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Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons

Winter Quarter 2003-2004

by Jarl K. Waggoner

Lesson 1 - 1 Samuel 1:20, 26-28; 2:1-10

1:20 - "Samuel . . . because I have asked him of the Lord" - "Samuel" literally means "Name of God," but Hannah explained the name as being given due to the fact that she had "asked him of the Lord. Here she apparently was making a play on words. The name "Samuel" is similar in sound to both the word for "asked" (sha'al) and the word for "heard" (shema) (LBC, 535; NIVBC, 382).

1:28 - "I have lent him to the Lord" - "Lent" in the KJV is more properly translated "given" (NIV) or "dedicated" (NASB). Samuel was given to the Lord in consecrated service to him all of Samuel's life. This was in fulfillment of Hannah's vow (1:11). Samuel was about two or three years old at this time (Davis, 31).

1:28 - "he worshipped the Lord" - The "he" here is probably Eli, though it is possible Samuel is meant (Baldwin, 55).

2:1 - "mine horn is exalted . . . my mouth is enlarged . . . I rejoice in thy salvation" - "Horn" symbolizes strength and here the strength that had come to her through her answered prayer (NIVBC, 382). The enlarging of the mouth speaks of her ability to speak "boldly against [her] enemies" (NASB). The "salvation" here refers to her deliverance from her barren condition.

2:3 - "Talk no more . . . proudly . . . by him (God) actions are weighed" - "Human arrogance is totally misplaced and even dangerous, in the view of the Lord's way of 'balancing out' human experience" (Baldwin, 57).

2:5 - "They that were hungry ceased" - Like the other examples given in verses 4-8, this speaks of a divine reversal of fortune. The hungry will cease to be hungry (NASB).

2:6 - "bringeth up" - This may simply contrast life with death as in the first part of the verse. However, it may refer to rescue from the brink of death (NIVBC, 383) or even resurrection from the dead (Baldwin, 57). The point here, as in the surrounding context, is that God is in control and that he can and does reverse the fortunes of people.

2:8 - "pillars of the earth" - The "pillars," or "foundations" (NIV), refers to the "firmness and stability of God's creation-which is always under his sovereign control" (NIVBC, 383).

2:10 - "his anointed" - The Hebrew word here is messiach, or "Messiah." This is the first use of the word in the Bible in reference to a king. "Though Israel did not have a king at this time, such was anticipated, for Moses had prophesied of a king (Deut. 17:14)" (Davis, 32). While the reference could be to a coming king such as David, it could well "point to the future Messiah who would be the King of kings."

Lesson 2 - Luke 1:67-80

1:68 - "Blessed be the Lord . . . for he hath visited and redeemed his people" - "Blessed" is eulogetos, meaning to speak well of (Vine's, 69). "God has already in the events recorded in 1:5-57 visited his people, and although the 'redemption' awaits the future work of the Son of God, its certainty is such that a past tense . . . can be used to describe this future event" (Stein, 99).

1:69 - "an horn of salvation . . . in the house of . . . David" - The horn "symbolized the strength of the animal. Since John the Baptist is not linked to the house of David, . . . the 'horn' refers not to him but to the Messiah he was announcing" (Stein, 99). The salvation here is primarily personal.

1:71 - "saved from our enemies" - The salvation here seems to refer to deliverance of the nation of Israel from her enemies, a promise to be fulfilled at Christ's second coming. Some suggest, however, that this is a "metaphorical description of personal salvation from sin" (Stein, 100).

1:72 - "his holy covenant" - The Messiah's coming would bring the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to Abraham (v. 73), which promised Israel a glorious and blessed future (Gen. 12:1-3).

1:77 - "to give knowledge of salvation . . . by the remission of their sins" - John's role as the "prophet of the Highest" would consist of introducing the Messiah and calling people to repentance and remission of sins for salvation.

1:78 - "the dayspring from on high hath visited us" - Although the context (vv. 76-80) refers to John the Baptist, the "dayspring" most likely refers to Christ. KJV's "dayspring" is "Sunrise" in NASB and "rising sun" in NIV. It may be an allusion to Malachi 4:2 (Morris, 89; Stein, 101).

1:80 - "waxed strong in spirit" - This refers to "the development of his moral character" (NIVBC, 217).

Lesson 3 - Matthew 1:18-25

1:18 - "espoused" - See BKC (20) and Hendriksen (Matthew, 130) for description of Jewish marriage customs. Mary was found to be pregnant during the espousal period.

1:19 - "put her away" - that is, "divorce" her. "A pledge to be married was legally binding. Only a divorce writ could break it, and infidelity at that stage was considered adultery" (NIVBC, 9). Joseph actually had two alternatives. He could present a public accusation and perhaps demand punishment; or he could choose to quietly divorce her. He had decided to follow the latter (WBC, 932).

1:20 - "the angel of the Lord" - "The" is not in the Greek text. It is better translated "an angel of the Lord" (cf. NASB).

1:21 - "Jesus" is the Greek equivalent of "Joshua" and means "The Lord is salvation" or "The Lord saves" (NIVBC, 10).

1:23 - "a virgin shall be with child, . . . and they shall call his name Emmanuel" - "The miraculous conception is stated to be the fulfillment of Isa 7:14. Whether there was an earlier fulfillment in Isaiah's day is neither discussed nor suggested. . . . Emmanuel was not used as a proper name of Jesus, but describes his person as the Son of God" (WBC, 932). It is not clear whether verses 22 and 23 are a continuation of the angel's message or an editorial comment by Matthew.

1:25 - "knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son" - Though Joseph had taken Mary as his wife, ending the espousal period (v. 24), the two had no sexual relations until after the birth of Jesus. We are not told why this was so, but it enabled them "to refute every allegation that Joseph was the father of the child" (Hendriksen, 144). It seems clear that after Jesus' birth normal sexual relations began, and, in fact, we know that Joseph and Mary had other children (cf. Matt. 12:46-47; Mark 6:3).

Lesson 4 - Luke 2:40-52

2:40 - "waxed strong in spirit" - "In spirit" is not in the Greek. This suggests that the growth indicated by this expression is physical, not spiritual.

2:41 - "his parents went to. . . the feast of the passover" - The fact that Joseph and Mary went to the Passover in Jerusalem every year indicates their godly character. Passover was one of three annual feasts that required all adult males to go up to Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16). Passover was a one-day feast followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. The entire eight-day event was popularly called "Passover" (Luke 22:1).

2:42 - "twelve years old" - At age thirteen a boy "became obligated to observe the law" (Stein, 121) as a "son of the covenant." "It was considered helpful for a boy to attend the Jerusalem festivals for one or two years before becoming a son of the covenant so that he would realize what his new relationship involved" (NIVBC, 220).

2:43 - "Jesus tarried behind . . . and Joseph and his mother knew not of it" - Pilgrims typically traveled in large caravans that included many relatives. In addition, men and older boys often traveled separately from the women and younger children. "Each parent might have supposed [Jesus] was with the other" (NIVBC, 220). Whether Jesus' remaining behind was intentional or unintentional is not stated and ultimately is irrelevant to the account (Stein, 121).

2:46 - "after three days they found him" - This probably means three days from the time they left Jerusalem (BKC, 210).

2:48 - "they were amazed" - "The object of [his parents'] astonishment is uncertain. Their astonishment may have been due to their seeing Jesus' wisdom as manifested in the scene described in Luke 2:46-47" (Stein, 122).

2:48 - "thy father and I" - This does not contradict Luke's teaching regarding the virgin conception. "His readers would interpret this saying in light of chap. 1" (Stein, 122). It was most natural to refer to Joseph as Jesus' father (cf. v. 41), just as an adoptive parent today is normally referred to as the child's parent.

2:49 - "How is it that ye sought me?" - This seems to be an expression of surprise that Jesus' parents had not known where he would surely be. The question seems to be more "Why were you searching for me?" than "Why were you searching elsewhere for me?" (Stein, 123).

2:49 - "I must be about my Father's business" - Jesus draws a clear distinction between his earthl parents and his heavenly Father. "Business" can refer to "things" or "affairs" but here probably is a reference to the temple, his "Father's house" as NASB and NIV takes it. The expression "my Father" indicates Jesus' unique relationship to God and his awareness of it, for the Jews never spoke of God in this way, preferring to speak of "our Father" or the "Father in heaven" (Morris, 101-102).

Lesson 5 - Job 2:1-10

2:1-2 - "sons of God came . . . and Satan came also" - The "sons of God" are angels (cf. NIV). Apparently they gathered to give an account of their activities to God. Among them was Satan, who reported that he had been roaming the earth, "obviously looking for those he would take 'captive to do his will' (2Ti 2:26)" (NIVBC, 747).

2:3 - "my servant Job . . . a perfect and an upright man . . . holdeth fast his integrity" - This is the third time Job is described in these terms (1:1, 8). "Perfect" means "complete," or "blameless" (Vine's, 176; cf. NIV; NASB) and speaks of one's spiritual maturity. "Upright" describes behavior in accordance with God's ways (Vine's, 273-4; NIVBC, 746; BKC, 718). "Integrity" is related to the word for "blameless" used in this same verse. Both are derived from the same Hebrew verb (TWOT, 2:973-4). Thus, Job maintained his integrity, or remained blameless.

2:3 - "thou movedst me . . . to destroy him without cause" - This does not suggest that Satan had caused God to act against his own will. God had suggested Job to Satan in the first place (1:8). "All Job's suffering was part of the divine purpose . . . But when God uses a secondary cause to affect the life of a human, even Satan can be said to stir him up" (NIVBC, 747). "Without cause," or "without any reason" (NIV) means that there "was no immediate sinfulness in Job that called for punishment" (NIVBC, 747).

2:7 - "sore boils" - The same expression is used to describe one of the plagues of Egypt (Exod. 9:8-11) and Hezekiah's illness (2 Kings 20:7). There is no agreement on the nature of the disease, but the symptoms are described at length through the book of Job (7:5, 14; 3:24-25; 9:18; 16:16; 19:17, 20; 29:2; 30:17, 27, 30; 33:21). Whatever it was, "in Job's day, it was apparently hopeless" (WBC, 463).

2:8 - "a potsherd to scrape himself . . . sat down among the ashes" - A piece of broken pottery was used to scrape the boils to relieve the itching. Sitting among the ashes may indicate that Job's condition made him an outcast and he was now sitting outside town in the garbage dump or dunghill. BKC (721) suggests the ashes may have been rubbed upon the sores to relieve the discomfort.

2:9 - "curse God, and die" - The Hebrew word translated "curse" here (barak) normally means "bless" (TWOT, 1:132). Some suggest that the idea here might be "Bless God however much you may, you must die" or "Go on blessing God, and all you get for it is dying!" (JFB, 3:5). However, the word is used euphemistically to mean "curse," as it clearly is in verse 5, and all versions translate it such. In making such a suggestion, she was urging Job to do exactly what Satan had predicted he would do (v. 5).

2:10 - "as one of the foolish women" - "Foolish" is not lack of knowledge but "insensibility to God, as well as a moral insensibility" (TWOT, 2:547), or "religious apostasy" (NIVBC, 748). "To curse God was essentially a way of denying he is God" (NIVBC, 748). Job's response evidences "charitable restraint . . . He did not call his wife a fool, but he charged her with speaking, in her frenzied despair, like one of that company in whose counsel she would not ordinarily walk" (WBC, 463).

2:10 - "shall we not receive evil?' - "Evil" here means "bad," not evil in a moral sense (TWOT, 2:855). It indicates displeasure, distress. Job recognized that the "bad" comes from God as well as the "good." "This view contrasts starkly with most peoples' view that trouble means God's very existence is questionable!" (BKC, 721).

Lesson 6 - Job 9:32-35; 13:20-24; 19:25-27; 23:10-12

9:32 - "For he is not a man, as I am" - Job had acknowledged the truth of Bildad's statement that the wicked perish (8:22-9:2). But this did not explain his own suffering, as Bildad seemed to suggest. Why was Job suffering, when he knew he was innocent? Job's desire was to be able to present his case before God in court, but this did not seem possible since God is not a man.

9:33 - "daysman" - "Daysman" is translated "umpire" (NASB; NRSV), "someone to arbitrate" (NIV), "mediator" (NKJV), and "arbiter" (NJB). It means one who decides or judges a case (BDB, 406-7; TWOT, 1:376). This mediator is one who is able to "arbitrate a court case by listening to both sides . . . and decide fairly, as a judge" (Zuck, 50).

9:34- "take his rod away" - Job's desire was that God remove his "rod" of affliction. Then he would speak to God without fear. But this did not seem possible (v. 35).

13:20 - "two things" - Job's two requests are that God will withdraw his hand from him and that God no longer terrify him (v. 21).

13:23 - "How many are mine iniquities?" - If suffering is due to personal sin, as Job's friends suggested, Job wanted God to innumerate his sins for him. God, however, remained silent.

13:24 - "holdest me for thine enemy" - Job considered his suffering and God's silence as an indication that God was treating him like an enemy (cf. 6:4; 7:20; 16:9, 12, 13).

19:25 - "I know that my Redeemer liveth" - Job's one hope and assurance was that his Redeemer lived. "I know" is emphatic in Hebrew, indicating a firm conviction. "Redeemer" is goel, which refers to a near relative who had the "responsibility to restore the fortune, liberty, and name of his relative, when necessary, and to redress his wrongs" (WBC, 476; cf. UBD, 914). While goel normally referred to a human being and could be taken that way here, it seems the "Redeemer" is God himself since "there is no mention of his Defender pleading with God (as in 9:33-35; 16:19-21)" (NIVBC, 763). "I shall see God" (v. 26) also suggests this identification. "Job is confident that although all earthly kin may disown him (cf. v. 13ff.), his divine kinsman is prepared to own him and to speak in his favor the last word in the case" (WBC, 476).

19:25 - "he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" - "At the latter day" may refer to the future or the end times, or it may be describing the Redeemer as the "last One" (see NRSV note). "Earth" is more literally "dust." It probably refers to the earth, though some see it as a reference to the grave (Zuck, 90).

19:26 - "in my flesh shall I see God" - Some argue that "in my flesh" should be translated "from my flesh" and indicates that Job expected to see God while still alive. The destruction of the flesh and body described in the first part of the verse, however, indicates death. Job foresees a time after his death when he will "see God." This may refer to the bodily resurrection or the afterlife without any thought here of a resurrection body (Zuck, 91). "Here are the beginnings of what progressive revelation would ultimately enunciate in the doctrines of the coming of Christ at the end times, the resurrection of the dead, and final judgment" (WBC, 476).

23:10 - "he knoweth the way that I take . . . I shall come forth as gold" - Zuck (108) argues that "But" (ki) means "because" and the phrase should be understood (along with verse 9) to mean, "God is evading me because he knows my ways." The conjunction can, however, mean "but" (Williams, 72), and the major translations follow this (NASB; NIV; NRSV). In this case, the idea is that even though God eludes Job, the Lord knows all about him. "Knoweth" probably means "not mere acquaintance but approval" (WBC, 478). Job "did not think God was testing him as a means to purge away his sinful dross. It was rather to prove he was pure gold. Job's words have to be the words either of a terrible hypocrite of a deeply committed believer" (NIVBC, 767).

Lesson 7 - Job 27:2-5; 31:5-8, 13-15, 24-25, 28

27:2 - "taken away my judgment . . . vexed my soul" - While asserting his innocence with an oath ("As God liveth"), Job declared that God had taken away his "right" (NASB) or "justice" (NIV) and "embittered" (NASB) his soul. "This oath remarkably epitomizes Job's spiritual dilemma. On the one hand, it proclaims God the God of truth, and on the other, charges that his treatment of Job is unjust" (WBC, 479).

27:3 - "All the while" - This is better translated "As long as," thus connecting it more directly with the following verse (cf. NASB; NIV).

27:5 - "that I should justify you" - NIV has "I will never admit you are in the right." Job was here addressing his friends.

31:6 - "weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity " - Job was confident that "his integrity . . . would be evident to God if He were to weigh Job's heart against God's standards" (Zuck, 135). "Integrity" is the same Hebrew word used in Job 2:3 and 27:5 (TWOT, 2:973-4).

31:8 - "let my offspring be uprooted" - The Hebrew word translated "offspring" in KJV can refer children but probably means "produce" or "crops" here, standing parallel to the first phrase in the verse (BDB, 425; cf. NIV; NASB). Job was saying that if he was guilty of sin, he would want the fruit of his labors to be enjoyed by others.

31:13 - "I did not despise the cause of my manservant" - Job maintained that he had treated his servants with respect. This was based on the fact that God was his judge (v. 14) and that God was creator of both him and his servants (v. 15). This was an amazing declaration in view "of what we know about slavery in the OT world" (NIVBC, 774).

31:24- "If I have made gold my hope" - Job here denied that he had been fallen prey to materialism.

31:28 - "This also were an iniquity . . . for I should have denied the God that is above" - Here Job repudiated the idolatry mentioned in verses 26-27. Such worship, even in secret, was sin and a denial of the one true God.

Lesson 8 - Job 38:1-7; 40:7-9; 42:1-6

38:1 - "whirlwind" - This is a violent wind (BDB, 704) but is a different word from the one used in Job 1:19. The wind emphasized the great power of the one addressing Job. God was responding to Job's suggestion that God had been unjust (cf. Job 9:17).

38:2 - "darkeneth counsel" - Job had obscured God's plan or design. This probably "refers to the extreme language of Job during his moments of poetic rage when he struggled with concepts of a deity who was his enemy-a phantom deity one his own mind created" (NIVBC, 783).

38:3 - "man" - This word for man emphasizes man's strength and power( BDB, 150).

38:3 - "answer thou me" - God was not Job's enemy. Job needed to learn who God really was, and God would see that he did by asking Job a series of more than 70 questions (BKC, 766) about Job's "limitations as a creature in comparison with God's power and wisdom in creating and sustaining the universe. The speeches succeeded in bringing Job to complete faith in God's goodness without receiving a direct answer to his questions concerning God's justice" (NIVBC, 783).

38:7 - "morning stars . . . sons of God" - BKC (767) suggests the "morning stars" are Mercury and Venus. But since the expression is used in a parallel construction with "sons of God," the two may well refer to the same thing, namely, angels (cf. Job 1:6; 2:1; JFB, 3:93).

40:8 - "Wilt thou disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me?" - "Job had let his defense of his integrity lead him astray, to the extreme of blaming God" (Zuck, 176). God challenged Job's implications by pointing out Job's inferiority to God.

40:9 - "Hast thou an arm like God?" - "Arm" speaks of might or power. Job's "alleged superiority to God's justice must be accompanied by a similar superiority of power" (Zuck, 176), but such was obviously not the case. God's question reminded Job that he had to "leave to his Creator supremacy in the moral realm" (NIVBC, 787).

42:2 - "no thought can be withholden" - NASB's "no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" is better.

42:3 - "Who is he that hideth counsel?" - Job here is quoting God's words in Job 38:2 as a way of confessing his guilt in doing this very thing. He confessed that he had spoken in ignorance about things "too wonderful," for him, that is, beyond his comprehension (BKC, 774).

42:4 - "I will demand of thee" - Here Job is quoting God's words from Job 38:3 and 40:7. He is not demanding a response from God but rather repeating God's demand as a preface to his (Job's) response. The quote thus acts "as the groundwork of retracting his own foolish words" (JFB, 3:103). In essence, he is saying, "My appeal was a presumptuous demand, instead of a compliant prayer. God alone can demand" (Ibid.).

42:5 - "I have heard . . . but now mine eye seeth thee" - Job's conversation with God has been a transforming experience. Though he has not seen any form of God in the whirlwind, he can say he has now "seen" God in the sense of gaining spiritual insight. "By this new light Job finds again the way of wisdom" (WBC, 489; cf. BKC, 774.).

42:6 - "I . . . repent in dust and ashes" - Job here acknowledges and repents of his sinful rebelliousness that began with his complaint in chapter 3. "It is not an admission of sins prior to his sufferings such as would support the friends' accusations" (WBC, 488). Though Job's suffering has not been explained, he has come to see God as his friend and one who is gracious and concerned. And that is enough for Job.

Lesson 9 - Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

3:1 - "a time to every purpose" - The point seems to be that "the different types of activity mentioned in vv. 2-8 are to be conceived exclusively as forms of divine activity-there is a proper time for God to do things" (Leupold, 81). Verses 2-8 list 14 opposites. Some see this as significant: "The fact that Solomon utilized polar opposites in a multiple of seven and began his list with birth and death is highly significant. The number seven suggests the idea of completeness and the use of polar opposites-a well-known poetical device called merism-suggests totality" (BKC, 983).

3:2 - "plant . . . pluck up" - The beginning and end of plant life parallels that of human in the first part of this verse. To "pluck up" is to uproot, as when the roots of plants are removed in preparation for another planting.

3:5 - "cast away stones . . . gather stones" - This probably describes the clearing of ground of loose stones in preparation for building and the gathering of other stones to use in the building.

3:6 - "get . . . lose" - "Get" (BDB, 134) and "lose" (BDB, 1-2) seem to refer to searching and giving up a search (cf. NASB).

3:7 - "rend" - BKC (984) suggests this may refer to mourning, which was expressed by the tearing of the clothes (cf. Gen. 37:34). Since this would essentially repeat the thought of verse 4, however, it seems more likely to be taken literally as the tearing and sewing of clothes in the normal course of events.

3:9 - "What profit hath he?" - The Hebrew word for "profit" simply means that which is advantageous or of benefit (TWOT, 1:420; BKC, 980). Here Solomon asks what advantage there is to one's labor, anticipating the same the same answer as before, that there is none. If God determines the times and seasons, what is left for man to do?

3:10 - "the travail, which God hath given" - God gives man toil so that "he might exercise himself fruitlessly therein and so come to the proper understanding of his own limitations and of God's supreme control" (Leupold, 90).

3:11- "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time" - "Beautiful" usually means fair, excellent, or pleasingly attractive (TWOT, 1:391). Here the sense seems to be "appropriate" (NASB). "Everything (lit., the all) is exactly as God wants it" (WBC, 588). "Though man travails over insoluble difficulties . . . there is nothing wrong as far as God's administration of affairs is concerned" (Leupold, 90).

3:11 - "set the world in their heart" - "World" (olam) should be translated here in its normal sense of "eternity" (TWOT, 2:672; cf. NIV; NASB; NKJV). People are created by God so that they "have a longing or desire to know the extratemporal significance of themselves and their deeds or activities" (BKC, 984).

3:11 - "no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end" - KJV has "so that no man can find out." The NIV makes the true connection here clearer by translating "yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end" (cf. Leupold, 91). People "cannot know the sovereign, eternal plan of God. . . . Because of this ignorance there is an uncertainty and latent temporality to the value of all one's labor" (BKC, 984).

3:12 - "there is no good in them" - This is better translated, "there is nothing better for them (i.e., people)" (NASB; cf. NIV).

3:12-13 - "rejoice, . . . do good . . . enjoy the good of all his labour" - The best thing one can do is to "keep a merry heart as a result of trust in God's excellent rule and also to get such good as may be gotten in the course of one's life. Fretting is to no purpose. Trying to rectify what is above our power to set right can serve only to embitter a man's life" (Leupold, 91).

3:13 - "it is the gift of God" - The ability to enjoy life is God's gift to man.

3:15 - "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been" - This repeats much of the thought of 1:9. This may mean "that which hath been in the mind of God from eternity is now realized in time. . . . that which is to be hath already been-in the Divine counsels" (JFB, 3:521), or it may simply be a statement that the repetition of natural events supports the fact that God is sovereign (v. 14).

3:15 - "God requireth that which is past" - Literally, this reads, "God seeks that which is pursued" (cf. NASB). Ideas as to its meaning vary. It may mean that God has "ordained the continual circle of events in life so that each has its predetermined season" (WBC, 588; JFB, 3:521). Thus he causes past events to reoccur. It may mean that God repeatedly confronts us with the lessons of history (NIVBC, 1013), meaning that God's governance of the universe never changes; it produces the same lessons over and over (BKC, 985).

Lesson 10 - Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8

11:7-8 - "light . . . darkness" - Light and darkness here symbolize life and death respectively. Life should be lived in view of the fact that death is inevitable (cf. John 9:4) (Leupold, 266; BKC, 1003).

11:8 - "All that cometh is vanity" - As far as life in this world is concerned, which is Solomon's perspective, death brings "vanity," or meaninglessness. "Had the preacher possessed the light of the New Testament revelation, he might have said more. The information he possesses here, however, allows him to speak well. Faithfulness in life is the way to profit. A man who practices faithfulness will go from this life to the judgment of God and fare well (5:20; 7:18; 12:13, 14)" (LBC, 1279).

11:9 - "walk in the ways of thine heart . . . but know . . . God will bring thee into judgment" - Solomon advises the young to enjoy life during their youth. However, there is also an accompanying reminder of responsibility, namely, that God will judge all actions.

11:10 - "remove sorrow . . . put away evil" - This restricts the seemingly unrestricted advice to walk in the ways of one's heart (v. 9). Life is to be enjoyed, but this does not permit evil. "The context and the general purport of the book suggest that the Teacher is referring to indulgences that bring guilt to the mind and damage to the body" (NIVBC, 1023).

11:10 - "childhood and youth are vanity" - The NASB translation catches the meaning here: "childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."

12:1 - "Remember now thy Creator . . . while the evil days come not" - "Remember" "implies more than to recall that there is a Creator. It surely means to let that remembrance shape conduct" (Leupold, 273; cf. TWOT, 1:241-42). "While the evil days come" is better translated "before the evil days come" (NASB), that is, before old age comes (cf. 11:8). The following verses describe "the declining joy and waning physical powers of old age" (BKC, 1004).

12:2 - "sun, . . . light, . . . clouds" - Solomon seems to be describing the "diminishing joy (light) and increasing gloom (dark), heralding the approach of the long night of death" (BKC, 1004). The figure seems to be taken from a rainstorm.

12:3 - "keepers of the house . . . strong men . .. grinders . . . those that look" - While this is highly figurative language, most modern commentators suggest the terms symbolize respectively: the arms and hands that grow weak, the once-strong legs that are now feeble, the teeth that are now fewer in number, and the diminishing eyesight (BKC, 1005; NIVBC, 1023; Farmer, 193).

12:4 - "doors shall be shut" - This probably refers to the elderly person's diminished sense of hearing, for the common sound of the grinding mill is almost inaudible to such a person, and he is unable to enjoy music as he once did (Leupold, 279-80).

12:4 - "rise up at the voice of a bird" - The older person rises early, not because of the bird's chirping but at the time of its early-morning chirping. This reflects the elderly's inability to sleep (Leupold, 280).

12:5 - "the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail" - The almond tree, which has white blossoms, "refers to the hair turning gray and white" (BKC, 1005). The grasshopper, which normally moves quickly, is pictured as dragging itself, a symbol of the old person's diminished physical prowess. Failing desires probably refers to decreased sexual potency (NIVBC, 1023).

12:6 - "silver cord be loosed . . ." - Most versions properly supply "Remember your Creator" here, repeating what is said in verse 1 (NIV; NKJV; NASB; NRSV; cf. Leupold, 283). The pictures in this verse are general, poetic pictures of death. "The silver chain from which the lamp hangs is snapped. The golden lamp bowl is crushed. The clay pitcher is broken to pieces so that no water can be brought from the well. The wooden wheel that lowers the bucket into the well has itself been broken" (NIVBC, 1024).

12:8 - "all is vanity" - Verse 8 begins the epilogue to Ecclesiastes. "All is vanity," or meaningless, is the theme of the book (cf. 1:2) and applies not to what immediately precedes in verses 1-7 but to the "futility of human efforts and human wisdom (1:12-11:6). Obviously, however, not included in this assessment is the advice to enjoy life as God enables, a course which Solomon repeatedly recommended . . . and which he had just discussed explicitly in relationship to the fear of God (11:7-12:7). Apart from enjoying one's lot in life in the fear of God, life is indeed meaningless" (BKC, 1006).

Lesson 11 - Song of Solomon 2:8-13; 7:10-12; 8:6-7

Background - While many have viewed Song of Solomon as an allegory or type, most modern scholars see it in literal terms, describing the courtship (1:2-3:5), wedding (3:6-5:1), and marriage (5:2-8:4) of Solomon and a Shulamite woman (6:13).

2:8 - "The voice of my beloved!" - Here the Shulamite woman speaks, describing with great excitement the approach of her beloved, Solomon.

2:9 - "like a roe or a young hart" - NIV translates "gazelle" and "young stag." These graceful animals emphasize his "attractive appearance, strength, and agility" (BKC, 1015).

2:10 - "Rise up, my love, my fair one" - "My love" refers to a close female companion (TWOT, 2:853). NIV translates it "my darling." "Fair one" speaks of her physical beauty (TWOT, 1:391). Solomon was inviting her to go with him for a walk in the countryside.

2:11- "the winter is past, the rain is over" - In Israel winter is the rainy season. This was now past, and spring had come, as Solomon described in verses 12-13.

2:12 - "The flowers appear . . ." - Solomon gives a detailed description of spring here. Some believe this was meant "to do more than simply emphasize the beauty of the setting. It is likely that he was also describing their relationship. In a sense when one falls in love the feeling is like spring for everything seems fresh and new" (BKC, 1015).

2:12 - "the voice of the turtle" - This refers to the turtledove (cf. NASB).

7:11 - "Let us go forth into the field" - Here the bride makes a request similar to that of the beloved in 2:10 and 13. Perhaps her desire is to return to the place they first met after some time in the palace.

7:12 - "Let us get up early to the vineyards . . ." - The bride "used the image of spring to ask whether there was still the same freshness and anticipation that had initially characterized their relationship" (BKC, 1023).

8:6 - "a seal upon thine heart, . . . a seal upon thine arm" - A seal was a sign of ownership or possession. "A signet ring or seal was worn on the right hand (Jer. 22:24), or carried suspended over the heart by a string worn around the neck (Gen. 38:18)" (WBC, 603). With this symbolism, the woman was expressing her desire to be her husband's "most treasured possession."

8:6 - "love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave" - Note the NIV's translation here: "love is strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave." True love is as unrelenting as death. It is as possessive as the grave.

8:6-7 - "coals of fire, . . . Many waters cannot quench love" - These figures speak of love as passionate and unquenchable.

8:7 - "utterly contemned" - KJV's "contemned" means "scorned" (NIV) or "despised" (NASB). Wealth cannot buy love. Such an offer would be scorned.

Lesson 12 - Esther 3:2-3, 5-6; 4:7-16

Background - The Book of Esther is set in the Persian Empire. The Jewish people had been taken into exile by the Babylonians. When the Persians conquered the Babylonians, they permitted the Jewish exiles to return to Palestine. Many did and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1-6). Esther and Mordecai, her cousin, were among the Jews who remained behind in Persia. The Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) deposed his queen (Esther 1) and Esther became queen, though without the king knowing she was Jewish (2:20). The king then promoted Haman to the second highest position in the empire (3:1).

3:2 - "Mordecai bowed not" - Mordecai did not show the proper reverence to Haman. When questioned about this, he revealed that he was a Jew (v. 4), so he may have argued that it was improper to pay homage to a foreign dignitary. However, such honor was never prohibited in Israel. Mordecai had encouraged his cousin to seek to be queen to a pagan ruler and to keep her religion hidden. Esther does not present either Mordecai or Esther as devout people. Mordecai's contempt for Haman seemed to be personal, not motivated by religious concerns (Whitcomb, 23-24, 64-65).

4:7 - "Mordecai told him of all that had happened" - Haman had secured a decree from the king for the extermination of all Jews in the empire (3:8-15). When Mordecai learned of this, he mourned, along with all the other Jews (4:1-3). Upon learning of Mordecai's actions, Esther sent her servant Hatach to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him (4:4-6). Mordecai then informed him of all that had happened.

4:8 - "make supplication" - Mordecai saw as the only hope for the Jews Esther's intercession on their behalf with the king.

4:11 - "the king shall hold out the golden sceptre" - "In order to protect themselves from unwanted intruders, Persian kings prohibited anyone from entering their private quarters unannounced or without a previous invitation" (Whitcomb, 77). Such an intruder would be put to death unless the king granted them favor, symbolized by extending his golden sceptre. Esther feared she might not be granted this favor if she suddenly appeared before the king because she had not been summoned by the king for a month.

4:13 - "Think not . . . that thou shalt escape" - Mordecai may have been suggesting that Esther would eventually be discovered to be a Jew and suffer the same fate as others, or he may have been suggesting that divine judgment would come (Whitcomb, 78).

4:14 - "deliverance [shall] arise to the Jews from another place" - Mordecai, though probably not a devout believer, was still convinced that Israel's covenant relationship with God guaranteed ultimate deliverance of the Jews. He was also convinced that if Esther failed to act when she had the opportunity, it would bring death upon her and her family-either as a part of the edict of the king or as divine judgment.

4:14- "come to the kingdom for such a time as this" - It seems Mordecai's comment was a recognition that Esther's "exaltation as a queen may have been God's way of obtaining a savior for his people" (NIVBC, 734).

4:16 - "fast ye for me" - Prayer is not mentioned but is implied in Esther's request.

Lesson 13 - Esther 8:3-8; 9:18-23

8:3 - "Esther spake yet again" - At her first appearance before the king, Esther had requested that the king and Haman come to a banquet she would prepare. At the banquet she requested that they come to a second banquet the next day. Meanwhile, Haman had erected a gallows on which he intended to execute Mordecai (chap. 5). The king could not sleep that night and had official records read to him. When he learned that Mordecai had saved him by revealing a plot against him, he had Haman honor Mordecai the next day (chap. 6). When Esther revealed Haman's plot at the second banquet, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (chap. 7). The decree calling for the destruction of the Jews remained, however, and Esther approached the king once more.

8:5 - "reverse the letters devised by Haman" - In calling for a reversal of the decree, Esther was careful not to blame the king for what Haman had done. She may not have understood the irreversibility of Persian law (Esther 8:8; cf. Dan. 6:8, 12, 15), or, understanding it, she may have simply been requesting of the king some way to countermand the decree.

8:7 - "I have given Esther the house of Haman" - The king here reminded Esther and Mordecai of what he had already done for them (1-2), perhaps to encourage them that he would do what was necessary to deliver their people.

8:8 - "Write ye also for the Jews" - While the previous edict could not be rescinded, another decree was issued by Mordecai and sealed with the king's signal ring. This decree allowed the Jews to gather together in their defense and to kill their attackers without recrimination (11). This the Jews did and were victorious over their enemies (9:2-16).

9:18 - "thirteenth . . . fourteenth . . . and on the fifteenth . . . they rested" - The Jews in the royal city of Shushan (Susa) had been given an extra day to defend themselves, so they did so on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of Adar. The fifteenth day was given to "feasting and gladness" in celebration of their victory.

9:19 - "fourteenth day . . . sending portions one to another" - The Jews in the villages celebrated on the fourteenth day of the month. The celebration included sending "portions" to one another. This refers either to "portions of food" (NASB) or to "presents" (NIV).

9:21 - "that they should keep the fourteenth . . . and the fifteenth day . . . yearly" - It is possible that "several months or even years had now passed" (Whitcomb, 119). Mordecai issued a decree that there no longer be two distinct holidays-the fourteenth in the provinces and the fifteenth in Shushan-but that both days should be observed by all the Jews as a feast. This feast became known as Purim (26) and is still celebrated today. "Purim" comes from "pur," meaning "lot" (24-26). Haman had cast lots to determine what day to annihilate the Jews (3:7).

9:23 - "the Jews undertook to do . . . as Mordecai had written" - Esther 9:27-28 gives details of the establishment and determination to faithfully observe Purim.

Abbreviations:

Baldwin - Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 & 2 Samuel

BDB - Brown, Driver, Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament

BKC - Bible Knowledge Commentary (2 vols.)

Davis - John J. Davis, Birth of a Kingdom

Farmer - Kathleen A. Farmer, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

Hendriksen - William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew

JFB - Jamieson, Fausett, and Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (6 vols.)

KJV - King James Version

LBC - Liberty Bible Commentary (King James Bible Commentary)

Leupold - H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Ecclesiastes

Morris - Leon Morris, Luke (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries)

NASB - New American Standard Bible

NIV - New International Version

NIVBC - NIV Bible Commentary (2 vols.)

NJB - New Jerusalem Bible

NKJV - New King James Version

NRSV - New Revised Standard Version

Stein - Robert H. Stein, Luke (New American Commentary)

TWOT - Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament

UBD - Unger's Bible Dictionary

Vine's - Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

WBC - Wycliffe Bible Commentary

Whitcomb - Esther: Triumph of God's Sovereignty

Williams - Ronald J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax: An Outline

Zuck - Roy Zuck, Job