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Esther 10 Saved to be a Hero

5/5/2016

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But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Acts 9:15
​Esther 10
We were saved for a reason. We’ve have been placed where we are, given our position and gifts for a purpose. Esther was elevated to the position of queen in order to save the Jewish people from Haman’s evil schemes. Her position gave Mordecai the unique opportunity to affect the king’s life and save the lives of countless individuals. The Lord gave Mordecai important messages that had to be told. He told him about the plot to kill King Ahasuerus and the Haman’s scheme to kill the Jews. He showed Mordecai what to do and who to tell and all Mordecai had to do was courageously obey. When Mordecai told Esther about those plots, he trusted God that she would act in obedience as well. He trusted the Lord that The Lord would tell Esther how to move and what to do. When God saved us, He put us in places and made us able to speak to the people He placed in our lives and affect their lives too. He gave us the chance to be heros.
When Mordecai spoke to save Ahasuerus’ life, he didn’t do so to get a reward. He did it because it was the right thing to do and because The Lord put him in a place where he could. In fact, at first he didn’t get a reward. His act was recorded in the king’s chronicle. But Mordecai did receive his reward eventually. That first heroic act eventually led to Mordecai’s elevation in Ahasuerus’ kingdom to a place where he would have even greater influence over the lives of many people. Let’s finish reading the book of Esther today. Verses 1-3 (The entire 10th chapter) reads,
King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.
Mordecai was second in the kingdom, his power and influence was immense. Like Joseph before him, Mordecai used his status for good. He is remembered as a great hero. You and I, Believer were also give a place in a kingdom, the greatest kingdom that ever existed, the kingdom of Heaven. We were elevated, made royalty, and given authority to take advantage of that position for the welfare of the multitudes. We were placed here for such a time as this and it is our choice to make use of the opportunities we’re given to save lives or to sit back and let someone else have the honor of being God’s hero. In Esther 4:14 Mordecai told Esther,
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
We can keep silent, we can watch as people die in slavery to Satan or we can rise up and be the instrument of their salvation and lead them to Jesus Christ. You are not ignorant of the devil’s plots (2 Corinthians 2:11). You have the message they so desperately need to hear. You have the Word inside you. Colossians 3:14-17 says,
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
You are equipped with ability to be the hero God has made you to be. Romans 10:13-17 reads,
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
We can be heroes! We are meant to be heroes. We have gifts from God to be used for both the common good and the building up of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7, Ephesians 4:12). We have been given the armor to carry out God’s commission for us as well. Ephesians 6:10-20 reads,
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak
We are extraordinary; we are unlike the world around us! We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very own (1 Peter 2:9) and because of that we have the responsibility to carry out heroic commission and bring people to the salvation of Jesus Christ, our King, our High Priest, our Savior. We can do so, not through harshness, judgement, and disputes but in love, with love, and through love, the love of God. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 reads,
 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Beloved Believer, you are meant to be a hero! God gave you a new identity, a commission, a position, gifts, and a message. Be the hero He has called you to be. If you don’t do it, someone else will. Someone else will receive the crown you might have received. Someone else will live in closeness with The Lord, the way you could have. Someone else will enjoy the abundant life you should have.
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Esther 9 What the Enemy Purposes as Your Destruction, God uses for Your Good.

5/4/2016

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As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20
​Esther 9
Terrible things happen in this flawed and fallen world. People hate, they scheme, steal, kill, and destroy for their own needs, desires, lusts, and pleasure. This things are not from God, they are from the enemy. But God is Awesome and Almighty. He uses all those things for the benefit of His beloved bride, His believers.
The day had finally arrived; the day Haman had meant to annihilate the Jews was here. But because Mordecai had stepped in and Esther had revealed the truth to the king, the Jewish people were now allowed to fight back against the people who hated them and would kill them. Haman, the enemy of the Jews meant the day for the obliteration of the Jewish people; God used it to strengthen them and so glorify Himself. Verses 1-10 read,
Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.
The Jewish people didn’t win because they were stronger or better at fighting. They won because of God’s reputation. They won because The Lord put fear into their hearts, fear of Him and of His people. Mordecai had gained a reputation as a man of God, highly favored by God. People knew that Mordecai’s God would fight for him. Verses 11-16 read,
That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
Everything Haman had meant for God’s people came back onto their enemies who tried to kill them. The death meant for the Jews was doled out to their enemies. The disgrace meant for Mordecai was poured out on Haman and his family. The Jewish people never laid a hand on the plunder, though the edict gave them the right to do so. But God had told them not to take it this time. They were not killing for the riches, they were killing because God was taking vengeance and showing His greatness to the people. Their riches rotted as God’s people triumphed. There were people who did not fight, who did not hate the Jews. Those people watched and saw the greatness of our God.
When the fighting was over, there was a great celebration. The triumph was immense and celebration poured out. The Jewish people had been handed over to certain death at the hands of the enemy of the Jews, but God had given them a witness in Mordecai and a savior in Esther. He had made a way for their salvation and instead of certain death they were given miraculous life. Verses 17-19 read,
This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
The enemy of the people had wanted their death and defamation and he wanted glory for himself. But God used his evil plans for the good of His people and the Glory of Himself. He wanted the Jewish people to forever remember the day of their salvation and so He had it commemorated and made a feast to be celebrated just as He had commanded other feasts to be celebrated. Verses 20-32 read,
And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim.30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.
Purim is a joyous, truly fun holiday to celebrate. People dress in costumes, have contests, and take sweets to neighbors and friends. The book of Esther is read and whenever Haman’s name is spoken they all make loud noise and boo to drown it out. It is traditional to eat, drink and be merry.
We are supposed to remember and celebrate our salvation. Salvation is a wonderful and beautiful miracle. If we don’t celebrate it, if our lives don’t testify to it, then how will others ever know how good and awesome God is?
The enemy, Satan means bad for us. Peter describes him as a prowling lion seeking to devour someone (1 Peter 5:8). Paul said he has evil schemes and we are aware of them (2 Corinthians 2:11). But we have The Lord. We don’t have to fall to those plots against us. Satan is a coward and just like the enemies of the Jews in Ancient Persia were too afraid to fight back, Satan is too. We don’t even have to fight him! We only have to submit to God and resist him and he runs off with his tail between his legs. James 4:6-8 says it this way,
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The enemy has bad plans for us but God’s plans for us are good. We are more than conquerors! Romans 8:28-39 says it this way,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 Believer, you do have an enemy but more importantly you have The Lord God. If God is for you, who can be against you? Trust Him, know that He has good plans for you and He will bring those plans to fruition. Celebrate your salvation, celebrate the greatness of the Lord.
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Esther 8 God Gives You His Riches and His Seal for His Will and His Glory

5/3/2016

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The Great Commission of Jesus Christ Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Esther 8
The exciting narrative of Esther continues today but first let me recap chapter seven’s events.  In chapter 7 Haman’s evil plot against the Jewish people was finally revealed to the king and he was hanged on gallows he had built to kill his enemy Mordecai. Chapter 8 begins there. Verses 1-2 read,
On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
The reward Esther and Mordecai each received was very nice. Haman had been very wealthy and his estate now belonged to Esther. He had been very powerful and now his power and position belonged to Mordecai. God gives us these things too. He has limitless riches and treasures and He showers them down on us. 2 Corinthians 8:9 reads,
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Believers do not need to seek money, we trust in God’s provision. We trust that our fellow believers trust Him as well and we are generous with one another. When we have, we give; when we need, we receive. Haman spent his time on earth seeking money not righteousness. He hated and used his money for hate. Esther spent her time seeking justice, seeking God. She loved and God blessed her. 2 Corinthians 8:14-15 says it this way,
your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Like the king gave Mordecai his signet ring which allowed Mordecai to act and proclaim in the king’s name, The Lord gives us authority to pray and speak in His name. The signet ring is the king’s seal. It declared that Mordecai belonged to the king and spoke with his authority. We have the Lord Himself as our seal, The Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 says it like this,
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
To speak and act in Jesus’ name means we act in accordance with His will and whatever we do or say as His representative, in His name will be done. In John 14:12-15Jesus said it this way,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Haman used the signet ring for his own will. But it was not meant for his will, his glory, or his exaltation. It was meant to allow him to carry out the king’s will. The Holy Spirit indwells us, not so we can exalt ourselves and give ourselves glory but to glorify The Lord God, King of kings.
But the problem still remained. The day was quickly approaching when the people in King Ahasuerus’ 127 provinces would rise up and attack the Jews as they had been ordered to do by Haman’s edict. While Haman had made decisions and then told the king, Mordecai and Esther would not abuse the power and position they had in that way. Verses 3-8 read,
Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.”
Esther did not assume her will was also the king’s will. She entreated him, she let him know her will but asked for his. Mordecai had the signet ring, he could have written any edict he chose but he knew who the king was and where his power came from and so he waited for the king to make his command. The king gave Mordecai permission to write the proclamation required to save the Jews from annihilation. Verses 9-14 continue,
 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, 12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.
The proclamation of the king’s will, his commandments do no good if the people are not told. So once the decree was written, it was translated into the many languages of the people of the provinces and then taken out to each and every province, announced and placed where it could be read. You and I are the kings and queens of God our King of kings. We know His will that all people come to know Him (2 Peter 3:9). We can’t keep it to ourselves. We carry out His will, go out and tell them. We’ve been given the commission (the command, charge, and authority) to go out and tell the whole world. Jesus said it just before He ascended to Heaven in Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mordecai and Esther wanted salvation from Haman’s evil plot for the Jewish people. They asked the king who wanted the same thing because he loved Esther. As servants of The Lord, we want what He wants and we will find that often what we want is also what God wants for us. I want nothing more than the people I love as well as people the world over to know God and be saved from Satan’s evil scheme. In God’s great mercy, He made the way for that Salvation through Jesus Christ. In His great wisdom, He gave us the ability to carry out His redemption through The Holy Spirit. He lifted us up and gave us honor, made us kings and queens and gave us His authority for His will. What an honor, what a reason to celebrate. Have you celebrated the salvation you’ve received today?  The joy you exclaim speaks volumes about the Lord. Verses 15-17 read,
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
 
Believer, do you understand the privilege and honor God has given you? He has made you royalty. He has saved you and given you His Seal. He has empowered you to carry out His will. When He declared you His own and laid His sword on your heart, He did so in order for you to be able to take action. You can’t do that if you stay in your pew, in your closet, or under your bed. You do that by riding through the streets wearing your royal robes, rejoicing in God’s goodness, and proclaiming His love and salvation to the world.
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Esther 7 The True Nature Will Be Revealed

5/2/2016

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Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (Image by Lani Campbell is NIV).
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (Image by Lani Campbell is NIV).
​Esther 7
Who are you? Who are you really? Your life will reveal your true colors to people. The nature inside you comes out eventually. If you have Jesus within you, If His Holy Spirit is abiding in you and you are in Him, your life shows it. That is what Paul was talking about when he described the fruit of the Spirit. If you are the king of your own life, then it is your flesh, your sin nature (your own desires without God will always exalt yourself and lead to sin and death). Galatians 5:16-26 compares the differences.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
 
I hope you’ve been reading this amazing chronicle with me. If not, let me catch you up on the happenings so far.
Previously in the book of Esther: King Ahasuerus threw a week long party which ended with his decree to banish Queen Vashti forever from his presence. He then regretted his decision and followed the advice of young men to find a new queen. He found a new queen in Esther, who was Jewish and not telling anyone on advice of her cousin Mordechai who raised her. Ahasuerus’ advisor Haman rose in the ranks to become his most trusted and also rose in the ego department. He put himself first, even above the king. Mordecai, meanwhile overheard a plot to kill the king, told Esther and saved the king’s life. Haman’s ego continued to rise and when Mordecai did not bow down to him, hated Mordecai, and then all Jewish people in general. He talked the king into having all the people of Persia rise up and kill every Jewish person in the provinces on a certain day and sealed it with the king’s ring.
Mordecai told Esther about who courageously prayed and risked her own life to tell the king and save the people. Meanwhile Haman built a gallows 75 feet tall to have Mordecai killed. But then the king remembered Mordecai and honored him by having Haman lead him through Susa on a horse and having all the people bow down to him. Now we are caught up as Esther is throwing a second feast for the king and Haman and is ready to reveal Haman’s evil schemes to Ahasuerus. Verses 1-6 read,
 So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” 6 And Esther said, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Esther loved the Lord, she put him first. She loved her people, she loved her king. Her true nature was of courage, obedience, and humility. The queen reminded the king of his love for her. She had come to this point slowly and demonstrated her love, let the king offer her anything she desired three times before she finally asked. While she did that, Haman had proved his wickedness and pride by building the gallows to hang Mordecai. God had allowed Haman’s heart to prove itself instead of having the king go solely by Esther’s accusation and He had moved Ahasuerus’ heart to trust and desire Esther.
Haman was terrified and he had reason to be. He was guilty and he’d been found out. King Ahasuerus was a powerful mighty king, this is Xerxes also known as Artaxerxes II, king of 127 provinces. He was feared. He word was irretraceable and people died for infractions such as approaching the king without his permission. He made decision when he was angry and his decisions were final. So Haman knew his life lay in the balance. Esther had been obedient and not told anyone she was Jewish, but now was the time to reveal it. Haman didn’t know when he ordered the obliteration of the Jewish people, he was also ordering the Esther’s death. Verses 7-8 record what happened next.
And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.8 And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face.
Haman knew his only chance was to appeal to Esther, especially since the king was so enraged. Haman had played him for his own aspirations. While Haman threw himself onto Esther to beg for his life, the king reentered the room. Picture what he saw: Haman clinging to his wife in desperation. It did not look good. 
Haman begs Esther for his life. And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” Esther 7:7-8
​Verses 9-10 read,
Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high.” 10 And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.
Haman had built the instrument of his own death. He had wanted all of Susa to be able to see Mordecai die for his insubordination and now they saw Haman die for his. He had lifted himself up very high in his own eyes; the king lifted him up even higher for his death. Haman got what he sought; all of Susa noted who he was, he went down in history and would be forever known as the enemy of the Jews. His true nature was revealed.
We cannot hide our true selves for long. But praise God, when we accept his invitation to a relationship with Him, He comes in and gives us a new nature, His! Ephesians 4:21-24 reads,
assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
I live in the South and we have a saying, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” That means that who you really are will come out in your words and actions. You just can’t hide it. Jesus said it too in Luke 6:43-45.
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.  The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
 
Believer, what does your life prove about your true self? Does it prove your flesh or the Spirit of God? The rock group Disciple has a song called Radical one of the phrases in that song is this: “Not just my mouth but let my hands speak the glory of God.” make that a prayer for your life. “Lord, change me from the inside so that not just my mouth but my hands would speak your glory.”
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Esther Chapters 5 & 6 Haman’s Haughtiness Brought Him Low

5/1/2016

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For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Psalm 138:6
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Psalm 138:6
​Esther 5 & 6
The Bible has a lot to say about haughtiness, none of it is good. Here are just a few verses about haughtiness:
Proverbs 16:8 is perhaps the most well-known. It is not a joke. Lift yourself very high and any trip can make you fall a long way down.
Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 reads,
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
The Lord hates haughtiness Proverbs 6:16-19 reads,
There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.
Arrogance not only puts us first in our own eyes, it blinds us to everyone else’s needs, wants, and hopes. It blinds us to reality. And haughtiness or pride can sneak up on us, so that we don’t realize that it has taken over. It can be dissuaded and prevented though by how we handle the favor, blessings, and honor given to us. Today, we’ll read about Haman and how he handled favor and honor.
But first we will look at how Esther handled the very real problem of how to approach the King with the crisis of the saving the Jewish people from the law he had decreed via Haman. She, her personal servants, and the Jewish people of Susa had all fasted for three days. God gave her the answer she needed. Chapter 5 verses 1-8 read,
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.”5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. 6 And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 7 Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
She would have been put to death for approaching the king. In her humility she turned to the Lord and He gave her the answer, to let the king see her and call her to him. Her obedience to the Lord also told her not to come straight out and explain the problem but do it this way so that rather than accuse a man of wrongdoing, God would reveal it. Verses 9-14 describe Haman’s pride stopping him from seeing anything but himself.
And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. 12 Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. 13 Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.” 14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
Rather than be thankful for his immense blessings and enjoy life, haughtiness led Haman to want more. Instead of counting his blessings and being glad, he recounted his accolades and renown. His hate of Mordecai, to see the man not bow down before him or even acknowledge his nobility infuriated him. His fury made him forget he was not actually king and he decided to destroy Mordecai in grand fashion and have a 75 foot tall gallows built. That would allow everyone to see the price paid for not trembling before him.
But God had other plans. God planned to save His people. God planned to avenge His people. Chapter 6 verses 1-3 read,
On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 
While Haman wanted to bring Mordecai dishonor and death, God had made a way to bring Mordecai honor he had not sought and give him life. The King wanted to reward Mordecai for saving his life. Verses 4-6a read,
And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?”
I interrupted the verse because I want to ask us to consider what our answer to the question would be. This powerful king is asking his most trusted official for some advice. How would you answer the question? What is the best way for the king to honor a valiant act? Verses 6b-11 read,
And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”
Would you assume the question is about you or would you think of the best way to honor someone? Haman assumed it was all about him and the answer he gave was something he wanted for himself instead of something appropriate to honor a person for a heroic deed. Everything he said should be done had to be done for Mordecai. Haman wanted nothing more than Haman’s disgrace and death and he had to lead him through the city wearing the king’s robes and riding the king’s horse ordering people to pay him homage. Haman didn’t take it well. His pride wouldn’t let him learn a lesson. His conceit didn’t remind him that the king might discover his plot and so it would be best to come clean and try and fix things. His arrogance wouldn’t let him see that Mordecai was not the evil man he supposed him to be. His pride had him acting like a spoiled child. Reflect and see if your pride, like my own has blinded you to reality, deafened you to God’s voice, or silenced your conscience. Verses 12-14 read,
Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. 13 And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”
14 While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.
Haman whined and complained to everyone about what had happened. Do you wonder if his friends thought he wasn’t acting very honorably or nobly? Do you wonder if they were tired of listening to him honk his own horn? They knew about his plan to kill Mordecai and now they knew how he had been forced to honor him. Accolades are not supposed to come from ourselves; then they are not really accolades. Proverbs 27:1-2 says it this way,
Do not boast about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
Believer, ask the Lord to reveal pride to you so that you can repent before you fall. Do good works and let your honor come from others. Honor Jesus Christ with your entire life. Put your trust in God, not in yourself.
 
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Esther 2:19-Chapter 4 Fear and Failure to Act or Faith and Action

4/30/2016

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For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
​Esther 2:19-23 , Chapter 3 and 4
Today’s Bible devotional will cover several chapters, so I won’t be including every verse, but will try and paraphrase or summarize what I do not include. Remember that Esther was just chosen out of a group of beautiful virgins to become Queen of Persia. Her cousin Mordecai who raised her, checked on her daily by going close to the harem and ensuring she was well. It was on one of these occasions that God allowed Mordecai to over hear a serious conversation Chapter 2 verses 19-23 read,
Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Mordecai was a man of action. He heard these men plotting murder and told Esther so that she could tell the king. His action saved the king’s life and was recorded.
Now as we read in earlier chapters as mighty a king as Ahasuerus was, he relied heavily on advisors and trusted them too much. One such advisor was Haman, he was a man who enjoyed power and pomp and put himself above everything and everyone, including the king who had given him power. Chapter 3 Verses 1-6 read,
After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Haman’s ego couldn’t take it! He would not have this man refuse to bow down to him and without caring who he was, decided to take his fury out on all the Jewish people under Ahasuerus’ rule.  For about a year Haman let his anger grow and become hate until the lots they cast told him it was time to talk to the king. He went to Ahasuerus and said, “There are these people who are way different that all the other people around them. They follow their own laws and not yours. So I say let’s destroy them! I’ll pay for it, I’ve got 10,000 talents of silver to go toward the cause of wiping them out.”
 What was King Ahasuerus’ response to this proposed holocaust? Verses 10-11 tell us,
So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
The king fought many wars, he was king of 127 provinces (Esther 1:1) so perhaps wiping out a people didn’t sound that evil to him. But he didn’t take the time to question Haman, verify his information, or find out anything further, he let Haman do what he pleased. He did not act when he should have. Immediately the scribes were gathered and the edict written to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. (Chapter 3 verse 13). The edict was sent out to every province. While Susa, where the citadel was located was thrown into chaos, Haman and the king sat down to drink.
As you might imagine the Jewish people did not take this edict well. They tore their clothes and mourned. Imagine if you lived in a place and a law was put in place that one week from today, the people around you were to kill you and steal your belongings simply because of your religion, nationality, or some other arbitrary factor. Well Mordecai was not going to take it lying down. God had put him in a position that gave him a chance to do something. He was the kind of man who did things. He had gotten Esther into the Harem and now she was queen. He had stopped an assassination. He would not let this horrible things happen if he could do something about it. He knew God had placed him here for a reason, he knew God would save them, and he knew God was allowing him to be instrumental in saving His people.
Mordecai was mourning and wearing sackcloth and Esther heard about it. She didn’t know why he was mourning so she sent clothes out to him and when he refused she sent her attendant Hathach to speak to her cousin and find out what was going on. Chapter 4 verses 6-8 read,
Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people.
Esther wanted to do something but she had a very real reason to fear doing anything. If she went to the king without being summoned, if she spoke to him without his asking, she would be put to death. And he had not called her in thirty days. Mordecai’s response is recorded in chapter 4 verses 13-14
 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Well Esther knew she had to do something. The very first thing she did was call on God and gather as many of the Jewish people to join her. Verses 15-17 read,
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Mordecai had faith and that faith led him to act. His faith and action led Esther to forget her fear and the danger to herself, trust God and act as well. She knew that fasting and prayer would lead God to reveal the answer to her. She believed Mordecai when he told her God would save them. She believed him when he said that it was up to her if she let Him work through her or someone else. If she didn’t, her family line, her father’s descendants would end with her death. She might die for talking to the king and trying to save the people or she would certainly die and let salvation come from some other place.
God places us in situations where we can be used by Him all the time. Sometimes it’s easy, give the person in line in front of you $5.00 and tell them about Jesus. Sometimes it’s harder, like give the person in front of you all the money you have and put your groceries back or putting yourself in danger to stop a man from beating a woman. God will carry out His purposes, He will provide, save, and heal but if you forgo the privilege of letting Him use you for it, He will use someone else. What blessings and growth are you missing out on because you sit in fear rather than act in faith? Do you know how pleased God is with you when you trust Him enough to obey? Philippians 2:12-13 reads,
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The author of Hebrews prayed for the people this way, and I pray it for you as well
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21).
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Esther 2:1-18 Born to be Kings and Queens not Orphans

4/29/2016

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Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. Psalm 45:10-11
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. Psalm 45:10-11
​Esther 2:1-18
The book of Esther is one with a continuing plot, to understand what is happening in one chapter, the reader must have read the previous one. So I will remind you what conspired in chapter 1.  King Ahasuerus had a great week long feast where the wine flowed freely. His queen Vashti hosted a similar feast for the women. On the seventh day of the feast, Ahasuerus called Vashti to come show herself to all the men, she refused and he became angry. Because of that he made an edict that banished her from his presence and required all wives to consider their husbands as masters.
No matter who you are or what the circumstances of your life, God can make you who He wants you to be. He can use every bad circumstance, every good circumstance, and any people He chooses to work good for you. You may have been born a pauper but God wants to make you more than a prince or princess. He has chosen to make you a king or queen. You only have to submit to His will and trust Him to do it.
Verses 1-4 continue the narrative.
After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.
 
The king had made his decree in the heat of anger and now that he had calmed down, he regretted it. But once the king made a decree, it was a done deal. There was no going back, no saying ‘I changed my mind.’ Once he made a law, it was a law (Esther 8:8). Ecclesiastes 7:9 reads,
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
    for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
King Ahasuerus had been quick to get angry and acted foolishly. He missed Vashti. So the king needed a new queen. The young men who were attending him came up the idea of a sort of beauty contest, the winner would be queen. Ahasuerus liked the idea. He was not a follower of the Lord, though He had heard of the God of Israel from the Babylonian captives, people from history such as Daniel and kings like Darius. His rashness and folly was not consistent with God’s will yet God used it for His good purposes for Mordecai and Esther who we will meet in verses 5-8 eventually to save His people.
Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.
The reason that Mordecai and Esther were even in Persia was the result of the captivity. For whatever reason Esther’s parents were dead and she had been raised by her cousin Mordecai. Those are difficult and sad circumstances. But Mordecai was a man dedicated to The Lord and dedicated to giving the best to Esther. God had made Esther beautiful. Her beauty stood out, was noticed and she was taken into the king’s harem.
God has made you unique, beautiful, and with natural gift and talents. You are not meant to suppress who God created you to be, but to shine. When God created man He considered His work as very good. Look at what God had to say about creating us in Genesis 1:26-31.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
We are made in His image! That is a really big deal. We were given the whole wide world to enjoy. He created us to kings and queens. He considers us beautiful. We have all struggled. We have all been told who we are by the world. We are this race, that social status, this family, and destined to hit whatever ceiling that identity gives us. But God says you are so much more! He says, ‘It doesn’t matter who your family is, what your race is, or how poor or rich you are. It matters who I say you are.’ He doesn’t have glass ceilings. Psalm 45:10-17 describe how The Lord sees you.
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
    forget your people and your father's house,
11     and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
12     The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
    the richest of the people.
13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14     In many-colored robes she is led to the king,
    with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
    as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
    you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
    therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.
Esther let her beauty shine, not vainly but she conveyed it naturally. She believed it was the truth and she expressed it in humility and kindness. She had modesty and benevolence which led people to like her. Verses 9-11 read,
And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11 And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
Because Esther was not afraid to be herself and because she was humble and kind she was advanced to the best place in the harem, making it easier for the king to take notice when it was time. But it wasn’t time yet. Though all the women were beautiful, they were to be made even more so. They were to be treated like royalty so that they could look like royalty. Verses 12-14 read,
Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women--13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
The king’s standards of beauty were higher. Some of the women might have been noble, but they were not queens. They had lived and worked as whatever their backgrounds consisted of. They were being made new. They were being treated with oil of myrrh and spices and ointments. A great deal of expense was being devoted toward making them over.
When we come to Jesus, He doesn’t leave us the same; He doesn’t leave us as who the world says we are. He makes us over and gives us new identities. He makes us over with His blood. Before He laid down His life, He was anointed with perfumes, myrrh, and ointments more than once (Luke 7:36-50, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-8). When He was crucified for us, His body was treated with myrrh, spices, and ointments (John 19:39-40). When He resurrected He chose to anoint us with those things by His blood and His Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 5:16-17 reads,
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
When the right time came, Esther was wise enough to listen to counsel from others, to be humble and trust that those who knew the king would know how she could best please him. Verses 15-18 read,
When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when 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, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
She walked in to the royal palace as Esther daughter of Abihail, she left as Queen Esther. She was born Hadassah, became an orphan and raised by her cousin. But God chose her to become a queen. Hadassah is a name that describes the sweet fragrance of a myrtle tree, considered to be a tree of righteousness. Esther let the perfume of her beauty, humility, and kindness be a pleasant aroma for all those around her. She let God define her, not her circumstance. And God took her willingness and made her Queen Esther, a heroine of her people.
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Esther Chapter 1 Pride Keeps You Away From The King

4/28/2016

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One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. Proverbs 29:23
One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. Proverbs 29:23
Frank Miller's rendition of Xerxes for his graphic novelFrank Miller's rendition of Xerxes for his graphic novel
Esther 1
King Ahasuerus was most likely also the same king known as Xerxes and Artaxerxes II Mnemon. He was one of the most powerful ancient kings. He ruled Persia for 46 years from 404 to 358 BC. He is portrayed in the Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 as an unbeatable and terrifying giant warrior king. History remembers him as powerful, wealthy, and a great king with but not quite as evil as Frank Miller would have us think. 






​
Verses 1-9 describe him,
Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
 
For 180 days the king showed the riches of his royal glory and his greatness. That is a nearly six months of showing himself off. But it made people understand that he was not someone to be reckoned with. Afterward, he threw a week long feast for the men and His wife Queen Vashti hosted a similar feast for the women. Wine flowed freely and after a week of partying and drinking the king decided to brag about and show off his beautiful wife. Verses 10-12 read,
 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
The king and queen were by no means equal. She was queen, but had no power except to give birth to an heir. She was in every way subservient to the king and the only power she had was to try and sway him. If the king called her, it was her responsibility to obey. She had no right to refuse him. Perhaps her privileged position as the chosen wife of King Ahasuerus made her feel entitled. She was his only legal wife, though he had many concubines. History infers that they loved one another or at least he loved her.
I think that sometimes we can tend to forget that God chose us, not because of anything we did, but simply because He loves us. He thinks we are beautiful and wants the world to see it. God chose Israel too and pride caused her to forgot the privilege of her position as God’s chosen nation and begin disregarding God’s law.
I imagine Vashti was showing off in front of the women. She was hosting a party to honor the king’s riches and power but she was parading it as her own. When the king called her, she didn’t want to be humiliated by proving herself a servant; she wanted to demonstrate her own power over him by refusing him. The women might have been impressed and likely shocked, but Vashti’s pride would cause a problem for her and for them.
God loved Israel enough to become very angry with her. Ahasuerus loved Vashti enough to become angry and he reacted in his rage. Verses 13-15 read,
Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment,14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media,who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?”
The king was prudent enough to have advisors, but one wonders if he didn’t lean too much them. He perhaps was not wise enough to consider the ramifications of their advice. Throughout the book of Esther he tends to listen to his wise men and just do whatever they tell him to do. Verses 16-20 record the opinion they gave the king.
Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.”
In his anger this advice seemed sage. Mecuman had his own agenda; other noble women (his wife included) would not put up with the men as their masters if the king let the queen get away with insubordinate behavior. They would begin to question and disobey their husbands. They likely already were, Prince Memucan wanted an obedient and submissive wife. He played on Ahasuerus’ machismo and pride. Since King Ahasuerus was already angry he wasn’t thinking clearly and he heard Memucan’s counsel and went for it. Verses 21-22 read,
This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.
The edict sent out made women second-class citizens all because Vashti pride led her to disobedience, and the king’s pride and anger led him to a rash and foolish decision. What has pride done in your life? Pride is dangerous. It brings people down, and since it causes us to exalt ourselves so high, the fall is a long and hard one.  Proverbs 16:18-19 says it this way,
Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to divide the spoil with the proud.
God’s Kingdom is backward from the way the world sees it. Honor doesn’t come from us lifting ourselves up, it comes from the ability to submit, to bow down and be lifted up. Jesus described it this way in the parable recorded in Luke 14:8-11,
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Although it doesn’t say it in this chapter, we know that the king obeyed Memucan and banished the queen and sought someone to replace her (Esther 2:1-4). Like Israel was banished to captivity for her pride, Vashti was banished from the king’s presence for hers.
Our pride can keep us from The King as well. It can make us unwilling to obey, unwilling to acquiesce, and unwilling to hear reason. Rather than answer the call to be with Him, we will promote our own agenda and stand on our own strength. Rather than glorify Him by our beauty because of His splendor and riches, we choose to glorify ourselves and show the people around us how we do not need anyone. Believer, don’t let your pride keep you from entering The King’s presence and don’t let it keep the people around you from Him either.
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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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