Daily Devotional--11/30/09

Esther 1:1--2:23

God's Providence and Protection

Esther, Chapter 1

1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush : 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 in his own way, 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 Carcas- 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—Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, 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 Memucan 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 Memucan proposed. 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.

Esther 2:1-23

1 Later when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king's personal attendants proposed, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

8 When the king's order and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 The girl pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king's palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

12 Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

15 When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were hanged on a gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

• The word providence means "to see beforehand." In this passage we begin to understand how God prepared "beforehand" because of what He "saw" for His chosen people to be saved. Over what kingdom does Xerxes reign?
• Vashti is the Queen. What does Vashti do to fall into disfavor with the King?
• Who is Mordecai? As a Jew what is Mordecai's place in the kingdom?
• What relation is Esther to Mordecai? How was she chosen as Queen?
• No one knew Esther was a Jew. Why not?
• What plot did Mordecai learn about as he sat within the King's gates?
• Who did he tell about this plot? What happened because of this information?

Do we "listen" to God, or only "hear" him?

Today's Sunday school lesson centered on the scripture from Jeremiah 5:18--6:10, and emphasized the importance of "listening" to God's word, rather than simply "hearing" His words.

We see in verses 5:18-19 that God's punishment for Israel was tailored to fit its crimes against Him.

¹⁸ "Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely. ¹⁹ And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'

The preceding prophesy certainly came to pass as the Holy Land was overrun by Alexander the Great, then overtaken by the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, and the British Empire in succession. Jews were forced to flee Palestine with the rise of the Islam and found themselves spread across Europe, Northern Asia, and North America. During World War II, God's chosen people were enslaved and exterminated by the Nazi regime. All of this was punishment for the rebellious nature of God's chosen people.

Jeremiah 5:22 and 5:26-29 tell us how deep the rebellion against God had become.

²² Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

...

²⁶ "Among my people are wicked men
who lie in wait like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps to catch men.

²⁷ Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful

²⁸ and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it,
they do not defend the rights of the poor.

²⁹ Should I not punish them for this?"
declares the LORD.
"Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?

We see many similarities between the Israel addressed by Jeremiah and our own country today. The percentage of families who attend church regularly is in decline, signifying more and more who believe they don't need God. Our children are bombarded by society and the media with messages that discourage Christian values and promote a value system contrary to God's word. Violent crime, corporate corruption, terrorism, and criminal politicians are aspects of our society similar to that Jeremiah must have seen. In verses 6:6-7, God explains why the city of Jerusalem must be punished.

⁶ This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Cut down the trees
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.

⁷ As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.

Jeremiah had prophesied for 70 years, trying to turn the hearts of the wicked. God gave them opportunity after opportunity to return to Him, to follow His law. And though they heard God's word through Jeremiah, they refused to listen--to understand. Because His words weren't what they wanted to hear, they dismissed His message.

We should take care to listen to God when He speaks to us, and beware the temptation to ignore His word when it's not exactly what we want to hear.

Daily Devotional--11/27/09

Jeremiah 6:10

Who will listen?

10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they cannot hear.
The word of the LORD is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.

Jeremiah tells us of his frustration with the people of God.

• What was the source of Jeremiah's frustration? Is it possible to really listen but not understand and/or take action?
• Are there times when your "ears are closed?"
• Do you know people who are offended by God's word?
• If we attend church and "listen" but take no action to conform our lives to God's commands, how are we different from Israel?

Why is this verse an appropriate "Life Sentence" for Jeremiah?

Daily Devotional--11/26/09

Jeremiah 15:15-16

¹⁵ You understand, O LORD;
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.
You are long-suffering—do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.

¹⁶ When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.

What Kept Jeremiah Going?

• If we follow Jeremiah's example, what should be our first line of defense when we encounter difficult people or circumstances?
• What do yo think that Jeremiah meant when he said, "When your words came, I ate them?"
• How can one make God's word their "Joy and heart's delight?"
• What should you do to prepare yourself to deliver God's word, in spite of how it is received?

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope to see you in Sunday School this week!

Daily Devotional--11/25/09

Jeremiah 36:1-3; 21-24

Take a Scroll

1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."

...

21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.

Jeremiah attempts to share the word of the lord in written form.

• What purpose did God have in asking Jeremiah to write his judgment?
• How does this story show us that God is longsuffering?
• What did the king do with the scroll as it was read to him? What attitude does this suggest?
• How should we respond when those in authority over us oppose God?

Daily Devotional--11/24/09

Jeremiah 26:1-11

Perhaps They Will Listen

1 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD : 2 "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.' "

7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD. 8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die! 9 Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"

These verses describe one of many attempts made by Jeremiah to share the word of the Lord with the people.

• What was Jeremiah instructed to do in the courtyard of the temple?
• What was God’s desire?
• What had God decided to do if the people did not repent?
• How did the priests, people and officials respond to Jeremiah’s message?
• Why is it difficult for us to respond to correction with humility and obedience?

Feel free to discuss these verses in the comments section of this post.

Daily Devotional--11/23/09

Jeremiah ~ Jeremiah 6:10

Read Jeremiah 1:1-2; 6-10: Who Was Jeremiah?

Let’s learn a bit about “the Weeping Prophet” from what he tells us about himself.

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,

...

6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

• What do we know about Jeremiah’s family? What was his job?
• God changed Jeremiah’s vocation from priest to what?
• What did Jeremiah think of his own abilities? What was God’s response?
• What encouragement did God give to Jeremiah?
• How is God working in your life? What reservations do you have about your own abilities?

A Holy, Holy, Holy God

Today's lesson was on God's holiness--what it means to be holy and what a holy God expects of us in our relationship with Him. The discussion centered on Isaiah chapter 6, quoted here from the NIV version of the Bible.

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

9 He said, "Go and tell this people:
" 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes. [a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed."

11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

[a] Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint 'You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' / 10 This people's heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes

We learned the word holy means "morally pure or perfect"--a state that is impossible for us to achieve. In Isaiah's vision, the train of God's robe signifies his greatness, greater than any other King. That the seraphs covered their faces in the presence of God tells us even they were unworthy to look upon His face. Verse 5 tells us Isaiah most certainly viewed himself unworthy to stand before God.

In verse 6 we see He is a forgiving God, but the end of the chapter shows He also punishes those who don't obey Him. One of the discussion questions in the lesson was, "Does God as the avenger of evil deeds taint your view of God as love? Why or why not?"

We compared God's role as disciplinarian to that of a parent who punishes a child. It's not that the parent wants to punish, but wants the child to obey. Examples of children raised with and without discipline were brought up as evidence that a lack of discipline can be terribly harmful to a child.

God wants us to live a holy life, but recognized that we are imperfect beings. Therefore, He sent His son to die for our sins so that we may be forgiven. Our discussion guide referred us to the following New Testament verses that tell us how to live a holy, sanctified life:

• Philippians 2:12-13
• Philippians 4:6-8
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
• 2 Peter 1:2-3

Welcome!

Welcome to the internet home of the DeCou Sunday School class at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Cabot, Arkansas!

Exciting things are underway at our church and we welcome you to join us as we band together to strengthen each other in our daily walk with Jesus Christ and minister to the lost in our community. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey--whether you've long known Christ as your personal Savior, are just now feeling His call, or if you have doubts and are simply looking for answers--we'd love for you to join us for fellowship and Bible study at 9:15 AM on Sunday!

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May God bless and keep you!