Esther 9-10

(October 5, 2014)

                One thing that is often forgotten in the miracle that is Esther’s approach to the king, is that the people of Israel still had to fight for their freedom.  They were not saved in the sense that someone swooped in to protected them – instead they were saved in that they were given permission and support to save themselves.  I think this is a good analogy for the Salvation that each of us seeks.  We will not be Saved, in that a Heavenly King will swoop in and set all to right.  Instead, we will be Saved in that our King will give us permission to fight on our behalf, and will give us all the support that we need to accomplish a Salvation beyond our own capacity.

                He will provide us with Grace through which we can achieve the righteous ends that we establish, but He will not do things for us that we can do for ourselves.  That doesn’t mean that we will not see the miracles, nor is it a source of pride (after all, Grace is the only power we can rely upon, and defending ourselves ultimately means learning to access and properly use this ennobling power).  But we cannot sit idly, refusing to repent, and assume that we will somehow be Saved.  If we aren’t repenting – today – we are moving towards our own destruction.  Regardless of our excuses, we must repent and war with our own natures until through Grace we have changed those natures.

                And what a glorious day that will be.