The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. Esther 3:15 – Of course it sent the city, likely the whole Persian empire, into confusion! We have a peaceful nation of people living under the rule of the Persians and getting along with the other nations under Persian rule as well. Suddenly a nationwide edict goes out that on a certain day in the near future every person of this peaceful nation was to be slaughtered and their goods plundered for they are violent enemies of the state. Confusion and fear must have been Israel’s baseline emotions for a while after this. Yet look at the king and Haman (the enemy in the story) during all this. Just sitting and drinking as if nothing was going on. Granted, I doubt the king truly understood what he just gave approval of, as one commentator suggested the king likely though he was just sentencing a small handful of troublers to death, not an entire nation of people. This though doesn’t cancel out his guilt in this act. Haman’s pride and the king’s apathy led to a city, and likely empires, worth of confusion in people’s lives. This is a big picture scale of the effects on others our sin can have. We can be the reason people are confused, scared, and thinking there is no hope for their life. Not because we are holding a weapon to them threatening that way, but with our carelessness with sin. Be aware of how your “yes” to whatever sin is your struggle is fuel to your loved one’s fear, hurt, and hopelessness. Be the one in their life helping them look to Jesus instead of the ones reinforcing the hurts in their life by your choice to sin. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3602
Question To Ponder: Can you think of any sin that has zero impact on anyone else other than yourself? (I can’t)
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