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Esther The Jewish Queen of Persia - The Book of Esther · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Then said the king unto her, What
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  Speaker 1: wilt thou, Queen Esther, and what is thy request? It
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  Speaker 1: shall be even given thee to half of the kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: Esther 5.3 Heavenly Father, as I listen to the story
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  Speaker 1: of Esther today, it helps me to realize that every
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  Speaker 1: ounce of influence you have given me is for a
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  Speaker 1: specific purpose. Help me to realize, for such a time
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  Speaker 1: as this, you have given me the ability to stand
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  Speaker 1: in the gap for those who can't stand for themselves.
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  Speaker 1: With this responsibility, I also acknowledge that you have given
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  Speaker 1: me the ability to have uncommon favor with those who
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  Speaker 1: can change the situation for your children for good. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: I will not stand by when I have the ability
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  Speaker 1: to speak up. I will not watch as your children
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  Speaker 1: live below the callings that you have for them. Strengthen
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  Speaker 1: my resolve, silence all fear, and give me strength like
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  Speaker 1: the roar of a lion to speak on your behalf.
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  Speaker 1: I will not be timid, and I will not be
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  Speaker 1: afraid when the time comes. For such a time as this,
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  Speaker 1: like Esther, you have elevated me and I am ready.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Thank you for praying with me today.
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  Speaker 1: Continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Esther, the Jewish Queen of Persia. In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: God's people were freed from the empire of Babylon and
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  Speaker 2: Persia to return home. The exiles journeyed back to the
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  Speaker 2: home of their forefathers. There they rebuilt the temple and
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  Speaker 2: attempted to rebuild their broken hearts. Now we meet a
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  Speaker 2: Jewish exile by the name of Esther. In a time
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  Speaker 2: of great uncertainty for the Jews in Persia, Esther is
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  Speaker 2: raised up as a beacon of deliverance, inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of Esther.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, Pastor Jack Graham here with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year. In our last time together, we
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  Speaker 3: heard of the return of God's people to Judah and Israel.
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  Speaker 3: God had moved in the heart of the Persian king
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  Speaker 3: to release the exiles and provide them with the means
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  Speaker 3: to rebuild their city and the temple of the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: But even as they returned, there was tension and strife
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  Speaker 3: and division. Their hearts still needed healing. They needed revival. Today,
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  Speaker 3: We'll hear a reading from the book of Esther and
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  Speaker 3: learn of this amazing Jewish exile who was used by
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  Speaker 3: God to protect his people, to save a nation. Her
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  Speaker 3: life will become an example of how God often places
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  Speaker 3: courageous people in the right place at the right time
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  Speaker 3: for the right purpose. Let's hear now the reading of
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  Speaker 3: God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: The light of the Persian Empire shone from India to Ethiopia.
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  Speaker 2: The arms of King Xerxes stretched outward to the east
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  Speaker 2: and west. From his throne in the Persian capital of Susa,
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  Speaker 2: he ruled with drunken force. King Xerxes was not like
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  Speaker 2: his father Darius. He was a drunk, with very little
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  Speaker 2: regard for the people around him or under him. He
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  Speaker 2: held banquets and feasts in his own honor and soaked
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  Speaker 2: in the praise of his people like a god. One
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  Speaker 2: evening during the third year of his reign... Xerxes was
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  Speaker 2: holding yet another feast for him and his military officers. Nobles, princes,
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  Speaker 2: and prostitutes leaned against the palace walls. Music and sweat
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  Speaker 2: filled the air as Xerxes drowned himself in fine wines
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  Speaker 2: and spirits. Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the
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  Speaker 2: women of the royal palace. The celebration lasted 180 days.
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  Speaker 2: It was truly a tremendous display of opulent wealth. Parades
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  Speaker 2: of exotic animals filled the golden palace halls, and Xerxes
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  Speaker 2: basked in the jealousy of his peers. Xerxes sent out
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  Speaker 2: a decree in the land that for an entire week,
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  Speaker 2: the entire capital would revel with him. So the whole
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  Speaker 2: capital of Susa was drunk with wine, exotic sex, and food.
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  Speaker 2: By the seventh day, the king had lost all his sense.
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  Speaker 2: He fumbled around his throne like a toddler and screamed
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  Speaker 2: at his servants to come near.' Bring me my queen!'
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  Speaker 2: he yelled.' I want all the men here to see
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  Speaker 2: her beauty!' So the servant went to fetch Queen Vashti,
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  Speaker 2: but she refused to come. She did not want to
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  Speaker 2: be paraded around like one of his animals. Xerxes boiled
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  Speaker 2: with anger. He stumbled to his feet and called for
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  Speaker 2: his advisors to come near.' If my queen will not
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  Speaker 2: listen to me, who's to say the rest of your
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  Speaker 2: wives will not follow in her example?' Xerxes slurred. The
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  Speaker 2: men all nodded in drunken agreement.' You should write a decree,'
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  Speaker 2: one of the men shouted.' A law that banishes Vashti.
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  Speaker 2: Then you should find another wife, more beautiful and submissive.
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  Speaker 2: That will set an example to all the husbands that
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  Speaker 2: they should never allow their wives to say no to them.'
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  Speaker 2: The king nodded in agreement. So in his drunken rage,
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  Speaker 2: he banished the queen and sent out word to have
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  Speaker 2: the finest women in the land taken for his choosing.
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  Speaker 2: Days passed, and Xerxes was detoxing from his months of
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  Speaker 2: endless drinking. His body ached and his head felt as
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  Speaker 2: heavy as iron. As his mind sobered, he considered what
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  Speaker 2: he had done to Vashti. There was a hint of
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  Speaker 2: regret in the king's heart, but not enough regret to
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  Speaker 2: let go of his pride. so he sent his servants
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  Speaker 2: around the empire to find the most beautiful young women
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  Speaker 2: in the land. One by one, they were brought to
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  Speaker 2: the king's harem for him to gaze upon and take
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  Speaker 2: into his bedroom. For weeks, the king shopped for women
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  Speaker 2: like objects, seeking the most beautiful and the most silent.
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  Speaker 2: In the land of Susa, there was a Jewish community.
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  Speaker 2: Some of the exiles from Jerusalem stayed in the land
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  Speaker 2: of Persia and made a life for themselves. They worked
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  Speaker 2: the fields, labored in the city and advised some of
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  Speaker 2: the nobles in literature and philosophy. Among those Jews was
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  Speaker 2: a man named Mordecai. He lived in the Jewish community
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  Speaker 2: with his beautiful young niece Hadasha, who was also called Esther.
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  Speaker 2: When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her
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  Speaker 2: and raised her as his own daughter. The two were close.
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  Speaker 2: It was late and the sun had set over the
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  Speaker 2: Susan horizon. Mordecai and Esther were eating next to the
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  Speaker 2: fireplace enjoying stories and jokes Esther loved her uncle and
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  Speaker 2: hung on every word he spoke Their meal was interrupted
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  Speaker 2: by a violent knocking on the door Mordecai answered and
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  Speaker 2: was with guards pushing open the door They shoved him
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  Speaker 2: aside and set their sights on Esther Without a word
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  Speaker 2: they took her arm and escorted her out of the
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  Speaker 2: house Both of them knew where Esther was being taken
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  Speaker 2: She was being taken to the king's harem It was dark,
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  Speaker 2: and all Esther could see was the looming tower of
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  Speaker 2: the palace. She was taken inside. The halls were dimly
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  Speaker 2: lit by torches, and Esther could smell the faint scent
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  Speaker 2: of fine oils and myrrh growing stronger. She was taken
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  Speaker 2: into a second corridor. The guards opened the door to
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  Speaker 2: the harem and left her into the care of Haggai.
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  Speaker 2: She was pampered with fine oils, beauty treatments, and massages.
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  Speaker 2: For six months, she was soaked in exotic perfumes and
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  Speaker 2: trained in the ways of pleasure. It was rigorous, depressing,
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  Speaker 2: and spiritually draining. Yet Esther maintained hope and kept her
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  Speaker 2: Jewish identity hidden. When the time of beautification had finished,
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  Speaker 2: she would be escorted into the king's chambers. If she
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  Speaker 2: pleased the king, she would be made his wife. All
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  Speaker 2: the while, Mordecai was in the palace working his way
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  Speaker 2: up the ranks as one of the servants so he
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  Speaker 2: could keep an eye on his niece. The sun painted
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  Speaker 2: the sky a deep orange. Its hues peeked through the
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  Speaker 2: window of Esther's room. She looked in the mirror, both
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  Speaker 2: pleased and disgusted with herself. The six months of pampering
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  Speaker 2: had done a fine work on her outer beauty. However,
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  Speaker 2: Esther maintained the knowledge that it was the heart that
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  Speaker 2: truly mattered. She took a deep breath and then walked
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  Speaker 2: towards the king's chamber. Xerxes was lying in his bed, naked,
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  Speaker 2: awaiting his newest guest. He was hungry with anticipation. As
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  Speaker 2: he sipped his wine, he watched as the door slowly opened.
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  Speaker 2: Entering in was Esther. Her long and wavy hair fell
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  Speaker 2: over her shoulders and down to her curvy waist. Her
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  Speaker 2: lips were red and full, and her almond eyes were
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  Speaker 2: filled with depth. Her hips swayed as she walked towards
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  Speaker 2: the king. Her presence was intoxicating to him. He stood
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  Speaker 2: to his feet and took Esther into his arms. The
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  Speaker 2: next morning, Esther awoke to an empty bed. At first,
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  Speaker 2: she thought she would be returned home since the king
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  Speaker 2: seemed to be done with her. Instead, Haggai opened up
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  Speaker 2: the door and escorted her to the queen's chambers. She
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  Speaker 2: was given the queen's wardrobe and given charge over her
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  Speaker 2: own servants and eunuchs. However, she was instructed to never
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  Speaker 2: approach the king or speak to him unless he called
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  Speaker 2: for her. It was winter, and King Xerxes grew very
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  Speaker 2: fond of Esther. He fell in love with her beauty
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  Speaker 2: and her noble heart. He put a crown over her
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  Speaker 2: head and made her queen of Persia. However, she continued
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  Speaker 2: to keep her identity secret as there was a deep
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  Speaker 2: prejudice against the Jews at that time. One day, Mordecai
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  Speaker 2: was on duty at the king's gate. He held his
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  Speaker 2: spear at attention, listening for any rumors about the new
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  Speaker 2: queen of Persia. As he was listening to the gossip
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  Speaker 2: and secrets, he overheard two guards in a peculiar conversation.
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  Speaker 2: Under the cover of the gate's barracks, Mordecai heard two
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  Speaker 2: guards conspire against King Xerxes. They were angry with the king,
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  Speaker 2: and plotted to assassinate him in his sleep. Mordecai looked
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  Speaker 2: up at the sun, seeing that there was only an
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  Speaker 2: hour left of daylight. The king would retreat to his
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  Speaker 2: chambers soon, so he dropped his spear and ran into
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  Speaker 2: the palace. He snuck through the back doors of the
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  Speaker 2: palace into the queen's chambers. He peeked his head through
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  Speaker 2: the lattice to get Esther's attention. She was overjoyed to
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  Speaker 2: see her uncle, but there was no time for a
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  Speaker 2: pleasant greeting. He warned Esther of the plan to kill
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  Speaker 2: the king. So she ran to tell Xerxes and gave
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  Speaker 2: Mordecai the credit. The king had the guards put to
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  Speaker 2: death and was forever grateful to Mordecai for saving his life.
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  Speaker 2: Time had passed and the king had promoted one of
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  Speaker 2: his servants, Haman, in charge of all the nobles in
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  Speaker 2: the land. Haman was a wicked man, filled with self-love
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  Speaker 2: and malicious ambition. Under the king's nose, Haman sent a
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  Speaker 2: decree in all the land for every man and woman
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  Speaker 2: to bow to Haman when they saw him. Mordecai refused
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  Speaker 2: to bow to Haman. This vexed the selfish servant. Haman
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  Speaker 2: knew that Mordecai was a Jew and was filled with
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  Speaker 2: rage against him. However, he knew that Mordecai had the
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  Speaker 2: favor of the king. So he plotted against Mordecai by
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  Speaker 2: whispering hatred into the king's ear about the Jewish people.
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  Speaker 2: He filled the king's cup with much wine, and he
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  Speaker 2: spun webs of lies against the Jewish people. The king
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  Speaker 2: once again found himself in a drunken rage fueled by Haman.
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  Speaker 2: Together they sent a decree that on March 7th, the
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  Speaker 2: nobles were to kill every last Jew in their lands.
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  Speaker 2: Word reached Mordecai, and he violently pursued a word with Esther. However,
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  Speaker 2: he was not allowed in the palace at that time.
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  Speaker 2: He raged against the gates, trying to get the queen's attention.
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  Speaker 2: He knew that she was the only one who could
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  Speaker 2: stop this madness. So Mordecai sent a messenger to Esther,
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  Speaker 2: and the two spoke through him. Esther was told about
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  Speaker 2: the decree and became terrified. The king was locked up
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  Speaker 2: in his tower, strategizing with his commanders. Esther had the
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  Speaker 2: favor of the king, but she knew that if anyone
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  Speaker 2: interrupted him in the next month, they would be put
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  Speaker 2: to death. She sent this excuse to her uncle, and
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  Speaker 2: it made him furious. Do not think for one moment
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  Speaker 2: that your crown makes you safe from this decree. If
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  Speaker 2: you remain silent, I promise you relief will come to
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  Speaker 2: the Jews by someone else, and you will regret doing
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  Speaker 2: nothing in the face of danger. The Jews will always survive,
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  Speaker 2: as is their way, but you will fade and be forgotten.
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  Speaker 2: The words stung Esther, but she was still afraid to
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  Speaker 2: approach the king. It meant certain death. Mordecai calmed himself
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  Speaker 2: and sent a message to Esther. Who knows, he asked.
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  Speaker 2: Perhaps you were put in the palace for this very purpose.
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  Speaker 2: The words resonated in Esther's mind. If she remained silent,
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  Speaker 2: her people would perish. She warred in her heart. Did
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  Speaker 2: she remain safe and allow for thousands of innocent people
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  Speaker 2: to die? She banged her fist against her bedroom wall.
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  Speaker 2: She looked outside her window and lifted her eyes to
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  Speaker 2: the city. Tears streamed down her face. Then a wave
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  Speaker 2: of resolve came upon her. She closed her eyes and whispered,
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  Speaker 2: If I die, I die.
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  Speaker 3: In today's reading from God's Word, we're introduced to the
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  Speaker 3: son of King Darius, a man named Xerxes. He rules
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  Speaker 3: from the Persian city of Susa, and he's nothing like
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  Speaker 3: his father. He was a drunkard and a reveler, given
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  Speaker 3: to pleasure of all kinds, and none of them God-honoring.
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  Speaker 3: His wife, Queen Vashti, held a banquet for him, and
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  Speaker 3: after days of partying, in a stupor, the king summoned
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  Speaker 3: Vashti to show her off to the court. But she refused,
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  Speaker 3: and this angered Xerxes. And because to him people were expendable,
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  Speaker 3: merely instruments for his enjoyment, he banished Vashti, removing her
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  Speaker 3: as queen. This should paint a picture of the kind
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  Speaker 3: of man Xerxes was. He was reprehensible and not to
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  Speaker 3: be toyed with. So the king had his servant scour
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  Speaker 3: Susa looking for the next queen, the object of his
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  Speaker 3: own selfish, lustful desire. And make no mistake, that is
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  Speaker 3: what women were to King Xerxes, just objects. It's here
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  Speaker 3: that we meet Esther, a young Jewish girl living in Susa.
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  Speaker 3: She was an orphan adopted by a man named Mordecai,
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  Speaker 3: a righteous Jew who cared deeply for his niece and
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  Speaker 3: his Jewish brothers and sisters. One day, Esther was taken
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  Speaker 3: away by the king's men to be prepared as a
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  Speaker 3: candidate for queen. Imagine the horror, the terror of this
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  Speaker 3: young girl ripped from her home and sent to become
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  Speaker 3: property of the king, one of his harem, one of many.
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  Speaker 3: Esther knew that Jews were hated in Susa, so she
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  Speaker 3: hid her ethnic identity. but maintained her devotion to God,
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  Speaker 3: holding on to the teachings of God's Word passed down
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  Speaker 3: to her by Mordecai. We may at times find ourselves
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  Speaker 3: in situations when the wisest thing to do is not
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  Speaker 3: stand out or call attention to ourselves. This is the
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  Speaker 3: case for countless persecuted Christians today around the world. But
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  Speaker 3: not standing out does not mean we conform or compromise.
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  Speaker 3: We must always ask God for wisdom and strength to
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  Speaker 3: remain faithful to him in all circumstances. Finally, one day
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  Speaker 3: Esther was sent before Xerxes, and he was very pleased
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  Speaker 3: with her. She was chosen among many others to be
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  Speaker 3: made queen. But we must not imagine this as a
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  Speaker 3: great love story. She was just property for the king,
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  Speaker 3: expendable property. This wasn't a marriage as God intended and
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  Speaker 3: designed marriage to be. And Esther was given strict orders
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  Speaker 3: to not speak to Xerxes unless she was summoned. But
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  Speaker 3: behind the scenes, God is at work. His providence is moving.
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  Speaker 3: God worked in the life of Esther's uncle Mordecai. He
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  Speaker 3: placed Mordecai in a place where he uncovered a plot
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  Speaker 3: to kill Xerxes. So he warned Esther, who rushed to
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  Speaker 3: the king and tipped him off. Xerxes was indebted to
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  Speaker 3: Mordecai and to Esther. All seemed well. until a very
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  Speaker 3: evil man named Haman rose among the ranks and got
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  Speaker 3: close to Xerxes. He expected everyone to bow to him,
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  Speaker 3: and because Mordecai refused to do so, he hated Mordecai
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  Speaker 3: and all the Jews. So, Haman got Xerxes drunk and
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  Speaker 3: began to poison his mind against the Jews. He convinced
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  Speaker 3: the king to issue a decree that amounted to an
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  Speaker 3: order of genocide. When Mordecai discovered this, he and all
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  Speaker 3: the Jews went into mourning. Then he found a way
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  Speaker 3: to get word to Esther. She was afraid and reluctant
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  Speaker 3: to get involved, knowing that the king was cruel, calloused,
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  Speaker 3: and unreasonable. But listen to what Mordecai said to Esther
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  Speaker 3: in chapter 4, verse 14. If you keep silent at
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  Speaker 3: this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews
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  Speaker 3: from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.
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  Speaker 3: And who knows if Whether you have not come to
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom for such a time as this, there is
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  Speaker 3: so much truth in that statement for us today. We
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  Speaker 3: live in a very evil world and we face many
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  Speaker 3: obstacles in living for Christ in our generation. But God
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  Speaker 3: is raising up his people. God is raising up courageous
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  Speaker 3: people today to stand true to his word and to
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  Speaker 3: stand faithfully for the testimony of Jesus Christ. God will
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  Speaker 3: always find a way to accomplish his purpose, whether we
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  Speaker 3: are involved or not. May we choose to be involved.
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  Speaker 3: May we choose courage. We must always ask ourselves every day,
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  Speaker 3: what is my purpose in life? What is my reason
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  Speaker 3: for being here in this office or this school or
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  Speaker 3: this neighborhood? I am born to the kingdom for such
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  Speaker 3: a time as this. Esther understood the profound truth of
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  Speaker 3: these words. Everything in her life has been leading up
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  Speaker 3: to this moment when God would work through her to
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  Speaker 3: save a nation. It wasn't easy for her, but it
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  Speaker 3: did remove any doubt. She had to act, whatever the cost,
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  Speaker 3: and she ultimately said, if I perish, I perish, but
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  Speaker 3: I will do what God wants me to do. And
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  Speaker 3: we'll discover what she does in our next episode. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: we thank you for the scripture and how it challenges
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  Speaker 3: us to know how we could be used by you
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  Speaker 3: in circumstances and opportunities that you've made available to us,
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  Speaker 3: that we would always live for your purpose. We know
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  Speaker 3: that we have been made on purpose and for a purpose.
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  Speaker 3: May we fulfill your plan for our lives every day,
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  Speaker 3: and may we have courage just as Esther did in Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Once again, thank you for listening to today's Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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• 20:18
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• 20:23
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• 20:26
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• 20:29
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• 20:33
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• 20:38
  Speaker 3: grow in your faith, develop as a disciple and follower
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: of Jesus. Be sure to visit me at jackgram.org. We
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: have plenty of resources that will encourage you and equip
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: you for life. God bless you.