“The king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was
in his hand.” (v.2)
During the time the story of Esther was written, all the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces
knew that any man or woman who approached the king in the inner court without
being summoned, there was but one law: that he/she be put to death. The only
exception to this was for the king to extend the gold scepter and spare a life (Esther 4:11).
Therefore, when Mordecai had asked Esther to approach the king and speak to him regarding a plot by Haman to kill the Jewish people, is it any wonder she was afraid? Even though she was the Queen, Esther had not been requested to appear before the king in thirty days (Esther 4:11). Esther DID have ONE small
chance however: If the king held out his golden scepter to her when she
appeared uninvited in his court, her life would be spared. So Esther prepared herself by praying and fasting for three
days, and she requested that all the Jews in Shushan pray and fast for her also (Esther 4:16).
Then, at the end of the three days of prayer and fasting, she dressed in her most beautiful robes, and taking her life into her
hands, she appeared, uninvited, before the king (Esther 5:1-2). Imagine her relief when the
king held out the golden scepter to her! She had done something illegal, but
the king in his grace, pardoned her!
We too will stand before our king one day. Are you afraid to enter into His presence? If you
have never accepted Jesus into your heart, then you have reason to be. But the
solution is a simple one. Do it today! Accept Him into your heart, then by
faith in what He has ALREADY done, you, too, may come boldly into the throne
room of God knowing with all assurance that He WILL extend to you the Golden
Scepter of Grace!
Accept His free gift today. It’s the gift that will last
forever. Merry Christmas!
The Truth
“For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
