Overflowing Joy!

Day 90: Esther 6–10; Malachi 1–4; Revelation 19–22

I am giddy today!  Just the very awareness of finishing the great book of God, the Holy Bible fills me with joy!  This has been a great experience.  I am carried with a fullness and buoyancy.  This must be what it means to have abundant life!  I am happy enough to turn cartwheels!

I am grateful!  I am humbled!  I am pleased.  I am satisfied.  I am thankful.  I am filled with praises for God and for all who have journeyed with me these 90 days.

Thank you, Lord for You amazing grace to carry me through these many hours of reading, reflection and writing.  You are the blessing that scripture intends. I am awake in Your life giving presence! Hallelujah!

Thank you all who have prayed for me, encouraged me, wrote to me, spoke to me or read these posts.  You were the catalyst that kept me accountable.  I so needed you.  You have my deepest gratitude.  May Christ Jesus fill you all with grace upon grace to overflowing joy!

The same night Haman planned to hang Mordecai the Jew for not paying him homage, King Xerxes could not sleep.  So he had the historical records read to him and was reminded of Mordecai's loyal act to thwart a planned assassination of the king.  So the king wanted to honor him.  He asked Haman how the king might honor a man.  Haman expecting himself to be the one the king wished to honor made an exquisite suggestion.

"Have them bring a royal garment that the king himself has worn and a horse the king himself has ridden, which has a royal diadem on its head. ⁹ Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king's most noble officials. Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and proclaim before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.' (Est. 6:8-9)"

Haman was instructed to be the very man to carry out the king's plan to Mordecai.  Imagine Haman's humiliation.  He was going to ask permission form the king to hang Mordecai.  He is mortified. As he should be.  The very evil he prepared for Mordecai fell upon him.  Haman was hanged on his own gallows when Esther pleaded with the king to spare her life and the life of her people because of the law King Xerxes had signed under Haman's design. 


The law was overturned in a new law sent out the 23rd day of the third month. That's 70 days after the original decree for a Jewish holocaust. This 70 days speaks of a fullness and completeness, of divine order and spiritual perfection.  Basically the salvation of the Jews through Mordecai and Queen Esther had come in God's perfect timing.  It occurred in 10 weeks.  The horror began at Passover and lasted 3 weeks into the spring harvest after the Festival of Weeks (Pentecost). It is 7 weeks plus 3 weeks. The number 3 represents the sacred, the spiritual, what is eternal, "what was, what is and is to come." 10 weeks is an intensified way of expressing God's complete work. 

On the day the Jews were to be exterminated, the Jews exterminated all their enemies.  The dark day was turned into a day of celebration, a holiday to be remembered of God's salvation for the Jews through Esther.
Purim remembers that Haman the Agagite cast lots (rolled the dice) to set the date for their genocide.  But God made that day a day of great deliverance.  Jews today celebrate Purim with festivity and exchanging gifts.

Malachi is a book written by the messenger (the Malachy).  He confronts the priests at the restored temple during Ezra and Nehemiah's reforms.  The matters of divorce, intermarriage with gentiles, shirking the tithe and unholy offerings are the subject of this short prophetic book.

The priests were accepting blemished, stolen or sickly animals for sacrifice.  There was an bad attitude growing in Jerusalem that Malachi confronts.

You have said: "It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfullybefore the LORD of Hosts? So now we consider the arrogantto be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape (Mal. 3:14-15)."

God warns the priests and the people that they are foolishly falling away from their father. For He is the One who will be revered by all the earth.  Those who have good and acceptable animals in their flocks but give to Yahweh the sickly ones that no one would want are profaning God's altar.

"For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name in every place because My name will be great among the nations... For I am a great King," says the LORD of Hosts, "and My name will be feared among the nations (Mal. 1:11, 14b)."


Jerusalem is falling into rebellion again by not begin careful to keep the law of God and honor Him.  But happily there are those who remain faithful.


At that time those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. "They will be Mine," says the LORD of Hosts, "a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. 


Books are opened  before the throne of God in John's revelation.  The Book of Life contains the names of all who have remained faithful and washed their garment in the blood of the Lamb.  They will be welcomed in the the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:27; 22:14)!

Satan, the beast, the false prophet and all who worshipped the beast are defeated by the King of King and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.  They are thrown into the lake of fire, the lake of burning sulfur to be destroyed forever and ever. Evil is completely and utterly eliminated from God' new creation.  The "refiner's fire" envisioned in Malachi burns off all the impurities once and for all (Mal. 3:1-4).

The holy presence of God fills the New Jerusalem with light forever.  There is no need for sun, or moon or stars for the Lamb is its light.  God is with his saints in a way only Adam and Eve knew. No longer separated or alienated because of sin, we will see God face to face and shine with His radiance.

My daughter Amanda gets married in a few days.  I will walk with her to hand her to her husband to be, the love of her life. She will be the wife of his youth.  May God keep them.

As she comes down the aisle dressed in her beauty and radiantly shining in love, we will all shudder because of the purity and beauty of this love and this sacred event.  John points to the wedding ceremony as the way if will feel for the saints when Jesus comes to complete His kingdom.  The fullness of time, God's perfect sacred time will come in completeness and the New Jerusalem will come from heaven like a radiant bride.

I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

    Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:

    Look! God's dwelling is with men,

    and He will live with them.

    They will be His people,

    and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

    He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

    Death will exist no longer;

    grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,

    because the previous things have passed away (Rev. 21:2-4).

As I write, my hear is about to burst with joy.

"Let all people be silent before the LORD, for He is coming from His holy dwelling (Zch 2:13)."

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen (Rev. 22:20b-21).