The Jewish roots of Christianity

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Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity

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Episode: “Fight We Must!”
Even with Haman gone, the Jews still had to defend their homes and families. Such spirited self-defense is simply biblical.
Series: “Esther”
For Such A Time As This
The Book of Esther is one of the Jewish people’s favorites. In this eight-program television series, Dr. Jeffrey Seif explains its details, and points out that, like Esther herself, we Believers may be alive for such a time as this.

Note: A newer version of this series is available.

Caption transcript for Esther: “Fight We Must!” (7/8)

  • 00:22 ♪OUT OF ZION...ZION♪
  • 00:26 ♪COMES YOUR SALVATION♪
  • 00:31 ♪AND A NATION WILL BE FORMED OUT OF HIM♪
  • 00:35 ♪YEAH AND A PEOPLE WILL BE BORN OUT OF HIM♪
  • 00:40 ♪OUT OF ZION...ZION♪
  • 00:44 ♪COMES YOUR SALVATION♪
  • 00:55 HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
  • 00:56 JEFFREY SEIF HERE
  • 00:57 PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU AGAIN
  • 00:59 TO ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS.
  • 01:01 WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BOOK OF ESTHER...
  • 01:02 THE PASSION, THE CUNNING, THE TRIUMPH...WHAT A STORY!
  • 01:09 AND OFF WE GO AND CONSIDER HOW IT UNFOLDS.
  • 01:15 HAMAN HAS FOUND HIS JUST REWARD.
  • 01:18 HIS WICKED SCHEMES HAVE LEFT HIM HANGING
  • 01:21 FROM ATOP THE VERY GALLOWS HE HAD PREPARED FOR MORDECAI.
  • 01:28 BUT FROM WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE MAGNIFICENT PALACE IN SHUSHAN
  • 01:31 QUEEN ESTHER REMAINS HEARTBROKEN.
  • 01:37 SHE APPEALS TO THE KING ON BEHALF OF HER FELLOW JEWS.
  • 02:15 SHE WANTED TO BE A HELP.
  • 02:18 SHE WANTED TO SAVE HER PEOPLE.
  • 02:21 AND SO SHE ARRANGES TO VISIT HER HUSBAND AGAIN AND PETITION ON THEIR BEHALF
  • 02:26 THAT JEWS BE ALLOWED TO MAKE A SPIRITED DEFENSE
  • 02:30 GIVEN THE FACT THAT A DECREE WAS ENACTED FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION.
  • 02:34 IN CHAPTER 8, VERSE 6,
  • 02:37 I CAN FEEL THE EMOTION DRIPPING FROM THE TEXT
  • 02:40 IN THE HEBREW FIRST WHERE ESTHER SAYS,
  • 03:09 SHE HUMBLY, FEARFULLY, TEARFULLY PETITIONED HER HUSBAND ON THEIR BEHALF THAT THE JEWS, HER JEWS,
  • 03:19 HER PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO MAKE A SPIRITED DEFENSE FOR THEIR OWN LIVES IN PERSIA.
  • 03:26 HERE AT AMMUNITION HILL SOME YEARS AGO
  • 03:31 JEWS MADE A VERY SPIRITED DEFENSE FOR THE BATTLE ROYAL THAT RAGED OVER JERUSALEM
  • 03:38 AND MANY LOST THEIR LIVES HERE.
  • 03:41 HAND TO HAND COMBAT WAS EFFECTED IN THESE TRENCHES WHERE EVERY MAN WAS A GENERAL.
  • 03:49 MANY TOOK INITIATIVE AND FIGHTING WITH KNIVES ON OCCASION
  • 03:54 THEY HACKED IT OUT TILL FINALLY THE LORD GAVE THEM SUCCESS
  • 03:59 WHICH LENT ITSELF FINALLY THEN TO THE UNIFICATION OF JERUSALEM.
  • 04:04 WHAT A PLACE HERE.
  • 04:07 WHAT A PLACE HERE IN THE ESTHER STORY
  • 04:11 WHERE WE READ IN VERSE 11 OF THE SAME CHAPTER IN HEBREW
  • 04:15 WHERE THERE'S A DECREE THAT'S ENACTED AT HER BEHEST
  • 04:19 WHERE JEWS ARE ALLOWED TO OFFER A SPIRITED DEFENSE
  • 04:22 WE READ IN VERSE 11,
  • 04:54 DESTRUCTION IS NOT PLEASANT BUSINESS
  • 04:56 BUT SOMETIMES CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SUCH WHERE WE'RE THROWN ON OUR HEELS AND WE SIMPLY HAVE TO ACT.
  • 05:04 IT SEEMS TO ME IN WAYS THAT THE WORLD LIKES JEWS THAT ARE WEAK AND SHEEPISH...
  • 05:10 "OH PITY THE HOLOCAUST JEWS" OR WHATEVER,
  • 05:12 BUT JEWS ARE JUST NOT OF THAT ILK TO LAY DOWN AND BE DOCILE.
  • 05:17 AND WHEN I LOOK IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT I SEE INDIVIDUALS STANDING UP,
  • 05:22 I SEE ALLOWANCES MADE FOR THE OBVIOUS...
  • 05:25 THAT IS THAT PEOPLE CAN IN FACT FIGHT TO DEFEND HOME AND HEARTH.
  • 05:30 IT'S GREAT TO SEE ESTHER USING HER INFLUENCE IN THE STRUGGLE.
  • 05:35 SIMILARLY I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE ALLOWANCE MADE FOR JEWS IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT
  • 05:40 TO GO AHEAD AND DEFEND HOME AND HEARTH.
  • 05:43 IT'S A STORY BACK THEN...
  • 05:45 IT'S A STORY TODAY...
  • 05:47 AND ITS STORY THAT TOOK PLACE HERE AT AMMUNITION HILL
  • 05:50 WHERE THE BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM WAS WAGED.
  • 06:02 IT HAD BEEN A DIFFICULT TASK FOR MORDECAI.
  • 06:05 WHILE IN EXHILE HE HAD FAITHFULLY RAISED HIS COUSIN ESTHER AS HIS OWN,
  • 06:10 COUNSELING HER, NURTURING HER.
  • 06:13 HE HAD BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE KING...
  • 06:16 DEFENSIVE OF HIS FELLOW JEWS.
  • 06:20 HE HAD REFUSED TO BOW BEFORE PRINCE HAMAN.
  • 06:25 ALAS, HAMAN'S WICKED PLAN TO EXTERMINATE THE JEWS HAD BEEN THWARTED.
  • 06:31 AND IN EVERY STATE THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE THERE WAS JOY AND ELATION FOR THE JEWS.
  • 06:44 EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION
  • 06:45 "CHANGE OF FORTUNES"...
  • 06:47 WHEN YOU'RE HOT ONE DAY
  • 06:48 AND YOU'RE NOT THE NEXT?
  • 06:50 WELL IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER...
  • 06:52 MORDECAI, THEY'RE LOOKING TO HANG HIM ONE DAY
  • 06:55 AND THE NEXT DAY THEY'RE HANGING ROYAL APPAREL ON HIM.
  • 07:00 SPEAKING OF CHANGE OF FORTUNES
  • 07:02 IT'S AMAZING HOW HE WAS SAVED.
  • 07:06 AND THE STORY OF THE SALVATION OF THE JEWS IS PLAYED OUT EVERY GENERATION FROM BIBLICAL PAGES
  • 07:14 RIGHT ON THROUGH THE AGES.
  • 07:16 AND HERE AT AMMUNITION HILL,
  • 07:20 JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE WORLD THAT'S INTERESTED REMEMBERS
  • 07:23 THE STRUGGLE FOR MODERN JERUSALEM.
  • 07:26 MANY DIED HERE IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT AND THEY'RE COMMEMORATED,
  • 07:30 THEIR NAMES ARE REMEMBERED BEHIND ME.
  • 07:33 AND SIMILARLY NOT FAR AWAY TO MY LEFT IS A BIG FLAG POLE
  • 07:37 BENEATH WHICH IS A PLAQUE COMMEMORATING
  • 07:40 "THE ETERNAL CITY JERUSALEM".
  • 07:45 THE PLAQUE IS BENEATH IT
  • 07:47 AND THE BLUE AND WHITE FLIES ABOVE IT.
  • 07:50 AND SPEAKING OF THE BLUE AND WHITE FLYING...
  • 07:53 IT ALWAYS INTERESTED ME IN CHAPTER 8, VERSE 15
  • 07:56 HOW WHEN MORDECAI IS SAVED HE IS DONNING BLUE AND WHITE APPAREL...THAT'S STRIKING!
  • 08:04 LET'S SEE IT IN CHAPTER 8, VERSE 15 WERE TOLD,
  • 08:27 WELL TODAY ISRAEL FLIES UNDER THE BANNER OF THE BLUE AND WHITE DOES IT NOT
  • 08:34 TO CELEBRATE IT'S A TRIUMPH...
  • 08:36 IT'S VICTORY OVER THE FORCES OF DARKNESS.
  • 08:40 AND INTERESTINGLY TODAY AS YESTERDAY, AS WE'LL SEE,
  • 08:45 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT OF JEWISH EXTRACT
  • 08:48 ARE GIVEN TO JOINING THEMSELVES TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
  • 08:51 AND I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU WHO ARE GRAFTED IN.
  • 08:55 IF YOU'LL LOOK IN CHAPTER 8, VERSE 17
  • 08:59 THERE'S AN INTERESTING EXPRESSION HERE.
  • 09:00 I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU IN HEBREW AND THEN IN ENGLISH.
  • 09:02 WE'RE TOLD,
  • 09:18 THEY BECAME JEWS.
  • 09:21 IT SEEMS THAT EVEN IN THIS BAD NEWS WORLD
  • 09:25 PEOPLE SAW GOD AT WORK
  • 09:27 AND THEY WANTED TO JOIN THEMSELVES TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
  • 09:30 WHERE GOD WAS AT WORK
  • 09:32 AND SIMILARLY TODAY, HAPPILY, IN A BAD NEWS WORLD WHERE ISRAEL IS ABANDONED BY MANY,
  • 09:39 SIMILARLY MANY ARE JOINING THEMSELVES TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL...
  • 09:43 PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU.
  • 09:48 OH, KEEP AT IT PLEASE!
  • 09:51 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE.
  • 09:54 YOU SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE WORLD TODAY
  • 09:57 AND YOU WANT TO GET BEHIND ISRAEL.
  • 10:00 HERE PEOPLE GOT BEHIND ISRAEL
  • 10:02 AND IT COST THEM THEIR LIFE.
  • 10:05 I'D ASK YOU TO PRAY PLEASE AND ASK GOD WHAT HE WOULD HAVE YOU TO DO
  • 10:09 IN ORDER TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT GOD IS DOING AMONGST THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
  • 10:34 FOR INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES OF ISRAEL AND BIBLE PROPHECY
  • 10:38 ASK FOR OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
  • 10:40 "THE LEVITT LETTER".
  • 10:41 WHEN YOU CALL BE SURE TO ASK FOR OUR FREE CATALOGUE
  • 10:44 WITH THE LATEST VIDEOS, BOOKS, AND MUSIC.
  • 10:48 OUR CORRESPONDENCE COURSE,
  • 10:49 "THE INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH CHRISTIAN STUDIES"
  • 10:51 INCLUDES READING PACKETS, TEACHING CDS, AND MAIL-IN TESTS.
  • 10:56 YOU MAY WANT TO JOIN US ON AN UPCOMING TOUR OF ISRAEL OR PETRA
  • 10:59 OR CRUISE THE MEDITERRANEAN VISITING GREECE AND EPHESUS.
  • 11:03 PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.
  • 11:43 OH, COME TO ISRAEL!
  • 11:46 AND PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER COMING WITH US
  • 11:49 AND JOIN THE MILLIONS
  • 11:51 THAT HAVE BEEN TURNING THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS AND BODIES TO THE HOLY LAND.
  • 11:55 FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
  • 11:59 CALL 1-800-WONDERS
  • 12:01 IF YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT
  • 12:03 HOW TO DO THAT WITH US.
  • 12:05 YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TOO.
  • 12:07 WWW.LEVITT.COM
  • 12:09 AND GET INFORMATION ON THE TRIPS.
  • 12:11 AND IF YOU WANT INFORMATION...
  • 12:14 HAVE WE GOT A DEAL FOR YOU!
  • 12:16 IT IS YOURS FOR THE ASKING...
  • 12:18 OUR MONTHLY MAGAZINE
  • 12:20 CHOCK FULL OF NEWS
  • 12:22 RELATED TO THE JEWS,
  • 12:23 THE STUFF YOU NORMALLY DON'T GET.
  • 12:27 WE WANT TO GET IT TO YOU.
  • 12:28 WE HOPE YOU'LL SEND A DIME OR A DOLLAR TO PAY FOR THE POSTAGE
  • 12:31 BUT WE'LL JUST GET THIS THING TO YOU.
  • 12:33 HEY IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE FOR US A LITTLE BIT...
  • 12:35 "PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM"
  • 12:37 IS AN OFFER IN THE PROGRAM COMING LATER.
  • 12:39 OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT ADVERTISING FOR US,
  • 12:41 YOU'RE ADVERTISING FOR GOD'S WILL AND WAYS IN THE WORLD.
  • 12:45 HERE'S ONE GREAT JEWISH WOMAN
  • 12:47 THAT I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO
  • 12:49 AFRESH IN THE OFFER...
  • 12:50 ESTHER HERSELF.
  • 12:52 THE OFFER FOR THE SERIES IS THE SERIES...
  • 12:55 RATHER, THE OFFER FOR THE PROGRAM IN THIS SERIES
  • 12:57 "ESTHER, FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS".
  • 12:59 IT'S A GREAT STORY ISN'T IT?
  • 13:02 ALL WAS NOT WELL IN RIVER CITY.
  • 13:06 ESTHER HAS COME INTO HER OWN
  • 13:08 BUT THERE'S SOME LINGERING BUSINESS...
  • 13:10 THERE'S THREATS MANIFEST STILL.
  • 13:13 AND THERE'S ESTHER STANDING IN THE GAP FOR GOD'S PEOPLE.
  • 13:16 WE WANT YOU TO STAND IN THE GAP.
  • 13:18 LET'S CONSIDER HOW SHE DOES THAT AND MORE.
  • 14:01 HONEY...JUST ONE MORE TIME.
  • 14:04 SEEMS THAT ONE DAY WASN'T ENOUGH
  • 14:08 TO ATTEND TO THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY
  • 14:11 WHICH WASN'T PLEASANT TO BE SURE.
  • 14:13 BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO AFTER A TUMOR
  • 14:16 DON'T JUST TAKE HALF OF IT
  • 14:17 GET ALL OF IT...
  • 14:18 CAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET ALL OF IT
  • 14:20 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND TAKE IT OUT THE NEXT DAY ANYWAY...
  • 14:22 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REVISIT THE SURGERY.
  • 14:24 WELL THEY WERE CLEANING HOUSE HAPPILY,
  • 14:28 THAT IS, THAT INDIVIDUALS WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN LIFE.
  • 14:32 THE NET RESULT IS THAT ANTI-SEMITES ARE BEING PUSHED BACK SOME.
  • 14:36 BUT HERE WE SEE THE DRAMA OF ESTHER WHO PETITIONS THE KING, HER HUSBAND,
  • 14:41 "PLEASE...WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS BUSINESS".
  • 14:45 AND IT REMINDS ME HOW THE STORY DOESN'T END,
  • 14:48 THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT BUSINESS EVEN TO THIS DAY IT SEEMS TO ME.
  • 14:52 IN ANY CASE, ON THIS DAY,
  • 14:54 I'M COMING TO YOU FROM A PLACE
  • 14:55 WHERE WE'VE INTERVIEWED
  • 14:57 THE SOLDIER THAT FOUGHT HERE
  • 14:58 BY THE WAY.
  • 14:59 AMMUNITION HILL AS I SAID
  • 15:01 EARLIER IN THIS SEGMENT
  • 15:02 WAS A BATTLE ROYAL FOR JERUSALEM.
  • 15:04 IT WAS FOUGHT HERE
  • 15:06 AND PEOPLE ARE COMMEMORATED FOR THEIR GIVING THEIR LIVES HERE.
  • 15:09 AND IN THIS VERY PLACE AS WELL A STRUGGLE WAS ENSUED.
  • 15:13 I WANT YOU TO LOOK WITH ME PLEASE IN CHAPTER 9, VERSE 5
  • 15:17 WE'RE TOLD THAT MORDECAI FAIRED WELL AS DID OTHERS.
  • 15:21 IN THE TEXT WE'RE TOLD...
  • 15:48 HERE AGAIN MOBILIZED WERE FORCES TO STAY THE HAND OF THOSE THAT WOULD SEEK TO DESTROY THEM.
  • 15:57 I BELIEVE THAT WARFARE IS BOTH MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL.
  • 16:02 AS YOU KNOW WE LIVE IN A DAY TODAY
  • 16:05 WHERE INDIVIDUALS CERTAINLY NEED TO CONTEND FOR A WAY OF LIFE,
  • 16:09 FOR BIBLICAL VALUES,
  • 16:11 FOR BIBLICAL VIRTUES.
  • 16:12 AND WE DO THAT SOCIALLY,
  • 16:14 WE DO THAT POLITICALLY,
  • 16:16 WE DO THAT SPIRITUALLY.
  • 16:18 WHEN I LOOK AT THE BIBLICAL TEXT THERE'S A WAY OF BEING.
  • 16:21 WE CALL IT JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ETHICS, JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES.
  • 16:26 FROM THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT BOTH COME A WAY, COME A VISION.
  • 16:32 INTERESTINGLY AND HISTORICALLY
  • 16:35 IS THE CASE THAT THERE ARE FORCES AMASSED TO SNUFF OUT THAT FIRE, TO QUENCH IT,
  • 16:42 TO DIM THE VISION, TO HINDER INDIVIDUALS FROM SEEING WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE WORLD
  • 16:51 AND WILL DO IN THE WORLD IN DAYS TO COME.
  • 16:54 IT'S IMPORTANT THAT INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME AND YOU...
  • 16:58 THAT WE UNSHEATH OUR SWORDS...
  • 17:01 I'M SPEAKING SPIRITUALLY HERE OF A BIBLICAL SWORD AT A PLACE, BY THE WAY,
  • 17:05 WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY FOUGHT WITH KNIVES FOR THEIR LIVES
  • 17:08 HERE ON AMMUNITION HILL.
  • 17:10 FROM THIS PLACE, FROM THIS TEXT
  • 17:12 SPEAKING FROM ME TO YOU,
  • 17:14 FROM MY HEART TO YOURS,
  • 17:16 LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAND UP FOR BIBLICAL WAYS.
  • 17:20 OPEN UP THAT BIBLE...
  • 17:21 READ IT...
  • 17:23 STAND ON IT...
  • 17:24 ADVOCATE FOR IT
  • 17:26 AND YOU WILL BE INDEED PLEASED THAT YOU DID SO
  • 17:29 AND YOU WILL HEAR A VOICE AT THE END OF DAYS SAYING,
  • 17:32 "WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT".
  • 17:42 ♪YOU HAVE SAVED US WITH YOUR ENDLESS LOVE♪
  • 17:47 ♪YOU HAVE DRAWN US BACK BY YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS♪
  • 17:54 ♪YOU WILL BUILD US UP AGAIN,♪
  • 17:57 ♪WE WILL BE REVIVED ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:00 ♪THEY WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY♪
  • 18:05 ♪THE HEAVENS DECLARE THAT NOTHING CAN COMPARE♪
  • 18:11 ♪TO YOU POWER AND MIGHT IN THIS PLACE♪
  • 18:18 ♪ALTHOUGH NATIONS WILL RISE - YOU WILL BE GLORIFIED♪
  • 18:24 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:30 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:33 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:36 ♪EVERY NATION AND TRIBE EVERY TONGUE♪
  • 18:38 ♪WILL SAY ADONAI IS THE HOLY ONE♪
  • 18:41 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:45 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 18:48 ♪EVERY WORD EVERY SONG THAT IS SUNG♪
  • 18:51 ♪WILL BE SUNG TO YOU - YOU'RE THE HOLY ONE♪
  • 18:55 ♪YOU HAVE SAVED US WITH YOUR ENDLESS LOVE♪
  • 19:01 ♪YOU HAVE DRAWN US BACK BY YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS♪
  • 19:08 ♪YOU WILL BUILD US UP AGAIN,♪
  • 19:11 ♪WE WILL BE REVIVED ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 19:14 ♪AND THEY WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY♪
  • 19:19 ♪THE HEAVENS DECLARE THAT NOTHING CAN COMPARE♪
  • 19:25 ♪TO YOUR POWER AND MIGHT IN THIS PLACE♪
  • 19:32 ♪ALTHOUGH NATIONS WILL RISE - YOU WILL BE GLORIFIED♪
  • 19:38 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 19:44 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 19:46 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 19:49 ♪EVERY NATION AND TRIBE EVERY TONGUE♪
  • 19:52 ♪WILL SAY ADONAI IS THE HOLY ONE♪
  • 19:55 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 19:59 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 20:02 ♪EVERY WORD EVERY SONG THAT IS SUNG♪
  • 20:04 ♪WILL BE SUNG TO YOU - YOU'RE THE HOLY ONE♪
  • 20:10 ♪AND WHEN THE DARK IS ALL AROUND US THEN♪
  • 20:14 ♪YOU'LL DRAW US CLOSER INTO YOU♪
  • 20:18 ♪YOU WILL DRAW US CLOSE WE NEED NOT BE AFRAID♪
  • 20:23 ♪WHEN THE DARK IS ALL AROUND US♪
  • 20:26 ♪YOU'LL DRAW US CLOSER INTO YOU♪
  • 20:30 ♪YOU WILL DRAW US CLOSE WE NEED NOT BE AFRAID♪
  • 20:36 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE A -♪
  • 20:40 ♪THEY WILL BOW AGAIN♪
  • 20:44 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET AGAIN♪
  • 20:47 ♪OHHHH...OH YEAH♪
  • 20:52 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT -♪
  • 20:55 ♪THEY WILL BOW, THEY WILL BOW AGAIN♪
  • 21:00 ♪THEY WILL BOW AT YOUR FEET ONCE AGAIN♪
  • 21:04 ♪EVERY SONG AND EVERY WORD OH YEAH♪
  • 21:10 ♪OH YEAH YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE YEAH♪
  • 21:13 ♪OH YEAH YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE YEAH♪
  • 21:16 ♪LA DA DA DA DA DA DA♪
  • 21:20 ♪OH...WHOA...YEAH♪
  • 21:25 ♪THEY WILL BOW AGAIN♪
  • 21:29 THEY WILL BOW.
  • 21:31 IT'S SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND SHARON.
  • 21:33 HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT?
  • 21:34 THIS IS SUCH AN INTERESTING SONG.
  • 21:36 IT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRST ONE THAT I EVER WROTE.
  • 21:38 I WAS ON A TRIP TO ISRAEL WITH MY DAD
  • 21:41 AND I WAS OUT ON OUR PORCH IN JERUSALEM OVERLOOKING THE CITY.
  • 21:44 THIS IS MY FIRST TRIP THERE
  • 21:46 AND I'M SURE YOU CAN PROBABLY REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TRIP TO ISRAEL.
  • 21:48 EVERYTHING STILL WHEN YOU GO IS JUST "WOW"
  • 21:51 BUT THAT FIRST TRIP,
  • 21:52 I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.
  • 21:53 AND I WAS ON OUR PORCH
  • 21:55 JUST HAVING A DEVOTION TIME WITH THE LORD
  • 21:57 AND JUST SO IN AWE AT THE MOMENT AND LOOKING OVER THE CITY.
  • 22:00 AND THEN ALL OF SUDDEN ON THE LOUD SPEAKER
  • 22:03 COMES THE ISLAMIC PRAYERS BEING SUNG OVER THE CITY
  • 22:07 AND IN THE MOMENT I JUST FELT SUCH AN ANGER RISING UP IN ME.
  • 22:11 AND I'M LIKE...
  • 22:12 THIS IS NOT FAIR...
  • 22:13 THIS IS GOD'S MOST HOLY CITY JERUSALEM.
  • 22:15 AND HERE WE HAVE THESE PRAYERS
  • 22:17 AND YOU COULD JUST SENSE THE ATMOSPHERE CHANGE IN THE SPIRIT.
  • 22:20 IT WAS EERIE ALMOST.
  • 22:22 YOU KNOW THAT JERUSALEM IS MENTIONED 600 HUNDRED TIMES IN THE BIBLE,
  • 22:25 NOT ONCE IN THE KORAN
  • 22:27 BUT MUSLIMS CLAIM THAT JEWS WERE NEVER THERE,
  • 22:29 IT'S AN ISLAMIC CITY THROUGH AND THROUGH.
  • 22:31 IT'S SO FRUSTRATING
  • 22:32 AND I JUST FELT THAT ANGER RISING UP IN ME
  • 22:36 AND GOD REMINDED ME OF A VERSE I'VE HEARD SO MANY TIMES...
  • 22:38 EVERY KNEE WILL BOW...
  • 22:39 EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS.
  • 22:41 AND IN THAT MOMENT
  • 22:43 I REALIZED THAT GUY THAT'S ON THAT SPEAKER RIGHT NOW
  • 22:46 SINGING THOSE PRAYERS TO WHOEVER HE THINKS HE'S SINGING THEM TO...
  • 22:49 HE'S GOING TO BE BOWING AT THE FEET OF THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB.
  • 22:53 WAITING FOR THE MOMENT OF THAT SUBMISSION IS AN ABIDING THEME.
  • 22:57 GOING BACK TO BIBLE DAYS
  • 23:00 IN PURIM THERE WAS WICKEDNESS TRYING TO PUSH THE JEWS OUT OF THE PICTURE
  • 23:04 THEN AS NOW. >>YEAH...EXACTLY.
  • 23:06 WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END OF THE PURIM STORY;
  • 23:09 HAMAN DID NOT HAVE HIS WAY.
  • 23:11 AND I'M SURE WHEN HE MET GOD FACE TO FACE
  • 23:15 HE KNEW THAT HIS WAY WAS THE WRONG WAY TO BE CHOOSING.
  • 23:20 AND IN THE JEWISH WORLD WE REMEMBER THESE WAYS AND THOSE DAYS
  • 23:25 AS WE IN THE SYNAGOGUE AS CHILDREN CELEBRATE PURIM.
  • 23:28 ZOLA LEVITT'S GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT THAT NOW.
  • 23:31 OFF TO ZOLA.
  • 23:34 THE CELEBRATION IN THE SYNAGOGUE
  • 23:37 IS INTERESTING;
  • 23:38 THEY READ THE WHOLE BOOK OF ESTHER,
  • 23:39 SO CALLED "THE WHOLE MEGILLAH".
  • 23:41 THEY READ IT FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM
  • 23:43 AND THE CHILDREN HAVE GRAGGERS IN THEIR HAND...
  • 23:47 AWFUL NOISE MAKERS THAT THEY SHAKE RATHER LIKE WHAT WE DO AT NEW YEAR'S OR MARDI GRA.
  • 23:52 THEY MAKE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN THE RABBI PRONOUNCES THE NAME OF HAMAN, THE PRIME MINISTER.
  • 23:58 AND I REMEMBER AS A LITTLE KID SITTING IN THE SYNAGOGUE
  • 24:01 IN A COSTUME DRESSED AS MORDECAI OR SOME BODY IN THE STORY
  • 24:05 AND THE RABBI READING SLOWLY THROUGH THE WHOLE MEGILLAH
  • 24:09 AND ALL OF US WAITING WITH OUR BAITED BREATH
  • 24:12 AND OUR NOISE MAKERS READY
  • 24:14 AND FINALLY HE WOULD COME TO "HAA...MAAN", HAMAN,
  • 24:17 AND WE'D...OH THE SYNAGOGUE WOULD JUST JUMP UP AND DOWN WITH THE NOISE AND THE RACKET
  • 24:22 AND ALL WE KIDS WOULD JUST RUN AROUND THE PLACE...
  • 24:25 IT WAS A "FREE FOR ALL".
  • 24:26 THE SYNAGOGUE AND IT'S FORMAL ISLES AND PLATFORMS AND SO ON
  • 24:30 WAS ALL PUT IN THE HANDS OF THE CHILDREN FOR PURIM
  • 24:34 AND WE HAD QUITE A GOOD TIME WITH IT.
  • 24:37 I HAVE GREAT MEMORIES OF PURIM AS A CHILD.
  • 24:40 I WAS AMAZED BY THE COSTUMES.
  • 24:43 HOW ABOUT YOU?
  • 24:44 IT'S SUCH A FUN STORY TO TELL
  • 24:46 AND AS A KID AT MY CONGREGATION
  • 24:48 WE ALWAYS HAD THE COSTUMES.
  • 24:50 AND I REMEMBER MY MOM DRESSING ME UP AS QUEEN ESTHER
  • 24:53 WITH THE LITTLE SASH ON
  • 24:54 AND IT WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR,
  • 24:56 NOT JUST BECAUSE THE STORY WAS SO INTERESTING AN AMAZING IN AND OF ITSELF,
  • 25:00 BUT IT WAS JUST A FUN CELEBRATION.
  • 25:02 WELL THERE'S MOM DRESSING YOU UP AS ESTHER AS A LITTLE GIRL,
  • 25:05 GOING IN FRONT OF A CONGREGATION OF A COUPLE HUNDRED.
  • 25:08 NOW HERE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ESTHER
  • 25:10 IN FRONT OF A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND
  • 25:11 THROUGH THE MIRACLE THAT'S TELEVISION.
  • 25:13 CAN GOD RAISE PEOPLE UP LIKE ESTHER IN A BYGONE ERA?
  • 25:16 DEFINITELY,
  • 25:18 WHO KNOWS WHO THE NEXT ESTHER IS GOING TO BE?
  • 25:20 WHO KNOWS WHO THE NEXT JOSEPH IS GOING TO BE?
  • 25:22 AND IT'S EVIDENT THAT WE ARE LIVING IN CRUCIAL TIMES RIGHT NOW
  • 25:25 WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD,
  • 25:27 WITH ISRAEL,
  • 25:28 AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.
  • 25:30 AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO AMAZING ABOUT THE STORY
  • 25:33 IS HERE WAS THIS GIRL,
  • 25:34 SHE WAS JUST A GIRL,
  • 25:36 THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ANYTHING EXTREMELY SPECIAL ABOUT HER THAT SET HER APART
  • 25:41 BUT GOD CHOSE HER,
  • 25:42 CHOSE TO BRING HER TO THE POINT OF WHERE SHE INFLUENCED HISTORY.
  • 25:46 RIGHT...SHE HAD TO TAKE THAT FINAL STEP; >>YEAH...SHE DID
  • 25:49 YOU KNOW SHE WAS RELUCTANT THERE. >>...EXACTLY.
  • 25:50 I'VE HEARD IT SAID THAT THE WORD "FAITH"
  • 25:52 IS SPELLED R-I-S-K.
  • 25:54 SOMETIMES YOU ROLL THE DICE AGAINST AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.
  • 25:57 IT'S TRUE
  • 25:58 AND SHE HAD TO POSSESS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COURAGE.
  • 26:01 WHEN IT COMES TO THAT POINT
  • 26:04 WHERE YOU GOT TO MAKE THE DECISION,
  • 26:05 "AM I GOING TO STEP FORWARD WITH THIS?"
  • 26:07 "OR AM I JUST GOING TO SIT BACK AND LET IT HAPPEN".
  • 26:09 IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHETHER SHE DID IT OR NOT
  • 26:12 SO IT TOOK THAT CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COURAGE FOR HER TO JUST SAY,
  • 26:16 "OKAY GOD, USE ME, I WANT TO BE THE ONE."
  • 26:18 RIGHT AND SHE EXPERIENCED IN THE PROCESS GOD TURNING HER SORROW INTO JOY.
  • 26:23 YES...EXACTLY.
  • 26:25 HENCE THE STORY OF PURIM.
  • 26:26 THANKS FOR GOING WITH US ON THE JOURNEY.
  • 26:28 WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK AND WRAP IT ALL UP.
  • 26:31 BUT HEY LISTEN WE CAN SEE YOU BEFORE THEN.
  • 26:34 YOU CAN FIND US ON YOUTUBE,
  • 26:35 FACEBOOK,
  • 26:37 WE'RE THERE FOR YOU.
  • 26:38 THANKS AGAIN FOR GOING WITH US.
  • 26:40 AS YOU GO NOW,
  • 26:41 SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM
  • 26:43 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

Episodes in this series

  1. Beautiful Inside and Out
  2. Chosen for a Purpose
  3. Called to be Courageous
  4. Undone by a Woman
  5. God Rewards the Righteous
  6. Justice at Last!
  7. Fight We Must!
  8. The Triumph of God in Human History

Guest organizations and links