April 25, 2024

Esther – Chapter 9:1-3

October 28, 2013 by

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Please join us for our next Online Bible Study!

“16-Day Love Challenge:

Matching our Words and Actions with

1 Corinthians 13:4-8″

by Cherie Zack and Rebecca LeCompte.

This study begins November 4th.

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One of the most outstanding aspects of our study of Esther: The Beauty of Courageous Submission, in my opinion, has been the evidence of the influence of the Holy Spirit.  Oh, I had my preconceived thoughts of what we would uncover through our study.  HA!  I am so thrilled to admit how very wrong I was!

Based on certain information that I already held in my head (a brief overview of Mrs. Schacht’s book and a fair knowledge of the Book of Esther), I was looking forward to ‘sharpening my skills’ at submitting to my husband and in the other areas in which the Scriptures tell us of God’s will regarding submission: to elders (1 Peter 5:5), to governing authority (Romans 13:1-7), governors/political leaders (1 Peter 2:13-15), masters/bosses (Ephesians 6:5-8), AND to one another (Ephesians 5:21)!

As we began our study back in early September, it seemed like ‘submission’ would be the overall topic at hand.  And throughout Week 1, that was true. However, it seems to me that only that very first week was this the case!  From Week 2 through now, overwhelmingly the primary subject of discussion has been God and His working through the Holy Spirit.  (Wouldn’t you agree?)

Now while nowhere in the Scriptures are we commanded to ‘submit’ to the Holy Spirit, it is clearly evident through many, many other Scriptures that, YES, we are to submit.  In our study, we have looked at the definition of submission a few times.  Here again, from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, we see that to ‘submit’ is to ‘yield or surrender.’

SUBMIT

To yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another…

Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hand.  Genesis 16.
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands.  Ephesians 5.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man.  1 Peter 2.

And this IS a large part of our relationship with the Holy Spirit—we are to yield or surrender our will, our thinking, our understanding, our <limited> wisdom, our perception, and our own desire to the guidance, leading, and influence of the Holy Spirit.

Here are a few reminders of  insights that my sister-bloggers have shared with us about the influence of the Holy Spirit:

  • “In this place of communion, have you sensed the Holy Spirit’s influence on your life? He’s always at battle for you against the enemy who has an evil plan for your life.” (Kim Spring)
  • “Holy Spirit, thank You for being our ultimate Helper! Help us today to see our beauty not as the world sees it, in the outward woman, but as our Father sees it. Help us in our “beauty regimen” to make ourselves pure, holy and beautiful for our Lord Jesus. Forgive us when we are resistant to Your leading.” (Robin Claddell)
  • “Mordecai symbolizes the Holy Spirit and, like Esther asked questions of Mordecai, we can ask a question of the Holy Spirit. We need not send someone to ask for us—we can go directly to our Helper ourselves.” (Tonya Ellison)
  • “You are looking for our obedience and courageous submission so that we can come into Your Presence, as Esther came into her king’s presence…You have promised us that Your Holy Spirit will be close to us to guide and comfort us.  Please Holy Spirit, help us daily to “walk our talk” so others will see You even when we don’t speak Your Name.” (Clella Fox)

Finally, Mrs. Schacht asks an important and probing question in our reading today:

Do a little soul-searching to find the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in your life.  Does it convict you?  Does it comfort you?  Does it guide you?  Perhaps you can think of some specific ways He’s at work…?

Have you taken the time to consider this?  There is no doubt that God is desiring to influence you through the Holy Spirit!  When Jesus was preparing the disciples for His leaving them, He told them that He would send the Paraclete (aka the Comforter, the Helper) who would teach them, lead them, guide them, and remind them of His words.  I would say that is ‘influence,’ wouldn’t you?  The Holy Spirit does them same for us, in our day and time.

We must ask for help, through the Holy Spirit, so we can bring our thoughts, our words, our actions, and our attitudes in line with God’s.  We must allow His Spirit to become the guiding force in our lives to produce the qualities that the Scriptures tell us are found in true Christians.

But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gentleness, self-control…
If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 2:22-23, 25

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

We are so very blessed, heavenly Father, by Your gracious provision for our lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit!  May we remain humble and meek to His influence in our lives.  Truly may we seek His convicting, comforting, helping, and guiding!  And may we respond with submitted and obedient hearts!  Thank You!  We love You!  And we pray, asking these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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Esther Chapter 7 (Recap)

October 18, 2013 by

It begins with an intimate dinner.  In a private banquet room where Esther the Queen, King Xerxes, and Haman are gathered…and it ends with a man nailed to the tree until He is dead. Centuries after this supper, another supper was held in a room upstairs in a building in Jerusalem.  The disciples were there, Jesus was there, and Judas the traitor.   Like Haman, he was intent only on fulfilling his own desires.  He was willing and ready to destroy everything and everyone to get his way; and that’s exactly what he did.  That supper ended also with a man nailed to a tree.  Jesus is who you are thinking of, right?  But no, it was Judas.  Scripture tells us that after he betrayed Jesus, Judas went and hanged himself, just as Haman practically hanged himself.

Let’s start this week’s recap with Esther 7:1-6 first.  

I don’t know about you, but I’m proud of Esther.  She is finally breaking the silence and telling her man what is on her mind.  Remember earlier in this study, Esther had asked the Jews to join her in a fast for three days.  I believe it was in preparation for coming before the king and exposing Haman.  Now was her time to speak up.  The stage was set as the king, queen and the wicked Haman sit down together and wham! Esther courageously announces her nationality and exposes Haman.  Can’t you hear his jaw dropping?   And I imagine his heart stopped beating for a moment, he broke into a sweat and lost color in his face!  He learns for the first time that the Queen herself is a Jew—the same race he wants to annihilate!  Remember what Haman’s wife had said to him that day? “Since Mordechai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him~you will surely come to ruin.”  Now he finds out the Queen herself is also Jewish!

I imagine the King was speechless as well.  He didn’t know Esther was a Jew either.  He just thought he was sitting down to hear his wife’s petitions.  Now he realizes that his own wife’s life is at stake and she, herself, could die.  His own wife is not safe in his own kingdom.

Esther 7:5-6 – Recap

King Xerxes asks, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”  Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.”  Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

The king demands to know who is out to get his wife.  What a turn of events, what a fall from grace!  Wasn’t it just yesterday that Haman thought the king would always honor him?  Now the king wants revenge.  Yesterday Haman had the world in his hands…today his death is imminent. Now Haman is about to beg for his life….

Esther 7:7-10 – Recap

The king got up in a rage, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden.  But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.  Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.  The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the Queen while she is with me in the house?”  As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.  Then one of them, who was named Harbonah, said “Haman even went so far as to build a gallows at his house so that he could hang Mordecai, who saved Your Majesty’s life, and it’s 75 feet tall.” “Hang Haman on it!” the king commanded. So Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai.  Then the king’s anger cooled down.”

Haman is a type of what the Bible calls ‘flesh.’  Meaning that he is, and has, the self-centered type of nature that we all have naturally.  We are born this way and it can dominate us just the way it dominated Haman.  Instead of us all coming together as the Body of Christ, we sometimes end up fighting the very ones we should be teaming up with and fighting the real enemy—Satan. Sometimes we say, “Well that’s just who I am, or it won’t ever change;” that’s a lie also. Sometimes, as Christians, we don’t even realize or recognize the “Haman” in us.  Yet the Bible promises us that we no longer have to be ruled by that principle anymore.  Haman doesn’t have to stay on the throne!  Stand on the promise that “in Christ” that old nature has no hold on you and you are sending it to the gallows. The Bible says “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Revelation concerning the true nature of Haman had come to the king and he sent Haman to his own gallows and hung him.

Wk7_Spring_Esther

Have you had any revelations as to who is calling the shots in your life?  Jesus promises us an abundant life and that life comes from the joy we have in being saved by Him.  When we live and try to walk the path of righteousness and stay connected to our Lord, we are free and joyful and we walk a little lighter.  Hand over all your problems and things that are holding you captive today. Jesus took the Cross for us so that we don’t have to bear our crosses alone.

 

 

 

 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, We love You and praise You today.  Lord, keep us humble and bring to light anything that would hinder us from receiving Your full blessing.  Help us to realize who the real enemy is and join together and celebrate each others victories and love each other like Jesus loves us.  Lord, we nail our flesh to a tree, and we walk in Your Spirit always.  Life is so amazing every day with Your fingerprints all over our lives.  In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 7:1-2

October 14, 2013 by

Here in Esther: The Beauty of Courageous Submission, Mrs. Schacht asks us the following question…it is a biggie…ready?

“…is there anything that draws you away
from your relationship with God,
or distracts you from serving Him?”

“Anything.”  I don’t like to admit it…to you or even to myself, honestly.  But ‘yes’ is my answer.  How about you?  Please take a few moments, right now, and consider this question.  Perhaps ask God to reveal this to you.

As we consider that we allow circumstances and situations to distract us from the One Who we should be seeking, I am sure your heart is saddened as mine is.  Actually,…no…not saddened!  My heart is sorrowful.  But, rather than just be depressed, my next thought should be/is “What am I going to do about that!?!”  Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to remain in our sorrowful state of mind…He wants us to mourn our sin (of course), repent and CHANGE.  And then to live our lives to His honor and glory!

As we each experience daily, there is much to distract us from focusing on our relationship with our God.  From the moment our eyes open each morning, it can be a struggle to maintain the right perspective—God first.  But we CAN rise above this challenge and choose where our hearts and minds go.  For me the impetus must be to seek Him above, before, and instead of anything else.  He comes first before anything else.  And so I need to purposefully, willfully seek Him.

We have such joy and privilege of having direct access to His throne of grace!  At any time during the day (or night!) we can seek our heavenly Father—and enjoy quiet time alone with Him.  David wrote about his ‘quiet time’ in the following verse.  Does God hear you expressing your heart to Him in the same way?

In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord;
In the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You
And watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Psalm 5:3

Now, of course, that time you spend alone with Your Lord—your quiet, devotional time—is certainly not the only time to pray! Actually, I think, being intentional…seeking Him first and foremost…our hearts are prepared so that the rest of our day is filled with continual little prayers and petitions directed to our God.

Be encouraged!  I am sure that you already seek Him throughout your day…. How often do we go along through our day accomplishing the normal even mundane tasks talking with our Father?  Or driving (yet again) to school to pickup your children; isn’t that a great time to pray?  Or waiting for them at dance/soccer/baseball practice or music lessons/cub scout meeting/Awana time/_______ (you fill in the blank); yet another small amount of time that can be eked out of our day to pray and seek Him.

Paul wrote a number of times in his letters to the Christian believers about the importance of praying.  Listen to this encouragement:

Eph6_18

Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

So we see by seeking God first and foremost, by being intentional to have a ‘quiet time’ early in our day, by seeking Him in our prayers and petitions, we will be better prepared to pray at all times, and, keep alert and watch, and, pray without ceasing.  We will be continually seeking Him throughout each day—thus carrying out His will!

Here is a great example of seeking Him:

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life],
Being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2

Those are some very intentional words used at the beginning of that verse, yes? Other versions use similar words such as devote, persevere, continue….

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,
but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that peace]
which transcends all understanding
shall garrison and mount guard
over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

“In every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition…with thanksgiving” …that is how we make sure we are seeking Him in spite of the myriad of distractions in our lives.  Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:12,13

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, You know our desire to seek You!   We need Your help, Lord, in everything…even in turning from distraction and seeking You!  We have Your promise that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us.  And since we know that You hear us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of You (1 John 5:14, 15).  Thank You, Lord!  We know that You will answer our heart’s cry as we are seeking You with all our heart!

Amen!

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