Esther 4:1-17

The message of death that was sent out by Haman in the king’s name was met with great mourning and lament on the part of Mordecai and the many other Jews spread throughout the kingdom.  If there were ever a time to weep, this was it.  Once again, the nation of Israel faced the threat of extermination as Satan used his instrument, Haman, in order to bring about the destruction of the people.  Mordecai reacted as we would expect him to only he went to the gate of the king so that those inside the palace, especially Esther, would hear of his condition.  Mourning is the correct response in this situation as Mordecai sought to call out to the Lord to have mercy on His people.  In times of despair we must always call out to the Lord.  He truly is the only source of hope that we have.

MORDECAI ASKS ESTHER TO PLEAD TO THE KING: Once Mordecai was able to get Esther’s attention, he simply asked her to go into the king and plead to him on behalf of herself and her people.  This sounds like a simple request, however, according to the law; Esther did not have the right to go into the presence of the king without being summoned.  Esther is clearly afraid for her own life, but Mordecai reminds her that her life is in danger either way.  Mordecai helps her to see that she has already been sentenced to death by Haman’s decree.  Mordecai is now becoming aware of the reason that God allowed Esther to become queen.  He is gaining a vision of the Lord’s sovereign plan in the life of his family and his nation.  In times of despair we must learn to call out to the Lord but we must also learn to remember His control over the circumstances of our lives.


ESTHER ASKS MORDECAI TO PRAY TO THE LORD: Esther is clearly afraid of going into the king due to the law of the land, but she recognizes that it is her duty to her family and nation.  The Lord gives us tasks to accomplish that will often place us in danger of suffering or even death.  Esther agrees to do what must be done, but she does not rush into the job.  She demonstrates great wisdom and trust in the Lord by asking that Mordecai and the rest of the Jews in the city gather to pray on her behalf.  When we face a difficult circumstance or task we must not shy away from the responsibility but we also must not assume the responsibility can be accomplished on our own.  We must cry out to the Lord in prayer and ask others to join us in prayer as we recognize that our ability to accomplish His will and His work really does come from Him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 1:1-2

Paul,   an apostle of Christ Jesus   by command of   God our Savior and of Christ Jesus   our hope, To Timothy,   my true child in the faith:   Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The true sign of maturity is multiplication.  Believers, churches, and ministries that do not reproduce are not demonstrating true maturity.  One of the key characteristics we can identify in Paul’s ministry is that he was constantly reproducing godly believers who were faithfully following the Lord.  Evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training are the hallmarks of mature ministers and ministries.   THE APOSTLE: Paul was called by God to be an Apostle.  Though Paul converted after the resurrection and assentation of Jesus, he met Jesus in the road to Damascus and was instructed by Jesus in the desert.  Paul considered himself to be the least of the Apostles because he persecuted the church and did not walk with Jesus on earth like the other Apostles.  However, God had
Read more