The Book of Esther - Part 1, Esther Becomes Queen

Esther Part 1 – Esther becomes Queen

Esther Chapters 1-2

Esther is one of only two books in the Holy Bible that are named for women.  One is Ruth, the other is Esther.

Although God is not named in the book of Esther, it is nevertheless full of the Lord's intervention on His people's behalf, in guidance and protection. This study will not be mentioning the applications to our lives as Christians, although there are many, but will focus on the life of Esther, and the presence of the Lord, though unspoken by name.

Esther's story begins with a feast during the third year of reign of the king Ahasuerus when Chapter 1:V3-4 “he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.”  And then 2 more feasts  V5,7-9 “and when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace….and they gave them drink in vessels of gold…and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king. And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.  Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus”

Bible Men: Jonah - Part 2, Swallowed by the whale, Lesson Learned, and Repentance

Jonah - Part 2

Chapter 2 - Swallowed by the whale, his lesson learned, and his repentance

In the previous study of Jonah, (go here)  we learned how Jonah attempted to flee from the presence of the LORD after he was told to go and warn the people of Nineveh that the LORD knew of their wickedness.  We learned how he went aboard a ship sailing to Tarshish, and how the LORD brought a great wind and caused the mariners to throw Jonah overboard so that the sea would be calmed.  And most of all, we learned how Jonah gave witness to the mariners of "the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land."  And of how the LORD brought this about, not only to let Jonah know that He was in control, but also so that these mariners might  believe on Him...

Now Jonah is in the water, and the great miracle happens. Jonah 1:17 "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."  So much here.  This great fish, which the Lord Jesus calls a whale, was prepared by the LORD, to be in the right place, at the right time, and the right species so that Jonah would be not chewed up, but swallowed alive and able to exist inside its belly.  This is not a myth, or a fable,  the three days and three nights were for a specific purpose, not only for Jonah's sake, but so the Lord Jesus would bear witness to this with regards to his own burial and resurrection.  Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonas was three day and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

The Creation: Elk Calf, to Everything There is a Season

Following on my last post regarding changing directions to have articles on the Holy Bible and the creation, it seems fitting to post this photo of an elk calf in a shaft of sunlight, taken at Jasper National Park at Whistlers Campground.. a beautiful example of God's creation.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 14 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end...I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

 

Changing Direction

As of today, this blog is changing direction. It's description was formerly "sunlight and shadows while following Jesus" but it is now  "sharing  the Holy Bible and God's beautiful creation."

Since I began this blog one month ago, I have struggled with what its focus should be:  my daily life following the Lord Jesus? or bible articles? or photographs of the creation? It has been a combination of all three, and after one month it seems to me that my life in this world is but a vapor, and sharing God's Word should be my priority.

James 4: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

As well, because I believe that people spend too much time being concerned about the things of this world, they spend very little time looking around them, or looking up at God's beautiful creation.  For that reason, I will continue to post my photographs of the creation around me because it has always been good for my soul.

I hope that this changed direction will be a blessing, and because I have no clue regarding search engines, I trust the Lord will bring those for whom this blog is intended.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Bible Women: Mary: Chosen by God to Give Birth to the Saviour

Mary: Chosen by God to Give Birth to the Saviour

Luke 1, Matthew 1:18-25

We will follow Mary's story in the gospel of Luke, with references back to Matthew, Isaiah and Genesis.  Luke 1:26-27 "in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.. V19 Gabriel had told Zacharias who was to be the father of John the Baptist, that Gabriel has a special position "And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee....." 

Why was it so important that Mary was a virgin? Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."  Her seed, not the seed of fallen man, but the seed of the woman. The Saviour's birth would be very special, of supernatural means. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Mary was a virgin, and Matthew 1:18 confirms it. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

It is impossible to imagine what that moment was like when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.  In the simplicity with which the Bible often depicts its most awesome moments, we are told in V28 just that "the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou among women." V29 when Mary saw Gabriel "she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be as Gabriel had told her three things, that she is highly favoured by the Lord, that the Lord is with her, and that she is blessed.  Think about this, if God would send an angel to us, what would he tell us that the Lord thinks of us?   Of all the women in Israel, God chose this humble maiden to be the mother of the Saviour of the World, truly, she must have been a very godly young woman.

Jonah - Part 1- Chosen by God to go to Nineveh, and His Attempt to Flee

Jonah - Part 1

chosen by God to go to Nineveh, and his attempt to flee

Jonah 1:1-16

Jonah is one of my favorite Bible men, probably because I have a flight response like Jonah, and can relate to him.

Jonah was a prophet,  inspired and instructed to announce future events.  But Jonah was a reluctant prophet, or at least in this instance he was.  He was the son of Amittai, from Gathhepher (2 Kings 14:25) which was in Galilee.  Jonah was chosen by God to go to Nineveh to cry against it, and tell them that in 40 days, the city would be overthrown (3:4) This was a great city that was filled with wickedness.  Jonah was not willing to go to a heathen city, he did not understand why the LORD would want to show mercy to a gentile city  1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 86:15 “But thou , O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”  Psalm 103:8 “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”

 Jonah 1:2  the Lord tells Jonah to “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me." Jonah does not want to go to Nineveh, and he desires to run from the presence of the LORD, an impossible task. "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139:7) And so V3 "Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD".

But V4 "the LORD sent o ut a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken." This might wind was much like Euroclydon  in  Acts 27:14 “But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.”, or the great wind on the sea of Galilee when the Lord Jesus was sleeping in the boat. Matthew 8:24 “and, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep”.  Jonah is sleeping too, not aware that the great storm was near to destroying the boat.  But we know that the LORD holds everything in His hands, and He had a plan for Jonah.

The Sins of Feminism, Stubborness and Flattery

Feminism, Stubbornness and Flattery

Isaiah 3:12 "as for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead they cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths."

God expects his people to obey him.. he promises blessings for obedience and chastisements for disobedience. 

1.  Feminism and child rule
2.  Stubbornness: The sin of "I will do it my way"
3.  Flattery: The sin of tell us what we want to hear

Feminism: God's people were oppressed by children and ruled by women.. they were causing error and causing God's people to stray.  Feminism is always displeasing to God.  Women ruling is always displeasing to God especially in God's church.  Feminism is a sin among God's people.  Christians are conditioned by world's media to allow feminism into churches.  If churches were obeying the bible, feminism would not be in the church if the new testament Epistles were taught.