Hola damas y caballeros (Hello ladies and gentlemen),
They say the average attention span of humans today is eight seconds. If in eight seconds, you’re not hooked, well that’s about it. I hope you stay hooked on this till the end. It’s quite a revelation you don’t want to miss.
I began a study on the book of Esther with a friend. There’s a thread I found with King Ahasuerus while reading. There are ten chapters in this book. And every single decisive step he took in these ten chapters were as a result of the counsel of those around him. Not one was a full self-conviction.
Let’s look at them systematically:
1.
4.
See also chapter 6: 1,4,6,10
On that night, the king could not sleep… And the king said “Who is in the court?” Now Haman was in the court of the King’s house… So the king said to him, “What shall be done unto the man that the king delighteth to honour?”…And Haman answered the king “For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse the king rideth upon, and the crown Royal which is set it upon his head…“And the King said, “Make haste even as thou hast said and do even so…”
Commentary: I suspect the king would’ve asked anybody he was told was waiting in the court. Could’ve been a wise or unwise guy who had access.
5.
Commentary: Whoever told Harbonah that it was the King’s intention to hang Haman?
4.
3:8,10 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus There is a certain people scattered abroad dispersed among the people in the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the King’s law therefore it is not for the King’s profit to suffer them…And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman, the Jew’s enemy.
Effect of Haman being around the king -mourning.
Esther 3: 15 And the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city Shusan was perplexed.
Esther 4:3 And in every province, whitsoever the king’s commandments and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sack clothes and ashes.
Vs/Cf/Compared with:
Esther 8:5 So Esther arose and said… If it please the king, and I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite.
Effect of Esther being around King: Rejoicing.
8:17 And in every province, and in every city, wheresoever the king’s commandments and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day.
This much power is what your company wields around you. The assignment you’re given by God to accomplish will suffer or prosper by the doing of those around you.
You are not macho Man (x3). You are super succeptible to the advices of those around you. Watch out (in my secondary school principal’s voice).
What’s your greatest lesson here? Share your thoughts.
Yours lovingly,
Debby
This is a powerful revelation. Always be careful and very selective of the people you keep around as friends. Because from that choice comes various consequences whether intended or not.
Yep, from that choice comes various consequences. I’m glad you got that.
Wawu, I feel blessed. This was basically my Sunday sermon today. Preach Debby lol!
Looking at the King, he does feel like a leader that couldn’t do anything without consultation but not consultation for knowledge but of action. That is, he was always going to do what he was advised to do without necessarily thinking it through. And that can be bad for anyone. Moses and David for instance took many strong actions on their own.
Friends really do influence us.
Thanks for pinpointing this.
Haha. I’m glad this was basically a sunday sermon. Yes, there’s always, always a need to filter advice, regardless of who it’s coming from. Thanks for reading. ?
It’s amazing that every single decisive step of King Ahasuerus can be traced to the counsel of those around me.
I have never really noticed that until now.
Thank you for pointing this out, Debby.
Time to be more painstaking in Bible reading.
Smiles.
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