Daniel 2
PRELIMINARY QUESTION
Ask the class to be thinking about this question (post it on the board): "What is one thing you really like about Daniel or one message from his book?" (You will ask for their answers later in the lesson.)
THE GROWTH OF THE KING'S TESTIMONY
"A God of Gods." Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a troubling dream which he could not remember or which he would not tell (v. 1-4). (See footnote a in verse 5: It is possible the original meaning was that he did remember the dream, but was testing others' ability to divine it. Harper-Collins Study Bible also suggests this possibility on p. 1305, as does Ellis T. Rasmussen, An Introduction to the Old Testament and Its Teachings, 2:92, quoted in the Institute Manual, Section 28-9.) He was deeply impressed, whichever the case may be, that the dream was significant and he needed to know the interpretation. He called all his wise men and priests and asked for the interpretation. They answered, quite reasonably, that they could not interpret the dream if they did not know what it was. Nebuchadnezzar did not back down from his challenge, however. He offered "gifts and rewards and great honour" to them who could state and interpret the dream (v. 6), and a gruesome death if they failed (v. 5, 12).
The king's guard went forth to slay these men, and on their way, were intercepted by Daniel (v. 14) who asked what was going on. When he heard, he went straight to the king to ask for himself, and to offer to learn and give the interpretation. Then he returned to his quarters and shared the news with his three friends, and begged them to pray for him, as all their lives depended upon it (v. 14-18), and also the lives of the other wise men or priests (v. 24). "Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven" (v. 19).
The story is inconsistent in that Daniel has direct access to the king in verse 16, and in verse 25 the captain of the guard brings Daniel to the king and introduces him as "a man of the captives of Judah," as if the king did not know who he was. Verse 16 is "widely regarded [by scholars] as a late addition to harmonize with Chapter 1" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1306).
Oh well. No one's perfect, and neither were the writers and editors of the Old Testament. The contradiction doesn't affect the important points of the story.
When Daniel related and interpreted the dream, Nebuchadnezzar learned the difference between the idols of Babylon and the God of Israel. Whereas the Babylonian priests defended their inability to respond by saying that no one could give this interpretation unless they were helped by the gods, and those gods do not dwell near enough to people to aid them (v. 11), Daniel showed the God of Israel to be immediate and personal, even in a foreign nation such as Babylon (Richard D. Draper, "The Prophets of the Exile: Saviors of a People," Voices of Old Testament Prophets: The 26th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, p. 96). The phrase "God of heaven" here used is a Persian title for the Jewish God (Harper-Collins, p. 1306). Whereas the stars were considered to be some of the Babylonian dieties, The God of Israel was God even over them, by this definition.
Daniel gave every bit of glory for the recall and interpretation of the dream to Jehovah (v. 20-30), thus introducing him to the king as a God of gods, who is invested in the doings of man, and who knows all, as evidenced by the fact that he reveals secrets (v. 19, 22, 28, 29, 30). The dream itself showed that God could place and remove kings and define and direct empires.
The king's beginning testimony: "Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets" (v. 47).
A God who can deliver. Chapter 3: Here is the story of Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego surviving an attempted execution by furnace after they refused to worship the Babylonion idol. Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he sent forth a decree that the Jews and their God be respected (v. 28-29).
The king's growing testimony: "No other God...can deliver after this sort" (v. 29).
A God who is eternal and all-powerful. Chapter 4: The king had a second troubling and prophetic dream, which Daniel interpreted. At this point, although the king had learned quite a bit about the God of Israel, he had not accepted him as his god, relevant to his life. The interpretation of the dream was terrifying, and Daniel hesitated before giving it (v. 19). But the king was ready to take it, no matter what, and it revealed that he would be removed from his position of power to a condition of madness for seven years. What was the purpose? The growth of his testimony. He would be mad "till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (v. 25). Daniel counseled the king, "Break off thy sins by righteousness [an interesting visualization for all of us--we don't just repent and stop sinning; we break our sins actively through righteous living] and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; [so that] it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility" (v. 27). When the dream was realized, the seven years were spent, and the king was restored to himself, he sent out a proclamation to all of his dominion declaring his personal worship of the God of Israel.
The king's final, mature testimony: "[He] liveth for ever, [his] dominion is an everlasting dominion...none can stay his hand...Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase" (v. 34, 35, 37).
Whether King Nebuchadnezzar changed from believing in many gods (polytheism) to believing in many gods with one god ruling over them (henotheism) or to completely joining the Israelites in believing in only one supreme God (monotheism), is hard to tell from the writings, but it is clear that he had a powerful belief in Jehovah at the end of this progression of events (Draper, p. 97).
THE DREAM OF CHAPTER TWO
For the meaning of the dream and its fulfillment, go to Section 28-13 in the Institute Manual.
DANIEL: THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE
Now we return to our opening question: "What is one thing you really like about Daniel, or one message from his book?" (For this section, prepare ahead of time a large circle of posterboard. Write on it in large letters "Total Christian." Now turn the circle over and cut it into wedges like a pie. Number the wedges discretely at the point, clockwise, so that you can reassemble them in the right order. On each wedge write one of the six statements listed below in bold Itallic about Daniel. I recommend that you actually cut eight wedges, however, leaving two of them blank to be filled in with class members' ideas. [Don't you hate having to guess what the teacher is thinking?] As each class member shares an idea, post the wedge that correlates with his idea, or write his idea on a blank wedge. Comments that you can add are included below. As each wedge is added, secure it to the next one with transparent tape.)
Daniel was a patient member-missionary, 24/7. Daniel was not afraid to share God's message with even the mighty King of Bablyon. He continued this missionary work as the king gained a testimony of God in graduated steps over many years. Almost all of the stories relating to Daniel's sharing of the gospel took place in relation to his work. He never set aside his religion because it conflicted with his job. Daniel was a religious diplomat, able to live companionably with people of other faiths while remaining completely true to his own beliefs.
How can we do this? We can begin by taking our faith with us everywhere we go, every day of the week. When co-workers or classmates ask us how our weekend was, we can share not only the fun activities of Saturday, but the spiritual events we enjoyed on Sunday. We can make it comfortable for those around us to ask us questions about our faith, by making it known that we are Latter-day Saints or Mormons, by briefly bringing up points of doctrine we believe in as they relate to daily situations, and by being patient and not pushy.
Daniel was steadfast at all costs. Nothing could stop Daniel from obeying the Lord. He ate what he was commanded of the Lord to eat. He prayed as he was commanded of the Lord to pray. He told the king dream interpretations that could have cost him his head, as he was commanded of the Lord to tell. (Read 10:12.)
Daniel 1:1 takes place in 605 BC and Daniel 10:10 in 536 BC (Alec Motyer, The Story of the Old Testament, p. 143), a span of seventy years.
How do we remain steadfast as Daniel did? How do we avoid being burned out over seventy years? Total consecration: "The antidote to exhaustion is whole-heartedness." (David Steindle-Rast, Mt. Savior Benedictine Monastery, New York, http://www.gratefulness.org/.)
Daniel humbly acknowledged God's help. He always expressed gratitude for God's hand in his life, and never took credit for wonderful works God did through him. (Read Daniel 2:27-30). He did not expect to succeed without mighty prayer. (See Daniel 2:16-18.)
The great but humble composer J.S. Bach frequently signed his manuscripts with the phrases "Help me, Jesus," "In the name of Jesus," or "To God alone, the glory" (Patrick Kavanaugh, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, p. 20). His reliance on God undoubtedly made his works great.
How can we do this? We might keep a journal of the hand of the Lord in our lives as counseled by President Eyring. We might note the tender mercies extended to us as counseled by Elder Bednar. We might develop an attitude of gratefulness. We might replace the word "lucky" in our conversations with "blessed." We might offer to pray for friends who are suffering trials, even if they are not of our faith, or of any faith.
Daniel lived close to the Spirit. He could find out what God wanted him to do in any situation that came up. He lived an obedient life, and took good care to keep his body and his spirit, even at the cost of angering a king, in tune with God's Spirit (1:15-17).
Daniel was submissive to the Lord's will. He made the best of the circumstances he found himself in. He was not able to choose his career or his locale, or much about his life, but he accepted it. People tried to undermine him, bad things happened, but Daniel did not expect perfection. He took what he was given and carried on as faithfully as possible, a great example of "blooming where you're planted."
Shadrach, Meshach and Abedneggo are excellent examples of this as well. The words "but if not" in Daniel 3:18 show that they understood that God's way might not be obvious to them, but they still accepted His will.
"You want to make God laugh? Then tell him about your plans." (John Chancellor)
"When I narrow my vision to search for an ideal that my mind has created, life seldom complies. But when I broaden my vision to simply notice what life is offering, I find that I am surrounded by an abundance of care and support." (Gregg Krech)
"Discontent cheats you out of the life you have" (David Steindl-Rast). We tend to expect perfection in a manner that does not confrom with God's plans, and that expectation smothers gratitude. One of the most grateful people I knew was a dear friend and visiting teaching companion named Nola Gay Webb who, at the time that she was enduring the slow and painful process of dying of her second cancer, shared the following story told by Janet P. Lee with the sisters we visited:
"When my daughter Stephanie was five years old, I took her to register for kindergarten. When we arrived, she was invited to go into a classroom to play 'games' with the teachers and other children. As a former elementary school teacher, I was certain the 'games' were a method of testing for placement purposes.
"A teacher was sitting just outside the room with a box of crayons and several sheets of blank paper, and I smiled confidently to myself from across the hall as Stephanie was asked to choose her favorite color and write her name. 'She could write all the names in our family,' I thought to myself. 'She is so well prepared, there isn't anything in that room she can't handle!' But Stephanie just stood there. The teacher repeated the instructions, and again my daughter stood still, staring blankly at the box of crayons with her knees locked and hands behind her back.
"In the sweet, patient voice that teachers use when they are beginning to feel slightly impatient, the teacher asked once more, 'Stephanie, choose your favorite color, dear, and write your name on this piece of paper.' I was about to come to my daughter's aid when the teacher kindly said, 'That's okay. We will help you learn to write your name when you come to school in the fall.' With all the restraint I could muster, I watched Stephanie move into the classroom with a teacher who believed my daughter did not know how to write her name.
"On the way home I tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible why she had not written her name. 'I couldn't,' she replied. 'The teacher said to choose my favorite color, and there wasn't a pink crayon in the box!'
"I reflect on this incident often as I watch my children grow and observe life in general. How many times are we, as Heavenly Father's children, immobilized because the choice we had in mind for ourselves just isn't available to us, at least not at the time we want it?" (Janet P. Lee, "Knowing When to Persevere and When to Change Direction," BYU Devotional Address given January 14, 1992. By the way, this is a wonderful talk, well worth reading.)
Daniel was Grateful. (Read 2:17-23.) We Latter-day Saints, living in these enlightened times, and many of us in well-developed, prosperous environments, must continually work to be grateful. "We get, too quickly, used to things." We are not surprised after a while by our blessings. When was the last time you were surprised that the light turned on when you flicked the switch? Yet, if it doesn't come on, your attention is rivited to that deficit. A friend of mine, on a humanitarian trip to teach doctors in Mongolia to operate on ears and throats, was astonished at the patience of the medical staff there as the electricity would go off for long periods of time in the middle of surgical procedures. They would just keep the patient comfortable, visit among themselves, and calmly wait for the return of power.
"We get, too quickly, used to things. Once we take it for granted, it no longer brings us joy. Instead, we think, What's next?" (David Steindl-Rast)
(Set a teacup inside a glass serving bowl with a capacity of about a half gallon or two liters. Pour a quart or liter of water from a large measuring cup into the teacup and notice how the cup overflows.) The cup is the expectation. The water is the blessings. The expectation was more than fulfilled, therefore we easily notice the overflow and this gratitude brings us joy! "Our cup runneth over!" (Pour the water back into the measuring cup. Now remove the teacup from the serving bowl. Pour the water into the serving bowl, and it is not filled.) If we increase the size of the container (our expectations) we decrease the amount overflowing (the joy). The amount of joy we experience as a result of our blessings is directly related to our expectation. If last year's wants become this year's needs, the container of expectation becomes large; it is human nature. That is why when the Lord prospers a people, they often become ungrateful, forget to acknowledge His hand, and slip away from their faith.
We need to take the effort to slow ourselves down enough to be grateful. Perhaps keeping a gratitude journal, or sometimes praying or fasting in gratitude only, would help us to teach ourselves to be surprised and to remain in a sense of wonderment about our blessings.
SUMMARY
(Flip the taped-together circle over to show the words "Total Christian.")
Daniel was the total Christian. He survived trials, fears, captivity, displacement, almost certain death, prosperity, jealous vendettas, adulation, imprisonment, and great power, all the while keeping the faith. In every circumstance he was true. How did he do that? Well, one slice of the picture cannot tell it alone. He was steadfast because he was also grateful. He was grateful because he was humble. Because he was humble, he was also diplomatic. Because he was faithful, he could submit himself to the Lord's will. He was in tune with the Spirit because he recognized the Lord's hand in everything. Everything in Daniel's life linked together to form a total disciple.
As latter-day children of Israel living in the Promised Land (whichever land that may be, as all parts of the world now have temples), we must follow Daniel's example. We are the individual snowflakes in the avalanche of the Lord's kingdom. The stone rolls faster down the hill as each person becomes closer to total consecration in his faith and commitment.
(If there is classtime left, you may wish to show the last five minutes of the Church video, "An Ensign to the Nations.")
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Old Testament Lesson #45 "If I Perish, I Perish"
Daniel 1; 3; 6; Esther 3-5; 7-8
This lesson discusses four of the most powerful stories in the Old Testament of triumph over great adversity and oppression in a foriegn court. In each story, the hero is a Hebrew slave, a person in a position nearly powerless by earthly standards. An evil figure seeks to obliterate the hero because of his religious beliefs. In the end, the righteous hero gains equivalent or greater political power than his nemesis. Mighty retribution is meted out upon the evildoers.
DANIEL
“The responsibility of showing to the world that the gospel of Jesus Christ will solve its problems rests upon the men who make the claim" (President David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953, p. 5).
"I found a classic example in the Old Testament of one who lived “in the world” and influenced it through his righteous living. The birth of this young man came at a time in history when it was improbable that anyone from Israel could make much of a contribution in the world.
"After the death of King Solomon in 975 b.c., the Ten Tribes revolted and separated themselves from the Tribe of Judah. A divided Israel was not able to hold its own against the other powers of that region. Egypt and Assyria would take turns overrunning the land of Israel. In the year 607 b.c., Assyria proper and the northern provinces fell into the hands of the Medes, while Syria lay open to be seized by the Babylonians.
"While this struggle was going on, it seemed an appropriate time for Egypt to attack Palestine. The king of the Babylonians sent his son, Nebuchadnezzar, to drive the Egyptians back. While the battle raged against the Egyptians, the king passed away and Nebuchadnezzar became the ruler of Babylon. He was successful against the Egyptians and became ruler over all of Syria to the Egyptian border. He ruled by terror, crushing his enemies by fire and sword, and weakening them with deportations to other parts of his empire.
"It was in the midst of this battle-torn era that Daniel was born. As a youth, he and certain other Hebrews were taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar for service. They were chosen because of their wisdom and knowledge and ability to learn. Thus, Daniel was brought into a strange land with strange customs, a strange environment, and a very different religious heritage.
"Daniel’s first test in being 'in the world' came when the servant of Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to drink of his wine and eat of the 'king’s meat.' Daniel 'purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.'
"The servant argued that the king had made him responsible for training these young men, and had commanded they should eat and drink the same as the others. If they did not, the king would see that they were growing weak and thin, and would surely have the servant killed. Then Daniel begged that he and his friends be allowed to follow the health habits that had been given to them. His request was that they be proved for ten days—for ten days they would feed upon grains and drink water, to see if they were not healthier than all the rest.
"Daniel’s strategy was most interesting. He did not challenge the beliefs of the Babylonians. Instead, he volunteered to conduct a test as to which way was best. The servant agreed to the test. For the next ten days, Daniel and those who were with him ate and drank only of the things that they knew they should. At the end of the tenth day, Daniel and his friends were found to be healthier and stronger than all the rest. Daniel soon found that he did not have to adopt a different standard of values when he was 'in the world...'
"Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should worship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served 'in the world' in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way 'in the world' in which we live! (L. Tom Perry, "In the World," Ensign, May 1998)
Daniel was tested again in his later life. By now, he was a high-ranking government official. For political rather than religious reasons, others desired to have him deposed. They knew that they could not "dig up any dirt" about him, because there was none. So instead, knowing that he was true to his faith, they determined to use that faith for his political demise. They convinced King Darius to enact a law forbidding prayer to Jehovah. Daniel's behavior did not change in the slightest because of the threat. He prayed three times a day, "as he did aforetime" (6:10). This was almost a more faith-promoting experience for King Darius than it was for Daniel. Darius clearly had a budding faith in Jehovah, as he said hopefully to Daniel while throwing him in the lion's den, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" (6:16). In the morning when he returned to the den, he called, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" (6:20). The answer was yes.
King Darius was then a believer. He issued a proclamation, publicly stating his faith, "I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (6:26-27).
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABED-NEGO
"As a young man, I returned home from an eighth-grade basketball tournament dejected, disappointed, and confused. I blurted out to my mother, 'I don’t know why we lost—I had faith we’d win!'
"I now realize that I did not then know what faith is...
"Centuries ago, Daniel and his young associates were suddenly thrust from security into the world—a world foreign and intimidating. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow down and worship a golden image set up by the king, a furious Nebuchadnezzar told them that if they would not worship as commanded, they would immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 'And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?'
"The three young men quickly and confidently responded, 'If it be so [if you cast us into the furnace], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand.' That sounds like my eighth-grade kind of faith. But then they demonstrated that they fully understood what faith is. They continued, 'But if not, … we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.' That is a statement of true faith.
"They knew that they could trust God—even if things didn’t turn out the way they hoped. They knew that faith is more than mental assent, more than an acknowledgment that God lives. Faith is total trust in Him...
"We must have the same faith as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
"Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not … . He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not. … He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not, … we will trust in the Lord.
"Our God will see that we receive justice and fairness, but if not. … He will make sure that we are loved and recognized, but if not. … We will receive a perfect companion and righteous and obedient children, but if not, … we will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and in His way, be delivered and receive all that He has. (Dennis E. Simmons, "But If Not...", Ensign, May 2004)
ESTHER
Esther is one of the Five Scrolls, books that were originally grouped together in the Hebrew Bible, called "The Writings," and read (and many Jewish communities still read them) at key annual festivals.
The Five Scrolls and their Festivals
(Source: Tyndale University College and Seminary website. Sorry; I can't seem to form a direct link.)
COMMENTS FROM THE HARPER-COLLINS STUDY BIBLE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DANIEL AND ESTHER
(This section is on the fringe of the purpose of the lesson, so I wouldn't include it as a part of a lesson being taught in Sunday School, but it is an interesting aside to personal scripture study. Should questions come up from class members on this topic, this information may be helpful.)
In the present Hebrew Bible, the books of Daniel and Esther are placed together. The contrast between the stories, though, are great enough that they have bothered scholars, particularly Jewish scholars, for thousands of years. Daniel and Esther were both offered the king's food (Daniel 1:5; Esther 2:9). Esther 2:9 in the King James Version only covertly mentions food, "such things as belonged to her," but it is clearly food in the New Revised Standard Version, "her portion of food". The word portion is from an Old Persian word meaning "government-supplied food ration" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1304). While Daniel and his friends refused the food and stuck to their strict Hebrew diet, Esther ate what was was given her. Daniel and his three friends prayed in open defiance of the worship of idolatry. Prayer is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Daniel and his friends profess faith in God and publicly give Him credit and glory for the miracles that save them in the book of Daniel. God is never mentioned in the story of Esther. Curious.
In The Septuagint (the earliest translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek), the translators (pious Jewish scholars) tried to correct this problem by making six additions to the book of Esther, four of which make God's presence very clear throughout the story. (These are included in the Appocrypha which is readily available from many publishers. The Septuagint version of Esther is printed in the Approcrypha section of the Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1481-1496.)
It's also possible they didn't make them up.
Josephus, the most important early Jewish historian whose works are still available today and are widely considered a very trustworthy source, believed that the translators of the Septuagint were inspired of God. Could they have been acting under inspiration as Joseph Smith did when he studied and re-translated the Bible, inserting details that were important but had been left out? It's possible that they received aid from God in the form of revelation about what the actual circumstances had been and restored the true story.
There is no way to know.
Why ask questions for which we have no known answer? Because it expands our thinking, and exposes the possibilities to us. If we can't find the answer, we place the question on our "shelf" of questions to be answered later. At another time, we may take them down again, see if more information or revelation is now providing the answer. If it is, great. If it is not, back on the shelf it goes. It may stay there until the next life, when all questions will be answered. As long as we don't demand an answer immediately, our faith remains intact.
We can ask another question for which there is no known answer: Who wrote the book of Esther, and why would he leave these important details out of the story, if they were true? Josephus claims Mordecai wrote it, and he is generally a pretty good source. Another possibility is Nehemiah. For a good but simple discussion on the authorship possibilities, see Bible.org.
If Mordecai were the author, here are my personal thoughts--my personal thoughts--about why he may have written without expressly referring to God, prayer, and Jewish practices: Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel's king) ruled from 605-562 BC. Ahasuerus (Esther's king) is usually identified as Xerxes I, who ruled in 486-465 BC (Harper-Collins Study Bible). So the story of Daniel took place well over 100 hundred years before the story of Esther, and immediately after the exile. Daniel and his friends were fresh out of Hebrew communities steeped with their religious culture. Mordecai and Esther and their people, 100+ years later, may have suffered a gradual loss of Jewish influence in their new environment. They seemed to not be as openly practicing their religion as Daniel did, since Esther was living in the king's court completely undetected as a Jew. The king himself seemed to be unaware of the entire culture of Jews until Haman pointed them out.
Could years of keeping their religion quietly have caused the author to also keep it as an unstated undercurrent in his writing? Was the account written at such a time or situation or context in which it was inappropriate or dangerous to expressly include deeply religious experiences? Or was the author someone we don't have any record of at all, and was he not a religious person, but simply a recorder or historian?
Regardless of the reason for the way the account is written, it is clear to me that God and prayer were key parts of the story. When Mordecai said to Esther, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" there was clearly an implication in his words that he believed a greater Power was enacting a plan to save the Jews, and that Esther was part of that plan. Esther called upon the Jews to fast for three days and nights (Esther 4:16). What purpose would there be to fasting without prayer? This is the only instance in the scriptures of which I'm aware in which fasting is mentioned when it is not directly connected to prayer. It was a practice used in no other way.
Their story as well as Daniel's teaches that God loves His children and is merciful, ever seeking to aid them in adversity, responding faithfully when they exercise their faith. Their righteous influence blesses their entire community, and spreads the gospel. "The city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of [respect for?] the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:15-17).
This lesson discusses four of the most powerful stories in the Old Testament of triumph over great adversity and oppression in a foriegn court. In each story, the hero is a Hebrew slave, a person in a position nearly powerless by earthly standards. An evil figure seeks to obliterate the hero because of his religious beliefs. In the end, the righteous hero gains equivalent or greater political power than his nemesis. Mighty retribution is meted out upon the evildoers.
DANIEL
“The responsibility of showing to the world that the gospel of Jesus Christ will solve its problems rests upon the men who make the claim" (President David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953, p. 5).
"I found a classic example in the Old Testament of one who lived “in the world” and influenced it through his righteous living. The birth of this young man came at a time in history when it was improbable that anyone from Israel could make much of a contribution in the world.
"After the death of King Solomon in 975 b.c., the Ten Tribes revolted and separated themselves from the Tribe of Judah. A divided Israel was not able to hold its own against the other powers of that region. Egypt and Assyria would take turns overrunning the land of Israel. In the year 607 b.c., Assyria proper and the northern provinces fell into the hands of the Medes, while Syria lay open to be seized by the Babylonians.
"While this struggle was going on, it seemed an appropriate time for Egypt to attack Palestine. The king of the Babylonians sent his son, Nebuchadnezzar, to drive the Egyptians back. While the battle raged against the Egyptians, the king passed away and Nebuchadnezzar became the ruler of Babylon. He was successful against the Egyptians and became ruler over all of Syria to the Egyptian border. He ruled by terror, crushing his enemies by fire and sword, and weakening them with deportations to other parts of his empire.
"It was in the midst of this battle-torn era that Daniel was born. As a youth, he and certain other Hebrews were taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar for service. They were chosen because of their wisdom and knowledge and ability to learn. Thus, Daniel was brought into a strange land with strange customs, a strange environment, and a very different religious heritage.
"Daniel’s first test in being 'in the world' came when the servant of Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to drink of his wine and eat of the 'king’s meat.' Daniel 'purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.'
"The servant argued that the king had made him responsible for training these young men, and had commanded they should eat and drink the same as the others. If they did not, the king would see that they were growing weak and thin, and would surely have the servant killed. Then Daniel begged that he and his friends be allowed to follow the health habits that had been given to them. His request was that they be proved for ten days—for ten days they would feed upon grains and drink water, to see if they were not healthier than all the rest.
"Daniel’s strategy was most interesting. He did not challenge the beliefs of the Babylonians. Instead, he volunteered to conduct a test as to which way was best. The servant agreed to the test. For the next ten days, Daniel and those who were with him ate and drank only of the things that they knew they should. At the end of the tenth day, Daniel and his friends were found to be healthier and stronger than all the rest. Daniel soon found that he did not have to adopt a different standard of values when he was 'in the world...'
"Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should worship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served 'in the world' in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way 'in the world' in which we live! (L. Tom Perry, "In the World," Ensign, May 1998)
Daniel was tested again in his later life. By now, he was a high-ranking government official. For political rather than religious reasons, others desired to have him deposed. They knew that they could not "dig up any dirt" about him, because there was none. So instead, knowing that he was true to his faith, they determined to use that faith for his political demise. They convinced King Darius to enact a law forbidding prayer to Jehovah. Daniel's behavior did not change in the slightest because of the threat. He prayed three times a day, "as he did aforetime" (6:10). This was almost a more faith-promoting experience for King Darius than it was for Daniel. Darius clearly had a budding faith in Jehovah, as he said hopefully to Daniel while throwing him in the lion's den, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" (6:16). In the morning when he returned to the den, he called, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" (6:20). The answer was yes.
King Darius was then a believer. He issued a proclamation, publicly stating his faith, "I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (6:26-27).
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABED-NEGO
"As a young man, I returned home from an eighth-grade basketball tournament dejected, disappointed, and confused. I blurted out to my mother, 'I don’t know why we lost—I had faith we’d win!'
"I now realize that I did not then know what faith is...
"Centuries ago, Daniel and his young associates were suddenly thrust from security into the world—a world foreign and intimidating. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow down and worship a golden image set up by the king, a furious Nebuchadnezzar told them that if they would not worship as commanded, they would immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 'And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?'
"The three young men quickly and confidently responded, 'If it be so [if you cast us into the furnace], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand.' That sounds like my eighth-grade kind of faith. But then they demonstrated that they fully understood what faith is. They continued, 'But if not, … we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.' That is a statement of true faith.
"They knew that they could trust God—even if things didn’t turn out the way they hoped. They knew that faith is more than mental assent, more than an acknowledgment that God lives. Faith is total trust in Him...
"We must have the same faith as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
"Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not … . He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not. … He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not, … we will trust in the Lord.
"Our God will see that we receive justice and fairness, but if not. … He will make sure that we are loved and recognized, but if not. … We will receive a perfect companion and righteous and obedient children, but if not, … we will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and in His way, be delivered and receive all that He has. (Dennis E. Simmons, "But If Not...", Ensign, May 2004)
ESTHER
Esther is one of the Five Scrolls, books that were originally grouped together in the Hebrew Bible, called "The Writings," and read (and many Jewish communities still read them) at key annual festivals.
The Five Scrolls and their Festivals
- The Song of Songs (Song of Solomon in the KJV), read at Passover, commemorating the passing over of the angel of death when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt
- The Book of Ruth, read at the Feast of Weeks, also called Shavout, or Pentecost in the New Testament, a celebration of the harvest
- Lamentations, read on the 9th of Av (a month in the Jewish calendar), commemorating the sadness and oppression that has happened to the Jews, beginning with the destruction of the temple
- Ecclesiastes, read at Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (refering to tents), a 7-day festival in which the 40 years camping in the wilderness is commemorated and somewhat reenacted
- The Book of Esther, read at Purim, a name derived from the word pur which refered to the casting of lots done by Haman in the story of Esther to determine the day of the destruction of the Jews
A Chiastic Pattern for the Book of Esther
Chiasmus (pronounced "ky-AS-mus") is a Hebrew literary tool in which all the lines of a poem lead to the main point, after which they all repeat in reverse order with slight variation. The central point of the broad chiasmus of the book of Esther would be that the Jews, represented here by Mordecai, get the honor they deserve for their righteousness and good works. This is the point of all four stories discussed in this lesson: the faithful Hebrew figure puts his/her neck on the block, with faith in Jehovah, and not only is the executioner's hand stayed, but glory is awarded to them by the worldly powers.
A King Xerxes’ banquet and the rise of Queen Esther 1:1-2:23
B Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews 3:1-15
C Mordecai’s plea to Esther and Esther’s request 4:1-17
D Esther’s first banquet 5:1-8
E Haman’s family plot to hang Mordecai 5:9-14
F Mordecai honored 6:1-12a
E’ Haman’s family predicts his downfall 6:12b-14
D’ Esther’s second banquet and Haman’s death 7:1-10
C’ Esther’s plea to King Xerxes to save the Jews 8:1-15
B’ The Jews destroy their enemies 9:1-17
A’ Feast of Purim and Mordecai’s rise to power -10:3
COMMENTS FROM THE HARPER-COLLINS STUDY BIBLE
- 1:21-22 All official resources and protocol of state are needed to deal with the danger posed to men by one willful woman! This is the first in a series of letters and decrees sent by means of the famed Persian courier service.
- 1:3; 2:16 It took four years to find a new queen.
- 2:19 "Sitting in the king's gate:" Mordecai is an official of undetermined rank.
- 3:9 10,000 talents of silver is a huge bribe. Inflated figures like this one, the height of Haman's gallows, which was the equivalent of 75 feet (5:14), and numbers slain by the Jews (9:5-16) give the story an air of the fantastic. (All numbers used in the Old Testament must be taken with a grain of salt--often they are figurative and not literal.)
- 7:7-8 The king's exit allows Haman one last plea for his life, ironically from the one whom he unknowingly sought to destroy. His attempt seals his fate, as the king mistakes his posture of supplication before the reclining Esther as an assault upon the queen.
- 8:11-12 The wording recalls what Haman wrote (3:13) in an exact and vengeful manner...The effect is to reverse in every detail what Haman planned for the Jews.
- 9:10, 15-16 That the Jews did not touch the plunder although they were allowed to do so (8:11) suggests they were fighting for survival and not increased wealth.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DANIEL AND ESTHER
(This section is on the fringe of the purpose of the lesson, so I wouldn't include it as a part of a lesson being taught in Sunday School, but it is an interesting aside to personal scripture study. Should questions come up from class members on this topic, this information may be helpful.)
In the present Hebrew Bible, the books of Daniel and Esther are placed together. The contrast between the stories, though, are great enough that they have bothered scholars, particularly Jewish scholars, for thousands of years. Daniel and Esther were both offered the king's food (Daniel 1:5; Esther 2:9). Esther 2:9 in the King James Version only covertly mentions food, "such things as belonged to her," but it is clearly food in the New Revised Standard Version, "her portion of food". The word portion is from an Old Persian word meaning "government-supplied food ration" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1304). While Daniel and his friends refused the food and stuck to their strict Hebrew diet, Esther ate what was was given her. Daniel and his three friends prayed in open defiance of the worship of idolatry. Prayer is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Daniel and his friends profess faith in God and publicly give Him credit and glory for the miracles that save them in the book of Daniel. God is never mentioned in the story of Esther. Curious.
In The Septuagint (the earliest translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek), the translators (pious Jewish scholars) tried to correct this problem by making six additions to the book of Esther, four of which make God's presence very clear throughout the story. (These are included in the Appocrypha which is readily available from many publishers. The Septuagint version of Esther is printed in the Approcrypha section of the Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1481-1496.)
- The book opens with the story of a dream which Mordecai has in which God reveals, in symbolism, all that is going to happen.
- The king's edict is written out expressly.
- A prayer in which Mordecai calls mightily upon the Lord for aid is inserted, and the addition concludes, "And all Israel cried out mightily, for their death was before their eyes."
- A sweet and tender version of Esther's appearance before the king, and the softening of his heart toward her is added.
- The second edict of the king is inserted.
- There is a little post at the end of the book in which Mordecai relates the interpretation of his dream, and notes that everything God promised has been fulfilled.
It's also possible they didn't make them up.
Josephus, the most important early Jewish historian whose works are still available today and are widely considered a very trustworthy source, believed that the translators of the Septuagint were inspired of God. Could they have been acting under inspiration as Joseph Smith did when he studied and re-translated the Bible, inserting details that were important but had been left out? It's possible that they received aid from God in the form of revelation about what the actual circumstances had been and restored the true story.
There is no way to know.
Why ask questions for which we have no known answer? Because it expands our thinking, and exposes the possibilities to us. If we can't find the answer, we place the question on our "shelf" of questions to be answered later. At another time, we may take them down again, see if more information or revelation is now providing the answer. If it is, great. If it is not, back on the shelf it goes. It may stay there until the next life, when all questions will be answered. As long as we don't demand an answer immediately, our faith remains intact.
We can ask another question for which there is no known answer: Who wrote the book of Esther, and why would he leave these important details out of the story, if they were true? Josephus claims Mordecai wrote it, and he is generally a pretty good source. Another possibility is Nehemiah. For a good but simple discussion on the authorship possibilities, see Bible.org.
If Mordecai were the author, here are my personal thoughts--my personal thoughts--about why he may have written without expressly referring to God, prayer, and Jewish practices: Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel's king) ruled from 605-562 BC. Ahasuerus (Esther's king) is usually identified as Xerxes I, who ruled in 486-465 BC (Harper-Collins Study Bible). So the story of Daniel took place well over 100 hundred years before the story of Esther, and immediately after the exile. Daniel and his friends were fresh out of Hebrew communities steeped with their religious culture. Mordecai and Esther and their people, 100+ years later, may have suffered a gradual loss of Jewish influence in their new environment. They seemed to not be as openly practicing their religion as Daniel did, since Esther was living in the king's court completely undetected as a Jew. The king himself seemed to be unaware of the entire culture of Jews until Haman pointed them out.
Could years of keeping their religion quietly have caused the author to also keep it as an unstated undercurrent in his writing? Was the account written at such a time or situation or context in which it was inappropriate or dangerous to expressly include deeply religious experiences? Or was the author someone we don't have any record of at all, and was he not a religious person, but simply a recorder or historian?
Regardless of the reason for the way the account is written, it is clear to me that God and prayer were key parts of the story. When Mordecai said to Esther, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" there was clearly an implication in his words that he believed a greater Power was enacting a plan to save the Jews, and that Esther was part of that plan. Esther called upon the Jews to fast for three days and nights (Esther 4:16). What purpose would there be to fasting without prayer? This is the only instance in the scriptures of which I'm aware in which fasting is mentioned when it is not directly connected to prayer. It was a practice used in no other way.
Their story as well as Daniel's teaches that God loves His children and is merciful, ever seeking to aid them in adversity, responding faithfully when they exercise their faith. Their righteous influence blesses their entire community, and spreads the gospel. "The city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of [respect for?] the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:15-17).
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