THE LORD SPOKE (July 21)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Esther 6-8

HAMAN - How not to do it. That's what we can learn from Haman. Though he rose high in the Persian kingdom before this book begins, you wonder how he did it. His bungling throughout this book doesn't seem like much of a commendation for high political power. The hint is probably found in Est. 3:9 where we find that he was independently wealthy to the point that money was not an object. He could afford to buy anything he desired, including political power. It gets him into murder, plotting, deceit, racism, graft, bribery, boasting, and pride (Est. 3:6-9). His wife unwittingly gets it right: "Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him - you will surely come to ruin." (Est. 6:13).

KING XERXES - Not much better. His public exposure (read everything into that phrase) of Vashti, hedonistic choice of a new queen, stupid choice of Haman as his main adviser, frequent drinking bouts, easy acceptance of bribes and slander, carte blanche for murder, and vain and unkept promises ("up to half my kingdom") aren't a very pretty resume for a ruler. No wonder he had insomnia (Est. 6:1). That's what led eventually to the unfolding of the story of Esther. One sleepless night, he had a musty old history book read to him (that would put most people to sleep!) and discovered some unfinished business with Mordecai. It led to one of the most humorous foils in the book - Haman's "honoring" of his nemesis - and sets the stage for Queen Esther's salvation of the Jews.

ESTHER - She ever appears as the young, innocent-bordering-on-naive, sweet princess. But, between chapter four and chapter eight, she grows up quickly. Caught in a ticklish and potentially dangerous situation, she makes the right choice. Casting herself upon God's mercy, she risks everything to do the right thing - not a frequent characteristic of the rich and famous.

MORDECAI - From start to finish, Mordecai presents us with a rock-solid example of doing what's right:
Est. 2:7f - raises his orphaned cousin Hadassah/Esther to be a godly woman
Est. 2:19-23 - positioned himself to be of service to God and king
Est. 3:1-5 - stood for truth and righteousness though it was risky to do so
Est. 4:1-17 - used his resources, though meager, to serve the Lord's cause
Est. 8:1-10 - handled new wealth and power well and for the benefit of others, not himself
Est. 8:15-17 - creatively used his position and current events to turn others to God

Interesting how a short little history book from 2500 years ago, that doesn't even mention God by name, can teach us so much about human character and our relationship to God, huh?


New Testament: Titus 2

“Personal discipline is the indispensable key for accomplishing anything in this life.” (R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 11). From music lessons to mortgage payments, or from athletics to art, it takes discipline to get the job done. Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci once drew one thousand hands?!

The call to train ourselves for godliness (I Tim. 4:7) will require a large measure of discipline and self-control. That receives a lot of attention in today’s Scripture reading. Paul lays out a total church program in Titus 2 and, in doing so, four times he refers to self-control. Titus was to teach self-control to the older men (Tit. 2:2). The older women were to teach self-control to the younger women (Tit. 2:3-5). And Titus was to provide the example of self-control to the young men (Tit. 2:6-7).

Self-control is what it takes “to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live...upright and godly lives in this present age” (Tit. 2:12).

The call to train ourselves for godliness also suggests directing all of our energy towards godliness. Paul pictures this elsewhere: “Every one who competes in the games goes into training.... Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave” (I Corinthians 9:25-27). Intense, energetic sweat! We should singularly note that a sentence later in the context of Paul’s command to “train yourself to be godly,” he comments on the command and the intervening words, saying “for this we labor and strive.” “Labor” means “strenuous toil,” and “strive” is the Greek word from which we get “agonize.” Toil and agony are called for if one is to be godly.... No manliness no maturity! No discipline no discipleship! No sweat no sainthood! (Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 14-15)

Self-control not only makes your life worth living here below (Tit. 2:12), it also prepares you for heaven. It’s what you’re to do as you wait for “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). It’s that hope that makes us “eager to do what is good” (Tit. 2:14) and leads us to “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Tit. 2:10; the KJV has “adorn the doctrine of God”).

There’s a watching world that is waiting to see that.