Esther 7
Second banquet of Esther verse 1- 2
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen
and the king said again to Esther on the second day
at the banquet of wine
What is your petition queen Esther?
And it shall be granted you
What is your request? and it shall be performed
even to the half of the kingdom
Esther gives the king her request verse 3- 4
THEN Esther the queen answered
and said
IF I have found favor in your sight – O king – and IF it please the king
LET my life be given me at my petition
and my people at my request
FOR we are sold – I and my people – to be destroyed – slain – perish
BUT if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen
I had held my tongue – although the enemy could not
countervail the king’s damage
King asks who is responsible verse 5
Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said to Esther the queen
Who is he – and where is he
that did presume in his heart to do so?
Esther replies “Haman” verse 6
And Esther said
The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman
Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen
King leaves and Haman pleads for his life verse 7
And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath
went into the palace garden
And Haman stood up to make request for his life
to Esther the queen for he saw that
there was evil determined against him by the king
King returns and condemns Haman to death verse 8- 9
THEN the king returned out of the palace garden into
the place of the banquet of wine
and Haman was fallen on the bed
whereon Esther was
THEN said the king
Will he force the queen also before me in the house?
as the word went out of the king’s mouth
they covered Haman’s face
And Harbonah – one of the chamberlains
said before the king
BEHOLD also – the gallows fifty cubit high
which Haman had made for Mordecai
who had spoken good for the king
stands in the house of Haman
THEN the king said
Hang him thereon
Haman hanged on gallows prepared for Mordecai verse 10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai
THEN was the king’s wrath pacified
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: (2580 “favor” [chen] means grace, charm, popularity, a feeling of favorable regard, good-will, agreeableness, or acceptance.)
DEVOTION: How many of us like drama in our lives? There are people who like drama and whenever they speak there is drama in their voice. Most of the time, those who complain about drama are those who create their own drama. This is not the case here.
Esther has a real problem and the king asks what the problem is and she makes it simple. She states that someone wants to kill her and she would like to have her life spared. No drama just facts.
So when we have a problem we need to try to just relay the facts to the LORD first and then tell those who have the power to change the circumstances. Esther had the people pray for three days and then she presented her request to the human who could make a difference.
We need to evaluate what is going on in our life that might cause us to be angry and ask the LORD to give us the same attitude as Esther. We need to pray about the situation until we have peace that comes from the LORD and a solution that comes from the LORD.
If we look at the facts of this book we see that timing is everything. The LORD’S timing is everything. HE had Esther wait till the second banquet to give HIM time to have the king have a sleepless night.
We need to learn that if we are patient the LORD works out all the details necessary to settle any problem we might have here on this earth. Wisdom comes from HIM. Anger comes from us.
There are times when we have to represent others who are going through a rough time. Esther was not just asking for herself but for the rest of the nation as well. We have to take our nation before the LORD and ask for HIM to send a revival today.
CHALLENGE: Remember nothing is impossible with the LORD. HE spared a nation through the prayers of the nation and the voice of this wife of the king.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? (4390 “presume” [male] means to fill, be armed, be satisfied, be ended, or be accomplished.)
DEVOTION: Powerful!!!! The Word of the LORD is powerful. HE protected HIS people by the words of Esther to the king. The enemy of Israel was dead.
The king didn’t know the heritage of Esther. Mordecai had told her to keep it to herself. The king didn’t know that Haman wanted to kill all the Jews. Esther’s request surprised him. It also surprised Haman who was also at the banquet.
Remember that it is the providence of God that is directing the present and future. The LORD has all the right people in all the right places to do HIS will. Haman thought he was coming to the banquet because of it being a special honor for him.
To be full of yourself seems to mean that an individual can get whatever he wants. When we are full of ourselves we think we can do anything ourselves. Haman was full of himself and wanted to kill all the Jews because of what Mordecai was doing.
The queen asked for her life and the lives of the rest of the Jews. The king left the room because of his anger over the situation. Haman was left there to beg for his life. It didn’t work. He was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
We have to watch ourselves at all times regarding a false sense of security. Our security is in the LORD it is not in us. Esther didn’t want to go to the king. Mordecai told her that the LORD had put her in a place where she could help her people. She asked for fasting and prayer before she faced the king.
When we are in a tough circumstance, we need to turn to the LORD in prayer and fasting. We should never be satisfied that we can do it all without the LORD.
Our real enemy, Satan, wants to cause us to be destroyed. He wants us to not have a witness in this world. He will use any means at his disposal to try to hurt the people of God.
Our defense is the ARMOR of God which represents our life in Christ. We need to put on the armor each day to fight our enemy. He will not rest but neither will the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Allow the LORD to work out the details of our rescue from our enemy. The world, flesh and devil will have a field day if we don’t turn our circumstances over to the LORD. Practice doing this today!!! The VICTORY is ours in CHRIST!!!
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: 8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen on the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. (3533 “force” [kabash] means to subjugate, to violate, to harass or assault sexually, make subservient, molest, or to bring into bondage.)
DEVOTION: Here we have a man who was plotting to kill all the Jews in the nation not realizing that Esther was a Jew. Now he has been confronted by the fact that she is a Jew and that she was going to die if the order was given.
The king realizes that this was going to take place and left the room only to find Haman begging for his life with Esther on the bed she was on. So he saw that and thought that his actions were not right. This made him make the command to have Haman taken out and hanged.
So the enemy of the people of Israel was dealt with in such a manner and it saved them. Also, from his thoughts of killing Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared. Instead this Mordecai dying, it was Haman who died. The LORD worked out the details.
We need to realize that even when everything seems to be going in the wrong direction the LORD can change the directions of what was happening to an end that is pleasing to HIM and to HIS people.
Do we trust the LORD even in seemingly really bad situations in our lives to make them situations that bring honor and glory to HIM? This can happen to any one of us even now. It might seem like everything is headed in the wrong direction and then the LORD changes the direction into one that is pleasing to HIM and to us.
CHALLENGE: Trusting in the LORD in hard situations is never easy but it is something that we have to do at time which helps us to learn to trust HIM more.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king. Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. (2896 “good” [towb] means pleasant, desirable, usable, having desirable or positive qualities, agreeable, pleasing, or generous.)
DEVOTION: Here is one of the servants of the king speaking up on this occasion. Servants know what is going on in the nation, sometimes even better than the rulers of the nations. This servant saw what was happening and spoke up to the king regarding the gallows that was prepared for Mordecai but also about the fact that Mordecai had warned the king of a plot to kill him. He told the king that Mordecai only spoke well of the king.
This information was used by the king for the execution of Haman and the raising up of Mordecai to a position of influence in the nation. Servants see what is going on behind the scenes most of the time and have information that is valuable to those in leadership.
We need to listen to those who are working in the church when they speak to leadership about what is going on in the church and how it can be improved. Voices need to be heard that sometimes are overlooked.
God listens to us and gives us direction when we ask for it. We need to seek direction from those around us as well. Their direction needs to be guided by our listening to them and weighing their statements while we are following the leading of the LORD.
Our wisdom has to come from above first but we need to listen to those who are helping us at our sides as well. Are you a good listener? Am I a good listener? Only we know the answer to these questions.
CHALLENGE: We are never to look down on others!!!
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: 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified. (7918 “pacified” [shakak] means appeased, abate, subside, lessen, go down, recede, or make to cease.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever been really angry at someone or something? How long did it take you to calm down? When someone in our family upsets us what do we do to calm down before we lose it?
Here is a king whose wife asks for her life back because she is going to be killed and her husband didn’t realize that it was him that signed the order for her to be killed. This is a revealing account of what happens when someone doesn’t ask for all the details of an order he signs into law. Details are important.
Now he hears that his wife is to be killed and wanted to know who was responsible for this action and he finds out it is the other dinner guest with him at the table eating.
His first reaction is to leave the room to calm down but then he returns to find the man too close to his wife. He wants action and a servant tells him what he can do and he does it. He hangs Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
We can’t hang someone that we are angry at but we can call a curse down from heaven on the individual when we are mad. This is something those who are followers of the LORD should not do. They should first calm down and ask the LORD for wisdom on how to handle the situation properly.
Handling our anger before the LORD is wise. HE can give us wisdom in the worst of circumstances. As we listen to the LORD we can calm down and turn the person or circumstance over to HIM and let HIM lead us to a proper solution.
Here we have Haman killed and the salvation of the children of Israel happening in the next few chapters of the book. There was a solution but it took action on the part of the children of Israel as well as the king.
CHALLENGE: Our anger has to be monitored through the LORD. Others don’t have the same ability as we are supposed to have because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life. HE will tell us whether it is righteous anger or unrighteous anger.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King of Persia verse 1- 10
Banquet with Esther
Asks: “What is your petition” of
Esther
Offered her half his kingdom
Told Esther’s request for her people
Wrath
Pacified after Haman hung
Haman verse 1, 4, 6- 10
Enemy of the Jews
Requested his life of Esther
Adversary and enemy of Jews
Fallen on the bed of Esther
Face covered by servants
Hanged on gallows prepared for
Mordecai
Harbonah – one of the chamberlains verse 9
Tells king of gallows that Haman
had prepared for Mordecai
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Selling human beings verse 4
Presume verse 5
Wicked verse 6
Afraid verse 6
Wrath verse 7, 10
Evil verse 7
Force the queen verse 8
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Favor verse 3
Petition verse 2, 3
Request verse 7
Speak good verse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Esther verse 1- 6
Prepared a second banquet for
King and Haman
Asked king that her life would be
Spared and the lives of her
People Israel
Tells king the enemy is Haman
Mordecai verse 9, 10
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
4 Without waiting for the king to speak, Esther hastened to explain that she and her people had been sold for destruction, slaughter, and annihilation. She added that if it had been a matter of selling them as slaves rather than killing them, she would not have troubled the king with such a petty problem. If he had sold them, at least he would have benefited monetarily. The verb “sell” (māḵar) can be used in the general sense of “deliver up to enemies” (e.g., Judg 2:14; 3:8), but here it probably alludes to the monetary agreement between Haman and the king (cf. 3:11; 4:7). The Hebrew of the latter part of this verse—“no such distress would justify disturbing the king”—is quite obscure, resulting in a number of translations and interpretations of Esther’s words. It is considered to be the most difficult clause in all the Book of Esther to translate. It has been interpreted to mean that the death of Xerxes’ Jewish subjects would be a more grievous loss to him than enslavement would be to the Jews (JB, NAB, RSV). It has also been understood to mean that selling the Jews as slaves was not sufficient grounds to trouble the king (NIV, NEB, Moore). Either interpretation could be justified from the Hebrew. The second however, is preferable. It seems to imply the first, i.e., if selling the Jews as slaves was all that was involved, Esther would have kept silent; but more than that was involved—their destruction, which would be an economic loss to the king. (Huey, F. B., Jr. (1988). Esther. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, pp. 825–826). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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She explained that all her people had been sold (i.e., the king was offered a bribe by Haman; cf. 3:9; 4:7) into extinction (cf. 3:13). Showing her subservient position to the king, she added that if they had merely been sold into slavery she certainly would not have bothered the king. Esther’s statement not only shows the unbelievable power of the king, but also the condition to which she was reduced. Esther may have been apprehensive, not knowing if the king would grant her request. It was quite possible that he would fly into a rage, as he had done with Vashti (1:12). (Martin, J. A. (1985). Esther. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 710). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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She made it clear from the beginning that she depended on the favor of the king and wasn’t trying to tell him what to do. She also said that her desire wasn’t to please herself but to please the king. This was good psychology, especially when dealing with a chauvinistic monarch like Ahasuerus.
It was also wise on her part not to say, “There’s a man in your kingdom who plans to destroy all of the Jews!” She focused her petition on the fact that the queen’s life was in danger and the king had to do something about it. We have reason to believe Ahasuerus still loved his queen and didn’t want any harm to come to her. As he sat there in her presence and beheld her beauty, her words moved him. What monster would want to kill the queen?
Not only was the queen’s life in danger, but her people were also in danger of being slain. My guess is that this statement perplexed the king. Who were her people? Wasn’t she a Persian? Has she been keeping a secret from me?
It was then that Esther reminded the king of the decree he had approved to wipe out the Jewish nation. In fact, her words are almost verbatim from the decree (Es. 3:13). Ahasuerus was smart enough to put two and two together and understand that Queen Esther was a Jewess, and he had unwittingly consented to her murder! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Be Committed (pp. 138–139). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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7:4 sold. Refers back to Haman’s bribe (cf. 3:9; 4:7). destroyed … killed … annihilated. Esther recounted the exact language of Haman’s decree (cf. 3:13). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Es 7:4). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 4. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish, &c.] She makes use of these several words, to express the utter destruction of her and her people, without any exception; not only the more to impress the king’s mind with it, but she has respect to the precise words of the decree, ch. 3:13. as she has also to the 10,000 talents of silver Haman offered to pay the king for the grant of it, when she says, we are sold, or delivered to be destroyed: but if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue; should never have asked for deliverance from bondage, but have patiently submitted to it, however unreasonable, unjust, and afflictive it would have been; because it might have been borne, and there might be hope of deliverance from it at one time or another; though it is said, slaves with the Persians were never made free; but that being the case would not have been so great a loss to the king, who would have reaped some advantage by their servitude; whereas, by the death of them, he must sustain a loss which the enemy was not equal to, and which he could not compensate with all his riches; which, according to Ben Melech, is the sense of the next clause: although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage; or, for the enemy cannot, &c. the 10,000 talents offered by him, and all the riches that he has, are not an equivalent to the loss the king would sustain by the death of such a multitude of people, from whom he received so large a tribute; but this the enemy regarded not; and so Jarchi interprets it, the enemy took no care of, or was concerned about the king’s damage; but there is another sense, which Aben Ezra mentions, and is followed by some learned men, who take the word for enemy to signify distress, trouble, and anguish, as in Psal. 4:1 and 119:113 and read the words, for this distress would not be reckoned the king’s damage, or loss; though it would have been a distress to the Jews to have been sold for slaves, yet the loss to the king would not be so great as their death, since he would receive benefit by their service. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 179). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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3–4. Is not this petition of Esther, spiritually considered, very suitable for the petition of every poor sinner before a gracious God in Christ? Are we not sold? have we not indeed sold ourselves by sin, by iniquity, and transgression? And had our slavery been for God’s glory, how could we have stood up for deliverance from it. But when it is for the triumph of Satan; oh! surely Jesus will rescue us from the wrath to come, and take us from the power of the enemy. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 720). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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An Eternal Holy Calling
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (2 Timothy 1:9)
There appears to be an apparent conflict between God’s salvation, which was determined “before the world began,” and our present need to persuade men to believe the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:11). Jesus urged whoever was burdened to “come unto me” (Matthew 11:28), while insisting He had chosen His disciples rather than the other way around (John 15:16). Scripture often expresses this paradox.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states that our salvation is “not of works” but comes to us by the grace of God through faith—and even that faith is God’s gift. Few would argue that salvation is some sort of cooperative work between God and man, since there is no question that our salvation is not due to our efforts. Many passages verify that teaching.
Today’s text insists that our salvation was “according to his own purpose and grace.” Our salvation must meet the requirements set by God’s standards. Just what does that demand?
God must be holy and just while justifying the ungodly (Romans 3:26). His holiness cannot be compromised. Thus, the incarnate and sinless Redeemer had to be sacrificed in order to reconcile sinful man with a holy God (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Revelation 13:8b). Then, the absolute sequence of redemption through grace had to be determined for those “who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 and 1 Peter 1:2).
The result of the sacrifice and the sequence had to be fixed so that the redeemed would be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Praise God for His “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The Real Need (Part One)
A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. Proverbs 18:2
As I settled into my seat on the small regional jet, I noticed that the man next to me was embroiled in an intense cell-phone conversation. Although he was doing his best to control his anger and keep his voice down, his conversation was unavoidable for me—and all the passengers within two rows of him. He was talking to his former wife. Listening to him was like watching a sword fight where you can only see one of the competitors.
With his blade, he verbally sliced and pierced the woman on the other end of the phone. The conversation ended with a verbal decapitation when he declared, “And you are no longer my wife!” He demanded to talk with his daughter, and when she came on the phone, the sword fighter was instantly transformed into a puppy. He began by compassionately asking her questions, but at the end of the conversation he made
one last thrust of the sword, saying her mom was a “wimp.” After he hung up the phone, this noble warrior informed me, “Any man can be a father,” he said, “but being a parent takes a real commitment. Hard
work.” I wondered if he was using the same dictionary that I did.
He mentioned that he was living with a woman who was expecting his child. I asked if the baby’s birth might lead them to get married, and his response was, “Why spoil a good thing with a piece of paper?” As I sat there, God reminded me of something: What is this man’s real need? As a sinner myself, saved by grace, I recognized that this man’s real need was to know God’s love and forgiveness. The warrior had certainly made a mess of his life, but there was One who would forgive him and could help him clean it up. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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Larry writes (WA): Once again, your tax dollars have bloody fingerprints all over them. Your Republican legislators just passed a new federal funding bill that (once again, despite their promises) fully funds Planned Parenthood, which kills approx. one-third of a million American babies each year.
Ruth Graham famously said, “If God doesn’t judge America for its sin, he’ll need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” How longsuffering will He be in the face of this kind of bloodshed?
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Today, historically horrific diseases like polio and leprosy have been all but eradicated. Most people consider past moral failures, such as slavery, despicable. Famines are increasingly few and far between, and abject poverty around the world has been dramatically reduced.
Among the reasons that our “normal” is so different from much of history is the work of Christians who saw their lives as a means by which God could accomplish restoration. In living out a Christian worldview within their own time and place, they laid foundations for this current world, which is better in so many ways.
Dr. Benjamin Rush is a prime example of someone who had this sense of vocation. Rush was born one of seven children in 1746 just outside of Philadelphia. He studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), completing his degree in 1760 at age 15.
He received his medical degree in Britain, and then practiced medicine there before returning to the colonies in 1769. At the age of 24, he opened a medical practice in Philadelphia. He was also a chemistry professor, writing the first chemistry textbook published in America. He also wrote treatises on medical education.
A significant area of study for Rush was the treatment of mental illness. He argued that people with mental illness shouldn’t be treated as criminals but brought into normal hospital settings. He also believed that giving them productive work could aid in their recovery. These ideas proved to be successful strategies in treating many of his patients.
Rush was also active in social reform. He was a founding member of what was known as Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons (the Pennsylvania Prison Society today), and an ardent abolitionist, joining abolitionist societies and writing pamphlets against the institution of slavery. He specifically argued, on scientific grounds, that blacks were in no way inferior to whites.
All of the activities on Rush’s very impressive resume were informed by his faith. His stands on mental health, prisons, and slavery came from his understanding that each person is made in the image of God and is, therefore, worthy of dignity and respect. His observations on the importance of work for human well-being reflected ideas contained within the biblical worldview. (Break Point)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Acts 20:1-12
Our family has come to accept that both the expected and unexpected happen during the trips we take. We love to travel and often look forward to the next trip. Frequently, we try to plan ahead and schedule different events into the trip so that we can see people or places along the way. Sometimes changes are made at the last moment and we make a detour to do or see something that was unplanned.
Paul had become a veteran traveler. He had gone thousands of miles taking the message of his Savior to people who had not heard the name of Christ proclaimed. After two years in Ephesus, Paul had determined to revisit some churches in Macedonia, Greece and return to Jerusalem (19:21). Following the riot in Ephesus, Paul sailed across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia where he encouraged the various believers in both Macedonia and Greece.
Being a marked man with a bounty on his head by the Jews, Paul had to be cautious with his travel plans and be willing to adjust and change course. This became necessary when a plot against him was revealed. Instead of traveling by ship he went north through Macedonia once again. While this detour added many days to Paul’s travels it also allowed him the opportunity to preach and teach along the way.
Like Paul, there are many believers who are willing to travel and give their lives presenting the gospel to individuals and communities they do not know. The travel is dangerous and often their lives are in jeopardy as they courageously enter unknown territory. Men and women willingly enter countries to take the message to those who have not heard before. Places in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and many others openly are hostile to missionaries and representatives of Christ, yet these believers follow the Lord’s direction and go!
Today I will travel in relatively safe places to visit and talk with people, but others will be risking their lives to testify for Christ. Lift up in prayer individuals that you are aware of who are in places of danger. Take a moment and intercede for a family member or an individual that knowingly is entering dangerous situations today. Pray for believers to have the courage to present Jesus, wisdom to discern travel plans and guidance by the Spirit to direct their every step.
With an Expectant Hope, (Pastor Miller, OH) – board member.
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Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later–as Hosea is walking down the street–he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His Grace.
(Quiet Walk)
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GOOD ANGELS
…as the angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:30
We must see what we are told about good angels. We are told that they dwell in heaven. We are to be “as the angels of God in heaven,” our Lord says. The statement in Matthew 18:10 reads, “…their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” It is clear, therefore, that the dwelling-place, the place of existence, of these good angels is in heaven around the throne of God.
What is the business or purpose of these good angels? We are told that they spend their time adoring God and the Lamb. We read in Revelation 5 that they are singing His praise and worshiping Him and adoring Him. That is what they delight in. That is what, as it were, they live for.
There is something else that the angels are very busy doing. I have never read this next point without having a still more glorious understanding of my salvation. We are told that they spend a good deal of their time looking into this question of our salvation. Let me give you my authority. Peter, talking about our salvation, says, “which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12). It is something so marvelous and so wonderful that these created angelic spirits, always in the presence of God, are, as it were, looking on at this thing that is most astonishing to them and that surpasses everything else.
The angels not only behold the face of God, they are not only looking into salvation, but they are looking at us. In 1 Corinthians 11:10 Paul uses these words: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” A woman should have her head covered to show that she is under the authority of the man; and in addition to that, Paul says, she should be covered because of the presence of the angels. In other words, when Christians gather together in prayer, the angels of God are present.
A Thought to Ponder: Good angels spend their time adoring God and the Lamb.
(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 109-110, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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