Week 2 DAY 5
Our journey has us almost to the close of Esther Chapter 2.
Again with a two-fold objective. We want to:
1. LOOK at the truths in Esther to answer the LEARN and LIVE questions.
Let’s Pray
O LORD, we come today earnestly seeking You. We do thirst and yearn for You in this dry and weary land, (Psa 63:1). Give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your Word today. Help us understand what You are saying and why. May we live according to Your Word. Thank you.
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 is the setting that Rules Interpretation.
Consider what we have seen so far in Chapter 2.
Mordecai and Esther it seems are living lives of compromise, and we are witnessing the consequences to their compromised lives.
And we ended with it being Esther’s turn to go in to the king.
Today: Esther Becomes Queen
Now Let’s LOOK at What God Says 
Begin LOOKING By READING
READ Esther 2:17-20, asking the who, what, where, when, why and how questions.
What happens?
Remember:
Reflect on the events that demonstrate God’s hidden hand.
LOOK
Let’s Unpack Verse 17
READ Esther 2:17-20. Yes, again.
There is no substitute for reading and re-reading.
Try reading aloud.
Hearing repeated readings will help store the Word in your memory.
Focus On verse 17.
How did the king respond to Esther?
This Would be Key
TIP: The LEARN and LIVE Questions in GODcha are designed to help you see what is key.
Esther went in, came out, and the king says, ‘This is my favorite’.
The king loved Esther more than all the women.
Are you curious about ‘loved‘ Esther? I am.
I’m just not convinced after one night.
Let’s Check out the Meaning of Love
You should know how to do this by now.
Tap on the words in your Bible.
Do you see the definitions pop open?
LOVED, āhab; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise): like, friend.
DON’T STOP THERE!
NOTE: Take what you have learned back to the text, to see what it means in its CONTEXT.
TIP: I would encourage you to note these in your hardbound Bibles.
Check Out Some Cross References About Love
Remember: As you read the CR, keep asking the 5W’s and H questions.
1. What do you learn about love?
2Sa 13
There is so much here. But for our understanding in Esther, did you catch Ammon couldn’t do anything ‘to’ her because she was a virgin?
What was his love really all about?
LISTEN to the Spirit
The Personal Question(s) Might Be:
Am I like this king, and Ammon, wanting nothing more than to sleep with someone?
Have I been the object of someone’s pleasure, experiencing what Tamar endured?
2. Now, compare to how God says a man is to love a woman?
Eph 5:25
LISTEN to the Spirit
The Personal Question(s) Might Be:
If a husband, do I love my wife as Christ loved the church, sacrificially?
So. . .
How does it appear that this king loved Esther?
Moving right along. . .
3. Ultimately, what does God say to help us understand why the king chose Esther?
Pro 21:1
LISTEN to the Spirit
No matter who, king or not, do I trust that the LORD rules over hearts to direct them to do His will?
Do I see how God’s hand is working in my life?
Great, now. . .
Take Another Peek
At Verse 17
What Else Would be Key?
Esther found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins.
We see ‘found favor‘ again, which we also saw in Est 2:9 and Est 2:15.
Note: This whole ordeal centered around finding a young woman who is ‘beautiful‘. And remember it is God who made her so exquisite.
THINK and REASON
Verse 7 tells us she is ‘beautiful‘ in form and face, and then we see she pleased Hegai and found favor with him.
Verse 15 tells us she found favor in the eyes of all who ‘saw‘ her. Indicating that her ‘beauty‘ is what the people ‘saw‘ playing a part in Esther finding favor.
And now in verse 17 Esther found favor with the king who wanted a ‘beautiful‘ woman.
We SEE: The choosing of this woman was based on her ‘beauty‘. Is it any different today?
Life does seem to favor those who are attractive with outstanding abilities, talents and gifts.
BUT THINK a bit more:
Do we fail to see Who opens the door to that favor with others?
Why did God grant Esther favor? Why does He grant you favor?
Understand: God granted Esther favor, because He chose to, placing her in the palace for His kingdom purposes.
LISTEN to the Spirit
How has God granted me favor with others?
Where has He placed me for His kingdom purposes?
Okay. . .
One Last LOOK
At Verse 17
What Else Would Be Key?
The king made Esther queen instead of Vashti.
She won!
Check Out Some Cross References About Esther Becoming Queen
Remember: God uses Truth to Explain Truth
We see Esther the Jew, becoming the queen of a Gentile king and nation. Despite being disobedient to God’s command not to intermarry, Deut 7:1-4, what do you learn about Esther becoming queen instead of Vashti?
Psa 75:6-7
1Sa 2:7-8
Luk 1:52
LISTEN to the Spirit
Do I understand and believe it is God, the Judge, who ultimately brings low and exalts?
Do I believe God has a purpose and plan for me, and no one can thwart it?
Let’s LOOK
At Verses 18 – 20
READ Esther 2:17-20. Yes, again.
What does the king do?
This Would Be Key
This king loves to throw parties.
Do you remember what banquet means? If not, check it out.
What Else Might Be Key?
When the virgins were gathered a second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
Why?
Let’s Check Out Some Cross References About the King’s Gate
What might this indicate?
Dan 2:49
Is There Anything Else That Is Key?
What about Esther? What did she do, or not do?
Check Out Some Cross References
What do you learn about Esther when it comes to doing what Mordecai told her?
Exo 20:12
Eph 6:1
LISTEN to the Spirit
Do I obey my parents giving them the honor and respect they are due? If not, why not?
Lev 19:32
LISTEN to the Spirit
Do I revere God by being respectful of older people?
Job 12:12
LISTEN to the Spirit
Do I acknowledge that there are some older people who have more wisdom and understanding than me?
Joh 14:15
Mat 7:21-23
LISTEN to the Spirit
Am I willing to obey the Lord’s commands, or am I practicing lawlessness?
What Did You LEARN
Check Out GODcha’s #18 LEARN Question(s)
#18. How did the Gentile king respond to Esther, the Jew? What did he do?
a. Where was Mordecai?
b. What had Esther still not made known? Why?
c. Think: Did Esther rise to be Queen through obedience to God, or through disobedience? (v17-20)
SUM It Up!
We LEARN:
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
In Our Discovery:
We are not sure if this is the love a husband has as Christ’s sacrificial love for the church, or just the kind of love Ammon had for his sister Tamar who just wanted to sleep with her.
Either way, we know the Lord can turn the king’s heart to wherever He pleases, thus he turned this king’s heart to choose Esther.
And it is the Lord who exalts, thus exalting Esther to be queen.
We see God’s hand working to accomplish His will!
We LEARN:
This king loves parties! 4 yrs without a queen, and now there is one, and he wants everyone to meet her. We see he gave another great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and servants; and made a holiday for the provinces, giving gifts according to his bounty.
Hmm, and the virgins were gathered for a 2nd time.
Why would virgins be gathered for a 2nd time?
Is this round 2 of the same thing to satisfy this king?
We don’t know.
When they were gathered, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
We Discover:
Sitting at the gate indicates an important position, probably an official government position. As we saw with Daniel, Mordecai is perhaps holding some kind of position in the king’s government.
Scholars say:
We LEARN:
Esther still doesn’t make known her kindred or people, still doing what Mordecai had commanded her, as she had done when under his care.
At this point nobody knows she is Jewish.
We Discover:
Esther is being obedient to the Lord, by honoring and respecting Mordecai who is older and wiser.
We might need to review what we discovered in Esther 2:10.
Remember:
Ezra revealed to us that there was a persecution against the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that persisted up to the beginning of the reign of King Ahauserus.
Jesus told us to be shrewd as serpents and gentle as doves in Matthew.
So Mordecai may have given this instruction because of the attitude and actions at that time towards the Jews. Being shrewd and gentle waiting for the opportune time to reveal it. And we see Esther is respectful to listen, and wise enough to obey her father’s instruction.
THINK:
There were perhaps 50 million people in this great Empire, so perhaps half are women.
Then that number had to be narrowed down to all the beautiful, young virgins.
And that had to be narrowed down to 1 orphan Jewish girl.
Do you see God’s hand working?
LISTEN
Perhaps God Is Asking You
Check Out GODcha’s #18 LIVE Question(s)
18. When and why have I been granted favor?
a. It is inferred that Esther is now married to this Gentile king, as she has been crowned queen. Have I married an unbeliever? What have been the consequences?
b. What have I done to rise to my position? Has it been through obedience to God, or disobedience?
Before we close today, I would ask that you THINK a bit more.
As we see the story of Mordecai and Esther, I would ask, how many of you, this is your story? Aren’t we all like Mordecai and Esther at some point in our lives?
I grew up in the church, knowing ‘about‘ God, but I didn’t really ‘know’ God. My parents brought me up in the church, and we went faithfully every Sunday. But, I didn’t love God as I should, and I certainly wasn’t living for Him, I was living for myself. I might read my Bible on occasion, but when I did I couldn’t understand it, and what I did understand I didn’t want to obey. And when I prayed it was usually when I was in trouble, or wanted and needed something. But, if someone would have asked me if I was a Christian, of course I would have answered a resounding ‘yes’. But I definitely was not in a living relationship with the Lord, growing or changing.
Oh, but praise be to God who was working behind the scenes, wooing and drawing me to Himself. I went from religion to an easy believism, asking Jesus into my heart, which by the way, Jesus never says to do. He calls us to repent and believe. And in that easy believism there was no repentance because I didn’t think I was a sinner, I actually thought God was lucky to have me on His team. But, in His mercy, despite my pride, one day He grabbed my heart, helping me to understand and see that I was bad and He was good, moving me to confess and repent, thus He granted me favor, and by His grace, thru faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ I was saved, and my life has never been the same!
Oh I want you to be encouraged! No matter what you have done, God is there. Even if you are not walking with Him, He is there! God has nothing but sinners to work with, and takes rebellious, messed up, disobedient people and grants us favor, gives us grace. That’s the GOOD NEWS! No matter your situation today, look at Esther. God didn’t take her out of her tough spot, or around it, no, He took her through it, and He will do the same for you! There is hope!
Don’t Forget
Respond to Him. . . LIVE it out!
Remember: We Don’t Just LISTEN,
We Speak to God!
God, your Creator is waiting for you to draw near and talk to Him. And He will draw near to you.
Let’s Call It A Day!
Reflect on what you must know about God and yourself.
God wants you to “consider what He is saying and let Him give you understanding in everything,” (2Ti 2:7).
Meditate on all God is teaching you.
Let His Truth set you free and comfort you, bringing encouragement and security to you today!
“Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD,” (Psalm 104:34).
Record Your Discovery in Your Notes
Video Tutorial > Notes Tutorial>
As we bring this day to a close, journal your discovery and communion with the Lord in your Notes — save them forever!
Did you have questions?
Put them in your Notes.
Ask God to answer them.
He will!
Let’s Close in Prayer
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, we truly are blessed to have You right here with us to lead us and teach us all Truth through Your Holy Word by the power of Your Spirit. Thank you so much for all you have shown us. Oh I pray You will help us soak it all in, and cement everything we have looked at down deep into our hearts and minds so that You can bring it to our recall often.
Oh Father, we all have been Mordecai’s and Esther’s, compromising by embracing the world. Oh, may we understand that compromise and disobedience such as we have seen today will always bring bitter fruit. Help us not to be swept up by the world. May our time with You, hearing You speak to us, cause us to end our compromise today! Oh You will indeed forgive us when we repent, but may we understand we will reap what we sow – there are consequences for our choices. And may we be hopeful, ever so hopeful, as we will see, You still used Mordecai and Esther, thus You can and will use us. Oh may we be encouraged in the midst of our failures. Bring light into our darkness today. Again I ask that Your Holy Word renew our minds and transform us. In Jesus name, we ask these things. Amen!
Next: we will finish our journey in Segment 1, digging into the last paragraph of Esther Chapter 2.
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