Thursday
Evening Bible Study
August
8, 2013
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk
– Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved?
King Ahasuerus had divorced his wife, Vashti. He had been drinking one
night with his buddies and had asked her to come in and parade herself in front
of them. When she refused, he dumped her.
It was after this that Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I in history) went
off to fight his grand battles with the Greeks. After having been defeated, he
returned to Persia to an “empty” palace.
His counselors advised him to hold a beauty contest, and a young Jewish
gal, Esther, won the position of Queen. Esther was an orphan, and was raised by
her cousin Mordecai.
We saw a brief incident where Mordecai had uncovered a plot to assassinate
the king, the assassins arrested, and the record of this assistance being
recorded in the royal record.
We saw the King promote a man named Haman the Agagite. We believe that
Haman was a descendant of the Amalekites, an ancient enemy of the Jews. The
King ordered everyone to bow when they met Haman, but because Mordecai was a
Jew, he would not bow to Haman. This enraged Haman so much he decided that he
would try to wipe out the Jewish race. He tricked Ahasuerus into signing a
decree to have all the Jews wiped out, yet the king didn’t know it was the Jews
he was going to wipe out, just a “certain people” who were “different”. Neither
the king nor Haman know that Esther herself is a Jew and that she too could be
killed by this decree.
When Mordecai found out about the death decree, he asked Esther to
intercede with the king and said,
(Es 4:14 NKJV) For if you
remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for
the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet
who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
There was one problem in Esther’s way – under Persian law, if anyone came
into the king’s presence without being summoned, they could face instant death
unless the king holds out his “golden scepter” to them. And to make things
worse, Esther hasn’t seen her husband or been summoned by him for thirty days.
Esther asks everyone to fast and pray for three days, and she will go see
the king. She said, “and if I perish, I perish!”
5:1-8 Esther’s Banquets
:1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes
and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s
house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the
entrance of the house.
:1 on the third day
Esther had asked everyone to fast and pray for three days. Now the time is
up.
Lesson
Wait for it
Sometimes waiting for things doesn’t help anything.
Illustration
A man was known among his friends to be very brief and to the point - he
really never said too much. One day, a saleswoman promoting a certain brand of
cosmetics knocked on his door and asked to see his wife. The man told her that
his wife wasn't home. "Well," replied the saleswoman, "could I
please wait for her?" The man directed her to the living room and left her
there for more than three hours. The saleswoman was getting really worried, so
she called out to the man and asked, "May I know where your wife is?"
"She went to the cemetery," he replied. "And when is she
returning?" "I don't really know," he said. "She's been
there eleven years now."
But some things are just much better when we wait.
Sometimes the answers we need don’t come without learning to wait.
Rushing things can sometimes just lead to trouble.
Illustration
George W. Martin tells the following true story: “I remember a fellow who
once wrote a nasty letter to his father. Since we worked in the same office, I
advised him not to send it because it was written in a fit of temper. But he
sealed it and asked me to put it in the mail. Instead, I simply slipped it into
my pocket and kept it until the next day. The following morning he arrived at
the office looking very worried. ‘George,’ he said, ‘I wish I had never sent
that note to my dad yesterday. It hurts me deeply, and I know it will break his
heart when he reads it. I’d give 50 dollars to get it back!’ Taking the
envelope from my pocket, I handed it to him and told him what I had done. He
was so overjoyed that he actually wanted to pay me the 50 dollars!”
David wrote,
(Ps 37:7–9 NKJV)
—7 Rest in the Lord, and
wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from
anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For
evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.
:1 put on her royal robes – Maybe she had been just
wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. I wonder if she had been wearing sackcloth.
:2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that
she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden
scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top
of the scepter.
:2 she found favor
Josephus records a very
melodramatic scene where Esther looks at the king and the king is upset, and
then Esther faints, and the king rushes up to comfort her and apologize for
looking so meanly at her.
:3 And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is
your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
:3 half the kingdom
This is the same thing that Herod
said to Salome:
(Mk 6:23 NKJV) He also swore to
her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
:4 So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come
today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
You or I might have just blurted the problem out to Ahasuerus, but Esther
is going to take things a little more slowly.
:5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has
said.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
:6 At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What is your
petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the
kingdom? It shall be done!”
:7 Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request is this:
:8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the
king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman
come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as
the king has said.”
:8 come to the banquet
Why does Esther keep delaying things?
This is like one of those TV shows
where things build and build and then you see the words, “to be continued …”
Some have suggested that Esther lost her courage to confront the king about
Haman.
Yet it will work to her advantage. Haman is going to dig a deeper hole for
himself.
Remember that she hasn’t even seen her husband for the last thirty days. Perhaps she is building up a little good will
with her husband so he will be more ready to listen to her actual request.
5:9-14 Haman plots against Mordecai
:9 So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw
Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him,
he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.
:9 he did not stand or tremble
before him
Mordecai has no respect for Haman.
Even with this soon to be enacted death decree, Mordecai does not tremble
before Haman.
This only enrages Haman the more.
Paul wrote to the Philippians:
(Php 1:28 NLT) Don’t be
intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they
are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God
himself.
:10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and
called for his friends and his wife Zeresh.
:10 Zeresh – Zeresh
– “gold”
:11 Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his
children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had
advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
:12 Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to
come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again
invited by her, along with the king.
:11 told them of his great riches
Haman has gathered his family and friends and wants a little time to boast
in front of them about how awesome and great he is.
Sometimes we can give our families the wrong ideas about what goes on at
work:
Illustration
One dad writes,
I had always talked about my job a lot at home, and my young daughter had
always expressed great interest. So I thought it would be a treat for her to
spend the day with me at the office. Since I wanted it to be a surprise, I
didn’t tell her where we were going, just that it would be fun. Although
usually a bit shy, she seemed excited to meet each colleague I introduced. On
the way home, however, she seemed somewhat down. “Didn’t you have a nice time?”
I asked. “Well, it was okay,” she responded. “But I thought it would be more
like a circus.” Confused, I asked, “Whatever do you mean?” She said, “Well, you
said you work with a bunch of clowns, and I never got to see them!”
Lesson
Boastful Pride
Sometimes the reason we find ourselves boasting about our accomplishments
is because we feel so small. We want
others to think we’re special, but inside we’re afraid that we’re really not
that special.
What results is an ugly kind of pride that only wants to talk about itself.
(Pr 16:18 NKJV) Pride goes
before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Do you find yourself getting into conversations where you play “top
that”? Someone shares about something in
their life, and then everyone else subconsciously tries to “top that”?
“I won seven games in a row”.
“Well I won eight games in a row”.
You might have better friendships if you stop trying to be better than
everyone else. If there’s something good
that needs to be said about you, let someone else be the one that says it, not
you.
(Pr 27:2 NKJV) Let
another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own
lips.
The real solution to pride is to learn to die to yourself.
(Lk 9:23–24 NKJV)
—23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
My sake will save it.
When you learn to “deny yourself”, it’s okay to let somebody
else in the room have the better story.
In fact, then you find that you’re congratulating them on their success
instead of trying to top it.
:13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew
sitting at the king’s gate.”
:13 all this avails me nothing
Lesson
Never satisfied
A person whose life is centered upon his own self is never satisfied.
(Pr 27:20 NKJV) Hell and
Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.
God’s desire is that we learn the secret of being content in whatever
circumstance we’re in, not in always wanting “more”.
(Php 4:11–13
NASB95) —11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in
whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to
live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of
being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do
all things through Him who strengthens me.
That’s not an easy lesson to learn.
Those of us who struggle with our weight know that it’s
not easy to eat “less”.
Yet we can do all things with His strength.
:14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be
made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai
be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing
pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.
:14 Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high
gallows – ‘ets – tree,
wood, plank, stalk
Don’t think of a platform with a trap door and a hangman’s noose. Think
more of a tall pole on which you stick your victim’s dead body.
fifty cubits – 75 feet high. The whole city will see Mordecai’s
body. Everyone will know of Haman’s great power and influence.
6:1-14 The King honors Mordecai
:1 That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the
book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
:1 the king could not sleep
He couldn’t turn on late night television, though even if he could, that
might not be the best thing to do late at night.
Instead he asks that somebody read to him.
Lesson
Sleepless in Shushan
I do not like sleepless nights.
Yet to be honest – God is going to use the events of this sleepless night
to do great things.
What if God wanted to do something significant the next time you had
trouble sleeping? Would you be open to
what God wanted to do?
:2 And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh,
two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King
Ahasuerus.
:3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai
for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been
done for him.”
:3 What honor … has been bestowed on Mordecai
Lesson
God at work
You may never see God’s name mentioned in the book of Esther, but you can
see God’s fingerprints all through this story.
On the same night Haman is plotting to kill Mordecai, Ahasuerus is planning
on honoring him.
Josephus records an interesting
idea:
But God laughed to scorn the wicked expectations of Haman; and as he knew
what the event would be, he was delighted at it, for that night he took away
the king’s sleep:[1]
The Bible says,
(Ro 8:28 NKJV) And we
know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose.
I wonder if any of this is connected to Esther asking everyone to fast and
pray for three days?
:4 So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just
entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang
Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
:4 Haman had just entered the outer court
Apparently you could come into the outer court and wait to see if the king
would call you in to talk. In contrast
to Haman, Esther had gone right through the outer court into the king’s
presence without being invited.
Haman must be coming pretty early in the morning to be showing up at the
end of Ahasuerus’ sleepless night.
:5 The king’s servants said to him, “Haman is there, standing in the
court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”
:5 Let him come in
Keep in mind that to the king, Haman is still a trusted advisor.
:6 So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the
man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom
would the king delight to honor more than me?”
Haman can’t think of anyone more worthy of honor than himself. He can’t see past himself. Haman’s favorite subject is … himself.
:7 And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights
to honor,
:8 let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on
which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head.
:9 Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the
king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to
honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before
him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
:9 parade him on horseback
Keep in mind that Haman is picturing himself up on that horse being
proclaimed as the man whom the king delights to honor.
:10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as
you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s
gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken.”
:10 for Mordecai the Jew
Can you imagine what the look on Haman’s face was when he hears Mordecai’s
name?
Keep in mind, Ahasuerus only knows that he’s signed a decree to kill “certain
people” (3:8). He doesn’t yet know that
those “certain people” are the Jews, like Mordecai.
:11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on
horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be
done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
:11 Thus shall it be done
And so, just as Haman suggested, it is done, but for Mordecai.
Lesson
Golden Rule
Jesus said,
(Mt 7:12 NKJV) Therefore,
whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and
the Prophets.
We call this the “golden rule”.
This story of Haman and Mordecai puts a different twist on the “golden
rule” doesn’t it?
Mordecai is going to end up getting the good that Haman wanted for himself.
Haman is going to end up getting the bad that he wanted Mordecai to get.
I guess you ought to be careful what you wish for yourself or for others.
What if you got what you wished for for others? What do you do when they get
what you wanted?
Do we “rejoice with those who rejoice”?
I think this is a test of just what kind of love you have for others.
:12 Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to
his house, mourning and with his head covered.
I wonder what was going through Mordecai’s head as he’s being led around on
horseback by Haman and being proclaimed as a man the king delights to honor.
Meanwhile, Haman is so embarrassed.
:13 When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had
happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai,
before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail
against him but will surely fall before him.”
:13 you will not prevail
The previous night Haman was boasting in his greatness.
Now Zeresh is predicting Haman’s fall.
Why does she say this?
It could be a response to her superstitions, thinking that since Haman was
just humiliated, he was on the way out with the king.
It could be that she’s begun to put the pieces together with Haman’s decree
to wipe out the Jews and the fact that Mordecai is a Jew who has just been
honored.
Perhaps she knows something of God’s promise to Abraham:
(Ge
12:3 NKJV) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses
you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
:14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came,
and hastened to bring Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
Well at least Haman has the banquet with the King and Esther to be grateful
for…
7:1-10 Haman hangs
:1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther.
:2 And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to
Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you.
And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
:2 what is your request
Why did Esther wait to tell Ahasuerus the full story?
She had an opportunity the first time she came into the throne room and the
king held out the royal scepter.
(Es 5:3 NKJV) And the
king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request?
It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
She had another opportunity the second time when she hosted the first banquet
for the king and Haman.
(Es 5:6 NKJV) At the
banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It
shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the kingdom? It
shall be done!”
Some have suggested that she got cold feet and stalled out of fear.
Could it possibly be that she was doing what God wanted her to do?
It was after this second opportunity that Haman’s pride got out of control
and he decided to build the fifty foot gallows to hang Mordecai on.
It was after this second opportunity that the king had a sleepless night
and while he was having the royal history read to him, he found out that
Mordecai had never been properly rewarded for saving the king’s life.
It was after this second opportunity that the king had Haman parade
Mordecai around town, having Mordecai wear the king’s robe and crown with Haman
shouting to all that Mordecai was the king’s friend.
Lesson
Permission
Jon Courson once shared that for God to do a miraculous work, there needs
to be two ingredients: Power and
Permission. We need to have the “power”
or “ability” to do the work, but we also need to have the “permission” or the
“go ahead” from the Lord.
Maybe Esther wasn’t acting out of fear.
Maybe she was acting out of faith.
Keep in mind that she had been fasting and praying for three days before
she acted. She also had requested that
the rest of the Jews in the city be fasting and praying for her as well.
Because of the amazing outcome of all these events, it seems much more
likely that Esther wasn’t acting out of fear, but out of faith. She waited until she got approval from the
Lord before she proceeded.
Illustration
Peter and John had seen the lame man countless times, sitting at the
Beautiful Gate of the Temple. He had laid there for years. Peter and John had the power of the Holy
Spirit in their lives and God had worked miracles before through them. Yet there came a day when there was more than
just “power”, there was “permission”.
And Peter reached down and grabbed the lame man and he was healed (Acts
3).
Illustration
From time to time I find myself talking with a man or a woman who has been
devastated by a broken marriage. Perhaps
their spouse has committed adultery. Perhaps
they’ve been abandoned by their spouse. These
are what I believe are the two allowable reasons for divorce. And it is not uncommon for the person to ask
me at some point, “Should I divorce my spouse?”
When asked that question, there are two things to examine – “power” and
“permission”. Does the person have the
“power” to divorce? Does their situation
meet the requirements that God has laid out in Scripture that allows for
divorce (like adultery and abandonment)?
If this is the case, then the second question is, “Has God said that
it’s okay for YOU to divorce?” Just
because a situation meets the requirements that allow for divorce doesn’t mean
that you should divorce. I believe that
God’s first option is always reconciliation.
The prophet Hosea was married to a prostitute. At one point, she left him and went back to
work. Yet God commanded Hosea to take
his wife back. It was to be an
illustration to the people of how God takes US back, even after WE’VE been
unfaithful.
But there are going to be times when the other person’s heart is simply not
going to be open to reconciliation, and that’s not always something we can
tell.
You can have the “power” to divorce, but do you have “permission”?
The difficult thing with this principle is that I can’t teach you how to
know when God gives you permission. It’s
a dangerous thing to have cooked up an idea in your head and then decide to
tell everybody that God has told you something.
:3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your
sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my
petition, and my people at my request.
:4 For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed,
and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have
held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
:4 we have been sold
If the problem was that the Jews were to become slaves, Esther wouldn’t
have even bothered the king, but would have just accepted it.
NOTE: I find it very interesting
how Esther brings up the subject. She
leaves Haman’s name completely out of it.
She simply deals with the objective fact that she and her people are in
danger. The wisdom is that the king will
make a decision in his head based on the situation, not on whether or not he
likes Haman.
Keep in mind that at this point, the king does not know he’s signed a
decree against the Jews. And he doesn’t know that Esther is a Jew.
:5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and
where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?”
:6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
Up to this point, Haman didn’t know that Esther was a Jew. Now it begins to dawn on him what trouble
he’s in.
:7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went
into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his
life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.
:7 the king arose in his wrath
The king is too upset at the moment and so he gets up and takes a walk.
Haman decides to take advantage of the king leaving and begs with Esther
for mercy.
I don’t think that Haman even knows that Mordecai is Esther’s cousin, not
yet.
:8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the
banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was.
Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the
house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
:8 Will he also assault the queen
assault – kabash – to subject,
subdue, force; violate
NIV – “molest”
It sounds like Ahasuerus thinks Haman is trying to rape Esther.
:8 they covered Haman’s face
This was like putting a blindfold over a prisoner before execution.
:9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows,
fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s
behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on
it!”
Apparently it wasn’t a secret that Haman had been planning on having
Mordecai killed before he had paraded him through the streets declaring his
honor.
:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.
Then the king’s wrath subsided.
:10 they hanged Haman … prepared for Mordecai
Lesson
Digging pits
The Bible says,
(Pr 26:27 NKJV) Whoever
digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back
on him.
(Pr 26:27 NLT) If you set a trap
for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on
others, it will crush you instead.
(Pr 28:10 NLT) Those who lead good
people along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the honest will
inherit good things.
Be careful if you find yourself trying to dig a pit for someone to fall
into. God just might allow you to be the
one who falls into it.
Jesus said,
(Mt 5:43–44 NKJV) —43 “You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ 44 But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Paul wrote to the Romans,
(Ro 12:17–21
NKJV) —17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the
sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with
all men. 19 Beloved,
do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is
written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If
your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so
doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The best revenge on someone who is trying to hurt you is
to be the one who does the right thing.
Do good, not evil.
And then let God take care of the rest.
Even though Haman is dead, the Jews are not out of the woods yet. There is
still a decree that allows the Jews to be wiped out by anyone who wants to kill
a Jew…