TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 4:14; Genesis 45:1-8
God sent me . . . to save your lives by a great deliverance. - Genesis 45:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story is told of a man who, when his neighbor told him to leave his flooding community, refused to leave. As the waters flooded the streets, a rescue worker arrived in a boat. “God will save me!” the man declared, refusing to get in. He then crawled to the roof as the flood waters rose. A helicopter flew overhead. “God will save me!” he yelled confidently. The man eventually drowned, met God in heaven, and asked, bewildered, “I thought you promised to save me. Where were you?” God replied, “But I tried three times!”

The Bible is full of stories of God's rescue missions. What we often find in the face of many of these threats is that instead of using supernatural means, God uses ordinary men and women to deliver help in times of crisis.

We can draw many parallels between the stories of Joseph and Esther. In the reading from Genesis, Joseph was reunited with his brothers after they had sold him as a slave many years earlier. They feared his retribution. Joseph recognized, however, God's purposes even in their act of malice. “It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (v. 5). The favor that he first found with Potiphar, then with the prison warden, and finally with Pharaoh, had placed him in a position of power and influence (see Gen. 39-41). Because of his authority now as second in command to Pharaoh, Joseph was able to make provisions for the famine and could now grant aid to his starving family.

In Esther 4:14, Mordecai asked Esther to give account for her royal position. Was it by chance that she, a Jewish orphan, had become queen of the mighty Persian empire—or could it be part of God's greater plan to rescue His people when they needed it? “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

This question must have recalled memories of her arrival at the palace. Hegai, the supervisor of the harem, had favored her from the start. She was given advantages over other girls (2:9). Fourteen hundred girls were sent ahead of her to the king, all beautiful, all capable of winning his heart. Yet only she had achieved that. What earlier she might have viewed as good fortune was clearly divine providence.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
None of our success is coincidental in the kingdom of God. In fact, God has a great history all throughout the Bible of blessing people so that they can bless others. This was the original call to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-4).

Where have you found favor in your spheres of influence? With your boss? Your child's teacher? Your neighbor? Your employees? Use their favorable opinion of you to speak to them about Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 4:15-17
Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. - 1 Samuel 12:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
George Mueller, a nineteenth-century English pastor and founder of an orphan ministry, once wrote: “Here is the great secret of success. Work with all your might; but trust not in the least in your work. Pray with all your might for the blessing of God; but work. . . . Remember that God delights to bestow blessing, but, generally, as the result of earnest, believing prayer.”

Today's reading illuminates the power of prayer in Esther's story. Esther had been persuaded by Mordecai to undertake the dangerous endeavor of going before the king without being summoned and pleading for his mercy towards the Jews. And though earlier we saw Esther's trepidation and fear, today we see her great wisdom and bravery. She answered Mordecai's question in verse 14. She had come to be queen so that she could exert her influence over the king in order to save the Jews.

She gave explicit instructions to Mordecai: gather all of the Jews together and fast for me. By implication, she called a three-day prayer meeting (cf. 2 Chron. 20:1-4). Esther didn't choose to rely exclusively upon her feminine wiles to convince the king. Neither was she fatalistic in her approach, believing that nothing she could or couldn't do would alter the course of events. Though she realized her ultimate destiny was out of her hands (v. 16), she nonetheless used the resources that she had. Before going to the king, she depended on the strength of the prayers from the community of God's people.

This was an appeal for fervent prayer and fasting, night and day (v. 16). The Jews were called to put aside eating and sleeping for the purpose of seeking God's help and deliverance. They gathered together, murmuring prayers in a unified voice as the people of God. Not only did this prayer meeting seek to affect God by beckoning His mercy, it no doubt affected the people. Those who previously felt hopeless and despairing in the face of death found strength and courage through the prayers of the community. And Esther drew confidence for her task at hand.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's key verse reminds us that failing to pray for others is a sin in the sight of God. In church or Bible study or small group, when we hear requests for prayer, we are under obligation to pray for these people. This means we should probably write the requests down as we hear them!

Not only should we pray for others, but we should rely on others praying for us. Make genuine specific requests for yourself next time you're asked to share so that others can pray effectively for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 5:1-8
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded. - Proverbs 25:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Imagine the musical score set to the story unfolding in the book of Esther. In the first chapter of Esther, the melodies are upbeat and bright throughout the 180-day banquet given by King Xerxes. Queen Vashti's insubordination is a brief but dark interlude in the music. The tempo picks up in chapter two until chapter three, when Haman's murderous plot hatches. The once-cheerful harmonies give way to a plodding death march. And as chapter five opens, the instruments are completely stilled. Nothing can be heard; the audience waits, breathless.

Esther stood before the king in verse one. As the readers, we are practically holding our breath as he extended the royal scepter, and Esther finally advanced towards the throne.

If we imagine ourselves in Esther's position, we might say: “Oh, King Xerxes, I'm so glad you allowed me to speak. You see, Haman wants to kill me—and my people. O, king, you've got to save us! Don't let this happen!” We might blurt out a flurry of accusations and half sentences, trying desperately to persuade the king to see the situation our way.

Esther's approach was much wiser, less rash, more composed. She simply invited him to a banquet. She knew King Xerxes's love for merrymaking—that's how he first got in trouble with Queen Vashti (1:10-12), how he celebrated Queen Esther's rise to the throne (2:17-18), and how he ended his day with Haman after issuing the edict for genocide (3:15). Before revealing her true intentions in coming, Esther would give the king a fine meal and her company.

Moreover, she invited Haman to join them. This, too, reveals her great wisdom in avoiding the foolishness of “he said, she said.” Haman would be right there when she accused him of plotting to exterminate her and her people.

Proverbs 29:20 warns against impulsivity: “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Esther profited from the prayer and planning of the three previous days. Her calculated patience and caution served her purposes well.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Proverbs 19:2 reminds us that even when we are zealous for godly purposes, we should not be hasty or ignorant in our planning. If God asked you to confront someone, would you spend time praying and carefully planning what you will say in this conversation? If God asked you to develop a new ministry for an area of need in your church, would you spend time thinking how you'll gather the resources to begin this new ministry? Remember that patience can be a tremendous indicator of wisdom.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 5:9-10; Matthew 16:24-27
Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. - Matthew 16:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
Nate Saint, one of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador in 1956, said this about a Christian's call to sacrifice his life for Christ: “People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives . . . and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.”

Haman's “bubble” is delicately fragile in today's reading. At the beginning of verse nine, he was flying high, reveling in his own self-importance. As the king's right-hand man, he could do anything he wished. He's powerful and prominent. The queen even invited him to her own personal banquet. No one but the king himself shared such honor! Haman rushed home to brag of all this to his friends and family.

His mood changed as he approached the king's gate. While everyone else had risen to honor him, one man didn't budge or even cower in Haman's presence. Despite the pressure from other royal officials, despite his impending fate doomed by Haman's edict, Mordecai remained unafraid and unwavering. He would not honor Haman.

Haman couldn't stand the thought of this one man's refusal to obey him. Like a bubble, the more an ego swells the more fragile it becomes. By this point, Haman's ego was so inflated—and fragile—that Mordecai's action drowned out the applause of the crowd.

Those who live like Haman, in deliberate pursuit of self-importance, will live perpetually on Haman's emotional roller coaster. Soaring high when honored, bottoming out when not, Haman and all those like him will forever be enslaved to the whims of others. They can never have the security of joy and peace that Jesus promises us in His kingdom.

Today's key verse assures us that the only way to secure one's life is to lose it. In part, this means giving up the desire for personal acclaim, something Haman couldn't bring himself to do. In God's kingdom, only one road leads to personal fulfillment, and that is the road of denying self and following Christ (Matt. 16:24).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Beyond the sadness that funerals bring for the loved ones we've lost, they compel us to consider what will be said of us after we've died. Like Haman and Xerxes, will it be said that you lived for the kingdom of self, always striving for more and yet never satisfied? Or will your story, like Esther's, be told and retold as an example for generations to come? One kingdom will never be shaken, even by death itself (cf. Heb. 12:28). How are you living for God's eternal kingdom?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 5:11-14; 1 John 2:15-17
After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin . . . gives birth to death. - James 1:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some describe Wilt Chamberlain as the best basketball player to have ever played the game. Though he retired from the NBA in 1973, he still held the record for the most average points scored per game at the time of his death in 1999. His personal life wasn't as admirable. In his biography published in 1991, Chamberlain made scandalous boasts that he'd had tens of thousands of sexual partners. Chamberlain exemplifies what we learn from today's reading: boasting proves not so much what we have as what we desperately want.

Haman spent a great deal of time and effort boasting to his friends and family of his wealth, his virility, his power and prominence (v. 11). He added an important detail to his boasts, a chord of irony for all of us who know about Esther's plan. “I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave!” (v. 12). His boasting proved the pride of his heart. He believed two things of himself: I deserve all that I have, and I deserve even more. How quickly boasting gave way to craving.

Haman admitted that he couldn't enjoy a single one of his boasts because of Mordecai. “All this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate” (v. 13). Haman was like the hungry man of 1 John 2, boasting of all he had and craving what he had not. Haman, like Xerxes, pursued that which would forever elude him. Tragically, he couldn't see that sin is a tyrant; it always demands more of us, keeping our hearts restless and our souls starving.

Verse 14 proves the destructive nature of sin as we see in today's key verse. Pride became boasting, because Haman couldn't stay silent about how great he was. Boasting produced cravings and desires, because Haman couldn't be satisfied until he had it all. Craving produced hatred, because Mordecai was the one man standing in Haman's way. And hatred produced plans for murder. How quickly “harmless” bragging gave way to great wickedness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In Matthew 5, Jesus described anger as murder and lust as adultery. Today we see another sin of the mind and heart, pride, at the root of Haman's sin. These aren't “small” sins simply because they might be less noticeable to others. They can be our greatest spiritual pitfalls, leading us into a progression of other sins.

Take inventory of these three sins of the heart: pride, hatred, and lust. Where do you need to make confession to God? Take another step and confess to a brother or sister in Christ and ask for their prayer support in the battle against these sins (cf. James 5:16).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 6:1-6
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud. - Proverbs 18:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
If we're not paying careful attention as we're reading along in Esther, we may miss the time frame of this story. The past few significant events have all transpired in one jam-packed day—one of the most pivotal days in all of human history! The future of the Jewish people, from whom our Lord Jesus Christ would be born, hung in the balance.

Our reading today begins with two critical words: “that night” (v. 1). Let's review the events of this particular day. It was the day of Esther's extraordinary courage in approaching the king, the day she hosted the banquet for Haman and the king, the day Mordecai refused once again to honor Haman, the day of Haman's great boasts and terrific rage. The day ended with Haman's instructions for the construction of a gallows upon which he intended to hang Mordecai. This gallows was over seven stories tall—its exaggerated size rivaled the immensity of Haman's bruised ego.

As this day closed, the king couldn't sleep. He requested the book of the chronicles that enumerated all the details of his reign (v. 1). It's interesting that he thought that this bit of reading would surely put him right to sleep! That night, instead of dozing to the sleepy cadence of his servant's voice repeating his past exploits and kingdom life, the king grew alert. Ah yes—there had been an assassination plot . . . and Bigthana and Teresh were duly hanged. But Mordecai? “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” (v. 3).

Here the king learned of his oversight. For the man who'd saved his life, he'd done nothing. This evidently disturbed him. King Xerxes not only wanted loyalty—he demanded it! He executed those who betrayed him, inspiring fear in anyone still plotting treason. Just as he punished treason, he rewarded loyalty in order to ensure its multiplication.

“Who is in the court?” the king asked (v. 4). And one of the greatest ironies of the book of Esther surfaces in these next verses. “Haman is standing in the court” (v. 5). Note why Haman was there—to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai. But the man plotting Mordecai's death would unwittingly design his honor.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's key verse foreshadows Haman's fate and reminds us of how we suffer when we're proud. For example, pride destroys relationships. In our pride, we sever relationships by stubbornly refusing either to confess or to forgive. Humility, however, makes way for reconciliation because of its mercy. Humility is the exact opposite of stubbornness and self-justification. Are any of your relationships suffering because of your pride? Make an effort first to make restitution with that person and then with God (cf. Matt. 5:23-24).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 6:6-11
The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked the Lord will destroy. - Psalm 145:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Shopping malls welcome frenzied crowds in the month of December. Some come to shop; parents bring their children for a short visit on Santa's lap. The long lines snake around holiday displays to accommodate all the eager children who can't wait to tell Santa all they've been wishing for!

“What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” (v. 6). Haman treated the question as if the king had just asked him to fill out his Christmas wish list. He hardly knew where to start! Just two days ago, we learned how Haman's vanity left him dissatisfied and craving more. His pride persuaded him to believe that he deserved more power, wealth, and public acclaim.

We might have guessed what his requests would be: “A royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head” (v. . So far, Haman had carefully chosen distinct symbols of power. Here Haman showed less interest in actually exerting power and greater interest in the trappings of power. The robe and the horse wouldn't really give him more authority in themselves, but they would elevate him to the image of royalty. If Haman couldn't be king, at least he could pretend for a moment.

But pretending to be king is only a thrill when there is an audience. So Haman added the final element to his wish list. “Let [the king's most noble princes] robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ”˜This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor' ” (v. 9). Haman was lost in the reverie of imagining himself in the middle of a Persian parade. The king interrupted his day-dream with some shocking news: “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended” (v. 10).

Here we start the cycle of reversals in the book of Esther. What Haman imagined to be his good fortune was now the good fortune of his arch-enemy, Mordecai. His “Christmas list” had been delivered to the person whom he hated most.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We're just beginning to see how God executes justice in the book of Esther. As we learned from the very beginning of our study (see Ps. 145), God is just, punishing the wicked and rescuing the righteous. Sometimes we don't see this justice here and now. We can wonder why those choosing to disobey God seem prosperous and carefree. It can even cause us to question whether living for Christ is really worth it. Read Psalm 73 as an encouragement to persevere in your faith and obedience.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 6:12-14; Luke 14:7-11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. - Luke 14:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, otherwise known as “Baghdad Bob,” served as Iraq's Minister of Information as the coalition forces began attacking Iraq in early 2003. He boasted about Iraq's great military prowess. “[The Americans] can penetrate our borders but they cannot reach Baghdad. They will try to pull our army and troops out but we are well aware of their plans and they will fail.” How quickly his public boasts gave way to humiliation.

Haman, boasting to friends and family just days earlier about his success (5:9) now faced public embarrassment. Mordecai, not Haman, received all the honor Haman had proposed to the king. At first, the text doesn't provide a description of Haman's mortification. But we can imagine Haman's sullen expression when robing Mordecai with the royal robe and the acrimony in his voice when calling out, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor” (6:9). Haman dutifully carried out the king's instructions, and it's only afterwards that we glimpse his humiliation.

In verse 12, Haman rushed home, “his head covered in grief.” His grief contrasts with Mordecai's earlier grief. In the early verses of chapter four, Mordecai grieved the king's murderous edict. His grief resulted from the evil intentions of another. Haman's grief, on the other hand, has been self-inflicted. His pride, his boasting, and his vanity have all resulted in myopic vision. He never dreamed that the king would want to honor anyone other than him. This led him to concoct a grandiose vision of glory for himself—only to see the honor and accolades go to Mordecai. And indeed, no pity would be shown to Haman.

The prediction made in verse 13 regarding Haman's misfortune proves the truth of today's key verse. “You will surely come to ruin!” they announce. Haman's wife and advisers offered no words of solace to Haman, foretelling instead his demise. And this follows exactly the law of the kingdom of God, about which Jesus teaches in our reading from the Gospel of Luke.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus taught His followers not to assume places of honor, lest they be humiliated. Rather He instructed them to “take the lowest place” (Luke 14:10).

To exalt ourselves, as Haman did, will bring humiliation. To humble ourselves, as Mordecai did, elevates us. Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Discipline, teaches that acts of service and a lifestyle of servanthood help us grow in humility. This week, how can you serve others in practical, even invisible, ways?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 7:1-8; Hebrews 10:19-36
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. - Hebrews 10:22
TODAY IN THE WORD
Frequently people are fascinated by the facial expressions of an accused person when the final verdict is read. On fictional television shows or publicized trials, the cameras focus on faces of the defendants, hoping to capture their reaction to hearing the sentence that determines their future.

Today's reading provides one final look at Haman before the verdict of his guilt was read.Esther hosted a second banquet for the king and begged that he spare her life and the lives of the Jewish people (v. 3). The king didn't waste words reassuring her of rescue, but it was implicit in his outburst of anger. “Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?” (v. 5).

At last, Haman was exposed for his “vile” intentions and character (v. 6). From our first glimpses of him in chapter three, Haman plotted evil with impunity. In these final moments, Haman was in danger of losing everything. All of his boasts of family, wealth, virility, and power promised to evaporate in a single moment should the king choose to end his life. In these last desperate moments, this man starkly depicted the consequences of evil choices.

He was hopelessly guilty. He could make no appeal or justification for his crime. He chose his only recourse: to beg for mercy! This merciless man who had carelessly plotted the annihilation of the Jewish race was reduced to a sniveling heap beside Queen Esther. He could not hope for mercy from King Xerxes. The king's anger, well-renowned after Queen Vashti's banishment, hardly seems subdued in this scene (vv. 7-8).

In contrast to our passage from Esther that illuminates the plight of the evildoer, our text from Hebrews highlights the blessings of those in Christ. Like Haman we were once guilty. We had no appeal and no justification for our offense against God. But here the stories diverge. Though we were once guilty, through Christ's blood, we were cleansed from a “guilty conscience.” We have the privilege of drawing near to God, rather than shrinking back in fear. Most importantly, our position in Christ promises the reward of eternal life (vv. 35-36).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's readings illustrate the crucial choice each of us must make in our lifetime, a choice not only about life but also about death. If we live like Haman, we will face our death as Haman did, in fear and desperation, knowing that all we've sought to build we will lose. But if we live lives of faith in God, we will fear neither death nor judgment.

Can we look forward to something greater in the life to come? Haman put self on the throne. Did you put Christ on the throne of your life?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 7:8-8:2
The Lord tears down the proud man’s house. - Proverbs 15:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
Bastille Day commemorates July 14, 1789, the beginning of the French Revolution. Until the storming of the Bastille, Louis XVI and the nobility enjoyed luxurious living at the price of the peasants' hard labor in the fields. The French Revolution was a bloody era that reversed the fortunes of nobles and peasants.

Today's reading records one of the greatest reversals of fortune in all the Bible. Haman lost everything. However, it's not only that he lost all that he's worked to gain, but he lost it to his arch-enemy, Mordecai. At every turn, Haman endeavored to destroy Mordecai and even his entire race. He even went to the extravagant lengths of having a gallows built for Mordecai's execution.

That death sentence was served to Haman in today's passage (vv. 9-10). Haman would be hung on the very gallows built and designed by his own hands! Not only would Mordecai be spared his life, he would assume Haman's governmental position. The signet ring, a sign of absolute power, once fatefully in the hands of Haman (see 3:10), would now be worn by Mordecai. And for final effect, Mordecai was rewarded with Haman's wealth and estate (8:2). No doubt the Lord had torn down the house of this proud man.

What played out here on this historical Persian stage prefigures the heavenly drama soon to be completely fulfilled at Christ's return. Everything that has happened so far in Esther reminds us of the realities of God's kingdom. Things aren't always what they seem. At the beginning of Esther, evil seemed to be prevailing. Mordecai and his people faced unjust suffering at the hands of evildoers. Haman prospered, while Mordecai and the Jews grieved the prospect of death. The “seen” realities of that situation would have convinced anyone that the Jews were sitting ducks for a tragic fate.

While this was the “seen” reality, an unseen reality prevailed. It's the reality of God at work in any and every situation, no matter how bleak. It's the reality of God keeping His promises to His people. It's the reality of vindication for the righteous and punishment for the wicked. It's the reality of faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Mordecai provides a great example of faith. He didn't focus on the problem but believed in God's goodness.

Here is one sure-fire way to increase your faith: spend time studying Scripture. For example, find passages describing what heavenly rewards are promised for those in Christ. This will not only increase your faith but your devotion to living for God's kingdom.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 8:3-14
The Lord is a God of justice. - Isaiah 30:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Justice is a certain rectitude of mind, whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him,” said Thomas Aquinas. The story of Esther teaches us much about God's justice. We worship a God who is just, who always chooses the right and reasonable action in every circumstance. Today's reading illuminates this for us.

The first example comes through contrast. In verses 5 through 8, King Xerxes corrected the unjust edict written earlier for the destruction of the Jews. This action was unreasonable and unfair; it was unjust. Accordingly, he overrode it with a new edict. What a sobering look at human justice! Unlike God's perfect justice, human justice is subject to error. It usually needs corrective measures for its oversights and excesses. God, however, will never have to override Himself or retract a decision. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind” (Num. 23:19). While humans might have 20/20 vision in hindsight, even foresight is always 20/20 with God.

Another example begins with verse 11. Here we discover that God is just because He never executes a punishment that is too harsh or unfair. Some find these next two chapters of Esther difficult to understand. How is it that God could permit His people to kill their enemies? It's clear, however, that God didn't intend for the Jews to take excessive vengeance upon their enemies. Their motive was not to be one of ruthless vengeance but of self-defense (v. 11). They were strictly confined to “protecting” themselves.

A final example demonstrates God's justice accompanied by God's mercy through the timing of God's rescue. Verse 9 tells us that the second edict was written on the twenty-third day of the third month. Remembering back to the first edict, which was written on the thirteenth day of the first month (cf. 3:12), we see that only two months have elapsed between Haman's murderous plot and God's rescue. This was a full nine months before the date of destruction set by Haman was scheduled to take place (cf. 3:13). God demonstrated not only His justice but also His great mercy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you at times questioned God's justice? Do you feel that your circumstances are too hard? Do you question whether God is demanding unreasonable things from you? Even when experience seems to contradict your belief, God is just . . . and merciful! Hebrews 12:6 provides hope for times of suffering and discouragement: “The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Read Hebrews 12:1-11 to learn more about God's just and merciful treatment of His children.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 8:15-17
The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. - Proverbs 15:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
J. R. R. Tolkien, a Christian and author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, never defended his stories as biblical allegory. Instead, they were what he called “true myth.” By this, he was emphasizing the mythological nature of the plot and characters and the “truth” of the themes. One such theme in the Lord of the Rings is the triumph of good over evil, a clearly Christian idea.

This theme resounds in the final chapters of Esther, helping us to see the place of this book in the canon of Scripture. Early on, we noted that many people question the relevance of Esther. Why would a book that never explicitly mentions God be included in the Bible? Now we begin to see that its themes of the triumph of good and the blessings of obedience are essential for strengthening our Christian devotion.

Today's key verse reiterates this theme and provides a framework for today's reading. This proverb compares two synonymous phrases to say that the fear of the Lord is, in essence, humility. Just as the fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, it also assures honor.

It's helpful to think back to the stark contrast between the two characters, Haman and Mordecai. Haman followed the road of foolishness, not the path of wisdom. He lived for himself, pursuing his pleasures and ambitions. He was greedy for his own honor. In the end, all that he had desperately wanted and aspired to was taken from him. Mordecai, on the other hand, went the way of wisdom. He feared the Lord with humility and faith. He did not seek his own honor. He was never climbing any ladders of personal fame or prominence. And look at his reward in today's reading!

Mordecai was dressed like the king. He was wearing “royal garments,” a “crown of gold,” and a “purple robe” (v. 15). This regal picture of Mordecai echoed Haman's earlier ambitions for his own personal glory (cf. 6:7-9). And now Mordecai enjoyed not only the king's favor but also the favor of the entire kingdom. Ultimately, however, the favor Mordecai received served to glorify God, causing many to become “Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them” (v. 17).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Read Acts 5:12-16, and note the similarities between the Jews in Esther's day and the early Christian church in Acts. Both groups inspired others to put their faith in God.

We've already learned that we will suffer for Christ and His kingdom. Here we learn that at times we will be honored for our Christian devotion and lead others to God! How many people have seen God's work in your life and placed their trust in Christ? Pray for God's glory to be seen in you, as well as the boldness to declare His glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 9:1-16; Romans 12:17-21
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. - Romans 12:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
“The Bible is such a book of lies and contradictions there is no knowing which part to believe or whether any,” accused Thomas Paine, political pamphleteer during the American Revolution. He wasn't the first to criticize the reliability of the Bible, nor will he be the last. Today's two readings are certainly two difficult passages to reconcile. But this doesn't mean that the Bible contradicts itself.

In the reading from Esther, we see the Jews taking vengeance on their enemies and killing them. In Susa, the killings numbered to little more than five hundred men (v. 6). On the following day, another three hundred men were killed (v. 15). Yet in the rest of the provinces, the numbers are more staggering: 75,00 men die at the hands of God's people.

This seems to contradict all we as New Testament believers understand about retribution. Romans 12:17 couldn't be clearer: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Verse 19 continues, “Do not take revenge.” Were the Jews disobedient to God's law? Had Mordecai and Esther been extreme in proposing this bloody plan (cf. 8:?

What is clear from both passages and from the entire biblical testimony is the reality of God's wrath and judgment. In the Old Testament, the Jews were instructed to kill their enemies as a way of executing God's wrath (cf. 1 Sam. 15). Today's reading from Esther complies with Old Testament law (cf. Ex. 21:23-25). The language of this passage clearly states that the killings that took place were not random. They targeted the enemies of the Jews (vv. 2, 5, 14). The Jews took up arms, not to satisfy their own bloodthirst, but to defend themselves. They were not motivated by greed because they specifically did not lay hands on the plunder of their enemies (vv. 10, 15, 16). These killings were a righteous expression of the wrath of God against His enemies.

Jesus redefined our position towards our enemies: love them and don't seek revenge (cf. Matt. 5:38-42). This doesn't mean that God no longer executes His wrath against the evildoer. Romans 12:19 promises that God Himself will repay the wicked their due. What initially might have appeared to be a contradiction is now the fullest picture of how God treats sin and the unrepentant sinner. Evil will not be ignored! Injustice will never escape God's judgment.

This can certainly inspire our prayers today for the cruelties and oppression we see around us. To be like God means to despise such injustice and to hope prayerfully and expectantly for its end. Pray today for God to correct an injustice you see continuing in the world, such as racism and materialism.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Kenneth Evans, Andrew Hirschy, and James Seffinga in Exterior Maintenance apply their hard work and skilled hands to adorn our campus with God's handiwork. Thank God for the beauty of “May flowers” and these men's efforts to exemplify His power and grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 9:17-23; Psalm 78:1-39
They would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. - Psalm 78:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, as a day to commemorate the sacrifices of American soldiers. General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared at that time the importance of such days of national remembrance: “Let . . . no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

Mordecai's commemoration of the festival of Purim provided a means for the Jewish people to remember their deliverance. He deliberately prescribed that this festival would be celebrated annually (v. 21). Year after year, generation after generation, the story would be retold of God's miraculous rescue of His people.

The festival would include terrific celebration. The Jews would feast and give gifts to one another and the poor as expressions of joy (v. 22). This wasn't to become a solemn celebration confined to the quiet halls of the temple. Purim was sure to become one of the favorite festivals of the Jewish children for its gaiety and gifts! The Jews would dance and sing and eat as they remembered God's amazing love and power.

This holiday provided a safeguard for God's people against the perils of spiritual forgetfulness. Psalm 78 provides a haunting look at the dangers of forgetting God's power and provision. Today's verse teaches that remembering what God has done in the past helps us to trust and obey for the future. Sadly, the Israelites after the Exodus fell into sinful spiritual amnesia. They forgot God's power displayed in the ten Egyptian plagues (v. 11). They forgot God's miraculous parting of the Red Sea (v. 13). They didn't remember His guidance by the pillars of cloud and fire (v. 14). Nor did they recall His provision of water from rocks and bread from heaven (vv. 15, 24).

This forgetfulness led them into rebellion and disobedience (vv. 9-11). They cowered at the borders of Canaan, fearing that they could not take the Promised Land (cf. Num. 14). If only they had remembered God's power from the past, they may have had the courage they needed!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Decide today how you can protect yourself from spiritual amnesia. Maybe you'll begin a journal in which you'll record times when you've personally seen God's miraculous power and love. Maybe you'll commemorate days throughout the year to remember specific times of God's deliverance and help. Let these be holidays of great celebration and most importantly, of a time to retell the story of God's working. As Psalm 78:4 declares, “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Esther 9:24-32
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. - Proverbs 16:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
The author of the book of Esther cleverly uses many literary devices to emphasize certain themes and ideas in the book. Today we see the use of irony, a word used to convey a meaning opposite to its literal sense. Its impact can be either humor or sarcasm.

Our reading from chapter nine teaches us the origin of the word Purim, the name given to the festival instituted by Mordecai and Esther. Verse 24 tells us pur means “lot.” This takes us back to the ominous scene of Esther 3:7: “In the twelfth year of King Xerxes . . . they cast the pur in the presence of Haman to select a day and month [for the destruction of the Jews].” Casting lots was a practice used for decision-making. It was meant to be as random and impartial as rolling dice. In the scene from chapter three, the lot was cast for the fate of the Jews. The date of their destruction was fixed, by chance so it seemed.

But was this really the story of random happenings or chance coincidences as the word, lot, might suggest? Or was this in fact a story of God's providence and sovereignty? The evidence stacks up in favor of the latter, and the name, Purim, therefore, serves a note of irony.

The summary provided in verses 24 and 25 of today's reading hardly does justice to the details of the story. No mention is made of Mordecai or Esther's heroism and courage. Instead, we have only the mention of Haman and King Xerxes. First, Haman, “the enemy of all the Jews,” who, with all his wits and wealth, plotted the death of the Jews (v. 24). Despite his willful and purposeful scheming, he did not succeed. Next mentioned is King Xerxes, who issued written orders against Haman, (v. 25). But he hardly deserved the real credit for the rescue of the Jews.

Because the author chooses to emphasize the two minor characters and de-emphasize the two major characters, our focus now rests securely on God. His invisible hand was unmistakable throughout the story. Just as our key verse suggests, lots may be cast, the rudder of human will may be determined, but nothing can keep God from doing as He chooses.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Bible is obviously filled with stories of God's heroes, people like Moses and Daniel and Esther and Paul. But the emphasis in the Bible remains upon God. So should it be in our lives today. God works through His people, yes—but we do well to remember they are simply human. The glory rests with God. Pray for the people through whom you see God working, thanking God for their devotion and influence. But don't neglect to glorify God for what is ultimately His work!