Seeking God

I have had several threads speaking to me over the past few weeks. One has been on the theme of being strong and courageous; the other, on seeking God above all else.

At Love God Greatly, I read:

We live in challenging days. Like Esther thousands of years ago in ancient Persia, our world at times can feel like it is spinning out of control…and that evil is winning. But take heart my sweet friends, and cling to the assurance we find in Deuteronomy 31:6…

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is always with us.

He will never leave us nor forsake us.

We are called to be strong and courageous, which tells me that there will be times in our lives when we have to choose either a life of faith or of fear.

But take heart, God will accomplish what He has started. Philippians 1:6 reminds us of this truth:

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

And though this life can be hard, disappointing and at times heartbreaking, we cling to the truth that we find in Romans 8:28:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The tradition of Purim is established

"And they did it."

What? Celebrated - in style. Huge parties of relief and exultation at having escaped certain death.

 What started then became a tradition, continuing the practice of what Mordecai had written to them.

Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the archenemy of all Jews, had schemed to destroy all Jews. He had cast the pur (the lot) to throw them into a panic and destroy them. But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head. He and his sons were hanged on the gallows. That’s why these days are called “Purim,” from the word pur or “lot.”

Therefore, because of everything written in this letter and because of all that they had been through, the Jews agreed to continue. It became a tradition for them, their children, and all future converts to remember these two days every year on the specified dates set down in the letter. These days are to be remembered and kept by every single generation, every last family, every province and city. These days of Purim must never be neglected among the Jews; the memory of them must never die out among their descendants.

Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, backed Mordecai the Jew, using her full queenly authority in this second Purim letter to endorse and ratify what he wrote. Calming and reassuring letters went out to all the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom to fix these days of Purim their assigned place on the calendar, dates set by Mordecai the Jew—what they had agreed to for themselves and their descendants regarding their fasting and mourning. Esther’s word confirmed the tradition of Purim and was written in the book.

And so the Jews, thousands of years later, still celebrate with joyous abandon: dressing up (disguising themselves, as Esther disguised her identity), feasting, even intentionally getting drunk! They remember, with tremendous gladness, how they were saved.

We Christians remember how WE were saved from eternal death every Sunday. But do we - do I - do it with tremendous gladness? To my shame, I often take Sundays for granted. I do not live in the immediacy of my imagination to feel that huge sense of relief and excitement.

In so doing, I diminish my life in my own eyes. My actions cannot diminish the sacrifice Jesus made, but they do not adequately praise and glorify Him for what He did.

Purim can be my example.

Psalm 71:17-24 (NIV) shows me how:

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray,  do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honour and comfort me once more.

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I whom you have delivered.
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion."

King Xerxes imposed taxes from one end of his empire to the other. For the rest of it, King Xerxes’ extensive accomplishments, along with a detailed account of the brilliance of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, that’s all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia.

Mordecai the Jew ranked second in command to King Xerxes. He was popular among the Jews and greatly respected by them. He worked hard for the good of his people; he cared for the peace and prosperity of his race."

Esther 9:123 - 10:3

And so the story ends with happily ever after. The beautiful queen is safe; her uncle, under threat for his life, is spared and rises to a high position.

Once again, as with Joseph and his family, God has redeemed His people. The story of Esther is a glimpse of God's Ultimate Plan to save his people. The Jews' desperate situation is turned around by Esther's willingness to sacrifice her life. Our desperate situation of a life of sin is turned around by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Love has triumphed.

The tables are turned...

This was not what I was expecting: "The king’s order authorized the Jews in every city to arm and defend themselves to the death, killing anyone who threatened them or their women and children, and confiscating for themselves anything owned by their enemies. The day set for this in all King Xerxes’ provinces was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. The order was posted in public places in each province so everyone could read it, authorizing the Jews to be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies."

I was expecting the edict just to be cancelled. Yet the laws of Persia held that a king's decree could not be cancelled, in spite of the personal wishes of the king. With such constraints in place, it seems astonishing that the king seems so quick to offer his endorsement to the act of bloodshed which Haman put in place.

The only way out was to issue a seemingly contradictory command. Even more bloodshed, as the Jews were entitled to fight back and seize their enemies' possessions.

The couriers, fired up by the king’s order, raced off on their royal horses. At the same time, the order was posted in the palace complex of Susa.

So it happened: and Mordecai is elevated to a position even greater than Haman. And suddenly, everyone wants to be Jewish.

Mordecai walked out of the king’s presence wearing a royal robe of violet and white, a huge gold crown, and a purple cape of fine linen. The city of Susa exploded with joy. For Jews it was all sunshine and laughter: they celebrated, they were honored. It was that way all over the country, in every province, every city when the king’s bulletin was uposted: the Jews took to the streets in celebration, cheering, and feasting. Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews—now it was dangerous not to be a Jew!



Esther 8:11 - 17

Esther saves the people!

It wasn't over yet. Haman had been killed for his plot to kill all the Jews and Esther had been given his estates, with Mordecai in charge of them. Not only that, but the king had reclaimed his signet ring from Haman and given it to Mordecai.

But the Jews were still not safe, because a royal edict had already been written, sealed and distributed. The order to massacre still stood.

Esther still had work to do: she threw herself at the king's feet and begged him for the lives of her people.

So:" So the king’s secretaries were brought in on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan, and the order regarding the Jews was written word for word as Mordecai dictated and was addressed to the satraps, governors, and officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces in all, to each province in its own script and each people in their own language, including the Jews in their script and language."
Esther 8:1 - 10

The plot revealed...

So the king has again asked Esther what he should give her. I wonder, was he used to people not saying straight away what they wanted? Unlikely.

Yet Esther has kept him waiting two days. This is the third time he has asked her what she wants.

Now she tells him.

"Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favour in your eyes, O King, and if it please the king, give me my life, and give my people their lives.

“We’ve been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed—sold to be massacred, eliminated. If we had just been sold off into slavery, I wouldn’t even have brought it up; our troubles wouldn’t have been worth bothering the king over.”

King Xerxes exploded, “Who? Where is he? This is monstrous!”

“An enemy. An adversary. This evil Haman,” said Esther.

Haman was terror-stricken before the king and queen."

Esther 7:3 - 6

Clever. She wasn't going to bother the king just about proposed slavery - was he then so heartless, that he wouldn't care? Or was this just a ploy to get him to realise how disastrous this would be for him, to lose so many of his subjects aka potential tax players.

Whatever, King Xerxes - the account now uses the Persian version of his name, rather than the Hebrew one - explodes in anger. He must have been really fond of Esther...and she was really brave. Her life hung on a knife edge. Haman was, after all the king's favourite and most trusted adviser - and here she is, attacking him. How she must have hung on to these words from Joshua...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.         Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Like Haman, searching for significance

No apologies here for reposting a thought-provoking reflection on Haman from Joy Forney at Love God Greatly;

"Haman craved significance above all things. And not just to be significant, but for everyone to know and see that he was significant. He felt quite puffed up that he alone was summoned to the party with the two royals. But that Mordecai had a real way of sticking in this guy’s craw. When Haman went out joyful and glad of heart and saw Mordecai and he didn’t rise or tremble before him again, he was filled with wrath. {Esther 5:9} Mordecai once again does not show Haman proper respect, and it makes Haman crazy. Because Haman’s ego is so fragile, it certainly doesn’t take much to send him reeling.

“His emotional strings were being pulled by his idol, which was public respect. When that idol was fed, he felt good; but when his idol was challenged, it led him to malice and anger…”

“His joy and his anger were simply the outward expressions of his heart’s idolatry.” {Esther and Ruth by Iain Duguid}

Haman really is a likeness to which we can compare ourselves. He had made an idol of something, and his whole emotional well-being was tied into this idol. There was always a void left at the center of things, especially when something upset his feeling of public respect {i.e. Mordecai}.

Yet again, I see myself in Haman. How quickly I fall into this trap of idolatry and searching for significance outside of my identity in Christ. Do you see yourself? What is the idol in your life that you find yourself clinging to desperately to give you significance?

Here are few big ones:

• Is it physical appearance or weight?
• a need to be approved of or “liked” on social media?
• a need to have everything “put together”? To be seen as the one who has it all under control?
• to be popular or included in social groups?

The good news, no the GREAT NEWS, is that the gospel has answered our need for significance, an ability to find our value outside of what others think about us. We have a God who loves us no matter what, and even in spite of our sin. And this is something I wish we could go back and tell Haman…that no matter how hard you try, buddy, you will never be satisfied chasing after significance outside of Christ. That, as Augustine said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.” But I’m not sure he would have listened.

We, on the other hand, have an opportunity to repent of our idolatry, and to turn our hearts back to Christ."

What do I keep turning to for significance?

Treasure

Today is the first day of a Love God Greatly (formerly Good Morning Girls) Bible study on Esther.

I didn't know this when I opened an email entitled 'Where is Your Treasure?' from Wisdom For Wives. Odd, especially when I don't read the blog very much.

The writer is talking about money:

"I have heard more than one pastor say that you can tell a person’s priorities by looking at his or her checkbook. This seems to be supported by Scripture.

~~But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21-22, NASB)~~

Maybe that’s why it can be so difficult to discuss finances with our spouses. Maybe these conversations reveal the true conditions of our hearts, and who wants to talk about the true condition of our hearts?? It’s quite possible that when there are unresolved heart issues, money arguments aren’t really about money. One spouse wants to discuss a budget, the other one fears being controlled. Four little words like, “We’re short this month,” can really mean:
You don’t make enough.
You spend too much.
You shouldn’t have taken (or quit) that job.
It’s because you wanted to buy this house that we can’t afford.

Even if the speaker is not (knowingly) holding a secret grudge, the hearer could be filtering the words through insecurities about his/her earning potential, or lingering regret or shame over a financial mistake for which the family is still paying. Rather than churn up all these issues, it is easier (in the short-term) to avoid talking about money, or to just ignore it altogether.

Money or wealth says so much about us, whether we lack money or have more than enough for our needs. This opens up so many thoughts about our 'treasure'. Oh, way beyond money. 'Treasure' is self-esteem, pride, perfectionism, striving to show the world how rich/good/competent/beautiful/clever we are...money can, we think, show others all of these things.

For Ahaseurus, king of Persia in Esther's time, his treasure was his wealth. Yesterday, in church, we were reminded of the danger of pride in possessions when we looked at Hezekiah, king of Judah, who was also proud of his wealth, and so, in 2 Chronicles Chapter 32, we are told how God 'left him'. 

But we 'leave God' so easily when we become absorbed by any treasure which is not God. When we put possessions or position or power or personal gain in the centre of our hearts, in God's place, we leave Him out of our lives. 

And so Matthew 6:19 - 21 reminds us: "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is."

For both Ahaseurus and Hezekiah, wealth made a statement about who they were. Let us remember who WE are: children of God and co-heirs with Christ.

And if we are co-heirs, then we have all the wealth in the world. Now, there's a thought.

Ladies breakfast: Esther

Just waved the last of the girls off.  Such an encouraging morning, discussing 'Esther' principles. One quote - attributed to Tozer - sticks in my mind. We need to be 'eternally preoccupied'.  Eternally preoccupied. Connecting with God in every situation through every hour, minute, of the day.

We touched on many ideas.  Then I shared this wonderful explanation of the Gospel - it only takes 4 minutes! I've watched it many times and every time notice or understand something new. It's amazing.

I just LOVE being amazed and excited about God-stuff. There's NOTHING better.

Ladies breakfast coming up: Esther

We all know the story of Esther – the beautiful young Jewess who became a Queen of Persia at the time of the Jewish exile, who then saved her people from annihilation. She is chosen for King Xerxes’ harem and eventually becomes Queen. Her uncle and adoptive father, Mordecai, is a Jew who learns of a plot to exterminate the Jews. He tells Esther who, after much heart-searching, prayer and fasting risks her own life to approach the king. She then waits for the right moment before pleading with the king to save her people as eventually the plot is exposed, the perpetrator – Haman – is put to death and the Jewish people are saved.

1 Vashti was banished, and Esther became Queen (Esther 1 & 2)
Queen Vashti refused to obey the orders of her husband King Ashasuerus, so he divorced her and sought a new queen. This new queen was to be the most beautiful woman in the land. A young Jewish girl, Esther, was chosen. Her uncle, Mordecai, overheard a plot against the king, and warned him through Esther.

Esther’s fate was decided for her. She had no choice. She made the best of it. 

2 Esther saved Mordecai from Haman (Esther 3-8:14)

Mordecai offended a high court official, who decided to kill not only Mordecai but all the Jews in the Persian empire. Esther pleaded with the king at two banquets she gave. Mordecai was saved from death, and Haman was punished.

3Esther saved the Jewish people of Persia (Esther 8:15-10)

Letters were sent throughout the kingdom repealing the decree of death for all Jews. There was great rejoicing, and an annual festival was celebrated to commemorate the courage of Esther and the deliverance of the Jews. This festival was called Purim.

Esther must risk her life to approach the King, reveal her identity, and make the request to save her people, or she could remain silent and rest in the apparent security of her lavish surroundings. She fasted; waited for God’s direction; stepped out in faith; used her position.

Esther was out of the safe environment of her Jewish home and friends. No one in the palace knew of her heritage and she had influence and security there. Still, she risked her own life to save her people.

Refusing to take matters into her own hands, Esther waited three days.
· In stressful and dangerous situations, can we wait for God’s direction and timing?

· Do we request prayer from fellow believers? Do we join in prayer for others?
· Mordecai stood by his belief in God even when it looked like it would cause calamity for him and his people. Can you confess your Christian belief in the midst of adversity?
Matthew 10:32 "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."

Do we look for God’s hand in all situations?
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him."

Is there pride in our lives that needs to be dealt with?
Proverbs 8:13 "I hate pride and arrogance"

Do we remember and celebrate the blessings we have received?
Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
Give thanks to Him and praise His name."

And, finally, something to think about:
I Peter 3 - 4 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.