91 Now in the twelfth e month (that is, the month Adar ), on the thirteenth e day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed , on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm ; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples . 3 Even all the princes of the provinces , the satraps , the governors and those who were doing the king's business assisted the Jews , because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 Indeed , Mordecai was great in the king's house , and his fame spread throughout all the provinces ; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater . 5 Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword , killing and destroying ; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men , 7 and Parshandatha , Dalphon , Aspatha , 8 Poratha , Adalia , Aridatha , 9 Parmashta , Arisai , Aridai and Vaizatha , 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha , the Jews' enemy ; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder . 11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king . 12 The king said to Queen Esther , "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa . What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces ! Now what is your petition ? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request ? It shall also be done ." 13 Then said Esther , "If it pleases e the king , let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today ; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows ." 14 So the king commanded that it should be done so ; and an edict was issued in Susa , and Haman's ten sons were hanged . 15 The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth e day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa , but they did not lay their hands on the plunder .
16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled , to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies , and kill 75,000 e e of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder . 17 This was done on the thirteenth e day of the month Adar , and on the fourteenth e day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing . 18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth e and the fourteenth e of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth e day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing . 19 Therefore e the Jews of the rural areas , who live in the rural towns , make the fourteenth e day of the month Adar a holiday e for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another .
20 Then Mordecai recorded these events , and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus , both near and far , 21 obliging e them to celebrate the fourteenth e day of the month Adar , and the fifteenth e day of the same month, annually e , 22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies , and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday e ; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor . 23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do , and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha , the Agagite , the adversary of all the Jews , had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur , that is the lot , to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But when it came to the king's attention , he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews , should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows . 26 Therefore e they called these days Purim after the name of Pur . And because of the instructions in this letter , both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually e . 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation , every family , every province and every city ; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews , or their memory fade from their descendants . 29 Then Queen Esther , daughter of Abihail , with Mordecai the Jew , wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim . 30 He sent letters to all the Jews , to the 127 e e provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus , namely, words of peace and truth , 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times , just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations . 32 The command of Esther established these customs for Purim , and it was written in the book .
101 Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea . 2 And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength , and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Media and Persia ? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus , and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen , one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation .
71 The high priest said , "Are these things so ?" 2 And he said , "Hear me, brethren e and fathers ! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia , before he lived in Haran , 3 and said to him, ' LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES , AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.' 4 " Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran . From there , after his father died , God had him move to this country in which you are now living . 5 "But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground , and yet, even when he had no child , He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION , AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM. 6 "But God spoke to this effect , that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND , AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS . 7 " 'AND WHATEVER e NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE ,' said God , 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE .' 8 "And He gave him the covenant of circumcision ; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac , and circumcised him on the eighth day ; and Isaac became the father of Jacob , and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs . 9 "The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt . Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions , and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh , king of Egypt , and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household . 11 "Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan , and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food . 12 "But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt , he sent our fathers there the first time . 13 "On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers , and Joseph's family was disclosed to Pharaoh . 14 "Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five e persons in all. 15 "And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died . 16 "From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem .
17 "But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham , the people increased and multiplied in Egypt , 18 until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH . 19 "It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose e their infants and they would not survive . 20 "It was at this time that Moses was born ; and he was lovely in the sight of God , and he was nurtured three months in his father's home . 21 "And after he had been set outside , Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son .
(Read Acts 7:1-16)
Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God, and an apostate from the church; therefore he shows that he is a son of Abraham, and values himself on it. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraham advanced toward performance, plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was the heavenly. God owned Joseph in his troubles, and was with him by the power of his Spirit, both on his own mind by giving him comfort, and on those he was concerned with, by giving him favour in their eyes. Stephen reminds the Jews of their mean beginning as a check to priding themselves in the glories of that nation. Likewise of the wickedness of the patriarchs of their tribes, in envying their brother Joseph; and the same spirit was still working in them toward Christ and his ministers. The faith of the patriarchs, in desiring to be buried in the land of Canaan, plainly showed they had regard to the heavenly country. It is well to recur to the first rise of usages, or sentiments, which have been perverted. Would we know the nature and effects of justifying faith, we should study the character of the father of the faithful. His calling shows the power and freeness of Divine grace, and the nature of conversion. Here also we see that outward forms and distinctions are as nothing, compared with separation from the world, and devotedness to God.
(Read Acts 7:17-29)
Let us not be discouraged at the slowness of the fulfilling of God's promises. Suffering times often are growing times with the church. God is preparing for his people's deliverance, when their day is darkest, and their distress deepest. Moses was exceeding fair, "fair toward God;" it is the beauty of holiness which is in God's sight of great price. He was wonderfully preserved in his infancy; for God will take special care of those of whom he designs to make special use. And did he thus protect the child Moses? Much more will he secure the interests of his holy child Jesus, from the enemies who are gathered together against him. They persecuted Stephen for disputing in defence of Christ and his gospel: in opposition to these they set up Moses and his law. They may understand, if they do not wilfully shut their eyes against the light, that God will, by this Jesus, deliver them out of a worse slavery than that of Egypt. Although men prolong their own miseries, yet the Lord will take care of his servants, and effect his own designs of mercy.
