Friday, 25th March 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One Esther 8:1-17 Turn Defeat into Victory
V1-2 ‘On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.’ The king told Esther that he would give her half of the kingdom, yet he was not able to overturn the law given by Haman. The Jews were still facing their enemy’s killing.
V7-8 ‘Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”’ People put all their hope in people with authority. We are also like this, we rely on those with power, money, and authority, we rely on the skilful and the experienced… even Mordecai and Esther relied on the king but was rejected. We should not need to be afraid when we walk with God because there is no one in this world we can rely on, because He will turn our defeat into victory.
V15-17 ‘So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honour. And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews because fear of the Jews fell upon them.’ God does not want us to change anything but to overcome it. The pandemic, the flood, the economic crisis, etc. might not be changed easily, but we can certainly overcome all the challenges and difficulties! The Jews stopped focusing on the day they would be killed and started feasting and preparing to fight back. They knew God was on their side, and they did not have to be afraid.
Through valleys or mountains, health or sickness, rich or poor, God is with us. We are just visitors of this world; our treasure is in Heaven. Do we also have the faith like the Jews to know that this is the day we can turn defeat into victory? What is turning defeat into victory? The Jews had not yet defeated their enemy, but they were already feasting because they knew God would lead them to victory. We must have the same faith, to see the victory before it happens, because God is on our side and we will definitely overcome!
Section Two Esther 9:1-16 Chase After Victory
V1 ‘Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.’ It was truly the day of victory, the Jews turned the table from the defeated to the victors.
V5 ‘Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.’ The Jews were to kill anyone they wished, but they did not completely destroy their enemy. Esther knew it was time for them to carry out the Will of God and complete the mission Joshua and the Israelites were not able to complete a long time ago therefore she asked for one more day to kill the sons of Haman.
When God is with us, He will bless us, like how He blessed Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their decedents. But on the other hand, if we are enemies with God, then He will also be the enemy of our descendants.
Section Three Esther 9:17-10:3 Live in God’s Will
以斯帖记 8~10 与主同行
2022年3月25日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
这最后三章是以斯帖记故事发展的高潮。波斯王亚哈随鲁王已经发了谕旨，就是亚达月第十三日在他所管辖的国土之内，所有犹大人要被杀害。当年的犹大人没有王的帮忙，他们面对的是生命的挑战，所需要的是来到神面前禁食、祈求。我们面对如今这个严峻的大环境，是否有这样全然倚靠神的心？我们好像失去了危机意识，表面上与病毒共存，实际上只是任由弱肉强食，不再保护那些弱势的幼童和长辈。十诫中的第五诫教导我们要尊荣父母，才能在世得福、长寿，而我们似乎习惯了从长辈和其他人身上得好处却忘了感恩。我们要以神的话语为我们的中心，不要被这个世界欺骗。我们的立场不是选择与病毒共存或者倚靠哪一个疫苗，而是神的话语。在困难黑暗的时代，我们要与主同行。
一、8:1-17 反败为胜
8:1-2 这戒指原本是给哈曼传旨在波斯国可以任意杀戮犹大人时用的戒指，亚哈随鲁王拿回来了。
8:3-8 以斯帖俯伏在王面前，流泪为本族人求情，要取消之前的谕旨，但王用花言巧语回避，只说“…奉王名所写，用王戒指盖印的谕旨，人都不能废除”。王以制度为借口，将问题丢回给以斯帖他们。听上去，犹大人好像走投无路了，在亚达月要面临被杀戮的命运。很多时候我们似乎已经尽力了，人还是给我们负面的信息。然而，在神没有难成的事，我们还选择投降吗？我们祷告寻求，似乎没有看到改变时，是否真的像犹大人那样三天三天不吃不喝、像以斯帖那样整个人伏在地上去迫切祈求吗？当我们与主同行的时候，我们看的不是别人的反应，而是看神怎样帮助我们反败为胜。
8:9-12 我们是否相信，当我们与主同行而不是依靠他人的时候，神是可以帮我们改变历史的。犹大人原本是要在亚达月十三日被灭族的，连王也无能为力，但末底改奉王的名写谕旨，“准各省各城的犹大人在一日之间，十二月，就是亚达月十三日，聚集保护性命， 剪除、杀戮、灭绝那要攻击犹大人的一切仇敌和他们的妻子、儿女，夺取他们的财为掠物”。我们是否像他们起初这样将一切的盼望都放在人的身上，期盼在高位或有能力的人能帮我们。倚靠人的时候我们会失败，但神能帮我们反败为胜。
8:15-17 王没有改原本的命令，只是加了一道新的谕旨。犹大人仍然面临被杀戮的命运，末底改还没有最终得胜，但他们有了机会，可以聚集在一起抵抗杀戮。面对如今疫情的严峻、经济的动荡，神没有让我们去改变什么，而是超越我们所看见的这些事情，活出蒙召身份的尊荣。末底改看的不是自身情况，而是相信神必让他们反败为胜。犹大人还没开始打仗就已经设宴庆祝，订本为被杀害的日子为“吉日”。神在我们这一边，我们还惧怕什么？面对严峻的疫情，我们是否躲在家里不敢出去，还是害怕不够钱用而拼命做工？神没有应许我们作基督徒就一帆风顺、不会感染病毒，他应许我们，无论高山低谷他都与我们同在，神看的是永恒，我们在这里只是暂时的，好像到外地出差公干一样。我们是否能像犹大人那样有反败为胜的信心？他们能反败为胜，并未因为以斯帖或末底改给他们厉害的武器或改变了原来的谕旨，而是知道神与他们同在。他们的反败为胜是在还没有成功的时候就相信神能帮他们得胜又得胜。让我们用天国的眼睛去看得胜，相信有神同在我们就能经历得胜！
二、9:1-16 乘胜追击
9：1-4 当初犹大人刚刚听到自己要被杀戮的时候，他们是披麻衣哀哭，但如今他们有神同在，不仅自己安全，还能击杀那要害他们的人。甚至“各族都惧怕他们….都帮助犹大人”，并且“末底改在朝中为大，名声传遍各省，日渐昌盛”，真实经历反败为胜。
9:5-14 神原本的旨意是要从天下涂抹亚玛力人的名号，但以色列人一直都没有遵行，到现在他们可以“任意杀灭恨他们的人”，却仍未灭绝亚玛力人。以斯帖知道犹大人是时候要行出神的旨意了，所以求王再多给一天的时间去灭尽仇敌。我们是否觉得之前所祈求的东西已经被处理好了就只管自己的事而不理会神的心意？当我们看到神是让人反败为胜、转忧为喜、转悲为乐的神，就要乘胜追击，在神没有难成的事。当神与我们同在，祝福就临到我们的子孙一代又一代；然而，当我们与神为仇，神也于我们的子孙为仇。
三、9:17-10:3 活在神的旨意里面
犹大人虽然有机会拿走钱财，然而他们没有这样做，因他们活在神的旨意里。
普珥节要庆祝两天，因第十四日相当于在波斯的逾越节，而第十五日相当于在波斯的住棚节。末底改和以斯帖吩咐犹大人永远遵守这节日，是要人看到神是使我们反败为胜的神，我们要世世代代走在神的旨意里。犹大人本来是丧家之犬，但他们在困难中选择谦卑跟从、与主同行，一切的好处就伴随他们，人心也归向他们。
我们是否活在神的荣耀中？当我们不看自己、单单看神的时候，看似不可能的任务也能成就。