Week 2 DAY 5
Today
We will:
- LOOK at Esther Chapter 8:13-14, a small bite at a time.
- LEARN ‘how‘ to incorporate GODcha’s tools along the way.
- LISTEN to God speak to us as we focus on GODcha’s LEARN/LIVE question –
And Continue With an Attitude of Prayer
O LORD, we come to you as we do every day asking that You help us see Your Word to us. Unplug our ears. Rip away any sin that is crippling us from hearing You speak. Help us to listen carefully and concentrate and focus. Oh, may You grant us the understanding we need to be changed and transformed, for Your glory, and our good! Thank you so much, Lord!
If you get STUCK at any point in your discovery, stop, and pray!
GOD, your Creator, loves you and desires to reveal much to you.
Context
Context Tutorial >
In Esther Chapter 8:11-12
We left off trying to see if Mordecai and Esther were justified in killing their enemies under this new edict. We know the king granted the Jews the right to kill anyone who might attack them.
Today: The Right to Avenge
LOOK 
At Verses 13-14
Always Begin By READING
READ Esther 8:8-14 and ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.
Remember:
Reflect on the events that demonstrate God’s hidden hand.
Let’s Zoom In.
Take small bites, go verse by verse, dig a bit deeper, and see what you can discover. As you do you will want to check out:
Word Meanings
Cross References (aka CR) on These Key Points.
Note: Remember to check the context of these passages.
Focus On Esther 8:13-14
1. Why was a copy of the edict issued as law in every province and published to all the peoples, v13?
Avenge is key.
What does ‘avenge’ mean?
What can we learn and understand about the Jews avenging themselves on their enemies?
a. Who actually does the avenging?
Deut 32:43
b. Who does the Lord take vengeance on?
Nah 1:2
Lev 26:25
Rev 6:10
c. What did the Lord instruct His people when it comes to vengeance?
Lev 19:18
d. What would the Lord avenge?
2Ki 9:7
Jer 51:36
THINK and REASON
Do you see how this is God working behind the scenes?
2. As we consider the Jew’s enemies, the Amalakites, the Agagites, what about our enemies?
a. What do believers under God’s New Edict need to understand about a believer’s enemies?
Eph 6:12
Understand: There are 2 realms the seen and the unseen; the physical and the spiritual; the natural and the supernatural.
Understand: There is a lot more going on than what we can see, but God sees it all and controls it all.
b. Who and what are a believer’s spiritual enemies?
What has happened? What must we do?
1Pe 5:8; Jam 4:7; Eph 6:10-18;
1Jo 2:15-17; Jam 4:4; Joh 16:33
Rom 8:13; Gal 5:16-25; Gal 4:22-25; Rom 13:14
c. As we consider the Jews avenging themselves against their enemies, what are we to do with our physical enemies?
1Pe 2:11
Mat 5:44
Rom 12:17-21
LISTEN To the Spirit
Regarding my spiritual enemies:
Am I a believer under God’s New Edict where sin and death have been taken care of?
If so, what must I do to be alert; submit to God resisting the devil; not love the world; and not give in to my flesh?
Regarding my physical enemies:
Who is persecuting me?
Do I love them? Am I praying for them?
Or have I been guilty of paying them back for hurting me?
What Did You LEARN
Check Out GODcha’s #5 LEARN Question(s).
#5. Were Mordecai and Esther justified in killing their enemies? What do you learn about the Jews avenging themselves on their enemies? (v11-14)
Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
The king granted the Jews one day to kill anyone who might attack them, v11-12.
A copy of the edict was issued as law and published to all the people in every province so they would be ready for this day, ready to avenge themselves on their enemies, v13.
We Discover:
Avenge means to take vengeance.
We Discover:
God instructed His people not to take vengeance against each other, Lev 19:18.
God will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people, Deut 32:43.
A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; He is avenging and wrathful; He will take vengeance on His adversaries, reserving wrath for His enemies, Nah 1:2.
The souls under the altar in heaven ask the Lord, how long He will refrain from judging and avenging their blood on those who dwell on the earth, Rev 6:10.
We See: Believers are not to take vengeance into their own hands. But rather, we are to leave vengeance up to God.
THINK and REASON:
Is this new edict God’s hand working behind the scenes to do exactly what His Word says to take vengeance on His adversaries?
Is this new edict God’s hand working behind the scenes to finally fulfill His promise to blot out the Amalekites, the Jew’s enemies?
We LEARN:
The Jews were given time to be ready to avenge themselves on their enemies, v13.
We Discover:
Like the Jews, God’s people who had enemies, we believers who are God’s children have enemies too!
Believers do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the power, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places, Eph 6:12.
Understand: There is a lot more going on than what we can see, but God sees it all and controls it all.
Believer’s Spiritual Enemies:
1) The devil – who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, 1Pe 5:8.
– When we submit to God in obedience, then we are actually resisting the devil, and he must flee, Jam 4:7.
– Thus, we are to be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might and stand firm against the devil’s schemes by putting on the full armor of God, Eph 6:10-18.
2) The world – we are commanded not to love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever, 1Jo 2:15-17.
– If we are friends with the world, we are an enemy of God, Jam 4:4.
– Jesus has overcome the world, Joh16:33.
3) The flesh – if we live according to the flesh we must die, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body, we will live, Rom 8:13.
– The deeds of the flesh are evident: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which we have been warned that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God, Gal 5:19-21.
– Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, Gal 5:24.
– We are to make no provision for the flesh, Rom 13:14.
– We now are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul, 1Pe 2:11.
– We do not carry out the desire of the flesh. The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please because you are led by the Spirit,
We Discover:
Regarding Believer’s Physical enemies:
– We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, Mat 5:44.
– We are never to retaliate and pay back evil for evil to anyone.
– Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
– Be at peace with all men as much as possible.
– Never take your own revenge, leave that to God.
– But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.
– Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Rom 12:17-21.
It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?
Take all you have discovered in the last few days and wrap your arms around the difference between defending one’s self and leaving vengeance to God.
Perhaps:
– Self Defense means to protect one’s life – myself, my family, others, and or property when others come to do harm.
– Avenge means to take vengeance which means to take revenge after someone has done something harmful. This is to be left to God.
Just sit and talk to the Lord about all you are learning.
We LEARN:
The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king’s command, went out, riding on the royal steeds: and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa, v14.
“If only the church today were like those secretaries and couriers! How we need to tell the peoples of the world in their own languages the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ! The King has commanded us, and we must go, but for some reason we linger. If a group of pagan scribes and messengers, without modern means of transportation and communication, could take Mordecai’s decree to an entire empire, how much more should Christian workers be able to take Christ’s Gospel to a lost world!” Warren Wiersbe
What might the Spirit be saying to you?
LISTEN
Check Out GODcha’s #5 LIVE Question(s)
#5. If I am living under God’s new edict I have spiritual and physical enemies.
a. What am I doing to resist the world system, the devil and my flesh?
b. How am I praying for those who persecute me?
Don’t Forget
Respond to God, LIVE It Out!
Don’t you love hearing God speak to you from His Word? He has been longing to show us all these incredible Truths and have a conversation with you and me.
Maybe journal your conversations with God. You will be so glad you did.
That’s It For Now!
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord,” (Col 3:16).
Reflect on what you have LEARNED about the Jews given the right to kill those who wanted to murder them.
Meditate on what you have LEARNED about self-defense.
Talk to God about how you are to live in the light of these Truths.
Log Your Discovery 
Take a minute to put the Definitions and Cross References not only in your Notes, but also in your hardbound Bibles.
Don’t forget to mark your Bibles with your Summary.
Let’s Bow Before the Father
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, we are so grateful for what You have done for us, and that sin and death have been conquered for us forever. And that You Holy Spirit are here with us helping us to be alert to our enemies – the devil, the world, and the flesh giving us everything we need to battle these 3 that oppose us.
May we continually be submissive to You Lord, realizing our greatest weapon is our obedience to You, which enables us to put on Your full armor to stand firm against the devil’s schemes, who must flee from us. Help us not to be enticed and tempted by the world and its ways, and/or our flesh. Please help us to abstain from our fleshly lusts which wage war against our souls. May we be sensitive to walk by You Holy Spirit so we will not carry out the deeds of our flesh. May we not react in our flesh against our physical enemies, but rather help us to love our enemies as You have commanded and to pray according to Your will for those who persecute us. May we not fall into the temptation to retaliate or pay back evil for evil, but instead may we be moved to overcome evil with good. Oh, we do so love You Father God and ask these things in Your precious Son’s name, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
We love you and want to encourage you to keep pressing forward!
Next: Finish LOOKING @ Esther Chapter 8:15-17.
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