Hastened And Pressed On

Esther 8:14, “[14] So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.”

This passage is one that I like to use for soul winning. This verse comes after the king passed a law that the Jews would have a day to defend themselves. The kingdom was very vast! The Bible says that it stretched from India to Ethiopia. The only means that had for communication was by sending a letter. They couldn’t just call, text, or email someone. They had to hand deliver it.

The messengers were hastened and pressed on by the commandment on the king. To hasten is to move quickly, and to press on is to continue moving forward. The messengers were to quickly keep on moving forward. It was up to the messengers. If they delivered the message, people would be saved. If the message didn’t get there in time, the people would perish. It was up to them.

This reminds me of soul winning. Like the messengers in this passage, we have a King. Our King is not an earthly king, but He is a Heavenly King. He has given us a commandment. The commandment is to tell others about Christ and how to be saved. It is up to us. If we deliver the message, people can be saved, but if we don’t deliver it or it is too late, people will perish. We are being hastened as time is running out for many!

Let us never forget that our King has given us a commandment, and He is urging us to obey. This is not a one-time commandment. This is a 24/7 commandment. Who is it that you can tell about Christ? As a messenger, it it up to us!