At the Face of Enmity and Opposition

Meditation from Esther Chapter 9 & 10

If God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
The concluding chapters of the book of Esther share the amazing incident of how the people who were faced with a powerful enemy, became victorious and were saved from destruction.

These two chapters show us what the Lord does to His people, who face the foe and what should be our response & responsibility to God's deliverance.

God's Doing

1. Turn Around:
The enemies of the Jews hoped to gain power over them, but it was changes to a day in which the Jews gained power over their foes (9:1).

The Lord turned around an impossible situation which was unfavourable to the Jews to their favour.

2. Fear:
No one could withstand the Jews, because the fear of them had fallen upon all the people (9:2).

The Jews were a minority and were supposed to fear the others. But the Lord had put fear in the hearts of the majority in regards to the minority.

3. Support:
All the officials of the provinces were supporting the Jews (9:3).

The Lord brought those who opposed to their support!

4. Fame:
Added to all of this, Mordecai was powerful in the King's house and his fame spread throughout all the provinces and he grew more and more powerful (9:4).

The one who was despised became popular and powerful!

Our Response & Responsibility

1. Greed-less:
The Jews defended themselves & destroyed the enemy, but they did not touch the plunder (9:10,15,16).

Haman's plan was to destroy the Jews and to plunder their goods (3:13).

But though the Jews had the opportunity they did not plunder the goods of the enemy.

Greed will lay waste the grace that God supplies in our life. Mind that which is on possessions & materials will not be fruitful in fulfilling the purposes of God.

2. Gratefulness:
The Jews wanted to ever remind grateful to God for the miraculous deliverance. That's how the festival of Purim began to be celebrated (9:22,26).

We should not forget the past, that is, our beginnings and should always remain grateful to God and to people who helped us.

3. Goodness Shared:
The Jews showed their gratefulness in action by sending gifts to one another and to the poor (9:22).

Our gratefulness needs to be shown in action.

4. Goodness Seeking:
Mordecai was advanced by the king, his honour, power and popularity grew. But he did not misuse his power and popularity. Rather he sought the good of the people (10:3).

If we truly know and have experienced God's deliverance, we will not misuse our position, power or popularity and will not harm people, but will only seek their good.

5. Intercede:
Mordecai also interceded for the welfare of the people (10:3).

Our position is not to interrupt the welfare of people, but to intercede for their welfare and well-being.

At the face of enmity and opposition we need not be anxious and fearful, but we need to be assured in the Lord. We should never forget God's deliverance in our life and we should always live in gratefulness, for the good of the people.

Be blessed!

Am I righteous or wicked? Godly or Ungodly?

Meditation from Esther Chapter 8

We will compare and contrast the life of Esther and Haman to understand the attitude and works of the righteous and the wicked, the godly and the ungodly.

1. Evil Intentions or Plans:
Haman made the evil plan to destroy the Jews (3:9a). But Esther wanted to "avert the evil design" (8:3).

The wicked devises evil against someone, but the righteous cannot plan anything evil against anyone. Rather when the righteous knows of an evil plan he or she will
a) Pray for the evil plan to be averted
b) Act upon it, if it's in their influence, to avert it.

This is the attitude and responsibility of the righteous.

How is your heart? How are your intentions?
Do you cry at the news of evil & misfortunes in someone's life or do you rejoice?

2. Right or Wrong Act & Approach:
In order to fulfil his evil agenda, Haman promises to pay huge wealth for the king to send out the decree to destroy the Jews (3:9b).

Haman was bribing to fulfil his evil plans.

Esther had more influence on the king than Haman. Yet she didn't use her influence wrongly.

Second, even though she had influence, she wanted to do the right thing and though she was doing the right thing she wanted the King's approval.

She says to the king,
If it pleases the king...
If I have won his favour...
If the thing seems right...
(If) I have his approval... (8:5)

This shows Esther's right intentions and humble attitude.

How is your attitude, approach and act? Are you trying to fulfil your agenda alone or are you willing to listen to others' perspectives to arrive at the right perspective.

3. Reject or Accept:
Haman reasons out to the king that because the laws of the Jews are different "it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them" and so they must be destroyed (3:8,9).

But Esther could not bear the calamity that was coming upon the people (8:6).

Are you not able to tolerate someone because he or she is different from you? Different in culture, colour, food habits, language, religion, region (geography), class, etc.?

Do we reject people because of these differences or just tolerate them unwillingly or accept them?

We are called to love our neighbours as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18) and to accept one another (Romans 15:7).

4. Confusion or Joy:
When Haman and the King celebrated, the city of Susa was thrown into confusion (3:15).

But when Esther and Mordecai were honoured, the city of Susa shouted & rejoiced and there was light, gladness, joy and honour (8:15,16).

What does your presence, actions and influence do to the lives of people? Do people rejoice or does it bring confusion?

Corrections apart, our dealings should bring joy to the people. Correction will add grief, but it should restore a person (possible when he or she cooperates).

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2 NRSV

Let our intentions be pure, good & godly and not evil; let us not rejoice over someone's misfortune but pray & help such people; let us do the right thing & be humble to learn other's perspectives and to not reject & not just tolerate but accept people.

Have a blessed day!