COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 113 - IN DEFENSE OF SELF-DEFENSE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

In the last blog we discussed the theory that Moses committed murder when he defended his fellow Hebrew and killed the Egyptian that was abusing him.  When you kill someone in self-defense, either for yourself or some other helpless victim, is it still considered to be murder?

This may seem to be getting “off track” with our original study, but I did promise that we would stop and revisit this passage and look at it again.  So many questions arise about Moses and his character.  Was this righteous anger? 

I was noticing how Moses hid the body of the Egyptian in the sand and was thinking of the passage in Genesis where Cain hid Abel’s body in the dirt of the earth and his blood cried out to God.   I hear nothing in this passage about the Egyptian’s body crying out to God.  Did God see the killing of this Egyptian different from the way he saw the killing of Abel? 

The obvious answer is that Abel was an innocent victim who was murdered in cold blood.  The blood of life calls out when the innocent are murdered.  The Egyptian was obviously guilty of horrendous sin against a Hebrew; there was nothing innocent about the Egyptian who had actually probably intended murder himself.  He was not a victim at all.  His decision to act the way he did brought him to his end.  We live and die by the choices we make.
   

How would God have been feeling about what Moses did?  Obviously, only God could tell us, and He doesn’t!  Usually when God doesn’t give us direct answers it is because He wants us to seek out the answers.  We can attempt to do that here.  You may come up with more answers than I do.  I would love to hear about them.

Other questions also arise from this scene that seems to demand answers.   If what Moses did was right, then why did he look to the right and the left to see if there were witnesses before committing the act?  What gives here?

When the ancient rabbis could not answer such questions they chose the wisest among them and asked him to study Torah, history and culture and to write down his theory of what may have happened.  These thoughts went into the Midrash.  

The key words to remember about the Midrash comments are those words “may have happened.”  There is no proof of what we read in the Midrash; it is simply full of wise opinions and the suggestions of wise old men, and the Midrash is not known as the exact inspired words of God; but it is the exact inspired words of wise godly men.   There is a huge difference between the two!  

The Midrash is said to “fill in the blanks” of the Torah.  That doesn’t necessarily mean it makes ALL of our interpretations of all of those blanks accurate.  One must read with discernment and prayerfully make their own decision about accuracy.  The Midrash is simply designed to make you think beyond your normal capacity for thinking on a subject.  Some of the stories are VERY accurate and yet, some are only the imaginations and theories of wise old men.  Some of these wise old men’s stories can be proved out (many actually) but some of them are more like fables and legends. 

The Midrash fills in a few blanks by suggesting that the man who was being harmed by the Egyptian had come to Moses seeking help and defense because the Egyptian had been coming to his house and rapeing his wife right in front of him.   He needed someone with strong authority to handle the situation since he was a slave; and he was desperately coming to Moses for help knowing that Moses was actually born a Hebrew.   This seems to be one rabbi’s version of the rest of the story.   So should we trust what the Midrash tells us?  The actual Torah scriptures leave us and the problem at hand in a very vague place, with little proof to the reader.  When this happens we simply have to keep looking at the facts that we know are sure.

The inspired scriptures state that an Egyptian was harming a Hebrew slave, and that is about all we really have to go on in the passage. 

In his book called "The Purpose Driven Life" Rick Warren called Moses a murderer.  So why would Rick Warren be qualified to give the correct answer anymore than the rabbi who wrote the story in the Midrash?  Let’s face it; he isn’t qualified.  He sure stirred up a lot of animosity against Moses though! 

Christian interpretations, just like Jewish commentators often make mistakes in interpreting passages of the scriptures.  There are a lot of unexplored questions here regarding what was legal and moral in the days of Moses living in Egypt. 

If you look at this scene from the viewpoint of our modern day laws you will find that an individual has the right to use force, including deadly force if reasonable, in self defense.  We know that Moses was actually acting in the self-defense of another, but our laws for self-defense today seem to be stating if a person is in a place he has a right to be in, is not engaged in criminal activity,  and has a reasonable belief that he is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, he can defend himself.   The defender must not be the one who initiated the aggression, but he has the right to defend himself once the other person does the agressing.

None of the above explanation of modern day law would apply to this situation with Moses though, because Moses was not the actual person being attacked.  The victim was either the Hebrew slave, or a member of his family.  If you believe the logic of the Midrash it was both; if you are going strictly on the basic Torah scripture;  it was only the Hebrew slave.  For the sake of accuracy, we will only look at the inspired scriptures.   

In our modern laws when it comes to a person coming to the aid of another person in danger, the third party person has the right to use force, including deadly force if reasonable, if the person to whom they are providing aid has the legal right to use force in self-defense.  This means that in a court of law today, most likely Moses would NOT be declared a murderer.  (I pause to proclaim that I am not an attorney, but from what I’ve read of the law, this would be true.)

Our times however are drastically different from the times of Moses.  Our laws bear no resemblance to the laws of the land of Egypt during the reign of the Pharaohs. 

Think back to all the reasons Moses happened to be in the palace in the first place.  It was because the highest ruler in the country had ordered the murder of innocent children in the course of an otherwise regular day!  In Egypt at that time,  whatever the Pharaoh proclaimed immediately became the law of the land.  

It would seem that there were no set laws against murder in Egypt, because the Pharaoh himself  had ordered murders right and left all day long every day, whenever he felt the whim.  It goes even beyond that though.  If you were a slave, you had no rights.  Your life really did not matter to the Egyptians.  The life of a Hebrew was considered cheap and unnecessary.  There was a cast system that judged people according to their race and nationality.  Pharaoh wanted the Egyptians gone from the land of Egypt.   It had been his plan all along to kill them off through cruel harsh slavery; but the Israelites had been too hearty a people.  They were stronger than anyone had ever imagined.  For some reason they stayed healthy under all kinds of horrific circumstances.  We know that God was looking out for them and providing for them in their dire circumstances.  He might have been hiding behind the lattice work, but He was still there with them.

Immediately following the day Moses defended the Hebrew from the Egyptian at the cost of being proclaimed a murderer, there was another confrontation; this time between two Hebrews.   Again, Moses interceded and restrained one man from hurting or killing the other, only this time, Moses did not have to kill in order to achieve his goal.  

It is obvious that Moses was convinced that self-defense was a good thing.  He practiced this belief for two days in a row.  He did not kill for the sake of killing, but only when there was no other answer in the course of self-defense.  Moses believed in justice.  Not just justice for his own kind, but justice for ALL of mankind.  Justice allows self-defense and does not label it murder. 

Someone else who walked the earth long after Moses also believed in justice for all mankind.  In Luke 4:18 it was Jesus Christ who proclaimed:  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free."

Everything has a reason and every action has a purpose.  Moses was laying the ground work for the greatest deliverance of all times.  Moses would lay the foundation and Jesus Christ would make that building of living stones come alive!

The God who does not approve of murder strongly does approve of deliverance.   So it was that Moses, the first living example of a good citizen, carried out justice twice in two days.  The justice that Moses used did not answer to Pharaoh; it answered to God. 

If the laws of the land had been just, Moses would not have been so troubled, but they were not just.  The laws of Egypt were based on pagan ways and principles totally opposed to God's ways.  In spite of growing up in the palace, Moses had been taught God’s ways and principles by his original Mother and Father.  He obviously had stayed in touch with his Hebrew family, since we are told at the beginning of the chapter that he went out to see how his “brethren” were getting along. 

So…. Was Moses justified in using deadly force against the Egyptian on the first day? 

Some people seem bothered by the fact that Moses looked both ways before killing the man.  They seem to think this act implied guilt, but does it?  

We have already mentioned that the laws of the land were unjust. Moses could have been looking to see if any other Egyptian might possibly come to the aid of the Hebrew.  Perhaps he assumed or hoped that SOME of the other taskmasters might be merciful and fair?  This act alone would not be proof of guilt. 

Also the fact that Moses hid the body would make you think these were the actions of someone who had done wrong, otherwise, why hide anything?  I have to admit that was the part that bothered me!  I immediately thought of the guilt of Cain.  Moses, however; wasn’t like Cain.  He was defending an innocent person who needed help.  Moses was God's answer for that person on that day.  Cain plotted and planned the murder of his innocent brother out of jealousy.  Moses’ motives and Cain’s motives were diametrically opposed to each other.  They were distintly different.  One motive is pure and kind, one motive is sinful and hateful. 

Do either of the above two actions many give as proof really matter though?  Neither are able to prove whether the actions were right or wrong.  They DO speak loudly of the times and the corrupt laws that Moses was living under in Egypt.  

In that place and in those times one did not necessarily have to worry about whether what one did was right or wrong; only that it would be pleasing to Pharaoh.  Everything HAD to be politically correct.   Moses knew the answer to that question in his case.  Pharaoh wanted the Israelites dead.  He would not be happy with what Moses had done. It was probably very hard to find taskmasters so willing to kill millions without reason.  Moses had committed the ultimate politically incorrect act of his times; he had defied Pharaoh’s wishes and thwarted part of Pharaoh’s carefully plotted schemes.
 

Moses was totally correct in his thinking!  As soon as he found out what had happened; Pharaoh ordered the death of Moses. 

So what does an unjustly accused man living in a land full of unjust laws do?  He doesn’t hang around to see who might accidently grant him favor.  Moses got out of Egypt, and who could blame him?
 

Because Pharaoh said Moses was guilty of murder did not make it true.
 

Moses was only guilty of self-defense.
 

Self-defense is not a sin in the eyes of God.  

God’s laws (which were written down much later) actually hold up and condone self-defense.  Moses killing the man in self-defense was not at all the same as Cain murdering Abel.
 

If only the courts of America today could see this!  It is almost like we are again being ruled by Pharaoh in a land where a man is not allowed the freedom to defend himself.  Just like Moses, God has plans for us; but just like Moses; God is going to have to teach us more of his ways first. 

Moses may have already known that God intended for him to free his people; but he was not yet ready.  Everything must be done in accordance with God’s timing. 

There were lessons to learn in Midian that would help to change the world.  It was going to take about 40 more years to learn them.  

Another forty years for Moses; and how many will it take for us?

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 112 - HOW THE PRINCE OF EGYPT BECAME A SHEPHERD OF MIDIAN

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

At some point as Moses grew up in the Egyptian palace as a prince, he must have realized that he was actually a Hebrew. 

He had been nursed by his own mother until he was two.  Perhaps he had memories of being with her in that warm, cozy little house where they lived in Goshen.  

Perhaps his sister had stayed in touch without letting anyone know.  Children are not easily separated.  

It seemed that at some point he knew but did not acknowledge who he really was.

The scriptures speak of Moses as a grown man going out one day and seeing how hard his “brethren” worked and feeling sorry for their burdens. 

One day Moses saw an Egyptian harshly beating a Hebrew.  When Moses looked around and saw that there were no Egyptian witnesses; he killed that hateful Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.  It seemed like the thing to do, since there would be no defense for a Hebrew slave and the Egyptian man was clearly committing a hateful sin.  Moses, in a sense, made his own justice, and then he tried to hide the evidence by covering up the body.

Does anything about this remind you of the story of Cain?  You would not expect to find the same traits of the sinful Cain lurking in the heart of Moses.  Yet, similar to Cain, Moses had become angry and that anger had led to murder.  Of course the man who abused the Hebrew WAS guilty.  Did that make Moses less guilty?  Was his anger righteous anger?  Did the fact that there was no justice for the Hebrew people make Moses’ actions right?  This is something to ponder and perhaps discuss a little later.

Moses thought he had covered up the evidence of the murder. 

The next day two Hebrew men were fighting and Moses approached them and asked them “Why are you striking your companion?”  One of the men apparently had seen Moses kill the Egyptian because he answered “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?  Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”  

The truth always comes out.

Moses became afraid that his secret justice was known.  Word of mouth travels swiftly.  When Pharaoh heard of the matter he commanded that Moses be killed.

Apparently the fondness that Pharaoh showed before when his daughter adopted Moses had worn off.  Moses had presented Pharaoh with an easy and legal way to dispose of his unpleasant company.

Moses and Pharaoh must have disagreed on almost everything as Moses had grown into manhood.  Living in the Egyptian palace might have been a bit uncomfortable for Moses at times.   Pharaoh might have considered Moses a threat to his kingdom from inside its very walls, especially in the times when they disagreed; which was probably every day that passed.   

Moses was not stupid.  He could see where this situation was headed and he ran away.  He had not been very happy in the palace anyway.

Moses went to live in the land of Midian.  When he arrived there he sat down beside a well.  I’ll give you three guesses as to which well this was?  Perhaps we will speak more about this at a later time too.

The seven daughters of the priest of Midian came out to draw water from the same well. They sought to water their father’s flocks, but some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses saw this and stood up to the shepherds for them and helped them to water their flock.  Something about this story sounds oh so familiar.  

Remember how Jacob met Rachel?  The same details are included in both stories.

Perhaps this problem of not being able to use the well until all the other shepherds had left the area happened often to the daughters of the Midian priest.  Maybe they came home late many times over because they had been waiting their turn and had been forced to be the last to water their flocks after all the other shepherds had finished watering their sheep.  One automatically wonders about this because when they arrived back home to their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”

They told their father an Egyptian man had delivered them from the hands of the shepherds and that he stayed and drew enough water for them and their flock.  I had to wonder if this Midian priest knew the old stories of Abraham and his descendants.

The father, Reuel, asked them why they had not called the man to come and eat dinner with them?  It would have been customary to return a favor.  So they ran and found Moses and brought him to their father’s table to share his bread.  Reuel and Moses became good friends.  Reuel invited Moses to stay awhile.  Moses enjoyed their company very much and was content to live under Reuel’s roof. 

Eventually, the father and priest named Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

Zipporah bore Moses a son. His name was Gershom, meaning “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”  Perhaps we will also have more to say about Moses and his relationship with Zipporah later.

Time passed.

Eventually the King of Egypt died.

 The plight of the Hebrew people only grew worse under the new Pharaoh. They groaned under the burden of their heavy bondage. They cried out to God again.

It is funny how people always seem to remember God when they come into miserable circumstances; though they had completely forgotten Him when they were doing well on their own.

The Israelites in Egypt were not doing well at all and they cried out night and day.

God heard of their bondage.

He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God looked down and saw the pain of the Children of Israel and God acknowledged them.  They were, after all, God’s chosen people.

SEASONS - WHAT IS PURIM AND WHY SHOULD A NON-JEWISH CHRISTIAN CELEBRATE PURIM TODAY?

The true understanding of Purim starts with the study of The Book of Esther.

Previously I wrote about the love story of Esther and the King.  It was re-published not many days ago in this blog, with the hope of refreshing some people's memory about the story of Esther before the date of Purim.   The story tells how the celebration of Purim came about.  It would be a good thing to re-read this story for yourself before Purim if you have not already done so.  If you chose to do this you can find my version of the love story at this link: 

dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-winter-love-story-written-by-gail.html.

Long story short though; and to make things even easier and convenient (but not nearly as much fun) a short, brief, to-the-point summary of the whole tale follows:

Esther had hidden her Jewish identity and the King had fallen in love with her and taken her to be his Queen.  Esther’s uncle Mordechai had overheard some people plotting against the King and gave this information to Esther in order to save the King’s life.  It was recorded in the records of the King but the King had forgotten to reward him.  The King appoints Haman to rule under him and Haman demands that everyone bow down to him.  Mordechai refuses to do this.  Haman prepares to persuade the King to hang Mordechai from the gallows and to use him as an excuse to kill all people who are Jewish.   Haman talks to the King and persuades the King that all Jewish people should be killed and they draw lots to set the date.  In the meantime the King discovers that he has overlooked rewarding Mordechai.  He asks Haman what he would do to reward a man who saved the life of the King and Haman, thinking it is him that will be rewarded, says he would parade him through the kingdom on the King’s horse wearing the King’s robe and wearing the King’s ring and announce loudly that he is a hero the King wishes to honor.  The King then asks Haman to do this for Mordechai and Haman is deeply humiliated.  His anger toward Mordechai is more than ever.  Haman continues with his plot to convince the King that all Jews are bad and must be eliminated knowing that the King doesn’t know that Mordechai is a Jew.   The proclamation is sent out under the King’s signature and Mordechai goes to Esther and asks her to reveal her true heritage and idenity to the King in order to save her people.  Esther prepares by prayer and fasting and goes before the King to make her petition.  This very act will be putting her life in great danger.  No one usually went before the King un-summoned.  Yet, the King listens to Esther and lets down his scepter for her to speak.  She states that she will reveal her petition to him and Haman at a private banquet in her quarters.  This happens three times, each time the King and Haman come together, dine with Esther, and then she tells them she will reveal her request at their next banquet.  At the third meal Esther reveals Haman’s plot against her people and begs the King for mercy.  She also reveals her own identity in the process.  The king is angry that someone would plot against innocent people like this, and asks who the evil person is.  That is when Esther reveals Haman’s true intentions to the King.  The King is very angry with Haman and has him hung on his own gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai.  The King puts Mordechai in charge of his kingdom directly under him, as Haman once had been.  The proclamation to kill the Jews cannot be reversed, but the King gives the Jewish people the right to defend themselves.  They prepare and win the battle for their people and all is well in the end.  The King issues a new proclamation that the day of their victory will be celebrated forever after.  That “forever after” part is why we celebrate Purim today.

If you look carefully at all the vivid details of the story you will grasp that the bloodline that produced Jesus Christ was saved from extinction on the first Purim.  This is the part you will not hear in a Jewish celebration, but this is the MAIN REASON a Christian has for celebrating Purim.  What better reason could there be?

 Had there not been that first Purim, no Jew or Christian would exist at all because we would not have had the birth of Christ, nor his life, death and resurrection that make our Christian faith possible.  Christians could not exist without the Jews, because Jesus was Jewish!  So you see – A Christian probably has more reason to celebrate Purim than a Jew.  The Jewish people are only celebrating the salvation of the heritage of their people.  The Christians are celebrating the salvation of the whole world that was made possible by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We can always look back to see that everything that happened to the Jewish nation of Israel and all of the Holy Days they celebrate today are just shadows and types of how we all have came to have salvation through Jesus Christ.    

So – if you are a Christian – study this well.  Then join in the celebration, because it is great fun and a wonderful thing to do!    In 2016 the holiday of Purim starts at sunset on March 23rd and ends at sunset on March 24^th. 

I’ll tell you another little secret that is hidden from many Christians today – God loves celebrations!  He gave us many dates that He wishes for us to celebrate because we are members of His royal family.   If you are missing out on it all you only rob yourself – come join in with the rest of your family!  ALL are invited to God’s table; you only have to accept the invitation.  Never let anyone tell you different!   Don’t miss the family holidays that our Father has taught us to keep.  He wants us to be a joyful family, a family that plays together and has fun together.  He wants us to always remember the things He has done for us and celebrate those things forever.  He wants to see us smile and love each other’s company.  He wants to see us have festive meals together and to set aside time just to be a family together.

If you have missed this one point, you have missed the secret to joy in the Christian life.  Don’t let the world rob you of your joyful heritage!

So, go ahead!  It is okay!  Celebrate Purim with a Messianic understanding.

The most important part of the whole celebration will be the telling of the story of Esther.  You can find many plays and parodies on the internet that will help you do this.  The scroll used to read the book of Esther is called the Megillah.  You can find beautiful copies of it in bookstores and on the internet.  Read the scroll and/or have a play.  Appoint one reader or several readers with different parts or give out scripts to your guest and let them read and act out a play.  It is all fun!  When the reading is done there are actions that must take place with the noisemakers you need to furnish:  When the name of Haman is stated people should boo loudly or shake grogers.   When the name of Mordechai is given, people should shout “YEA!”  When the name of Esther is given people should clap their hands. 

Start by preparing a festive meal for your family and anyone else you want to invite.  If you really want to have fun – ask them all to dress like one of the characters in the story, or simply ask them to wear any costume they choose.  The dressing up in costume is symbolic of the fact that Esther hid her identity from the king.  Wearing costumes makes this point.  

Make your room look like a royal banquet hall and put noise makers at each place on the table. 

 Suggested foods: 

Hamentaschens:  You may serve almost anything that you like in this feast, but most people make sure they include Hamantaschen cookies.  These are cookies filled with fruit marmalade or poppy seeds.  They were originally called “mundtaschen” which means “poppy seed pockets” and the word “hamantaschen” is Yiddish for “Haman’s pockets.”  These cookies are triangular in shape to represent the triangular-shaped hat worn by Haman.  Some people have also thought there are three points on the hat to represent the victory for the three founders of Judaism:  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  These cookies are traditional and delicious.  There are many recipes available in cookbooks and on the internet. 

Drinks:  Though it may at first seem an unusual custom for Christians to participate in; it is also customary to serve alcoholic beverages at Purim celebrations.  I chose to imitate Jesus at our house – Jesus drank wine, but Jesus never got drunk.  This is what I have taught my children all their lives, and moderation is the key to pulling off this part of the celebration.  One of the most interesting commandments related to a traditional Jewish Purim has to do with drinking.  According to Jewish law, adults of drinking age are supposed to get so drunk that they can’t tell the difference between Mordechai (the hero) and Haman (the villain).  This drinking tradition stems from the joyous nature of Purim.  It also symbolizes how ironically we sometimes live our lives mistaking good for bad and bad for good.  There are lessons to be found here and they are many – but when this commandment was given people only walked, there were no cars at the time.  Now in the age of driving it is too dangerous to keep this commandment and a true Christian would not participate in drunkenness.  So – most people chose to add moderation to this part of their celebration – only serving drinks to those who chose to drink wisely and not letting things get out of hand.  Of course it goes without saying that if you choose to participate fully in this custom you should drink responsibly by arranging for a safe ride home, or BE IN your home so you do not have to leave.  Don’t ruin a joyful celebration by becoming a drunk.  Remember Haman lost the victory.

Mishloach Manot:  These are pretty decorated baskets of easy-to-serve foods that are customarily sent to others on this day as part of the celebration.  Most of the baskets will contain nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, hamentaschen, fresh fruit and breads.

Be Charitable:  With one’s friends and relatives well-fed and happy, Purim stipulates that one must also take care of the poor. The holiday’s second obligation is giving to charity.  Since you, as a Christian, will not be in a synagogue that auctions off some of your Mishloach Manot and uses the money to care for the poor, it is suggested that you start a fund in your home that goes to charitable causes.  Have a decorated basket to be given away by lottery to everyone who buys a ticket at your party.  This brings up the fact that Haman chose the lot as a way to pick his date to destroy the people. The word “pur” translates to “lot.”   Many biblical dates were chosen by lottery.  Reverse that bad action of Haman by having a lottery to help the poor and draw “pur” to determine the winner.   The money that the participants donate for the lottery can be used as a donation to your pre-selected charity. It is also great fun to take these baskets personally to others in the community during this time.  Many people allow their children to do the delivering.  It teaches children the act of having a giving heart and that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

So there you have it.  Deeper layers of the meaning of Purim will come to you each year as you revisit the story.  You will come to cherish the story of Esther and you will see more and more of Christ in the story each time you celebrate Purim.  God is such a great storyteller!  What better way to learn the ways of The Kingdom of God than to listen to the stories of our Father?  Could anything be more fun to do?

Happy Purim!

PEN ART - A WINTER'S LOVE STORY TO BEGIN THE GOODNESS OF SPRING

Spring has recently sprung, but for the sake of Purim, I'm reposting this winter love story.  I am reminded that always on the tail of winter comes the day of Purim. The weather at least still feels a bit wintery and this story is actually also about the early part of spring too.   After all, what good would amy season be without love; right?   The love of Esther and her King spanned many seasons. 

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Once upon a time in the great land of Persia there lived a king named Achashveyrosh.   Please don't worry if you are unable to pronounce his name the Jewish way, just say Xerxes instead, which is the Persian translation.  Xerxes is a lot easier to roll off the tongue.  There were actually three generations of kings named Xerxes, and Achashveyrosh was one of these three.

Of course every king has a beautiful queen, and Xerxes had Vashti.

In the third year of his reign Xerxes threw quite a lavish party. It lasted for 180 days.  The food was abundant and the wine flowed freely.  The crowd that the king invited to come grew in progression.  First he invited all the people of his court, then he invited all the dignitaries of the area, then he opened wide the doors of the palace to all the people of the capitol city of Shushan.

Xerxes wanted the beautiful Vashti to appear before him at the feast so that he could show off her excellent beauty.  For some reason, and there are many different theories about her reasons, Vashti refused to come before the king.  This blatant, public refusal made the king very angry.  His subjects and chief advisors did not make matters any easier for the king.  The advisor, named Haman, insisted that the Queen's refusal to the King meant disaster to every household in the kingdom.  She was setting a very wrong example for the other wives.  If the King could not even control the actions of the Queen, how on earth could any of his subjects keep order in their own homes?  One has to wonder about the motives of Haman even this early in the story.  Was he jealous of the queen's power over the king?  Did he fear being found out by her?  No matter; what was done was done.  Haman kept insisting that this was a terrible problem, and he suggested that the King set a good example for the kingdom and do away with Vashti.  Giving in to the peer pressure of his subjects, the King ordered that Vashti be banished from the kingdom.  Some even believe that she was put to death.

When the party was over and the King was sober,  he deeply regretted his hasty decision.  Now he was a very lonely King with no one beautiful to gaze upon.  As a matter of fact, he had to look at the ugly faces of his royal staff day in and day out.  He missed the beautiful Vashti.  The greedy ambitious Haman probably noticed this and wondered if he had made a grave mistake.  Perhaps the king would turn on him because of this lonely state which the King was in.  As he watched the king mope around the palace a plan was formed to change the situation before it had time to get out of Haman's control.  The king was quickly advised and convinced that he should search the kingdom high and low for the most beautiful girl in the land and make her his new queen.  Scouts who were experts on beauty were sent out to the far corners of the city to gather all the most beautiful young maidens and bring them to be prepared to meet the king. 

The king had an employee named Mordecai.  Mordecai was a Jew, but the King had not really paid any attention to this fact.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon instead of returning to Jerusalem as part of the remnant of the Jewish people who had taken advantage of the decree from King Cyrus which released them from captivity.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon and he had been blessed in the land of Persia.  He was prosperous in the employment of the King, and he had used his prosperity to raise up his beautiful niece.  Many historians have wondered whether he was also secretly using his prosperity in the land to secretly fund the return of more exiles to the homeland.   

Mordecai had adopted his uncle's daughter.  She was named Hadassah.  This Jewish name

meant "myrtle."  It was the Jewish tradition in those days for the myrtle flower to be worn on the head of a bride at a wedding feast.  The Jewish women loved the myrtle flower, and Hadassah's mother and father had given her this lovely name probably hoping that it would bring her favor with God. 

While living with Mordecai in the land of Persia, she was called Esther. Esther was the Persian translation of Hadassah.  Most Persian names were perversions of Jewish names and picked to honor pagan gods.  However, the Persian name despite its perversions did mean "a star."  It was said that Esther was as beautiful as the morning star and legend has it that Mordecai often quoted Psalm 22 to her, which was instructed by David to be used as The Chief Musician played a song called The Hind of The Morning, which is just another way of describing The Glory of God and the hope that it brings.  

Esther was raised up to put her hope and trust in God and to wait for the Messiah that David gave prophecy to in this Psalm written one thousand years before the Messiah was born.  I like to believe that the words of David and the Messianic psalm were often sung from the lips of this beautiful young maiden as she went about the chores of her daily life in the House of Mordecai. 

Esther's mother and father had been assassinated by cruel men who were Agagites, the hateful descendants of King Agag.  These men hated the Jews.  They were a cold, hateful and murderous people who considered it an honor to kill anyone of Jewish descent.  Haman, from Xerxes court, was also an Agagite.  Esther's father's name was Abihail.  He was a Benjamite.  The Benjamites were hated more than any other tribe by the Agagites.  It was this tragic hatred that brought Esther to be an orphan and eventually find her home with Mordecai. God is continually working for good in all things, even tragedy.

Mordecai loved Esther as if she were born to him.   He was careful to raise her well.  Mordecai was known in the gates and among the Jews left in Persia for his excellent knowledge of the scriptures.  Esther had been taught the scriptures from the day she came to live with Mordecai.  She was raised to honor and keep the commandments of God.  These things were reflected in her demeanor, in her dress, in her diet, in her daily habits in every way.  She was devoted to prayer and seeking God's will in all that she did.  In Mordecai's house they lived as devout Jews, but Mordecai did not flaunt his Jewishness in the court of the Persian King where he did his work.  He simply used his prosperity to the glory of God and went humbly about his days. 

One day Esther's quiet life in the house of Mordecai was disrupted by the King's beauty experts scouting the land for the most beautiful virgins for the King.  They had seen Esther in the streets, and they had noticed her great beauty.  They had followed her home, and Mordecai was quickly informed that she had a great destiny to fulfill at the palace.  She seemed to have no choice in the matter.  As they took the trembling Esther away Mordecai only had time to whisper one word of caution to her; "do not reveal your true identity to these people, do not tell them of your Jewish heritage."  He was probably thinking of her safety, knowing the evil Agagites, such as Haman, who worked in the court of the King.  Mordecai had learned to protect himself from these men, but Esther was innocent of such hatred.  He quickly advised her, and she was gone.  The house of Mordecai must have felt very lonely that night.

 

Before Esther could imagine what was happening to her she was whisked off to live among the other concubines of the King.  She was to spend months preparing to meet her day of destiny.  There was a whole staff of servants who were masters of beauty preparations for the women of the King's court.  Esther was given a choice of what she would like to adorn herself with when her time came to go to the King.  She very wisely passed on the gaudy bangles and babbles the other girls were grabbing.  She asked her advisor what would please the King.  He was amazed, as this was such a wise question which no other maiden had ever even thought to ask.  He immediately recognized the fact that Esther was special, different, one who could handle the life of royalty.  He chose a simple necklace for her.  It turned out to be the one that her parents had given her at birth which made a reflection of The Star of David when held to the light, one that had been taken from her when her parents were murdered.  Esther was amazed at this, but she said nothing.  By some miracle her very own necklace had made its way to the treasury of the King and by chance or destiny; this will forever remain a mystery; it had made its way back to the possession of Esther.  

She did not reveal this secret to anyone, but she took the necklace and cherished it and wore it close to her heart everyday after.  She returned to days and days and days of beauty preparations.  The King's advisers  tried to get her to eat the King's rich food, but she refused, preferring to maintain her simple kosher diet of fruit and vegetables and to abstain from forbidden foods.  She was able to hide in the chambers of the palace for a long time, then one night she was called to the King's chambers. 

Legend has it that the King compared everyone to the portrait of Vashti hanging across from his couch. When each new maiden arrived he would have them stand in front of it.  He compared their beauty to Vasti's and no one could ever equal or surpass it.  No one that is, until Esther.  

When Esther stood before the King he did not even notice Vashti's portrait, for Esther's beauty was far more beautiful and she took his breath away.  The portrait of Vashti was removed and never returned after the King laid eyes on Esther.  He fell instantly in love with her and soon asked her to be his queen.

So the little Jewish girl became the Queen of Persia, all the while remembering Mordecai's advice and never revealing her nationality.  Esther retired to a quiet life in the court of the Queen, going into the King's chambers whenever he chose to summon her.  Mordecai visited her whenever he could. 

One day Mordecai was sitting in the King's gates when he overheard an evil plot of the king's chamberlains to assassinate the king.  He quickly went to Esther and told her of this plot in order to save the life of the king.  Because Esther was quick to take Mordecai's vigilant message to the King, the plot was foiled.  Mordecai's service and loyalty were duly recorded in the king's royal diary, called The Chronicles of The King. 

   

Soon the selection of a new queen, and the heroic deeds of Mordecai were forgotten by the kingdom.  The talk of the kingdom was all about Haman.  The wicked man had been very successful and he had gained much power in the kingdom.  The king had appointed him to be Prime Minister of Persia.  Haman decided, since he had been given such a rise in power, that everyone should bow to him.  Most did bow, but Mordecai, knowing Haman's wicked heart, refused to bow to him.  This made Haman very angry and he quickly went to the King, knowing that Mordecai was a Jew, and asked the King to authorize a royal decree to annihilate the Jews from the land.  Haman cast lots to determine the day this was to happen.  It was decreed to be Adar 13 of the coming year.  On this day all Jews were to be executed and wiped off the map of every province and every nation of the earth. 

Mordecai, hearing the evil intentions of Haman sent a message to Queen Esther.  He told her the plot of Haman and asked her to go to the King on behalf of the Jews. The time had come for Esther to reveal her identity.

Esther had not been called to the side of the King for at least a month.  She was terrified to receive the news of this horrid plot from Mordecai.  There was a strictly enforced rule that no one could see the king uninvited, not even the Queen.  Being a woman of faith and prayer, Esther fasted and prayed for three days.  She asked the servants who waited on her to fast and pray with her.  Then she bravely gathered her courage and set out to see the King. 

In an amazing act, totally unexpected by the court, the King not only spared Esther's life, but offered her up to half the kingdom to express her wishes to him.  

All she asked initially was that the King and Haman join her for dinner.  Of course they did, and the King once again inquired of his Bride to know her wishes.  Her only reply was to tell him that she was planning another banquet and she wished for him to attend and to bring Haman along with him.  Deeply curious by now, and intrigued by this little string of events, the King once again agreed.

Haman was feeling so important!  Being invited to a private banquet of the King and Queen twice in one week!  Who else had ever been given such an honor?  He swelled with pride.  He bragged in the streets of his great position in the kingdom.  He went home and told his family how powerful he was and how rich and famous they were in the land. 

After the second banquet, in which Esther requested just one more audience to reveal her request to the King, Haman could not contain himself.  He was invited once again!  His head was as big as a house, and he could barely hold his three cornered hat on his head because of his swelling pride.  He hurried home to do some more bragging, but on the way he met Mordecai in the street.

Of course, Mordecai did not bow to him and Haman's anger outweighed his pride.  In his rage he decided to build a gallows with which to hang Mordecai.  He planned to speak to the King about this the very next morning.  He wanted to get Mordecai out of his way for good so he could go on and enjoy the rest of his day while he banqueted with the King and Esther again.

Pride always comes before a fall, and Haman was no exception to the rule.  

That night the King could not sleep.  Since he would be awake anyway, he ordered the Book of Chronicles that documented his reign to be brought in and read to him until he found himself sleepy.  It just so happened that the reader turned to the page that documented the day that Mordecai exposed a plot to assassinate the King.  This reminded the king that the good man, Mordecai,  had not been rewarded for his good deed.  The King determined to set the record straight.  No good deed to the King should ever go unrewarded. 

As Haman arrived the next morning anxious to get on with the murder of Mordecai, the King asked him a question.  "What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?"  Haman's pride went into overtime and he mistakenly thought the king was referring to him.  

Haman loved to be honored publicly, so he quickly answered that such a man should be brought a royal robe that the King himself had worn, and a horse that the King himself had ridden, and a royal crest should be placed upon this man's head, then one of the King's most trusted nobles should robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming before him that "this is what is done for the man the King delights to honor!"

The King loved this idea!  

Imagine the horror of Haman as the King commanded him to get the robe and the horse and do just as he had described for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King's gate!

 Haman was between a rock and hard place.  He had to obey the king's commandment.  So he got Mordecai ready and lead him around the city proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor."  It was a bad day for Haman, but things got progressively worse as the evening came.

It was time for the banquet with the King and Esther.  At a crucial point in the banquet Esther did share her request with the King.  First she declared that she was Jewish.  Next she begged the king to spare her people.  One of the attendants of the King told him of the gallows that Haman had built to have Mordecai hanged upon.  All of this made the King furious with Haman.  He ordered that Haman be hanged on his own gallows.

Esther's people were saved.  

The King could not reverse his decree, but he allowed the Jews to defend themselves.  

The King replaced Haman with Mordecai as Prime Minister, and Esther lived happily ever after in the kingdom surrounded by those that she loved.

SEASONS - THE LOVLINESS OF SPRING

 THE LOVLINESS OF SPRING

(PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHEILA GAIL LANDGRAF)

Here we are at the first day of Spring 2016!

I can't believe the season is already changing.  Winter  to me was like a short visit by the fire and a quick sip of hot chocolate!  Now Spring has sprung and it is time to enjoy all of its loveliness.  
I love looking back at photos of Springs from the past.  
Here are just a few glimpses into some of the Springs we have enjoyed in our family, both at The Castle and on The Farm.  This Spring I will be missing The Farm and my dear Father.  I am so glad to have so many spring memories of both to look back on.  
This year we also will be adding many new events and gatherings and special times (possibly new people too) to our family.  So nice to have so much to look forward to!

Spring is a great blessing from God.