Mon.’s Devo - Esther

Read: Esther 1:1-3:15; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 21:19-20 During the reign of the Medes and Persians, King Xerxes ruled over the land. His rule stretched to 127 provinces and he was extremely prosperous. In his third year, he threw a very opulent banquet for all his nobles and officials. The party lasted 180 days and when it was over, he threw another party for the common people for another week. *** The queen, Vashti held a party of her own at the same time for the women. On the seventh day when the men were good and drunk, Xerxes ordered his seven eunuchs to go get Vashti and bring her to let the men gaze on her beauty. She was to wear the crown, and maybe that was all. Anyway, Vashti refused to come and be gawked at. This was a great embarrassment to the king and he met with his counselors to ask them what he should do about it. His decision would greatly affect how their wives responded to them. If she was allowed to get away with it, all the other wives in the kingdom would follow. So they told him to exile her and they would find him a new wife. He agreed, only the decree that went out also added that every man would be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever pleased him. *** Now they had to find Xerxes a wife or he might start missing Vashti and get mad at them for exiling her. A beauty contest was arranged and any beautiful virgin was taken into the king’s harem to be prepped to have a night with him. He would make the decision which woman he wanted. *** Mordecai was a Jewish exile who was from the same family Saul was from. He had adopted his orphaned niece Esther and raised her as his daughter. She was so beautiful, she was chosen to be in the harem of the king. Mordecai warned her not to reveal her Jewish heritage. *** Esther received much favor and was promoted to the king’s harem very quickly. Mordecai also was promoted to become a palace officer which meant he sat at the gate. At the same time, Haman was also promoted by the king to be the most powerful officer of the king. He was evil and ordered all the king’s officials to bow when he walked by. Mordecai refused to bow because he was a Jew who only bowed to God. His fellow officers ratted on him to Haman. This made Haman so mad he decided he would not only bring Mordecai down but he would destroy all the Jews in the empire. *** In the meantime, Mordecai exposed a plot of two of the palace officials to kill the king. He told Esther to get the news to the king and the two men were killed. Mordecai’s name and the event was recorded in the king’s books. *** In the seventh month of Nisan every year, the king would determine the year’s events on their calendar by lots. Haman told the king of a people in his kingdom who didn’t follow his laws. He suggested that it was not good for the the kingdom to let them live. To sway Xerxes’ opinion he offered 10,000 sacks of silver to be given to the government. Xerxes agreed, so their annihilation was put on the calendar and the lot fell on the 13th of Adar which was five months later. On that day all the Jews in the provinces were to be killed. When the decree went out, the king and Hamen sat down to drink but the city of Susa was totally confused as to why this was ordered. *** In Corinthians, Paul explains why there must be divisions among the people. It is so that those who have the approval of God will be recognized. It was obvious in the situation Paul described who were the real disciples of Christ. Those who honored the Lord’s supper (the wine which represented his blood and the bread that honored his body) were his real disciples. The ones who were hogging the food and getting drunk on the wine were eating and drinking God’s judgment upon themselves. *** Paul encouraged them to judge themselves so that they would not be later judged by God. They were to be servants who served one another. *** Lord, deal with our selfish motives and may we honor you first and others greater than ourselves. When we are treated wrongly as the Jews were in Esther, that we know that you are our deliverer.