Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

The Rev. Doug Griebenaw, pastor and Mission Advocate at KFUO joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 6:14-7:10.Irony. Comeuppance. Poetic Justice. Whatever you want to call it, Haman’s humiliation in the previous chapter is now compounded as Queen Esther uses the occasion of another special feast for King Ahasuerus and Haman to reveal Haman’s treacherous plot against the Jews. The king is furious while Haman grovels for mercy before the Queen. Is Haman simply experiencing a string of bad luck? No, it’s God’s divine providence at work. How does King Ahasuerus react? Let’s just say, the gallows Haman built will get some use after all.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Jim Daub, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Havelock, NC, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe on a special “Free-Text First Friday” episode to study selected funeral texts.Everything we do in the church is in preparation for our eternal lives in the new heavens and new earth. Although we rightfully pray for Christ’s return, it’s likely that our journey on earth will end in death. Death was not God’s desire for humans. It’s the wages of our sins, as the apostle writes. And yet, funerals provide so much comfort for those who’ve lost loved ones in faith because the focus is not on the deeds or merits of the person, but on the word and promises of Christ.Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Esther 6:1-13: The Beginning of Haman’s Very Bad Day

The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Churubusco, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 5.Queen Esther invites King Ahasuerus and Haman to a luxurious banquet, with the intention of addressing his edict against the Jews. However, she delays mentioning anything until the next day. Haman leaves the feast feeling proud of his high rank and the many privileges he has been given. However, his pride takes a hit when Mordecai refuses to show him the respect he feels he deserves. Haman's wife and friends suggest he take action against Mordecai, and Haman eagerly decides to have him executed.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Dr. Vernon Wendt, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, KY and Missionary-at-Large in Richmond, KY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 4.Mordecai reacts to Haman’s deadly plan to destroy all Jews. He turns to Queen Esther, and begs her to use her status to plead for her people before the king. But with a strict law forbidding anyone, including the queen, from approaching the king without being summoned, Esther is faced with a daunting decision. Esther sends word to Mordecai for all the Jews to fast as she contemplates her next move. Mordecai encourages her, “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Doug Minton, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Milford, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 3.Esther is Queen, but King Ahasuerus has elevated one of his officials, Hamann, to prime minister and given him authority to rule over all the other officials. One of those officials, Mordecai, a Jew, and a cousin and father figure to Esther, refuses to bow down to Hamann as instructed. Hamann responds in anger and devises a plan to destroy all the Jews.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 2.Things took a dramatic turn in the previous chapter when the King deposed Queen Vashti when she refused to be paraded around for the entertainment of his guests. Now, the search for a new queen begins and Esther, a young Jewish woman, is chosen to be queen. But Esther must keep her Jewish heritage a secret to avoid any potential persecution in the Persian court.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 1.The Book of Esther is the second of the only two books in the Bible named for women. It tells the story of a young Jewish woman named Esther who becomes the queen of Persia and uses her position to save her people from extermination. Notably, nowhere in the book is God mentioned, and yet we see his handiwork behind the scenes shaping history and working good for his people.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study the Ruth 4.The book of Ruth closes with a shift from the unusual nature of Ruth’s proposal to Boaz to a more traditional approach to the matter. Boaz meets with the other eligible redeemer in the presence of ten elders, who serve as witnesses, to publicly settle who will redeem Elimelech’s land and marry Ruth. The chapter ends with a marriage and a short genealogy that shows Ruth the Moabite to be the mother of Obed, the grandfather of King David.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.

The Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, MN and host of the program goes solo for this study of Ruth 3.After Ruth’s encounter with Boaz, in this chapter Naomi, feeling the weight of her loss and her daughter-in-law's widowhood, devises a plan to secure a future for Ruth. She tells her to sneak into the threshing floor where the wealthy landowner Boaz is working late at night. Ruth obeys. While Boaz is sleeping, the text says she “uncovers his feet” which startles Boaz. The next thing you know, they’re talking about marriage.The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.