9/30/2011 8:22:21 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: He expressed his concern
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ester 4:1-3
Message of the verses: “1 ¶ When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2 He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.”
Today’s SD begins the forth chapter in both the commentary of Dr. Wiersbe and also the book of Ester. Dr. Wiersbe entitles this chapter “A Day of Decision,” and he writes this statement before beginning his commentary, “In which the queen goes into her counting house and counts the cost.” In this chapter we will discover what it is that Mordecai will do about the peril that has fallen upon the Jewish people.
I want to take this opportunity of writing about what the Jewish people did when they heard about the law that was to kill all of them. They began to fast, and weep and wail, and also put on sackcloth and ashes. We see this at different times throughout the OT, and at times in the NT. It seems that this is a lost form of worship in our churches today. In the economy of the OT Law people were required to fast. While Jesus was here on earth He explained to the disciples of John the Baptist that the reason that His disciples did not fast was because He, the Bridegroom, was with them, however after He left them they would again begin to fast. The NT also states “when you fast,” and so it is assuming that people will fast.
I have read a number of books on the human benefits of fasting and have fasted on two different occasions, once for a week on nothing but water, and then for 22 days with only one glass of juice per day. It is amazing that when one fasts that after three days they are not hungry at all, and it seems to me that both the physical and spiritual things that happen when you fast are similar. Physical benefits are to cleanse the body of toxins and allow the body to begin to heal itself. Spiritual benefits are that of cleansing the mind and spirit, taking time to listen to the Lord as your mind is much clearer than when you are eating. Other spiritual benefits are that when you fast it usually because you have a spiritual item that you are concerned about and so you do not want the process of eating to hamper your thoughts about seeking the Lord’s direction for your life.
When you fast, as I mentioned, after three days you are not hungry, however the next time that you feel hungry is the time to end the fast, for if you don’t it begins to starve you. If you look at both Matthew four, and Luke four you will read about the Lord Jesus Christ fasting for forty days. Although the text does not say so I do believe that the Lord did drink water, for after three days without water you can surely die, and it seems to me that Jesus did not use his powers for things like that. If you read the text it says that after forty days He became hungry, and so it was time for the fast to end. I read of a man who fasted for ninety days, and it was under supervision. He must have been a large man when he began his fast, for when fasting the body uses the excess fat as fuel to keep on living. Large people who fast seem to lose weight, while thinner people do not lose that much weight.
At any rate the Jewish people began to fast and pray to the Lord because of the peril that had come upon them and Haman and the king were feasting and having a party time.
Mordecia put on sackcloth and began to cry out over what had happened and he went all the way to the king’s gate this way. He did not care that others knew that he was Jewish for he was in mourning over what had just taken place. Dr. Wiersbe quotes this in his commentary from who he believes comes from Edmund Burke of England, “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Solomon writes the following “11 Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction. 12 If you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?” (Proverbs 24:11-12 Bible in Basic English)
These quotes surely did not apply to Mordecai for he was doing something about what was going on in Persia at this time, and the Lord would use both he and Ester to save their people from wicked Haman and his plot to kill them.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I hope to have the same courage that Mordecia had when facing things like he faced. I believe that the same cause is to be taken up by the people of God over the issue of abortion, for who else cares for these unborn babies if we as believers do not.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Do what I can to help the cause of the many unborn babies in America.
2. Continue to learn contentment.
9/30/2011 9:08:12 AM
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