Thursday, August 18

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

 

 

Today’s reading presents the first part of the Book of Esther, a fantastic account of using a position of influence to benefit God’s people.  The book does not give strong outward prescriptions and does not even include mention of God Himself.  Its narrative is much more focused on “show” than “tell.”  While some commentators wondered of its Scripture-worthiness due to these characteristics, its inclusion in the Word highlights God’s multifaceted communication to us.  In addition, Esther’s centrality emphasizes how He uses both women and men to accomplish His purposes.  In addition, we have the blessing of reading a perfectly crafted account in which the author wastes no details at all.

 

In Esther, we find a woman who is sharp, cunning, and careful to absorb advice from trusted parties.  As she prepares for her first visit to the king, she “asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested.  And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.....  But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.”  Her care to listen to well-informed voices points to Proverbs 15:22:  “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

 

Haman becomes “enraged” when Mordecai would not kneel to him in order to pay him honor.  His anger quickly extends to the entire Jewish people:  “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.”  Haman then receives a death warrant for the Jewish people, sealed with the signet ring of Xerxes.  Haman would soon become blinded with this combination of hatred and ambition.

 

After mourning deeply at the coming fate, Mordecai seeks out Esther and implores her to consider taking a stand, saying:  “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 the royal position for such a time as this?”  Mordecai shows a trust in God’s ultimate deliverance for the Jews but conveys a sense of urgency, too.  This account demonstrates the close interaction between God’s ultimate sovereignty and human responsibility to take action where necessary.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for strengthening Mordecai and Esther to serve you so faithfully and present to us a beautiful example of following You under challenging circumstances.  We wish to honor You as they did.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we might perceive truth and put Your eternal interests above our short-term worries.  We love You and dedicate this day to You.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

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