November 14, 2024: Thursday Old Testament Bible Study - Esther 9:1-32
Grace and Peace to you on this beautiful desert morning. In the desert autumn we get to see the awesome beauty of God's creation all around us, clear blue skies, cool mornings in the 40s, and nice warm afternoons. Before coming to Tucson, Melody and I always, except for 14 months in Des Moines, IA, on our internship, have lived on the water of the Great Lakes. I used to think that there was no place prettier than where we grew up, until we came to the city surrounded by the mountains of the Rockies range. I am in awe every day when I get to view the Catalina’s, the Tucson’s, the Santa Rita’s, and the Rincon’s. What a wonderful, beautiful view we get almost each and every day! Let us be certain to give thanks for where we live, such beautiful cities are rare in our world.
Please remember in your prayers, Steve, Annette's fiancé, who is having a pretty major surgery today, which will require a hospital stay. Pray too for Jeff Hovelson, our daughter-in-law's father, who will be having cancer surgery next week. Pray for Teri Hardy too. She will have her third hip replacement on the same hip on Monday. Thanks for all of your prayers, I know that God hears them, and always responds. The last Sunday of our current church year is on the 24th, Christ the King Sunday. This is going to be a really busy day. Bells rehearse at 9AM. Worship at 10. Pumpkin pie fellowship in the Narthex after worship, Gospel music practice, Church Council, and Annette's and Steve's wedding at 2PM. December 1st is the beginning of the new church year, and we will have our Gospel Music Group, and after worship, our traditional chili luncheon in the parish hall. It is going to be a busy two weeks!
Today we continue on in the book of Esther. Esther's request of Xerxes to restore the right to the Judahites to defend themselves against the racism of their enemies is in place. Mordecai, Esther's uncle, is showing his newly assigned leadership role, and is wearing royal robes and has a horse to ride, all which show his status now before Xerxes. And, just in case you have not noticed, Xerxes is not a very wise ruler. Instead, he seems to be unable to steer a steady course as he governs. Now he, in response to Esther's request offered at this time of the king being satisfied with food and having had too much to drink over a period of days, is countermanding his first order to Haman to attack and destroy the Judahites, and now has sent the Judahites an order allowing them to destroy anyone who attempts to harm them. This is where we come into today's reading. Now we are able to see the reality of these two orders given by Xerxes. By any standards it is a blood bath. It sounds like the Judahites are turning the tables on the Persians who had hoped to be able to get rid of the Judahites by the order that Haman had received. In excess of 75,000 Persians and others who are not identified in this passage are destroyed. And to make things really clear about their power and newfound authority, they move to completely destroy Haman's male heirs, all 10 of them! Of course there is great celebration on the part of the Judahites, but there is a phrase that we may find a little difficult to understand. The Judahites did not lay their hands on any plunder. This really shows the difference between their actions, and those of the people who wanted to destroy them. The Judahites wanted to make it clear that they intended to not profit from their actions. One of the things that happens out of all of this is the Judahites discover that they are really no better than any other people when it comes to getting revenge and murder, but the outcome of all of this is that the Judahites will now come together and celebrate in their communities, and in doing so, they will give thanks for the bounty of their lives, and also come to share with those are less fortunate, both Judahites and others. In Canada there is a tradition called boxing day. It is the day after Christmas when the poor boxes in the churches were opened after the abundance of giving at Christmas, and their contents were handed out to those in need. Beyond the murder and mayhem of this period of time for the Judahites, it becomes in their celebration a time of sharing. Though I have mentioned it before, we all really need to take note of what happens when racism takes hold in a community, or even in a nation. It was this kind of issue that fired off Haman to seek to destroy the Judahites, and in some ways, the very same mind set powered the Judahite's response to that hatred for them.
Next Thursday we will finish Esther, and then we will have a Thursday off for Thanksgiving. Perhaps out of Esther we can be better prepared to care for others out of the bounty and blessings of God in our own lives.
You have my thanks, my prayers, and through Christ, my love for all of you. Pastor Kim
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