神的百姓又如何？
以斯帖記八章1至17節
1當日，亞哈隨魯王把猶大人仇敵哈曼的家產賜給王后以斯帖。末底改也來到王面前，因為以斯帖已經告訴王末底改是她的親屬。
2王摘下自己的戒指，就是從哈曼追回的，給了末底改。以斯帖派末底改管理哈曼的家產。
3以斯帖又俯伏在王腳前，流淚哀告，求他除掉亞甲族哈曼害猶大人的惡謀。
4王向以斯帖伸出金杖；以斯帖就起來，站在王前，
5說：“亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼設謀傳旨，要殺滅在王各省的猶大人。現今王若願意，我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若以為美，若喜悅我，請王另下旨意，廢除哈曼所傳的那旨意。
6我何忍見我本族的人受害？何忍見我同宗的人被滅呢？”
7亞哈隨魯王對王后以斯帖和猶大人末底改說：“因哈曼要下手害猶大人，我已將他的家產賜給以斯帖，人也將哈曼掛在木架上。
8現在你們可以隨意奉王的名寫諭旨給猶大人，用王的戒指蓋印，因為奉王名所寫、用王戒指蓋印的諭旨，人都不能廢除。”
9三月，就是西彎月，二十三日，將王的書記召來，按著末底改所吩咐的，用各省的文字、各族的方言，並猶大人的文字、方言寫諭旨，傳給那從印度直到古實一百二十七省的猶大人和總督、省長、首領。
10末底改奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫諭旨，用王的戒指蓋印，交給騎御馬、圈快馬的驛卒，傳到各處。
11,12諭旨中，王准各省各城的猶大人在一日之間，十二月，就是亞達月，十三日，聚集保護性命，剪除殺戮滅絕那要攻擊猶大人的一切仇敵和他們的妻子兒女，奪取他們的財為掠物。
13抄錄這諭旨，頒行各省，宣告各族，使猶大人預備等候那日，在仇敵身上報仇。
14於是，騎快馬的驛卒被王命催促，急忙起行。諭旨也傳遍書珊城。
15末底改穿著藍色、白色的朝服，頭戴大金冠冕，又穿紫色細麻布的外袍，從王面前出來。書珊城的人民都歡呼快樂。
16猶大人有光榮，歡喜快樂而得尊貴。
17王的諭旨所到的各省各城，猶大人都歡喜快樂，設擺筵宴，以那日為吉日。那國的人民，有許多因懼怕猶大人，就入了猶大籍。
信息分享
猶大人有何反應呢？那是得勝的歡喜快樂，好消息傳到，各城的猶大人都歡呼慶祝。有一點更值得留意的是，本章的最後一節提到，許多外族人因看見神如何施恩拯救猶大人，便加入了猶大人的信仰。這是舊約中提及外邦人成為猶太信徒極少的幾個例子之一，這些新信徒要經過一個繁瑣的儀式，他們要學習猶大人的律法和或許大約在那個時期開始的洗禮儀式。
然而，有一個今天我們要學習的功課，就是外族人看見神如何恩待猶大人，便渴望認識祂。我們是如何見證我們奇妙的神和救主，耶穌基督的呢？別人在我們身上能看見基督的作為嗎？我們的日常生活言行見證基督住在我們裡面嗎？
有一首古老的詩歌說得好：「別人能否在你、在我身上看見耶穌？世人若不能在你、在我身上看見耶穌，他們又怎能認識耶穌呢？」我們能否祈求神，聖靈今天並每天都在我們的生命中作工，以致別人能在我們身上看見基督？聖靈在我們裡面作工的一個最根本驗證，就是我們每天的生活言行有多少活出基督的品格和樣式。
我們能否每天祈求主耶穌，差聖靈來作祂已經並不斷在我們心中和生命裡的工？只要我們願意祂必會成就。
WHAT NEXT FOR GOD’S PEOPLE?
Esther 8:1-17
1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.
2 So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.
4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,
5 and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”
7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.
8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”
9 So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds.
11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,
12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
13 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel.
15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.
17 And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.
Message
What was the reaction of the Jewish people? It was one of triumphant joy and happiness. They celebrated in every city as the glad news reached them. It is also very significant that the last verse of this chapter records that many people of other nationalities joined the Jewish faith when they saw what their God had done for them. It is one of the few references in the Old Testament to Gentiles becoming believing Jews. There was an elaborate ritual for these new believers to go through. They had to learn the Jewish laws and somewhere about that time the rite of baptism by immersion was introduced.
But the lesson for us today is that when those other people saw what God had done for the Jews, they wanted to know Him for themselves. What sort of testimony are we giving regarding our wonderful God and Saviour, Jesus Christ? Can others see what Christ has done for us? Is there evidence in our daily lives that shows that Christ is living within?
A song from years ago says it so well, “Can others see Jesus in me, in you? For how will the world know of Jesus, if they cannot see Jesus in me, in you?” Can we ask God the Holy Spirit, to work in our lives today and every day, so that Christ can be seen in us? The ultimate test of the Holy Spirit’s work in us lies right here – how much of the character of Christ has he been allowed to form in our lives day by day?
Each day can we ask Christ to allow His Holy Spirit to do the work; He came to do, and to do it continuously in our hearts and lives? He will do it if we will let Him.