The Introduction of a Fisherman: Getting Ready for Peter

Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my private personal privilege and far beyond anything that ‘scales’ will weigh—that I, with unlimited pleasure, introduce to you the “Worlds Greatest Fisherman’—Paul called him Cephas; Christ said he was the Rock; his friends knew him as the Galilean Fisherman; his fellow Jews called him Simeon; and finally his Greek name is Peter, and this lets us know that he was a true friend of the gentiles. Never forget, names are important.

Members of The Faith Builders Sunday school class and most of those who will read this introduction to one of my favorite disciples may need no introduction, but if there is just one person that can learn to know Peter better and profit spiritually from his acquaintance, that means this introduction is worthwhile and time well spent. In a recent report on a survey made to determine the biblical knowledge level of the general public, I was amazed to learn that more than fifty percent of the people in the USA have never read either the Old or the New Testament.

Even those with limited knowledge of the scripture seem to be able to recall the old red rooster that crowed three times one night and a guy named Peter that denied that he ever knew the man Jesus. Peter suffered most from his denial. I truly believe that I have profited most from the incident. Study first Peter and you will see that it is a letter of hope because it assures us of second and third chances that Christian sinners need so desperately. We all know that permanent denial of Christ is the only unpardonable sin. Peter’s three denials of Christ only lasted for a few minutes, an hour at most, and then he went out into the darkness and cried out in repentance for his horrible sin. The most of us do not have a rooster around to act as our reminder when we have sinned—but we do have the Holy Spirit and he is much more dependable. Christ not only forgave Peter but he forgot the incident and never held it against him.

I have had the honor, privilege and humbling responsibility to serve on several search committees looking for God’s man to recommend to the church as pastor or for other staff positions. The church furnishes the committee with a document setting out certain qualifications the applicant must meet first—before he will even be considered. In more than sixty years, with membership in six different churches—Peter would not have qualified to pastor in any of these churches. There is no indication that he had any formal education…even so, he is known to have preached one of the greatest sermons recorded in the bible…it was at Pentecost, and over five thousand souls were saved. He spent three busy years in the presence of Jesus as he completed his ministry here on earth, and was the first man to look inside the empty tomb—and no doubt was well qualified to preach in anybody’s church. As an afterthought, let me remind you that Christ and all the original twelve disciples did not have a seminary education. Even in the twenty-first century when education is very important it is still second to being a Christian.

When Christ called Peter to fish for men, he was a poor man with only the essentials needed to fish for a living and he probably lived with his family in a modest home that was probably clear of debt. He was a middle age man, married with a family, and was somewhat different in that he was close to his mother-in-law and very concerned when she became seriously ill. His home was near the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum when Christ visited him. Peter was in every way a fisherman, in actions, in speech, in temperament, and even in personal appearance. It is evident that the Lord looked deeper into this man’s heart and soul and his estimate of Peter far exceeded what most of us would have seen. Jesus knew what was in this man, Jesus knew Peter’s abilities and his dependability and he ranked him high among the twelve disciples. Take note here and now that Christ had to rebuke Peter often…more than any of the others, because Peter was a plain and simple man, straightforward, sincere, impulsive and he was very curious about everything that was happening around Christ each day.

Peter had more questions for Christ than any other apostle…usually on the scene and at the time things were happening that he did not understand. Many times he would but in—even interrupting Christ to ask a direct question or even dare to tell Christ where he was wrong. Some examples are: “Lord, what do you mean by that parable of the blind guides?” “Where are you going Lord?” “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?” “No Lord, you are not going to die as long as I am alive.” “Lord, you need to look at the temple and these stones.” Peter wanted answers…when he didn’t want to ask the question—like at the Last Supper, he nudged John to ask Christ which disciple would betray him. There is nothing wrong with asking questions for the right reasons… Peter became a smart and knowledgeable person and his writings prove that. Sometimes Christians accomplish less than their ability affords simply because they have not asked the right questions. Questions are one of the greatest learning tools in any textbook.

Most Christians have a weakness and Peter was no exception. He was both presumptuous and conceited in that he did not think that he could ever fail Christ. No one could hold on—stick with Christ through what ever may happen as well as he “Just Knew He Could”—however when the chips were down, Peter heard the rooster and ran. Don’t put Peter down. We do the same thing when we overestimate what we will be willing and able to do and then underestimate the power and control that the devil has over us.

Peter was presumptuous enough to actually criticize Jesus—as he did on the occasion when Jesus was in the middle of a press of people and he asked Peter, “Who touched me?” Peter said. “Lord, you see all these people crowded around us…pressing in on us…and so why did you ask who touched you? “Who could tell?” “Why did you ask me?” Christ knew that Peter meant well and just did not understand, so he did not rebuke him…but only replied. “I know some particular person touched me for a particular object, for virtue went out from me.” Peter just did not understand how Christ was able to discern that someone had made a silent appeal for help. What a blessing it is to understand that Christ knows our needs and even though we do not openly ask for or seek help, by his virtue we are automatically blessed.

On one occasion when Jesus was trying to prepare his followers for his coming death on the cross, Peter spoke up letting every one present know that he was more informed that Christ was. He said, “For be it from the Lord, to suffer and die.” And again when Peter asks Christ a question, it proves that he thought he was better informed than Christ was. “Lord, do you wash my feet?” “Lord, you shall never wash my feet.” And then to show us that he was humble and could change his mind when he fully understood what Christ was trying to teach the disciples; he said, “Wash me all over, head, and hands, and feet.” I give the last example of how comfortable Peter felt in the presence of Christ…he loved his Lord and Christ knew it. Jesus rates Peter very high on his list of dependable followers and does not hold it against Peter when he accused Jesus of being completely wrong. Yes that is right. You see; Jesus looks on the inside and sees what you want to express and even though you disagree with him—if your heart is right He never holds it against you. In Acts 10:6, Peter is on a housetop praying. He sees a vision of a sheet holding many different animals. He hears the voice of Christ telling him to kill and eat the animals. Peter thought Christ was wrong…he said; “Not so Lord,” “Surely you don’t mean what you are telling me to do, because I do not eat unclean food.” Do you remember Christ’s answer?

There seems to be little doubt in the minds of historians that have written about the life of Peter that the one miracle that influenced his life first and foremost was the one when Christ told him to cast his net on the other side of the boat. Peter had already fished all night and he knew that there was no need to put the net back in the water. He was tired and hungry and ready to go home to eat and rest. Knowing his nature as we do now…there is little wonder that Peter did not make a scene…use bad language or even refuse to cast the net back into the water. Only a true fisherman will understand how tired Peter was. Only a true fisherman can understand how energy abounded and hungers pangs were completely gone by the time the net-full of fish were safely in the live-well. And only a fisherman would know how badly Peter would like to have a new fish-finder like the one Christ was using.

Peter is probably the only man that ever lived on this earth that had a well developed—perfect faith in Jesus Christ and it only lasted a few seconds. He observed a man walking on the top of deep water in a lake. He recognized the man to be Jesus Christ, in whom he had great faith. Christ invited Peter to step out on top of the water and come to him…and for a few seconds his great faith became a totally perfect faith, and he walked on the top of the water just as Christ was doing. He saw Jesus. He believed in him totally without any doubt and maintained dry feet. His mind’s eye sneaked a minute glance at Peter and he immediately felt the water up around his knees. Listen! Hear me now…the lesson taught here is relevant to you and me. Our ability to survive in these troubled times depends upon the strength and depth of our faith …survival depends on the amount of our time that is spent looking into the eyes of Jesus—seeking his face—humbling ourselves before him—repenting of our sins and simply requesting that he bear us up and over the bilious waves…or at worst, walk through troubled waters with us.

There seems to be a movement of greater numbers of people who are involved in the mega churches in America and revivals being held in foreign countries. I do not want to be so critical that it would stand in the way of any legitimate movement of people toward God. However there is a trend that really bothers me and it has to do with the subjects of sermons being preached. The bible warns that in the later days people will be more interested in sermons that ‘tickle their ears,’ make them prosperous, removes every pain and discomfort, and provides for the here and now. Folks, it is past time for our pastors to proclaim the hard doctrines of the bible.

Jesus preached on “The Bread of Life,” and his main object to get rid of a bunch of transitory people that were following him for personal reasons [maybe another fish dinner for free]. He wanted the strong in faith that were willing to work to stay with him. He must have been very plain and totally convincing because a bunch of the crowd sloughed off—for a time it looked like everyone was going to leave him on the road by himself. The bible says that “Upon this many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.” Then Jesus asked the twelve apostles: “Will you also go away?” Old Peter is the talkative one, but this time he made perfect sense and needed no rebuke; he said…”Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of life, and we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.”

WHO WROTE: Before we run out of paper and ink, it seems best that we spend a little time on the usual essentials of a proper introduction. For example—who wrote these two letters? The first verses tell us that Peter wrote the books to those who had accepted Christ and were now scattered throughout the known world of that day. We know from studying church history that especially the Jews who converted to the teachings of Christ were persecuted, taken slaves, and driven out of their homes and country. Peter indicates that the same Silas that traveled with Paul also served as his secretary in the writing of these books.

WHERE: Where was Peter when he wrote the books? You will find that there are two opinions and I think it best that each reader make up their own mind what they believe is the strongest argument. Some think Peter was in Babylon because of what he says in 5: 13. The more traditional view is that Peter was in Rome when he wrote the letter. Some think that Rome was to the new movement what Babylon was in the OT; and they think he was trying to keep anyone from knowing he was in Rome. They think that this was written during the reign of Nero during his persecution of Christians.

WHEN AND TO WHOM: The date was no earlier than AD 62 and no later than AD 64, because Peter suffered martyrdom at the hands of Nero in AD 65. There are five Roman provinces named in the first verses, and this made up most of the Roman Empire at that time. The churches in these provinces were made up mainly of converted Jews and Gentile Christians. Who ever the Christians were to whom Peter wrote—they were experiencing some kind of persecution. As of today, Christians in America have not faced the kinds of persecutions experienced by these early Christians. Harrow! We may not have to stick around very long before we get our first introduction to persecution. If you agree with this—it makes it more important for you to see what Peter had to say to his people.

There is one interesting comparison between the letters written by Peter and those written by Paul. Each time Paul wrote, he addressed people located in one specific city and in some case there may have been only one church involved. In these two letters by Peter, he is including all the churches found in at least the five provinces that he names in the first chapter.

What is Worth Celebrating - Esther 8 to 10

I am just a plain old country boy that was born in the Roaring Twenties that roared on out in twenty-nine and vanished in the thirties. I look back with pride and happily celebrate my up-bringing. I learned the value of parents with sacrificial love and believe some of it rubbed off on the recipient. I look back and celebrate the depression era—not because it was easy or a period of my life that I would enjoy living over, but because of the character of the people of the day, their determination and will to work, their pride and refusal to accept a welfare state. I feel so proud to have been one of those old-timers that Tom Brokow called the Greatest Generation.

My wife and I sat at our breakfast table recently and discussed things as they are with us. The river runs by and it was overflowing with two generators running as a result of more rain than usual. Our home is comfortable, even with the temperature below freezing outside and is paid for. We never dreamed that we would be able to enjoy a retirement so wonderful and extensive—more than twenty years have rushed by in what seems to be no more than ten. I continued talking, “We have had no real serious health problems—and are really blessed to still be able to live alone and care for ourselves. I think we have done quiet well for ourselves.” As she usually does, Juanita chose to correct me. She said, “I think you are forgetting the most important person that has made all this possible. Just think back to your first teaching job, when you made only $720 your first year…and we paid our tithe first from each check…and God has been our blessing every since.” That is something worth celebrating!
Here is the way that you can be humble and thankful at the same time. Reduce the I to i…
and then increase the importance of God in your life by the same ratio.

WHAT IS WORTH CELEBRATING as you study these last chapters? I can tell you the answer. God keeps his promises! God has promised the Jews many times that he will not leave them or forsake them and that even though, as a nation they have been a disappointment to him many times, he will always spare a remnant of the faithful. In this study of Esther, just a few days ago, Haman sent out an edict under the seal of the king that would have resulted in the complete eradication of every Jewish man, woman and child in this vast Persian nation with 121 provinces…which was most of the known world at that time. Had this edict stood and carried out to completion…there would have been NO remnant of Jews left to go back and rebuild the city wall of Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
Do you want to know what these Jewish people were celebrating? A few days ago they received an edict that guaranteed that they would all die on the 13th day of Adar. Now, a few days later: couriers riding beautiful Arabian horses that were bred for the king’s use arrive in every province announcing that on the same 13th day of Adar the king will support them as they kill all of their enemies. These people had something WORTH CELEBRATING.

Mordecai wrote a message and had it delivered throughout the 121 provinces telling his people that they were to establish a day of thanksgiving and call it Purim.

I realize that my thinking may be too earthy here to be of any help to you in understanding how important Esther and Mordecai have become in the lives of their people. But, any way, I like to think of what has happened in the book of Esther as being compared to what Christ did for us. They provided the salvation for this remnant of God’s people. They were willing to die rather than stand by and do nothing. Any time I read of a sequence of events that takes place where we can see the hand of God at work in the lives of his people…It portrays a picture of my salvation—by grace—through faith in Christ Jesus.

I hope you will take the time to answer each one of the following questions. Don’t peak back at Esther…answer them and then look at your bible to see how many you have correct.

1. Haman was a wealthy man, and then just a day or two before he was hanged on Mordecai’s scaffold, his holdings grew by $55.000.000.00. Why?

2. What happened to all the wealth that Haman controlled?

3. When did the transfer of the estate take place?

4. When did Xerxes learn that Esther was a Jew?

5. When did Xerxes learn that Mordecai was Esther’s relative?

6. What happened to Mordecai when the king learned that he was a Jew?

7. After Haman was hanged, what did Esther request of the king?

8. Who was appointed to be over the Haman estate?

9. Who made the appointment of the one to manage the estate?

10. When a Persian King extended his golden scepter—what signal was given?

11. Haman wrote a decree signed Xerxes’ name and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. What was the decree?

12. Was the decree official? Or, could it be revoked? Who could revoke it?

13. When Xerxes realized he had made a mistake, what did he have to do to reverse his decision?

14. A second decree was written. Who decided on the wording of the new document? Who wrote it?

15. What was the relationship of the second decree to the first one?

16. How many provinces were in Persia at this time in history?

17. One of the provinces size could be thought of as about the size of: which are probable answers? Township? County? State? Judah? Egypt? Iraq?

18. Who ruled in each province?

19. Who was ruler over all the provinces?

20. What was the common language of the Persian Empire?

21. How could each province ruler understand what the new edict required?

22. How was the message delivered to the provinces?

23. What was the central message of the new edict?

24. Did the new order allow for murder and plunder to take place?

25. Did murder and plunder take place? If so, by whom?

26. Going back: On a yesterday morning, Morenci rent his clothing—dressed in sack-cloth and with ashes over his head and face and wept at the palace gate. On the next day…Where was he? From there, where did he go? And how was he dressed for the trip?

27. Going back to the time before the first banquet was planned by Esther…What was first planned to happen on the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar? Did it take place?

28. When the new plan was drawn up, what was to happen on the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar? Can you explain why this date was so important?

29. What is name of that date on the Jewish calendar? And why is it still important to them?

30. How many sons did Haman have? What happened to them?

31. Study carefully: Were they killed? Were they hanged? Or were they killed and then hanged? Who was responsible for the lives of these men?

32. The Jews established a holiday. The name is? What holiday do we Americans celebrate that is very similar?

33. How did the Jews decide the name of their holiday?

34. There are only three verses in the last chapter [10] of Esther. What message does this chapter convey?

Our study for this spring will be in first and second Peter. Don’t know about you but I am so thankful for the story of Peter in the Bible…he has probably been my best example. He reminds me a bit of David…who was so sinful but still accepted by God. He was unpredictable…in the garden he was angry and ready to kill or be killed for Christ. A couple of days later he trembled at the voice of a young lady, and denied that he ever knew Christ. God bless!

How Courage Triumphs - Esther 5 to 8

It is necessary for us to understand the position of low esteem held by women all through the Old Testament, especially under the reigns of wicked kings. They were barely above slaves held from a conquered country; their primary purpose was to serve the sexual pleasure of men and care for their children. To be in the king’s harem did not change their purpose on earth, but it did provide them beauty care and freedom from laborious work in the gardens, on the farms and in the house. Women were forbid to speak to any man in the King’s court that ranked above the eunuchs that were assigned to them. If the king or any of his royal court wanted to be with a woman, he beckoned her and she did not dare approach the king without his beckon or call.

The fifth chapter starts with the beginning of the third day. It does not make clear in these verses what happened three days ago. Think back to past lessons and you will remember that Mordecai told Esther about the plot to kill all Jews. At that time Esther told Mordecai to gather all the believers in the town and fast and pray for three days. She and her maids also fasted. So the third day mentioned here means that the three-day fast has been completed and it was now the time for her to act. Remember that King Xerxes has not seen her for about a month, and has not called for her to return to his palace. Our lesson today is on triumphant courage…and you can be assured that it took a great measure of courage on the queen’s part to approach the king without his beckon.

Do not become confused as you start this lesson. We have been studying the king under the name of Xerxes; and some of the Baptist literature says that Esther dressed in her royal robe and stood in front of AHASUERUS the king. In the local Persian language, Ahasuerus is pronounced—[Uh haz yoo HER uhs]. This is the title of the Persian king, and it means “Lion King” and refers to the husband of Vashti and Esther the same man called Xerxes by the Greek in their language. The name used depends upon which version of the Holy Bible you read are using.

When Esther appeared in the outer court, Xerxes beckoned her with his gold scepter; she approached him and touched the scepter with growing courage. When he asked what her mission was—she invited him to bring Haman and attend a banquet that she had prepared for them. They attended, and when feeling good on wine, Xerxes asked her again what she desired him to do for her. She simply asked that he and Haman attend another banquet that she would prepare in their honor.

[Note: The bible does not relate why the second banquet was necessary. Why did Esther not make her request at this first banquet and get it over with? If any of you know the answer, please tell me. Here are some ‘may-bees.’ It may be that she got cold feet at the first banquet and just could not go through with her plan. May-be she needed to build up her courage which had to be great. She may have known the men well enough to know that the king was not ready to grant her request at the first banquet and she decided to plan on a later date. May-be Mordecai needed more time to gather the evidence against Haman and get it to Esther. Or, it just may-be that God led her to make that decision because he knew it to be the right thing to do. Any-way, the second banquet was planned and prepared and both King Xerxes and Haman attended.]

There seems to be little or no difference in the second banquet than the first. In both cases, Esther was honoring King Xerxes…with an ulterior motive. Esther asked the king to invite Haman in both cases, because she knew that Haman could not refuse to come if the King gave him the order. On his way out the gate, as Haman departed from the first banquet, Mordecai was there and refused again to bow down to Haman. The fire was already in the heart of Haman—burning in hatred against Mordecai—and this last time out the gate there must have been a crowd around to watch as Mordecai dishonored this important figure in the king’s court. Haman went home shouting and raving to his wife about his hatred for Mordecai. It was her suggestion that Haman have his men construct a scaffold and hang Mordecai for his insubordination. This pleased Haman and he ordered his escorts to build a forty-five foot scaffold on main-street…down town, where everybody could witness the hanging of Mordecai.

Let us take a good look at this despot, Haman. He was really no different from the despots of our lifetime. He measured his self-worth or importance by the power and control that he had over others. He could order that Mordecai be hanged, and carry it out on main street with the public watching even though Mordecai was innocent of any crime. Haman was so arrogant that he accepted Xerxes politically as his superior officer but deep down he accepted no man as being his equal. He was number one…in his eyes.

We must remember that there has been a long standing hatred between his ancestors and the Jews. He knew that Mordecai was a Jew. Evidently at the time even of the second banquet, neither Haman nor Xerxes knew that Esther was a Jew. Haman considered the Jews as life long enemies…therefore he decided to use his authority to trick the king into approving the annihilation of all Jews that were still living in Persia. He planned the execution and put the plan in writing, and signed it with the king’s name and used the king’s signet ring to seal the document. Some would ask why the king would allow this…and the answer is clear. Xerxes was just as crewel, and he thought nothing of killing many for his own need, or even fun. [He was similar to Nero in Italy who made sport of the Christians being eaten by lions.] {I am just guessing}…he may have been drunk on wine at the time he let Haman have his ring to use, and may not even remember what Haman said he would do with it.

The writer of Esther did not mention God…but I contend that God is tucked away between every line in the book. God knew what was being planned…before Haman knew, and he was the instigator; and God had a complicated plan in place and the right people there to carry it to completion. It is not “Happen-stance” that Esther was a orphan girl…that she was very beautiful…that Mordecai adopted her…that Mordecai had managed to be assigned a job that would keep him near the gate of the king’s palace…It is not “Happen-stance” that Mordecai was in the right place at the right time to hear the two men plotting to kill the king…No—it was God and not happen-stance all along and especially that Esther would be chosen queen and would be available for Mordecai to report the murder plot through her. God made sure that Xerxes had a strong sense of obligation to honor and protect Mordecai because Mordecai had saved the king’s life.

God made sure that the king reviewed the official records praising Mordecai and even made it possible for Haman to be the one to honor Mordecai…with high honors that Haman really had planned for himself. The hand of God was involved with the building of the scaffold on which Mordecai was to hang. And God caused the timing to be just right for the scaffold to be there brand new and unused…when it was needed to hang Haman.

We are pretty far down on Haman by this time in our study. Don’t you think that he got about what he deserved? Folks, we are prone to draw our own conclusions about what is right and what is wrong when someone else is involved. The bible teaches that we are not to judge others…but we still do. Before you make your final decision regarding Haman and what he deserved—the bible leads us to ask some deeper questions…some that may hurt down deep. How much of the Haman nature do I have? How much and how often do I attempt to control others? Do I let it bother me when others don’t seem to appreciate me for all the work I do [for them] or [in the church] or for the community? Do I ever seek revenge? We must have the kind of spirit in our hearts that will request God to replace any of these bad attitudes with forgiveness for others. We have a choice, we can repent and call on God now; or, his perfect justice will settle the matter for us.

In the last part of chapter six, it is recorded that the timing and setting for honoring Mordecai came just prior to the second banquet. Haman had been directed to administer the honors to Mordecai and was devastated. He had planned to be the one wearing the King’s robe and riding a favorite horse that the king had been riding. In his mind’s cruel eye, he had already heard the cheering and observed the people’s love for him—and now instead the honor was going to a Jew…Mordecai.

In 6:12-13—it is recorded that after Mordecai was honored…he went back to the gate of the king. To me this simply means that he continued to live, and act as he had in the past. He did not assume that all his problems were solved, because he knew how fickle the life of a king could be. However, Haman rushed home, with his head covered, and in grief he told his wife and friends all that had happened.

His wife, friends and advisers had been conferring and had already made the decision that Haman could not be successful in his plan to destroy the Jews. The word was out, and they knew that the Jews had maneuvered themselves into a position of strength. The last words Haman heard before he went to the second banquet was—“You can not stand against the Jews…you will surely come to ruin.” Before they could finish their discussion and advice, the king drove up ‘And hurried Haman away to the second banquet Esther had prepared. I have just now used my mind’s eye to picture myself at this banquet where I am not wanted…watching every move being made to see who is going to lower the hammer on me…and worst of all; I am hating my King and Queen…and trusting them the least of all others at the banquet.

The seventh chapter opens with the king and Haman at the banquet table with Esther. The wine had been pored and Xerxes was already feeling good and wanting to know what the queen desired from him so badly that she would throw two big parties for him and Haman. So, the king asked what the queen wanted…and he let her know that it would be honored, even up to one half of his kingdom. [Personally, I think he was lying.] All ears at the table were waiting to hear the queen’s request…and all of these people would be witnesses against him if he did not grant her request.

You must read verses 3 through 6. She answered: Just let me and my people live.

I have often wondered why people think they can break the law, commit crime, displease man and God in any way and continue to get by with it. God’s word teaches us that we can be sure that our sins will find us out. Many wait until it is dark to sow their evil seed hoping that no one will see…and this may last a few days—until the seed germinate. On this the bible says that what ever you sow will come up and bear fruit according to the type of seed sown in the dark…Sin always comes to light. Pay-day will come!

There may not be another example anywhere in the bible that shows how a man can self-destruct as fast as Haman did. He was doomed by two of the most destructive forces that deal with man’s life. The first was his hatred for the Jewish people—and this was based on conflicts of his ancestors years in the past. The second devastating force in his life was vain pride. He was number two in power and prestige and he wanted the number one position, and was willing to do anything necessary to get to the top.

In just three days, Haman went from the top to the bottom of a forty-five foot gallows with Mordecai’s noose around his own neck. Let’s follow him…He passed through the gate and Mordecai did not salute him…His wife and friends suggested that he build the gallows and hang Mordecai…When it was finished, the king ordered Haman to honor Mordecai by organizing a parade with Mordecai leading the parade, wearing one of the king’s robes and riding the kings horse…Haman had just arrived home and was discussing what to do, when the king came by and ordered him to go to the second banquet…The queen identified him as the one planning to kill her and her people…The king ordered him to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai…his pay-day.

Some have wondered how he built a 45ft scaffold in one day and two suggestions were made. It could have been built on the front edge of a flat roof building or on the corner of a city wall.

Persian Kings refused to look at criminals condemned to die so a cover was placed over Haman’s head before he was led away from the banquet. The custom lived down through time, the Greeks and Romans practiced covering heads before hangings and it was used at early hangings in America.
There will be one more lesson in Esther dealing with celebrations. Sometimes it is difficult to understand just how God operates. Study the last three chapters. THEN
On March 4th we will start a new study on First and Second Peter…get ready! 

When Service is Risky - Esther 3 to 4

A day will appear in the lives of most elderly people when they will look back and ponder the results of their many years. Having qualified in age, and looking back over many years, the writer can shed a ray of light on a few circumstances that are better understood by the elderly who have had certain experiences during their life of service. First, you should understand, here and now, that the question in the title of this lesson would be very simple and easy to answer had it been “When Life Is Risky,” rather than “When Service is risky.” You ask why, and we find the answer is very simple in that the life of an individual can be risky, depending on many circumstances. Anyone could become ill, develop cancer, or have a heart attack, and that is simply a risk we all take. A soldier could die in harm’s way. Professionals could be injured or killed in car racing, mountain climbing, or as a wild animal hunter or trainer. Coal miners perish in underground explosions; and drug-dealers die when they fail to pay their suppliers.

A life of service is one that is dedicated to the purpose of serving man kind in a needful way. It is automatically subject to risk taking because of its very nature. Let us suppose that you have dedicated your life to the pastoral ministry…the first risk you take is that you will fail to make the grades in the seminary that are necessary for you to continue. A second huge risk you must face is whether or not you will be accepted by some congregation that is able and willing to support you and your family. Still another great risk could be encountered as you find that you are not able to build the necessary support from the church to allow for your success.

I certainly consider the work of public school teachers, principals and administrators as being an essential commitment to the betterment of mankind through education. If you want to see some risk takers…then you need to take a look at some of the soldiers that came out of WWII…[they surely took some risk there to keep our country safe]…but some—as I did—went into public education…a service that is very risky. The first year that I taught children in school, I signed a contract that was to pay me $90.00 a month for nine months—total of $810.00. The school district ran out of money, cut the school year to eight months and only paid me a total of $720.00. With a wife and one child, it was a bit difficult to get by that year. My future seemed to be hanging in the balance, and I submit that life was a bit risky as a public school teacher.

A policeman is definitely a public servant—one that all considerate families should be most appreciative of. One of my best friends [a policeman] told me that one of the most risky calls a policeman could make was to a home where there is a family problem that has exploded. He said that the greatest danger was that the wife that called the police for help would maneuver the policeman into harm’s way and turn against him as he tried to help her with an abusive husband. As the title of this lesson indicates; Life Sometimes Turns Us Upside Down. The born-again Christian will avoid vertigo and continue to walk uprightly and refused to be dizzy and distracted from expected and needful service. Please do not think I am being ugly or partisan in politics when I use the following examples. Listen and bear me out.

If you had been in the White House and very close to President Nixon and known all that was going wrong in Watergate—Would you have risk your job and even your life to see that right prevailed???? Would you have spoken up? And spoken out?

If you had been in the White House and very close to President Clinton and knew intimately all that was going wrong in his moral conduct—Would you have risked your job and even your life to see that the public was informed and that right prevailed???

If you had been working in the front office of Enron and knew about the maneuvering and falsification of company progress that was taking place—would you have gone to the proper authorities that could have prevented thousands from loosing their life savings? Are you sure you would have taken that risk?

You and I know that we can not answer all questions like these with certainty. We desire to always do-right. However, when the chips are down, how can we be sure that our faith will sustain us? Here is the best way that I know to tell you how you can be sure of your faith and your continued willingness to stand uprightly for God, regardless of the circumstances. Read your bible, pray for guidance, and use examples God has given us to go by. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow-down to an earthly king—they took the risk—and no doubt they paid a terrible price…but God went through the furnace with them and they were saved. David refused to dishonor his God—which was a risk that eventually caused him to have to sleep with the lions. He surely was uneasy and uncomfortable until he found that the lion made a wonderful pillow, and the heat from the animal kept him warm. These examples and the one in our lesson today should be al the proof we need.

This man Haman enters the picture in this lesson as a probable descendent of an Amalekite king and could be compared to Pharaoh, the Egyptian monarch. Do you remember all the problems the Jews had while enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt? Haman enjoyed the same level of power under king Xerxes and was in a position to do what ever he willed to Mordecai or to all the Jews. Verse one tells us that the king had honored Haman and had given him the top seat among all of his noblemen. The king demanded that the people bow down to Haman…and Haman was haughty and high minded, and would gladly punish any person or persons that refused to bow down to him. Mordecai remained OBEDIENT to God and refused to bow to Haman.

Mordecai did not ask the King or Queen for advice. He did not take a survey of the public to see what they thought he should do. He did what God had told him to do and refused to bow down to Haman. Go now to Deuteronomy 25: 17-19 and to Exodus 17:16 and you will find that Haman’s ancestors [Amalekite] were enemies of the Jewish People and God had demanded that the Jews blot out any memory of Amalek from under heaven.

Mordecai had friends around the palace gate that ask why he refused to bow to Haman, and it seems that many would rather that he had. However, I think that they did not want to run the risk of trouble they might have for not reporting Mordecai; so they reported Mordecai. Haman had already found that Mordecai was a Jew and when he found that he would not honor him, he started looking for a way to completely destroy all the Jews in the entire Persian province. Some would ask why Haman would kill all Jews. The answer is that Haman knew what God had demanded of the Jews back in Deuteronomy and Exodus…they were life-time enemies. There have been two incidents in my life time that have exploited this hatred toward the Jews. The first was the German plot under Hitler to kill all Jews…Many of you may not know it—but at least two of Hitler’s exterminators were of the Islamic race that came from the same area as the Persian Empire in bible times. The second is the ongoing attempt to destroy the Jews by the same people…those of Islamic beliefs.

{Note: You should be aware that this is taking place before the return of the Babylonian exiles, and the rebuilding of the temple and the city wall. The Jews were still scattered all over the Persian empire, and if they would have all died here—there would have been no return to Jerusalem, and provision would have been destroyed that made the coming of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] possible as a direct descendent of King David. We see that this is all in the providence of God…He is in charge.}

Haman went to King Xerxes and convinced him that the Jews were his enemy and had to be annihilated. Xerxes agreed and gave permission for him to proceed. They cast the pur to decide when the carnage would start. [Casting the pur was what we call casting lots…dealing the cards…or drawing straws] God was there in the role of the dice and the time was set to kill the Jews about twelve months later, and this gave Queen Esther time to make her plans that would culminate in the saving of her people.

Haman completed all the plans. The time was set and he got permission to transfer ten thousand talents of silver into the treasurer to pay the men [armies] that would kill the Jews. Xerxes trusted Haman to the extent that he turned his signet ring over to Haman to sign all the papers that would make the carnage legal. And then to reward him for his loyalty, the king told Haman that he could just keep the money for himself. [Ten thousand talents of silver would be worth about [75 lbs. per talent…$5.00 per troy ounce] $55,000,000.00 on today’s market. Haman knew that many of the Jews were wealthy, and that the spoils from this war would be worth much more than the cost of the army to do the job.

The order went out to all provinces, signed by the king and sealed with his ring, to kill all Jews…men young and old…and all women and little children. It was to be done on one single day…the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar. All of their property and wealth was to be taken as plunder.

When Mordecai learned of the plans he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went into the streets wailing loudly and bitterly. Wearing sackcloth, he could not enter the king’s gate, so Esther sent one of the eunuchs to find why Mordecai was upset. The Eunuch went to Mordecai, got the message about the destruction that was planned for Esther’s people, and the instructions from Mordecai that she had to go to the king and in some way beg him to relent. The problem here was that no one…not even the queen…could go to the king for anything unless or until they were summoned by the king. Esther sent this word to Mordecai. He, in turn, told the queen that God had placed her in the right place at the right time to save his people, and that she was the only one that could save the Jews.

Esther knew that there was one exception to the rule above…if when she went before the king on her own…if he would point to her with his scepter, this meant that he approved of her visit and she would not die. She had only been with the king one time before…and that was thirty days ago. Therefore she had no way of knowing whether he would receive her or have her killed when she walked into his presence without being summoned. Esther sent word back to Mordecai asking that he gather all the Jews living in Susa and for them to fast and pray for three days and three nights without food or water and she said that she and her maids would also fast and pray. She said that when this was done SHE WOULD GO TO THE KING, knowing it to be unlawful, “And if I perish, I perish.” When is service a risky business? Do Mordecai and Esther give us a good example? What would you have done if you had been in Esther’s shoes?

When Life Turns Upside Down - Esther 1 to 3

Do you sometimes wonder if God is really involved in a personal way in the circumstances that are taking place in your life? Who is to blame for the threat of terrorism that overshadows every free nation today? Is God involved in any way? Was God involved in the terrorist attacks that destroyed the twin towers in New York? Has he used that incident in any way to awaken the American Spirit of survival? Life for the entire population of New Orleans turned upside down when Katrina blew in over a year ago and many may require years to be right side up again. Was God involved? Is there any way that God can use either of these two disasters for the betterment of mankind? Has God ever used ungodly people…with unacceptable behavior…committing deadly sins…as instruments to save a remnant of his people?

The books located on the fiction shelf that usually make the ‘best-seller-list’ and that frequently become award winning movies usually have several things in common. Their plots are loaded with a combination of intrigue—power control—wealth—drama—and romance—usually with sexual implications. Those same descriptive words can be used to tell a true story…not one of fiction…and they were used 2477 years ago by some unknown author as he told the story about how an orphan girl—that was literally unknown by the general public—moved from an adoptive home to a Queen’s palace. Read the book of Esther and you will find that it is much more than just an entertaining novel. It is a book that proves that there is always profound interplay between God and his people when they are in need. This book tells the story of how God knew that his people were in danger of being destroyed and what he did to prevent it from happening.

Just a bit of trivia here, however, here are some things that are relevant to the time and setting of this story. There are only two books in the bible named for a woman, Esther and Ruth—and both of them would serve as the basis of a great movie that the entire family could watch. The book of Esther is the only one in the bible that does not mention the name of “God” in any form—not even a title or a pronoun referring to God. It is some-how difficult for a Christian to imagine a bible book that does not mention at least one of the common names we expect to read about such as—God, Jehovah, I Am, Messiah, Jesus, Christ, or at least the Holy Spirit. However, there are many places that the author indicates that a higher power [God} is in charge. One simply uses common sense and knows that God is in charge of all the situations that arise concerning God’s sovereignty and human will—especially the will of the Jewish people living in the Middle East during the period of time from about 586 BC. when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed the temple city and took the proven leaders, and the rich, skilled, and educated people as slaves back to Babylon.

More of the Jews were either killed in battle, or left behind in Judah, than were made captives—and seventy-eight years later, in 538 BC, when Cyrus allowed anyone that desired to go home—many more of the captives remained in Babylon than returned to Jerusalem. It is not known for sure what happened to Esther’s parents—they probably were not killed or left behind in Judah, by the Babylonians. They possibly were taken captive, and then met their demise sometime after arriving in Babylon. {I could not find an answer to this question…if you know…please tell me.} It is evident that Esther became an orphan at an early age and was adopted [befriended] or as the bible says “brought up” by her cousin, Mordecai, who was a Jewish exile still in Persia. Remember that Babylon was conquered by Persia in 539 BC and the Persian country had grown rapidly up to the time Xerxes became King in 486—and five years later, Esther became queen in 479. It is important for us to remember that the story of Esther developed BEFORE Ezra and Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and re-establish the Law and re-instate Godly worship only in the new temple. This was covered in the last two books we have studied…it is too bad that we did not study Esther first, because we would have found out what happened that caused the king to release the Jews and allow them to return. Listen! Don’t miss this. The book of Esther follows Nehemiah in the bible…BUT…the events in Esther takes place abut thirty years prior to the events recorded in Nehemiah.

The story setting is in the vast Persian Empire. Xerxes is king; he is gaudy, wicked and subject to flaunting his wealth and power. The Jewish exiles have been able to live and do well under Persian rule, but they are about to be completely destroyed. The capitol of Persia is in the town of Susa which is about one hundred miles East of the convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; and two hundred miles north of the Persian Gulf. [Note: Susa was located about 200 miles east of the GARDEN OF EDEN.] And most of the action in this book takes place in the king’s palace, and related buildings. The key people in this true to life drama…on stage are: Esther, Mordecai, her cousin, King Xerxes I, Vashti, the queen before Esther, and Haman—the king’s number one man in power under the king; he aspired to de-throne the king and take his place some day soon, and was well on his way when he was apprehended. Although God is not even mentioned—he is not one of the actors in this play—but if you have any knowledge of the bible—you will be able to see his face between almost every line. Use your mind’s eye, build the palace, be sure to include the banquet halls for men and women separate, the gaudy but colorful bed rooms and living quarters for each of the King’s concubines. Build him a master bed room and include a huge spa for the king and his women. Now turn in your bible to chapter one verse one and let us start telling the story of Esther and learn anew that God really does care about what is going on in your life, in this country and around the world. You will also learn anew that God will not keep you from harm…he may not even remove you from harm’s way, but he will support you as you go through your problems.

1:1…A huge event happened. Xerxes was king of Persia, the dominant military and economic power in the world at that time. It had 127 provinces at the time and covered about everything from Egypt to Turkey and from the Mediterranean Sea to the vast areas stretching Eastward beyond the Tigris river. Xerxes had assigned or appointed the governor to each province—he had power over them and they were subject to him. The royal throne was in the citadel [or palace] of Cush.

1:4…In his third year as king, Xerxes declared a time of celebration to be held throughout his kingdom. This celebration lasted 180 days and was to show the people how vast and wealthy his kingdom was. The king probably traveled throughout his domain and was accompanied by the governors of all the provinces and the leaders of his military forces. At the end of the 180 day celebration, all the male population living in the city of Susa were invited to the king’s palace to share in a banquet that lasted seven days. Be sure you read all about the decorations in the garden, with linen and purple, marble and mother-of pearl pavement and wine goblets made of pure gold…each one handcrafted and different. The regular law of the land was that subjects could not drink wine in the presence of the king unless they were personally invited or instructed to do so. In this case, at this banquet, for seven days, the wine stewards were instructed to keep pouring the wine as long as the men would drink.

1:9…In those days the women were considered as second class citizens and were not permitted to attend some of the festivities that were carried out for the men. Vashti was a beautiful and modest woman in many ways, but she too, enjoyed showing the ladies how wonderful it was to be Queen. So she planned a special banquet for the ladies to be held in the royal palace of King Xerxes. There is no record of any kind of misbehavior or laws broken at the ladies ball.

1:10…On the last day of the men’s wine-bash, King Xerxes was in high spirits. Half-drunk! Imagine the scene. The hanging-gardens are full of men at every stage of intoxication, telling dirty jokes and laughing, with a noise factor out of sight. The king made a half-drunk decision: one he would have never made if he had been sober and one he probably wished he had never made. He decided to give his drinking buddies a real treat…something they could really yell and scream about. [Here is a dreadful example of just what can happen to anyone that drinks. Sure, you know that you should not drive while drinking, but neither should you make any kind of decisions that could be life threatening. Alcohol is not oil, it does not grease the brain; it is a toxin that causes the brain to rust and malfunction.] Xerxes sent the seven eunuchs that served him to the palace of Queen Vashti with orders for her to come back with them to the men’s banquet wearing the queen’s crown. According to Jewish historians the order was that she was to be wearing nothing but her crown. Even if she was fully dressed wearing the crown and the most beautiful of all robes, she could have been ogled by the lust of drunken men. Queen Vashti refused to obey the order of the king…and he was furious.

1:13-21…Vashti did not give her reason, she simply refused to go. It could have been because that it was against the Persian custom for a woman to appear before a public gathering of men. She may have thought that once the king was sober he would realize that she had this problem and forgive her... Think about this: Xerxes became king in 486 BC. This party was held in his third year—which would have been 483 BC—and Vashti must have been pregnant at that time because she gave birth to her son Artaxerxes who was born in the same year—483 BC. If so, it is easy to understand why she would not want to be seen in a public gathering of men. It made no difference; the king would loose all credibility if he allowed a woman to refuse a king’s order. He turned to his advisors for help in how he should handle the matter. The advice was that he should issue a royal decree that deposed the queen, and ordered her to never enter his presence again, and that this word be made known throughout all provinces so that other women would be forewarned. This was done.

2:1…It appears that the old boy sobered up and realized that he had lost a wonderful Queen, bearing his child, and doing his bidding for years…up until the drunken order came down. It was a custom for all provinces to be notified that they should choose their most beautiful virgins and bring them to the royal palace where they would be groomed for the king. This order went out in search of one that the king would choose to be the next queen.

2:3-17…Persians kings were wealthy because they collected vast amounts of gold, silver, precious metals, diamonds and other costly jewelry as well as animals for war, food, and clothing. The Persian tax rate on their citizens was much tougher than the IRS is on us. They also collected great numbers of the most beautiful women in the land to be their sexual pleasure. The young virgins were required to live in special housing provided for them near the palace—this was called the harem. The sole purpose was to serve the king and wait his call for sexual pleasure. Esther was one of the ones chosen to be groomed. {Mordecai, her cousin who raised her did the selecting.}The majority of the girls in the harem seldom saw the king more than one time. If they were rejected, life became boring as they wiled away their life eating and looking pretty. If Esther was rejected, she would join the group of girls that saw the king one time and maybe never again. But Esther was more beautiful than all others and pleased the King…he chose her…and she was crowned Queen to replace Vashti. The crowning ceremonial was elaborate and Esther was given a special banquet and introduced with honors to all the provinces. As queen she would have more freedom and authority than other girls in the harem. But she would be more restricted than previous queens because Vashti had gotten out of line and caused the problem.

Mordecai was one of the many Jews now in Persia who was probably a grand-son of an exile; Jews had increased in numbers in the last 100 years since the exile. Some even had positions in the government and Mordecai was one of them. Evidently he had a position that permitted him to drop by the gate to the palace and find out what was going on with the selections being made, and how Esther was doing. He continually insisted that she let no one know who she really was, and therefore no one knew that she was a Jew. There is no doubt in my mind…God placed Esther on the throne before the Jews faced another threat to be destroyed as a nation…see 3:5, where it started…so that when trouble came a person would already be in the position to help prevent the destruction of the Jews. God was making sure that no human effort could stand in the way of God’s plan to send the Messiah to earth as a Jewish descendent of David. Are you moving, changing jobs, or positions, or location and you are not able to see why this had to happen now? Even if you see no purpose whatsoever in what you have to do…just turn it over to God! He is in control! And he may be placing you in a place or position where you can help someone else when the time is right; and remember he will also take care of you. He put Esther in the right place at the right time!

2: 19-23…On one occasion when Mordecai was waiting at the gate to check on Esther, two of the guards got into a fight and Mordecai heard them arguing and making plans to kill the king. Mordecai told Esther about the plot and she told the king that Mordecai was the one that had made the report. When it was checked out it was found to be a threat on the life of the king, and the two men were hanged for their plot to kill the king. At the same time, the King made mental note that Mordecai should be honored for his good deed. This entire affair was recorded in the annals in the presence of the king.

Go back and look at some of the questions I ask you in the first paragraph on page one. Now remember that God is the same as he was then, and will be forever, so if he injects his will and power into the life of an orphan Jewish girl and helps her to save her cousin and later the entire Jewish nation, then answer: Why will he not take care of displaced storm victims? Why will he intercede before he allows Godless terrorist to destroy our nation? We do not have to worry about God. Our only problem that we should be concerned about is US. WE ARE THE PROBLEM. If we will return to Him, get on our knees and seek his face, repent of our sinful ways, and acknowledge him as the one and only true God of this universe—Then he will forgive our sins and heal our land and we will be stronger and more secure than we were before any of our major problems started rolling in. Praise Him! Love Him! Serve Him! He will bless you.