Sorry, the browser you are using is not currently supported. Disqus actively supports the following browsers:

• Firefox
• Chrome
• Internet Explorer 8+
• Safari

This page is forcing your browser to use legacy mode, which is not compatible with Disqus. Please see our troubleshooting guide to get more information about this error.

• charock01

  Some quick reassurances jumped out at me as I read the chapter and anticipate the rest of the story:

  1. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4: 4

  2. In the spirit of Psalm 127: 1 I'd say, "Unless it is the Lord's seal that is affixed to a decree, it's not worth the worry" (adapted).

  3. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isa 59: 19.

  4. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28.

  Note:

  Mordecai had a religious basis for refusing to show obeisance to Haaman, and that provoked Haaman's anger. It is significant to note that this brought attention to the Jewish faith. So although they lived in a secular world, they stood out and behaved differently. It is our expectation that history will repeat itself. Hence, the above assurances should keep our minds focused - not on the looming threats, but on the One who stands with us, "For our God, whom we serve is well able to deliver us." Dan. 3: 17 (adapted).

  Join me in singing this old favourite, "He's able, He's able, I know He's able, I know my God is able to carry me through...." Peace all.

• Derek Morris

  There are many like Haman in every age. They seek only to fulfill their selfish desires and hate those who live with integrity before God. Perhaps you have suffered at the hands of a Haman. But here is the good news! While Haman sits down to drink and celebrate his temporal accomplishments, there is a great God in heaven who is ruling and overruling in the affairs of planet earth. I just want to use my favorite Hebrew word: Hallelujah!

• Christopher Mpumba

  Thanks sister jean for the caution and good morning RBHW family. 1 Cor 10 : 6 this happened as an example.One of the important things we should never forget while awaiting the second coming of our savior is that we are but strangers in this world. The world in the state it is can never be ours unless re created by the mighty JEHOVAH. Just as Haman plot to exterminate the Jews from the kingdom , so are some individuals planning on ways and means to sort out those that will not accept the Sunday worship.Let s pray that we remain focused and not give in to prayer and fasting. Lord God help us to be strong even as we face such challenges of this crooked world, Amen.

• Johnnycongo

  Yes, many want to lay hands on the servants of the Living God!

• k addai apraku

  And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandment of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ this will be our lot ,and to this end we have been called to lift up the down trodden law and show transgressors the true way , To this end the latter rain has been promised.seek for it ,pray for it and Gods willing we shall overcome

• KT Abbequaye

  I am so encouraged by The Word and Jeans comments. 'His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches'. Yes, the ending would be a happy one. Amen!
  I have a matter before me on Friday. I am asking all the children of God-my family- to pray for me! Lord let the ending be a happy one on Friday in the name of Jesus. Amen and Amen!

• Cassan

  Prayed. God be with you on Friday.

• Praying for a happy ending for whatever issue you are facing on Friday, KT. Whatever the outcome, when we give it to God and trust His will, it will be a happy one in the long run.

• cmunyoro

  Dear Lord I pray for a happy ending for Thembie on Friday

• Denis Lavrut

  Thank sister Jean for your commentary and to all other who have commented. What a fascinating and troubling chapter today, revealing again the character of Satan our enemy and what is to come again. The chapter ends with the king and this Amalekite drinking together, after publishing the massacre of perhaps one million people, even babies. How do you look at yourself in a mirror when you are responsible for millions of death. But Adolf Hitler and his generals did not seem to have a huge problem with this while they were murdering the Jewish people during the second world war. The city was perplexed but nothing could have stopped the plans. In these last days events, perhaps the press and the cities will be perplexed at this religious law but nothing will stop, there will be no compassion and the kings will be drinking together. We cannot look for help in the cities of this world. Our only help is in God and we have to claim each day His promises like Ps 91 "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust. He shall cover me with His feather and under His wing shall I take refuge". Thank You Father for Your everlasting and unfailing love for us.

• Elizabeth

  amen

• Cassan

  Thanks for your encouraging comments Denis. Truly, we can only look to God for refuge. Let us hide in Him each day. A blessed day to all RBHW family.

• Eugene Martin

  Mordecai could have saved himself much trouble if he did
  not reveal that he was a Jew and complied with the request to pay honour to
  Haman. But he refused. He stood up for principle. If I was placed in a
  situation where my livelihood was at stake, would I stand for principle? I pray
  that I will be able to stand for principle.

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  My prayer too.

• Harriet

  Good morning brothers and sisters, and thank you Jean for the admonition in the blog.

  The lesson in today’s reading should be a good warning to us today for we are just in the same lane
  with these people;

  God’s favor was shown to them by King Cyrus for them to return home, and a second one by king Darius,
  prophet Zachariah (2:6-9) warned them to flee from Babylon.

  For refusing to take advantage of these warnings, God’s people are now face to face with death.

  My prayer today is that;
  may God help us not to wait for Harman’s promotion, may we harken to the voice
  of God today and make a good U—turn.

  Then in fellowship sweet

  We will sit at his feet

  Or we’ll walk by his
  side in the way

  What He says we will do

  Where He sends we will
  go

  Never fear only trust
  and obey.

• Thembie Mapingire

  Amen, Lord help us.

• Ros Farrell

  Help us Lord

• Ros Farrell

  Praise the Lord Jean for your profound summary. We see where personal pride leads to prejudice then hatred and destruction. O my Father, give us a heart to love like you love and feel like you feel, to allow us to live the life you have called us to live in the name of your Son Jesus. Amen

• Prisca

  I LOVED THIS CHAPTER MAY GOD BLEES YOU TOO!!!

• Harriet

  May He Bless you too

• Prisca

  My name is Luumuno Chileya. I am 6 years old I enjoyd this chapter. I would like to be pat of the revived by his word. typed with love :-)

• charock01

  Wow; this is really sweet! See you everyday after today then Luumuno. Welcome!

• overcome

  Welcome Luumuno Chileya. What a privilege it is to have such a young, sweet heart devoted to serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, join our dedicated group. May you be faithful to serve God and be a witness to all your friends. Jesus loves the little children and you just put a smile on His face and all those on this site by choosing to get acquainted with Jesus by daily reading His word. God bless you child! I pray you will love Jesus and remain faithful to God all the days of your life!

• cmunyoro

  Welcome Luumuno, you have made the right desicion at the right age, God bless you my dear

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  Godbless you Luumuno may you continue shining for Jesus all the days of your life.

• Thembie Mapingire

  Welcome Luumuno. What a blessing for you o choose God at an ally age. We love you too

• Harriet

  PRAISE THE LORD FOR BABY CHILEYA

• Ros Farrell

  Bless your heart Luumuno. Welcome to the RBHW family little one.

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen Sister Jean

• nhamo chizvaure

  Thank you very much Jean, I have learnt a lot this morning, God bless you and all RBHW family, good morning.

• Harriet

  Amen

• Dr. Bill Motende

  "The decree which is to go forth against the people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther. The Persian edict sprang from the malice of Haman toward Mordecai. Not that Mordecai had done him harm, but he had refused to show him reverence which belongs only to God. The king’s decision against the Jews was secured under false pretenses through misrepresentation of that peculiar people. Satan instigated the scheme in order to rid the earth of those who preserved the knowledge of the true God. But his plots were defeated by a counterpower that reigns among the children of men. Angels that excel in strength were commissioned to protect the people of God, and the plots of their adversaries returned upon their own heads. The Protestant world today see in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in the gate. His character and conduct, expressing reverence for the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling upon His Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder must by some means be put out of the way." Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5.Pg. 450

• Tree of Life ©

  "will be..." That is not the same as a perpetual deferment... On the contrary, it is an ever present reality in the here, now, and me!

  Amen Brother!

• Cassan

  Amen

• cmunyoro

  Amen

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  Amen.

• Denis Lavrut

  Amen. Thank you for sharing.

• Ros Farrell

  Amen Dr. Bill. I am amazed that the King did not seem to question anything he was told but accepted advice at face value!

• Tree of Life ©

  Why be amazed?!!! Aren't popularly elected "leaders" always elected exactly because of their popularity, that is, because they are masters at thinking and doing what most everyone else are trained to like. That is, the very nature of their skill is to accept ad-vice blindly. In reality popularly elected "leaders" are not acting as heads but as tails. In contradistinction, God's people are to be the heads and not the tails. But such people are rarely if ever elected by majority vote...

  Consider it! Selah!

• Simba Muhau

  amen n thank u Doc

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen!

• Gert van Rensburg, SA

  God's people take note! This story was not only to fill the pages of the Bible. We need more Mordecai and Esthers in the church today who at the right time would stand up against evil and expose the devil's plans. May God give us courage and faith to stand as true as the needle is to the pole in this crooked world of today. Let us keep each other in prayer to remain faithful and to courageously stand our ground.

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen

• ClaraDiane

  Whatever plans the evil one devises - there is A Silent Witness-er present - we truly have nothing to fear, God our Protector is never taken by surprise, His way of escape for us is in place BEFORE the trials and difficulties come. Take courage God 's people He has our lives in His Hands Amen.

• Thembie Mapingire

  Amen Clara. Yes our lives are in His hands. What comfort that brings to my heart.

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen

• Indrah Gandih

  Amen

• Tree of Life ©

  Esther 3:7 KJV - "In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar."

  To me, the above verse becomes more clear upon realizing that it includes three explanatory remarks. As follows:

  Esther 3:7 - "In the first month [that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus,] they cast Pur [that is, the lot,] before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month [that is, the month Adar.]"

  Realizing also that the explanatory remarks in Esther are intended to give reference to the Babylonian or Persian calendar (that is, in contradistinction to the default Scriptural calendar) this helps me make sense out the events recorded within the Book of Esther. Said 1st month of the 12th Babylonian or Persian year corresponds to month one of the 11th Scripture year, which fell in 474 BCE. It follows that the 12th month of the 12th Babylonian or Persian year corresponds to the 12th month of the 12th Scripture year, which fell in 473 BCE.

  If the reference provided in Esther 3:7 had been to the Scripture calendar (to the 11th year) re the events of the 1st month, then an additional reference re the events of the 12th month would have been required also (to the 12th year.) However, no such additional reference is provided.

  I should haste to add also that it is a moot point whether or not the explanatory remarks within Esther were written by the original author or by a later transcriber of the text. In fact, considering the importance of those explanatory remarks for the integrity of the dated events within Esther, I believe it is most likely, if not certain, that they were all written by the original author.

• John A. Lockley

  What is your point?

• Indrah Gandih

  Amen and thank you!

We were unable to load Disqus. If you are a moderator please see our troubleshooting guide.