11 Burst results for "Esther Chapter"
Evangelism on SermonAudio
"esther chapter" Discussed on Evangelism on SermonAudio
"So there was much rejoicing in that city. Of course there was rejoicing there was rejoicing because what was happening here was a period of true spiritual awakening you might even say to borrow a term that's way overused and overhyped in our day that revival was breaking out now note what was at the center of this period of spiritual awakening or revival if we want to use that term it's in verse 4 it's the preaching of the word the preaching of the word was central to whatever spiritual awakening was happening here in Samaria and whenever there's true revival or true spiritual Reformation or true spiritual awakening the preaching of the word is always prominent it's not about feelings or emotions or loud rock music. And note the where that this revival had broken out Samaria a region that was made up of people of mixed blood. These were known derisively the people here is as half breeds the Samaritans were descendants of Jews who had intermarried with non-Jews and develop their own culture and really religious practices, but we know that they hung on to at least some aspects of old Judaism we see that in Jesus's encounter with the woman at the well in John chapter 4 the Samaritan woman though a Samaritan and though considered distinct from the Jews this Samaritan woman says to Jesus in John 4 25 I know that Messiah is coming she says he who is called Christ and when that one comes he will declare all things to us. So that's the where of this revival Samaria and now note the who who is at the center of this revival. It's Philip. Philip not Philip the Apostle. This is not one of the 12 rather. This is a different Philip a Philip who would later become known as Philip the evangelists. This was the Philip who is one of the seven who was called to distribute food to the widows in Acts 6 5 so that the Apostles could devote themselves to prayer in the ministry of the word. This Philip was a rather unheralded man. He was given these rather unheralded roles, but as we're going to soon see he was used by the Lord mightily in causing his gospel to be spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and now eventually to the ends of the earth and that catches us up 15 minutes later. The table is now set for our text today Acts 8 25 really serves as the front porch or the preface to all that happens in the remainder of this text. Let's look at what it says God's word reads. So when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord they started back to Jerusalem and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans now the they that's being referred to here when it says they had solemnly testified that's referring to Peter and John though Philip is singled out earlier in Acts chapter 8 as the one who is proclaiming Christ there in Samaria. We're told earlier in Acts chapter 8 in fact go with me over to Acts 8 8 14 that Peter and John in the midst of this spiritual awakening were called in as apostolic reinforcements to help Peter out. Look at Acts 8 14 says now when the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent them Peter and John who came down meaning down from Jerusalem and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. So as we go back to verse 25 these these apostolic reinforcements Peter and John now they're getting ready to head back up to Jerusalem. It tells us they'd actually started back to Jerusalem but preachers and evangelists they were Peter and John didn't waste any part of their trip as they were heading back to Jerusalem. It says they were still preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans in other words, Peter and John weren't in Samaria as as tourists. They were there as soul winners and they were taking advantage of every moment and every opportunity to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. So Peter and John here head back up to Jerusalem. They're on their way back to Jerusalem this Beachhead for a gospel proclamation is established here in Samaria. And now we have Philip. All by himself there in Samaria and he's there to keep plowing and keep sharing and keep spreading the gospel and we can just say this up front now. Philip had seen success in Samaria from from his earliest days of proclaiming Christ in this region. We see from Acts 8 8 that there was rejoicing in this city as many came to Christ as they heard the word described and proclaimed. Not only was there rejoicing though. We see that the big guns were sent to Samaria Peter and John came down to help Philip out to expand and to develop the ministry. So up to this point every step of Phillips ministry in Samaria indicated that he was doing a good and a faithful job and that the Lord was blessing his work. This is the point at which any minister might be tempted to park it in neutral and Coast to think that he's arrived to think that he's above certain tasks and responsibilities or even requests. Not Philip Philip was no such minister. Take a look at verse 26 says but an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. Now, if you're taking notes here this morning, our second point, we've seen the context. Our second point is the command here in verse 26 the command a command you'll note that comes from an angel of the Lord. Now, we're not given any indication here who this angel was. We're not even told if this angel appeared visibly to Philip. All we have is what the text tells us which is that this angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and note what the angel commanded Philip to do. It says get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. Get up command number one. Like there's no time to rest. There's no time to sit Philip. You have not cashed in your early retirement here and then he tells them to go south. He was to leave the place where many were now being blessed through his ministry there in Samaria and he was to go further south to where God wanted him to go. And this is a consistent testimony of what God does throughout the scriptures. Is it not? This is what Abram told God told Abram to do to leave her of the Chaldees. This is what God had the Israelites to leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. This is what God had Mary and Joseph do leaving Egypt many centuries later. It's just what he does. And in Philip's case God directed him through this angelic down to this road and note that as God directed Philip to do so it was not so that he could take on a bigger ministry or raise his profile or trade on the name that he had established for himself there in Samaria and use it elsewhere. No God called Philip out of Samaria as he directed him through this angelic statement and I want you to note this here because it plays into where we're going to go later. He called him out of Samaria to preach to one man to minister to one man an Ethiopian man a man acts one eight from the remotest part of the earth who we're going to meet in a little bit first though. I want us to work more through more of this up this angels command here in verse 26. He says go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza and then Luke gives us this parenthetical information. This is a desert road and there was in fact a road in this region and it was in fact a desert road and it was actually known as the desert road that ran in this northeast to southwest direction from Jerusalem down to Gaza and the significance of this road is that it would connect the traveler to the main road just south of Gaza and that main road in turn would take you down to Egypt and all the way down into the heart of Africa the desert road in other words was like our highway 77 or a highway to that connects us to the interstate so we can get to wherever we need to go. Now as for Gaza itself it had a very long and storied history. In fact, there were historically two Gazas. There was ancient Gaza and then there was the modern Gaza which was the Gaza of Philip's day ancient Gaza was recorded all the way back in Genesis 10 the table of Nations Genesis 1019 refers to Gaza as being sort of the frontier city of the old Canaanites. It also became an enclave for the Philistines in the days of King David ancient Gaza was besieged by Alexander the Great in the 330s BC and eventually was toppled by the Roman Empire around 93 BC. The new Gaza the Gaza of Philip's day was built to the south of the original Gaza around 57 BC and this desert road that this angel is speaking of here to Philip originated in Jerusalem and then again bisected Gaza and then led travelers down to Egypt and to Africa. So it was a much traveled road a very important road in the ancient world and God here through the Angel of the Lord is commanding Philip to get on that road. His time in Samaria is over notwithstanding whatever success whatever ministry success he's experienced there and note that the command here comes with no promise of what's ahead for Philip it comes with no suggestion not even a hint of what lies ahead of him on that road God simply through this angel told Philip to go and we know that God is the God who doesn't change. He's the same yesterday today and forever and he can never be subject to the charge that he is ever vague or ambiguous with his commands, right? He told Abram to go in Genesis 12. He told Jonah to go to Nineveh. He tells Philip here to go he tells us Matthew 28 19 to do what go and make disciples and look at Phillips response here to this simple command to go look at the first few words of verse 27. So he got up and went. Now let those words just sink in for a little bit. I'm notorious for not being a marker and an underliner in my Bible, but if there's a line to underline or mark in your Bible, that's a great one to underline and Mark he got up and went right these words are so simple. They're so profound. They're so convicting. He's simply got up and went how often do we expose the exact opposite attitude of what Philip is demonstrating here reconcile with that family member who offended me. No, I'm going to wait until they come to me pray for the salvation of that hostile co-worker know someone else can do that pray about joining that church plan out in Scott's Bluff gross. That's not for me. That's the attitude that we demonstrate if we're not careful. And not only is it the attitude that we can demonstrate that's hostile to this way of thinking we can actually act in a way that's inconsistent with what's being described here. We can be like Jonah running in the exact opposite direction of where God tells us to go go to Nineveh. No, thanks. I'd rather go to Tarshish live with my wife in an understanding way. No, you just understand how difficult she is. That's impossible or pursue a spirit-filled life of holiness and godliness as a reasonable response to the salvation. I've been given no, I'd rather go on with porn and adultery and lying and stealing and drunkenness. I'm one of those kind of Christians even though first Corinthians 6 says those will not inherit the kingdom of God. Phillip here showed no such resistance. He showed no such hesitancy. He showed no such obstinacy. No, the message here from the Lord was clear the command here from Phillip was uncontested and he demonstrated unquestioned obedience to God by getting on that road from Jerusalem to Gaza. He left civilization for the desert road and he left this place of spiritual blessing there in Samaria to this unknown future. It's all baked into what said here. He got up and went. There's no wrestling or wrangling with the Lord here. He's not saying, you know, Lord, this is not the greatest time for me to leave. There's no attempting to reason with the Lord here. He's not saying Lord. Don't you see how this ministry is being blessed. There's no attempting to negotiate with the Lord. Just let me stay six more months in Samaria and then Lord I'll let you know how I feel about really going. No, there was none of that begrudging behavior. He got up it says and he went. And then look at what comes next in verse 27 and there was an Ethiopian eunuch a court official of Candace Queen of the Ethiopians who was in charge of all her treasure and he had come to Jerusalem to worship. It brings us to our third point this morning the contact the contact so Philip is on the road the very desert road that the Angel of the Lord had told him to get on and now the scene shifts from Philip to this new figure this Ethiopian eunuch now in ancient times Ethiopia refer to this territory that was far larger than the national Ethiopia of today the Ethiopia of Philip's day made up really all of what constitutes like if you can picture a map of Africa the continent of Africa right now the entire southern stem of Africa would have been the Ethiopia of Philip's day. It was vast in its scope and its size and this figure that we're introduced to here in verse 27 is described as not only being from Ethiopia, but he's an Ethiopian eunuch. Meaning he's been emasculated all of his male organs have been removed and that's not just a random fact here. There's a reason for this which comes next because he was a court official of Candace Queen of Ethiopians and in other words this man was assigned to work in a royal harem the room of the the household of the first family of the Ethiopians that he was assigned to was made up entirely of women. And so as was customary in this time and in this culture he had been castrated and you can jot down Esther chapter 2 verse 3 is a cross reference here where we see a castrated ruler of a royal harem. Maybe it's what they did back then now Candace here was not the the given name of this Queen of the Ethiopians rather Candace was her title like Pharaoh or Caesar this was actually the title that all Queens of Ethiopia were given and this Queen actually had a heightened degree of power and authority in Ethiopia and the reason for that was her son the royal son was considered to be divine offspring of the Sun like the celestial being that gives us warmth and light. These were Sun worshippers and the thought was that the actual ruler of Ethiopia was a descendant of the Sun and he was too busy being a God to worry himself with governing Ethiopia that authority fell to his mother the Queen mother Candace she dealt with the menial affairs of the state. That's what was happening here. So point being Candace Queen was actually the ruler of Ethiopia and now this Ethiopian eunuch is described as an official in her court a very powerful woman. Now it gets even more specific as it says here that he was in charge of all her treasure. So he's not just an official. He's not just you know, the dogcatcher he is a minister of finance. He's a secretary of the Treasury. He's controlling the Queen's purse strings. He's way up there. And then look at the end of verse 27 where we're given this fascinating detail about this man from Ethiopia, which is that he had come to Jerusalem to worship. So that to orient ourselves here, he's he's heading south on this same dirt road that Philip is now on and what's really fascinating is where he's coming from. He's coming from Jerusalem apparently now headed back south home to Ethiopia. It says here he had come to Jerusalem to worship now according to the law the Mosaic law according to the practices of this day a man like him could not have been a full-on convert to Judaism. He could not be what was known as a proselyte not only because he was physically incapable of meeting one requirement namely being circumcised for obvious reasons, but Deuteronomy 23 1 expressly says this no one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord. So he's disqualified. He can't be a proselyte cannot convert fully to Judaism more likely than is that he was what was then known as a God fear not a proselyte but a God fear. This would be somebody who could not access the temple Deuteronomy 23, but someone who could still sit in one of the far-flung synagogues and hear teaching through the Jewish scriptures. He could still at least do that and he could still at least become familiarized with the moral standards of Judaism and seek somehow to live a life in accordance with those standards and be a true seeker in the best sense of the term and again as he encountered Philip here this eunuch this Ethiopian eunuch was returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy City to Jerusalem. Now back in Ethiopia, he was missing some very important parts and equipment. And I'll give you that but this man had prestige he had power he had honor he had wealth he had everything that he could have needed or wanted but but there evidently was something gnawing in him and something going on with him that he saw a need to get up to Jerusalem and seek for some sort of truth. And what would he have found in Jerusalem? Well, he would have found ritual he would have found ceremony. He would have found tradition. I mean it might have scratched certain niches, but it didn't get him ultimately to the truth. And what we do know that what we came back with was a copy of the scroll of Isaiah look at verse 28 says and he was returning again from Jerusalem and sitting in his chariot and was reading the prophet Isaiah. So he's sitting there in his chariot and meaning he has been carried along on this journey back and forth to and from Jerusalem. I did a lot of research on this this part of the passage this week probably too much research and I land on the position that this chariot was likely one of those old school walking chariots picture the two very long poles and then the four guys posted hoisting them over their shoulder walking a thousand miles, you know to get this guy to Jerusalem and back that's where I think the kind of chariot this was so whatever it was with wheels or with poles. This was obviously a very wealthy man a man of privilege sufficiently wealthy not only to be carried along in a chariot, but to have a copy of a scroll of Isaiah those weren't easy to come by in those days. There was no logos or Google or any other way to just easily pull off or pull down Isaiah and I look at verse 29 says then the spirit said to Philip go up and join this chariot. So first back in verse 26. It's the angel of the Lord who speaks to Philip and tells him to get on that road to Gaza now in verse 29. It's the Holy Spirit who is speaking directly to Philip and directing him about his next steps and I just want to have us Park our thoughts here for just a little bit because for those of us who have read this account before we know where the story ends. We praise God for where the story ends the story ends with this man from Ethiopia trusting in Jesus Christ and getting saved. Here's what I want us to note though because we're not there yet that those salvation comes to this Ethiopian eunuch a bit later in this account. The Holy Spirit was already involved in the process much earlier. The Holy Spirit was already drawing him the Holy Spirit had already prompted him to go to Jerusalem and Holy Spirit had prompted him to purchase a copy of all things the scroll of Isaiah and the Holy Spirit had prompted his eyes to land upon of all places Isaiah 53 and the Holy Spirit here speaks directly audibly to Philip and says go to that man who's reading Isaiah 53 and minister to him in the ways that we're about to see and what this sequence of events and circumstances shows us here today is that salvation as Jonah 2 9 puts it is truly of the Lord salvation is totally and completely and always has been completely in the hands of the Lord salvation is initiated by God willed by God brought forth by God given by God and seen through by God. None of us deserve salvation. None of us could ever merits or earn our salvation before God a holy God. We are spiritually blind and spiritually dead. That's the testimony of Scripture Ephesians 2 1 but you were dead in your trespasses and sins and apart from the choice of the father and the salvation purchased by the son and the quickening by the Holy Spirit. The reality is we would have remained in that Ephesians 2 1 state of spiritual deadness and spiritual blindness, but here the spirit evidently had already been working in the heart of this Ethiopian eunuch drawing him to himself and working directly on Philip directing him audibly to overtake this chariot. And as we saw back in verse 26 when Philip immediately obeyed the Angel of the Lord's command to get on that road to Gaza here when the spirit prompts Philip to get up and join this eunuch in the chariot his obedience his compliance is immediate look at verse 30 Philip ran up. He didn't drag his feet. He didn't pause he didn't hesitate he didn't say but wait a second spirit. I have a few questions for you know what we see here right away is immediate obedience no delay in compliance and as we continue on in verse 30 note what Philip encountered it says he ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said do you understand what you're reading? Philip it says heard him reading. So the eunuch clearly was reading aloud. He wasn't reading this internally or in his mind. This was new material to him. It was unfamiliar material to him so you can kind of picture him spelling out the words and sounding out the words audibly the way that we might do when we have a letter in our hands that we're trying to make out or when we see a plaque on a wall that we can't quite make out we tend to when it's not familiar read it out loud and sounded out the way a toddler does with their alphabet, right? So what he was doing here was not unusual sounding it out reading it out loud and then in the next part of verse 30 we have this first verbal interaction between Philip and the eunuch Philip asks him do you understand what you're reading? So the picture here is the chariots moving at this I think walking pace Philip hears the eunuch reading Isaiah 53 inside the chariot and then without skipping a beat or delaying he catches up with the eunuch and the chariot goes right up to him and he doesn't ask him where he's from he doesn't ask him about where he's coming from or where he's going. He's not asking him about any complaints he has about the uneven nature of the road that they're on. He's not asking about the weather. He knows he has a fish on the line. He knows that this fish on the line is reading from Isaiah 53 a messianic prophecy. He knows that this man inside that chariot is searching for truth and he knows that the spirit has already audibly commanded him to guide this man into truth. So he cuts right to the chase and asks him do you understand what you're reading? Now Philip knew what he was reading. He knew what this text pointed to better stated. He knew who this text pointed to and he wanted to help him by pointing him to Jesus Christ and that's exactly what we see in the next several verses. Our fourth point this morning, by the way, is the conversion the conversion look at how the eunuch replies to Phillips question here in verse 31. It says and he said well, how could I unless someone guides me? And there we have it this Ethiopian eunuch this God fear fresh off his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and with his eyes fixed squarely on the words of Isaiah 53 is looking for someone to guide him into the truth. Now admittedly what we have recorded for us here in Acts chapter 8 reflects an entirely different era of biblical history. We've got the angel of the Lord speaking audibly to Philip. We've got the spirit of the Lord speaking audibly to Philip those things don't happen anymore. And if you want to some dialogue on that if you come from a different background, I'd be happy to chat with you in the South Lobby about those statements. I just made but what we also have here and what's notable is that this Ethiopian eunuch is a truth seeker. Which in our day if we want to be really honest, that's sort of an oddity, isn't it that there'd be a truth seeker out there? I mean we do not live in a time in which people like this are just openly seeking the truth. No, we live in a time which is known for its ramped-up efforts to suppress the truth. We live in a time in which states like California are now passing legislation to take away custodial rights from parents who don't affirm the made-up new gender identities of their minor children. We live in a time in which God's Word the Bible is openly branded as hate speech. And to make matters worse. We live in a completely dumbed-down period of history in which people aren't reading widely. They aren't thinking critically. They aren't processing information effectively and sadly they can't care to be bothered about their own ignorance and their desperate need for truth. Their foolish hearts truly are darkened. And so while they suppress the truth, it's the truth that they need. Though they spit the medicine out like the toddler turning his head back and forth who just won't take it. It's the medicine they need. And as followers of Jesus Christ like Philip or like you and me, we are called to be dispensers of that truth. The eunuch here was ready for truth. He was inviting this encounter with Philip. He was ready to take the medicine. Which is why he asks the question there in verse 31. Well, how could I unless someone guides me? And he also shows his readiness to take his medicine in inviting Philip at the end of verse 31 there to come up and sit with him to sit in the chariot. And now we come to verses 32 and 33. Earlier Luke is telling us that the eunuch was reading from Isaiah, but here in verses 32 and 33 were given the exact reference for what this eunuch was reading there in the chariot. It says now the passage of scripture which he was reading was this and this is a quote by the way of Isaiah 53 7 and 8. He was led as a sheep to slaughter and as a lamb before its shearer is silent. So he does not open his mouth in humiliation. His judgment was taken away who will relate his generation for his life is removed from the earth. And so now we're starting to see as surely Philip was starting to see the very reason that the Lord had sent him on this journey South. The meeting the reading the precise passage that was being read the questions that the eunuch was asking it was all clearly Providential and all clearly purposed by God. But Philip's work as we see wasn't done yet because as we see in verse 34 what the eunuch was reading here from Isaiah 53 7 and 8 was perplexing to him. He wasn't by the way wrestling with real complicated matters of interpretation. He wasn't trying to parse verbs or look for any hidden meanings of the text rather. He was interested the eunuch was and having one question answered for him about this text who was Isaiah referring to who was this? He that's the question. He asks Philip in verse 34. Please tell me whom of whom does the Prophet say this of himself or of someone else. He was puzzled about who this text was referring to which is understandable because during this time there was debate going on over who this was about was it Israel the nation was it Israel the remnant or was it the personal servant of Yahweh? The eunuch was sure you can see it from the grammar here verse 34 that Isaiah's prophecy concerned an individual it comes through at the end of verse 34 where he asks if the author of Isaiah was speaking of himself or of someone else someone else meaning a person. This is a personal reference. So his question is who who is this? Who is this person? Now, I don't know about you, but I have admittedly thrown up some evangelistic air balls in my past where it's just been teed up for me. I'm totally mixing metaphors here air balls teed up and I've had a chance to share Jesus to share Christ with someone I'm going to mix metaphors a third time now and I totally with it. I just totally swing and miss. Philip here did not miss he knocked it out of the park. Look at verse 35 says then Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture. He preached Jesus to him. That's such a compelling and convicting passage of scripture right there verse 35. We've already seen that that Philip obeyed the command of the angel of the Lord to get on the road to Gaza in the first place. And then we've seen Philip immediately obey the command of the Spirit of the Lord to run up to the chariot and sit with this eunuch and now verse 35 we see him obeying the command of Christ himself to make a disciple by sharing Jesus Christ with him. Note a few things here about verse 35 first it says Philip opened his mouth so he didn't cop out of his evangelistic responsibilities by saying something like I just preached the gospel with my life. He didn't use the lame old, you know, preach the gospel and if necessary use words phrase. No, he recognized that the gospel is the good news message of forgiveness of sins and salvation and eternal life to all who believe upon the name of Jesus Christ. He recognized that as a good news message that news needed to go out and it needed to go out through his mouth. They need to be proclaimed verbally. Second note that Philip here operated beginning from the scripture. It says so this Ethiopian eunuch is grappling with a specific segment of scripture that section of Isaiah 53 and Philip here is ready. He's equipped to engage with the eunuch on the basis of what's before him namely the Word of God and he's not caught flat-footed is he he knows exactly where to go and how to make the appeal to him. He's that first Peter 3 15 guy who is always ready to make a statement make a defense even to everyone for the hope that's within him. And then note third he preached Jesus to him. He didn't preach a message of self-improvement or three ways to fulfill your life or seven ways to financial independence or a prosperity gospel or the social gospel. He preached Jesus to him. Which tying it back to the scripture that this eunuch held in his lap meant explaining that Jesus was the ultimate sheep that was led to the slaughter that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so that sinners like Philip and this eunuch and like you and like me can have our sins forgiven and have eternal life. There's such beauty and simplicity in these words from Luke that he preached Jesus to him. Now as we've seen already a few times this morning Philip was exemplary in how he would obey immediately the Angel of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord and then Christ command to make disciples. He obeyed all those commands immediately. Let's we get to verse 36. We see immediate obedience once again, but this time it's it's the eunuch and our fifth point here this morning is is this the consequences the consequences. So apparently Philip's preaching was effective the Spirit moved in the heart of this eunuch and he believed in the very name of the Jesus whom Philip was preaching to him and note there's no recorded here recitation of the sinners prayer. There's no record of the eunuch asking Jesus into his heart or writing the date of his conversion on the inside of his Bible or at the top of his Isaiah 53 scroll. There is none of that. No, but clearly this man had somewhere on this bumpy desert road believed in the Jesus whom Philip preached and it's also clear that somewhere along the way as they continued on in this chariot ride together that Philip had explained to the eunuch what believers in Jesus are to do once they have been saved and once they have trusted in Christ and once they have been justified as they go into the waters of baptism as an outward sign as an external representation of what has happened internally through their faith in Christ. I say it's clear that Philip did that because what we have here in verse 36 says as they went along the road they came to some water and the eunuch said look water what prevents me from being baptized.
Evangelism on SermonAudio
"esther chapter" Discussed on Evangelism on SermonAudio
"God, but if we live our lives only for ourselves, then I'm saying ultimately to God, I'm not thankful for what I've been given. There's a vocation, and so many people are unenlisted. They are sitting idle, not doing for God. They don't realize, they think, well, the pastor's got a job. He's doing a job. It's maybe the deacons or someone else's job in a church, but it's not my responsibility. I mean, it's their job. They have the spiritual ministry. Let them do it. You know, we give our tithes or whatever, and we'll let them do their work. But that's not the way. The Bible calls every believer, if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are to be enlisted in a vocation for God. Now, and this witness is, they would end up, you know, these men were killed. Now, there's some things that happen in the pain in ministry, and this is where we pick off, pick up. And we notice some things about these men, that they are killed, that there's people against them. They hate them. Remember some things about in the defining of sackcloth. We find in verse three, the end of it, they were clothed in sackcloth. What is significant about sackcloth? We don't really have it these days, but in those days, in the Jewish culture, they would wear sackcloth, kind of, the idea, if you would, would be like, potato bag, potato sacks, right? You know, that's not something like, wow, you know, you're going to a funeral and you're going in potato sacks. You think, wow, that's a really nice outfit. I think that's never been said by anyone. They might say it's unique, it's eccentric, weird, but it's fashionable. You're like, well, maybe today there's some really weird fashions. But anyways. But the fact is, they're in sackcloth. And in Esther chapter four, when Mordecai heard that Haman had put a death, a decree upon all the Jewish people to be killed, really a genocidal creed, to kill them, he put on sackcloth, weeping and wailing and just going, fasting, weeping, wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. Because they said, listen, our whole families are going to be wiped out. Genesis chapter 37, when Jacob heard that Joseph had been killed by the brothers, now this is a lie, that his brothers had killed their other brother, Jacob put sackcloth on. By the very fact that these men are wearing sackcloth, they are describing to the Jewish nation and to the world, we are mourning the sin that's coming. We're mourning your rebellion against God. We're mourning your rejection of truth. It's a position of humility and brokenness saying, oh God, oh God, get a hold of these people. You see, in that first three and a half years, 50 % of the world's population is dead.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"Of us like a good celebration, whether it's something that happens annually or a one time event throughout the Bible, there are various feasts established to celebrate and commemorate, today on truth for life, we'll look at the feast of purim. Alistair begg helps us understand what's so important to remember and why. Esther chapter 9 and the 20th verse and mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of Kenya has waris, both near and far. Obliging them to keep the 14th day of the month of adar and also the 50th day of the same year by year. As the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted what they had started to do and what mordecai had written to them for him and the aggregate, the son of Hamada, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast poor that is cast lots to crush and to destroy them. But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head. And that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore, they call these days purim after the term poor. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter and of what they had faced in this matter and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written, and at the appointed time of every year that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation in every clan, province and city, and that these days of purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days see among their descendants.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"Of Esther even when haman, the Persian leader and the enemy of the Jews was out of the picture, the edict he had put in place to destroy the entire Jewish population, remained irrevocable. The threat of annihilation was still in place. Today on truth for life, we'll find out how God made the impossible possible. Alistair begg is teaching from Esther chapter 8. Versus three to 6, describe the way in which Esther pleads. Esther pleads versus three to 6. And she pleads because the Jewish population were still under the domain of an edict that was fast moving towards its expression. Now the floodgates of emotion of opened up, she fell at his feet and she wept and she pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of him in the ago guide. Now she recognizes that the king signed it into law, but is not in her best interest to say to avert the plan that you signed into law. Let's just stick with Heyman for the time being. The evil man who was an opponent of the Jews, and she falls at his feet. She's asking the king to do the impossible. She's asking him to revoke the irrevocable. And from three to verse four, she collects herself and she plays upon her relationship with the king. That's really what she does. She relies upon both his self interest and the relationship she enjoys with him. And the rhetoric in her questions her twofold question is absolutely crucial. She says, listen, very sex. How can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people or how can I bear to see the destruction of my Kindred? Versus three to 6 Esther pleads versus 7 and 8, the king responds, he responds to mordecai and Esther as a single entity, and essentially what he says is, look, I've done my part. That's for 7 behold. I have given Esther the house of Amon. And I had him hang for you. I got rid of your enemy, and I gave you as a state.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"Some people who live their lives as secret disciples. They prefer to keep their faith private. Eventually, though, there will come a day when every person has to step forward and declare what they believe. Today on truth for life, we'll find out what happened when Queen Esther revealed her true identity to the king. Alistair begg is continuing a series called a study in Esther. Esther chapter 7 verse, while that started verse 14 of chapter 6. I had the conversation has taken place between his wife, that's the wife of him and some of his friends. They're essentially telling him that he's pretty well on his own now. And while they were yet talking with him the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring him into the feast that Esther had prepared. So the king and him and went into feast with Queen Esther and on the second day as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, what is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled. Then queen Astor answered, if I have found favor in your sight or king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people, for my request, for we've been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent for our reflection is not to be compared with the loss to the king. Then king and his wearers said to Queen Esther, who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this? And Esther said, a full and enemy, this wicked Heyman. Then haman was terrified before the king and the queen. And the king arose in his wrath from wine drinking and went into the palace garden, but hayman stayed to beg for his wife from Queen Esther for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"In the media describe a major tragedy as a disaster of biblical proportions. The implication is the event was so huge God must have been involved. Today on truth for life, we'll discover that God is at work in the world not just in major events, but even in the tiniest details. Alistair begg is teaching today a message he's titled, the unseen hand of God. Esther chapter 6 has read from the 14th verse of chapter 5. In his wife zarish and all his friends said to him, that is to him. Let a gallows 50 cubits high be made and in the morning, tell the king to have mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast. This idea pleased him and he had the gallows made. On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how mordecai had told about big Tana and teresh to have the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold and who had sought to lay hands on king as whereas. And the king said, what honor or distinction has been bestowed on mordecai for this? The king young men who attended him said nothing has been done for him. And the king said who is in the court. Now Heyman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having mordecai hanged on the gallows. That he had prepared for him. And the king's young man told him Heyman is there standing in the court. And the king said let him come in. So haman came in and the king said to him, what should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. And Heyman said to himself, whom were the king delight to honor more than me? And Heyman said to the king, for the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has written, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"Today on truth for life, Aleister bag explains what made queen esters approach to the king so dangerous. But also effective. Esther chapter 5 is our Bible reading for today. Verse one
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"You've gone to see a play or a movie, there have been a lot of things going on behind the scenes that you didn't necessarily see, but that contributed to the success of the production. God's Providence is similar, and today on truth for life will take a closer look at how God is at work behind the scenes in the story of ester. Esther chapter two verse 5 now there was a Jew in susa, the Citadel, whose name was mordecai, the son of jair, son of shumai, son of kish, a benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeff and I are king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away. He was bringing up hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at. And when her father and her mother died, mordecai took her as his own daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in sues of the Citadel and custody of hair guy, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of hay guy who had charge of the women. And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with 7 chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. Esther had not made no one her people or Kindred for mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. And every day mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her. Incidentally, it just made me think there of Moses and the bull rushes and the way in which the passage of the family members was in proximity. They are just watching out for Moses, and yet God was watching out for those who were watching out.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"When we read or watch the news these days, it can feel like we live in an overwhelmingly wicked world. In the battle of good versus evil, which one is really winning, how can we be sure that God is still in control? We'll hear the answers to those questions today on truth for life. Alistair begg is teaching from the book of Esther, we're in chapter two. I want to say three things concerning the underlying doctrine here in this book. It is the doctrine of Providence. I want to give you three words in relationship to it. Now, the first word is clarity. The second word is mystery and the third word is security. All right? So let us be clear that this is clear. That's our first word clarity. In other words, there's nothing sketchy or vague about this in the Bible. And it is the very fact that it isn't sketchy or vague. That causes men and women to react to it, so strongly, so when we go out to our friends and we say, you know, we were studying a book of asterisks, a very Jewish book. It's about a lady and some of her friends may say, I know about that. We say, well, what the real thing about this book is that God, the creator sustains everything by his par. There's clarity in it. But secondly, and quickly, there is also mystery in it. There is mystery in it. In that, God directs all things, he directs the heart of the king if we stay with progress 21 one. He directs the heart of the king without violating the nature of things. Without impinging upon causality, what does that mean? In the case of as wearers, it means this. Vastly was banished because of a free decision made by as. And when you read on in the story, which I hope, as I've suggested to you, you will do. You discover that there are these amazing little coincidences that somehow or another appear to be evidence of the overruling activity of God. So if your Bible is open, you can just flip forward to Esther chapter 6 and look at verse one, what it says on that night, the king could not sleep. Why couldn't he sleep? I don't know. It doesn't say why he couldn't sleep. He couldn't sleep. Maybe he had pizza. Maybe he was drinking again. Maybe who knows? But he couldn't sleep. And so he did, what is not uncommon for people to do? He decided that he would get an audiobook. Right? Some of you do that. You have your earphones by your bed. You listen to fall asleep, you don't know where you were in the book, and then you wake up and you still don't know where you were in the book, but it helps you. And the more boring the book the easier it will be, presumably to get to sleep. And so he apparently haphazardly gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles. A real zinger, you know? Why don't I read me about the chronicles of the kingdom? Well, what was happening? He decided when he woke up, this is a result of insomnia that he would have to have something red. So he said, why don't you bring me that book, which appeared to be apparently inconsequential, or happenstance. But in actual fact, that was the book that allowed him to read about what had happened with mordecai, to whom we will eventually come. Without that, he would not have known, and therefore he would not have exalted mordecai to the position. This guy a mysterious, isn't it? Because what was actually happening was that God was ordering these events. Not ordering them by interfering as it were. I had somebody tell me not so long ago that they were trapped in an elevator and they were supposed to fall in their wife and then the phone wouldn't work. And as a result of the four not working, he couldn't get his wife out of a situation, and because he couldn't get her out of it, she actually became a Christian. And so he said, what an amazing thing it is that God stops elevators. I said, okay, fine. But I went OS and yeah, he can stop elevators, but no, are they elevator just stop, man? Stop because it's stopped. And in the economy and purposes of God, that causality was used in order to achieve a far higher end. Now, you check this and you'll find that the pattern is repeated again and again. If you follow the kings of the earth, whether it's Nebuchadnezzar, whether it is the pharaoh, whether it is ahab, whoever it might be, or classically, let me just give you one. I'll give you an illustration. In genesis chapter 20 in the story of Abraham and his cute wife, and the. You remember? That Abraham, who was a big, I'm trusting God, hero kind of guy. Had a little bit of a lapse in genesis 20. And decided that he would, in this area to which he had gone in the territory between Kat esh ensure, and then Gerard, he would tell people that Sarah was his sister. And so I've been the legs. Sarah, we're told. And then in verse three, of genesis 20, God came to a bimolecular dream by night and said to him behold, you're a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken for she's a man's wife. Now I've been like had not approached her. So he says, lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me she's my sister? And she herself said he's my brother, so they were both in on the lie. In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands, I have done this. She takes personal responsibility for it. Then God said to him in the dream, yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart. And it was I, who kept you from sinning against me, it's great, isn't it? Is mystery? And the mystery is at its apex, when you come to the issue of the kings of the earth, conspiring against the lord and his anointed. For your homework, just read, chapter four. Read the wonderful account of how it is that the apostles are released from prison and the people lift up their hearts to God in prayer and they quote from some too. And they say, why did a nation's rage and the gentiles rage and why are these people opposed to God? Why do the kings of the earth lift up their hands and their hearts against the lord and against his anointed one? And then you step back from it and you say, when the kings of the earth set themselves against the lord, in the exercise of their rebellious will, they were actually set the forward gods four ordained plan of Salvation. This mystery. So we affirmed the clarity with which the Bible addresses it. We acknowledge the mystery that is contained in it. And finally, just a word concerning the fight that we must accept the security that is here for all who belong to Jesus. The security that is here for all who belong to Jesus.
Truth For Life Daily Program
"esther chapter" Discussed on Truth For Life Daily Program
"We can find ourselves held captive by our own poor choices, we make a bad decision, and then we're stuck with the consequences. Well, in a moment of drunkenness, king has proclaimed an irrevocable decree that he later regretted. But he was powerless to change it. So how did his decision impact God's plan on purpose? That's what we'll find out today. I'm truth for life. Here's Alistair begg. We're going to read from the book of Esther in the Old Testament. I invite you to turn there. Chapter two and verse one. After these things, when the anger of king has wearers had abated, he remembered vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. Then the king's young men who attended him said let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. And led the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem and sue the Citadel under custody of hey guy, the king's eunuch, who's in charge of the women. Led there cosmetics, be given them, and let the young women, young woman who pleases the king, be queen instead of vastly. This pleased the king. And he did so. Father with our bibles before us, we prayed that the spirit of God will be our teacher, the beyond the voice of a mere man, we may hear from you. That you will conduct that divine dialog, which is so mysterious to us, whereby you take your word and you plant it in our lives and speak to us beyond ourselves and in a way that causes us to ponder the amazing interest that you have in us. Accomplish your purposes this day we pray for Jesus sake, oh man, proverbs 20 and there's one reads wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led a stray by it is not wise. Those are the words of Solomon, wise man. And we begin with them because it is very obvious in the reading of Esther chapter one that king has wearers was led astray by his intake of wine. There is a very direct and obvious correlation between the extend of his imbibing and the angry outburst, which led to the banishing of a queen whom he loved. Now I think it's fair enough to say that it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. On that particular evening, when passions were running high when he was in the company of his friends and cohorts and those who served his purposes, especially in light of the Flank that his pride had been so deeply wounded, it must have seemed like a splendid plan to issue a decree so that, according to verse 19, vashti would never come before king as whereas, again, I was going to be the end of her. We know nothing of her. She's banished, not only from his presence, but from the biblical record. But when you come to chapter two, now time has passed some three or four years of elapsed, the historians tell us, and during that time he, that is king, as wearers, had led what proved in the end to be an unsuccessful military campaign, an expedition, against the powers of Greece, and he is now returned, presumably to his palace, and in my mind's eye, I picture him, now standing perhaps in
The Eric Metaxas Show
Sen. Doug Mastriano Talks About the Importance of Local Politics
"And so that's why it's important that we have more diligence and that we have more people active politically and running for office what have you and every position support. We saw this past year in Pennsylvania and across a nation that school boards are important. The county commissioner's important, even state senators are important. And so we can't stand aside now. Yeah, yeah. I know. And I've said this on the program before, it's one of the things I knew growing up that phrase that said, all politics are local. And it does start right with your local school board. That's the basis and you go up from there. Yeah, you really can't make this stuff up. I mean, obviously loudon counties put an exclamation point on a whole point of view there and how important even school boards are. But, you know, around my state here, thankfully, a lot of people instead of just standing aside and here's one thing out, but that really strikes me. American Christians, we have to be careful about, I guess passivity is maybe not the right word. But just I guess lack of care, you know, hey, things are going terrible in our country and then Christians will often say they'll throw their hands up and say, oh, it's God's will. That is ridiculous nonsense. No, it's not his will. For some reason God chooses to work through the agency of men and women like you and me to stand in the gap like Esther's like giddy and like Martin Luther picky here, George washingtons. And if you just throw up your hands, all right, God will raise up and deliver deliver from elsewhere Esther chapter four, but it will take time. There'll be