Esther Series – part 12

Pastor Eric A. Green

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed bitterly.   Esther 4:1

As we established earlier, Mordecai is a type of the Holy Spirit, and he knew the Jews were in dire straits.  His heart was broken over the anguish of his people, and his response was demonstrative.  Everyone who observed him understood clearly this man was in deep distress, and his distress brought him to the king’s gate.  So the Holy Spirit grieves over the anguish of God’s children, and His intercession brings Him to the Father, praying on our behalf in utterances that can’t even be spoken.  Romans 8:26, 27 says:

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Sprit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

There needs to be a little more “Mordecai” in us. In a culture where Christians are looking for the blessings and prosperity of God, we can’t ignore the ministry of “sackcloth and ashes” that rattles the King’s gates.  If we are not careful, we will miss out on the opportunity to call on the Lord to save the lost, heal the sick, and feed the hungry.  But we have the Spirit, and when we kneel, He rises up to pray through us and for us!  So, let’s embrace the heart and work of intercession, because the world is in mortal danger from the “Hamans” seeking to rob, kill, and destroy those God loves.  

Remember, your prayers change things.  And it’s doubtful that God does anything significant apart from those prayers! 

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Esther Series – part 11

Pastor Eric A. Green

Then Haman said to King Ahasueras, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws.   Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, I will pay then thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, enemy of the Jews.  And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with as seems good to you.”   Esther 3:8-11

I thank God for the life of worship and freedom He has made available to me through His Son, Jesus Christ.  I also thank Him for the Holy Spirit who sanctifies me, sets me apart, and makes God known to all through me.  But even as the Lord has called me His friend, His presence in my life makes the world and it’s god my enemy, and my life is often filled with the trials that all who love God must endure.

This Esther passage brings up an interesting question.  The Jews worshiped God in such a distinct way that evil, pagan people saw their very existence as a threat.  Haman was able to convince the king to rubberstamp his genocidal plans to destroy the people of God, because he presented their devotion to Jehovah as antagonistic to their allegiance to the king.  Does that sound familiar?  In today's USA, the mere mention of Jesus Christ is considered an offense to the “rights” of others, and any reference to the Word of God in the public arena is sure to be challenged as an attempt to force our beliefs on others.

By all means, we must be wise and discrete in our walk of faith, for we cannot and should not be heavy-handed with others in matters of faith and conscience.  That’s not what Jesus did.  But, if we live boldly and fully for Him, the demons and the people they use will set their hearts on our demise, as Haman did the Jews.  My question to you is this – are you living a life that exalts Christ and makes the devils tremble?  Are they afraid of your prayers and your praises?  Is your life a light to those living in darkness all around you?  Do people see the gentleness and sweetness of Christ when they see you?  Are you a peacemaker, a friend of God and men?  If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence in your life to convict you?  Are our sufferings the sufferings of Christ or consequences of our own disobedience? 

These are sobering questions we need to consider more often than we do.

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Esther Series – part 10 

Pastor Eric A. Green

After these things King Ahasueras promoted Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all princes who were with him.  And all the king’s servant who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him.  But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.  The king’s servants who were within the gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?”

Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.  When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.  But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai.  Instead Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasueras – the people of Mordecai.   Esther 3:1-6

God is setting the scene in a great play of redemption for His people, and the main actors are Mordecai, Esther, Haman, and King Ahasueras.  The Jews are in captivity, dispersed throughout the kingdom of their conqueror – and because they are God’s people, distinct from all others, their worship draws the disdainful eye of the “gods” of the land.  Satan, the invisible antagonist, sees an excellent opportunity to deal a crushing, genocidal blow to the plan and people of God by destroying the lineage of the promised Messiah. 

A conflict of cosmic proportions is brewing in the Book of Esther, and the same is true in our day.  Satan (Haman) still hates God’s people, both the Jews and the Church.  Witness the historical record of attempts to exterminate the Jews, and the present efforts to persecute the Church and remove even the mention of God from public discourse.   Today, it is considered an offense to display scripture references in government offices or to say, “Merry Christmas.” There is even a present litigious attempt to remove the phrase “under God” from the pledge of allegiance.  Can you sense the spirit of Haman lurking and plotting against God-fearing people who refuse to bow down at the shrine of worldliness?

Friends, our firm determination to be a distinct, peculiar people who are set apart for the worship of the Lord Jesus makes us a target for the powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness that hold sway over this world.  But the Lord Who protects us knows all, and He has assured the desired end to all our trials.  There may be a Haman in your life that seems to have all the power.  He (or she) may well be plotting your demise, but the Word of God says:
The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.  The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.  The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and the needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct.  Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.   Psalm 37:12-15

I pray you remember the Lord is your strong tower, your shield, and your God.  If He is for you, who of any consequence can be against you?  May the Lord make you able to stand against the wiles of Satan, and He will make you wiser and shrewder than those the serpent has sent to harm you.  Remember that no matter how difficult the present may seem, and we know who wins in the end! 

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric