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Jun 14, 2007

Esther

Today I begin my study on the Book of Esther. The 2nd book in the Bible to be named after a woman, the other one being Ruth(one of my favourite books in the Bible).

Did you know that "God" is not at all mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther, yet in the way matters proceed in this book, you can clearly see God's hand at work in the lives of the people mentioned in this book.

The book tells us about a woman named Esther, she had lost her parents and was now living with an elderly cousin, Mordecai, who had adopted her to be his daughter. If you read the whole book you will find something special about this woman and how God used her mightily.

Lessons from an Overview of the book of Esther
About Esther
  1. A very beautiful woman (Est 2:7)

  2. Very obedient to Mordecai (Est 2:20)

  3. Respectful and obedient towards her authority (Est 2:15)

  4. Found favor with everyone she was with the authorities and the king himself

About God

There is one lesson that just leaped out at me when I read the Book of Esther in its entirety. When Esther competes in the so called beauty pageant for king Artaxerxes, it would have seemed just like something nice for her to do with her life and get somewhere for her well being and have a good life. Remember this is not her country. Then later on circumstances change for her people, the Jews, and God guides her through Mordecai as we see in Esther 4:12-13

"12 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

That one brilliant lesson I learnt from Esther about our Living God is this: God is ready and prepared for our circumstances even before they ever happen. He is not surprised, but people are already placed in key positions for His plan of deliverance for our lives at any given circumstance in our lives. Remember Moses was being trained in the house of the Pharoah even before the Israelites groaned for help to God. Jesus already paid the price for our sins even before we were conceived. God never leaves His people no matter what they are going through, He has thought out the whole plan of salvation, deliverance and freedom from all bondage and oppression of His people, beforehand, before they ever reach that point in life. He knows the end from the beginning.(Isaiah 46:10)

Conclusion:Esther might have thought it was for her to be queen and live happily ever after, but it was more than that, it was to change a decree made by the enemy to destroy God's chosen people(the Jews). So also for us who believe in our Living Lord Jesus Christ and those who have listened to His voice and accepted His sacrifice for their lives and obey His commandments, God is never runs out of His plan for us. He knows, He cares and He is prepared for all the situations in our lives even before they occur.

2 comments :

audrey` said...

Esther... a very beautiful name =)

Melanie said...

I too am on the CWO blog list. Today I just hit random and found your blog.

It's beautiful! The design is beautiful and the thoughts and words are beautiful too. Thank you. I’ve marked it as a favorite to read.

I was especially touched by your paragraph "That one brilliant lesson I learnt from Esther about our Living God is this" in your Esther post. I know these things already, but today I needed to read this and be reminded of the truth. I will wear this truth as my helmet today!

I have two blogs - one is mostly about my art called "The Creators Palette", but my art is closely knit with my personal and spiritual life so I attempt to show that in my blog. The other is a more personal Blog called "Melanie's Journey". Here I try to keep my friends and family updated on my health journey, along with sharing my deeper personal and spiritual thoughts.

I too am a follower of Christ. I hope you might come visit my blogs sometime - if you want.

But... while I'm thinking about it... I have been "tagged" on "The Creators Palette" blog. And I need to tag one more person.

Your blog is a very serious one, but maybe you would enjoy sharing a little about yourself with your readers through this idea. So ...

YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED!

There's no pressure and if you don't want to do it - no problem. But here's the description I was sent from a wonderful Christian sister:

Here's the scoopidy-doopidy: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write in their blogs 7 things that are a habit, unusual or that no-one else knows, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

So your name and link will be posted on ‘The Creators Palette” Blog.

Thank you for sharing God’s heart with me today. I needed this encouragement as I sit here in the hospital with everything seeming to go wrong…. “God is ready and prepared for our circumstances even before they ever happen.”… “He cares and He is prepared for all the situations in our lives even before they occur.”

In His Love,
Melanie