Category Archives: Pastor Rick’s Study Notes

Commentary, translations, preparation for teaching from Pastor Rick.

Pastor Rick’s Study Notes – Mark 1:14-15, 35-39

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Pastor Rick’s Translation (PRT):

v. 14 And after John’s surrendering over to custody, Jesus came into Galilee announcing the Good News of God. v. 15 And he proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is near; repent and believe the Good News.”

v. 35 And very early in the morning, a great while before the sun had risen, Jesus went out and turned aside to a solitary place and there was praying. v. 36 And Simon and those with him searched hard for him. v. 37 Then, after they found him, also said to him, “Everyone seeks you.” v. 38 Then, Jesus said to them, “Let’s take another way towards the towns nearby so that I might proclaim the Good News openly there; after all, it’s for this I have gone public. v. 39 And going from place-to-place all around Galilee he was preaching in their assemblies and sending demons where they belong.

Did John have to leave the scene in order for Jesus to step into the Good News of the Kingdom? John was placed in the dungeons of Herod. Jesus preaches the Good News on the heels of John’s repentance message. They go hand-in-hand. Good News is just that for those who turn from a “me-centered life” toward a Jesus-centered life.

The Kairos has filled up and, in that moment, the Kingdom has come near. Our response is to repent and throw ourselves into the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of time came, God sent His Son Jesus.

In relation to time. Jesus in Mark 1 declared about the Kingdom present, “it’s here,” in John 12 declared about the Kingdom victory through the Cross, “it’s time,” and on the Cross in Luke about the Kingdom redemption and restoration, “it’s finished.”

v. 35 And very early in the morning, a great while before the sun had risen, Jesus went out and turned aside to a solitary place and there was praying.

This early morning prayer time is after a full day of ministry, teaching and demonstrating the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus has definitely entered the fray and stepped into what He came to do. Defeat the enemy, bring life and salvation to people.

For this area, deserted places were hard to find as most of the land around Capernaum was farmland. But Jesus turned aside from the path and found a deserted or isolated place.

That battle includes a time of refreshing as well as a time for intercession. Refreshing in the Father’s presence; intercession for the mission He will accomplish.

Jesus was able to leave the house in Capernaum – Simon Peter’s family home, since he also healed his wife’s mom, walk a distance toward the Sea of Galilee and find a deserted place in order to pray.

“And there, praying.” Instead of the more used “there he prayed” this captures that he spent an extended time praying. The verse indicates the “watch of 3 to 6 am.”

For Power and for Refreshing.

Jesus demonstrates the weapons of battle – prayer, fasting, and rest.

v. 36 And Simon and those with him searched hard for him.

The word for searched is “followed” but also with diligence, with intense pursuit. Hence “searched hard” for Him.  A possible translation might be “went after him with intense desire and effort” – but that’s too intense. Simon is likely telling the story to Mark as he writes. The success and popularity of the previous day needed to be exploited in his mind; Jesus however had a different plan and calling.

It’s the same word the Psalmist uses in Psalm 23 – surely goodness and mercy shall search hard after me.

In Peter’s defense, he knew there were many who would want to hear Jesus and needed to be healed.

v. 37 Then, after they found him, also said to him, “Everyone seeks you.”

v. 38 Then, Jesus said to them, “Let’s take another way towards the towns nearby so that I might proclaim the Good News openly there; after all, it’s for this I have gone public.

Jesus was there for Capernaum, but also for all the villages and towns around Galilee. This area of the Holy Lands had become quite the supplier for crops, animals, and manufacturing – so there were a lot of small villages who needed to hear the Good News and see Jesus demonstrate it through miracles and signs.

The words declare/proclaim/preach indicate publicly and openly; the phrase “for this is why I came forth” in light of this makes sense – it’s why I’ve gone public, stepped out of obscurity into the limelight.

v. 39 And going from place-to-place all around Galilee he was preaching in their assemblies and sending demons where they belong.

The word here is “cast out” (ekballo) as in, throw out from one place forcefully. It can also mean send away with a purpose or force. Jesus “sent demons packing” as Peterson translated. In other places he sent them from and to.

Jesus faced the worst in man and brought His best, the darkest and brought the light, the most infectious and repulsive and brought wholeness, life and freedom. In the final verses, Jesus faced what was arguably the worst someone could contract and suffer in the leprous man.

Leprosy was so bad that it became synonymous with the corruption of sin and hell. Lepers were forbidden to relate to others who were “clean” and had to exist outside of society and warn others lest they stumble into their midst.

Jesus broke all kinds of rules: he approached the leper, he communicated with the leper, he touched the leper, he was moved with compassion (some translations say “indignant”) that such a disease would cause such pain and the culture would allow such ostracism, and he healed him.

Then, he said, go and make the offerings and do what the culture we live in requires for the eight days to show you are healed as a “testimony to them” meaning the priests. It was the way he would enter back into worship and society. And since no one had ever been healed of leprosy, no priest had ever had to exact this offering from one healed.

The culture had labeled and identified people with leprosy by their malady. They were no longer people – they were lepers. What we experience, what we might suffer through, what we have battled, is not who we are – it might make us into what we become, but we are not wrapped up in the identity of “the leper.”

Two important beliefs surround this miracle:

  1. No one from Israel who had a long bout with leprosy had ever been healed (Elisha healed a Gentile military leader and God had used leprosy as a brief sign to the disobedient.) Leprosy had been named “punishment from the finger of God.” And the belief was that in order to be healed from leprosy, the Messiah would have to come and perform the miracle.
  2. That no one could touch a leper or anything unclean because the unclean would transfer to make the clean unclean.

Jesus changed all of this! He felt compassion for this man kneeling before Him. This was an incredible faith. The man was declaring that, if you can heal me, you indeed are Messiah.

Points to consider:

Who are you getting up early for? Who are you doing battle for? Who are you willing to entrust to the power of the spirit and move on for?  What are you facing that you need others to do battle for?

Pastor Rick’s Study Notes on Mark 1:1-15

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Pastor Rick’s Study notes:

Mark 1:1-15 (PRT – Pastor Rick’s Translation)

v. 1 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ the son of God. As v. 2 it has been written recorded in Isaiah’s book, “See this, I send my messenger before you who will prepare the way for you.” v. 3 “the voice of one crying in the desert places, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight and level His path. v. 4 John came baptizing in the desert places and announcing a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. v. 5 And all from the region of Judea and from Jerusalem went out to him and, confessing their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River. v. 6 And John was dressed in camel’s hair clothing with a leather belt around his waist living on locusts and wild honey. v. 7 And he preached, saying “He who comes after me is mightier than me, for whom I am not worthy to bend down and untie his shoestrings.” v. 8 “I baptized you with water; but beyond this, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” v. 9 And it happened, that in those days of John’s preaching and baptizing, Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee came and was baptized by John in the Jordan. v. 10 And straight away, in that moment, as Jesus was rising up from the waters, he saw the heavens splitting open and the Spirit in the form of a dove descending to rest on him. v. 11 “You are my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well-pleased,” came a voice out of the heavenlies. v. 12 And straight away, in that moment, the Spirit compels him deeper into the desert places. v. 13 And for forty days, Jesus was in the desert places being tempted by Satan and he was with the wild animals and the angels served him. v. 14 And after John’s surrendering over to custody, Jesus came into Galilee announcing the Good News of God. v. 15 And he proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is near; repent and believe the Good News.”

v. 1 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ the son of God. As…

STUDY NOTES:

Mark’s account of the good news first declares that Jesus of Nazareth is both Messiah and son of God. The King who came and God with us.

v. 2 it has been written recorded in Isaiah’s book, “See this, I send my messenger before you who will prepare the way for you.”

The story of the Bible has been leading up to this point, to the time when the Father would send one to prepare the way for His Son. The creation. The Fall. The flourishing of man. The Family of Israel. The Judges. The King. The Division. The Captivity. All the Prophets throughout. All pointed to the Redemption and the Restoration the Good News brings.

v. 3 “the voice of one crying in the desert places, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight and level His path.

This passage is a royal welcome passage. Get the worn-out paths wide and level; prepare each step of the way so that the welcome celebration can happen. Why in the desert? Why does it start with John? Each Gospel writer began at a difference point of reference: Matthew with the genealogy to show the Jews that Jesus fit the prophecies, Luke with the birth of John as the miraculously sent forerunner, John with the pre-incarnate Christ. Mark with the message of John that sets the stage for Jesus.

With John’s quote here, the verses hearken to when this was originally spoken – to prepare the captives in Babylon for God’s intervention and nearness to rescue. A prophet’s words often have both near and far meanings.

v. 4 John came baptizing in the desert places and announcing a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

It could be “toward freedom or release from sin’s bondage.” He baptized to announce freedom from the guilt and bondage of sin was possible based on a heart that renounced and turned away from sin. This prepares the heart for restoration and redemption through the Good News of the Kingdom. Note that John preached the Kingdom come near; to preach the Kingdom present is reserved for King Jesus and His followers. John “came” – the word has a meaning of high importance, epochal.

John was baptizing Jews as if they were foreigners needing to enter the Kingdom of God. All of us need to repent, be baptized as a picture of this repentance, and see God’s hand of forgiveness.

v. 5 And all from the region of Judea and from Jerusalem went out to him and, confessing their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

This would put much of John’s ministry nearer to Jerusalem and Bethany than to Capernaum in Galilee. Did everyone? Not a literal “all” but all heard, and a steady stream of people entered the waters upon turning from sin and making the heart change of repentance. Certainly, all means all strata of the culture came to John’s baptism; tax gatherers, centurions, religions, businessmen, fishermen, rich and poor, etc.

v. 6 And John was dressed in camel’s hair clothing with a leather belt around his waist living on locusts and wild honey.

Quite the contrast from all other rabbinical lifestyles, John lived on what he found in the desert. The original bohemian lifestyle, a mashup of Essene, prophet, and Bedouin.

v. 7 And he preached, saying “He who comes after me is mightier than me, for whom I am not worthy to bend down and untie his shoestrings.”

The lowest of servants in a large household got the task of unstrapping guests’ sandals after their trek through the city and town streets filled with dust, refuse, and animal droppings. It was a lowly job; and John was not even that worthy. Let’s see how we feel doing that for a day. His perspective was spot-on. He is Lord of all, and we are not worthy; we are in by grace alone. And did Jesus find it the right illustration to do the same for each person in his circle of disciples – even the ones who doubted, denied, and betrayed him.

v. 8 “I baptized you with water; but beyond this, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

What was the Baptizer’s pneumatology? What did he mean? I’m guessing that, on this side of the Pentecost outpouring, John saw prophetically the redeemed inundated with and immersed in the present and consuming Spirit that filled him when he preached. Both are needed. Often, one is emphasized over the other.

v. 9 And it happened, that in those days of John’s preaching and baptizing, Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee came and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Jesus broke into the great work John was doing by humbly submitting to and sanctioning John’s baptism as a valid ministry that prepared people to receive the King. He came from a town so redneck that the normal rednecks laughed at it. A town that didn’t even warrant a mention in the Old Testament. It was a one-flashing stoplight town.

v. 10 And straight away, in that moment, as Jesus was rising up from the waters, he saw the heavens splitting open and the Spirit in the form of a dove descending to rest on him.

And let the “in that moment’s” begin, with the falling of the Spirit like a dove to rest on Jesus. The picture is incredibly vivid. John takes Jesus under the water and, just as the water clears Jesus’ eyes, the Father splits the heavenlies, opens the space between temporal and eternal, and sends in the form of a dove, the Spirit of God to rest on His Son. Father, Son, Spirit all declaring “in that moment.” Look up heavenlies in Ephesians (ouranon). In Ephesians, “heavenlies is “epiouranon” – that heaven above the heavens. God split open like a curtain the divide that separates the physical from the eternal, the earthly from the heavenly, and Jesus and John both at least saw the “heavenlies” that Paul writes of in Ephesians.

How many times does Mark use “straight away” or “immediately?” As many as 44 or more.

This is the same word used for splitting the curtain in the temple and letting us see into the holy places.

John saw this, too, as the Gospel of John records. So, the heavenlies were made visible from earth for Jesus and John to both see and hear what the Father was doing.

v. 11 “You are my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well-pleased,” came a voice out of the heavenlies.

Jesus had not performed a miracle, preached a message, or begun a public ministry; he had satisfied the Father’s longing before a single act or word that would set his ministry apart. When we are satisfying to the Father, we serve well; we don’t serve to satisfy the Father. The Beloved = His own dear son.

Three times the Father breaks in with His voice – here, at the transfiguration and in the Temple after he cleanses it and declares “It’s time.”

v. 12 And straight away, in that moment, the Spirit compels him deeper into the desert places.

The same Spirit of God who affirmed Him now tests Him. Jesus is compelled further into the deserted places toward the Dead Sea. This is the place the OT calls the Desolation or Horrible Desolation.

The word here is the same as the Spirit compelling workers into the harvest.

v. 13 And for forty days, Jesus was in the desert places being tempted by Satan and he was with the wild animals and the angels served him.

The angels kept him safe, served him by providing drink and encouragement. They served like deacons to the point of need Jesus had. Desert places find a significant place in the story of the Good News and the story of God’s kids. We find victory in the midst of temptation; we find nourishment; we hear from God; we see angels.

1 John 3:8 Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil. His first work after his baptism and infilling was to face the enemy in the desert places.

v. 14 And after John’s surrendering over to custody, Jesus came into Galilee announcing the Good News of God.

Did John have to leave the scene in order for Jesus to step into the Good News of the Kingdom? John was placed in the dungeons of Herod. Jesus preaches the Good News on the heels of John’s repentance message. They go hand-in-hand. Good News is just that for those who turn from a “me-centered life” toward a Jesus-centered life.

Between vv. 13 and 14, a lot happens. Jesus has met his first disciples, gone to a wedding in Cana, visited Jerusalem, met Nicodemus, purged the Temple the first time, and met the woman at the well on the way back to Galilee.

v. 15 And he proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is near; repent and believe the Good News.”

The Kairos has filled up and, in that moment, the Kingdom has come near. Our response is to repent and throw ourselves into the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of time came, God sent His Son Jesus.

Speak about time chronos, Kairos, etc. The perfect moment.

I’ve begun a series called Book-by-Book. This is a Chapter-by-chapter series.

In relation to time. Jesus in Mark 1 declared about the Kingdom present, “it’s here,” in John 12 declared about the Kingdom victory through the Cross, “it’s time,” and on the Cross in Luke about the Kingdom redemption and restoration, “it’s finished.”

Study Notes for John 15:1-17

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Teaching Notes on John 15:1-17

Jesus talked a lot about gardens and farming and plants. Vineyards, olive vines, trees growing from tiny seeds, fig trees all are a part of his Kingdom teaching.

v. 1 Jewish hearers would recognize this visual from the OT. God took Israel like a vine and planted it in the promised land, and it filled up the land. But because God’s gracious protection was removed through their disobedience, this vine lost its vitality and invaders had destroyed. Jesus is the true and perfect vine that we can become a part of. Jesus may have just instituted the first Wine and Loaf supper; the vine would be appropriate to follow this.

The tender or farmer is also the owner. This is really important. The gardener is not a paid worker but the one who owns the land and planted the vine. It’s his full interest that the vine bears much fruit.

Answered Prayer is connected to fruitfulness

v. 2 The branches of the vine grafted into the True Vine will be pruned and cut off. He snaps off what will not produce fruit – could be referring to Judas?

v. 3 Cleansing by the logos, the message, the Gospel of the Kingdom. But the pruning and trimming will be painful.

v. 4 Remain in Christ, remain in relationship with Jesus and it follows that Christ will remain in us. The assumed is that we can reject or remove ourselves from that vital relationship. We can choose a “by ourselves” lifestyle, or we can choose to remain in Him.  Fruitfulness requires connection to the Real Vine.

v.5 We are the branches. We don’t bear fruit if we aren’t remaining connected. In fact, our spiritual lives depend on the connection to Jesus. Eph. 2:12 reminds us what we were when we were separated from his life. We were dead in sin.

v. 6 Jesus is speaking during the early Spring. This is the time of pruning, much leaves, no fruit, and the farmer is preparing the vines for a great harvest.

Illustration: Italy and the vines.

Choice is ours to remain in Christ, believe He is Lord, submit to Him as leader; or unplug and be destroyed.

v. 7 Ask whatsoever (you will is understood but not in the original). It should glorify God. It should have Jesus stamped over it. It flows from remaining in the Vine. And it leads to much more fruitfulness. 14:13, 16:23 Jesus repeats this promise. It is a promise that is conditional to our choices. We might choose to ask for something, but if we have not chosen to remain in Him in an intimate life-giving connection, if we aren’t asking that God be glorified, etc., then we might ask amiss.

v. 8 The much fruit here is tied into the ask, the granted answers, God getting glory, and becoming more and more His followers.

v. 9 The Father has loved the Son (aorist, completely, perfectly), the Son has loved me the same way (completely, perfectly) – it goes without saying I will continue, abide, steadily walk in the Son. Our love is grounded in Jesus’ practical act of love for us, but also deeply rooted in the bottom of the father’s heart of love for the world.

v. 10-11 Connects joy as a fruit in our lives to the consistency of our humility and obedience. When we love unconditionally, we are living the value of the Kingdom and the verb is future, we will continue to live in these values (imagine what life would be like without light, love, mercy, truth, peace, etc. – all these are removed when the Kingdom is ignored.) His joy in us; not the joy we can muster up or activate by “feeling good.” It is his joy inside – Spiritual fruit – and it is both full and eternal.

v. 12 When we love we lived like Jesus. The verb here is “keep on loving one another” – endure in love, persist in love. When we humbly trust and follow God, we are showing Him love. Just the day before, Mt. 22 Love God. Love people.

Illustration: Serve your wife to love her. Listen to your wife to love her. Respect your husband to love him. Stand in his corner and cheer for him to love him.

v. 13 -17 Expands on and defines “Love others as I have loved you.” This is obedience. This is real love. And this is the process of bearing much more fruit – that lasts. 10:11 the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. If you keep on obeying what Jesus says…

v. 15 When Jesus says the word friends, he thinks of you and me – His friends. Friend and servant aren’t mutually exclusive. He is unveiling truth and Himself more and more. As Jesus unveils who he is experientially to us as we “keep on remaining”, we discover that the two are entwined. I am Jesus’ friend and servant.

v. 16-17 He chose me, you. He chose me to be one of the Redeemed, the Restored. He appointed me, you. He gave me a purpose, a calling, an adventure, something to accomplish – and that leads to going, moving, stepping into that purpose and bearing fruit that lasts. That’s the fruit that springs out of our relationships into other’s lives to God’s glory. And it flows out of living a life of love and purpose.

It’s “keep on going” “keep on bearing fruit” along with “keep on remaining.

Study Notes on Amos 9:11-15

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If you’ve joined me in my recent Study Notes section, my goal is to help you take each Sunday’s message a bit deeper. I never have time enough to share all I learn in the study. I’ll visit commentaries, word study tools, biblical background texts, languages, and several translations in preparation each week. These are my notes:

Study Notes on Amos 9:11-15

vv. 11-12 – The Greek translation of this passage echoes Acts 15:16-17. While this is written in Hebrew, the OT Greek version says this: …from the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory, so that the rest of humanity including the Gentiles, all those I’ve called to be mine might seek me.

James quoted 11-12 in Acts when Paul and others stood before him Acts. 15

v. 11 “house” is literally “tent” or tabernacle; but in context of David, it can mean Kingdom.

Amos was one of 12 minor prophets. He, in fact, claimed to be “neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet.” He was a shepherd and a worked with fruit-bearing trees.

Most timelines of the 16 different prophets who make up the prophetic books of the OT have Amos as the first who spoke to the divided nation of Israel and Judah. He was unique and his book is the first of its kind.

Before Amos, there were “prophetic schools” of individual prophets for hire. He made it clear he was not of this. And when he got the call to prophesy, he went to the center of idolatry that Israel had set up in Bethel in place of the covenant worship of the Lord God. “It’s all coming down” he said. If you turn back and worship me, you’ll bring it down. If you don’t, watch how I bring it down. His message was so clear and powerful that the chief priest in Bethel sent word to the King that his words were too many for their land. And he sent Amos away. Amos wasn’t done yet.

He was an enigma. He grew up in Judah but went to Israel to prophesy. He declared himself not a prophet, but God called him to prophesy. He kept sheep but he worked with fruit trees. He was extraordinary in his quotability:

“prepare to meet your God.”

“let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like a stream”

“I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet.”

Amos was the first of these prophets. For Him, The Lord God was ruler over all. He was not provincial and only ruled over the bit of land called Israel and Judah. He was Lord of all. There is no God but the Lord God. His both The Lord who is Near and The Lord God of the Angel Armies.

His purpose in writing and speaking this prophecy is:

  • To reveal God’s mercy to His people
    • God is their intimate deliverer who has come near – and they have ignored His nearness. He has not moved and He calls his people back from the edge where they’ve gone too far.
  • To bring warning and a call to repent and reengage with God’s covenant
    • He speaks, gives nudges, show signs, and uses those who hear from God to bring God’s people back from the edge of forgetting His covenant.

3Can two people walk together

without agreeing on the direction?

4Does a lion ever roar in a thicket

without first finding a victim?

Does a young lion growl in its den

without first catching its prey?

5Does a bird ever get caught in a trap

that has no bait?

Does a trap spring shut

when there’s nothing to catch?

6When the ram’s horn blows a warning,

shouldn’t the people be alarmed?

Does disaster come to a city

unless the Lord has planned it?

7Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything

until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.

And at the edge of completely leaving the covenant God, Amos says that they will experience a famine and a drought, not for food but for the Word of God, not a thirst for water but a quenching from God’s truth. They will run from border to border, from sea to sea, looking for His Word. And they will not find it.

  • To challenge the leaders and the people to reflect God’s right ways and His kindness to those who are beaten down and disenfranchised.
    • He spoke out against human trafficking.
    • Against the abuse and manipulation of those less powerful.
    • Against dishonesty and
    • They have forgotten how to do right.
    • They had chosen to trust in the prosperity and the military, but not in the covenant with their God who rescues.

And unless they turn from evil and turn back to the covenant, the repercussion of their sin will be their end. No matter where they run from destruction, it will find them.

  • To declare God’s plan for restoration to His people.

5:4 – “Come back to me and live.” I know the vast number of your sins and the depths of your rebellion. Come back to me and live.

On that terrible day of destruction, when it is darkest, when hope runs thin, God’s plan for restoration becomes a reality. And that brings us to our passage.

He spoke to both Israel and Judah and called the people of God away from superficial religion to a real relationship with the Lord God. No leaves would do; he wanted fruit.

Fig trees found their way into vineyards. The fig has more seeds in its fruit than any other fruit Potential.

Workers with sycamore fig trees knew that the fig ripens faster if bruised while on the tree. The bruising makes the fig sweeter.

Juxtapose Amos with the Parable of the Fruitless Fig Tree.

He preached in a time when both nations had stable political and economic infrastructures. Jereboam was king in Israel; Uzziah was king in Judah.

The problems were: 1) prosperity had blinded eyes to the needs of the poor and hurting, 2) political security had replaced their dependence on the Lord’s security, 3) a relax view of the covenant had redefined what obedience and faith was.

Religion was divorced from the compassionate character of God; worship was void of relationship and covenant.

Amos and Amaziah the priest square off 7:1.

Justice like water; righteousness like a flood – 5:24

Fruitful life maintains nearness to covenant, dependence on God’s provision, and compassion toward those in need.

Study Notes for Esther 4:13-17

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Esther’s response is Seek God, Count the Cost, Act.

  • Pray and Fast – brokenness, longing for God’s Kingdom to come, tenacious in prayer. 2 Chronicles 7:14 parallel.
  • Know that we may die Illustration: Wimber and call for martyrs.
  • Step into the moment

God, the Lord, Israel’s land, the Temple the Exile – none are mentioned in the whole of Esther.

Haman represented the enemy’s persistent attempt to end Israel’s existence. His heritage was Amalekite. And this tribe of Canaanites was consistently at war with the Jews. That’s why Mordecai wouldn’t bow to Haman. That’s why Haman wanted to kill every Jew.

Judges 2 reminds us that, if a people of faith are not careful, the next generation will grow up “who knew neither the Lord God nor what He has done for his people.”

Mordecai grieved, not for himself, but for His people. We grieve when the people of God suffer.

vv. 5-7 Mordecai was sent clothing to change into and pause the mourning – by Esther the queen. And he refused. She then sent a trusted counselor to find out what troubled him. The Hebrew says, “what this, and why this.” That’s the drive of those who look to the needs of the world. What is going on? What is happening?

Mordecai turns it back around to Esther – this is what, this is why, and how can you make a difference!

The king didn’t allow mourning or sadness in his presence; the Father welcomes the hurting. Juxtapose the Persian monarch with the Father in heaven.

Missional status and calling.

The understanding is Perhaps your position in the Kingdom, what God has provided, is just for this time and this need; and – the wording assumes – and what will you do with it.

If Mordecai represents the heart of sensitivity to the world’s dangers, needs, future, etc., Esther represents the heart of the intercessor to stand in the gap, to plea for deliverance.

Mordecai’s position is: God will raise up one who will sustain the Jewish people, for God’s people will persist. But will this be the time you step up? God’s people will continue. The Church will stand; but will it stand and bring God’s kingdom because we stand up, pray, count the cost and act.

Has our day heard a call for the end of Christianity? Is our culture so opposed to the Kingdom of God that they would forego reason and compassion to see it end?

Love for the Kingdom, love for God’s people, love for those yet to come to the King motivates the Mordecai’s. Trust in God’s favor while counting the cost undergirds the Esther’s.

The greater the gifts, the higher the expectation. The more accessible the position, the more relevant the need to parlay this into action. Those who have wealth are blessed by God with this gift. Those who have speaking skills are given them by the Father. Etc.

Illustration: When we are given gifts and opportunities, we can often choose other than action:

  1. We coast – we get by with only a little.
  2. We move into the middle – so we don’t stand out.
  3. Best to own the mission, make our lives count, and leverage our position and relationship for the Kingdom.