Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 8:1-17.  Let’s go!

Esther 8:8 (NIV) 
8  “Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring–for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

On verses 1-13:  Now with Haman dead, Esther once again pleads with King Xerxes to do something to save the Jews from annihilation.  But according to the law of the Persians and Medes, any edict sealed with the king’s signet ring could not be revoked. Unable to overturn the edict he had previously sealed to have the Jews annihilated, King Xerxes does the next best thing:  he gives Mordecai his signet ring to approve any law Mordecai wants to counteract the first edict (v8).  So Mordecai uses King Xerxes’ signet ring to seal a new edict that allows the Jews to assemble and defend themselves, to annihilate any armed force that might attack them, and to plunder their property.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 6:1-14. Let’s go!

Esther 6:1 (NIV) 
1  That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.

On verses 1-13:  I’m not sure if King Xerxes ordered that the history of his reign be read to him in bed so that it would bore him to sleep or excite him to action.  In any event while he is listening to the history of his own reign as king, King Xerxes is reminded of how Mordecai exposed a plot to assassinate King Xerxes.   When King Xerxes discovers that nothing was done to honour Mordecai for this noble deed, King Xerxes consults Haman about what should be done for a man that the king delights to honor.  Haman assumes that King Xerxes is thinking about honouring him, so Haman suggests an elaborate celebration that includes letting the man wear one of the king’s robes, ride on the king’s horse, and having a noble lead that horse while shouting, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!” (v9).  King Xerxes, as usual, accepts his advisor’s suggestion.  Xerxes commands that Mordecai be honoured in just that way, ironically with Haman being the one to lead the horse that Mordecai will be riding on.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 4:1-17.  Let’s go!

Esther 4:1-3 (NIV) 
1  When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 
2  But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 
3  In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

On verses 1-3:  In King Xerxes’ kingdom, you were not allowed to get close to the king if you were mourning or grieving.  That’s why Mordecai could not go past the king’s gate while wearing sackcloth and ashes, the traditional garb for someone in grief.  I’m so thankful that in the kingdom we live in, where Jesus is king, we can approach our King just as we are.  If we are grieving, mourning or burdened, we can come to Him just the same.  In fact, our King welcomes us to come to Him with our burdens.  He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).   You can “cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).   

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 2:1-23.  Let’s go!

Esther 2:22 (NIV) 
22  But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.

On verses 1-23:  Approximately four years have passed since the events of chapter 1.  King Xerxes has returned home to Persia after unsuccessfully trying to invade Greece.  His attention now turns to finding a new queen to replace Vashti.  The prettiest girls from all over Xerxes’ kingdom are summoned to be part of an elaborate search contest.  In the end a Jewish orphan called Esther (Jewish name Hadassah) prevails as the winner and is crowned the new queen, although Esther keeps her Jewish identity a secret.

Later on, Mordecai, Esther’s older cousin who raised her and who was like a father to Esther, is sitting at the king’s gate when he overhears a plot by two of King Xerxes’ officers – Bigthana and Teresh – to assassinate the king.  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 13:15-31.  Let’s go!

On verses 15-31:  Earlier in Nehemiah 10 the Israelites had promised to obey all of God’s commands, including not neglecting God’s house (Nehemiah 10:32-39), not working on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 10:31), and not marrying unbelievers (Nehemiah 10:30).  Here in chapter 13 we see the Israelites breaking each of these commitments.  They neglect God’s house by failing to provide financially for the Levites and servants working in the temple (Nehemiah 13:10-11).  They desecrate the Sabbath by doing work on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 13:15-18).  They marry unbelieving women from other nations (Nehemiah 13:23-28).

Nehemiah does whatever he can to keep the people from sinning, even if it means shutting the gates on the Sabbath day to keep people from doing business (v19-21) and driving out everything unbelieving and foreign from the priests and Levites (v29-31).  Yet it would just be a matter of time before the Israelites would sin again.