Week Six

FPCBR

Week Six

October 13, 2021

• Esther 5 has been called the Tale of Two Plans. The first half walks us through Esther’s plan with the king. The second half details Haman’s plan with Mordecai. What differences do you notice in each plans approach? How can we be certain we’re discerning God’s plan for our lives from his Word rather than devising our OWN plans void of him?
• The king’s first wife, Queen Vashti, risked her life by not appearing before the king when summoned; now Esther risked her life by appearing before the king unsummoned!
• Esther more fully assumes the dignity and power of her royal position as queen AFTER she decides to align herself with God’s people, after she decides that it’s her Jewish identity that will define her.
• Esther’s plan highlights the importance of showing restraint and resolve, and of listening to and trusting in God’s timing. There are times when we need to “dare to be a Daniel,” to be more direct and bolder. But there are also times when a more indirect, subtle approach is appropriate . . . and will yield greater results. God will equip us with faith to participate in his plan and to seek discernment concerning whether to “dare to be a Daniel” or to show restraint like Esther. We can rely on him and trust him to lead us and guide us appropriately.
• How amazing that God invites us to come into his presence regularly, frequently, and make known to him our petitions and requests . . . that he delights in our presence.
• When we make worldly things (like our own egos) our idols and then feed those idols instead of starving them, we end up emptier than ever, in even greater bondage than before! When we make idols of worldly things, it consumes us and robs us of our true joy found only in the Lord. Reflection: In what ways do you feed your idolatry rather than starving it?
• When our idols are being threatened (or when we feed our idols rather than starve them), we’re most at risk for our emotions to become very disproportionate to whatever offended us. “The identity of our idols is most easily exposed by analyzing our strongest emotions. What is it that causes you to be angry out of all proportion to the offense? The answer is a clue that one of our idols is being threatened.” Iain Duguid

Week Ten

November 10, 2021 • Mitzi Barber • Esther 9:1–19

• Our battles belong to the Lord, and he never loses! He never has and he never will! • Three times we are told the Jews "didn’t take the plunder.” They did only what was necessary to defend themselves, which is in line with God’s original command against the Amalakites, found in 1 Samuel 15. • Take note of the unity at the end of this passage. The Jews (and others!) were gathered together, full of joy and gladness, to rest and rejoice and feast! This battle united them! • Though invisible, God is always with us, fighting for us. Sometimes he fights alone, and sometimes he invites us to fight WITH him, like we see in Esther 9. • In what ways do we fight the battles we face today? What are our weapons, or armor? See Ephesians 6! • What is your focus when facing any battle? Your own inadequacy or God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, and power? How would it change the view of our battles if we had an eternal, God-centered perspective?

Week Nine

November 3, 2021 • Jaime Carnaggio • Esther 8

• We see a bunch of great reversals take place in this chapter. Take note of them from Esther 3:10-4:4, and also Esther 7:3-4. • Esther didn't need the house of Haman because there was something even more important to her: the deliverance of the Jews. Take note of the passion and burden she feels for the Jews, who she calls "my people... my kindred." • This upcoming "holy war" may not sit well with us, but these wars were necessary at this time in redemptive history, to preserve and protect God's people at a time when our salvation was not yet secure. From the beginning of time, God’s war has been against sin and evil… we seem to want God to destroy sin and evil but leave humanity alone, but those things don’t exist apart from humanity.” Lydia Brownback • We can rest knowing, that there will be no more holy wars in this era… not until the final holy war that comes at the end times, when God’s final judgment will fall on the wicked. And on that day of final judgment, we can rest assured knowing that a better Esther, a better mediator, someone who has pleaded our case before the King… Jesus Christ, who left the glories of heaven… fought his own personal holy war on our behalf, conquering death once for all, so that we who are rebellious sinners may have everlasting life with him. This is the Greatest Reversal to which all the reversals in Esther’s story point. [Iain Duguid] • If the people of Persia could rejoice and celebrate with "light and joy and gladness and honor," over the hope of potential victory... how much more should WE rejoice that the victory has already been won!? • Our hope is certain. We still may fight these earthly battles, but we don’t fight from a defeated position, but from a delivered one. We, too, can be full of “light and gladness and joy and honor." “You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Psalm 30:11). “Let the people praise you, God; let all the people praise you. Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy” (Psalm 67:3-4). • So who holds the power at the end of this chapter? Who’s the hero? Not Haman. Not the king. And not even Esther or Mordecai. The LORD always has and always will hold the power. And because of that, because the LORD holds the power (and not US), we can rest assured that all is going according to plan, and we can celebrate our secure salvation in him, our guaranteed victory. Because the Lord holds the power, we can celebrate this great reversal of our eternal fate. We have "light and joy and gladness and honor" in the irrevocable and irreversible power of the Lord our God.

Week Eight

October 27, 2021 • Jaime Carnaggio • Esther 7

• In this chapter we finally see Esther make her big ask to have mercy on the Jews and revoke the decree, which was very risky because 1) The king is fickle 2) It required her to reveal her identity as a Jew 3) It would cost the king 10,000 talents 4) It was an irrevocable decree! But, as Ecclesiastes 3: 7 says, "There's a time to be silent, and a time to speak." • Take notice of Esther's choice of words in verses 13-14, not just what she chooses to say, but how she says it. It was very courageous, personal, and king-centered, and she was careful not to place any blame on the king himself (even though he was ultimately responsible!) • Consider all the ironies in this chapter: Haman, who had sought to take Esther's life, now begs that she spare his. Haman dies the humiliating death he plotted for Mordecai just 24 hours before. Haman, who wanted to kill a Jew for not falling down before him was ultimately executed on a charge of falling down inappropriately before a Jew! • Consider the interplay in this chapter between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. God's sovereignty is worked out as Esther climatically confronts the king. However, he worked out his sovereignty through her actions. She wasn’t a passive participant in his plans. She had responsibility, she had to have the resolve, the boldness, the courage to confront the king and make this big ask. • In God's economy, what is high will be humbled and what is low will be exalted. Read Luke 14: 7-11.