Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

“King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. ² And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? ³ Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, pre-eminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” NIV

The transformation of Mordecai’s circumstances is truly remarkable, and it is worthy of our attention one more time. Who could have imagined that a lowly and despised Jew would become second-in-command to the most powerful ruler in the world of that day?

But note how he used his power, and why he came to be held in such high esteem. Simon Sinek’s book on leadership is entitled ‘Leaders eat last’, and Mordecai exemplified servant leadership. He ‘’worked for the good’’ of others. Someone referred to Jesus as ‘the Man for others’. There are many ways in which He can be described, but that is certainly not inaccurate. He came not ‘’to be served, but to serve, and to give his life’’ (Mark 10:44). It is certainly true that Jesus gave His life for others in a unique and unrepeatable way. Nevertheless, He shows us that real life is found in serving and giving.

I read somewhere that the essence of life is found not in its duration but in its donation: it’s not how long you live, but how much you give.

Raised from obscurity to great power, Mordecai expended his unexpected privileges on those who desperately needed his help and support.

Mother Teresa said that although we may not be able to do great things, we can do small things with great love. May God help us to continually lose our lives, and so find them.

‘The epitaph on the life of a simple-hearted, true-hearted man, might be yours also. Why should you not from this moment adopt these twin characteristics? Go about the world seeking the good of people. It does not always mean that you should give them a tract or a little book. It is much easier to do this than to sacrifice your own good in order to seek theirs. You may be quite sure that some little act of self-sacrifice or thoughtfulness for a weary mother, or crying child, for a sick friend, or for some person who is always maligning and injuring you, would do a great deal in preparing an entrance for the Gospel message. It is thus that the genial spring loosens the earth and prepares the way for the germination of multitudinous life. Count the day lost in which you have not sought to promote the good of someone.’ F.B.Meyer: ‘Great verses through the Bible’, p.176.

PRAYER: Once more Lord, I ask you to help me to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wound, to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that I do your will.

^“18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.¹⁹ That is why rural Jews – those living in villages – observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.²⁰ Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, ²¹ that they should celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar ²² as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote to them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.²³ So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. ²⁴ For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur(that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. ²⁵ But when the plot came to the king’s attention,he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back on to his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. ²⁶ (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, ²⁷ the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. ²⁸ These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews – nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.²⁹ So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. ³⁰ And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’s kingdom – words of goodwill and assurance – ³¹ to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. ³² Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.” NIV

I remember some fellow students at Bible college, who had written a song based on the words of Psalm 20:7 as it is found in the ‘King James Version’:

’Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.’’

 The repeated chorus included the words:

‘We will remember, we will remember…’

Of course, naturally we can be prone to forgetfulness. But God gave His Old Testament people ‘festivals of remembrance.’ For example, there was ‘Passover’, to help remember and celebrate the deliverance from slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh. Here we have the institution of ‘Purim’. They were never to forget the great rescue from the hand of Haman and all he intended to do to the Jews. It was not a time for gloating, but a time of thankful remembrance of what God did for them.

Jesus gave His disciples the Lord’s Supper, and as we regularly partake of it, we do this ‘in remembrance’ of Him. Jesus wanted His followers to remember Him in His death. By His Cross He achieved the greatest rescue of all time.

‘The observance of the Jewish feasts, is a public declaration of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures. And as the Old Testament Scriptures are true, the Messiah expected by the Jews is come long ago; and none but Jesus of Nazareth can be that Messiah. The festival was appointed by authority, yet under the direction of the Spirit of God. It was called the feast of Purim, from a Persian word, which signifies a lot. The name of this festival would remind them of the almighty power of the God of Israel, who served his own purposes by the superstitions of the heathen…

Every instance of Divine goodness to ourselves, is a new obligation laid on us to do good, to those especially who most need our bounty. Above all, redemption by Christ binds us to be merciful, 2 Corinthians 8:9.’

^“11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. ¹² The king said to Queen Esther, ‘The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.’¹³ ‘If it pleases the king,’ Esther answered, ‘give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.’¹⁴ So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. ¹⁵ The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.¹⁶ Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. ¹⁷ This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.”NIV

It can be sobering to look at your child and recognise that you are staring into a mirror. Obviously, you may be happy with some of that reflection, but most of us also see certain flaws and failings we recognise as our own. However, a fault is one thing, sheer evil is quite another. No doubt, in the days of his prominence (and anti-semitism), Haman would have been proud of his lads. It seems that after his demise, the boys kept up the bad work. So they too ended up sharing their wicked father’s fate (13,14). The Bible does not explicitly say they were following his example, but I imagine it’s a fairly safe inference to make. What a terrible legacy to leave.

This story reminds me that Jesus’ work on the cross dealt decisively not only with the devil (Hebs.2:14,15) but also with the demons (Col.2:15). So although we Christians know we are still in a fight, as Warren Wiersbe pointed out, we are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. The day Jesus died was ‘D Day’ in salvation history. Final victory is assured because of Him.

 ^“The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶ In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. ⁷ They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, ¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.”NIV

As anticipated, there were those who took advantage of Haman’s earlier edict. They hated the Jews and sought to kill them. But as we have seen, by a further edict, God’s people were now allowed to arm and defend themselves on this one particular day. That is what they did, and people died, including Haman’s ten sons.

‘The enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them by the former edict. If they had attempted nothing against the people of God, they would not themselves have suffered. The Jews, acting together, strengthened one another. Let us learn to stand fast in one spirit, and with one mind, striving together against the enemies of our souls, who endeavour to rob us of our faith, which is more precious than our lives.’ Matthew Henry.

It is worth noting that they would have nothing to do with ‘’the plunder’’. They did not want to be at war with these people – to kill and steal from them. They simply reserved the right to defend themselves, and they did no more.

“On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. ² The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. ³ And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. ⁴ Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.” NIV

Today’s thought is a ‘second helping’ of yesterday’s. But it turns out we have even more in the ‘bowl’ than we did the day before. Again observe that the unchanging God is able to change what appear to be unchangeable situations.

From time to time in history, God turns the tables for his people. This is one such example. But these deliverances are at best partial and temporary. They point us forward to the great day of ultimate victory. They are foretaste of what is to come. Writing about how this works out in the book of Revelation, Dr. Leon Morris says,

‘Christians here and now may be a depressed, downtrodden minority, to all outward appearance completely insignificant. Yet they belong to the mighty Conqueror who has won a triumph over all His foes, and a triumph which will in due course be made visible to all the earth. And when that day comes they will share in the triumph. Already they are in fellowship with Him, and they may know the victory in themselves. But when they have endured to the end, the results of that victory will be obvious to all, and those who are now humiliated will receive the various good gifts that we have noted from the hand of the Highest of all…the forces of evil are mighty, but the Lord God omnipotent is mightier still. The Seer sees with crystal clarity that those who persecute are far from having the last word. Their fate is to be utterly destroyed. Even in the midst of trial he can exult in the final triumph.’ (‘The Cross in the New Testament’, p.357.

PRAYER: Lord, I ask for all your faithful people who do not feel victorious today, to know that they actually are in you.

^“15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. ¹⁶ For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honour. ¹⁷ In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.” NIV

Just before we move on into the last couple of chapters……linger…stay a little while longer…and observe…

How everything changed for Mordecai, and for the Jews. What a great turn-around. What a reversal. When all looked lost it turned out to be the darkest hour just before the dawn.

What a transformation took place, in that many decided it was safer to become Jews than to stay as they were. Only God!

Two other observations from these verses:

1. Verse 15 calls to mind a line in a song: ‘In royal robes I don’t deserve…’;
2. Our King’s Word brings us ‘’joy and gladness’’, and it is in itself a banquet (v.17).

But don’t miss the point that in this story the ‘weather’ changed suddenly and dramatically. God is able to do this.

PRAYER: Lord God, I feel at the moment like I am living in Esther part 1, where things look bleak and gloomy. But I thank you that you can cause us to live in Esther part 2, and I pray that in your great mercy you will.

“That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ² The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.³ Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ Then the king extended the gold sceptre to Esther and she arose and stood before him.⁵ ‘If it pleases the king,’ she said, ‘and if he regards me with favour and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?’⁷ King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, ‘Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree in the king’s name on behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring – for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.’⁹ At once the royal secretaries were summoned – on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,and to plunder the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.¹⁵ When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. ¹⁶ For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honour. ¹⁷ In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.” NIV

This one comes from F.B.Meyer:

‘Because of the permanence of the customs of the laws of the Medes, it was impossible to reverse the royal proclamation, which had decreed that the Hebrew people should be exterminated. So the king granted Mordecai permission to send letters to his people, allowing them to arm and defend themselves. The speed with which the circulation of the royal decree was carried out is a rebuke to the Church of God which has been entrusted with the gospel of salvation…years have passed, and still immense multitudes have never heard the name of Christ or the love of God. Let us at least strain every nerve to pass on the joyful news, overtaking the tidings of death.’ ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.213.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to play my part in publishing the good gospel news.

^“9 At once the royal secretaries were summoned – on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.”NIV

‘Esther had exposed the enemy and saved her own life, but what about her people? The king himself could not revoke his edict, but he could issue another edict. He gave the Jews the right to arm and protect themselves and gave them nine months to get ready. The people of the land got the message: the king did not want the Jews to be harmed.

Can you see an illustration here of how God solved the sinners plight? You were under condemnation because of the law of sin and death (Rom.3:23;6:23). God did not revoke that law – He obeyed it! He sent His Son to die for our sins and to bring in ‘’the law of the Spirit of life’’ (Rom.8:2). Any sinner who believes the message and trusts the Saviour will receive everlasting life (John 3:15-16).

But that is not the end. We are the King’s couriers, sent into the world by His authority to share the good news that condemned sinners need not die! Just as those couriers ‘’hastened and pressed on by the king’s command’’ (v.14), so we must get the gospel to the ends of the earth as quickly as possible…’ Warren W. Wiersbe, ‘With the Word’, pp.277/278.

I would add that we need to get the message to people in terms they understand (see v.9). So the work of Bible translation is crucial. But in addition, wherever we live and work and socialise, there is a work of Biblical ‘translation’ to be done. The ever-present challenge for Christians is to learn to speak the language of the people we are trying to reach. Even if we share a common language (such as English), there is still a work of translation to be done. We have to ‘scratch where they itch’. Or, as Michael Green put it, we need to learn to row the gospel boat around the island of a person’s life, and discover where is the best place to ‘put in’.

‘’The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king’s command.’’ (V.14).

PRAYER: Lord, help us to be quick and eager to obey you in carrying your message.

^“7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, ‘Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree in the king’s name on behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring – for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.’ NIV

‘King Xerxes gave Haman’s property to Esther and Haman’s position to Mordecai; Mordecai became, in effect, the ‘’prime minister’’ of the Persian Empire. And Xerxes also gave Mordecai the signet ring that he had taken back from Haman; with the ring, Mordecai would now have authority to issue decrees in the king’s name (Esther 3:10-12)…But there remained one problem: Haman’s decree concerning the destruction of the Jews was still in effect. So Esther again begged the king to have that decree overruled.

Xerxes pointed out that no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring (could) be revoked (verse 8). The solution, then, was to write another decree which countered the first one. Mordecai was assigned the task of wording the new decree.’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’,p.776.

What a reversal of fortunes for Mordecai, Esther and the Jews! Things can change. Take heart. When things look desperate, be sure they can change. While we have God we have hope.

Verse 8 makes me think of the Bible. Here we have a more sure and certain word than that of any earthly, powerful potentate. It is an unfailing word from an omnipotent King. Day by day, as we read it, we see clearly that things can change; people can change; circumstances can change. But it also shows that even if/when they do not, all is still well because the ‘’only wise’’ God is in control.

Be sure that, although they may be permitted their brief hour on the stage, the bullies of history will not have the final word.

Thought: ‘Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.’ Corrie Ten Boom.