November 12, 2024 | Be God's Light
Esther to Intervene in Plot Against the Jews
Scripture: Esther 3:1-6; 4:1-17(NIV)
1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” 4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Devotional
Ego is a curious thing. Not enough and you can barely function. Too much and others wish you couldn’t function. This guy Haman had enough ego for himself and a hundred other narcissists. Mordecai refused to kneel down to Haman, because faithful Jews only knelt down to the Lord. Haman decided, fine, then kill all the Jews. Another holocaust at the hands of an egomaniac.
Mordecai went into action. He sent word to his cousin, Queen Esther, asking her to intervene. He famously told her, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (v. 13-14).
For such a time as this. It’s a phrase that has stood the test of time. The meaning is clear for all of us. You live where you do for a reason. There is a purpose behind why you have your job and coworkers. It’s not a coincidence that your school is filled with classmates and teammates for you to influence. Your position in government, at work, in your church, or in your family are the handiwork of God.
For Esther, it was to save the Jews from genocide. For you, it could be to save someone from themselves, introducing them to Jesus. Who knows that you are in the spot you are in for such a time as this?
Pull out a sheet of paper. Write down the days of the week. Then next to each day, list all the people you typically see at work, school and church, in the neighborhood, park and gym, at the restaurant, gas station and grocery store, among your family, friends and acquaintances, and wherever else you go and whoever else you see.
Then ask yourself if God has put you into relationship with them for such a time as this. What is the Lord saying to you?
Poem
Purposed
Before all time
I was a part of your plan
You knit me together
In the womb of my mother
With gifts, talents and attributes
For such a time
When I would be born
Live
And have your purpose
Proposed to me
To execute your will
With courage
And trust
For such a time
As this
