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 --> 00:00:13.160 practical ways. We're back. Yeah, it's good to be back 4 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.000 in the studio with you, Wesley. 5 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:15.759 It's good to be here. 6 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:20.480 So today, before we get going, we're in esther Chapter 7 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.960 eight and Estherra eight is all about what happens after 8 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.879 the enemy falls. But the threat isn't over yet, and 9 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.079 so they have to sort out all these details because 10 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:33.880 the law the means and the Persians didn't allow a 11 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:37.119 king to override his own loss, yeah, right to eliminate 12 00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.320 them or break them, and so this gets really crazy. 13 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:41.960 It's all about the rescue. It's pretty pretty incredible. But 14 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.240 before we do that, we're gonna Desiree has a segment 15 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:48.920 for us called Who's most Likely? Okay, and so I 16 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:51.399 have these five questions and we have to try to 17 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:55.119 figure out are you more likely or am I more like? 18 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:55.560 Okay? 19 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:59.039 Are you ready? So number one, who's most likely to 20 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:02.240 trip over? Nothing? 21 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:04.400 Pretty good with walk? 22 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:08.200 You're kind of you're kind of an expert. 23 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:10.040 Not to show. 24 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:12.680 Off, but I'm walking pretty good, So believe or not 25 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:15.480 I do do that in a case I'll trip over 26 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:17.239 nothing and they'll be like, what you do? 27 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:18.319 What's I don't know? 28 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:20.959 Over something? Okay, so I'm going to claim that one. Then, 29 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:24.560 who's most likely to win a hot dog eating contest? 30 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:27.519 Oh, I'm out, you're out. I don't beat person. 31 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:31.760 So yeah, that's right. It's it's why our friendship struggles 32 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.200 a little, Leslie is because you're not much of a 33 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:36.760 medi guy. But okay, so I'm the eat hot dog 34 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.879 eater anyways, so I love how Now. 35 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:42.799 Would you do the Coney Island hot dog eating contests. 36 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:46.159 Like the Nathan's when they have shot them down and 37 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:48.640 I don't know, man, those dudes eat some hot dogs. 38 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.840 But the funny thing is when you see them, they 39 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:53.040 they weigh like a hundred parts. 40 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:55.040 Yes, yeah, I don't know. I don't know what that's about. 41 00:01:55.159 --> 00:01:56.439 You're putting those hot dogs? 42 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:01.560 Yeah, so between us, yeah, me eating a hot dog 43 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:06.959 is going to win that cat someone. Okay, here's the 44 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:10.120 third one. Who's most likely to become best friends with 45 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:11.400 a dog at a get together? 46 00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:13.560 So I like pets. 47 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:13.919 I don't know. 48 00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:14.879 That might be a tough one. 49 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:15.639 Do you like dogs? 50 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:15.879 Yeah? 51 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:16.639 I like dogs. 52 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:21.400 My wife and daughter love dogs, and I like cats 53 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:24.879 better believe it or not. But so I don't know. 54 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:27.280 I don't know. I normally don't go looking for dogs. 55 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:28.800 If there's a dog in the house, do you go 56 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:29.560 looking for the dogs? 57 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.319 And I don't go looking for it, but like I'll 58 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:34.159 pet them, and you guys have a dog? 59 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.879 No, no, we have two. I didn't want any Yeah, 60 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:39.719 I didn't want I didn't want any more dogs and. 61 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:42.919 Compromised and got to you were gone once when you 62 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:43.639 got one of those. 63 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.560 Yeah, boy it was it was rough. So there we go. Okay, 64 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.719 here's another one. Number four. Who's most likely to forget 65 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:52.520 why they walked into a room. 66 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:57.199 I've done that. I think that's gona be a tie. 67 00:02:57.479 --> 00:02:58.400 Say that's a guy thing. 68 00:02:58.400 --> 00:02:58.960 A little bit. 69 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:02.280 I'll get into a room and go what am I 70 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:02.599 here for? 71 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:03.240 Yeah? 72 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.800 Or like now I'm at the age now? So I 73 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:08.719 just turned fifty four, I'm at the age now. Like 74 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:11.080 if I've been down to tie my shoes, Yeah, I'll 75 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:12.680 just stay down there and think there is anything else 76 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:13.520 I need to do while I'm. 77 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:20.159 Down here, like there's anything on the floor, because I. 78 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:23.800 Don't want to go down here again. And then the 79 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:24.319 same thing. 80 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.719 I'll walk into a room I'm all excited, and then 81 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:30.159 I'm like, I don't know why I'm here, especially if 82 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:32.599 I burst into the room and then I tell a 83 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:35.120 quick story, and then after the story, because I always 84 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:36.439 have a story, Yeah, story. 85 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:37.840 Comes out, and then I'm like, I forgot why am 86 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:38.159 I here? 87 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:40.400 But that's the thing when you're like in a hurry 88 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:42.919 and you quickly go into a room, why did I 89 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:43.599 just go in here? 90 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.120 When I travel, you know, i'll be gone for a 91 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:50.759 week or two, and then when I for ministry overseas, 92 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:53.520 and when I get back, my calendar gets really stacked 93 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:56.599 up and like there's no breaks, there's just bang bang bank. 94 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:59.280 So I'll get six meetings or seven meetings in a day, 95 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:02.759 back to back to back. And uh, not long ago, 96 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:05.439 I had a day where I didn't have my phone. 97 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.800 I'd left my phone in my truck, and I walked 98 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:09.879 into a meeting, and as soon as that meeting was done, 99 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.159 somebody else walks in. I couldn't remember who that person was. 100 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:16.319 I didn't know what the meeting was about, and so 101 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.600 I'm just kind of talking around the circles. 102 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:20.720 Like, yeah, so how old is the family? 103 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:22.879 Yeah, exactly, how do we know each other? It was 104 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:24.319 in my head, but you know, I was acting like 105 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.240 it's good to see you. And then finally they started 106 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.680 kind of unpacking things and I was like, oh, thank goodness. 107 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:31.879 I had looked at my calendar that morning. I knew 108 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.439 all my meetings. I knew it. I could not remember 109 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:36.600 who they were or what the meeting was for. So 110 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:38.519 I'm going to own that one. That one I'm going 111 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.680 to say is mine. I walk into a room and 112 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:43.879 forget that's often what the next thing is. And then 113 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:47.000 here's one number five who's most likely to laugh at 114 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:48.439 their own joke before finishing it. 115 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:51.439 My wife might say, that's me? 116 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:56.519 Is that you might say that, Yeah, I like laughing 117 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:58.680 at jokes. I would say, let's just vote zar Ball. 118 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:02.480 Yeah, his own Chris. 119 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.600 He's not here, he doesn't get to defend himself, and 120 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:07.480 we don't want him to be left out today. 121 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:11.360 So yeah, I've seen that in action before. 122 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:16.279 I like telling jokes, uh that that I think are 123 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.040 like super funny and you just can't get it out right. 124 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:21.319 It just makes it funnier when somebody starts to tell 125 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.560 a joke and they start laughing through their nose and 126 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:25.199 they spit their pop out or whatever. 127 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:28.079 You know, and there're the other person is just laughing 128 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:29.160 at your reaction. 129 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:31.800 Yeah. Yeah, they don't even know what the punchline is yet, 130 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:33.639 but it's just funny, how that. Yeah, those are always 131 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:37.560 so much fun. So, speaking about fun, you know what 132 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:43.240 wasn't fun? What's that after after Haymon died, the King's 133 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.439 law was still in place and they were still in danger. So, 134 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:48.879 if you don't know, Wesley, Chris and I have been 135 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:52.439 trying to have the worst possible transition from the opening 136 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:55.639 segment into the into the study part of it. So 137 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:57.720 that was the only bad transition I can think of there. 138 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.959 So we're trying to be the kings of terrible transitions. 139 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:06.959 So we are in Esther chapter eight, and Hayman has 140 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:10.120 been executed because the king found out that he was 141 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:13.639 wanting to kill the queen and every other Jew in 142 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:18.079 the kingdom. But there's a problem, and that is that 143 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.079 the law of the Meads and Persians could not be 144 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:24.360 overturned by even the king who made the law. So 145 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.639 here's what it says. It says on that same day, 146 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:30.839 King Xerxes gave the property of Hayman, the enemy of 147 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:35.079 the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordechai was brought before 148 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:37.199 the king, for Esther had told the king how they 149 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:40.240 were related. And the king took off his signet ring 150 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.360 which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it 151 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.879 to Mordecai, and Esther appointed Mordechai to be in charge 152 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:49.600 of Hayman's property. Then Esther went again before the king, 153 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:53.120 falling down at his feet and begging him with tears 154 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.399 to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite 155 00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:59.680 against the Jews. Again, the king held out the gold 156 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:02.360 sep to Esther, so she rose and stood before him. 157 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:04.879 Esther said, if it pleased the king, and if I've 158 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:07.000 found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, 159 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:09.680 and if I am pleasing to him, let there be 160 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:13.240 a decree that reverses the orders of Hayman's son of Hamadatha, 161 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:16.720 the Agagite, who ordered the Jew that Jews stout all 162 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:19.240 the King's provinces should be destroyed, for how can I 163 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:22.160 endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed. 164 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:25.759 Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, 165 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:28.040 I've given Esther the property of Hayman and he's been 166 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:30.879 impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. 167 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:33.639 Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews 168 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:36.639 and the King's name, telling them whatever you want, and 169 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:39.120 seal it with the King's signet ring. But remember that 170 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:41.680 whatever has already been written in the King's name and 171 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.360 sealed with the signet ring can never be revoked. So 172 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:48.279 on June twenty fifth, the King's secretaries were summoned and 173 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:51.480 a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was 174 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.120 sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, 175 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:56.199 and the nobles of all the one hundred and twenty 176 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.600 seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was 177 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.800 written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples 178 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:03.879 of the Empire, including that of the Jews, and the 179 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:06.199 decree was written in the name of King Xerxes, sealed 180 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:09.439 the King's signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift 181 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.800 messengers who rode fast horses especially bred for the King's service. 182 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:16.360 The King's decree gave the Jews in every city authority 183 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:19.120 to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to 184 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:22.879 kill slaughter and annihilate anyone of any nationality of province 185 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:25.600 who might attack them or their children and wives, and 186 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:28.120 to take the property of their enemies. The day chosen 187 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:30.480 for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes 188 00:08:30.519 --> 00:08:33.639 was March seventh of the next year. A copy of 189 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:35.559 this decree was to be issued as law in every 190 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.000 province and proclaimed to all people, so that the Jews 191 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:40.240 would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on 192 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:43.519 the appointed day. So urged on by the King's command, 193 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:46.320 the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bread for 194 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:49.360 the King's service, and the same decree was also proclaimed 195 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.480 in the fortress of Susa. Then Mordechai left the King's presence, 196 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.840 wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great 197 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:58.240 crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen 198 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:00.840 and purple. The people zeus sell bright to the new decree. 199 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:03.039 The Jews are filled with joy and gladness, and we're 200 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:06.159 honored everywhere in every province and city. Wherever the King's 201 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:09.200 decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration, 202 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:11.840 declared a public festival and holiday, and many of the 203 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:15.399 people of their land, became of the land, became Jews themselves, 204 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.360 for they feared what the Jews might do to them. Yeah, 205 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:19.720 well there you go. 206 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:21.240 Yeah that's good. 207 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:24.360 I just noticed something for the first time I've read 208 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:29.480 through Esther before. But the one line where it says 209 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:33.200 verse eight, now go ahead and send a message to 210 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:38.679 the Jews in the King's name, telling them whatever you want. Yeah, 211 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:40.159 and still it with the king's signet. 212 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.879 Right. Yeah. I was like, wait a minute, it seems 213 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:43.519 like I never. 214 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:47.120 Remember seeing that where they could literally write their own script. 215 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:49.600 Yeah, you write, write whatever you want. Yeah. 216 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:50.720 Yeah, that's amazing. Boy. 217 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:54.519 Talking about trust. Yeah, you know, a courage in the 218 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.279 midst of fear and danger like that gets the intention 219 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.399 of powerful people. Yeah, thinking, and he realized, Okay, I've 220 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:03.440 got a man of integrity who tried to save my life. 221 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.120 Who I have a woman who's she's very respectful to him, 222 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.720 even here, if it pleased the king, if I found 223 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.360 favorite love she Yeah, if you think it's right. I'm 224 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:15.080 not telling you what's right, but if you think it's right, 225 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:20.399 and if I please you in any way, then could 226 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.559 you solve this for me? So she's not making demands, 227 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:27.440 she's very, very humble, and all these things. And I 228 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:30.000 think when he sees listen, she's polite even in the 229 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.480 face of danger. She didn't embarrass me or put me 230 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:36.120 in a bad situation. Haim and rescue her. I mean, 231 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:39.639 Mordecai rescued me, saved my life from an assassination plot, 232 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.279 and helped this young woman become a really great lady. 233 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:47.120 I think at that point, all those things that their 234 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:52.840 character caused this king, their previous proven character caused the 235 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:55.639 king to trust them now to say, I don't know 236 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:57.799 how to fix this, but you have been so good 237 00:10:57.799 --> 00:11:00.759 at fixing this problem up at this point in my name, 238 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:06.039 use my signet. Just remember I can't overturn my own laws, right. 239 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:10.159 But it's something you just said, the previous proven character. Yeah, yeah, 240 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.000 I think about that just in our own lives. Can 241 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:14.519 that be set for all of us? 242 00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:14.679 Oh? 243 00:11:14.840 --> 00:11:16.720 Can that be set for us on our job? Can 244 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:19.559 that be set for us like in our neighborhood wherever 245 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:24.039 do we have previous proven character in that area? 246 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:24.720 Yeah? 247 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:27.799 I think that's You know, you help out a lot 248 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.519 with HR in our office. You do a lot of 249 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:32.639 things like that, but one of them you do that 250 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:34.639 in the HR thing. And one of the things I 251 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.159 like to ask when I'm hiring somebody, especially in an 252 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:40.399 area that I'm expecting growth in. One of the best 253 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:43.120 indicators that somebody can grow their department is have they 254 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:44.080 grown anything else? 255 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:44.639 Yeah? 256 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.399 Right? And to what extent and how significant? 257 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:47.639 Yea? 258 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:49.480 When did you ask me that question? 259 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.799 When I first came to heritage, it was with groups, 260 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:54.720 and I think that was one of the quest. 261 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:55.639 What have you ever grown before? 262 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:55.879 Yeah? 263 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.960 Because I have a predisposition for growth. We want to 264 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:02.080 keep growing. And so you know, a lot of people 265 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:03.879 think they can grow a thing. A lot of people 266 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:06.200 think they have good ideas and good plans, But have 267 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:09.200 you ever actually executed on a plan you created and 268 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.440 built something? And so I want to know, man, did 269 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.480 you grow a paper route? Did you you know? Did 270 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:17.639 you did you grow a youth group? Did you? Have 271 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:20.559 you ever expanded the department? Have you? Because if you 272 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:22.840 haven't before, I don't know that you can now. 273 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:23.279 Yeah. 274 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:27.840 And there's a difference between having the intellectual capacity on 275 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:32.080 the subject of growth versus actually having grown something. 276 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:33.879 That's two very different. 277 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:36.559 And then the other side, you know, if people clearly 278 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:39.639 show you who they are, believe them. So if they've 279 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:44.159 had some some legal issues in the past, maybe you 280 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:46.759 don't want to put them in charge of things today. 281 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:47.960 Or getting business with them. 282 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:51.600 Right, And I said in the recent past. You know 283 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:53.919 what I'm saying. I think people can change, people can 284 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:55.679 be restored in those kinds of things. But if you 285 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:58.159 got fired at your last job because you sold some stuff, 286 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.440 I'm probably not putting you in charge of the answers 287 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:02.759 at this new job, right, that kind of thing. So 288 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:08.879 recent character, how they recently demonstrated their character in the past, 289 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:11.559 you can usually trust that they're going to continue on 290 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.320 that path hopefully. 291 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:13.720 Right. 292 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:16.320 You still have to have parameters and all those kinds 293 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.240 of things, And that's why he gave her the parameters 294 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:21.279 of Listen, you can't override my law. I can't even overwrap. 295 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.600 So he did give her some parameters to stay within. 296 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:28.440 But the recent behavior gave him the reason to trust 297 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:32.919 this current situation to them. And there's something to that. So, 298 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:37.240 for those of you who know about the various Jewish holidays, 299 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:40.159 this June twenty fifth kind of moment. This is the 300 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:46.679 first celebration of what the Jewish community would celebrate pium right, 301 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:52.559 which is the celebration of Esther rescuing the people of Israel, 302 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:57.039 and I had the opportunity, I don't know, in two 303 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:01.399 thousand actually to we did a thing in the White House. 304 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:06.480 It was a briefing on religious freedom around the world. 305 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:09.039 But then also while I was in Washington, d C. 306 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:14.120 I celebrated Piam with a whole group of Jewish rabbis 307 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:16.799 and had the opportunity to kind of sit in on 308 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:19.440 this festival and they gave their speeches, and there were 309 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:23.120 a couple of Jewish leaders from the in DC who 310 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:25.639 came and spoke, and a few others, and it was 311 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:30.399 just a really enjoyable evening to have them rehearse this 312 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.320 whole story. They read the book of Esther, and they 313 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.759 rehearsed the whole story and celebrated the fact that, hey, 314 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:38.919 we wouldn't be here if it weren't for this young 315 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.759 woman having the courage to step up. And I think 316 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.080 about that that you think here we are now twenty 317 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:49.080 five hundred years later, because this was four seventy three BC, 318 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:53.159 so we're twenty five hundred years later and people are 319 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:56.879 still celebrating. Thank God, Esther saved my family's life. I 320 00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:59.159 wouldn't be here today, you know, I don't know that 321 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.200 she could have imagined that this would have mattered twenty 322 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:02.600 five hundred years later, but it did. 323 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:04.840 Yeah. Well it's the same way for us. 324 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:10.320 Our behavior today, whether ethical or unethical, good or bad, 325 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.720 can have consequences to subsequent generations. 326 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:15.279 Yeah, just in our own lives. 327 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:18.039 Yeah, it's powerful. So Purim is one of those if 328 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:20.320 you ever if you have Jewish friends and they celebrate Puim, 329 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.399 this is what they're celebrating is Esther's things. So here's 330 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.879 what we have. The threat isn't over. Let's kind of 331 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:29.639 go back to the beginning of this chapter. The threat's 332 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:33.919 not over. Hayman is dead, right, that's good news. The 333 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.799 bad guys out of the way. But his decree is 334 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:40.200 still alive there, still existing because the king had signed 335 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:44.159 that over and so once the law is sealed with 336 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:47.840 the King's ring, it can't be revoked. And so a 337 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.919 big thought that I had on that is just because 338 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:53.000 the villain's gone doesn't mean that the danger is Yeah, right, 339 00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:55.519 So you still have to be vigilant, You still have 340 00:15:55.559 --> 00:16:00.200 to be intentional. Sometimes the impact of evil outlasts the 341 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:03.960 event or outlasts the person behind it. And you know, 342 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:06.200 for some of the people that are listening to You've 343 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.879 had evil happen in your life or bad circumstances, and 344 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:10.679 you still walk with the scars of that or the 345 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:13.960 difficulty of that. So God will continue to give you grace, 346 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:16.039 and God will continue to give you the ability to forgive, 347 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.840 and He'll keep working in those things in your life. 348 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:22.360 But then also sometimes just because you remove a person 349 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:26.279 from a department, or just because you're able to get 350 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:29.000 the bad guy out of the room, that doesn't mean 351 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.399 that the damage hasn't been done or that there's not 352 00:16:31.559 --> 00:16:35.200 something already afoot as a result of what they did 353 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:39.799 that you have to still root out those things. I'm 354 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:45.480 working through an issue overseas right now where this is 355 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:49.960 kind of a truth for me, and it became a 356 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:52.080 guy that had been faithful for a long time wound 357 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:55.679 up being released from a role for some integrity issues. 358 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:00.080 But the way that it all went down and the 359 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.360 impact kept stirring the pot. Here we are two years 360 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:05.839 later and he's causing a tremendous amount of problems, So 361 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:08.440 you know, I'm having to fix that issue. So sometimes 362 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.559 you can remove the bad guy, but then you still 363 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:13.839 have to deal with the fallout and the consequence of that. 364 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:19.359 So being diligent beyond just the one event Hayman's gone. 365 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:21.480 Now we have to be diligent beyond that and go, hey, 366 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:23.599 we got to cross all our teas and out of 367 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.839 our eyes or there's still the consequences to fall out 368 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:27.079 from that. 369 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:29.799 Yeah, well, I think of when you mentioned that, as 370 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.599 far as removing, I just think of a personal situation 371 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:39.000 with my grandfather, my wife's dad in how. 372 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:43.720 And you've talked about your story before. 373 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:48.119 My wife's dad was very abusive to my dad, and 374 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.200 my dad ended up getting away from him, But those 375 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:54.279 scars still remain, and you still have to deal with 376 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.039 those scars and the pain and everything that comes along 377 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.599 with that. Now my dad today, I mean he's gone 378 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.599 through therapy, he's done all types of things. 379 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:03.559 He's great and wonderful. 380 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.759 Today, but for a long time he carried those scars 381 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:11.880 with him as a result of what my granddad did 382 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:14.799 to him. So and there was reconciliation at the end 383 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:17.359 of that. So at the very end, they were able 384 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:18.079 to reconcile. 385 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.319 So you have with esther this courage. But she doesn't 386 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:25.359 relax after the win, you know, and I love that 387 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:29.519 she falls at the King's feet. Again, she doesn't have 388 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:33.839 permission to come and see him, but she she's leveraging 389 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:36.160 the fact that she's had his favorite this moment, she 390 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:38.440 risks her life one more time. She falls at her 391 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:42.119 at his feet, pleads for her people, and her courage 392 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:45.039 wasn't just a one time act, right, which is I 393 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:48.160 think so powerful. This wasn't a one time thing. This 394 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:48.880 is a pattern. 395 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:49.759 Yeah. 396 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:51.599 And so when we're talking about character, you know, we 397 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.599 talked about that earlier, talking about character, character is a pattern. 398 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:58.759 It's habitually choosing to do the right thing, even when 399 00:18:58.799 --> 00:18:59.279 it's hard. 400 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:00.000 Yeah. 401 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.319