Author: Andrew Timberlake

Psalm 37

Of David.

1   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2   For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.
3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4   Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5   Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!
8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11   But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12   The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.
14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15   their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.
16   Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18   The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19   they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.
20   But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22   for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23   The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
    when he delights in his way;
24   though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the LORD upholds his hand.
25   I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
26   He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.
27   Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28   For the LORD loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
  They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29   The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.
30   The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31   The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.
32   The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33   The LORD will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34   Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35   I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36   But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.
37   Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38   But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39   The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40   The LORD helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

The Psalms are great for helping us relate to God and worship Him. It’s wonderful to spend time in the word and grow in your knowledge of God at a head level. Use today to do your quiet time a little differently and try to grow in your knowledge of God at a heart level. We must always strive to move from knowing of God to knowing God.

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 6:1-14

1 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. 13 And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

14 While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

That night after Esther’s first banquet, king Xerces could not sleep. He had the court annals brought in and read to him. Part of what was read was an account of how, about five years before, Mordecai had uncovered a plot to have the king assassinated. The king asked what honour had been bestowed on Mordecai for saving his life. Through some oversight, Mordecai had not been rewarded at the time and the king sought to remedy the situation immediately.

The king asked who was in the court. Haman had just arrived intending to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows he’d prepared. He was called in. The king asked Haman what should be done for a man the king wished to honour. In his vanity, Haman couldn’t see the king wanting to honour anyone but himself. Haman suggested that the person be honoured by being dressed like royalty in a robe the king had worn and saddled on a royal horse the king had ridden and then be led through the streets by one of the kings most noble officials proclaiming, “thus shall it be done to the man whom the kings delights to honour.” The king was pleased with Haman’s suggestion and told him at once to go and do everything he had suggested for Mordecai. What a turn of events, Haman had to honour the person he despised most with the honour he most craved for himself.

Mordecai returned to the king’s gate but Haman hurried home in shame. When Haman told his wife and friends what had happened they saw trouble in his future. If Haman had begun to fall before Mordecai, a Jew, then he was doomed to failure. Their response was probably based on their superstitious, fatalistic worldview but they were right that no one can stand against God’s chosen people. While they were still talking, Haman was summoned to return to the feast Esther had prepared. I doubt he returned with the same enthusiasm he had left with the night before.

Consider the timing of all the events that unfolded in this twenty-four-hour period. That the king would have insomnia that night. That of the twelve years of his reign thus far, the court librarian would choose the period of Mordecai’s actions to read. That Mordecai was overlooked for honour when he was. That Haman would arrive at the palace at the time he did. This is not all coincidence, this is God providentially working in the lives of men to bring about His will.

Might you be in danger of falling due to pride? Are you obsessed with acclaim and prestige from men like Haman? Remember Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

The Nobel Bereans: Acts 17-18

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 5:1-14

1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” 5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. 6 And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 7 Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

9 And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. 12 Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. 13 Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

On the third day, at the end of the fast, Esther dressed in her royal robes and went and stood in the presence of the king while he was seated on his throne. The fast was three days in that it started on the first day, perhaps mid-day, and continued through two nights ending on the morning of the third day. It is not uncommon to use three days to refer to three calendar days without requiring three full 24 hour periods. Jesus was dead for three days and rose on the third day with very similar timing. Esther won favour in king Xerces’s sight and he held out the golden scepter indicating his acceptance of her visit. He rightly sensed that for her to risk an audience as she did meant she had a request and so he promised to answer it with an offer of up to half the kingdom. This was an idiom that meant she could ask almost anything and he would honour her request (see Mark 6:23). Esther’s request was simple, that the king and Haman come to a feast she had prepared. Esther had already prepared the feast which shows she was acting in faith. At the feast, the king again perceived she still had a request and repeated his promise to honour it, whatever it was. She asked that they come to another feast the next night where she would finally reveal her request. Why did she delay? Why not just make her request at the first feast? The Bible doesn’t tell us but the story reveals that the delay allowed for things to unfold. Perhaps Esther sensed that the time was not right and in God’s providence other details needed to be put in place. We need to be sensitive to God’s timing and not be impatient when things don’t happen as quickly as we’d like them to.

Haman was thrilled at having received the honor of dining alone with the king and queen. But then he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and his mood swung. He was angry but restrained himself from acting at that moment. At home, he brought together his friends and his wife and began to boast about his wealth, his family, and how the king had promoted him above all others. Even the queen had invited only him to dine with the king and he was invited to another banquet the next night. But all of this was worth nothing to him because Mordecai continued to disrespect him. His wife and friends suggested he build a gallows and then ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on them. The gallows was likely a high pole for impaling someone on rather than a hangman’s gallows. It was either very high or on a hill in order to be seen by everyone as an example. With Mordecai out of the way, he could joyfully go to the feast with the king. Haman thought this was a splendid idea and had the gallows made.

Despite all his wealth, family, and position, Haman’s happiness was conditional on his circumstances. The thought of one person immediately extinguished his joy. Is your happiness dependant on worldly circumstances? Are you bound up by bitterness towards someone? What do you need to do today to fix that?

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

The Jerusalem Council: Acts 15-16

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 4:1-17

1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

When Mordecai learned about Haman’s plot, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of distress and mourning. He remained outside the king’s gate because the law forbade people to enter in sackcloth. Everywhere the Jews heard of the edict, they responded in the same way.

When Esther learned of Mordecai’s actions, she was distressed and sent clothes for him to wear but he refused. Perhaps in her position of privilege, she was cut off from normal lines of communication and was unaware of the edict. She may have sent Mordecai clothes so he could enter and speak with her. Because of his refusal, she had to communicate through Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs. Through Hathach, Mordecai let Esther know about what had happened including the amount Haman had offered to pay for the extermination of the Jews and provided her with a copy of the written decree. With the explanation of the situation, Mordecai instructed Esther to go to the king and intercede on behalf of her people, the Jews.

Esther sent back a reply that to approach the king without invitation was to put one’s life in danger. By law, anyone who entered the king’s inner court without invitation was liable to be put to death unless he held out his golden scepter. She also explained that she had not seen the king for thirty days, which meant she didn’t know if his attitude toward her would be favourable.

Mordecai reminded Esther that just because she was in the king’s palace didn’t guarantee her escape from the plight that all the Jews faced. His point was that she was facing danger whether she approached the king or remained silent. Mordecai showed a great belief in God’s providence. Biblically election is for service. Esther was in her position because God had placed her there and if she did not act then she would miss her opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose—but God’s purpose would be fulfilled regardless.

Esther stepped up in faith. While the book of Esther is void of mention of God or prayer, here we see mention of fasting which implies prayer. Esther asked Mordecai to gather the Jews in Susa and fast on her behalf for three full days, emphasising night or day. Fasting was usually only practiced during the day. Fasting is a process of denying your own needs in order to focus more clearly on your relationship with God. Esther said she and her maids would be fasting with them. Then Esther proclaimed courageously that she would go to the king even in the face of death. Mordecai went and did what Esther ordered him—he gathered the Jews and fasted.

Why has God placed you where he has placed you? Why are you in the school, job, church, club, friendship circle you are in? Are you actively thinking and praying about how God can use you where you are? “Who knows whether you have come to __________ for such a time as this?”

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Saul Becomes Paul: Acts 13-14

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 3:1-15

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”

12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

We are now introduced to the antagonist of the story, Haman. He is described as an Agagite which suggests that he descended from Agag, king of the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:8) but as a Persian official, he was more likely from the province of Agag in the Persian Empire. King Xerces promoted Haman above all the other officials. No explanation is given for his promotion. At the king’s command, all the other servants were expected to bow in homage (not worship) to Haman but Mordecai refused. Mordecai refused to show Haman respect. Mordecai now reveals that he is a Jew though prior to this he was comfortable keeping this fact hidden. Perhaps his refusal to respect Haman was not on religious grounds even though he used his heritage as an excuse. Haman was enraged by Mordecai’s refusal but instead of laying hands on him alone, he set out to destroy all the Jews in an early example of anti-Semitism. If Haman’s plan were to go ahead, the extermination of Jews would include all those who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city walls.

The time period has moved forward about four years since Esther was made queen and it is the beginning of the year. Haman used a pur (a Babylonian word for the lot) to determine when the Jews should be killed. The Persian religious system was based on superstition with a focus on fate and chance. But God is not a god of chance but the One who is in control of every situation (Prov 16:33). The month chosen by the lot was the twelfth month, almost a year later. Haman then took his plan to the king where he falsely accused all the Jews of refusing to obey the king’s laws. He suggested it would be better for the king if they were exterminated. Haman even offered to cover the costs or contribute to the king’s treasury. The king gave over his signet ring which allowed Haman to issue a decree in the king’s name. Still unaware that his queen was a Jew, Xerces allowed Haman to do what he pleased with the Jews. Haman issued a decree on behalf of the king to have every Jew exterminated including women and children. He also ordered them to confiscate all property belonging to the Jews. The decree was distributed to every province that they might prepare for the day. This was clearly out of the ordinary and had everyone in the city of Suza confused.

Have you ever made a stand for your faith that cost you? How did God preserve you through that? Take a moment to pray for all those who are making a stand for Christianity in the face of persecution around the world.

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Gentile Conversion Defended: Acts 11-12

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 2:1-23

1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11 And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women—13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

After king Xerces’s anger had subsided, he remembered what had happened with Vashti and it seems like he may have regretted his rash decision. The king’s attendants quickly set in motion a plan to replace queen Vashti. they suggested that unmarried women from all the provinces be brought to the harem in Suza, placed in the charge of Hegai, and be prepared with beauty treatments to be presented to the king. Then the woman who pleased the king could be made queen in place of Vashti. The king was pleased with this plan so he followed it.

We are introduced to Mordecai, a Benjaminite Jew living in Susa, whose family had been brought into exile by Nebuchadnezzar along with king Jeconiah. He was raising his cousin Esther (whose Jewish name was Hadassah) as his own daughter because her parents had died when she was young. Esther was a beautiful young woman so when the king’s edict was proclaimed, she was taken along with many other young women and placed in the king’s harem under Hegai. Esther won Hegai’s favour and he quickly gave her a prominent position within the harem. It seems she was given preferential treatment and food. Under Mordecai’s instruction, Esther kept her Jewish nationality a secret. Contrasted with Daniel who set himself apart and insisted on strict adherence to the law, the book of Esther shows that God protected and used Esther and Mordecai even though they were not living according to the Law He had commanded. Every day Mordecai visited and checked on how things were with Esther.

Esther was not part of a beauty pageant as we might imagine it. Every one of the women was being prepared to have sexual relations with the king. They would be with him for one evening and then be transferred to a different harem where they would remain for the rest of their lives, probably never seeing the king again. Each woman was allowed to take whatever she desired from the harem probably refers to their choice of what to wear including jewelry. Esther chose to only wear what Hegai advised. This was wise because he would know what pleased the king. The king was taken by Esther over all the other women and he made her queen in place of Vashti. In celebration of his new bride, he threw a party and gave gifts. He granted remission of taxes (“giving of rest”) may also simply mean that he declared a holiday.

When the virgins were gathered together a second time could have been a second procession of the unsuccessful women as part of Esther’s coronation but it could be a new collection of concubines for the king. Mordecai was at the king’s gate indicating he held an official position in the king’s court, perhaps arranged by Esther. At this time Esther had still not revealed that she was a Jew because she continued to obey Mordecai as she had done when he was raising her. Mordecai uncovered an assassination plot against the king and made it known to the king through Esther. After an investigation, the men were executed and the event was recorded in the official royal record. The king forgot about the event and didn’t do anything about it until later in the story (Est 6:1-4).

This story should bring to mind God working in the lives of Joseph and Daniel. God is orchestrating events and putting people in positions that will help His people. No matter what the situation, God is always working for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28). Take a moment to reflect on your life and thank God for those things He has done for your good even though at the time you might not have recognised it, and possibly not even been walking closely with Him at the time.

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Saul’s Conversion at Damascus: Acts 9-10

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Proverbs 24:1-22

1   Be not envious of evil men,
    nor desire to be with them,
2   for their hearts devise violence,
    and their lips talk of trouble.
3   By wisdom a house is built,
    and by understanding it is established;
4   by knowledge the rooms are filled
    with all precious and pleasant riches.
5   A wise man is full of strength,
    and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6   for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
    and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7   Wisdom is too high for a fool;
    in the gate he does not open his mouth.
8   Whoever plans to do evil
    will be called a schemer.
9   The devising of folly is sin,
    and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10   If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
11   Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12   If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
  Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man according to his work?
13   My son, eat honey, for it is good,
    and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14   Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, there will be a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.
15   Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
    do no violence to his home;
16   for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
    but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
17   Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18   lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
    and turn away his anger from him.
19   Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
    and be not envious of the wicked,
20   for the evil man has no future;
    the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21   My son, fear the LORD and the king,
    and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22   for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
    and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that are easily applied to everyday situations. Consider carefully which of the sayings you’ve read today are particularly applicable to you today and in the coming week. What do you need to change or do more of to make use of God’s wisdom in your life?

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Psalm 36

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1   Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;
  there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2   For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3   The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4   He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.
5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6   Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O LORD.
7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8   They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9   For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.
10   Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11   Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12   There the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

The Psalms are great for helping us relate to God and worship Him. It’s wonderful to spend time in the word and grow in your knowledge of God at a head level. Use today to do your quiet time a little differently and try to grow in your knowledge of God at a heart level. We must always strive to move from knowing of God to knowing God.

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Esther 1:1-22

1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Esther is an interesting book of the Bible because it is the only book that doesn’t mention God at all. It also doesn’t mention the law, sacrifices, offerings, or prayer, though fasting is. Despite this, it is a book that shows that even when the Jews were spiritually apathetic, God was looking out for them.

This opening chapter sets the stage for the story of Esther. King Xerces (Ahasuerus in the Hebrew) gave a feast for all his officials and servants at his winter palace in Susa. No expense was spared. He put all his royal riches and glory on display for 180 days. At the end of those days, he gave another banquet for seven days. At the banquet, everyone was free to drink as they pleased and the king made plenty of royal wine available. At the same time, Queen Vashti held a feast for the women which was not uncommon for the culture.

On the last day of the banquet, the king ordered his eunuchs to bring Vashti to the banquet so her beauty could be admired by his male guests but she refused. There is no implication that he expected her to do anything immoral. Her refusal to present herself didn’t go down well with the king who was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it and he became furious.

The king consulted with his wise men, who knew the law well, on how to handle the crime of disobeying a command from the king. They suggested that her crime was not only against the king but against all the men of the land. They posited that when the women heard about her refusal, they would follow her example and look at their husbands with contempt. Their solution was to have Vashti banished from the king’s presence and crown a new queen in her place. This suggestion pleased the king and he sent out an edict in all the official languages throughout the empire to that effect.

All of this seems quite irrational, but the king and his officials had been drinking heavily and the king was responding in anger. What do you need to do to ensure you don’t make rash, unwise decisions? (Proverbs 3:5-6; 2:6)

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Stephen’s Sermon: Acts 7-8

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Colossians 4:7-17

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

While Paul wrote most of his letters to churches, his closing remarks show a lot of concern for people at a personal level.
Tychicus was a leader of the church and carried this letter from Paul to the Colossian church. He was a beloved brother in Christ and a faithful servant who Paul sent specifically to inform them about his situation and to encourage them. Tychicus was accompanied by Onesimus, a fellow Colossian. He was also a runaway slave who had been converted through Paul’s ministry and gone on to become a faithful and dear brother in Christ. Onesimus carried a second letter from Paul, one written to his master (Philemon). He returned to his master as a living example of Paul’s instructions to slaves (Col 3:22-25).
Paul mentions three fellow Jews (“of the circumcision”). Aristarchus was a Thessalonian who had accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:29; 27:2) and now found himself in prison alongside him for preaching the gospel. Mark had accompanied (Acts 12:25) and deserted Paul (Acts 15:37-39) on his first missionary journey, was now reconciled with Paul and useful in his ministry (2 Tim 4:11). Mark wrote the second gospel giving Peter’s testimony (1 Pet 5:13). Jesus (Greek for Joshua) was a common Jewish name, he was also called Justus (righteous). These three men had been a comfort to Paul in their loyalty to him.
Epaphras was another fellow Colossian. He had brought the initial report of the Colossian church to Paul and continued to wrestle in prayer for the church. His concern, which is the theme of this letter, was that the Colossians would stand firm, mature, and fully assured in God’s will. He worked hard on behalf of the believers in the Lycus Valley (Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis).
Luke was a dear friend to Paul and attended to him during this and his future imprisonment by which time Demas (here with Paul) had forsaken him (2 Tim 4:10). Luke was the author of the third gospel.
Paul sent greetings to the church at Laodicea (a nearby church in the same region) and the church that met in Nympha’s home, a common way for the early churches to meet. Paul expected the letters he wrote to be shared among the churches. The letter he wrote to Laodicea may have been the letter to the Ephesians but it may just have been one of many letters Paul wrote that, while instructive and edifying, weren’t inspired by God to be included in the Bible as His breathed-out word (2 Tim 3:16-17). Paul included an admonishment for Archippus (Perhaps Philemon’s son, Philemon 2) who was not fulfilling the work of the ministry he had been tasked with.

Paul’s letters were often dictated to a scribe but he commonly signed the final greeting by hand. He asked that they remember his suffering for the gospel and then closed with the blessing, “grace be with you.”

How are your relationships within the church? Are you a beloved brother or sister? An encourager? A deserter? A slacker? A dear friend? A faithful servant? Are you praying and working hard for your fellow believers?

Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Lying to the Holy Spirit: Acts 5-6

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake