Esther 4-7
In
thinking about the purpose of the book of Esther, there is not only the obvious
message of God sovereignly saving His people, but there is the hidden message.
The hidden message is represented in the fact that the words, "God"
and "pray," and other indications of God's presence are not
mentioned. Can God be present when He is not seen? Can a book telling of God's
working exclude the mention of Him? Those who are seeking God will find Him.
The book of Esther is a spiritual eye test.
Matthew
13:13-15 This is why I speak to them in
parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do
they understand. 14Indeed,
in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: `You will indeed
hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15
For this people's heart has grown
dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have
closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and
understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
Esther 4
Vs. 1-3
The response of the Jews was immediate. Mordecai risked his life by coming as a
mourner to the king's gate. Notice that there was fasting and weeping and
sackcloth and ashes, but nowhere in Esther does it say that anyone prayed.
Obviously they prayed.
Vs. 4-9
Apparently Esther and others didn't know what had happened. Mordecai refused to
be comforted and suggested what Esther should do. It is interesting that
Mordecai came with documentation to prove his claim.
Vs. 10-11
We imagine that a king and queen would be close. Xerxes had an enormous harem
of attractive and exciting women. Now that he had a queen that any kingdom
would be proud of, he could go back to business as usual. Of course, he would
see Esther more often than the other wives because of official events. The fact
that he hadn't seen Esther for a month signifies a very official and superficial
relationship. If I didn't see my wife for a month, I'd be a wreck.
Esther's
sense of security was shaken by Xerxes' character and behavior, and now there
was an emergency. She was afraid, and it probably wasn't a common occurrence
for a woman to approach the throne. I wonder if she thought he had found out
she was a Jew?
Vs. 12-14
If you needed key verses for Esther, these might do. If you agree, why do you
think these are good verses? What do you see in these verses that speak to you
in your life and circumstances?
As
disciples we are taught to live in the harvest, following and abiding in
Christ. We never know where the Lord is leading us, or for what He might be
preparing us. It is our perspective of living with Him daily and following Him
that gives us the courage and presence of mind to understand how to respond to
the situations He brings before us. Esther was shocked, but we'll see that she
understood and recovered her calm.
Vs. 15-17
This shows that Esther and the other Jews were spiritually minded. By fasting
they were appealing to God for help.
Esther 5
Vs. 1-3 I
have to admit that when I read this, I really think the entire description
shows the king was immensely caught up in his own ego and was a man of low
character.
Vs. 4-8
Esther might have known that the king couldn't resist being honored. That
Esther didn't give her request at the first feast might have been to show that
she was sincere. This might have been a Persian custom we don't have insight
into. It certainly was a "God thing" that things happened this way.
Vs. 9-14
In the whole scheme of God's working, this just looks like something we've seen
a million times before. Pride comes before a fall, although in this case,
possibly, before a shish-kabob.
We've heard about the fall of the wicked in both Psalms and Proverbs. Now we
get to see it.
V. 14 You'll see there is a note that
"gallows" could also be "stake." It could be either. Once
you begin reading Daniel, you'll see that this threat must have been a popular
punishment in both the Babylonian and Persian Empires. Also I
make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on
it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. (Ezra 6:11)
Just like
Nebuchadnezzar heated up the oven seven times hotter than normal to make an
example of anyone who defied him, Haman must have had a tree brought out of the
forest to use as a gallows or impaling beam to make the point that no one dare
oppose him. Just as a note: In Germany for their May fest, the industrious
Germans bring a 70+ foot tree out of the forest, trimming off all the branches
but the very top. I've seen a group of men raise it and put it in place without
a crane, although they did have one standing by. Not that everyone can do what
the Germans do, but the Germans could have had the tree cut and in place in a
day if necessary.
Esther 6
Vs. 1-3
What I've learned from this verse is that if I can't sleep, the Lord must want
me up to pray. What can you say? What a funny "coincidence" that this
should happen on this very night.
One thing
to note here is while we all love it when God does stuff like this, He is
equally at work and present when He doesn't let stuff like this happen.
Maturity in following in the harvest accepts God's presence both when the sun
shines and when the storms rage.
Vs. 4-9
Now it's morning and what funny timing. God's judgment on the prideful and
arrogant is not only just, but it shows that He has a sense of humor.
Vs. 10-11
Notice that the king knew that Mordecai was a Jew. Did the king not realize
that the people he would be letting Haman exterminate were Jews? Re-read
chapter 3. It looks like the king could have been oblivious to who the people
were since he never proofread the final edict. Haman wrote it and sealed it for
the king.
God has an
ironic sense of judgment. Imagine what this must have felt like for Haman.
Imagine the shock for Mordecai. Imagine the shock of all of those lower
governmental workers who were expecting Haman to lower the boom on Mordecai.
Vs. 12-13
How comforting to have your wife and friends, who just suggested you punish
Mordecai by hanging, tell you that he is about to be your downfall.
V. 14 And
before Haman could collect his thoughts, he himself was collected.
Esther
7:1-10
Vs. 1-2 It
must have been after all the food was served and the wine was being drunk, that
the servants cleared out and there was time for conversation.
Vs. 3-4 It
is interesting that Esther framed her request like this. Her urgent need came
from the fact that total destruction was planned. I wonder if Haman was getting
a bad feeling as Esther was explaining this.
Vs. 5-6
Dumb, da da dumb…in more ways than one. What a time for the king and Haman to
discover that Esther was a Jew.
Vs. 7-8
The king went out to cool off and to think through all that Haman had suggested
and planned. Esther was not in danger. There were some servants and guards
present. One of them just happened to have a "head bag" in his
pocket.
V. 9
Again, this is ironic justice. What we don't know is if Haman was hung like a
"hanging," or hung like "on a spit." It is interesting in The
Psalms to see David ask the Lord to punish his foes with the kind of
destruction they were trying to bring on David. Here, we see it.
1 Corinthians 12:1-26
There is
great teaching in chapters 12 and 13. Keep in mind that Paul is teaching this
to correct a problem in the church, and he will begin to apply all of this
teaching in chapter 14. These chapters are leading up to, and laying a
foundation for, correcting the Corinthians' misuse of the gifts in their public
services.
Vs. 1-3 So
what do you have here? How can you curse Jesus without knowing it, thinking you
were led by the Spirit? This is my take on what Paul seems to be saying.
When the
Corinthians were unbelieving, regardless of the sincerity or piety of their
emotions, regardless of their Jewishness, they were led by those emotions to
worship idols (Rom. 2:22). They lived in a very pagan place and even on their
best days, their "god feelings" still led them to mix with the
ungodly culture. Emotion does not equal accurate worship. Apparently then, some
of these believers under the influence of emotion were speaking in tongues; and
others who knew the language were hearing them curse Jesus. In the same way, it
is only by the Spirit that a person can speak in tongues and praise God.
Emotion does not equal worship, even in the church. Apparently the gift of
tongues was going to seed in this church, and Paul will correct this
overemphasis on tongues. This will become very, very clear in chapter 14.
Vs. 4-6
What point do you think Paul is making in this section? Notice the progression
in these verses and what is attributed to each member of the Trinity. Think
about these because they are different. Gifts are under the authority of the
Spirit. Service is under the authority of the Lord. And working, as in making
things happen, is under the authority of the Father. For an interesting look at
this, read John 5. The Son served as He saw the Father working. There is
diversity, but it is all unified in the Trinity and under the Father.
Vs. 7-11
The gifts are all unified under the same Spirit and they are given, not as we
desire, but as He wills.
Vs. 12-13
The for in v. 12 is the application
of what Paul has just said. You can imagine that as divided as the Corinthians
were around their "heroes" like Paul, and Apollos, and Peter, the
gifts must have given them fits. Especially since they didn't have any choice
which gifts God gave to them.
Vs. 14-20
Notice in this first example of division over gifts, pride is not the primary
issue, but self pity. What do you do if you’re a successful CEO, but you didn't
get a gift of teaching or spiritual administration and you thought you should
have? What do you do if you're good looking and think you should be a hand, but
you're a toe? What if you have great opinions, but God didn't choose you to be
a prophet? Since Paul addresses this first, it might have been the primary
problem.
V. 18 So
it wasn't evolution after all. God put all the organs where He chose. Actually
I think it's pretty cool that we don't sit on our brains.
Vs. 21-26
Now we have the example of pride. Without the heart, the mouth stops and the
hand falls. Actually, the heart is pretty useless without veins. And mess up a
couple of those DNA couplings and you've got major vein problems. Who is to say
what gifts are unnecessary? It's interesting that in God's blessing to
Nehemiah, everyone was "working properly."
Vs. 24-26
This is true of the body and of the church. We noticed in Nehemiah how
important it was to have a leader, but it was just as important for everyone to
work together and do their part. Both were miracles and both were provided by
the Lord.
Up to now
we all agree with this analogy that the Spirit and Paul have given us. But
here's the question. Why are the gifts given and what is the body supposed to
do? People do stuff and that makes the working of the body parts important. If
the body just sits there, watching TV, who cares? What is important for us is
that the body of Christ is meant to be working in the harvest. Without His
purpose and passion working in us as disciples in the harvest, this teaching on
gifts is all theoretical and academic, and it totally eludes us.
Psalm 36
So, vs.
1-4 seem to stand together, and vs. 5-10 stand together, with vs. 11 and 12
being a plea for deliverance and justice. How would you title 1-4, and how do
you think they relate or move into 5-10? What is the difference between these
two men, if you want to see it like that?
Vs. 1-4
Notice that the wicked are encouraged in their evil because God appears
invisible and silent. Their mindset is irrational, but by God not acting
immediately and being unseen, the wicked show their hearts and validate the
judgment that will come against them.
Vs. 5-6
Notice how David equated God's love, faithfulness and righteousness with the
visible creation. God is never truly invisible and David also knew the
character of the Lord.
Vs. 7-9
Again David mentions God's steadfast love.
God's loyal love is what gave David refuge,
fed him in the wilderness and revived his soul in all those long years of doubt
and running.
Vs. 10-12
So David appealed to God to continue
showing His steadfast love to those
who knew God. Although there are other requests here, the simple prayer and
confidence we have is simply the steadfast love of the Lord.
In a way
it sort of reminds me of the flow of Psalm 119: I'm surrounded by troubles and
enemies and rats, but I set my mind to meditate upon Your word and find my joy
in You.
Proverbs 21:21-22
When I saw
these two proverbs together, it made me think that wisdom and righteousness are
true strength. So what about the city of
the mighty and the stronghold?
How do the wise in Christ do this?
Notice in
v. 21 that righteousness is internal
character and that kindness is
external, an action. Oh, and did I mention that the word translated kindness here is the same word
translated in Psalm 36 as steadfast love.
But I say to you, Love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you, 45so
that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:44-45)
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but
leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I
will repay, says the Lord." 20To the
contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his
head." 21Do not
be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)
I
guess you would call that, "The Art of War," in the harvest.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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