Ruthu na EstaRuth and Esther — Sehemu ya 6Unit 6

Ufunguzi na MarudioOpening and Recap

Habari za asubuhi, nyote, mlio hapa na mlio mtandaoni — asanteni kwa kujiunga nasi, na samahani kwa kuchelewa. Tulifanya utangulizi wa kitabu cha Esta wiki chache zilizopita, na sasa tunaingia katika sura mbili za kwanza. Kwa marudio: hatujui mwandishi ni nani, lakini tunadhani alikuwa angalau mtu aliyewaonea Wayahudi huruma, aliyeifahamu vizuri Shushani, Dola ya Uajemi, na desturi zake. Katika Esta tunaona mada zilezile tulizoziona katika Ruthu — ukombozi, urejesho, na, muhimu kuliko yote, maongozi ya Mungu — ingawa Mungu hatajwi hata mara moja na maombi hayatajwi hata mara moja; maongozi yake yamejaa kila mahali katika hadithi hii.Good morning, everybody, here and in cyberspace — thanks for joining us, and sorry about the delay. We did the introduction to Esther a few weeks ago, and now we dive into the first two chapters. To recap: we don't know who the author is, but we suspect he was at least a Jewish sympathizer, well acquainted with Susa, the Persian Empire, and its customs. We see in Esther the same themes we saw in Ruth — redemption, restoration, and, most importantly, God's providence — even though God is never mentioned and prayer is never mentioned; His providence is all over this story.

Mtu mmoja alileta hoja kwamba wanawake hawakuwa na sauti kubwa — na hilo linavutia kweli, kwa sababu historia na utamaduni wa nyakati hizo, hasa chini ya Dola ya Uajemi, ni tata zaidi kuliko unavyoweza kudhani, nasi tutaliingia.Someone raised the point that women didn't have much say — and that's truly fascinating, because the history and culture of the times, especially under the Persian Empire, is more complicated than you'd expect, and we'll get into it.

Mambo Tunayoyaona — Sura ya KwanzaObservations — Chapter One

“Ikawa katika siku za Xerxes.” Tafsiri nyingine zinatumia “Ahasuero,” ambalo yaelekea ni cheo, si jina lake — maana yake ni “baba mkuu” au “mfalme mheshimiwa” — ilhali Xerxes ndilo jina lake. (Tafsiri ya New King James hata inasema, “Huyo ndiye Ahasuero aliyetawala majimbo 127,” jambo linaloweka wazi maana ya cheo.) Majimbo hayo 127 ni muhimu: dola kubwa namna hiyo, iliyokuwa imetwaa Babeli na kuyaunganisha mataifa mengi namna hiyo, ilikuwa na lugha nyingi — na jambo hilo lina nafasi muhimu katika sura hizi.“This is what happened during the time of Xerxes.” Some translations use “Ahasuerus,” which is most likely a title, not his name — it means “high father” or “venerable king” — while Xerxes is his name. (The New King James even renders it, “This was the Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces,” which makes the title sense clear.) Those 127 provinces matter: an empire that large, having acquired Babylon and annexed so many peoples, contained many languages — and that plays an important role in these chapters.

Hadithi inaanza Xerxes akipanga uvamizi wake wa Uyunani, jambo lililoadhimishwa kwa karamu ngomeni (jumba la mfalme, lililojengwa kilimani juu, likiwa limetengana na mji wa Shushani). Tunajua kuhusu mipango hiyo ya uvamizi kutoka kwa mwanahistoria Herodoto, aliyeandika takriban 472 K.K.; kitabu chake, The Histories (Historia), kinasimulia mgogoro kati ya Wayunani na Waajemi. Xerxes anawakusanya wakuu wake, maliwali wake, na wenye hekima, nao wanapanga kwa siku 180, wakikusanya fedha. Ukweli kwamba baadaye anafanya karamu ya pili — iliyo wazi kwa kila mtu katika mji mkuu — unaonyesha kwamba mipango na ukusanyaji wa fedha ulikuwa umeenda vizuri. Anaanzisha uvamizi huo kulipiza kisasi kwa Wayunani kumshinda baba yake Dario katika Vita vya Marathoni. Fikiria mtu wa kawaida akinywa kutoka kikombe cha dhahabu — inanishangaza sana. (Pia tunajua kutoka vyanzo vilivyo nje ya Biblia kwamba ngome hiyo iliungua baadaye; Xerxes alikuwa ameanza jumba la pili huko Persepoli, ambalo mwanawe Artashasta angelikalia baadaye.) Nyeupe na zambarau zilikuwa rangi za kifalme za Uajemi. Kulikuwa na siku saba za karamu; kwa kawaida kila mtu alilazimika kunywa kila mfalme alipokunywa, lakini Xerxes aliiondoa sharti hilo akawaacha watu wanywe kama walivyotaka.The story begins with Xerxes planning his invasion of Greece, marked by a banquet at the citadel (the king's palace, set on a hill above and apart from the city of Susa). We know about the invasion plans from the historian Herodotus, who wrote around 472 BC; his book, The Histories, chronicles the Greco-Persian conflict. Xerxes assembles his princes, satraps, and wise men, and they plan for 180 days, raising money. The fact that he then holds a second banquet — open to everyone in the capital — suggests the planning and fundraising had gone well. He launches the invasion in retaliation for the Greeks' defeat of his father Darius at the Battle of Marathon. Imagine a commoner drinking from a golden goblet — it blows my mind. (We also know from extra-biblical sources that this citadel later burned; Xerxes had begun a second palace at Persepolis, which his son Artaxerxes would later occupy.) White and violet were the royal colors of Persia. There were seven days of feasting; typically everyone had to drink whenever the king drank, but Xerxes waived that and let people drink as they wished.

Wakati huohuo, Vashti anafanya karamu yake mwenyewe kwa ajili ya wanawake — jambo lisilo la ajabu. Leo, wanawake katika eneo hilo mara nyingi wanakandamizwa sana, na sehemu ya hali hiyo inarudi hadi enzi hii — lakini katika Uajemi wa kale wanawake kwa kweli walikuwa na uhuru mkubwa: waliweza kumiliki biashara, kutumika jeshini, kujitegemea, kuchagua kutoolewa, na hata kushika kazi zilezile za wanaume, na hili lilikuwa kweli kwa wanawake wa kifalme na wa kawaida pia. Tofauti iliyo wazi, hasa kwa wa kifalme: mke wa kifalme hakuruhusiwa kuonwa na mtu yeyote isipokuwa mumewe. Aliweza kusikiliza kila mkutano wa mipango na kila kikao cha mikakati ya mfalme pamoja na washauri wake — lakini kupitia tu tundu jembamba la dirisha. Ted nami tuliona ushahidi wa jambo hili huko India: “Jumba la Upepo” (Hawa Mahal), lililojengwa kwa safu za madirisha madogo membamba ili wanawake wa kifalme na wajakazi wao waweze kutazama gwaride na jeshi likipita bila wao kuonekana; tuliona mpangilio uleule katika majumba ya kifalme ya Udaipur na Jaipur, ambapo baraza la mfalme lilizungukwa na matundu hayo. Ni mgongano wa ajabu — uhuru mwingi namna hiyo pamoja na kutengwa kwingi namna hiyo.Meanwhile, Vashti holds her own banquet for the women — not uncommon. Today, women in that region are often heavily oppressed, and some of that traces to this era — but in ancient Persia women actually had considerable freedom: they could own businesses, serve in the military, be independent, choose not to marry, and even hold the same jobs as men, and this was true for both royal and common women. The striking exception, especially for royalty: a royal wife could not be seen by anyone but her husband. She could listen in on every planning meeting and strategy session with the king's councilmen — but only through a narrow window slit. Ted and I saw evidence of this in India: the “Wind Palace” (Hawa Mahal), built with rows of small slit windows so the royal women and their ladies-in-waiting could watch parades and the military pass without being seen; we saw the same arrangement in the palaces at Udaipur and Jaipur, where the king's court was surrounded by those slits. A strange dichotomy — that much liberty alongside that much seclusion.

Siku ya mwisho ya karamu, wanaume wakiwa wamelewa sana, mfalme anamwita Vashti aonyeshe uzuri wake wa kifalme mbele ya kila mtu — na sasa yeye ndiye anayevunja desturi. Baadhi ya vyanzo vya kirabi vinasema alimtaka aje akiwa amevaa taji lake tu bila kitu kingine; vingine vinasema Gabrieli alikuwa amempiga kwa ukoma, au kwamba alikuwa na mimba ya Artashasta. Iwe ni kwa mojawapo ya sababu hizo au kwa sababu alibanwa kati ya kumtii mfalme na kuitii sheria, alipaswa kuchagua — naye akakataa. (Kwa njia, Vashti maana yake ni “mpendwa kuliko wote” au “anayetamaniwa”; hatajwi katika maandiko yaliyo nje ya Biblia, na huenda jina hilo hata ni la Kiyunani badala ya Kiajemi — hatujui.) Ukizingatia haki ambazo wanawake walikuwa nazo, pamoja na hali ya ulevi ya wanaume, si ajabu kwamba alikataa.On the final day of the feast, with the men quite inebriated, the king summons Vashti to display her royal beauty before everyone — and now he is the one defying custom. Some rabbinic sources say he asked her to come wearing nothing but her crown; others say Gabriel had stricken her with leprosy, or that she was pregnant with Artaxerxes. Whether for one of those reasons or because she was caught between obeying the king and obeying the law, she had to choose — and she refused. (Incidentally, Vashti means “best beloved” or “desired one”; she isn't named in extra-biblical literature, and the name may even be Greek rather than Persian — we don't know.) Given the rights women did have, plus the men's drunken state, it's no wonder she refused.

Mfalme anakuwa na “hasira,” na hilo ni kusema kidogo mno — kwa vitabu vya leo vya saikolojia ungeweza kumwita Xerxes mtu mwenye ugonjwa wa hisia zinazopanda na kushuka (manic-depressive); vyanzo vilivyo nje ya Biblia vinaeleza kwamba alikuwa mtu mwenye hasira za ghafla mno na asiyetabirika. Mifano miwili: daraja alilokuwa amejenga juu ya Helesponti lilipoharibiwa na dhoruba, aliwaamuru watu wake waipige bahari viboko 300 na akawakata vichwa wajenzi wa daraja hilo. Na tajiri mmoja aitwaye Pythius alimpelekea Xerxes zawadi kubwa kwa ajili ya vita vyake — kubwa kiasi kwamba Xerxes aliirudisha pamoja na shukrani — lakini Pythius alipoomba baadaye kwamba mmoja wa wanawe aachiliwe asiende jeshini ili amsaidie katika uzee wake, Xerxes alimkata mwana huyo vipande viwili na akalifanya jeshi lipite katikati ya vipande hivyo. Si mtu mwema — mfalme mwendawazimu.The king becomes “angry,” which is an understatement — by today's Psychology Manuals you'd call Xerxes manic-depressive; extra-biblical sources note he was incredibly volatile and unpredictable. Two examples: when a bridge he had built over the Hellespont was destroyed in a storm, he ordered his men to give the sea 300 lashes and beheaded the bridge's builders. And a wealthy man named Pythius sent Xerxes a huge gift for his campaign — so large that Xerxes sent it back with thanks — but when Pythius later asked that one of his sons be spared from the military to help him in his old age, Xerxes had the son cut in two and made the army march between the pieces. Not a nice man — a mad king.

Katika mstari wa 18, neno la “dharau” ambalo mshauri wa mfalme analiogopa linatumika hapa tu katika kitabu hiki, na kwa kihalisi linatafsiriwa “kudharau” — kukosa heshima na mafarakano. Huyo ni Memukani, akisema anachofikiri kinapaswa kufanyika. Mfalme anawaita wenye hekima wake — na kwa kweli wana hekima kiasi gani? Wanaingiwa na hofu kwamba jambo hili litazaa vuguvugu la ukombozi wa wanawake na lazima likomeshwe, kwa hiyo wanatoa amri kwamba kila mwanamume awe bwana wa nyumba yake mwenyewe na kwamba kila mmoja aseme lugha ya watu wake mwenyewe. Kwa kuwa dola ilikuwa na lugha nyingi, watoto kwa kawaida walichukua lugha ya mama; amri hiyo inamaanisha hapana — mama lazima ajifunze na kuwaongelesha watoto lugha ya mumewe. Ni jambo la kuudhi — lililotokana na hofu tupu ya kupoteza udhibiti juu ya wanawake wao. Na amri hiyo inapelekwa vipi katika dola hiyo kubwa? Kwa wajumbe wa posta — mtangulizi wa Pony Express. Mpanda farasi angepanda kwa siku moja na kumpa mpanda farasi mwingine, na kuendelea hivyo hadi majimbo yote. Hakuna jipya chini ya jua.In verse 18, the word for the “contempt” the king's advisor fears is used only here in this book and translates literally as “despise” — disrespect and discord. That's Memucan, voicing what he thinks should happen. The king calls on his wise men — and how wise are they, really? They panic that this will spark a women's liberation movement and must be shut down, so they issue an edict that every man should be master of his own household and that each should speak the language of his own people. With so many languages in the empire, children naturally adopted the mother's language; the edict means no — the mother must learn and speak the husband's language to the children. Obnoxious — driven by sheer fear of losing control of their women. And how is the edict sent across that vast empire? By courier — a precursor to the Pony Express. A rider would ride for a day and pass it to the next rider, and so on to all the provinces. Nothing new under the sun.

Mambo Tunayoyaona — Sura ya PiliObservations — Chapter Two

“Baada ya mambo hayo, hasira ya mfalme Xerxes ilipotulia” — katika kipindi hicho, Xerxes ameshindwa katika uvamizi wa Uyunani na anajihurumia, asiyeweza kufarijiwa. Matowashi wake, wakijiuliza wafanye nini na mfalme huyu mwendawazimu, wanaamua kumtafutia mke mpya badala ya Vashti (ingawa tayari ana masuria 300 wanaomsubiri — haitoshi tu). Wazo hilo likampendeza, kwa hiyo wanatuma watu kutafuta wanawake — na hapo ndipo Mordekai na Esta hatimaye wanaingia katika hadithi.“After these things, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided” — in the interval, Xerxes has suffered defeat in the Greek invasion and is throwing a pity party, inconsolable. His eunuchs, wondering what to do with this mad king, decide to find a new wife to replace Vashti (though he already has 300 concubines waiting — it's just not good enough). That idea pleased him, and so they send out to find women — and that's when Mordecai and Esther finally enter the story.

Inavutia kwamba Mordekai anapewa jina lake la Kibabeli, lenye maana ya “mwana wa Marduki” (Marduki akiwa mungu wa Babeli), lakini si jina la Kiyahudi; Esta anapewa majina yote mawili. Ukoo wa Mordekai ni muhimu: mwana wa Yairi, mwana wa Shimei, mwana wa Kishi, Mbenyamini — Kishi alikuwa baba wa Mfalme Sauli. Huenda mwandishi anarudisha macho kwenye uhasama wa zamani: Sauli aliamriwa na Mungu kuwaangamiza Waamaleki na asichukue kitu, lakini alimwacha hai Mfalme Agagi na akachukua nyara, kinyume cha amri ya Mungu, na Samweli ndiye aliyemkata Agagi vipande vipande hatimaye. Hamani ni Mwagagi — kwa hiyo kuna uhasama wa kudumu kati ya ukoo wa Sauli na Waamaleki, na sasa Mordekai, mzao wa Sauli, anaingia katika picha.Interestingly, Mordecai is given his Babylonian name, which means “son of Marduk” (Marduk being a Babylonian god), but not a Jewish name; Esther is given both. Mordecai's lineage is significant: son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite — Kish was the father of King Saul. The author may be pointing back to an old feud: Saul was ordered by God to destroy the Amalekites and take nothing, but he spared King Agag and took spoil, against God's command, and Samuel was the one who finally cut Agag to pieces. Haman is an Agagite — so there's a standing feud between the line of Saul and the Amalekites, and now Mordecai, a descendant of Saul, enters the picture.

Mordekai na Esta walichukuliwa katika utumwa wa Babeli pamoja na Yekonia, mfalme wa Yuda — jambo ambalo yaelekea linamaanisha walikuwa wa damu ya kifalme au matajiri sana. Kuhusu majina: jina la Kibabeli la Esta maana yake ni “nyota,” na jina lake la Kiyahudi, Hadasa, maana yake ni “mhadasi” — ishara ya ufanisi, mafanikio, na umilele wa uzima, na hatimaye ishara ya taifa la Kiyahudi. (Ua la mhadasi lina umbo la nyota, na yaelekea ndivyo alivyopata jina “Esta.”) Kwamba yeye peke yake anapewa majina yote mawili ni ishara iliyo wazi: huyu ni mwanamke mwenye utambulisho miwili — utambulisho miwili utakaokuwa na nafasi kubwa sana.Mordecai and Esther were taken into Babylonian captivity with Jehoiachin, the king of Judah — which probably means they were of royal blood or quite wealthy. As for names: Esther's Babylonian name means “star,” and her Jewish name, Hadassah, means “myrtle” — a symbol of prosperity, success, and eternity of life, and ultimately a symbol of the Jewish nation. (The myrtle flower is star-shaped, which is likely how she came by “Esther.”) That she alone is given both names is a clear signal: this is a woman with two identities — two identities that will come into play in a big way.

Anachukuliwa kuingia jumbani mwa mfalme, chini ya ulinzi wa Hegai, aliyekuwa msimamizi wa wanawake. Tunaweza kudhani kwamba Mordekai hakuwa na budi ila kumwachilia kwa mujibu wa amri hiyo. Kusema kweli, kwa wakati huu simpendi sana Mordekai — angeweza kusema waziwazi kwamba yeye ni Myahudi na kumwokoa binamu yake asichukuliwe na kunajisiwa, lakini hakufanya lolote. Mlinganishe na Yusufu, ambaye hakuficha hata kidogo yeye ni nani na alisimamia nini, na aliyemkimbia mke wa Potifa na akaishia gerezani kwa sababu hiyo. Ted alitoa hoja niliyotaka kuitoa: Mordekai alipaswa kurudi Yerusalemu, kama Mungu alivyokuwa amemwita — lakini Yerusalemu kilikuwa “mahali pa nyuma, pasipo na hadhi,” na yaelekea wasingetafuta mtu wa kuchukua nafasi ya Vashti huko. Atakuwa na ukombozi kamili baadaye, nami nitampenda zaidi wakati huo; sasa hivi, lilikuwa kosa. (Na kama wengi wenu mlivyoeleza — tusingekuwa na hadithi kama angefanya vinginevyo.)She is taken into the palace, into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. We can assume Mordecai had no choice but to relinquish her under the decree. Honestly, at this point I don't much like Mordecai — he could have spoken up about being Jewish and saved his cousin from being taken in and violated, and he did nothing. Compare him to Joseph, who made no bones about who he was and what he stood for, and who ran from Potiphar's wife and ended up in jail for it. Ted made the point I was going to: Mordecai should have gone back to Jerusalem, as God had called him to — but Jerusalem was “backwater” and they probably wouldn't have sought a replacement for Vashti there. He will have a total redemption later, and I'll love him more then; right now, it was wrong. (And as several of you noted — we wouldn't have a story if he'd done otherwise.)

Kuhusu mstari wa 9 — “yule msichana akampendeza, akapata fadhili kwake” — wafafanuzi wengi wanasema Esta “alimvutia kwa hila” Hegai, jambo nisilolipenda; maandishi hayasemi hivyo, na linasikika kama ujanja wa kudanganya. “Akapata kibali chake” si tafsiri bora sana pia; Kiebrania kina maana ya kupokea au kupata kibali — kibali alichostahili, si alichokitengeneza kwa hila. Wazo langu ni hili: msichana wa Kiyahudi aliyemtii hivyo binamu yake Mordekai haingii humo akipepesa kope. Esta alilelewa kuwa mwenye heshima, mnyenyekevu, mnyoofu, na mtiifu kwa wazee wake, na hicho ndicho alichoingia nacho — si uzuri peke yake. (Uzuri ulimpatia Vashti kidogo sana.) Hegai ni towashi; kinachomvutia towashi anayetawaliwa na watu wenye nguvu si uzuri — ni kuheshimiwa na maoni yake kuthaminiwa. Hiyo ndiyo hoja: miongoni mwa wanawake wengi wazuri, kilichomtofautisha Esta na hata kumtuliza mfalme mwendawazimu kilikuwa tabia yake. Kama Ted alivyosema, hilo linahitaji hekima ya kweli.On verse 9 — “she pleased him and won his favor” — many commentators say Esther “charmed” Hegai, which I dislike; the text doesn't say that, and it sounds manipulative. “Won his favor” isn't the best translation either; the Hebrew has the sense of receiving or obtaining favor — favor earned, not engineered. Here's my thought: a Jewish girl so obedient to her cousin Mordecai is not going in there batting her eyelashes. Esther was raised to be respectful, humble, sincere, and obedient to her elders, and that is what she carried in — not mere beauty. (Beauty got Vashti very little.) Hegai is a eunuch; what appeals to a eunuch controlled by powerful men isn't beauty — it's being respected and having his opinion valued. That's the point: among many beautiful women, what set Esther apart and even settled a mad king was her character. As Ted said, that takes real wisdom.

Anapewa chakula — na, hoja nzuri, yaelekea si chakula halali kwa sheria ya Kiyahudi (kosher), kwa kuwa hakuruhusiwa kufunua asili yake. Mtu anaweza tu kuwaza jinsi mlo ule wa kwanza usio kosher ulivyokuwa mgumu, na jinsi ulivyozidi kuwa rahisi kwa kila mlo uliofuata — liwekeni hilo akilini kwa ajili ya tafsiri. Anapitia mwaka mzima wa matibabu ya urembo, na zamu yake inapofika anaingia kwa mfalme na kile tu ambacho Hegai anapendekeza — tena, heshima na unyenyekevu wake kwake. Hivyo anapata kibali cha mfalme; inafaa pia kuzingatia kwamba analala na mfalme mpagani nje ya ndoa, jambo ambalo lazima lilikuwa gumu bila kujali ni hatua ngapi alikuwa ameshachukua kinyume cha sheria ya Mungu. Naye hapati kibali tu bali pia fadhili kwa mfalme — na neno hilo linarudi kwa Ruthu: ni hesed, upendo wa agano. Kupata upendo wa agano kutoka kwa mfalme mwendawazimu mwenye hasira za ghafla kunasema mengi kuhusu tabia ya Esta na kuhusu maongozi ya Mungu.She is given food — and, good point, probably not kosher, since she was not allowed to reveal her origins. One can only imagine how awkward that first non-kosher meal must have been, and how it got easier with each one — keep that in the back of your mind for the interpretation. She undergoes a year of beauty treatments, and when her turn comes she takes in to the king only what Hegai suggests — again, her respect and humility toward him. So she obtains the king's favor; noteworthy, too, that she sleeps with a pagan king out of wedlock, which had to be hard no matter how many steps she'd already taken against God's law. And she finds not merely favor but kindness with the king — and that word goes back to Ruth: it is hesed, covenant love. To win covenant love from a mad, volatile king speaks volumes about Esther's character and about God's providence.

TafsiriInterpretation

Tafsiri ya Ted: ni bora kuwa katika utii, lakini hata katika kutotii Mungu anaweza kukutumia — mpango wake haukwamishwi kamwe. Mwanzo wa hadithi umejaa ulevi na sherehe za kupita kiasi, maamuzi mabaya, majivuno yanayoumia upesi, ubadhirifu, na kiburi — kwa ufupi, uozo. Kuna ununuzi wa namna mbili unaoendelea: wakuu wanakuja wakimlipa mfalme ili watambuliwe, na mfalme naye anageuka na kununua kutambuliwa na watu wa kawaida. Kama Frederick W. Bush anavyoeleza, “mfalme anayetawala kwa kweli ulimwengu wote hawezi kumpindisha mke wake mwenyewe afuate mapenzi yake; dhihaka ya sura ya kwanza ina upande wa kutisha, ikifunua jamii inayotawaliwa na kiburi na majivuno ya wapumbavu wenye majivuno yanayoumia upesi, wanaoweza kukusanya mitambo ya dola kwa ajili ya mambo ya ubinafsi na ya kitoto — picha ya kulaumiwa sana na yenye kutisha kiasi: wanaogopa vuguvugu la wanawake na kuisogeza serikali nzima kujibu.”Ted's interpretation: it's better to be in obedience, but even in disobedience God can use you — His plan is never thwarted. The opening of the story is fraught with drunken revelry, bad decisions, tender egos, wastefulness, and arrogance — in short, corruption. There are two buy-offs going on: the noblemen come paying the king for recognition, and the king turns around and buys the recognition of the commoners. As Frederick W. Bush observes, “the king who effectively rules the whole world cannot bend his own wife to his will; the first chapter's mockery has a sinister side, revealing a society ruled by the pride and pomposity of buffoons with tender egos, who can marshal the state's machinery for selfish and childish causes — a damning and rather scary picture: they get frightened of a women's movement and move the entire government in response.”

Lakini ni nani anayefanya kazi nyuma ya pazia wakati ambapo bado hakuna tishio kwa Wayahudi? Mungu. Ni siri jinsi anavyotenda maongozi yake huku akiwaachia wanadamu hiari yao, lakini kwa wazi anafanya kazi kwa ajili ya Wayahudi — ili baadaye awaokoe kutokana na matokeo ya kutotii kwa Mordekai na Esta wenyewe. Kadiri tunavyothamini fadhili, heshima, na utii wa Esta, kama Myahudi yaelekea yeye ni wa jina tu, kwa kiwango cha juu kabisa; yeye na Mordekai wangeweza kuenenda kama Yusufu alivyoenenda, lakini hawakufanya hivyo. Utambulisho ule miwili unaonyesha wazi kwamba walikuwa wamejichanganya sana katika utamaduni wa Kiajemi na yaelekea hawakuwa na nia ya kurudi — si tofauti na Elimeleki na Naomi walivyojichanganya katika Moabu. Hawa ni watu wa kawaida ambao wakati mwingine hufanya maamuzi mabaya, na ambao Mungu hawaondolei mkono wake kamwe.But who is working behind the scenes when, as yet, there's no threat to the Jews? God. It's a mystery how He works His providence while allowing men their free will, but He is clearly working on behalf of the Jews — to save them later from the consequences of Mordecai and Esther's own disobedience. As much as we appreciate Esther's kindness, respect, and obedience, as a Jew she's probably nominal at best; she and Mordecai could have behaved as Joseph did, and didn't. The two identities show clearly that they had integrated deeply into Persian culture and likely had no intention of going back — not unlike Elimelech and Naomi assimilating into Moab. These are ordinary people who sometimes make bad decisions, and from whom God never removes His hand.

Na je, inazidi kuwa rahisi kwa kila mlo usio kosher? Ndiyo — na hilo ndilo onyo. Ted alishiriki mfano mzito kutoka siku zake za huduma ya misheni duniani: alipoingia kuwa afisa mkuu wa fedha (CFO), aligundua udanganyifu wa kiasi cha tarakimu saba (mamilioni ya dola) ulioanza pale mtangulizi mmoja “alipokopa” dola 50,000 kutoka akaunti ya msaada wa wamisionari ili kulipia gharama za uendeshaji, akiwa na nia kamili ya kuzirudisha; hakuna aliyegundua, kwa hiyo miezi kadhaa baadaye alikopa dola nyingine 50,000, na baada ya miaka kumi deni hilo lilikuwa limefikia tarakimu saba — nia ikiwa daima ni kulipa. Hivyo ndivyo tunavyojihesabia haki kwa urahisi, tukidai kwamba lengo linahalalisha njia. Kufikia wakati Esta anakabiliwa na kuingia kwa mfalme mwendawazimu wa Mataifa, bila kuolewa, baada ya mwaka mzima wa kudekezwa na kulegeza msimamo, anamtegemea Hegai kabisa.And does it get easier with each non-kosher meal? Yes — which is the warning. Ted shared a sobering parallel from his global-missions days: stepping in as CFO, he uncovered a seven-figure fraud that had begun when a predecessor “borrowed” $50,000 from the missionary support account to cover overhead, fully intending to repay it; no one noticed, so months later he borrowed another $50,000, and after ten years it had grown to seven figures — the intent always to repay. That's exactly how easily we justify the ends by the means. By the time Esther faces going in to a mad gentile king, unmarried, after a year of pampering and compromise, she is utterly dependent on Hegai.

MatumiziApplication

Ted alitoa matumizi ya kwanza: hitaji la kuwajibika binafsi. Hatuwezi kuwa waamini wanaozurura peke yao bila uangalizi; tunahitajiana ili kurudishana kwa upendo kwenye njia sahihi, kwa sababu chuma hunoa chuma. Katika historia yote, falme na madola yamekuwa na ngome zake za uozo — Watergate, kashfa mbalimbali, Enron, Countrywide, Lehman Brothers mwaka 2008 — na kwa huzuni tumeliona hata katika bodi za misheni na makanisa, yote yakitokana na imani kwamba lengo linahalalisha njia, au uongo mjanja zaidi kwamba ni tendo moja dogo tu ambalo hakuna atakayeligundua. Kama Xerxes — na kusema kweli kama Esta — tendo moja dogo huleta jingine, na shimo huzidi kuwa refu.Ted offered the first application: the need for individual accountability. We can't be free-range believers; we need each other to lovingly redirect us back to the proper path, because iron sharpens iron. Throughout history, monarchies and empires have had their strongholds of corruption — Watergate, the various scandals, Enron, Countrywide, Lehman Brothers in 2008 — and we've sadly seen it in mission boards and churches too, all on the belief that the ends justify the means, or the subtler lie that it's just one tiny act no one will notice. Like Xerxes — and frankly like Esther — one little act leads to another, and the hole gets deeper.

Basi: ni maeneo gani ya maisha yangu yanayohitaji kurekebishwa na kusahihishwa kwa maombi? “Ungamianeni dhambi zenu” ni mstari tunaouruka na tunaoutumia vibaya sana — ni mara ngapi kweli tunafanya hivyo? Na je, sisi kama makanisa madogo na ushirika, tumeshindwa kuwa kimbilio ambapo watu wanahisi wanaweza kuungama na kupata msamaha na kukubalika? Baada ya miaka 35 ya kuwa mchungaji, msimamo thabiti ni kwamba kanisa linapaswa kuwa mahali salama kuliko yote duniani — mahali ambapo, ukiulizwa hali yako, ungeweza kusema, “Nilikunywa pombe kupita kiasi jana na ilikuwa vigumu kuja.” Tumekusudiwa kuwa kimbilio hilo, tukishiriki upendo wa Kristo.So: what areas of my life need prayerful correction and adjustment? “Confess your sins to one another” is a verse we skip over and badly misapply — how often do we really do it? And have we, as small churches and fellowships, faltered in being a haven where people feel they can confess and find forgiveness and acceptance? After 35 years as a pastor, the conviction is that the church should be the safest place in the world — the place where, asked how you're doing, you could say, “I had too much to drink yesterday and it was hard to come.” We are meant to be that haven, sharing the love of Christ.

Ni mara ngapi ubinafsi wangu unazuia kuwatumikia na kuwapenda wengine, akiwemo mume wangu? Ni mara ngapi tunasema uongo mdogo “usio na madhara” ili tusijishtaki wenyewe, au tunahalalisha maamuzi mabaya ili tusiaibike, au tunaogopa kukiri kwamba huenda tumekosea? (Ungamo la kweli: wazazi wangu walikuwa wabaya sana katika kutufundisha kuomba msamaha — waliona kuomba msamaha kuwa udhaifu badala ya nguvu ya tabia, ilhali kuomba msamaha ni nguvu.) Ted aliongeza desturi aliyoianza: kuiombea bodi ya wazee ili kila mmoja asikilize ili ajifunze na kuelewa, badala ya kusikiliza ili ajibu — kwa sababu mara nyingi tunatunga jibu letu badala ya kusikiliza kwa kweli. Hatupaswi kuwa watu wasioweza kusahihishwa; tumeokolewa, lakini uozo unaweza kuingia wakati wowote, ndiyo maana tunahitaji wenzi wa kuwajibika watakaotushikilia kwenye msimamo.How often does my selfishness get in the way of serving and loving others, including my husband? How often do we tell little white lies to avoid incriminating ourselves, or justify poor decisions to save face, or fear admitting we might be wrong? (True confession: my parents were awful at teaching us to apologize — they saw apologies as weakness rather than strength of character, when asking forgiveness is strength.) Ted added a practice he's begun: praying for the elder board that everyone would listen in order to learn and understand, instead of listening in order to reply — because so often we're forming our answer instead of truly listening. We aren't to be immune to correction; we're saved, but corruption can creep in anytime, which is why we need accountability partners to hold our feet to the fire.

Hadithi ya Esta ina mwisho mwema, nasi tunajua inavyoishia — lakini jambo ni hili: inakuwaje pale tusipojua hadithi itaishiaje? Hivyo ndivyo tunavyoishi. Hatimaye Mungu ni mshindi na atakuwa mshindi katika hadithi kuu inayojumuisha yote, lakini vipi kuhusu hadithi zetu za kila siku? Mfikirie Vashti, aliyewekwa katika hali isiyo na ushindi, akiitii sheria kuliko mumewe — angalia ilimletea nini. Mfikirie Esta, aliyechukuliwa kuingia katika nyumba ya wanawake ya mfalme mwendawazimu kwa sababu mfalme huyo alikuwa anajihurumia. Wakati mwingine tunapata matokeo ya maamuzi yetu wenyewe mabaya — na baya zaidi (hili liliniingia sana), wakati mwingine tunapata matokeo ya maamuzi ya mtu mwingine, kwa sababu tu tulikuwa mahali pasipofaa wakati usiofaa. Nyakati zile ambapo mambo mabaya huwapata watu wema huumiza zaidi yanapotoka kwa mtu usiyemtarajia hata kidogo — mpendwa, mwamini mcha Mungu, kanisa; unaweza kusalitiwa tu na rafiki.Esther's story has a happily-ever-after, and we know how it ends — but here's the thing: what happens when we don't know how the story ends? That's how we live. Ultimately God is and will be victorious in the overarching story, but what about our day-to-day stories? Think of Vashti, placed in a no-win situation and obeying the law over her husband — look what it got her. Think of Esther, taken into a mad king's harem because he was having a pity party. Sometimes we suffer the consequences of our own poor decisions — and worse (this hit me hard), sometimes we suffer the consequences of someone else's, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those times when bad things happen to good people hurt most when it comes from someone you least expect — a loved one, a devout believer, a church; you can only be betrayed by a friend.

Jibu letu la kwanza linapaswa kuwa nini tunaposalitiwa? Kupiga magoti katika maombi. Mungu anaweza kupokea hisia zote hizo — anaweza kukusikiliza ukilalamika na kughadhibika — na jibu lake daima ni lilelile: “Nakupenda.” Inapoonekana kama ukimya, elewa kwamba huo ni uongo wa Shetani; adui anataka ugaagae katika huzuni na kuimomonyoa imani yako, lakini ukweli ni kwamba jibu la Mungu daima ni, “Usiwe na wasiwasi, nimekushika.” Kama Ted alivyosema, tumieni muda katika Zaburi, ambapo Daudi anamimina moyo wake juu ya kukata tamaa na hatia mara kwa mara. Zaburi ni chanzo cha faraja. Mungu anasema, “Usiwe na wasiwasi, nimekushika; niamini, wala usizitegemee akili zako mwenyewe” — jibu linalojenga imani, si linalopunguza imani.What should our immediate response be when we're betrayed? Fall on our knees in prayer. God can take all those feelings — He can listen to you rant and rage — and His response is always the same: “I love you.” When it feels like silence, understand that's Satan's lie; the enemy wants you wallowing and whittling away your faith, but the truth is God's answer is always, “Don't worry, I've got you.” As Ted said, spend time in the Psalms, where David pours out his heart over disappointment and guilt time after time. The Psalms are a source of comfort. God says, “Don't worry, I've got you; trust Me, and lean not on your own understanding” — a faith-building answer, not a faith-diminishing one.

Maombi ya KufungaClosing Prayer

Baba wa Mbinguni, asante kwa neno lako na kwa uwazi uliouleta katika sura mbili ngumu. Asante kwa ushirika huu tunaoufurahia pamoja leo. Tunaomba tutoke katika chumba hiki tukiwa watu tofauti na tulivyokuwa tulipokuja; Roho wako atujaze hadi kufurika, na tuwe mfano wa tunda la Roho wako. Katika jina la Kristo tunaomba. Amina.Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word and for the clarity You brought to two difficult chapters. Thank You for this fellowship we enjoy together today. We pray that we leave this room as different people than we were when we came; may Your Spirit fill us to overflowing, and may we exemplify the fruit of Your Spirit. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.