Week 99, Day 4: Mordecai

Today’s Reading:  Esther 10:1-3

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Mordecai is noted as rising to great prominence.  This is interesting to me because it goes hand in hand with other Jews who rise to prominence during the exile.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Esther and Nehemiah.  The Jews did not all go into slavery in the exile nor does it appear that their life was all misery.  Thanks to the work and efforts of this man they were able to prosper and do well.

God’s faithfulness and care are shown strongly in this chapter.  Even while reproving the Jews and bringing them back from serving foreign gods, the Lord still watched over and provided for them.

Question;  Can you think of times in your life where you can give God thanks for His care and kindness?  How have you thanked Him for that care?

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Week 99, Day 3: The Fight

Today’s Reading:  Esther 9:1-32

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

The day finally comes for the decrees of the king to take place.  The decrees are both for good and bad towards the Jews.  Which would overcome the other.  Again, God provided for the Jews to be preserved and even to prevail.  We find the Jews able to wipe out over 75,000 of their enemies.  This was a great victory for the Jews.  Instead of being in the jaws of death, they were able to have triumph and much rejoicing. 

The king is so taken with Esther that he comes back to ask her is there anything else that she would like.  He does not sound very happy about how many people were killed but yet extends the offer.  To me this expresses just how much Esther had been able to win over the king. 

Question:  When we are faced with imminent danger or threats how should we react?  How would we display our trust in God?

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Week 99, Day 2: The Tables Turn

Today’s Reading:  Esther 8:1-17

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

The king now works to reverse the damage that would have been done because of Haman.  It is told to Esther that once a decree which is written in the king’s name is sealed with his signet ring it cannot be revoked.  So Haman’s decree to destroy the Jews cannot be undone outright.  However, the king grants the Jews permission to gather together and defend themselves.  This provision even includes the right to defeat any army raised against them and to take plunder.  You wonder how confused the people of the provinces must have been.  I doubt that there was any explanation given in the decree as to why such a reversal occured.  But the decree for them to defend themselves is sent out and we shall see in the next chapter the outcome.

Question;  How is this account of Esther and Mordecai an example of God’s provision for His people?  Is it an example of this?

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Week 99, Day 1: Haman’s fall

Today’s Reading:  Esther 7:1-10

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Within 24 hours we see the fall of a prominent man.  Haman had displayed his pride and arrogance.  He had been determined to plot evil against God’s people to appease his arrogance.  Now his downfall comes swiftly.  Prov 6:15 and 28:18 speak of such quick calamity coming upon the wicked.  I had not thought about the lesson in Esther about the dangers of pride and the way that wicked men can rise and fall virtually overnight.  But those who stand with God are able to be strengthened.

Question:  Can you think of any other lessons to learn from Haman’s actions?  What lessons might be seen from king Ahasuerus’ part in the plot against the Jews and now his reversal against Haman?

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Week 98, Day 5: Humble Pie

Today’s Reading:  Esther 6:1-14

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Things start falling into place in chapter 6.  Right before Esther’s second banquet is to take place the king finds out that Mordecai was never rewarded for his loyal service.  This just happens to occur because the king was unable to sleep.  Providence is one of those things that can sometimes be seen but is often hard to know for sure unless we are told.  But I cannot see another explanation for these events than that. 

Haman has to eat humble pie by leading Mordecai through the streets while proclaiming before him.  Haman is clearing in trouble based on the response of his advisers and wife. 

Question:  When we are faced with eating some humble pie in our life, how should we react and take it?

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Week 98, Day 4: Esther’s Approach

Today’s Reading:  Esther 5:1-14

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

After 3 days of fasting Esther prepares herself and goes before the king.  She has obviously had a plan set up in her mind for how to approach and accomplish getting her request.  I think it looks like she knew that the way to get to a man’s heart is through his belly.  She doesn’t just come out and ask her request.  She provides a banquet through which she can make the kings heart merry and have him feel good before she asks him the request.  But for good measure she asks to continue the feasting the next day. 

Haman is again the picture of arrogance and pride.  He displays how irrational prideful people can be.  Haman tells his friends and wife of his great riches, all his sons, his position of prestige and yet all of that means little to him because one man won’t tremble before him.  This points well to riches not making someone happy.  Haman wasn’t satisfied even though he had been exalted to a high position, even above the other princes.  Mordecai’s lack of fear for him drove him crazy.  Haman couldn’t be happy unless he was able to strike out at Mordecai.  Pride had driven him to a lack of reason and robbed him of being able to enjoy his life.

Question:  What does it say about Mordecai’s beliefs and service to God if he was still not bowing down before Haman and paying him homage (even now that the decree had been sent out to kill the Jews)?

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Week 98, Day 3: Much Mourning

Today’s Reading:  Esther 4:1-17

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

The reaction to Haman’s plot is as you’d expect.  The Jews wailed bitterly and mourned in sackcloth.  The decree has just been set for them to be annilated.  We then have recorded for us the back and forth dialogue between Mordecai and Esther.  Mordecai makes a great point that Esther should not think that she will be safe within the king’s palace.  Esther agrees to go to the king even though it could mean her death now.  You could think that she was doomed to die either way, if she remained silent or if she chanced going to the king, but how many people would have chosen the safer route and just hoped that they would remain safe within the palace.  Esther again displays her character here.  She will find the courage and strength to approach the king.  And she also recognizes that they first need to fast first.  I take this to be a reference to seeking out God’s aid in the matter. 

Question:  When we are faced with a trial or difficult decision in life, how should we approach making a stand or taking action?  In other words, how should we go about seeking strength for the difficult times in our life?

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Week 98, Day 2: The Plot is hatched

Today’s Reading:  Esther 3:1-15

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

We are introduced in this chapter to the beginnings of major problems for the Jews.  Haman’s actions towards the Jews seems to reflect that Mordecai was right to tell Esther to keep secret that she was a Jew.  The Jews are apparently regarded with much hostility by many of the foreign peoples.  I wonder if this is due to the way the Jews were to hold themselves aloft.  If someone is different or if someone acts like they want to have only limited interaction with you then that would certainly promote ill feelings between two people.  But ultimately I think Haman’s problem is not some wrong that was done to him by a Jew that causes him to seek to kill all the Jews.  He has his pride hurt.  Here is a man who dares not treat him with esteem and high regard by bowing to him as he passes.  So the answer in this man’s eyes is to strike against all those who are like Mordecai.  Destroy his people.  It is impressive what arrogance and pride will drive some people to do.

Question;  Why do you think Haman set the day so far out from the decree for the destruction of the Jews?

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Week 98, Day 1: Queen Esther

Today’s Reading:  Esther 2:1-23

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Very quickly Esther moves into prominence.  She is selected as part of the group of young, beautiful virgins who are to prepare to try to win the king over.  The preparation for this takes a year’s time.  And the woman has potentially only one night to convince the king that she is better than the others.  And yet Esther is able to do this.  It could be just simply that she was that beautiful.  But I think there are also other indications in the passage that at least give us a glimpse of the character of Esther.  And in some subtle ways this character could have shown through enough for the king to want to find out more about Esther.  The glimpses of Esther character, I think, are seen in particular by the way that she took the king’s eunuch advise about what to take with her.  There is also the way in which she continued to heed to instruction of her cousin, Mordecai.  She was now in the king’s household, she could have ignored what Mordecai told her and just did what she thought was best but the way that she kept his commands to her seems to indicate something about the character that Esther had.  Certainly Esther was beautiful and “found favor” in the eyes of all who saw her.  But the king had had a beautiful queen before and had a rotten experience with her.  Perhaps his anger over Vashti’s conduct instilled a desire for him to find a women of character.  Esther possessed both beauty and character.

Question:  What traits are typical of a person who is beautiful?  Why do you think this is?  How often do you come across or hear of someone who has immense beauty and a godly character?  Why do you think this is?

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