Gus Cameron

5 April 2025

Luke 18:18-25

Gus Cameron

5 April 2025

18 Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ ”
21 “All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.
22 On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
23 But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
24 Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alan Vongsavanh

Today we come to the well-known parable of the rich young ruler. On the surface we think that it is all about money and the fact that, for those who have money, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. As I reflected and read through the passage carefully, I started to notice a few things that made me think: Maybe it isn't only about money in the end. Maybe it’s about what we value – and also about how we think we can inherit eternal life.

The rich ruler starts off by getting something right, when he addresses Jesus as “good teacher”. Only God is good – which means Jesus is good (since he is God’s Son). But you get the sense that the rich young ruler also thought he was good, because he thought he was able to keep all God’s commandments. It only took one challenge from Jesus to show how wrong he was: “Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” But for this man, money had become an idol, and it was too much to give this up to follow Jesus.

It makes me think about what things in our lives could become idols. What might you find difficult to give up to follow Jesus? At the same time, do we feel that the good things we do are what will make us inherit the kingdom of God? That is impossible. And yet Jesus says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” – because it is God who saves and not through our own works. Pray that God show us any idols in our lives that are preventing us from wholeheartedly following Jesus, and that as we do follow him, we would trust him as the one who give us the gift of eternal life, not because of our merit or good works.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

4 April 2025

Luke 18:15-17

Gus Cameron

4 April 2025

15 Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
16 But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

I love to read today’s passage with my children. They are keen listeners, keen to accept truths, and keen to believe. Their innocence and keenness to believe mean that I need to be really careful with what I tell them – so pointing them to run to Jesus is some of the best life-long advice that I can give them. And being able to tell them that Jesus himself welcomes them, today and forever, is wonderful news.

The challenge to me today is: do I share with them in this keenness too? Am I keen to listen, accept truths, and believe what Jesus says, and indeed the whole of God’s Word? Do I sit in church listening to a sermon being preached, and have the same longing to hear a message from my loving heavenly Father? Because the kingdom of God is to be simply received – it can’t be earned or bought. And with all the helplessness and keenness of a little child, we enter into the most wonderful family that could ever be, by simply believing and running to Jesus himself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

3 April 2025

Luke 18:9-14

Gus Cameron

3 April 2025

9 To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13 But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Sarah Armstrong

How do we view ourselves? We are often so quick to compare ourselves with others – to judge how well we are going. For example, we parents often judge our parenting by how well behaved our kids are compared to someone else’s. Or we congratulate ourselves on following society’s rules better than someone else. So many other examples popped into my mind!

In today’s passage, Jesus tells a parable to challenge and change the attitude of those who trust in their own righteousness and view others with contempt.

Jesus doesn’t just look at our outward actions. Jesus knows our hearts. Those who want to be forgiven and justified – which means to become “just as if I didn’t sin” – need to be like that tax collector rather than the Pharisee. Tax collectors were social outcasts, whereas the Pharisees had the best outward appearance of following all God’s laws. But actions aren’t what justifies us. God justifies those who come to him with a humble, contrite heart (v 14).

This is not a new idea. In the Old Testament, God said to Samuel, “the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). King David cried out to God, “Have mercy on me, O God … For I know my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1, 3).

The difference now is that, because of Jesus, we can be justified – and we know how: because of his death on the cross.

We need to keep humbling ourselves. This is a big challenge for me – no matter how long I have been a Christian I still need to keep repenting and working towards being like the tax collector. I was reminded today that I’m only justified because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and I am not saved by my actions, no matter how “good” they are. It Is truly a heart issue and not an action issue. I cannot bring anything to contribute to my salvation. So today, I will be still for a minute and ask God humbly to “have mercy on me, a sinner!” and thank him humbly for saving me. How great is our God! Stop and reflect too, and let’s all humbly repent and exalt Him each day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah is our Parish Administrator.

Gus Cameron

2 April 2025

Luke 18:1-8

Gus Cameron

2 April 2025

1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: 2 “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4 For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, 5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. 7 Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? 8 I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Amelia Lin

In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples another parable about an unjust judge who eventually grants justice to a widow, due to her persistence and perpetual requests. Jesus then compares the unjust judge to God who is just. Jesus reminds us that God will bring about justice for his people … and he will do so promptly and gladly, unlike the unjust judge!

Jesus then leaves his disciples with a question: When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

It can be hard to continually pray, both throughout the day and for specific things. We can so easily get caught up in our daily business, or forget about something we said we would commit to praying for. Sometimes we can even lose heart when the things we do pray for seemingly don’t change or improve as we want them to.

I am encouraged by the persistence of the widow, who continued to persevere despite the unjust judge. We should have no excuse in persevering in prayer to a loving, just God who cares for us!

I am also reminded that God is just, and that he will hear and answers our prayers according to his good plans. When we don’t think our prayers are being answered, we can remember that God quickly brings about true justice – which he has already demonstrated for us, in Jesus who took our place on the cross. We really have no excuse to persist in praying to our just God!

Let’s ask God to help us continually and faithfully rely on Him through prayer, to make an effort to pray for big and small things throughout the day and to persist in our long-term prayer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amelia is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

1 April 2025

Luke 17:26-37

Gus Cameron

1 April 2025

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: One will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together: One will be taken and the other left.”
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.
Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

One time at work, when I was talking to a group of Christians about the return of Jesus Christ, there was a short discussion about what that might look like. There were general remarks about how wonderful that moment will be.

In today’s passage, Jesus gives us a bit of a reality check on what that moment will actually look like. Jesus compares it to two episodes from the Old Testament: the days of Noah, when people were going about their normal lives before the flood came, and the days of Lot in the wicked city of Sodom, when people were similarly going about their business before fire and sulphur rained down. What stands out to me with those Old Testament references is that they both relate to cataclysmic events, events that result in mass destruction. But they were also events where a small group of people escaped that destruction – like in the Exodus, when God delivered Israel from the destruction he brought to Egypt.

The warning from Jesus here is clear: don’t long for or love the things that are marked for destruction. Rather, remember that Jesus has opened the way for a new and true exodus, and obey the word of the gospel that instructs and prepares you on how you can escape.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Gus Cameron

31 March 2025

Luke 17:22-25

Gus Cameron

31 March 2025

22 Then He said to the disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 24 For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today in our devotions, we’re returning to Luke’s Gospel after quite a long break. We are jumping back in just after Jesus has been asked when the kingdom of God will come. Over the next few days, we will listen to Jesus teach us several things we need to know about his second coming – when he will return in glory, to bring this present evil age to an end and to unveil God’s everlasting kingdom.

Today Jesus makes something very clear: His second coming will be such a huge event that it will be obvious to everyone in the world. At first I was struggling to imagine verse 24, where Jesus compares his return to lightning. But then I realised it’s an analogy, not a description. When there’s a huge bolt of lightning, nobody can miss it – it lights up the whole sky. Jesus’ point was: When he comes back, it will be like that – nobody will possibly be able to miss it.

There’s a Wikipedia page called “List of people claimed to be Jesus”, which lists people in the last few centuries who either claimed to be Jesus, or other people believed they were Jesus Christ returned. It gives a few names from the 17th and 18th centuries, 8 from the 19th century … and 31 people from the 20th century. So far we’re up to 12 people this century who claim they are Jesus.

It’s makes me sad that so many people get taken in by those small, lame, fake returns-of-Jesus. But I’m also so glad that Jesus himself gave us such a clear word, to protect us from them. If a friend tells you they believe some amazing and powerful preacher or prophet or priest is Jesus Christ, you don’t need to be the slightest bit worried that maybe they’re right.

See, I still don’t know what the return of Jesus will look like – not exactly. But I know that when he returns, every single person on the planet will see and know without a shadow of a doubt. That’s when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

29 March 2025

Esther 9:20-10:3

Gus Cameron

29 March 2025

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far, 21 to establish among them an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the days on which the Jews gained rest from their enemies and the month in which their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy, of sending gifts to one another and to the poor.
23 So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started, as Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur.
Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced, 27 the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should not fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each and every year, according to their regulation. 28 These days should be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, nor should the memory of them fade from their descendants.
29 So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters with words of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes, 31 in order to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established them and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and lamentation.
32 So Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, which were written into the record.

CHAPTER TEN

1 Now King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the land, even to its farthest shores.
2 And all of Mordecai’s powerful and magnificent accomplishments, together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

There is so much joy and celebration in this passage, and no wonder! God has used King Xerxes to save his people, and so they rejoice. As I think about how they celebrated, it’s helped me reflect on how we respond to what God has done for us through Christ Jesus.

Do the words “celebrate” and “joy” describe your response to what Christ has done for you? I hope that there are times when you do celebrate; perhaps when you see a new believer being baptised or you’re reminded of a deep truth from a sermon. But I’m sure there are also times when we need to remind ourselves to rejoice. Think about some of the things we do as believers; we come together for church on Sundays, as we sing together, as we meet in Growth Groups, as we pray to our Heavenly Father, as we serve in our teams, as we read our devotions. Let’s approach them all with celebration and hearts full of joy.

I’m sure we can get overwhelmed and distracted by lots of different things each week, but Philippians 4:4 urges us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”. We know what God has done for us, and we know that he’ll finish what he started. That’s the greatest reason to rejoice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

28 March 2025

Esther 9:1-19

Gus Cameron

28 March 2025

1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king’s command and edict were to be executed. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but their plan was overturned and the Jews overpowered those who hated them. 2 In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples.
3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them. 4 For Mordecai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful.
5 The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7 including Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha. 10 They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
11 On that day the number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king, 12 who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”
13 Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, may the Jews in Susa also have tomorrow to carry out today’s edict, and may the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”
14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. 15 On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa came together again and put to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16 The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy.
18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy. 19 This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

I find the killing in this passage quite confronting, but I think that’s because I’ve never faced life threatening persecution. King Xerxes had promised the Jews safety, and he allowed them to do what needed to be done to secure their safety, he allowed them to kill those who had tried to kill them.

I can’t help thinking about the book of Revelation, which was written to Christians facing intense persecution, to reassure them that God hadn’t forgotten them. As they watched their friends being killed for following Jesus, Revelation reminded those early Christians that Christ Jesus would come to bring justice and eternal peace.

Revelation 20:15 says this: “15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.”. Those who refuse to repent and who continue to rebel against Christ, and who harm his people will not win. They will face the fury of God almighty.

Thank God that we don’t face that kind of persecution at the moment but also thank him that we don’t have to fight for eternal peace ourselves, Christ will return and secure it for us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

27 March 2025

Esther 8

Gus Cameron

27 March 2025

1 That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her. 2 The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
3 And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
4 The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king.
5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
7 So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews. 8 Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”
9 At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush —writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions. 12 The single day appointed throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.[C]
13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
15 Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
16 For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor. 17 In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

I can only imagine the relief that the Jews must have felt when they heard about the promises that King Xerxes had made. The promise of safety, that their people would live, and the promise of protection, that they could defend themselves.

In our society we live with a promise of safety too as our government is pretty good at keeping us generally safe. But it’s nothing compared to the promise of safety we have in Christ Jesus.

In John 17 Jesus prays for his disciples. In verses 11 and 15 he prays “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” and “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”.

We don’t need to defend ourselves because we live under the protection of the Lord Almighty. We are, for the time being, still in this world and so we’ll still face hardships and challenges, but our Heavenly Father will answer Jesus’ prayer for us. He will make sure that we will be with him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

26 March 2025

Esther 7

Gus Cameron

26 March 2025

1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen, 2 and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”
3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request. 4 For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”
5 Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”
6 Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!”
And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.
7 In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.
8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?”
As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high[B] at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.”
“Hang him on it!” declared the king.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

In today’s passage, the evildoer Haman, who was already unsettled by recent events in the king’s court, is hurried off to Esther’s banquet. And there, for a third time, the king offers to grant Esther anything she asks for.

Esther isn’t aware that the tables had already been turning against Haman and, at risk to her life, bravely presents her petition. She chooses her words wisely – framing her request as a ‘distress call’ only the king could answer and riling him up in favour of her and her people. At that point, she points the finger at Haman, whose life is now at stake.

And so, Haman begs Esther to save him. But in a darkly comic scene, as the king returns from the garden, Haman falls on Esther and condemns himself. One of the attendants tells the king that Haman was planning to kill Mordecai, and so the gallows Haman had intended for Mordecai was used to hang him.

Today’s passage is a welcome reminder of God’s justice, particularly as we grieve the persecution of believers around the world – the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of justice (2 Peter 2:9).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is our Women and children’s minister.

Gus Cameron

25 March 2025

Esther 6

Gus Cameron

25 March 2025

1 That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. 2 And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
3 The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?”
“Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants.
4 “Who is in the court?” the king asked.
Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. 5 So the king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”
“Bring him in,” ordered the king.
6 Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor?”
Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?”
7 And Haman told the king, “For the man whom the king is delighted to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!’”
10 “Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested.”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
13 Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him—for surely you will fall before him.”
14 While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

You might have heard the saying “all the world’s a stage and we are but actors in it.” We see this saying played out in today’s passage, where God’s invisible hand is clearly at work for the downfall of Haman.

There is obvious irony in the events which reverse Haman’s fortunes: the king’s insomnia, the king’s reading of a book which records Mordecai’s exposure of a plot against him, Haman’s appearance right after that, the king’s ambiguous question to Haman and Haman’s wrong assumption – all of this works against Haman and for Mordecai. And with this reversal in fortunes, God’s people can also hope. In God’s providence, he uses the initiative of Mordecai and Esther to punish Haman the evildoer and to protect his people.

The Bible presents this ‘coming together’ of human and divine activity at many points. At Pentecost, Peter tells the Jews that they had put Jesus to death, but only in accordance with God’s saving plan (Acts 2:22-23). Elsewhere, we are encouraged to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Praise the God whose ways are higher than ours, as we faithfully and obediently live out lives in accordance with his good and perfect will.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is our Women and children’s minister.

Gus Cameron

24 March 2025

Esther 5

Gus Cameron

24 March 2025

1 On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing the entrance.
2 As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king.”
5 “Hurry,” commanded the king, “and bring Haman, so we can do as Esther has requested.”
So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”
7 Esther replied, “This is my petition and my request: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
9 That day Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king’s gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. And Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. And calling for his friends and his wife Zeresh, 11 Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
12 “What is more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she prepared, and I am invited back tomorrow along with the king. 13 Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows fifty cubits high,[A] and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.”
The advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows constructed.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

Growing up in an Asian home, I always showered at night. I had ‘home clothes’ and always took my shoes off at the door. These were ‘protocols’ or rules that I had to follow as a member of the household.

Esther, as queen to the Persian king Xerxes, was well aware of the many protocols that shaped her life in the royal court. In today’s passage, Esther devises a plot, using the rules of court, to entice the king. If she fails, she dies and so do all her people. But…it works! The king extends his scepter toward Esther and asks for her request. But instead, Esther coyly invites him and Haman to feast with her – not once, but twice – sparking his curiosity and drawing him in.

In a world of political intrigue and to rescue her people, Esther is brave and shrewd in dealing with the king. Is shrewdness a bad trait? It can be. But Jesus taught the parable of the dishonest manager (Lk 16:1-13) and called his disciples to be ‘wise as serpents’ (Matt 10:16) so that we, like Esther, might be shrewd in our earthly dealings even as we set our mind on things above (Col 3:2).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is our Women and children’s minister.

Gus Cameron

22 March 2025

Esther 4

Gus Cameron

22 March 2025

1 When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.
3 In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews.
8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people.
9 So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”
12 When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai, 13 he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
17 So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

Three things stand out to me from this chapter. Firstly, Mordecai’s faith is in God, not Esther. He is confident God will deliver his people without Esther if she remains silent. So our confidence should be in God, not in any human, no matter how impressive or powerful.

Secondly, Esther’s prayerful courage. She’s in the King’s bad books for some unknown reason. He hasn’t summoned her for the past thirty days. To approach the king without being summoned attracted the death penalty unless the king showed mercy. But she decided to do it anyway with no guarantee that she would come out alive. But it wasn’t a self-reliant courage, it was a God-reliant courage. She asked all the Jews to pray and fast for her for three days. May God give us such God-reliant courage when we are afraid.

And thirdly, God’s sovereign control of all events. Mordecai’s question to Esther gets to the heart of the book: ‘Who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ That’s precisely what God has done. He has brought Esther to the throne at just the right time so she can save his people. The same is true in our lives. God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is an Assistant Minister with our Bossley Park morning and Fairfield early congregations.

Gus Cameron

21 March 2025

Esther 3

Gus Cameron

21 March 2025

1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. 2 All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.
3 Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”
4 Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. 6 And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”
10 So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”
12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
13 And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day. 15 The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

In this chapter we see the emergence of a powerful enemy of God’s people – Haman the Agagite, that is, a descendant of Agag. Agag was the king of the Amalekites whom King Saul had defeated centuries earlier. At that time, the prophet Samuel had executed King Agag. God had commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites because they had attacked the Israelites in the desert when they first came out of Egypt and were exhausted. This explains Haman’s intense hatred of the Jews and why he wanted to destroy all of them in Xerxes’ kingdom. And because Haman was Xerxes’ trusted right hand man, he had the power to do it. This reminds us that we too have a powerful enemy – Satan. He prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. He is too powerful for us to fight on our own. But when we resist him, firm in our trust in God to defeat him, he flees away.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is an Assistant Minister with our Bossley Park morning and Fairfield early congregations.

Gus Cameron

20 March 2025

Esther 2:15-23

Gus Cameron

20 March 2025

15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

Two things stand out to me from this passage. Firstly, God is working out all things for the good of his people. He raises up Esther to be queen because he knows a great threat is coming to his people and his plan is to use Esther to save them. The same is true for each of us. God has placed each of us right where he wants us in order to work out his good purposes through us.

Secondly, in contrast to Queen Vashti, notice the sensible way Esther follows the advice of wise people and obeys those over her. She takes the advice of the king’s trusted official Hegai on what to take with her when it’s her turn to go to the king. And she obeys her adoptive father’s Mordecai’s command not to let on that she is a Jew. Let’s thank God for the wise people he has put over us and listen to their advice and obey them as appropriate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is an Assistant Minister with our Bossley Park morning and Fairfield early congregations.

Gus Cameron

19 March 2025

Esther 2:1-14

Gus Cameron

19 March 2025

1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, 3 and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.”
This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. 6 He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
8 When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. 11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Today we meet two of the other central characters: Esther and Mordecai. Two things stood out for me.

Firstly, many times we’re told that Esther was a beautiful looking woman. In fact, out of all the women that receive beauty treatment, Esther outshines them all in this beauty contest! That is no easy feat!

On the other hand we also meet Mordecai her adoptive father. The thing that stands out immediately is Mordecai’s wisdom. He recognises that their Jewish nationality might be a danger to them and shrewdly warns Esther not to reveal her nationality.

Wisdom and beauty are two things prized by this world. They aren’t bad things, but the wisdom and beauty that God values are different. It’s the wisdom to know that despite what may appear foolish to the world, the wisest thing is trusting in Jesus the crucified King. And rather than the outer beauty being the emphasis, what’s of even greater worth is the inner beauty of godliness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

18 March 2025

Esther 1:13-22

Gus Cameron

18 March 2025

13 Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice. 14 His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.
15 “According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.
19 So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she. 20 The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”
21 The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Today’s passage continues to set the scene for the rest of the book. Although we get a range of characters so far, only King Xerxes will play a significant role in the following chapters. Unfortunately for Queen Vashti, this will be the end of us seeing her.

One thing that stood out for me was the dynamic of the King and Queen. It’s a side point of today’s passage, but I was struck by how difficult it is for women in many cultures. The wisemen think this is the best move to act decisively and heavy handedly so that wives will learn to honour their husband (vs. 20). Sadly, what we see in today’s chapter was perfectly normal back then and in many parts of the world today. The way that men ‘ruled’ their wives was through power and might.

The Christian marriage is called to something radically different. Because ultimately the true picture of marriage is of Jesus (the groom) and his church (the bride). Jesus loves his church and the way that he serves his church is by laying down his life for her. No wonder why in the Christian marriage, husbands are called to lead their wives, by service and laying down their lives (Ephesians 5:25). May we be reminded to look through our relationships today through the lens of Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

17 March 2025

Esther 1:1-12

Gus Cameron

17 March 2025

Today, we begin a new Daily Devotion series in the book of Esther. This story takes place during the reign of King Xerxes, the ruler of the Persian Empire. The Jewish people had originally been exiled under Babylonian rule, but with Persia now in power, they found themselves living in uncertain times. As a minority group, they were often viewed with suspicion, raising difficult questions about God’s faithfulness: Would His chosen people survive? Was He still in control?

One of the most striking aspects of Esther is that God’s name is never mentioned—not even once! The people pray and fast, yet there are no direct references to God. However, this literary choice actually highlights a key theme of the book: God’s hiddenness does not mean His absence. Though His presence isn’t explicitly stated, His sovereignty is evident. Even in the midst of evil actions and powerful enemies, God is at work, orchestrating events in ways His people could never have expected.

But beyond its deep theological themes, Esther is also an incredibly engaging story. This ten-chapter narrative is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing to the very end. In Jewish tradition, the book is often acted out, with audiences encouraged to “boo” at the villains! With that in mind, you may find it especially enjoyable to listen along to our podcast version as we journey through the book together.

1 This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush. 2 In those days King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa.
3 In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces. 4 And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.
5 At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest. 6 Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.
7 Beverages were served in an array of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty. 8 By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas— 11 to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
12 Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Our reading today introduces us to King Xerxes and his wife, Queen Vashti. Xerxes was a powerful and influential ruler, but what we see in this opening chapter is his arrogance and egotism. He becomes furious when his unreasonable demands aren’t met, revealing a ruler who expects absolute obedience. In many ways, this was the norm for kings of that time—power was wielded to command and control.

This makes the contrast with Jesus all the more stunning. While Xerxes used his power for his own pride and pleasure, Jesus, though possessing absolute power, chose to use it to serve others. His rule is marked not by self-interest but by self-giving love.

As we explore Esther together, may we be reminded that even when God seems hidden, He is never absent. He is always at work, bringing about His purposes in ways we may not yet see.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

15 March 2025

Leviticus 27:16-34

Gus Cameron

15 March 2025

AnyIntroText

16 If a man consecrates to the LORD a parcel of his land, then your valuation shall be proportional to the seed required for it—fifty shekels of silver for every homer of barley seed. 17 If he consecrates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the price will stand according to your valuation.
18 But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest is to calculate the price in proportion to the years left until the next Year of Jubilee, so that your valuation will be reduced. 19 And if the one who consecrated the field decides to redeem it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and it shall belong to him.
20 If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to another man, it may no longer be redeemed. 21 When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it becomes the property of the priests.
22 Now if a man consecrates to the LORD a field he has purchased, which is not a part of his own property, 23 then the priest shall calculate for him the value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man shall pay the assessed value on that day as a sacred offering to the LORD. 24 In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land. 25 Every valuation will be according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
26 But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s. 27 But if it is among the unclean animals, then he may redeem it according to your valuation and add a fifth of its value. If it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.
28 Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD.
29 No person set apart for destruction may be ransomed; he must surely be put to death.
30 Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he must add a fifth to its value.
32 Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD. 33 He must not inspect whether it is good or bad, and he shall not make any substitution. But if he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute shall become holy; they cannot be redeemed.’”
34 These are the commandments that the LORD gave to Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.

REFLECTIONS

Today’s passage ends with exceptions to yesterday’s rules on consecrating things to God. There were some consecrated things that could not be redeemed or bought back – they belonged to God completely and forever. And there were some things that couldn’t be devoted to God in the first place – because they already belonged to God, completely and forever.

After yesterday’s passage about thankful devotion to God, Leviticus’s last words made me realise something strange. My life is not something I can devote to God. I can’t decide one day, “Lord, for the next five whole years, I am going to devote my life completely to you.”

Because I am already his. You are already his. Completely and forever. Jesus has already consecrated us, completely and forever to God. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) – not for the next 5 years, but completely and forever.

You are wholly holy. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Gus Cameron

14 March 2025

Leviticus 27:1-15

Gus Cameron

14 March 2025

Leviticus 27 can be a bit confusing, so first, a bit of background. The chapter is explaining what should happen when any Israelite decided to dedicate or consecrate something specially to God – an animal, a field, or even themselves or a family member. They might make a vow to give it to God in the future, or do it on the spot. But there was also the possibility – sometimes – of redeemingthe thing they had consecrated to God. That might mean buying it back from the priests in the sanctuary, or paying for its value (+20%) instead of giving the physical object.

We’ll look at these rules today and tomorrow – and that will bring us to the end of Leviticus!

Leviticus 27

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons, 3 if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. 4 Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5 And if the person is from five to twenty years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6 Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, and for the female three shekels of silver. 7 And if the person is sixty years of age or older, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels for the male and ten shekels for the female. 8 But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he is to present the person before the priest, who shall set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.
9 If he vows an animal that may be brought as an offering to the LORD, any such animal given to the LORD shall be holy. 10 He must not replace it or exchange it, either good for bad or bad for good. But if he does substitute one animal for another, both that animal and its substitute will be holy.
11 But if the vow involves any of the unclean animals that may not be brought as an offering to the LORD, the animal must be presented before the priest. 12 The priest shall set its value, whether high or low; as the priest values it, the price will be set. 13 If, however, the owner decides to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value.
14 Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it either as good or bad. The price will stand just as the priest values it. 15 But if he who consecrated his house redeems it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and it will belong to him.
REFLECTIONS

After I read this, I thought: Why do I find this passage strange? It’s complicated, yes. But I realised that one other reason is because I’m used to thinking of the offerings in Leviticus as compulsory. If you touch a dead animal, you have to offer an animal sacrifice, and so on. But the offerings in chapter 27 are … well, freestyle. You just decide to dedicate, say, a whole HOUSE to God.

Why would anyone do that? Well, you might if your heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness to God. Or because you want to not just bring your needs to God in prayer, but also express practically how much you love him and are devoted to him.

In fact, maybe there’s a reason this comes after chapter 26 – when God’s people have been rescued from exile and their hearts have been transformed, then they will devote all kinds of things to him out of overflowing love and thankfulness.

What a beautiful picture – and what a challenge to us! This won’t necessarily look the same for us in practical terms. But we’ve received the greatest rescue and heart-transformation through Jesus. Use today’s passage to guide you in asking God to fill that transformed heart with a thankful response of practical devotion to him.