Bibledoorajar shares thoughts from Esther for the Church

     We have learned from the book of Esther that it was necessary for her to move from wonderfully made to beautiful and, therefore, very appealing to the king. For Esther, this meant spending a period of time in which she was washed, perfumed and dressed in fine clothing. She had to become obedient and humble before the king. She reached to touch his extended scepter, asking for the king's favor and mercy.
     The church, too, must be washed in the watery grave of baptism and dressed in robes of righteousness. We must smell as a sweet savor before Him. We must humble ourselves and be willing to relinquish our will and the ways of the world in order to please our King.

     It is no good for the church to be clean and "all dressed up with no where to go." We are gaining from God that quality of mind that is renewed toward doing brave things for the sake of the kingdom. We can measure our fear level by the standard Esther used: "If I perish, I perish." We drink the King's wine, and it must be poured out in His service. And here is the clincher. The Bible says this level of activity must be done joyfully. We come to Him joyfully, we allow the Holy Spirit to improve us joyfully, and we defend the faith joyfully. In deed, the Bible says that "the joy of the Lord is our strength." The Holy Spirit protects us while we are away from our King and the Spirit weeps if we are hurt defending Christ's values. He speedily gives us a DOUBLE PORTION of gifts to sustain us in purity before the king. He has great ability. He can take both the good and the evil that happen to us and work them together for a good end if we love Jesus. We can't have better assurance to make the journey with Jesus than that! It is a wonderful thought to realize that He is with us every step of the way.

     In 1942, C. S. Lewis wrote a book called The Screwtape Letters. In this book the dark force, Uncle Screwtape,  comments on the dark forces' arch enemy, God. He writes the following to his nephew:


      "...He cannot 'tempt' to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and therefore must take away his hand... Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."

Bibledoorajar rejoices over a new decree

    
Esther reminded the king about the decree that Haman persuaded him to put in place. Now the king was responsive to Esther's request and he makes a new decree. The new decree would abolish the old and protect the Jews from death. Never was there such a righteous act done in Shushan and the people rejoiced that their King had done right. Many of the gentiles were in such awe of this decree that they believed in the God of the Jews and accepted His ways.

On the 13th day of Adar, instead of Jews being killed, they killed their enemies, including the ten sons of Haman. It was a time of great victory. Mordecai established an annual remembrance of this great salvation and redemption of God's people. It is observed by observant Jews to this day and is called the Purim Feast.

The arch enemy of God declared that all people should be denied a right to live freely and to be delivered from sin. But our heavenly Father has seen to it that he will not succeed. It took a heavenly Mordecai who appeared "for such a time as this" and, at great price, to make a way for us all to find freedom. Many peoples from all nations have been in such awe of this act that they have believed in the God of the Jews and the One whom He sent to free any who would freely come. Our heavenly Mordecai, Jesus,  established a weekly remembrance of this great salvation and redemption of God's people and it is observed by observant Christians to this day. It is called the Lord's Supper.

Bibledoorajar Looks At Using Resources

     Esther has put Mordecai in charge of Haman's house. How Haman's resources will be used is now up to a God fearing man. But using Haman's resources for good will not stop the decree that Haman put in writing. Remember? He persuaded the king to put in writing that Esther's people in all of the king's royal provinces would surely be put to death on a specific date in the future. Esther makes another "If it please the king" statement, this time punctuated with dependent clauses for his consideration. She then reveals the level of concern for her kinsman.

"If it please the king, if I have won his favor, if the matter seem right to the king and if I have his approval, then let an order be written rescinding the letters devised by Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the royal provinces. For how can I bear to see the disaster that will overcome my people? How can I endure seeing the extermination of my kinsman?"

     Wisdom, Himself, expressed this thought in Solomon's proverbs:

Do not let grace and truth leave you--bind them around your neck; 

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win FAVOR and ESTEEM

in the sight of God and of people.

                    Proverbs 3:3-4

Esther's behavior epitomizes this biblical truth. In the face of an extraordinary pending disaster, she never let grace and truth leave her. The result was favor with God and the king.

By the time Jesus was 12, He had won favor with God. In the Garden he suffered greatly but with grace and truth. He won His Father's complete favor and esteem when he said (paraphrasing), this is my request(to live), but if grace and truth calls for my death, then I am willing. For us today, we have this challenge before us: how far removed from grace and truth have we let ourselves get? If it is too far, wisdom is calling us to once again close the gap! We can do this through the strength that He provides. When done, who knows what victory may come through us! Righteous prayer avails much and could prevent a great disaster.

     

    

Bibledoorajar sees the king's anger subside

     The attendants of the king knew he was angry. They pointed to the gallows
seventy five feet tall standing at Haman's house. The king said: "Hang him on it."
So Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. After he was
hanged and the king had retrieved his signet ring from off Haman's finger, the king's
anger subsided. The king gave Esther the house of Haman. She revealed her true
relationship to Mordecai to the king. He called Mordecai before him. He removed the signet
ring that once indicated Haman's status from his finger and gave it to Mordecai. Esther
put Mordecai in charge of Haman's house. How Haman would have been vexed if he could
have seen Mordecai in charge of his possessions!
     Some people worry about what will happen to their possessions after their death. They
become obsessed that certain people will not have them. Great lengths are taken to prevent them
from doing so. Some are so worried that they give their possessions to another of their choosing
well before dying. Jesus said that we should have a different focus. We should focus on
those possessions that we can store up in heaven. This should be our primary concern and if
we are going to be anxious about something it should be what foundation we are building in
glory for the new life we will live there. This, of course, is not a purchase, but a reward for
righteous acts which the God of mercy and grace will administer. So use your earthly possessions,
 but remember they will fade away in the end. But the glorious foundations being built in heaven will be improved on forever. There's an old hymn that says we have a mansion just over the hilltop. Let's
live so we have something good to see when we get there!

Bibledoorajar Examines Responses to Esther's Request

     Esther had made her request for rescue known to the king in the presence of Haman and the king's attendants. What was the response of the king? It was one of outraged disbelief. Who was this man who could stoop so low as to demand the eradication of the Jews of his kingdom? Who was the ruthless enemy Esther was talking about? And, where is this man who dared to do such a thing?

Esther looked at the king and said, "it is this wicked Haman!" While the king tried to take this revelation in, the scripture says that Haman was filled with sudden fright and horror. He stood terrified before the king AND the queen. But the king was filled with rage. He got up and moved out into the palace garden.

Haman begged Esther to spare his life because he knew for certain the king's rage would lead to his death. In his begging he fell down on Esther's couch. Just then the king returned. He yelled, "Are you even going to rape the queen right here in the royal palace, before my very eyes?" Just then the king's attendants covered Haman's head with a hood and told the king that Haman's gallows which were prepared for the innocent Mordecai were available if the king gave the word.

"Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary,
stalks about like aroaring lion looking for someone
to devour. Stand against him, firmin your trust....
after that, God, who is full of grace, the one who
 called you to his eternal glory in union with the
Savior, will Himself restore,establish and
 strengthen you and make you firm."

Excerpts from 1 Peter 8 &10

Just as the king left the handling of Haman to his attendants, God who is full of grace gives us strength to handle our enemies. And, there is a whole army of attendants within His kingdom who can assist us

in defeating our enemies if we ask them. Praise God!

Bibledoorajar Reminds the Reader that God is Still in Control

Here is a quick review of events that have previously happened in our story:

• Haman wears the king's ring and has established a decree that the Jewish peoples will be destroyed on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar across the king's 127 provinces
• Esther has found favor with the king and he has extended the gold scepter to her
• Mordecai has decreed that she may be in her position as queen because God has strategically placed her there to save her people
• All the people of God have been asked to pray and fast
• Esther has declared that she is willing to die trying to save her people
• The king has realized that Mordecai had not been rewarded for saving the king from a rebellious act
• He asked Haman how such a hero should be rewarded
• Haman, absorbed in himself and his plans, thinks the king is seeking to reward him
• But Haman now knows the hero is not him, it is Mordecai!

     The time has arrived for the King and Haman to attend Esther's second wine banquet.  As Haman and the king drank their wine, the king again said to Esther: "Whatever your request, Queen Esther, you will be granted it; whatever you want, up to half the kingdom, it will be done." I wish I had been there. Haman could not be made merry by the wine because of what he heard Esther tell the king.  I bet when he heard it he needed another drink! But as King Solomon's proverb says, the wine is pretty and red, but has the sting of an adder in the end. Here is what Haman heard Esther say over drinks:

"If I have won your favor, king, and if it pleases the king,

then what I ask to be given me is my own life and

the lives of my people. For we have been sold, I 

and my peple, to be destroyed, killed, exterminated.

If we had only been sold as men and women slaves, 

I would have remained quiet; since then trouble

would not have been worth the damage it would

have caused the king"(to repair-rap).

Esther 7:3-4

     The king is all ears now and demands to know who this ruthless enemy is! Can you imagine the look on Haman's face? Pass the wine please, I think Haman needs a drink!

Bibledoorajar Says, "You're Really In Trouble Now, Haman"

     The king's sleepless night paid off for Mordecai and brought about the beginning of Haman's end. While Mordecai was being received in court and enjoying all of its pleasures, Haman ran home like a "scalded dog". While the king was delighted to robe and court Mordecai, Haman found no support at all. When he told his wife and friends about the great reversal in the plans he had made, their response was not encouraging:

 "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall is a Jew, 

you will not get the better of him; on the contrary 

your downfall before him is certain."

Esther 6: 14

    How many times since the beginning has Satan fallen before THE JEW, the Son of Man to whom God gave authority over him? The Jew humbly lived out His authority and the crowds loved Him because He loved them and delivered them from many of their ills. But the "Hamans' despised him because he trapped them in their web of stupid logic over and over.  Boo! Hiss! to them!

"They brought the donkey and the colt and

put their robes on them, and Jesus sat on them.

Crowds of people carpeted the road with 

their clothing, while others cut branches

from the trees and spread them on the

road. The crowds ahead of Him and behind

Him shouted:

'Please! Deliver us!' 

to the Son of David;

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'

"You in the highest heaven!

Please! Deliver us!'

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city

was stirred. 'Who is this? they asked.

And the crowds answered.

'This is JESUS, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

Matthew 21: 6: 11

     Have a great Easter and always remember the victorious One!'