WEBVTT - Esther 6

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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 today Audio Bible.

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

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. That night,

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<v Speaker 1>the king could not sleep, and he had a servant

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<v Speaker 1>read him the records of what had happened since he

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<v Speaker 1>had been king. When the servant read how Mordecai had

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<v Speaker 1>kept Big Thana and Taresh from killing the king, the

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<v Speaker 1>king asked, what has been done to reward Mordecai for

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<v Speaker 1>this Nothing, your majesty, the king's servants replied. About this time,

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<v Speaker 1>Hayman came in to ask the king to have Mordecai

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<v Speaker 1>hanged on the tower he had built. The king saw

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<v Speaker 1>him and ask who is that man waiting in front

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<v Speaker 1>of the throne room. The king's servants answered, your majesty,

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<v Speaker 1>it is Haman. Have him come in, the king commanded.

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<v Speaker 1>When Haman entered the room, the king asked him, what

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<v Speaker 1>should I do for a man I want to honor.

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<v Speaker 1>Haman was sure that he was the one the king

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to honor, so he replied your majesty, if you

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<v Speaker 1>wish to honor a man, have someone bring him one

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<v Speaker 1>of your own robes and one of your own horses

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<v Speaker 1>with a fancy headdress. Have one of your highest officials

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<v Speaker 1>place your robe on this man and lead him through

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<v Speaker 1>the streets on your horse, while someone shouts, this is

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<v Speaker 1>how the King honors a man. The king replied, hurry

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<v Speaker 1>and do just what you have said. Don't forget a thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Get the robe and the horse for Mordecai, the Jew,

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<v Speaker 1>who is on duty at the palace gate. Hamon got

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<v Speaker 1>the king's robe and put it on Mordecai. He led

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<v Speaker 1>him through this city on the horse and shouted as

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<v Speaker 1>he went, this is how the King honors a man. Afterwards,

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<v Speaker 1>Mordecai returned to his duties at the palace gate, and

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<v Speaker 1>Hayman hurried home, hiding his face in shame. Hayman told

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<v Speaker 1>his wife and friends what had happened. Then his wife

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<v Speaker 1>and his advisers said, if Mordecai is a Jew, this

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<v Speaker 1>is just the beginning of your troubles. You will end

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<v Speaker 1>up a ruined man. They were still talking when the

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<v Speaker 1>king's servants came and quickly took Haymen to the dinner

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<v Speaker 1>that Esther had prepared. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you

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

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<v Speaker 1>of being able to look at it together today. And Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>as we look at this portion of scripture, we can

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<v Speaker 1>see that Mordecai was someone who eagerly desired to serve

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<v Speaker 1>the king and eagerly desired to serve the Jewish people.

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<v Speaker 1>And we get the impressed from this scripture that he

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<v Speaker 1>was a man who exercised humility, and that stands out

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<v Speaker 1>in great contrast to Haman, who just like to be

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<v Speaker 1>elevated and praised and thought well of. But Lord, you

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<v Speaker 1>tell us multiple times in your word that you oppose

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<v Speaker 1>the proud, but give your grace to the humble. And Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>it's clear that you were opposing Hayman. You despise pride. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>that's something that Satan himself displays continually, and that's something

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<v Speaker 1>that we as human beings struggle with. Sometimes it results

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<v Speaker 1>in us being unteachable. Sometimes it results in us elevating

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<v Speaker 1>ourselves above others and the needs of others. Sometimes it

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<v Speaker 1>results in us being in a spot where the only

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<v Speaker 1>voice we want to listen to is our own, and

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<v Speaker 1>we ignore your counsel because of our own pride. But Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you've shown us what true humility really looks like, and

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<v Speaker 1>we see that in your son Jesus Christ, who willingly

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<v Speaker 1>took on flesh even though he is one with you,

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<v Speaker 1>and he did so with the desire to serve us,

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<v Speaker 1>so that through faith in him, we could be part

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<v Speaker 1>of your family forever. Lord. We're grateful that you've accomplished this.

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<v Speaker 1>We're grateful for the privilege of being able to meditate

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<v Speaker 1>on that truth today, and we pray, Lord that you

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<v Speaker 1>would foster within our hearts the kind of humility that's

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<v Speaker 1>been modeled for us by your son Jesus Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>that you'd be honored and glorified in all aspects of

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<v Speaker 1>our lives. We love you, Lord, and we just thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for all of these things, and we commit this

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<v Speaker 1>day to your care. In Jesus' name. We pray Amen.