Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The King and Princes are Pleased Esther 1:20 - Equipped for Battle

 
As we have watched our story unfold, we have kept in mind that Almighty God is behind the scenes governing the patterns and ways of people. Although these events seem very natural, there is a plan being enacted with the refusal of Queen Vashti and the anger of King Ahasuerus without them even knowing it. Memucan the prince has given the advice to King Ahasuerus to ban Queen Vashti from the throne otherwise the effect of her actions would be detrimental to every home throughout the great empire of Persia. In chapter one and verse twenty we see the king's reaction to Memucan's suggestion. We read:

And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:

If we imagine ourselves in this story for a moment, we can see the seven princes before King Ahasuerus. Memucan has just given his advice, and there is perhaps a short pause before the king answers him. The other princes have been listening and nodding their heads in agreement, and now they wait upon the king's response. We read, “An the saying pleased the king and the princes;” In other words, they were all in agreement with Memucan.

The verse goes on to say, “and the king did according to the word of Memucan.” This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. It is one thing to hear advice, and it is quite another to do it. The king liked the suggestion, acted upon the suggestion, and wasted no time carrying out the suggestion. We would all be advantaged to think upon the advice of God in the same manner as Ahasuerus.

He may not have known it, but Ahasuerus followed Biblical principles for handling this matter. As we read in Proverbs chapter eleven and verse fourteen:

Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors [there is] safety.

And in James chapter one and verse twenty-two:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Ahasuerus' actions about this matter are models for the way we should work with difficult problems. First, we should get good counsel, and then we should carry out that counsel. As we keep in mind that the Divine God of the Universe is behind these scenes with a purpose in mind, we can remember that He will also use the counsel and action in our lives to work His will in our lives too.

Next time we will see how Ahasuerus carried out this decree, 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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