GOD PREPARES TO DELIVER ISRAEL

Esther 1:1-22 / Keywords 1:22

He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people's tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household.

 

Queen Vashti Deposed

1:1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,[a] the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush[b]: 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.

15 “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”

16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.

19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.

Footnotes

a. Esther 1:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus; here and throughout Esther

b. Esther 1:1 That is, the upper Nile region

 

1. The book of Esther shows the events that took place during the reign of the Persian King Xerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia (1). This Xerxes is the same person mentioned in Ezra chapter 4. The book of Esther does not directly mention God or the Lord. However, Esther and Mordecai's desperate prayer for the Jews, the chosen people of the Lord, and their courageous actions show the faith of the Jews in the later stages of the exile in Babylon.

 

2. Xerxes threw a lavish banquet in the third year of his reign (5-8). On the seventh day of drinking and partying, the king commanded Queen Vashti to appear, wearing her royal crown to show off her beauty (11). When Vashti refused, the king became enraged and asked his wise men for legal advice (12). In their eagerness to please the king, the men advised him to banish the queen and replace her with a better one (19,20). And the king's letter went out to all his 127 provinces in every language (22).

 

3. The king's conduct was selfish and unspiritual. However, using Xerxes’ worldly actions, the Lord was quietly laying out his plan to deliver his people.

 

Prayer Father, you are the one who is in control of history. Help me to keep my focus on you and see your work in our generation.

One Word Not Xerxes. The Lord is in control

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE

Romans 8:31-39 / Keywords 8:38,39

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

More Than Conquerors

8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

j. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22

k. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

  

1. This is Paul’s message to suffering believers. It should be our message to anyone suffering in this life. If God is for us, nothing and no one can be against us. We may have people who hate us and persecute us. But try their worst, they cannot keep us from the glory that God will reveal to us and in us. And so, God will graciously give us all things. Christ Jesus, the Son, is interceding for us. What have we to worry about? Whom do we have to fear?

 

2. Christians many times feel like they are sheep being led to the slaughter. They experience trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sometimes even the sword. But Christians can be assured that none of this can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No power on earth or in heaven, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nothing in all God’s creation can separate us from the deep and abiding love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To this, all we can say is “Wow! God really loves me!”

 

Prayer Father, thank you for the deep and abiding love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For in this love, we are more than conquerors.

One Word We are more than conquerors because of the love of God in Christ

Jesus

IN THIS HOPE WE ARE SAVED

Romans 8:18-30 / Keywords 8:24a

For in this hope we were saved.

 

Present Suffering and Future Glory

8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Footnotes

h. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For

i. Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who

1. Life is full of many types of suffering. Even Christians suffer. Our bodies get sick. We face many disappointments and frustrations. Loved ones pass away. But those who belong to Jesus know that the glory that is awaiting us makes all our suffering seem like nothing. That is the greatness of the glory we will one day see. And, it is not just Christians who suffer. In fact, all of creation groans and yearns for the revelation, freedom, and glorification of God’s children. Our sufferings are meaningful because they point us to our hope of adoption by God, And in this hope, we are saved. But the hope is not quite yet fulfilled. If it were, it would not be hope! Instead, we wait for it patiently.

 

2. At the same time, we live in a fallen world. So, we need help. And the Spirit helps us when we need it. It helps us to know what to pray for when we are so overwhelmed in this life that we don’t know how we should pray. We can know for certain, while we wait for hope to become reality, that God works for the good of those who love him. What does God do for us? He calls us, justifies us, and glorifies us.

 

Prayer Father, this life is full of suffering. But we have hope, hope that we will be conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. Thank you for sustaining and saving us in this hope.

One Word In this hope we are saved

THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE

Romans 8:9-17 / Keywords 8:11

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

 

8:9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Footnotes

d. Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive

e. Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through

f. Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.

g. Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father

1. How can one tell if one is living by the flesh or by the Spirit? By the Spirit itself! The Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) lives in us when we are of the Spirit. To those who are of the Spirit, we have life, even though our mortal bodies will one day die. The Spirit gives our poor mortal bodies victory over sin and death. But that gives us an obligation! Because the Spirit gives us life, and the flesh brings death, our obligation is not to the flesh. It is not to pursue our sinful desires. Our obligation is to the Spirit, to live according to it. By the Spirit our sinful natures are put to death. We cannot live in sin any longer!

 

2. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. What does that mean? It means we are not slaves to fear, for we have overcome the world (1 Jn 5:4). Instead, the Spirit of God gives us a spirit of sonship. Through the Spirit, we have become sons and daughters of God, and we have the right to call God “Abba, Father!” That makes us heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ. That means we will share in Christ’s glory and share in his suffering.

 

Prayer Father, we cry out to you, Abba, Father! We have become your children through the Spirit of God. My sinful self has been put to death and I live for you.

One Word The Spirit of God lives in us

HOW BY NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST JESUS

Romans 8:1-8 / Keywords 8:1,2

1 Therefore , t h e re is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

 

Life Through the Spirit

8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Footnotes

a. Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me

b. Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.

c. Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin

1. Because we are delivered from our sin by Jesus Christ our Lord, we are set free from the law of sin and death. We are also set free from any condemnation by God. There is now no condemnation. Once, our sin condemned us. Our sin was too powerful for the law to save us. But God saved us by sending Jesus to be a sin offering. Because of his sacrifice, we are free. In doing this, God met the requirement of the law, that sin demands a punishment. Jesus took the punishment and condemnation so we would not.

 

2. There are two kinds of people in the world. There are those who live by the flesh. They are condemned because they are hostile to God and have their minds on the fleshly desires. They cannot please God, and their end destination is death. The other type is those who have their mind set on the Spirit. Those people have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Their end is life and peace. Which are you? When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are those who are of life and peace. We are not condemned. We are free in him.

 

Prayer Father, I am not saved by the law, but by you. Now I am no longer controlled by the law of sin but by the Spirit, who has set me free. Thank you, Lord!

One Word There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus

DELIVERED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

Romans 7:14-25 / Keywords 7:25

Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

 

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

Footnotes

c. Romans 7:18 Or my flesh

d. Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh

1. The law is holy, spiritual, and good. But we are not. We all have sinful natures. Much as we want to be slaves to righteousness and offer our bodies to God, we are still bound to sin. We do what we do not want to do (sin). We do what we don’t want to do (righteousness). We sometimes feel like we have split personalities. We really want to obey God’s commandments. We want to live as good Christians, but try as we may, we cannot get rid of our sinful nature.

 

2. So, what do we do? Paul calls the sinful nature “evil (that) is right there with me.” (21) This is what causes the battle inside of us. We delight in God’s law. We love Bible study and time spent in prayer, convening with our God. But there is another law at work, which wages war in us, making us a prisoner of the law of sin. So, again, what do we do?

 

3. First, we recognize our wretchedness. We admit we can’t get rid of our sin on our own. Then, we cry out for a rescuer. We admit that only Jesus Christ our Lord can rescue us from this body of sin and death. And then we thank God for him who saved us.

 

Prayer Father, thank you so much for your Son. We are powerless on our own. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord for our deliverance!

One Word We are saved through Jesus Christ

WE BELONG TO CHRIST

Romans 7:1-13 / Keywords 7:4

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

 

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7:1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Footnotes

a. Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

b. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21

1. When a man and a woman marry, the law that binds their marriage together is in place as long as the two are alive. But if one of the spouses dies, the law of marriage no longer applies. That means they can remarry without being guilty of adultery. It frees the surviving spouse from the law. In the same way, when we are united with Jesus Christ, we die to the law, just as Jesus himself died. Because we died with Christ, we no longer belong to the law. We belong to Christ himself, who was raised from the dead. In this way, we can bear fruit for God. What kind of fruit do we bear? The fruit of faith in Jesus, who died so that we ourselves would die to sin.

 

2. What, then, about the law? If the law just arouses our sinful passions, does that mean the law is sinful? Not at all! Actually, the law is holy, righteous, and good! Paul explains that before the law said that coveting was sinful, he didn’t think much about it. But as soon as the law declared coveting a sin, his sinful nature went to work and produced all kinds of covetous desires in him. So, the very law that was meant to save him brought about sinful desires and thus death. The law, then, makes our sin known, and then we know we need the gospel.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for the gospel which put to death my sin, that I may live a new life, bearing fruit to you.

One Word Died to the law, living for Christ