Saints Like Esther

 Saints Like Esther

“Then the king asked, ‘Queen Esther, what do you want? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.’” (Esther 5:3)

Author: Pastor Park Ok-su (Good News Gangnam Church)

Esther lived in Israel and was taken to the Persian Empire as a captive along with her cousin Mordecai. God began His work through Mordecai and Esther.

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Giving the Royal Position to Someone Better Than Her

At that time Ahasuerus ruled over the Persian Empire, and Queen Vashti was the queen. One day, King Ahasuerus held a great banquet. During the feast, when he was merry with wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him to bring Queen Vashti before him so that the nobles and officials could admire her beauty. The king wanted his people to behold the queen’s loveliness and praise her, which would bring him joy. So he sent the eunuchs with this order:

“Bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and nobles.”

Meanwhile, Queen Vashti was also holding a banquet for the women in the royal palace. When the eunuchs conveyed the king’s command, she refused to come. King Ahasuerus waited for the queen, but no matter how long he waited, she did not appear. The king became furious, his anger burning within him. Unable to contain his wrath, he consulted the experts in law and justice:

“What must be done to Queen Vashti according to the law, since she has not obeyed the command of King Ahasuerus?”

Memucan, one of the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king, replied:

“Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the nobles and people of all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, causing them to despise their husbands, saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’ This will become a source of contempt and anger. If it pleases the king, let a royal decree be issued removing Vashti from her royal position, and give her royal status to someone better than she.”

The king followed Memucan’s advice. Vashti was removed from her position as queen, and a search for a new queen began. Eventually, Esther became queen.

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In the End, the Jews Were Saved and Haman Was Executed

God is loving. Though Israel had sinned and their nation fell, God continued to preserve them and did not abandon them.

King Ahasuerus had elevated Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, above all other officials. Haman despised Mordecai because he refused to bow down to him, and he plotted to exterminate all Jews. He asked the king to issue a decree—authorized in the king’s name—ordering that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, all Jews were to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated throughout the empire.

As the Jews mourned and fasted, Mordecai sent word to Esther through Hathak, the eunuch, informing her of Haman’s scheme and urging her to “go in to the king and plead for the Jews.” But Esther replied that she could not go. In Persia, there was a law: anyone who entered the inner court to see the king without being summoned—man or woman—was to be put to death unless the king extended the golden scepter. Esther had not been summoned for thirty days. If she went to the king, she might die. So she told Mordecai she could not go.

Mordecai sent another message through Hathak:

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone will escape. If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

So Esther responded:

“Go, gather all the Jews in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My attendants and I will do the same. After that I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Three days later, Esther entered the inner court. The king loved Esther and extended the golden scepter to her, sparing her life. Afterward, the king and Haman attended the banquet Esther prepared. In the end, the Jews were all saved and Haman was executed.

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After Our Sins Are Forgiven and We Become One with Jesus

The central figures of this story are the Jews, yet this story is not merely about them—it is the story of those who are saved. Those who are saved are like the Jews in this account. Saints whose sins are forgiven, like Mordecai and Esther, receive God’s grace and blessing. After our sins are forgiven and we become one with Jesus, God is with us. He gives us all His blessings. This is the story of Esther.

圣徒像以斯帖一样

 

“王后以斯帖啊，你要什么？你求什么？就是国的一半也必赐给你。”（斯5：3）

 

作者：朴玉洙（好消息江南教会牧师）

 

以斯帖在以色列，和堂兄末底改一起，作为战俘被掳到波斯帝国。神通过末底改和以斯帖开始作工。

 

把王后的位分赐给比她还好的人

当时是亚哈随鲁在统治波斯帝国，王后是瓦实提。一次，亚哈随鲁大摆筵席。席间，他酒兴大起，叫王后到筵席上来，使各等臣民看她的美貌。王希望百姓能一睹王后的芳容，为此赞叹，王也因此喜乐。于是，王打发在他面前侍立的七个太监前去传令。

“请王后瓦实提头戴王后的冠冕到王面前，使各等臣民看她的美貌。”

此时，瓦实提也在王宫中，为妇女们摆设着筵席。太监们到筵宴处，传达了王命。瓦实提却没有动身。亚哈随鲁王等待着王后的到来，可是左等右等，王后也没来。王甚发怒，心如火烧。王怒火难耐，于是询问了知例明法的人。

“王后瓦实提不遵王命，照例应当怎样办理呢？”

在国中坐高位的七个大臣中的米母干回答说：

“王后瓦实提这事不但得罪王，并且有害于王各省的臣民；因为王后这事必传到众妇人的耳中，说亚哈随鲁王吩咐王后瓦实提到王面前，她却不来。她们就藐视自己的丈夫。从此必大开藐视和忿怒之端。王若以为美，就降旨废掉瓦实提，将她王后的位分赐给比她还好的人。”

王按照米母干所言，将瓦实提从王后的位上逐出，之后开始选拔新王后。于是，以斯帖成了王后。

 

最终，犹大人获救了，哈曼被处死了

神是慈爱的。虽然以色列在神面前犯罪，国家灭亡，但神一直保守着以色列，没有撇弃他们。

亚哈随鲁王抬举亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼，使他的爵位超过与他同事的一切臣宰，处理国家事务。哈曼憎恶不向他跪拜的末底改，密谋要除灭所有犹大人。他请求王，以王的名义写了“要在12月13日这一天，将犹大人全然剪除，杀戮灭绝”的旨意，颁行全国。

当犹大人全部禁食哀号时，末底改通过太监哈他革将哈曼所做之事告诉以斯帖，要她“进去见王，拯救犹大人”。可是以斯帖却回答说，她不能去见王。在波斯有一个定例，若不蒙召，擅入内院见王的，无论男女必被治死，除非王向他伸出金杖，不得存活。可是，以斯帖没有蒙召进去见王已经三十日了。她去见王，有可能会死，所以对末底改说，她不能去见王。末底改再次通过哈他革告诉以斯帖说：

“你莫想在王宫里强过一切犹大人，得免这祸。此时你若闭口不言，犹大人必从别处得解脱，蒙拯救，你和你父家必至灭亡。焉知你得了王后的位分，不是为现今的机会吗？”

因此，以斯帖说：

“你当去招聚书珊城所有的犹大人，为我禁食三昼三夜，不吃不喝；我和我的宫女也要这样禁食。然后我违例进去见王，我若死就死吧！”

三天后，以斯帖去了内殿，王深爱以斯帖，向她伸出金杖，拯救了她。此后，王和哈曼参加了以斯帖准备的筵席。最终，犹大人全都活了，哈曼被处死了。

 

罪得赦免，与耶稣合一后

这个故事的中心是犹大人，可这并不是有关犹大人的故事，而是得救之人的故事。得救之人好比这里的犹大人。罪得赦免的圣徒，就像末底改和以斯帖一样，蒙到了神的恩典与祝福。我们罪得赦免，与耶稣合一后，神就与我们同在。神将所有的祝福都赐给了我们，这便是以斯帖的故事。