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以斯帖记［第四-六章］
Book of Esther 4-6

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以斯帖记 第四-六章|Book of Esther 4-6

【高山低谷都有神】

主讲：陈炎明牧师

17/03/2022

第四章：【勇气】

人生会遇见突如其来的风暴！犹大民族全体同胞正面对一场灭族的浩劫。霎时间，犹大全民陷入一场完全绝望的悲惨命运。谁能拯救他们呢？对其他犹太人而言，他们知道所面对的是当代最强盛的波斯政权下令要灭绝犹大人，你说还有谁能够拯救他们呢？犹大人其实并不知道波斯帝国的王后原来说他们的同族人。

既是以斯帖王后知道了又如何？因为没有被王召见，她是不能主动求见的。而且已经有三十日之久未被召见，她其实也不知道王心如何？此时此刻干着急也没有用，那又可以做什么呢？原来是禁食祷告，举国同胞禁食祷告。王后也进入三天禁食祷告。原来当眼前无路的时候，祷告就是最大的出路！

祷告之后神怎么介入呢？原来是给以斯帖【勇气】，“死就死吧！”的勇气。正如义父末底改的提醒：“焉知你得了王后的位分，不是为现今的机会吗？”神把我们放在不同的环境、身份、地位，其实都有其特定的目的。我们要在需要说话的时候勇敢起来说话。哪怕是要冒险！都得勇敢一试，否则就是注定失败；有冒险就有突破。

第五章：【时机】

祷告之后就要配合实际行动，以斯帖预备好自己就直闯王宫内院，站在王正好可以望见的门口。这一刻是生死攸关之际，就在乎王是否对她伸出金杖？因为王已经三十天没有召见王后，是厌弃她了吗？是得罪王了吗？是什么原因惹怒王了吗？她完全不知道。感恩，最后是完全美好的，王一见面就问王后想求什么？而且还主动说就是国的一半都可以给她。由此可见，王依然是如此深爱着以斯帖。

对王说出请求的时机来了，为什么以斯帖不说呢？结果还等到晚上赴宴会，有哈曼在的时候才说吗？时间终于也到了赴宴的时候，王一见王后又是直接大开机会之门：“你要什么？王必赐给你。就是国的一半也必为你成就。”这不是神又为她打开机会之门了吗？

原来当人经过深切的禁食祷告之后，神放在人里面的感动是很微妙的。里面没有想要说就先别说，有些话需要在最合宜的时机说出来才有最佳果效。结果当下的感动是求王第二晚再来多一次同样的宴会，同样的邀请哈曼。这事就有点奇怪了不是吗？想想如果你是王，你会有何感想？

原来这一耽延，神就让哈曼有机会再被末底改给触怒，然后安排了要处死末底改的木架恶谋。在这一切事情上，人万万没有想到原来恶人正在为自己挖陷坑，准备自食其果。

我们常说要把握时机，然而凡事寻求神才是更重要的步骤。否则看到机会来就接下来，往往时机尚未成熟，事情终究无法完成。

第六章：【神手】

王失眠？失眠可以做什么呢？已经一个月没有见到心爱的王后以斯帖，怎么没有让久别的美丽王后共度良宵呢？如果真的睡不着怎么不会让皇家的御医给点安眠药呢？再不然让宫中的艺人表演娱兴节目也行。国王睡不着，不是要怎样就怎样吗？原来当神的子民禁食祷告之后，圣灵就在背后动工，包括国王也没有了别的思想，只会想到要读国家史记。结果随从随手一拿，就拿到关于末底改救国王有功的记载，让国王发现原来还没有报答末底改。如此一来，末底改就首先经历反败为胜，而且需要当众尊荣他的竟然是想要陷害他的恶人哈曼！

有人会说好心没好报？其实很多事情是不能看表面的，因为神都知道，而且都在神的铺排之中。这就是为什么以斯帖的机会看是到了，但是她一次两次都没说，原来神在背后还有事情要做。只有等到这一切事件都一一发生之后，国王才听见哈曼要杀犹大人，原来是包括恩人末底改、爱人以斯帖，和他们的同胞。这一来国王的看法就很不同了。最终才成就了神的美意。

总结：看似没神实在有主

人生有数不尽的高山低谷，坎坷崎岖，特别是在幽谷中的时候，感觉上好像看不见神在那里？其实神都在，甚至当孩子面对恶谋欺压的时候，神都知道，只是祂不一定及时出手，因为祂知道真正的时机是什么时候！

Esther 4-6: God is at the mountain peak and valley
GK611 Morning Devotion
17/03/2022
Speaker: Rev David Tan

Chapter 4: [ Courage]

Life will encounter sudden storms! The entire nation of Judah was facing a catastrophe of genocide. All of a sudden, the entire nation of Judah fell into a tragic fate of despair. Who can save them? The Jews knew that they were facing the most powerful Persian regime in their time who has ordered the massacre of the Jews. Who else would you say could save them? The people of Judah did not actually know that the queen of the Persian Empire turned out to be their people.

Even if Queen Esther knew, what’s next? Because she was not summoned by the king, she could not request to meet him on her own. Furthermore, she has not been summoned for 30 days, and she wasn’t sure what was in the king’s heart? It was useless to be anxious at that moment, so what could she do? It turned out to be fasting and praying, and the whole nation fasted and prayed. The queen also participated in the fasting and praying for three days. Hence, when there is no way out, prayer is the best way out!

How did God intervene after prayer? It was to give Esther [courage], the courage to "die and so be it!". Just as the foster father Mordecai reminded her: "Weren’t you have obtained the position of queen for this current opportunity?" God has placed us in different environments, identities and positions for a specific purpose. When we need to speak up, we speak up boldly. Even if there is a risk! We must attempt bravely, otherwise it is destined to fail; when there is a risk, there will be a breakthrough.

Chapter 5: [Timing]

After praying, actions must be taken. When Esther was ready, she went straight to the inner courtyard of the palace and stood at the door just where the king could see. This moment was a matter of life and death, whether the king would offer help to her? As the king has not summoned the queen for thirty days, was it because he has despised her? Did she offend the king? What made the king angry? She has completely no idea. Grateful, it was an absolute beautiful ending. As soon as the king met the queen, he asked the queen what she wants? And he said even if it was half of the kingdom, he could give it to her. This shows that the king still loves Esther deeply.

The time has come to speak to the king, why didn't Esther speak? Still have to wait till the evening banquet, when Haman was there then she will speak up? When it was finally time for the banquet, when the king saw the queen, he gave her another great opportunity: "What do you want? I will give it to you. Even if it is half of the kingdom, I will satisfy you." Isn’t God has opened another opportunity door for her?

It turned out that when people went through deep fasting and prayer, God’s touch within them would be very subtle. If don't feel like saying it, then don't say it. Some words need to be said at the most suitable moment to have the best effect. As a result, at that moment, she was touched to ask the king to come back the next night for another same banquet and the same invitation to Haman. This is kind of weird, isn't it? Think about how you would feel if you were the king?

It turned out that with this delay, God created a chance where Haman got offended by Mordecai again, and thereafter arranged an evil plan to execute Mordecai with a wooden frame. In all these matters, people could never imagine that the wicked was actually digging a pit for himself, ready to suffer the consequences.

We often say we must seize the moment but seeking God in all things is the more important step. Otherwise, whenever we see an opportunity, we will grab it. However, often the time is not yet ripe, hence, things will not be accomplished.

Chapter 6: [God's Hand]

The king has insomnia. What could he do when having insomnia? It has been a month not seen the beloved Queen Esther, why didn't he get the beautiful queen to spend a good night together? If having insomnia, why not asked the royal doctor to prescript some sleeping pills? Otherwise, get the entertainers in the palace to perform. If the king couldn’t sleep, wasn’t he can do anything he wanted? It turned out that after the people of God fasted and prayed, the Holy Spirit was working behind the scenes, including the king had no other thoughts but wanted to read the National History. As a result, the entourage simply took a book and it was a record about Mordecai saving the king, and the king then realized that he had not repaid Mordecai. In this way, Mordecai has first experienced of turning defeat into victory, and it was the wicked Haman who wanted to frame him who needed to honour him in public!

Some people will ask why good intentions are not being rewarded? In fact, many things cannot be seen superficially, because God knows them all, and they were all planned by God. That's why Esther's chance seemed to come, but she didn't act on it, and it turned out that God had something to do behind the scenes. It was only after all these events had taken place that the king heard that Haman was going to kill the Judah, including his benefactor Mordecai, his beloved lover Esther and their people. Because of all these, the king's view was very different. In the end, God's good will was fulfilled.

Conclusion: It seems like there is no God but there is a Lord

Life has countless high mountains and low valleys, ups and downs, especially when you are in the valley, you feel like you can’t see God. In fact, God is there, and even when a child was bullied and oppressed, God knows it, but He may not act in time, because He knows when the right time is!