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Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Esther chapter nine,
Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New English translation. In
Speaker 1: the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar, on
Speaker 1: the thirteenth day, the edict of the King and his
Speaker 1: Law were to be executed. It was on this day
Speaker 1: that the enemies of the Jews had supposed that they
Speaker 1: would gain power over them. But contrary to expectations, the
Speaker 1: Jews gained power over their enemies. The Jews assembled themselves
Speaker 1: in their cities throughout all the provinces of King ahashu
Speaker 1: Harris to strike out against those who were seeking their harm.
Speaker 1: No one was able to stand before them, for dread
Speaker 1: of them fell on all the peoples. All the officials
Speaker 1: of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those who
Speaker 1: performed the king's business were assisting the Jews, for the
Speaker 1: dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. Mordecai was of
Speaker 1: high rank in the King's palace, and word about him
Speaker 1: was spreading throughout all the provinces. His influence continued to
Speaker 1: become greater and greater. The Jews struck all their enemies
Speaker 1: with the sword, bringing death and destruction, and they did
Speaker 1: as they pleased with their enemies. In Susa the Citadel,
Speaker 1: the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. In addition,
Speaker 1: they also killed Partian Datha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adelia, Aredatha, Parmashda, Airipsi, Aridai,
Speaker 1: and Vasatha, the ten sons of Haman, son of Himatatha,
Speaker 1: the enemy of the Jews, but they did not confiscate
Speaker 1: their property. On that same day, the number of those
Speaker 1: killed in Susa the Citadel was brought to the King's attention. Then,
Speaker 1: the King said to Queen Esther, in Susa the Citadel,
Speaker 1: the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and
Speaker 1: the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done?
Speaker 1: And the rest of the King's provinces, What is your request?
Speaker 1: It shall be given to you. What other petition do
Speaker 1: you have? It shall be done. Esther replied, If the
Speaker 1: King is so inclined, let the Jews who are in
Speaker 1: Susa be permitted to act tomorrow. Also according to today's
Speaker 1: law and let them hang the ten sons of Haman
Speaker 1: on the gallows. So the king issued orders for this
Speaker 1: to be done. A law was passed in Susa, and
Speaker 1: the ten sons of Haman were hanged. The Jews who
Speaker 1: were in Susa then assembled on the fourteenth day of
Speaker 1: the month of Adar, and they killed three hundred men
Speaker 1: in Susa, but they did not confiscate their property. The
Speaker 1: rest of the Jews who were throughout the provinces of
Speaker 1: the king assembled in order to stand up for themselves
Speaker 1: and to have rest from their enemies. They killed seventy
Speaker 1: five thousand of their adversaries, but they did not confiscate
Speaker 1: their property. All of this happened on the thirteenth day
Speaker 1: of the month of Adar. They then rested on the
Speaker 1: fourteenth day and made it a day for banqueting and happiness.
Speaker 1: But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the
Speaker 1: thirteenth and fourteenth days and rested on the fifteenth, making
Speaker 1: it a day for banqueting and happiness. This is why
Speaker 1: the Jews who are in the rural country, those who
Speaker 1: live in rural cities set aside the fourteenth day of
Speaker 1: the month of Adar as a holiday. For happiness, banqueting holiday,
Speaker 1: and sending gifts to one another. Mordecai wrote these matters
Speaker 1: down and sent letters to all the Jews who were
Speaker 1: throughout all the provinces of King Ahashuaras, both near and far,
Speaker 1: to have them observe the fourteenth and the fifteenth day
Speaker 1: of the month of Adar each year as the time
Speaker 1: when the Jews gave themselves rest from their enemies, the
Speaker 1: month when their trouble was turned to happiness, and their
Speaker 1: mourning to a holiday. These were to be days of banqueting, happiness,
Speaker 1: sending gifts to one another, and providing for the poor.
Speaker 1: So the Jews committed themselves to continue what they had
Speaker 1: begun to do and to what Mordecai had written to them.
Speaker 1: For Haman, the son of Hamatatha, the Agagite, the enemy
Speaker 1: of all the Jews, had devised plans against the Jews
Speaker 1: to destroy them. He had cast purr, that is the lot,
Speaker 1: in order to afflict and destroy them. But when the
Speaker 1: matter came to the King's attention, the king gave written
Speaker 1: orders that Hayman's evil intentions that he had devised against
Speaker 1: the Jews should fall on his own head. He and
Speaker 1: his sons were hanged on the gallows. For this reason,
Speaker 1: these days are known as Perham, after the name of Perr. Therefore,
Speaker 1: because of the account found in this letter, and what
Speaker 1: they had faced in this regard and what had happened
Speaker 1: to them, the Jews established as binding on themselves, their descendants,
Speaker 1: and all who joined their company, that they should observe
Speaker 1: these two days without fail, just as written and at
Speaker 1: the appropriate time, on an annual basis. These days were
Speaker 1: to be remembered and to be celebrated in every generation
Speaker 1: and in every family, every province, and every city. The
Speaker 1: Jews were not to fail to observe these days of Perham.
Speaker 1: The remembrance of them was not to cease among their descendants.
Speaker 1: So Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew,
Speaker 1: wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Perham.
Speaker 1: Letters were sent to all the Jews in the one
Speaker 1: hundred and twenty seven provinces of the Empire of ahashueiras
Speaker 1: words of true peace, to establish these days of Perham
Speaker 1: in their proper times, just as Mordecai the Jew and
Speaker 1: Queen Esther had established, and just as they had established
Speaker 1: both for themselves and their descendants matters pertaining to fasting
Speaker 1: and lamentation. Esther's command established these matters of perham, and
Speaker 1: the matter was officially recorded. Let's pray, Lord, we thank
Speaker 1: you for your word, and we thank you for the
Speaker 1: privilege of looking at this portion of scripture today and
Speaker 1: meditating on its content, and watching as you chose to
Speaker 1: deliver the Jewish people, and seeing how they celebrated this,
Speaker 1: and seeing how they rejoiced in what you had accomplished,
Speaker 1: how you delivered them from their adversaries. Lord, we know
Speaker 1: that through Jesus Christ, you've done the same for us.
Speaker 1: You tell us in your word that we have an adversary,
Speaker 1: the devil, who prowls around like a lion looking for
Speaker 1: someone to devour, but you have delivered us from him.
Speaker 1: In Christ's resurrection death, Sin and Satan were defeated. So
Speaker 1: Satan is a defeated adversary because you have chosen to
Speaker 1: share your victory with us. And we rejoice in that fact, Lord,
Speaker 1: and we thank you for your protection and your defense
Speaker 1: of us. We pray Lord, that we would be people
Speaker 1: who honor you and love you in all contexts of
Speaker 1: our life, that every day that we live would be
Speaker 1: a day that we would put you first. And Lord,
Speaker 1: we pray that we would rejoice in this new life
Speaker 1: and the gift of salvation that we have through faith
Speaker 1: in Jesus Christ, and that throughout the course of this
Speaker 1: day that you would be first on our minds. We
Speaker 1: love you, Lord, We thank you for your presence with
Speaker 1: us today, and we commit this day to your care
Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. Amen.