Latest / truthunedited / Relaxing Bible Stories for Sleep _ Fall Asleep in Jesus_ Arms

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Relaxing Bible Stories for Sleep _ Fall Asleep in Jesus_ Arms · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Nighttime can feel long, and sometimes our thoughts are louder
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  Speaker 1: than the silence around us. But God's word is full
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  Speaker 1: of stories that remind us of his care, his promises,
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  Speaker 1: and his peace. Each story you are about to hear
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  Speaker 1: is meant to guide your heart into stillness. As you listen,
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  Speaker 1: let the word sink in like a gentle lullaby from heaven. Soon,
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  Speaker 1: your soul will rest in the arms of the one
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  Speaker 1: who never sleeps nor slumbers. As you settle into rest,
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  Speaker 1: let us begin with the story of Ruth. Ruth's story
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  Speaker 1: reminds us that God's care never fades, even when life
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  Speaker 1: feels uncertain. During the time when judges ruled the land
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  Speaker 1: of Israel, there lived a man named Elimelech with his
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  Speaker 1: beloved wife Naomi and their two sons, Marlon and Chilion.
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  Speaker 1: They were a close family, bound together by love and faith,
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  Speaker 1: living peacefully in their small home surrounded by fields of
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  Speaker 1: barley and wheat. But then came a time of great
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  Speaker 1: famine in the land. The rain ceased, the crops withered,
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  Speaker 1: and the earth became dry. Food became scarce, and families
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  Speaker 1: throughout Bethlehem struggled to survive. Elimelech, looking upon his hungry
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  Speaker 1: family with a heavy heart, made the difficult decision to
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  Speaker 1: leave their homeland and journey to the country of Moab,
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  Speaker 1: where they had heard there was still bread to be found.
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  Speaker 1: So the family gathered their few possessions and made the
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  Speaker 1: long journey across the desert sands to Moab. There, in
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  Speaker 1: this foreign land with different customs and different gods, they
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  Speaker 1: settled and slowly began to rebuild their lives. The sons,
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  Speaker 1: Marlon and Chilion, grew to manhood in this new place,
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  Speaker 1: and in time, each found love and married beautiful Moabite women.
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  Speaker 1: Marlon married a gentle soul named Ruth. whose eyes sparkled
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  Speaker 1: with kindness, while Chilian wed Orpah, a woman of grace
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  Speaker 1: and beauty. For a time, all was well. The small
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  Speaker 1: family lived together in harmony, sharing meals and stories, laughter
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  Speaker 1: and tears. But as the years passed, sorrow came to
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  Speaker 1: visit them, like an unwelcome guest. First, Elimelech fell ill
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  Speaker 1: and passed away peacefully in his sleep, leaving Naomi to
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  Speaker 1: mourn her dear companion. Then tragedy struck again, and both
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  Speaker 1: sons died young, leaving behind their wives but no children
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  Speaker 1: to carry on their names. Naomi found herself alone with
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  Speaker 1: her two daughters-in-law in a foreign land, her heart heavy
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  Speaker 1: with grief. She had heard news that the Lord had
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  Speaker 1: blessed her homeland once again, that the famine had ended
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  Speaker 1: and bread was plentiful in Bethlehem. The fields were green again,
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  Speaker 1: the harvest abundant, and her people were no longer hungry.
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  Speaker 1: Her heart longed for home, for the familiar hills and
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  Speaker 1: valleys of her youth, for the comfort of her own
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  Speaker 1: people and the God of her fathers. One morning, as
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  Speaker 1: the sun rose gently over the Moabite hills, Naomi called
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  Speaker 1: Ruth and Orpah to her side. My dear daughters, she said,
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  Speaker 1: her voice soft but determined, I have decided to return
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  Speaker 1: to Bethlehem. The Lord has provided food for his people there,
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  Speaker 1: and I long to be among my own family again.
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  Speaker 1: But you, my precious girls, should stay here in the
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  Speaker 1: land of your birth. Go, return each to your mother's house.
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  Speaker 1: May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have
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  Speaker 1: dealt with the dead, and with me. Naomi embraced each
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  Speaker 1: of them tenderly, her tears falling like gentle rain. May
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  Speaker 1: the Lord grant that you find rest, each in the
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  Speaker 1: house of her husband. She kissed them farewell, but both
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  Speaker 1: young women began to weep, their sobs echoing in the
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  Speaker 1: quiet morning air. No, they said together, we will return
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  Speaker 1: with you to your people. Their loyalty touched Naomi's heart,
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  Speaker 1: but she shook her head sadly. Turn back, my daughters,
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  Speaker 1: she urged them gently. Why will you go with me?
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  Speaker 1: Are there still sons in my womb that they may
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  Speaker 1: be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way,
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  Speaker 1: for I am too old to have a husband. Even
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  Speaker 1: if I should have hope, even if I should have
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  Speaker 1: a husband tonight, and should also bear sons, would you
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  Speaker 1: wait for them till they were grown? No, my daughters,
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  Speaker 1: it grieves me very much for your sakes that the
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  Speaker 1: hand of the Lord has gone out against me. They
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  Speaker 1: wept together again, their tears mingling like streams joining a river.
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  Speaker 1: Then Orpah, though her heart was breaking, kissed her mother-in-law farewell,
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  Speaker 1: and turned back toward her family's home, her figure growing
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  Speaker 1: smaller in the distance, until she disappeared among the hills.
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  Speaker 1: But Ruth clung to Naomi like a vine to a tree,
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  Speaker 1: her hands gentle but firm. Her eyes, bright with unshed tears,
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  Speaker 1: but also with fierce determination, looked into Naomi's weathered face.
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  Speaker 1: What she said next would echo through the ages, words
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  Speaker 1: of such beauty and loyalty, that they would be remembered forever.
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  Speaker 1: Do not urge me to leave you or to turn
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  Speaker 1: back from following you, Ruth said, her voice clear and
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  Speaker 1: strong despite her tears. For wherever you go, I will go,
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  Speaker 1: and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall
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  Speaker 1: be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die,
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  Speaker 1: I will die, and there will I be buried. The
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  Speaker 1: Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything
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  Speaker 1: but death parts you and me. Naomi saw the steadfast
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  Speaker 1: love in Ruth's eyes, the unwavering commitment that would not
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  Speaker 1: be shaken, and she knew that no words could change
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  Speaker 1: this young woman's heart. So together, the two women began
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  Speaker 1: their journey to Bethlehem, walking slowly along the dusty roads,
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  Speaker 1: supporting each other through the heat of the day and
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  Speaker 1: resting together under the cool stars at night. When they
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  Speaker 1: arrived in Bethlehem, it was the beginning of the barley harvest.
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  Speaker 1: The fields were golden and ready, swaying gently in the
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  Speaker 1: warm breeze like waves on a peaceful sea. The whole
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  Speaker 1: city stirred with excitement at their arrival, for many remembered
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  Speaker 1: Naomi from years before. Is this Naomi? The women asked
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  Speaker 1: each other, gathering around with curious but kind faces. Do
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  Speaker 1: not call me Naomi, she replied sadly. Call me Mara.
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  Speaker 1: for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I
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  Speaker 1: went out full, and the Lord has brought me home
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  Speaker 1: again empty. But Ruth stood beside her, a living testament
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  Speaker 1: to the love that surrounded Naomi even in her sorrow.
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  Speaker 1: They found a small house to live in, but they
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  Speaker 1: had little money and no food stored away. Ruth, seeing
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  Speaker 1: their need, spoke gently to her mother-in-law. Let me go
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  Speaker 1: to the field and and glean heads of grain after
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  Speaker 1: him in whose sight I may find grace. Naomi nodded,
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  Speaker 1: her heart full of gratitude for this daughter who had
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  Speaker 1: chosen to stay with her. Go, my daughter, she said softly.
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  Speaker 1: So Ruth went out as the morning dew still glistened
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  Speaker 1: on the grass, and happened to come to the part
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  Speaker 1: of the field belonging to Boaz, who was a relative
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  Speaker 1: of Elimelech. Boaz was a man of wealth and standing
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  Speaker 1: in the community but more importantly, he was a man
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  Speaker 1: of kindness and integrity, one who followed the ways of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord with a gentle heart. When Boaz came from
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  Speaker 1: Bethlehem to check on his harvest, he greeted his reapers
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  Speaker 1: with warmth. The Lord be with you. And they answered cheerfully,
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  Speaker 1: The Lord bless you. Boaz noticed Ruth immediately, this young woman,
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  Speaker 1: who worked so diligently among the grain, her movements graceful
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  Speaker 1: even in her labour. he asked his servant who was
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  Speaker 1: in charge of the reapers, whose young woman is this.
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  Speaker 1: The servant replied respectfully, It is the young Moabite woman
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  Speaker 1: who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
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  Speaker 1: She asked permission to glean and gather after the reapers
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  Speaker 1: among the sheaves, and she has continued working steadily from
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  Speaker 1: morning until now, except for a short rest in the house.
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  Speaker 1: Boaz's heart was moved with compassion and admiration. He approached Ruth,
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  Speaker 1: his voice gentle and welcoming. Hear me, my daughter. Do
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  Speaker 1: not go to glean in another field, nor go from here,
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  Speaker 1: but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes
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  Speaker 1: be on the field which they reap, and go after them.
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  Speaker 1: Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?
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  Speaker 1: And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and
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  Speaker 1: drink from what the young men have drawn. Ruth fell
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  Speaker 1: on her face before him, bowing to the ground in gratitude.
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  Speaker 1: her heart overwhelmed by such unexpected kindness. Why have I
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  Speaker 1: found grace in your eyes that you should take notice
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  Speaker 1: of me, since I am a foreigner? Boaz smiled warmly,
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  Speaker 1: his eyes twinkling with admiration. It has been fully reported
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  Speaker 1: to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law
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  Speaker 1: since the death of your husband, and how you have
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  Speaker 1: left your father and your mother and the land of
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  Speaker 1: your birth, and have come to a people whom you
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  Speaker 1: did not know before. the Lord repay your work. And
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  Speaker 1: a full reward be given you by the Lord God
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  Speaker 1: of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.
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  Speaker 1: Ruth's heart filled with joy, like a cup overflowing with
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  Speaker 1: sweet water. Let me find favour in your sight, my Lord.
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  Speaker 1: For you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to
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  Speaker 1: your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.
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  Speaker 1: At mealtime Boaz called to her gently, Come here, and
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  Speaker 1: eat of the bread, and dip your piece in the vinegar.
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  Speaker 1: So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed roasted
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  Speaker 1: grain to her, and she ate until she was satisfied
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  Speaker 1: and even had some left over. When she rose up
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  Speaker 1: to glean, Boaz commanded his young men privately, Let her
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  Speaker 1: glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
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  Speaker 1: Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her.
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  Speaker 1: Leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.
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  Speaker 1: So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening, working peacefully
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  Speaker 1: under the warm sun, her heart light with gratitude. When
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  Speaker 1: she beat out what she had gleaned, it was about
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  Speaker 1: an aphor of barley, far more than she had dared
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  Speaker 1: to hope for. She carried it back to the city,
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  Speaker 1: and when Naomi saw how much she had brought, her
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  Speaker 1: eyes widened with amazement. Ruth also brought out and gave
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  Speaker 1: to her what she had kept back after she had
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  Speaker 1: eaten enough. Naomi asked wonderingly, Where did you glean today?
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  Speaker 1: And where did you work? Blessed be the one who
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  Speaker 1: took notice of you. Ruth told her mother-in-law about the
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  Speaker 1: man whose field she had worked in, and said, The
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  Speaker 1: name of the man with whom I work today is Boaz.
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  Speaker 1: Naomi's face lit up with joy, like dawn breaking over
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  Speaker 1: the hills. Blessed be he of the Lord, who has
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  Speaker 1: not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead.
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  Speaker 1: She paused, her voice growing warm with hope. This man
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  Speaker 1: is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.
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  Speaker 1: Ruth continued, He also said to me, You shall stay
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  Speaker 1: close by my young men until they have finished all
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  Speaker 1: my harvest. Naomi nodded wisely, her heart beginning to see
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  Speaker 1: the Lord's hand in these events. It is good, my daughter,
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  Speaker 1: that you go out with his young women and that
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  Speaker 1: people do not meet you in any other field. So
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  Speaker 1: Ruth stayed close to the young women of Boaz to
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  Speaker 1: glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest
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  Speaker 1: and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. The days passed peacefully,
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  Speaker 1: filled with honest work under the blue sky, and slowly, quietly,
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  Speaker 1: love began to bloom in the field like flowers after
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  Speaker 1: spring rain. As the harvest season came to an end, Naomi,
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  Speaker 1: wise in the ways of her people, spoke to Ruth
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  Speaker 1: one evening, as they sat together watching the sunset paint
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  Speaker 1: the sky in gentle colours. My daughter, shall I not
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  Speaker 1: seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Now, Boaz,
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  Speaker 1: whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: he is winnowing barley to-night at the threshing-floor. Naomi's plan
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  Speaker 1: was gentle and proper, following the customs of their people.
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  Speaker 1: She instructed Ruth in what to do, and Ruth, trusting
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  Speaker 1: in her mother-in-law's wisdom and in the Lord's providence, did
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  Speaker 1: exactly as she was told. That night Ruth went quietly
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  Speaker 1: to the threshing-floor, where Boaz lay sleeping peacefully after his
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  Speaker 1: work was done. She uncovered his feet and lay down softly,
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  Speaker 1: waiting with a heart full of hope and trust. At midnight,
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  Speaker 1: Boaz was startled and turned over, and there, in the
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  Speaker 1: soft moonlight, he saw a woman lying at his feet.
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  Speaker 1: His voice was gentle but surprised as he asked, Who
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  Speaker 1: are you? Ruth answered softly, I am Ruth, your maidservant.
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  Speaker 1: Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a
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  Speaker 1: close relative. Boaz's heart filled with joy and admiration. Blessed
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  Speaker 1: are you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have
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  Speaker 1: shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning,
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  Speaker 1: in that you did not go after young men, whether
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  Speaker 1: poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear.
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  Speaker 1: I will do for you all that you request. For
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  Speaker 1: all the people of my town know that you are
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  Speaker 1: a virtuous woman, But Boaz, being a man of honor
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  Speaker 1: and integrity, explained gently that there was a relative closer
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  Speaker 1: than he who had the first right according to their law.
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  Speaker 1: If he will perform the duty of a close relative
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  Speaker 1: for you good, let him do it. But if he
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  Speaker 1: does not want to perform the duty for you, then
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  Speaker 1: I will perform the duty for you as the Lord lives.
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  Speaker 1: Lie down until morning. So Ruth lay at his feet
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  Speaker 1: until morning, and he gave her generous gifts of barley
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  Speaker 1: to take home, asking her not to let it be
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  Speaker 1: known that she had come to the threshing floor. The
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  Speaker 1: next morning Boaz went to the gate of the city,
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  Speaker 1: where business was conducted and matters were settled. There he
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  Speaker 1: waited until the closer relative passed by, and he called
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  Speaker 1: out to him, Come aside, friend, sit down here. The
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  Speaker 1: man came and sat down, and Boaz gathered ten men
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  Speaker 1: of the elders of the city as witnesses. Boaz explained
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  Speaker 1: the situation with wisdom and care. The relative, when he
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  Speaker 1: learned all that would be required of him, decided he
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  Speaker 1: could not take on the responsibility. Following the custom, he
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  Speaker 1: removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz, transferring all
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  Speaker 1: rights to him before the witnesses. Boaz turned to the elders,
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  Speaker 1: and all the people gathered there, his voice ringing clear
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  Speaker 1: and joyful. You are witnesses this day that I have
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  Speaker 1: bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilin's
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  Speaker 1: and Marlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess,
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  Speaker 1: the widow of Marlon, I have acquired as my wife,
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  Speaker 1: to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.
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  Speaker 1: All the people at the gate and the elders said together,
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  Speaker 1: We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is
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  Speaker 1: coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two
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  Speaker 1: who built the house of Israel. And may you prosper
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  Speaker 1: in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. So Boaz took
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  Speaker 1: Ruth as his wife, and the Lord blessed their union
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  Speaker 1: with love that grew stronger each day, like a tree
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  Speaker 1: planted by streams of water. In time the Lord blessed
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  Speaker 1: them with a son, and the women of Bethlehem came
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  Speaker 1: to Naomi with joy, saying, Blessed be the Lord, who
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  Speaker 1: has not left you this day without a close relative,
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  Speaker 1: and may his name be famous in Israel. They laid
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  Speaker 1: the baby in Naomi's arms, and she became his nurse,
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  Speaker 1: her heart overflowing with gratitude. The neighboring women gave him
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  Speaker 1: a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi,
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  Speaker 1: and they called his name Obed, which means servant. Little
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  Speaker 1: did they know that this child, born of such faithful
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  Speaker 1: love and devotion, would become the grandfather of David, the
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  Speaker 1: great king of Israel, and that through this lineage would
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  Speaker 1: come the Messiah himself. The love and loyalty that Ruth showed,
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  Speaker 1: the kindness that Boaz extended, and the faith that carried
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  Speaker 1: them all through difficult times, had become part of God's
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  Speaker 1: great plan for blessing all the nations of the earth.
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  Speaker 1: And so ends this gentle tale of Ruth, whose love
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  Speaker 1: was steadfast as the mountains, and whose faith was rewarded
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  Speaker 1: beyond measure, reminding us all that kindness and loyalty are
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  Speaker 1: never forgotten by the one who watches over us with
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  Speaker 1: perfect love. Now, let us journey to another story of courage.
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  Speaker 1: This time with Daniel, a man who trusted God even
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  Speaker 1: in the face of lions. In the ancient days when
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  Speaker 1: Babylon was the greatest kingdom on earth, there lived a
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  Speaker 1: young man named Daniel. He had been taken from his
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  Speaker 1: homeland of Jerusalem as a youth, along with many other
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  Speaker 1: noble children of Israel, when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered their city.
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  Speaker 1: But though Daniel found himself far from home, In a
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  Speaker 1: land of strange customs and foreign gods, he carried within
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  Speaker 1: his heart an unshakable faith in the God of his fathers.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel was blessed with exceptional wisdom and understanding, gifts that
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  Speaker 1: seemed to flow from his constant communion with the Almighty.
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  Speaker 1: His mind was sharp as a polished blade, able to
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  Speaker 1: interpret dreams and understand visions that puzzled the greatest wise
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  Speaker 1: men of Babylon. His character was pure as mountain snow.
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  Speaker 1: untainted by the corruption that often came with power and
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  Speaker 1: influence in the royal court. King Nebuchadnezzar, recognizing Daniel's extraordinary abilities,
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  Speaker 1: appointed him to high positions in his government. Daniel served faithfully,
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  Speaker 1: not seeking glory for himself but always giving credit to
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  Speaker 1: God for the wisdom he possessed. Through Daniel's interpretations, the
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  Speaker 1: king learned the meaning of troubling dreams that had disturbed
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  Speaker 1: his sleep and he came to respect the young Hebrew's God,
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  Speaker 1: though he did not abandon his own deities. When Nebuchadnezzar
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  Speaker 1: passed away and was succeeded by his son Belshazzar, Daniel
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  Speaker 1: continued to serve with the same integrity and wisdom. It
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  Speaker 1: was during Belshazzar's reign that Daniel interpreted the mysterious writing
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  Speaker 1: that appeared on the palace wall during a great feast.
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  Speaker 1: Those chilling words mean, mean, teckle. a parson that foretold
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  Speaker 1: the fall of Babylon and the death of the king.
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  Speaker 1: That very night, as Daniel had prophesied, Belshazzar was slain,
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  Speaker 1: and the kingdom passed to the Medes and Persians under
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  Speaker 1: their king, Darius. But Daniel's reputation for wisdom and integrity
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  Speaker 1: had spread throughout the land like sweet fragrance, and King Darius,
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  Speaker 1: recognizing his exceptional qualities, pointed him as one of three
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  Speaker 1: presidents who would oversee the entire kingdom. Daniel's wisdom and
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  Speaker 1: diligence in his duties soon distinguished him above the other
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  Speaker 1: presidents and all the governors. so that King Darius planned
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  Speaker 1: to set him over the entire realm. Daniel went about
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  Speaker 1: his work with quiet efficiency, his decisions marked by fairness,
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  Speaker 1: and his conduct above reproach. He rose early each day,
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  Speaker 1: spent time in prayer and meditation, and approached each challenge
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  Speaker 1: with the calm confidence that comes from trusting in divine guidance.
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  Speaker 1: But Daniel's excellence stirred jealousy in the hearts of the
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  Speaker 1: other officials like wind stirring up dust in a dry place.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: The other presidents and governors began to search diligently for
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: some fault in Daniel's administration, some error in his judgment,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: some corruption in his dealings. They examined his records like
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: scholars poring over ancient texts. They questioned his decisions. They
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: watched his every move with eagle eyes. Day after day
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: they searched, week after week they scrutinized, but they found
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: no corruption or negligence in Daniel whatsoever. His accounts balanced perfectly,
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: his judgments were wise and fair, his conduct was beyond criticism. Finally,
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: in frustration, they admitted to one another, We shall not
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find it
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: against him concerning the law of his God. These officials
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: knew that Daniel was devoted to his faith, that three
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: times each day he would kneel in his chamber, open
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: his window toward Jerusalem, and pray to the God of Israel.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: This practice was as regular as the rising and setting
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: of the sun, as constant as his breathing. Even in
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: this foreign land, surrounded by pagan temples and idol worship,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: Daniel remained faithful to the customs of his ancestors and
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: the commandments of his God. So these jealous men devised
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: a cunning plan, approaching King Darius with honeyed words and
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: false flattery. King Darius, live forever, they said, bowing low
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: before his throne. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, princes, counselors,
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: and captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: and to make a firm decree that whoever petitions any
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: god or man for thirty days, except you, O king,
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: shall be cast into the den of lions. They painted
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: this proposal as a way to honour the king's divine authority,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: to strengthen his rule by requiring all his subjects to
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: acknowledge him as their supreme ruler for one month. The
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: idea appealed to Darius's pride, and the officials pressed their advantage,
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: urging him to sign the decree quickly, so that it
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: could not be changed, For the laws of the Medes
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: and Persians, once signed and sealed with the royal signet,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: were unalterable. King Darius, flattered by their proposal and not
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: seeing the trap they had laid, signed the document and
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: sealed it with his ring, making it irrevocable law throughout
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: his vast empire. When Daniel learned of this new law,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: he felt no anger, no fear, no desire to compromise
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: his faith to save his life. Instead, he went to
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: his house, and as was his custom, he opened his
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: windows that faced toward Jerusalem, knelt down three times that day,
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: and prayed and gave thanks before his God, just as
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: he had always done. The golden light of the setting
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: sun streamed through his window as he prayed, bathing his
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: peaceful face in warm radiance as he communed with the Almighty.
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: The conspirators, watching like vultures circling their prey, quickly gathered
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: evidence of Daniel's continued prayer life. With malicious joy, they
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: hurried back to the king and informed him of Daniel's crime.
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: Have you not signed a decree that every man who
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you,
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: They asked with false concern. The king confirmed that he
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: had indeed signed such a decree. Then Daniel, who is
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: one of the captives from Judah, does not show due
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: regard for you, O king, or for the decree that
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: As soon as King Darius heard these words, his heart
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: sank like a stone dropped into deep water. He realized
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: immediately that he had been manipulated, that these men had
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: used his pride to trap the one official in his
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: kingdom who was truly trustworthy and wise. The king spent
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: the rest of the day desperately trying to find some
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: way to deliver Daniel, consulting with lawyers and wise men,
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: searching through legal precedents, but the law was clear and unchangeable.
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: As the sun began to set, painting the sky in
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: shades of gold and crimson, the officials pressed the king relentlessly. Know,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: O king, that it is the law of the Medes
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: and Persians that no decree or statute which the king
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: establishes may be changed. With a heavy heart, King Darius
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: gave the order, and Daniel was brought to the mouth
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: of the lion's den. The den was a deep pit
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: carved into solid rock, with a narrow opening at the
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: top that could be sealed with a massive stone. Within
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: this dark chamber prowled the royal lions, magnificent and terrible beasts,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: that had been kept hungry to ensure they would devour
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: any criminal cast down to them. As Daniel was lowered
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: into the den, King Darius called out to him with
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: a voice full of anguish and desperate hope, Your God,
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: whom you serve continually, he will deliver you. The great
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: stone was rolled over the mouth of the den and
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: sealed with the king's signet ring and the rings of
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: his lords, so that nothing could be changed concerning Daniel.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: The king returned to his palace, but he refused all
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: entertainment that was brought before him. No musicians played their harps,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: no dancers performed, no jesters told their jokes. He dismissed
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: his concubines and could not touch any food. Sleep fled
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: from him like birds fleeing before a storm, and he
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: spent the long night pacing his chambers, his heart heavy
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: with worry for Daniel. Meanwhile, in the darkness of the
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: lion's den, something miraculous was taking place. the great cats,
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: which should have torn Daniel apart the moment he touched
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: the floor of their domain, instead lay down peacefully around
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: him like gentle house cats. An angel of the Lord
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: had come down into that dark place, invisible to human
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: eyes but clearly seen by the lions, who recognized divine
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: authority and submitted to it immediately. Daniel spent that night
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: in perfect peace, surrounded by the very beasts that were
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: meant to be his executioners. He prayed and meditated through
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: the dark hours, his heart calm and trusting. The lions
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: breathed quietly around him, their eyes reflecting what little light
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: filtered down from above, but showing no hostility. It was
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: as if the den had been transformed from a place
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: of death into a sanctuary of divine protection. As soon
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: as dawn broke over the city, painting the eastern sky
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: with pale light, King Darius arose and hurried to the
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: lion's den. His heart pounded with anxiety and hope as
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: he approached the sealed opening. With trembling voice he cried out, Daniel,
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: servant of the living God, has your God, whom you
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: From the depths of the den came Daniel's voice, clear
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: and strong and full of joy, O King, live forever.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouths,
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: so that they have not hurt me, because I was
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: found innocent before him, and also, O king, I have
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: done no wrong before you. King Darius was filled with
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: exceeding gladness, like a parent whose lost child has been
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: found alive and safe. He immediately commanded that Daniel be
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: lifted up out of the den, and when they examined him,
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: no injury was found on him whatsoever, not a scratch,
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: not a bite, not even torn clothing. His faith in
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: his God had protected him completely. The king's joy quickly
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: turned to righteous anger against those who had deceived him.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: He ordered that the conspirators be brought forward, along with
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: their wives and children, and they were cast into the
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: very den they had prepared for Daniel. The lions, no
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: longer restrained by divine intervention, overpowered them before they even
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: reached the bottom of the den. Then King Darius wrote
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: a decree to all peoples, nations and languages that dwelt
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: throughout the earth, peace be multiplied to you. I make
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: he is the living God and steadfast forever. His kingdom
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: is the one which shall not be destroyed, and his
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: and he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: the reign of Cyrus the Persian. His faithful to God
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: in the face of death had not only saved his
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: own life, but had brought glory to the name of
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: the Almighty throughout the vast Persian empire. Kings and nobles,
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: governors and common people heard the story of Daniel and
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: the lions, and many came to respect and fear the
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: God of Israel. Daniel continued to serve in the royal
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: court with the same integrity and wisdom that had always
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: marked his character. He interpreted more dreams and visions, always
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: pointing to God as the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: He lived to see the decree of Cyrus that allowed
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: the temple in Jerusalem, though Daniel himself remained in Babylon,
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: serving God faithfully in the place where divine providence had
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: planted him. The story of Daniel reminds us that faith
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: in God can sustain us through any trial, that integrity
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: and faithfulness are never wasted, and that the God who
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: shut the mouths of lions for Daniel's sake watches over
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: all his children with the same protective love. Like Daniel,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: we can face each day with confidence, knowing that our
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: lives are in the hands of one who is mightier
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: than any earthly power, more faithful than any human friend,
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: and more loving than any earthly father. In the quiet
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: moments before sleep, we can remember Daniel's example and trust
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: that the same God who protected him in the lion's
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: den watches over us through the darkness of night, keeping
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: us safe until the dawn of a new day breaks
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: over our lives with fresh mercies and renewed hope. Now,
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: we move to the palace of Persia, where Esther, a
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: young queen, was chosen to save her people. Like Daniel,
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: her trust in God brought light to a fearful moment.
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: In Persian Empire, which stretched from India to Ethiopia, across
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: 127 provinces, there ruled a great king named Ahasuerus. His
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: palace in Shushan was a wonder to behold, with columns
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: of marble and silver, gardens of exotic flowers, and courtyards
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: paved with precious stones that gleamed like jewels in the sunlight.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: The king himself was powerful beyond measure, able to command armies,
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: build cities, and change the fate of nations with a
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: single word. In the third year of his reign, King
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Ahasuerus made a great feast for all his officials and servants,
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: displaying the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: of his excellent majesty for many days, 180 days in all.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: The celebration was like nothing the world had ever seen,
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: with golden vessels for drinking. Purple and white tapestries held
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: up with cords of fine linen, and couches of gold
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: and silver arranged on pavements of marble and precious stones.
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: When these days were over, the king made another feast
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: lasting seven days for all the people present in Shushan,
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: from the greatest to the least. They drank from golden cups,
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: no two alike, and the royal wine was served in abundance,
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: according to the generosity of the king. The law of
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: the drinking was that no one should be compelled, for
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: the king had ordered all the officers of his household
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: to serve each person according to his desire. Queen Vashti
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: also made a feast for the women in the royal palace,
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: where she entertained the noble ladies with the same lavish generosity.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: She was renowned throughout the kingdom for her beauty, which
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: was said to shine like the sun and moon together,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: captivating all who looked upon her. On the seventh day
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: of the feast, when the king's heart was merry with
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: wine and the celebration had reached its peak, he commanded
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: his seven eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti before him wearing
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: her royal crown, that he might show her beauty to
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: the people and the officials. But Queen Vashti, perhaps feeling
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: that such a display would be inappropriate or undignified, refused
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: to come at the king's command. The king became furious
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: when he received word of her refusal, his anger burning
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: like fire within him. He consulted with his wise men
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: who understood law and justice, asking what should be done
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: to Queen Vashti according to the law, since she had
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: not obeyed his command. One of his counsellors, Memukan, spoke
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: up with words that would change the course of history.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: all the officials and all the people who are in
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen's behavior
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: will become known to all women, so that they will
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: despise their husbands and say, King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: to be brought in before him, but she did not come.
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: The king and his nobles agreed that Queen Vashti should
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: be deposed and never again come before the king, and
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: that her royal position should be given to another who
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: was better than she. A decree was sent throughout the
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: empire stating that all wives should honour their husbands, both
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: great and small. After these events, when the king's anger
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: had subsided like a storm that has spent its fury,
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: he remembered Vashti and what she had done. His servants
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: suggested that beautiful young virgins be sought throughout all the
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: provinces of his kingdom, that they might be brought to
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: the palace where the king could choose a new queen
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: from among them. Now in Shushan lived a Jewish man
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: named Mordecai, a descendant of those who had been carried
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: away from Jerusalem with the captivity. He had adopted his
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: young cousin Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah, after her
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: parents died. Esther was an orphan, but she had found
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: in Mordecai a father's love and protection. She was beautiful
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: in form and appearance. with eyes that sparkled like stars
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: and a gentle spirit that drew people to her like
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: flowers turning toward the sun. When the king's decree was proclaimed,
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: and many young women were gathered to the palace, Esther
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: also was taken to the royal house and placed under
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: the care of Haggai, the custodian of the women. Esther
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: immediately found favor in Haggai's sight, and he provided her
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: with beauty preparations, special food from the king's table. and
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: seven choice-maid servants from the palace. He also moved her
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: and her maids to the best place in the house
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: of the women. Following Mordecai's wise counsel, Esther had not
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: revealed her Jewish heritage or her family background, keeping this
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: knowledge safely hidden in her heart. Each day, Mordecai walked
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: in front of the court of the women's quarters to
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: learn of Esther's welfare and what was happening to her,
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: his love and concern for her evident in his faithful attention.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: For twelve months, each young woman underwent beauty treatments, six
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: months with oil of Mara and six months with perfumes
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: and preparations for beautifying women. When each maiden's turn came
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: to go before King Ahasuerus, she could request whatever she
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: desired to take with her from the women's quarters to
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: the king's palace. When Esther's turn finally came, she requested
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: nothing except what Hegai, the king's eunuch who kept the women, advised.
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: Her natural beauty and gentle spirit were adornment enough, shining
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: more brilliantly than any jewels or costly garments. All who
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: saw her admired her grace and loveliness. Esther was taken
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month,
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: and the king loved Esther more than all the other women.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: She obtained grace and favor in his sight more than
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: all the virgins, so he set the royal crown upon
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. The
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: king made a great feast for all his officials and servants,
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: Esther's feast, and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: and gave gifts according to his royal generosity. Meanwhile, as
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: Mordecai sat within the king's gate where he held a
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: minor position in the government, he overheard two of the
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: king's eunuchs, Bichthen and Teresh, plotting to harm King Ahasuerus.
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: Being a man of integrity and loyalty, Mordecai told Queen
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: Esther of this conspiracy, and she informed the king in
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: Mordecai's name. When the matter was investigated and found to
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: be true, both conspirators were hanged on gallows, and the
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: incident was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: the king's presence. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted a
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: man named Haman the Agadith to high honor, setting his
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: seat above all the princes who were with him. All
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: the king's servants at the gate bowed down and paid
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: homage to Haman, for the king had commanded this. But
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: Mordecai would not bow or pay homage, for he worshipped
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: only the God of Israel and would not show such
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: reverence to any mortal man. When the king's servants asked
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: Mordecai day after day, why he transgressed the king's command,
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: and he would not listen to them, they told Haman
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: about Mordecai's refusal. They also told Haman that Mordecai was
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: a Jew, hoping to explain his behavior. When Haman saw
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, he
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: was filled with wrath like a pot boiling over with fury.
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: But he scorned the idea of laying hands on Mordecai alone,
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: for they had told him of Mordecai's people. Instead, Haman
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai. In the
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman cast purr, that is,
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: the lot, before himself to determine the day and month
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: for his evil plan. The lot fell on the twelfth month,
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: which is the month of Adar, giving him nearly a
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: year to prepare his scheme. Then Haman approached King Ahasuerus
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: with cunning words, speaking like a serpent whispering poison into
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: willing ears. There is a certain people scattered and dispersed
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom,
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: he said smoothly. Their laws are different from all other people's,
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: is not fitting for the king to let them remain.
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: If it pleases the king, let a decree be written
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: talents of silver into the hands of those who do
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries. The king,
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: trusting Haman's counsel without investigating the matter thoroughly, took his
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman.
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: The money and the people are given to you. to
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: do with them as seems good to you, he said.
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: On the thirteenth day of the first month, the king's
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: scribes were called, and a decree was written according to
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: all that Haman commanded. It was sent to the king's satraps, governors,
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: and officials of all the provinces, sealed with the king's ring.
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: The decree stated that all Jews, both young and old,
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: little children and women, should be killed, destroyed, and annihilated
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: on one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: and that their possessions should be plundered. Copies of the
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: document were issued as law in every province and published
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: for all people that they should be ready for that day.
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command, and
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. The king
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: Shushan was perplexed and troubled by this cruel edict. When
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: Mordecai learned of all that had been done, his heart
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: broke like a vessel shattered against stone. He tore his clothes,
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: midst of the city, crying out with a loud and
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: bitter cry. Throughout every province where the king's command and
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping,
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes, their hearts
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: heavy with despair. When Esther's maids and eunuchs told her
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: about Mordecai's distress, the queen was deeply troubled. She sent
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: garments to clothe Mordecai and take away his sackcloth, but
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: he would not accept them. Then Esther called for Hatak,
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: attend her, and she gave him a command to go
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: to Mordecai to learn what this meant and why he
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: was in such anguish. Hatak went out to Mordecai in
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: the city square that was in front of the king's
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: gate and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him,
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: including the exact sum of money that Haman had promised
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: written decree for their destruction, that Hatach might show it
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: to Esther and explain it to her, and charge her
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: to go in to the king to make supplication to
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: him and plead before him for her people. When Hatach
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai, her heart
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: filled with fear and anguish. She sent this message back
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: to Mordecai, all the king's servants and the people of
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: the king's provinces know that any man or woman who
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: goes into the inner court to the king, who has
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: not been called, has but one law, put all to death,
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: except the one to whom the king holds out the
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: golden scepter, that he may live, yet I myself have
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: not been called to go in to the king these
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: thirty days. Mordecai's response came back with the urgency of
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: thunder following lightning. Do not think in your heart that
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: you will escape in the king's palace any more than
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: all the other Jews. For if you are completely silent
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: Jews from another place. But you and your father's house
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: the kingdom for such a time as this. These words
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: pierced Esther's heart like arrows finding their mark. She realized
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: that her position as queen, her beauty, her favor with
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: the king, all of it might have been divinely orchestrated
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: for this very moment. Perhaps she had been chosen not
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: just to be a queen, but to be a deliverer
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: of her people. With courage flowing into her heart like
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: water filling an empty vessel, Esther sent this reply to Mordecai. Go,
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: Gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan and
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: fast for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days,
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise.
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: And so I will go to the king, which is
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: against the law, and if I perish, I perish. For
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: three days and nights the Jews of Shushan fasted and prayed,
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: their hearts united in supplication for their queen and for
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: their deliverance. Esther spent these days in prayer and preparation,
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: laying her fears and her life before the Almighty, asking
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: for wisdom, courage, and favor. On the third day, Esther
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: put on her royal robes, which shimmered like captured starlight,
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: and stood in the inner court of the king's palace,
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: across from the king's house. When King Ahasuerus saw Queen
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight,
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: and he held out to her the golden scepter that
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: was in his hand. Esther approached and touched the top
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: of the scepter, her heart beating like a bird's wings,
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: but her demeanour calm and graceful. The king said to
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: her kindly, What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: your request? It shall be given to you, up to
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: half the kingdom. Esther, wise as a serpent but gentle
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: as a dove, replied, If it pleases the king, let
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: the king and Haman come today to the banquet that
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: I have prepared for him. The king was pleased by
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: her invitation and commanded that Haman be called quickly to
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: attend the banquet. So the king and Haman went to
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: the banquet that Esther had prepared. As they drank wine together,
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: the king again asked, What is your petition? It shall
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: be granted you. And what is your request? Up to
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: half the kingdom. It shall be done. Esther answered carefully,
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: My petition and request is this. If I have found
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: favour in the sight of the king, and if it
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request,
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: then let the king and Haman come to the banquet
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: which I will prepare for them. And tomorrow I will
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: do as the king has said. Haman went out that
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: day joyful and with a glad heart, feeling honoured to
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: be the only guest invited to dine with the king
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: and queen. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate,
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: and that he did not stand or tremble before him,
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: Haman was filled with indignation. Nevertheless, he restrained himself and
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: went home, where he called for his friends and his
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: wife Zeresh. Haman boasted to them of his great riches,
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: his many sons, everything in which the king had promoted him,
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: and how he had advanced above the officials and servants
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: of the king. Moreover, Haman said, Queen Esther invited no
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: one but me to come in with the king to
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: the banquet that she prepared, and tomorrow I am again
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: invited by her, along with the king. Yet all this
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: Jew sitting at the king's gate. His wife and friends
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: suggested that he build gallows fifty cubits high, and ask
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it.
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: Then he could go merrily with the king to the banquet.
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: The suggestion pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: That night, the king could not sleep. Like a man
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: tossing on his bed while thoughts chase each other through
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: his mind, he commanded that the book of records of
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: the chronicles be brought and read before him. It happened
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: that they read about the time when Mordecai had told
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: of Bicthyn and Teresh, the king's eunuchs who had sought
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: to lay hands on King Asuras. The king asked, What
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: His servants replied, Nothing has been done for him. Just then,
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: Haman came into the outer court of the king's palace
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: gallows he had prepared. The king asked, Who is in
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: the court? His servants told him, Haman is there, standing
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: in the court. Let him come in, said the king.
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: When Haman entered, the king asked him, what shall be
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: done for the man whom the king delights to honour?
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: Haman thought in his heart, whom would the king delight
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: to honour more than me? So he answered, for the
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: man whom the king delights to honour, let a royal
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: robe be brought which the king has worn, and a
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: horse on which the king has ridden, one with a
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: and horse be delivered to the hand of one of
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: the king's most noble princes, that he may array the
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: man whom the king delights to honour. Then parade him
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him,
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: Thus shall it be done to the man whom the
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: king delights to honour. The king was pleased with this suggestion. Hurry,
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: he said to Haman, take the robe and the horse,
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: Jew who sits within the king's gate. Leave nothing undone
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: of all that you have spoken. Haman's face must have
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: turned as pale as morning mist, but he had no
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: choice but to obey. He took the robe and the horse,
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: arrayed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square,
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: proclaiming before him, Thus shall it be done to the
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: man whom the king delights to honour. Afterward, Mordecai went
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: back to the king's gate, but Haman hurried to his house,
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: mourning and with his head covered in shame. When he
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: told his wife and friends what had happened, they said
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: to him, If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall,
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him,
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: but will surely fall before him. While they were still talking,
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: the king's eunuchs came and hastily brought Haman to the
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: banquet that Esther had prepared. At this second banquet, as
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: they drank wine, The king again asked Queen Esther, What
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: is your petition? It shall be granted you. The servants
• 52:27
  Speaker 1: covered Haman's face, like condemned criminals awaiting execution. One of
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: the eunuchs, Harbana, said to the king, Look, the gallows,
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: good on the king's behalf, is standing at the house
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: of Haman. The king said simply, Hang him on it.
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: prepared for Mordecai, and the king's wrath subsided like a
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: storm that has finally passed. That day King Ahasuerus gave
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: Queen Esther the house of Haman and Mordecai came before
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: the king for Esther had told the king what Mordecai
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: was to her. The king took off his signet ring
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: which he had taken from Haman and gave it to Mordecai.
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. But Esther's
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: work was not yet finished. She fell down at the
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: king's feet weeping and begging him with tears to counteract
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: the evil of Haman and his plot against the Jews.
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, and
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: she arose and stood before him. If it pleases the king,
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: she said, and if I have found favour in his sight,
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: and the thing seems right to the king, and I
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: revoke the letters devised by Haman, which he wrote to
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: For how can I endure to see the evil that
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: will come to my people? Or how can I endure
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: to see the destruction of my countrymen? King Ahasuerus said
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, Indeed, I have
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: him on the gallows, because he tried to lay his
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree concerning
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: the Jews, as you and their mourning into a holiday.
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: They called these days Purim, after the term Pur, which
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: Haman had cast to determine the day of the Jews' destruction.
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: But what was meant for evil, God turned to good,
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: and a day of intended mourning became a day of
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: celebration that continues to this day. Queen Esther had found
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: her purpose, not merely to be beautiful or to enjoy
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: royal luxury. but to be in the right place at
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: the right time to save her people. Her courage in
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: risking her life, her wisdom in approaching the king, and
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: her faithfulness to her heritage had made her an instrument
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: of divine deliverance. As this story ends, you could see
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: that even in the darkest times, when evil seems about
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: to triumph, There is a God who watches over his
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: people and can use even seemingly ordinary individuals to accomplish
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: extraordinary things for the good of others and the glory
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: of his name. Now, let's learn from Jonah, a man
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: who tried to run from God, only to find that
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: his love reaches everywhere, even in the depths of the ocean.
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: In the ancient days when the Assyrian Empire was mighty
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: and fearsome, spreading its influence like a great shadow across
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: the lands of the Middle East, There lived in Israel
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: a prophet named Jonah, son of Amittai. Jonah was a
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: man chosen by God to speak his words to the people,
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: to deliver messages of warning and hope as the Lord directed.
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: He was faithful in his calling, known throughout Israel as
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: one who heard the voice of the Almighty and proclaimed
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: it boldly to those who needed to hear it. One day,
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: as Jonah went about his daily life in the peaceful
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: hills of Israel, The word of the Lord came to
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: him like thunder rolling across a clear sky. Arise, said
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: the divine voice that resonated in his heart. Go to Nineveh,
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: that great city, and cry out against it, for their
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: wickedness has come up before me. Nineveh was the magnificent
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: capital of Assyria, a city of incredible size and splendor,
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: but also a place of great cruelty and violence. Its
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: walls were massive and imposing, its palaces grand and luxurious,
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: its armies ruthless and powerful. The Assyrians were known throughout
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: the ancient world for their fierce warriors and their harsh
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: treatment of conquered peoples. They had been enemies of Israel
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: for generations, causing much suffering and fear among God's chosen people.
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: When Jonah heard this command, his heart filled not with
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: obedience but with resistance. The idea of going to Nineveh,
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: of all places, to preach God's message to Israel's enemies
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: was more than he could bear. Why should he help
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: these cruel people who had caused so much pain to
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: his own nation? Why should God show mercy to those
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: who showed no mercy to others? Instead of heading northeast
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: toward Nineveh, as God had commanded, Jonah made a decision
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: that would change his life forever. He arose and fled
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: in the opposite direction, going down to Joppa, a coastal
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: city where ships came and went like migrating birds following
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: the seasons. There he found a ship bound for Tarshish,
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: a distant land far across the Mediterranean Sea, as far
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: from Nineveh as he could possibly go. Jonah paid the
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: fare for his passage, thinking perhaps that if he put
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: enough distance between himself and God's command, he might escape
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: the responsibility that had been placed upon his shoulders. He
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: went down into the ship and settled among the other
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: passengers and cargo, hoping to disappear among the crowd and
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: flee from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: sent out a great wind on the sea, and there
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: was a mighty tempest, so that the ship was about
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: to be broken apart by the violence of the storm.
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: The waves rose like moving mountains, crashing over the vessel
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: with tremendous force. The wind howled like a living thing,
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: tearing at the sails and rigging. The ship groaned and
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: creaked as it was tossed about like a toy in
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: the hands of an angry child. The mariners were afraid,
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: and every man cried out to his god for help.
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: They threw the cargo that was in the ship into
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: the sea to lighten it, hoping this might help them
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: survive the terrible storm. Boxes and bundles, precious goods and supplies,
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: everything was sacrificed to the hungry waves in their desperate
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: attempt to save their lives. But Jonah had gone down
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: into the lowest parts of the ship, and he lay
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: there fast asleep, somehow managing to slumber peacefully while the
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: tempest raged above. Perhaps exhaustion from his emotional turmoil had
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: overcome him, or perhaps he was trying to hide, even
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: from himself, the knowledge of what he had done. The
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: ship's captain came to him, his face showing both confusion
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: and desperation. What do you mean, sleeper? he called out,
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: shaking Jonah awake. Arise, call on your God, perhaps your
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: God will consider us, so that we may not perish.
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: The sailors, meanwhile, were convinced that this unnatural storm had
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: come upon them because of someone's wrongdoing. Come, they said
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: to one another, let us cast lots, that we may
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah,
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: pointing to him as clearly as if a finger had
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: been extended from heaven. Immediately all eyes turned to Jonah,
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: and the questions came like arrows. Tell us, please, for
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: whose cause this trouble has come upon us? What is
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: your occupation, and where do you come from? What is
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: your country, and of what people are you? Jonah could
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: no longer hide the truth. With a heavy heart he confessed,
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: When the men heard this, they were exceedingly afraid. for
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: they understood that the God of the Hebrews was the
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: creator of all things, the one who controlled the very
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: forces of nature that were now threatening to destroy them.
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: Why have you done this? they asked, for Jonah had
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: told them that he was fleeing from the presence of
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: the Lord. As the storm continued to rage with unabated fury,
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: the sea becoming more tempestuous by the moment, the men
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: asked Jonah desperately, What shall we do to you that
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: the sea may be calm for us? Jonah, recognizing the
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: justice of his situation and the danger his disobedience had
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: brought upon these innocent sailors, replied with resignation, Pick me
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: up and throw me into the sea, then the sea
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: will become calm for you, for I know that this
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: great tempest is because of me. The mariners were good
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: men at heart, and they did not want to take
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: Jonah's life if they could avoid it. They rode hard
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: to bring the ship to land, fighting against the wind
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: and waves with all their strength. But they could not succeed,
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them,
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: as if nature itself was demanding that justice be done. Finally,
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: with heavy hearts, they cried out to the Lord, We pray,
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: O Lord, please do not let us perish for this
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood,
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea,
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: and immediately the sea ceased from its raging. The sudden
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: calm was more dramatic than the storm had been. The
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: waves settled into gentle swells, the wind dropped to a whisper,
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: and the ship floated peacefully on waters that had moments
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: before been trying to destroy it. The men were filled
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: with great fear and reverence for the Lord, and they
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: offered a sacrifice to God and made vows to serve him.
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: But Jonah's story was far from over. As he sank
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: beneath the surface of the deep, expecting to drown for
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: his disobedience, the Lord had prepared a great fish to
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: swallow him. Some say it was a whale, others a
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: giant fish unlike any other. temple. Those who regard worthless
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: idols forsake their own mercy, but I will sacrifice to
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: you with the voice of thanksgiving, I will pay what
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. On the
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: third day the Lord spoke to the fish, and it
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: vomited Jonah onto dry land. Imagine Jonah's relief as he
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: felt solid ground beneath his feet once again, as he
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: breathed fresh air and felt the warmth of the sun
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: on his face. He was covered with seaweed, and perhaps
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: bore other signs of his unusual journey, but he was
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: alive and free, given a second chance to obey God's command.
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah a
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: and preach to it the message that I tell you.
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: This time Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: the word of the Lord. The city was enormous. so
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: large that it took three days to walk through it completely.
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: Its walls stretched for miles, encompassing palaces, temples, markets and
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: homes for hundreds of thousands of people. As Jonah entered
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: the city, he must have felt overwhelmed by its size
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: and grandeur, knowing that he had been sent to deliver
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: an unpopular message to its inhabitants. On the first day
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: of his journey through Nineveh, Jonah began to preach, crying
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: out in the streets and marketplaces, Yet forty days, and
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: Nineveh shall be overthrown. His voice carried the authority of
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: divine judgment, and his message was clear and urgent. What
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: happened next was perhaps the most surprising revival in human history.
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: The people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast.
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: From the greatest to the least, they put on sackcloth
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 1: as a sign of mourning and repentance. Word came to
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne,
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: laid aside his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: sat in ashes. The king made a proclamation throughout the city,
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything.
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: Do not let them eat or drink water, but let
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: to God. Yes, let every one turn from his evil
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: way and from the violence that is in his hands,
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: who can tell if God will turn and relent, and
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: turn away from his fierce anger so that we may
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: not perish. The repentance of Nineveh was complete and genuine.
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: Throughout the great city, people turned from their wicked ways,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: seeking God's forgiveness with broken hearts and humble spirits. They
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: fasted and prayed, they made restitution for wrongs they had done,
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: they changed their behavior and their attitudes. Even the animals
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: were included in the fast, as if the entire city
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: wanted to demonstrate its sincerity before God. When God saw
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: their works, that they turned from their evil way, he
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: relented from the disaster that he had said he would
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: bring upon them, and he did not do it. The
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: city that had been forty days away from destruction was
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: spared because of their repentance and God's great mercy. But
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: this act of divine compassion displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: became angry. The very thing he had feared would happen
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 1: had indeed come to pass. God had shown mercy to
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: Israel's enemies. Jonah prayed to the Lord, and his prayer
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: revealed the true reason for his initial flight. Our Lord,
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: was not this what I said when I was still
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish, for
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: I know that you are a gracious and merciful God,
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, one who relents
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: life from me, for it is better for me to
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: die than to live. The Lord asked gently, Is it
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: right for you to be angry? Jonah went out of
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: the city and sat on the east side, making himself
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: a shelter and sitting under it in the shade to
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: see what would become of the city. He still hoped, perhaps,
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: that God might change his mind and destroy Nineveh after all.
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: The Lord God prepared a plant, likely a gourd or
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: vine that grew rapidly and made it come up over
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: Jonah to give shade for his head and deliver him
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: from his grief. Jonah was very grateful for the plant
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: and the comfort it provided from the scorching sun. But
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: when morning came the next day, God prepared a worm
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: that attacked the plant so that it withered. When the
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: sun arose, God prepared a vehement east wind, and the
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: sun beat on Jonah's head. so that he grew faint
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: and wished death for himself, saying, It is better for
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: me to die than to live. Then God said to Jonah,
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: Jonah replied stubbornly, It is right for me to be
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: angry even to death. But the Lord said gently, You
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: have had pity on the plant, for which you have
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: not laboured, nor made it grow, which came up in
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: a night and perished in a night. And should I
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: not pity Nineveh? that great city, in which are more
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: and their left, and much livestock? With these words, the
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: book of Jonah ends, leaving us to ponder the lesson
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: God was teaching his reluctant prophet. The story shows us
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: that God's love and mercy extend beyond the boundaries we
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: might set, that his compassion reaches even to those we
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: might consider unworthy. It reminds us that God's ways are
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: higher than our ways, his thoughts higher than our thoughts.
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: Jonah learned that we cannot flee from God's presence or
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: escape his calling on our lives. He discovered that God's
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: mercy is greater than human understanding and that the Lord
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: desires repentance rather than destruction, forgiveness rather than judgment. As
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: we rest in the quiet hours of night, we can
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: take comfort in knowing that the same God who gave
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: Jonah a second chance, who showed mercy to the repentant Ninevites,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: and who patiently taught his reluctant prophet about love and forgiveness,
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: watches over us with the same divine compassion and infinite patience.