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Restoration Ministry

Ron du Preez

The Barbie of the Bible: The Grace that Brings Revival

Because the ride is going to be a little rough.

What do I mean by the ride is going to be a little rough?

Well, you know, sometimes, in fact we were just chatting out there for a few moments, it's interesting, sometimes the things that we assume are really not always correct according to what is actually in the Bible itself.

And so I'm going to ask you, if possible, don't worry about what you've always thought, but rather, I want us to get into the word and seriously look at it, because you know, sometimes, ever happen to you?

You have an idea of something in the scriptures, and when you read the Bible, you find it's not exactly what you thought it was.

Today I want to spend some time in this incredible story.

But it's a story that few people are aware of.

Many of you are aware of the book of Esther.

When we read the book of Esther, where do we always start?

Don't start the book of Esther in Esther 1 verse 1.

If you start reading the book, the Bible, and you start with Genesis 1, when you get to Genesis chapter 3, there's a story of the serpent that comes to tempt Eve.

Which book of the Bible tells us who the serpent is?

The way to understand Genesis is you got to go to Revelation.

If you want to understand the first book of the Bible, chapter 3, you have to go to the 12th chapter of the last book of the Bible.

So the warning is, don't assume to understand Esther, you must start with Esther, chapter 1, verse 1.

Because you have to start before the beginning.

By the way, how many of you remember that song?

It's a secular song, but it talks about if you want to learn to read, you begin with ABC.

If you learn to sing, you begin with what?

You have to start at the very beginning but to understand the Bible you have to go even before the beginning.

So let's go before the beginning let's go to the book of Ezra not Esther.

If you want to properly understand Esther, you must not begin in Esther 1.

You've got to go back 2 books before that.

Actually, you have to even go back before.

But we'll pick up from Ezra chapter 1, and why do I say that?

The book of Esther tells us these were people that were living in what country?

How long, according to the prophecy, were they in Babylonian captivity?

He was hoping that the 70 years were over, Daniel chapter 9.

But so we've got to go back now to when the Medo-Persian Empire took over.

So glad to see so many of your Bibles here.

This is Bible study time and we are gonna dig into the word today.

And as I said already, I hope you have your seatbelts on because the ride is going to be rough.

Oh folks, sometimes we have what I call glamorized, glossed over, glorified versions of the true biblical story.

We want to go to the real story of Esther.

When I shared with my sister-in-law, Sherry, the biblical story, you know what she said to me?

Ron, I used to always think of Esther as the Barbie of the Bible.

The beauty queen, the Barbie of the Bible.

She said, you have just ruined the story of Esther.

Now it might ruin your version of Esther.

How many of you want to hear the biblical story of Esther?

Okay, you want to hear the biblical story?

Let's go to the before the beginning, Ezra.

I'm going to read quickly from the New King James Version.

Now in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing, saying...

Now, by the way, notice the word of the Lord to Jeremiah.

Remember, Jeremiah prophesied you will be in captivity for 70 years if you disobey and you have disobeyed so they went into captivity.

That's where Daniel was taken, remember, in 605 BC by Nebuchadnezzar's forces.

Now Cyrus comes along, 70 years later, and Cyrus, the Persian king, they've taken over the Babylonian kingdom, right?

The head was the head of gold representing Babylon?

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The Barbie of the Bible: The Grace that Brings Revival

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