ADVENT - DAY 18 - ...AND IF I PERISH, I PERISH...

Esther 4:10-16

Then Esther instructed Hathach to say to Mordecai, "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned, the king has but one law: that he be put to death.  The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold sceptre to him and spare his life.  But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.

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 three days, night or day.  I and my maids will fast as you do.  When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish."

Esther,  the Jewish wife of the King of Persia has been informed of a plot to kill all the Jewish people in the land, which Mordecai says will include her and her family too.  The plot to kill the Jews comes from Haman who is a close confidant of the King and an enemy of Mordecai.   By the throwing of a dice, a date is set for the genocide.  As can be seen in the text above, Esther decides at risk of death to go before the King. Ultimately, the Jews are saved from Haman's plans. 

"Although God is never mentioned in this book, we can benefit from reading it as it reminds us that even though it appears God is absent, He is still at work in our lives and will not abandon His promises while we are living in a murky and ambiguous world." (Bible Project)

To read more on this fascinating book click on this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JydNSlufRIs

ADVENT - DAY 16

Jonah 1:1-3, 17, 2:10, 3:1-3

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:  "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee the LORD.

But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:  "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. 

Click link below for a nine minute explanation of the book of Jonah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIabZc0O4c

ADVENT - DAY 17 - HIS GREATNESS WILL REACH TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH...

Day 17!  We've been travelling through the Old Testament these last sixteen days, beginning with God's children deciding to go it alone without Him and God's question in the garden, "Where are you?"  We've seen God revealing Himself to Abraham and telling this old man that he would be the father of many nations and the miraculous birth of Isaac.  We read about Isaac's grandson Joseph being sold by his brothers and finally ending up as a political leader in Egypt who among other responsibilities was in charge of the storage of food in case of famine.  And...because of famine, his father and brothers come to Egypt to buy food and are reunited with their son and brother and the famous words of Joseph, where he tells them not to be afraid, for he would not retaliate for their mistreatment of him.  "Even though you intended to do harm to me," he told them, "God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.  So have no fear;  I myself will provide for you..."

From here we see God's people settling in Egypt.  About 400 years pass until God raises up a man called Moses and we read of the great 'exodus' of God's people out of Egypt, the giving of a law (the ten commandments) that the people should live by and finally entering the promised land.

The 'advent days' have included the stories of Rahab the prostitute and Ruth the Moabite who not only teach us about God's grace, but are ancestors of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ, the beautiful prophesy from the prophet Isaiah of what the long-awaited Messiah would look like, "...for unto us a child is born..." and yesterday, Jonah who couldn't understand how God would want him to go to Ninevah where the people were bad, bad, bad and Jonah (and us) see God's loving concern for all people.

Today's reading is from Micah 5:2-5 and is a further prophesy about the coming of Christ.

"...But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the

clans of Judah, 

out of you will come for me 

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.

Therefore Israel will be abandoned 

until the time when she who is in

labour gives birth

and

the rest of his brothers return

to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock 

in the strength of the LORD,

In the majesty of the name of the

LORD his God.

And they will live securely, for then his

greatness

will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace..."

ADVENT DAY 15 - HOW LONG WILL YOU WAVER...?

1 Kings 18:18-24

"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied.  "But you and your father's family have.  You have abandoned the LORD'S commands and have followed the Baals.  Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.  And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.  Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow him;  but if Baal is God, follow him."

But the people said nothing.

Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD'S prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

Get two bulls for us.  Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.  I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD.  The god who answers by fire - he is God.

Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

ADVENT DAY 14 - A PROPHETIC WORD

Today's scripture is from the prophet Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light.

For those who lived in a land of deep shadows -

light!  sunbursts of light!...

For a child has been born - for us!

the gift of a son - for us!

He'll take over

the running of the world.

His names will be:  Amazing Counsellor,

Strong God,

Eternal Father,

Prince of Wholeness

His ruling authority will grow,

and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.

He'll rule from the historic David throne

over that promised kingdom.

He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing

and keep it going

With fair dealing and right living,

beginning now and lasting always.

The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies

will do this.

Written around 740BC

ADVENT DAY 10 - "...OH THAT THEIR HEARTS..."

Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today.

Learn them and be sure to follow them.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above 

or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.

"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

"Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

"You shall not covet...anything that belongs to your neighbour.

The LORD said, "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my

commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"

Deuteronomy 5...

For further reading on the 10 commandments click on the link below.

https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/exodus-and-work/israel-at-mount-sinai-exodus-191-4038/instructions-about-work-exodus-201-17-and-211-239/the-ten-commandments-exodus-201-17

ADVENT - DAY 9 - BUT...

Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age.  And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat.  When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him - they wouldn't even speak to him..."What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?" 

So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command:  Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin - all the wrongdoing.  They did treat you very badly.'  Will you do it?  Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"

When Joseph received their message, he wept.  

Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid.  Do I act for God?  Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good...

Genesis 37:3-4,50:15-17,  19-20

This is the last reading from Genesis in these days leading up to Christmas.  The link below from The Bible Project is a fabulous eight minute overview of Genesis and what these stories have to do with the coming of Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4isSyennFo