Day 15 – Esther 3:1-15
Opening Prayer: Father, open my eyes to the enemy’s schemes and enable me to guard against them, trusting You to work everything out for good.
Read: Esther 3:1-15
In your 4R journal:
- Record: After reading this short story, what verse stood out to you?
- Respond: Write a short prayer of praise in response to what God has shown you.
By far this is the most tense chapter of Esther because there appears to be no way out. It seems Haman will win and the Jews will be annihilated. It’s unclear why King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the Agagite “after these things” but he did something to warrant the King’s favor.
Reflection:
- Have you ever questioned why God allowed someone to have power?
- How did God reveal His purpose to you?
Now, when Mordecai refused to bow to Haman the reason he gave was “I am a Jew.” So not only was Haman an Agagite, a mortal enemy of the Jewish people, but he was also demanding that others worship him! As a Jew Mordecai could not do that anymore than Daniel could bow and worship to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.
My Verse: Esther 3:9, “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.”
My Response: Father, when persecution comes, fill my heart with faith and courage. I trust You, LORD, even when things look hopeless.
Haman is a masterful deceiver, just like our enemy. He appeals to the King’s vanity (a theme in the book of Esther) and deceives him by concealing the fact that it was only one Jew, Mordecai, who refused to bow and that the only “law” broken was the law Haman made forcing everyone to bow down to him. The last sentence is the hook. “…it is not in the King’s interest to let them remain.” Can you hear the hissing?
Unfortunately, the King agreed to issue the edict that all Jews would be annihilated. Of course, his trust was misplaced and he didn’t seem to give much thought to the genocide of a race within his provinces. If the curtain lowered here, we would be left with despair and hopelessness. But we know the rest of the story…
Father, when things seem dark and I am tempted to doubt You, give me hope and keep me from despair. For you are faithful!
The next step:
When the Spirit leads, in the comment section below, chose a response to share:
- Have you ever questioned why God allowed someone to have power?
- How did God reveal His purpose to you?
Or
- Share your 4R Response
