It is worth remembering what this season of Purim is all about.
I won't rehearse the whole story, I assume my readers know it well. There is a key however to the story that fits in this day. I was reminded of this by Barbara Yoder. It had to do with how Netanyahu sees his trip to speak to congress.
In a greater way if we as Christians carry inside us by the Holy Spirit a world view that helps us see past the deception and cultural delusion that is rampant in our land we too are Esthers.. called to speak up. Some will not hear. They deny that the gallows being built are for us, they don't want to hear about evil plots, they want to live inside a bubble of intentional blindness without having the reality of those who do want to kill us and the reality of people (kings) who intentionally or otherwise continue to fall for Haman's evil plots. They are those who insist that the mix of political viewpoints that reflect from a biblical world view are out of order. They seem to feel that if we just say nothing, pray and hope that everything will turn out all right.
If Esther had taken that approach we wouldn't have her story in the Bible and more important a nation would have died at the hands of an evil plotter. Just like today.
There are forces at play in the world who mean to kill Christians, Jews, innocents and yet there is a vacancy of leadership that recognizes that reality. Not even among spiritual leadership is there a stand for world view that comes from the heart of God. People think it is a mix of politics and religion. I am guilty of that.. but sometimes the Hamans of the world and those compliant like King Ahasuerus was in office need to be called to account.
If I don't, then what's a prophet for? I guess I have to tear whole books out of my Bible starting with Ezekiel. And when the rulers of the day were oppressing the people with heavy yokes... a guy whose name I bear called them out and openly rebuked them... His name is JESUS.
Should we do any less??
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
I won't rehearse the whole story, I assume my readers know it well. There is a key however to the story that fits in this day. I was reminded of this by Barbara Yoder. It had to do with how Netanyahu sees his trip to speak to congress.
In a greater way if we as Christians carry inside us by the Holy Spirit a world view that helps us see past the deception and cultural delusion that is rampant in our land we too are Esthers.. called to speak up. Some will not hear. They deny that the gallows being built are for us, they don't want to hear about evil plots, they want to live inside a bubble of intentional blindness without having the reality of those who do want to kill us and the reality of people (kings) who intentionally or otherwise continue to fall for Haman's evil plots. They are those who insist that the mix of political viewpoints that reflect from a biblical world view are out of order. They seem to feel that if we just say nothing, pray and hope that everything will turn out all right.
If Esther had taken that approach we wouldn't have her story in the Bible and more important a nation would have died at the hands of an evil plotter. Just like today.
There are forces at play in the world who mean to kill Christians, Jews, innocents and yet there is a vacancy of leadership that recognizes that reality. Not even among spiritual leadership is there a stand for world view that comes from the heart of God. People think it is a mix of politics and religion. I am guilty of that.. but sometimes the Hamans of the world and those compliant like King Ahasuerus was in office need to be called to account.
If I don't, then what's a prophet for? I guess I have to tear whole books out of my Bible starting with Ezekiel. And when the rulers of the day were oppressing the people with heavy yokes... a guy whose name I bear called them out and openly rebuked them... His name is JESUS.
Should we do any less??
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