Thurs.’s Devo - Divine Reversals

Read: Esther 4:1-7:10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-26; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 21:21-22 When Mordecai read the edict allowing the killing of his people he put on burlap and ashes and went into the city crying loudly. He went to the gate of the palace and stayed. Esther’s attendants told her how he was dressed and what he was doing, she sent him some clothes but her refused to put them on. He sent her back a copy of the edict and told the messengers to show it to Esther and tell her to go and beg for mercy from the king. Esther sent back a messaged saying that it might cost her her life to go to the king since he hadn’t asked for her in 30 days. Mordecai rebuked her and told her that she nor her relatives would live through this and who knows if she wasn’t made queen for this very moment. Esther replied that she would go to the king but for the Jews in Susa to fast for three days and she and her maids would also. He agreed. On the third day of the fast, Esther did go in before the king and he lifted his scepter and asked her what she wanted. She invited him and Haman to a banquet she was preparing that night. He accepted and Haman was thrilled. Haman left to go home but passed Mordecai, who didn’t bow to him. He complained about Mordecai to his friends and wife and they suggested he construct a 75 foot pole in his back yard to impale Mordecai on. He thought that sounded good and did it. Then he went to the banquet. They enjoyed a wonderful feast and when the king asked Esther what she requested, she asked him to please come again the next night for a banquet and then she would tell him then what she requested. They agreed. That night, Xerxes couldn’t sleep so he asked for the books about his reign be brought to him. He read the part about how Mordecai saved his life and asked if anything had been done to reward him. Nothing had been done. The next morning, Haman came to ask permission to impale Mordecai. The king asked him first what he should do for someone he wanted to honor. Mordecai thought he was talking about himself so he told him just what he would like: to wear the king’s robe and be led on the king’s horse that bore his seal throughout the city with someone yelling, “this is what the king does for those he honors.” The king thought that sounded good and told him to go do it to Mordecai. He was shocked but he had to obey. Haman went home and related his day to his advisors and family. The same friends that told him to erect the pole told him that since he had been humiliated by Mordecai, he would not win against him. At that moment the eunuch from the palace came to take him to the banquet. At the banquet the king again asked Esther what her request was. She asked for the life of herself and her people. She explained that they had been sold to those who would kill, slaughter and annihilate them. When the king asked who would do such a thing. She exposed Haman as the wicked man that he was. Hamans’ fate was sealed. The king went to get his guards and when they came back in, Haman was dropped over Esther begging for his life. This made the king even madder. The king’s’eunuchs told the king that Haman had constructed a pole to impale Mordecai on so the king told them to use it for Haman. Everything good that Haman wanted, Mordecai got - the honor and recognition and every evil thing that Haman planned for Mordecai came back on him. This is the law of God’s kingdom. It is God’s divine reversal. In Corinthians, Paul goes to great lengths to explain how each of us are a part of a whole. We are all uniquely made with different gifts so that we would all share our gifts and become a whole person. We cannot be whole without each other. The body works when all its parts are healthy. Lord, help us to be a healthy part of the Body. Thank you for being our head and leading us to victory.