Thursday, 24th March 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One Esther 6:1-11 God Reigns
God never promised the sky to always be blue but He promises to be with us wherever we go. Don’t be afraid of the environment and the challenges ahead. God will always lead the way through hills and valleys. Esther believed God reigns no matter what, so she was not afraid.
V1-2 ‘That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ‘ It happened that when the king could not sleep, he asked people to read him the history, and it also happened that they were reading about when Mordecai saved the king. God’s timing is always perfect, and those, who follow God faithfully will definitely receive the reward.
Nobody would know that the king would not be able to sleep that night, but Mordecai, Esther and the Jews knew God would reign. Oftern we thought God has forgotten us because things do not go according how we have planned, but God never forgets about us, He listens to our every prayer and we do not have to be afraid.
Section Two Esther 6:12-13 Men will Surely Fall
V12 ‘Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.’ Haman thought he was the one being honoured, but after the king honoured Mordecai, Haman was so angry and complaied to his family and friends. Whereas when Mordecai was honoured by the king, he did not glorify himself, he went back to where he should be and continued to wait upon God faithfully.
V13 ‘When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, if Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him.’ People around Haman were not wise and even his wife told Haman that he would fall before Mordecai. It was the idea of Haman’s wife to kill Mordecai but now when she saw Mordecai received the honour she changed her stand. God is with His chosen people, so we should not fall into temptation, and live under the fregrance of the Tree of Life. When God is with us, people against us will surely fall!
Section Three Esther 6:14-7:6 Go at All Costs
V1-4 ‘So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!” Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”’ Esther knew her time was here, so when the king aksed her again what she wanted from him, she told the king about Haman’s evil plot.
Haman did not have anything against queen Esther, but when Esther showed her family background, she chose to side with the people of God. Do we also choose to side with God and with the people of God? Or do we still stay in our own comfortable social circle, refuse to see and love people outside of our circle? Esther was no longer afraid, she waited for the time to come and struck Haman by surprise.
Section Four Esther 7:7-10 Turn Defeat into Victory
V7-8 ‘Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.’ Haman tried to use his own ways to survive but his action backfired and caused his own destruction. The king saw Haman falling on the couch of Esther and became furious. A lot of times we also want to solve our own problems in our own ways, but we must know God rules and reigns, only He can give us the best solution.
At the time of the pandemic, our nation has declared to ‘live with the virus’. We may be seeing many news that upset us everyday, but we must bleieve God is with us, He still reigns, and we will be able to find life in desperation. Do not lose our peace and do not try to solve our own problems with our own hands, but to believe that the darkness will go away and dawn will come, the sun will rise and through God we can turn defeat into victory.
以斯帖记 6~7 – 绝处逢生
2022年3月24日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
当我们在遇到一些问题，感觉好像要一败涂地时，要相信神依然掌权，他是使我们绝处逢生的神。神未曾应许天色常蓝，但他应许无论高山低谷都会一直与我们同在。
一、6:1-11 神掌权
一个王睡不着觉，竟然叫别人给他念历史书，这里可以看出以斯帖的智慧 – 她相信神掌权，就等候神在对的时间为犹大人出手。而王在书上所读到的部分正好是之前末底改救王立功的记录，且刚巧哈曼就站在外院要与王说话。很多时候我们虽然看不见神，其实神都在背后动工，让一切事情都发生在“正巧”的时机。末底改、以斯帖、犹大人都不知道王那夜会睡不着，但他们都知道神在掌权。我们是否会在事情没有按照我们的期待发生时怀疑神把我们忘了，于是想在神出手前先靠自己解决问题？神没有忘记我们，他垂听我们的每一个祷告。神可以借着本要杀灭犹大人的亚哈随鲁王提升末底改，他就能够动用世上的任何一个人成就他的旨意。我们在疫情、困境中若相信神掌权，就不再需要担心害怕了。
二、6:12-13 人不能胜
哈曼原以为王所喜悦尊荣的人是他自己（6:6), 但属神的末底改在被王尊荣之后，并没有得意忘形或跟别人炫耀，而是活在生命树的气息下，”回到朝门”继续等候观看神。反观哈曼，他回到家中找人渲发自己心中的闷气。他周围的人并没有真”智慧”，他的妻子也是很市侩，众人原本出馊主意要害末底改，如今见风使舵，反而说哈曼必然在末底改面前败落。这些人本知道末底改是犹大人，有属神的身份，是与哈曼世代为仇的，所以他们之前出计谋就是在试探哈曼。耶和华与他所拣选的子民同在，我们不要陷入人的试探，而要活在生命树的气息里。神与我们同在时，人是不能胜过我们的。
三、6:14-7:6 全力以赴
王第三次跟以斯帖说要给她赏赐。以斯帖知道时候到了，就全力以赴，开口说出自己真正所求之事。她告诉王，自己的民族被恶人陷害，如果被剪除，王的损失就没有人可以弥补了。以斯帖的话句句刺中王的心，王就马上问她这恶人是谁，她便将“仇人敌人”哈曼说出来。哈曼本身跟以斯帖无怨无仇，但以斯帖将犹大人的身份背在身上，与犹大人同仇敌忾。我们是否喜欢呆在一个舒适的小圈子内只关心自己的事，还是愿意走出去看到外面也有神所爱的人，从而关心他们？
以斯帖不再拖延，没有怕冲突，而是在对的时机全力以赴，毫不客气地揭穿了哈曼的恶行，哈曼就方寸大乱、惊慌失措。
四、7:7-10 反败为胜
哈曼在害怕的时候，就开始尊卑不分。当我们用自己的方法解决问题的时候，不仅帮不了自己，甚至可能丧掉性命。哈曼“伏在以斯帖所靠的榻上”，被王看见，惹王大怒。这时有一个太监就来将自己看到哈曼立木架要害末底改的事报告给王，王便下令用这木架悬挂哈曼。
在这个疫情紧张的时刻，我们国家选择“与病毒共存”，甚至联合国也给我们传递负面的信息，但我们要相信神与我们同在，他依然掌权，我们必能在绝处逢生。我们不要失去平安而靠自己行事，要相信，黑暗终会过去，黎明总会到来，太阳终会升起，我们靠神必能反败为胜。