THE LORD SPOKE (July 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Esther 9-10

Whenever an attempt has been made to annihilate the Jews, it has resulted in another holiday (and some more good food):

Pessach / Passover - 1446 BC
• oppressor = Pharaoh and the Egyptians
• deliverer = Moses
• food = matzo ball soup, gefiltefish, horseradish, charosset

Purim / Feast of Esther - 460 BC
• oppressor = Haman and the Medo-Persians
• deliverer = Mordecai
• food = “Haman's Ears” (cookies)

Hanukkah / Feast of Dedication - 165 BC
• oppressor = Antiochus and the Seleucids
• deliverer = Maccabees
• food = potato latkes, jelly doughnuts

Yom haShoah / Holocaust Day - 1939-1945
• oppressor = Hitler and the Germans
• deliverer = the Allied Armies
• food = everything tastes better after that horrible time

Purim, the holiday that came from the time of Esther, is still celebrated annually by all the Jewish people. And well it might. Had such a thing never happened subsequently, maybe it would today be just a musty old festival. Instead, it is a yearly reminder of the world's on-going antisemitism and persecution of the Jews. Mordecai, under the Holy Spirit's direction, recorded the story and established the holiday so that:

...the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and all their descendants and all who would join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants. (Est. 9:27-28)

Today in synagogues worldwide the entire book of Esther is read and every time the name of Haman appears there is such a racket and clatter of groggers and other noise-makers that his name is blotted out. On the other hand, Mordecai's heroic effort is remembered and he is "held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews" (Est. 10:3).

The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3) applies here. It has never been rescinded. It applies to the physical descendants of Abraham but it also has application to we Gentiles when it says, "...I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you". You have a choice. You can be like Mordecai or you can be like Haman. But remember, he who touches the Jews touches the apple of God's eye (Zech. 2:8).


New Testament: Titus 3

We’ve let the cults and false religions rob us of some good biblical practices. Because of their strong emphasis on doing “good works”, we’ve shied away from the very biblical practice of doing good. We know it’s not the way into heaven so, by and large, we’ve chosen just to skip it entirely. We certainly don’t make any conscious effort to make good works a regular part of our normal practice.

But three times in this short chapter Paul commends us to do good works. Actually it begins with two references in the previous chapter:

• Titus 2:10 - We should “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive”. The KJV says it so well: We need to “adorn the doctrine of God”. Good works set its beauty on display.
• Titus 2:14 - We should be “eager to do what is good”. It’s not a matter of compulsion. It wells up out of a heart full of God’s grace. It’s a natural expression of what’s inside.
• Titus 3:1 - We should be “ready to do whatever is good”. Being ready means we’ve calculated and carved out the time, the energy, and the resources to do it.
• Titus 3:8 - We should “be careful to devote [our]selves to doing what is good”. Being careful means that we’ve got a plan. It’s not hit-or-miss, tacked on, or left up to chance. We’ve actually made a plan.
• Titus 3:14 - “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what it good.” It's a learned trait. Perhaps some people come by it more naturally because of something in their general disposition. But this isn’t just for some people - it’s for all and it can be cultivated and improved by practice.

That’s not your average Baptist Sunday School class. We’re better at doctrine than practice. We’re better at defining the Gospel that we are at adorning it. We’re better at telling everyone what to believe than we are at showing them how to live.

Let’s change!