Nov 30, 2022
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, 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 2Thessalonians
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.
GNT Translation
notes:
2Thes. 2:2 not to
be so easily confused in your thinking or upset by the claim that
the Day of the Lord has [already] come. Perhaps it is thought that
we said this while prophesying or preaching, or [they may claim]
that we wrote it in a letter.
3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For
the Day [of the Lord’s return] will not come until the final
Rebellion takes place and the Wicked One appears, who is destined
to hell.
7
The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work, but what is going to
happen will not happen until the one who [is holding//holds] it
back is taken out of the way.
10 and [he will] use every kind of wicked
deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did
not welcome and love the truth so as to be
saved.
13 We must thank
God at all times for you, friends, you whom the Lord loves. For God
chose you as the [very beginning//first] to be saved by [the
purifying work of His Spirit//the Spirit's power to make you his
holy people] and by your [belief//faith] in the truth.