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March 11, 2022
Celebrating Esther
Most of us are familiar with the book of Esther and the famous verse “who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” But few of us understand the true significance of this story. The Persian empire was so large it housed the vast majority of Jews in the world. Therefore, Haman’s plan of annihilation was an existential threat to the Jewish people. Had he succeeded there would have been no Jews to birth the Messiah to die on our behalf. We should all celebrate Purim with the Jewish community and how God used a young Jewish girl to save her people.
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Celebrating Esther (Out of Zion Episode #91)
Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,440
Well, you know, this week the Jewish world is celebrating a story in the Bible in which
2
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,480
they were saved from annihilation.
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:15,060
It's a story we Christians should also celebrate and I want to tell you why.
4
00:00:15,060 --> 00:00:20,200
Welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional where I just try to share a little thought
5
00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:26,600
of inspiration and bring a little peace to the close of your busy week.
6
00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,840
So most of us are familiar with the book of Esther and the famous verse where Mordecai
7
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:40,120
tells these young Jewish queen of Persia, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom
8
00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,640
for such a time as this.
9
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:48,160
We love quoting that verse to encourage ourselves and others that we are called to God's kingdom
10
00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:53,920
for this time in history and we need to rise up to the occasion no matter what the challenge
11
00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:54,920
is.
12
00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,240
It's really a great verse.
13
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:04,440
But few of us really understand the significance of the threat to the Jews of Persia in the
14
00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,240
story because we don't really know the history.
15
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:15,240
In the 21st century we have almost 200 different nations in the world and so we equate this
16
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:22,000
story to the threat upon the Jews of a certain nation, let's say of the Jews of France or
17
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,320
the Jews of any one nation that we know of today.
18
00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:33,040
What we don't understand is that the Persian Empire was the largest in history at its time
19
00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:39,680
and it stretched all the way from India in the east to Ethiopia in the west.
20
00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:45,680
Therefore the Jews of Persia were almost all the Jews of the world.
21
00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:52,800
If Haman had succeeded in annihilating the Jews of Persia, the whole biblical story would
22
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,300
have ended there.
23
00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:55,840
It would have been all over.
24
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:02,280
500 years later there would have been no Jewish Joseph and Mary or the 12 disciples or the
25
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,680
apostle Paul or Jesus.
26
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:11,680
Jesus would have never died on the cross for the salvation of the world.
27
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:18,560
So this weekend take a quick read through the book of Esther and you will know and understand
28
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:27,640
why she had to risk her life to save the Jewish people and why God positioned her at just
29
00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:30,840
that place to be able to do so.
30
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:37,240
Then ask God, why have you been born into the world for this time?
31
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,760
His answer just might surprise you.
32
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,480
And with that I want to wish you a Shabbat Shalom.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,440
Well, you know, this week the Jewish world is celebrating a story in the Bible in which
2
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,480
they were saved from annihilation.
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:15,060
It's a story we Christians should also celebrate and I want to tell you why.
4
00:00:15,060 --> 00:00:20,200
Welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional where I just try to share a little thought
5
00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:26,600
of inspiration and bring a little peace to the close of your busy week.
6
00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,840
So most of us are familiar with the book of Esther and the famous verse where Mordecai
7
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:40,120
tells these young Jewish queen of Persia, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom
8
00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,640
for such a time as this.
9
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:48,160
We love quoting that verse to encourage ourselves and others that we are called to God's kingdom
10
00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:53,920
for this time in history and we need to rise up to the occasion no matter what the challenge
11
00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:54,920
is.
12
00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,240
It's really a great verse.
13
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:04,440
But few of us really understand the significance of the threat to the Jews of Persia in the
14
00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,240
story because we don't really know the history.
15
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:15,240
In the 21st century we have almost 200 different nations in the world and so we equate this
16
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:22,000
story to the threat upon the Jews of a certain nation, let's say of the Jews of France or
17
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,320
the Jews of any one nation that we know of today.
18
00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:33,040
What we don't understand is that the Persian Empire was the largest in history at its time
19
00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:39,680
and it stretched all the way from India in the east to Ethiopia in the west.
20
00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:45,680
Therefore the Jews of Persia were almost all the Jews of the world.
21
00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:52,800
If Haman had succeeded in annihilating the Jews of Persia, the whole biblical story would
22
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,300
have ended there.
23
00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:55,840
It would have been all over.
24
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:02,280
500 years later there would have been no Jewish Joseph and Mary or the 12 disciples or the
25
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,680
apostle Paul or Jesus.
26
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:11,680
Jesus would have never died on the cross for the salvation of the world.
27
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:18,560
So this weekend take a quick read through the book of Esther and you will know and understand
28
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:27,640
why she had to risk her life to save the Jewish people and why God positioned her at just
29
00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:30,840
that place to be able to do so.
30
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:37,240
Then ask God, why have you been born into the world for this time?
31
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,760
His answer just might surprise you.
32
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,480
And with that I want to wish you a Shabbat Shalom.
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