Esther Bible Study Wrap-Up

 

 I started out in the introduction to this study mentioning how I’ve read Esther several times before, but I knew that God had something new to teach me this time, and wow, did that prove to be true!

 To begin with, the very first day of this study we looked at where you place your treasure. I, ironically, wrote regarding our finances, “I am completely aware that any number of things could make it all disappear in the blink of an eye,” blissfully Unaware that my husband would be laid off just a few weeks later. But what I followed that with still holds true. My treasure is in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal, and this world has no power over it. I made a list in this post of things that people are often tempted to put their trust in: money, their spouse, doctors, or even their health. I feel like the enemy has used that as a checklist since then to come at me, but God is bigger than all of that and I trust Him no matter what! That first week I learned a lot about Vashti, digging into the history and tradition surrounding her. I had never done that before and the results were fascinating! We looked at Xerxes, and who he chose to listen to. This was a warning to us to consider carefully our advisors and I had fun looking back and putting together a list of some of those people who have influenced mine and my husband’s lives. Day 4 of Week 1 had me thick in the weeds of submission, a hotly-contested and highly controversial concept in today’s church. Is it clear and simple? Yes. Is it easy to follow in practice? Definitely not! Following this, we looked at what it meant to, “live as wise and not as unwise.” For me, the determining factor in this is getting to know God personally, deeply and following His voice, staying tuned into His Holy Spirit, every day.

 The second week of our study, we headed into the second chapter of Esther. I broke down the “O” word (Obedience) the first day, examining what obedience and submission really look like and why we are called to them. I also shared the cautionary tale of Dorothy Carey, the not-so-well-known wife of well-known missionary, William Carey. And then I considered the story behind Esther’s story. We get to read a few chapters, a few sentences about her. These brief mentions encompass years of experiences. I slowed down and took into account what we know about Esther and her story and broke down what that really meant for her as a person. Because that’s what she was, a real, living, breathing person. She was not just a character in the Bible that we could learn from, she actually experienced all the things we read about her! As we further considered the benefits and value of wisdom in our lives, I was humbled as I realized that I still fight against what God is leading me towards like a toddler who doesn’t want to take a bath. Next, we looked at how Mordecai made the choice to stand up to Haman instead of bowing to him like his peers did. I’m sure this wasn’t easy or comfortable, nor did he likely know all the trouble that would come from it, but it was so important to follow his faith and ideals. I loved how our study brought us to Psalm 52 on the last day of this week. It wasn’t written about Esther or Mordecai, in fact it was written nearly 500 years earlier regarding a situation David had faced. And yet, it reads as if it was written about exactly this situation! I guess David’s son, Solomon, was right when he said, “there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The die was cast determining the fate of the Jews in Persia, but ultimately they had nothing to fear because God was still in control!

 On Week 3, we found ourselves well into chapter 3, and the climax of the drama is approaching. Haman, in his wrath against Mordecai and Jews in general, has convinced the king to issue a decree allowing the enemies of the Jews to annihilate them without punishment. Haman was an unfaithful person to the king, leading him into trouble as our first focus verse of the week suggests, “Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint, so is confidence in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble.”  (Proverbs 25:19). We considered how we can measure the people in our lives and see who is trustworthy. The next day I was dumbstruck by a parallel between things that happened in Esther’s history and things that are happening in ours. The next day we altered course to look at Jesus’ example of leadership and how loyal love and truth preserve a king, much different from Xerxes. Day 4 of Week 3 looked at how Esther was placed where she was “For such a time as this,” and how we are too. At the end of the week, we see Queen Esther “Press Pause” on everything, going to God first before she went to the king.

 The fourth week opened with us on the precipice of what will happen when Esther approaches the king. Of course, I’ve read the story dozens of times and I know exactly what will happen, but I feel like, on this read-through, anything is possible. I’m seeing the story through new eyes and experiencing things almost as if I am in the moment. Esther cleans up, puts on her nicest outfit, and heads to the throne room to see if she will live or die. When she is welcomed into the throne room by her husband, the king, and asked what wish he can grant for her, she invites him to dinner. It’s such a sideways plot twist that you know it can only come from God. He planned it. He used it. The next day had us focusing on the value of a word skillfully spoken, comparing it to apples of gold in a setting of silver. Esther had to be so careful in what and how and when she spoke about her plight. She had sought God first, and He was clearly guiding her.

 Then, at the beginning of week 5, what seems like a side-plot comes up. Before the king can come to dinner, he’s up all night unable to sleep. In an effort to either entertain or bore himself (I can’t guess which), he has the record of his reign read to him. As they come across the story of Mordecai alerting the king to a plot against his life, the king all of a sudden wonders how he thanked Mordecai for this and begins to make plans to do so once it’s clear that it hasn’t happened yet. Meanwhile, our villain, Haman, is plotting a terrible attack on Mordecai and shows up, early in the morning, to run it by the king when the king usurps his ask by postulating to Haman what should be done for the one the king delights to honor. Assuming the king is asking about himself, Haman comes up with a ridiculously extravagant procession and the king, to Haman’s horror, tells him to do that for Mordecai the Jew.  Our text for the day, Proverbs 25:6-7, offers the advice that we shouldn’t seek out the honorable position or rewards but rather, allow honor to be bestowed upon us when God deems it appropriate. This was quite similar to advice Jesus gave in Luke 14:7-11 where he shared, “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.  If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Haman had sought to exalt himself and, in the end, he was humbled. Well, that wasn’t the end, but it was the end of that event. After Haman carries out his grand imaginings for Mordecai, instead of himself, he hustles home in shame to bemoan his circumstances with his wife and friends who, when they hear he has targeted a Jew with his plotting, tell him he’s basically toast. In fact, that’s probably the last time they ever saw him alive. The verse our study brought us to for that day is, “I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.”  Genesis 12:3. It was from a time when God was calling Abram to leave everything he knew and go to a place he didn’t. I had a similar thing happen the same day I did this study that taught me a little about uncertainty. But the very next day we focused on what we are supposed to do with our uncertainty, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6. That day, my mind was on my pain, because it put itself front and center and wouldn’t let me focus on anything else. But in that, I knew that God was still in control, still held me, still had a plan, and I trust Him for all of that. I struggled with what to write about the next day. I sat and wondered and prayed. And then, God brought to mind the process of making cookies. I cannot take credit for this thought as I haven’t make cookies in many years. It sure taught me a lot though, and it’s a topic I’m hoping to dive more deeply into in the future! The next day had us at the climax of Esther’s story, the point at which she has enlightened the king on Haman’s plot and her involvement with it and he stomps out of the room in a rage. This is the major will he/won’t he turning point, and the third time I titled a blog post, “For Such a Time as This.” Yeah, it wasn’t very original, but I couldn’t title it anything else when I used that phrase SEVEN times in the post. This came about as I was discussing several points in my life where I felt that God had brought me to a cross roads for a specific purpose.

 The last week of our study of Esther opens with Haman’s dark fate. There is no doubt that justice was done, but my soft heart almost feels bad for him. On the second day, we get to see the result of God’s work through Esther as there is feasting and much rejoicing. Our text from the day, Proverbs 28:20, reminds us of the importance of being faithful over chasing after the next great thing. My post looked at where our hope rests in various areas of our lives. So much of Esther’s story is tragic, from how her people came to be in exile in Persia to her own personal loss of her parents and traumatic entrance into the world of the Persian court. But God is the champion of turning tragedy into triumph! I was encouraged on the following day to shift my focus and count the blessings in the challenges I am facing. And, finally, the last day of our study focused on how God is in control and the doctrine of the providence of God. We examined how God can use things that initially look really bad or hard to us for awesome amazingness!

Here's the Thing: I started out this study expecting to hear from God in new and powerful ways, and He did not disappoint! I learned so much over these last two months, and I’m so glad you joined me for the journey. I can’t wait for what He has in store for our next study, Abiding in Jesus, which begins on Monday!