Esther 2:19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
God does not need man. He chose to create man for His glory. Man soon chose that it was not his intention to glorify God. What Adam failed to understand is that God will be glorified whether man chooses to glorify Him or not.
In the book of Esther, God demonstrated His ability to protect His promised children, the nation of Israel, without the help of the Jews. He would do it even though the Jews involved were not keen on glorifying Him. God made a promise to Abraham. God does not break His promises. He shows man what He expects and He judges man according to His holy and righteous standard. He has given many warnings of what happens when man defies Him. He has also given many examples of the blessings man can know when he humbly submits to the God of the Bible.
In our text the scene changes a little. We begin with the virgins again. They were gathered together for the second time. This gathering was likely for the king’s benefit. At this time, Mordecai is seated in the king’s gate. Generally those who sat in the king’s gate were people of some importance. Mordecai had some importance in the Persian Empire.
In verse 20 we are reminded that Esther is still not willing to show who she truly is. She is also not willing to identify her people. She was obedient to her cousin who had taken her in. She respected Mordecai. He was wrong in his choice on this, but it was not Esther’s place to go against her cousin.
In verse 21 we see that Mordecai had access to the actions of the goings on in the king’s chambers. In this incident, he overheard two of the king’s chamberlains who wanted to harm the king. These two men kept the door of the king’s palace. They must have been a part of his security detail.
We were reminded of the importance of security around important people, just this past weekend. There was another attempt to get to the president of the U.S. with the intent to kill him. The security was insufficient, but it was able to stop the attack from succeeding. Changes will need to be made if they want to secure the safety of the leadership of the U.S.
In our text, we read that Mordecai told Esther of this plot against the king. Esther had access to the king and she made this plot known to him. She also made sure to let the king know where she received her information from. This would not help Mordecai at this time, but eventually it would.
In verse 23 we read that the king took this information seriously and he had an inquest set up to examine this threat. The king found out that the information given to him by Esther, from Mordecai, was true. Justice was much swifter then than it is now. There were no appeals and long delays. The two men were taken and hanged upon a tree.
One thing we know about capital punishment is that those who are justly killed by the state, will never have occasion to commit another crime. We also know that this swift action will deter some others from trying a similar thing.
A good nation will record events that take place. Whether the event was good or bad, a record needs to be kept.
This again, would be helpful for the future. God was working behind the scenes here. The king certainly did not know God. Mordecai knew of God, but was not interested in identifying with Him. Esther was also aware of God, but due to the Jewish culture of that time, she was not willing to speak up either. Quite likely, having been raised in exile, her understanding would be quite limited. Mordecai was not interested in truth, but he was also robbing Esther of the truth.
Today, we have access to the Scriptures in a much greater way. There are certain countries that greatly restrict access to the Scriptures. We learned that during the Wuhan virus debacle, certain religious people were imprisoned and they were not given access to the Scriptures for a time. That is the state of this country.
It is important for those who are saved, to be bold in speaking the Truth. I know that there are people who do not appreciate the Truth. They have their own version of truth but that version is actually a lie. The ecumenical movement promotes that lie. New Evangelicalism also does the same. Catholicism is a lie as well.
Too many people have blinders on and do not want to hear the truth. Sadly, they will meet the Truth — the Lord Jesus Christ one day soon. They will be shocked and sorry when that happens.
We need to keep in mind that God knows everything that is going on. He works out His plan even when those who should know Him refuse to honour Him. He is not vengeful. He has no score to settle.
Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God is good. He wants to bless us. He does not throw His pearls to the swine. He blesses those who know Him and appreciate His blessings. Those who want to trample Him in the mud obviously do not want His blessings either.
As we look at the nation of Israel, we can see how they have suffered over the centuries. This is all due to their rebellion against the Truth. They rejected Jesus Christ while He was on this earth. The nation is still in denial of Him now. Thankfully, there are saved Jews today and there are also saved Gentiles. Those that are saved have no justification for trying to remain silent about their God and Saviour.
We have our services every week, on Sundays and on Wednesdays. We publish them all on the internet. We publish our devotionals as well as our Bible reading. I was reminded recently that sometimes I make a mistake in what I publish. I am thankful for the opportunity to correct my mistakes. I have no interest in leading anyone astray.
I would encourage those reading these devotionals to be sure you have a good church to attend. You need that for your spiritual wellbeing.
I would also like to remind those who listen to our services or who wish to attend our services, that starting this Sunday, May 3, our Sunday School will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the morning preaching hour beginning at 11:00 a.m. All other times will remain the same.
Pastor Bartel