Heroes and Heavies of the Apocrypha: Discover Life-Changing Spiritual Insights from 100 Intriguing Characters (ebook)

TOBIT

Tobit is from the tribe of Naphtali. When Assyria 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.
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Chapter 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.

When Assyria conquers Israel, they deport many of the people. This includes Tobit. He ends up in Nineveh, where he works on behalf of King Shalmaneser. 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.]