Old Testament Queen Esther and P.M. Netanyahu--a Straight Line?

 

Old Testament Queen Esther and P.M. Netanyahu—a straight Line?  Queen Esther and the Jews were facing the possibility of annihilation at the hands of a Persian King, Ahaserus.  P. M. Netanyahu and the Jews are again facing the possibility of annihilation at the hands of another Persian ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

First, Esther.  She was a Jewish orphan adopted by her cousin Mordecai and was selected among a number of other virgins to replace Queen Vashti.  Initially Mordecai instructed her not to reveal her Jewishness to the King’s court even after she had been singled out for favor by the eunuch Hegai, who was in charge of the virgins’ harem.

King Ahaserus allowed himself to be persuaded by Haman, a mortal enemy of the Jews, to make a thoughtless decree calling for the annihilation of the Jews.

Though Esther now has access to the king’s court and is learning of its ways, she did not know of the decree against the Jews and had to learn this from Mordecai who had learned it at “the gates”.   He then persuades Esther to intervene on behalf of the Jews, at whatever personal cost saying, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14b).

This she does using feminine wiles and charms compatible with the patriarchal system in which she lived, combined with fasting and prayer among those most closely related to her.  The result:  the king not only executed Haman, but reversed the decree that Jews be annihilated.

Second, P. M. Benjamin Netanyahu. The first Prime Minister born in Israel after its founding as a nation in 1948.  He joined the Israel Defense Force (IDF) during the Six-Day War in 1967, saw much action in subsequent battles and was wounded twice, achieving the rank of Captain before being discharged.  His older brother Yonaton (Yoni) was a heroic paratrooper who died commanding the raid to free 105 Israeli hostages hijacked to Entebbe, Uganda, in July of 1976—a highly successful raid with only four Israeli persons losing their lives.

Then he entered the political arena where he has been ever since.  Defense of Israel is bred into his bones and it is out of that high concern for Israel and an awareness of an “Apocalyptic Islam” ideology which he’s concerned too few in the West understand.

He explained it this way in 2007 in an interview with Joel Rosenberg.  “It is a fanatic, messianic ideology that seeks to have an apocalyptic battle for world supremacy with the West.  It seeks to correct what it sees as an accident of history, where the West has risen, and Islam had declined.  The correction is supposed to be done by the resurrection of an Islamic empire and the acquisition of nuclear weapons and the use of nuclear weapons, if necessary, to obliterate Islam’s enemies, and to subjugate the rest.”

In the interview he continued, “This is a pathological ideology, much like Naziism was.  It poses a threat, in my judgment, in many ways bigger than Naziism.  Because Hitler embarked on a world conflict and then sought to achieve nuclear weapons, whereas the leading Radical Islamic regime -- Iran – is seeking to first acquire nuclear weapons and then embark on a world conflict.  And that is what is not yet understood in the West, and certainly, if it’s understood, it’s not acted upon.”

In speaking to a Joint Session of Congress March 3, 2015, P. M. Netanyahu was “sounding an alarm” to the United States and the whole world.  Ultimately, this was no different than what Queen Esther had done approximately 2536 years ago.  God blessed her venture principally because there was “fasting” and prayer behind her.  Currently there are those in Israel who believe in “fasting” and prayer, but it appears to be a minority—but that’s no problem for God.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

The Power that Holds All Things Together

What holds the world in space?  For that matter, world upon world, universe upon universe [it's expanding, right?], what holds them in place?  This is the "macro" world; but what of the "micro" world with its electrons, protons and neutrons busily whirring about in the atomic structure of even the most solid substances--what holds them together?  The Bible says that God's Son is ", , , upholding all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3b).  Too simplistic?

The simplicity of a maintenance function of the universe by God is certainly consistent with God's creative function in bringing the universe into being.  Of course, this approach argues the "is-ness" of God, that from eternity past to eternity future, God "is".  Some folk cannot abide this "faith statement", choosing rather to believe in the eternity of "matter" from which, they say, all things spring.  Which, incidentally, has all the elements of a "faith statement".  Such a statement, on its face, the ancient Greek thinkers could not allow saying:  "To believe that matter always existed does not answer the first question: 'Where did the matter come from?'"

Ancient Greek thinkers said, "Whatever is behind the 'first cause', or, whatever is behind the 'unmoved mover' is God".

Beyond a lesson in philosophy we say, what's true of the universe is also true of individuals.  God has created us, upholds us by the "word of His power", and sustains us by the Power of His Spirit.  Where people and life come unraveled is where persons refuse to acknowledge His power, His love and forgiveness and attempt to go it alone.  No wonder life comes apart for them.

If life for you shows tendencies of wanting to come unraveled, hear what Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor (trying to work out things for themselves) and are heavy laden (burdened down with life) and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke (My way of life) upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Winning the Hearts of Adoptive Children

A FATHER’S HEART

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17b).  These were the words spoken over Jesus at His baptism at the hands of John the Baptist and, in principle, represent the words every child is desirous of hearing from his/her father.  But, what does one do when a father is not present in the lives of his children to speak those words?  Let me tell you what one surrogate father did for his two adoptive sons.  But first, let me set up the situation.

There is a mother and two sons where a father has exited the scene, by divorce or simply walking out the door, I don’t know.  In time another man steps into the scene, through marriage to the mother, with two potentially rebellious boys on his hands, ages six and four.  This man has never parented before, but is a Christian.  He asks God what to do in handling the boys—a procedure unfolded, beginning with the fact that the surrogate dad knew the boys missed their father and one of the wisest things he could do was help bridge the gap between the boys and their non-resident father.   Here’s what happened.

God impressed it upon the surrogate father to find ways to “press” these boys into constructive thinking about the non-present dad.  This he did by helping them to select cards and gifts appropriate for birthdays, Christmases, and Father’s Day.  Year by year this continued and was supplemented by weekly telephone calls the boys were asked to make to their father.  On this latter item they were tested every week by their surrogate dad, “Have you phoned your father this week?”  If not, they were to phone as quickly as possible.

This process continued through the years so that the absentee father was reckoned to be a vital factor  in the lives of these sons; though limited to the interaction initiated by the sons.  This relationship, encouraging the sons to “seek after” their father, enabled the surrogate dad to speak into the lives of these boys, soon enough to become men, and set the stage for the boys to receive the discipline from him.

The result.  These boys grew into productive manhood, graduating from high school with training beyond enabling them to take and hold good jobs; without the bitterness, anger and resentment so often accompanying such situations.  The sons are now in their mid-20’s.

This was a first-hand story related to me by the surrogate dad who presently has a fine, Christian testimony with the “glory of God” on him.

All over America boys and girls have been abandoned by their fathers, or, because of being born out of wedlock, have never known a father.  This circumstance is provoking such a series of social ills that, if not mightily addressed, might sink our ship of state.  This story is what one man did to turn about matters.

The Kingdom of God--God Exercising His Option

The Kingdom of God is inward, attitudinal with occasional and too infrequent bursts of power, but one day, perhaps sooner than we know that will change.  Why?  Because Jesus Christ is coming again and then the Kingdom of God will be outward, with an unquestionable attitude, and no limits to its power.

I can hear it now, “What right has He got to come and rain on my parade?”  Could it be God has His own agenda and timetable?  That God and man have different agendas has been the problem from near the beginning of God’s relationship with man.  It seems God has this novel notion that since He created all things, including man, He holds the “trump” cards—all of them.  But out of this position of strength, God has actually wanted to share everything He has with mankind, with only one restriction!—to not partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

How perverse is it that this one restriction, rather than all the available possibilities, should consume the attention of the first man and woman?  But that’s what happened and continues to happen.  It boils down to this, each person wants his or her own way (the basis of sin).  However benign such a notion appears, its consequences are frightful—actually leading to much heartache and ultimately death.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 16:25).    This takes us back to the different agenda scenario. 

In time, with plenty of warning revealed by all kinds of signs on the earth, in the heavens and among men, God is going to shut down this present order of things before man blows it up.  It’s critical we understand man’s penchant for evil.  One of the learnings from the Noahic flood, with its catastrophic loss of life for all of mankind, save those aboard the ark, was this assessment of mankind, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

This situation with the evil of man’s heart is coming full circle as indicated by Jesus prophetic assessment, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26).  Jesus continued, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake (the “chosen ones”, both Jew and Gentile) those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21 & 22).

All this follows a mighty preaching of a magnificent Gospel, a “full” Gospel, the Gospel of the Kingdom—here’s the way Jesus put it, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).  Perhaps with this the last convert, the last disciple will have been made; then God will shut down this phase of history.

Next, God will start building His Kingdom upon the earth, featuring King Jesus upon a throne in Jerusalem with King Jesus’ representatives governing throughout the world.  He will have exactly 1,000 years to see what He can do, reigning as a Jewish King under Jewish law.  For most it will be a blest time.

Man has had ample time to try it without God and has amply demonstrated in every place and in every way, it just doesn’t work.  God is calling you to have a part in His kingdom on His terms—are you in?