Readings:
Esther 3-5
1 Timothy 1

Esther 3-5

After the two chapter into we read yesterday, now we get into the main part of the story; Haman’s plot. This is what drives the story, and spurs a decision that must be made by Esther on how to respond to this deadly threat to her people.

Haman is promoted to a high position in the king’s court, and Mordecai refused to kneel or pay respects to Haman. Maybe he knew something about his background or character, but as of right now it’s unclear. What is clear though is that Haman isn’t the type to take even a slight insult in stride. He makes it his life’s mission to destroy not just Mordecai, but all his people too.

We find out here that Haman is a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. This king was defeated by king Saul, and then slain by the prophet Samuel in the early days of the Israelite kingdom. These people were constantly at odd with the children of Abraham and so Haman may have ascended to the highest office already intent on killing the Jews, or he may have been reminded of ancestral hated when Mordecai slighted him.

Mordecai sends a message to his niece, the queen. He tells her what’s happening with the plan to kill all the Jews, and asks her to intervene. She replies that it would put her life in jeopardy because one cannot enter the king’s chambers without being invited. This is where the significance of this book really starts to show itself.

Mordecai says he knows the people will be delivered by Esther or by another means, because he’s a true believer in God and knows the promises made through the prophets over the years. But he also includes the famous quip “perhaps you were born for a time such as this” and that’s relevant for us today. Sometimes a situation is presented to us and we have to choose how to respond, but do we ever consider that we were put in that time and place to do the right thing for the glory of God? It’s something to consider next time life throws you a curveball.

After prayer and fasting, Esther works up the courage to go uninvited to see the king. This is really an act of extraordinary bravery and courage. Esther is only queen because the king had his previous wife either exiled, or some say he had her killed, for breaking with the court norms and the submissive nature of a Persian wife. Now here she is, and it’s only by the grace of God that he doesn’t do the same to her.

1 Timothy 1

This first letter from Saint Paul to his protege is one of what’s called the pastoral letters. Timothy is on special assignment in Ephesus and Paul is writing to him to encourage him on his mission and give him some direction on how to properly exercise the office of bishop. This includes the strong medicine that is sometimes needed, including excommunication.

Paul instructs Timothy to remain in Ephesus until everything there is straightened out. He’s to encourage the people and their leaders to remain within the teachings of the apostles and not wander into esoteric texts which is what he probably meant by “endless genealogies” that’s probably a reference to late Jewish apocryphal works that were essentially legends about Old Testament figures. They’ve been given the deposit of faith by Paul, let’s not veer off that path.

He says that some have set themselves out to be teachers while they themselves haven’t took the time to learn. No person can give what they don’t have, but some people just like the attention of being in front of a crowd.

Paul reminds Timothy that he’s been placed in a position of authority by Jesus Christ himself, despite the fact that he was very zealous in his blasphemy of Jesus and his followers. This might be a way to sooth over any insecurity Timothy might have about his own past failing and sins now that he is in a position of authority too. Every Saint Has a Past

Finally, he mentions some who ignored their conscience at their own peril and made a mess of their faith lives. These two men are excommunicated by Paul and he hopes this will bring them to repentance. Excommunication is sometimes erroneously said to be something invented by the medieval church, but it’s plainly a practice that dates back to the apostles.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Esther 6-8
1 Timothy 2