WEBVTT - Esther 3

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangei, and today we're in Esther chapter three,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the message. Sometime later, King

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<v Speaker 1>Xerxes promoted Haman, son of Hamatatha the Agagite, making him

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<v Speaker 1>the highest ranking official in the government. All the king's

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<v Speaker 1>servants at the king's gate used to honor him by

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<v Speaker 1>bowing down and kneeling before Hayman. That's what the king

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<v Speaker 1>had commanded, except Mordecai. Mordecai wouldn't do it, wouldn't bow

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<v Speaker 1>down and kneel. The king's servants at the king's gate

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<v Speaker 1>asked Mordecai about it. Why do you cross the king's command?

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<v Speaker 1>Day after day they spoke to him about this, but

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<v Speaker 1>he wouldn't listen. So they went to Haman to see

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<v Speaker 1>whether something shouldn't be done about it. Mordechai had told

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<v Speaker 1>them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw for

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<v Speaker 1>himself that Mordechai didn't bow down and kneel before him,

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<v Speaker 1>he was outraged. Meanwhile, having learned that Mordechai was a Jew.

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<v Speaker 1>Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew.

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<v Speaker 1>He looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordechai,

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<v Speaker 1>but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. In

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<v Speaker 1>the first month, the month of Nissan of the twelfth

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<v Speaker 1>year of Xerxes, the purr that is the lot was

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<v Speaker 1>cast under Hayman's charge to determine the propitious day and month.

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<v Speaker 1>The lot turned up the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,

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<v Speaker 1>which is the month of Adar. Haman then spoke with

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<v Speaker 1>King Xerxes. There is an odd set of people scattered

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<v Speaker 1>through the provinces of your kingdom who don't fit in.

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<v Speaker 1>Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse,

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<v Speaker 1>they disregard the King's laws. They're in affront. The King

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<v Speaker 1>shouldn't put up with them. If it pleases the King,

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<v Speaker 1>let orders be given that they be destroyed. I'll pay

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<v Speaker 1>for it myself. I'll deposit three hundred and seventy five

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<v Speaker 1>tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation.

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<v Speaker 1>The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and

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<v Speaker 1>gave it to Haman, son of Hamatatha, the Agagite arch

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<v Speaker 1>enemy of the Jews. Go ahead, the king said to Haman,

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<v Speaker 1>it's your money. Do whatever you want with those people.

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<v Speaker 1>The king's secretaries were brought in on the thirteenth day

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<v Speaker 1>of the first month. The orders were written out word

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<v Speaker 1>for word as Hayman had addressed them to the King, satraps,

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<v Speaker 1>the governors of every province, and the officials of every people.

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<v Speaker 1>They were written in the script of each province and

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<v Speaker 1>the language of each people, in the name of King Xerxes,

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<v Speaker 1>and sealed with the royal signet ring. Bulletins were sent

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<v Speaker 1>out by couriers to all the King's provinces with orders

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<v Speaker 1>to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews, youngsters and

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<v Speaker 1>old men, women and babies on a single day, the

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<v Speaker 1>thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,

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<v Speaker 1>and to plunder their goods. Copies of the bulletin were

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<v Speaker 1>to be posted in each province publicly available to all

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<v Speaker 1>peoples to get them ready for that day. At the

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<v Speaker 1>King's command, the couriers took off. The order was also

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<v Speaker 1>posted in the palace complex of Susa. The King and

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<v Speaker 1>Hayman sat back and had a drink while the city

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<v Speaker 1>of Susa reeled from the news. Let's pray, Lord, we

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for your word, and we thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>the privilege of being able to look at it today.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, when we look at this portion of scripture,

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<v Speaker 1>we see a pattern that's been repeated throughout the course

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<v Speaker 1>of history. We see people that have risen up against

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<v Speaker 1>the Jewish people for no other reason other than the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that they have followed your laws and stood out

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<v Speaker 1>as peculiar among the other nations. Lord, we know that

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<v Speaker 1>Satan inspires these kinds of attacks against the Jewish people.

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<v Speaker 1>Here in the Old Covenant we see this taking place,

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<v Speaker 1>and we recognize that as Satan was attempting to do this,

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<v Speaker 1>he was trying to eliminate the people through whom the

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<v Speaker 1>Messiah was prophesied to come. So, in one respect, this

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<v Speaker 1>was an attack on the Jewish people, but in another respect,

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<v Speaker 1>this was an attempt to go against what you had

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<v Speaker 1>prophesied would take place, that, namely, a son of Abraham,

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<v Speaker 1>a son of David, would come and would offer salvation

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<v Speaker 1>to the nations. Lord, we can see your hand at

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<v Speaker 1>work in this passage of scripture, and throughout the course

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<v Speaker 1>of this book, and we could see your hand at

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<v Speaker 1>work throughout the course of human history. And Lord, it's

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<v Speaker 1>been your desire and your effort to draw mankind unto yourself.

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<v Speaker 1>And we thank you Lord that nothing can get in

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<v Speaker 1>the way of your plan and succeed. That you always prevail,

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<v Speaker 1>no matter what the obstacle or the opposition. So we're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful that we have the privilege to see this take

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<v Speaker 1>place in this book, and we pray Lord that we

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<v Speaker 1>would be reminded of these things as well throughout the

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<v Speaker 1>course of our lives. We love you, Lord, We commit

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<v Speaker 1>this day to your care, and we thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.