The Book of Esther chapter 8 of 10 (To update)

The Book of Esther 

Chapter  8

¹ On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the jews, and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what was he to her.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 8 verse 1)

Oh God my Father I thank You for addressing our forms of injustice and for changing one that was negative into a positive one Amen.


² Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai.  So Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 8 verse 2)


Oh God my Father I thank You for granting justice on this world, for this world is inclined to corruption and injustice. Though we speak of justice, this important trait is not within us Amen.

³ Then Esther spoke again to the king: she fell at his feet, weeping and pleading with him to avert the evil design of Haman the Agatite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 8 verse 3)

Oh God my Father I thank You for motivating us to act exactly at the right time. I thank You for taking control of situations and reversing the wrongdoings that had been planned for us Amen.

⁴ The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, and ⁵ Esther rose and stood before the king. She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have won his favor, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I have his approval, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 8 verse 4 to 5)

Oh God my Father when I make a request before You I ask if this is right before You and if I have won Your favour as it being Your will. I thank You for making it Your will that I serve You among Asylum Seekers in the role of a Social Worker and as an non officially ordained apostle who shares Your Word to others Amen.

⁶ For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?"

(The Book of Esther Chapter 8 verse 6)

Oh brothers and sisters in the Lord God our Father, when praying we need to be honest before God and not expect God to read between the lines and answer our prayers. It is not that God cannot do this, however God wants a true and sincere relationship with us where we can grow together. Amen.

The Book of Esther Chapter 7 of 10

The Book of Esther 

Chapter  7

¹ So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. ² On the second day as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."

(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God, my Father when in a state of non-control over ourselves we may make many fatal decisions that may have both positive and negative consequences, therefore I pray that we make our great decisions in a spirit of prayer and reflection Amen.


³ Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me that is my petition-and the lives of my people-that is my request. ⁴ For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king."



(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verses 3 to 4)


Oh God, my Father how beautiful are generous people who do not seek their own power fame or glory but the uplifting and empowerment of others especially those who are in a vulnerable position Amen. 


⁵ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?"


(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 5)


Oh God, my Father, the time will come when we will all appear before You and then the truth will come to light and many will be ashamed and afraid of the truth Amen.


⁶ Esther said, " A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman! Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.



(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 6)


Oh God, my Father I wonder how my behaviour will be when I am called to appear before You. I am aware that Satan will also be present in order to accuse me of my sinful acts. However, I feel consoled by the fact that You are aware of what has happened in my life and can view me as a whole and not only as a sinner Amen. I know how much You love me Amen.


⁷ The king rose from the feast in wrath and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that the king had determined to destroy him.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 7)


Oh God, when we invest in the power of the world we get what we sow. When that power is taken away from us we end up scared and insecure like little children for we realize that we have invested our hopes and aspirations on an insecure base instead of on You my God and Father. Amen.


⁸ When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall. Haman had thrown himself on the couch where Esther was reclining; and the king said, "Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?" As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered  Haman's face.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 8)


Oh God, my Father when we do not respect other people's boundaries, this can easily be interpreted as a form of abuse, and even if our intention is at heart good this can act against us as in the case of Haman who was doing all he could to save his skin. Amen.


⁹ Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, "Look the very gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stand at Haman's house, fifty cubits high."


(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 9)


Oh God, my Father, I thank You for Your justice. Anything that is planned to be of harm to others will be used against us. Amen.


¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 7 verse 10)


Oh God, my Father many times we act like children even though we are grown-ups and adults. The king had to have his way in order to calm down his anger for Haman. I pray for the gift of self-control that is given to us by You through the Holy Spirit Amen.


Oh God, my Father I would like to end the seventh chapter of the book of Esther with the following prayer:-


Many times oh God my Father we make the wrong decisions or handle situations wrongly, situations that if we were in a better state of mind we would have dealt with them in a different manner. I pray that in such situations we refer to You for Your wisdom and judgment Amen.  

The Book of Esther Chapter 6 of 10

The Book of Esther 

Chapter  6

¹ That night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the book of records, the annals, and they were read to the king.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 1)

Oh brothers and sisters one of the best good habits of all for those of us who have a sleepless night. Open the Bible and read the first page that comes without looking for a particular verse. For me it is a lifesaver. God has a message that fits the given context of my situation every time Amen.


² 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 conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 2)


Oh God my blessed Father, many times going back in history is a good opportunity to reflect on the present situation of our lives. This is a good occasion to dwell on what was not done at that time, but could be done in the present Amen. This could serve as an inspiration Amen.


³ Then the king said, "What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" The king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."⁴ 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.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verses 3 to 4)


Oh God my Father, You intervene at the right time and change negative situations into positive ones. I thank You for having mercy on us and for Your justice Amen.


⁵ So the king's servants told him, "Haman is there, standing in the court." The king said, "Let him come in"


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 5)


Oh God my Father, I also pray that when Your angels see me in the courts of heaven they will inform You and You will tell me to come in and appear before You Amen. Thanks Jesus.


⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?"


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 6)


Oh God, my Father heal us from the sinful and egoistic nature that always places us in the centre of all gain and attention. Amen.


⁷ So he said to the king, "For a person whom the king wishes to honor, ⁸ let the king's servants bring out the fine linen robe that the king has worn, and the horse on which the king rides, ⁹ and let both be given to one of the king's honoured Friends, and let him robe the person whom the king loves and mount him on the horse, and let it be proclaimed through the open square of the city, saying, 'Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.'


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verses 7 to 9)


Oh God my Father our selfishness has no measure, no borders height or width. If we had to wish on others all the goodness that we wished on ourselves the world would be a better place, however Haman was only thinking of his well being Amen.


¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, "Quickly, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to the Jew Mordecai who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned." 


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 10)


Oh God my Father what a great lesson in humility. The golden rule has been applied in full. Do not do to others what you wish others to do to you! Amen. If we have to keep this in mind before doing an action our behaviour would surely improve Amen.


¹¹ So Haman took the robes and the horse and robed Mordecai and led him riding through the open square of the city proclaiming, "Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor."


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 11)


Oh God my Father, I can only imagine what a kick in the gut this was for Haman, who did not like Mordecai and had a great wish to see him dangling from the gallows. I pray for the gift of love and humility especially to those who are not in our good books Amen.


¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 12)


Oh God, my Father I thank Yor for being my avenger in front of the world. I thank You for seeking my justice and I accept Your decision even if this means paying a fine of 20 Euro that I was not fairly and justly entitled to pay, however, if this is Your will so shall it be done Amen.


¹³ When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him."


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 13)


Oh God my Father how deceptive can people be and how unreliable can the people of our inner circles become. At one point they encourage Haman to face Mordecai and after he had done so they proclaim his defeat. I pray that I will place my trust only in You my God and Father Amen.


¹⁴ While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet that Esther had prepared.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 6 verse 14)


Oh God my Father once Your plan has started to unfold in our lives, there is no stopping it Amen. I pray that You continue with the unfolding of Your plan for me. Your timing is perfect even though many times I do not understand why certain things happen and why others do not Amen.


I would like to end this meditation on the sixth chapter of the book of Esther with the following prayer:-

Oh God my Father, I pray that Your justice will be my justice, Your compassion my compassion, Your love my love Amen.

The Book of Esther Chapter 5 of 10

The Book of Esther 

Chapter  5

¹ On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace opposite the entrance to the palace, ² As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favour and he held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter


(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verses 1 to 2)



Oh God, my beloved Father, Esther used her beauty in order to attract the king's attention and win his favour. As sinners, we have no beauty for our sins are a stain on the white dress of our baptism, however, your relationship with us is like the fragrance of frankincense that rises before You. I pray oh God my Father, that, You do not deny my sins but also consider the good deeds that we do when we comply with the urgings of Your Holy Spirit who dwells within us Amen.



³ The king said to her, "What is it Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you, even to the half of my kingdom."


(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verse 3)


Oh God my Father, if an earthly king could be so generous towards his wife and subjects, how much more and greater is Your generosity oh Kings of Kings Amen.

Thank You, Jesus. Amen


⁴ Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king."


(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verse 4)





Oh God my Father, in my prayers and throughout my daily life, my prayer is one, if anything is according to Your will may it be done, if it is not may it not. Amen. My wish is that my entire life be according to Your will Amen. 



⁵ Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther desires."So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.


(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verse 5) 




Oh God, my beloved Father, if a worldly king desired to fulfill the wishes of his subjects how much more and with greater providence do You fulfill our needs Amen. I thank You, Jesus. 



⁶ While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."



(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verse 6) 


Oh God my Father and friends in Jesus Christ, a rash decision over a glass wine and in a drunken stupor is not always wise. I pray that You give me the wisdom to reflect before taking decisions Amen. 



⁷ Then Esther said, "This is my petition and request;  ⁸ If I have won the king's favor, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and then I will do as the king has said."



(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verses 7 to 8)



Oh God my Father in my relationship with You I do not need to be diplomatic as in the case of Esther. I know that when I pray from my heart You always listen and answer my prayers up to a point that is ensuring my well being Amen. Thank You Jesus. Amen.



⁹ Haman went out that day happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, and observed that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was infuriated with Mordecai ¹⁰ nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. Then he sent and called for 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 ministers of the king.




(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verses 9 to 11)


Many times oh brothers and sisters in the name of our almighty God, we have the habit of taking our work issues at home. However instead of sharing with those who love us the reality that we had faced during the day and all the stress that one may have encountered, we tend to do like Haman. The latter compensated and bored his suitors and family with all his grandeur instead of telling them the truth about his situation with Mordecai. I pray that we feel both free and safe to share our thoughts and feelings in the family environment among those who love us Amen. 



¹² Haman added, "Even Queen Esther let no one but myself come with the king to the banquet she prepared. Tomorrow also I am invited by her, together with the king. ¹³ Yet all this does me no good so long as I see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."



(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verses 12 to 13)



Oh God my Father even though we may have achieved most of our objectives in life we might still feel grudges and hurts towards others and these may remain stumbling blocks in our psychosocial and spiritual development Amen.



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 on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits." This advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made. 



(The Book of Esther Chapter 5 verses 14 to 15)



Oh God my Father listen to the ideas of a loving wife, who is seeking to explore all options in order to se her husband happy again, even if this means the unjust death of another person. Today we are also seeking happiness and justice. Some seek justice in obtaining the permission to kill themselves by means of Euthanasia, some do an overdose. My pleasure is in You alone Amen.



Oh God my Father I would like to end this meditation on the fifth chapter of the book of Esther with the following prayer:-



God my Father may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I believe that You always listen to my prayers. I also believe that at the right time You will answer my prayers with love and divine providence. I pray for self-control so that I will depend on You and not decide to seek my own happiness Amen. 

The Book of Esther Chapter 4

 

The Book of Esther 

Chapter  4

 

¹ When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry, ² he went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one might enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

 

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verses 1 to 2)

 

Oh God my beloved Father, instead of going in protest to the King's Gate, Mordecai went in mourning and repentance in front of the king of the world. I pray that we come to You in the same spirit of repentance and sorrow for our misgivings Amen.

 

³ In every province, wherever the king's command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

 

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verse 3)

 

Oh God, my Father I pray that our response will be the same that of repentance and a radical change of our lifestyle Amen.

 

⁴ When Esther's maids 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.

 

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verse 4)

 

Oh God my Father many times we are persuaded to remain silent in order not to cause trouble and accept a negative situation as being the rule of the day, however if we believe that by obeying we go against the truth and against Your will we are not to be passive. I pray for courage to stand up and defend Your will and what is according to it Amen.  



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 was happening and why.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verse 5)

 

Oh God, my beloved Father, how nice it is to be a bit rational in an emotionally laden situation instead of letting our emotions get the better of us. In such situations, it is wise of us to stop listen and ask the how and why of the given situation and with Your help seek the way ahead. Amen.



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 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, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verses 6 to 8)

 

Oh God, my Father, Your people have been hated and despised ever since it was formed as a nation. However every time it was in danger You saved it. Even though Hitler tried to completely destroy the people, You did not allow him to make a complete destruction of them, so much that when the time came You intervened on their behalf Amen. Thank You, Jesus, for not allowing us to experience more injustice and tribulations that we can carry and thank You for always intervening in Your Godly time.



⁹ Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hatchach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, 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-all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden sceptre to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days."

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verses 9 to 11)

Oh God my Father, king of all kings and Lord of all lords, I thank You for not being bureaucratic with me. Even though I am not pure and sinless You still accept me in Your presence. For this, I thank You from my heart, my God and Father Amen.


¹² When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, ¹³ Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this."

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verses 12 to 14)

Oh God my beloved Father many times we try to find our security within the law, however any change in that same law may place us in a state of instability, however, the person who places his security in Your law is always safe and secure Amen. Moreover, as in the case of Esther for some reason, God may give us an opportunity to be an agent of change at an appropriate moment that would be of benefit both for ourselves and even for others, Amen.

¹⁵ Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶ "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that 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.

(The Book of Esther Chapter 4 verses 15 to 17)

Oh God my Father, instead of seeking solutions by means of violent and aggressive acts it pays to resort to prayer and even fasting Amen.


Oh God, my beloved Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fourth chapter of the book of Esther with the following prayer:-



Oh God my Father many times we may choose violence and aggression as the solution to our problems, however in praying and fasting over our issues, we will achieve better results, as did many others Amen. Therefore when we have issues its good to fast on them this is good for both the soul and the body especially if one is putting on weight as myself Amen.