2 Tim 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
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GREAT SUPERPOWER
LORD’S DAY, OCTOBER 2
Esther 1:2-4
Psalm 75
"But God is the judge: he putteth down one,
and setteth up another."
GREAT SUPERPOWER
Sometimes as we read Old Testament events, we can be at a loss regarding the time period and how events are related. At such times, having an overall picture is helpful. Who was King Ahasuerus?
Ahasuerus was the son of Darius the Great (520-486BC). He was also known as Xerxes the Great. He ruled from 486-465BC. He was one of the Persian kings who ruled during the eighty-year period between the first return of the Jewish captives led by Zerubbabel and the subsequent return led by Ezra.
In Ezra 4:6, the Samaritans appealed to this Ahasuerus in their bid to stop the Jewish returnees from rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. Ahasuerus’ official title, Shahanshah, means "king of kings." Shushan, from which he ruled his empire, was an important ancient city at that time. He was at this point truly sitting on the pinnacle of the world superpower. We are not reading about just an ordinary king. He was indeed a very powerful ruler of his time, holding the lives of those in his empire in his hands: to crush or to let live. This was the power and status of the person Esther would be facing.
Esther would be put into this kingdom for a purpose. The book of Esther will remind us that no matter how impressive and powerful a man is, "promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south" (Ps 75:6). Superpowers are set up by God. Also, "God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Ps 75:7). No matter how impressive and dominant a global ruler is, it is God who sets him up. And no matter how great and influential one is, every man ultimately dies and passes on. God is the true Monarch and only He rules forever. We must keep this fact in mind as we study the book of Esther.
THOUGHT: How do I view great and powerful people at work, in school and in the world?
PRAYER: Lord, may I see that Thou art the Ultimate Ruler and the King of kings in this universe.
Posted in Adult RPG
Esther 1:2-4
Psalm 75
"But God is the judge: he putteth down one,
and setteth up another."
GREAT SUPERPOWER
Sometimes as we read Old Testament events, we can be at a loss regarding the time period and how events are related. At such times, having an overall picture is helpful. Who was King Ahasuerus?
Ahasuerus was the son of Darius the Great (520-486BC). He was also known as Xerxes the Great. He ruled from 486-465BC. He was one of the Persian kings who ruled during the eighty-year period between the first return of the Jewish captives led by Zerubbabel and the subsequent return led by Ezra.
In Ezra 4:6, the Samaritans appealed to this Ahasuerus in their bid to stop the Jewish returnees from rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. Ahasuerus’ official title, Shahanshah, means "king of kings." Shushan, from which he ruled his empire, was an important ancient city at that time. He was at this point truly sitting on the pinnacle of the world superpower. We are not reading about just an ordinary king. He was indeed a very powerful ruler of his time, holding the lives of those in his empire in his hands: to crush or to let live. This was the power and status of the person Esther would be facing.
Esther would be put into this kingdom for a purpose. The book of Esther will remind us that no matter how impressive and powerful a man is, "promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south" (Ps 75:6). Superpowers are set up by God. Also, "God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Ps 75:7). No matter how impressive and dominant a global ruler is, it is God who sets him up. And no matter how great and influential one is, every man ultimately dies and passes on. God is the true Monarch and only He rules forever. We must keep this fact in mind as we study the book of Esther.
THOUGHT: How do I view great and powerful people at work, in school and in the world?
PRAYER: Lord, may I see that Thou art the Ultimate Ruler and the King of kings in this universe.
Posted in Adult RPG