From Sadness to Joy!
Now go ahead and
send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want,
and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already
been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.”
Esther 8:8 (NLT)
How would interpret the king’s statement in the above
verse? Can you sense a little impatience in the king’s response? One commentary
points to a hint of impatience that this is not enough to satisfy Esther. He
seems to say “Do whatever you can, legally, to please yourselves"; but he
removes himself.
Certainly Xerxes showed Esther favor when he placed her
in charge of Haman’s estate, but he hadn’t given her what she’d wanted all
along. She wanted the king to exercise his sovereign right as ruler and
overturn the law. He refused.
God often wants to show us what we can do rather than let
us find someone who can do it for us. Don’t miss the reference in this verse. God
allowed Xerxes to shirk the responsibility, so Esther would have to take it.
Sometimes you and I are looking for someone to stand up
and do what God wants us to do. One reason God dissuades us from making
champions of people is because He wants nothing to get in the way of us
worshiping His glorious Son Jesus.
Quiet-Time – do you have a special place and time to get
alone with God? There is no right or wrong time, what God wants most from us is
a relationship. Morning prayer time is so crucial because we never know when a
matter is going to arise that needs attention “at once” (v. 9). We don’t get to
deliberate about it for several weeks and study our options. If we’re not
surrendered to God already that day with our hearts and minds guarded by
Scripture, we’ll more likely at react by impulse than by the Holy Spirit.
Every morning God already knows each joy and concern our
day holds. Some crises are so horrendous that we feel like nothing could have
prepared us for them. Other times we can see that God strategically placed the
truths on our minds that would become hope and assurance to us for months to
come.
If you fully obey the Lord your
God…the Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you
will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee
from you in seven. (Deut. 28:1a-7 NIV)
When God intervenes and we
get a chance to know we’re blessed and fell blessed, nothing is more
appropriate than seizing the happy moment. God took His children’s mourning fasting,
weeping and wailing and turned them into happiness, joy, gladness and honor (Esther
4:3 and 8:16). One of Esther’s most glorious reversals.
All Scripture is
God-breathed. Yahweh, the faithful covenant God, reversed every negative of His
threatened people into a positive. These mirrored terms in Esther 4:3 and 8:16
are more than narrative art. They are joyful cries from the streets of Susa
exclaiming the enduring love and limitless grace of God!
What are your thoughts? Share them 😊
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Cheryl
What is interesting is the king's original decree -- to bow down and honor the king which Mordecai could not do. The king was "saving face" by giving Mordecai the ring to rewrite the edict - basically excepting Jewish subjects. However, non Jewish subjects would still have to obey according to his edict. Modification was a favor to Esther and Mordecai but he was not relinquishing total power over all of his subjects. The power of this chapter is the blanket transfer of royal power to Esther and Mordecai that protected so many.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting take on the significance of the signet ring but let's not forget who wrote the original decree and what his motives were. He was filled with hatred and deceit that ultimately led to his downfall. Mordecai and Esther definitely did receive favor from the king and the King, many lives were saved.
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