Daily Bible Devotionals

“The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced, and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy and honor.  In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, rejoicing and jubilation took place among the Jews.  There was a celebration and a holiday.  And many of the ethnic groups of the land professed themselves to be Jews, because fear of the Jews had overcome them.” Esther 8:15b-17 (HCSB)

Break out the Manischewitz!  The city of Susa was in the middle of a party that rivaled the one that opened the Book of Esther.  To this very day, the Jewish holiday of Purim is a festive occasion and one of the happiest events on the Jewish calendar.  As one Jewish comedian put it, “Purim is like the Jewish Halloween” because everyone dons costumes rattles noisemakers, and sends presents & food to one another.  It is amazing what happens when God’s people esteem His Word over their own self-preservation instincts.  Talk about transformations!  Esther did more than change her attitude; she became tenacious toward what she was formerly timid.  She became a “wolverine,” as it were.

Wolverines are built with powerful legs that propel them mile after mile in search of food.  They possess tremendous strength and determination.  Once they set their mind on their target, they press on despite all odds, seemingly never giving up until they achieve their goal.  This describes Queen Esther.  Once she made up her mind to secure the deliverance of her people, Esther tenaciously pressed forward until she achieved that end.  Even after victory over Haman was secured, Esther forged ahead to ensure that her enemies were thoroughly defeated and that her own people established a permanent means to remember their amazing victory.

But we must remember that the Jews were simply a small people group within a vast kingdom that spanned from India to Ethiopia.  So, what was the reaction of the other peoples within Achashverosh’s kingdom?  There was sheer fear and dread of the Jewish people…to the point where people declared themselves Jewish, simply to escape potential harm.

Years ago, I pondered (as many of you may have) the source of anti-Semitism.  Why have so many people groups hated the Jewish people; why have so many world leaders sought to destroy them?  In short, Satan hates the Jewish people.  Historically, Satan tried to kill off the Messianic line of David because redemption for the World would come through Messiah, Jesus.  But as God’s affection for the Jewish people endures (Romans 11), enraged envy and jealousy still wells up within the evil one, Satan.  Haman was undoubtedly a representative of the antichrist, as were Hitler, Stalin, and a host of others.

But how could anti-Semitism infect the Church?  Where were the seeds of anti-Semitism?  Today’s chapter ends with the reaction of the Medo-Persians toward the Jewish people: Fear and dread.  Now, picture several generations later when Roman heralds ride throughout the Empire, announcing that Constantine has decreed that every pagan Roman citizen is now a Christian and must worship the Jewish Messiah…

“Then Queen Esther answered and said, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.’ So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?’ And Esther said, ‘The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!’” Esther 7:3-6a (NKJV)

Several years ago, my band Big Tent Revival performed at a Christian music day at Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida, called “Rock The Universe!”  After our performance, a park employee confided to my drummer and me that he could smuggle us into an (as-of-then) unopened section of the park, where we could preview their new roller coaster, “The Hulk.”

The Hulk is an “acceleration coaster,” different from the traditional roller coaster because its power is generated magnetically instead of the traditional “gravity” coaster.  Put simply, instead of creeping up a hill and then accelerating as the cars roll over the peak, acceleration coasters literally shoot the cars up the hill.  Acceleration coasters are very common these days, but we had no idea what to expect back then!  The ride started off like usual, creeping upward, but halfway up the incline, a noise went off, and the coaster shot off like so many Floridian space shuttle launches!

Delving into chapter 7 of the Book of Esther is much like buckling into an acceleration coaster.  There is a sense of anticipation at first, followed by the explosive acceleration of Esther’s accusation.  This leads to a momentary pause as the king leaves the room.  Immediately after that, the terror returns as Haman “attacks” the queen, and the king catches Haman in the act.

Once more, a few short sentences and a lull in the action occur, during which the king’s servant mentions the gallows that Haman has built.  The action quickly resumes when the king commands that Haman be hanged, and Haman is executed.  The chapter then comes to an abrupt halt, and everyone except Haman seemingly breathes a sigh of relief.  The ride is over.

All of that to say, we are reminded again in today’s chapter that there are two things that confound a fool: How slow God is to act and how quickly He shows up!  Haman was a fool, making him the perfect pawn for Satan’s plan to annihilate God’s people.  And he truly believed he would succeed, as did Hitler, Balaam & Balak, several Roman emperors, the Catholic Inquisitors, Stalin, Nero, Nebuchadnezzar, and a host of others.  Then, God showed up.

“That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, ‘What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?’”  Esther 6:1-3 (NKJV)

UCLA basketball coaching legend, John Wooden, had an endearing impact on his players.  Even after his players left to pursue their respective careers, they considered him as much a father as a coach.  One of the unorthodox things that Wooden would do to establish trust was to teach each recruit how to put on their socks and tie their shoes properly.  A simple thing, but it built that sort of father/son relationship and sent the message: “It doesn’t matter what you think you know; I am going to teach you how to play the game from the ground up.”  There is nothing quite like lacing up gym shoes in anticipation of an upcoming sporting event.

Forgive me for trying to make the tying of shoes into a spiritual experience!  But the whole process of tying shoes is a good analogy for the Book of Esther because lacing shoes takes mental effort that subconsciously anticipates the struggle that is about to take place in the sporting world.  The threads of Esther’s story are interwoven, much like gym shoes – the laces that (at the beginning) seem to work at cross purposes to each other are finally revealed to be drawn up together.  The author of the Book of Esther is weaving the laces of the story together in such a nonchalant way that we are almost surprised when things begin to cinch tightly together.

When seemingly unrelated or opposing agendas suddenly cinch together to accomplish God’s will, that’s called “Providence.”  It means that God is working from an elevated perspective, viewing the big picture in ways that are impossible for us to perceive.  Here on earth, at the pedestrian level, we can only see from a very limited perspective.  That means we must trust that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present and that His character never changes.

In today’s passage, we feel the laces cinch together in a way that nobody could have predicted.  We can only read today’s chapter and praise the Lord for doing something only He could accomplish.  He awoke the king in the middle of the night and gave him a strong desire to read the records of the daily journal, where the king discovered Mordecai was never honored or appreciated for his heroic and patriotic act.

Do the circumstances of your life seem loose, contradictory, and randomly unrelated?  God causes all things to work together, to literally cinch up like shoelaces, for the good of everybody who loves Him and is called, according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

“On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall.  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king’s hall, across from the entrance to the hall.  When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she won his favor; so the king extended the gold scepter in his hand towards Esther.  Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.  ‘What is it you want, Queen Esther?’ the king asked her.  ‘Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.’” Esther 5:1-3 (CJB)

History records that on January 10, 49 B.C., Julius Caesar, who by the Senate of Rome had been declared an enemy of the Roman state, took a step that forever changed the course of history – he crossed the Rubicon.  By leaving his home province and crossing that shallow river with his army, Caesar, in effect, had declared war on the Roman Empire.  Alea jacta est – “The die is cast.”

Caesar risked his all and succeeded as, perhaps, no one else could.  Would the same be true for Esther now that she had taken that one small step across the threshold to the king’s royal hall?  We might anticipate big drama and suspense here, but the author tells the story almost as if it was an everyday event, with no special emphasis.

Interestingly, the author chooses not to build tension surrounding Esther’s approach to the king but immediately reveals that the king graciously welcomed Esther into his presence.  Thus, Esther is not painted as a heroine of super-human proportions but merely as someone who has a task to do and does it calmly & efficiently.  There is a lesson for followers of Jesus here.  We should not seek to be heroes or to be recognized as anything other than obedient to the Lord.  If we will live our lives in simple, diligent devotion, there is no end to the amazing things the Lord will accomplish through us.  Where, then, is heroism?  Is it not God who works through us; doesn’t the glory completely go to Him for the deeds of even the most pious among us?

The events of chapter 5 take place “on the third day,” that is, the day the fast that Esther instituted was to end.  What a difference three days make in her willingness to risk her life and luxury for the betterment of others!  It begs the question: What is fasting?  More than simply not eating, fasting is the intentional denial of fleshly desire.  When we fast, we are making our flesh submit to our will.  When we combine prayer with fasting, we make our flesh submit to our will as we submit to the Lord’s will.

Now, we see where Esther’s boldness comes from!  She has put herself under God’s direction and made her flesh be under hers.  Are you struggling with a difficult decision?  Do you feel as if your flesh continues to lead you down paths your spirit does not want to travel?  Try seeking the Lord daily through His Word and prayer and deny your flesh the control it wants.  There can be only one “Alpha” in control of your life.  And He should be the “Alpha & Omega!”

“Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: ‘All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.’ So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: ‘Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” Esther 4:10-14 (NKJV)

Have you ever started to tell somebody about a problem you’re having, only to have that person interrupt you by saying, “You think you’ve got problems; you should hear what I have to put up with!” Then the person goes on to explain in detail some minor issues they are facing.  If so, you can relate to Mordekhai’s situation in today’s passage.

Mordekhai relays to Esther that his problem is a life-threatening one, not only for himself but also for the entire Jewish population in Medo-Persia, and that Esther has the responsibility to do something about it.  Esther immediately reacts by saying, in effect, “You think you’ve got problems….” Interestingly, she does not express any concern for Mordekhai’s or her fellow Jews’ plight; instead, she worries because she might personally have to risk incurring the wrath of government authority and that such an act would put her own life in jeopardy.  To top it off, she mentions that her marriage has not been going well lately…30 days since she had last been in the king’s presence.  Oy vey!  Perhaps, the beauty treatments and luxurious lifestyle were starting to go to Esther’s head.

In this verbal exchange, relationships are being determined.  Would Esther perceive the conversation to be between queen & subject or uncle & niece?  In the greater sense, the whole debate was a commentary on the existential condition of the Jewish community in exile.  Had the Jews assimilated and simply considered themselves “Medo-Persians,” or did they still hold on to the prophecy of Jeremiah that they would someday be given the opportunity to return to the Promised Land?  Esther personified that existential condition.  Assimilation is still a significant issue for the Jewish Community, and the question of “what does it mean to be Jewish” is the main issue.  

It is also a major question for the Christian community.  Just as the Jewish exiles were commanded to be “among but not of” a foreign people, all believers are to live with the hope of Heaven, not seeking our identities in this World.  Like Esther, we must all choose to love the Lord and stand with His people, no matter the personal cost.

“Haman was furious when he saw that Mordekhai was not kneeling and bowing down to him. However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed like a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh’s kingdom.” Esther 3:5-6  (CJB)

We live in difficult times, and our nation has an unclear financial future.  As anyone who has ever had money in the stock market knows, there are no sure bets on Wall Street!  Israel was about to learn this lesson the hard way.

Life for the Jews in exile could not have been much better.  One of their own was queen (although most would not have been aware of that because of the secret pact in chapter 2:1, 20).  Furthermore, one of their own had just rescued the King and was sure to be rewarded for that heroic act.  There is an old saying: Rising tide lifts all boats.  What that means (in the context of chapter 2) is that when a couple of Jews are favored in the King’s eyes, it should raise the profile and prospects of the Jewish community as a whole.  Humanly speaking, they were as secure as any exiled people could be.  All of that, however, would quickly change.  The Jewish “stock” on the “Susa Board of Exchange,” which in chapter 2 reaches all-time heights, plummets in chapter 3 to all-time lows.

Chapter 3 begins easily enough – a promotion of one individual and a seemingly insignificant act of defiance on the part of another.  However, the chapter ends with the shocking revelation of an entire nation of people being placed under a death sentence.  It is a death sentence that has been repeated throughout the generations and tragically will be repeated again.

“In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they began throwing Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman every day and every month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  Then Haman said to Achashverosh, ‘There is a particular people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.  Their laws are different from those of every other people; moreover, they don’t observe the King’s laws.  It doesn’t befit the King to tolerate them.  If it please the King, have a decree written for their destruction; and I will hand over 330 tons of silver to officials in charge of the King’s affairs to deposit in the royal treasury.”  Esther 3:7-9 (CJB)

The entire Jewish people are made to pay for a crime committed by one of their own.  Ironically, the same individual, who in chapter 2 is instrumental in bringing about the meteoric rise in Jewish stock, now becomes the reason for its dramatic drop.

Looking at the big picture, it is clear that Satan is positioning His people while God is positioning His.  That’s not to say that good & evil exist in some balance.  God has no equal, evil or otherwise.  It simply reminds us to expect Satan always to attempt to foil the Lord’s plans.

But fear not!  Greater is He who is in us!!  1 John 4:4

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Esther 2. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.” Esther 1:8-12 (NKJV)

King Ahasuerus knew how to throw a kegger! 180 days of partying were not enough, so he decided to top it off with a 7-day banquet featuring an open bar. On the last day of this soiree, the king decided to show off his “trophy queen.” Problem: She don’ wanna come. Headlines read “Queen Cools, King Ablaze.”  

It sounds like the plot for a great movie based on a true story. How will it end? You’ll have to keep reading. Is it relevant to our generation? Absolutely!

We don’t catch a glimpse of the Lord’s involvement until chapter 2, but that is precisely where the lesson is for us today. Even when we cannot see God, He is ever-present, accomplishing His purposes according to His will.

Some people believe that a person must be righteous in order to be used by God. That is not true, especially in today’s passage! God is not hindered by anyone or anything. Now, if you want to please God in His use of you, then you had better be pursuing His honor; but God can use you either way. In today’s chapter, God is using the worldliest of people in the midst of an utterly decadent scenario so He can position His servants where they can exert maximum influence for His kingdom. Drunken kings and obstinate queens are merely tools in God’s hand.

Perhaps God seems distant or even absent from your life. Maybe you wonder if He knows your name or cares about your personal well-being. When people feel God is absent or fail to perceive His power & authority, they tend to either lose hope or arrogantly taunt Him. Neither reaction is justified. God is ever-present, and He is almighty. In short, He is Lord, whether we believe it or not.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

The generation of Jewish people who went into Babylonian exile could very well have felt abandoned and forsaken by God. While He may have been silent, God was still at work. The Lord was orchestrating events to provide for His people’s deliverance. Feeling forsaken? Hold firm to the truth of God’s Word; cling to His promises. He is with us, He cares, and He has the power and the plan to deliver us! Wait on the Lord.

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“In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.’” Nehemiah 13:15-18 (NKJV)

When I was a kid growing up in Arkansas, the city I lived in had a “blue law” that prohibited retail businesses from opening on Sundays. Apart from a few restaurants, everything in town was closed for business. The city’s managers, along with the voting public, felt it was best for our community to rest on the Lord’s Day. Truth be known, the majority of our city council were deacons in their local churches. While they could not enforce whether people went to church, they could make it nearly impossible for anyone to do anything else!

I remember when that law was amended to allow businesses to open in the afternoon on Sundays, and I recall when the law was repealed altogether. At the time, I was not a follower of Jesus, so I rejoiced when I finally had the opportunity to skip church and go shopping. If you were to ask Nehemiah, he would say it was blasphemy!

A friend of mine recently challenged me by asking how well I felt I was following the 4th commandment: “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy,” as the Lord commanded us to observe it. I thought about it and realized I was not doing a good job setting aside a day of complete rest to read God’s Word and reflect on Him.  

You don’t hear a lot of pastors teaching on this subject of setting the ENTIRE day aside, primarily for two reasons: 1) It is hard enough to get people to worship at a church for an HOUR every week, and 2) The people being preached-to are the ones who are already setting-aside time to attend church! But the idea about the Sabbath is not simply to attend a weekly congregational meeting; the Sabbath is about committing a whole day to do nothing but seek & worship the Lord.  

When was the last time you committed a whole day to simply worshipping the Lord, forsaking all other opportunities? For most of us, sadly, the answer would be never.  

I challenge you to try it and see how the Lord refreshes your soul. As the Lord says concerning our tithe, “Test me on this…” (Malachi 3:10b). Test the Lord by devoting yourselves to His prescribed day (and His prescribed way) of rest.