"Then Haman said to King Xerxes, 'There is a cetain people . . . If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them . . . ' "
Once upon a time, in a land not so very far away, a king named Saul went to battle against some people called the Amalekites. His orders were to annilihate the entire nation; men, women, children, animals, vegetables and minerals. Absolutely nothing was to remain alive or standing. Ahhhh, but this king thought HE knew better then his Commander-in Chief, so he kept some of the choice plunder, PLUS the king of the Amalekites himself, Agag, for himself, so that he could boast. Baaaaaad move. Bad, bad move.
Many, many years later, in the land of Persia, the decendants of King Agag appear and one of them is Haman. His one goal in life - eradicate every Jew from the face of the earth. The tables have turned and revenge, which has festered for centuries, is about to erupt and have its way.
What happens in the Old Testament in the natural happens in the New Testament in the spirit. Saul, in this instance, represents our "old man nature", the Amalekites represent the sin in our lives, Haman is the personification of unrepented sin, and the Jew is the child of God. Get the picture?
When we receive Jesus into our hearts, He wants to COMPLETELY clean us up, wipe out EVERYTHING that is not of God. We can't hold on to even one tinsey, weensy thing because it will eventually come back to haunt us and our descendants. You may not think one seemingly innoxious thing will not harm you right at the moment, but it can bring devestating results to later generations. Our sin not only affects us, but all those around us. And it will eventually catch up with us, also, as it later did Haman.
Saul never realized that his one act of pride would one day threaten an entire nation and we certainly have no idea of the repercussions of our own unrepeted sin. That is why it is so very crucial that we take stock of our lives every day and repent. The cost of unrepented sin is entirely too exorbitant. And none of us can afford to pay up!!! It's time to count the cost of DISobedience.
What is there in your life that needs to be removed? Is the cost of holding on to something the Lord wants destroyed worth it? What is the reason you won't let go? Do you trust Jesus for complete healing?
"Almighty God, searcher of hearts, root through me and bring to light all that I must give up to you. I want no hidden thing in my heart, nothing that will displease you and bring unnecessary hurt to me and others. Cut away the sin that binds, Lord. Strengthen me and heal me for the work you want done, that I may, in spirit and in truth, honor and worship you, my God. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Deuteronomy 25:17-19
1 Samuel 15:3, 9, 18-19
Ecclesiastes 12:14
Psalm 119:3-5, 134
Proverbs 19:16
Daniel 2:21-23
1 John 5:3
Revelation 3:3
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