Day 137 · Part 8: Two Kingdoms
Tobias and Sarah
In the Story
In context
Tobit is in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles; most Protestant Bibles leave it out or print it apart as the Apocrypha. In Ecbatana, Raguel weeps to learn that Tobias is the son of “Tobit my cousin,” tells him the truth about Sarah’s seven husbands, and gives her to him with a written contract (Tobit 7:2–14). On the wedding night Tobias makes smoke from the fish’s heart and liver, the demon flees, and Tobias and Sarah pray together; his prayer recalls how God made Adam and gave him Eve, “for a helper and support” (8:2–8; Genesis 2:18).
Meanwhile in Nineveh, Tobit counts the days and Anna watches the road, mourning her son as dead (10:1–7). When Tobias comes home, he rubs the fish’s bile on his father’s eyes, and Tobit sees: “Behold, I see my son Tobias” (11:7–15). Then Azarias tells them he is Raphael, “one of the seven holy angels which present the prayers of the saints” (12:15).
Tobit’s song looks ahead to a Jerusalem built again with precious stones and gold (13:16–17). In old age he tells his family to leave Nineveh, sure that what “Jonah the prophet spoke of Nineveh” will come to pass, and before Tobias dies he hears of Nineveh’s fall (14:4, 8, 15).
“Yahweh kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
1 Samuel 2:6 · Tobit sings that God “leads down to the grave, and brings up again”; Hannah sang the same of the Lord: “He brings down to Sheol and brings up.”
For families
When Sarah left home, her father told her, “Honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law. They are now your parents” (Tobit 10:12). Tobit went out to meet her at the gate of Nineveh and blessed her, and there was joy among all his kindred (11:16–17).
Tobit went out to the city gate to welcome Sarah into the family. How does your family welcome someone new?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Tobit 7
Loading…
Tobit 8
Loading…
Tobit 9
Loading…
Tobit 10
Loading…
Tobit 11
Loading…
Tobit 12
Loading…
Tobit 13
Loading…
Tobit 14
Loading…
A hymn for today
To God Be the Glory · words by Fanny J. Crosby
- To God be the glory, great things He hath done;So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,And opened the life-gate that all may go in.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
- O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,To every believer the promise of God;The vilest offender who truly believes,That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
- Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;But purer, and higher, and greater will beOur wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.