PRECIOUS LORD TAKE MY HAND a request

Last week before my teaching on Luke 19, a lovely woman named Virginia asked me to help her find the lyrics to an old hymn. She had already desperately searched all of the hymnals at the residence home and her granddaughter had come up empty as well on her outside search.

I figured that if she told me whatever of the lyrics she remembered, I could plug them into the web browser and see what came up. She could remember these lines: PRECIOUS LORD TAKE MY HAND, LEAD ME HOME, I AM WEAK, I AM WORN.

I had never heard this song, but most people have. I found it on the internet. Written in 1932 by Thomas Dorsey after the death of his wife and child, it is a lovely worship song of humility and grace. Here are the lyrics and I'll also post a few links to watch various artists sing it online.

Precious Lord Take My Hand

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light

Refrain:
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:

(Refrain)

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:

(Refrain)

Words: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932.

NARRATION BY THOMAS DORSEY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlmCflPD2s8
AS SUNG BY THOMAS DORSEY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA0UV62zQFc&feature=related
AS SUNG BY ELVIS PRESLEY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeeZr6uIHj4&feature=related
AS SUNG BY KELLY PRICE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJwUpW7ioiA&feature=fvw

LUKE 19:45 into LUKE 20: a line-by-line teaching

Today at Crowne Healthcare and Rehab, we'll be teaching Luke 19 and into 20. Yeshua is getting mighty close to His last Pesach (Passover) and the tension is building in the Spirit... I used my NKJV Bible and the Stern's Complete Jewish Bible Commentary along with the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) to create this teaching.

God bless you

Ellen C Maze

 Alef, tav and menorah (the alpha and the omega hovering over the Lightstand of God)

Luke 19: Jesus has made it to Jerusalem and just prophesied to the people that because of their hard heartedness, the temple would be destroyed and not one stone would be left upon another (vs.41-44)

v.45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

WHY SO ANGRY? Pilgrims to Jerusalem depended on merchants to purchase the required sacrificial animals and products at festival time, but Jesus objects to them doing business on the Temple grounds. They have the entire city to sell their wares, but for ease of commerce, they choose to line up on Holy Ground, which is despicable to Jesus because trading is hardly ever just and God commands it be performed outside of His courts. It has less to do with the pagan symbols on the coins than the act of trading and making profit in the one place that should be 100% dedicated to the service and worship of God.

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. (hung on His words)

Luke 20:1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him 2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”
3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

Questions: this was a common way for the Tzaddikim (religious leaders) to interrogate a suspected blasphemer or faker by asking direct questions relating to God’s Torah (Law, Scripture) and Halakah (the way to walk with God). The disgust of the religious leaders is coming to a head and they want to know once and for all if Jesus will back down off His claims that He is God, or will He hang on to His story unto death. Jesus turns it around by questioning their authority in the same way they questioned Him!

5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Liars: Jesus is not obligated to answer them because they lied. They preferred to remain in the Dark than to admit that John’s baptism was from God—because John called everyone to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and God with us (Emmanuel).

9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. 13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ 14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

Heaven’s Forbid! That is another way of saying the exclamation ‘Certainly not!’ The unbelieving religious Jews recognize the elements of this parable and Jesus is saying that they will have no portion in the kingdom of God because they have rejected the One God sent. He’s been saying this all along and the hardhearted ones still haven’t softened.

17 Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘ The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’? 18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

The cornerstone: Whoever falls on that stone, Jesus (Yeshua), will be broken into pieces (his erect pride will be done away with and with humiliation, he will recognize his sin and repent). But if he persists in his own way, apart from God, the stone will fall on him and crush him to pieces (utterly destroy those who do not believe). Compare John 3:16. The less traumatic route that Jesus proposes is to accept the Stone without having to fall or be crushed.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

Yikes! For the hundredth time, Jesus has quoted their own Law against them, trying to show them how to interpret the Scriptures. But because the Scripture prophecies refer to Him as Messiah, God and King, they reject not only Him and His explanation of the Scriptures, but they are also rejected the Father by doing so. They want Him to hush and are working overtime to have Him arrested and executed. The ball is rolling now and soon, the time will be right for Jesus to sacrifice Himself for us.

20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

Good Ol’ Luke: Only Luke adds this insight to the motivations of the unbelievers to show their duplicitous nature. Matthew and Mark report on this event, but only Luke spells it out like this. Luke often speaks more straightforward, and explains parables and intentions and one reason may be that he wrote his Gospel for a majority of Gentile believers and they –like us—wouldn’t automatically have the Hebraic understanding of what Jesus and His people did and said.

21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? 24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

K F Ridley over at my house (test test test)

K F Ridley is really Kim Ridley but her name was already used by a really chic bioneer/science person!

The C Walker Adventures The Curse of Yama and Paradine are her books.

I'm helping her today with author branding... set ONE to being a famous author!!!

TEST TEST TEST blog

THE PRODIGAL SON teaching for Hebraic Roots Class @ Crowne

(photo:The Return of the Prodigal Son (1773) by Pompeo Batoni)

Luke 15 holds one of my favorite parables of all time: The Prodigal Son. Tomorrow, I will have the blessed opportunity to teach this chapter, line-by-line to our adult Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith class at Crowne Health Care of Montgomery. I am about to insert the teaching that God and I cooked up into this blog. I used my own notes and Stern's Complete Jewish Bible notes to create this teaching. May God put His words in my mouth tomorrow and open the hearts, ears and eyes of all who listen! Amayn!

Luke 15:1 The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua [Jesus], 2 and the P'rushim [Pharisees] and Torah-teachers [scribes] kept grumbling. "This fellow," they said, "welcomes sinners -- he even eats with them!"

Sinners: This term came to be used by Pharisees to refer to prostitutes, thieves and others of low reputation whose sins were blatant and obvious, not the kind the establishment winked at. Jesus taught that those who considered themselves righteous (Matt 9:13) were in fact worse, because they made themselves unteachable. (As in John 9 below)(Rom 6:22, 7:7, 12,25, 8:1-2)

The blindness of the proud: John 9:38 "Lord, I trust!" he said, and he kneeled down in front of Him. 39 Yeshua said, "It is to judge that I came into this world, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind." 40 Some of the P'rushim nearby heard this and said to Him, "So we're blind too, are we?" 41 Yeshua answered them, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you still say, `We see,' your guilt remains.

Students are teachable, the prideful are NOT: John 8:30 Many people who heard Him say these things trusted in Him. 31 So Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted Him, "If you obey what I say, then you are really My talmidim [students], 32 you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." …[the Pharisees and unbelieving Jews called out] "We're not illegitimate children!" they said to Him. "We have only one Father -- God!" 42 Yeshua replied to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; because I came out from God; and now I have arrived here. I did not come on My own; he sent me. 43 Why don't you understand what I'm saying? Because you can't bear to listen to My message. 44 You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father's desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar -- indeed, the inventor of the lie! 45 But as for Me, because I tell the truth you don't believe me.

Repentant Sinners Welcome: All three of this chapter’s parables deal with God’s love for the open sinner who repents. The Bible teaches that the one who is forgiven more, loves God more (Luke 7:41).

3 So He told them this parable: 4 "If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, doesn't he leave the other ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he does find it, he joyfully hoists it onto his shoulders; 6 and when he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Come, celebrate with me, because I have found my lost sheep!' 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

Baa-Baa: A good sheep reference is in Ezekiel 34, which Jesus and His followers were well acquainted with.


Verse 7 Better to read as: “who are such as to have no reason to repent.” We know that all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God, and anyone who says he does not sin is a liar, but one can maintain a habit of acknowledging sin and repenting of it as a ‘condition of righteousness’. So when a habitual sinner is ‘shaken loose’ by the correction of God and repents, the angels rejoice. Also, maintaining a close, humble and penitent relationship with God also pleases the Father. (1 John 1:9, John 9:40-41)


8 "Another example: what woman, if she has ten drachmas and loses one of these valuable coins, won't light a lamp, sweep the house and search all over until she finds it? 9 And when she does find it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Come, celebrate with me, because I have found the drachma I lost.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among God's angels when one sinner repents."

Drachmas—approximately equal to a Roman Denarius; a laborers daily wage.

11 Again Yeshua [Jesus] said, "A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.' So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch. 15 "So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any. 17 "At last he came to his senses and said, `Any number of my father's hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I'm going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers." ' 20 So he got up and started back to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son --' 22 but his father said to his slaves, `Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let's eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he's alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!' And they began celebrating. 25 "Now his older son was in the field. As he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked, `What's going on?' 27 The servant told him, `Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.' 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go inside. So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 `Look,' the son answered, `I have worked for you all these years, and I have never disobeyed your orders. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!' 31 `Son, you are always with me,' said the father, `and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life -- he was lost but has been found.'"

The Prodigal Son: this parable is so widely told even outside of religious circles that many people do not know it originates in the Gospels! The young son being welcomed by his father upon his return is easily understood as the sinner being welcomed back by God when he repents. But look at the older son…he represents the self-righteous, prideful people who suppose God owes them something. Opposite of the younger son who knows he sinned, repents, and throws himself on God’s mercy, accepting Jesus’ promise that salvation is only through Him. Note that the parable leaves open the possibility that the older son did not repent and humble himself. This can be a lesson to us all—will we remain self-righteous, or will we be the younger son.

Interesting note: the Jewish boy was feeding pigs, something a Jew would not do. But it is important to notice that he was no longer Jewish – consider what a Jew is: Hebrew ‘y’hudi’ which is from the word ‘y’hudah’ which means to give thanks, to praise, to confess openly and freely to God.’ The younger son stopped being a ‘Jew’ when he left his father’s house. The same is for any person who stops praising God, they stop being a Jew. A true Jew will give praise and thanks to God and remains in a close relationship with Him (Rom 2:28-29). Consider, this is what God YHVH meant when He said “I will take you to Me for a people and I will be to you for a God.” (Exodus 34:7). He selected a people to praise Him. If you praise God by His Son Jesus, then yes—according to God, you are a Jew. One of the Jews of God. (Eph 2:11-22, Romans 11:17 Grafted In, see also Romans 2:29, Galatians 6:16)

What is PASSOVER to Christians? By Carney Hall

Jesus celebrated the Seder with His disciples. This is a quick tour through parts of a traditional Passover seder and highlight those points that are especially meaningful to believers in Jesus.

A teaching that I copied from my good friend Carney Hall.~~ Ellen C Maze

The removal of leaven

Before the beginning of the Passover, all leaven, which is a symbol of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8), must be removed from the Jewish home. The house is cleaned from top to bottom and anything containing leaven is removed. Then, the evening before the Passover, the father of the house takes the traditional cleaning implements: a feather, a wooden spoon, and a bag, and searches the house for any specks of leaven which might have been missed (my mother used to leave it on top of the refrigerator so my father shouldn't spend all night hunting!).

Washing the hands

Once the leaven is removed, the family sits around the table and ceremonially washes their hands with a special laver and towel. Jesus also took part in this tradition, but rather than wash his hands, he got up from the table and washed the feet of his disciples, giving us an unparalleled lesson in humility (John 13:2-17).

Lighting the candles

Once the house and the participants are ceremonially clean, the Passover seder can begin. The woman of the house says a blessing and lights the Passover candles. It is appropriate that the woman brings light into the home, because it was through the woman that the light of the world, Messiah Jesus, came into the world (Gen. 3:15)

Haggadah

Haggadah means "the telling" - the telling of the story of Passover. The story is told in response to four questions asked by the children: why is this night different from all other nights? The father proceeds to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, reading from a book called "The Haggadah" and using symbols and object lessons in order to keep the attention of the little ones.

The first cup of wine

The seder begins with a blessing recited over the first of four cups of wine: "Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine." Jesus himself blessed the first cup in Luke 22:17-18.

The second cup of wine

The second cup is to remind us of the Ten Plagues and the suffering of the Egyptians when they hardened their heart to the Lord. In order not to rejoice over the suffering of our enemies (Prov. 24:17), we spill a drop of wine (which is a symbol of joy) as we recite each of the Ten Plagues, thus remembering that our joy is diminished at the suffering of others.

Afikomen

A very curious tradition now takes place. At the table is a bag with three compartments and three pieces of motza. The middle piece of motza is taken out, broken, and half is put back into the bag. The other half is wrapped in a linen napkin and hidden, to be taken out later, after the meal.

The seder plate

The rabbis have devised a series of object lessons to keep the attention of the little ones during the Passover seder. These items are tasted by each person, as each is instructed to feel as if they themselves had taken part in the flight from Egypt.

Karpas - greens

The first item taken is the karpas, or greens (usually parsley), which is a symbol of life. The parsley is dipped in salt water, a symbol of tears, and eaten, to remind us that life for our ancestors was immersed in tears.

Beitzah - egg

A roasted egg is on the seder plate to bring to mind the roasted daily temple sacrifice that no longer can be offered because the temple no longer stands. In the very midst of the Passover Seder, the Jewish people are reminded that they have no sacrifice to make them righteous before God.

Maror - bitter herb

This is usually ground horseradish, and enough is eaten (with Motza) to bring a tear to the eyes. We cannot appreciate the sweetness of redemption unless we first experience for ourselves the bitterness of slavery.

Charoset

Charoset is a sweet mixture of chopped apples, chopped nuts, honey, cinnamon, and a little Manischewitz grape wine (kosher for Passover) just for color! This sweet, pasty, brown mixture is symbolic of the mortar that our ancestors used to build bricks in the land of Egypt. Why do we remember an experience so bitter with something so sweet? The rabbis have a good insight: even the bitterest of labor can we sweet when our redemption draws nigh. This is especially true for believers in the Messiah. We can find sweetness even in the bitterest of experiences because we know our Lord's coming is near.

Shankbone of the Lamb

In every Jewish home, on every seder plate, is a bare shankbone of a lamb. In the book of Exodus, Jewish firstborns were spared from the Angel of Death by applying the blood of a spotless, innocent lamb applied to the doorpost of their homes as God brought the people from slavery into freedom. Today, we believe Jesus is that perfect Passover Lamb, and when we apply His blood to the doorposts of our heart, we too go from death into life, from slavery to sin into the freedom of being a redeemed child of God. As John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus coming towards him, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

The Meal

Ah, even through the wonders of modern technology, we still cannot bring you the most memorable part of the Passover... the meal, just like grandma used to make! Just picture it: steaming hot chicken soup with huge, fluffy motza balls; some motza; slices of pungent, home-made gefilte fish with just-ground make-you-cry horseradish; more motza; chopped liver (with lots of schmaltz and crunchy fried onions) on a bed of lettuce; more motza; enough delectable green salad to feed a colony of hungry rabbits; more motza; more crispy fried onions on the side; more motza... and that's just the appetizer!

Next comes the meal... can you smell it? Tender, sweet brisket with cabbage; more motza; home made flanken; stewed chicken, roasted chicken, broiled chicken, boiled chicken, sautéed chicken, baked chicken; more motza; a whole roasted turkey; more motza; fresh-cut green beans with onions; more motza; carrot and prune tzimmes; more motza; sweet potato and raisin tzimmes; more motza; home-made mashed potatoes swimming in butter; more motza... and we haven't even gotten through the appetizer!

Did you save room for dessert? Well, you will have to wait, because now it's time go on with the seder!

The Search for the Afikomen

After the meal is finished, the leader of the seder lets the children loose to hunt for the Afikomen, which was wrapped in a napkin and hidden before the meal. The house is in a ruckus as everyone rushes around to be the first to find the Afikomen and claim the prize as grandpa redeems it from the lucky locator. The going rate is $5.00! Once the leader has retrieved the Afikomen, he breaks it up into pieces and distributes a small piece to everyone seated around the table. Jewish people don't really understand this tradition, but traditions don't need to be understood - just followed! However, it is widely believed that these pieces of Afikomen bring a good, long life to those who eat them.

The tradition perhaps dates back to the time of Jesus. If this is the case, then Luke 22:19 takes on a greater meaning: "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'" For Jesus the Messiah would have taken the middle one of the three pieces of motza, the piece that stood for the priest or mediator between God and the people, broken it as His body would be broken, wrapped half in a linen napkin as he would be wrapped in linen for burial, hidden it as he would be buried, brought it back as he would be resurrected, and distributed it to everyone seated with him, as He would distribute His life to all who believe. As He did this, he was conscious that this middle piece of motza represented His own, spotless body given for the redemption of His people. As the motza is striped and pierced, His own body would be striped and pierced, and it is by those wounds that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). This middle piece of motza, or the Afikomen, is our communion bread.

Third Cup

The third cup of wine is taken after the meal. It is the cup of redemption, which reminds us of the shed blood of the innocent Lamb which brought our redemption from Egypt. We see that Jesus took the third cup in Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'" This was not just any cup, it was the cup of redemption from slavery into freedom. This is our communion cup.

Fourth Cup

The fourth cup is the Cup of Hallel. Hallel in Hebrew means "praise," and we see in the beautiful High Priestly Prayer of John 17, that Jesus took time to praise and thank the Lord at the end of the Passover Seder, his last supper. The spotless Passover Lamb had praise on his lips as he went to his death.

Elijah's Cup

A place setting remains empty for Elijah the prophet, the honored guest at every Passover table. The Jewish people expect Elijah to come at Passover and announce the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). So a place is set, a cup is filled with wine, and hearts are expectant for Elijah to come and announce the Good News. At the end of the seder meal, a child is sent to the door to open it and see if Elijah is there. Every year, the child returns, disappointed, and the wine is poured out without being touched. My people wait and hope for Messiah - they do not realize that Messiah has already come. But those of us who believe in Yeshua know that He is the one the prophets spoke of. He is the spotless, unblemished Passover Lamb, whose body was broken for us, whose blood was shed, and who now lives to distribute His life to all of us who apply His blood to the doorpost of our hearts and have passed from death into His eternal life

Abbreviated MEGILLAH for Christian PURIM PARTIES

Here in Montgomery, Alabama, my husband Kevin and I have been teaching Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith for 6 years at a predominately Christian Nursing Home. One thing we love to share with them is Purim. Here is an abbreviated Megillah (Book of Esther) that you can copy/paste/print to use yourself if you ever have the blessing or opportunity to teach Purim or share Purim with others.

I paraphrased this myself from the NKJV and I freely give it to anyone who would like to print, copy and disperse it. Shalom in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) !

Ellen C Maze
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE BOOK OF ESTHER

(a.k.a. The Megillah)

King Achashverosh had a huge kingdom that spanned 127 provinces. One year he gave a 180-day banquet for all the important people in his kingdom. When that was over, he gave a 7-day feast for all the commoners to attend. On the last day of this second party, the king called Vashti, his queen, to come before him and all his friends so that he could show off her beauty. She refused and he became exceedingly angry and embarrassed. Then the king asked his wise men what should be done to her since she disobeyed the king.

Prince Memucan told him, “What Queen Vashti has done is not only wrong against the king, but also will cause trouble in the whole kingdom. Once the word gets out, every woman will disregard her husband’s wishes and there will be chaos in every family. You should issue a royal decree that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of the king. Also let the king choose a better woman to be queen. This way, all the women everywhere will respect their husbands properly.”

The king agreed and did what was proposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household. Then the king’s civil council proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king and bring all of them to the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of the king’s eunuch Hegai. Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king and he followed it.

Mordecai lived in the citadel of Susa. He was a Jew of the Tribe of Benjamin. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he raised as his own child as her parents had died. This girl was also known as Esther and she was very beautiful.

When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, Esther, along with many girls, was brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Hegai took special interest in Esther immediately and began giving her beauty treatments and special food, as well as the best place in the harem. Esther had not revealed that she was Jewish because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.

One by one, the girls went before the king. When Esther’s turn came up, the king loved Esther more than any of the other women. He happily made her queen instead of Vashti, and he gave a great banquet in her honor. And Esther continued to keep her nationality a secret from all.

During this time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, and he found out about a plot to assassinate the king. He told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two traitorous officials were hanged on the gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

After these events, King Achashverosh honored Haman the Agagite, giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the king’s officials knelt down to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down. Every day, the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” And every day he refused to comply. So they told Haman about it to see what he would do because Mordecai was a Jew.

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down, he got so angry that he decided to devise a plot to kill not just Mordecai, but all of the Jews. Haman had lots cast in his presence to decide what month the Jews would be destroyed and the lot fell on the month of Adar.

Then Haman said to King Achashverosh, “There is a race of people scattered throughout your kingdom whose customs are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. You should issue a decree to destroy them, and I will put 10,000 talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who do the deed.” Trusting Haman, the king agreed but told him, “Keep the money, and do with the people as you please.”

Soon after, dispatches were sent throughout the kingdom with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the 13th day of Adar, and to plunder all their goods. A copy of the text of the edict was issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.
When Mordecai learning of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing.


When Esther’s maids came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent new clothes for him to put on, but he would not accept them. Then Esther ordered them to find out what was troubling Mordecai.

So the eunuch went out to Mordecai and listened to the entire story. Mordecai said that he should urge Esther to plead for mercy from the king to not destroy the Jewish people. Once Esther heard this, she told the eunuch to go back and tell Mordecai that she could not approach the king without being summoned because it was against the law.

When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go. Gather together all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for 3 days, night or day. I and my maids will do the same. After 3 days, I will go to the king even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

After her 3-day fast, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, facing the throne. The king was sitting on his royal throne and when he saw her standing in the court, he was pleased with her, and he held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do as Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: please let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.

Calling together his wife and friends, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. “And that’s not all,” Haman added, “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

His wife and friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, 75 feet high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.

That night, the king could not sleep, so he ordered the book of the record to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed the two officers who had conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh.

“What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked. “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

The king said, “Who is in the court?” (Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows). His attendants answered him, “Haman is standing in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered. When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman thought the king was going to honor him so he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, dress him in the king’s best robes, put him on one of the kings best horses, with the royal crest upon them, and have one of the king’s most noble princes parade him through the streets of the city proclaiming, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

So Haman robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, numb with grief and told his wife and friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers said to him, “Since Mordecai is Jewish, you cannot beat him—you will be ruined!” While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to Esther’s banquet.

So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, and as they were drinking wine, the king asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, O king, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation.”

King Achashverosh asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. Just as the king returned from the palace garden, to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, the guards covered Haman’s face. Then one of the eunuchs said, “A gallows 75 feet high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
That same day, King Achashverosh gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai was given the king’s signet ring, which the king had reclaimed from Haman. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he thinks it is the right thing to do, overrule the evil plan of Haman to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. I cannot bear to see disaster and destruction befall my people.”

King Achashverosh replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Write a new edict that grants the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies. The appointed day is the 13th of Adar. And forward it to every province of the king.”

Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king wet, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because the fear of the Jews had seized them.

When the day came around, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all other nationalities were afraid of them. And all the king’s nobles and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the kingdom, and he became very powerful.

The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed 500 men. They also killed the 10 sons of Haman. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

“If it please the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to caerry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s 10 sons be hanged on the gallows.” So the king commanded that this be done. The Jews in Susa came together on the 14th day of Adar, and they put to death in Susa 300 men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king;s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed 75,000 of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened on the 13th day pf Adar, and on the 14th day, they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

Mordecai recorded these events and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Achashverosh, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned to joy and their morning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Haman had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back unto his own head, and it did. So these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. And all of the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should obseve these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.




WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO ME, You may ask? Well…If God had not rescued the Jewish people through Esther and Mordecai, there never would have been a Mary…and a Jesus! Aren’t we happy for Purim now?! THANK YOU LORD !