Heroes and Heavies of the Apocrypha E-Book

Peter DeHaan

• Herausgeber: Rock Rooster Books
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Bible Character Sketches Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 170

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Do you know what's missing from your Bible?

The Apocrypha: a collection of books that were once considered Holy Scripture but have since been removed from most of today’s Bibles. But these books were part of the original King James Version, as well as the Septuagint, which Jesus quoted and New Testament writers cited.

So why not embrace these books too?

Join life-long student of the Bible Peter DeHaan as he delves into the forgotten world of the Apocrypha. Explore its colorful characters, their captivating stories, and profound spiritual lessons.

From the exploits of the Maccabees and the heroic deeds of Tobit to the bravery of Judith and the wisdom of Sirach—and many more—each of these intriguing individuals offers a unique perspective on faith and life.

Written in a clear and accessible style, Heroes and Heavies of the Apocrypha invites readers to embrace the fullness of Scripture and discover fresh truths from these often-overlooked texts.

Whether you are a newcomer to the Apocrypha or familiar with it, this book is sure to deepen your understanding of these fascinating characters and their stories.

Grow your appreciation for the richness and diversity of the Biblical narrative. Discover the hidden gems of the Apocrypha and unlock a new dimension of spiritual insight.

Are you ready to broaden your understanding of God's Word?

Embark on your journey of discovery today.

Get Heroes and Heavies of the Apocrypha.

Leseprobe

HEROES AND HEAVIES OF THE APOCRYPHA

DISCOVER LIFE-CHANGING SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS FROM 100 INTRIGUING CHARACTERS

BIBLE CHARACTER SKETCHES SERIES

BOOK 5

PETER DEHAAN

Heroes and Heavies of the Apocrypha: DiscoverLife-ChangingSpiritualInsights from 100 IntriguingCharacters

Copyright © 2024 by PeterDeHaan.

Book 5 in the BibleCharacterSketchesSeries.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are brief excerpts, and the cover image, for reviews or academic research. For permissions: peterdehaan.com/contact.

Scripture quotations from the COMMONENGLISHBIBLE. © Copyright 2011 COMMONENGLISHBIBLE. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.CommonEnglishBible.com).

Library of CongressControlNumber: 2024910443

Published by RockRoosterBooks, GrandRapids, Michigan

ISBNs:

979-8-88809-086-2 (e-book)979-8-88809-087-9 (paperback)979-8-88809-088-6 (hardcover)

Credits:

Developmental editor: JulieHarbisonCopy editor: RobynMulderCover design: CassidyWierksAuthor photo: ChelsieJensenPhotography

ToPatriciaM. Robertson

Series by PeterDeHaan

BibleCharacterSketchesSeriescelebrates people in Scripture, from the well-known to the obscure.

HolidayCelebrationBibleStudySeriesrejoices in the holidays with Jesus.

VisitingChurchesSeries takes an in-person look at church practices and traditions to inform and inspire today’s followers of Jesus.

40–DayBibleStudySeriestakes a fresh and practical look into Scripture, book by book.

Be the first to hear about Peter’s new books and receive updates at PeterDeHaan.com/updates.

CONTENTS

Celebrating the Apocrypha

Tobit

1: Tobit

2: Anna (2)

3: Deborah (3)

4: Gabael (2)

5: Sarah (2)

6: Azariah (24) (Raphael)

7: Raguel (2)

8: Edna

9: Tobias

10: Ahikar

11: Nadab

Judith

12: Arphaxad (1)

13: Holofernes

14: Joakim (3)

15: Achior

16: Uzziah (7)

17: Chabris and Charmis

18: Bagoas

19: Manasseh (5)

20: Judith (2)

Greek Esther

21: Gabatha and Tharra

22: Artaxerxes

23: Vashti

24: Memucan

25: Haman

26: Mordecai (1)

27: Zeresh

28: Hegai

29: Shaashgaz

30: Esther

31: Ten Sons of Haman

32: Dositheus (2)

Wisdom

33: Solomon

Sirach

34: Simon (11)

35: Jesus (4)

Baruch

36: Baruch (1)

37: Jeconiah

38: Belshazzar

Letter of Jeremiah

39: Jeremiah

Prayer Of Azariah

40: Azariah (23)

41: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

Susanna

42: Joakim (1)

43: Two Elders

44: Susanna

45: Daniel

46: Hilkiah (14)

Bel and the Dragon

47: Cyrus

48: Bel

49: The Dragon

(Daniel, Part 2)

50: Habakkuk

1 Maccabees

51: Darius

52: Alexander (6)

53: Antiochus (1)

54: Mattathias (1)

55: John (7) (Gaddi)

56: Azariah (25)

57: Judas (7) Maccabeus

58: Lysias

59: Eleazar (9) (Avaran)

60: Ptolemy (1)

61: Cleopatra

62: Demetrius (4)

63: Jonathan (9) (Apphus)

64: Simon (12) (Thassi)

65: Mattathias (2) and Judas (9)

66: John (9)

2 Maccabees

67: Jason of Cyrene

68: Simon (13)

69: Heliodorus

70: Menelaus

71: Jason (5)

72: Auranus

73: Philip (6)

74: Antiochus Epiphanes

75: Nicanor

76: Razis

1 Esdras

77: Josiah

78: Jehoiakim

79: Hilkiah (11)

80: Nebuchadnezzar

81: Zedekiah

82: Sheshbazzar

83: Zerubbabel

84: Jeshua (3)

85: Nehemiah

86: Haggai and Zechariah (15)

Prayer of Manasseh

87: Manasseh (2)

Psalm 151

88: David

3 Maccabees

89: Dositheus (1)

90: Ptolemy (4) Philopator

91: Simon (14)

92: Hermon

93: Eleazar (12)

2 Esdras

94: Uriel

95: Ezra

96: My Son

4 Maccabees

97: Onias

98: Apollonius (1)

99: Eleazar (13)

100: Seven Brothers and Their Mother

Heroes, Heavies, and Us

Which Book Do You Want to Read Next?

About the Apocrypha

Duplicate Names

For Small Groups, Sunday Schools, and Classes

If You’re New to the Bible

About Peter DeHaan

Peter DeHaan’s Books

CELEBRATING THE APOCRYPHA

TheApocrypha is a group of books found in some Bibles, but not most. SomeChristians dismiss the Apocrypha. They think since it isn’t in their Bible, then it doesn’t matter.

They assume the Apocrypha was added to Scripture. In truth, it was deleted.

TheApocrypha was in the original KingJamesVersion but was later removed.

TheApocrypha was also part of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of Scripture in widespread use during Jesus’s time. Jesus quoted from the Septuagint and so did the NewTestament writers, including Paul.

Paul surely had the Apocrypha in mind (along with what we now call the OldTestament) when he said that every Scripture is inspired by God and useful to educate and equip us (2 Timothy 3:16–17). EveryScripturemeans all parts—not some or just the parts in our Bible today. (Although the NewTestament didn’t exist when Paul wrote this, we add the NewTestament books to our understanding of everyScripture.)

To celebrate and embrace the Apocrypha as part of everyScripture, we’ll explore its many intriguing characters, both the good and the bad, the heroes and heavies. In doing so, we’ll use as our basis the CommonEnglishBible (CEB).

Here are the books of the Apocrypha as listed in the CEB:

TobitJudithGreekEstherWisdomSirachBaruchLetter of JeremiahPrayer of AzariahSusannaBel and the Dragon1 Maccabees2 Maccabees1 EsdrasPrayer of ManassehPsalm 1513 Maccabees2 Esdras4 Maccabees

Though this isn’t chronological, we’ll follow this order (as published in the CEB) for our discussion. This makes it easy to follow along in the CEB. In addition, some Apocryphal books are challenging to place on a timeline, as with other OldTestament books, such as Joel.

Many of the books in the Apocrypha contain history, but we’d be wrong to scrutinize them for historical details. Instead, our focus should rest on the narrative and the spiritual lessons we can learn from it.

Sometimes, references to historical people or nations may be archetypes instead of literal. This technique occurs throughout the Bible.

For example, the Bible continues to use the label of Israel after the nation’s destruction, applying it metaphorically to the nation of Judah or generically to all remaining Hebrew people. Son of David sometimes refers to David’s biological sons, such as Amnon, Absalom, or Solomon. But it can also refer to Jesus, one of David’s distant descendants.

Discover more in the “About the Apocrypha” section at the end of this book. Also, note that several people share names with other biblical characters. Whenever we encounter a duplicate name, we’ll add a numerical suffix to help us keep them straight. See the “DuplicateNames” section in this book’s back matter.

How do you view the Apocrypha? Do you know of any characters in the Apocrypha? If so, who?

[Discover more in Acts 17:11.]

TOBIT

Tobit is from the tribe of Naphtali. WhenAssyria defeats Israel, they deport many of the people. Tobit ends up in the city of Nineveh. Tobit is a key character and the author of this book, which is named after him. Yet the account primarily revolves around the adventures of his son Tobias.

At the request of his father, Tobias travels to a distant city to collect some silver his dad put on deposit with a relative. Tobias travels with a hired companion to guide him.

Their journey is an epic adventure. Not only do they successfully retrieve the silver, but Tobias gets married along the way, defeats a demon, and brings his bride home.

He also has something special for his father.

1: TOBIT

Tobit is a righteous man. He follows the tithes Moses prescribed and goes to Jerusalem to worship as the law commands. He does this even though the other people from his tribe of Naphtali and the rest of Israel do not.

WhenAssyria conquers Israel, they deport many of the people. This includes Tobit. He ends up in Nineveh, where he works on behalf of KingShalmaneser. He continues to give food to the hungry and clothes to those in need. In secret, he also respectfully buries any of his fellow Jews when they are murdered.

When his covert activities become known, he flees for his life. All his possessions and wealth are seized. Later, his nephew works on his behalf to allow him to return, restoring his wife and son—Anna and Tobias—to him. But his confiscated property is not returned. He has nothing. He is now poor.

Despite all that’s happened, Tobit continues to bury his fellow Jews who have been murdered. He does this even though his neighbors mock him for it. Soon after this, he becomes blind. Despondent, he wants to die. He prays God will take him, freeing him from the torment of life to bring him into eternity.

Tobit gives final instructions to his son Tobias, encouraging him to live a righteous life, help those in need, and marry a woman from among their people. He also tells Tobias about 570 pounds of silver he entrusted to their relative Gabael and tells his son to travel there to reclaim it.

Tobit gives his son a receipt for the silver. He arranges for Azariah to travel with Tobias as a guide and implicitly for protection, because the road is dangerous.

What can we do to help the poor like Tobit did? When we have little to give, are we willing to share a portion of it with those in need?

[Read about Tobit in Tobit 1:3–9 and Tobit 3:1–6. Discover more about helping others in Deuteronomy 26:12.]

2: ANNA (2)

Anna is the wife of Tobit and the mother of Tobias. She makes a living weaving cloth out of wool. Since her husband is now blind, there's nothing he can do to earn a living.

One time, Anna receives a goat as a bonus for her work. Tobit hears the bleating animal and accuses her of stealing it. He doesn't believe her when she says she earned it. He grows angry at her, and she mocks him.

WhenTobit sends Tobias off to retrieve their silver, Anna despairs. She fears he will not return. After he doesn't come back in a reasonable time, she assumes he is dead. Even so, she diligently watches for him to return.

We can applaud Anna for working to support her husband when he cannot. We can also celebrate the quality of her work, for she earns a bonus for her labor. Yet she also worries about her son’s fate and assumes the worst has happened.

Whether or not we receive a bonus, is our work worthy of one? When have we let our imagination take over and assumed the worst?

[Read about Anna in Tobit 2:11–14 and Tobit 10:4–7. Discover another person who made a wrong assumption in Genesis 37:32–34.]

3: DEBORAH (3)

Deborah is the grandmother of Tobit. She raised him when his father died and left him as an orphan. Most importantly, she taught him.

We see the results of her teaching when we look at the righteous way Tobit lived and how he did what was right and cared for those in need. His actions result from his grandmother's instructions when he was young.

In this way, she played an indirect part in helping others throughout the years. And this legacy continues beyond her life, for the rest of her grandson’s.

Who can benefit from our instruction today? What legacy are we leaving for our family to carry on?

[Read about Deborah in Tobit 1:8. Discover the influence of another grandmother in 2 Timothy 1:5.]

4: GABAEL (2)

Gabael lives in Rages of Media. Tobit often travels to Media to conduct business for KingShalmaneser. On one of his trips, he entrusts 570 pounds of silver with Gabael, his relative.

They each execute a document about the transaction. Tearing them in two, each man keeps one half. In this way, anyone who presents Gabael with Tobit’s half of the document can receive the silver. This will work well for Tobit’s son Tobias, since he doesn't know who Gabael is and Gabael has never met Tobias.

AfterShalmaneser dies, the roads to Media become too dangerous for safe travel, and Tobit can no longer go there. This means he has no way of retrieving his silver from Gabael.

Gabael faithfully holds on to the silver, even though he hasn’t heard from Tobit in over twenty years.

Can other people entrust us with their property? Are we dependable to carry out all that we promise to do?

[Read about Gabael in Tobit 1:14 and Tobit 9:6. Discover another interesting transaction in Jeremiah 32:6–15.]

5: SARAH (2)

Sarah is the daughter of Raguel and Edna, their only child. She is sensible; she is courageous; and she is gorgeous.

She’s also been married seven times. This doesn’t reflect her character, however, but her circumstances. On her wedding night, before the couple can consummate their union, a demon kills the groom. This happens with each of her seven marriages. But the demon never harms Sarah because he loves her (see Genesis 6:1–2).

One of Sarah's servants accuses her of killing all seven men. This is surely something other people have suspected as well and may have even said to her. Distraught, Sarah plans to hang herself.

She reaches her decision the same day Tobit asks God to take his life.

ButSarah realizes that committing suicide will disgrace her father. She doesn’t want to bring him sorrow. Instead, she begs God to let her die. Then she’ll no longer have to endure the insults of those who think she killed all seven of her husbands.

Death seems like the only solution to her torment.

When have we despaired of life? Have we ever considered death as the solution to our problems?

[Read about Sarah in Tobit 3:7–15 and Tobit 6:10–18. Discover another person who despaired of life in Job 3:1–3.]

6: AZARIAH (24) (RAPHAEL)

Azariah reveals himself as a distant relative of Tobit. He knows well the road to Media, having traveled it many times. He’s even stayed with their relative Raguel along the way. Azariah is quick to agree to accompany Tobias on this journey to retrieve the silver from Gabael.

Tobit blesses the pair, and they head out. What a remarkable adventure it is!

On their first day of travel, they reach the TigrisRiver and camp there. AsTobias washes his feet in the river, a huge fish jumps from the water and tries to take a bite out of his foot. Azariah tells Tobias to grab the fish and hold on.

Once caught, Azariah instructs Tobias to remove the fish’s gallbladder, heart, and liver for medicinal purposes. The gallbladder can heal a person's eyes, while the heart and liver can chase away demons.

The next day, they continue their journey and travel to Ecbatana of Media, where their relative Raguel lives. Azariah reminds Tobias of Raguel’s daughter, Sarah. Tobias is the next closest relative to marry her (see Leviticus 25:25 and Ruth 3:12–13).

Tobias knows about her seven prior husbands who each died on their wedding night. He doesn't want to be number eight.

YetAzariah reminds Tobias of his father’s instruction to not marry a foreign woman and instead find a bride from their own people. Besides, he has a plan and tells Tobias not to worry. Though he's not yet met Sarah, Tobias falls in love with her.

* * *

Tobit, Anna, Tobias, Gabael, Raguel, Sarah, and Edna (whom we’ll meet in a bit) all know Tobias's companion as Azariah, but his real name is Raphael. He's an angel in disguise. Yet he keeps his angelic identity a secret—for now. Raphael is one of seven angels who stand in God’s presence. As such, he must be an important one. We can wonder if this makes him an archangel, like Michael (Jude 1:9).

Back when Tobit and Sarah had both prayed to God, asking him to take their lives, God sent Raphael to help them. Traveling with Tobias to retrieve his father’s silver and staying with Raguel is part of his plan.

AtRaphael's urging, Tobias asks Raguel for permission to marry Sarah. After warning Tobias of her past seven marriages—each ending with the groom's death—Raguel agrees.

On their wedding night, Tobias burns the fish’s heart and liver over the incense coals as Raphael had instructed. The smell drives the demon away, and Raphael chases him to Egypt, where he subdues him and binds him in chains. Tobias is safe.

The next day, Raguel and his wife, Edna, are relieved to learn that Tobias lived through the night. They hold a fourteen-day wedding celebration for the couple.

ThroughRaphael, God answered Sarah's prayer for deliverance. Though it didn't work out the way she intended, God’s way was much better.

When has God answered our prayers in a way that exceeded our expectations? How should we react to the idea of God sending his angels—be it physically or spiritually—to help us?

[Read about Azariah in Tobit 5:4–17 and Tobit 6. Read about Raphael in Tobit 12:11–18. Discover more about angels in Hebrews 13:2 and another supernatural confrontation in Revelation 20:1–3.]

7: RAGUEL (2)

Raguel lives in Ecbatana of Media. His wife is Edna, and their daughter is Sarah, whose seven husbands all died on their wedding nights.

WhenTobias asks Raguel to marry Sarah, he's apprehensive. He reminds Tobias of what happened to his daughter’s prior husbands. Tobias persists, and they sign a marriage contract. That evening, Tobias enters Sarah’s bedroom to consummate their union.

Assuming the worst, that night Raguel takes some servants and digs a grave for Tobias. That way, they can bury him quickly before anyone finds out that Sarah lost an eighth husband.

Yet before dawn, a female servant checks on the couple and finds Tobias is still alive. Raguel sends his servants to fill the burial site before it gets light, lest people see the unused grave.

Raguel holds a fourteen-day wedding celebration, while Raphael goes with four servants and two camels to receive the silver from Gabael. Gabael even returns with Raphael to join the feast.

Raguel, Edna, and Gabael all praise God for Tobias and Sarah’s marriage. YetSarah has the biggest reason to celebrate. The demon that killed her prior husbands is gone, and she at last has a husband who lived through the night.

LikeRaguel, when have we warned someone about something that didn’t occur? When have we reacted to a worry that never materialized?

[Read about Raguel in Tobit 7 and Tobit 8:9–19. Discover when Jacob worried about losing Benjamin in Genesis 43:14.]

8: EDNA

Edna is the wife of Raguel and the mother of Sarah.

WhenSarah marries for the eighth time, Edna prepares the bridal chamber for her daughter and future son-in-law. She weeps. Are these tears of joy or tears of sorrow? Likely both.

As with any mother of the bride, Edna is certainly joyful over the wedding of her only daughter. Yet she's been here before—seven times. So her tears are also for the anguish her daughter will feel when her groom most likely dies.

Sarah probably cries as well—and for the same two reasons.

YetEdna is optimistic. She encourages her daughter and tells Sarah to be courageous. She blesses Sarah with joy to replace the pain she feels over seven dead husbands. “Take courage, my daughter.” ThenEdna leaves.

Her blessing holds true. Tobias survives the night, and Sarah at last emerges from her bridal chamber with a husband who is alive.

Two weeks later, as the newlyweds are about to set off for Tobias’s home, Edna entrusts Sarah to Tobias’s care. She