Esther 3:12-15 — Out of the Loop

READ THIS: Esther 3:12-15

12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day. 

15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
 
Yesterday, we learned about how Xerxes was convinced by Haman to follow through on the edict he made to annihilate the Jewish people. Today, we see this edict come into fruition, but we also see just how disconnected Haman and Xerxes were from the very people they led! The edict is sent out to the people of Susa, sealed with the very ring of the king himself (if you remember, Xerxes gave this ring to Haman earlier), and the people are stunned upon hearing the news to say the least.
 
The Jewish people now found themselves facing extinction. You can imagine the fear, mourning, and anger they must've felt. Meanwhile, Xerxes and Haman are living their lives as if nothing happened, having a drink while the city was still in shock. Good leaders should always be aware of what the people they lead are going through... think about Jesus! He was deeply invested in the lives of His followers and cared deeply for them!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever been so focused on yourself that you found yourself completely out of the loop on what was going on in the lives of those around you? What has helped you get back on track?
 
2. Think about the places where you lead... are you aware of what the people around you are going through? How can you invest more toward those relationships?

TRY THIS:

A great way to care for the people you lead is by praying for them! Take some time today to write down all the people you have the opportunity to lead, then pray for them individually/ Bonus points if you reach out to them and ask how you can be praying for them!

SONG OF THE WEEK:
 
Listen to the song of the week imagining that you were Esther (a Jew but also the queen) who just heard the news of what Xerxes is signing off on...

Listen on YouTube or Spotify!

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