February 25 King of Kings

Esther 3:12-14 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day.
 
WE see here the great power of a government decree. Near the end of Esther, you will see that once a decree was written and marked with the king’s signet ring, not even the king could stop it. Death, it seems, is sure for the Jews. Annihilation can come so casually from the minds of evil men.
    Are such decrees in our world today? Your first thoughts might go to terrorist organizations who decree the deaths of innocent people. But let’s look for a minute at our own governments and courts. In the U.S., for example, in 240 years of our existence, our Supreme Court has decreed racial, moral and physical destruction on our country as it affirmed slavery and separate education for races. In the past 45 years the court has sent out such deadly and immoral decrees as: Abortion is a right. Gay couples can be married.
    I have written of submission to government authorities in this study of Esther. The Scriptures declare how we are to live under the authority of those who rule over us. But the Bible also teaches us we are to work diligently and passionately to remove evil laws and rule from our land. Thankfully, the Court’s 19th century decisions affirming slavery and separating races were corrected in the 20th century to pave the way for integration in the United States.
    In God there is sufficient hope for change to his right laws. We must be purposeful to work to negate the sinful decrees that have caused the annihilation of millions of unborn in this country and around the world. We must work in hope to call all mothers to know God’s truth. We must make known God’s decrees to a confused, self-focused world that true marriage is only between a man and a woman.
    We can see such hope in Esther.  As the Jews in Persia faced annihilation, the Lord God was raising up a faithful man and woman to negate the king’s decree. No, the King of Persia could not stop his own decree. But the King of Kings could. He can do the same today.
 
Prayer: Lord God, you know the evil intentions of many to decree death to the unborn. We pray you continue to raise up faithful men and women to be your agents of life for these children. In Jesus’ name we plead. Amen.