Stepping in the Light

“Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

God is not mentioned one time in the book of Esther, but nowhere in the Bible is His providence more evident than in this riveting account of the Israelites’ struggles in captivity. Esther was orphaned at a young age and raised by her older cousin Mordecai. When a contest was held to choose a new queen, Mordecai entered Esther in the competition, and she was chosen by the king. When a man named Haman convinced the king (who did not know that his new queen was an Israelite) to approve the genocide of all of the Jews, Mordecai saw that Esther could use her power to spare the lives of her people. He challenged her to go to the king in spite of any personal danger and suggested that this opportunity might be the very reason that she became queen. Esther bravely approached the king, and her people were spared. We can learn from Esther that all of us have a reason for our existence and that we each have unique opportunities to make a difference in our world. We must take advantage of these opportunities if we wish to fulfill the purpose for which God has placed us on this earth. When difficulties arise, know that you are here for “such time as this.”

“In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name. And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.” Esther 2:21-23

Mordecai was a Jew who was living in captivity. Because they were strangers in a foreign land, the Jews were subject to the oppression of the Medes, Persians, and Chaldeans who had held them captive for many years. Mordecai had risen to a position of relative prominence for a person of his heritage. He sat in the king’s gate, which would have been a place where important business was transacted and matters of lesser importance were judged. It was because of his position there that Mordecai overheard two of the king’s chamberlains plotting against the king’s life. Mordecai reported what he had heard to Esther the queen (whom he had raised as his own daughter), and she sent a message of warning to the king in Mordecai’s name. God later used the record of Mordecai’s loyal and courageous act in part to spare Mordecai’s life, advance his career, and save the Jews from the ethnic cleansing that was set in motion by wicked Haman. God wants to use every one of our right actions to accomplish His purpose.

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:29-31

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to them pray. Peter and John were arrested and interrogated by the council of Jewish religious leaders. The men in the council wanted to punish them, but they were hesitant to do so because of the lame man that had been healed. So they threatened Peter and John and commanded them not to preach any more in the name of Jesus. After they were released, Peter and John met with the other disciples and held a prayer meeting. Their primary request was that God would give them boldness to continue preaching the Gospel. They were charting new territory. This was the first persecution the church experienced after Jesus ascended to heaven. In our society, our first response when we experience persecution is to fight back. We want to write letters, send emails, lobby our representatives, organize protests, and even take legal action. While these means may be warranted in some cases, when they are our first response, they reflect a great deal of difference between our thinking and theirs. They prayed for boldness and perhaps we should, too.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 

When the priests and the Sadducees heard Peter and John preaching at the temple about how Jesus had risen from the dead, they arrested them and threw them in jail. The next day, after all of the religious leaders were gathered together, they brought out Peter and John and began to question them about what had happened to the lame man and what they had been preaching about Jesus the day before. The religious leaders did not know Peter and John, but there were several things about these two men that stood out to them. They judged them to be simple and uneducated men. This does not mean that Peter and John were illiterate, but rather that they had not had what we would consider to be university training. But after seeing what they had done and hearing their answers to the council, it was obvious that they had been with Jesus. They had studied Jesus for over three years. They knew that His words, His actions, and His attitudes were unique. No other teacher taught as Jesus did. After hearing Peter and John speak, it was obvious to them that Peter and John knew Jesus better than they did. They could see that Jesus’ teachings had shaped their thinking, their values, and their approach to life. The Lord wants to have the same kind of impact on our lives today. As we spend time in His Word, people will begin to see that we have been with Him.

“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.” Acts 3:6-10

The people who came to the temple on a regular basis were accustomed to seeing this lame man at the gate asking for financial assistance. He had never been able to walk and had no other means of supporting himself than begging for the help of others. Imagine their surprise to see this man walking around the temple grounds, jumping up and down, and praising God that he had been healed. They certainly recognized this man, and they were amazed to see such a difference in him. They wanted to know what had happened and why. When Peter began to explain, they were eager to listen, and thousands of them were saved. The effectiveness of the testimony of a changed life is not limited to the miracle of physical healing. When people see an obvious, positive change in the life of someone that they know who has professed faith in Christ, they are drawn to the Saviour because of that person’s testimony.

“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:6

Without modern machinery and construction materials, rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was an enormous task. Nehemiah had a relatively small group of people, a work area strewn with debris, and a constant stream of resistance from outsiders; but he and his helpers somehow completed the wall encircling the city in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). At the halfway point in the project, Nehemiah wrote about what may have been the ingredient that enabled them to accomplish such a great feat in such a short span of time. The people had a mind to work. They were not only willing to work, but they also wanted to be involved. What was their motivation? It seems that they would have been interested in enhancing their own personal safety and the security of their community. With a wall around Jerusalem, they would feel much better about building the homes they needed for shelter and planting the crops that would provide sustenance for their families. Perhaps they hoped that the wall would bring financial strength because of increased trade with people from the surrounding area. There was certainly a spiritual significance to their work because Jerusalem was the place where people came to worship God at the temple. Nehemiah and his followers had a unique opportunity to accomplish something great for God, and they were successful because they had a mind to work.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” Acts 2:4-8

Pentecost was a feast that the Jews observed every year, and people came from all over the world to attend. Many of them came from families that had lived in other lands for several generations and spoke other languages. Prior to the day of Pentecost, the disciples had been gathered together in prayer for many days. Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would come and fill the believers, but they did not know when it would happen or what to expect. As they were gathered together in prayer on the day of Pentecost, the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the room and a flame of fire appeared to sit upon each of them. As they began to speak, the people from other countries were miraculously able to understand them; each in his own language. This caused a great stir, a huge crowd quickly gathered, and thousands were saved that day. In this miracle, we can see that the Holy Spirit wants to work through individuals to spread the Gospel to the lost.

“And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” Ezra 9:5-8

The people had broken God’s law, and Ezra was deeply moved when he heard about it. When he began to pray and confess the sin of the people, he included himself in asking for God’s forgiveness. Ezra was taking responsibility upon himself for the failures of his fellow countrymen. His attitude was not one of piousness or self-righteousness. He genuinely wept before God and asked for God’s forgiveness. Ezra’s prayer sparked a revival of obedience among his people.

As Christians, we understand that God wants everyone to obey Him. When the people around us fail to follow the Lord, do we point our fingers in blame or do we go to God in prayer?

“Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.” Ezra 6:8-10

The rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem met with considerable opposition, and there had been a season of time when the work ceased as a result. When the matter came before the king, he commanded that the work go forward and that all of the materials necessary for building and maintaining the temple be provided. He also required that all of the animals and provisions for the sacrifices be supplied as well. Then the king gave an unexpected reason for his request. He asked that these things be done so that sacrifices could be made to the God of heaven and that prayers would be offered for the king and his sons. Here we find an example of a world monarch who wanted to have people praying for him. Do you believe in prayer? Would you like to have people praying for you? When was the last time that you shared a prayer request with someone else? This king’s example should encourage us in the area of prayer.

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:24-25

We know him as doubting Thomas, but Thomas was depending on his skills of observation and reasoning. What the other disciples were telling Thomas didn’t make sense to him. He thought it was much more probable that the other disciples had seen some sort of vision or were trying to trick him. Thomas declared that he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw and felt Jesus’ wounds for himself. Thomas was with the other disciples eight days later when Jesus appeared to them, and Jesus invited Thomas to see and touch His wounds. Jesus said to Thomas, “Be not faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord, and my God.” Jesus said to Thomas, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” While none of us have ever had the opportunity to see Jesus in person, He still wants us to believe in Him. Jesus implied here that it requires greater faith to believe in Him without having seen Him, and He pronounced a special blessing on those who would believe without seeing. Are you depending on your skills of observation and reasoning when it comes to spiritual things? It is better to believe without seeing.