From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!--Psalm 22:25-26
read
Esther 7:3-10
I'm asked to sit in silence for a minute before beginning. Always a good idea, as it gets your mind centered and focused on the task ahead.
Haman is about to get his. Just desserts, that is. Esther calls him out at the private dinner that he was so excited about just days earlier. As he is groveling at Esther's feet, the king comes back into the room and accuses him of molesting the queen. Sometimes, justice is downright funny. I can just see the expression on Haman's face and the blood draining from it in horror.
think
Reading the story again, aloud. Looking for a word or phrase that touches my heart.
Finished
pray
Reading the passage aloud again, looking for a person or action that accentuates my internal picture of God's justice.
How is this depiction of God's justice meaningful to you today?
I picked the final words of King Xerxes in this passage, "Hang him on it!" The a recurring message throughout Scripture is that any time someone plans unjust treatment of someone else, it comes back around on them. Especially where God and his people are involved.
We may not see this type of justice being swiftly served today. Some would even accuse God of being "asleep" as injustice is being dealt out on a worldwide scale. But we believe that the end of days is swiftly approaching, and at that time final justice will be served. I believe there will be no questions and no time for answers.
So many evangelical schemes involve God asking things like, "Why should I let you into heaven?" and other such questions. There will be no such questions. There will be no second chance at the judgment. It will be swift and sure.
live
Reading the text one final time, looking to see what God might be inviting me to do.
Possible suggestions were gaining a new perspective on God's caring about when unjust things happen to me. I don't really need that. I know he cares, even if I don't see immediate action.
I also don't feel the need to express outrage at scenes of worldwide injustice. There are plenty of people who are dedicated to their pet "causes" that express plenty of outrage. Sometimes it seems like I'm not supposed to care about anything but AIDS in Africa or Darfur or some other world crisis.
What I get from this is that I need to be about warning people whenever the opportunity arises. God's justice, like that of King Xerxes, will be, as I said earlier, swift and sure. No amount of groveling or pleading will change the final verdict. I'm not going to go preach hellfire and brimstone on the local street corner. I'll leave that to people who are gifted to do such things. My type of warning and exhortation is much more gentle, and probably involves a musical instrument of some kind. Heh.
One final note. When faced with injustice, Esther did the right thing. She went to the King. That's what we need to do. The King will take care of us. Vengeance is his.
Grace and peace to you!