August 7, 2021
I greet and bless you in the name of our Creator, Maker, and ever unforgettable Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has given for you today is from the book of Esther.5:2,3, ” So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
From the above passage we come to understand that Queen Esther went before the king boldly in order to save the Jews from the cruel verdict that was passed against them. The King in turn granted all that the queen had requested him, bringing joy and laughter to the nation. Esther is described as the Jewish queen of a Persian king Ahasuerus, who was the king of 127 countries from India to Ethiopia, Since his first wife Vasthi, refused to come before the king, when she was called to the banquet, the king sought a new wife. So Esther became his wife. Haman, the king’s evil second-in-command, was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, who were ancient enemies of God’s people. Haman crafted a trick to destroy all the Jews. Haman is the antagonist in the book of Esther, and an evil man who tried to annihilate the Jewish people, King honoured Haman elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai the Jew would not kneel down or pay him honour. The royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour, he was enraged. So Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom, Haman selected the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “about the Jews who were dispersed among the provinces of the kingdom and who keep themselves separate. He further said, their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; So If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s Administrators for the royal treasury.”So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman the enemy of the Jews. “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Ahasuerus, himself and sealed with his own ring. Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Queen Esther on hearing this verdict all the tricks of Haman to kill the Jews she went into her room and fasted three days with her handmaids. Her Uncle Mordecai and other men gathered outside the palace gate and prayed together. When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to the king that she is Jewish and ask that he cancel the order passed against the Jews. Esther and Mordecai realized that they had to save their people; Esther would have to go before the king and plead for them. This was a dangerous thing to do, because no one was to go before the king without being called. Esther asked that her people fast and pray for three days for her. The fasting and prayers of her people gave the queen the courage to do what she needed to do, at that point of time. Esther realized that this was the time when the queen had to act boldly so she prayerfully approached the king. On seeing her the king stretched out his sceptre towards her and she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!” When she told the king of the wickedness of Haman, and his cunning plot against Mordecai and the people of the Jews. The king had him destroyed. He refused to see Haman and ordered that he should be hung on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai. Therefore he was put to death. Queen Esther then instituted the holiday of Purim for the day after the Jews were permitted to defend themselves. It is an important distinction for the holiday. The feast of Purim, still celebrated by Jews today, commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from Haman’s plot . Haman, a court official and villain whose plan to destroy the Jews of Persia was thwarted by Esther. Purim celebrates the day of “rejoicing and feasting” that followed. There was great rejoicing in the capital city of Shushan, since the King permitted the Jews to defend themselves, from their enemies. God gave them great joy and laughter. Those of you reading this message I wish to say that You, too, can pray to Father in Heaven for the strength to do those things that are good and great. God loves you and will listen to your prayers, just as He did to Queen Esther’s. God Bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Father we thank you for giving great deliverance to the Jews through Queen Esther. Give us the boldness with which she went before the king, so that we too can emerge victoriously. Thank you lord for killing Haman who planned against Your people. Destroy all our enemies who have planned to harm us and our children. We are living in a wicked world. Please protect us from the virus and all other dreadful happenings around us. Grant us the strength to overcome troubles and trials that lashes upon us every moment of our life.
In Jesus Name We Pray.
Amen.
