This week we talked about the remainder of chapter 2. We got more into the marriage of Xerxes and Esther and then into Mordecai intercepting information regarding an assassination plot to kill the king. When talking about the marriage, you see that Xerxes did not use the right methods to find his mate. He held a competition of beauty, gave the women anything they wanted, then he spent one night with each of the women. He got what he wanted and if he didn't need them again, or found something he didn't like, he'd cast them to the side and move on to the next group. It's funny how many of these qualities get passed on through the ages. Many men still do this today - and as bad as I hate to admit it, us women do it too. Have you ever been looking for a serious relationship and started picking apart everything they do? We tend to develop checklists and we keep these in our minds when looking for a mate. They are required to make x amount of money, have a certain color of hair, have a certain type of upbringing, have similar interests, etc. We use these "checklists" in many other aspects of life. Finding a job, buying/renting a house or apartment, buying a car, and the list goes on and on. Many times we don't consider God's opinion and we stick strictly to our lists and go on with OUR decisions. We don't think about God's will for our lives. If we don't go to God first when making decisions, it's likely that we'll end up in the wrong spot or with the wrong people. This is mentioned specifically in Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV):
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."The second half of our lesson focused on the situation with Mordecai and the assassination plot against the king. Mordecai overhears Bigthan and Teresh - two of the chamberlains of the king - and found out that they "sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. (taken from Esther 2:21 KJV)" The phrase "laying hands on" is not the same one we use to describe prayer. They were going to kill the king. These men acted as bodyguards of the king's bedroom. They stood outside the door to make sure nothing happened. Their motive is not known, but could be because of the way he was treating the women, or they could have been seeking revenge for Vashti's abrupt removal. It's funny how the men protecting the king were getting ready to kill him. After all, they had all of the inside information and knew his movements. I believe this is a warning to us to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. You never know the motives of some people. They might seem helpful, but could be getting close to you to try and bring you down later on.
There are so many things to be learned from Mordecai. The first of these things is that he was honest and loyal. As the plot developed and he learned more information, Mordecai didn't run to blab the news to everyone around him. He went straight to the people it affected most. He told Esther who in turn would tell Xerxes. We know that Mordecai and Xerxes probably weren't the best of friends (due to the fact that the king and his men hated the Jews), so why would he want to save someone he didn't care for? We know that Mordecai and Esther were Jewish and that the people they were around didn't care for the Jewish people. If they did, there would be no need to hide their nationality and beliefs. Therefore Mordecai probably avoided most contact with the king. Be honest with yourself - if you knew someone you didn't like was in danger of being hurt, what would you do? Would you tell others to start something? Would you go straight to them? Would you keep quiet and let the plan become an action? I believe this is one of those spots where God's protection and guidance shows up. If Mordecai had let Bigthan and Teresh kill the king, then later on when Haman loses his temper, the Jews would have been obliterated as planned. God's people would not have been spared, and it would have changed the course of history for the Jews.
The second thing we can learn from Mordecai is humbleness. Mordecai knew that if it had not been for him, the king would be dead. However he didn't run all over the place demanding recognition for his great rescue mission. His actions were recorded in the Chronicles of the King, and weren't discovered until approximately 5 years later when the king was being read to because he couldn't sleep. It wasn't until then that Mordecai was praised for rescuing the king. How many people do you know that have arranged a church function or made a large donation and then made sure that EVERYONE around them knew what they had done? This is exactly what we are NOT supposed to do. Luke 18:9-14 (KJV) is a passage of scripture where Christ describes this very thing. We shouldn't be doing things to be seen and praised by man. We should be doing them to glorify God.
Hopefully this wasn't too scattered. I apologize again for not updating sooner. I'll post the next one this weekend. We didn't have church this Wednesday so we're moving a bit slower than planned. If you ever have questions, please leave them in the comment box below or send an email via the contact me form on the prayer request page. I'll try to help the best I can.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
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