Although the Name of God
does not appear in the book of Esther, we have here an inspiring story of the
triumph of good over evil. This is a book about God and Satan. They are
opposites. The victory belongs to God. He is Lord. Before the victory,
there is the conflict. The people of God are in great jeopardy. Their
life is in danger. The evil man, Haman, “planned to wipe out ... All the
Jews in the entire kingdom of Xerxes” (Esther 3:6). Esther played a
vital part in the defeat of Haman. She was willing to die for the sake
of her people. She was protecting her people, even at the risk of losing
her own life: “I will go to the king, even if it is against a royal
decree. If I die, I die” (Esther 4:16).
"The Son of Man came to save the lost" (Matthew 18:11). In Matthew 18:12-13, Jesus speaks about sheep. He's really speaking about us. He is the Shepherd. We are His sheep. Sheep wander away from the shepherd. We wander away from the Lord. The shepherd looks for the lost sheep. Jesus has come to seek for us and find us. He brings us home to God, our Father. Through His saving grace, we receive new life - a life in which we rejoice in our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He delivers us from the condemnation, which our sin has brought upon us. He brings us into the knowledge of His forgiveness. This Gospel of salvation changes us. It teaches us to live in the power of God's love. Jesus speaks about "the Kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:12,23), "the Kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:14,24) and "eternal life" (Matthew 19:29). Jesus' way of thinking and living is so very different from the world's way of thinking and living. He chall...
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