nations; 2) to baptize every believer, that is, to identify him w ith the church of Christ; and 3) to instruct each believer in the W ord of God. Let every believer with great earnestness of purpose seek to fulfill this command of our Lord Jesus Christ. July 12, 1953 Meet Daniel, the Courageous Dan. 1:8-19 The most famous biographies in the world are found in the Bible and this is one of the reasons for the popularity of the W ord of God. The wonderful thing about all the stories of the Bible is the fact that they are true. There are those who try to tell us that the Old Testament characters are mythological people and never really existed. But if this were so there never would have been the Hebrew nation of which these Bible characters were the founders and perpetuators. The Bible is a timeless Book because underlying the entire narrative there are eternal principles that are applicable to men of every century. A s we remarked above, the historical parts of the Bible are accurately given; the H oly Spirit deals w ith facts not fancies in the Bible. But each account bears not only upon the time in which it happened, but speaks out truth for all men of all time, and for us in our times. Thus it is with Daniel’s experience recorded in Daniel 1. Daniel was a Man of Determination Dan. 1:8 It is right here that many people fail in their Christian life. A man can be as good a Christian as he wants to be. To live for Christ is a matter of the w ill as well as a matter of faith. A man must want to live for God or he w ill never do so. It was thus w ith Daniel. W hen this young man was captured by the enemy and transported to a strange land, far from home, even there he “pur posed in his heart” that he would live for God and not surrender to the pagan ism of his new surroundings. How many servicemen have done just the opposite! How many fine young men and young women have gone away from home and church out to where the going is tough. Soon they found themselves confronted with a tremendous decision — whether to stand for Christ and the things that are right, or to give in to the prevailing mood of the mob. The Bible makes it clear that every man is responsible under God for his life. If he wants to live for Christ he m ay; if he does not w ill to live for Christ he w ill never do so. Study the following Scriptures in this regard: Luke 14:25-33; Romans 6:11-13. Daniel was a Man of Separation Dan. 1:8 This is not a popular doctrine today, even among many conservative churches. The prevailing opinion is that the be liever ought not to make himself too dis tinctive, too different from other men. I recently received correspondence from one of the best-known Bible teachers in America strongly criticizing those of us who believe that a true Christian ought not to drink and dance and do other CON TINUED ►
Not the least important lesson from Esther is that of loyalty to one’s people and one’s nation. The account of Esther is of great value from this standpoint alone, and ought to encourage every stu dent of the book to persevere in faith fulness to God and to H is people. Esther's Sense of Destiny 4:14, 15 In the words of Mordecai to Esther in the above verses there rings a note of confidence in God that is thrilling. This man was assured that God would deliver H is people, if not through Esther, then through some other means. But he be lieved that Esther was the one appointed of the Lord to fu lfill H is purpose in this regard, thus his words in v. 14, “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” The H oly Spirit used Mordecai’s words to convince Esther that indeed she was a child of destiny. Because of this she risked her life in order to fu lfill her duty. How essential it is for every believer to know that he has a work to do in this world that no other person can possibly do. Surely this truth makes your life important to God. Your responsibil ity, therefore, is to make yourself avail able to the Lord, to surrender your life to H im , and H e w ill surely direct your path (Rom . 12:1, 2 ; Prov. 3 :5 , 6 ). Esther's Humility 4:16 Prayer is the evidence of hum ility. The man who feels no need for prayer is a proud self-righteous man, and thus indicates that his heart is far from the Lord. The man of prayer feels his de pendence upon God and throws himself upon the mercy of God, both for salva tion and for guidance. Study Second Chronicles 7 :14 and note the emphasis on hum ility and prayer. Sincere prayer is confession. W hen a man enters into the true spirit of prayer he senses his own unworthiness and from his heart there comes confession of sin, the first step in salvation and usefulness (Psa. 51; Job 4 2 :1 -6 ; Isa. 6 ; Luke 18: 9-14). Prayer is the prelude to activity. The very fact that Esther asked for prayer and prayed herself was an indication that she intended to do the w ill of God as it was revealed to her, and this is exactly what she did (v. 16). Esther's Surrender to the Will of God 4:16 I do not believe that her words at the end of this verse are any indication of a despairing or fatalistic approach to life. W hen she said, “if I perish, I perish,” she was expressing a full and complete yield- edness to the w ill of God for her life. If doing the w ill of God meant her death she was perfectly w illing to give it up that she m ight find it again (M ark 8 :3 5 ). Esther's Resourcefulness and Earnestness 8 : 1-8 Esther had a scheme, a plan for the working out of her purpose in liberating her people from the decree of the king. It is good for God’s people to have a pro gram , and to work toward the end set forth in the plan. The Christian’s pro gram is stated in Matthew 28:18-20. Notice that this plan is threefold: 1) to teach (disciple, or win converts) all
Helps for Christian Endeavor and Other Young People's Groups By Chester J. Padgett, D.D. Associate Professor of Bible Biola Bible College July 5, 1953 Meet Esther, the Patriot Esther 4:14-17; 8:1-8 The lovely little book of Esther prop erly follows the books of Ezra and Nehe- m iah and fits into the same general per iod of tim e, Viz., the reign of Xerxes, when the Jews were under Persian rule. M any, many Jews were scattered over the Persian empire although a compara tive few had returned to Palestine under Zerubbabel. The book of Esther describes an at tempt by a Jew-hater to annihilate the Jewish race and how this plot was thwarted by a Jew named Mordecai and his unde’s daughter, Esther, whom M or decai had adopted as his foster daughter (cf. 2 :7 ). In the Providence of God the Jewish people were spared and in mem ory of God’s goodness in this regard the Jewish people have kept the feast of Purim from that day to the present time. Am ong the central lessons of the book is that of the over-ruling Providence of God. Although H is name is not even once mentioned in the book, yet H is Pres ence fills the book, and H is directing activity is clearly apparent behind the scenes. W e are reminded by the book that never can H is people drift beyond H is love and care. Again, Esther teaches us the great truth that right and truth shall ulti mately triumph. It seems sometimes in this world of ours as if “ truth is forever on the scaffold and wrong forever on the throne,” but this is not so. God is King forever, and H is kingdom ruleth over all. The time is coming when Christ H im self shall step personally, once more, into human history. W hen H e comes (Acts 1:11) He w ill establish H is kingdom and then all injustices and wrongs shall be righted. The book of Esther foreshadows the “ times of the Gentiles,” the Jewish disper sion through the centuries and the coming time of tribulation yet to fall upon Israel. Thus the book bears a remarkable pro phetic emphasis that ought not to be overlooked.
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