Contributor: REV. DENNIS HENDERSON
Scripture: Esther 4:15-16 (NKJV)
Fasting with Purpose
Queen Esther realized that her life and the lives of her people, the Jews, were in great danger. At the prodding and plotting of Haman, a wicked official in the king’s court, King Ahasuerus had issued a decree, and letters had been sent in his name into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, and to plunder their possessions. This was to happen in one day, determined by lot, on the thirteenth day of Adar, which is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar.
Esther was the young, beautiful cousin of Mordecai, who had been among the Jews exiled from Jerusalem under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter. He advised her to keep her identity as a Jew hidden. Mordecai was loyal to the king, even exposing a plot to assassinate him. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow and pay tribute to him like other men did. In a rage, he sought not only to have Haman killed, but all of the Jews throughout the king’s empire.
After hearing of Haman’s plot to have the Jews killed, Mordecai urged Esther to go to the king and plead with him on behalf of her people. She was reluctant to go, because it was against the law for any person to go into the king’s inner court without first being summoned by the king. This “crime” was punishable by death, except only if the king held out his golden scepter, that they might live. Esther had not been called into the king’s presence for 30 days.
Mordecai sent word to Esther:
Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Challenged by the words of Mordecai, Esther told Mordecai to go gather all of the Jews who were present in Shushan, the capital city of ancient Persia, and fast for her, to neither eat food nor drinking water for three days.
After fasting for three days, Esther went to the king and found favor in his sight. He held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand and granted her requests. The plans of wicked Haman were overturned and the Jews were delivered. In the end, Haman and his sons were hanged from the very gallows that Haman, in bitter rage, had prepared for Mordecai. The king gave Esther Haman’s house. The king’s ring, which had been given to Haman, was taken from Haman and given to Mordecai, and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. The letters devised by Haman to annihilate the Jews were revoked, and at the command of Mordecai, letters were sent out in the king’s name permitting the Jews to gather together and protect themselves, to annihilate all the forces of any people that would assault them, and to plunder their possessions. On the very day that had been appointed to annihilate the Jews, the Jews overpowered their enemies.
We learn from Esther that, If the people of God humble ourselves in fasting and prayer, with unity and purpose, God will move with great power on our behalf. As He did with Esther and the people of God in the days of ancient Persia, and He has not changed. He can cancel the plans of the enemy and cause the people of God to overwhelming triumph. Ps. 50:15 “in the day of trouble you will call upon me, and I will answer you and you will glorify me.” Today is certainly a day of trouble. Let’s call on God by fasting and praying, united with one purpose—to see God arise, His enemies scattered and His people delivered from every evil plan of the enemies of our souls. He will hear our prayer and move mightily on our behalf and on behalf of all of those who love Him.
SUBMITTED BY REV. DENNIS HENDERSON
","author_name":"Memorial Presbyterian Church"}