Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

ESTHER 5-6:
In Esther 3-4 Haman cast lots (purim) to find out that March 7 was the lucky date to exterminate the Jews. Mordecai requested that Esther intercede directly to the king. And since she hadn’t been called for, the only way to do that would endanger Esther herself, since no one was allowed to approach the king in the inner court uninvited.

ISAIAH 41b:
Did you notice in yesterday’s reading in Isaiah, that we heard a description of a king that sounded similar to one described in the book of Daniel?

Is. 41:2 GNT “Who was it that brought the conqueror from the east and makes him triumphant wherever he goes? Who gives him victory over kings and nations? His sword strikes them down as if they were dust. His arrows scatter them like straw before the wind.
3 He follows in pursuit and marches safely on, so fast that he hardly touches the ground!  Who was it that made this happen?
4 Who has determined the course of history? I, the Lord, was there at the beginning, and I, the Lord, will be there at the end.

Because of the amazingly fast progress of this king being like the description of Alexander the Great (the male goat) in Daniel 8, I previously thought that Isaiah was also describing Alexander. But Alexander came from the west. Instead, this is the same king as mentioned in verse 25 of today’s reading, and scholars say that he is most likely Cyrus. In a few chapters he will be mentioned by name, and chapter 41 is not the only time Isaiah alludes to him without mentioning his name. 

2THESSALONIANS 2:
In preparing for his topic of Christ’s return, in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul mentioned the punishment of people who refuse to obey the Good News about Christ. They will ‘suffer’ or ‘pay the penalty of eternal destruction’. Note that if people are going to be burned up in hell, or if God’s punishment was simply that people would cease to exist, it would not be called ‘suffer eternal destruction’. This understanding is not just a doctrine. It turns out that this gives great comfort to those who are suffering persecution, and gives a great motivation to all of us for sharing the Good News.

Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we praise You— we who come from distant lands and all over this world, because we see the ways You have moved to bring about your plans, plans involving kings and queens and every ethnic group. You declared your plans again and again, and brought them to pass, so that we would know that You are God, and there is no other. You are still doing those amazing things, Lord, but so many are blind to seeing it. Like the idol makers that Isaiah mocked, they should tremble in fear. This is especially so when we read in 2 Thessalonians that those who reject You, Lord God, and refuse to believe in the Good News about Christ will ‘suffer eternal destruction’. Lord, help us to be effective in sharing the Good News, because we want people to find the fountain of everlasting life. We want to give the water of life to those living in barren places and whose throats are dry with thirst.