Esther, Chapter 4, verse 17
15 She, appointing a fast, undertaketh the suitC:1-10 Then Mardocheus thought upon all the works of the Lord, and made his prayer unto him, Saying, O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty: for the whole world is in thy power, and if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay thee: For thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven. Thou art Lord of all things, and there is no man that can resist thee, which art the Lord. Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest, Lord, that it was neither in contempt nor pride, nor for any desire of glory, that I did not bow down to proud Aman. For I could have been content with good will for the salvation of Israel to kiss the soles of his feet. But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: neither will I worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride. |
C:11 And now, O Lord God and King, spare thy people: for their eyes are upon us to bring us to nought; yea, they desire to destroy the inheritance, that hath been thine from the beginning. Despise not the portion, which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thine own self. Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance: turn our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy not the mouths of them that praise thee, O Lord. All Israel in like manner cried most earnestly unto the Lord, because their death was before their eyes. |
C:12 Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord: |
C:13 And laid away her glorious apparel, and put on the garments of anguish and mourning: and instead of precious ointments, she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she humbled her body greatly, and all the places of her joy she filled with her torn hair. And she prayed unto the Lord God of Israel, saying, |
C:14-16 O my Lord, thou only art our King: help me, desolate woman, which have no helper but thee: For my danger is in mine hand. From my youth up I have heard in the tribe of my family, that thou, O Lord, tookest Israel from among all people, and our fathers from all their predecessors, for a perpetual inheritance, and thou hast performed whatsoever thou didst promise them. And now we have sinned before thee: therefore hast thou given us into the hands of our enemies, Because we worshipped their gods: O Lord, thou art righteous. Nevertheless it satisfieth them not, that we are in bitter captivity: but they have stricken hands with their idols, That they will abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained, and destroy thine inheritance, and stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and quench the glory of thy house, and of thine altar, And open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the praises of the idols, and to magnify a fleshly king for ever. |
C:17-22 O Lord, give not thy sceptre unto them that be nothing, and let them not laugh at our fall; but turn their device upon themselves, and make him an example, that hath begun this against us. |
C:23-25 Remember, O Lord, make thyself known in time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the nations, and Lord of all power. Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion: turn his heart to hate him that fighteth against us, that there may be an end of him, and of all that are likeminded to him: But deliver us with thine hand, and help me that am desolate, and which have no other help but thee. |
C:26-30 Thou knowest all things, O Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory of the unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of all the heathen. Thou knowest my necessity: for I abhor the sign of my high estate, which is upon mine head in the days wherein I shew myself, and that I abhor it as a menstruous rag, and that I wear it not when I am private by myself. And that thine handmaid hath not eaten at Aman's table, and that I have not greatly esteemed the king's feast, nor drunk the wine of the drink offerings. Neither had thine handmaid any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in thee, O Lord God of Abraham. O thou mighty God above all, hear the voice of the forlorn, and deliver us out of the hands of the mischievous, and deliver me out of my fear. |
Read more:Esther, Chapter 5
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7 Our Lord now proceeds to warn us against the chief hinderances of holiness. And how wisely does he begin with judging? wherein all young converts are so apt to spend that zeal which is given them for better purposes.
7:7 But ask - Pray for them, as well as for yourselves: in this there can be no such danger. Seek - Add your own diligent endeavours to your asking: and knock - Persevere importunately in that diligence. Luk 11:9.
7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth - Provided he ask aright, and ask what is agreeable to God's will.
7:11 To them that ask him - But on this condition, that ye follow the example of his goodness, by doing to all as ye would they should do to you. For this is the law and the prophets - This is the sum of all, exactly answering Mat 5:17.The whole is comprised in one word, Imitate the God of love. Thus far proceeds the doctrinal part of the sermon. In thenext verse begins the exhortation to practise it.
7:12 Luk 6:31.
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4 The Jews fast and mourn, Est 4:1-3.
Esther is informed of the design, Est 4:4-9.
Mordecai presses her to intercede with the king, Est 4:10-14.
She desires all the Jews to keep a solemn fast, Est 4:15-17.