December 13, 2009
Scripture:
Scripture:
Scripture:
This morning we’ve been thinking about the Lord’s sufferings and all that He went through. Think, it was all planned in a past eternity. Everything was detailed before it happened. The thought was brought before us that He knew all that was before Him. We read in Psalm 22 & 57, and Isaiah 53. Each of these was written long before the events they describe happened. Everything was part of the plan. The Lord knew that this was His lot, as it says in Hebrews: “lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God”. He did it all with joy.
But I wonder, what was it like on that day when there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn, and so the Lord was born out in the barn? To happen, He had to leave His glory. As it describes in Philippians 2, He humbled Himself and was found in the fashion of man. He left the glory that was rightfully His and became a human to walk the path to Calvary.
After He had been crucified, He was laid in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Then, after He rose three days later, He took His disciples out to Bethany, lifted up His hands, blessed them and ascended into Heaven. They saw Him depart. We can see Him come and we can see Him go. I wonder, what did it look like on the other side? Psalm 110:1 This verse gives us a clue. Can you imagine the Lord arriving in glory, after having completed everything, gone through everything, suffered everything and paid everything necessary in order for sinners to be saved. What was it like to arrive after having done all that, and having done it perfectly? V1.There was no higher place. We see in Luke how the Father treats the returning prodigal, and this is a Son Who had done everything right. He was given the highest place at the right hand of God. We see Him as that man in the glory, on the right hand of the Father; after doing everything, in every detail, correctly. He gave His Father the people He wanted, and now someday we’ll be there, too. And we’ll understand it better bye and bye.
Hymn 372 - How Wondrous a Saviour
Prayer
Esther 9
Through this book we’ve been seeing different types and shadows. This chapter is a picture of the time just before the Millennium. It tells us here that Mordecai grew greater and greater. Jesus will grow greater and greater in the Jews’ eyes right before the Millennium; they will see Him as their Messiah. It is at this time that the Lord will conquer His enemies and make them His footstool. Just as the Jew’s killed Haman’s sons, so will the Beast and the False Prophet be destroyed.
As a result of the victory that they had over their enemies, Mordecai set up a new feast called Purim. The Jews still keep this feast. They also keep the Passover, but it has turned into a ritual that they go through. It’s not meaningful to them anymore. However, Purim was very meaningful to these Jews.
When Jesus was here on Earth, there were those that were expecting Him to set up His kingdom. If they had read the Scriptures they would have realized that Jesus wasn’t coming as a reigning king, but as a suffering servant. He will come as king in the future, with us as His Bride. He will reign in Jerusalem, and the ten lost tribes of the North will come back. This will be a time of peace and joy on the earth, just as the Jews’ sadness was turned to joy.
The King and his officers helped the Jews. Even so, before the Millennium there will be Gentiles that will assist the Jews, so that they won’t be destroyed.
Chapter 10:2-3. We can see here that Mordecai continued to grow greater, and so will Jesus when He is king. There’s no peace in this World now, as there will be at that time. Thankfully, we can have the King of Peace reigning in our hearts, giving us peace.
That ends the book of Esther. I hope it’s been a blessing looking at this book. Moses’ Law is never mentioned, God is never mentioned; and yet you can see the hand of the Lord was over all these events with a plan. God never forgot His people, even though they forgot Him.
We saw how the Levites stood and read the law to the children of Israel. They led the people in confession and worship, vv. 5 & 6. It is good when our hearts are so occupied with the Word that they flow out with blessing and praise.
We saw at the beginning of v. 6 (new translation) how “the Same” is a name of the Lord. We can see this as we look at the history of Israel; we can translate it into our own lives: He will bless us spiritually and physically as He did the Israelites.
The Levites worshipped the Lord as Creator of the heaven of heavens and its host. This could be either the sky with all the stars and planets or Heaven with the angelic hosts. Solomon referred to the heaven of heavens, saying it could not contain the Lord. In this we can see God’s greatness, and the Jews worship Him for it.
Now, as we go through the rest of this chapter, we’ll see the history of Israel. It is surprising how much they knew about what God had done for them, even though they had not been living for Him.
We’re seeing a very clear spirit of worship here, not only for creation, but for preserving it all as well. Although He is such a great God, He still cares for His creatures.
So we start with the election of Abram, as the patriarch of God’s people. This choosing of Abraham was about 2000 years after God created man; man had been tested and he failed. Yet, God still chose a people for His own. He chose us, too, before the world began. He didn’t give up on Israel, and He won’t give up on us.
Abraham is unique in the Old Testament; he had an incredible amount of faith. Even though he was born in idolatry, He withstood tests again and again (Hebrews 11).
Hymn 10 - Faith is a very simple thing
Prayer