Latest / Faith by annm2705 / 672. Bible Study: Esther 9 and 10 (Those who bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse Israel will be cursed!)

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672. Bible Study: Esther 9 and 10 (Those who bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse Israel will be cursed!) · Faith by annm2705

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  We will read Chapter 9 and 10 of Esther and conclude this book
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  today. And I noticed some things
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  reading it that were just kind of ironic or coincidences to me
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  and seem to be either parallels or foreshadowing of future
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  events. And I noticed this throughout
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  the Bible that often there are literal events that have some
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  symbolic reference to Jesus. And actually I see this here and
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  I mentioned a little bit of it the in the last recordings, but
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  so this is from the book of Esther Chapter 9.
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  And to begin, I want to say a prayer.
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  Dear God, please guide us in reading this and please give me
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  thoughts or commentary surrounding this if there's
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  something that you want me to speak and give us revelation and
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  understanding in the Scripture and help us to really embrace
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  your word and get the message that you intended for this to be
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  written down and to be read by generations, many generations
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  thereafter. I ask for this in Jesus name
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  with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
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  Amen. OK Chapter 9.
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  I'm going to read a little bit of chapter 8 because the way
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  it's broken up in the Bible that I have it, the the thought
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  actually begins at the end of chapter 8 and then continues
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  into 9, so I'll start there. It's called the Triumph of the
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  Jews. When Mordecai left the King's
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  presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white.
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  Again, I think I mentioned this before, but it's really
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  interesting that the garments he was wearing were blue and white.
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  And today, Israel's flag is blue and white.
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  And like I said, these are just going to be coincidences or
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  maybe they are more than that. And he had a large crown of
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  gold, which I think about, you know, Jesus ultimately having
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  that crown as king of the entire world at some point when he
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  returns, after the point when he returns and a purple robe of
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  fine linen. So that's the that is, you know,
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  what the king wears. That was the King's robe that
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  Mordecai is actually wearing. So the king.
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  Here's another symbolism that just came to mind.
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  Now, just like not a literal translation, but symbolic.
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  Think about the king, God the Father, giving the robe, the
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  authority to Jesus, the Son of God.
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  Just think about that. And I just came up with that
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  thought in my head as I'm reading this right now.
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  So it's almost like, you know, this king in this account is,
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  you know, giving, he's like the the second in command later he
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  gives that to Mordecai. And the whole reason he did that
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  is because Mordecai helped to save his life.
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  The kings like King Xerxes and and again, I just see some
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  symbolism here while it's not a literal translation of this but
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  OK. And the city of Susa held a
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  joyous celebration for the Jews. It was a time of happiness and
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  joy, gladness and honour, in every province and in every city
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  to which the edict of the King came.
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  There was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and
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  celebrating. When Jesus returns, there will
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  be like this feasting of celebration when he has his
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  authority over the whole world. I mean, he told his disciples
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  who followed him that he was not going to drink of wine anymore
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  until the day that he drank it with them again.
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  So there is going to be a celebration when Jesus actually
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  returns and begins raining the earth.
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  And many people of other nations became Jews because fear of the
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  Jews has seized them. I think I read that last time,
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  but I didn't really like it, didn't stand out to me.
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  But this time it does. And this is actually in chapter
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  8. And many of the people of other
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  nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had
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  seized them. Now there is an explanation in
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  the study Bible and I don't remember reading it but I will
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  read it. So how could a non Jew become a
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  Jew? To become a Jew meant to accept
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  and obey the entirety of Jewish ceremonial, civil and moral law.
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  And that's in reference to Numbers chapter 15 verses 14
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  through 16. Some of those laws would have
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  been irrelevant while the Jews were in exile due to the lack of
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  a temple or an autonomous government.
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  However, many would still imply include apply, including
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  circumcision from Exodus chapter 12, verse 48 and observance of
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  holy days, Leviticus chapter 16 verse 29 and dietary laws in
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  Leviticus 1712. The fear of the Jews mentioned
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  here was not a fear of Jewish aggression, since the edict only
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  permitted the Jews to protect themselves.
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  That's found in Esther chapter 8 verse 11.
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  It was more likely an odd recognition that the Jews had
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  been granted divine favor and protection.
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  So ultimately we know that we did.
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  We do know this because it says it in Scripture that God
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  protects Israel because it's because of God, because God will
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  not be mocked it it doesn't mean that Israel is all good, because
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  Scripture clearly shows us how that is not the case.
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  But God is good and God said it, and so His word will prevail.
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  That's the reason that God protects Israel, because he
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  claimed Jerusalem. He told Israel what land they're
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  going to have. So God's not going to be mocked,
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  even though people, other people say that's not going to happen.
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  Ultimately what God said will happen.
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  And we're just like, over all these thousands of years, we've
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  been watching this history of God's command or his gift if you
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  want to call whatever you want to call it where it was never
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  fully established because people didn't follow through with what
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  God said. So I want to read one of these
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  other questions and answers. Why was this date chosen for the
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  Jews to avenge themselves on their enemies?
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  The 13th of Adar, the 12th month, was the date that Haman
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  had set for the slaughter of Jews throughout the empire.
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  And that's in chapter 3, verse 13.
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  So Mordecai chose that date for execution of his edict granting
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  the Jews the right to defend themselves.
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  So they didn't, like, ignore the edict that was already out
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  there. They just added another edict
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  that the Jews could defend themselves.
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  They couldn't be. Because I was wondering about
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  that earlier, because in the Persian culture, if something
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  was made an edict, it could not be reversed.
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  So I was wondering like, how did that happen?
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  Like it, you know, like it's already happened.
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  It already was put in motion. But this explains it, that
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  Mordecai chose that same day that the Jews were going to be
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  exterminated, essentially that they could protect themselves.
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  And it's interesting that it's the 13th that was the date.
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  And right now I'm recording this on June 14th, 2025.
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  And to me, just the ironic symbolism here is that this, oh
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  gosh, the missile war with between Israel and Iran started
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  in the wee hours of the morning of the 13th.
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  And that's really interesting because Israel proceeded to do
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  this to clear out, wipe out, disarm the nuclear capabilities,
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  to prevent the full extermination of the Jews.
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  This is so symbolic because Iran wants to exterminate the Jews
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  today. I mean, the Jews have always
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  been wanted. Other countries have wanted to
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  exterminate them. And that's what Iran wanted to
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  do. So in there to defend and
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  protect and keep that from happening.
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  Because if Iran had nuclear capabilities, they outwardly
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  openly say this, they want to exterminate Israel.
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  And not only that, but I think also the United States and
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  actually the United States is a greater target.
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  They call the United States at times Big Satan and they call
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  Israel Little Satan. And so there is a an extreme
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  hatred towards both. And it's really interesting
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  because of the spiritual part of it, the spiritual aspect of it.
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  Anyway. It's to me, it was very
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  interesting. Now we are not in the same
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  months that this occurred in Esther, which we will get to in
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  the next verses, because in the book of Esther was actually
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  happening in February and March, like the springtime.
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  And we're still like, I mean, in the springtime time frame, but
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  it's June. It's not the same.
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  It's not the same months in the Gregorian calendar.
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  But as far as the date goes, it's the 13th.
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  So that this essentially started where Israel sent all of their
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  missiles over there to, to by surprise to remove the nuclear
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  capabilities of Iran. So just very interesting that
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  we're happening to read this today.
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  So Chapter 9, beginning on the 13th day of the 12th month, even
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  though it says the 12th month, the calendar for Israel, the
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  Gregorian calendar is like a February March for the United
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  States. That would have been the 12th
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  month according to their calendar, the month of Adar and
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  the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out on this
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  day. The enemies of the Jews had
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  hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the
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  Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.
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  So right now it seems like, I mean they there were a massive
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  goals that were achieved. They did destroy a portion of at
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  least a nuclear, at least one nuclear facility and they were
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  working towards more and they also targeted the scientist who
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  were responsible for the nuclear, you know, The Who had
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  knowledge of it and who were proceeding with that.
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  That was also a very strategic and it's quite shocking how many
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  of them they identified and then successfully assassinated just
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  so that there wouldn't be that knowledge to build more nuclear
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  sites. So going back to Scripture, the
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  Jews assembled in their cities, in all the provinces of King
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  Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them.
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  Now we were, if you remember this King Xerxes, he is the king
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  of Persia. Persia is modern day Iran.
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  So even the like the localities of these things are similar, no
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  one could stand up against them because the people of all the
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  other nationalities were afraid of them.
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  And all the nobles of the provinces, the say traps the
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  governors and kings, administrate administrators help
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  the Jews because fear of Mordecai had seized them.
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  Mordecai was prominent in the palace.
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  His reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became
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  more and more powerful. I I guess I'll read the rest of
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  this. The Jews struck down all their
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  enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they
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  did what plea what they pleased to those who hated them.
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  In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men.
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  They also killed Parshan, Datha, Delphon, Aspatha, Poratha,
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  Adalia, Aridiatha, Parmitae, Arisia, Aridiya, and Vas by by
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  Zatha the ten sons of Haman, some of son of Hamadatha, the
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  enemy of the Jews. When I read that, it also stood
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  out to me ten sons. Now this is interesting because
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  there's in the book of Daniel, there's the 10 headed beast that
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  does represent other different it represents other countries.
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  But I just think again, this is just like symbolism.
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  That's really interesting that eventually the 10 headed beast
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  becomes the seven headed beast because there were some that
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  were replaced by one in in the Book of Revelation.
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  So again, that's all symbolic like, but I just think it's a
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  coincidence are ironic that there were ten sons of Haman,
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  the one who hated the Jews. And and I just, you know, it's
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  it's like the enemy of the Jews, whereas the Book of Revelation,
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  this is going to be the enemy of Christians and and Jews, those
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  those who believe are going to be persecuted by this beast that
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  rises up. And I just think it's not just a
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  coincidence. I think there's more to it.
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  The number of those killed in the citadel of Sousa was
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  reported to the king the same day.
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  The king said to Queen Esther. The Jews have killed and
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  destroyed 500 men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of
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  Sousa. What they have done in the rest
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  of the kings are what have they done in the rest of the King's
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  provinces? Now what is your petition?
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  It will be given to you. What is your request?
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  It will also be granted if it pleases the king, Esther
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  answered. Give the Jews and Susa
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  permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and
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  let Haman's ten sons be impaled on Poles.
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  So the king commanded that this be done.
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  An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of
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  Haman. The Jews and Susa came together
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  on the 14th day in the month of Adar, and they put to death in
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  Susa 300 men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
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  Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the King's
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  provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get
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  relief from their enemies. They killed 75,000 of them, but
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  did not lay hands on the plunder.
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  This happened on the 13th day of the month of Adar and on the
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  14th they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
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  So this is really kind of interesting it today, because
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  today is actually the Sabbath, the 14th day, June 14th, you
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  know, beginning at sundown, it begins the the set the day of
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  Sabbath and this is a day of rest.
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  And back at this time, the 14th happened to be a day of rest.
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  That's really interesting, ironic, coincidental.
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  So then the Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the
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  13th and 14th, and then on the 15th day they rested and made it
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  a day of feasting and joy. That is why rural Jews, those
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  living in villages, observed the 14th of the month of Adar as a
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  day of joy and feasting, a day forgiving each other for giving
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  presents to each other. Purim established.
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  Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the
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  Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to
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  have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month
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  of Adar. As as the as the time when the
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  Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when
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  their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of
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  celebration, he wrote them to observe the days as days of
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  feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another
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  and gifts to the poor. So the Jews agreed to continue
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  the celebration. They had begun doing what
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  Mordecai had written to them, for Haman son of Hamadatha the
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  Agite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to
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  destroy them, and had cast the Pope the poor, that is the lot
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  for their rune and destruction. But when the plot came to the
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  King's attention, he issued written orders that the scheme
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  Haman had devised against the Jews should come back into onto
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  his own head, and that he and his sons would be impaled on
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  Poles. Therefore these days were called
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  Purim for the word Pur, because of every poor Purim for the word
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  poor. That's PUR, because of
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  everything written in this letter, and because of what they
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  had seen and what had happened to them.
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  The Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that
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  they and their descendants and all who would join them, should
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  without fail observe these two days every year in the way
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  prescribed and at the time appointed.
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  OK, I need to. OK, I'll just keep going.
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  These days should be remembered and observed in every generation
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  by every family and in every province and in every city.
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  And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by
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  the Jews. Nor should the memory of these
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  days die out among their descendants.
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  I want to stop there. So he wants to be remembered all
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  the time. When I was reading, it was last
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  year in May, this just came to mind.
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  I was reading in the book of Exodus, and I was thinking about
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  people who were having dreams of two moons.
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  And I was thinking how that wasn't biblical.
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  And then I started looking into moons.
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  And we started, I guess in 2024, we were having those eclipses
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  happen. And so I was curious about, you
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  know, blood moons. When do blood moons happen?
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  And they happen fairly regularly.
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  And so the blood moon is a lunar eclipse, and then the other
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  eclipses are solar eclipses. And what I found is very, very,
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  very interesting. In 2025 Purim, which is already
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  passed, that was in March, there was a blood moon and a full
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  moon, a blood moon that happened on Purim.
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  The next one that's going to happen.
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  So when I say they happen regularly is that they do
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  happen, you know, throughout time.
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  But I was just looking and you can look this up too.
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  The next lunar eclipse or yeah, the one the blood moon, the next
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  blood moon is going to be on Purim again and in 2026.
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  So these are two years, 2025 and 2026 that will have a blood moon
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  on the the celebration dates of Purim.
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  And I just think that's really significant.
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  Like it says that God will put, you know, he will, there will be
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  signs in the sky. And if people are just paying
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  attention, I mean, everybody's been kind of focused on these
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  eclipses and they've been getting noticed by people, but
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  nobody thinks about it in a biblical sense.
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  And then, of course, you know, you have the people who are
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  always looking for the the last days and the end times.
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  And every time there's a blood moon, they say, you know, this
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  could be it because in Scripture, in the Bible, it does
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  say the the blood will are the moon will be turned to blood and
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  the sun will not give its light and the stars will fall from the
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  sky. And that is before that great
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  and dreadful day of the coming of the Lord.
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  So that is in Scripture. And this is another personal
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  interesting side note is that I had dreams about the everything
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  going dark before Jesus returned.
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  And I, I, I had three of them and at various times.
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  And so I was like, is there anything in Scripture about it?
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  So I kept search. I was searching for it.
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  And that's how I came across this.
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  And if you just search that about the, the moon will turn to
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  blood, the sun will not give its light and the stars will fall
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  from the sky. Those are things like if you
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  think about that, all the sources of light.
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  Well, the moon is actually going to be, you know, the blood moon
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  is there. So there will be something from
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  that. But the sun will not give its
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  light. So that's darkness.
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  The stars fall from the sky. That's darkness.
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  And that was something that I didn't know until I had dreams
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  and then I started looking up. Does it say that in the Bible?
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  And I was just looking it up and I found out that it does say
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  that. And some of the dreams that I've
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  had have been showing me things that I find in Scripture and I
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  like, oh wow, that's in scripture.
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  And it's, it's just weird how that happened.
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  Anyway, those are there are signs in the sky and they are
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  from God. And of course, you know, if we
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  don't read carefully, we can jump to conclusions that every
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  time we see a blood moon, that's going to be a potential time.
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  But we just have to, you know, take all of the scripture into
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  account and, and just start paying attention.
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  The most important thing is start reading the Bible.
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  If you read the Bible or you keep coming back to these
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  podcasts, we will continue to learn more.
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  If we're not in the word, we're not going to know these clues.
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  We're not going to see these things.
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  We're not going to see the coincidences, the symbolism, you
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  know, could this, you know, in Revelation, could the two
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  witnesses of event happen on the the day of Purim in the future?
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  Could that when they actually get killed, but then they're
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  raised up. I mean, the that's a
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  possibility. It's just like when you see
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  these details, you know, the reason why I say that is because
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  actually the enemies start giving gifts to one another
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  because the two witnesses were such a pain to all the people
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  who were here. And just now I had noticed while
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  we were reading this is that giving gifts to each other
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  happens at the time of Purim for the Jews.
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  And there's always like a copying from the enemy of
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  something that got established. So, and I do know that during
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  this time of warfare between Hamas and Israel, that whenever
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  something would happen to the Israeli people, the those the
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  Hamas people would be handing out chocolates and things giving
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  to people like celebrating that they were doing this.
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  So it's like the enemy takes and twist what's in the Bible and
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  turns it opposite it's and even the Bible talks about that like
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  in the last days, there will be like goodwill be known, will
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  become known as evil and evil as good.
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  There's just like a complete twisting of the word of God.
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  And so how do you know if it's the word of God or do you fall
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  into what the media is telling you or social media or whatever?
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  Are you going to listen to what people are saying, or are you
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  going to be grounded, founded in the Word, and know what the Word
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  says about this and be able to differentiate what is good and
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  what is evil? Because there's a lot of people
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  who are confused about what is good and what is evil.
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  But if we read Scripture, we will know what is good and what
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  is evil. Because if we just rely on what
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  the world tells us, we are going to be confused, we are going to
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  be misled. And the Bible tells us we will
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  be led to our slaughter. We will be LED away from God.
• 26:27
  We will not inherit the Kingdom. The Bible is here to tell us
• 26:32
  what we need to know so that we can be in God's Kingdom.
• 26:35
  And God wants everyone in his Kingdom.
• 26:39
  But if we're not going to be seeking God, we're not going to
• 26:43
  have this wisdom. It says above all else, gain
• 26:47
  wisdom. OK, few more paragraphs and then
• 26:51
  we'll conclude this chapter. So Queen Esther, daughter of
• 26:54
  Abbehail along with Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to
• 26:59
  confirm the 2nd letter regarding Purim.
• 27:03
  And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of
• 27:09
  Xerxes Kingdom. Words of goodwill and assurance
• 27:13
  to establish these days of Purim at their designated times as
• 27:18
  Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for for them,
• 27:23
  and they had established for themselves and their descendants
• 27:26
  in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.
• 27:31
  Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it
• 27:35
  was written down in the records. So chapter 10 is very short.
• 27:41
  The greatness of Mordecai. King Xerxes imposed tribute
• 27:46
  throughout the empire to its distant shores and all his acts
• 27:52
  of power and might, together with a full account of greatness
• 27:56
  of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted.
• 27:59
  Are they not written in the Book of Annals of the Kings of Media
• 28:04
  and Persia? Mordecai the Jew was second in
• 28:09
  rank to King Xerxes, pre eminent among the Jews and held in high
• 28:14
  esteem by his many fellow Jews because he worked for the good
• 28:21
  of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
• 28:28
  Now he It's written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of
• 28:34
  Media and Persia. The kings of Media and Persia
• 28:37
  are the ancient countries of Iran, modern day Iran.
• 28:44
  And so Mordecai the Jew was second in rank.
• 28:47
  Could you imagine that having the king of Iran having a Jew as
• 28:56
  his second in command? I mean, look at the the it's
• 29:00
  just like so different today. But The thing is that I noticed
• 29:04
  in this last sentence was that Mordecai was looking out for all
• 29:10
  of his people. He was doing something selfless,
• 29:14
  and that's just like what Jesus did.
• 29:16
  He did something selfless for all people.
• 29:18
  He died on the cross. And Mordecai is almost like
• 29:24
  symbolic of this. And he wasn't looking out for
• 29:28
  himself. He submitted himself and you
• 29:32
  know, he could have, he could have been killed by this, but he
• 29:35
  went to risk and he did something good.
• 29:37
  Like he he actually told the Persian king that somebody was
• 29:41
  going to assassinate him. Like he looked out for the
• 29:44
  Iranians or the Persian people at the time.
• 29:47
  You know, he was not only his own people, but he also is
• 29:50
  looking out for the king. And he was doing good and he was
• 29:55
  recognized for it. It reminds me a little bit about
• 29:58
  Joseph coming into being the second in command of the
• 30:02
  Pharaoh. And again, that's another thing
• 30:05
  that's, you know, probably pretty.
• 30:07
  There's commentary from Bible study, you know, theologians,
• 30:15
  eschatology, the illusions that talk about the, the, the
• 30:21
  similarities between Joseph and Jesus.
• 30:25
  So there is, you know, just there's some some commonality
• 30:30
  between those stories. And anyway, I will read the
• 30:34
  questions and answers for this chapter.
• 30:36
  But I also want to read some part of Numbers because what is
• 30:41
  important for us to also remember today because of the
• 30:45
  division that will will probably continue between the
• 30:48
  anti-Semitism and the Jews and Iran and everything that's
• 30:53
  happening in the very beginning in the book of Genesis, God said
• 30:59
  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
• 31:05
  He said that it was found in Genesis chapter 27 verse 20 or
• 31:10
  sorry, Genesis chapter 12 verse three.
• 31:14
  He said that to Abraham. So then you like, OK, well
• 31:18
  Abraham fathered Ishmael and Isaac.
• 31:22
  So you know, where does that continue?
• 31:25
  Well, the Bible answers that because in Genesis 27, verse 29,
• 31:31
  Abraham then gives this blessing to Isaac, and we know that Isaac
• 31:38
  is the father of Jacob. Jacob's name was changed to
• 31:42
  Israel. So there's the lineage of what
• 31:45
  happened when God said to Abraham, I will bless those who
• 31:50
  bless you and I will curse those who curse you.
• 31:54
  And then we can see evidence. We can see evidence throughout
• 31:58
  the whole Bible of that. Again, God is not doing it
• 32:03
  because Israel is so great, but rather because God spoke that
• 32:07
  word and God said that and God will hold true to His word.
• 32:12
  He does not change, He does not waver.
• 32:15
  So this is a warning to everyone who is anti-Semitic right now.
• 32:21
  Do you want God to come against you?
• 32:24
  Are you cursing the Jews? Are you going after the Jews?
• 32:30
  Because the other thing is, if you were saying, well, they did
• 32:32
  this, they did that, and this is evil and, and all these things,
• 32:36
  take a look at yourself, because we all have done evil things.
• 32:42
  In the eyes of God, we are all sinners.
• 32:46
  So if you are judging others, that means you are going to be
• 32:50
  judged in that same manner. So we should not be judging
• 32:54
  others. But I'm pointing out the word of
• 32:58
  God. If you want to have, if you
• 33:04
  start cursing the Jews, you're going to get something for that
• 33:08
  from God and it is not going to be good.
• 33:11
  The things that you pronounce on someone else will come back to
• 33:16
  you and that's what it says in the Bible.
• 33:19
  And God will not be mocked. So there is a time of a rude
• 33:25
  awakening that's going to happen.
• 33:26
  And this is just a warning as we read the Bible.
• 33:29
  These are important things that get lost in the Bible that
• 33:31
  people don't pretend to. So don't fall into the trap
• 33:34
  because God's enemy wants to destroy all people, all humans.
• 33:39
  So if God can lead, if the enemy of God can lead people into
• 33:45
  hating the Jews and cursing the Jews, he knows God's word better
• 33:49
  than most of us, the enemy of God.
• 33:52
  And he knows that God said if you crush the Jews, it's going
• 33:55
  to come down on your head and the enemy wants to destroy you.
• 34:00
  So if you don't read the Bible, you don't know of this hidden
• 34:04
  curse in the Bible and you're going to bring it upon yourself.
• 34:09
  So share this with everybody because I'm seeing the rise of
• 34:14
  anti-Semitism and it's not going to be good for those who curse
• 34:19
  Israel. So I want, again, I want to read
• 34:23
  an example of that. This will come at the end
• 34:25
  because I want to, I want to wrap up these chapters, but I'm
• 34:28
  going to read numbers 22 through 24.
• 34:32
  This is an example of that coming to fruition of God's
• 34:37
  promise coming to fruition. So it's important to see this.
• 34:42
  And here's another interesting thing.
• 34:44
  I don't know if you follow Amir Sarfati on Telegram, but I saw a
• 34:50
  post that he did and it was he was referencing scripture and
• 34:55
  it's really interesting. It was actually 6:30 this.
• 34:58
  I don't know what date it was though, but they the defense
• 35:07
  that the IDF and Israel is doing, the Air Force, I don't
• 35:12
  know which entity, but they had, it's something with a lion that
• 35:17
  they have. The lion's sunrise is what they
• 35:20
  have called their current strategy in this war that's
• 35:24
  going on. And then Amir somehow referenced
• 35:30
  Numbers chapter 23 verses 24 through 25.
• 35:35
  And I had to go back to look at that because I just thought, oh,
• 35:38
  this is ironic, you know, right now reading all of this and and
• 35:42
  then that being posted. So it says, look, a people rises
• 35:46
  like a young lion and lifts itself up like a lion.
• 35:51
  It shall not lie down until it devours the prey and drinks the
• 35:57
  blood of the slain. So this is talking about the
• 36:02
  Israelites and them acting in the power of God against their
• 36:09
  enemies. And if you don't think this is
• 36:12
  true, just think back. Does it seem like Israel has is
• 36:20
  defeating Hamas? Have many of their leaders been
• 36:25
  executed? Did they make some progress in
• 36:29
  other areas when they were going against the enemies that hated
• 36:34
  them and wanted to destroy them? It sure seems like a lot of
• 36:38
  leaders have been eliminated by Israel in these in this period.
• 36:46
  They're trying to protect themselves.
• 36:48
  And the Bible tells us this is going to happen.
• 36:52
  But people seem to be like surprised by this.
• 36:55
  But yet the Bible says this and it's not any one of us making up
• 37:01
  what's in the Bible. This is God's word and God's
• 37:04
  word. You know, Jesus, Jesus said
• 37:08
  heaven and earth may disappear, but my word will remain.
• 37:12
  This is going to will remain forever.
• 37:15
  And so that's why it's so important to know what's in
• 37:17
  here. You, you're not going to be
• 37:18
  surprised by things that happen so much if you know what's in
• 37:22
  the Bible. OK, I will go now into the
• 37:25
  questions and answers. And then after that, if it's not
• 37:28
  too long, I'll read numbers 20 through 22 through 24 because
• 37:31
  that's like a really supernatural wild story about a
• 37:36
  group of people. It was actually Moab who are
• 37:38
  descendants of Lot. They were Lot and his daughter
• 37:43
  actually, but the people of Moab and and they were going against
• 37:49
  Israel and it'll be a story about what happened to them.
• 37:54
  And that's evidence, like historic evidence of this
• 37:57
  promise that was given in Genesis, given in the book of
• 38:00
  Numbers and actually given in Genesis is what it was.
• 38:05
  So first, Genesis 12, verse three, if you want that for
• 38:08
  reference, and then Genesis 27 verse 29.
• 38:12
  And then the example of this is going to be Numbers 24 verse 9.
• 38:17
  That's the story that I'll read. OK, now going back to the
• 38:20
  questions and answers for chapters 9 and 10, Why did they
• 38:24
  fear Mordecai? Mordecai's sudden advancement
• 38:27
  was recognized as supernatural. To oppose such a person was to
• 38:32
  oppose the gods and ensure one's doom.
• 38:37
  OK, Now the one true God, I mean, if you're going to go
• 38:40
  against Israel, it's the one true God that you're going to go
• 38:43
  against, and you're going to have some trouble ahead for
• 38:47
  sure. OK, Going back to the
• 38:49
  explanation, the rulers of these provinces were in awe of a power
• 38:54
  they could not identify but could clearly perceive the
• 38:59
  sovereign power of God. Did the Jews initiate this
• 39:04
  attack on their enemies? The edict allowed Jews to
• 39:08
  protect themselves against those who might attack them and their
• 39:12
  women and children. These may have been pre emptive
• 39:17
  strikes, but this was not random violence, for the Jews were not
• 39:22
  killing women and children or looting.
• 39:26
  Why didn't the Jews take any plunder?
• 39:28
  This was a holy war. And again, what we're
• 39:32
  experiencing right now is ultimately a holy war.
• 39:35
  It is a spiritual war that's going on.
• 39:38
  So this also in this account of Esther, this was a holy war, a
• 39:43
  war commanded by the Lord in judgment on great evil.
• 39:49
  It was distinguished from normal warfare by the ban on taking
• 39:54
  plunder, which demonstrates that the aggression was not for
• 39:58
  financial gain but only to carry out God's sentence.
• 40:04
  Why were Haman's sons on poles, since they were already dead?
• 40:09
  First, it made an example of them as a deterrent to any who
• 40:14
  might think to attack the Jews again.
• 40:16
  Second, given that hanging on a pole was a sign of the Lord's
• 40:21
  curse on a person, it would have especially communicated to the
• 40:28
  Jews of Susa that the Lord's ancient curse against those who
• 40:32
  cursed them was still in force. Wow.
• 40:36
  OK, so and that it also references yeah, Genesis 27,
• 40:42
  which I did and I'll yeah, the 2 verses that I looked at.
• 40:46
  OK, so why did the Jews need to kill 75,000 people?
• 40:52
  That the Jews would kill so many aggressors indicates that the
• 40:56
  hostility against them had been increasing since the edict
• 41:00
  against them had been issued. It's possible that this number
• 41:03
  is an exaggeration used to emphasize the Jews victory.
• 41:07
  However, given the vast extent of the Persian Empire, 75,000 is
• 41:13
  not an in in conceivable number, especially considering that 800
• 41:20
  were killed in Susa alone. The failure to mention Jewish
• 41:24
  casualties is almost certainly intended to communicate the Jews
• 41:29
  overwhelming success rather than an absence of losses.
• 41:34
  Now was Haman's cat. How was Haman's casting of lots
• 41:38
  different from that of the Jews? Haman used the the poor or the
• 41:43
  dice to determine the fate of the Jews.
• 41:46
  Jews and other ancient people also cast lots as an impartial
• 41:51
  way to decide what course of action to take.
• 41:54
  But while Haman credited chance or fate with the outcome, the
• 41:59
  Jews trusted God to make His will known through the lots.
• 42:06
  Even while Haman trusted the the poor, God determined the result.
• 42:12
  For God had determined to save his chosen people by his mighty
• 42:17
  power. And sometimes God uses someone's
• 42:21
  wicked evil intent to he can, he uses it so he doesn't, you know,
• 42:28
  he gives everyone free choice. Well, Heyman had it in him.
• 42:31
  He did not like the Jews. He wanted that to happen.
• 42:34
  And he got what he wanted, got off.
• 42:36
  And he gives us free will. He gives us what we want.
• 42:40
  Heyman got what he wanted. He wanted to work out a way that
• 42:44
  he could kill the Jews. And so he got what he asked for.
• 42:50
  But God turned it around. Because of God's Word, those who
• 42:55
  bless Israel or those who bless the Jews will be blessed, and
• 43:00
  those who curse them will be cursed.
• 43:05
  It's all about God. It's not about all these people.
• 43:07
  It's about God and God's Word. And when He says something, he
• 43:11
  means it. Purim is a combination of the
• 43:14
  Persian word for lot per and the Hebrew plural ending M.
• 43:21
  The day was chosen by Lot originally as the day an attack
• 43:26
  was to be launched against the Jews, but in a dramatic turn of
• 43:30
  events it became a Jewish holiday that is observed to this
• 43:34
  day. An explanation of the name was
• 43:37
  necessary because the word would not have been recognized by non
• 43:41
  Persian Jews. What was the book of analysis of
• 43:45
  the Kings of Media and Persia? Archaeologists have not yet
• 43:49
  recovered this historical record.
• 43:51
  There is evidence in some ancient records, however, of a
• 43:54
  man, a minor official of Xerxes administration, who had the name
• 43:59
  Mardukaya, which is similar to the name Mordecai.
• 44:05
  How much power did Mordecai have?
• 44:07
  A second in rank to the king? Plenty.
• 44:09
  Mordecai not only could frequently act on his own, but
• 44:14
  also could enjoy the confidence and trust of the king, who
• 44:18
  relied more on him than any of his nobles and advisors.
• 44:21
  Mordecai also had virtually unlimited opportunity to shape
• 44:26
  the policies and administration of his empire.
• 44:29
  His high position, similar to that of Joseph and Daniel, the
• 44:34
  guaranteed well guaranteed the welfare of the Jews.
• 44:37
  Jews while they lived in a foreign land.
• 44:40
  Once again, God had provided for and protected His people.
• 44:45
  So if you're a child of God, you will have protection.
• 44:48
  This extends beyond because God will protect his children.
• 44:53
  And I didn't think about Daniel, but that is so true because
• 44:56
  Daniel was in exile in Babylon and was raised up because of his
• 45:01
  dreams. And Nebuchadnezzar relied on
• 45:04
  Daniel because Daniel proved that all these other magicians
• 45:08
  and other people that had these magic things couldn't, couldn't
• 45:13
  tell the king what his dream meant, but Daniel could.
• 45:17
  So again, supernaturally, God raised up someone.
• 45:22
  Again, Joseph was thrown into a pit and taken into slavery, but
• 45:26
  then rose up to be the second in the command to Pharaoh.
• 45:30
  So these are enemies. This is those are three
• 45:33
  examples. Now there's Mordecai who was a
• 45:35
  Jew who rose up to be second in command to under King Xerxes.
• 45:42
  Then there was Joseph who did the same under the Pharaoh of
• 45:46
  Egypt and then Daniel of Babylon.
• 45:50
  So that's really, that's very interesting.
• 45:54
  Anyway, I, it's kind of long, so if you don't want to listen to
• 45:59
  the rest of it, I can understand.
• 46:01
  But there's a really interesting story and I'm I will probably
• 46:06
  read more than rather than comment significantly on this,
• 46:10
  but it's in numbers chapter 21 and I will read through it as
• 46:14
  quickly as possible so that you can.
• 46:18
  I think it's in 21. Yeah, that's kind of where it
• 46:22
  starts, the journey to Moab. So you can kind of see that Moab
• 46:27
  is not, even though they were like a distant relative of the
• 46:29
  Jews, because it was Lot who is the nephew of Abraham.
• 46:35
  And he, he was, he was, he was warned, he was removed from
• 46:43
  Sodom and Gomorrah before it got destroyed.
• 46:46
  So then he was all by himself. He, his wife, didn't obey the
• 46:51
  Angel who came to save them and she looked back at her town and
• 46:57
  did not make it out. But Lot and his two daughters
• 47:01
  did. His daughters were engaged to
• 47:03
  be, I think it was their fiance's or their future
• 47:06
  husbands or something. We're with them.
• 47:07
  And when they were warned, they thought it was a joke.
• 47:10
  They didn't go along with it. So it was Lot and his two
• 47:12
  daughters who made it out safely.
• 47:14
  Then the two daughters did a horrible thing.
• 47:17
  They were concerned that their family line wouldn't continue
• 47:21
  and they got their father drunk and had sex with him and had
• 47:24
  children and that's where the child of them, of one of the
• 47:30
  daughters, I forgot which what their names were, is created
• 47:34
  Moab. It was the Moabites.
• 47:36
  So it's weird that they are then against the Israelites because
• 47:41
  they they were from the lineage. Just strange stuff.
• 47:46
  But anyway, I will read chapter 21.
• 47:51
  We'll start there and we'll start with verse 10, the journey
• 47:57
  to Moab. The Israelites moved on a camped
• 47:59
  at Obath. Then they sent out from Obath
• 48:03
  and camped in Abraham in the wilderness that faces Moab
• 48:07
  toward the sunrise. From there they moved on and
• 48:11
  camped in the Zurid Valley. They sent They set out from
• 48:15
  there and camped alongside the Arnon, which is in the
• 48:18
  wilderness extending into Amorite territory.
• 48:21
  The Arnon is the border of Moab between Moab and the Amorites.
• 48:25
  This is why the book of the Wars of the Lord says Zahab in in
• 48:33
  Sufa and the ravines, the Arnon and the slopes of the ravines
• 48:37
  that led to the settlement of R and that lie along the border of
• 48:41
  Moab. From there they continued on to
• 48:43
  beer the the well where the Lord said to Moses, gather the people
• 48:48
  together and I will give them water.
• 48:50
  Then Israel sang the song Spring up.
• 48:53
  Oh well, sing about it, about the well that the Princess dug
• 48:57
  and the nobles of the people sank, the nobles with scepters
• 49:00
  and Staffs. Then they went from the
• 49:03
  wilderness to Matani, from Matani to Nathiel, from Nathiel
• 49:07
  to Baymuth, and from Baymuth to the valley in Moab, where the
• 49:11
  top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.
• 49:18
  Israel sent messengers to say to Saihon, king of the Amorites,
• 49:23
  let us pass through your country.
• 49:26
  We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard or drink water
• 49:29
  from any well. We will travel along the King's
• 49:33
  Hwy. until we have passed through your territory.
• 49:37
  But Saihon would not let Israel passed through his territory.
• 49:42
  He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness
• 49:45
  against Israel. When he reached Jahas, he fought
• 49:50
  with Israel. Israel, however, put him to the
• 49:55
  sword and took over his land from the Arnon to J Buck, but
• 50:02
  only as far as the Ammonites because their border was
• 50:06
  fortified. Israel captured all the cities
• 50:09
  of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshban and all
• 50:12
  of its surrounding settlements. Heshban was the city of Sihan,
• 50:16
  king of the Amorites, who fought against the former king of Moab
• 50:20
  and had taken him from all his land as far as Arnon.
• 50:24
  This that is why the poets say come to Heshban and let it be
• 50:28
  built, rebuilt. Let Sihan's city be restored.
• 50:32
  Fire went out from Heshban, a blaze from the city of Sihan.
• 50:35
  It consumed our of Moab, the citizens of Arnan's Heights.
• 50:40
  Woe to you, Moab, you are destroyed.
• 50:43
  People of Kimosh, he has given up his sons as fugitives and his
• 50:48
  daughters as captives to Sihan, king of the Amorites, but we
• 50:53
  have overthrown them. Heshban's dominium has been
• 50:56
  destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have demolished them as far
• 51:01
  as Nofah, which extends to Medeba.
• 51:04
  So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.
• 51:07
  After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured
• 51:12
  its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were
• 51:15
  there. Then they turned and went up the
• 51:17
  road toward Bashan, and AG, king of Bashan, and his whole army
• 51:22
  marched out to meet them in the battle at Edry.
• 51:26
  The Lord said to Moses, Do not be afraid of him, for I have
• 51:31
  delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and
• 51:35
  his land due to him what you did to Cyhan, king of the Amorites,
• 51:40
  who reigned in Heshbon. So they struck him down together
• 51:43
  with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors,
• 51:48
  and they took possession of his land.
• 51:53
  Now here's where it comes. Actually, I probably should have
• 51:54
  started in chapter 22. So Balak summons Balaam.
• 51:59
  Then the Israelites travelled to the plains of Moab and camped
• 52:04
  along the Jordan across from Jericho.
• 52:07
  Now Balak son of Zippor saw that our son of Zippor saw that
• 52:13
  Israel had done, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
• 52:18
  and Moab was terrified because there were so many people.
• 52:21
  Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
• 52:25
  The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, this horde is going
• 52:28
  to lick up everything around us as an ox licks up grass in the
• 52:32
  field. So Balik son of Zippor, who was
• 52:36
  the king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon
• 52:42
  Balaam, son of Bior, who was at Pathor near the Euphrates River
• 52:49
  in his native land. Balak said.
• 52:53
  A people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the land
• 52:58
  and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on
• 53:05
  these people because they are too horrible for me.
• 53:09
  Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out
• 53:13
  of the land. For I know that whoever you
• 53:17
  bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed.
• 53:22
  So this is Baloch calling out to Balaam.
• 53:28
  OK, Baloch is telling Balaam this.
• 53:31
  The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee
• 53:37
  for divination. Now God's against divination.
• 53:40
  When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
• 53:46
  So Balak summoned Balaam. It's sometimes the names get
• 53:49
  confusing to me. But so Balak is the one asking
• 53:53
  Balaam, and the Balaam apparently has some.
• 53:57
  Whoever he blesses is blessed, and whoever is cursed is cursed.
• 54:01
  So spend the night here, Balaam said to them, And I will report
• 54:05
  back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.
• 54:08
  So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
• 54:11
  God came to Balaam and asked, Who are these men with you?
• 54:16
  Balaam said to God. Balak son of Zippor, king of
• 54:19
  Moab, sent me this message. A people has come out of Egypt,
• 54:23
  covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them
• 54:26
  for me. Perhaps then I will be able to
• 54:28
  fight them and drive them away. But God said to Balaam, do not
• 54:33
  go with them. You must not put a curse on
• 54:36
  those people because they are blessed.
• 54:40
  So remember God put that blessing on them, OK?
• 54:44
  The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's officials,
• 54:47
  Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me
• 54:52
  go with you. So the Moabite officials
• 54:55
  returned to Balak and said Balaam refused to come with us.
• 55:00
  Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more
• 55:02
  distinguished than the first. They came to Balaam and said
• 55:06
  this is what Balak, son of Zippor says.
• 55:09
  Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I
• 55:14
  will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say.
• 55:18
  Come and put a curse on these people for me.
• 55:22
  But Balaam answered them. Even if Balak gave me all the
• 55:26
  silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or
• 55:30
  small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.
• 55:35
  Now spend the night here so I can find out what else the Lord
• 55:38
  will tell me. That night God came to Balaam
• 55:42
  and said, Since these men have come to summon you, go with
• 55:46
  them, but do only what I tell you.
• 55:51
  Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with
• 55:55
  the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he
• 56:00
  went. And the Angel of the Lord stood
• 56:04
  in the road to a Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his
• 56:10
  two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the Angel of
• 56:15
  the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand,
• 56:21
  it turned off the road into a field.
• 56:23
  Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
• 56:26
  Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the
• 56:31
  vineyards, with walls on both sides.
• 56:34
  When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, it was close to the
• 56:38
  wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it.
• 56:41
  So he beat the donkey again. Then the Angel of the Lord moved
• 56:46
  on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to
• 56:52
  turn either to the right or to the left.
• 56:55
  When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, it laid down under
• 56:59
  Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
• 57:05
  Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and it said to
• 57:08
  Balaam, What have I done to you to beat me these three times?
• 57:14
  I'm going to pause for a minute because when I read this a while
• 57:18
  ago, it just made me think about how Hollywood takes things from
• 57:25
  the Bible and kind of makes mockery of it in some ways.
• 57:31
  And the movie of Shrek came to mind about the talking donkey
• 57:36
  and that woman who had power and she made the donkey talk and she
• 57:41
  said the donkey could talk. And it just this just came to my
• 57:44
  mind. And Ogg, you know, I think about
• 57:46
  these like these giants or the ogres or Shrek, you know, like
• 57:49
  it's turning Shrek into the good guy and he's this evil.
• 57:53
  You know, he's not evil in the movie, but he he just has a an
• 57:59
  appearance of evil. And, and it's just like just how
• 58:04
  things like play with your mind and turn evil to good and good
• 58:10
  to evil, like it's just, I don't know, it just made me think
• 58:14
  about that anyway. So.
• 58:17
  Balaam answered the donkey. You have made a fool of me.
• 58:20
  If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right
• 58:23
  now. So that sounds like anger.
• 58:26
  And what does the enemy do? It says don't let the enemy get
• 58:28
  a foothold of anger because the enemy does seek to destroy.
• 58:32
  Look at that influence like God. Again, here is letting Balaam do
• 58:37
  what he wants to do. And you know, he did give him
• 58:41
  permission, which, you know, does surprise me, but maybe
• 58:45
  that's, you know, he told him not to do it first.
• 58:49
  And then Balaam asked again and he's like, OK, go ahead and do
• 58:53
  it. But he's only allowing Balaam to
• 58:56
  have his free will. It's not what God wanted him to
• 58:59
  do. So that's also a little
• 59:03
  concerning too. So the donkey said to Balaam, Am
• 59:08
  I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden to this day?
• 59:12
  Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?
• 59:15
  No, he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam's
• 59:18
  eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road
• 59:22
  with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell face
• 59:26
  down. The Angel of the Lord asked him,
• 59:29
  Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?
• 59:33
  I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless
• 59:37
  1 before me. Think about that.
• 59:41
  This is I'm my own commentary on this.
• 59:44
  Sometimes if we are going for something we want and then
• 59:49
  things happen to deter us from going there, but we keep on
• 59:53
  going. It's something we want and but
• 59:56
  we keep doing it. But there are these like things
• 59:59
  that keep happening. Maybe those are signs from God.
• 1:00:03
  Don't do that. Think about that in life when
• 1:00:07
  you're like, gosh, you know, I was trying to do this and then
• 1:00:09
  this thing happened and this thing happened and this thing
• 1:00:11
  happened and are these things preventing you?
• 1:00:14
  From going someplace or doing something.
• 1:00:16
  I mean, it's so important about how we actually communicate with
• 1:00:19
  God and ask God, especially in those circumstances where we
• 1:00:23
  feel like this is really weird that all these things are
• 1:00:25
  happening. I mean, that would definitely be
• 1:00:27
  a time of a moment of prayer to find out like God, I want to do
• 1:00:31
  your will, not my will. That kind of a discussion with
• 1:00:35
  God. Going back to Scripture, the
• 1:00:38
  donkey saw me and turned away from me three times.
• 1:00:41
  The angels telling Balaam the donkey saw me and turned away
• 1:00:45
  from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I
• 1:00:49
  would have certainly killed you by now, but I would have spared
• 1:00:53
  it. Balaam said to the Angel of the
• 1:00:58
  Lord. I have sinned.
• 1:01:00
  I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose
• 1:01:04
  me. Now, if you are displeased, I
• 1:01:07
  will go back. The Angel of the Lord said to
• 1:01:10
  Balaam. Go with the men, but speak only
• 1:01:14
  what I tell you. So Balaam went with Balak's
• 1:01:17
  officials. When Balak heard that Balaam was
• 1:01:21
  coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnan
• 1:01:25
  border, at the edge of his territory.
• 1:01:27
  Balak said to Balaam, Did I not send you an urgent summons?
• 1:01:32
  Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward
• 1:01:36
  you? Well, I have come to you now.
• 1:01:39
  Balaam replied. But I can't say whatever I
• 1:01:41
  please. I must speak only what God puts
• 1:01:44
  in my mouth. Then Balaam went to Balak to
• 1:01:49
  Kiriatha, who's the Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and
• 1:01:53
  gave some to Balaam and other officials who were with him.
• 1:01:55
  The next morning, Balak took Balaam up to Baimoth Bell and
• 1:02:00
  from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
• 1:02:06
  Balaam's first message Balaam said, Build me 7 altars here and
• 1:02:13
  prepare 7 bulls and seven Rams for me.
• 1:02:16
  Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull
• 1:02:21
  and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, Stand
• 1:02:25
  here beside your offering while I go aside.
• 1:02:29
  Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.
• 1:02:32
  Whatever he reveals to me, I will tell you.
• 1:02:36
  Then he went off to a barren height.
• 1:02:39
  God met with him and Balaam said, I have prepared 7 altars
• 1:02:44
  and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.
• 1:02:47
  The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, go back to Balak
• 1:02:53
  and give him this word. So he went back to him and found
• 1:02:56
  him standing beside his offering with all the Moabite officials.
• 1:03:00
  Then Balaam spoke his message. Balak brought me from Aram, the
• 1:03:06
  king of Moab. From the eastern mountains.
• 1:03:09
  Come, he said, Curse Jacob for me.
• 1:03:13
  Come, denounce Israel. How can I curse those whom God
• 1:03:19
  has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom
• 1:03:23
  the Lord has not denounced? From the rocky peaks I see them.
• 1:03:28
  From the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart
• 1:03:32
  and do not consider themselves one of the nations who can count
• 1:03:37
  the dust of Jacob or number even 1/4 of Israel.
• 1:03:42
  Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end
• 1:03:46
  be like theirs, Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to
• 1:03:51
  me? I brought you to curse my
• 1:03:52
  enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them, he
• 1:03:56
  answered. Must I not speak what the Lord
• 1:03:58
  puts in my mouth? Balaam's second message.
• 1:04:02
  Then Balak said to him, Come with me to another place where
• 1:04:05
  you can see them and you will not see them all but only the
• 1:04:10
  outskirts of their camp and from there cursed them for me.
• 1:04:13
  So he took them to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah and
• 1:04:17
  there he built 7 altars and offered a bull in a ram on each
• 1:04:20
  altar. Balaam said to Balak, stay here
• 1:04:22
  beside your offering while I meet him over there.
• 1:04:26
  The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Go
• 1:04:29
  back to Balak and give him this word.
• 1:04:31
  So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering
• 1:04:35
  with the Moabite officials. Balaam or Balak asked him what
• 1:04:39
  did the Lord say? Then he spoke this message.
• 1:04:43
  Arise Balak and listen. Hear me, son of Zippor.
• 1:04:47
  God is not human that He should lie, not a human being that He
• 1:04:53
  should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act?
• 1:04:59
  Does He promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to
• 1:05:04
  bless. He has blessed, and I cannot
• 1:05:08
  change it. No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
• 1:05:12
  no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them.
• 1:05:18
  The shout of the king is among them.
• 1:05:22
  God brought them out of Egypt. They have the strength of a wild
• 1:05:27
  ox. There is no divination against
• 1:05:31
  Jacob, no evil omens against Israel.
• 1:05:37
  It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel.
• 1:05:41
  See what God has done. The people rise like a lioness.
• 1:05:47
  They rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest until it
• 1:05:52
  devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.
• 1:05:57
  Remember that verse that was quoted by Amir either today or
• 1:06:02
  yesterday? OK, back to scripture then.
• 1:06:06
  Balak said to Balaam. Neither curse them at all nor
• 1:06:11
  bless them at all. Balaam answered.
• 1:06:14
  Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?
• 1:06:19
  Now here's the third message. Then Balak said to Balaam, Come,
• 1:06:23
  let me take you to another place.
• 1:06:24
  Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me there.
• 1:06:27
  And Balak took Balaam to the top of Pure, overlooking the
• 1:06:30
  wasteland. Balaam said, Build me 7 altars
• 1:06:33
  here and prepare 7 bulls and seven Rams for me.
• 1:06:36
  Balak did as Balaam said, and offered a bull and a ram on each
• 1:06:40
  altar. Now when Balaam saw that it
• 1:06:43
  pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to
• 1:06:46
  divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the
• 1:06:51
  wilderness. When Balaam looked and saw
• 1:06:54
  Israel in camp, tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him
• 1:07:00
  and he spoke his message. The prophecy of Balaam son of
• 1:07:05
  Beor. The prophecy of one who sees,
• 1:07:08
  whose eye sees clearly. The prophecy of one who hears
• 1:07:13
  the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who
• 1:07:17
  falls prostate, and whose eyes are opened.
• 1:07:21
  How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places,
• 1:07:25
  Israel like valleys. They spread out like gardens
• 1:07:28
  beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like seers
• 1:07:32
  beside the waters. Water will flow from their
• 1:07:35
  buckets. Their seed will have abundant
• 1:07:38
  water. Their king will be greater than
• 1:07:40
  agag. Their Kingdom will be exalted.
• 1:07:43
  God brought them out of Egypt. They have the strength of a wild
• 1:07:47
  ox. They devour hostile nations and
• 1:07:50
  break their bones in pieces. With their arrows they purse
• 1:07:54
  them like a lion. They Crouch down and lie down
• 1:07:58
  like a lioness who dares to rouse them.
• 1:08:00
  May those who bless you be blessed, and those who curse you
• 1:08:05
  be cursed. Then Balak's anger burned
• 1:08:09
  against Balaam. He struck his hands together and
• 1:08:11
  said to him, I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have
• 1:08:14
  blessed them three times these three times.
• 1:08:18
  Now leave at once and go home. I said I would reward you
• 1:08:21
  handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.
• 1:08:26
  Balaam answered Balak, did I not tell the messengers you sent me?
• 1:08:31
  Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I
• 1:08:34
  could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go
• 1:08:38
  beyond the command of the Lord. And I must say what the Lord
• 1:08:41
  says. Now I'm going back to my people.
• 1:08:44
  But come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your
• 1:08:48
  people in the days to come. So he's 3 messages now.
• 1:08:52
  Here's his fourth message. Then he spoke his message.
• 1:08:55
  The prophecy of Balaam, son of Bior.
• 1:08:57
  The prophecy of one whose eyes sees clearly.
• 1:09:02
  The prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has
• 1:09:05
  knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the OIT,
• 1:09:08
  who falls prostate and whose eyes are opened.
• 1:09:11
  I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near.
• 1:09:17
  A star will come out of Jacob, A scepter will rise out of Israel.
• 1:09:23
  He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the
• 1:09:27
  people of Chef. Sounds like Jesus Edom will be
• 1:09:33
  conquered, Seer his enemy will be conquered, but Israel will
• 1:09:36
  grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob
• 1:09:40
  and destroy the survivors of the city.
• 1:09:43
  So that's a prophecy. Balaam's fifth message.
• 1:09:47
  Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message.
• 1:09:52
  Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be
• 1:09:56
  utter destruction. Then he saw the Canaanites and
• 1:10:01
  spoke this message. This is his sixth method
• 1:10:03
  message. Your dwelling place is secure.
• 1:10:07
  When he saw the Cana Kenites and spoke his message, Your dwelling
• 1:10:10
  place is secure. Your nest is set in a rock, yet
• 1:10:14
  you Canaanites will be destroyed when Asher takes you captive.
• 1:10:20
  Balaam's 7th message. Then he spoke His message.
• 1:10:24
  Alas, who can live when God does this?
• 1:10:28
  Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus.
• 1:10:32
  They will subdue Asher and Eber, but they too will come to ruin.
• 1:10:38
  Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went on his way.
• 1:10:44
  And that's the end of Numbers chapter 24.
• 1:10:49
  And that just supports actually 22 through 24, supports how God,
• 1:10:55
  it's an example of how God fulfilled the words he spoke
• 1:11:00
  back in Genesis. So those who bless Israel will
• 1:11:05
  be blessed and those who curse will be cursed.
• 1:11:09
  Remember that.