The command was given by
hand of the king that all the Jews throughout the Persian empire were
to be destroyed. Haman, after being offended by Mordecai's
insubordination in that he would not bow to him or give him
reverence, was the instrument of this heinous plan. After hearing of
this plot, Mordecai mourned, wept and cried out from the middle of
the city all the way to the king's gate. In chapter four and verse
three we see the reaction of the remainder of the Jews throughout the
empire. We read:
And in every province,
whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there
was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and
wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Our
verse begins, “And in every province, whithersoever the king's
commandment and his decree came, there was great
mourning among the Jews,...” Let's consider the widespread
account of this horrific news. Jewish people “in every province”
wherever the king's commandment and decree came were affected by the
news. Imagine if there were such a decree today and we were members
of the group named to be eliminated. How would we respond? As for the
Jews, there was “great mourning”, and in advance of the
actual occurrence they found themselves in the position of great
sorrow.
We see
the Jews demonstrate their mourning in the remainder of our verse,
“...and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay
in sackcloth and ashes.” First, they fasted. In other words,
they denied themselves their daily nourishment. Secondly, they were
weeping. Tears were flowing from their eyes as their considered their
fate. Thirdly, they were wailing. Great cries of agony and
desperation flowed from their lips as this news came into their ears,
and finally many of them did as Mordecai and “lay in sackcloth
and ashes.” As we consider all these people in great sorrows
and overwhelming grief, we might imagine Almighty God watching them,
and we might wonder what His reaction will be.
Some
events and circumstances in life are like warnings against our very
existence. Sometimes the news is so overwhelming that we often do not
know what to do. The Jews are a great example for us as we consider
their reaction to horrific circumstances - “mourn, fast, weep,
wail” and if possible, “lay in sackcloth and ashes”. The idea
is complete humility, sorrow and grief, and when we put ourselves in
this posture the Heavenly Father is sure to pay attention. In the
book of Second Chronicles in chapter seven and verse fourteen, we
read just how God's reaction will be:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land.
May we
ever be reminded that God is always on the lookout for a humble and
sorrowful heart that is dependent upon Him.
Next time Esther will be notified of
the fate of her people, so read ahead, and we shall join together
then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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