NEHEMIAH & ESTHER

It is Saturday morning, and soon I will be off to give a devotion to men at our Men's Breakfast.  We call it our Men of Destiny.  They come to hear a biblical challenge to be godly men, pray together, and then we always enjoy a great meal together.  I will be there within the hour, so I have just a few things to share today: 1) DON'T LET IT LOOK LITTLE!  Nehemiah is sharing his burdens with God, and in Nehemiah 9:32, he says:  "let not all the trouble seem little before thee,"  Here Nehemiah is saying:  "God, they may seem little to You, but they are BIG to me.  Please don't see my problems as being little in Thy sight."  All of our problems are little to God, but we need to pray:  "LORD, don't let my problems look little to You!"  Help us!  2) MOTIVATION- In Esther 3:13, a decree was sent out to "destroy, to kill and to cause to perish, all Jews both young and old, little children and women, in one day,"  and "to take the spoil of them for a prey."  Notice that a great motivation would be that they get to "take the spoil for a prey."  In other words, they might want to kill the Jews, not because they did not like them, but because they wanted their goods.  Now look at how the Jews responded in chapter 9, verse 16, when it was their turn to exact vengeance upon their enemies:  "but they laid not their hands on the prey,".  You see, money and possessions were not their motivation.  Now, what motivates you as a Christian?  Don't ever let money and possessions be what motivates us.... let it be the will of God! 3) 75 FOOT TALL!  In Esther 5:14, Haman's wife and friends advised him to make a gallows 50 cubits tall to hang Mordecai upon.  50 cubits is the same as 75 feet.  That is a tall gallows seeing that less than 10 feet are required to hang a man.  Why so tall?  The gallows was the height of his pride and hatred.  He was so proud of himself, and so hated Mordecai because he received no reverence from Mordecai.  He became so bitter, it blinded his judgment.  The Bible says:  Hebrews 12:15  "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;"   Bitterness is not only self destructive, it is explosive.... it will hurt anyone close to you!  In Esther 7:10, we find that Haman was hung on his own gallows.  But, it doesn't end there.  In Esther 9:13, Haman's ten sons were hanged upon the same gallows.  Do you think that Haman's wife, Zeresh, would have suggested the gallows be built if she knew her husband and ten sons would be hung upon it?  No, I dare say not.  But... it doesn't end there.  Having stirred up the kingdom against the JEWS, Esther has the order reversed, and now those who hate the Jews are destroyed.  The Bible records that when it is all said and done, 75,311 are killed!  ONE man's hatred!  The height of the gallows was the height of his pride, his hatred, and his bitterness.  Let us learn a lesson here. Well, you have a blessed day in the LORD.  Pastor Mike Mutchler