Gilbert House Fellowship #222: Deut. 9; Esther 4-10

AN ASTUTE listener pointed out that we skipped chapter 9 of Deuteronomy way back between studies #44 and #45, so we begin this week by correcting that oversight. (Thank you, Marilyn!)

We find a wonderful nugget in Moses’ directions to the Israelites, based on the intriguing link between the Hebrew word for “cities” and the Aramaic word for “Watchers.”

Then we move to the climax of the Book of Esther, in which Haman gets his comeuppance, which was more gruesome than you’ve been taught. (The Hebrew word translated “gallows” really means “pike,” or something similar. Think Vlad the Impaler, and you get the idea.)

One of the main takeaways from Esther is this bit of advice from Mordecai to his young cousin, the queen:

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14 (ESV)

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

8 Comments

  1. Looking forward to the study of Job starting next week ! I appreciate your work on these studies ! ! <3

    1. Author

      Hi, Sherry,

      Because we’re going through the Bible in chronological order, we studied Job several years ago, about halfway through Genesis. Scholars are pretty sure Job lived before Abraham.

      Next, we go back to the book of Ezra. You can find the Job studies here at the Old Testament study archive.

  2. I absolutely love your Sunday studies. Thank you for taking the time to do these wonderful studies.
    I’ve been studying Esther and Ruth for several years now as I’ve been brought by God to see them as critical texts that illustrate Jesus’s Bride. One of my favorite sources to use during my studies is Aleph Beta. It’s a fabulous site filled with SO much Old Testament and Torah studies. Here’s a link to some Purim studies I think you may find invaluable: https://www.alephbeta.org/purim.
    Again, thank you so much for your dedication to these wonderful, rich Bible studies.


  3. Islam symbol is the cresent MOON as is the backgroud of Islam. The great mosque was a pagan shrine to the moon goddess , is it possible there is a connection. The fallen recycle themselves??? just trying to make connections. Am a great fan of Dr Heiser and enjoy what you do and the passion you have for the word and how God works.

    1. Author

      Hi, Charles: Here’s a hint–my next book is about Islam, and the working title is Bad Moon Rising. 🙂

  4. Wow Love listening to you both you make the Bible come alive thank-you sooooo much

  5. Thank you for covering Deuteronomy 9!

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