Epistle for January 30, 2009
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President * FreeWay Foundation * January 30, 2009
Light and Gladness, Joy and Honor
(Esther 8:1-17)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the events of this chapter
1. King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the property of Haman; she
introduced Mordecai as her relative, and he was given Haman's
property and his position as prime minister, vv. 1-2.
2. Esther asked the king to revoke his earlier decree which would
kill all the Jews in the empire, but Ahasuerus reminded her that
a royal decree of the Persians could never be annulled; however,
a new decree could be issued allowing the Jews to defend
themselves, vv. 3-8.
3. Seventy days after Haman's original decree to destroy the Jews
(perhaps symbolic of the 70 years of Babylonian captivity), the
new decree was written, sealed, and published throughout all
the provinces, vv. 9-14.
4. Mordecai was highly honored by the king, and the Jews everywhere
celebrated their deliverance, vv. 15-17.
II. Meditation: on the blessings given to Mordecai by King Ahasuerus
1. He was elevated to a position of power and authority . . . receiving
the king's signet ring, v. 2.
2. He received great riches and abundance, which once had belonged
to Haman, v. 2.
3. He was dressed in royal apparel and given a golden crown, v. 15.
4. He was honored by the people as one through whom God had poured
out His blessings and deliverance, v. 15.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications of verse 16
"The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor."
1. Light = spiritual illumination, John 9:5.
2. Gladness = an outward expression of pleasure; cheerfulness, Psalm 100:2.
3. Joy = the inner quality of spiritual exhilaration produced as one of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22.
4. Honor = high respect, renown, or glory, Ephesians 2:6.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Thank God for His unchanging and unchangeable words of promise.
2. Thank God for His provision of a way of escape and deliverance when
everything seems hopeless.
3. Thank God for His divine destiny that can use a humble, submissive
person (like Mordecai, and, I trust, like me) to accomplish His
providential purposes.
4. Thank God that through Jesus Christ, His Son, I can receive the spiritual
blessings of light, gladness, joy, and honor.
Men . . . Everywhere
(I Timothy 2:1-15)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on verse 8
"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting
up holy hands, without wrath and doubting," (I Timothy 2:8)
Christian men typically have problems in these four areas of their lives:
(1) Spirit (2) Mind (3) Emotions (4) Will
II. Meditation and Revelation: on PRAYER . . . "in the spirit"
Men don't like to ask for help or directions. They are independent, self-sufficient,
rugged individuals. Prayer acknowledges our weakness and inadequacy; it
acknowledges God's power, wisdom, and provision. A major problem of Christian
men is prayerlessness.
III. Meditation and Revelation: on HOLY HANDS . . . "in the mind"
Men live daily in a wicked, perverse, corrupt, violent, demonic society where it
is practically impossible in their own strength to remain pure in mind and clean
in thoughts, Psalm 24:3-4. How can a man get his hands clean and how can
he keep them that way? (I John 1:7-9)
IV. Meditation and Revelation: on WITHOUT WRATH . . . "in the emotions"
Wrath is an uncontrolled, violent emotion: hot anger, rage, fury . . . losing temper!
In man's psyche, just below the surface of "civilized," lurks this anger . . . wrath.
Why is anger a common emotion in the heart of men? It all goes back to Adam.
With him, we also feel the frustration of dashed dreams, disappointed ambitions,
unrealized hopes, missed destiny. Such crushing defeatedness of "what could
have been" . . . what should have been . . . produces a seething resentment . ..
anger . . . wrath. The opposite of wrath is love . . . God's love.
See Matthew 5:44 and I Corinthians 13:4-8.
V. Meditation and Revelation: on WITHOUT DOUBTING . . . "in the will"
Men typically are highly skeptical, suspicious, untrusting. Why is doubting such a
common characteristic of men? This also goes back to the garden of Eden, where
even then, the difference between the basic attitudes of men and women were
obvious. Eve was more trusting, more easily persuaded, more naïve than Adam.
Both were guilty, but Eve was deceived while Adam deliberately disobeyed. Just
as it is easier for a woman than a man to love, so also it is easier for a woman to
trust . . . to have faith.
"Without doubting" means to have strong, active faith.
VI. Applications: as a Christian man, I need to . . .
1. Pray . . . enter into spiritual communion with God.
2. With holy hands . . . strive for spiritual purity of the mind.
3. Without wrath . . . allow God's love to control my emotions.
4. Without doubting . . . choose to believe, to have faith (an act of my will).
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