Ben Fourie 

He had a cousin, Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah; she was a beautiful young woman, and had a good figure. Esther 2:7
 
King Xerxes I of Persia held a beauty pageant, not to select Miss World, but a new queen. He needed a new queen after Queen Vashti refused to come when he wanted to show off her beauty to his officials and merry guests who were already drunk. Amongst the finalists was a very beautiful Jewish girl named Hadassah, but she was there not to win a pageant but for a very special purpose. God chose her to participate because in the future, she would be needed by her people. Her uncle, Mordecai, in chapter 4 verse 14 said, “Yet who knows – maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!” Esther is the only book of the Bible where God is actually never mentioned by name. That does not mean that God was not present when His people were in grave danger.
 
The city of Susa was one of four capital cities where the Persian king spent some time each year. In Susa and in the surrounding provinces of the kingdom, there were many Jews who did not return to Israel after the exile. The prime minister, Haman, planned to destroy them all, but God had already chosen Esther to be the intercessor for her people.
 
In chapter 3, we read about the plans Haman made and how Xerxes gave Haman permission to kill all the Jewish people – men, women and children. Esther hosted a banquet and invited the king and Haman. She then put het life on the line by pleading with the king not to destroy her people. Up until that stage, it had not been known that Esther was a Jew. Xerxes granted her wish and when the Jews were attacked, they retaliated and were victorious.
 
We can never say who God should and should not choose, for as we have seen, he can use the beauty of a young woman to serve his purpose.
 
Prayer: Dear Father, even if we are not as beautiful as Esther and even if we do not have royal status, we are grateful to be chosen to be part of your people. Use us as needed. Amen

Ben Fourie 

“Mordegai was die voog van Hadassa, dit is Ester …. Die jong meisie het ’n mooi figuur gehad en was beeldskoon.” Ester 2:7, 2020-vertaling
 
Koning Ahasveros (Xerxes 1 in die geskiedenis) hou ’n skoonheidskompetisie, maar nie om ’n mejuffrou wêreld te kies nie. Nadat koningin Vasti geweier het om voor ’n klomp besope vriende en amptenare van die koning te verskyn, soek hy na ’n nuwe koningin. Onder die finaliste is ’n pragtige jong Joodse meisie Hadassa, maar sy is daar met ’n baie besonderse doel. God het haar self daar geplaas soos haar oom Mordegai in Ester 4:14 vir haar sê: “En wie weet of jy nie juis vir ’n tyd soos hierdie koninklike status verkry het nie.” Ester is die enigste boek in die hele Bybel waar die naam van God nie een keer genoem word nie, maar dit beteken nie dat God afwesig is waar sy volk in groot gevaar verkeer nie.
 
Die vestingstad, Susan, was een van die vier vestingstede waar die konings van die Persiese ryk ’n gedeelte van die jaar deurgebring het. In Susan en omstreke was daar ook baie Jode wat na die ballingskap in verstrooiing gebly het en nie na Israel teruggekeer het nie. Dit vir hulle wat Haman wil uitwis, maar God het vir Ester uitgekies om voorspraak by die koning te doen vir die mense van haar volk.
 
In hoofstuk 3 lees ons van Haman se planne en hoedat Ahasveros toestemming gegee het dat alle Judeërs met hulle vrouens en kinders doodgemaak moes word. Ester hou egter ’n maaltyd en by die geleentheid plaas sy haar lewe op die spel deur by Ahasveros te pleit vir haar volk. Tot op daardie stadium het Ahasveros nie geweet dat sy ’n Jood is nie. Hy staan haar versoek toe en wanneer die Jode aangeval word verdedig hulle hulleself en oorwin diegene wat hulle wou uitroei.
 
Ons kan God nooit beperk tot wie Hy moet kies om sy werk te doen nie. Hy gebruik ook die skoonheid van ’n jong vrou om sy uitverkore mense te red.
 
Gebed: Liewe Vader, al is ons dalk nie so mooi soos Ester nie en beklee ons nie koninklike status nie, is ons dankbaar dat U ons ook uitgekies het om deel van u volk op aarde te wees. Gebruik ons ook tot u eer. Amen

Ben Fourie 

I command all the treasury officials in the province of West Euphrates to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law of the God of Heaven, everything he asks you for. Ezra 7:21
 
For many of us, Ezra and Nehemiah are somewhat unknown and even strange figures, but we could justly call them master builders for the Lord. They not only rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple, but also “rebuilt” God’s people after the return from exile. The two books of Chronicles and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were, at some stage, seen as one unit and was probably completed somewhere between 450 and 400 BC. These books together depict a time span of about 80 years.
 
There was more than one group of exiles returning to Jerusalem, the first already in the time of Cyrus. They started rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the temple, but the nations around then thwarted these plans and pulled down the walls again. Later on, in about 444 BC, during the reign of Artaxerxes, Nehemiah was in the capital city, Susa, when his brother Hanani came to told him about what happened to the first group who returned to Israel. They were suffering a great deal and all the work that had begun, had come to nothing.
 
Nehemiah got permission from King Artaxerxes to go to Jerusalem and, at a later stage, was appointed administrator in Judah. He also got financial support from the king to rebuild the walls and temple. (See our Verse-a-day devotion about the king’s support) In spite of continued attacks, the walls and the temple were finished, although Nehemiah had to arm those who did the work.
 
 In Ezra 7:6 we read, “Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to Moses.” He was also a priest and played a big role in bringing back the worship of the true God of Israel and helped to re-establish the temple rituals. In Nehemiah 8, you can read about how Ezra read the scroll containing the Law to the people of Judah.
 
Two men with different talents but only one purpose. An administrator and a scholar of the Law who were called by God to settle his people in Judah again. How important this settlement was, we see it more than 400 years later when the Messiah was born from the descendants of the exiles who returned with the help of Ezra and Nehemiah.
 
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to use the talents you gave me to make your kingdom more visible in this world. Please show me where you want to use me. Amen

Ben Fourie 

“Ek koning Artasasta, het die volgende opdrag gegee aan al die tesouriere in Wes-Eufraat, 'Alles wat Esra die priester, kenner van die wet van God van die hemel, julle vra, moet noukeurig gelewer word,” Esra 7:21
 
Esra en Nehemia is vir baie van ons ietwat onbekende en vreemde figure, maar ons kan hulle tereg God se boumeesters noem, nie net vir die heropbou van die tempel en Jerusalem nie, maar veral ook van die volk van God self. Die boeke 1 en 2 Kronieke en Esra en Nehemia het in ’n stadium ’n eenheid gevorm en het waarskynlik tussen 450 en 400 v.C. finale beslag gekry. Dit beskryf ’n tydperk van ongeveer tagtig jaar.
 
Daar was ’n eerste groep bannelinge wat reeds deur Kores toestemming gekry het om na Jerusalem terug te keer. Hulle het ywerig begin met die heropbou, maar teenstanders het hulle verdryf en die werk ongedaan gemaak. In die tyd van koning Artasasta (ongeveer 444 v.C.) is Nehemia in die vestingstad Susan (sien ook die boek Ester). Daar hoor hy by sy broer Hanani wat uit Juda gekom het van die ellende waarin die volk verkeer. Jerusalem se mure is weer afgebreek en die poorte verbrand. Hy kry toestemming van Artasasta om na Jerusalem te reis en later word hy as goewerneur of administrateur oor Juda aangestel. Hy kry verder finansiële ondersteuning van Artasasta om Jerusalem en die tempel te herbou. (Sien weer ons vers vir die dag). Daar is egter steeds vyandelike aanvalle wat Nehemia dwing om die volk te bewapen, maar tog word die stadsmure en die tempel herbou.
 
Esra, lees ons in hoofstuk 7:6, was ’n skrifgeleerde “kundig in die wet van Moses wat die HERE die God van Israel gegee het” asook priester. Hy het ’n groot rol gespeel om weer die aanbidding van die enigste God, asook die tempeldiens, te herstel. In Nehemia 8 lees ons hoe hy die boekrol met die Wet aan die volk voorgelees het.
 
Twee manne met uiteenlopende talente, maar net een doel. Administrateur en skrifgeleerde wat saam deur God gebruik word om sy volk weer in hulle land te vestig. Hoe noodsaaklik die terugkeer en opbou werklik was, sien ons wanneer die Messias meer as 400 jaar later uit die geslagslyn van teruggekeerde bannelinge gebore word.
 
Gebed: Hemelse Vader ek wil ook die talente wat U my gegee het in u koninkryk aanwend. Wys my asseblief waar U my kan gebruik. Amen
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