A unique, verse-by-verse, life-application commentary by Terran Williams, assisted by Michael Eaton’s commentary.

Do you knoW hoW To Apply ThE BiBlE To your lifE?

Did you know that God put every verse in the Bible so that your mind could be totally renewed, so that your life could be deeply changed, and so that your calling could be fully fulfilled? (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 if you’re not persuaded.) That’s why reading the whole Bible again and again is one of the most important things we can do.

Sometimes, however, the Bible is hard to understand. That’s why commentaries are so useful. Most commentaries help you understand the technical meaning of each verse. These commentaries do a little of that too, but rather, they focus on the meaning of each verse for our lives now.

using ThEsE coMMEnTAriEs in your DAily BiBlE rEADing.

1. Make time every day. Allocate as much time as you need to really hear from God for your life. Read until you are full - don’t just snack on the Bible rather enjoy a solid meal.

2. Read one book of the Bible at a time. Alternate between a New Testament one (27 in total) and then an Old Testament one (39 in total). It doesn’t matter if you do the whole Bible in a year, or in four years, just as long as you’re steadily moving through it.

3. Trust God to speak to you every time you read the Bible. Expect to hear from God and expect to re-ceive just what you need for each day. Invite the Holy Spirit to be your primary teacher as you read.

4. Keep two questions in your mind as you read: 1) What do these verses mean? 2) What do they mean for my life now? If you can’t find solid answers to either of these questions then get help from one of these commentaries, or another commentary if you’re reading a book we don’t yet have a commentary of. (The NIV Study Bible and the internet resource www.e-sword.net is recommended.)

5. Carry into your day what you sense God saying to you. Perhaps write down the main things you

sense God telling you each day. Pray to God about what he has just said to you. Make any needed adjustments in your heart and life as God reveals more and more of his Word, will and ways to you.

ABouT This Book

The year was 483 BC. King Xerxes had inherited (just 3 years before) the control and rule of a vast, prosperous empire – Persia. It stretched from India to Ethiopia (1:1), spanning 2 million square miles. Soon into his reign however, King Xerxes would face a real crisis. The Greeks (who had submitted to the reign of the previous King Cyrus, then Cambyses, then Darius) began to rebel against his authority, precipitating the wars between Persia and Greece.

The book of Esther fits (chronologically) between Ezra 6 and 7. Although some Israelites had returned to Israel, most were scattered throughout the Persian world. They had abandoned the idolatry that had brought them under God’s judgement (and into captivity). But, as exiles, they still lacked the freedom to freely proclaim the God of salvation.

In this amazing story, we will see how God gives his people a platform, from which they can proclaim his goodness and salvation. The whole book is about God’s sovereignty over all circum-stances in order to preserve his people, and use them to impact the world.

ESTHER CHAPTER ONEread Esther 1:1-8

lifE WiThouT goD is EMpTy AnD TEMporAry.

• Xerxes had power – he ruled the world’s greatest kingdom. Xerxes had popularity – he showed off his kingdom to all the nobles, military leaders and princes. Xerxes had possessions – he showed off the ‘wealth’ of his kingdom, and had a palace to himself. It had the finest furniture and fittings. Xerxes had pleasure – he had abundant supplies of wine and hosted lavish parties. Thousands of years later, people still spend their lives in pursuit of these things; power, popularity, possessions and pleasure.

• Despite all of Xerxes’ apparent abundance, all that he had would eventually be lost. The Greek empire would ultimately prevail over the Persians. In fact, Herodotus the historian tells us that this gathering was actually a council of war, during which Xerxes revealed his plans to invade Greece.

• All that a person has is ultimately temporary. It will come to pass. Success is always temporary. The greatest kingdoms, companies and personalities will eventually come to pass. Even our lives are temporary. ‘Only the person who does the will of God lasts forever’ (1 John 2:17).

• Despite Xerxes apparent abundance, underneath it all, was emptiness. Ecclesiastes was written by a king who, like Xerxes, lived in lavish abundance and yet described his life as meaningless,

empty, and a ‘chasing after the wind’ (Eccl 2:1-11). Other than the anxiety Xerxes was dealing with regarding the Greek threat, he was probably experiencing a similar emptiness. The same is true of us today. Life outside of God – no matter how successful we are or how much stuff we man-age to accumulate - is doomed to be an empty existence. This is because there is a God-shaped vacuum inside of us, which only God can fill.

king JEsus WAnTs To lAvish his spiriT on his pEoplE.

• Verses 5-8 speak of a second banquet – lasting 7 days – to which all the men (both the greatest and the least) of the inner city were invited.

• One of the ways to apply Old Testament narratives to our lives is to ask the question, ‘What New Testament truth is this Old Testament story symbolic of?’ In this case, we see that:

• 1) The banquet serves as a picture of the heavenly banquet. In Matthew 22:8-10, heaven is de-scribed as a great banquet with a great king and a great diversity of guests.

• 2) The banquet serves as a picture of a community intoxicated by the Spirit. In Acts 2 at Pente-cost, we see 120 people so intoxicated by the wonderful, lavish outpouring of the Spirit, they are wrongly described as ‘drunk’. In Ephesians 5:18-21 the church is compared to a party or banquet of people intoxicated on the wine of the Spirit. In this Ephesians 5 picture of the church, there is singing, music, joy, spontaneity and camaraderie – much like at a lavish party. If we further ex-plore this analogy from these verses in Esther, we notice that:

• The least to the greatest were invited (v5). Joel prophesied that the Spirit would be poured out on all – even the servants. The outpouring of the Spirit is for all people. God does not favour the wealthy and the strong over the poor and weak.

• The wine was served in cups, each was different from the rest (v7). Similarly, when God pours out the wine of his Spirit on his gathered people, each person encounters God uniquely. God reveals himself in unique ways to each person. We should not compare our experiences of the Spirit with another.

• The wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality (v7). This echoes the story of the wedding banquet in John 2, where Jesus turned water into wine. It speaks of how King Jesus has inexhaustible grace that he wants us to experience through the outpour-ing of his Spirit.

• Each person could drink as much as they want (v8). AW Tozer said, ‘We are never more filled with the Spirit than we want to be.’ Our experience of the Spirit is directly propor-tional to the degree of our thirst for God.

read Esther 1:9-22

WE DEspErATEly nEED A sAviour To sAvE us froM our sin.

• These verses show us why we need a Saviour – someone who can save us from the foolishness of our ways. Let’s explore the reality of sinfulness in these verses...

• Vashti was defiant. She refused to fulfil her husband’s command. But it was not only she who was sinful and selfish. Xerxes proved himself just as sinful.

• Xerxes was vain. As everyone was praising him for his greatness, he thought, ‘Let them see my beautiful wife and they’ll be even more impressed with me.’

• Xerxes was inconsiderate. Queen Vashti was hosting her own party. Xerexes didn’t care, he wanted to pull her from that and use her as a show-thing. Not surprisingly, she refuses.

• Xerxes, with his ego wounded, burned with fury and anger against his wife (v12).• Xerxes then sought advice from unwise advisors whose advice is full of male arro-

gance (v15-20) and undiscerningly, Xerxes receives it (v21). Was it really necessary to get divorced for such an isolated incident?

• Xerxes issued an ungodly policy, insisting on national male• domination (v22). • Xerxes made a rash decision in a semi-drunken state.

• Today, life and leadership outside of God is still full of the self- destruct mechanism of our own sinfulness. ‘We all like sheep have gone astray’. Vanity, inconsideration, acting out of ego-inter-ests, anger, choosing unwise advisors, receiving bad advice, ungodly policies, substance abuse, and rash decision making are the order of the day. Xerxes was surrounded by people (the Jews) who were waiting for the promised Messiah to rescue them from their sin, and yet he was oblivi-ous to them and their message. Similarly, everywhere we look, people’s need for a Saviour from their sin is most obvious, yet most are blind to both their sinfulness and their need for a Saviour.

ESTHER CHAPTER TWOread Esther 2:1-9

goD is ABlE To sovErEignly plAcE us WhErE hE WAnTs us.

• God was positioning Esther for impact. Yet she would never have guessed that this was what he was doing at the time. She would not have even had a choice in the matter when she was taken from her home.

• God had sovereignly allowed the wickedness of Xerxes to cause him to lose his wife, Vashti. God had also sovereignly made Esther very beautiful. And he had sovereignly given her favour with Hegai (v8-9).

• God ‘works together all things for those who love him’ (Romans 8:28). God is able to place us where he wants us. While we were in our mother’s womb he knitted us to have just the right bodies and personalities that would be compatible with our destiny. He places us in the place, circumstance and family that will best serve as the launch-pad for the call on our lives – each and every one of us. He will give us favour where we need favour. He will even use human wickedness for good in our lives if, as Romans 8:28 says, we love and trust him.

• God usually allows us to go through pain before he uses us.

read Esther 2:10

Esther had lost her parents. She had lived as a Jew-in-secret. She lived in Persia because her people had been taken captive a century before. She could not even be open about her faith – in order to survive. She had suffered greatly already. And now she was being dragged off from her home and life. She would have experienced the dog-eat-dog environment of a harem. But instead of all of this pain being a hindrance to the call of God on her life, it was shaping her for her destiny.

God will often allow us to experience pain, and ‘trial of many kinds’ as a means of preparing us for our call. This pain humbles us, develops our character, enables us to gain wisdom, and increases our dependence on God – if we let it. Pain can either make us bitter or better, depending on whether we see God’s sovereign grace in it all. Behind an apparently ‘frowning’ circumstance, there is God’s loving, smiling face.

read Esther 2:11-20

pATiEncE, huMiliTy AnD WisE MEnTors Will hElp us prEpArE for our fuTurE in goD.

• Esther was patient (v12). For 12 whole months she submitted to a beautification process. Similarly, we are not ready for all God has for us until we are able to patiently wait for it. Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen to us, is not that we fail, but that we succeed prematurely.

• Esther was humble (v13-15). Although she could have demanded whatever she wanted (such as jewellery and perfumes), Esther just humbly received what was given her. Similarly, the person that God is going to use must learn not to grasp, demand or self- promote but rather, how to humbly receive those opportunities and resources that God gives.

• Esther was mentored. She was mentored by Mordecai (v11-12, 20), and by Hegai (v15). Like Esther, each one of us also needs to learn how to stand on the shoulders of mentors. Life is too short to learn all we need to learn from our own mistakes. We need to learn from the mistakes of others. We should try to seek out wise mentors, no matter our stage in life.

likE EsThEr, ThE church is BEing BEAuTifiED Too.

• Like Esther, we as the church, are being beautified as Christ’s bride (see Ephesians 5:22-25) in preparation for the wedding day, which will happen when Christ returns (see Revelations 19:7). In ancient cultures, weddings would have two stages. Stage one would be an engagement (which was as serious and binding as the actual marriage). This stage would then help the couple pre-pare for the nest stage, the wedding, from which time the couple would live together. These verses beautifully illustrate how the church, the bride of Christ, is being beautified in preparation for our bridegroom, Jesus. We are already engaged to be married, but there is so much more to come – a massive wedding day (which Revelations 19 speaks of) followed by an eternity of living together. The Holy Spirit is the beauty parlour. Our beauty is the level of godliness which we have currently attained with the help of the Spirit, as well as the degree to which our hearts have been won by the beauty and strength of Christ.

read Esther 2:21-23

our sins Will BE ExposED.

In these verses, we can see a warning for our own lives. God exposed the sinful plotting of two men. They thought they were speaking in secret, but Mordecai ‘just happened’ to be in ear-shot of their conversation. At Judgment Day, all our sins will be exposed, but already now, God is in the business of exposing our sins. He has his ways of exposing our secret sins. This should cause us to live in a healthy fear of God’s holiness and justice.

BE loyAl To goD-givEn lEADErs.

• We see here an example to copy. Mordecai was loyal to the king in telling of the men’s plot to kill him. These acts of loyalty played an important part in earning Esther favour with the king (as we will see in chapter 6:1-3,10).

• Mordecai was loyal to human leaders because of his faith in God. Similarly, we should be ready to be loyal to those whom God appoints to be our leaders. A basic law of gaining favour and influence with people is that we are loyal to them. Loyalty to our God-given leaders is necessary if doors of opportunity are to open up for us. Our loyalty to them shows that they can trust us. And leaders seldom delegate meaningful responsibilities to those they do not feel they can trust.

ESTHER CHAPTER THREEread Esther 3:1-4

rEfusE To BoW DoWn To AnyonE or AnyThing BuT JEsus.

• Haman was an Agagite, who was a descendant of the Amalekites, ancient enemies of the Jewish people. Not only that, but he was elevated to a god-like status in Persia, so that people had to bow down when he passed by. But Mordecai refused to do this because he believed that only his king, Yahweh, was worthy of that kind of devotion. This refusal to bow under pressure forced him to explain why he refused to do this – he told them he was a Jew.

• Today, we must refuse to bow down to anything or anyone that people treat as something ultimate or divine. Jesus is our Lord – he alone is ultimate and divine. He alone is worthy of our worship. Of course, this refusal to bow down to such things will mean that, from time to time, we will need to explain why we refuse to bow down. We can then use this as an opportunity to share our faith in God. In the early church their summarising creed was simply ‘Jesus is Lord.’ This simple claim was scandalous, because the common expression of the day was, ‘Caesar is Lord.’ To give our primary allegiance to Jesus alone will get us into trouble at times.

read Esther 3:5-6

sMAll rEsEnTMEnTs cAn BEcoME DEEp prEJuDicEs.

• Resentment against one person easily leads to generalised prejudice and hatred against others like them. We see this in these verses. Haman was humiliated by Mordecai. Instead of letting it go, he began to hate and resent him. Haman’s hatred and resentment then grew from hatred against just Mordecai, into a full genocidal hatred against all Jews.

• Still today, we can be tempted to use one bad experience with a person of a certain culture or race group, and instead of forgiving them, hold it against them in resentment. Over time this un-checked resentment can begin to shape how we see other people like them. Prejudice takes root, and given enough time a hatred or even murderous intent towards all people like them. Hebrews 12:15 speaks of how, if we miss the grace of God, a root of bitterness can begin to grow in our lives that eventually infects others and leads to more trouble. As God’s people, we must not miss the grace of God when we have a bad experience with anyone. Rather, by God’s grace, we must let it go and refuse any temptations toward prejudice.

read Esther 3:7-15

our TiMEs ArE in goD’s hAnDs.

The book of Esther records dates carefully. The incident with Vashti happened in 435 BC (1:3). Esther became queen in 431 BC (2:16). Then Haman plotted the Jewish destruction in 427 BC (3:7). Haman, being suspicious threw a dice (‘pur’) to see which month of the year to kill the Jews. It fell on the twelfth month (3:3) a full eleven months later. This is very relevant, because had it been sooner, the genocidal decree would not have been able to be overthrown (later in the story), and the Jews would not have been able to defend themselves. The Jews would later recognise the hand of God in that dice-throw – and would have an annual day called ‘Purim’ (from ‘pur’ which means lot or dice) to cel-ebrate the way God would deliver them in this time. Our times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:5). God is sovereign. He is in control of the times. Just when Haman was planning in time to kill the Jews, God was planning in time to save them. We can trust a God who so powerfully rules over time. Verse 15 reveals that this genocide plan impacted people differently: the king is ignorant of what he’s do-ing. Haman is filled with hatred. The people are bewildered. But God is in control. The events of our lives impact God differently to how they impact us, because God can look into the future and see how everything concludes.

ESTHER CHAPTER FOuRread Esther 4:1-11

goD Will AlloW us To fAcE grEAT chAllEngEs froM TiME To TiME.

• The decree was sent out. In the twelfth month, all Jews would be exterminated. Mordecai was deeply shaken by the news (v1). So were all the Jews everywhere (v3). Although Mordecai wanted to be able to do something about it instantly, he was delayed by not being able to get to Esther for a while (v2-5). Eventually, he did get through to her (v6-9). No doubt she was deeply challenged too. But she received an even greater challenge than anyone else to overcome – Mordecai had told her to approach the king and ask for mercy (v8). Esther knew that this bold act might just cost her her life (v11).

• From time to time we can expect to face great challenges ourselves. These challenges are never easy. We see God allowing this to happen to Joseph, who is abruptly taken to Egypt. We see this happening to Moses who is suddenly sent to the wilderness in Midian. We see it happen to David as first Saul and then his son, Absolam, hunt him down, causing him to flee. We see it happening to all the major leaders of the early church. o Like them, we must learn to face these challenges in such a way that ‘we do not fear bad news, but rather keep trusting in the Lord, keeping our heart steady’ (Psalm 112:7).

• Mordecai certainly didn’t respond like this, but we can with the help of God. Sometimes, as hap-pened with Esther, one challenge will lead to an even greater challenge. The point of all these challenges is that they drive us into a deeper dependence on God, and they give God the chance to reveal his sustaining and intervening grace to us.

read Esther 4:12-14

goD Will ofTEn MATch our rElucTAncE WiTh his pErsisTEncE.

Esther was reluctant to do God’s will (v10-11). But Mordecai persisted in urging her to do it. He gave her three reasons to act. • First, she and her immediate family were in danger. • Second, she would miss the honour of being used by God and he would use someone else to bring

deliverance. • Third, this was the very reason God had placed her in the palace, in her royal position as Queen of

Persia. Sometimes we may sense what God wants us to do, but may then make excuses for why we will not do it.

Patiently, God will often respond to this by continuing to urge us. He may try to overcome our reluc-tance with reason too. As Mordecai did with Esther, he may remind us of the price of disobedience. He may remind us of how, if we turn this chance to partner with him down, he will be forced to find another. He may remind us that ‘our whole lives have been a straight line heading in this direction’, that he has sovereignly prepared us, and orchestrated circumstances, just so that we can partner with him in overcoming this particular challenge. Many people who have been used powerfully by God

in the past have gone through a season of resisting the call of God on their lives, but God persisted in the call and eventually they submitted themselves to God.

WE nEED ThE WisDoM of TrusTED shEphErDs in TuMulTuous TiMEs.

Mordecai spoke God’s word to Esther. He affirmed what God’s will was. He insisted that God had a plan for her. He gave her a wise directive for her life, and how to handle the situation. (In verses 15-17 we will see that she listens to his counsel.)

Today, in challenging times we tend to take the option that guarantees immediate relief. For this reason, stress has a way of making us make bad decisions. That is why it is a good life- principle to commit to never making major decisions when under great pressure. We need to learn to seek the counsel of a person who knows us, and who can discern the call of God on our lives. In a church context, this person is very often one of the shepherd-leaders with whom we have some kind of relationship (Hebrews 13:17). We generally should not ask them to make the decision for us, but we should seek their perspective so as to make a wiser decision ourselves. Then we should, like Esther did, discern whether we hear God speaking to us in their words.

read Esther 4:15-17

TruE oBEDiEncE lEAvEs ThE ouTcoME To goD.

Esther became convinced that it really was the will of God to approach Xerxes. Although she knew that God wanted her to do this, God had not told her what results to expect. She chose to do it anyway, regardless of the outcome, saying, ‘If I perish, I perish’ (v16).

Today, we often put a condition on our obedience to God. We say, ‘I will obey you, if you promise to guarantee some positive results.’ We may specify what those results are. But this is not faith-based obedience at all. This is an attempt to manipulate God. We must learn to trust and obey God in such a way that we leave the outcomes to him. We should pray, ‘God, even if it costs me my life, I will trust you and obey you.’ We must learn to do the will of God – and leave the results in his hands. This is what a life of faith is all about.

DEspErATE siTuATions cAll for A DEEpEr DEpEnDEncE on goD.

The Jews were facing a probable extermination. Instead of stepping into problem-solving mode, we, like them, should step into prayerful-dependence mode. This is one major reason God allows us to face troubles – it brings us to our knees before him. In this case, the Jews’ dependency on God is seen in their willingness to fast. Fasting is one way of increasing both our humility and dependence on God. It affirms that our lives and futures are ultimately in the hands of God.

ESTHER CHAPTER FIVEread Esther 5:1-3

fAiTh, noT fEAr, shoulD DETErMinE our AcTions.

• Esther must have felt great fear – since she had not seen the king in over 30 days. And she knew that approaching the king in his inner courts without his invitation was deadly (see 4:11). But she also knew that God was with her, and that God wanted her to do this. She had also experienced his previous provision on her behalf, and must have taken this as encouragement that he would carry on helping her. Esther had reason for fear. But she also had reason for faith. And her faith prevailed over her fear, so that she stepped out boldly in faith, despite the feelings of fear.

• When God asks us to do something which we know may have a negative backlash, it can lead to great fear. But we need to reassure ourselves that we can trust God to look after us. He would not be so cruel as to lead us somewhere and then leave us on our own. Rather where he guides us, he also provides for us. And we need to let this faith in God, not the fear in the situation, influence our actions. We need to feel the fear, and obey God anyway .

ApproAch ThE king Through prAyEr.

These three verses provide a picture of a powerful New Testament truth: it depicts the invitation that God gives to the bride of Christ, to come to him boldly in prayer. We notice a few insights into prayer from these verses:

• Know who you are in Christ. Esther put on her royal robes (v1), which affirmed that she belonged to the king as his queen. We too, must not forget who we are. We belong to Christ. This is a key to effective prayer.

• Approach God confidently appealing to his mercy. Esther did not wait for the king to come to her, but rather approached him. The king then held out his golden sceptre which represented his mercy. She stepped out and touched it. Like Esther, we need to ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy’ (Hebrews 4:16). We must never approach God on the basis of what we deserve, but rather on the basis of his mercy, which we can never deserve. Our confidence is not in our own abilities or our own righteousness – but in God’s undeserved kind-ness, compassion and extravagant generosity.

• Be intimate with God. Esther approached the king in his inner court. This is a picture of how we need to become familiar with the very presence of God. We are called to intimacy and worship. God is our lover and our king and he longs for us to draw close to him.

• Honour God with the largeness of your requests. The king offered Esther anything – up to half of his kingdom (v3). We need to pray God-sized prayers, because (as we will see as the story unfolds) God is greatly glorified through the answering of God-sized prayers.

• Pray for others. Esther was not mainly concerned for herself, but rather for all the Jews. Similarly, we must not just pray for ourselves, but must be ready to pray for other people. This way we live and pray beyond ourselves, enlarging our hearts for others, and joining God in changing others

and the world.• See prayer as a form of ‘reigning with Christ’. Through these few verses we can see how the

queen co-reigned the nation with her husband. Similarly, Romans 5:17 tells us that we are being trained to reign with Christ in this life. It is in prayer that we change the world and – as scandalous as this may sound – get to co-reign with Christ in the shaping of lives and events.

read Esther 5:4-8

lEArn To DiscErn BETWEEn goD’s MovEMEnTs AnD his MoMEnTs.

• Esther knew that God was at work in the situation. The word to describe how God is moving, or what God is doing in the shaping of circumstances is the word ‘providence’. Esther was learning to patiently and wisely co-operate with ‘providence’. Instead of just coming out and asking the king to rescue the Jews she moved slowly, patiently and tactfully. She invited the king and Haman to a banquet (v4), and then to a second one (v8). The king would have understood that she was setting him up for a big request, and the longer she kept him waiting, the more receptive he became. Esther correctly perceived that God was ‘moving’ in a certain direction – to rescue the Jews. But she also correctly perceived that the time was not yet right.

• Like Esther, we need to learn how to wisely and patiently co- operate with God. Just because we sense God’s movements does not mean we correctly have sensed the right moment. Timing is key in the life of serving God. We should pray, ‘God help me to tell the difference between your move-ments and your moments. Just because I sense you’re doing something, does not mean the time for action or fulfilment has yet come.’

read Esther 5:9-14

prospEriTy cAn MAkE us prouD.

• Haman was an example of a man who was greatly prosperous. He had lots of friends (v10), wealth, honour and sons. He was even the king’s favourite (v11). But his prosperity had resulted in pride and arrogance in his life. His happiness was really a kind of drunken self-glory. The moment someone did not bow before him, his high spirits turned into rage (v9). He boasted about all his possessions (v11). He boasted about his seemingly bright future – he was sure that it would only get brighter and brighter (v12). He delighted in the thought of the death of his enemies (v14). He battled to enjoy himself because of just one person who failed to honour him (v13). Haman had wrongly interpreted his prosperity as ‘God being for me’. But as we see in this story, God was not for him at all. God was against him. Haman was just too proud to notice that.

• Prosperity can have that same effect on our lives. It can lead to us becoming arrogant, intoxicated by our own self-glory, deeply offended when someone doesn’t like or honour us, boasting about what we have, boasting about tomorrow (which James 4:14-16 warns against), and even wrongly assuming that our prosperity is a sure sign that God is for us. We must remember that ‘God

opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6). God sometimes allows proud people to prosper, but the prosperity of the proud will eventually destroy them, and it will not last into eternity. Those of us who have lots of friends, honour, wealth, family – let us freshly humble ourselves before God.

ESTHER CHAPTER SIXread Esther 6:1-2

goD cAn rEAch Any pErson AT Any TiME.

• The people of God were praying for deliverance. Esther was soon to make her request. And, be-hind the scenes, God was at work. Here Xerxes ‘just happens’ to not be able to sleep. He ‘just happens’ to ask for the chronicles of his reign. He ‘just happens’ to read about Mordecai’s unre-warded deed of loyalty. This was not a co-incidence, this was a God-incidence. This will, as we will soon see in the following verses, ultimately lead to the rescuing of the Jews.

• This is a picture of how God’s power to answer our prayers is inexhaustible, and his creativity in doing so is unlimited. He can get through to any person at any time, without them even realising it. As we pray, God can answer our prayer in the most surprising of ways. He can soften the hardest heart, and he can move people to co-operate with himself, without them even knowing it. As with Xerxes, he can do all this with and through people who are not even Christians.

• God will eventually humble the self-exalted.• The king was wondering how he should honour Mordecai (v3). At that very moment Haman was

fantasising about ways he himself could receive even more public honour. Incurably self-absorbed, Haman thought the king was wanting to honour him, so he suggested ways to honour people (all the time thinking he would be honoured in this way). But Haman’s plan totally back-fired (v10). His enemy, Mordecai, was honoured instead of him. He was thoroughly humbled - so much so that even his family started backing off from him, and declaring his defeat (v12-14). The very people who had been praising him the previous day (see 5:11,12) were now ashamed to even be associ-ated with him.

• Haman was a self-exalted man. God had been resisting his pride. Eventually, when Haman had reached the heights of self- infatuation, God brought him low. Haman was not prepared to humble himself, so God humbled him in a very public arena. o God still resists the proud. God still hum-bles the self-exalted, and if not in this lifetime, he will certainly do so at Judgement Day.

read Esther 6:3-14

goD Will EvEnTuAlly ExAlT ThE huMBlE.

• Mordecai had been greatly loyal to the king, even saving his life (2:21-22), but had never been honoured or rewarded for it. Although he never grasped for it, and although it took its time in coming, he was eventually highly honoured and richly rewarded (v 10-11). He got to share in the

king’s glory and all the people got to hear of what he had done. He went from having a death- sentence hanging over his head to having the king’s royal robe hanging over his body (v8). He went from being cursed by Haman to being praised by Haman (against Haman’s will of course) (v11).

• God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Jesus often said that ultimately ‘God will exalt the humble, and humble the exalted’. These verses powerfully depict this truth. Already in this life, when God so chooses, God will honour those who have been loyal to him, and have remained humble. The honour we receive in public will not last (even Mordecai went back to the king’s gate in verse 12). God has hard-wired us with a desire to experience honour. After all, we were created to be crowned with glory and honour (Psalm 8). Hebrews 2:10 tells us that ‘Christ will bring many sons to glory’. If we have been faithful, loyal and humble toward God in this life, he will share some of his glory and honour with us ‘on that day’. We will experience so much more than what even Mordecai experienced – we will receive the honour of the King of Kings.

ESTHER CHAPTER SEVENread Esther 7:1-3

pATiEnTly kEEp in sTEp WiTh ThE spiriT.

• This was the third time the king asked Esther what she wanted. The first two times, she delayed in giving an answer. This was probably because of her discernment that the time was not right. And just as well – had she asked for the salvation of the Jews two days before (when he first invited her request), it would have been before the king freely chose to exalt a Jew in front of everyone (see 6:1-3,10). He was now far more ready to hear the request than two days earlier. While Esther waited patiently, and while the Jewish people fasted and prayed, God had been at work behind the scenes - sovereignly softening the king’s heart toward the Jews. God had moved slowly, but nonetheless, God had moved powerfully .

• We too need to give God time to act. Only once we have discerned that the time is right for us to act, should we do so. We need to learn how to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:25). Esther modelled this so well – she neither stepped ahead of God, nor missed the moment. Rather, the moment the Spirit signalled her to act, she did so. Like Esther, we must neither run ahead of God in impatience, nor lag behind God and miss the moment through fear or disobedience.

read Esther 7:3-10

goD’s JuDgEMEnT MAy coME sloWly, BuT WhEn iT coMEs, iT Will coME poWErfully.

• In verses 3-7, we see Esther exposing the guilt of Haman. She had finally made her request, and she did so tactfully (v3). She asked the king to spare herself – and her people. She spoke about how her people had been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated (v4). She reminded the king that the Jews were not merely slaves, but people who rightfully belonged to the Persian empire (v4). After hearing all this, Xerxes immediately took the side of his wife. Although he had previ-ously agreed to allow Haman to kill the Jews, he had not realised that his own wife and Mordecai (whom he had just publicly honoured the day before) were Jews. The whole matter suddenly be-

came very clear to him. He realised that Haman had initiated the possible murder of his own wife and her people. He was thus so angry that he left the banquet (v7).

• In verses 7-10, we see Haman being brought to ruin. Haman had not realised that Esther was Jewish. He had previously been furious that a Jew would not bow down to him, yet now, he begs a Jew for his life (v7). He clung to Esther, which in the eyes of Xerxes, was absolutely unacceptable, since it looked like he was assaulting her (v8). Doubly humiliated, Haman’s head was covered - a sign of the death penalty. Harbona then reminded the king of the execution pole that Haman had built to impale Mordecai on. It was not long before Haman was impaled upon it (v10) – under the two charges of trying to annihilate the king’s wife, and of attempting to assault her.

• God had been storing up judgement and anger against Haman. Justice had been moving slowly, but eventually it moved very rapidly. This is a picture of God’s judgement against people who proudly ignore and resist him. God’s anger slowly builds up, but is then ‘unleashed’ suddenly, sometimes in this lifetime, but ultimately, on Judgement Day. Romans 2:5 says, ‘Because of your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgement will be revealed.’

• What makes Haman’s sin particularly evil, was that not only had he resisted God, but he had tried to harm God’s people too. When someone does this, and refuses to repent of it, they are warned, ‘God is just: he will repay back trouble to those who trouble God’s people’ (2 Thessalonians 1:6). If we, as God’s people, are under attack from someone we can cry out for God to save us (Psalm 7:1) and we can anticipate that, ‘He who has dug a pit to trap us will fall into his own hole’ (Psalm 7:15).

ESTHER CHAPTER EIGHTread Esther 8:1-2

ThE sinnEr’s WEAlTh is lAiD up for ThE righTEous.

Haman’s possessions landed up belonging to Esther and Mordecai. This illustrates a principle that we see weaved throughout Scripture. Proverbs 13:22 and 28:8 both say, ‘The sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous’. Ecclesiastes 2:26 declares that the sinner is given the task of gathering and storing up wealth – only to hand it over to the one who pleases God. All God’s people can expect to experi-ence this principle at work in their lives at various times, and to varying degrees. But ultimately, we can expect that ‘the meek will inherit the earth’ (Matthew 5:5). Godless people may own much for a while, but eventually all they own will be lost. Much worse than the loss of their material possessions however, is the loss of something much more valuable – their souls (see Mark 8:36). It is God’s people who will ultimately be entrusted with the rule of the new heavens and the new earth.

read Esther 8:3-6

pErsEvErE in prAyEr.

• Although Haman was dead, his decree had already reached all the provinces of Persia. The Jew-ish execution date was set. So Esther, who had already seen the king answer her one request,

persisted in asking the king to change the decree. She was asking the impossible, but the king was honoured by her request. We have already seen her boldly approach the king in 5:1-3, and yet she did so again, because she had more to ask of him. Esther did not just want to see her own deliverance, but the deliverance of her people too.

• As in 5:1-3, this powerfully depicts prayer. We need to be thorough and persevering in our prayer. Jesus taught us ‘always to pray and to not give up’ (Luke 18:1). We need to aggressively take hold of the merciful sceptre of our king and make our large requests. We need to make our requests boldly, yet at the same time humbly. Too many of God’s people neither approach God in bold prayer, nor learn to persevere in their prayers – and yet we will never change the world through any other means. Esther’s king was volatile – ours is not. Esther’s king sometimes extended his sceptre of mercy – our king always does. Esther’s king was not inviting – our king invites us to approach him. He pleads with us to plead with him in prayer.

read Esther 8:7-13

goD DEMonsTrATEs BoTh his JusTicE AnD his lovE in ThE cross.

• The king had already done so much for Esther (v7), but he could not take back his decree – it was law. However, he still sought a way to save the Jews without taking back his decree. He commis-sioned Mordecai, Esther and the royal secretaries to find a way to solve this predicament – giving them the authority to make any decree (v8). using the king’s ring (which represented the king’s authority) Mordecai sent out a new decree (v10-11). The decree was sent to all the people of all 127 provinces and made it legal for Jews to defend themselves on the day they were going to be attacked. They could even plunder the possessions of their attackers (v11-13). What an ingenious solution!

• This is a vivid picture of the predicament God himself faced in saving human beings from their ultimate destruction and ruin. His holiness had already decreed that sin must be punished (see Romans 6:23 – ‘The wages of sin is death.’). But his love desired to save us. God had to find a way to resolve his own predicament. And he did find a way – through the cross. On the cross our sins were punished. And on the cross Jesus, the substitute, Jesus, saved us from our sins. This is why the book of Romans describes the cross both as a demonstration of God’s justice (Romans 3:25)and of his love (Romans 5:8). The cross reflects God’s wisdom in that God ‘has found a way’ for sinful people to be saved. He has resolved the tension between his justice and his love. The cross is God’s glorious solution that makes it possible for sinners like you and me to have a relationship with a Holy God.

read Esther 8:14-17

goD Works All Things for ThE gooD of ThosE Who lovE hiM.

• Haman had tried to destroy the Jews who were an oppressed minority. But the Jews continued to love and trust in God. God intervened by turning what the enemy intended for harm into something good. Haman’s plans back-fired and the result was that instead of the oppressed Jews being exterminated, they were liberated. They landed up in a much better position than the one they had at the beginning of this story, despite (and also precisely because of) the evil intent of Haman.

• This beautifully illustrates how God can take bad things in our lives, and bad things that happen to our churches, and as we trust him, intervene to work it for good. Romans 8:28 says, ‘God works all things for the good of those who love him.’ Genesis 50:20 says, ‘What my enemy intended for my harm, God intended for my good.’ The words of an ancient hymn describe how ‘God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. You fearful saints, fresh courage take. The clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break with blessing on your head.’

ThE gospEl MEssAgE urgEnTly nEEDs To gET To All pEoplE, EvEryWhErE.

• The Jews had been an oppressed minority who were scared of revealing their faith. But a new decree was written. And it communicated to all people everywhere by messengers – messengers who had the authority of the king (v14). With this new decree, Jews were given the full rights of dignity and self- defence. They no longer needed to be ashamed of their faith. Even Mordecai, who just a few weeks before was wearing sackcloth and ashes (4:1), was now dressed in royal cloth-ing (v15). A message had gone out to the people everywhere – it was a message that seemed to change the Jews’ very way of seeing themselves. They had a new sense of dignity. And the result was happiness, joy, gladness, honour, feasting and celebrating (v16- 17). Non-Jewish neighbours noticed the change and the joy in the Jewish people and many of them began to convert to the faith of the Jews (v17).

• This is a beautiful picture of the Gospel-message going out. King Jesus himself commissions the message. And he sends specially chosen messengers to go to all people everywhere with the message. When people hear the message and believe it, it has a way of deeply changing their lives, and filling them with great joy. This life-change and gladness of heart become observable to people who themselves are then attracted to the same Liberator, Jesus. When Philip delivered the Gospel-message to the Ethiopian eunuch he ‘went on his way rejoicing’ (Acts 8:39). The Gos-pel- message brings salvation, which overflows in great joy. It lets us know that the King of the universe is for us, not against us. How desperately we need to all be available to be messengers of this wonderful Gospel-message. ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ (Romans 10:15).

ESTHER CHAPTER NINEread Esther 9:1-17

ThE church ToDAy is vEry DiffErEnT To AnciEnT isrAEl WiTh rEspEcT To WAr AnD violEncE.

• The story now shoots nine months forward to the day of attack and defence. All over Persia, there were people ready to attack and kill Jews as the first edict had said, but the Jews were mobilised to attack those who wished to destroy them. And they did. In Suza, it took two days to get the job done. Despite the killings, they never plundered goods, even though the decree made this permis-sible. This is because, for the Jews, this war was about self-preservation not vengeance. That is why Haman’s sons were publicly impaled – to strike fear into the hearts of those who wished to destroy the Jews.

• How can God allow the Jews to kill so many people – 75 000 in all (v16)? Firstly, we must re-member that the world then was barbaric. It has only been since the coming of Christ that more nations have, because of Christian influence, become more peace- orientated. Before Christ’s phenomenal teachings and influence, nations could only exist through war. If a country backed off from war, it would only be a matter of time before it was overthrown. The Jews would have been totally eliminated but they fought for their existence. Secondly, we must remember that God was revealing himself progressively and that he was progressively shaping a people for himself. In those days ‘the people of God’ was a nation, so it had to fight wars to survive, like all other nations. But eventually, through the gift of Christ and the Spirit, the church would become a community of people within nations. Jesus taught the church to ‘love your enemies’. We, as the church, are not a physical nation, but a spiritual community. We do not conquer through violence. But through love. We are even willing to lay down our lives for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus is the final revelation of God to this planet. Ancient Israel was the first step God took in moving humanity forward. Jesus is the ultimate and final step that God has taken.

• What can we learn from Esther in these verses? Verse 13 is shocking for the modern reader. Es-ther wanted another day to kill the enemies of the Jews in Suza. And she wanted Haman’s dead sons publicly impaled too. She was not just beautiful. She was tough! Applying her strength to our own lives, we should interpret this through 2 Corinthians 10:3, which says, ‘Though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does.’ Today, our weapons are not physical, but spiritual. And our weapons do not destroy lives, they liberate them. As Christians, we need to be militant in our faith. Esther’s unrelenting aggressiveness toward her enemies can be applied to the way we should stand against spiritual opposition today. Although we have been liberated through Christ’s victory for us on the cross, we still need to ‘stand firm in our freedom’. Our battle to set others free will certainly attract Satan’s counter-attacks. But this should not put us off – for the victory will ultimately be ours in Christ (see Ephesians 6:10- 18).

read Esther 9:18-32

nEvEr forgET ThE goD-inciDEncEs in your lifE.

• The two days of the Jews’ victory were celebrated annually. Mordecai and Esther made it an of-ficial time of celebration for all Jews everywhere. It would be a time of remembering the hand of God in the events related to Esther and Mordecai. The new celebration festival would be called ‘Purim’ named after the ‘pur’ – the dice that Haman threw to decide when to exterminate the Jews. Haman thought fate had decided the dice, but the Jews knew that it was God. The dice gave an eleven month gap before the extermination would begin, long enough for God to ‘turn the tables’ (see 9:1) so that instead of the Jews being destroyed, they would be highly honoured and their enemies, annihilated.

• The festival of Purim celebrated the hand of God in their lives, especially the providential God-incidences we have seen through this amazing story. Others may have seen co-incidences but the Jews saw God’s hand at work. Esther ‘just happened’ to have replaced Vashti. Mordecai ‘just hap-pened’ to have discovered a plot against the king. Haman ‘just happened’ to have thrown a dice that signalled an eleven month gap. The king ‘just happened’ to have not been able to sleep one night and instead read of Mordecai’s loyalty. Haman ‘just happened’ to have suggested ways of honouring a person as the king was thinking of how to honour Mordecai. Esther ‘just happened’ to have chosen to wait two days before presenting the king with her request. Haman ‘just happened’ to have been impaled on his own pole. If any of these factors were different, then the Jews would not have been liberated, and would probably have not survived the onslaught.

• God is still at work in each of our lives. We should learn to• recognise, celebrate and affirm the hundreds of God-incidences that have shaped our lives thus

far. Some people may say that what we think is the answer to our prayers are really just co- incidences. But it would seem that the more we pray, the more providential ‘co-incidences’ just happen. From time to time, it is good to reflect, record and celebrate the God-incidences that have shaped our lives. These times will fill us with fresh courage and faith for the future and renewed awe in our loving and powerful King.

ESTHER CHAPTER TENread Esther 10:1-3

goD cAn rAisE up chrisTiAns To plAcEs of grEAT influEncE in sociETy.

• Esther started off as a parentless girl. Yet she ended up as the Queen of Persia. Mordecai was not even allowed in the king’s palace, but became second-in-command to the king. Both Esther and Mordecai saw their influence as something God gave them, and they sought to use it for God’s glory.

• We need to trust God to elevate us (and fellow Christians) to places of influence in various circles, spheres and groups of people. This truth is seen in the teaching of Christ where he says that he

is making us a ‘city on a hill’. This speaks of the prominence and influence he wishes to give us as Christians (Matthew 5:13-16). Our world still needs Esthers and Mordecais who will challenge injustices and courageously stand for Kingdom values in whatever spheres we find ourselves in.

lifE is Tough, BuT goD is gooD – AnD his purposEs Will prEvAil.

• Esther, Mordecai, and the people of God had faced tumultuous times. But the great tests only resulted in greater testimonies. The great fight had resulted in greater faith. They had discovered that life was tough – even life with God – but that God is always good and his purposes will always prevail.

• Today, we can still expect to go through great tests, but we can also expect to have great testimo-nies of how God sovereignly works amidst these trials.

• Perhaps one of the most striking things about the book of Esther is not what stands out in the book, but rather what has been omitted. Shockingly, the name of God is not mentioned even once. And yet it is so obvious, as we explore the details of the story, that God’s fingerprints are every-where. We just need the ‘eyes of faith’ to discern him. In the same way, at the end of our lives, we should be able to tell someone the story of our lives without even mentioning God, and they should respond by saying, ‘But God is everywhere in your life!’

GROuP GuIDE TO ESTHER

The bible in our groups

• A Christian cannot happily live without the Bible anymore than a person could happily live without air, food, water, heat or direction. That’s why it is important that Christians – preferably on a daily basis - learn to breathe it’s oxygen, feed on its nourishment, drink its refreshment, absorb its energy, and obey its instruction.

• The very first thing that the first church devoted themselves to in their gathering was ‘the apos-tle’s teaching’ (see Acts 2:42) which is now recorded for us in the Bible. That’s why God’s Word is so central in our gatherings, both our large Sunday ones, and in our small groups.

• Getting into God’s Word together helps us get even deeper into God’s Word, and it helps the Word get deeper into us. Someone said, ‘It doesn’t matter how much of the Bible you go through, what really matters is how much of the Bible goes through you.’ That’s why we explore the Bible alone and together. What’s more, exploring the Bible together greatly motivates us all to explore the Bible alone.

• The average weekly small group gathering consists of three main components: 1) the bonding time (where we get into each other’s lives), 2) the prayer encounter (where we get into God’s pres-ence), and 3) the life-shaping conversation (where we get into God’s Word). This guide impacts the life-shaping conversation part of the gathering.

• In your group devote three weeks to the book of Esther. Everyone in the group is to read specific chapters of Esther as preparation and come ready to have a ‘life-shaping conversation’ based on it in the group.

ouTlinE Week Before

The small group leader needs to: • Make sure everyone has a copy of the Esther commentary. o motivate everyone to read through

chapter 1-3 of Esther along with the commentary in their daily devotions this week. • Encourage everyone to come ready to share next week

1) the one thing they found most interesting and2) the one thing that impacted their lives the most in chapters 1-3.

• Assure everyone that even if they don’t do this reading that they should still come, because they will get much out of the time next week (this is why it is also suitable to keep inviting new people to the group).

WEEk onE

Opening not-necessarily-spiritual get-to-know-you question: ‘Esther was mentored by Mordecai. Who are the people, if any, who have played a mentoring role in your life?’

Slowly read through the main points of Esther 1-3 (listed below) as a reminder, and as an opportunity for new people to participate if they want.

• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, what one thing did you find most interesting?’• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, was there any one thing that impacted your life most?• And how are you letting it impact your life?’

remind people: ‘This week, please read chapters 4-7 in your daily devotions. Come ready to share the one thing you find most interesting and the one thing you find most impacting.’

chapter 1: Life without God is empty and temporary. King Jesus wants to lavish his Spirit on his people. We des-perately need a Saviour to save us from our sin.

chapter 2 : God is able to sovereignly place us where he wants us. God usually allows us to go through pain before he uses us. Patience, humility and wise mentors will help us prepare for our future in God. God is busy beautifying the church. Our sins will be exposed. Be loyal to God-given leaders.

chapter 3Refuse to bow down to anyone or anything but Jesus. Small resentments can become deep prejudices. Our times are in God’s hands.

WEEk TWo

Opening not-necessarily-spiritual get-to-know-you question: ‘Chapter 6 speaks of how people can get humbled by life. What is the most humbling thing that has happened to you in the last few years?’

Slowly read through the main points of Esther 4-7 (listed below) as a reminder, and as an opportunity for new people to participate if they want.

• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, what one thing did you find most interesting?’• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, was there any one thing that impacted your life most? • And how are you letting it impact your life?’

remind people: ‘This week, please read chapters 8-10 in your daily devotions. Come ready to share the one thing you find most interesting and the one thing you find most impacting on your life.’

chapter 4 God will allow us to face great challenges from time to time. God will often match our reluctance with his persistence. We need the wisdom of trusted shepherds in tumultuous times. True obedience leaves the outcome to God. Desperate situations call for a deeper dependence on God.

chapter 5 Faith, not fear, should determine our actions. Approach the King through prayer. Learn to discern between God’s movements and his moments. Prosperity can make us proud.

chapter 6God can reach any person at any time. God will eventually humble the self-exaltedGod will eventually exalt the humble.

chapter 7 Patiently keep in step with the Spirit. God’s judgement may come slowly, but when it comes, it will comepowerfully .

WEEk ThrEE

Opening not-necessarily-spiritual get-to-know-you question: ‘The story of Esther is full of amazing ‘co-incidences’. Look back on your life and try name one ‘co-incidence’ you’ve experienced.’

Slowly read through the main points of Esther 8-10 (listed below) as a reminder, and as an opportunity for new people to participate if they want.

• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, what one thing did you find most interesting?’• ‘Of all you read in Esther this week, was there any one thing that impacted your life most? • And how are you letting it impact your life?’

‘Well done for listening to God in Esther. There are 65 other books waiting for us, so don’t stop reading through them in your own devotions. Keep expecting God to speak to you through his Word.

chapter 8 The sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. Persevere in prayer . God demonstrates both his justice and his love in the cross. God works all things for the good of those who love him. The Gospel message urgently needs to get to all people, everywhere.

chapter 9 The church today is very different to ancient Israel with respect to war and violence. Never forget the God-incidences in your life.

chapter 10 God can raise up Christians to places of great influence in society. Life is tough, but God is good – and his purposes will prevail.