“Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” ~ John Flavel I’m retitling this week’s lesson on Esther and Mordecai to “Hope for the Hopeless.” There are so many times in life when we simply do not know what to do. We find ourselves in difficult situations and often feel as though we are carrying the weight of the … Continue reading –>
Read Esther 8. Focus specifically on Esther 8:17. How can we understand this in terms of outreach and witness? No question, the book of Esther is not a typical story about outreach and witness. And yet we can see something like this scenario happening here toward the end. As a result of the king’s edict … Continue reading –>
According to Esther 5-8, how was Esther able to save her people? The accounts of Esther’s two banquets bring the story to its crisis point. They also record the great reversal of the plotted ethnic extermination. On the way, the story exposes the difference between true honor and self-honor, and it records the punishment of … Continue reading –>
An intriguing story. Of all the events included in the Bible, the story of Esther has close to the greatest appeal of them all. Beauty, competition, intrigue, jealousy and a simple young woman’s conviction: those are the elements. What kind of a party was King Ahasuerus planning? Was there a reason given for this extravagant … Continue reading –>
In Esther 3:1-5, the plot of the story starts to unfold. Mordecai, a Jew—following the commandment against idolatry—refused to bow down to Haman, a mere man. Furious, Haman sought a way to avenge himself for what he took as a slight. Mordecai, by his actions, in a way was witnessing among these pagans about the … Continue reading –>
Read Esther 2:10, Esther 2:20. What situations might arise where nationality or religious affiliation should be hidden, at least for a time? Read John 4:1-26, the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Why did Jesus tell her so openly that He was the Messiah, when among His own people He was not … Continue reading –>
Read Esther 1:2-20. What is happening here? What things about this story are hard to understand from our perspective today? (As you read, remember that a lot of details are not presented.) The week long banquet that King Ahasuerus gave for his nobles and officials seems extravagant, even for someone at the pinnacle of political … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Esther 1-10; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; John 4:1-26; Acts 17:26; Matt. 22:21; Rom. 1:18-20. Memory Text: 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 family will perish. And who knows but that you have come … Continue reading –>
I tried to imagine the setting of our topic for this week on Exiles as Missionaries. I tried to picture Daniel, his three companies and many others being forcibly rounded up to be taken from their homeland as captives. The homes they lived in, the streets they played on, the schools they learned in, the … Continue reading –>
Multitudes will be called to a wider ministry. The whole world is opening to the gospel. . . . From every quarter of this world of ours comes the cry of sin-stricken hearts for a knowledge of the God of love. . . . It rests with us who have received the knowledge, with our … Continue reading –>
