If You Want to Know God, Study History

Three Areas of Concentration

If the heart sees the wisdom of going back to the past, the practical question is raised, “What part of history should be studied?” There is so much to know about! People could begin to feel like a mosquito on a Pensacola Beach during spring break. There is just so much to feast upon. Let me suggest at least three areas of particular concentration.

First, study Bible history.

Second, study biographies and auto-biographies.

Third, study the bright story of the Reformation.

Xerxes and the Queen of Persia

The reading of Bible history will prove to be very helpful as you come to those passages in the Scriptures that refer to men and women of the ancient world. For example, there is the lovely story of Esther who rose to be Queen of the Persian Empire. From her position of grandeur, in the providence of the Lord, Esther was able to save her people from utter destruction and the Feast of Purim is celebrated today to remember it all.

Now, the king of Persia whom Esther had to appeal to for help on behalf of others is called in the Bible, Ahasuerus. He is better known to history as Xerxes I (485-464 BC). Xerxes I was born to be a king, at least externally. Tall and energetic, he was by royal consent among the most handsome of men in the empire, and that would prove to be his downfall. Handsome men are often proud men, and proud men are easy prey for women. Xerxes was no exception illustrated by his many mistresses. He became for his people the supreme pattern of sensuality.

After 20 years of licentiousness and neglect of official duties, Xerxes was murdered by a courtier, Artabanus, and was buried with royal pomp and ceremony even if no one really mourned.

The murderer of Xerxes was himself murdered by Artaxerxes I, who, after a long reign, was succeeded by Xerxes II, who was murdered a few weeks later by his half-brother Sogdanus, who was murdered six months later by Darius II, who put down the revolt of Terituchmes by having him butchered, his wife literally cut into pieces, and his mother, brothers and sisters buried alive. The blood continued to flow.

To understand the violent world in which Esther lived, is to appreciate all the more her courage when she went before the King uninvited, which was not according to custom or allowed by the law. Yet Esther went to plead for her people saying, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

Working Out the Divine Design

As the historical circumstances surrounding the story of Esther helps us to admire her bravery, the narrative surrounding the rise and fall of empires helps us to marvel at the majesty of God who works all things according to the counsel of His own will. There are people who do not rejoice in the fact that all that shall ever be has been decreed by God. History is simply the outworking of the Divine design. I rejoice in that fact; and there was a time when the Jews of another generation rejoiced as well.

The Four Beasts of History

The story begins in the sixth century BC with an elderly statesman by the name of Daniel. While living in exile in Babylon, the prophet Daniel was given a panoramic view of the future. Through a series of visions he was shown things to come.

In one vision Daniel saw four hideous beasts coming up from the sea of nations. The beasts were symbolic of four world empires which would be ruthless in their conduct. As nature is covered in blood, tooth and claw, so would these empires be covered.

The First Beast which Daniel saw was like a lion (7:4). The lion represented the Chaldean monarchy which was fierce, strong, and absolute. The lion had eagle wings to speedily devour its enemies which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, did until he was given the heart of a man. Then the conquests ended for the “feathers of the eagle were plucked” if you will. It was foretold that Nebuchadnezzar would lose his passion for war and become a man of peace.

The Second Beast was like a bear (7:5). The bear was symbolic of the Persian monarchy. This empire was destined by prophecy to be less strong than the Babylonian Empire but it was no less ravenous in its appetite to devour other nations. It would raise itself up against the lion and soon master it. Historically, that is exactly what happened. Persia received help from the Medes to become strong enough to overthrow Babylon only to be destroyed in kind for there was a Third Beast.

The Third Beast of the Vision was like a leopard (7:6). This was the Grecian monarchy, established by Alexander the Great who was active, crafty, and cruel like a leopard. The leopard of the vision had four wings which spoke of rapid conquest. In just six short years, Alexander had conquered the whole empire of Persia plus a great part of Asia. He made himself master of Syria, Egypt, India, and other nations.

But the great Greek empire was not to last because the Third Beast of the Vision had four heads which foretold that upon Alexander’s death at age 32 (323 BC), his empire would be divided into four spheres of influence among his leading generals. And that is what happened.

Seleucus Nicator took an area which extended from the Aegean Sea to the Indus River.
Cassander took Macedonia.
Ptolemy took Egypt.
Lysimachus controlled parts of Thrace and Asia Minor.

But the political power of Greece was not to last long because there was a Fourth Beast of the Vision which Daniel saw. The Fourth Beast was to be fiercer, more formidable, and crueler than any of the others (7:7). By military might the Fourth Beast, embodied in the Roman legions, was to arise, conquer and rule the world.

And so it was. Upon the stage of human history walked all the men and women destined to fulfill the plan of God. Of those who lived and died, none was more fascinating than Alexander.

Physically, Alexander (b. 356 BC) was the embodiment of youth and vitality. In sports, he excelled as a swift runner. He was a daring horseman, a gifted swordsman, an accurate bow-man, and a hunter who knew no fear. His father Philip looked at his child and said,

“My son, Macedonia is too small for you; seek out a larger empire worthier of you.”

Alexander did exactly that.

At the age of twenty he took over his father’s Macedonian army. Philip died at the hands of an assassin in 336 BC. People who saw Alexander marveled at his personal magnetism. Here was a king handsome beyond all measure with a clear complexion, soft blue eyes, and abundant auburn hair. Mentally, he was brilliant but never had the time to seriously think.

“He had,” says Plutarch, “a violent thirst and passion for learning, which increased as time went on….He was a lover of all kinds of reading and knowledge.”

Yet, Alexander never came to know the one true God of the universe. He remained to the end a slave to superstition. He put all of his faith in the soothsayers and astrologers that followed his caravan.

When he conquered a city, Alexander could be generous and show great mercy to the many of the inhabitants. But he could also be made mad with cruelty. Having taken Gaza (in Palestine, 332 BC) by siege and assault, angry that it had held out so long, Alexander had the feet of Batis, its courageous commander to be bored and rings of brass put through them before he had him killed. Then Alexander dragged the dead Persian, tied by cords to the royal chariot, as he sped around and around the city.

The one passion that drove Alexander above all others was ambition. He wanted to conquer the world. To that end he marched back and forth across the face of the earth like a leaping leopard (8:5-8). He would not die until he had fulfilled the Divine design for his life though death was his constant companion.

During one phase of his life (332 BC), the course of conquests brought Alexander to the land of Palestine and to the Holy City of Jerusalem. If the people of the city did not surrender, they would be slaughtered. Alexander felt he had wasted too much time already in subduing the city of Tyre. In his anger he decided to punish the inhabitants of Jerusalem for refusing to provide him with provisions during that siege.

To his surprise, as Alexander drew near Jerusalem, the leading Rabbis of the city came out to greet him. They were led by the High Priest who wore white robes. The name of Jehovah was inscribed on his miter. The High Priest had something to show Alexander. Would he care to see it? He was willing to listen.

Unrolling the scroll of the prophet Daniel, Alexander was shown by the High Priest how he was the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy. Such was his delight that Alexander spared the citizens of Jerusalem, after securing their political submission, and went on his way. The Leaping Leopard had many things to do until his sudden death from drink and disease at the age of 32, and the point is made: the Man of Prophecy manifested the absolute sovereignty of God in the affairs of the world.

Do you want to know God? Then study all of the Bible history that you can, and you will witness a Divine understanding of the affairs of man.