Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000588
00:15 Hello, and welcome to His Words are Life.
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for joining with me today 00:21 to continue reading in the story of Esther. Before we start, 00:26 let's pray together. Dear Lord, thank you for the evidences 00:31 of your power and deliverance that we are reading in this 00:35 story. Please, may the Holy Spirit bring to the hearts of 00:39 each one of us the assurance that just as you delivered 00:43 Esther and the Jews all these hundreds of years ago, 00:46 you have a deliverance for each of us today in whatever we are 00:51 facing right now. Please be with us. Thank you for hearing our 00:54 prayer. Amen. Although Haman had conspired to 00:59 destroy the Jews, God had answered the prayer of 01:04 Esther and her people, and granted them favor in the eyes 01:07 of the king and a decree had gone forth that they would be 01:10 able to defend themselves against the attack when it came. 01:13 We're going to pick up that story now in Esther, chapter 9, 01:17 beginning with verse 5. Thus the Jews smote all their 01:23 enemies with a stroke of the sword, and slaughter, 01:26 and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated 01:31 them. And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed 01:35 500 men. And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 01:41 and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, and Parmashta, and 01:46 Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, the 10 sons of 01:51 Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they 01:56 but on the spoil laid they not their hand. On that day 02:00 the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace 02:04 was brought before the king. And the king said unto Esther 02:07 the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan 02:12 the palace, and the 10 sons of Haman; what have they done in 02:16 the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy 02:20 petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy 02:23 request further? and it shall be done. Then said Esther, 02:28 If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews 02:32 which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according unto 02:37 this day's decree, and let Haman's 10 sons be hanged 02:41 upon the gallows. And the king commanded it so to be done: 02:46 and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged 02:49 Haman's 10 sons. For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered 02:53 themselves together on the 14th day also of the month Adar, 02:57 and slew 300 men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their 03:02 hand. But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces 03:05 gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, 03:08 and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes 03:12 seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on 03:17 the prey, on the 13th day of the month Adar; and on the 14th day 03:22 of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting 03:27 and gladness. But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled 03:32 together on the 13th day thereof and on the 14th thereof; and on 03:36 the 15th day of the same they rested, and made it a day of 03:40 feasting and gladness. Therefore the Jews of the 03:44 villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the 03:47 14th dayof the month Adair a day of gladness and feasting, 03:51 and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. 03:53 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the 03:57 Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus 04:00 both nigh and far, to stablish this among them, that they 04:04 should keep the 14th day of the month Adar, and the 15th day 04:08 of the same, yearly, as the days wherein the Jews rested 04:12 from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto 04:15 them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: 04:21 that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of 04:25 sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 04:28 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai 04:33 had written unto them; because Haman the son of Hammadatha, 04:37 the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against 04:41 the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, 04:45 to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came 04:50 before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked 04:54 device which he devised against the Jews, should return upon 04:57 his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the 05:01 gallows. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name 05:07 of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of 05:11 that which they had seen concerning this matter, 05:15 and which had come unto them, the Jews ordained, and took 05:18 upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined 05:22 themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would 05:27 keep these two days according to their writing, and according 05:30 to their appointed time every year; And that these days 05:33 should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, 05:37 every family, every province, and every city; and that these 05:41 days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, 05:44 nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. 05:47 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, 05:52 and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this 05:57 second letter of Purim. And he sent the letters unto all the 06:02 Jews, to the hundred and twenty and seven provinces of the 06:05 kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, to confirm 06:10 these days of Purim in their times appointed, according 06:12 as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined 06:15 them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their 06:18 seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. 06:21 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim 06:25 and it was written in the book. Finishing now the book of Esther 06:30 chapter 10. This is the King James Version. 06:33 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, 06:38 and upon the isles of the sea. And all the acts of his power 06:42 and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness 06:46 of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not 06:50 written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media 06:53 and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus 06:59 and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his 07:04 brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace 07:10 to all his seed. We're beginning now the book 07:15 of Job. This is the King James Version. 07:17 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; 07:23 and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God 07:27 and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him 7 sons and 07:33 3 daughters. His substance also was 7,000 sheep, and 3,000 07:37 camels, and 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she asses, and a very 07:42 great household; so that this man was the greatest of all 07:45 the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their 07:50 houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three 07:54 sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, 07:59 when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent 08:03 and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, 08:07 and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them 08:10 all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, 08:15 and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 08:20 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present 08:26 themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. 08:30 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence cometh thou? 08:34 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro 08:39 in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 08:41 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant 08:46 Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and 08:50 upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 08:54 Then Satan answered the Lord, Doth Job fear God for nought? 09:01 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, 09:05 and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed 09:09 the work of his hand, and his substance is increased in the 09:12 land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, 09:17 and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto 09:22 Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon 09:28 himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth 09:33 from the presence of the Lord. And there was a day when his 09:36 sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine 09:39 in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger 09:43 unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses 09:46 feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, 09:49 and took them away; yea they have slain the servants with the 09:52 edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 09:57 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, 10:02 The fire of God has fallen from heaven, and hath burned up 10:06 sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am 10:09 escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, 10:14 there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out 10:18 three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them 10:21 away, yea and slain the servants with the edge of the 10:24 sword and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 10:27 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, 10:33 and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and 10:37 drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, 10:40 there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four 10:43 corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, 10:45 and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 10:50 Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, 10:55 and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, 10:59 Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return 11:05 thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; 11:10 blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, 11:18 nor charged God foolishly. Continuing in Job chapter 2 11:24 This is the King James Version. Again there was a day when 11:30 the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, 11:33 and Satan came also among them to present himself before the 11:36 Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? 11:40 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro 11:45 in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 11:47 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant 11:52 Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an 11:57 upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 12:01 and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst 12:08 me against him, to destroy him without cause. 12:10 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, 12:16 all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth 12:20 thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will 12:24 curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, 12:29 he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth 12:35 from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils 12:40 from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him 12:46 a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among 12:51 the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain 12:56 thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou 13:00 speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we 13:05 receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? 13:09 In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 13:14 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was 13:20 come upon him, they came every one from his own place; 13:23 Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the 13:29 Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to 13:34 mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up 13:38 their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their 13:41 voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, 13:45 and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13:48 So they sat down with him upon the ground, seven days and seven 13:53 nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that 13:58 his grief was very great. 14:00 We're continuing in chapter 3 of the book of Job. 14:05 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 14:10 And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was 14:13 born, and the night in which it was said, there is a men child 14:17 conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it 14:22 from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 14:25 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud 14:29 dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. 14:33 Until we come together again, may God keep us faithful 14:37 like Job. Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17