Imperfect People for a Perfect Work | Sunday, May 30, 2021

Good morning, Kosh Connection. Pastor Mark here, and I just wanted to wish you a happy Memorial Day as we celebrate this occasion. Before the barbecues come out, the shorts go on, and the flip-flops are worn, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect on the price that has been paid by many to ensure the freedoms we have here today in America. We are thankful for that, and I hope you take the opportunity to pass those stories or that concept on to your family and your children. It is important to recognize those who have paid the ultimate price for us.

With that, Pastor Miles has asked that I teach for him today. We are going to go through the book of Esther, specifically Chapter 2. He will be back next week. As we cover the book of Esther, it's important to note that it is presented in a story format. It is said that nothing tells a story better than a story. Jesus used parables—stories—to describe spiritual concepts and teach lessons to people at a very simple level.

It doesn't take much for us to remember the stories we heard from our childhood; we can recall those because stories resonate with us. What is unique about the book of Esther is that it is told as a story, and as it unfolds, there are no references to God or other scriptures. It stands on its own as a very important narrative, and there are many lessons this story teaches us.

One of the significant underlying themes we must realize about the book of Esther is that it tells the story of the Jewish people. It illustrates how God is always moving toward fulfilling His covenant, even when the circumstances do not appear to support that. God has a covenant with Israel, promising that they would be a nation and that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars. This covenant is often challenged, and He also states that if they honor Him and follow His ways, they will be blessed.

God promises that if you do all the right things, you will be blessed. However, He also states in the covenant that if you do all the wrong things, if you chase foreign gods and are disobedient, you will be taken into captivity. In this story, we have God's people on a path being led back to Israel. They are no longer in captivity, but many have lingered behind, so to speak. It is important to know that God has a covenant and a deep love for the nation and the people of Israel. We know this because it is written in the Scriptures.

One of the things that proves this even to this day is that the things God loves, His enemy hates. There are so many people who hate both the people and the nation of Israel, and we see it in the news every day since the inception of Israel and throughout Scripture.

I have a bit of a disclaimer. My sermons and teachings usually don't come with a disclaimer, but I will say this: I have a soft spot for the nation of Israel. It is a place I have visited, and I fell in love with the people and the different groups within Israel. I had many once-in-a-lifetime experiences while I was there, especially spending time with the Lord and the people of Israel. To this day, I have many friends still in Israel, and I receive reports, so to speak—not the ones that come through the news, but those that come by email or phone call.

One of my special experiences was being in a place that many call the West Bank, which is actually Samaria. Your vision of the West Bank might be that it is a settlement, as people in the outside world call it, but it actually looks a lot like Rancho Penasquitas. There are beautiful homes and community centers there. I spent some time in that area, and I remember a very special day when my oldest daughter and I went up to the hills of Samaria and fulfilled Scripture by planting grapes as part of a vineyard on a mountain. It was a meaningful experience, knowing that what we did was fulfilling Scripture and was part of Israel, which remains significant to me.

I'll just say that one of the experiences I had in Israel was visiting a place called Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. I have to say I was curious about it; I was the first one off the bus. I've never had two hours of my life go by so quickly as I was engaged in the stories and the people, and the horrible things that had happened to the people of Israel. The mistreatment and genocide, the attempt at completely wiping out the hatred for the Jewish people, were overwhelming. Reading their stories and seeing the exhibits, two hours went by like ten minutes. I have to admit I almost missed the bus, except I was the bus captain, so they waited for me. I was deeply moved by the struggle of God's people.

I also grew up in a Jewish neighborhood, and many of my friends from junior high on up were all Jewish families. One of my oldest friends shared the story in his living room of when the Nazis took his family and executed most of them; only his great-great-grandparents survived. Had it not been for them, his family line would have ended there. The story of that event and its deep impression on his family has never escaped me. It has always fascinated me how much hatred it took to do that. It is something supernatural, beyond just the hatred that man can conjure up. It is something that is authored, sponsored, and brought out by our enemy, the devil.

Additionally, one of the things I think most people don't realize about Israel is that it is made up of many people groups. While I was there, I saw Ethiopian Jews from Africa. I ran into some Mexican brothers and sisters in the Old City in Jerusalem speaking Spanish, and we got to talk. They were Jewish living in Israel, and I have many friends from around the world.

I would call Palestinians, and I have friends in the little town of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown. They run a fantastic school there, where students receive a great education. It is a no-excuse Christian school, and the local kids who attend come from diverse backgrounds; some are Jewish, some are Muslim, and others are Arab or Jew. It's just a mix of people in that neighborhood, and they all learn about Jesus. They share stories of their experiences in Israel. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. They love the Lord and are dedicated to His business. I have many friends who still remain there, and we help to support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The history of Israel is unique; I do not believe there has ever been a nation like it. Israel has experienced captivities, foreign occupations, attempts at genocide, and wars. Yet, it became a nation again in 1948, which is a miracle beyond miracles. It would take a significant effort to deny that God's hand is on Israel and that His heart is with the people of Israel. I know that He has a plan for Israel, that He loves Israel very much, and that He intends to fulfill every aspect of His end of the covenant. I don't know exactly how that will happen, but I do know that the fulfillment of the covenant will be through Jesus.

Please, along with me, as we look at the book of Esther, pray for the peace of Israel. We are going to start here in chapter 2, reading verses 1-8. It says, "After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what he had decreed against her." Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king, and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of the kingdom."

They may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel into the women's quarters under the custody of Haggai, the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. Let beauty preparations be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

In Shushan the citadel, there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jer, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconi, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

So it was when the king's command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel under the custody of Haggai, that Esther also was taken to the king's palace into the care of Haggai, the custodian of the women.

Wow! This is a crazy story. The chapter before, and I think Pastor Jason did such a great job of breaking down and setting up the book of Esther. There is still some setup we're going to do here, but he did such a great job of explaining what the book of Esther is and what it isn't.

As we go through this, we want to stick to the main thing. The main thing is this: this is the story of God, however unlikely the method and the circumstances. He is working behind the scenes to continue to bring about this covenant relationship with His people. We have different characters, and God is going to use these characters, who are imperfect people in imperfect circumstances, to do His perfect will. If you're going to make a note on this, you can note that God calls imperfect people in imperfect circumstances to do His perfect will.

We have King Osiris, ruler over 127 provinces and 22 modern countries, which include Iran and extend basically from India all the way to Ethiopia. Arguably, he is the richest and most powerful man on the planet at this time. There is nothing that he has denied; he has complete and absolute power, and it appears he is at the height of all this.

There is a crazy story where he has dismissed his former queen, Vashti, because she would not come out to model her crown and be seen by all these other people at a big party. She refused to show off her beauty. As a result, a decree came into the land, and Vashti was taken away as queen; she was no longer queen anymore. Consequently, they were looking for someone new to fulfill that position.

While it makes no sense in our culture, economy, or way of thinking, they are going to find a new queen through a very unlikely process. I liken it to a mix between The Bachelor, the Miss Universe pageant, and The Great Virgin Roundup. We don't know exactly which one of these things it resembles, but we need to consider the reality of the situation.

Think of it like this: one of the richest men in the world is Elon Musk. He is known as the Tesla guy and the SpaceX guy, and he is quite the character, recognized all over the world. People follow him. In fact, if you've ever seen the movie Iron Man, the character that Robert Downey Jr. plays is an eccentric, rich inventor who is Iron Man. To study the character and understand how to portray him, Robert Downey actually followed Elon Musk around to see how one of the richest single men in the world at the time acts and what he does.

This kind of gives you an idea of what could happen here. Imagine you have this Elon Musk character with a net worth of $152 billion.

That's a lot of money. He is a very eligible bachelor. Now, King Osa Harris isn't even a bachelor; he has hundreds of wives already. However, there's nothing holding him back from whatever he wants to do.

But all that being said, imagine for a second that I, Mark, am worth $152 billion. I suddenly become a very attractive, intelligent, desirable man, and there are about 152 billion reasons why. Are you starting to catch on here?

Part of this is that we don't know exactly how this all happened. We don't know if these women were forced into the situation, if some voluntarily wanted to be part of it like a beauty pageant, or if it was all the way to the other end, like "The Bachelor." But we do know this: all these women were rounded up.

We have this character, Mordecai. Mordecai is a Jew. He appears to be an honorable man, perhaps a man of influence. He is in his fourth generation of captivity, so he is a fourth generation in Persia, but he is Jewish. It also seems, from the content here, that he is not very public about his faith.

Now we have Esther, whose born name is Hadassah, which means "myrtle" in Hebrew, named after a plant. The connotation with the myrtle plant is why you would name someone after that; it means hope. I think, boy, if there was ever a prophetic name, certainly the hope of Israel is going to rest in Esther here as we come into the coming chapters.

Her name is kind of like, if you saw an olive branch, which is a symbol that represents peace. The myrtle represents hope to the Jewish people. However, her name has changed, and we believe her name has changed to Esther. We believe that it is translated literally; it's Hadassah, or it's the myrtle, but it...

The Persian spelling, pronunciation, and name that was given to her may have been an attempt to cover up her Jewish identity and roots. I say this because of the time frame they were in. Israel was being restored physically and spiritually through the works of Nehemiah and Ezra. King Artaxerxes had helped with this restoration, and people were living there. The idea was that all the Jewish people would return to the land of Israel, repopulate, rebuild, and essentially make Israel great again.

However, some individuals lagged behind. While they were not required to remain in these foreign lands and had the freedom to go back, they hesitated. We can only imagine, without trying to add anything to the text, that their lives in those foreign lands were something they were either used to, comfortable with, or found profitable. One thing we know from the history of God's people is that they do not go along for long before someone comes to displace them, hurt them, or commit genocide against them.

During this time period, God was using these circumstances as a way to deliver His people. In a sense, Mordecai and Esther were both undercover Jews. Their faith was not outwardly expressed. Esther was actually asked to keep her Jewishness a secret, even before the king. From the text, it appears that nobody else knew either. No one ever revealed her identity, and none of her neighbors said anything about it. It seems that they had assimilated into the culture to such an extent that their identity as Jews was essentially undetectable.

As we move into Chapter 2, specifically verses 9-16, we begin to see the characters involved in this narrative.

And now we're going to look and see how God equips all of us, especially these two, to do His good work. God is going to use these two imperfect people, and He is also going to use the king to accomplish this perfect task, this perfect work.

In verse 9, we see that Esther had been taken to the king's palace. It says, "Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor." So the head eunuch readily gave her beauty preparations, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to disclose it. Every day, Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's quarters to learn of Esther's welfare and what was happening to her.

Each woman's turn came to go to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months of beauty preparation according to the regulations for the women. The days of their preparation were apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes in preparation for beautiful women. As a side note, this was also used to ensure that none of the young virgins were pregnant, so the king would not have any children that weren't his.

It says in verse 13, "Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her into the women's quarters to the king's palace." In the evening, she went, and in the morning, she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shazgaz, the king's eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go into the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

Now, when the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abahel, the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, to go into the king, she requested nothing but what Haggai, the king's eunuch and custodian of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month.

Which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now, remember that I mentioned that perhaps Mordecai and Esther, living as undercover Jews, were living a somewhat compromised life. Four generations into living in Persia, that's probably understandable. She is getting ready to be the queen, to be married to a Gentile, which is strictly forbidden by the Torah. She is going to head into this situation; I don't believe she has a choice in this. Maybe she does, but she is going to be part of it.

Again, God uses imperfect people, perhaps even making imperfect choices, to accomplish a perfect task or His perfect will. Whatever we do, God fully equips us for His good work. Esther was good looking; she had to be really something special. The scripture also tells us that she had favor with people. How did she gain this favor?

Have you ever met someone so good looking that you kind of hate them or feel jealous of them? It opens doors for them, and their lives seem easier, at least from the outside. They have advantages over others because they were born good looking. Sometimes, they are the people we envy or love to hate, so to speak. There has to be more than just looks; she must have something else going on.

I had a friend who, at the time, was about 25 years old. He would take odd jobs and called me very excited one day. We wouldn't be fishing for the next two weeks because the odd job he had gotten was driving a small bus van around to all the beaches in San Diego. He was hired by a modeling agency to bring some American and foreign swimsuit models to the beaches for a photo shoot.

His responsibility was to drive them there, help with some of the camera equipment, and assist with various tasks. I remember he said, "Man, you've got to be looking forward to that," and he was more than a little excited about driving the models around San Diego. He was a single guy, so perhaps God was going to work mightily with him; we don't know.

I talked to him about a week and a half into this, and I asked him how the modeling thing was going. Did he meet Mrs. Wright? He said, "This is one of the most horrible experiences of my life." He explained that the models were nothing like the still pictures in a magazine. First of all, they didn't eat, so they were always angry and mad. In fact, he wasn't even allowed to eat because if they smelled his sandwich, they would get mad at him. To cope with their inability to eat, they became really cranky and smoked a lot of cigarettes. He said that was how they stayed so pencil thin. I thought, well, that's kind of a bummer.

On top of that, he said they were the worst human beings on the entire planet. They wanted everything done for them and felt so privileged. He expressed that they were so discouraged and didn't even treat him like he was a human being. By the time the two weeks were over, I asked him how he did, and he told me, "I'm getting ready to drive this bus off the pier with all of them in it." He said it was one of the worst experiences of his life, and he would never look at a model the same way in a magazine again.

I mention this because many times, the gifts that God gives us, such as good looks, are not used to God's advantage. In fact, sometimes they turn us into people who aren't very great to be around. Evidently, Esther was not that person. There had to be something more than outward beauty. This was not the first time that God had called someone to save Israel, and I think it's an interesting thread if you follow it.

If we take Joseph, part of the requirement for having his job was that he was good looking. It was said that he was good looking. His gifts and talents included being an administrator and having the ability to interpret dreams.

Daniel was known for his pleasant demeanor, trustworthiness, and wisdom that set him apart from others. He possessed more than just good looks; those good looks opened doors for him. The requirement set by King Nebuchadnezzar for the young men from Israel who were to serve in his kingdom was that they had to be pleasant to look at. They needed to be good-looking, but they also had to have gifts and talents. Daniel was a man who could interpret dreams, had a tremendous amount of wisdom, and solid leadership skills. He had the whole package of gifts and talents to assist this foreign king.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are often referred to in Scripture as the three MBAs. They were all gifted in business administration and skilled in carrying out tasks. Like Daniel, they were also required to be good-looking. Their appearance, along with their abilities, played a significant role in their acceptance. God was going to use them, and evidently, their good looks helped them gain entry into the king's service.

Esther won favor with all the staff, who seemed to go out of their way to provide her with the inside track on what the king liked. She was obedient and took the advice of the head eunuch regarding what to bring with her. While we don't know the specifics of what she took, her actions were clearly tailored to please the king. I believe that not only did God, by His Spirit, communicate with her, but she also appeared to be an obedient person, listening for good advice from the staff.

To put this in a practical context, consider this scenario: My boss is Myles, who has a wonderful wife. If we were searching for a wife for Myles and I found a godly woman who would be an excellent fit as the lead pastor's wife, we would be eager to see her in that role. We would certainly provide her with inside information to help her succeed.

I know I've worked with Myles for eight years, so I understand a lot of his likes and dislikes. I know what articles I would forward to him and what his favorite candy is. He likes Reese's Christmas Trees; that's his favorite candy. I would have her come to the door with some Reese's Christmas Trees, probably a steak, and she would pull up in a Tesla because that's his favorite car. She'd probably have an iPad in one hand and an iMac in the other. She would be a person who loved and understood Apple products.

If I know that much about my boss, I'm sure these guys know so much more about theirs. I believe that her kindness and her humbleness were significant. There was something about her that, when the King's staff saw her, they wanted her to be their queen. As a side note, she's also a local girl from the area of the Citadel, so perhaps somebody knew her and her reputation. It appeared that the staff was on her side, bending the rules to ensure she was assured a spot.

In 1 Peter, a very important point is made. In 1 Peter 3:3, it says, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel. Rather, let it be the hidden person of the heart and the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." I know one thing: inner beauty is valued by God.

The book of Proverbs, which I believe was written to King Solomon, contains insights that many Bible commentators attribute to Bathsheba. She was a woman who, in her analysis, failed her husband and was not a good wife. These are the qualities that Bathsheba thinks Solomon should be looking for in a wife. I want you to listen to these qualities quickly in Proverbs 31:10-31 and notice that nothing about looks is mentioned. It says, "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."

The heart of her husband safely trusts her, so she is trustworthy; he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. I don't think we can say that for Bathsheba. She seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands, so she is industrious. She is like the merchant ships; she brings food from afar. I love food from afar.

She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants, so she takes care of their employees. She considers a field and buys it, and from her profits, she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms, so she has a real estate side deal going on. Maybe she's a CrossFitter; I don't know.

She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night, so she puts in the hours. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle, so she's working with sewing and things like that to help clothe her family. She extends her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She has compassion and a heart for those who are less fortunate.

She is not afraid of snow for her household, for her household is clothed with scarlet. She really likes red, and she makes them jackets. All that being said, she is industrious, loving, kind, and trustworthy. All these qualities are recommended for a wife, and not one of them mentions outward beauty.

As we get into chapter 17, we see that God has equipped Esther for this task. Mordecai is kind of off to the side; he's like the third baseman, so to speak, coaching her in all these things. We have the entire staff pulling for Esther, believing she will be the queen, and we start to see what God's supernatural plan is.

God's supernatural plan, and you can make a note of this, is our choice to obey. We can be part of that plan, or we can simply walk away. We can choose to be part of the story, to step into the story, so to speak, or we can choose to be outside of it and want somebody else to be chosen for God's work.

Join me in verse 17. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. So he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of the king.

Now think about this: of the hundreds and hundreds of virgins that were already in the king's palace, and the many hundreds that tried out later, she was favored. In verse 19, when the virgins were gathered together a second time, the king was not done. This is not the end of the story by any chance; he was still out looking for more wives, but not a new queen. Mordecai sat within the king's gate.

Now, Esther had not yet revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her. Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. Even though she was an adult, she was still listening to her elders, her uncle.

In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. The matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther. Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name, and when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed. Both were hanged on a gallows, and it was written in the book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.

Something supernatural just happened. If you're going to try to assassinate a king, you probably don't want to talk about that in front of people. That would be kind of assassin 101, let's say. But I believe it was a supernatural event that led to Mordecai being able to overhear this plot. When God does something supernatural, it requires a response. When Moses encountered a burning bush, it was supernatural; it was not consumed.

Heard God's voice. It required him to respond. He could either walk away or engage God in the mission. When Moses was standing at the edge of the Red Sea, and his people were in dire trouble, he prayed to the Lord. The Lord opened the Red Sea, and they had a choice. When confronted with the supernatural, it required a response. Their response was to follow Moses and go across.

When Jesus healed the blind, the sick, and the lame, that also required a response from the people around Him. Some were in awe and readily gave their lives to the Lord, recognizing Him as the Messiah. Others dug in, backed a bad position, and accused Him of performing demonic acts. Even at the crucifixion and the miraculous resurrection of Jesus, a response was required. Some chose to mock, scoff, and doubt, trying to cover up the truth. Yet, some followed God in that moment.

Anytime there is a supernatural event, and we are confronted with it, it requires a response. Sometimes we think too big about these supernatural events. Sometimes the supernatural event is simply engaging someone who needs help. A door may open for you to teach them about God, His grace, His mercy, and His love for them. These supernatural events require us to take action.

We see Mordecai has a choice. He overhears, not by chance, but by divine providence, a plot to kill the king. He has a choice here. It's anonymous; nobody knows he overheard this conversation. He could walk away, saying, "I didn't vote for that guy. I never liked him. Let them knock him off." He could think his life would be better if that man were gone. He could simply walk away and do nothing, and nobody would know but him and God. However, when confronted with a supernatural situation, it requires a response.

Mordecai knew what the response was. The response lies in the most basic of God's laws, the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not murder. If he has a chance to prevent a murder and to be subject to the authorities above him without breaking God's laws, the choice is clear. The risk he has to take is evident.

He goes and informs Esther. Esther, who is now the queen of the most powerful nation on the planet, perhaps the richest woman in the world, has a choice to make. Is she going to pass that information from Mordecai and tell the king, or is she going to let it pass? She does the right thing. She has to risk being the next Vashti, possibly dethroned for almost no reason. Or will she take the risk to try to save the king's life?

She honors and obeys Mordecai first, and she honors and obeys God with this supernatural information. God wants an obedient response to His supernatural plan, both from the children of Israel and from you and me. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, states in Jeremiah 7:21, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat, for I did not speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them: Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."

Mordecai's obedient response to the situation ends up being possibly the most pivotal, the single most important part of the entire story, and we will see that in later chapters. This decision to honor God and to be obedient ultimately becomes the choice that is crucial.

Going to direct the path to save Israel, Mordecai's response not only earns the king's faith in her but also his trust and respect. She transitions from being treated more as an object to becoming someone who is a friend and a supporter.

As we wind up, and it's a memorial weekend, we must recognize that other people at times make sacrifices—heroic sacrifices—for the good of their community, their family, their tribe, or whatever you want to call it. Sometimes history makes the man, and sometimes the man makes history.

One such man in my studies, whom I hadn't really read a lot about, was a man named Yonathan Nehenyahu. Yonathan was actually born in the United States and came from a very gifted, intelligent family. You may have heard of his brother, Benjamin Nehenyahu; he has been the Prime Minister of Israel for 15 years. However, Yonathan has a special story. He was good-looking, gifted, and excelled in all he did.

To read his writings, his view of young people when he lived in America was that they simply didn't have anything they were accomplishing as quickly or as grand as he was used to. After high school, he was selected to attend Harvard University, where he was on the Dean's List—a good student, gifted again, and talented. Yet, while all this was going on and everything was going his way in the late 60s and early 70s, he had a heart, like God's heart, that loved Israel, the land of Israel, and the people of Israel. He was pulled from a life of prosperity, and I'm sure a lot of wealth and notoriety, starting with his Harvard education. He was drawn back into military service.

Because he felt that it was the young men of Israel, the 22 and 23-year-olds, who were going to help take care of the nation, go to war, and fight for the principles, land, and people of Israel, he believed that it was his duty. Gifted and talented, he participated in the Six-Day War, where he was decorated as a hero for saving lives. He was considered a brilliant military man and a literary genius, and he was evidently quite the writer. His writings are now published in Israel.

As his affinity for Israel grew stronger, the fighting resumed. Once the fighting had settled down and he had been wounded, he returned to Harvard. While at Harvard, he was doing well in his studies when war broke out again in Israel. His quote to his father was, "My nation and my people need me. Harvard is a luxury that I cannot afford." So, he returned to Israel to fight as a commando, becoming an accomplished commando and war veteran before even turning 30.

In 1976, a plane was hijacked by a PLO terrorist and taken to an African nation, Uganda. It was held in a place called Entebbe, where the terrorists separated all the passengers. Those from Israel and of Jewish descent were placed in one category, while everyone else on the plane was sent somewhere else. There were hostages, and they were there to meet some of the terrorists' demands. As we've learned, you can't bargain with terrorists. A raid was planned to go into Entebbe and free the hostages. I believe there were approximately 106 hostages left.

On the 4th of July, 1976, we were celebrating the 200th year of our country's freedom, our bicentennial. On that day, Jonathan Netanyahu and his squad of commandos went into Entebbe to liberate the hostages. In the gun battles and the fighting that ensued, one commando was killed, and his name was Jonathan. At 30 years old, a brilliant and precious life was gone. Most of the hostages, I believe four of them, were killed during this operation. One soldier, Jonathan, and the entire nation of Israel grieved. Shimon Peres said that the heart had been ripped out of one of its best and brightest.

You see, when we live life in connection with God, it becomes very apparent that sooner or later our lives are bigger than what we own. There are tasks, missions, and supernatural things to engage in. As we walk through this life, living in connection, the second stage of that is being involved and pouring into one another. Sometimes that means sacrifice. We do this in the light of knowing that God is always in the business of fulfilling His promises and His covenants, both to the people of Israel and to you and me. Are you part of that plan?

God bless you. Lord, thank You so much for the lessons we learn from the rich history of Israel and Your love for them. You are steadfast and steady, even when You are denied, even when You are mistreated, and even when we worship other things and other gods. You are still there, Lord. We thank You for Your steadfastness, we thank You for Your mercy, and we thank You for Your grace. In Jesus' name, we pray.