1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Esther chapter seven, 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. So 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: the King and Hayman went to Queen Esther's banquet on 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,959 Speaker 1: this second occasion. While they were drinking wine, the king 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: again said to Esther, tell me what you want. Queen Esther, 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: what is your request? I will give it to you, 10 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: even if it is half the kingdom. Queen Esther replied, 11 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: if I have found favor with the King, and if 12 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: it pleases the King to grant my request. I asked 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: that my life and the lives of my people will 14 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: be spared for my people, and I have been sold 15 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, 17 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant 18 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: disturbing the king. Who would do such a thing? King 19 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: Xerxes demanded, who would be so presumptuous as to touch you? 20 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: Esther replied, this wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy. 21 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: Haman grew pale with fright before the King and queen. 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: Then the King jumped to his feet in a rage 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: and went out into the palace garden. Hayman, however, stayed 24 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: he knew that the king intended to kill him. In despair, 26 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining. 27 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: Just as the King was returning from the palace garden, 28 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: the King exclaimed, will he even assault the queen right 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: here in the palace before my very eyes? And as 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Hayman's face, 31 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: signaling his doom. Then Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, 32 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: Hayman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy 33 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to 34 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the 35 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: king from assassination, then impale Hayman on it, the King ordered, 36 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: so they impaled Haman on the pole he had set 37 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: up for Mordecai, and the King's anger subsided. Let's pray, Lord, 38 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 39 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at it 40 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 1: together today. And Lord, as we look at this portion 41 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: of Scripture, we can see that you had shown favor 42 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: to Esther and that you were using her to protect 43 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: the Jewish people from Hayman, who had intended to kill them. 44 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: And Lord, as we could see by just taking a 45 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: quick glance at human history, seems like there's always somebody 46 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: trying to annihilate the Jewish people. Even in recent history, 47 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: we've seen that take place. And Lord, we know that 48 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: there's more to it than just political issues or political concerns. 49 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: We know, Lord, that there's a spiritual component to it, 50 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: because it was through the Jewish people that your son 51 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ came into this world, and Satan has repeatedly 52 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 1: sought to attack them time and time again. Lord, we're 53 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: grateful for the promises of Scripture. We're grateful for the 54 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: fact that you tell us in your word that there's 55 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: going to be a great harvest of believers that come 56 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: from the Jewish nation, that there are many who will 57 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: turn to faith in your son Jesus Christ and will 58 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: come to know him as their savior and Messiah. We're 59 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: grateful for that, Lord, and we look forward to that day. 60 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: And we're thankful Lord for your choice to reveal to 61 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: us our need for Jesus Christ to be our savior 62 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: as well. Lord, we pray that throughout the course of 63 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: today and every day, that we would live our lives 64 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: in such a way that we bring you honor and 65 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: glory and we show that our faith in Jesus Christ 66 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: is absolutely genuine and true. We love you, Lord, and 67 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: we thank you for your presence with us today. We 68 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.