Volume 31 – 1990 (PDF) - Searching The Scriptures

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the opportune moment. The success she had and her
evident wisdom may lead us to believe that the God of
heaven gave her strength even though He is not mentioned
by name. Maybe she was brought to the kingdom
for just such a time. Who else under the sun could have
defeated Haman and his wicked plans? He had obtained
the king's signature on his diabolical decree.
Esther — Before and After the Crisis
We have no way of knowing how many ways she may
have affected events among her people and over the
Empire after her victory over Haman. Mordecai was
elevated to Hainan's former position of power after
Haman was hanged. Evidently Esther had a closer tie
with the king, and she was certainly close to Mordecai.
Esther's father and mother were dead, and Mordecai,
her cousin, had cared for her as if she were his daughter.
If we consider her strong points it is fair to suppose that
Mordecai deserved much credit. That young lady was
carefully trained by one who knew the ins and outs of life
around the capital. He was back of her honor, and it was
through her influence that he was elevated to power. His
concern for her continued, of course, after she left his
house (2: 11).
When plans were being made for Nehemiah to go to
Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of that city, the Bible
mentions that the queen was sitting by the king (Neh.
2: 6). His success in his worthy work may in some measure
have been helped by the queen. Many Jews returned
to their homeland and much was done to reestablish
their place of dignity and righteousness during the life of
Esther. One with her strength of character would not be
expected to be a non-entity.
The Providence of God
The book of Esther does not even mention the name of
God or refer to His commandments, but the hand of God
is evident to all who have faith in Him. When the crisis
came to the Jews, Mordecai thought that Esther's elevation
might have been for this very purpose. The three
days of fasting before Esther went into the king's presence
was evidently a season of prayer offered by the
people who believed their petitions would be heard.
There were some amazing coincidences, if not providence,
on the night before Esther made her special effort
to save her people. The king did not sleep well that night.
He had some one read from the book of the records of his
reign. The portion read included the record of Mordecai's
report concerning a secret plan two chamberlains had to
kill the king. Early in the morning when he wanted to
talk with some nobleman, Haman was in the court. The
whole story of that very special day seems to be planned
rather than accidental.
It is not every young lady that could have the wealth,
prestige, and honor that Esther had and keep any
measure of humility, sense of responsibility, and concern
for average people. This beautiful queen may never
have lost the common touch or the awareness of her
duty. She lived for the important things rather than for
trivialities.
(Editor's Note: This is the last article we received from
our venerable Brother, Irven Lee. He is now in very poor
health and unable to preach. He and Sister Lee have
been a great blessing to so many for so long. Perhaps a
card or letter from you would cheer them. We are all
indebted to such noble Christians. — Connie W. Adams)
Send all News Items to: Connie W. Adams, P. O. Box 69, Brooks, KY 40109
DOORS ARE OPENING
The recent, almost unbelievable, events in eastern Europe, and in
the Communist world in general, provide a challenge which Christians
most not ignore. As I watched the people in West Berlin and the
jubilation of East Berliners climbing over the wall, I thought that the
removal of this barrier and the evident longing for freedom and
change in the eastern bloc nations must also have some meaning in
terms of evangelism. The wall has been broken and the iron curtain
has been shattered. It is time to lift our eyes to the peoples of these
nations who stand in need of far greater blessings than political
freedom or abundance of material supplies. The greatest need of all is
freedom in Christ from the bondage of sin. Many of the problems in the
world would diminish quickly with the impact of the gospel in the
hearts and lives of the people. But plans must be made to go. Who will
go? Churches need to be poised and ready to send and supply the needs
of those willing to go. Instead of a few men deciding to go and then
soliciting the churches for help, would it not be even better for
churches with the financial means to seek out suitable men and offer
what is needed. Brethren, for forty years we have been content with
the knowledge that we did not have easy access to these nations.
There still may be some entry problems in many places where such
dramatic change is occurring, but we have to get ready.
KINGRY AND CHINA
JEFF KINGRY AND HIS FAMILY have made great sacrifices to
get the gospel into China as they worked as teachers. They have spent
most of the equity they had built over many years in their home to
cover costs related to that effort. They need and deserve some help.
Because of their faith and labors, the gospel has taken root in China.
It has exacted a heavy price for Jeff and Anna financially. Could some
of you help them to lift the heavy burden they bear? Write to them at: