Today is the 19th day of August. Welcome to the daily audio Bible. I am Brian. How are you today?

I'm fine. I'm fine. It's hot here in Tennessee, but things are going well. I hope they are well.

Wherever you might be and that we might all remember that it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.

And may we find it and may we walk in it as we take the next step forward together.

Yesterday we began the Book of Esther and we talked about that.

Today we will take the next step forward and Esther and then tomorrow we will conclude the Book of Esther.

So we kind of have the lay of the land. A queen of Persia named Vashdie was deposed.

A Jewish queen was installed in her place. Her name was Hadassah or Esther, but nobody knows she's a Jew.

Her uncle Mordecai has saved the life of the king. He too is a Jew.

But a man named Haman has been elevated to very, very high rank in the kingdom and everybody is supposed to bow down to Haman.

Mordecai won't do that.

Haman decides to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire.

The king of Persia has agreed not understanding fully that he has a Jewish queen at his side.

And so Edicts are sent out throughout the Empire telling of this day, the 13th day of the 12th month,

where everybody is supposed to kill the Jews and take all their stuff.

And so we left our reading yesterday with the city of Susa, the citadel capital city, in an uproar over this Edict that has been sent out throughout the Empire,

while the king and Haman sit down to drink.

And that's where we pick up the story. Today, Esther chapters 4 through 7.

Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he tore his garments and put on sack cloth and ashes.

He went out into the city crying out and allowed in bitter voice.

But he went no farther than the king's gate. For no one was permitted to enter the king's gate, clothed in sack cloth.

Throughout each and every province where the king's edict and law were announced, there was considerable mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping and sorrow.

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