Title: In the Darkness of Despair
Contents
Special Early Morning Prayer Meeting 4th August 31st (Thu) New Church
in the dark of despair
Esther 4:1-9
Mordecai decides to save the nation (1-3)
If you look at the clothes and behavior Mordecai is wearing, it is an act of a person who is full of shame or a person who is deeply repentant. He fasted and cried out in sorrow.
In the midst of this, he must have thought about what his role would be for the salvation of the nation. The turning point between humanism and neo-capitalism will be dictated by the order in which he responds in an urgent situation.
Mordecai was neither afraid nor ashamed of what people knew about his position. He had already revealed to the officials sitting at the gates of the palace that he was a Jew.
But now he is telling the whole city that he is not only a Jew, but he opposes the murder decree issued by Haman.
We must not be completely neutral about the issues at stake between human life and death.
“Rescue those who are being led away from death, and do not try not to save those who are being slaughtered. If you say, I did not know it, how can he not understand, and the one who guards your soul does not know? He will reward each one according to his deeds” (Proverbs 24:11-12).
Mordecai wore sackcloth and wept bitterly and went to the gate of the city's palace.
But it couldn't go any further.
It was because of the law that it was forbidden to enter the palace in linen cloths. The king had to live a comfortable life.
What a contrast to our King in heaven who tells us to bring our burdens and sorrows to Him.
What purpose was Mordecai trying to accomplish, clad in sackcloth and weeping openly in front of the palace gates?
Perhaps someone at the gate of the palace informed Esther about it.
Mordecai explains the danger facing the Jews (4-9)
Eventually, Mordecai is able to deliver an important message to the queen. Because the queen sent the eunuch Hadak to the palace gate to find out what was going on.
Did that eunuch Hadak realize that he was playing a very important role in God's plan to defeat Haman and save the Jews?
You probably didn't realize it.
God often uses unknown people to accomplish important tasks in his work.
What was the name of the boy who brought the bread and fish to Jesus? Who were the men who put Paul in a basket and lift him up onto the walls of Damascus? What was the name of the young maid who told Naaman to go to the prophet Elisha?
But God used these people to accomplish his purpose.
Mordecai knew all about Haman's conversation with the king, and he knew that Haman had bought the king's heart by giving the king ten thousand talents of silver. He knew all the schemes Haman had devised. It means that Mordecai was a high-ranking official of the Persian government.
However, his position was given to him by God for the very purpose of saving the Jewish nation.
He informed the queen that he was a Jew and urged the king to go to intercede for her people.
Today's prayer
- Please do not take a neutral stand for the salvation of souls.
- Help us to live a life that fulfills God's purpose with our status, possessions, gifts, and talents.
- May a dignitary with a sense of duty be established in this land.