BAD GOVERNMENT

“The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed" (Esther 3:15 NKJV).

From our verse we have a description of bad government. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in the history of man. We therefore want to note three features of bad government - decreeing, drinking, and disturbing.

Decreeing - “The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel.” The decree was to kill the Jews (Esther 3:13). It was a bloody decree that selected the thirteenth day of the twelfth month to slay the Jews and to “plunder their possessions.” It is indeed bad government to decree the killing of Jews. And yet we still have governments like that in our world today. But Scripture will condemn governments who want to kill the Jews. Beware of any anti-Semitism.

Drinking - “The king and Haman sat down to drink.” After the decree was issued, the two men who were most responsible for the decree to kill the Jews sat down to drink. It is bad government to booze. Those who must drink should not be allowed to govern. Drinking destroys good judgment (Prov. 31:4-5). It is a curse upon any people; and a cursed on any country.

Disturbing - “But the city Shushan was perplexed.” The word translated perplexed means to disturb. Instead of bringing peace and tranquility to people, bad government disturbs the people. Bad government agitates and upsets instead of bringing peace. As an example, Hitler’s anti-Semitism really upset Germany. One cannot violate God’s Word and still have peace.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“He does not love what is good who does not hate what is evil!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Dropsy

In Luke 14:2 we read, “And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy” (NKJV).

Dropsy is the Greek word hudrōpikos (ὑδρωπικός = hoo-dro-pik-os'). It is made up of two words: “hudros” which means water, and “ops” which means face. This word describes a case of edema. Edema is a painful ailment in which parts of the body swell because of an excessive accumulation of water in the body. It would indicate a possible problem with the kidneys, heart, liver or a combination of the three. The condition is serious and is fatal if not corrected.

The rabbis viewed such a condition as God’s judgment for immorality, or as uncleanness. Thus, in their view this man was both immoral and ritually unclean. It is therefore shocking that such a person would be at this Pharisee’s house. Further, the Pharisees were well aware that Jesus had performed healings on the Sabbath. Sounds like a classic setup. However, the Lord would not be hindered from doing a good work just because there was animosity against His doing it. A lesson for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1)

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 27:46

Bible Facts

The Bible speaks of “heaven and the highest heavens” (Deut. 10:14). Long before the Hubble Telescope, Scripture spoke of the “heaven of heavens” and the “third heaven” (1 Kings 8:27; 2 Cor. 12:2). We now know that the heavens consist of our immediate atmosphere and the vast reaches of outer space - as well as God’s wonderful abode.

Bible Quiz

According to Revelation 5, where will the redeemed reign?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: Where did Elisha instruct Naaman the leper to wash himself? In the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:10)

That’s in the Bible

"Laborer is worthy of his hire”

“And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house” (Luke 10:7 KJV).

“Laborer is worthy of his hire” - The expression “laborer is worthy of his hire” means a worker deserves his wages. The Lord Jesus told his disciples to accept hospitality graciously because their work entitled them to it. Ministers of the gospel deserve to be supported, and it is believers’ responsibility to make sure they have what they need. We need to support them prayerfully and financially, and lift their spirits from time to time with special surprises.

Did You Know - Christian History

Harold John Ockenga was born June 6, 1905. He was an American evangelical leader, a Congregational minister, and one of the co-founders of Fuller Theological Seminary.

Ockenga was born and raised in Chicago, and attended Taylor University in IN. He then enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary. However, he and other conservative students, along with faculty members, including J. Gresham Machen withdrew from Princeton and establish the Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1929. Ockenga graduated from Westminster 1930 and later received a PhD in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1939.

A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, MA. He was also a prolific author on Biblical, theological, and devotional topics. Ockenga helped to found the Fuller Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Ockenga served as its president from 1970-79.

In 1950, Park Street Church hosted Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusade. On the strength of that event, both Graham and Ockenga then conducted an evangelistic tour of New England. Ockenga later assisted Graham, Nelson Bell and Carl F. H. Henry in organizing Christianity Today. He served as chairman of the board of the magazine until 1981.

In addition to his pastoral career and writings, Ockenga became a significant leader in the New Evangelicalism which had roots in the theological controversy between Protestant Fundamentalists and Protestant Liberals. Much of this controversy centered on questions of the historicity of the Bible, Biblical inerrancy, Biblical interpretation, Creationism and evolution, and various doctrines such as the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth of Christ, the Atonement, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the Second Advent of Christ.

Ockenga died of cancer on Friday, February 8, 1985. At his funeral service, Billy Graham described Ockenga as “a giant among giants.” He stated that “Nobody outside of my family influenced me more than he did. I never made a major decision without first calling and asking his advice and counsel. I thank God for his friendship and his life.”

A Little Humor

Six year old Betsy had been naughty and was duly scolded by both parents. At supper, mom and dad asked little Betsy if she would like to say grace. She bowed her head and murmured, “I thank Thee, Lord that Thou hast prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Try Jesus before you reject him!”