11/25/11

Bearable


Makes you almost wish you had a "teddy bear" again, doesn't it?  In real life, Bears are ferocious hunters and have killed many a human being.  Yet, the world is such that even they need love.  Which makes me ask the question: Does love have a purpose?  Is it just a feeling, or perhaps a necessary animal urge in order that the species may continue or something else?  I wonder, does God have a part?  Here is an except from an Old Testament book that may give us some insight...

WEB: Esther Chapter 2

[1] After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. [2] Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. [3] Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them; [4] and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

[5] There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, [6] who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. [7] He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter. [8] So it happened, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. [9] The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house. [10] Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known. [11] Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

[12] Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women). [13] The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house. [14] In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name. [15] Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her. [16] So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. [17] The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.


WEB: Esther Chapter 4

[13] Then Mordecai asked them return answer to Esther, “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews. [14] For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The Jews had been deported to Babylon, which was by the time of this tale was now controlled by the Persians.  Vashti, the queen has displeased the king and so another queen was sought.  Esther (a Jewess) is chosen by the king to become the new queen.  Haman persuades the king to allow all the Jews to be killed and Esther's uncle Mordecai warns her that she won't escape death either.  So, we come to verse 14.  Did God cause the king to love her, so that the Jews would survive?  You be the judge!!!  It seems to me entirely possible.  Do I know; of course not!  But there is something in the human condition that wants to see order and purpose in everything.  We are hard wired that way by God.  Is it then so unreasonable to assume that God could not use our decisions (this really does include the decision to love another) to accomplish HIS will?  Love is a necessary fundamental of life and more than that it makes life BEARABLE!!!

At the front or at the base by Mark Copeland


http://executableoutlines.com/text/1sa30_21.htm

Interesting lesson; I have never heard this one before... Gary