Every year, I present an advent calendar-blog of sorts. I called it “Thirty Days of Jesus”. I offer a scrpture, an accompanying picture, and some resources to click on furhter if the reader desires.
The series lasts a bit more than 30 days since there is an introduction and a few verses as a postlude. It will begin tomorrow (Sunday Nov 26) and go through New Year’s Eve.
I do it because it helps give me a bit of a break from writing a new blog and recording a new podcast every day, yet still present solid theological content to people who read or listen here, a major goal of mine. It also helps me focus on the reason for the season.
If something big comes up I’ll write about it. But if not, then I won’t.
When I return Monday to school, I’ve got 18 1/2 school days until Christmas Break. It is a fun time of year with the kids. A fun time of year all around!
I changed my outside decorations the morning after Thanksgiving to a Christmas theme.
I ended up putting the Three Wise Men ornament down one level so It hangs below the green candle. Better balance visually.
At school, I wandered down the hall and enjoyed looking at all the kids’ projects hung up for display. I noticed one where the child had innocently renamed the famous Christmas song “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” to “Heart the Herald Angels Sing.” I thought that was cute.
Many Christmas songs refer to angels singing. Not just Hark the Herald Angels sing, but also in the song, “Angels we have Heard on High”, the first lyric goes,
Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o’er the plain
And the chorus is,
Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Also, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”, where we read the lyrics,
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing
Lots and lots of songs state that the angels sing. But does the Bible say the same? No. Angels (probably) don’t sing. Or maybe they do. But I don’t think so.
The idea of angels singing on the night of Christ’s birth has become so common that many are surprised to learn that the Bible does not unequivocally state this. This example provides a good opportunity to discuss traditions. In and of themselves, traditions are not wrong, but they must be based on and consistent with Scripture. If they contradict Scripture, then they must be rejected.
At the same time, we don’t want to be guilty of going too far in the other direction. Just because the Bible doesn’t explicitly state that they did sing does not necessarily mean that they did not. Some have even argued that angels do not or cannot sing at all, but those who make this claim must adequately address Job 38:7 and other passages that seem to support the idea that they can and have sung. Furthermore, there is no biblical or logical reason why they could not sing. Angels are highly intelligent beings who are capable of speaking. Why would they be incapable of putting those words into song, especially since other beings in heaven sing (Revelation 5:9–14)?
One of the points of this series on misconceptions is to lead us all to look closely at what the Bible teaches. Far too often traditions have been the basis of our thinking, and we end up believing things that are not found in Scripture. We have heard and sung about angels singing on that night so often that many do not bother to look closely at the text.
I agree. It’s one of those concepts that has embedded itself into culture so deeply we tend to stop looking at scripture to see if it is so.
Singing and praising are closely connected but not necessarily the same. God could have endowed his humans with an innate tendency to praise in song, and perhaps did not give that same tendency to angels, who mostly are declared in the Bible to proclaim and to praise and to shout but not to sing.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying [not singing], Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased. (Luke 2:9-14). They should have been singing. And the only place they seem to be singing is on the Christmas cards that I get. But they don’t sing in the Word of God. If there ever was a time when angels should have been singing, it was here in the Gospel of Luke when that angel made the announcement of the birth of Christ.
McGee says that he believes angels do not sing because they were never lost sinners and were never redeemed. “It is to the redeemed that God has given a song,” McGee wrote. And for the record, as Chaffey mentioned, McGee did adequately address Job 38:7 in his sermon. I tend to agree with McGee on the concept of angels not singing and also his interpretation of Job 38:7.
However, Charles Spurgeon did believe angels sang. In his sermon, “The First Christmas Carol“, Spurgeon preached,
And mark how well they told the story, and surely you will love them! Not with the stammering tongue of him that tells a tale in which he hath no interest; nor even with the feigned interest of a man that would move the passions of others, when he feeleth no emotion himself; but with joy and gladness, such as angels only can know. They sang the story out, for they could not stay to tell it in heavy prose. They sang, “Glory to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men.” Methinks they sang it with gladness in their eyes; with their hearts burning with love, and with breasts as full of joy as if the good news to man had been good news to themselves.
Pastor Gabe Hughes, the WUTT guy, has a 90-second spot on whether angels sing:
Whether you believe angels sing or do not sing isn’t the point. It is that we should always examine our traditions (including Christmas carols) to remind us that ultimate truth comes from the Bible. Always examine these things to see if they are so.
This year, I deleted the Wise Men from my nativity sets. I put away the one where I couldn’t take out the Wise Men and bought another where it was just Mary & Joseph and the baby. On the night Jesus was born, the Wise Men were not there, they appeared later when the baby was “a child”.
I’ll end with Spurgeon’s joyous sermon closing he delivered on December 20, 1857 at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens-
May God give you peace with yourselves; may he give you good will towards all your friends, your enemies, and your neighbors; and may he give you grace to give glory to God in the highest. I will say no more, except at the close of this sermon to wish every one of you, when the day shall come, the happiest Christmas you ever had in your lives.
We heard angels sing! (or here): Mincaye, Dawa, & other of the Auca tribe who were present on the beach who speared the Ecuador missionaries Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, and Ed McCully in 1956 say they saw lights above the trees, saw beings above the trees, and heard a choir singing. Choir of angels? Maybe. Ray Ortlund thinks the LORD sent the angels to bear witness to the missionaries’ martyrdom.
Our Sunday School class is going through the book of Esther. We had spent 26 weeks going through the Doctrine of Providence, when that class concluded, one of our teachers thought going through Esther would be a good extension of the subject. I love the doctrine of Providence and I hadn’t deeply studied Esther before, so I hopped into his class.
We read of Haman, of course, the main antagonist. And then we read two times of Haman’s wife, Zeresh. She is mentioned in Esther 5:14 where Zeresh listened to her husband’s woes about hating Mordecai. She was the one (along with Haman’s friends) who suggested building the gallows. THAT cheered Haman up! Nothing like killing a man you hate to make you happy! Then Zeresh is mentioned again in Esther 6:13 where she (along with his friends) said oops, your star is falling, your influence will dry up and you won’t win against Esther.
Those two were a power couple in a negative way. That thought got me thinking about couples. There are those who spurred each other on in Godly ways, a united pairing displaying God’s glory. And I thought of couples who spurred each other on to evil deeds and eventually fell. And then couples where only one of the two was obedient and faithful and hung in there to give God glory. Let’s take a look at a few, and not the most famous ones, either.
EPrata collage
BOTH ARE GOOD
Priscilla and Aquila: This was a married pair mentioned in the New Testament 6 times in four different NT books! Each time they are mentioned they’re always mentioned together. They were a pair, united by marriage in the Lord, working solidly with each other for God’s glory. They taught, they hosted, they labored at their trade, they were consistent and committed. Together they were a super-duo, relying on the Spirit and advancing the church with their dutiful example.
EPrata collage
BOTH ARE BAD
And then we have Couples who spurred each other on to bad works. Their pairing in marriage seemed to combine not the holiest of attitudes in them to greater heights, but the more depraved attitudes in them combining to descend them to greater depths.
Ahab and Jezebel. The Bible notes that the pair were evil each in their own way displeasing God constantly. (1 Kings 16:33). Jezebel incited her husband to many wicked deeds, which he willingly performed. (1 Kings 21:25). Two bad apples combining to make a polluted apple pie, this combo did much damage to the people around them.
Ananias and Sapphira: These two were counted in the early church as members, perhaps believers (more on that in a minute), and who joined in with the initial thrust to donate. They sold some land and promised the yield to the church. When Ananias stepped forward to give it at Peter’s feet, he actually only provided part of it, and Peter by knowledge of the Spirit caught Ananias in the lie. Ananias was struck dead. Sapphira a few minutes later, she, having confirmed her husband’s lie. They both colluded against the Holy Spirit and they separately confirmed greed in their heart.
There is great debate about whether the duo were actually believers or not. Piper thinks no, that they were phony Christians. MacArthur thinks yes, they were believers.
But isn’t it awful to leave people wondering if you were actually a true believer at all? Was theirs a case of bad company corrupting good character? Did one infect the other with leaven, spoiling the whole marriage? Was one unable to overcome the flesh and influence the other toward evil? Or were both simply greedy and allowing that one prevalent sin to have them?
ONE GOOD, ONE BAD
Lot and Mrs Lot: We do have many examples of these pairings: Lot and Mrs Lot. Mrs Lot was unveiled at the last minute as clinging to the world, not looking ahead to righteousness. Yes, Lot did some stupid things, but the Bible calls him righteous. (2 Peter 2:7). He must have done something right, his married daughters came with him instead of staying with their husbands. (A Lot of Righteousness). Mrs. Lot clung to the world (and became part of it).
Abigail and Nabal: Another one-good-one bad pairing we find in Abigail and Nabal. Their story is recorded in 1 Samuel 25. Nabal was described as “harsh and evil in his dealings”. His own servants and his wife described Nabal as “a worthless man”. Yet Abigail’s patience in living with this brute is obvious, and her intelligence in approaching David to persuade him to leave off murdering Nabal and his men, is also seen. Abigail is blessed by David in Yahweh’s name: David said, “blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed…” (1 Samuel 25:33).
In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your pure and respectful behavior. (1 Peter 3:1-2).
In this case, Nabal was not won over, David was. Nabal died soon after and David proposed marriage to Abigail.
A bad marriage is hard. A good marriage is hard. But if one of the pair isn’t saved, it just makes things so difficult because you are both pulling in different directions. Even if both claim to be saved but one is a lot less mature in the faith, again, difficulty.
“We’ve all heard it said that marriage exposes our own sin and selfishness, and that the marriage relationship sanctifies us with an intensity that can be, at times, quite uncomfortable.” ~Two Sinners and One Sinless, CBMW, By Elisha Galotti.
Job and Mrs Job: When the chips were down (waaaaay down), Mrs Job told her husband he might as well “curse God and die”. Maybe she blamed Job, more likely she blamed God, doubting Him. In Job 2:9 she blurted to her husband,
“Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”
It seems that perhaps Mrs Job was annoyed to the extreme of her husband’s acceptance of God’s work in their lives. Thankfully Job did not take his wife’s ‘advice’ and eventually all was restored to Job. Interestingly, we read nothing of Mrs Job in her husband’s restoration happy ending. We read he received a house, more animals than before, and additional children, who grew to receive an inheritance and the Bible even records the names of the first 3. But no name for Mrs Job and no mention of her in the epilogue. Perhaps she had reaped what she had sown.
Hosea and Gomer: This pairing was again one of extreme difficulty and heartache. Hosea was righteous and Gomer was a troubled sinner for most of the marriage. She was an adulteress, she had an illegitimate child(ren, perhaps 3), she caused Hosea years of pain and embarrassment. Hosea patiently and lovingly sought Gomer, forgave her, took her back in with patience and deep commitment. Eventually she settled. Hosea’s love for his sinning wife was not diminished by her sin, he maintained loving faithfulness. From that, Hosea grew in deeper understanding of the forgiving love of God.
Hosea and Gomer, from the Bible Historiale. Den Haag, Date 1372
Marriage is two sinners each trying to subdue their own flesh nature. Without Christ, it can be a conflagration. With Christ, it’s still hard. I pray that if you, dear reader are in a difficult marriage, that you diligently search out Bible verses addressing your situation. And I humbly ask you to think of the couples in the Bible who each made a successful marriage, and what made some of their marriages unsuccessful.
The key point is, you are not alone. The Holy Spirit is with you.
We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit—the power that brought about resurrection life, softened hearts of stone, and gave eyes of faith when we were blinded by sin. Yet sometimes in marriage, in the dismal moments of anger, hostility, or painful hurt, we forget that we’re not doing this alone. Sometimes in our sin and failures, we forget that the power and help of the Holy Spirit is ever present, ever helping, ever convicting, guiding, prompting and empowering us to do what is right. ~Two Sinners and One Sinless, CBMW, By Elisha Galotti
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
What is adoption? “A. Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.“
Think of that for a moment…how great and bountiful this gift is.
At Thanksgiving we often see the American symbol of the ‘horn of plenty’ also known as the Cornucopia. The horn is filled to overflowing with harvest items from this time of year, such as this depiction from American Greetings freebies:
Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are given gifts from HIS harvest of plenty. Picture the overflowing cornucopia of plenty from Jesus with His harvest treasures:
–received into the number of his children, –have his name put upon them, –the Spirit of his Son given to them, –are under his fatherly care and dispensations, –admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, –made heirs of all the promises, and –fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.
All Christians have these and so much more to be thankful for. I know I am grateful for the opportunity to be grateful to Jesus forever.
There are 3 or 4 blogs I’ve written over the years, which remain in the top 5 searched and read. The one I did about two divorces, Summer White and Melissa Moore is one of those that continues to generate high interest, for some reason. I wrote it seven years ago in 2016 but here in 2023 the essay still remains highly read.
Both women compared in my essay are daughters of a more famous Christian teacher, Summer being the daughter of Dr. James White, and Melissa being the daughter of Beth Moore. Both women say they are believers. Both women went through a divorce at close to the same time. Only one did it biblically, the other did it unbliblically.
Divorce is a serious event in a believer’s life. There are few biblical reasons one may be unsinfully divorced, and a myriad of reasons one would be sinfully separated from a husband. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 7:10,
But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife is not to leave her husband
In my research for the 2016 essay, I obtained first hand statements, primary documents, and court documents. None of it was gossip. It was all from the women’s own mouth (or pen) or from unimpeachable sources like the court, which are public documents. All of it was public.
Summer divorced well, praying, being patient, attempting reconciliation, counseling, submitting to her elders and finally separating for biblical reasons with support from her overseers.
Melissa did not appear to divorce well. Her basis for her divorce was stated in court and sworn to, was “discord or conflict of personalities” with no hope of reconciliation due to irreconcilable differences. Here is the snippet from the court document: click for larger
Of course there is always more to any person’s story, but the sworn basis for her divorce was personality conflict and that is what we go forward on. Melissa was the initiator, by the way, contradicting the command in 1 Corinthians 7:10. Unlike Summer, who was also initiator but her reasons were biblical. Melissa’s public basis for her divorce, weren’t.
The danger with an unbiblical divorce is displeasing God and sinning. Another danger is the woman’s remarrying. There are only two ‘allowable’ causes for divorce, sexual sin or desertion. A woman who divorced unbiblically and remarries is now considered an adulteress, since the original marriage’s dissolution was not sanctioned biblically by God. (Luke 16:18)
Melissa Moore seems now to be in just such a state. Her own words follow:
July 2013:
February 2023:
August 2023:
November 2023:
Beth Moore exulted in her daughter’s joy. I am glad for their joy, and glad they seem to have a close and loving relationship. In fact, Melissa is an employee at her mother’s organization Living Proof (Salary $146,350). Melissa writes curricula and Bible studies with her mother. I am glad they are happy.
However, this happiness is not in the Lord, which makes all the difference. It’s one thing to unbiblically divorce, but compounding nd complicating the sin is remarriage. Melissa is now considered an adulteress according to Mark 10:11-12 and will have severe consequences on Judgment Day, as all unrepentant sin will be addressed. (If her former husband has passed away then it makes a difference to the scenario…)
“The Bible also gives a word of caution to anyone who is considering marriage to a divorcee. If the divorce was not on biblical grounds and there is still a responsibility to reconcile, the person who marries the divorcee is considered an adulterer.” (Mark 10:12)”. Source
One would hope that Melissa had repented of her appearing to divorce unbiblically. Such repentance should be public, since she is a public figure and has written about this publicly. But I have not seen such a statement.
So, why am I writing this?
1. If a ‘Bible’ teacher does not submit to the scriptures, then does she have the credibility to teach the scriptures? No. On the other hand, if a Bible teacher or theologian does submit to scripture, and continues to do so even when it is hardest or most embarrassing, it enhances their credibility as a teacher. 2. Divorce is a serious event in a believer’s life, though in today’s world both secular and Christian, it is made light of (i.e. How many church disciplines have you heard of for unbiblical divorce?), 3. Living Proof is a huge and continually influential ministry, yet the lifestyle of both women who run it are unbiblical. This will permeate their “studies” and material like gangrene (2 Timothy 2:17-18, 1 Timothy 4:16). See #1. 4. Marriage is supposed to be a picture of the union of Christ with the Church- “The relationship of Christ and the church, the gospel, is all about the marriage of a bride and groom; we, Christians, are the bride and Christ is the groom. This union of Christ and the church is the real marriage and our marriages are to serve as that portrait, that image of the ultimate reality.” Challies. Abandoning one’s spouse for unbiblical reasons or for a better prospect destroys this picture. When one is a celebrity Bible teacher in the public eye, it magnifies- and normalizes- the destruction.
If you, dear reader, are considering a divorce or even a separation from your husband, please slow down and seek counsel from trusted overseers. Casting away what God has ordained is a serious business. I’ve had women say to me that their divorce was OK because they were “unhappy and God wants me to be happy”. I’ve had women come to me for advice on separation and when I quote 1 Corinthians 7:10 and say a woman may not separate from her husband, become angry at me for bringing it up. I’ve seen biblical divorces and unbiblical divorces, even a case of church discipline over an unbiblical one. The pastor cried when he reported his unfortunate turn of events. It’s serious, women!
Please take marriage and potential divorce biblically, avoid Beth Moore’s ministry because it’s laced with unbiblical lives which taint the biblical ‘teachings’. If you are in a good marriage, rejoice that the Lord has united one man and one woman into one flesh forever!
Note: I made a typo in the episode number. It’s really ep 512. Spotify doesn’t allow for post-publication corrections.
I was asked to review the new Bible study by Katie Noble, called God Our Home. I am not familiar with Katie Noble, but as an older woman who has watched an entire generation been polluted by faddish, unbiblical trends, I’ve increasingly seen seen the material of the younger women who produce books and devotionals to be in more error than is wise to consume.
So, going in, I kept Matthew 10:16 in mind, and tried to be shrewd as a serpent, innocent as a dove.
Katie Noble’s books and studies and other works are not available on any other platforms except her own, Hosanna Revival. They are not on Amazon nor on Google Books, so I could not get any previews of the contents. On Hosanna Revival, there was an opportunity to download week 1 of the God Our Home new devotional study for free, which I did.
As I was reading the chapter, several items struck me.
Early on, Noble references and quotes Dallas Willard. Willard was a philosopher/Quaker/Arminian/Catholic-friendly promoter of contemplative spirituality and spiritual formation. He claimed direct revelation from God. Here, Bob Dewaay at Critical Issues Commentary critiques Willard and his spiritual formation. Willard is a false teacher. Katie Noble, if she had discernment, would not quote him or promote him in her Bible study.
And sure enough, soon after the Dallas Willard mention in her week 1 of the God Our Home study, came an explanation of how to do Lectio Divina, a spiritual practice of the Catholics, who are a false religion, and one that Willard adapted and promoted to Protestants. Lectio Divina started to be very popular around 2012 and is still popular today, as we can see from Noble’s Week One lesson.
GotQuestions outlines what Lectio Divina is and sets out some bullet points of concern with the practice, which are sadly mentioned as positives on Noble’s week one page on how to do Lectio. This is strike two.
Concerningly, here is what Noble said about Lectio which buys right in to the main problem with Lectio and most spiritual formation practices:
“We won’t only be engaging our minds, however. We’ll also train ourselves in meditative contemplation of the Scriptures: the practice of quieting our hearts to sit in the presence of the Holy Spirit… Do not fall into the trap of believing that intellectual study is more valuable than soul-level communion with God.”
The Spirit enlivens our soul through the MIND.
The word of God transforms the MIND.
Katie Noble is flat wrong when setting the basis for her lessons in the heart in addition to or instead of the mind. Jeremiah 17:9 says,
The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
The Spirit communes with our soul via the mind.
GotQuestions says of Lectio Divina, “The subjective, personal focus of lectio divina downplays objective, methodical Bible study.”
Lectio downplays the mind where biblical prayer engages the mind.
Lectio divina emphasizes experience, inner impressions, and suggests direct revelation. It is to be avoided. It’s disappointing that Noble teaches how to do it in week one.
If Dewaay’s essay linked above is too long, here is Challies with a shorter one on the dangers of Lectio Divina.
Noble also quotes John Mark Comer, who is another spiritual formation/subjective experience/Holy Spirit presence guy. This is a third strike. Remember, this is only the first chapter.
Marcia Montenegro, a former New Ager herself, writes about her concerns with John Mark Comer. He is a Contemplative along the lines of Willard, and he promotes the pagan Enneagram.
The theologically solid and discerning duo Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker at the Just Thinking podcast have produced a thoroughly discerning look at the pagan enneagram, published on November 22, 2023.
Though the three concerns I’ve indicted above should be enough it dissuade women from delving into Noble’s version of Christianity, and this last one might be nitpicky to some, but a concern I have is in the introduction. I know intros are chatty and attempt to quickly connect the reader with the material. However, Noble outlines her basis for the book as the reader having negative emotions which the study will resolve. She wrote,
“If you’re disillusioned and disappointed today, if you’re feeling isolated, inadequate, anxious, and embarrassed, you’ve picked up the right book. The pages to come are specifically written to capture our wandering hearts and set them on the path homeward to God himself.”
Jesus is not a stopgap for our feelings, nor a band-aid or an overlay. We come to a Bible study wanting to know more about Him, not wanting to find a vehicle for self-help or to resolve emotions.
Noble says some good things, says other things that SOUND good but aren’t, and says some bad things. It’s a mix. All that from one chapter. I hesitate to think what material may be in the remainder of the ‘study’.
But I would not recommend her study on the basis that she promotes contemplative spirituality and lectio divina, and references several false teachers. Even if the entire remainder of the study is good, it’s too much of a risk for a newbie to be exposed to these dangerous and unbiblical practices and teachers of contemplative spirituality and enneagram. And if the remaining study is continually serving up false doctrines and false teachers like chapter 1 did, then that also confirms the “not recommended” stance.
Alternatives that are recommended are anything by Susan Heck – her ministry is titled With the Master, or Martha Peace. How to Eat Your Bible by Nate Pickowicz. Sarah Ivill’s books of the Bible studies or her Christian Living books, available thru Reformation Heritage Books.
There is also available in audio series of lessons at the women’s ministry at Grace Community Church called Every Woman’s Grace. The current series is Hebrews. There are written lesson materials one can download for free. Here is the link to the many past series. These are solid studies.
My caution for women today is to be super skeptical of modern devotionals and modern studies. It’s been about 30 years of women being exposed to Contemplative Spirituality (the start of that is seen as Claude King and Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God” study, which introduced direct revelation, contemplative methods, and Dallas Willard to Protestants).
That exposure beginning in 1990 and caught fire in Protestant quarters, has by now settled into the faith as a normal spiritual experience. It isn’t. Look for Bible studies if they are modern with discernment, like Every Woman’s Grace, Susan Heck, or Martha Peace. Or choose older ones (also with discernment) pre-pollution of contemplative spirituality and direct revelation.
Katie Noble’s “God Our Home” sadly, is not recommended.
After two essays about characters from the Old Testament and two essays on characters from the New Testament (linked below), I return to the Old Testament to discover more about a man named Harbonah.
Harbonah (or Harbona) was the third of the seven eunuchs or chamberlains who served Ahasuerus, king of Persia (AKA Xerxes). The list of the 7 eunuchs is in Esther 1:10;
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said for Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who attended to the presence of King Ahasuerus,
It was a big deal to have access to the King. Not many did. Not even his wife. Esther knew that if she went into the presence of the King without being summoned by name, she could be killed.
The eunuchs did not have first place with the king, that was reserved for “the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom” (Esther 1:14b). Those 7 men advised the king. The eunuch group to which Harbonah belonged carried out the kings orders.
Some eunuchs were doorkeepers, two of these, “Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, became furious and sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus”. (Esther 2:21).
Doorkeeper: Person guarding access to an important or restricted place. Temple doorkeeper was an important office in biblical times. The doorkeepers collected money from the people (2 Kings 22:4). Some Levites were designated doorkeepers (or “gatekeepers”) for the ark (1 Chron. 15:23–24). The Persian kings used eunuchs for doorkeepers (Esther 2:21). Women also served this function (John 18:16–17; Acts 12:13). Source- Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 438).
So access to the king didn’t mean complete contentment. Discontent, intrigue, and assassination plots were fomented by those close to the king and eunuchs were in a perfect place to do so.
What is a eunuch? “A male servant or supervisory official in the court of a ruler; often castrated.” It was safer for the king to have men who could not procreate in charge of his women. An illegitimate heir was bad for purity of royal lineage.
The eunuchs had the task of managing the two harems. One was for women waiting to go into the king’s bed, (virgins) and the other was for ones who had already been summoned to his bed (concubines).
Rembrandt: Haman disgraced before Xerxes and Esther
Eunuchs in the Ancient World
Ancient Near Eastern cultures made frequent use of eunuchs, particularly in service to royalty. Royal leaders such as Cyrus the Great sought out eunuchs as servants because he perceived them as loyal, compliant, and trustworthy around women (e.g., Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7:59–65). Eunuchs could possess noteworthy roles such as statesmen, military generals, and palace officials; however, often they supervised the female quarters of a royal home or oversaw a royal harem. (Source the Lexham Bible Dictionary).
Hegai was Xerxes’ chief eunuch it seems. He managed all the women, and in fact saw Esther as kind and beautiful so he apparently had authority to transfer her to the best place in the harem and supply her with the best cosmetics and food. (Esther 2:9-10).
So after the mention of Harbonah the eunuch in Esther 1:10, he is only mentioned one other time, toward the end of Esther, in Esther 7:9. The Lord used Harbonah to propel the conclusion of Esther’s story.
When it became obvious that Haman’s plot to kill Mordecai and all the rest of the Jews was failing, Harbonah who “just so happened” to be near Xerxes at the right moment, made a powerful suggestion. He delivered this nugget to the King, which the King probably hadn’t known:
Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king, said, “Behold indeed, the gallows—which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king—are standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” (Esther 7:9).
Rembrandt: Haman at the feast
Just in case the King had forgotten that Mordecai had done the King a good deed in revealing the assassination plot to the King and had been written in the Book of Deeds, Harbonah inserted that reminder in his statement, perhaps to bolster its worthiness. What’s going on with Harbonah? Hmmm-
Jewish tradition has it that Harbona had originally been a confederate of Haman, but, upon noting the failure of the latter’s plans, abandoned him. Harbona, Harbonah. (1915). In The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.
Jan Victors: Haman begging Queen Esther for mercy, 1642
Was Harbonah’s suggestion a helpful one to aid the king? Or one to rid himself of a co-conspirator? Only God knows. We do know that eunuchs had previously been involved in dastardly intrigue. The two doorkeepers Bigthan and Teresh had been unmasked as traitors early on in Esther, they had plotted to kill the king. It’s not unreasonable to wonder if Harbonah may have involved himself in the same kind of activity.
Esther Denouncing Haman (1888) by Ernest Normand. Notice all the people attending the king. Some of these are Eunuchs, and according to the Bible, Harbonah would have been in the scene at that moment.
On the other hand, eunuchs were usually loyal. Pragmatically, they had a good place in the court, comfortable surroundings, and influence or at least proximity to the king. So again, only God knows the true intentions of Harbonah in this moment.
The Jewish Encyclopedia entry for Harbonah ends with this: A liturgical piece for Purim beginning “Shoshannat Ya’aḳob” ends with the words, “and let Harbona, too, be remembered for good.”
Jan Lievens (1607–1674) Esther accuses Haman during her meal with Assuerus (Esther 7:1-17)
“One of the most dramatic moments from the Book of Esther comes when the queen accuses the king’s advisor Haman of treachery against her people (Esther 7:1–7). Through her efforts, Haman’s plot for the slaughter of all the Jews in Persia was unmasked before King Ahasuerus (Xerxes). Seated before his chamberlain, Harbonah, the king reacts in anger with arms outstretched and hands clenched. Across from him sits the isolated, shadowy figure of Haman, who cowers at the king’s wrath. Shortly thereafter, Haman’s life would end on the gallows“. (Source)
I had posted all last week different essays about Angels according to the Bible. I’d presented biblical evidence on who angels are, what they do, and so on. It is a huge subject. In fact, there is one whole section of systematic theology called Angelology in which people have studied for years. So my few essays didn’t cover nearly a surface level of the topic. But with Advent coming up, I’d wanted to give some context and background to the truth of angels.
Tradition has given us some false notions about angels, like, they’re babies flying around in diapers, or, they have wings. Nope, lol. They are considered majesties in the Bible, says 2 Peter 2:10-14.
The first herald of the coming Messiah was not brought by a group of angels appearing at night to the shepherds in the field. That is the one we think of first, but the initial announcement of the Lord’s coming was angel Gabriel’s announcement to Zacharias that the Forerunner in the spirit of Elijah was coming first.
Gabriel told both Zacharias and Mary his name, which, being familiar with the Old Testament, would know this angel Gabriel had appeared to Daniel long ago and had delivered incredible messages.
Gabriel revealed his name to Zacharias in verse 19. But here in Luke 1:11-17 we read the announcement,
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16“And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Six months later, this same named angel named Gabriel appeared to young Mary. She had been betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal was considered the same as a marriage, minus the consummation. Here is Gabriel speaking to Mary, commonly known as the Annunciation: (Luke 1:26-33,
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
EPrata photo
In both appearances the angel assured the person not to be afraid. It must have been startling for Mary, doing whatever she was doing, to look up from it and suddenly see a supernatural being before her. As for Zacharias, he was ministering in the temple, and was equally in need of assurance, yet if there is ANY place one might expect a heavenly visitation it’d be as priest ministering unto the Lord in His house! But Zacharias was startled and sinfully doubtful.
Now we turn to Matthew 1:18-25 for the next angel appearance in the Nativity. The Bible doesn’t record this angel’s name. Some commenters believe it “must” be Gabriel, and it likely is, but since it’s not recorded we cannot be dogmatic. It’s an angel sent from God to bring a message.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 24And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.
How blessed Joseph is to be eternally named in the Bible as righteous! The appearance of the angel to Joseph wasn’t in person but in a dream. He was asleep. We know this because verse 24 says Joseph “awoke from his sleep”. However, Joseph knew it was real and immediately did as he had been commanded.
Now we turn from Luke 1 to Luke 2. The Babe is born! The myriad of angels appeared to the Shepherds in the field by night, and made the blessed announcement.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12“This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
Watercolor Illustration to Milton’s On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity, by William Blake, 1806
It was by night, and the next phrase said the glory of the Lord shone all around. What a contrast! The darkness of night providing the backdrop of the bright glory of the Lord. We know these are beings from heaven, because verse 15 said they went back into heaven. (As if there could be any doubt!)
Notice that the Shepherds said ‘let us go immediately’. Just as Joseph obeyed, the Shepherds also took immediate action.
We turn to Matthew 2:13-14. The nativity story continues a year or two later. The babe is now called a Child.
Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
Again, we do not know the name of this angel. Perhaps Gabriel, perhaps another.
There are two items to note about these and other biblical angelic messages: first, the angels say “Fear not!’ as an introduction. They are powerful beings who can perform supernatural things such as sudden appearances and disappearances. They can stand on the sun, hold back the winds of earth, fight in the second heaven against powers and dominions opposing God. If an angel appeared as an angel and not as a man as they also sometimes did, I am sure we would need the assurance not to be afraid!
Secondly, the recipient of the angelic message from God obeyed immediately. They obeyed right away. No thinking about it, no negotiating, no putting off the appearance saying “I’ll get to you later”, no casual “How you doin’?” The Bible people, as opposed to those claiming an angelic visitation in these apostate days, fell down, they listened, then they obeyed. All angelic appearances in the Bible are like that, not just the Nativity.
Here are links to other angel essays I’ve written during Angel Week. I pray you consider all the characters in the Nativity story from the main characters of Mary and Joseph, to the 3 Kings, Zacharias the priest, Herod the King, and the angels, and of course Jesus. Plus Anna and Simeon. They each are mentioned for a reason, as we enter Advent. Consider their placement in this true narrative, and how it forms the truest and best story there ever as or will be.
Hans Schmidt, Outreach Director at Victory Chapel in Phoenix AZ, was preaching about an upcoming service at his church. The former military combat medic was standing with a megaphone on a busy street corner, a frequent activity in which he engaged, when police received reports a man had been assaulted. Initially unaware that the assault was a gunshot, Hans was transported to the hospital where a CT scan revealed he had been shot in the head.
Hans is a husband and father of two. He remains in critical condition. In an update, his church stated that ‘Hans desperately needs a miracle.’ Police are asking for help in finding the person who shot Hans.
Officer Gina Winn, the public information officer for Glendale, AZ police.
Officer Gina Winn, the public information officer for Glendale police, stated, “It is unknown at this time how Hans was shot. We are seeking the public’s assistance in obtaining any information regarding what could have happened.“
What is especially scary is that the Officer said that the particular corner is a busy one, with lots of cars and pedestrian traffic.
So, dear friends, that someone would be bold enough in bright daylight on a busy place, to simply shoot a man. The Glendale police want help from any witnesses or any information.
Or you can call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers.
Waning Restraint
It IS a horrible offense. The Rule of Law used to restrain people from walking up or driving up to a person and shooting them because you don’t like what they are saying or doing (motive is not stated by LEO but is assumed by me). If you believe this happened in a faraway state and has nothing to do with you, think again. The Rule of Law via a government isn’t enough any more to stop people from doing the unthinkable. Those restraining bonds, ones established by God in His wisdom and mercy, along with the family and the church, are frayed so terribly they are like gossamer strands unable to withstand even the smallest pull.
EPrata photo
Victory Chapel has established a donation button if you would like to contribute to medical expenses for Hans on behalf of his family.
Church website, find the donate button by scrolling down- Victory Chapel, Phoenix: https://www.vccf1phx.com/
I donated myself to test the safety of the donation to Victory Church. If you scroll down the options to dedicate your donation, there is a tab that has been added to donate for Hans’ Medical Expenses.
WHY?
We should not be surprised that this happens. The world hates Christ and as a result, hates His people. The only surprise should be that we in America have been shielded from it for so long.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12).
You have seen how quickly the world began to hate the Jews again when Hamas started the current Middle East war. It rose quickly, and didn’t stay a mere internal emotion but became active and living in protests, marches, and even terrorizing and killings outside the war.
“Recent antisemitism is also a reflection of destructive forces tearing at American and western European societies, where stability and democracy are already under pressure.” Source:
It should not surprise us that the hatred for God’s people the Jews and Christians rose so quickly. The entire world is under the temporary dominion of the evil one. He is god of this age. (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Picture this: Satan has laid over the entire earth a deep layer of hay. Brittle, combustible, it lays there, waiting. Satan then goes about roaming up and down upon the earth, fomenting hatred, bitterness, and evil among chosen targets. He doesn’t need to work too hard, unsaved people are already sinners through and through. When he has enough of a critical mass, satan lights them up like a candle, their dark hearts pouring forth hatred. They in turn ignite the hay surrounding that portion of the earth. A conflagration of evil and sin erupts.
Sin is always at the ready to ignite. At any and every moment.
Paul said as time goes on, that evil men will wax worse and worse.
Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13).
EPrata photo
Paul in the next verse gave the instruction of how we Christians are to behave in light of this truth:
You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
The key to that verse, of course, is HAVE YOU LEARNED? This is not the time or place to wallow in biblical illiteracy. It is not the era of undiscernment. It is imperative, imperative, to know His word, so as to be able to stand on the Rock when trouble comes.
I surmise that Mr. Hans Schmidt probably never thought that though he successfully stood on that same street corner preaching with his megaphone, that THIS day, THIS moment was the one where out of seemingly nowhere, he would be shot in the head for preaching righteousness.
But he was and so can we all be entering the next moment of the time of trouble, distress, or persecution. Each day that passes it is more likely, “even” here in America. As if America is exempt from the biblical promise that trouble and persecutions will come. We are not exempt, and in fact, the national character of the people of the United States in general is one that seems to be incurring its due judgment for our national sins.
Pray for the Schmidt family and their church family. Donate if you feel led. Become situationally aware, stay in the word, and know that some blessed day, Jesus will return and stop all this.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (MLJ) preached through an incredible series called “The Great Doctrines of God.” You can listen to them here. The companion sermon to The Good Angels (The Bad Angels) is unfortunately not recorded, but you can read a transcript of that sermon on fallen angels from MLJ, here.
Listening to his sermon on the good angels gave me such encouragement. I always find that thinking of, reading about, or listening to any piece which exalts the majesty of God is in itself great encouragement. And why not? All good things come from God and thus, He is the source of encouragement.
“Guido Reni’s Michael (in Santa Maria della Concezione church, Rome, 1636) tramples Satan. Public domain
Lloyd-Jones’s sermon brought out so many great points, and he did it so seemingly easily. That is to say, he speaks simply and carefully but that doesn’t ignore the complexity and majesty of the material. He makes it both understandable and exalting at the same time. He opened with asking a series of pointed and important questions-
The red type from here on are MLJ’s words.
“Let me ask a question at this point: How often have you heard either a sermon or an address on the biblical doctrine of the angels? How often have you considered this doctrine or meditated upon it? I ask those questions in order that I may ask another: Why is it that we tend to neglect certain parts of the biblical revelation? Why is it that even as evangelical people we seem to be content with the minimum of doctrine? Why are we only interested in the doctrine of salvation? It more and more seems to me that we rob ourselves of a wealth of truth because we do not isolate these doctrines and hold them up for our study and contemplation.”
I’ll summarize in very bare bones fashion what Dr Lloyd-Jones preached on:
Jesus made all the angels. There are thousands upon thousands of them. (Luke 2:13, Rev. 5:11). He made every one a unique individual. He did this before He created the world. (Colossians 1:16).
Angels never die. They were created, but won’t die. They came into existence by Jesus at a certain point, but their existence will never end. And what about those cherubim (e.g. Psalm. 99:1; Ezekiel 10:1–22) and seraphim (Isaiah 6:2)?
They dwell in the presence of God, as we will one day. Don’t forget about the cherubim standing guard at the eastern entrance to the Garden of Eden with his flaming sword going every which way. Dr Lloyd-Jones wondered if he would be there also to welcome us when the Garden is re-opened at the resurrection. They are incredible beings.
The Annunciation, by Leonardo da Vinci. Public domain
MLJ said, “I think that there is profound significance in that; the flaming sword is to prevent man from entering back again into Paradise. He can never go back on his own. There is only one way back, and it is the way that has been opened by the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He spent some time developing the hierarchy of angelic orders and the distribution of work. From archangels on down, he revealed truth after truth. His take on it was fascinating, delving deep into the bible and unearthing gem after gem. He briefly mentioned the hierarchy/division of the bad angels but only touched on it since this sermon was only about the good angels.
And that, of course, leads us in turn to the next question which is: Are there orders among the angels? Are they all identical? Are they equal in power and in authority, or have they orders and ranks? It seems quite clear that there is a division both in status and in work.
Angel appears to Zacharias in the Temple. Book illustration for Scenes from the main histories of the Old and New Testament. The Hague by Pieter de Hondt, 1728. Public domain
And that brings us to the whole question of their power. The Bible is explicit about this—they are very great in power. We are told of the mighty angels, that they excel in strength‘ (Ps. 103:20). Their power is undoubtedly greater than human power; they are not only superior in dignity and in status, they are also undoubtedly superior in power.
Salvation is such an incredible, holy act, and the angels long to look into it.
Then there is something else that the angels are very busy about. I never read this next point without having a still more glorious understanding of my salvation. We are told that they spend a good deal of their time in looking into this question of our salvation. Let me give you my authority. Peter, in talking about our salvation says, ‘which things the angels desire to look into’ (1 Peter 1:12). It is something so marvellous, and so wonderful, that these created angelic spirits, who have always spent their eternity in the presence of God, are, as it were, looking on at this thing which is most astonishing to them, and which surpasses everything else.
Then the next thing we are told about them is this—let us bear it in mind always—they not only behold the face of God, they are not only looking into salvation, but they are looking at us. …the Scripture teaches that when Christians meet together, and when they gather together in prayer, then the angels of God are present…”
If you read Revelation you realize just how much the angels participate in bringing judgment. They are instruments of God’s will and participate in it. They gave the law. They reveal God’s purposes. They bring messages from God. When not directly performing a task, they stand at attention, adoring God, worshiping Him, looking into salvation. They are busy. And one of the ways they are busy is that they minister to God’s own people.
“But again I would say that the most comforting, and the most wonderful aspect of this teaching is what we are told in the Scriptures of the way in which God uses the angels to bless and to care for His own people: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth [called forth] to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?‘ (Heb. 1:14). What, after all, is the greatest function of the angels? It is to minister to you and to me—to minister to the heirs of salvation.”
Chris Koelle, The Book of Revelation Graphic Novel Source
We find that the angels protect us. They also give us guidance. They cheer us and to give us comfort and consolation. Angels fight on behalf of God. (Elisha’s servant was given a sight of this). They deliver us from situations (Peter was led from jail by an angel). They are tremendous beings. Of course, Dr. Lloyd-Jones developed each of those points He ended with this glorious, glorious testament to the level of care that God gives His children:
But there is something more which I trust will give great comfort and consolation to many people who may perhaps have been thinking with fear and dread of the end of their life in this world—afraid of the physical aspect of death. But we need not be, for we read in Luke 16:22–3…
…when we come to die they will be there to receive our spirit and to take us to Paradise. That is the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Never again, Christian people, imagine that when you come to die you will be going into some awful loneliness as a disembodied spirit to an unknown world. Not at all. The angels of God will be there to receive you, and to conduct you, and to take you to be with the Lord in Paradise. What a wonderful thing!
Oh, indeed it is wonderful! God made the uncountable stars and named them all. He made the innumerable angels and named them too. The doctrine of angels is an amazing doctrine.
Angel rolled the stone from the tomb- Alexander Ivanov. Public domain
Shame on us Christian people that we neglect the doctrine of the angels, that we do not read our Scriptures thoroughly and wholly. …
…”Let us take hold of the biblical teaching. Let us not rob ourselves as we do. Let us look into this great Word and receive it as it is, and we shall find things that will amaze us, and fill us with a still greater sense of wonder as we come to know our marvellous God and His wondrous love towards us.”
Amen! Please take some time to listen to the sermon. Of course, just the few quotes here do not even come close to comparing the full impact of this terrific sermon and hearing about the doctrine of angels.
the-end-time.org 