s we continue with our story
in Esther, we have learned that the Jewish people throughout the
Persian empire have begun to mourn because of the edict inspired by
Haman and ratified by King Ahasuerus that they all be killed. All
through Persia Jews are mourning, weeping, wailing and sitting in
sackcloth and ashes as the sorrow of their fate overwhelms them.
Mordecai has also entered the mourning and has clothed himself in
sackcloth and ashes as he made his way to the center of the town and
cries out in agony all the way to the king's gate. In chapter four
and verse four we see Queen Esther's response as she receives the
news. We read:
So
Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her.
Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to
clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he
received it not.
The
verse begins, “So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and
told it her.” The huge impact that this edict
made upon the Jews was so prevalent that the “maids and her
chamberlains” came to tell Esther about it. Can we even begin
to imagine the fear and anguish that must have struck her as she
heard the news? She still had her secret, and her heritage was still
unknown. Now as these maids and chamberlains give her the news her
mind must have raced to the only real family that she knew –
Mordecai. She must have immediately thought of all the devastation
that occurred as she had to leave her homeland to be transferred to
the Persian empire in the first place, and now there was an edict to
destroy those few people who were left among the Jews.
The
verse goes on to say, “Then was the queen exceedingly grieved;
and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai,...” As a measure of
her grief, Esther reacted in a manner that would protect her older
cousin. She was “exceedingly grieved” which we might
expect if our family and people had this death threat hovering over
their heads. She responded by sending clothes to Mordecai possibly to
make sure that his identity was hidden, or perhaps to try to comfort
him in his agony, or in some manner minister to him. This type of
news would make anyone desire to protect their own.
The verse finishes with, “and to take away his sackcloth from
him: but he received it not.” If there was some
way to get Mordecai to change his mournful attire, Esther desired to
affect him. However, he refused her offer. Not even family could
alter his demeanor at this point. Mordecai knew this was a bleak
fate, and without divine intervention, the end of his people was at
hand.
Sometimes
our circumstances are so devastating, so difficult and beyond human
ability to alter or amend that only God Himself can change them. What
if we were in Esther's place? How would we react, and who would we
attempt to protect? Where would our “exceeding grief” be placed?
As we ponder these things, we must continue to remember that God
Almighty is behind the scenes. He has a plan and promise that the
messiah would come through the Jewish people. If they are
exterminated, there will be no possibility of them producing a
messiah, so HE has a problem. But, it is not a problem that HE cannot
handle. He is the God of the impossible, and though these
circumstances may seem difficult for man, they are as nothing before
God. Although it appears that Haman's plan is well underway and
having its affect, God is right there and waiting for His time. So it
is with us, though it may seem like the enemy of our souls is having
the victory right now, we can be assured that the Almighty has not
forsaken us, and He has a plan that He is working out.
Next time Esther will go into action
over her new information, 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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