DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY MAY 20:
WORD OF WISDOM
If you don't believe it, then you won't achieve it.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Carrying God's Kingdom to the World
"But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways
out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city,
which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure
of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you,
that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city."
Luke 10:10-12
In 1942, Dr. Charles Weigel was in a revival meeting in California. He spent
the afternoon between services visiting a large rose garden. He said that
when he got to church that evening, people remarked on the smell of the
roses that he carried with him when he left the garden. He had not gone to
the rose garden for that purpose, but spending time there had an effect on
his life, and on others as well. Weigel wrote his song, "A Garden of Roses
Is Jesus" after that experience.
When Jesus sent seventy of His followers out in teams to preach the gospel,
they were to say that God's kingdom was coming to the towns and villages
that they visited. That kingdom was not an earthly kingdom to have its power
displayed by armies and military might, but by simple men who had believed
and followed Jesus, and as a result were like Him.
The world today is in desperate need of seeing Christians who bear the mark
of those who have been influenced by their time spent with Jesus. This is
how the disciples turned the world upside down, and the power of His
presence is no less in our day. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they
marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus"
(Acts 4:13).
Everyone with whom we come in contact should be able to tell that they have
met a follower of Jesus Christ.
DAILY BIBLE READING
Esther 7-10Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Haman Is Hanged
7 So the king and Haman went to eat with Queen Esther. 2 Then as they were
drinking wine on the second day of the party, the king again asked Esther a
question, "Queen Esther, what is it you want to ask for? Ask anything and it
will be given to you. What do you want? I will give you anything, even half
my kingdom."
3 Then Queen Esther answered, "King, if you like me and it pleases you,
please let me live. And I ask you to let my people live too. This is what I
ask for. 4 I ask this because my people and I have been sold to be
destroyed-to be killed and wiped out completely. If we had just been sold as
slaves, I would have kept quiet, because that would not be enough of a
problem to bother the king."
5 Then King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who did this to you? Where is the
man who dared to do such a thing to your people?"
6 Esther said, "The man against us, our enemy, is this wicked Haman."
Then Haman was filled with terror before the king and queen. 7 The king was
very angry. He got up, left his wine, and went out into the garden. But
Haman stayed inside to beg Queen Esther to save his life. He begged for his
life because he knew that the king had already decided to kill him. 8 Just
as the king was coming back in from the garden to the party room, he saw
Haman falling on the couch where Esther was lying. The king said with anger
in his voice, "Will you attack the queen even while I am in the house?"
As soon as the king had said this, servants came in and killed Haman.[a] 9
One of the eunuchs who served the king was named Harbona. He said, "A
hanging post 75 feet[b] tall has been built near Haman's house. Haman had it
made so that he could hang Mordecai on it. Mordecai is the man who helped
you when he told about the evil plans to kill you."
The king said, "Hang Haman on that post!"
10 So they hanged Haman on the hanging post he had built for Mordecai. Then
the king stopped being angry.
The King's Order to Help the Jews
8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther everything that belonged to
Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Esther told the king that Mordecai was her
cousin. Then Mordecai came to see the king. 2 The king had gotten his ring
back from Haman. The king took the ring off his finger and gave it to
Mordecai. Then Esther put Mordecai in charge of everything that belonged to
Haman.
3 Then Esther spoke to the king again. She fell at the king's feet and began
crying. She begged the king to cancel the evil plan of Haman the Agagite.
Haman had thought up the plan to hurt the Jews.
4 Then the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. Esther got up and stood
in front of the king. 5 Then she said, "King, if you like me and if it
pleases you, please do this for me. Please do this if you think it is a good
idea. If the king is happy with me, please write a command that would stop
the command Haman sent out. Haman the Agagite thought of a plan to destroy
the Jews in all the king's provinces, and he sent out commands for this to
happen. 6 I am begging the king because I could not bear to see these
terrible things happen to my people. I could not bear to see my family
killed."
7 King Xerxes answered Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman was
against the Jews, I have given his property to Esther. And my soldiers have
hanged him on the hanging post. 8 Now write another command by the authority
of the king. Write it to help the Jews in a way that seems best to you. Then
seal the order with the king's special ring. No official letter written by
the authority of the king and sealed with the king's ring can be canceled."
9 Very quickly the king's secretaries were called. This was done on the 23rd
day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all of Mordecai's
commands to the Jews, and to the satraps, the governors, and officials of
the 127 provinces. These provinces reached from India to Ethiopia. The
commands were written in the language of each province and translated into
the language of each group of people. The commands were written to the Jews
in their own language and alphabet. 10 Mordecai wrote commands by the
authority of King Xerxes. Then he sealed the letters with the king's ring
and sent them by messengers on horses. The messengers rode fast horses,
which were raised especially for the king.
11 The king's commands in the letters said this: The Jews in every city have
the right to gather together to protect themselves. They have the right to
ruin, kill, and completely destroy any army from any group who might attack
them and their women and children. And the Jews have the right to take and
destroy the property of their enemies.
12 The day set for the Jews to do this was the 13th day of the twelfth
month, the month of Adar. They were permitted to do this in all King Xerxes'
provinces. 13 A copy of the letter with the king's command was to be sent
out. It became a law in every province. They announced it to all the people
of every nation living in the kingdom. They did this so that the Jews would
be ready for that special day. They would be allowed to pay their enemies
back. 14 The messengers hurried out, riding on the king's horses. The king
commanded them to hurry. And the command was also put in the capital city of
Susa.
15 Mordecai left the king. He was wearing special clothes from the king. His
clothes were blue and white, and he had on a large gold crown. He also had a
purple robe made of the best linen. There was a special celebration in Susa.
The people were very happy. 16 It was an especially happy day for the Jews,
a day of great joy and happiness.
17 Wherever the king's command went in every province and every city, there
was joy and gladness among the Jews. They were having parties and
celebrating. Many of the common people from other groups became Jews. They
did this because they were very afraid of the Jews.
Victory for the Jews
9 On the 13th day of the twelfth month (Adar), the people were supposed to
obey the king's command. This was the day the enemies of the Jews hoped to
defeat them, but now things had changed. The Jews were stronger than their
enemies who hated them. 2 The Jews met together in their cities in all the
provinces of King Xerxes so that they would be strong enough to attack the
people who wanted to destroy them. No one was strong enough to stand against
them. They were afraid of the Jews. 3 And all the officials of the
provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king's administrators helped
the Jews. All the leaders helped them because they were afraid of Mordecai.
4 Mordecai had become a very important man in the king's palace. Everyone in
the provinces knew his name and knew how important he was. And Mordecai
became more and more powerful.
5 The Jews defeated all their enemies. They used swords to kill and destroy
them. They did what they wanted to the people who hated them. 6 They killed
and destroyed 500 men in the capital city of Susa. 7 They also killed these
men: Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha. 10 These men were the ten sons of
Haman. Haman son of Hammedatha was the enemy of the Jews. The Jews killed
all the men, but they didn't take anything that belonged to them.
11 That day the king heard how many men had been killed in the capital city
of Susa. 12 So the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed 500 men
in Susa, including Haman's ten sons. Now, what do you want done in the other
provinces of the king? Tell me, and I will have it done. Ask, and I will do
it."
13 Esther said, "If it pleases the king, please let the Jews in Susa do the
same thing again tomorrow. Also, hang the bodies of Haman's ten sons on
posts."
14 So the king gave the command that it should be done. So the law was given
in Susa, and they hanged Haman's ten sons. 15 The Jews in Susa met together
on the 14th day of the month of Adar. They killed 300 men in Susa, but they
didn't take the things that belonged to them.
16 At the same time, the Jews living in the other provinces also met
together. They met together so that they would be strong enough to protect
themselves. And so they got rid of their enemies. They killed 75,000 of
their enemies. But the Jews didn't take anything that belonged to them. 17
This happened on the 13th day of the month Adar. On the 14th day the Jews
rested and made that day a happy day of feasting.
The Festival of Purim
18 The Jews in Susa had met together on the 13th and 14th days of the month
of Adar. And then on the 15th day they rested. So they made the 15th day a
happy day of feasting. 19 So those who live in the country and small
villages celebrate Purim on the 14th day of Adar. They keep the 14th day as
a happy day of feasting. On this day they have parties and give presents to
each other.
20 Mordecai wrote everything down that had happened, and then he sent
letters to all the Jews in all of King Xerxes' provinces. He sent letters
far and near. 21 He did this to tell the Jews to celebrate Purim every year
on the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar. 22 They were to celebrate
those days because on those days the Jews got rid of their enemies. And they
were also to celebrate that month as the month when their sadness was turned
into joy. It was a month when their crying was changed into a day of
celebration. Mordecai wrote letters to all the Jews and told them to
celebrate those days as a happy day of feasting. They should have parties,
give gifts to each other, and give presents to the poor.
23 So the Jews agreed to do what Mordecai had written to them. And they
agreed to continue the celebration they had begun.
24 Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite was the enemy of all the Jews. He had
made an evil plan against the Jews to destroy them. And Haman had thrown the
lot to choose a day to ruin and to destroy the Jews. At that time the lot
was called a "pur." 25 Haman did this, but Esther went to talk to the king.
So he sent out new commands. These commands not only ruined Haman's plans,
but these commands caused those bad things to happen to Haman and his
family! So Haman and his sons were hanged on the posts.
26-27 At this time lots were called "purim." So this festival is called
"Purim." Mordecai wrote a letter and told the Jews to celebrate this
festival. And so the Jews started the custom of celebrating these two days
every year. 28 They do this to help them remember what they had seen happen
to them. The Jews and all the people who join them celebrate these two days
every year at the right time in just the right way. Every generation and
every family remembers these two days. They celebrate this festival in each
and every province and in each and every town. And the Jews will never stop
celebrating the days of Purim. Their descendants will always remember this
festival.
29 So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote
an official letter about Purim. They wrote with full authority of the king
to prove that the second letter was true. 30 So Mordecai sent letters to all
the Jews in the 127 provinces of King Xerxes' kingdom. He told the people
that the festival should bring peace and make people trust[c] each other. 31
He wrote these letters to tell the people to start celebrating Purim. And he
told them when to celebrate this new festival. Mordecai the Jew and Queen
Esther had sent out the command for the Jews to establish this two-day
festival for themselves and their descendants. They will remember this
festival just as they remember the other festivals when they fast and cry
about the bad things that had happened. 32 Esther's letter made the rules
for Purim official, and these things were written down in a book.
Mordecai Honored
10 King Xerxes made people pay taxes. All the people in the kingdom, even
the faraway cities on the seacoast, had to pay taxes. 2 And all the great
things Xerxes did are written in the Book of History of the Kings of Media
and Persia. Also written in those history books are all the things Mordecai
did. The king made Mordecai a great man. 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in
importance to King Xerxes. He was the most important man among the Jews. His
fellow Jews respected him very much, because he worked hard for the good of
his people and brought peace to all the Jews.
Footnotes:
a.Esther 7:8 killed Haman Literally, "covered Haman's face."
b.Esther 7:9 75 feet Literally, "50 cubits" (22 m).
c.Esther 9:30 peace . trust Or "fellowship and truth." Zech. 8:19 teaches
that this is how people should celebrate the festivals and why God gave
them.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
