Don't Bow Down!!!

Reflection:  The psalmist today reflects on the brevity of life.  He meditates on his life’s end and the number of his days on the earth.  In the light of eternity, they are but a breath.  He reflects on the vanity of collecting lots of stuff, when in the end it is all worthless. 

In the story of Mordecai and Esther, we see how quickly things can turn as Mordecai goes from the hero who uncovered the assignation plot, to the faithful Jew who will not bow down to the King.  What courage it took for Mordecai to not bow down to the pressure of worshiping King Xerxes, also knowing that his cousin was the king’s wife.  Haman is enraged not only at Mordecai, but issues an edict that the whole nation of the Jews should be exterminated.  Even the king’s signet ring sealed the deal that all Jews men, women and children would be annihilated and their goods plundered.  We will see tomorrow again that even in this terrible hour God was in control, and he had placed Esther on the throne for such a time as this.

Which leads us to the great promise in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, not even death.  And then in Romans 9, Paul discusses Israel who had been the chosen people and recipients of the promise. Paul affirms that God’s promises and covenant never fails.  He points out that the promise is received through faith and the true Israel are the ones who believe in God’s promises by faith just as Abraham, Issac and Jacob did. 

So as we reflected yesterday, “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”  First, for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  God’s plan is for all those who are called to be gathered to Himself one day, where we will worship God in Spirit and Truth.  Until then we have been called to follow Christ for such a time as this.  God has a plan and purpose for our lives to share the Good News with those He calls us to.  Say a prayer of thanks that God has adopted you as His Son or Daughter through Christ, and live out your calling without bowing down to the gods of this world, like His faithful servant Mordecai did. 

Psalm 39:1-6

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1 I said, “I will watch my ways

    and keep my tongue from sin;

I will put a muzzle on my mouth

    while in the presence of the wicked.”

2 So I remained utterly silent,

    not even saying anything good.

But my anguish increased;

3     my heart grew hot within me.

While I meditated, the fire burned;

    then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end

    and the number of my days;

    let me know how fleeting my life is.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

    the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,

    even those who seem secure.

6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;

    in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth

    without knowing whose it will finally be.

Esther 2:19-3:15

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. 21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews                    

3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. 3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” 4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. 7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.” 12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

Romans 8:34-9:7

34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”

Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. Daniel 2:20

Where is the one who is wise? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1 Corinthians 1:20

God, you are not a God of vengeance, cruelty, greed, or hate. Why have we not learned this? You call us against the world’s standards to love foolishly in all things. Help us to live your way of love. Amen.