Thank you. Have you read the book of Esther?

It's a story about a beautiful Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia.

It's a thrilling tale of political intrigue and suspense and deliverance.

But what does it have to do with God

or with us in the 21st century? We'll find out today on Truth for Life as we listen to another

popular message from Alistair Begg's Encore 2025 series.

Verse one of Esther chapter 1. Now in the days of Ahazueris, the Ahazueris who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,

in those days when King Ahazweris sat on his royal throne in Susa the citadel,

in the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army

of Persia and media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, while he showed

the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.

And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa, the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the

king's palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen

and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble,

mother of pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different

kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. And drinking was

according to this edict. There is no

compulsion. For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired.

Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahazweris.

Thanks be to God for His word. We pray briefly. Our God and Father, we pray for your help,

as we do routinely because we actually believe ourselves to be tremendously in need of it, both to be able to speak

and to listen, certainly to understand, to obey your word, to live in the light of its truth.

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