let them robe the man the king Delights to honor and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming before him this is what is done for the man the king Delights to honor that's hmon I will tell you about him later so let's start from the beginning in the ancient Kingdom of Persia King Xerxes ruled from his magnificent Palace in the capital city of Susa King Xerxes was a powerful and Wealthy ruler known for his extravagant Banquets and lavish displays of wealth one day King Xerxes decided to host a Grand Banquet that would
showcase the Splendor of his kingdom the banquet lasted for many days with food and wine flowing freely an entertainment provided for the king and his guests on the final day of the banquet King Xerxes commanded his Queen vashi to come before him and his guests wearing her royal crown to display her beauty however Queen vashi refused to obey the King's Command which greatly angered King Xerxes Consulting with his advisers the king decided to banish Queen vashi from the palace and to search for a new Queen to take her place a decree was issued throughout the
kingdom inviting young women to come to the Palace to be considered as the new Queen among the young women brought to the Palace was Esther a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin morai Esther was beautiful and kind and she found favor in the eyes of Hagi the king's unic in charge of the Haram hegi provided her with the best cosmetics and food and he assigned her seven Maids from the palace to attend to her Esther kept her Jewish Heritage of secret as morai had instructed her not to reveal it each young woman underwent a year
of beauty treatments before being presented to the king when Esther's turn came to go to the king she asked for nothing except what hegi suggested showing her humility and wisdom when King Xerxes saw Esther he was captivated by her beauty and chose her to be his Queen not knowing her true identity to celebrate the king held a great banquet in Esther's honor and he declared a holiday throughout the Empire meanwhile Mori who sat at the king's gate overheard a plot to assassinate the king he told Esther who informed the king in mori's name the plot
was investigated and confirmed and the conspirators were hanged mori's actions were recorded in the book of The Chronicles in the king's presence as Queen Esther continued to listen to mori's advice showing her respect and love for her cousin among the king's many officials was a man named hmon who was ambitious and proud hmon was appointed by the king as his highest official and he enjoyed great favor and Authority in the Kingdom but Hon's heart was filled with arrogance and he demanded that all the king's servants bow down to [Music] him now Mori a Jewish man
who served at the king's gate was a man of integrity and faithfulness and he refused to bow down to hmon citing his loyalty to God this defines angered hmon and he began to plot his revenge not only against morai but against all the Jewish people in the Empire hmon approached King Xerxes with his Wicked plan saying there is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose Customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws it is not in the
king's best interest to tolerate them if it pleases the king let a decree be issued to destroy them the king swayed by Hon's words and unaware of the true identity of the people he was condemning agreed to Hon's plan let letters were sent throughout the Empire ordering the destruction of all the Jewish people on a specific day chosen by casting lots or porim the news of the decree spread quickly and the Jewish people were filled with fear and despair morai tore his clothes in mourning and went into the city crying out in anguish the Jewish
people fasted and wept seeking God's mercy and deliverance Hon's plot seemed to be succeeding but unknown to him God was already at work behind the scenes his plan would soon be thwarted by the courage and Faith of one woman Queen Esther who had been placed in her position for such a time as this Esther who had become Queen of Persia learned of mori's distress and sent him clothes to replace his torn garments but morai refused sending a message to Esther urging her to go to the king and plead for the lives of her people 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 your Royal position for such a time as this Esther was hesitant knowing the risks involved in approaching the king without being summoned but mori's words spurred her to action and she resolved to go to the king saying go get GA 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 attendants 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 on the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner Court of the palace in front of the king's Hall the King was sitting on his Royal throne in the hall facing the entrance when he saw Queen Esther standing in the court he
was pleased with her and held out to her the gold 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 to you if it pleases the king let the king together with hmon come today to a banquet I have prepared for him bring hmon at once so that we may do What Esther asks so the king and hmon 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 my petition and my request is this if the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to Grant my petition and fulfill my request let the king and hmon come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them then I will answer the king's question hmon when out that day happy and in High Spirits but when he saw Mori at the
king's gate and observed that he neither Rose nor showed fear in his presence he was filled with rage against morai nevertheless hmon restrained himself and went home calling together his friends and zarish his wife hmon 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 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 morai sitting at the king's gate his wife zarish and all his friends said to him have a pole set up reaching to a height of 50 cubits and ask the king in the morning to have morai impaled on it then go with the King to the banquet and enjoy yourself this suggestion delighted hymon and he had the poll set up that night the king could not sleep so he ordered the book of The Chronicles the record of his Reign to be brought in and
read to him it was found recorded there that morai had exposed big and terish two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes what honor and recognition has morai received for this the king asked nothing has been done for him his attendants answered the king said who is in the court now hmon had just entered the outer courts of the palace to speak to the king about impaling morai on the pole he had set up for him his attendants answered hmon is standing in the court bring him in
the king ordered when hman entered the king asked him what should be done for the man man the king Delights to honor now hmon thought to himself who is there that the king would rather honor than me so he answered the king for the man the king Delights to honor have them bring a royal robe the King has worn and a horse the King has ridden one with a Royal Crest placed on its head then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes let them robe the man the
king Delights to honor and lead him on the horse through the city street re s proclaiming before him this is what is done for the man the king Delights to honor Go at once the king commanded hmon get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for morai the Jew who sits at the king's gate do not neglect anything you have recommended so hmon got the robe and the horse he led morai on Horseback through the city streets proclaiming before him this is what is done for the man the king Delights
to honor after afterward morai returned to the king's gate but hmon rushed home with his head covered in grief and told zarish his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him his advisers and his wife zarish said to him since morai before whom your downfall has started is of Jewish origin you cannot stand against him you will surely come to ruin while they were still talking with him the king's Unix arrived and hurried hmon away to the banquet Esther had prepared so the king and hmon went to Queen Esther's banquet and as
they were drinking wine on the second day the King again asked Queen Esther what is your petition it will be given to you what is your request even up to half the kingdom it will be granted if I have found favor with you your majesty and if it pleases you grant me my life this is my petition and spare my people this is my request for I and my people have been sold to be destroyed killed and annihilated if we had merely been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet because no
such distress would justify disturbing the King King Xerxes asked Queen Esther who is he where is he the man who has dared to do such a thing Esther said an adversary and enemy this vile hmon then hmon was terrified before the king and queen the king got up in a rage left his wine and went out into the palace Garden but hmon 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 hmon 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 they covered Hon's face then harbana one of the Unix attending the king said a pole reaching to a height of 50 cubits stands by Hon's house he had it set up for Mori who spoke up to help the king the king said impale him on it so they impaled hmon on the pole he had set up for morai then the king's Fury subsided that same
day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of hmon the enemy of the Jews and more came into the presence of the king for Esther had told how he was related to her the king took off his signant ring which he had reclaimed from hmon and presented it to Mori and Esther appointed him over Hon's estate the king issued a new decree allowing the Jewish people to defend themselves against their enemies and the Jews in Susa were saved from destruction in the end the Jewish people were saved from destruction and morai became a trusted adviser
to King Xerxes the Jews celebrated their Deliverance with feasting and joy and morai instituted the Festival of purm to commemorate their Victory Esther's story is one of Courage faith and Divine Providence it reminds us that even in the darkest of times God is always at work orchestrating events for the good of his people Esther's willingness to risk her life for the sake of her people serves as an inspir spiration to us all encouraging us to stand firm in our faith and trust in God's plan for our lives hi I'm Ruth I come from a far
away land called Moab something special happened when I met a kind and wise woman from Bethlehem this is my story in the land of Bethlehem there lived a woman named Naomi she along with her husband and two sons had left their hometown because of a severe famine and had settled in the land of Moab while in Moab tragedy struck Naomi's husband passed away leaving her a widow her two sons then married moabit women orpa and Ruth and they lived in Moab for about 10 years but then another wave of Sorrow hit Naomi's life when both
of her sons died leaving her alone with her two daughters-in-law upon hearing that the famine in Bethlehem had ended Naomi decided to return to her Homeland go back each of you to your mother's home may the Lord show you kindness as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me may the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her we will go back with you to your people but Naomi said return home my daughters
why would you come with me am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands return home my daughters I am too old to have another husband even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to Sons would you wait until they grew up would you remain unmarried for them no my daughters it is more bitter for me than for you because the Lord's hand has turned against me orpa tearfully Bid Farewell to Naomi and return to her people but Ruth
clung to Naomi refusing to leave her side where you go I will go where you stay I will stay your people will be my people and your God my God moved by Ruth's loyalty and devotion Naomi and Ruth embarked on the journey back to Bethlehem together when they arrived the whole town buzzed with excitement and curiosity can this be Naomi the people whispered surprised by her return don't call me Naomi call me Mara for the almighty has dealt bitterly with me I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty Naomi and Ruth
arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley Harvest a time of new beginnings and hope in the land of Bethlehem there was a man named Boaz who was a relative of naom 's late husband IMC one day Ruth said to Naomi let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor go ahead my daughter so Ruth went out to the fields to gather grain behind the Harvesters as it turned out she was working in a field belonging to Boaz who was from the clan of
ALC Naomi's deceased husband Boaz arrived and greeted the Harvesters saying the Lord be with you the Lord bless you you they answered Boaz then asked his overseer who does that young woman belong to she is the moabit who came back from Moab with Naomi she asked me if she could gather grain and she has been working steadily from morning till now except for a short rest in the shelter so Boaz approached Ruth and said to her my daughter listen to me don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here stay here
with the women who work for me watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the women I have told the men not to lay a hand on you and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled at this Ruth bowed down with her face to the ground she asked him why have I found such favor in your eyes that you noticed me a foreigner I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband how you
left your father and mother and your Homeland and and came to live with a people you did not know before may the Lord repay you for what you have done may you be richly rewarded by the Lord the god of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge may I continue to find favor in your eyes my Lord you have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant though I do not have the standing of one of your servants at Meal Time Boaz said to Ruth come over here have some bread
and dip it in the wine vinegar when she sat down with the Harvesters he offered her some roasted grain she ate all she wanted and had some left over as Ruth got up to glean Boaz gave orders to his men let her gather among the sheaves and don't reprimand her even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up and don't rebuke her so Ruth gleaned in the field until evening then she threshed The Barley she had gathered and it amounted to about an effa she carried it
back to town and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough her Mother-in-law asked her where did you glean today where did you work blessed be the man who took notice of you Ruth told her about the one at whose place she had been working the name of the man I worked with today is Boaz the Lord bless him he has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead that man is our close relative he is
one of our Guardian redeemers he even said to me stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain it will be good for you my daughter to go with the women who work for him because in someone else's field you might be harmed so Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished and she lived with her mother-in-law Naomi began to devise a plan to secure a future for Ruth one day Naomi said to Ruth my daughter I must find a home for you where
you will be well provided for now Boaz with whose women you have worked is a relative of ours tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor wash put on perfume and get dressed in your best clothes then go down to the threshing floor but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking when he lies down note the place where he is lying then go and uncover his feet and lie down he will tell you what to do Ruth listened to Naomi and went to the threshing floor she
waited until Boaz had finished eating and drinking and then she went quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down when Boaz woke up and saw her there he asked who are you I am Ruth your servant spread your covering over me for you are a guardian Redeemer of our family the Lord bless you my daughter this kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier you have not run after the younger men whether rich or poor and now my daughter don't be afraid I will do for you all you ask all the people of my
town know that you are a woman of noble character although it is true that I am a guardian Redeemer of our family there is another who is more closely related than I stay here for the night and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian Redeemer good let him redeem you but if he is not willing as surely as the Lord lives I will do it lie here until morning so Boaz told Ruth to stay with him that night and in the morning he went to the town gate to meet
with the other relative when the guardian Redeemer came by Boaz called out to him gathered 10 of the town's elders and said to them Naomi who has returned from Moab is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative IMC I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these Witnesses I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate you redeem it yourself I cannot do it he said this after learning he would have to marry Ruth as well Boaz then said
to the elders and all the people present you are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi all the property of a LIC Killian and malen I have also acquired Ruth the moabit malin's Widow as my wife in order to maintain the name of the Dead with his property so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown today you are witnesses we Are Witnesses may the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah who together built up the family of Israel may you have
standing in afraa and be famous in Bethlehem Through The Offspring The Lord gives you by this young woman may your family be like that of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah so Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife the Lord blessed her and she gave birth to a son the women said to Naomi praise be to the Lord who this day has not left you without a guardian Redeemer may he become famous throughout Israel he will renew your life and sustain you in your old age for your daughter-in-law who loves you and who is
better to you than seven sons has given him birth Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him he was named OED he was the father of Jesse the father of David So Ruth and boaz's Union resulted in the birth of Obed who would become the grandfather of King David a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ thus Ruth's story became intertwined with the lineage of King David a testament to her faithfulness loyalty and the blessings that come from trusting in the Lord I am Job a man from the land of O once my life
was filled with blessings beyond measure this is my journey from prosperity to Desolation and ultimately to Restoration by the hand of the almighty there lived a man in the land of uz whose name was job and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil and seven sons and three daughters were born to him also his possessions were 7,000 sheep 3,000 camels 500 yoke of oxen 500 female donkeys and a very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East and his sons would
go and feast in their houses each on his appointed day and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them so it was when the days of feasting had run their course that job would send and sanctify them and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all for job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus job did regularly now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
Lord and Satan also came among them and the Lord said to Satan from where do you come so Satan answered the Lord and said are from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant job that there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil so Satan answered the Lord and said does job fear God for nothing have you not made a head around him around his household and
around all that he has on every side you have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face and the Lord said to Satan behold all that he has is in your power only do not lay a hand on his person so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and
a messenger came to job and said The Oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them when the sabians raided them and took them away indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you while he was still speaking another also came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them and I alone have escaped to tell you while he was still speaking another also came and said the calans formed three bands raided the camels
and took them away yes and killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you while he was still speaking another also came and said your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and suddenly a great wind came from across the Wilderness and struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people and they are dead and I alone have escaped to tell you then job arose tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground
and worshiped and he said naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there the lord gave and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord in all this job did not sin nor charge god with wrong again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord and the Lord said to Satan from where do you come Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro on the earth
and from walking back and forth on it then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant job that there is none like him on the Earth Earth a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil and still he holds fast to his Integrity although you incited me against him to destroy him without cause so Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin yes all that a man has he will give for his life but stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will surely
curse you to your face and the Lord said to Satan behold he is in your hand but spare his life so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head and he took for himself a pot shirt with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes then his wife said to him do you still hold fast to your integrity Curse God and die but he said to her you speak as one of the
foolish women speaks shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity in all this job did not sin with his lips now when job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon Him each one came from his own place elifaz the Tonite bildad the shuhite and zofar the nthite for they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him and to comfort him and when they raised their eyes from afar and did not recognize him they lifted their voices and wept and each one tore his robe
and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven so they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him for they saw that his grief was very great job went through a lot of pain but he never spoke against the Lord as his friends and wife did sometime later the Lord said to eles the Tonite job's friend my wrath is aroused against you and your two friends for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant job has now therefore take for yourselves
seven bulls and seven Rams go to my servant job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering and my servant job shall pray for you for I will accept him lest I deal with you according to your Folly because you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant job has so elphas the Tonite and bildad the shuhite and zofar the nthite when and did as the Lord commanded them for the Lord had accepted job and the Lord restored job's losses when he prayed for his friends indeed the lord gave job twice as
much as he had before then all of his brothers all his sisters and all those who had been his acquaintances before came to him and ate food with him in his house and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon Him each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold now the Lord blessed blessed the latter days of job more than his beginning for he had 14,000 sheep 6,000 camels 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys he also had seven sons and
three daughters and he called the name of the first Jima the name of the second kaziah and the name of the third Karen hoich in all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of job and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers after this job lived 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations so job died old and full of days job's ultimate restoration shows that suffering is not the end of the story God is a god of restoration and hope capable of bringing blessings even after
the darkest times [Music] during the early days of the church there lived a man named Steven he was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit known for his wisdom and his ability to perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ Steven fearlessly proclaimed the gospel which stirred up the religious leaders of the day they accused him of blasphemy and brought him before the Sanhedrin the Jewish Council this man does not cease to speak Blasphemous words against this holy place and the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will
destroy this place and change the Customs which Moses delivered to us as Steven stood before the council his face Shone like that of an Angel he recounted the history of the Jewish people from Abraham to Moses to David highlighting their repeated rejection of God's Messengers filled with the Holy Spirit Steven boldly rebuked the council you stiff neck and uncircumcised in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did so do you which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one
of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it enraged by his words the council dragged Steven out of the city and began to Stone him but even in the midst of the stones raining down upon Him Steven's gaze was fixed on heaven where he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God look I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God lord Jesus receive my spirit Steven
cried out as the stones continued to strike him and then echoing the words of his savior he prayed Lord do not hold this sin against them with that Steven breathed his last becoming the first Christian martyr his death marked a turning point in the spread of Christianity as persecution scattered the Believers spreading the message of Jesus Christ far and wide the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul though Stephen's life was cut short his faithfulness and courage inspired countless others to stand firm in their faith even in the
face of persecution his story reminds us of the cost of discipleship and the power of God's grace to sustain us in the most difficult of circumstances this story is about a certain woman named Tabitha which is translated as Dorcas who lived in japa this woman was full of good works and charitable Deeds which she did but it happened in those days that she became sick and died when they had washed her they laid her in an upper room and since L was near japa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there they sent two
men to him imploring him not to delay in coming to them then Peter arose and went with them when he had come they brought him to the upper room and all the widows stood by him weeping showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them but Peter put them all out and knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up then he gave her his hand and lifted her up and when he had
called the Saints and widows he presented her alive and it became known throughout all japa and many believed on the Lord Tabitha's story highlights the importance of helping those in need the power of faith and prayer and the significant contributions we can make in the church and Community her Resurrection by Peter's prayer underscores God's ability to perform Miracles while her Legacy teaches us to strive for a life of service compassion and Lasting positive influence thanks for watching please subscribe like and share
