Learning
to Trust God - Part VIII: Book of Esther
Learning
to Trust God - Part VIII: Book of Esther
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“Our Goal for this bible study is to
learn to trust God with every area and aspect of our life.”
Key Scripture:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths.
Esther Chapter 8
Now that the king’s wrath is pacified, king Ahasuerus gives the house of
Haman the enemy of the Jews to Esther his queen and she sets Mordecai over the
house of Haman.
The king took off his
ring, which he took off of Haman and gave it to Mordecai, elevating him to a Prince
instead of Haman the wicked servant.
Esther goest before the king again, without being called to plea to the king
to reverse Haman the Agagite’s letters that were devised against the Jews.
Esther fell down at the king’s feet with
tears.
Then the king held out the golden
scepter toward Esther.
So Esther arose,
and stood before the king and said, “If it please the king, and if I have found
favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing
in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son
of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all
the king’s provinces:
For how can I
endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people?
Or how can I endure to see the destruction of
my kindred?
Then king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew,
Behold, I have given Esther the house of
Haman, and he has been hanged on the gallows, because he
laid his hand upon the Jews. (Proverbs 13:22)
Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal
it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name,
and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse. (Esther 8:1-8)
Ø
Proverbs 13:22
Ø
(Daniel 6:8,12,15,18-28)
Ø
Genesis 37-48, 41:37-46
God’s favor surrounds us like a shield (Psalm 5:11-12). This Gentile king has compassion on his
Jewish queen and her people. The king
reminds Esther of his favor toward her and his love for her, just as God favors
us and loves us. Although he is king, he tells Esther not even the king of
Persia has power to reverse the laws of the Medes and Persians (Daniel 6:12-15)
Psalm 5:11-12
King James Version (KJV)
11 But let all those that put their trust
in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let
them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless
the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Esther has made known to the king, who Mordecai is to her: her cousin
and adopted father after her parents deceased.
Mordecai is exalted to a Prince in Haman’s stead and is placed by Queen
Esther over Haman’s house: which is interpreted over his entire estate
including the position held above all of the prince: Esther 3:1-2: …king
Ahasuerus promotes Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all
the princes that were with him. 2And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate bowed, and
reverenced Haman concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him
reverence.
Mordecai has some type of position to be able to sit at the king’s
gate. But now, he has Haman’s position of head prince. Do you remember Joseph who was sold into
slavery by his brothers who were jealous of his dreams and coat of many
colors? Genesis
37-48, 41:37-46 Joseph is made ruler of Egypt second
in command to Pharaoh. Pharaoh takes off
his ring and places it on Joseph’s hand, arrays him in fine clothes, and places
a gold chain around his neck and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt,
only in the throne was Pharaoh greater than Joseph.
Enduring the hatred of his brothers was a means of God fulfilling his
plans for his life. We are to endure
hardness as a good soldier. (2 Timothy 2:3) As we go through life’s
uncertain times, we are being made in the fire: God’s refining fire so we can
come forth as gold (Job 23:10). This is when we learn to trust God in every
circumstance and every situation of our life. It didn’t look good for Moses; it
didn’t look good for Mordecai, Esther and the Jews, Daniel and the Hebrew boys. Many times the circumstances don’t look good
in our lives, we must learn to trust God because we walk by faith and not by
sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
In our
personal lives we must remember to:
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and
lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Many times, just like in
the life of Joseph, Daniel and the Hebrew Boys (Jews), Esther, Mordecai, and
the Jews, our path sometimes is dark filled with uncertainty with no clear
direction. This is when, we are trust
God and continue to obey him; and we are not to lean on our own understanding.
(This can be the hardest time our life.)
We are to acknowledge God as Esther, Mordecai, and her maidens did in
prayer and fasting and he shall,
that’s a promise, direct our path. He is
the light that lights the way for our life.
Ø
Psalm 139:10-12
The Jews are authorized to resist
(Esther 8:9-17)
The king’s scribes were called in the third month,
“Sivan” on the twenty-third day and it was
written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, lieutenants,
deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, one
hundred and twenty seven provinces, unto every province according to the
writing thereof, to every people after their language and to the Jews according
to their writing and their language.
The Jewish calendar has the following months: (Hebrew writings omitted)
|
English
|
Number
|
Length
|
Civil
Equivalent
|
|
Nissan
|
1
|
30 days
|
March-April
|
|
Iyar
|
2
|
29 days
|
April-May
|
|
Sivan
|
3
|
30 days
|
May-June
|
|
Tammuz
|
4
|
29 days
|
June-July
|
|
Av
|
5
|
30 days
|
July-August
|
|
Elul
|
6
|
29 days
|
August-September
|
|
Tishri
|
7
|
30 days
|
September-October
|
|
Cheshvan
|
8
|
29 or 30 days
|
October-November
|
|
Kislev
|
9
|
30 or 29 days
|
November-December
|
|
Tevet
|
10
|
29 days
|
December-January
|
|
Shevat
|
11
|
30 days
|
January-February
|
|
Adar I (leap years only)
|
12
|
30 days
|
February-March
|
|
Adar
(called Adar Beit in leap years)
|
12
(13 in leap years)
|
29 days
|
February-March
|
Mordecai wrote in king Ahasuerus’ name and sealed it with the king’s ring and
sent letters by posts (couriers) on horseback, riders on mules, camels, and
young
dromedaries: the king granted the Jews the
right to gather together to take a stand for their life: to destroy, slay, and
cause to perish (death), all the power of the people and province that would
assault them and to take their spoil of them for prey.
- A dromedary has one hump, long limbs and short
hair. This animal originally comes from the hot deserts and the steppes of
Arabia.
(Today, it also lives in northern Africa.) Its short hair protects the
animal from the heat. A dromedary is about 300 cm long; its height is
about 190-230 cm; its weight is between 600 and 700 kilo.
- A camel has short limbs. It used to live in Bactria,
Sogdia, and the Gobi desert only, which have a land climate. The two humps insulate the back from heat loss during the cold
Central-Asian winters. Its long hair has the same quality. Although the
camel is about as large and heavy as the dromedary, it is stronger and can
carry heavier weights.
The Jews receive the right to
fight:
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of
Adar, the copy of the writing that Mordecai the
prince wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus was given in every province and
published to all people that the Jews should be ready against that day to
avenge themselves of their enemies.
The decree was given at Shushan the palace.
So the post rode upon mules and camels being hastened and pressed by the
king’s commandment.
Mordecai went out from the
presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white with a great crown of
gold and a garment of fine linen and purple and the city of Shushan rejoiced
and was glad. (Proverbs 29:2)
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus, and great
among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the
wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
- King James Version
(1611)
Vs. 16-17 The Jews had light, and
gladness, and joy and honor.
And in
every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his
decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day.
And many of the people of the land became
Jews;
for the fear of the Jews fell upon
them. (Rahab: Joshua 2:8-24; 9-11)
Questions
for Discussion:
1)
Without being
called to the king, Esther approaches the king and falls at his feet to plea
for the decree to be reversed. Do you
think she was thinking of her life this time?
2)
What
characteristic traits did Queen Esther exhibit?
3)
Was Esther and
Mordecai satisfied with Haman’s death?
4)
Was there
anything else Esther and Mordecai desired of the king?
5)
What
characteristic traits did Mordecai exhibit?
Scriptures for Discussion:
o
But thou, O Lord, art
a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
o
For thou, Lord,
wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
o
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made
me great.
o
The Lord is my
strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
o
Our soul waiteth for the Lord:
he is our help and our shield.
o
The princes of the people are gathered together,
even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth
belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
o
Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
o
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield
unto them that put their trust in him.
As we have
studied the Book of Esther, “Learning to Trust God” applying
our key scripture Proverbs 3:5-6
to our lives, we must remember to apply the word to our lives. An application scripture is listed below to
encourage you in the midst of what you may be facing or walking through. Take
time to reflect on what you have learned in this study and apply it to your
life.
Application Scripture:
Ephesians 6:10-18
King James Version (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints;
Next week
we’ll continue our study of "Learning to Trust God", The Book of Esther Part IX, Chapter 9. We'll see how God answers the prayers and fasting of Queen Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews. We'll learn the importance of trusting God in the darkest hours of our lives. We'll see God's sovereignty and providence . We'll also see God's faithfulness to the Jews: Victory!
The Jews destroy their enemies and the feast of Purim is
instituted.
For those attending the bible study in person:
·
Read Esther Chapters 9-10
·
Be prepared to answer the above
questions
·
Be prepared to share what you learned in this
chapter
·
Be prepared to discuss the scriptures
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www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com
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