leaves the fibre of it interwoven forever in the
work of the world ; by so much evermore the strength of the human
race has gained." — Ruskin.
1. Read Ezra, chap. 5:1 and chap. 6:14, and consult Diagram
XLVII.
Read Zechariah, chap. 1:1-6, the substance of which is: O Israel,
do not do like as your fathers. See what God did to them for their
sins. Be wise. Cf. Zech. 1:1 and Hag. 1:1; 2:1, 10, for the time
of the prophecy. Haggai's words are dated September, October
and December; Zechariah's in November and February. See 1:7.
The year was 520 B. C.
2. In Zech., chaps. 1 :~ — 6 :8, are eight visions. They contain
messages of comfort and encouragement to Israel. We have :
1. The Horsemen among the Myrtle trees, 1 17-17.
The Horns and the Smiths, 1 :i8-2i.
The Surveyor, 2:1-13.
Joshua and Satan, 3:1-10.
The Golden Candlestick, 4:1-14.
The Flying Roll, 5:1-4.
The Woman in the Ephah, 5:5-11.
The Four Chariots, 6:1-8.
Read the accounts with explanations of the first two visions with
the historical situation clearly before you. Remembering the ob-
ject of the prophet, you will easily get the meaning.
Think of illustrations from Scripture of the assertion, "He that
toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."
Personal Thought : "I will be a wall of fire round about, and I
will be the glory in the midst of her." "He that toucheth you touch-
eth the apple of his eye." How fully have I entered into the secret
of the love of God for me? Does it relieve me of worry and care?
Do I rejoice in my God?
20± STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
4th Day: § 152. The Message of Zechariah (Zech. 1:1—
14:21)
§ 153. The Temple Completed (Ezra 5:2 — 6:22)
"A telegraph wire was long supposed to be essential to the trans-
mission of a telegraphic message. Yet, even then, the vital truth
was recognized as in the message, and not in the wire. A wise
man knew enough to study the message that came over the wire,
instead of studying the wire that brought the message. Nowadays
a wire is not even deemed essential to the carrying of a message.
Many a message comes without the aid of a wire, and it is just as
true and just as important as when a wire was considered all-im-
portant to its transmission. Is there not a lesson here for those
who are seeking to get God's message through His revelation?
While critics of one sort are spending their strength in dissecting
the wire over which the message came, a mind that is intent on the
message can get it over a wire that has been broken and knotted
again, or even, in some cases, without the wire — single or spliced."
— Selected.
1. We may not tarry longer on Zechariah than to read and note
the wonderful message of the vision of the Golden Candlestick,
Zech. 4:1-14, the core of which is in vv. 6-9. In the latter part of
the chapter there is a strange combination, concerning which one
has said : "We have the trees growing, and the oil flowing, and the
lamps glowing." The continuousness and the abundance of the
supply of divine grace is surely here set forth.
2. Read Ezra, chap. 5 :i-5, and think of the difficulties with
which Zerubbabel had to contend ; also of his helpers.
Personal Thought: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my
spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." What is my present difficulty?
How am I trying to remove it? Am I applying the power here
provided? "Whosoever shall say to this mountain and shall
not doubt he shall have it."
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 205
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
5th Day: § 154. Esther made Queen (Esther 1:1—2:23)
§ 155. Haman's Promotion and Plot (Esther
3:1-15)
§ 156. The Deliverance of the Jews (Esther
4:1—9:16)
"The great secret of success in life is to be ready when your op-
portunity comes." — Lord Beacons-field.
1. The design of the book of Esther is to show God's providential
care over His people. The book does not contain the name of God
in any form, nor any reference to the Law, nor to Jewish institutions,
because it is designed to show by a simple narrative, apparently com-
monplace in every respect, that God cares for the deliverance of His
people and can accomplish it at any moment by any the least cir-
cumstance (e. g., "On that night the King could not sleep," chap.
6:1). "The feast of Purim is the strongest external evidence we
have for the historical character of the book, and gives perhaps a
sufficient ground for interpreting it from that point of view. The
poetic interpretation reduces it to a strange fictitious story." —
Stearns.
"The same God who watched over the builders of the temple and
the walls of the holy city also guarded these stranger Jews in the
one hundred and twenty provinces of Ahasuerus' empire. 'No
weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,' is the lesson of
this story. It is a commentary on the great promise, T will not fail
thee nor forsake thee.' " — Moorehead.
Read Esther, chaps. 4:13-17, and 7:1-10.
2. Read Psalm 125. "There is only one way by which you can
ever have the mountains about your Jerusalem, and that is by
building your Jerusalem where God has already built the moun-
tains." — Mackenzie.
Personal Thought: How fully have I learned that no risk is
run when one does right? Shall I live today in the assurance that
God is round about me on every hand? What effect shall this have
upon my thought and action?
206 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
6th Day: § 156. The Deliverance of the Jews (Esther
4:1—9:16)
§ 157. The Feast of Purim (Esther 9:17 — 10:3)
"Behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own."
1. While the name of God is not mentioned in the book of
Esther, the veil which hides him is so thin in places that we can
almost see through. We feel His presence as we read. In no one
place is this more plain than in the closing verses of chap. 4. Here
we have action determined upon followed by prayer for success.
The action determined upon was manifestly the only thing to do.
There was no need to pray for guidance here. Today we have
too frequently a reversal of the order. Prayer is not often enough
followed by action, so that much that goes by the name of prayer
is naught.
"The obvious truth here is, if we really pray in any given behalf,
we mean that we are quite ready to be used to answer our own
prayers. This law of the relation of prayer to action invests much
of our praying with an element of great seriousness. Into how
much, for example, of our praying for the conversion of the heathen,
home or foreign, does this element consciously enter? And yet
there is the law. If we pray for the redemption of Africa, knowing
that the answer to our prayer means the sending of thousands of
missionaries into the certainty of ruined health, and the probability
of speedy death, do we mean that we are ready, God willing, to be
of that number? If not, what, think you, do our prayers avail?" —
Scofield.
2. Read Esther, chaps. 9 and 10.
Personal Thought: Read Psalm 127:1, 2. The second verse
means that even in sleep (see marginal rendering) God's own get
what no painstaking can secure for those who do not take Him into
their counsel. How fully shall I rest today in the provision of God
for me?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 207
STUDY 29: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
7th Day: § 158. The Decree of x\rtaxerxes and the Journey
to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1 — 8:31)
§ 159. The Grief and the Prayer of Ezra (Ezra
8:32—9:15)
§ 160. The Reforms of Ezra (Ezra 10:1-44)
"That which is good to be done cannot be done too soon, and if
it is neglected to be done early it will frequently happen that it will
not be done at all." — Selected.
1. Consult Diagram XLVII for the relationship of events
recorded in Ezra, chaps. 7-10.
Ezra was studious, prayerful, trustful, grateful, practical. Note
these and other traits as you proceed.
2. Read Ezra, chap. 7:1-10. Dwell upon v. 10. Note the order:
(1) To seek; (2) To do; (3) To teach. Glance over the letter of
Artaxerxes, 7:11-26, noting the prominence given to God in it.
Read 7:27, 28; 8:15—10:17. In 8:1-16 are given the names of the
leaders of the 1500 persons who accompanied Ezra to Jerusalem.
"A modern pseudo-liberalism objects to the narrowness of view,
which induced the leaders of the Jewish community to bring this
'comparatively trivial and in some respects questionable' controversy
before the notice of Ezra But it is not denied that the 'nar-
rower view,' which after all has the sanction of the 'Rabbi of Tar-
sus,' who bids his converts 'not to be unequally yoked together with
unbelievers' (2 Cor. 6:14), was suited to the times, and helped to
keep 'alive the spirit of exclusive patriotism and of uncompromising
zeal/ which alone enabled the community to maintain its existence
during the times of depression and of trial " — Razvlinson.
3. Read Psalm 126 in the light of all you know of the period
of the return from Babylon.
Personal Thought: "Ezra set his heart to seek the law of the
Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."
Law means instruction, teaching. How much am I trying to teach
that I do not do? How satisfactory is the effort?
2o8 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
1st Day: § 161. The Occasion and Circumstances of Nehe-
miah's Journey to Jerusalem (Neh. 1:1 — 2:8)
§ 162. The Building of the City Wall in Spite of
Opposition (Neh. 2:9 — 6:19)
"Here are two very essential reins of influence by which people
may be turned hither and thither, restrained, urged forward or con-
trolled. One is gentleness. The power of gentleness/ said Henry
Martyn, 'is irresistible.' The balance of gentleness is firmness. Let
the silken reign of gentleness be united with the fine-drawn steel
wire of firmness and you hold in your grasp power which crowned
heads might envy." — Selected.
1. Few lives of the Old Testament are more interesting or in-
structive than that of Nehemiah. He is a remarkable illustration
of the effective combination of many desirable characteristics. He
was a man of gentleness and of firmness ; of prayer and of push ;
of faith and of works ; of caution and of courage ; of sympathy and
of persistence; of deliberation and of energetic, prompt action.
He was a man of rare piety and at the same time a most efficient
man of affairs. He was at once an originator, a propagator, an or-
ganizer and an executor. He was a common-sense enthusiast. He
was a "practical mystic."
2. Read Neh., chaps. 1:1 — 2:20, judging as to the correctness of
the above estimate of Nehemiah. The key to the third chapter is
the expression, "And next unto him."
Personal Thought: "Then the king said unto me, For what
dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And
I said to the king" — Nehemiah asked the King of heaven before he
answered the king of earth. How often do I offer ejaculatory
prayer? Who are most likely to do so? What has been the pro-
portion of time spent in prayer during this course of Bible study?
Have I spent enough time in prayer?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 209
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
2d Day: § 162. The Building of the City Wall in Spite of
Opposition (Neh. 2:9 — 6:19)
§ 163. Reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh. 7:1 —
8:18)
"No, no," said Livingstone to Stanley when urged to go home,
"to be knighted as you say by the Queen, welcomed by thousands
of admirers, yes — but impossible. It must not, cannot, will not be.
1 must finish my task."
1. Consult Diagram XLVII a moment for the historical situa-
tion.
2. Read the quotation and first paragraph of Study 30, 1st Day.
We have yet further characterization of Nehemiah to consider
today. Read Neh., chaps. 5:1 — 7:5, writing down any traits in
Nehemiah worthy of notice, and compare your result with the fol-
lowing paragraph.
Nehemiah was unselfish, generous-hearted, hospitable, prudent
vigorously just, properly reserved, vigilant. He knew human nature,
was uncompromising with evil, and ruled in the fear of the Lord.
He was irreproachable in conduct, broad-minded, humble, dependent
upon God, independent of man when occasion required. He avoided
occasions of stumbling, and wisely selected his subordinates and
associates.
Personal Thought: "I am doing a great work so that I cannot
come down : why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come
down to you"? "Should such a man as I flee? I will not
go in." What answer have I for the tempter when he beguiles me ?
What sort of man am I in the presence of such an one as Nehe-
miah? How often and with what energy am I able to say: "I
will not"?
210 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
3d Day: § 163. Reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh. 7:1 —
8:18)
§ 164. A Praiseful Prayer (Neh. 9:1-38)
§ 165. The Covenant and its Approvers (Neh. 10:1 —
12:26)
"That Ezra remained at Jerusalem during the dozen or more
years after he had instituted the reforms of which we learned in
Study 29, is unlikely. Before, he had been associated with Zerub-
babel, who was governor. Now, it is with Nehemiah that he is to
work. The two were excellently fitted to assist and supplement
each other. One possessed in a high degree the qualities needed in
a political leader; was an active warrior, a sagacious statesman
; the other was above all things a teacher, able to guide
in the way of true knowledge and pure religion. Nehemiah's prac-
tical good sense showed him, when he had battled with the external
difficulties of the situation and overcome them, that the internal
difficulties were, after all, the greatest, and that, to meet them, he
needed a man of spiritual insight and influence, who could bring to
bear upon the people the weight of authority which still remained
to the priests, together with the magic of a high personal reputa-
tion for wisdom and sanctity, such as would incline all to submit
to him." — Rawlinson.
1. In Neh., chaps. 8-10, we have an account (1) of the reading
and explanation of the law, (2) its solemn approval with confession
of past sins, and (3) the renewal and signature of the covenant to
keep the law. Read these chapters today. What is the striking
characteristic of the prayer in chap. 9?
Personal Thought: Psalm 119 may be called the Bible Study
Psalm. It belongs probably to the period of the reconstruction.
There are in it: (1) Declarations; (2) Petitions; (3) Confes-
sions ; (4) Determinations. Read the first 16 verses with this four-
fold division in mind, and note the cordiality with which you are
able to approve each sentiment. Check off any sentiments to which
you are not able to respond heartily. Ask yourself, why? Mem-
orize v. 11.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 211
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
4th Day: § 166. The Dedication of the Walls (Neh. 12:27—
13:3)
§ 167. Correction of Abuses by Nehemiah (Neh.;
13:4-31)
"But your victory rests with yourself. Kinghood over the vast
territory of self must be, in order to a genuine forgiveness. To
tear yourself from yourself, to double yourself up and thrust your-
self under your heels, and make a general smash of yourself, and
be all the more truly yourself for this mauling and self-annihilation,
— this is the work before you, and a mighty work it is. To accom-
plish this, we must be close enough to Immanuel to feel the beating
of His heart." — BushnelL
1. Read rapidly Neh., chap. 12 '.27-47, which contains an account
of the dedication of the wall. Neh. 13:1-33 contains an account of
certain reforms and regulations of Nehemiah made about 552 B. C,
or 12 years after his first visit to Jerusalem (see 13:6). The pro-
phecy of Malachi most likely belongs to these last days of Nehe-
miah, inasmuch as the disorders of which the prophet speaks were
those with which Nehemiah contended. Tomorrow we shall con-
sider the message of Malachi. Following is an excellent summary
by Bishop Arthur Hervey of the character of Nehemiah. As you
read it judge respecting its accuracy. Is there any fault which you
would find with Nehemiah? Did he recognize himself as imper-
fect ?
2. "On reviewing the character of Nehemiah, we seem unable to
find a single fault to counterbalance his many and great virtues.
For pure and disinterested patriotism he stands unrivaled
Every act of his during his government bespeaks one who had no
selfishness in his nature. All he did was noble, generous, high-
minded, courageous, and to the highest degree upright. But to
stern integrity he united great humility and kindness, and a princely
hospitality. As a statesman he combined forethought, prudence,
and sagacity in counsel, with vigor, promptitude, and decision in
action. In dealing with the enemies of his country, he was wary,
penetrating, and bold. In directing internal economy of the state,
he took a comprehensive view of the real welfare of the people, and
212 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
4th Day: § 166. The Dedication of the Walls (Neh. 12:27—
13:3)
§ 167. Correction of Abuses by Nehemiah (Neh.
13:4-31)
adopted the measures best calculated to promote it. In dealing,
whether with friend or foe, he was utterly free from favor or fear,
conspicuous for the simplicity with which he aimed only at doing
what was right, without respect of persons. But in nothing was
he more remarkable than for his piety, and the singleness of eye
with which he walked before God. He seems to have undertaken
everything in dependence upon God, with prayer for His blessing
and guidance, and to have sought his reward only from God."
Personal Thought: With Psalm 119:17-32 deal as directed to
do with vv. 1-16 in Personal Thought of yesterday. If a declara-
tion, do you make it? If a petition, do you offer it? If a confes-
sion, do you present it? If a determination, do you will it?
Memorize v. 18.
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 213
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
5th Day: § 168. The Message of Malachi (Mal. 1:1—4:6)
"God reveals Himself in His Word as He does in His works. In
both we see a self-revealing, self-concealing God, who makes Him-
self known only to those who earnestly seek Him; in both we find
stimulants to faith and occasions for unbelief; in both we find con-
tradictions whose high harmony is hidden, except from him who
gives up his whole mind to reverence; in both, in a word, it is a
law of revelation that the heart of man should be tested in receiving
it; and that in the spiritual life, as well as in the bodily, man must
eat his bread in the sweat of his brow.'' — Neander.
1. By way of review and a final summary: (1) Write out in
chronological order in a perpendicular column the names of all the
persons who easily come into mind beginning with Abraham and
ending with Nehemiah ; (2) Set over in a second column on the
right the good characters; (3) Set over in a third column to
the right the bad characters ; (4) Set over in a fourth column your
selection of the thirty characters, whose study, on the whole, you
consider to be most profitable for instruction and reproof.
2. Recalling what was noted in Study 30, 4th Day, about the rela-
tion of Malachi to Nehemiah, read in Malachi the words following
the expression "Ye say," in 1:2, 7, 13; 2:14; 3:7, 8, 13, 14. Go
now over those expressions in order, for the connection in each case.
Give a moment to 2:10 and the connection. Does the context jus-
tify the popular interpretation? If the universal fatherhood is here
referred to would the prophet's reasoning have force? Is he not
protesting against alliances with other nations?
Personal Thought: "For I the Lord change not; therefore ye,
O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." Some one has strikingly said :
"God is patient because He is eternal." Am I wholly free from the
trifling which to the reprover answers, "Wherein?" Of what spir-
itual state is such a question indicative?
214 STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
6th Day: § 169. Some Psalms of the Restoration Period
(Psalms 85, 97, 105, 106, 118, 119, 126, 135,
136, 146—150)
"I saw a beautiful vase and asked its story. Once it was a lump
of common clay. Then it was crushed and ground in the mill, then
put upon the wheel and shaped, then polished and tinted, then put
in the furnace and burned." — Selected.
1. Of the thirty characters selected yesterday as on the whole
most profitable for study, take the first fifteen, and proceed as fol-
lows: (1) Go over the list naming aloud the Sub-Period in which
each is found (refer if necessary to Diagram III) ; (2) Go over the
list a second time naming aloud any persons of whom you can easily
think, who were associated with each character; (3) Go over the
list a third time writing down by each name not more than five most
prominent traits of character. Select from the list of traits given
below, or introduce others as you think best; (4) Go over the list
the fourth time selecting for each what you consider to be the most
notable characteristic. Would faithfulness be the word to set op-
posite Abraham's name? What better than persistence could you
set over against Jacob?
2. Some Commendable Traits of Character: Courage, Disinter-
estedness, Purity, Single-heartedness, Persistence, Faithfulness,
Candor, Calmness, Cheerfulness, Contentment, Caution, Promptness,
Conscientiousness, Decision, Diligence, Endurance, Earnestness,
Fearlessness, Firmness, Generosity, Hopefulness, Kindness, Loyalty,
Love, Meekness, Perseverance, Patience, Prudence, Prayerfulness,
Reverence, Sincerity, Resiliency, Steadfastness, Sympathy, Self-
control, Self-reliance, Thoroughness, Truthfulness, Zeal, Uncom-
promising Adherence to Conviction. Note how prominent this last
has been in successful characters.
Personal Thought: Read vv. 65-80 of Psalm 119, proceeding
as suggested in Personal Thought of the 3d Day, this Study.
Memorize v. 74. How will my hoping in God's Word be the occa-
sion of gladness in those that fear Him?
STUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS 215
STUDY 30: LEADERS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
PERIOD
7th Day: § 169. Some Psalms of the Restoration Period
(Psalms 85, 97, 105, 106, 118, 119, 126, 135,
136, 146—150)
"To find the truth and the will of God as expressed in it, to stay
by it, love it, make it one's own, defend it to the death, — that is the
common goal of religion and of all true science. If one man study
the Bible religiously and another study it scientifically, still they
are friends and allies unless the one's religion or the other's science
is somehow at fault. Indeed, why should your religion exclude my
science even here, or my science your religion, if both the science
and the religion possess the teachableness and the sweet humility of
the little child to which was made the promise of the Kingdom?" —
Bis sell.
1. Proceed with the second fifteen selected characters as directed
in the 6th Day of this Study to do with the first fifteen. Read Isaiah
42:1-9 for a portrayal of ideal character. In vv. 2-4 we have the
"Servant" described as: (1) Meek and quiet; (2) Tender and pa-
tient; (3) Persevering and hopeful. Look out the expressions on
which this analysis is based. Read quotation at head of Study 30,
1st Day. Read Isa. 50:4-9, attempting as you do so to note the
prominent features of the character described. Is there any simi-
larity between this description and the one in Isa. 42:1-9? The
"Servant" passages culminate in chaps. 52:13 — 53:12, which it is
suggested you now read.
Personal Thought: Do with vv. 97-112 of Psalm 119 as di-
rected in Personal Thought of 3d Day in the present Study. Mem-
orize v. 97. Live v. 112 from henceforth.
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2. In connection with chapter 13, read Hebrews 3:19
3. In connection with chapter 19, read Hebrews 9:13
4. In connection with chapter 20, read Psalm 106 arid 1 Cor. 10:4
5. In connection with chapter 21, read John 3:14, 15
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years The two great dynasties of the North were,(i) that of Omri (which is made famous by Ahab and Jezebel),and (2) that of Jehu.
Over 50 years elapsed before the reign of the house of Omri. This house reigned about 50 years. The house of Jehu reigned about
twice 50 years, and the 50 years following was a period of anarchy. So we may think in periods of 50 as follows: 50-50-twice 50-50.
In the first 50 years were three dynasties; in the second, one; in the next two, one; and in the last, four. Compare Diagram XIX.
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The arrest and trial of Jeremiah for preaching
in the Temple Court
The Message of Jeremiah for which he was
arrested
16:1-13
16:14-
19:1-13
Jeremiah as an Intercessor
The Prophet remaining unmarried
Various Messages of Warning
The Potter's house visited and the lesson
The Potter's vessel broken and the lesson
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20:18 f
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Jeremiah Smitten by Pashhur the Priest
Wine offered by Jeremiah to the Rechabites
The Roll cut and burned by Jehoiakim
The Message of Jeremiah to Baruch his
secretary
40
Prophecies against Judah and the Nations
c
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<
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The Kings and the False Prophets arraigned
B
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longing to the
24
27:1-11
The visions of the baskets of figs
The symbolic yokes and bands
reign of Zede-
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27:12- 1
28:17 y
f 9 >
The Conflict with False Prophets in Judea
The Conflict with False Prophets in Babylon
50 1
51 -J
3 1
33 J
The Message about Babylon
"The book of Consolation," including the ac-
count of the purchase of the field
34
39,Cf.52j
The last days and the capture of Jerusalem
IV. Portions be-
longing to post-
captivity times
40 )
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42 )
Jeremiah and the remnant in Judea
1
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Jeremiah and the remnant in Egypt
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hemiah, Haggai, Ze
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Ezra and the Temple— The C
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Nehemiah and the City— The
3 With Ezra, chaps. 4-6, read Hagga
4 With Esther associate the battles
pylae (480).
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The books of the Bible belonging
read in the following order:
Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi.
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Zechariah
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BS1194 .W58
Studies in Old Testament characters.
Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library
1 1012 00056 1656