Study Notes From Esther Chapter 5

Once a week, women from my home church gather for a Bible study. At this time, we are going through the book of Esther. These are the notes for the lesson in Chapter 5. Susan Estes

Esther Chapter 5

5:1, The Jews, at Esther’s request, have been fasting 3 days. (Daniel 10:3). Jesus said that when we fast we do not make it visible and He will see our faith and reward us, (Matthew 6:16-18.) Conceivably, Esther is still fasting, yet she is bathed and dressed in the royal apparel of Queen of the Medes and the Persians. More importantly, through fasting, she ‘washed’ and dressed herself in her faith in Almighty God.

Esther’s entrance is beautiful example of our cleansing by Jesus’ blood and our entrance into God’s Holy Throne room dressed in Jesus’ righteousness? Esther obtained her apparel when she became the bride to the king. All believers obtain glorious apparel when we become the Bride of Christ. (Isaiah 61:10)

5:2, Esther can’t see the future but her faith in action is entering Xerxes court knowing she could die. Trusting God is answering her prayers, she presents herself to Xerxes. Earlier Vashti refused to come wearing the Queenly raiment. Today Esther prepares herself in her royal clothing and presents herself for his inspection. Her care honors his throne, and for whatever reason, he approves.

We dress in royal robes of holiness and daily present ourselves to our King. But unlike Esther’s danger, our King’s throne room is always open to enter with boldness, joy, gladness and praise. (Psalm 100, Hebrews 4:16, 10:19,13:6, Ephesians 3:12). And God approves. He has betrothed us to Himself through our faith. (Ephesians 2:9-10) Hosea 2:19)

5:3, This verse shows God’s sovereignty at work in the faith of His people. Evil is visibly amassing against the Jews while God is moving unseen on their behalf. (Proverbs 21:1) It is conceivable for Xerxes to sign half the kingdom to her control. Historical documentation records women of Persian royalty owned and manage property.

5:4-8, (Proverbs 31:10-12) Knowing the king has the power to kill her even now, her approach is calculated to appeal to his pleasures. (Xerxes is known for his drinking parties. J. Vernon McGee). She does not know what will happen, yet she prepares for God’s future answer. The banquet is not to deceive, but Esther utilizes it to appeal to Xerxes baser nature, which appears to rule much of his decisions.

Inviting Haman is strategic, her invitation deadens any suspicions he could have, plus Xerxes will have the one person who flatters him as his Queen serves him. Esther utilizes the weakness of her king and Haman’s megalomania to facilitate male bonding around food.

5:9-11, Haman thrives on his own self-esteem. When Mordecai still doesn’t bow, Haman cannot even take pleasure knowing he has ordered Mordecai and the Jews killed. Maybe he thought Mordecai would be begging for his life. Haman has no concept of faith in the true and living God.

“For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” C.S. Lewis , Mere Christianity

God, the Holy Spirit, gives the extraordinary supernatural gift of faith to those who are facing serious consequences, (1 Corinthians 12:9). Those tortured and murdered for being Christian in the past, and present, are supplied this amazing gift to endure horrendous physical acts against them. Mordecai is sure of his God. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are three men who stood in the power of God without bowing to idolatry, Daniel 3:12.

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection” Hebrews 11:35b

God says to ask for His supernatural grace and He promises to supply all we need, when we need it. For all that He does in and through us, His body, the church, will bring beautiful glory to Him, (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1).

5:12-14, Haman’s hatred is driven by pride and it’s lethal. Xerxes is a fool and Haman is a servant in power.

“For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up: For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food” Proverbs 30:22a.

“A quick tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated” Proverbs 14:17.

5:14, And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made. Haman has no idea that there is a real, powerful, and living God, who does move on behalf of His people.

The very essence of secularism is the thesis that the here and now is all there is. There is no realm of the eternal. But as Christians, we are called to consider the present in light of the eternal. This is what Jesus preached again and again. What does it profit a man if in this time and in this place he gains the whole world, but he loses his own soul (Luke 9:25)? —Dr. R.C. Sproul, Founder & Chairman of Ligonier Ministries, and author of Crucial Questions

The world is full of false gods, and those who believe in them suffer blindness to the fact their gods never answer or move one way or the other. They base their ‘faith’ on favorable or unfavorable circumstantial acts that happen to them. (Horoscope, Karma, Luck, The stars, Chance, The lottery)

We have the Almighty GOD as our GOD. He really is HOLY GOD. Let us get to know Him in a truly personal way that transcends this earth. For this earth is passing away. Our GOD is Everlasting.

Lesson points:

1. Prayer is a real connection between us and Almighty God

2. Believe God at His Word. (Hebrews 4:12) Read it to know it

3. Daily ask God to empower you for His service. (2 Corinthians 4:6,7)

4. Get to know your God.

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Plagued Unto Death

"The Fool has said in his heart 'There is no God'."

Psalm 14:1.

Some will never accept God sovereignty, even after He proves Himself as the Almighty God.

Pharaoh was the fool, as he repeatedly rebelled against the truth of God's existence and power.

(God said) "but if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs" Exodus 8:2

And God brought the frogs, which although they upset Pharaoh, his heart was hard, and he didn't change. He asked that God remove the reptiles, and after the frogs were gone, he recanted his word to let the children of Israel go. he didn't believe God could be that powerful, nor that jealous.

What's a few frogs anyway? And if Moses' God was so great how did it happen Pharaoh's magicians brought forth frogs in a like manner?

But magic is an illusion, and deception. If the land was filled with frogs by God's hand, then showing the conjuring appearance of some frogs must have been a simple trick.

On the other hand, the next plague was lice from the dust. And that miracle Pharaoh's magicians couldn't duplicate. For the lice was on the people and the animals. If they themselves were covered with lice, then how can they conjure up the effect and deceive the audience? There comes a time when charlatans will be exposed.

Pharaoh had a front row seat, yet he still fought against Almighty God. For this proud man, he scorned the might of Israel's God. The plagues were upsetting and bothersome but they weren't threatening his throne. Pharaoh was still king of Egypt.

And so the plagues go on for months. For a time, God brings them on both Egypt and the children of Israel. Then, to show His people that He is fighting on their behalf, God makes a distinction between the two nations. Instead of fearing the plagues, a great hope begins growing the hearts of the children of Israel.

Then God says to Pharaoh, regarding the final plague, "But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel" Ex 11:7

Death is a serious action that God never intended for anyone. But 100% of 100% people die. It's a fact.

Pharaoh thought Almighty God was the same as his gods, but he was wrong. The gods of Egypt were of Egypt's making. The God of Israel is Eternal God. He is the I AM, forever and ever, without beginning and without end.

The last sign that God gave Pharaoh was the plague of the death of the firstborn of Egypt.

"And the LORD said to Moses, 'I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether" Ex 11:1.

"And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' So the people bowed and worshiped." Ex 12:26,27.

This is the night where the children of Israel are set free from slavery and the stubbornness of sin in Pharaoh destroys his nation.

The children of Israel bowed and worshiped GOD when He announced what was happening. That is so wonderful an example of our attitude of worship.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction"

Proverbs 1:7.

"Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path" Proverbs 2:5-9.

Pharaoh was the fool who refused to learn to know the Almighty, Living GOD. later, after changing his mind again, Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel to the Red Sea, where he dies. he and his army drown in the Red Sea when God lets the water back to normal. So in his rebellion, even in the face of God's proof, Pharaoh was plagued to death by his own pride.

The children of Israel, on the other hand, came to the knowledge that their GOD is Almighty, Awesome God, and they fell down in worship.

Unlike Pharaoh, who scorned the truth with every proof he saw, there comes a day when Christians should see God as Almighty GOD. It give us freedom to worship in a higher level.

Worship is our best response once we come face to face

with the awesome knowledge of Holy God. 

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The Destructiveness of Pride in a Christian

It's awfully hard to watch someone you know is saved that keeps trying to live the Christian life in their own power. They set themselves up for failure repeatedly and can't grasp the reason why they continually fail. It's personally sad, for no matter what you do to help, they don't see the problem is themselves.

No matter how many sermons they hear, or Bible studies they attend, they just won't let God be God. They won't get off the throne and trust Jesus to rule over them.... They won't let God have their lives beyond their salvation.

They haven't grown beyond the warm-fuzzy of their initial salvation.

It all comes down to the original sin of pride.

Pride destroys everyone and everything.

"For you (Lucifer) have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high" Isaiah 14:12-14.

No one can sit on the throne of God except GOD. If a Christian keeps attempting to crawl up there, seeking to rule themselves, their sins will create more troubles for them and for all those around them.

"You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD. nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" Hebrews 12:5,6.

There is something wrong when a Christian can keep sinning without some kind of remorse for theuir actions.

For to know Jesus went to the cross to take the punishment for your sins, and then as a Christian stand at the foot of the cross, looking up at Him, how can you shake your fist and say,

"You are the Almighty Savior, and I thank you for saving me."...but...
"No, you shall not rule over me."
"I know better than you how to run my life"
"I don't care about Your suffering so I can have abundant life."
"I am not going to submit beyond faith that Your forgave my sins."
"I am not going to obey."
"I will not trust You to command me."
"I will not pray."
"I will not read my Bible." 

"Thus also faith by itself, it if does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' 'Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:17,18.

"Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"

James 1:22.

The term 'backsliding' is the picture of a cow with her feet firmly planted, pulling back on the lead rope, refusing to be led into a stall.

Only Christians can be backsliders, since they are the only ones who are led by God into His 'stalls' to be fed and nurtured. They can 'backslide' by willfully refusing to obey the commands of God.
A non-Christian has no personal interactions with God, so they, as wild cattle, have no room in God's 'stalls'.

Prayer for fellow Christians is vitally important. Sometimes your personally steadfast walk of faith is the only thing that can help both you in your sorrow for your friend, and your friend as they watch your interaction with our Holy God.

Pray and Pray and Pray

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When It Counts--Fiction

     It had to be seconds but it seemed hours since my wheels disengaged from the track, slammed home to dig in and flip me into an airborne spin. A small hunk of debris causing a blown tire and my career as a Driver floated away with the wind streaming by at a hundred and sixty miles per hour. The Owners weren’t going to want to keep my contract; I couldn’t even win a 250 that didn’t count anyway.

     I shouldn’t have been in this race to begin with. I had taken this detour from the regular schedule to enter a short track race. It wasn’t in the points race and for all purposes I had no business to risk it. After begging LaDrews Racing for this opportunity, I’d blown it again. Maybe I hadn't fully convinced them of the great advertising opportunity, but they let me enter anyway. After-all, I'd begun on tracks like this. This was Kindergarten stuff for a Driver who's scored two-time second place at Daytona.

As the car went around for another spin, I saw any possible win at next year's Daytona fly away with the left front wheel. What good was the dream of Daytona when I'd wrecked LaDrews Dodge car two days before qualifying for Talladega. They were probably already exchanging my name on the roster for my teammate’s name.

     Kelsey was a good driver, yet he wasn’t a risk taker, never scratching the paint. The LaDrews brothers hired me for my nerve but I’d been a disappointment, even to myself.

     The car came down on its roof with a bone-jarring bang and immediately lifted for another round of flips. Metal and fiberglass flew in every direction. When would this crazy ride quit? I wasn’t enjoying it. Race car driving was about precision, deliberation, courage and most of all control.

     Right now, I had no control.

   We have no control.  That’s what that preacher said in church last Sunday; that little church my wife, Viv, insisted we attend. He’d said something about God being in control of everything.

     “God, if you’re in control, why don’t you stop this kaleidoscoping automobile?” I was screaming but the roaring of tearing metal screamed louder so I couldn't even hear myself.

     The stop seemed as frightening as the flying. My thrashed body felt stunned, even surrounded by the safety gear. Trapped in the demolished car, I watched the rescue vehicles arrive. I was still saying something but my head was still spinning to rapidly to register my own thoughts. Like the tire that was still rolling down the track to the infield my mind was running away with a jumble of thoughts. Maybe my life was flashing before my eyes, but it didn't look very familiar at the moment.

     “Gary, you all right?”

     I heard that and looked out at the anxious face of the attendant. I calmly replied, “Yeah, I’m okay.”

     While someone blew fire-retardant all over what was left of what had been a championship racecar, the rescue crew peeled the mangled metal apart and helped me out. The attendants took my arms as I stumbled.

     I grinned. “Went around too many times, dizzy.” My legs gave out and they caught me before I face-planted the asphalt.

     “Ambulance, Gary,” one said. “Get you checked out.” I was in no condition to complain as they lifted me and laid me on a gurney, strapping me down to restrict movement. "Just a short trip, relax." The attendant smiled. "The doctor'll fix you up"

     Whatever he might have said next was lost when the world suddenly became a humongous soft black pillow that swallowed me whole.

    Vivian, my wife, was in the room when I woke up, an open bible in her lap, her IPad in her hand, with the earbuds tucked in her dainty little ears. Seeing my open eyes, she smiled and pulled the earphones from her ears, brushing her long dark soft hair back.

     “Hey, Viv, been waiting long?”

     She stood by the bedside, taking my hand gently so not to disturb the tubes sticking out of my arms. That's when I noticed I was strapped down. “What’s all this?” I asked, staring around at the life monitors.

     “How do you feel?”

     Feeling foolish, lightheaded and wanting to giggle at the silliness of it all, I wondered what sort of drugs I was on, because giggling hadn't been in my repertoire for years. I grinned at her. “I'm hungry.” That was my standard line for her usual question of 'How are you?' but it didn't seem to have the same effect this time.

the conversation paused as a nurse came in and did a thorough check of everything, making sure I was in fact conscious. her only words apart from the usual commands of follow the light she shown in my eyes, 'squeeze my fingers as heard as you can', 'Are you in pain', and 'Don't hesitate to call the nurses station for anything you need', she left with the obvious statement, "The Doctor will be in shortly."

    Alone again, I made a smart crack about sponge baths just to tease Vivian. I was getting annoyed that Vivian seemed to be in a downer mood.

     "What's with you? I know you are afraid of my racing, but I'm fine. I'm alive. You should be happy now I won't be able to drive at Talladega." I lay back on the pillow. "Probably be sitting out the rest of the season if LaDrew really gets steamed over the mess I made."

     Vivian laid her hand on the blanket over my leg. “Do you know you were screaming into your mike?”

     I blushed easily. “Yeah, I know.”

     “Do you remember what you were saying?”

     “Why?” I asked. “Does it matter?”

     "Harmen LaDrew was in and gave me a copy of your mike recording." With a light touch, she placed one of the IPad's earbuds in my ear, and I found myself listening to the playback of my voice recording during the wreck. My eyes met hers, amazed at what I was hearing. I didn't remember any of it.

     Her eyes were loving, concerned. “Did you really ask Jesus to save you?”

     “I must have, it’s right there.” Flippantly, I added, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

     “Gary, how do you feel?”

     “I’m fine. What’s with you?”

      “Can you feel my hand?”

     I looked down at the sheet laying along my entire length. For a moment I was worried but then relieved to see I had two feet poking the sheet at the end of my legs. I watched Vivian's hand squeeze my right knee. She has long nails and she was squeezing hard, those nails pressing into my flesh through the sheet. Suddenly I was scared. My eyes lifted to hers, “What’s wrong?”

    “Your back is broken.” Her big brown eyes spilled tears. “Gary, did you mean it? Did you cry out to Jesus?”

    I lowered my head to the pillow and  stared at the ceiling. I whispered, “Lord Jesus, I mean it now.”

The End

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It Makes More Sense Than Evolved Intelligence

I believe in the Eternal Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Creator God because it makes more sense than man's evolved intelligence having imagined the creation of a Creator God.

Here's why I believe God made me and I did not make myself.

Some people are taught that human' evolved over billions years to the state we are in now. Somehow they have been convinced we are getting smarter, and more civilized as we are evolving higher and higher on the chain of life.

Huh?

Evolution teaches that the human is his or her own god because they have reached the top of the evolution of intelligence. That their deification comes from being able to think, make decisions and grasp for more in their lives to enhance own wellbeing.

Um....then after billions of years, somewhere about 7000 years ago, our beautifully, perfectly, intelligent, evolved minds decided we needed to worship a God who created us. About 7000 years ago we somehow made up a God who created heaven and earth. He created a man and woman and walked and talked with them in a Garden of Eden. (every culture discovered so far has some sort of written history similar to this and also a change in the earth resembling the flood of Noah's day)

Also our beautifully evolved intelligence decided to think up something called sin that separates us from the Creator God. Then humans decided that One God-Man would come to earth to die for all the sin of the world so we all, (perfectly evolved humans) could go be with Him forever and ever in a Paradise. We also decided that there has to be a counterpart to Paradise called Hell and the Lake of Fire for all those who somehow reject this Creator God's salvation.

Think about this--the evolved human mind had to come up with that if evolution is the truth.

If the human race has evolved to the epitome of the chain of existence, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for ANY human on the planet to imagine a deity higher than themselves.

That means all the religions of the world including Buddhism, Christian Science, Jehovah Witness, Mormons, Islam, every Native tribe of any land, Illuminati, Zodiac, Naturalism, & Humanism, Witchcraft, Satanism, Superior Aliens, etc.. Not only our Christianity as learned from the Holy Bible, but ALL of these would be foolishness in the imagined creation of the semblance of a god above an evolved human.

But the human mind in all parts of the world have some sort of out-of-this-world gods in their culture, some deity beyond their evolution. What for? How? Why?

So I believe Almighty God created me and has put in me the mind to seek Him and know Him. And, praise the Lord, to be saved by Him out of this sinful, crazy world and be with Him forever and ever in Paradise!! (Psalm 100)

Those who worship evolution have to figure out just which god they want to worship, since each time they add more years to their religion of evolution, they give more proof they cannot be evolved into perfection yet--and who wants an imperfect god?

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Our Designed Purpose

If you want to take a walk through the human side of life, and get a picture of the range of humanity, read Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon one after another.

These three books are a great passage through the wants and needs of all people seen through God’s perspective.

When God moved men to set the order of the books of the Bible, He had Ecclesiastes placed between Proverbs and the Song of Solomon. These three books could be said to be Solomon’s daily diary.

Proverbs is Solomon’s public journal, the one he’d share with everyone. The Song of Solomon is his Dear Diary, the book he’d hide under his pillow and only read by flashlight under his blanket.

And Ecclesiastes is his notebook about succeeding in life, labor or leisure for all the wrong reasons. This is the manual he’d use in his boardroom as his employee's directives for discipline and motivation.

Ecclesiastes is the greatest book describing the futility

of the things people think is important.

We want order—that’s Proverbs. In Proverbs, we learn God’s design for proper conduct from childhood, through teen years, our marriage, our years of employment, our retirement, and old age.

We are starving for love—that’s learned in the Song of Solomon. In the Song of Solomon, we learn the heights and depths of a loving relationship between a man and woman and between Jesus and His bride, the church.

The book of Ecclesiastes is an instruction 

manual on how to misuse our life!

King Solomon was the first psychoanalyst. Wanting to know what life was like on earth without God, what purpose does anyone have apart from worshiping God, he gave it a thorough study. That must have been quite a challenge for a man who personally had a conversation with God twice. But laying aside his knowledge, Solomon looked into basic human desire and uncovered the gritty dirt inside of everyone. When concluding his study, in light of eternity, he realized life is way too short and frivolous to ignore God.

And he discovered that we accomplish nothing of lasting purpose apart from a relationship with Almighty God, who loved us enough to send His One and Only Son Jesus to die for us.

Solomon concludes this book telling us what is truly important.

"And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.

For God will bring every work into judgement,

including every secret thing. whether good or evil."

Ecclesiastes 12:12, 13, 14.

Because God created time, time-wise everything is important even down to every fraction of every second of our lives. God purposed our time for certain use, even our leisure. 

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the LORD and not to men" Colossians 3:23.

If you're in a right relationship with God, then enjoy His presence no matter what you are doing. God enjoys our time spent with Him, wherever we work, or when we play.

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Oxymoron

Oxymoron: Origin: Greek: "Pointedly foolish', oxus: sharp; moros: foolish
Rhetorical figure, epigrammatic in form, in which what appear to be incongruous, contradictory, contrasted, ideas are associated.

No: Negative particle: Refusal, denial in word

Lord: Master, Lord, Superior, Ruler

Saying "No, Lord, is an oxymoron.

Definitions from "The Little & Ives Webster Dictionary and Home Reference Library International Edition"