Learning
to Trust God - Part V: Book of Esther
Learning
to Trust God - Part V: Book of Esther
“Our Goal for this bible study is to
learn to trust God with every area and aspect of our life.”
Key
Scripture:
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 5
The Courage of Esther
On the third day, after Esther had made her petition to God in fasting and prayer, (although the scripture never uses the word “prayer” it is understood that fasting and prayer go hand in hand. Therefore, I am not adding to God’s word) she put on her royal apparel and went to the kings house and stood in the inner court.
Esther had great courage, knowing the king had not called for her and if he did not hold out the golden scepter she would lose her life. (Esther 4:11)
Joshua 1:6-8 6Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whitersoever thou goest.
8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.
Since God is the same, yesterday, and forever. His word is the same. Did he not tell Joshua to be strong and very courageous and to meditate on the book of the law? God promised if he obeyed this commandment, then he shalt make his way prosperous and have good success. Is this what Esther had to do? We learned in our previous studies, Esther being a Jew was raised to observe and obey the commandments of God and serve him faithfully.
When Esther obeyed Mordecai to plead for her life and the life of her people, her obedience to Mordecai was fulfilling the commandment of God. Joshua 1:8 indicates the existence of the Mosaic Law.
Esther had courageous
faith centered in the Word of God
Esther is not trusting in the king Ahasuerus, her husband, she is trusting in the God she serves, that is why she and her maidens went on a three-day fast. Esther had a very serious request that only God could move on her behalf and the behalf of his chosen people, the Jews.
Esther is trusting God with her life
If you
cannot trust God the creator of life, who can you trust?
A scepter is a
ceremonial staff, often used by kings. With its jewels and ornamentation, a scepter
is a symbol of power. It’s a staff or rod carried by a king or high official.
Scepter is related to a Greek verb that means to prop oneself or lean
on something. That makes sense, since a scepter is something a ruler can lean
on, like any other staff. However, you won't find an ordinary citizen with a
scepter.
Genesis
49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff
from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of
the peoples.
Psalm 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is
forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.
Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God,
is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
King Ahasuerus
, the Persian king and Esther the Jewish Queen is very similar to Christ the
bridegroom and his bride, the church. As
Esther obtains favor in the sight of the king, he extends the golden scepter to
her meaning he extends grace and mercy to her.
Because of the Messiah, our King, who tore down the wall of partition,
we have access to God the Father who has extended to us grace and mercy through
his son Jesus Christ. God has extended his scepter of righteousness to us. “Thank you
Lord Jesus for making this possible for us.”
Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.
John
1:14 And the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John
1:17 For the law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
After the
king saw his queen, he held out the golden scepter to her, he asked her “What
will thou, queen Esther? And what is thy
request? It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.”
Remember
Ahasuerus reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven
provinces.
Esther being
led by God, who directs our path when we acknowledge him, tells the king she
would like him and Haman his highest ranking prince to come to a banquet that
she had prepared. At the banquet the
king ask Esther again, “What is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee:
and what is thy request? Even to the
half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
Esther’s
answer was, “My petition and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight
of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my
request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for
them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said. Verse 6-7.
Observe the wisdom that God gives Esther.
It is certainly providential that Esther did not immediately express her
desire to the king at the first banquet.
By waiting on God’s timing, Esther will be able to expose Haman more
fully. In verses 9-14, Haman boasts of his advancement above the princes and all the kings’ servants. Haman is so excited that the Queen invited only him and the king to the banquet today and the banquet on tomorrow. Haman was joyful and glad in his heart, but when he saw Mordecai the Jew in the king’s gate, that he still would not honor him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. He told his wife and friends how the king had promoted him and about the banquets, but, his hatred for Mordecai the Jew was greater than his rejoicing in his advancement. (vs. 13)
(Haman was wicked, just as Amnon was wicked and sinned against Tamar. Read: 2 Samuel 13:1-19; 20-39)
As he
expressed his total dissatisfaction with Mordecai, his wife and all of his
friends told him to build gallows for Mordecai to be hanged on and to ask the
king before going to the banquet for permission to kill Mordecai. This pleased Haman the Agagite.
Ø Job 20:5
Ø Proverbs 21:12-13
Discussion questions:
1) What have
you learned from Chapter 5 of the Book of Esther?
2) When you
find yourself in a challenging situation, like Queen Esther, what is your
normal pattern to obtain a favorable outcome?
3) When you
look at Esther’s personality, what can you relate to yourself?
4) When you
look at Mordecai’s personality, what can you relate to yourself?
5) When you
look at Haman’s personality, what can you relate to yourself?
6) Have you
ever received a blessing, promotion, reward, or recognition? When you received it, was there anything or
anyone that caused you grief, where you could not enjoy what you received? (Esther 5:13)
Next week we’ll continue our study of Esther Part VI, Chapter 6 where we will see the wisdom of Esther and Mordecai honored for saving the king’s life.
For those attending the bible study in person:
·
Read Esther Chapters 5-7
·
Be prepared to answer the above
questions
·
Be prepared to share what you learned in this
chapter
Contact Evangelist Waters:
Follow my Bible Study Blog:
www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com
Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com
Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment