Reading with Ben

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Esther .

This is episode #03 chapters 03 and 04.

Esther Chapter #04,  Haman was honored by King Xerxes and given a very prestigious position above the other nobles in society. The nobles did honor him out of respect for both Haman and the king. However, Mordecai was obstinate and did not offer any particular feelings of good will towards him.

Esther Chapter 06, Ahasuerus, the King of Persia and the husband of Queen Esther, finds that he cannot sleep. Believing that being read to will help him sleep, he has a book of chronicles brought in and read to him by a servant.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Esther.

This is episode #01 chapters 01 and 02.

Esther Chapter 01,  Xerxes ruled over a massive kingdom of 127 provinces. To celebrate his greatness, he would often hold a huge banquet for all his officials and noblemen. Military leaders and princes from throughout the land would attend the banquet.

Esther Chapter 2, King Xerxes, a man of extraordinary wealth and power, calms down from the decree he had issued to Queen Vashti after she refused to attend to him. As a result of her refusal, the king’s assistants proposed a search for virgins for the king to choose from.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah .

This is episode #07 chapter 13.

Nehemiah Chapter 13, On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah .

This is episode #06 chapters 11 & 12.

Nehemiah Chapter 11, Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.

Nehemiah Chapter 12, Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua. Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren. Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties. Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada, Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah .

This is episode #05 chapters 09 & 10.

Nehemiah Chapter 09, Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.

Nehemiah Chapter 10, Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah .

This is episode #04 chapters 07 & 08.

Nehemiah Chapter 07, Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

Nehemiah Chapter 08, Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah.

This is episode #03 chapters 05 & 06.

Nehemiah chapter 5, For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.” There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”

Nehemiah chapter 6, Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah.

This is episode #02 chapters 01 & 02.

Nehemiah chapter 3, Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

Nehemiah chapter 4, But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish; stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of Nehemiah.

This is episode #01 chapters 01 & 02.

Nehemiah Chapter 1, introduced himself and recounted the time when one of his brothers and some men came from Judah to give him some bad news.

Nehemiah Chapter 2, Nehemiah told the king that it was because of the terrible condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah asked the king for permission to go and rebuild the city, The king gave Nehemiah his permission and all that Nehemiah had requested of him.

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Let's continue the lecture on the book of 2 Samuel.

This is episode #05 chapters 09 & 10.

2 Samuel Chapter 9, The leaders told Ezra that many of the people of Israel did not keep themselves pure by separating from neighboring peoples and their horrible practices, like the ones from the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Moabites, Jebusites, Ammonites, and Egyptians. Some had even married their daughters and have combined the sacred race with other peoples who are around them.

2 Samuel Chapter 10, When Ezra was confessing and praying to God, many Israelites had gathered around him. They also wept with Ezra. Shekaniah (Jehiel’s son) said it was time to make a covenant with God, to banish the foreign women they had married and their children. It was to be done in accordance to the law.