Esther Ch6/ Titus Ch1
Keep God’s words will be highly honored; the wicked will come to a complete ruin
Esther 6/ Titus 1
The book of Esther records things happened when the Jews were captives in Persia. Esther a Jewish orphan became a queen of Persia when Queen Vashti was removed from her position. After this event, Haman an enemy of the Jews was put in a high position by the King of Persia. Haman wanted to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom of Persia because Mordecai would not bow down to honor him. Haman set a date for slaughter and made it into a law by the power of the king. Esther then decided to go to the king and plead for her own life and her people’s lives, even if it would take her life. She fast three days or nights and asked all the Jews in Susa to fast for her. God answered their prayers. He used Esther to deliver her people from destruction.
One thing happened before the deliverance of the Jews: Haman planned to ask the king to hang Mordecai on a gallows in the morning. But on the eve the king could not sleep. So he ordered his servants to read him the record since he was the king. It was found that Mordecai had exposed a conspiracy of two officers who guarded the doorway. They planned to assassinate the king. But the king had not rewarded Mordecai for that.
The book of Titus was written by Paul to his young co-worker, Titus. Paul instructed him how to deal with conditions in the churches located on the island of Crete. In chapter 1, Paul listed qualifications of elders and disciplines in church. As to those mere talkers who claimed to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. Paul told Titus to rebuke them sharply.
In comparison of these two chapters, we have learned some lessons.
(1) Both of Mordecai and Paul are servants of God. Mordecai urges Esther to deliver the lives of her own people before the king since she lived in palace. Paul taught young helper Titus how to be a good servant in the House of God. We learn that we shall follow their examples to encourage and instruct the young generation the right way of serving God.
(2) It is by faith and the knowledge of the truth that we know how to trust in God when there is no hope but darkness. We can get together every Christian to fast and pray to God by grasping His promises. We will see our God do great things for us. He does not lie. Our God will change darkness into light; tribulation into revival.
(3) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Sometimes we do not receive reward immediately from God when we do good. But do not give up. We will get our reward when time comes. God knows the best timing for it.
(4) Those who believe God’s words and put them into practice are true children of God. Though they may suffer for a short time, they will have grace and peace from God and Jesus Christ.
(5) The one whom the king delights to honor is the one who does good to the king and the people. This is a person who is blameless, the husband of but one wife, a person whose children believe in Jesus. This person must not always try to control other people by his own idea. He must not be quick-tempered. He must not give in to drunkenness. He must not be violent. He must not chase after dishonest money. Rather, he must be hospital and love what is good. He must be self-controlled, honest, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught. So he can encourage others by sound doctrine. And he can prove that those who oppose the truth are wrong. He who can hold firmly to the truth will be honored. He will be full of power and glory. God will give him authority over the nations so that he can lead everyone to keep God’s words.
(6) The wicked, just as Haman, goes into ruin. Haman was proud and self-deceiving. He was rebellious. He was a mere talker, and he deceived people. He loved dishonest money so that he taught things he ought not to teach. He ruined his whole households because of that. He was truly a “liar, evil brute, and lazy glutton”. This wicked Haman went to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows. But when he was just going to say that, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” When he heard that, Haman thought that was his chance to honor himself. But out of his expectation, Mordecai was the one that the king liked. And the king asked him to honor Mordecai. What a wonderful and great thing our God could do! God kept Haman’s mouth shut just in time. Haman could not boast of his honor any more.
(7) He who lives a godly life and keeps God’s words will be honored in the end. This kind of godly person is a blessing to the people. The wicked may rise to the top of the world. But he will come to a complete ruin and nothing can stop it.
Short Testimony (1): He who leads a godly life and keeps God’s words will be highly honored.
I knew a brother when I was in Home of Grace in China. He was a builder. When Home of Grace was forced to close down by the communist government, he and his wife took us in warmheartedly. We usually got together at a little attic of his house to pray in one heart for God’s works. Because of that he and his wife were accused by the government as “sympathize with the anti-revolutionists”. At that time Chinese government forbade people to pray for pastors or missionaries who were put in jail for the sake of Jesus.
One day the government forced his whole household to move to a remote village within two days. Five of them were forced to exile to a remote village and to do hard labor everyday without any wage. They were labeled as “the wicked” and stayed with gangsters and prostitutes in that village. He feared the Lord. He still posted Bible verses in his hut of hay assigned by the government. Later people found out that he was good at construction. The cadre in the village asked him to build houses for them. Over the years, he had never taken advantage of people, not even a melon or vegetables. A very low class woman, his neighbor, tried to seduce him to sin. He ran away from her. His good behavior was well known in the village. He shone for Jesus. But he had to kneel down on the floor and be beaten and humiliated with all the bad guys in the annual meeting of criticism. One year they had an annual meeting lasted for few nights. He had to attend it every night. Each time he had to kneel down on the floor and be ready to face any insults from those who attended the meeting. The atmosphere was very tense. Some might be vindicated; some might receive a jail sentence for years. He was so anxious about his future. So far his case was not vindicated yet. That night before he went to that meeting, he told his wife that he might be put in jail and never come back. But a miracle happened that night. It turned out to be his very last meeting of criticism. The cadre praised his good behavior and his birth as the poor. They honored him and invited him to sit among the cadre. He was not only vindicated completely but also honored greatly. But all those bad guys were forced to kneel down before him.
He had led many people to Jesus Christ when he was in the village. Later, he was so blessed by God that he could build up two big mansions. He warmheartedly opened his home again for the work of Home of Grace. Many brothers and sisters could read Bible and pray in his house. His grandchildren were blessed greatly by God. They were managers of a construction company. They had their own cars and motorcycles. He who leads a godly life and keeps God’s words will be highly honored. His generations will also be blessed. Amen!
Short Testimony (2): The wicked will come to a complete ruin– Be husband of one wife.
Once, Ruth and I went to California, America for gospel preaching. We stayed at a house of a Sister. There, we met one of her tenants, brother Guo, Yio Fong. He came from other states and was teaching in a university over there. He had parents, wife and children. His whole family loved the Lord. He told us that when he first arrived at this city by himself, he was zealous and very active in serving the church. Later, he could not overcome the temptation of sins. He had an affair with his female student. At first, he was afraid that God might punish him for it. But gradually, his heart became hardened because of sins. At the end, he completely ignored God and indulged himself in sinful desires. He even boasted, “I am brave. I will bear any consequence by myself!” He was not afraid of God anymore. But pretty soon, he found that he had cancer. The doctors told him that they had to cut off almost one forth of his body, including one of the whole leg and some part of his body up to the waist. And there was only sixty percent (60%) of chance that he would live after the operation. He dared not do that operation. He confessed his sins to Jesus and repented completely. He begged for God’s mercy. When we met him, he was taking Chinese herbs for his cancer. He was very grateful that God used cancer to save his soul. Soon, we heard that he went home with his wife and he passed away. He wanted everyone to know that God cannot be mocked. Be sure to know: The wicked will come to a completely ruin.