Guest Post: Esther For Such A Time As Then And Today

Note: This is a guest post since presently I am overseas.  This is by  Reverend Paul N. Papas II.  His blog can be found here.

By Reverend Paul N. Papas II

A brave woman who saved the Jews from extinction and the way for the Messiah to bring Salvation is known as Esther. Esther is written for all history in a Book of Bible named after her.

The Book of Esther is read on the festival of Purim, which commemorates the rescue of the Jews from Haman’s plots. The Book of Esther is one of the Megillot, five scrolls read on stated Jewish religious holidays.

Her becoming Queen was necessitated because of the disobedience of Queen Vashti. Jesus the second Adam was necessitated because the first Adam disobeyed. God does not want anyone to perish.

A central purpose of the Book of Esther is to record the institution of the annual festival of Purim and to keep alive for later generations the memory of the great deliverance of the Jewish people during the reign of Xerxes. The book accounts for both the initiation of that observance and the obligation for its perpetual commemoration.

Esther is represented as an orphan daughter of the tribe of Benjamin, who had spent her life among the Jewish exiles in Persia, where she lived under the protection of her cousin Mordecai. The grand vizier, Haman the Agagite, commanded Mordecai to do obeisance to him. Upon Mordecai’s refusal to prostrate himself, Haman informed the king that the Jews were a useless and turbulent people and inclined to disloyalty, and he promised to pay 10,000 silver talents into the royal treasury for the permission to pillage and exterminate this alien race. The king then issued a proclamation ordering the confiscation of Jewish property and a general extermination of all the Jews within the empire. Haman set by lot the day for this outrage but Mordecai persuaded Esther to undertake the deliverance of her compatriots. (1)

Haman devised a plot to exterminate the Jews and hang Mordecai. Haman saw Mordecai as a threat to Haman’s power grab. Haman had the gallows built in the public square. Haman expected to be paraded in the public square as a hero. Through a series of events, that could be a thriller movie

today, the plot was exposed and it was Mordecai who was paraded through the streets and it was Haman who was hung on the gallows which Haman built.

God will complete the work he started through us as He did with Esther and Mordecai. God gave us boldness and not fear.

What is God calling you to do? We may never know what our part might be in God’s larger plan. I would say Esther was not thinking of the coming Messiah when she risked death for approaching the King without an invitation.

Say yes to Jesus, He saves. There is no better plan than God’s plan.

Reverend Paul N. Papas II is a Pastoral Counselor with Narrow Path Ministries (MA and AZ) and Founder of the Family Renewal Center (AZ) http://www.narrowpathministries.org and http://www.familyrenewalcenteraz.org

My blog can be found at https://preacher01704.wordpress.com

(1) https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5872-esther

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 7:15 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 7:15.  Here is my translation:

“Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, 
Watch out because of the false prophets, 

 

 οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων,

who come to you in clothing of sheeps,

 

ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες. ”
but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 7:1 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 7:1.  Here is my translation:

“Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ”
Do not judge in order that you not be judged

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:33 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:33.  Here is my translation:

“ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν [τοῦ θεοῦ] καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα
But Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and this

πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. ”
all he will do to you

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:31 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:31.  Here is my translation:

“μὴ οὖν μεριμνήσητε λέγοντες· Τί φάγωμεν; ἤ· Τί πίωμεν; ἤ· Τί περιβαλώμεθα; ”
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:27 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:27.  Here is my translation:

“τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα; ”
And who out of you by being worried, he is able to his stature one cubit?

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:17 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:17.  Here is my translation:

“σὺ δὲ νηστεύων ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι,

”But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:13 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:13.  Here is my translation:

“καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
And lead us not into temptation

ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. ”
But rescue us from the evil one

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:10 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:10.  Here is my translation:

“ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
Your kingdom come

γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,
Your will be done

ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς· ”
as in heaven also on earth

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 6:7 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 6:7  Here is my translation:

“Προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί, δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ
But while praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles, because in

πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται. ”
their many words they suppose that they will be heard

Here are some observations:

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Poem: Beholding the Crucified Son

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

22 years ago on this day, April 4th, it was also resurrection Sunday. I remember because that was when I trusted in Jesus as my Savior.

Here is a short poem I wrote this weekend in thinking about Jesus:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 5:44 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some time ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 5:44.  Here is my translation:

“ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν
But I say to you ‘Love your enemies and pray for those

διωκόντων ὑμᾶς, ”
who persecute you

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 2:14 (Observation from the Greek)

 

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 2:14.  Here is my translation:

“SENTENCE 14 [TP ὁ TP] δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ
And he rose and took the child and His mother

νυκτὸς
by night

SENTENCE καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον”
and left for Egypt

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 2:2 (Observation from the Greek)

 

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 2:2.  Here is my translation:

“2 λέγοντες
Saying

SENTENCE “ Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων
Where is the one born King of the Jews?

SUPPORT εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ
For we know the Star in the east

SENTENCE καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ ””
and came to worship Him

Here are some observations:

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Quick Devotional from Matthew 1:21 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Matthew 1:21.  Here is my translation:

“τέξεται δὲ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν· αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ
but she will bear a son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people

ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. ”
from their sins

Here are some observations:

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