WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:13.679 practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of The 4 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:14.279 Bible Guys. 5 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:18.519 So today in Estra chapter two, it looks like a 6 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:22.879 pretty extreme beauty pageant, but really it's just a divine 7 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:23.280 set up. 8 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.679 Yeah for sure, because God's in the whole thing. 9 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:27.480 Yep. Yeah, So that's what we're going to get to. 10 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:31.199 Before we do, we have a segment called Stump the pastor. 11 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:33.880 And yeah, these. 12 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:37.119 Are questions that are written in by people who are 13 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:39.039 our listeners, we assume. 14 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:40.799 So this is from. 15 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:45.039 Caleb b Okay, Hi Caleb, and Caleb has this question, 16 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:49.520 what was God doing before he created the universe? 17 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:52.119 Well, great question, Caleb. 18 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:52.920 Yeah you know what. 19 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:59.640 The answer is, whatever he wanted, that's right, and or 20 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:01.840 we don't no and the end. 21 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.400 Yeah. Yeah, this is the weird part. And this this 22 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.359 is one of those kind of twist your brain a 23 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:08.719 little bit. 24 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:09.280 Sure. 25 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:16.280 So God is outside of time, yeah yeah, So what 26 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:18.280 you're trying to do is how did he The question 27 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.799 really is because we cannot fathom, hardly, we can barely 28 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:26.159 comprehend the idea of no time. Right, So what you're 29 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.920 asking is how did he fill his time? That's what 30 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.519 you're asking, how did he not get bored? Right? Right? 31 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:36.680 Well, especially since the concept is God always was and 32 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:40.480 all of eternity past and all of eternity future. Right, 33 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:44.480 God always was, is and will be. So the idea 34 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:48.599 that like his past is infinite, right, and so and 35 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:54.840 so before the time of creation of man. Yeah, it's 36 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.000 it does blow your mind. 37 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:58.840 So, so there's no time. That's why Genesis chapter one, 38 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:02.560 verse one says in the beginninning God, So God was 39 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:07.680 before the beginning, right, So time time as you and 40 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:11.240 I experience it. And this is one of those Einstein things, relativity, 41 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:14.039 all that kind of stuff. Time exists for you and 42 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:18.919 me because we're on a rock spinning and circling a star, 43 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:21.879 and the star creates days and nights for us, and 44 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:25.080 so we measure in minutes and seconds and hours and months. 45 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.479 And we're also we grow old and die, right, So. 46 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.000 We are we are, So we're measuring our beginning and 47 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:32.879 our end by how many times around the sun we 48 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:34.919 go and how many times the planet spins. 49 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:35.280 Right. 50 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.520 That's so for us, it's a big part of our 51 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.360 life because of the sun around us before that, how 52 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:44.840 do you measure how do you measure time? Fifteen galaxies 53 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:50.000 over right or five right? So it's so the conversation 54 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:53.159 is time is different all throughout the universe, but with 55 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.039 God there was no time and is no time. A 56 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:57.240 day is a thousand years. A thousand years is as 57 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:00.120 a day, is what Peter tells us. But the Bible 58 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:03.199 say a couple things. One, he was in perfect union 59 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:08.000 and fellowship as the Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, so 60 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:11.879 everything was perfect. He didn't lack anything. But then one 61 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.240 of my favorite pastores, so I usually if I sign 62 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:16.319 all the other day we had a lady ask us 63 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:18.599 to sign her bible, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, And I 64 00:03:18.680 --> 00:03:21.560 signed my Bible or her Bible, and then I wrote 65 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.919 some of my favorite verses Psalm forty one through three. 66 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:26.560 He lifted me up by the Marie Clay, set my 67 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:28.840 feet on a rock, give me a new song. So 68 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.800 I love that. The other passage excuse me that I 69 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:36.000 often will sign is Ephesians chapter one, And in Ephesian 70 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.879 Chapter one it says it was the whole chapter. No, 71 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:40.560 I always forget the first number, so I have to 72 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:41.159 look him up. 73 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:41.639 Gotcha. 74 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:46.840 But it's the passage where he says, it was always 75 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:51.360 God's plan before the beginning of the world to adopt 76 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:57.360 you to become his children. It's very own. Yeah yeah, 77 00:03:58.400 --> 00:03:58.960 I'm just kidding. 78 00:03:58.960 --> 00:03:59.439 I don't even know. 79 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:01.719 Oh, I don't know. I have it here, I have 80 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:06.080 it here, let me see I'm right. Yeah yeah, yeah. Well, 81 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:10.759 so in verse four it says he chose Jesus before 82 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.599 the beginning of the before the foundation of the world, 83 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:14.919 to be the one that will solve our sin problem. 84 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:16.759 And then you get a little further down and it 85 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:18.959 says it was always his plan to adopt us. So 86 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.279 you want to know what God was doing. He was 87 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:23.560 in perfect union and fellowship outside of time, so he 88 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:25.600 wasn't trying to figure out how to fill time, right, 89 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:28.399 But he was in complete and total perfect union fellowship 90 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:31.879 with the Father's Son, Holy Spirit. And then he was 91 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:36.920 making plans, right. He was planning the intricacies of the universe. 92 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:40.519 He was planning how all of this story would work out. 93 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.800 He'd already decided that if this thing broke down into sin, 94 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:45.680 Jesus would be the one that would come and pay 95 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.959 the price. He'd already chosen you. He had a plan 96 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.639 for you, specifically and so what was God doing before time? 97 00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:55.959 That's it. He was planning on you, and he was 98 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:56.879 planning on rescuing you. 99 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:02.360 I liked the I like the illustration of dragging the 100 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.360 YouTube video. So the idea of like when we watch 101 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:09.439 a video, there's that there's that little red dot on 102 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:12.000 the bottom, and if you grab the video and you 103 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.279 could move it forward and you can move it back 104 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:18.839 back and forth. Uh, you know start started the point 105 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:21.879 of the story that you want. That's God outside of time, right, 106 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.399 he doesn't have to be limited by by the you know, 107 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:29.759 watching the video of no controls, right, So yeah, that's 108 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.319 it's a good illustration to help us understand. So, hey, 109 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:37.079 great question, Caleb. And if you are listening and you 110 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.399 would love to write in a question. 111 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:40.519 You're like, you know, I've always wandered this. 112 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:45.000 Please send us an email at info at the Bible 113 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.120 guys dot com or just comment on any one of 114 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:49.240 our platforms. 115 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:50.120 W would be great. 116 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:53.879 Yeah, very fantastic, you know, talking about great. 117 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:57.639 Oh, I was going to say, speaking of time, it's 118 00:05:57.720 --> 00:05:59.040 time for a beauty. 119 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.519 Fathhet that's even better. 120 00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:02.360 That's better. 121 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:03.639 Let's let's go with that one. 122 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:10.000 What time is it? It's time for beauty pageants. 123 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:15.360 Okay, so its talking about beauty pageants. In Esther chapter two, 124 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:19.480 it says, but after Xerxes Anger had subsided, he began 125 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:21.680 thinking about bash Dan, what he had done and the 126 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:24.639 decree he had made. Remember, they can't they can't revoke 127 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:27.319 the laws of the Means and Persians if the king 128 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:29.639 signs it. He signed it when he was drunk. Now 129 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:30.279 he regrets it. 130 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:32.879 And this was the same thing that they tricked Darius 131 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.600 with when when Daniel was storming the lines. 132 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:38.160 Then, so he's regretting what he did right here, which 133 00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:40.319 how many people have that story after a long party, 134 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:40.920 no doubt? 135 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.759 Right, Let me think you regret something at a party. 136 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:49.160 Yeah, even even a king after after long seven days 137 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.319 of drinking, regrets his decisions. So his personal attendance suggested, 138 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.000 let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins 139 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:58.600 for the king. But the king appoint agents in each 140 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:00.920 province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal 141 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:04.720 harem at the fortress of susa Hegai, the King's eunuch 142 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:06.720 in charge of the harem, will see that they are 143 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:10.120 all given beauty treatments. After that, the young women whom 144 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:13.279 most young woman who most pleases the king will be 145 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:16.439 made queen instead of Ashti. This advice was very appealing 146 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:18.040 to the king, so he put the plan into effect. 147 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.279 At that time, there was a Jewish man in the 148 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:23.079 Fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecais, son of Jair. 149 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:25.240 He was from the tribe of Benjamin, who was a 150 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.879 descendant of Kish and Shimiyan. His family had been among 151 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:33.079 those who, with King Johoyakin of Judah, had been exiled 152 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:37.040 from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebukinezer. This man had 153 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:40.319 a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadasa, who was 154 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:43.879 also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai 155 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:46.199 adopted her into his family and raised her as his 156 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:49.079 own daughter. As a result of the king's decree, Esther, 157 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:51.040 along with many other young women, was brought to the 158 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.560 king's harem at the Fortress of Susa and placed in 159 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:56.879 hegae Eye's care. Hegyaye was very impressed with Esther and 160 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:00.160 treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for 161 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.680 her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned 162 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.560 her seven maids, especially chosen from the King's palace, and 163 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:08.519 he moved her and her maids into the best place 164 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.240 in the harem. Esther had not told anyone of her 165 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:14.519 nationality and family background because Mordecai had directed her not 166 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.519 to do so. Every day, Mordecai would take a walk 167 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:19.839 near the courtyard of the harem to find out about 168 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:23.160 Esther what was happening to her. Before each young woman 169 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:25.160 was taken to the king's bed, she was given the 170 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.240 prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments, six months with oil 171 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.519 of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. 172 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.039 When it was time for her to go to the 173 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.120 king's palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing 174 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:38.960 or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem. That evening, 175 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:40.879 she was taken to the king's private rooms, and the 176 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:43.159 next morning she was brought to the second harem, where 177 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:45.960 the king's wives lived. There she would be under the 178 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.279 care of Goosh Gods, the king's unit in charge of 179 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.840 the concubines. She would never go to the king again 180 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:55.840 unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name. 181 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:59.360 Esther was the daughter of a Baya Hail, who was 182 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:04.000 Mordechai's uncle, Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther. When 183 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:05.679 it was Estra's turn to go to the king, she 184 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:07.759 accepted the advice a heguy in the eunuch in charge 185 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:10.559 of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, 186 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.480 and she was admired by everyone who saw her. Esther 187 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:15.720 was taking the king's xerxes at the royal palace in 188 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:18.120 early winter of the seventh year of his reign, and 189 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.000 the king loved Esther more than any of the other 190 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:22.159 young women. He was so delighted with her that he 191 00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:24.600 set the royal crown on her head and declared her 192 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.440 queen instead of Ashdai their Vashdi. To celebrate the occasion, 193 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:30.720 he gave a great banquet in Esther's honor for all 194 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:34.360 his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces, 195 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:37.279 and giving generous gifts to everyone. Even after all the 196 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.519 young women had been transferred to the second Harem and 197 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.159 Mordecai had become a palace official, est continued to keep 198 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.159 her family background and nationality a secret. She was still 199 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:49.080 following Mordecai's directions, just as she did when she lived 200 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:51.840 in his home. Oh Will we keep reading. 201 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:53.559 Yeah, yeah, it was not too many. There's not too many. 202 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.440 On one day, as Mordechai was on duty at the 203 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:58.960 king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Terrish, 204 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.360 who were guards at the or the king's private quarters, 205 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:04.600 became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. 206 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:07.240 But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information 207 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.639 to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it 208 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.559 and gave Mordecai credit for the report when the When 209 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:15.600 an investigation was made, mordecai story was found to be true, 210 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.559 the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. This 211 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.240 was all recorded in the book of the History of 212 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:26.240 King xerxes reign. Impaled on a sharpened pole. Yeah, that's 213 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:26.960 a rough way to go. 214 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:28.879 That is a rough way way. 215 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:31.960 This guy was not a pleasant person. 216 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:35.320 No, no, And and most people back then really weren't, 217 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:40.960 were they. So this entire chapter again, UH, is a 218 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.320 big setup to give us a lot of context of 219 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:44.200 what's about to happen. 220 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:45.720 And uh, and. 221 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:50.480 We're introduced to a very very important person, which is Mordecai. 222 00:10:51.240 --> 00:10:51.360 Uh. 223 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.039 There's an entire thing and the life application study Bible. 224 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:55.600 Every once in a while, what they'll do is to 225 00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:01.320 give a huge paper like a character study, right, and 226 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:03.399 and and and so it just it lists out the 227 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:06.879 strengths and accomplishments of Mordecai, the lessons he learned from 228 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:10.200 his life, the vital statistics surrounding his life, the key 229 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.159 verse according to his life, and uh and and it 230 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.600 basically lays out the importance of this character. And uh, 231 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:22.000 the entire page here is dedicated to this guy. And uh, 232 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.240 you know what, he is an unsung hero of this. 233 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:26.639 Story, isn't he. 234 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:27.320 Yeah? 235 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:28.600 And it reminds me of. 236 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:32.679 Like there are just unsung heroes in our lives, people 237 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:36.240 who you know, he didn't necessarily. 238 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:37.000 Have the spotlight at this moment. 239 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:40.200 Uh, he was a key player in the story, but 240 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:43.000 he gets credit for this, you know, for the assassination 241 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:44.399 and information, which is great. 242 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.759 But overall, when you. 243 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.120 Look at the story of Esther, we're about to find 244 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:52.360 out that Esther is going to be the true hero here, right. 245 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:58.279 Esther is the one, but he's hurt confidant, he's her encourager. Yeah, yeah, he's. 246 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.080 The person behind the curtain. You know, he's turning all 247 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:03.840 the knobs and pulling all the strings, right, And it 248 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:05.360 reminds me of you know what it reminds me of 249 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:08.840 is Barnabas. And you know of Paul and Barnabas, right, 250 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.519 So Barnabas, you know, it was was key in the 251 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.919 New Testament for taking a guy named Saul who had 252 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.600 a horrible reputation. Barnabas put his stamp on him, he 253 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:24.279 introduced him to the disciples. He was the one that said, hey, 254 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.919 I believe in this guy, trust this guy. And he 255 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:32.080 leveraged his influence and leveraged everything about himself so that 256 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:35.720 Saul can have influence. And the Saul eventually became Paul, 257 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:39.600 and then and then Barnabas faded into the background, and 258 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:42.879 now we know Paul as the guy. He's the guy 259 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:46.639 who wrote half the New Testament. And Barnabas really truly 260 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.240 is the key because with that Barnabas, there is no Paul. 261 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:53.240 There is no Paul with that Barnabas, and and and 262 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.840 that is that is what we learn here in the 263 00:12:55.879 --> 00:13:01.000 story of Esther. There is no Esther without Mordecai. Right. 264 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:05.679 So this is a pretty It again highlights just really 265 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:09.440 how horrible of a person's Eerxes is yeah, right, I 266 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:13.879 met at my queen. I sleep with another virgin every 267 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.360 single night. I only see her one time, then I 268 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.080 send her away. She lives in a harem. She's not 269 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:20.960 allowed to go anywhere else or do anything else. She 270 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.759 has an incredibly boring existence. Afterwards, if I happen to 271 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.799 think of her again, maybe I might have been my 272 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:29.639 bed to another day. But they these kings collected women 273 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.039 like they collected jewelry and the soldiers. 274 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:35.039 Right, And you got to spend a year in preparation 275 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:36.240 before you come visit me. 276 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:40.200 Right, right, And so this is what's happening. The Bible 277 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:44.919 does not endorse his bad behavior, no towards women or 278 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:48.840 towards anything. It's just telling it as it happened. Right. 279 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:53.480 Her family, along with others, were all captives. They were 280 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.879 all slaves to these bad guys. This is during that 281 00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:59.679 seventy year window when they had been hauled away. And 282 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.159 you know, this is just after that their family had 283 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.039 been hauled away during the seventy years. This is just 284 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:07.080 after the time that Cyrus had said they could go 285 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.279 back only three years into xerxes reign and their family 286 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:13.879 did not return. And then she gets hauled into the 287 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:16.759 palace on this None of that is what is the 288 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:19.879 Bible saying, Hey, this is a good thing. But God 289 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:23.080 makes even the worst things he can use them for good. 290 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:25.840 And this is what happens for her. But there's a note. 291 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:28.840 Let me read this because again, get yourself a good 292 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:31.799 study Bible. I like the life application study Bible because 293 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:35.600 it will give you either theological understanding or historical context. 294 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.519 And here it says Persian kings collected not only vast 295 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:41.879 amounts of jewelry, but great numbers of women. These young 296 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:44.039 virgins were taken from their homes were required to live 297 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:46.360 in a separate building near the palace called a harem. 298 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:48.519 This is where the whole idea of a harem came from. 299 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:51.840 Is from these guys. Yeah, their sole purpose was to 300 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.440 serve the king and to wait his call for sexual pleasure. 301 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:57.159 They rarely saw the king, and their lives were restricted 302 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:00.440 and boring. It rejected Esther would be one of many 303 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.639 girls the king had seen once and forgotten. Estra's presence 304 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:05.480 and beauty please the king enough that he crowned her 305 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:08.799 queen in place of Ashta. The queen held a more 306 00:15:08.840 --> 00:15:11.399 influential position than a concubine, and she was given more 307 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:14.000 freedom and authority than others in the Harem, but even 308 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:17.080 as Queen, Estra had few rights, especially because she had 309 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:19.840 been chosen to replace a woman who had become too assertive, 310 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:22.720 and that becomes very important in this story. Yes, she's 311 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:25.679 replacing a woman who had become too assertive, and so 312 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:29.000 there's tremendous risk because now he has become very forceful 313 00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:31.600 in the way that he's dealing with all of the 314 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.759 people around him, including the queen, and so there's some 315 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:38.639 real danger coming for her. And thank God for Mordecai, 316 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:41.360 this guy who kind of is her stabilizing force. Yeah, 317 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.639 becausecouraging her. Hey, don't forget who we are and what 318 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:45.480 we believe, and protect yourself. 319 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.720 And I'm trying to think of so I think oftentimes 320 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.360 when we tell a story like this, this is an 321 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.120 epic story, I. 322 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.720 Think of my son. So my son. 323 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:58.919 I'm trying to decide whether my son knows what's happening 324 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:01.240 in this story. Does he completely know it from start 325 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:03.960 to finish, does he remember or is he hearing it 326 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:05.399 for the first time. And the reason why I'm saying 327 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:09.240 this is because oftentimes he listens to the Bible guy 328 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:10.120 every day did you know that? 329 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:11.320 Every day? 330 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:13.559 And he drives like like half an hour. His name 331 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:14.559 is Stephen Steve. 332 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.360 Steven drives like half an hour of work. And so 333 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:19.679 he listens to the Bible guys there and back and 334 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.879 everything else. And so sometimes he'll say, man, dad, he goes, 335 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:25.840 I learned this as a kid, but it's been a 336 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:27.440 long time since I read this, and it seemed like 337 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.639 a new story to me. But you know, he knows, 338 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.240 he knows a lot, right, But sometimes he'll say, oh, 339 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:35.480 I forgot that whatever, and then sometimes he'll just remember. 340 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:38.440 And so anyway, as you're reading this, as you're reading this, 341 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:40.279 in my mind, the only thing I can think of 342 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:42.759 is I wonder if he remembers the veggietails. 343 00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:48.480 All right, right, right, ya hey, my queen, it's hilarious. 344 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.200 It wasn't exactly like that. That wasn't entirely true in life. 345 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.600 But yeah, because Larry the Cucumber was U was xerxes. 346 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:58.120 Well, hey, it's been so long a lot of a 347 00:16:58.120 --> 00:16:59.799 lot of our listeners mind, and I even know about 348 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:00.679 old veggiet tails. 349 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:03.679 Oh yeah, well you got to be pretty old, right, yeah, 350 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:09.279 if you like to talk two tomatoes okay, anyway, so I. 351 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:11.519 Do think it's were you going somewhere with that or 352 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:12.599 were you just talking about. 353 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:13.880 No, No, what I was. 354 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:16.440 What I was just going to say is actually, yeah, 355 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:18.079 all those thoughts were connected to this thought. 356 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.240 There may be people. 357 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:24.240 Who are listening to us saying that Esther, you know, 358 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.119 Mordechai is so important and Esther is going to display 359 00:17:27.160 --> 00:17:29.039 so much courage, but they have no idea what's going 360 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:32.359 to happen next, right, And so what we have to 361 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:35.640 understand is is that Mordecai was a Jew, right, And 362 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:39.680 so that's important because again the Jewish people were still, 363 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:42.440 you know, in exile in this particular case, some. 364 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:44.000 Of them had gone back to jewsom but not all 365 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:46.160 of them. That's the head lives. And remember we had 366 00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:48.160 talked about how like the Babylonians and the Meads and 367 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:51.079 the Persians were somewhat generous in that they would allow 368 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:54.960 captives to own land, run businesses, to build a new 369 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.680 life and on new land, and so not everybody went 370 00:17:57.720 --> 00:17:59.480 back to Israel when Cyrus said you could go. 371 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:02.240 Right and so and so Mordecai was a Jew, and 372 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.799 then he knew that Esther was a Jew. In fact, 373 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.359 he was that Esther was his niece, cousin, his cousin, 374 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:12.480 his cousin. Yeah so so so he's related to Esther, 375 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:16.319 who's now the queen, and nobody knows that connection and 376 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:21.319 none of that. But Mordecai influenced the trainer of Esther, 377 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:27.400 right that the person in charge of her preparations as 378 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.880 a beauty pageant person, right, right, He had urged her 379 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:35.359 not to share her nationality and family background. So so 380 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:41.119 Mordecai had a sense to where he didn't want he 381 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:45.799 didn't want her being a Jew to be to hinder 382 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:49.160 her from being chosen as a queen, right, and so 383 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:51.480 and it turns out that that that that's going to 384 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:54.200 play out to be a really important part too. Right, 385 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:58.680 So all of this is coming together for this, for 386 00:18:58.759 --> 00:19:01.079 this big moment of something it's about to happen. 387 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:03.160 And then and then Mordecai is going to be the 388 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:03.519 one that. 389 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:06.400 Says, Okay, Esther, you have to leverage your influence as 390 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:08.680 a queen and you have to step out and you 391 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.720 have to influence the king. And then and the big 392 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:14.200 risk is going to be have you met Xerxes? 393 00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:18.920 Yeah, exactly exactly, that's what the risk ruthless right, So 394 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:21.720 over the last several weeks, I've mentioned the idea of 395 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:24.039 diplomacy several times, and I've been kind of working through 396 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:27.000 this framework for biblical diplomacy. I think I mentioned it 397 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:33.720 to you here. Mordecai has told her a couple of times, 398 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:37.400 don't tell the king that you're a Jew. Now. It 399 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:42.039 is interesting because this guy liked her, was a hey guy, 400 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:46.400 and he quickly ordered a special menu for her. Right, 401 00:19:46.839 --> 00:19:51.000