Observations on Esther and Job [part 1] (BIND – Day 36)

Bible In 90 Days – Day 36

Reading: Nehemiah 13:15 – Job 7:21

Take Away(s):

• Civil Disobedience. Esther 3:1-4. Here we read about Mordecai’s civil disobedience.  His courage. His possibly tough, but no doubt prayerful choice to honor God above man. I write this in a country where this privilege is possible – but in a world where it is not uniform. I think God for my privilege – possible through the sacrifice of many who came before me.  I pray that I would honor them in my daily decisions and emulate Mordecai’s choice.  Wikipedia credits Henry David Thoreau with pioneering the modern theory behind this civil disobedience in his 1849 essay of the same name.  As we see, this practice predated that by many, many, many years. That said, it is interesting to note Gandhi’s rules on civil disobedience (cited on Wikipedia) in comparison with Mordecai’s actions.
• Confidence AND Providence. Esther 4:14. Many key in on the last sentence of this verse (“for such a time as this”), which is a great thing to do and ponder about God’s providential hand in all things; but I am drawn to Mordecai’s confidence in God, regardless of whether Esther decides to make a plea to the king.  He KNEW/Trusted that “relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place” – he had confidence that God would be TRUE to and HONOR His promise made long before.  He knew God was in control, just as much as he knew He had providentially provided Esther’s marriage to the king for this specific purpose.  Oh, that I would have the faith to know and trust God’s promises and plans in addition to the insight to see and discern His providential purposes and workings in my life!
• Intercessory Prayer & Fasting. Esther 4:15-17. Esther asks for prayer and fasting in advance of her meeting with the king. How often we don’t confide in our friends or family about decision and things in life, but resort to a brief “pray for me” without specifics (we’re all guilty of this in some form…I’m probably chief!)  I need to share, first with my wife, them with trusted family and friends more…  Another interesting observation on this.  Given Mordecai’s “confidence” statement above (v4:14) I would assume that their prayer was for success in Esther’s meeting with the King, but also recognition that God was in control and prayer for His purposes to be worked in whatever way he divinely decided.
• Pleasing God. Job 1:1. In this verse, and in again in 1:8 and 2:3, we see how we can please God: fear Him and shun evil. Consider this: Fear: “to regard with fear OR have reverential awe of.” Shun=”To avoid deliberately; keep away from.” I would expect that Job had both aspects of fear for God in his life – he had heard the stories of God’s amazing displays of power and providence.  That fear and awe caused his shunning of evil.  He knew what pleased God – also by the stories of God’s amazing displays of power and providence.  Even though my relationship with God is very different than Job enjoyed (at the price of Christ my Savior – not because of anything I have or could do), I pray that I would have a healthy fear and awe of God and that through the power of the Holy Spirit would shun evil.  How amazing that I can only scratch the surface of this…and only through the help of the One I desire to please.
• God wins!. Job 1:20-22. In all that happened to Job, his response was humble worship of God. Can you imagine God’s smile when Job responded that way? Can you imagine having that response? After reading this and thinking about it overnight – this thought came to mind: In the weight of our broken worship – we confirm Christ as victor and satan as the loser! Our circumstances are probably different (although, loss or tragedy or testing is always hard and very personal), but our response of…our choice to worship is the hard, mature, and appropriate response to our awesome, grace-giving God.  Certainly, it is easier to write this than to practice it; but, God’s word confirms this to those who call themselves Christ-followers.  God has won – we figuratively remind satan of this fact each time we worship from our brokenness.
• God is Sovreign. Job 2:10. Job recognized God’s sovreignity as he said to his wife, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”  His integrity – noted by those in his cicle of friends, his family, and by God – was known…and he maintained that, knowning God had a plan.  We see Job’s recognition of God’s sovreignity again in many passages – like 5:17-18.

So much more, but wow…a lot to process!