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Hi, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost, and it is a joy and honor to be here. I'm so excited to be here with you guys. What is this? Coffee with ice. Christ with coffee. We have coffee on ice. Thank you, God. We have our Christ. He's everywhere, actually, especially right here in our hearts. And he's right here. Oh, my gosh. I matched my Bible today. That's cute. Look at how cute we are together. Oh, she's beautiful. Guys, I've plugged them before. I'm going to say it again. I still get quiet, so as long as I'm getting questions, I'm still gonna answer them. And I've linked it in the description. My bible is always linked in the description if you are watching on YouTube. But Hosanna Revival is the brand. They make the most beautiful, gorgeous, elegant, stunning Bibles specifically for women. I would say men can use them, too, but typically they're kind of girly, and they're amazing. They also have such great journals. They have really cute stuff, guys like, really cute. And if you've heard me talk about them on and on and on. And you have yet to look at their website. What? What are you waiting for? They're the best. And I have a code with them which you guys should use because I think it should save you at least 10 to 15% off. And it's just my first and last name. It's Ali Yost. So go ahead and shop their site. Bless them, because they are incredible. They are so intentional. They are the sweetest people ever, and I am just such an advocate for them. And they truly love Jesus. So also, just knowing that you're supporting a company where it's like they really, really love God and, you know, just blessing other people who are in the body, and they're just doing such great things over there. So love them. Also, I'm wearing a headband today. And I'm wearing a headband because I saw this cute girl on Instagram wearing a headband. It's this girl that I follow on Instagram. Her name is Brooke. Wait, actually, can I tell you guys who she is? I'm gonna tell you guys who she is because her and her husband also have this really incredible clothing line together. Okay, so Brooke Epps. Do you guys know who Brooke Epps is? She's freaking stunning and adorable and precious and cute. And then her husband, they have this clothing line, it's faith based, and it's called Not Yet Home. Anyway, check them Out. We bless them as well. She was the one that inspired me to wear this headband. That's it. I don't know. I just saw her wearing it. I was like, oh, that's cute. I've never thought to wear a headband like that. You know, like the stretchy ones like this. So we're trying it today. I don't know if it's working, but she's kind of giving sporty. And then this is from form, guys. We're just gonna plug everyone and bless everyone because they deserve it. These are good people. These girls over at form. I love them. And I will say this is how I'm going to. Okay, this is what I'm going to say. They have blessed me so much, and it's so fun because I've actually been connected with these girls for a while, but I've never really tried their app. Okay. None of this is sponsored. Even if it was. Even if things were sponsored, I will only advocate for things that I really believe in and love. But I've never used their app. And so I downloaded it myself. I'm paying for it myself. Okay. And I love it. It's actually, like, completely transformed my relationship with the gym. Yeah. I don't know. Have I told this on the podcast? I've. I've babbled and yapped about this on my platforms before, but I've never talked about this on my podcast. So now I feel like it's free game. Hi, guys. Sometimes, I don't know, I feel like there's just, like, a different audience over here on the podcast than there is on my socials sometimes. So working out. Let this inspire someone. Actually, please, God, use this. Use my yapping right now, Lord. So working out for me has been a really not so healthy relationship. I never really grew up athletic. Like, I tried a couple sports growing up. You know, if you had the parents, I understand. Okay. I recognize that there's, like, a healthy amount of this because you don't want your parents to be giving dictators where they're, like, telling you what to do with your life all the time. But when you are that young, I kind of wish I did have the type of parents. I love my parents. They're perfect. But I wish I had the kind of parents that didn't give me so much, like, say, you know, in the things that I wanted to continue to do or not. Because I tried gymnastics for, like, maybe a week, and I was like, I hate this. And my parents were like, okay, you don't have to ever do it again. That's love. Like, I understand that they were really just trying to love me so well, but, like, there were some sports and things that I just feel like I was too young to be making the decision of, I don't want to do this anymore. And. And also, I wasn't doing it for that long, where it's like, maybe I could have hated it in the first week. Also, I am eight. So, like, how about. How about we make a deal? Honey, I will treat you to three nights. I don't know what. How do you do this? Parents? Do you bribe your kids? I don't know if that's always so healthy. Be like, all right, if you try gymnastics for one straight month blank, is that healthy? I wish that I had a little bit more of that, because I never did. I just never did sports then. And now I'm kind of like, dang, I wish I did at least a sport. And I did dance and ballet for a little bit. I was five. I gave up on sports probably at the age of eight. Single digits, guys. That's when I stopped doing sports anyway. What the heck am I even talking about anymore? I just was never athletic, okay? And so working out, moving my body, super intimidating for me because I didn't have a lot of experience with that. So whenever I've tried in the past, okay, and this goes back years and years, but in the past, maybe starting in my twenties, I don't know. But there would be, like, moments where I'd be like, I am ready to be a fit girly. Okay? I am ready to be in shape. I. I'm ready to be strong. I'm ready to be able to run and walk for a long time. Like, I'm ready to move my body. And so whenever I would do that, though, I would like. Cause I don't know what I'm doing. And sometimes I can be such an extremist where it's like, all or nothing. I don't know if anyone relates to that, but I really can be that sometimes where I'm like, if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it, like, a lot. And I know that the Lord, like, really appreciates that heart posture. But at the same time, it's like, girl, if you do that, you're gonna burn out and you're gonna be done because you went in way too hard. So that's just always been. Working out was never fun. It was like, push until you're about to puke. And I don't know where I learned that, but it wasn't from God. And so anytime I would go through those little short lived moments in my life. Cause then I would get so burnt out and I'd be so sore and miserable and I'd hate my life and there'd be nothing about it that was fun because I basically was just torturing myself. So I would stop, obviously. But even in it, it was just wasn't fun. Cause I was like doing the most. It was like boot camp, y', all, like P90X, you know. But why do I have to do P90X? Like I don't actually. Yeah, it just was a punishment. It just felt like a punishment. So anyway, I've had a really bad relationship with working out and going to the gym. And I think also I've just had like a very negative. Yeah. Since I've had bad experiences with working out, that means anytime I would even go near a gym, step in a gym, hear the machinery of a gym, like smell a gym, I was immediately triggered. Because there's this thing that like, I don't know what it's called, but you can have a negative attachment or a positive to things, events, places, things, people, food. I don't know. But like for me, I had a very negative association with the gym because of those experiences. And the feelings that I had with those experiences immediately bled into just gym in general. So now I basically have had to unteach myself through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, God. How to have a positive association with the gym instead of a negative one. Because I've always had such a negative one. And oh, am I preaching right now? Because there are so many things that I believe this could be about, not just the gym. It could be a lot of things that we have negative associations due to past experiences which are very real. But maybe you're not supposed to have a negative association with that thing anymore. Yeah, I really was like, okay, God, you're going to have to teach me how to undo this. And so one of the positive associations. Well, first off, it may take time. Is this what we're talking about for the whole podcast? I don't know. Anyway, it may take time. The other part about me being the 0 to 100 type of girl is that I want immediate results. I think it's also a bit of being impatient. Maybe I wasn't always patient with myself. I have not always been super patient with myself. I'm so patient with others. I will literally give other people the most amount of grace and patience. Like I am like you take Your time. Take your time. I will sit here for weeks. I see other people as worthy for that grace. Sometimes I don't extend that grace to myself, which is a reflection of how I see myself sometimes, which is unworthy of grace and patience. Ooh. So the root goes deeper. But thank you, God, because he really. He really has helped me heal in so many ways with that. And I think that's why I would go so hard in these workouts, because I didn't have any patience for myself. I'd be like, I want immediate results like that eagerness also. So that ties into also having grace for yourself. That if this is something that takes time is what I'm saying. Like, the first couple times I went to the gym, I was like, I still hate it. What's going on, God? I'm still not having fun. And he's like, you've been going for three days. This is going to take time. This is like years of negative association that we're going to have to unlearn and basically, like, unravel. It's like this big knot, like this string of knot. And he's like, it's going to take time. Okay. You've only been trying to. It's like when your necklace is in a knot or like, yeah, it just, like, think of a knot. Like, if you're upset that you've been spending about three minutes trying to get. And you're like, it's not undone. And God's like, yeah, it's going to take a little time, but it will be undone. And also, I think it depends on how long that necklace has been rolling around and tangling itself, you know? So it's like, it's been a long time of negative association that I've had attached to Jim. So having grace for myself, knowing that, like, hey, I might hate it the first few weeks that I go, you know, like, it might not be the best part of my day yet, but I will get there, you know? And so extending that grace and patience with myself through the Holy Spirit, because that's the only place I can really get it from, because I can't do it on my own. I cannot give myself grace on my own. It has to come from the spirit of God. Anyway, it was so funny because I would come back from the gym, and Ashley would be like, how was it? And I'm like, fine. I'm like, it's fine. I still don't really like it. And all I would do is just walk on the treadmill. That just shows how much of A negative association I had with the gym because I wouldn't even be doing like a full blown workout. I would just be walking on the treadmill and I'd be like, it was miserable. It was just the environment. It was again, it's just everything that I had attached to it. So, anyway, I promise that everything I just said actually does have something to do with this sweatshirt I'm wearing, which is how I started all of this. So the form app. Okay. The other thing is I just really need guidance in this area of my life because I don't have a lot of experience with working out. I've needed guidance and any other guidance I've gone to has been extreme. Like I said, it's like P90X. It's like 75 hard. It's like 0 to 100. Way too hard on myself. And so I knew of these girls because I'm connected with them and I'm actually friends with them. I knew about the app, never tried it, downloaded it, decided to use it, and it has been the most healing thing for me. I love it because they have everything that you need in the sense of like, how much time you want to work out. Like, there's this one arm workout that I do, arm and core. It's 12 minutes. Sometimes I just don't have time to be at the gym for three hours, which is another thing I would do is I would feel like if I wasn't at the gym for a minimum of like an hour, hour and a half, it wasn't effective. That's not the truth. Like, God has showed me so much garbage that I had in my mind of, like, what it means to move your body effectively. And it doesn't always mean that you're beating the doo doo out of yourself for an hour and a half at the gym. That is not healthy. That is not a healthy relationship. Ali. So sometimes, y', all, I'm walking on the treadmill for 15, 20 minutes and then I do that 12 minute arm core workout and it's like I've moved my body, I've gotten my heart rate up. I am sore, believe it or not, from that 12 minute workout. I got the blood flowing in my body and I did it. I did it. You know, this app has just been so good for me, at least with being at so such a beginner level. I will say they definitely have workouts on there that are a little hard for me. And I'm like, okay, this is a little advanced for me. I am not this stable or balanced or flexible. But I'll get there. Okay, I'll get there. But they have a lot. And also what I love is that the girls who are teaching and instructing and showing and leading you in these workouts, they just make me feel so safe, so validated, so safe. Sometimes they're like, woo, I'm sore. I feel, feel that. And I'm like, okay, good. Because I was, I'm like, sometimes I'm like in the workout and I'm literally physically like burning, like my arms are burning. And I'm like, wow, this is hard. But then when I hear them say it and admit that it's also hard for them, I'm like, oh, good, because you're really fit. And so this is burning you. I don't know, I just feel like they're so, like, real and they're also so comforting and validating. And I also just love Sammy Clark because she just comes to it with such a place of like, gratitude and being like, hey, you made it like, you showed up today and today is a good day. You can move your body. You're alive. And I'm like, praise Jesus. You're right, girl. Now I will say I know that this is a Christian podcast. Obviously we're Christians here. I don't believe all these girls. Like, it's not a faith based app. I will say that. But there is a lot of positivity in it, which I love and encouragement and edifying, which are all very much a part of Christianity and aligns with my beliefs. So we may not all align in our beliefs that way, but like very aligned beliefs. These girls are so encouraging and it helps me a lot of times. I'll even do these workouts at home as well. And so I'll have the set going on my phone and then I'll be playing worship music on my TV so that I can also, guys, if you haven't done this, if you haven't worked out to worship music, you're missing out. You're missing out what you can feel Jesus doing. And like, working out can be worship. So that's the other thing that the Lord showed me. Okay? So good news is I do have a lot of positive associations now with working out. I wouldn't say I'm a pro yet. I wouldn't say that I'm like 100% infatuated and in love with working out yet. But even implementing things that I love, like Jesus and worship music, sometimes I'll be on the treadmill and I'm reading my Bible and it makes the Time go by so, so fast as I'm on the treadmill and just bringing things into my workouts that just bring me joy. And typically, that's Jesus. So I like to, you know, because again, it's not faith based. That's okay. But I like to integrate things of my faith in these workouts, which make it kind of holy. And it also makes it so much more enjoyable. And, yeah, it's a form of worship. Like, I'm moving my body with Jesus and I'm listening to this worship music. I also like when I'm working out. I never had this before because I would just have to get the strength from within myself. But if I felt like I couldn't get a couple more reps or I was getting really tired. What's cool about the spirit of God is he will give you the strength in that moment. Like, I literally will feel Jesus almost as if he's like my trainer or he's like, spotting me and he's like, I got you. Like, give me one more. Like, I got you. Give me two more reps, girl. Like, you got it. And it's cool. Like, I've never experienced that in my life, but I physically felt the spirit give me strength from within me. It's cool. Like, the spirit, like, just flows in you guys. Like, you know what? You know what I'm talking about. And the spirit of God pushes me so much in those workouts. And again, it's not to a place of exhaustion or, like, pushing myself too much, but it's like, I feel that he's given me the power. And I'm like, you're right. Like, I got it. Like, I can do one. I can give you one more. God, it's so fun. And I didn't know that this existed. I could be preaching to the choir right now because there could be so many people that are like, yeah, girl. Like, I live my life that way. I love it. I'm so glad you found it. I didn't know this existed in working out. Like, I just didn't. So let that encourage somebody. And I just love these girls so much. Also, I think they gave me a code for their workout apparel, like their workout sets. Now you got to be careful because some of it, I do love them. It's not the most modest for us modest girlies. So I love to layer. Like, I have these wraps and I've linked it all in my shop. My. But I have these wraps that I like to put over, you know, my bras and legging sets. So I'm a little bit more covered and I'm not super revealed, but they have like tank tops and stuff and this sweatset too. They have things that are more modest, but just be discerning as well with the Lord. About that. I try my best to. Yeah, they did give me a code. Okay, guys, we have a code now for form if you'd like to shop any of their stuff. I could not suggest these girls more. It's ally15. So it's just my first name, 15. I imagine that's because it gives you 15% off. Incredible quality. So good. And they're just the sweetest. So anyway, I'm done plugging everyone, but these are just major updates in my life. These are the most major updates in my life. Okay, guys, I know that I promised you guys this, so I'm excited to continue, but last week we stopped in the book of Esther. I believe we needed to pick up at Esther 5, chapter 5. We stopped at, honestly, one of the best parts of the story of Esther when her cousin said, don't think for a moment. Oh, what did he say? Okay, yes. So we had stopped right around the part where Mordecai was like, hey, listen, is it perhaps that you were made queen for such a time as this? So iconic. Okay, so we're gonna continue to Esther, chapter five. Actually, this is perfect because I don't think there's that many chapters left. Oh, there are. We gotta read five more chapters. Okay. Esther, chapter five, verse one. If you guys have your Bibles, let's do this together. I would literally love that. I would love for us to do this together. If you don't, that's okay. I can read to you. I will say that my editor Katie is so gifted with editing these kinds of episodes because you guys don't hear it, but I mess up. Up. It's the Old Testament and I'm reading out loud to thousands of people. It's a lot of pressure, but I will. I will botch a lot of these words. But she's so good at editing and making it not really sound like that. So, yeah, if you can't read your Bible out loud like I can on the episodes, I can't either. It's Katie's editing. Okay, chapter five, verse one of Esther. On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, the just across from the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court. He welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. Then the king asked her, what do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you even if it is half of the kingdom. And Esther replied, if it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king. The king turned to his attendants and said, tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet as Esther has requested. So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet, and while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you even if it is half the kingdom. Esther replied, this is my request. And then, deepest wish, if I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet. I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about. Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet. But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh his wife and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all other nobles and officials. Then Haman added, and that's not all. Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us, and she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow. Then he added, but this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate. So Haman's wife and all his friends suggested, set up a sharpened pole that stands 75ft tall, and in the morning, ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king. This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole to be set up. Not very nice. Giving a lot of pride. I don't like this Haman guy. All right, we're in chapter six. Now, that night, the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. Okay. In those records, he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Big Thana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king's private quarters, they had plotted to assassinate the king. Guys, that is so funny that when the king had a hard time to sleep, he was like, tell me the story of my reign as king. But didn't the lord use it, though? Because he had realized he didn't know this. He didn't know that Mordecai was the one that exposed these two guards that were plotting to kill the king to assassinate him. So because of that, the king was like, what reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this? The king asked. His attendants replied, nothing has been done for him. Who is that in the outer court? The king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. Can you believe this timing right now? So the attendants replied to the king, haman is out in the court. Bring him in. The king ordered. So Haman came in, and the king said, what should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me? And at this point, y', all, this is so good. Haman has no idea who the king is talking about. The king's just like, so what should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me? And so Haman, I don't know, maybe he was thinking about himself. Like, maybe he thought that the king was talking about him. Haman thought to himself, whom would the king wish to honor more than me? So he replied, if the king wishes to honor someone, he should bring out one of the king's own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden, one with a royal emblem on its head. Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king's robes and led through the city square on the king's horse. Have the king's official shout as they go. This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor. Excellent. The king said to Haman, quick, take the robes and my horse and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested. Oh, my gosh. So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king's own horse and led him through the city square, shouting, this is what the king does for someone. He Wishes to honor. Afterward, Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home, dejected and completely humiliated. Okay, but that's not where the story ends, guys. When Haman told his wife and all of his friends what had happened, his wise advisors and his wife said, since Mordecai, this man who has humiliated you is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him. Okay, so now they're warning him, and they're saying it's not a good idea to keep opposing him. While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther's banquet. On the second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, tell me what you want, Queen Esther, what is your request? I will give it to you even if it is half the kingdom. Queen Esther replied, if I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial of a matter to warrant disturbing the king. So she basically is like, listen, if this was just about them being sold as slaves, this would not be worth me bringing to you, but because it is about being handed over to the people who are going to kill, slaughter, and annihilate us and wipe out everyone. That is why I have to bring this to you, is what she's saying to the king. The king demanded, who would do such a thing? The king demanded. Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you? Esther replied, this wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy. Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. Then the king jumped to his feet in rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind and pled for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. In despair, he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining. Just as the king was returning from the palace garden, the king exclaimed, will he even assault the queen right here in the palace before my very eyes? And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman's face, signaling his doom. Then Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands 75ft tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use this to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination. Then impale Haman on it, the king ordered. So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. Oof. Okay, we're in chapter eight now, guys. We're almost done. The Lord speaks so much about, like, the traps that your enemies set for you. The Lord ends up uno reversing, and they fall into their own traps. That's gotta be a proverb somewhere, I think. But it's so that. I mean, we just saw that happen. On that same day, the king gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property. Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman against the Jews. Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther, so she rose and stood before him. Esther said, if it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the order of Haman, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king's provinces should be destroyed. For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed? The king said to Queen Esther and Mordecai, the Jew, I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king's name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked. So on June 25, the king's secretaries were summoned and a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and the nobles of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of the empire, including that of the Jews. The decree was written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers who rode fast horses, especially bred from the king's service. The king's decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them, or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. The day chosen for this event throughout all of the provinces of the king was March 7 of the next year. A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on the appointed day. So, urged by the king's command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred from the king's service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then Mordecai left the king's presence wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and the outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere, in every province and city. Wherever the king's decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them. So on March 7, the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies. The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to attack anyone who tried to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them. And all the nobles of the provinces, the highest officers, the governors and the royal officials, helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai. For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful. So the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their enemies with the sword. They killed and annihilated their enemies and did as they pleased with those who hated them. In the fortress of Susa itself, The Jews killed 500 men. They also killed all of these names that I literally cannot pronounce, the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder. That very day, when the king was Informed of the number of the people killed in the fortress of Susa, he called for Queen Esther. He said, the jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Susa alone, as well as Haman's 10 sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you. Tell me, and I will do it. Esther responded, if it please the king, give the Jews and Susa permission to do it again tomorrow as they have done today, and let the bodies of Haman's 10 sons be impaled on a pole. Ugh. Gosh. So the king agreed, and the decree was announced in Susa, and they impaled the bodies of Haman's 10 sons. Then the Jews at Susa gathered together on March 8th and killed 300 more men. And again they took no plunder. Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all of their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder. This was done throughout the provinces on March 7. And on March 8, they rested, celebrating their victory with the day of feasting and gladness. The Jews at Susa killed their enemies on March 7 and again on March 8, then rested on March 9, making that their day of feasting and gladness. So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday on the appointed day in later winter, when they rejoice and send gifts of food to each other. Cute. I like that part. Okay, we're almost done. Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far throughout all the provinces of the king, calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. A time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy. So the Jews accepted Mordecai's proposal and adopted this annual custom. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots. But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's evil plot to backfire. And Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole. That is why this celebration is called Purim. We're just running out of time with recording right now, guys, but we're going to just skip really Quick down. I would love for you guys to read. This is just the rest of chapter nine. We're going to read chapter 10, which is just a few sentences. You guys should really. Actually, I hate that I'm rushing that part. But just to end the Book of Esther, this is the very end of it. It says, the king imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands, his great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted and recorded in the book of the history of the King of Media and Persia. Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister with authority next to that of the king himself. He was very great among the Jews who helped him in high esteem because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants. Amen. That's the end of the Book of Esther, guys. Really cool story. Really super inspiring. And it's so cool because, like I said in our first episode, this is the only book in the Bible where God isn't directly pointed to. But it's like, it still points to him, though. Like, it shows how much he believes in justice and how much he favors the ones who love him, and that he really does take care of our enemies when people are coming to kill, steal, and destroy us or our lives when the enemy is coming for us. I just feel like this is such an encouraging book that shows how when it looks like we're literally about to be killed, God is our advocator, and he is the one that fights for us, and he's ultimately the one that is in control with just the outcome of these things, you know? And the Lord really reversed all of it, and every evil intent and plot that these people had against the Jews ended up being thrown right back at them by God. So praise God. Hallelujah. I love you guys. Thank you for tuning in for another episode. I'm just so proud of you guys, and I hope that you have the best week ever. I will see you guys next week. Hey, guys, can we do something really cool before we go? Can we also just make sure that we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Let's walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like him. I love you guys, and I will see you next week. Bye. Are some of y' all still listening? Okay, if you're still here, that means you're a real one, which is why I'm about to share this with you. If you've already caught up on all the episodes, so far and you don't want to wait until next Friday for a new one, I have really good news for you. Subscribe to our Patreon to get early access to the episodes every week, early access to merch launches or any other exciting news, and receive personalized encouraging messages or Bible verses from us. Subscribe to Our patreon@www.patreon.com backslash cwcoi I do also want to mention that there is a way to give to the podcast, so if you ever feel led to donate, it blesses me so much and it helps allow the podcast to keep running. You can donate to our paypal at www.paypal.me. backslash CWCOI we appreciate y' all and we love you so, so much.