10/17/2011 8:16:11 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The king’s proclamation
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ester 8:7-17
Message of the verses: “7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews. 8 "Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked." 9 So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. 10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. 11 In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). 13 A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king’s command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.
“15 ¶ Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.”
At the beginning of the commentary on this section of Scripture I want to quote from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on what all of this means to believer’s in today’s world. It is not real difficult to read this portion of Scripture as see what the king, Mordecai, and Ester did in order to make it known that the Persians should not attack the Jews. I will comment on a few things about this section latter but I thought it was best to first quote this section: “Ever sense the fall of Adam, ‘the law of sin and of death’ has been in force in this world (Romans 8:2; 5:12-21); and God will not rescind that law. The wages of sin is still death (Romans 6:23). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God put another law into effect, ‘ the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus’ (8:2). God obeyed the law of sin and death when He gave His Son, Jesus, to bear our sins and die on the cross. But then God raised Him from the dead and put a new decree into effect that makes it possible for sinners to be saved. Now He wants us to put that good news into every tongue and take that good news to every nation.”
When we look at the passage above we see that the good news for the Jews was taken by the fastest available transportation in the Persian Empire to all the people of the Persian Empire in all the languages that were spoken in the Persian Empire. Jesus said in Matthew 28 that we are to do the same with the Gospel.
Now as we look at this new decree we must understand that “The thing that made the difference was not the writing of the decree or even its distribution in the various provinces. The thing that made the difference was the fact that the Jews believed the decree. It was their faith in Mordecai’s word that changed their lives. They had hope, joy, and peace because they had faith in what the prime minister said. ‘Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’” (Romans 5:13 NKJV)
There is a statement in verse seventeen of Ester eight that is difficult to understand: “And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.” Let us look at in this way so that we can better understand it. When President Reagan was shot and then transported to the hospital where he would receive an operation in order to save his life he joked with the surgeon who was to operate on him by saying “I hope all of you are Republicans,” to which the doctor replied “Mr. President, today all of us are Republicans.” I think that this was what these who said that they became Jews meant.
At the beginning of this chapter we saw weeping by Queen Ester and now at the end we see joy and happiness throughout the Jewish community. I cannot get over the courage of this young woman who took her life into her own hands in order to save her people. She had the courage that I would like to have in standing up for the Gospel, for Paul wrote “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and the reason he was not ashamed of it was because it had the power to change lives and he wanted all he came into contact with to hear this wonderful message. This is a good goal to have.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Have the kind of faith and courage that is seen in the lives of Ester and Mordecai. Trust that the Lord will bring into my life those who are willing to take a moment to hear the truth of the Gospel, and that I have the courage to tell them this wonderful news that will change their lives.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Not to be ashamed of the Gospel.
2. Continue to learn contentment.
10/17/2011 9:07:23 AM
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