Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / What The World Says Is Better Is Always Worse - 12/3/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch

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What The World Says Is Better Is Always Worse - 12/3/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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Welcome to Meadows Baptist Church of
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Walnut Cove, North Carolina. We're so
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glad you joined us today. If you enjoy
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today's message, be sure to subscribe,
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follow, and share with your friends.
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Now, let's join Pastor Charlie Branch
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with a word from God.
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Amen. And if you have a Bible tonight,
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I'll invite you to turn with me to the
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book of Esther. Book of Esther, chapter
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number one.
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Book of Esther, chapter 1.
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And I've been praying about where the
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Lord would have us to be. I don't know
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uh how he's going to lead us from here.
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I do know that this chapter, this
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portion of scripture is what he's put on
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my heart for tonight. And I don't know
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if he wants us to go through the rest of
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the book or not. I'm just trying to
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follow him day by day. and uh he knows
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what we need and so I just want to be
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obedient to him. Esther chapter number
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one,
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find the book of Nehemiah, you need to
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go forward. And if you find the book of
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Job, you need to go backward. All right?
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Little book of Esther, 10 chapters we'll
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find in here.
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And uh just on the outset of this
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tonight, you will find understanding
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studying your Bible uh that the word of
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God is not written in chronological
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order. Now you'll look at these uh these
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epistles really of captivity, the book
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of Esther, uh the book of Ezra and the
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book of Nehemiah. All of these all of
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these uh these books uh in the word of
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God really apply to those latter
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prophets uh later on uh in the Old
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Testament. And I was praying about where
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the Lord would have us to be. I believe
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he'd have us to be here uh for this
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service tonight. And we'll share a
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thought with you out of this text. Now,
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the book of Esther tonight is it's been
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much debated uh whether or not the book
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of Esther really should be in the canon,
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but I'll be honest with you, I'm just as
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sure of it as I am John 3:16. And uh you
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say, why why do you say that? Well,
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there's a lot of question about the book
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of Esther. mainly reason being is
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because God is not the name God is not
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even mentioned in the book of Esther. Uh
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but you'll see his handiwork all
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throughout this book. And I love the
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book of Esther because it brings us a
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picture uh that that really it's it's uh
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unlike anything else in all the
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scripture. And so I want to try with the
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help of the Lord to begin looking at
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this tonight. I want to look verse
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number one of chapter 1. The Bible says,
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"Now it came to pass in the days of
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Ahascerus, this is Ahaserus, which
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reigned from India, even unto Ethiopia
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overund and seven and 20 provinces, that
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in those days when the king of Hasserus
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sat on the throne of his kingdom, which
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was in Shusham, the palace, in the third
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year of his reign, he made a feast unto
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all his princes and his servants, the
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power of Persia and Media, the nobles
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and princes of the provinces being
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before him. When he showed the riches of
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his glorious kingdom and the honor of
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his excellent majesty many days, even in
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104 score days, when these days were
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expired, the king made a feast unto all
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the people that were present in Shushan
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the palace, both unto great and small,
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seven days in the court of the garden of
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the king's palace, where were white,
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green, and blue hangings, fastened with
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cords of fine linen, and purple to
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silver rings, and pillars of marble. The
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beds were of gold and silver upon a
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pavement of red and blue and white and
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black marble. And they gave them drink
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and vessels of gold. The vessels being
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diverse one from another and royal wine
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in abundance according to the state of
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the king. And the drinking was according
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to the law. None did compel. For so the
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king had appointed to all the officers
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of his house that they should do
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according to every man's pleasure. Also,
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Vashi the queen made a feast for the
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women in the royal house which belonged
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to King Ahasser. And on the seventh day,
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when the heart of the king was merry
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with wine, he commanded me human, Bisa,
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Harbona, Bigith, Agabatha, Zthar, and
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Carcass, the seven chamberlains that
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served in the presence of Ahazerus the
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king, to bring Vashi the queen before
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the king with a crown royal, to show the
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people and the princes her beauty, for
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she was fair to look on. But the queen
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Vashi refused to come at the king's
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commandment by his chamberlains.
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Therefore was the king very wroth, and
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his anger burned in him. Then the king
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said to the wise men, which knew the
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times, for so was the king's manner
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toward all that knew law and judgment,
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and the next unto him, all those names
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once again, which saw the king's face,
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and which sat the first in the kingdom?
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What shall we do unto the queen Vashi
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according to the law, because she hath
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not performed the commandment by the
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king of House, by the Chamberlains? And
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skip down with me to verse number 19.
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The Bible says, "If it pleased the king,
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let there go a rule commandment from
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him, and let it be written among the
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laws of the Persians and the Mes that it
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be not altered that vastly come no more
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before King of Hazerus, and let the king
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give her royal estate unto another that
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is better than she." Father, I thank you
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tonight for this text of scripture. And
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Lord, I thank you tonight, God, that I
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know by the spirit of God that lives
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within my heart that this text is
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inspired. And Lord, that it is preserved
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for us, Lord, here tonight in this
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service. And Lord, I believe your word
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just as much as I ever have when you
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said that all scripture is profitable.
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Uh Lord, for for doctrine, for reprove,
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for correction, for instruction and
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righteousness. And so, Lord, I pray that
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you would help us tonight as we consider
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these verses. Lord, I pray you give us
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open ears, attentive hearts. Lord, keep
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our attention tonight. And Lord, I pray,
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Father, that you'll speak to us and
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through us. Get glory to yourself. We'll
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ask it in G. We all ask it all in Jesus
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name. Amen. This text tonight, Esther
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chapter 1. This begins the story of
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Esther. And what's interesting about
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this book is is you're not going to find
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Esther mentioned in chapter 1. Esther is
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not even brought into this story until
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chapter 2. But the setting up of this
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story is found here in chapter 1. Now I
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want to lay the foundation work for this
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message tonight with the help of the
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Lord. And so I need you to stay with me
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for just a minute. All right. In this
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text. Now when you consider the book of
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Esther, Esther is a story of God's
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providence, God's positioning, and God's
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preservation of his people. And it's a
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story of all of those things amid wicked
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leadership. and also uh describing a
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victim of wicked happenings and God
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bringing deliverance through those
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circumstances. And what you discover
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throughout this book is sin is rampant
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throughout this book. Everything almost
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everything that happens in this book is
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sinful. But God orchestrates the events
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that happen in this book to bring
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deliverance to the children of Israel.
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And I just want to say this tonight on
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the outset. God can take the wicked
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powers that be and manipulate them to do
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what the church, what Israel, and what
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his people need in any day, in any
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generation, in any dispensation. God is
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going to look after his people. And
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that's what the book of Esther is about.
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And so when we come to the book of
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Esther, I want you to note two things in
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this chapter. And I'm going to say a lot
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about these two things. All right? So I
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want you to stay with me tonight. I want
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you to consider first of all the state
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of the kingdom. Now, of course, the book
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of Esther is a book describing here a
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group of people that have been brought
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out in captivity. Chapter one does not
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reveal to us any of Israel. Does not
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speak of any of the children of God, but
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rather it is showing us the state
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presently under the kingship of the
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Persian Empire. And we are introduced to
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this man by the name of Aasserus. and he
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is believed to be the third king in the
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Persian Empire. We know that in the book
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of Daniel we are told that the kingdom
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is taken from Belshazzer under that
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rulership of Babylon and it is handed
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over to the Meo Persian Empire in the
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book of Daniel in chapter number five.
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And so this empire has been handed over.
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And Aoserus here in this text is said to
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be the father of Darius II which is
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mentioned in Daniel chapter 9 and verse
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number one. He is mentioned as well in
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the book of Ezra 4:es 5 and 6. And so
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there is some history tells us the Bible
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only gives us about four or five. There
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is Darius, there is Cyrus, there is a
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house and there is Ardiseries. There's
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four kings that are mentioned here in
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the word of God concerning the Persian
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Empire, but secular history tells us
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that there's 12 of those. And so there's
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a Darius the first and the second.
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There's an Artiseries all the way the
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first through the fifth and Cyrus the
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Persian and all of these others. And you
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say, what is the benefit of that? Well,
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I'm just telling you there's a lot
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that's went on in this time in history.
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Okay? And so this kingship, the ruler
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here, the rulership of Persia, they are
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reigning over the known world at this
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time. And I want you to note something
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in verse number one. We consider him the
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state of the kingdom here. The potentate
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is a house. He is the king. He is son uh
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of Darius. He also is the father of
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Darius II mentioned in verse one. But
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the Bible says this is a house which
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reign notice this from India even unto
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Ethiopia. Now what is this describing?
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Well, you'll notice in this text he's
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mentioning the land here that's pointed
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out. And from India to Ethiopia, this is
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not the modernday India and the
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modernday Ethiopia, but this is a span
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of land that covers some 1500 miles that
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this man is reigning over. And you'll
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notice it's described not only the size
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of the land, but notice who he's lording
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over in verse number one, over 107
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and 20 provinces. And so you don't have
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to take the land into account to
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understand that this kingdom is
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swelling. You say, "Well, how do you
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know that?" Well, you note these 120
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pro provinces that are mentioned here.
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Notice Daniel chapter 6. When we talk
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about when we went through the book of
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Daniel, we're still going through it
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there on Sunday. We took a break from
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it. But Daniel chapter number 6 is
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mentioned here. The provinces here. I
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want to get this pointed out to you.
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Daniel 6 and verse one. The Bible says
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in Daniel 6 and verse one, it pleased
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Darius to set over the kingdom and 120
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princes which should be over the whole
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kingdom. And so incl so including these
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120 this king a house they have added
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seven other provinces here in the book
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of Esther. Now I don't know exactly the
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amount of years that have unfolded but I
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do know that this is probably one of the
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highest points in this kingdom and
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you'll see that as we continue this
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study. And so his rulership is spanning
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some500 miles, some 127 provinces. And
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he is the greatest nation in the entire
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world at this time. And Israel is
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captive to these people. Judah is one of
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these 127 provinces that are mentioned
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in verse number one. And and this Hindu
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valley here that he's talking about when
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he says to India, he's literally talking
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about the modern-day Pakistan. That is
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where this land is located. And you come
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back just west from that, that is where
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this man is reigning in a little place
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called Susa. You notice there in verse
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two, the Bible says that in those days
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when the king of Hasseras sat on the
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throne of his kingdom which was in
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Shusham, the palace. Now the palace got
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its name from the valley that it was
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that it was built in in that valley of
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Susa. And it would be east of Babylon in
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that land and it's some 900 miles from
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the land of Israel. And the children of
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Israel are living around this kingdom.
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They are living in this city with these
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people. And the book of Esther
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highlights the story of Mori who was the
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cousin of Esther. He comes on the scene
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first. And then Esther shows up later.
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And God uses two of his children in that
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land. He uses Morai is the one who would
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orchestrate all of the dealings. And
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Esther who would be the one that God
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would use to become queen in chapter
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number two. He is going to spare the
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entire nation of Israel all throughout
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this country. And God is going to
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protect them by these two people in this
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foreign place some 900 miles away from
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where they were supposed to be. You say,
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"Preacher, what's the emphasis of that?"
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Well, let me just say this simply put
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tonight. Atmosphere does not affect who
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you are in Christ.
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>> Right?
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>> Amen. And it does not matter where you
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go. It does not matter who you are. If
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you are saved, born again by the grace
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of God, God has put you the place where
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you are for a purpose.
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>> Right?
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>> And so we consider here the king and his
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rulership, the state of the kingdom.
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Now, so the Jews here, they've been
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taken captive to Babylon. The book of
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Daniel tells us about that. The Persians
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take take over in Daniel 5 verse number
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31. And here in this text, we have this
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man, Ahazerus. And so he is the third
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king. And the Bible says in verse two,
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we note not only the state of the
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kingdom, I note second of all, and this
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is where I want to spend the majority of
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my time tonight. I want you to note this
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king. And I want to say this, describing
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this king, what you're going to find all
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throughout the book of Esther is one
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word. There's one word that describes
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this man of house. And he is a sensual
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man. He is a sensual man. I want to talk
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to you tonight about the sensuality
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of this king. Now notice in this text
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the Bible says in verse two that in
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those days all right he is reigning over
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this large land mass. He is reigning
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over this large multitude of people. And
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the Bible says when the king of Hassra
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sat on the throne of his kingdom which
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was in Shandan the palace. In the third
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year of his reign he made a feast unto
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all his princes and his servants. Now I
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want to highlight three things tonight
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concerning the sensuality of the king.
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And the first one I want to mention to
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you tonight what you're going to
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discover in this chapter is there is a
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feast that is made. And I want to talk
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tonight about the pump of this feast.
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Now what is this feast? Well, the Bible
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says that he has made a feast here in
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verse number three. And you'll note his
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dignitaries that are mentioned there in
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verse three. He made a feast unto all
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his princes and his servants. So these
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are all the men, all of those 127
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provinces. They would all have a leader
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that would rule over them. And so out of
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all of those provinces, all of those men
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would come in and also his servants that
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stayed in the palace with him. In verse
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three, it says, notice how they're
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described, the power of media and
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Persia. Now, he was operating this as a
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king, but he was never able to oversee
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the whole thing. And so, he had men that
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were delegated to these 127 provinces.
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And verse three, the nobles and the
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princes of the provinces being before
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him. So the dignitaries are brought in
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in verse number three. And then the
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people are shown in verse number verse
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number three as well. There's a great
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crowd of people that's brought in beside
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of those. And I'll get to that in just a
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minute. But this feast he's brought them
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in. You say, "Well, what's the reason
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for this feast?" Well, uh there's not
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really any description given to us.
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History says that they were celebrating
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deliverance from an enemy. But I will
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say this, what you're going to find here
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in this feast is everything that you see
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in this text is a house making himself
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look big. Notice the first four words of
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verse number four. What's those first
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three words? When he showed, and that's
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going to be a redundant theme throughout
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this. All he's doing throughout this
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text is showing things. And what does he
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show? Well, you see the dignitaries
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here. There is the the the rulers are
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present in verse number three. The
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riches are are presented in verse four
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when he showed the riches of his
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glorious kingdom and the honor of his
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excellent majesty many days even four
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score days. And so this man is wealthy
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so much to an extent that he pretty much
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puts on a party that lasts six months.
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He has got all of these people gathered
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together, hundreds upon hundreds of
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people, and he is making this show of
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his great riches. And so you see the
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rulers that are present, the riches that
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are presented. Note the realm that's
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participating in verse number five. Look
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what the Bible says. And when these days
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were expired, the king made a feast unto
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all the people that were in present in
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Shushan the palace, both unto great and
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small, seven days in the court of the
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garden of the king's palace. And let me
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ask you this tonight. I'm losing about
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half of you. Okay? Do you believe the
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Bible is is all completely inspired of
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God?
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>> Amen. Amen. Do you believe it's
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beneficial for our learning?
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>> Amen. So, we got to study this.
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>> Okay. Bear with me. All right. I'm going
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to get somewhere. I promise. When I look
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at this text, we we've considered this
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this feat. The rulers are present. His
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riches are being presented. His entire
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realm is participating. What does that
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mean? Well, the entire city, notice that
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in verse 5, all the people that were
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present in Shusha and the palace, that
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means everybody that was living around
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there, everybody that was coming in
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their own business, everybody that was
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visiting, he said everybody that came is
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invited into this feast. And notice
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where he's having it in verse 5. He
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invites both great and small. That's the
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wealthy and those who are poor. And he
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does this for seven days. So 180 days
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he's feeding his princes. He's working
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with those men of his provinces. And an
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entire week, he's going to feed
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everybody that comes through the court
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of the king's palace, everybody that's
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in the city. And the Bible says in verse
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number five that he brings them into the
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court of the garden of the king's
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palace. Now, you're fixing to see a
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description of what this looks like. He
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points out here the dignitaries in
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verses 3, four, and five that are
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mentioned, these people that are
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brought, but note the decorations in
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verse six. Look what your Bible says.
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Now, I really want you to get this,
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okay? You got to see this. All right?
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The reason why this is put in there, and
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let me just say this, okay? The Bible is
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a book for people that have an
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imagination.
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>> Amen.
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>> You've got to see this in your mind.
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Look at this with me tonight. The Bible
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says in verse six, "Where were white,
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green, and blue hangings fastened with
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cords of fine linen, and purple to
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silver rings, and pillars of marble. The
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beds were of gold and silver upon a
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pavement of red and blue and white and
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black marble. Now, what is all that?
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This is the decorations
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of the court that was in the garden of
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the king's palace in verse 5. What does
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he describe? Well, verse number six,
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you'll see first of all, there are
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white, green, and blue hangings. What
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are those? Those white, green, and blue
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hangings there. These are curtains that
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are hung there. They're blue, some
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white, some speech that there's the the
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white that's that pearl color, the green
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and blue. And then notice what the Bible
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says. They're hanging, they're fastened
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with cords of fine linen. So, you've got
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all of these color colorful tapestries
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that are hanging. And they're not only
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just hanging on rope, but they're
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hanging on cords tied of fine linen.
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That is the the purest of cleanest white
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linen. And also, not just fine linen,
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but purple. These things are wrapped in
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ropes and they are made of purple.
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They're fastened with these cords
20:04
hanging up all through this garden
20:06
court. And the Bible says that they're
20:08
hanging on these cords of fine linen and
20:10
they're fastened in verse six to silver
20:13
rings and pillars of marble. So these
20:15
silver rings are literally silver
20:17
eyelets made out of pure silver. And
20:20
notice what they're attached to. Pillars
20:22
of marble, the columns.
20:25
Picture the beauty of this thing. All
20:27
the brightness, the tapestries that are
20:30
hanging, even the ropes that are holding
20:33
the tapestry up are of fine linen and
20:35
purple attached to silver rings that are
20:38
made out that are hanging on solid solid
20:42
pillars of marble. And then in verse
20:44
six, you'll note not only what's hanging
20:46
there, but notice the sitting
20:48
instruments. The Bible says the beds.
20:50
The beds, that's the couches. That's a
20:52
couch. It's not a literal bed, but it's
20:54
a seat that's in the middle of this
20:56
garden in this banqueting place. The
20:59
Bible says they're made of gold and
21:01
silver.
21:03
These seats are are made of solid gold
21:06
and of silver. Now, just think for
21:09
yourself for a minute. Think about the
21:10
expense of this.
21:13
These seats are solid gold and silver.
21:15
And who's he invited into this? He's
21:17
invited all everybody that'll come see
21:20
it. You know, I thought to myself when I
21:23
was reading this, man, this looks real
21:24
good at the start. You know, he's
21:26
inviting everybody, everybody come in.
21:28
Come and see this. But you know what he
21:30
was doing? He was pumping up his pride,
21:32
>> right?
21:33
>> And the Bible says there there's there's
21:35
their beds, gold, silver, seats, couches
21:38
upon a pavement of red and blue. That
21:41
red there is a uh I can't say that word.
21:45
You ever got a word you can't say? It's
21:48
like that red. It's that red stone. You
21:50
find it in a gravel yard. It's porf
21:52
pfery. Pfari. I can't remember how you
21:55
say it. But there's there is this red
21:57
pavement. Notice what he says. Red and
21:59
blue. That blue is a literal violet
22:01
colored pavement and white. These
22:03
pavement stones were made out of pearl.
22:05
And then there's also mentioned red,
22:07
blue, and white and black marble. And so
22:10
there were some places, one writer said
22:12
this, there were some places that were
22:13
multicolored. They were blue, red, and
22:16
white. They had the American flag out
22:17
there.
22:18
And then there were some places that
22:20
were like black and white tile.
22:23
Picture that in this garden. Black and
22:24
white place tile. I'm just saying you
22:26
picture the beauty of this thing. He's
22:29
brought all these people in here to show
22:30
them these decorations. And then it goes
22:32
from the the decorations to the dishes
22:35
in verse 7. And they gave them drinking
22:37
vessels of gold. The vessels being
22:39
diverse one from another. And these
22:42
these vessels, he literally had a
22:44
abundance of vessels. None of them were
22:46
made of the same style. They were all
22:49
different. They were all made of gold,
22:50
but they were all different styles. And
22:53
one writer said that it could have been
22:54
possible that he brought some of the
22:56
vessels that Belshazzer used when he
22:58
drunk out of them from the house of God
23:01
and used them and God cursed him from
23:02
that. And they were using those same
23:04
vessels in this place. I don't know. All
23:06
I know is this man's laid it all out.
23:10
>> He's put everything that he's got out
23:12
and there's only one thing he's got
23:14
left. The Bible says in verse 7,
23:18
he said the they gave them drink and
23:20
vessels of gold, the vessels being
23:21
diverse one from another and royal wine.
23:24
Notice that in abundance according to
23:26
the state of the king. So you consider
23:29
here in this text the pump of the feast.
23:32
All right? You see the beauty of this
23:33
and I've done a terrible job painting a
23:35
word picture of this, but I hope you can
23:37
see it. And so we see not only the pomp
23:39
of the feast, but notice second of all
23:41
tonight the prompting of the flesh in
23:43
this text. the prompting of the flesh.
23:46
What is that? What is that phrase? Verse
23:48
number eight, and the and verse number
23:49
seven. And they gave them drink and
23:53
vessels of gold. Verse number seven, and
23:56
royal wine in abundance according to the
23:58
state of the king. So this party, he's
24:01
gathered all these people together and
24:02
and they are all there in his garden
24:05
banqueting house seeing all of this
24:08
beauty. He's opened it up to the entire
24:10
public. And now he is bringing out his
24:12
royal stash of wine.
24:16
Notice what the Bible says concerning
24:18
this wine. There is loads of wine. In
24:21
verse 7, he brings out royal wine in
24:24
abundance.
24:25
So he's bringing all these people in
24:27
from all all places and he's given every
24:30
one of them the same opportunity to take
24:32
part of this wine. Royal wine in
24:35
abundance. These loads of wine. Verse
24:37
eight, notice mentioned not only the
24:39
load of wine but the law of wine. Verse
24:41
eight, and the drinking was according to
24:43
the law. Now what does that mean? The
24:45
drinking was according to the law. He
24:47
had established a law in this for this
24:50
event that said nobody could become
24:53
drunk at this event.
24:55
Now, isn't that sad that a wicked ruler
24:58
like this would say that about an event
25:00
he's having at his own house, but people
25:02
just go out, church people go out and
25:04
drink and just get wasted in this day
25:06
and time,
25:06
>> right?
25:07
>> I don't know why it got so quiet, but
25:09
that's just the truth. Amen.
25:11
>> He put he basically what this is saying
25:13
is is this this crowd here, there was a
25:17
there was no there was a prohibition
25:19
against drunkenness, but also there was
25:21
no promotion of the drinking. In verse
25:22
8, he said, "The drinking was according
25:24
to the law. None did compel." So they
25:27
were not bringing it around, trying to
25:30
shove it to them, trying to make these
25:31
people drink. But there was obviously a
25:33
a place, there was a a bar there where
25:36
they had it offered where you just come
25:38
get what you want. You notice there in
25:40
verse number eight, the Bible says, "For
25:41
so the king had appointed to all the
25:44
officers of his house that they should
25:46
do according to every man's pleasure."
25:48
And so this is the theme of this party.
25:51
The theme is is pleasure. We we're we're
25:53
we're going to keep everything
25:54
contained, but but we're all everybody's
25:57
going to get what they want.
25:59
>> Notice that in verse eight, that they
26:01
should do according to every man's
26:02
pleasure. Now, I'm starting to get to
26:04
the message here now. Okay,
26:07
this is where the problem comes in where
26:09
we live at today.
26:12
Everything in our life is ordained for
26:14
one reason and one reason only, and
26:16
that's for our ultimate satisfaction.
26:19
We live in a humanistic society,
26:21
>> right?
26:22
>> And what you see in this text right here
26:24
is this. This is an image of a
26:26
socialistic economy.
26:29
>> Isn't that interesting? Notice it again
26:31
with that in mind. Verse number eight,
26:34
he he said, "So the king had appointed
26:36
to all the offers officers of his house
26:38
that they should do according to every
26:41
man's pleasure. Everybody that come in,
26:44
get whatever you want. Get whatever you
26:47
want." What happens out of that? Well,
26:50
as the flesh is being prompted, the the
26:52
wine is brought in in loads. There's
26:54
abundance of it. They made a law against
26:57
it. Not but so much, but but it wasn't
26:59
enough to stop him because the one that
27:01
made the law, he finds himself breaking
27:03
the law. Verse number 10. Look what the
27:06
Bible says. On the last day, on the
27:07
seventh day, isn't that interesting? The
27:10
seventh day of the feast, he's been
27:11
drinking all week long, but he's not
27:13
been drinking too much.
27:16
Okay, let me just put this out there.
27:18
This is how you sound when you say,
27:19
"Preacher, I can drink a little bit, but
27:21
I don't get drunk."
27:23
>> This is how you sound. Okay?
27:25
>> He's made a law. He's told them, "Hey,
27:27
look, we we're not you can't be drunk.
27:30
We've got it out here for YOUR PLEASURE,
27:31
BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A SCENE IN
27:33
my house. There ain't going TO BE NOBODY
27:35
MESSING UP MY GARDEN."
27:38
But he's brought out everything in the
27:39
royal treasury that he had.
27:42
Verse 10, what happens? He becomes
27:44
victim in his own stupid circumstances
27:47
>> on the seventh day when the heart of the
27:49
king was merry with wine. So we
27:52
considered the the loads of wine the law
27:54
of wine but now it turns here this wine
27:56
becomes leader in verse number 10 the
28:00
heart of the king was merry with wine.
28:02
He commanded all of his chamberlains
28:04
here, the the the seven that are serving
28:07
in his presence in verse number 10. In
28:10
verse 11, he commands them, look what he
28:11
says, to bring Vashi the queen before
28:14
the king with the crown royal to show
28:16
the people and the princes her beauty,
28:19
for she was fair to look upon. Now, when
28:22
I was reading this this afternoon, I'm
28:24
thinking, Lord, I don't know have have
28:25
the slightest idea what you going to
28:27
have me to say out of this. But what you
28:29
discover in this text is where one woman
28:32
decides she's going to protect her
28:33
character
28:35
>> above the decision of the greatest ruler
28:37
in the country
28:38
>> right
28:39
>> in the world. And in this text, what you
28:42
find is the prompting of the flesh, the
28:44
leadership of this wine, it overrode the
28:47
law that he himself had made. Let me
28:49
just put this out there to you. You'll
28:51
do things when you're drunk that you'll
28:53
never do sober.
28:54
>> Amen. And in this text, I believe from
28:58
what I've read of this text and what
28:59
I've studied about it, this king loved
29:01
his wife,
29:03
but he was under the influence of this
29:04
alcohol. And so he makes this command in
29:08
the text. He he there's a demand that he
29:10
makes in verse number 10. There is a
29:13
defilement that he points out in verse
29:15
number 11. The Bible says he wants to
29:17
bring Vashi the queen before the king
29:19
with the crown royal. And notice that
29:21
those next two words again to show.
29:26
You see, he was showing all of that
29:28
other stuff in his kingdom. And I've
29:30
said everything I've said up to this
29:31
point for this reason. All right?
29:33
Everything that he had in his kingdom
29:35
was beautiful. And you know what? It was
29:37
freely. It was not sin for everybody
29:39
else to look on those things.
29:41
>> But you know what? When he got drunk, he
29:43
decided to go and get the thing that
29:44
nobody else should have looked at.
29:47
>> And bring it before their eyes. Why is
29:50
that? Because the pride that he had when
29:52
he was sober has now become the pride
29:54
that he has when he's drunk.
30:00
>> So look what happens here. There is the
30:02
defilement in verse number 11. I'll say
30:04
more about that in verse number twe
30:06
number in a minute. But verse 12, there
30:08
is the denial by the queen. But the
30:11
queen vastly refused to come at the
30:13
king's commandment by his chamberlain.
30:14
Therefore was the king Ver Roth and his
30:17
anger burned in him. Now what's
30:21
interesting about this text is here I I
30:23
I even read one writer said this. Well
30:26
the queen should have came and and done
30:28
what the king asked her to at his
30:30
commandment. Now that's just poor Bible
30:32
study
30:33
>> is what that is. And I'm saddened by the
30:35
fact that I read that in a commentary
30:37
somewhere.
30:38
And and when I read this when I when I
30:41
thought read this text for myself and
30:43
thought about it for a minute. Well,
30:44
what is the what is the picture that is
30:46
being portrayed here? Well, if you look
30:48
at the words that are used in verse
30:50
number 11, the Bible says he he wants to
30:53
bring her out to show the people and the
30:54
princes her beauty for she was fair to
30:57
look on. That word fair, all right, in
30:59
verse number 11, that word fair in the
31:02
translation, the Hebrew translation is
31:05
the exact same word that's used in the
31:07
book of 2 Samuel 11.
31:12
Listen to this. 2 Samuel 11:2.
31:15
And it came to pass in an evening tide
31:17
that David arose from off his bed and
31:20
walked upon the roof of the king's
31:22
house. And from the roof he saw a woman
31:23
washing herself, and the woman was very
31:27
beautiful to look upon. That word
31:30
beautiful there is the same word
31:32
translated fair in verse number 11. So
31:35
he was not just asking her to come out
31:37
in her dress.
31:40
Good.
31:40
>> Look, I'm not trying to be vulgar
31:42
tonight, but this is what I'm the point
31:44
I'm trying to make is this right here.
31:45
This was a wicked desire
31:48
>> by a wicked man because he was so full
31:51
of alcohol that he lost all sense of
31:53
discernment.
31:54
>> What you read in chapter number two and
31:56
verse number one really kind of paints
31:59
the picture that he was he was upset
32:01
about what he did after he became sober.
32:05
But you see, it doesn't stop here in
32:07
this text. She denies it. And for this
32:11
text, we know then this we remember this
32:13
lady Vashy as a woman of character
32:15
because she refused to do this.
32:17
>> Right?
32:18
>> That's all we know about her is that she
32:20
had enough character to reject his
32:22
advances. Let me say this to you
32:24
tonight. I don't care who it is. Young
32:26
ladies, listen to me. I don't care who
32:28
it is. I don't care how good he looks.
32:31
>> If their advances are wicked like this,
32:35
>> no. Amen.
32:36
>> Amen.
32:37
>> Young men don't ever be this type of
32:39
man.
32:40
>> And people say, "Well, it happens.
32:42
There's ladies that make advanced."
32:44
Look, okay, let's just let's just back
32:46
up for a minute. All right. When you
32:48
talk about the day in which we're living
32:50
in, okay,
32:52
stay with me. All right, this is
32:53
serious.
32:56
>> It's time for men to step up.
33:01
>> I don't get nervous about that. The
33:03
reason why we've got a problem with
33:05
women is because the men have not done
33:07
what they're supposed to do.
33:09
>> And this problem was not her problem. It
33:11
was his.
33:13
>> And the fact that some people would even
33:15
go to the extent to say that she should
33:17
have obeyed the king.
33:19
>> Amen.
33:23
>> The truth of this text is telling us
33:25
this. It's always right to do what's
33:27
right regardless of who asks.
33:33
Notice here you see the in the
33:36
sensuality of the king. You see the pomp
33:38
of his feast. You see the prompting of
33:40
his flesh. But now notice his produced
33:42
fury in this text. Verse number 12. But
33:47
when the queen the queen vastly refused
33:49
to come at the king's commandment by his
33:50
chamberlains, therefore was the king
33:52
very wroth and his anger burned in him.
33:55
Now there's a number of sins that this
33:57
man commits in this chapter. He he's
33:59
full of pride. That's the way it starts.
34:01
All right. Then he c turns into a
34:03
pervert after he has become drunken by
34:06
his alcohol. And then it ends with this
34:08
rage, unchecked rage. And this is pretty
34:11
much what describes the life of a
34:13
drunkard. You're
34:14
>> right.
34:14
>> It's his pride that causes him to drink.
34:17
And what comes out after him is the
34:19
perversion that's in his heart. And then
34:20
he ends up angry after all of that.
34:22
You're
34:23
>> right.
34:24
You
34:25
>> say, "Preacher, it's the Wednesday night
34:26
crowd. They don't drink." I swear to God
34:28
hope they ain't nobody here tonight that
34:29
drinks. Verse
34:31
number 12. Bible says he was wroth. His
34:34
anger burned into him. Burned in him. I
34:37
want to give you three things here and
34:38
I'm done tonight concerning this. Let me
34:40
just say this. All right. There will
34:41
always be men or women to side with the
34:44
wrongdoer.
34:45
>> Right?
34:46
>> All right. And they will always be men
34:49
or women that will side with the
34:50
wrongdoer and aid and abet his or her
34:53
crimes. And notice what happens in verse
34:55
number 13. Then the king said to the
34:58
wise men, which knew the times, for so
35:00
was the king's manner toward all that
35:02
knew law and judgment, they give the
35:04
list of their names. In verse 14, he
35:06
asked in verse 15, "What shall we do
35:09
unto this queen?
35:12
What shall we what shall we do unto her
35:14
because she has refused the king's
35:16
commandment?" Now, the law of the Mes
35:18
and Persian says that she should die.
35:22
And so, they don't put her to death in
35:24
this chapter. And I guess you could say
35:26
it was their mercy, but it was an
35:27
unrighteousness. The Bible says that
35:30
they they they he consults his
35:32
dignitaries and out of his consulting
35:34
them, what do they what do they come up
35:36
with? Well, they they conceive a divorce
35:38
there in verse number 19.
35:41
Because what are they afraid of? Notice
35:43
verse 16. Let me I got to point this
35:45
out. And uh this man answered before the
35:48
king and the princes. Vast the queen
35:50
hath not done wrong to the king only,
35:52
but also to all the princes and to all
35:54
the people that are in all the provinces
35:56
of the king a house. And basically what
35:59
he's going to say is this is that out of
36:01
her deed she's going to cause all the
36:03
women in the country to rebel against
36:05
their husbands.
36:07
How ignorant they are. Number one.
36:08
Number two, the truth of this text is
36:11
showing us that when sin comes about,
36:13
what they have to do is they have to sin
36:15
again to prevent more problems for them.
36:18
Amen. Amen.
36:19
>> Cuz they're thinking in their mind,
36:20
well, we're not going to be on the hot
36:22
seat anymore. We're not going to be the
36:23
top dog, the ruler of the family because
36:26
of this woman has rebelled against the
36:28
king. So, we must make her an example.
36:32
This is the way the world will do you.
36:33
By the way, let me just point that out
36:35
there. Okay? The world will always make
36:37
you an example to benefit themselves.
36:39
Yes.
36:40
>> And the Bible says in verse number verse
36:43
number 19, "If it pleased the king, let
36:45
there go a royal commandment from him,
36:47
and let it be written among the laws of
36:48
the Persians and the Mes that it be not
36:50
altered that vast come no more before
36:53
King Ahazerus, and let the king give her
36:55
royal state unto another that is better
36:58
than sheep." Well, what was their
36:59
description of better?
37:02
Somebody do what he wants.
37:04
>> Right?
37:06
And I don't know why the Lord put all
37:08
this on my heart tonight, but here's
37:09
what I know. And that that that phrase
37:11
right there is what jumped off the page
37:13
at me when I was studying this. Verse
37:14
19. Give her royal estate unto another
37:18
that is better than she. And this is the
37:19
thought that I had when I read this this
37:21
afternoon. What the world says is
37:23
better.
37:25
>> Right.
37:26
>> I mean, is anybody with me?
37:28
>> What the world says is better
37:30
>> is always worse. You're right.
37:33
>> Without fail.
37:35
>> Every single time. You say, "Preacher,
37:37
that's simple." It's right.
37:39
>> That's right.
37:40
>> Amen.
37:40
>> What do we succumb to so many times?
37:43
What the world says is better.
37:44
>> Amen.
37:45
>> And it ain't don't it ain't just sins
37:47
like this, but we got to have the
37:48
newest, nicest, next thing.
37:50
>> Amen.
37:50
>> You're right.
37:51
>> And it's whatever level it is. It's
37:53
because the world says it's better. Now,
37:58
you say, "Preacher, what is this?" The
38:00
whole grand scheme of this story is is
38:02
that vast has to be put out. But you
38:04
know that it wasn't right the way they
38:06
did it. That's right.
38:07
>> But God uses the wicked decisions of
38:10
wicked men to orchestrate deliverance
38:14
>> for his people. Notice what happens in
38:16
this chapter. He consults his dignitary.
38:18
They conceive this matter of divorce.
38:21
And then he co-signs a decree in verse
38:23
number 20 21. And when the king's decree
38:26
which he shall make shall be published
38:28
throughout all his empire, for it is
38:30
great, all the wives shall give to their
38:32
husbands honor, both to great and small.
38:35
And the saying pleased the king and the
38:37
princes, and the king did according to
38:38
the word of that fell. Verse 22. For he
38:43
sent letters into all the king's
38:45
provinces, into every province according
38:48
to the writing thereof, and to every
38:49
people after their language, that every
38:52
man should bear rule in his own house,
38:53
and that it should be published
38:55
according to the language of every
38:56
people. So, out of this one event, you
38:59
know what's happened? An entire nation
39:01
has been sent a letter.
39:03
One woman refused to do what the king
39:06
wanted. And now they're going to send
39:08
out an entire letter to every house,
39:11
every nation of every person in this
39:14
entire nation because of what she
39:17
refused to do.
39:18
>> You say, "Preacher, what's your point by
39:20
that? If you stand up against sin, the
39:22
whole world might know about it."
39:23
>> You're right.
39:24
>> Amen.
39:25
>> And it ain't necessarily going to be
39:27
right.
39:31
>> Preacher I like to listen to, he says
39:33
this sometimes. He says, "You can't do
39:34
wrong and get by." And that's true. You
39:36
can't do wrong and get by. But he said
39:38
this, and I think it's right, too. He
39:39
said, you can't do right and get by.
39:41
>> Right.
39:43
>> She gets put out of the king's house.
39:46
Chapter 2, verse number one, Bible says
39:48
in verse number one that he remembered
39:50
Vashy after his wrath was appeased and
39:52
what she had done and what was decreed
39:54
against her. I think that remembrance,
39:56
that statement there was revealing that
39:57
he regretted what he did. Right?
40:00
>> You know what? The world will smear us
40:02
for what we're not willing to do. That's
40:04
right.
40:06
But you know what? At the end of the
40:07
day, after all the dust is settled,
40:08
those people though they won't say it,
40:10
they'll know we're right.
40:13
>> Amen. They'll know we're right. You say,
40:16
"Preacher, what's your title?" What's
40:18
what the world says is better
40:21
is always worse.
40:22
>> Amen.
40:26
>> When I consider this text, and I there's
40:28
a lot of different things I could have
40:30
brought out in this, but this was the
40:32
biggest point that I wanted to make.
40:35
There's always going to be people
40:37
that'll side with those who will do you
40:39
wrong.
40:39
>> Amen.
40:40
>> Amen. There's always going to be people
40:43
that decide to do evil. There's always
40:45
going to be people that decide to
40:47
support what's wrong. It's because
40:49
that's what in every one of us's nature
40:52
to do that.
40:53
>> And when somebody does wrong, just know
40:56
they can't help it most of the time.
40:59
>> You say, "Preacher, they could do
41:00
better." Yeah, they could. But you know
41:03
what? Their nature causes them to do
41:04
that.
41:06
>> You know who don't have an excuse?
41:11
>> You're right.
41:12
>> We know better, don't we?
41:14
>> Amen. Brother Grley said this year, and
41:16
I'm done tonight. Brother Gravely said
41:17
this here, I believe it's Friday night,
41:19
the Jubilee, he said, he said, "People
41:21
come to me and tell me all the time
41:23
talking about standards and stuff, doing
41:25
different things, and and uh I know it's
41:27
been different tonight, but I just felt
41:28
this is what God put on my heart." And
41:31
uh he said this he said ' Dave people
41:33
come to me tell me said preacher I just
41:35
don't know about all that and uh he said
41:37
I just he said he said they say this he
41:39
said this is what their favorite term is
41:41
I don't see anything wrong with that he
41:44
said I used to not believe them used to
41:46
think they're just crazy he said but now
41:47
I believe them he said you know why he
41:49
said because I really don't think
41:50
they're saved
41:51
>> amen
41:52
>> and the reason why they don't see
41:54
anything wrong with the things that we
41:56
know is wrong I was talking to a man
41:58
this week and this is what he said he
42:00
said, "It's so different
42:02
being right with God that when you hear
42:05
a cuss word come out of somebody's
42:07
mouth, it grieves you."
42:09
>> Right?
42:12
>> And if a cuss word grieves you, there's
42:14
a lot worse stuff than that.
42:15
>> Amen.
42:17
>> The wickedness of this country grieves
42:19
me.
42:20
>> The wickedness that's around us grieves
42:22
me.
42:24
>> But you know what? Let's do right.
42:29
Will you? Let me ask you that. Will you?
42:34
If you was in that place, would you do
42:35
right?
42:37
>> You might have been in that place this
42:39
week.
42:41
You might be in that place later this
42:42
week. Will you do right, Father?
42:47
Lord, I thank you for this time, Lord. I
42:50
know this is what you had me to say
42:52
tonight, and I pray, Father, that it
42:53
landed on the good ground. I thank you
42:55
for it. I ask you that you would help
42:57
our church. Draw us near to you. God,
43:00
help me, Father, to be the same way.
43:02
Trust you always, Father, and choose you
43:05
over everything else. Lord, I sure love
43:07
you.
43:07
>> Thank you for joining our service today.
43:10
We'd love it if you'd join us in person
43:12
the next time you are able at Meadows
43:14
Baptist Church. Our physical address is
43:17
2988
43:19
Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
43:21
Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
43:24
school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
43:26
worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
43:29
worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
43:31
evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
43:34
information, visit us at
43:36
meadowsbaptisturch.com.
43:38
Thanks again for tuning in.