One of the biggest blessings of homeschooling this past year has been the time and space it has provided for our family to draw closer to one another around the Word of God. Each morning, before Eric leaves for work, he leads the kids and I in Bible study. We have just been reading through different books of the Bible, a few chapters a day, and praying for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to teach us. It has been an awesome and rich time for all of us!
Currently, we are reading through the book of Esther. If you are not familiar with the story of Esther, I will try to sum it up in a few sentences:
The time in history is around 480 BC (roughly) and takes place in what was known at the time as Persia. King Xerxes has just banished his wife (Queen Vashti) for her refusal to obey him and a beautiful, young, Jewish woman named Esther is chosen to take her place. Her older cousin, Mordecai, is also chosen as a royal official in Xerxes’ court. Mordecai discovers and stops an assassination plot against King Xerxes while he is hanging around outside the royal residence. At this point the king is unaware of their Jewish heritage.
Another key player and second in command to the king is a man named Haman. He is very power-hungry and arrogant; which proves to be his fatal flaw…
When Mordecai refuses to honor Haman by bowing down to him, Haman becomes furious and comes up with a plan to destroy the Jews by convincing Xerxes to give an order to have all Jews put to death. Esther hears about this plot to wipe out her people and risks her own life to beg her husband to reconsider! In the meantime, it comes to the attention of Xerxes that Mordecai had saved his life and had not been properly rewarded or honored. Xerxes consults his right hand man, Haman, on how he should show honor to a man? Haman, assuming foolishly that the king is referring to him, makes some grand suggestions on how to show such a man honor:
“…have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor , and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ “
Esther 6:8-9
And guess who King Xerxes chooses to be the one to bring the royal robe and horse to Mordecai and lead him through the streets? Yep, you got it! Haman, much to his shock and chagrin, finds himself honoring Mordecai on the king’s behalf through the dusty streets! Can you just imagine how Haman’s blood was boiling? Even his wife finds it difficult to console him when he rushes home with his “head covered in grief”. She may not be willing to worship the Jewish people’s God, but her advice to her spouse reveal that she has a healthy fear of His Almighty power:
“…you cannot stand against him – you will surely come to ruin!” (chapter 6:13) Wise, wise woman! Unfortunately for Haman, her wisdom comes too little, too late! Just as she is uttering this statement, the king’s men arrive to haul Haman away to a meeting with the King and Esther where Esther reveals to Xerxes her true identity (a Jew) and Haman’s plot to destroy all the Jews! Xerxes orders Haman hung on the very gallows Haman had built to execute his nemesis, Mordecai.
Stay with me here…now the story is getting really good! God’s not finished yet…
Not only is Mordecai given all of Haman’s riches and wealth, he is given the royal signet ring and told to have a new order sent out throughout the land overturning the previous order demanding the destruction of all the Jews! They have been set free from death! But that is not all…
The Jews are given new orders; they are granted new rights!
“The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them…and to plunder the property of their enemies…The edict was to be issued as law…so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.” Esther 8:11-13
Do you see what happened there? Not only were the Jews delivered from death, they were empowered. They were endowed with the rights to fight for their lives!
As we were studying these verses this morning, Eric challenged us to make the connection between this event and the Gospel message of Jesus Christ! Jesus said “It is finished” and drew his last breath on the cross; He was buried; descended into hell and on the third day He rose from the tomb! This sequence of events seals our salvation for all eternity. The great sacrifice has already been made. Jesus is the Atonement for our sins. He stood in our stead and delivered us from certain death and destruction at Calvary. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! This does not mean we sit back and just reflect on that truth alone! It is a call to arms…new orders! Along with the grace and the gift of eternal salvation comes power! We are given the right to defend ourselves against the enemy of our soul. We are given the right to annihilate and kill any schemes of that enemy set forth for our destruction! We are given the right to pass this inheritence on to our children and our children’s children!
These are not simply our rights: they are our responsibilities as Christ followers! Ours is not a passive call; it is not for the faint of heart. It must go beyond claiming “just a sinner saved by grace”! Great; go ahead; name that and claim that, but then get on with it! Ours is the battle cry of the redeemed! Ours is a call to action! Ours is a call to triumph and victory! It is to be full of joy and full of celebration but make no mistake… it WILL get messy…it WILL get painful…it IS to the death! The death of earthly things and selfish pursuits! The death of pride and false idols. The death of whatever hinders or gets in the way of claiming our inheritence and taking our rightful place in the presence of our commander in chief…our faithful and fearless leader…I AM…Alpha and Omega…the one, true God…JEHOVAH…
This is the call of Christ. This is the mission…
Will you accept it?
