This is an important post today. Please forward to a friend or family that might appreciate these devotions.  River rafting in Durango, CO. Notice Nate’s hat? One of my gifts to him from Augusta National.

Esther 3

Here’s what’s happened so far….the king of the reigning empire in the world at this time, Persia, was King Ahasuerus. There were approximately 40 million people in the empire including many Jews who had previously been victims of the Babylonian captivity. Queen Vashti defied the king publicly and he removed her as Queen. A beauty contest was initiated to find the king a new Queen. The most beautiful virgins in the empire were brought to the palace for the original season of the reality TV show, the Bachelor. Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her older cousin, Mordecai, swept the king off his feet with her beauty, poise and irresistible presence. She did not disclose that she was a Jew.

 

Meanwhile at the palace gate, Mordecai hears of a plot to kill the king. He alerts Esther who tells the king. The investigation proves Mordecai to be correct. The conspirators are hung, and Mordecai’s actions are recorded in the kings book of records. After these events, Haman, a Agagite, is promoted by the king to rule over many provinces. When he passes by, the people bow before him. Howeer, Mordecai refuses to bow. The Agagites are ancient enemies of Israel. Haman is enraged at Mordecai’s defiance but instead of singling out Mordecai for punishment, he devises a plot to take out all the Jews in the empire. God is never mentioned in the book of Esther but the primary theme that emerges is the amazing providence of God.

Timing is everything

At the right time, Haman approaches the king with a plan. He says to the king in vs 8, “There is a certain people (he doesn’t say the Jews and the king doesn’t bother to ask what people) scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws.” He continues by saying, “it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed.” The king gave Haman his signet ring so that he could decree whatever he wanted. Haman was given the ultimate power to do whatever he wanted. He secured funds and organized the provinces to carry out genocide against the Israelites on a set day in the future.

Taking action

There is the sense of action, of motion, of intent, of power that men carry out with their own self-perception that they are causing their own intended results. They plot, they plan, they reason, they organize with the belief that they are causing or bringing about their desired ends. They live in this world as if the events of life are a combination of randomness and chance mixed with their own efforts. They seek to gain control by reducing the randomness of the world by creating their own action to counter or change the course of things. Therefore, I believe the author of Esther doesn’t mention God because most people live as if God doesn’t exist. The narrative of Esther reveals life from an earthly viewpoint. They approach each day pursuing a sense of “control” by exerting their own action apart from a consciousness of God. 

 

What’s the right balance?

As Christians, how do we balance our responsibilities to “take action” toward the intended results of our lives with the understanding of God’s providence and Sovereign control? We are Christians, but we still yearn to have “control”. What is the right balance or is it a balance at all? This we will explore further as we work our way through Esther. Lord, in the meantime, teach us to live a life of a God-consciousness; to be aware of You, consider You, pray to You always and ask for Your guidance. Amen.