Esther – The Power of Intercession

by Xylia Sparks-Davis on 10/25/12

Esther is only one of two women who have a book of the bible named after her. Orphaned and raised by extended family, she is plucked from obscurity to become queen of one of the most powerful empires in the world. Esther’s story brings to mind the classic rags to riches tale.  However, her story has a twist. Women of God are not randomly moved.  We live lives of divine purpose.  God strategically moves a woman of God to be in the right spot at the perfect time to effect change for His Kingdom.  Esther was moved from the outskirts to the center of national influence to be an agent of divine protection.

The agent sent to cause havoc in your life sometimes comes in a benign or even and appealing package.  Esther’s nemesis was Haman, a man who rose in the political ranks to become chief advisor to her husband, Xerxes.  Haman had the look. He fit in with the right connections, fine clothes, on trend hair coming off the pages of GQ. He came across as trustworthy and made himself indispensable all while carrying sinister motives.  Was power Haman’s goal?  No, it was destroying the people of God.

Haman was so trusted that Xerxes did not even ask questions when Haman recommended that an entire people be wiped out for being out of step with mainstream Persian life.  They think differently. They worship different gods. They are causing national disturbance. They must go.  Xerxes did not have any details.  Beware of leaders with vague solutions to serious problems.  Xerxes didn’t know which group he had just scheduled for execution – all because he had unwavering trust in a man who could not be trusted.

Since the palace was Esther’s home and the seat of governmental power, Haman walked in and out of her home on a regular basis.  A person and grin in your face and seek to take your life and you can be completely in the dark. Esther was in the dark until the death edict was read to her. Can’t you just feel the enormity of this weighting upon her shoulders? Her future and future of every Jew in the empire was in the balance. I believe that Esther in that moment she remembered the words of the prophet, “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray…” She knew what must be done. Only a move of God could turn the tide.  It was time to call a fast.

Some things can only be remedied by prayer and fasting.  When we seek God things change, answers are given, lives are transformed.  I don’t know what scriptures recited to herself and to her maids as she prayed and encouraged those around her that God would indeed fight this battle.  Maybe she quoted Psalm 23 for she was in the shadow of death but evil should not be feared.  Maybe she remembered Isaiah 59:16-18:

And he [GOD] saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Just as God dressed in His garments of war to bring salvation in Isaiah, Esther dressed for battle.  Empowered by being in the will of God she executed the weapons of grace and hospitality to soften the heart of Xerxes to hear the request of her people. The door was opened and Haman was exposed for what he truly was – a vindictive destroyer.  He was executed on very gallows he had constructed to kill a child of God. The prayers of the righteous saved a people.

Haman was more than just a man, but a spirit from the enemy who seeks to destroy in every generation. In the 20th century, he introduced himself as the leader of the Nazi party. Hitler gained political power in order to decimate and destroy millions. 

In each generation, the Lord calls for someone to stand in the gap. In one generation, he called Esther. In the 20th century, he called Oscar Schindler.  This time the Lord is calling you.  It is time for a nation of Esthers to rise up and pray. The spirit of Haman is loose in the land once again. He is seeking to devour God’s chosen ones through emotional imbalance, economic despair, religious and political oppression.  You have been placed right where you are – in your home, on your job, in your class- in order to bring glory to God and intercede for those who think they have no hope.

If Haman is active in your life and seeking to devour your purpose, please allow me to intercede on your behalf right now. “ May the Haman in your life be routed. May he fall into trap he has set for you.  May his plans for your demise come to pass in his life.  May a hedge of protection encircle your life on the ones you love.  May your paths be made straight. Your purpose from God will not be overset by the evil one but will be fulfilled in the fullness of God’s timing.”

Until next time,

Xylia

Heavy Cloud, but no rain (1 Kings 17: 8-16)

by Xylia Sparks-Davis on 10/18/12

Stress, it’s a killer! Sometimes it feels like you are carrying a Volvo on your shoulders.  Stress filters into every aspect of your life – work, home, bills.  It creeps into your physical body and into your daily relationships. At times it can be overwhelming, the issues of life and the one thing you want above else is release and peace.

The Widow of Zarephath knew stress. She had a problem that was completely out of her control.  Famine had overtaken the land.  She did not cause the famine.  King Ahab turning away from the will of God had done that.  Ahab had married the daughter of the King of Sidon, Jezebel. Jezebel was not only a princess but also a priestess to the pagan deity Baal.  When she moved to Ahab’s kingdom, she brought prophets and priests with her to aid her in introducing Israel to Baal worship.   God’s law forbade worshipping any God other than Jehovah. Ahab did nothing to protect his kingdom from this onslaught. Elijah the prophet of Jehovah stepped in and commanded there would be no rain until Jehovah said so.  Zarephath was a gentile city belonging to Sidon and was caught in the middle of the crisis.

National decisions do affect the daily lives of average people.  The widow bore the consequences of Ahab and Jezebel’s actions- (attempting to shut God out of the daily life of Israel) - the economic burden that comes with having no rain.  Gardens do not grow without rain. Fields were blighted.  Fresh vegetables? Don’t even think about it. You’ll only stay hungry. Vendors in the markets cannot sell food that does not exist.  For them no food meant no job. The Widow of Zarephath was trying to survive in an economic down turn.  She had scrimped, saved and rationed; living on less until at last her pantry stores were finally down to the dregs.  Just a little meal and oil and all the food for her and her son would be gone. She thought she could outlast this recession on her own and now it seemed it would outlast her.  One last meal and she and her son would die.

Preparing for the end, she gathered firewood to cook her last meal. She didn’t know that God’s provision for her would be determined by her hospitality to a stranger. She encounters Elijah, the same prophet who had commanded the rain to stop and the dew to cease. Elijah asks for food and something to drink – and feed him first.  The widow replies, "As Jehovah your God lives, I don't have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son that we may eat it, and die."  When questioned by Elijah for food she does not give her oath by the name of Baal or any other god of Sidon, but in the name of Jehovah.  Perhaps during this famine she had questioned which god could answer her prayer to survive the crisis.  Baal had left her with an empty pantry- struggling and to the point of death.  Would Jehovah be any different?  No other god had been able to contradict His command for no rain.  If she trusted Jehovah, would her needs be met?  Elijah knew that Jehovah would provide.  It was time for the widow to see His power in action in her life.

The widow reaches into her pantry and pulls out her last stores.  I wonder if she argued with herself about who she was really making bread for (her son or the prophet) or if she released her will to God immediately, but by the time she finished baking and brought the plate out to Elijah she had decided.  She would take a leap of faith. She would try the God of Israel.  I wonder what was going through her mind as she returned to the pantry and looked down into the jar of meal. She knew she had emptied it. There should be nothing left, but there was food! There was meal and oil and once she made her and her son’s dinner there was still a supply in the jar. Jehovah had done something for her that Baal of Sidon had never done. He had supplied her needs!  She did not know when the crisis would end. She did not know when the rain would return, but she did know her needs would be supplied until the crisis was over! She had a provider!

….And so do we.  As economies around the world struggle and fall know that no matter where you are God will supply your needs.

 Until next time,

Xylia

The daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11)

One of my favorite books is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . The plot centers on the Bennett family, a husband and wife with five daughters whom they are eager to marry off.  They would be eligible matches if there were not an impediment - an entailment that prevented Mr. Bennett’s daughters from inheriting his estate.  Should he die before they were all married, they would be destitute and evicted from their childhood home by the next closest male relative. Being unable to inherit brought into question whether they would have happy and secure futures.

The state of the Bennett daughters reminds me of five biblical sisters, Mahlah, Milcah, Noah, Hoglah and Tirzah – the daughters of Zelophehad.  Zelophehad and his family were descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph - Israelites leaving the slavery of Egypt for the Promised Land. Zelophehad died during the 40 years in the wilderness leaving no male heir to carry his family name back to the land of Abraham.  At this point daughters did not automatically inherit from their father’s estate. Should a daughter lose her family’s inheritance simply because there is no son to take the father’s place?  These sisters said no and waited for the right time to plead their case to their leader, Moses.

Their timing was pivotal. The census had been completed at the end of 40 years in the wilderness and Moses’ job as Israel’s leader was coming to an end.  The number of God’s people had been confirmed, now it was time to prepare to divide the land among its heirs.  It was time for Zelophehad’s daughters to make their request known to their leader.  They came to the appropriate forum, before the tabernacle where Moses and high priest Eliezer heard cases.  Zelophehad’s daughters ask for his inheritance to be passed on to them to maintain his line in the promised land.  Moses steps back and does not give them an answer from his reasoning but turns to God for clarity.  This was unheard of in Israel – a daughter having the same rights as a son at the death of a father when there no male children.  What would God say?  The Almighty stated that the daughters’ request was just and reasonable. He told Moses to give them the portion of the land that should go to their father.  God is not only clear in His response; but set legal precedent for generations to come, giving details on how to divide property when a man had no sons, brothers or cousins to take his place.  There is a saying in Israel “there are no heir-less men in Israel,” this I believe comes from this issue in Numbers.

 Because Mahlah, Milcah, Noah, Hoglah and Tirzah asked, they entered into “son ship” in terms of inheritance in the house of Israel.  Zelophehad means “first rupture” or first born.  Because of his first-born status, Zelophehad was to receive a triple portion above his other brothers, which was bestowed to his daughters.

The daughters of Zelophehad helped create new law and obtained divine inheritance, but how does that help us today?  These women knew something many of us don’t.  That God is a God of coverings.  He covers us with emotional health.  He covers us with financial provision. He covers us with the blood of Jesus.  We have an inheritance given to us by a living Heavenly Father who loves to pour out gifts on his children.  We don’t have to beg or plead. It doesn’t matter to Him if we are male or female.  Through Jesus Christ, we are “sons” with all rights and privileges. Go boldly to the Throne.

Until next time,

Xylia

An Alabaster Jar Praise (Matthew 26:6-13)

by Xylia Sparks-Davis on 10/04/12

I have a good friend whose favorite flower is the gardenia.  The flower is a perfect match for her personality.  She is a person of pure intention; not really into being the center of attention; but you always know when she has been in the midst of a situation.  Her presence is always felt.  She is the one with a kind word at just the right time or a warm smile for a lonely child. Her kindness and meekness – strength yielded to God’s control – fills the room long after she has left.  Her fragrance lingers.

Do you have an essence that takes over a room?  The woman with the alabaster jar did.  She is unnamed in Matthew 26 but in John 12:3 is revealed as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.  Her fragrance was that of uncontained praise.  Her offering of choice was spikenard oil, a cousin of the herb valerian.

To get the essential oil, spikenard plant must be crushed to release the oil.  Mary had been crushed.  The illness and subsequent death of her brother Lazarus had turned her world upside down.  Mary and Martha were not recorded as being married so their economic stability would have depended upon their brother.  Her family unit had been compromised.  Lazarus was the emotional balance between Mary and Martha’s temperaments – the difference between peace and confusion.

Mary had wept bitterly at the loss of her brother…until Jesus.  Jesus hit the reset button and restored everything.  Lazarus was alive and Mary was overjoyed.  There were no words that could fully express her rapture; but she had to do something! She had to show Jesus how she truly felt.  He was more than just her friend; He was her Lord!

Finally, she found means and opportunity.  When she released the contents of that alabaster jar at that dinner party her intent was clear – to show her admiration, love and honor for Jesus.  When the jar was closed, no one else would know how she felt. Once it was released, not only would the whole room know but also every generation that came after her would feel the depth of her praise.

I find it interesting that she chose spikenard for her offering.  Spikenard was used in the healing of emotional conditions. It was incredibly expensive and according to John, she had a pound of it – a year’s wages worth.  What she had just lived through a situation that was incredibly expensive to her emotional well-being.  The spikenard oil was bought not merely with money but with tests and trials. She had been crushed but the oil that flowed from her was not bitterness or pain – but praise to the One who restored her.  Mary’s praise was in proportion to her trial. 

Mary’s spikenard was also the spice used by the Bride in Song of Solomon.   Frankincense and Myrrh were spices used to adorn the groom; the same two spices that were presented as gifts to Jesus at His birth.  He is more than prophet, priest and king. He is the bridegroom awaiting a celebrating bride – the church.  I wonder if Mary realized that she stood in for the Bride of Christ when she poured out her adoration upon Jesus?

Some will say that your praise is a waste; that your time should be spent on other more “worthwhile” endeavors.   Not so, your praise is a sweet aroma in the throne room of God.  Jesus waits to smell your essence. You are His beloved Bride.  Your praise is more costly than any Chanel perfume.  He waits for your precious oil to be poured out.

Your test has past and your praise is the testimony.  Let your aroma linger long after you are gone.

Comments (1)

1.Doris A. St. Juste said on 10/12/12 - 10:07PMWow....wow..did I say wow?!? Beautifully written, “Xy”…my sister. Truly blessed I am to be thought of in that manner. You know that I don’t see myself that way, but it reminds me of something you said to me some time ago. You shared with me that it’s a covering. A covering that those around me see, but I didn’t…still don’t. One placed there by the Lord above. God uses us, in the filth that we’re in to point others to Him. Thank you, “Xy”, for those kind words. Love you, my sistah. Shabbat Shalom. ;^D

The Widow’s Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7)

by Xylia Sparks-Davis on 09/27/12

The widow of Second Kings Four was married to a man who was seeking God, a follower of Elisha and the school of the prophets.  Scripture does not state what happened to him – just that he died.  When death comes there is plenty to do – preparing the body, conducting the services, and the settling of accounts.

It was time to administer her husband’s estate.  The ledgers are opened only to find that there is far more debt than money to go around.  Her husband had been seeking spiritual wisdom but had not gotten his financial house in order.  He had not prepared for the time when he would no longer be there for his family. Maybe he thought that he had time to make the debt right- but now he was gone and the ones he tried to protect inherited his burden.

 A sure rule is- when there is debt, there will be debt collectors.  I can see her creditors in my head now, sending letter after letter; notice after notice. They did not care about her pain, her loss or her circumstances.  The creditors only cared about the money. There were no wages to garnish – she did not have a paying job. Her family was her life. Her home was her domain.  Now a creditor was coming break up her home and sell her sons into to slavery to pay the debts.  The widow’s future depended on how this crisis would be resolved.  With the death her husband, she lost her income.  The loss of her sons would cause the loss of her protection – her social security - in her later years. What could she do to solve this?  Where would the answer come?

In a crisis, the first place you turn can show you who or what you trust.  The widow turns to Elisha, the man of God, for guidance and help.  His questions were straightforward. What do you have in your house? His instructions were clear. Go borrow vessels (jars) from your neighbors and do not get a few. Shut yourself in your home and begin to pour out the oil.

 The widow did exactly as she was told. She and her sons pulled together what was required and did not hesitate to ask their neighbors for the help they needed.  She shut herself up in the house and reached for her little oil jar.   How could something so small fill so many vessels much larger than itself?  She believed God was able and began to pour. She poured and filled vessel after vessel, until every jar was filled and there were no more to borrow.  The debt could be paid with money to spare.  The oil multiplied to fill the need and overflowed to provide her family with a stable financial future.  That is how God solves problems.  He more than just fills the need.  He overflows.  His supply runs over.

That reminds me of an issue God solved that was bigger than the widow’s debts.

God had an issue one day. His precious children whom he had created sold themselves into slavery – the slavery of sin.  Owned by a hard taskmaster called Satan.  The Lord looked at all the majesty around Him seeking for something of true value to pay back His children’s debt.  Gold Streets?  No, not worth enough….  Pearl gates? Not worth enough…Jasper walls? Not worth enough.  Our debt was so large none of these things combined would buy back even one of His precious ones.  Then He looked into the eyes of His only beloved and asked “Son, are you willing?  You know what must be done.”  The beloved one answered, “Father, I’m willing and I submit to your wisdom.” The Son came to Earth and was pierced – crucified.  His blood ran everywhere. His blood poured filling vessel after vessel. Jesus emptied Himself of His blood and surrendered His life for us. His blood bought our freedom, just as the oil spared the widow’s children.  Just like the widow’s oil, there was more than enough blood to pay the price.  Blood to wash away sin. Blood to heal the broken.  Blood to free the captive.  Blood to overcome life challenges.  The debt was paid and we who have been set free live on the rest – the victory.

Go fill your jars; there is more than enough to go around.

Until next time,

Xylia