Thoughts on the Bible Readings November 29th (Esther 5, 6; Amos 9; Hebrews 1, 2)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Esther 5 speaks of Esther's putting into place of Mordecai's plan. The queen approaches king Ahasuerus as she has been requested and receives his favour - signified in the extending of the golden sceptre in his hand. Esther requests the presence of both the king and Haman at a banquet that is to be held the following day. King Ahasuerus is delighted to accept. So is the evil Haman now lifted up in pride because he believes himself to be the favourite of both the king and the queen. This also emboldens Haman to hasten the death of Mordecai - as he will now request of the king. Haman returns home to his wife Zeresh to boast of his self-importance and also to express his great hatred towards and frustration with Mordecai. Haman's family and friends advise him to build a gallows some 27 metres high and in the morning to ask Ahasuerus' permission to hang Mordecai. Chapter 6 tells us of two men who were unable to sleep that night - the one king Ahasuerus and the other Haman. When the king is unable to sleep he asks for the chronicles of his kingdom be read to him; and he learns that his life has been saved by Mordecai, the Jew. Haman enters the king's court to ask permission to hang Mordecai. God had so caused both men to come together at the time that will providentially deliver His people and destroy their adversaries. When Haman enters the court he is asked by Ahasuerus what should be done for the man the king wants to honour. Haman thought, it must be me that the king is thinking of - and so he suggests that that man be dressed in the king's clothes and for him to be paraded on the Royal horse and him being heralded by a great noble as the man favoured by the king. Well said, pronounces Ahasuerus, you must now do that for Mordecai. Having done so Haman hastens home deeply distressed. Haman's family see the import of what had just occurred as an omen of doom to Haman and his family. Chapter 9 of Amos tells of the great earthquake of king Uzziah's era, which is mentioned in the first chapter. And so, the prophecy of the book spans 2 years - BC 788-786. Verse 1 of chapter 9 speaks of the destruction brought upon the guilty at that time. The same verse alludes to Uzziah's infamous attempt to become king-priest for the nation. Verses 1-10 in chapter 9 would therefore have been spoken just before the earthquake and would so have established Amos' credentials as a true prophet of Yahweh (see Deuteronomy 18verses17-21). He was seen to be the LORD'S prophet because his words came to pass within his own lifetime. Contrast the last quote with the earlier verses of Deuteronomy 13, which tell us of those false prophets who are leading the nation astray from the ways of God. Verses 2-4 of the prophecy proclaim the extensive judgments from which there can be no escape. Verses 5-6 outline, in magnificent Hebrew poetry, the awesome power of their Almighty Sovereign over the forces of nature, He is the One who brought these perils on the guilty. Verses 7-8 reveal how the actions of the evil have alienated them from their Maker (cp 3verses1-7). The 9th and 10th verses tell of the nation's reluctance to follow their Creator, their fear and their continual failure to accept that any judgment would befall them. Verses 11-12 speak of their future, when the nation is reformed under the Lord Jesus Christ - the Messiah. These verses are cited by James, the half-brother of our Lord, in Acts 15 when he speaks of the inclusion of the Gentiles in Messiah's kingdom (just as David's tabernacle incorporated all foreigners). The passage also has another fulfilment in that it tells of David's own promised resurrection (see 2 Samuel 7). The chapter concludes with the abundant blessings the kingdom will bring. Grain crops will be so prolific that they will be still harvesting those crops while they are sowing the next crop. The letter to the Hebrews is the only book in the Bible, whose human pen person is unknown. Of course, all 66 books are given from God as He breathed His thoughts into Holy Writ (Scripture). Hebrews makes this clear from the outset. There are good reasons for the human scribe's identity remaining hidden. The time of writing is 65-66 AD. Some believe that the author is Priscilla (the wife of Aquila); others argue that its style and content are of the great Apostle Paul. But if the author was known to be Paul, or a close associate of his, some of the message may have lost its appeal to the readers. The message is for believers to flee Jerusalem before its destruction. The listeners needed convincing that the way of Christ is "better" than the way of those bound by the Law. Another dominant theme is, as John Carter points out in his book "The Letter to the Hebrews" - what he calls watchwords of resolution, "Let us ...". Slowly read aloud verses 1-4; pause and ponder. The book is about God; His revelation to believers of every age through diverse means, but culminating in His being revealed in His incomparable Son. Those verses tell us that Jesus, God's Son, is "the express image" of his Father - the Greek word is "character" and it means the impress of a king's seal in wax - the exact likeness; so that Jesus could say to Philip in John 14verses9 that, "whoever has seen me has seen the Father". God's character was seen in a man, His Son (see John 1verses14- 18). Verses 5-14 provide 7 quotes from the Old Testament which demonstrate the Lord Jesus Christ's superiority to the angels. Chapter 2 continues the theme of "how much better Christ is than the angels. The first four verses teach us to diligently heed the warnings lest we 'drift away' from the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. The Greek words in the metaphor speak of a boat breaking loose from its moorings and slipping away. Verses 5-18 reveal Jesus' great work and of the necessity that in every respect Jesus be of the human race and that our Lord fully share in all the temptations common to our human condition (nature). The ESV entitles this section, "The Founder of Salvation". The writer commences it with a quote from Psalm 8 written by David when God has given him victory over his foe - the Philistine giant Goliath. That our God concerns Himself with us insignificant creatures is amazing. God's instrument in securing victory over sin and death is through a frail, but Divinely strengthened son of Adam - Jesus. The writer reveals that the chosen method of the Father is to open a gracious door offering grace and mercy through the forgiveness of sins and mercy, leading to the opportunity to receive eternal life ("aionian Zoe" age- abiding) through the outworking of God's power to overcome sin in human flesh. Note that GRACE (unmerited favour), by the forbearance of God, is a primary dynamic factor in God's salvation and a great motivation to His children. These details are seen particularly, in the letters of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews. Verses 10-13, of Hebrews 2, explains the fitness of God's chosen solution and the bond that this creates between our Saviour and those being saved. Our Lord Jesus Christ was one with us i.e. the descendants of Adam in so far as his natural condition. So, according to Scripture, he is our brother. Nonetheless, he is to be revered as a father since through his suffering of hardship and travail we become his begotten children. Paul to prove this quotes Psalm 22 and Isaiah 8. In verses 14-15 the writer proves this by using language which demonstrates by means of voluminous repetition ideas showing how vital it was that Jesus' nature was in all respects as ours. By this means the devil (Greek "diabolos") was destroyed in his sinless life, and through death eradicated for ever for Jesus. And forgiveness is established as the basis for God to ultimately do the same in each repentant believer, in prospect now and in actuality, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in his kingdom. Verse 16 in the ESV translation points out that he did not aid angels - for they are already immortal - but the death stricken and needy "seed of Abraham" are the beneficiaries of salvation's work. And so, verses 17-18 tell us that this qualifies Jesus as a high priest competent to understand and support each of us in our struggles against sin. Penned by Warwick Rosser and his team, produced by Christadelphianvideo.org See more Thoughts from the Christadelphian Dialy Bible Reading Planner (By R.Roberts) here... [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-november-29th-esther-5-6-amos-9-hebrews-1-2/?feed_id=106214&_unique_id=692967c47a180