But God

Esther 5

The Church of 2018 has not modeled or learned from either Mordecai or Esther.  She was not willing to do anything without the prayers of her people, and she asked them to fast and pray for three nights and days.  Mordecai, her guardian, was willing to submit to her authority and do what she said.  Maybe the reason the 2018 Church has no power is that its faith is in trying to do God’s work with programs and not prayer and fasting!

When God is being sought and followed, we will act as Esther, she took off her clothes of bereavement after three days of prayer and fasting and got dressed in her Royal garb.  When she entered the king’s presence her hope was in the Lord not in the King, and she experienced a “but God moment.”  Picking up the account in verse 2, “As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she won his approval. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.”  We have this promise and so did Esther, found in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.”  Could it be that she took the promise of God to His bank and cashed it in, while most of the Church depends on some man to do it all for them?  You know the deacons, or the preacher, or someone who has the ear of God, but that is foolish, for if you pass the test in 2 Corinthians 13:5, Christ lives in you.  Could it be we have a habit of running to other sources and not to our LORD?

Verse 3, “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom will be given to you.”  Now that was not a real offer, but I bet the old boy was saying to himself, what is wrong with me I have been messing around with my concubines and this Queen of mine needs my attention?  You have to realize it's, king first, and all others including the Queen come in second, we have a lot of dad’s like that today in the Church.

But the Queen’s reply was much different then, and now she did not come wanting stuff, she wanted to do something special for her King and his right-hand man Haman.  Haman is so full of Haman until he gets to the King’s gate and Mordecai does not move, all others do, but Mordecai sits as if he has no fear of this man or what he can do to him.  And now what was a great day is ruined and he goes home and tells the wife and friends how great, how rich, how he was the only guest outside of the king invited to the Queen's party.  But then the downer, yes, he and the king are asked back for another party by the Queen but that sorry, no good Mordecai is ruining it all for him.

So then Haman’s wife comes up with a plan, build a gallows 75 feet high and ask the King to hang Mordecai from it the next morning.  That sounds like a plan, so he had the gallows built and was looking forward to the next day to see his enemy hanging, and him going to a lovely party.  “But God”! 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice