Focus

Let yourself become open to God and the knowledge that comes from the Word. Ask God for peace at this time.

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Read

Esther 8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. So Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Then Esther spoke again to the king; she fell at his feet, weeping and pleading with him to avert the evil design of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, and Esther rose and stood before the king. She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have won his favor, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I have his approval, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”  Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he plotted to lay hands on the Jews.  You may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.”

The king’s secretaries were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language.  He wrote letters in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed them with the king’s ring, and sent them by mounted couriers riding on fast steeds bred from the royal herd.  By these letters the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, with their children and women, and to plunder their goods  on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  A copy of the writ was to be issued as a decree in every province and published to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies.  So the couriers, mounted on their swift royal steeds, hurried out, urged by the king’s command. The decree was issued in the citadel of Susa.

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king, wearing royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and purple, while the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor. In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict came, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a festival and a holiday. Furthermore, many of the peoples of the country professed to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

 

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Reflect

Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? Good defeats evil, two people fall in love, and they and the kingdom live happily ever after. This sounds like movies that my wife watches on a certain channel. I won’t say the name, but they play Christmas movies at Christmas and in July!

In our scripture today, we are at the end of the story where they are transitioning to the happily ever after. In chapter seven, Ester revealed to King Xerxes the plot Haman had devised against her and the Jews. When King Xerxes heard the plot, he had Haman killed, and thus saved the lives of Ester and Mordecai, her cousin. The happily ever after comes here in chapter eight when King Xerxes gives his signet ring to Mordecai, and tells him to write new decree that would supersede the one Haman had sent out.

Verse eight says, “for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” In this world, there are no guarantees of a happily ever after. King Xerxes said this edict cannot be revoked, but that is only true as long as King Xerxes is still king. If a new king takes over, his edicts will override any that already exist. In reality, there are no guarantees.

The only place we have a sure guarantee of happily ever after is when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our fairy tale is not a fairy tale at all. God loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us. If we believe in him, we get eternal life! (John 3:16).

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Pray

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your love. It is so much more than we can comprehend. Thank you for stories like Ester’s. They show us that when we feel overwhelmed in our situations, you provide salvation, you provide comfort, and you are with us. Thank you that you have plans just for us. God, when we are struggling, when we are in the middle of strife, and when we are off the path, guide us and deliver us from our turmoil. Turn us back to you, and give us the hope that only you can provide.
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Go with God!