Esther 4:14

Verse of the Day Devotion: Esther 4:14

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14

During the reign of King Ahasuerus in Persia, Haman was promoted to the chief minister of the king.  This gave him a very elevated position within Persia.  In this position, he was given much homage.  “All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.” Esther 3:2. Mordecai was promoted to an office in the court of Ahasuerus, and thus was required to bow to Haman.  But, as you can see, he refused to, which made Haman furious to the point He wanted to kill all the Jews within his control.

So, Haman went to the king.  “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 observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.  If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.  Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.  The king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”  Esther 3:8-11.  Haman set a date and sent this edict out to all the provinces alerting them to be ready.  Mordecai then sent a letter to Esther asking her to go before the king and plead with him for the Jews to be protected.  Esther sends a reply to Mordecai denoting a dangerous rule regarding approaching the king.  “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” Esther 4:11. Mordecai responds, telling her why she, a Jew, would be saved on that day.  He ends with, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14

Many of us find ourselves in positions, like Esther, which we never imagined would happen, and then a difficult trial occurs, and we do not wish to continue.  We have no idea why God put us there and may even question if it was Him.  However, does anything happen without God allowing it?  He guides us in the way He desires of us.  “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.  With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23-24.  He may lead us into difficult circumstances, however, remember that in the end He will brings us into glory with Himself.

Back to the story of Esther, she did end up going to the inner court of the king’s palace and was granted entrance to see the king.  She eventually tells him that Haman has plotted to kill her and the Jews.  When the king hears this, he calls for Haman to be hung on the gallows at Haman’s home where he would have killed Mordecai.  God ordained both Esther and Mordecai to be lifted to their positions so that the Jews in Persia would be saved.

God will put us where He wants us for His will to be done.  Paul put it this way.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. In the tough times, or during periods of peace, He has a good purpose for us to accomplish.  And who’s to say we are not in that position for that purpose to be fulfilled.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 28:6

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 28:6 

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” – Matthew 28:6              

Now, Jesus has been crucified.  And when it was time to bring His dead body down from the cross, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who also had become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it given to him.  “And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.” Matthew 27:59-61. 

The next day, after the preparation, the chief priests and pharisees met with Pilate. “and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, After three days I am to rise again. Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Matthew 27:63-64.  Pilate was not interested in this, for it was the Jewish leadership that was concerned about the idea of resurrection,  so Pilate essentially told them to place their own guards at the tomb, which they did.

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.” Matthew 28:1.  Now, it is understood that they came there not just to see the grave, but to see whether they could enter in and anoint the body with the spices and ointments which they had prepared and brought with them.  Suddenly a great earthquake hits.  According to Matthew, “for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.” Matthew 28:2b.  An angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, rolled the stone away and then sat on the stone.  The guards appears to have collapsed in fear, however, the woman seemed to be afraid but not to the same extent.  “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.”  I believe they said this to ease their minds.  Then, they say what the focus verse is, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:6.  After they saw that He was not there, they left quickly to go back and tell the disciples as the angel told them to. 

But there was a  surprise awaiting them as they were going back. “And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”  Matthew 28:10.  Then they left to deliver the message.

This is the picture Matthew draws for us regarding the resurrection of Jesus.  Everything was put into motion when both Mary’s arrived at the tomb.  The angel comes, the stone is rolled away, and the angel declared to them that Jesus was not there, even though there were many guards at the tomb and the stone had not yet been rolled away before they arrived.  Both ladies had incredible faith and were, both afraid and full of joy. “and they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.” Matthew 28:8.  And I believe that to remove any possible doubt regarding a resurrection because of the words spoke about taking the body to fake it, He appears to them with a message to the disciples. 

As I have said before, this was the greatest 3 days in history, and this event was its culmination.  Jesus was crucified for the sins we have committed, was buried in the tomb of a rich disciple, and then was raised in order to sit at the right hand of the Father for our sake, and soon to come back so we can be with Him forever.  So, let us rejoice and be glad for as the angel said, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.”  Matthew 28:6.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.