Showing posts with label Esther. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Esther. Show all posts

Esther 8: The Follow Through

Bible study: The Book of Esther
At the end of Esther chapter 7 we see Haman heading for the gallows—the ones he built for Mordecai. His pride cost him his life. (And boy does that make me stop and look at the pride in my own life!) In chapter 8, we watch as Queen Esther is given all of Haman’s wealth. All that he worked for and schemed for is given to a Jewish woman. Not only that, but Mordecai replaces Haman in the palace.

What a turn of events! It’s been ten weeks since Haman issued the decree to wipe out the Jews. Ten weeks of mourning and worrying for the Jews. Now Mordecai is in the palace, but the clock is still ticking because even after the evil man dies the consequences of his words and deeds continue on.

What Haman started—the annihilation of the Jews—was still in the books so Esther went back in to the king, risking her life again for her people. She knew her goal, kept her eyes on it, and kept working. If she had only wanted revenge, she would’ve quit when Haman was killed. If she wanted restitution, she would’ve quit when the king gave her Haman’s estate. But she didn’t want those things. So she risked her life by going to king, uninvited. Again. King Xerxes extended his scepter to her, granting her the privilege of approaching him.

This is the part that struck me the most. Maybe because of all that’s going on in my life right now, maybe because it’s a message that keeps coming before me…

Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. Esther 8:3
Esther approached the king to intercede for her people. She wanted them to be delivered from death. She wanted it badly enough that she was willing to risk her life—repeatedly—for it.

Deliverance. We all know people who need delivering. We all probably have family members who need delivering. Are we interceding for them? Would we even consider risking our life for their deliverance?
It was a master stroke of the Devil when he got the church and the ministry so generally to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer. ~R. A. Torrey

Intercession is life changing. Because Esther interceded, her people were delivered. James 4:3 says we don’t have things because we don’t ask for them.

How about us?
Are we getting side tracked from the work God has for us to do?
Are we giving up before the real objective is accomplished?
Are we interceding for our people?

“One concerned person devoted to prayer can make a great difference in this world, for prayer is the key that releases the power of God.” ~Warren Wiersbe

To Make a Difference


Intercessory prayer has been on my mind a lot lately and as I studied for the Esther 8 post, I came across this quote in Warren Wiersbe's commentary.

I've been so blessed to have people who pray for me. During my teen years in Ecuador, then through my time at Moody, there was an older couple from Maine, Cecil and Evelyn Arrington, who prayed for my family--and me--each and every Tuesday without fail. I didn't find out Tuesday was our day until after I was married and Mrs. Arrington sent me a card. When I looked back through my journals, it was incredible to see how many answers to prayers were given and needs were met on Tuesdays. Their prayers made a huge difference in my life.

They aren't the only ones who pray for me--my parents pray for me and my family. They pray every day, remembering and holding up to God specific things for each one in their family. I learned long ago not to pour the milk on my cereal until after they prayed for breakfast. I don't like soggy cereal but I treasure their prayer for each of us! It makes a difference in our lives.

Monday was my mom's birthday. There have been times she's called to see how things were going and listened as I talked and talked and talked. She'd say "You just keep coming to mind..." and I knew she'd been praying. Often, just knowing she was praying was enough to give me energy and courage to keep going.

Today is my dad's birthday. He may be unable to do the things he used to due to the bone cancer, but he prays. He keeps a prayer list by his bed and prays when he wakes at night. I know that his interceding for his children has...IS...making a difference in their lives.

Your turn...
Tell me about some of the people who pray for you and the difference it's made in your life.

Esther 7: The Reversal

A couple years ago I started a series on the book of Esther and we made it through chapter 6 before life went wild on me and my time to write became scarce. You can find that study here. I want to finish the series, even if it quite match or have the bells and whistles the first six parts do. So, please humor me as I limp to the finish line with this and for not getting these last posts looking pretty and tied with a bow so they match the first part.

Bible study: The Book of Esther

When we left Esther in chapter 6, Haman had just come in from parading through the city streets, declaring the greatness of Mordecai the Jew—the very man he was trying so hard to kill.

God wants each person to repent and turn to Him. He gave Haman chances to change his ways but Haman’s stubborn pride kept him hurtling to the end of his rope.

This time, when King Xerxes asked Esther what she wanted and made his generous offer, she presented her request—but she didn’t just blurt it out. She carefully crafted it making it so she didn’t attack his favored right-hand man. Remember, Xerxes had just had a late night refresher course on conspiracy so he may have connected the dots... First they were after the king, when that was exposed (thanks to Mordecai the Jew), they went after the queen.

The king is outraged that someone would dare attack his queen and when the king stormed out of the room, Haman made one last bad choice. He chose to stay in the queen’s presence and plead his case with her.

What a paradox! Haman had been furious because a Jewish man wouldn’t bow down to him, and now Haman was prostrate before a Jewish woman, begging for his life! ~Warren Wiersbe

Persian law dictated that no man other than the king was to be alone in the presence of a harem member or the queen, and that no man was to be within seven paces of them, unless they were one of the eunuchs appointed to serve the queen or harem member. When Haman stayed with the queen he broke the law. When he went to the couch Esther was on to plead for his life, he was much closer than seven paces, and he REALLY broke the law.

If Esther had pressed on, ignoring the quiet voice in her heart to delay her request, King Xerxes wouldn’t have had his sleepless night and heard what Mordecai the Jew had done to save his life. But now he remembered. A Jew had saved his life, so why should he kill the Jews? Besides, Haman, who had issued that decree in the king’s name was assaulting his queen, right there in the palace. No other reason for his death sentence was needed.

Haman must have boasted around the palace about the high gallows he’d built for Mordecai because when the king came in and saw Haman, the eunuch in attendance at the banquet mentioned there just happened to be a gallows all ready to go. He even knew that it was intended for Mordecai—the man who had saved the king’s life.

Often it seems as if God’s people are losing and the wicked ones are winning. We need to remember that just because God is longsuffering, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t care and that the bad guys get away with all the evil they plan.

…for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ~Gal. 6:7

He who sows iniquity will reap vanity… ~Prov. 22:8

He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will descend upon his own pate. ~Ps. 7:15-16

And that’s exactly what happened to Haman. The very evil he had planned for Mordecai happened to him. It’s something we see happen often in Scripture—but even if we never witness it, we can be sure God does.

God orchestrated these events so everything lined up perfectly, creating a straight shot to accomplishing His plan. Our part is to be sensitive to His leading and to obey.

Things to think about:


  • Are we sensitive to God’s quiet leading or do we charge ahead?
  • Is our pride hanging us?
  • What kind of things are we sowing?

Esther 6: The Set Up

Bible study: The Book of Esther

Sleepless in Susa. What's a king to do? Listen to stories of his own greatness, of course! And that's exactly what we find King Xerxes doing after that first dinner with Esther and Haman.

Esther 6 is when God pivots the whole story line of Esther, and the pivotal point is not the point of highest tension.
We expect the peripety (the sudden reversal, the hinge) to fall in the spot of highest tension but it doesn't always happen that way. In Esther, the pivot point is not the climax of the narrative. It's the seemingly insignificant event of Xerxes sleepless night, an ordinary event that begins to turn the tables. By making the peripety, the pivot point, an insignificant event, rather than the point of highest dramatic tension, the author is taking the focus away from human action. Had the pivot point been during the tension, Esther or Xerxes would have been seen as the cause for the change or reversal. By separating the peripety from the tension this makes the message that no one in the story is in control what is about to happen! An unseen power, God, is controlling the reversal of destiny. ~Karen Jobes.
God used Xerxes' sleepless night to turn the tide in Esther. The scrolls that were read to him recounted the story of how Mordecai had saved the king's life, 5 years previously. Typically, those kinds of deeds were great rewarded, but that time hadn't been. When Xerxes looks around for someone to help him figure out what to do, Haman is there with a fast answer.

Just look at this! Haman doesn't have to stop and think. The answer is fast because he's thought about it so often, and besides, who would the king want to honor more then the great Haman who attends private dinners with the king and queen of Persia? Haman pours out his wish list. He's so deep into self-promotion that he doesn't even stop to think the king may have someone else in mind.

Check out Haman's wish list:
*dressed in a royal robe—Persians superstitiously thought the king's robes brought him magical powers so very, very few ever touched them.
*riding the king's horse—coronations included riding the king's horse.
*paraded around by the king's most noble prince—clearly placing him much higher than the most noble prince.

It's enough to wonder if Haman wasn't planning on usurping the king's throne. Haman's tremendous thirst for honor made him so fixated on it that it eventually ended up destroying him. Look at the pronouns in verse 10...

The the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as YOU have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate; do not fall short in anything of all the YOU have said.” ~Esther 6:10 NAS

Of course, Haman obeyed. *snicker* I so wish I could see an instant replay of that scene! What was said between the two men as Haman robed Mordecai? Did Haman bellow his pronouncement of “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor!” or did he say it only loud enough that he could still mumble some? And what did the onlookers think and see? Did they see and understand the irony of it all? How many Jews got to see Mordecai on the king's horse? Did they cheer wildly? Do you think they had any idea of what was about to happen?

And then what happened?
Mordecai went back to work at the king's gate and Haman scurried home with his head covered. Once he got there, he wasn't encouraged, either. His friends saw what had happened and they took off. They didn't want to be anywhere close the lightening bolt struck, and it's a good thing because it struck fast.
We might glean several things from Mordecai's example. If we get overlooked for affirmation or promotion, so be it. Let's just do our jobs. If we get elevated and celebrated, so be it. Let's just do our jobs. Let's pursue a walk with God so close that the spolights of this world—be they for us or against us—are eclipsed by His enourmougs shadow dcast on our path.

There in the shelter of the Most High we find our significance and the only saticsfactin of our insatiable need to be noticed. There and theree alone we are free to be neither depressed nor impressed with the capticious reactions of this carnal world. ~Beth Moore
Haman's pride set him up for the fall he took. God's hand worked out the details for his free fall from fame.

By making a sleepless night the pivot point of the book, God took the focus off all human involvement and placed it squarely on Himself. He is the unseen powerful hand controlling destiny—then and now.

What about me and you?

*Do you think Xerxes' sleepless night had anything to do with Esther including Haman in their private dinner?

*When was the last time you've been sleepless? Try listening to what God may be trying to say to you but you're always too busy to listen to.

*Is there something you've become so fixated on that it's cheating you out of the goodness God is offering? Is that fixation setting you up destruction?

*After you've been praised or rewarded, do you go right back to work or do you strut around preening?

Esther 5 - The Right Time

Bible study: The Book of Esther

Some days are just plain important, and the third day in a fast is one of those days. It's the day that Israel traditionally looked for deliverance (Hosea 6:1-2). Esther had called her people to fast, and it was a drastic fast. But when you're in dire straights, that's what you have to do. On the third day, Esther dressed in her royal robes and went to the king. Not in her neglige. She put on her full queen attire, her power suit. That girl knew how to dress and she dressed for the job she was called to do.
A paramount theme in Esther is what God can do when we resolve to obey and “if I perish I perish.” ~Beth Moore
Esther faced her fear and stepped forward into the the king's court not knowing how he would respond. It took great determination to step into view, but she did it, and when King Xerxes saw her, he saw the queen of Persia. Xerxes extended the golden scepter to her, just as our great and might King does for us. God offers not only extends the scepter of Christ's cross, and God offers us deliverance through that cross. What an image that is to hold on to!

Isn't it interesting that although the king asked Esther what she wished, and gave her almost the equivalent of a blank check, she simply invited him to a private dinner. And Haman, too. Why on earth would Esther invite the man who instigated the massacre of her people? Why didn't she just ask for Haman's head and be done with it?

Remember, the book of Esther paints a picture of God's providence working behind the scenes, even when we can't see Him and think He's nowhere around. The intricacies of God's details are amazing. Haman's presence at that private dinner with the king and queen is one of those intricacies. Esther was ready and in motion, so what held her back when Xerxes asked her a second time? God did. There were still details to work out. Details for Xerxes and Haman.

Esther was seeking deliverance for her people, not personal, or even national revenge. If she were after revenge, she would've asked for Haman's death, but she knew her goal, and revenge wasn't it. Revenge doesn't get you far, but deliverance? Deliverance saves you. If Esther had forced her hand at that first private banquet, the outcome would have been oh-so different because although the timing seemed perfect and the opportunity sure was there, there was something that held Esther back—and she listened to whatever it was. She may have been ready but it was the right time for Xerxes yet. He wasn't ready to hear the man who wore his signet ring—his trusted friend—had decreed his wife's death.

There are times when we think “it's time!” and we want to race ahead through the open door, but we've got to stay tuned in to God and go with God's timing, and often that means we need to wait and keep silent!
Never in our wait is God ever inactive. We've got to trust that if He asks us to wait, God is doing something! ~Beth Moore
Haman left that private banquet with the king and queen of Persia with such a fat head, he probably had a hard time fitting through the king's gate. But he fit. I wonder if seeing Mordecai sitting there, not even standing to his feet this time, helped Haman squeeze through that gate? Haman was so fixated on Mordecai that he was actually in bondage to Mordecai, instead of it being the other way around.

Make no mistake, we serve whatever masters us, and nothing masters us more completely than the person who refuses to bow to our rights, desires, or demands. We become fixated on the one from whom we cannot get what we want. ~Beth Moore

Haman went home, gathered his family and friends and spent the night partying and celebrating his greatness. When he remembered Mordecai, his wife and the others advised him to hang Mordecai high—to disgrace him even after he had been killed. That's pretty drastic for a quick fix! But those kind of fixes usually are.

Thank God Esther did not settle for a quick fix!

A paramount theme in Esther is what God can do when we resolve to obey and “if I perish I perish.” Any time He calls us to die, His purpose is to reveal larger life. ~Beth Moore

Have you resolved to obey God and if you perish you perish? 
Have I?
**Why do you think Esther invited Xerxes and Haman back for a second banquet?
**Are you so fixated on something that it's stealing your joy and holding you in bondage?
**Do you ever give people poor advice just to shut them up so you don't have to listen to them or to put an end to a situation?

Esther 4 - An Impossible Call

Bible study: The Book of Esther


This week, in Esther 4, we studied the pivotal point in Esther's life, and how God used a huge crisis to turn her, and her people, in the direction He wanted.

Mordecai heard the edict Haman concocted and he hit the streets in sackcloth and ashes—not the kind of clothing he could wear inside the king's gate, so he parked himself in front of it and wailed. But it wasn't just Mordecai wailing. It was all the Jews. Can you imagine the sound? Loud, anguished wailing. Truly a haunting and gut-wrenching sound. Do you remember when this took place? During Passover—a time that should have been a happy time for God's people.

When Esther heard Mordecai was in mourning, after her initial anguish, she sent clothes to Mordecai. After all, Esther's life in the palace was all based on appearances. But God was calling her to more. He was calling her to a life of transparency and honesty, even though it could cost her her life. And look where she was: 30 days after her last visit with her husband. 30 days too late to be able to talk with the king about it.

Through their messenger, Mordecai made sure Esther understood what was going on and let her know that she had to deal with the problem, that she couldn't ignore and expect to be exempt from the edict because she was in the palace. He knew that relief and deliverance would come for his people, with or without Esther. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?
The hard truth of Mordecai's exhortation to Esther also applies to us. We can refuse to walk in obedience to God or cower in fear from our calling and He will undoubtedly still accomplish His agenda. As for us, however, we will pass up the fulfillment of our own entire life-purpose and we—and perhaps even “our father's family”—will miss a mighty work. ~Beth Moore

Esther 4 mirrors Joel 2:12-17 in many ways, and look what God wrote in Joel before the Jews ever landed in Persia:
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him... Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation... and let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'”

Esther had a choice: listen to Mordecai, obey and possibly die, or ignore the call and die. What a choice! Look what she did: she followed the path Joel pointed them down. The path of seeking God and His way. Esther faced her fear and did not let it manipulate her.
Courage is when you look in the face of your fear and you don't deny it, you deny it's authority over you.~Beth Moore
The most common command in Scripture is Do not be afraid! God knows how fearful we can be and many times Jesus said Take courage. I Am with you! He didn't say He'd take us out of the situation, He promised to be with us—but we need to TAKE the courage He offers us. It will always be possible to be brave because God is with us.

This week in our study of Esther chapter 5 be on the look-out for this week's scenario: It's tough being a woman in the tight fist of fear. Conditional trust in God will leave us in the tight fist of fear, but we can say, “If this thing happens to me, then God will take care of me.”

If you have the audios or the videos of this study, listen to or watch Session 4: If You Remain Silent. If you don't have them, you can download this week's audio here for $3.99 and the video here for $4.99. These are optional. If you do not have the audio or the video, you can find the Viewer Guide answers here. This week's viewer guide is on pages 104 & 105 in the workbook.

How about you?
**Have you tried to dress up a problem to make it seem better? Or have you tried to fix a problem by making it appear better?

**Have you ever felt like God's timing is all wrong and that the call came at the worse time possible? If you have, then you're not alone. That's how Esther felt, too.

**Has God called you to a task that you feel is far too much to even ask? That it would reveal too much of what you've carefully tucked away in a safe corner of your heart? Maybe you went through those things for such a time as this.

Remember, there's nobody in our lives that is a bigger obstacle in the fulfillment of our calling than we ourselves. 
What are you going to choose?

Esther 3 - Mind Set vs. Mood

Bible study: The Book of Esther

This week we met Haman... Horrible Haman who's filled with hatred.

Chapter 2 closes with Mordecai saving the king's life and the king forgetting to reward him, and chapter 3 starts off with Haman being promoted instead. What a blow that must have been to Esther and Mordecai. But even with that event, we don't see Mordecai bad mouthing Haman.

While everyone else is bowing in homage to Haman, Mordecai alone refuses to bow. This wasn't just a whim. This was a well thought out thing he did. And it wasn't just a one time event. This went on day after day—enough that others in the king's gate questioned him about it. Since he's the only one standing, it's safe to guess that he didn't try to persuade others to his thinking. He simply did what he felt he had to. “Mordecai's made-up mind was stronger than his mood.” He was operating off his mind-set, not his mood, and because of it he stood strong even though he was alone.

What a good lesson for us! When we operate off our mood, we do not live consistently, but when our mind is set and we live according to that, we can stand strong.

When Haman was told about Mordecai he was “filled with rage.” Now Haman was a cunning man and rather than just go after Mordecai, he devised a plan for all the Jews. Persians were very superstitious people, so he cast lots for the “lucky day” to annihilate the Jews, and the lot fell to a date eleven months away.
Because Satan has a limited leash where believers are concerned, his most powerful tactics are psychological. Though he can't possess our minds, he profoundly and destructively influences our thoughts. ~Beth Moore
So, Hamam sidles up to King Xerxes, takes a truth and uses it to manipulate the king. To sweeten the deal, Haman bribes him, knowing the king's coffers had taken a hit when the Greeks defeated him twice. And just look at the king's response! He swallows Haman's lies whole—without even checking the validity of what he'd been told! But not just that, the king hands over his signet ring. He gave Haman a signed, blank check and said, “Whatever you want.”

And what did Haman want? To destroy, kill and annihilate the Jews.
Sounds like someone else we're all far too familiar with. What does Jesus say about Satan in John 10:10? That he wants to steal, kill, and destroy.

The edict was sent out and did you see when they received it? Passover! (Leviticus 23:4-5) So right after hearing the edict they were reminded of how God who they were and how God had delivered them. Hope against hope for them!
Sometimes God uses the winds of a new threat to blow the dust off a past miracle that has moved from our active file into the archives. ~Beth Moore

This week we do Week 4: If You Remain Silent.
If you have the audios or the videos of this study, listen to or watch Session 3: The Human Dilemma of Destiny. If you don't have them, you can download this week's audio here for $3.99 and the video here for $4.99. These are optional. If you do not have the audio or the video, you can find the Viewer Guide answers here. This week's viewer guide is on pages 80 & 81 in the workbook.

Since Esther 4 is the pivotal point in both Esther's life and in the book of Esther, we're spending two weeks on it.As you study this week, be on the look out for this week's scenario:
It's tough being a woman thrown a giant-sized weight.

God will often use something huge to pivot us, something that's critical to the path He wants us on. Many times we're stuck in a rut on our path and God uses crisis to get us pointed a different direction. If you look at the people God used in Biblical times, He often called them at THE worse time possible for them, and they felt it was an unreasonable request.

Not only that, but in this chapter Mordecai tells Esther to go to the king and tell him who she really is—a Jew. There needs to be transparency in our lives. If we aren't transparent with others, we loose our testimony. How can they know how God has worked in our lives, if we aren't willing to open up and tell people the truth about us?
The revelation of a person's destiny always demands a revelation of the person. Consider the wording “if you remain silent at this time.” The Hebrew word translated silent in this verse can also be translated concealed. ~Beth Moore.
This is a tough one for many of us. There are things we just want to put behind us and forget, but God wants to use them. After all, He put those very things in our lives for a purpose.
And who knows whether it may be for such a time as this?

Esther 2 - A Beauty's Beauty

Bible study: The Book of Esther

Recap of Week 2 in Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman.
Did you do the workbook? Wow, but it's good stuff! Be sure you do, if you haven't! Yesterday I posted two short video clips about beauty that helps put it in perspective and ties in so well with our study of Esther. Never Beautiful Enough?

Esther 2 introduces us to two of the main characters: Mordecai and Esther. Last Friday we chatted about them some here, so let's press on. =]

Let's start by stopping and thinking about all Esther has already gone through in her life. She was an orphan and when the king's stewards took her to the citadel for her beauty treatments, she once again lost all she knew. And think about how Mordecai felt. His actions show us a father who deeply loves his (adopted) daughter and misses her and is worried about her.

Do you ever feel like God asks too much from you?

Yet through it all, Esther did not become withdrawn or bitter. One phrase we see 3 times in Esther 2 is that she “found favor” with those around her. That it's mentioned 3 times tells us that it's important. But what does it mean? Beth Moore said this: The Hebrew conveys that Esther pleased Hegai and “gained” or “took” kindness. … Esther neither curled up in a corner and passively received the favor of Hegai nor blended in so thoroughly that his favor would have gotten lost trying to find her. Something actively and openly exuding from her won his favor.

Hegai was the eunuch in charge of all the beautiful young girls before their night with the kings. Her physical beauty would've meant little to him, but her inner beauty captured him, enough that he went out of his way to care for her needs. When Esther went in for her night, Hegai advised her, and she listened to his advice—something we see her doing many times. Something that I think added to her inner beauty and made her stand apart from all the other beautiful girls there with her.

The other person Esther found favor with was King Xerxes. Of all the girls he had access to and could have chosen, he chose her. By the time Esther's night with the king rolls around, 4 years have passed since that initial banquet Xerxes threw to impress and win the princes' and officers' support. During those 4 years he was badly defeated in a few battles with Greece and those defeats seem to have knocked him down quite a bit.

So Esther found favor with the king and was crowned queen. Not only was Xerxes pleased with her, but she found kindness with him, more than all the other girls. The Hebrew word for kindness expresses the kind of graciousness and blessing prompted by close kinship. Even though she was beautiful, her inner beauty shone brightly—even brighter than her physical appearance.

Our culture has strangely confused significance with independence and subservience with weakness.
Esther 2 closes with telling us of how Mordecai saved the king's life and that the king forgot to reward him, as was usually done. If the king had not forgotten, we might not have the book of Esther in the Bible! One of the rewards that was customarily given was an exemption from taxes and from bowing down in homage to others.
Sometimes providence can be defined as times when God trumps your perfectly good plan with one of His own...then seems to disappear from it. Take heart, Beloved! He's right there and He's there right!

This week we're on to chapter 3 and our scenario is “It's tough being a woman in a mean world.”
If you have the audios or the videos of this study, listen to or watch Session 3: A Raging Passion for Honor. If you don't have them, you can download this week's audio here for $3.99 and the video here for $4.99. These are optional. If you do not have the audio or the video, you can find the Viewer Guide answers here. This week's viewer guide is on pages 58 & 59 in the workbook.

Let's think back through Israelite history for a moment...
The Amalekites were the ones King Saul (a relative of Mordecai's!) was supposed to utterly destroy, but he didn't (1 Samuel 15:10-23, 30). They were the ones who raided Israel in Gideon's time. They'd wait until the Israelites had done all the work and the crops were ripe then swoop in and steal them (Judges 6:3-5). AND they were the ones who attacked Israel from behind, where the weak stragglers were after they had been freed from Egypt (Deut. 25:17-19). The Amalekites were their wilderness enemies. And Haman was an Amalekite.

We have Amalekites in our lives today. Wilderness enemies waiting to attack us in our weak times.
The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation. ~Exodus 17:6 NIV
God will fight the Amalekites (and the Hamans) in our lives. Leave it to Him! Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is ine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ~Romans 12:19 NAS

But it's not only the world that's mean. Sometimes that meanness is right here inside ourselves! Meanness raises its ugly head when we feel threatened. So when that mean girl inside you starts shrieking, stop and look around to see what's making you feel threatened, and why. Once we're aware of it, we can deal with it more effectively. Meanness comes from insecurity and insecurity comes from pride. And pride needs to be confessed because pride is sin and pride is the root of meanness.

As we tackle Week 3 in Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman, keep this week's scenario in mind: “It's tough being a woman in a MEAN world.”

So tell me...
**What were some of the things you noticed about Esther as you studied her?
**What impact do you think Xerxes hunt for a queen had on the kingdom?
**How can we, as modern women, find favor with those around us?
**What can we learn about true beauty from Esther?

Don't forget to check out Never Beautiful Enough?

Never Beautiful Enough?

Our society is based on beauty, but yanno, it's not just our society. It's human nature. And it affects all of us in some way, at some point in our lives.

We've been studying Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman and this week was chapter 2, where Esther is brought to the citadel and given a year's worth of beauty treatments. In her day, just like in ours, beauty is a treatment--something you do. Therefore, beauty is never enough. There's always more.

I know some of you have seen these video clips, but others haven't (waving to the wonderful Tuesday night ladies) so I'm posting these. Photoshop is a great tool, but we don't realize just how much it's infiltrated our lives... and we NEED to know!



I'll be back tomorrow, Friday, with our weekly post on Esther.

Esther 1 - Setting the Stage

Bible study: The Book of Esther

Recap of Week 1 in Esther--It's Tough Being a Woman the Bible study by Beth Moore. We'd love to have you join us! For more information see this post.

Esther chapter 1 sets an impressive stage. The opulence of King Xerxes' palace and gardens and the extravagant banquet he hosts are impressive. The king himself is impressive too—one of the most handsome men in the kingdom, married to a royal wife who also happens to be a gorgeous trophy wife on top of it all. This guy has it all, and it was handed to him on a golden platter that probably had a matching golden goblet to go with it. He also sounds like a spoiled playboy, hung-up on his own greatness.

In 483 BC, the year that the book of Esther opens, King Xerxes held a great war council in preparation for his war with Greece, his rival. This war council was to rally supporters for the king's cause, and historically the dates and events line up for this to be the banquet in Esther 1. As the banquet comes to a close, Xerxes had one more thing to show off so he sends for his wife, Queen Vashti. He didn't just quietly send a messenger for her, he sent seven eunuchs for her. It sounds like he was planning an impressive, royal entrance, meant to wow the people at the banquet.

But it blew up in his face.

Have you ever had that happen? A big, ugly, public explosion. It's not pretty. And Xerxes didn't handle it too well. Remember, chances are he didn't hear “no” too many times in his life, and when he heard it from Vashti at that banquet it seems to have pushed him off the deep end. Xerxes took his personal problem with his wife and made it into a kingdom affair by asking the seven princes who sat in first place in the kingdom what he should do with his wife, the queen.

Memucan, one of the princes, spoke up with his opinion and rather than helping put out the fire, he fans the flames. His reply shows us that he saw Vashti's action as contempt and lack of respect for her husband and he feared her attitude and action would be contagious so he made a recommendation that affected every woman in the kingdom.

Xerxes, in his probable drunkenness, liked the advice and decreed that each man was to be the master in his own household. How ironic that he decreed others were to do what he could not. Can you imagine the impact that had on all the women? Oh my goodness! For some reason I just don't think Vashti was very popular among them after that.

One of the Principal Questions Beth gave us this week is How might he thought that “it's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow” have proved especially true for wives all over Persia?

Let's think about Vashti for a moment. She refused her husband's call, the king's summons, ultimately because she didn't want to be in his presence. If she had wanted to she would have found a way. She didn't want to for whatever reason.

And she got her wish! For some reason, though, I don't think Vashti ever planned on it being so permanent. She was brought up in royalty. She was accustomed to being in a high position, if not the highest position, and she lost all that. Sure, she got her wish, but look at the price she paid!
When we get hung-up on our rights, the consequences are often higher than we want to pay. Be careful what you want an push to get. You might want it only temporarily but end up with it permanently.
"Oddly, the most freeing thing we can ever do is to abdicate the throne of our own miniature kingdoms. Our status is infinitely higher as a servant in God's kingdom than a ruler in ours."

Beth Moore makes a great point this week in the homework. “Turning the Book of Esther into a gender war would miss the entire point.” Esther isn't about women submitting and man's authority, it's about God's providence in our lives. Even when--especially when--we cannot see His hand working we can know that He is.

This week we're on to Esther 2 where we meet Mordecai and Esther. If you have the audios or the videos of this study, listen to or watch Session 1: A Royal Mess. If you don't have them, you can download this week's audio here for $3.99 and the video here for $4.99. These are optional. If you do not have the audio or the video, you can find the Viewer Guide answers here. This week's viewer guide is on pages 32 & 33 in the workbook.

This is the first time Esther and Mordecai appear in Scripture so be sure to study and learn all you can about them since they have much to tell us and show us.

Something to think about as you study Mordecai: He was one of the captives--one carried away into captivity. I would guess that each of us has been carried away into captivity at some point in our lives. While Mordecai's captivity was physical, ours may be emotional or spiritual. It's still captivity. But just like God was working "behind the scenes" in Mordecai's life, God is working in ours, even when we think He isn't.

So often we don't really stop and think about what it meant for Esther to be an orphan. Her life could not have been easy. An orphan in captivity...

In this week's audio Beth Moore said:
You cannot amputate your history from your destiny. If you do, you will never fulfill your destiny! God wants to use your history--it is part of who you will become. You may want to forget it but wants to use it. You can't become the person God is going to make you without your history. Your destiny is tied to your history!

'For I know the plans that I have you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' ~Jeremiah 29:11 NAS

Nothing will make us feel more like orphans than not knowing if God is even there. He IS with us! "He is working to bring out the hidden person of incorruptible beauty in you. Trust Him. He will show up!"

So tell me...
**Why do you think Vashti refused Xerxes summons?

**How can we avoid being like Memucan?

**Think about the three main characters we met in Esther 1: Xerxes, Vashti and Memucan.
Do you see yourself in any of these people? Which one and why? What changes do you want to make after this week's study?


*Quotes from Beth Moore.

Bible Study of Esther - Intro

Bible study: The Book of Esther

I am SO excited about this study of Esther!

Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention the name of God even once.
Not. even. once.
Not only that, but no where else in the Bible do we see a quote from the book of Esther, nor are any of the characters in Esther mentioned elsewhere.

So why on earth are we going to study Esther?

Because Esther is in God's Word and Romans 15:4 says “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
God's not appearing on the pages of Esther on purpose because He has lessons to teach us about when we cannot find Him with our eyes and have to look into the Word and see the things through eyes of faith.

Because Esther demonstrates the providence of God. God's name is not in Esther but that doesn't mean He isn't there. My friends can often tell if I wrote something or if I chose the colors for something because it looks or sounds like me. I don't have to put my name on everything for them to know it's me—they can see my fingerprints all over it. Well, that's how the book of Esther is. God's name might not be mentioned even once, but His fingerprints are all over it.

There's as much to learn about God from Esther as there is the other books of the Bible. Just because He isn't obvious doesn't mean He's not there! He's there, behind the scenes, working things for His purposes.
Studying Esther is studying what might be going on behind the scenes when we don't know where to find God. Esther tells us of the character of the unseen God who manifests Himself in ordinary events. Human flesh and blood may be at work, but the bottom line is that God is at work, and that is providence.
There are times God works through miracles and other times the miracle is simply God working naturally through a person. That is the miracle. That's what Esther is about—God working through the natural events of Esther's life.

Let's take a quick look at the historical background of Esther.

During the days of the kings, the kingdom of Israel divided and eventually they were taken captive by the Babylonians who scattered them throughout the Babylonian territory. It was then that Daniel ended up in Nebuchadnezzars's court with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The Babylonians were later conquered by the Persians and Cyrus the Great issued a decree that the Israelites could return to their homes in Israel. Some returned as we see in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, but some chose to remain where they were and they almost disappeared into the Persian culture. Esther and Mordecai were among those who stayed even when they could've returned to the Promised Land, and, it doesn't even appear they longed to return.

They were far from God, yet God was still working in their lives for His purpose. That offers us so much hope in our lives and in our times! How many times have we not been living where or how God wanted us to? (Are we now?) But that does not stop God now just like it didn't in Esther's day!

Later, the Persians were conquered by the Greeks with Alexander the Great at the helm, and that's a name most of us are familiar with. Esther takes place about 483 BC and covers about 10 years. Chronologically, it's wedged between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7, when some of the Jews have returned to Israel and have rebuilt the temple, but not the walls of Jerusalem.

Sometimes God simply does what He wants done, without any human involvement, like when He parted the Red Sea. Other times He requires that people act responsibly and trust God. God did not fulfill Esther's destiny for her. She had to act and obey. In the same way, there's something God is calling you and me to and we need to act and obey, just as Esther did. God is not going to fulfill your destiny without you!

This week, as we do Week 1 in our workbooks, watch for ways that
It's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow.

If you don't have a workbook yet, you can download the first week's lessons here and purchase the book at the Lifeway Christian Bookstores, through the Lifeway site, or through Amazon or CBD.


If you have the audios or the videos of this study, please listen to or watch the Introductory Session. If you don't have them, you can download this week's audio here for $3.99 and the video here for $4.99. These are optional.

If you do not have the audio or the video, you can find the Viewer Guide answers here. This week's viewer guide is on pages 8 & 9 in the workbook.

The book of Esther is full of banquets and beauty. So, to kick off the study and to get to know each other a little, tell me about the best banquet OR the most interesting banquet you've ever attended. I know some of you have some interesting stories and I'd LOVE to hear to them!

For those of you interested in joining the study, but don't know how to leave comments, it's real easy. Between my signature and the bar of flowers, there's a line that says: Written by Patty Wysong. In purple you'll see a number and the word Comments. Click the word Comments and it will bring up a little pop up screen where you can type in your comment. Select Anonymous if you don't have an account and leave your name in the comment.

September and Structure

I'll freely admit that I'm a free spirit...and love it! But the summer is over and it's time to get back to some structure. *pout* So, I'm gonna have fun structure! ;-)

  • Tuesdays will once again be author spotlights (with book giveaways!) 
  • Wednesdays will be author interviews (with a 2nd chance at the book giveaway!)
  • Fridays are our online Bible study days. We're starting Beth Moore's study on Esther and you're all invited to join us. 
Next Friday, September 10th, will be our introduction to Esther so we can start Week 1 on the 11th. Week 1's lesson recap will be on Friday the 17th and I'd love to have you join us. You can purchase the book at the Lifeway Christian Bookstores, through the Lifeway site, or through Amazon or CBD.





So, there's some structure for me. =]

My favorite online mag: Exemplify


For months now I've wanted to share Exemplify, my favorite online magazine, with you, and for months something has come up and I've missed telling you about it. But THIS month I was ready and watching with a plan. =]

God has given Kristen Schiffman a gift and a vision for this magazine and it's evident from cover to cover, every issue. Be sure to read this month's issue on Spiritual Endurance. It's a winner!

Don't forget this week's author spotlight with Sarah Sundin! She's giving away a copy of A Memory Between Us and it's an excellent book! I'm reading it now. Here's Sarah's spotlight and her interview. You can enter the giveaway twice: once on each post. =]

Online Bible Study: Esther

You're invited to join us
for an online Bible study!

I talked with the ladies at the Bible study I attend, and we've decided to study Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman by Beth Moore. I'd like to invite you along for the journey! Each week we'll do the daily work in the book individually, then on Fridays I'll post a lesson review here—for our group meeting time.

I know there are many who cannot make it to a local Bible study group—for years I couldn't for one reason or another, but we can still connect and have some of the Bible study fellowship and ACCOUNTABILITY here. I'm planning on memorizing each week's memory verse and digging deep and knowing I have people checking in really helps spur me on.

Speaking of starting—our first, introductory group meeting will be posted here on September 10th. That gives us time to get our books so we're ready to start digging into our lessons so we have Week #1 completed on September 17th. I'm excited about getting started!

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman
Join Beth in an in-depth and very personal examination of this great story of threat and deliverance. She peels back the layers of history and shows how very contemporary and applicable the story of Esther is to our lives. If you've ever felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that seemed overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther's day, it's tough today. This portion of God's Word contains treasures to aid us in our hurried, harried, and pressured lives.

You can purchase the book through Amazon or your local Christian book store (the LifeWay stores seem to have the best price).




For those of you interested in joining the study, but you don't know how to leave comments, it's real easy. Between my signature, just below, and the bar of flowers, there's a line that says: Written by Patty Wysong. In purple you'll see a number and the word Comments. Click the word Comments and it will bring up a little pop up screen where you can type in your comment. Select Anonymous and leave your name in the comment.

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