Week 1 DAY 3 and 4
Today
We will:
- LOOK at Esther 6:1-9.
- 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.
Open GODcha to the Book of Esther
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NOTE:
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Let’s Begin With Prayer
And Continue With an Attitude of Prayer
Perhaps. . .
Oh Lord, we thank you for Your Holy Word, that is a sure Word of absolute Truth, preserved throughout the ages for us to grow in our knowledge of You and to be changed to be more like Christ. May we see You and how You work. Create in us fresh wonder about You as we become more and more aware of Your Sovereign hand that works behind the scenes. May we also, look at those in this drama and then be willing to examine ourselves. Give us the understanding we need to be changed and live in the light of what You show us. 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.
We Need To Consider CONTEXT
CONTEXT is the setting that Rules Interpretation.
What happened in Ch 6:1-3?
The very night that Haman is having the gallows made to hang Mordecai, the Lord withholds the king’s sleep.
As a result, the book of records is brought to him and is turned to the specific page that records Mordecai saving the king.
As a result, the king’s heart is concerned about honoring Mordecai.
Let’s see what happens.
LOOK
READ Esther 6:1-9.
As you read, ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.
This is a skill that just takes practice.
Let’s Take Another Small Bite – Unfold Verses 4-9.
The king has been up all night, and back in verse 3, the king asks what honor had been bestowed on Mordecai.
- Who comes on the scene? Why has he entered the court?
- What is the conversation that takes place?
Remember to:
Reflect on the events that demonstrate God’s hidden hand.
Isn’t it ironic that Haman, who came to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai, arrives at the exact time that the king is planning to honor Mordecai?
There is no such thing as a coincidence. God is working out His perfect plan!
What is Key?
What caught your eye?
Did you notice ‘honor’?
‘Honor‘ is repeated 6x in this paragraph, 7x in the chapter. It might do us well to know what God means when He uses this word.
HONOR: yeqār A masculine noun indicating splendor, costliness, dignity, value. It indicates great value attached to something: lips that speak wisdom are more valuable than gold or jewels (Prov. 20:15). A monetary value can be called expensive or splendid (Zech. 11:13). The costly luxuries of a royal palace shows its splendor (Esth. 1:4). In a figurative sense, the word refers to deference or respect, honor given to a person (Esth. 1:20; 6:3, 6, 7, 11). An attitude of respect and appreciation can be shown to a people in general, i.e., the Jews (Esth. 8:16). It refers to the valuables of a city in a collective sense, all of them together (Jer. 20:5; Ezek. 22:25).
Check out the Cross References (aka CR) about ‘honor’.1Ch 29:12
1Sa 2:30
Pro 15:33
Pro 21:21; 22:4
Are you LISTENING?
Am I honorable?
Am I humble?
What proves that I fear the LORD?
What are the ways I honor the LORD?
Chat With God!
You should be getting the hang of this. Let that conversation begin, this is how communion takes place with your Creator!
Great!
READ Esther 6:4-9 again.
What Else Might be Key?
What about Haman who just entered the court?
Didn’t he want to kill Mordecai simply because Mordecai refused to bow and ‘honor’ him?
What did the king ask him?
What did he immediately think?
How did he answer the king?
Let’s Check out the Cross References (aka CR) about Haman.
Do you remember Est 5:11 when Haman recounted how the king had magnified him?
What did we learn about pride?
To sum it up: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble, Jam 4:6?
You might want to stop – see what humble and humility mean.
Let’s chew on the example we have of Haman who is proud and Mordecai who is humble.
Pro 11:8
Pro 18:12
Pro 29:23
LISTEN To the Spirit
Which side of the comma am I on? (Warren Wiersbe)
Mat 23:12
LISTEN To the Spirit
How has the Lord had to humble me?
THINK and REASON:
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the self-centered, arrogance in Haman or others for that matter. Aren’t we quick to point the finger? But what about seeing ourselves.
We all battle pride. And if we say we are not prideful, then that in itself reveals we are indeed prideful.
“No one can ever say they’re humble. All they could say is that they’re a proud person pursuing humility by the grace of God.” C. J. Mahaney
“Pride is the beginning of sin. And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this is undue exaltation – when the soul abandons Him to whom it ought to cleave as its end, and becomes a kind of end to itself.” Augustine
Now we could pass over this, but I think we should camp out here for just a bit.
THINK: Of all the different ways we can be proud.
As we LOOK at Haman, we can LEARN from his negative example.
1. Do you not just want to succeed, but you want to be at the top, exalted, and powerful? You should have received that promotion, you’re better than so and so, and the list goes on.
But we are not to exalt ourselves, or think more highly of ourselves, Mat 23:12; Rom 12:3.
2. Do you want the glory, the recognition, the accolades?
But God is to get the glory. 1Co 10:31; Mat 5:16.
3. Is life all about you – ‘me’, ‘me’, ‘me’?
But it’s to be about God and others. We are to love God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves. We are to die to self, and put others 1st, Mat 22:37-39; Luk 9:23; Phil 2:3-5.
4. Are you a liar? Do you have a problem admitting your mistakes and failures?
But we are commanded not to lie. We are, to be honest, and truthful, Pro 6:16-19; Pro 19:9; Eph 4:25.
5. Are you critical and judgmental?
But who made us the judge of others – God is the Judge, Jam 4:11-12.
6. Do you think you are superior to others? Do you call people names; put them down? Are you disrespectful?
But we are not to be haughty and think more highly of ourselves. We are to build each other up, Rom 12:16; Mat 5:21-22; 1Th 5:11.
7. Do you have a hard time admitting you’re wrong?
But we are to be quick to confess and repent, Pro 28:13; 1Jo 1:9.
8. Do you have a lot of friction with people?
But we are to be peacemakers, forgiving others, Mat 5:9; Rom 12:17-21; Col 3:13.
9. Do you have an attitude of entitlement, always fighting for your rights?
But we in Christ have died to all our rights. We are to be grateful, thankful, 1Th 5:16-18.
THINK and REASON
If you don’t know where you are spiritually, compare yourself to Jesus, this will keep you humble.
God wants us humble and will do anything and everything, whatever it takes to make us humble. We have no reason to be proud.
THINK of all the adjectives that describe these 2 men.
LISTEN To the Spirit
Am I proud, self-centered, self-serving, and/or dishonest?
Or am I humble, truthful, and honorable?
What Did You LEARN
If you need help
Check Out GODcha’s #10, 11, 12 LEARN Question(s)
#10. Who arrives on the scene right after the king’s discovery of Mordecai? Why is he there? Again, do you see God’s hand working? (v4-5)
#11. What does the king ask Haman? Who does Haman think this honor is for? (v6)
#12. What does Haman recommend? What does it reveal about his heart? (v7-9)
Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
Haman arrives on the scene to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai at the very same time the king is planning to honor Mordecai.
We SEE: God’s hand working.
We Discover:
Honor comes from God, 1Ch 29:12.
God honors those who honor Him, and those who despise Him will be lightly esteemed, 1Sa 2:30.
The fear of the Lord and humility are the road to honor, Pro 15:33.
The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life, Pro 22:4.
The result of pursuing righteousness and loyalty is life, righteousness, and honor, Pro 21:21.
We LEARN:
The king asks Haman what he would do for a man that the king would want to honor.
And of course, Haman immediately thinks the king is referring to him.
So Haman answers wanting everything the king has: a royal robe; parade the honoree around the city square; high on the king’s horse so everyone can see him.
We SEE: The arrogance.
We Discover:
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble, Jam 4:6.
Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; they will not go unpunished, Pro 16:5.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling, Pro 16:18.
The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place, Pro 11:8.
Destruction is for the haughty, But humility goes before honor, Pro 18:12.
A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor, Pro 29:23.
LISTEN to God Speak
And LIVE it out!
Check out the #10, 11, 12 LIVE Questions.
#10. Who has arrived on the scene of my life today? Is it just by chance? How does this encourage me to see there are no chance happenings?
#11. Do I live in a world that is all about ‘me’? Are my thoughts and conversations ‘me’, ‘me’, ‘me’, and ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’? Why am I so self-centered?
#12. Would I have responded like Haman?
a. Do I long for honor, attention, and the applause of man? Why?
b. Or, do I long to honor and glorify the Lord? Why?
Respond to God. . .
LIVE it Out!
Don’t skip this time that can be so precious. God loves us and wants us to talk to Him, and promises to hear. Jesus said, “come”…! We have such an awesome privilege because Jesus died for us. If we have bowed the knee and surrendered our lives to Jesus, we have access to God and can converse with God, the creator of the universe, our loving Father!
We Are Done For the Day!
Reflect on all God is teaching you about honor; and pride vs. humility.
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 showing you about His Providence. Get it down deep that God is always, always working!
Chat with God about all of it!
Have that constant, conscience, communion with God all day today!
Remember:
NOTE Your Discovery!
You’ll be glad you did!
Video Tutorial> Notes Tutorial >
Take the time to journal your discovery.
And if you can, jot some notes in your hardbound Bibles. You will be so glad you did.
Also, enter the personal things God has touched you with.
Let’s Bow Before the Father
OH HEAVENLY FATHER, KING OVER ALL THE EARTH, we bow before You and thank you for this book of Esther. Thank you for all the practical Truths You are teaching us. Oh Father, help us to understand how opposed You are to the proud. And that You only give grace to the humble. Oh, Father, we see and now know the reality of the struggle we all have with pride. Help us not to be like the Haman’s of this world, who live for what the world values and offers, wanting the riches and power of this world and the applause of men. Oh, may we truly live for You, and be concerned of the applause You will give us.
Please show us the areas where we are prideful. We ask that you do whatever it takes to purge us, cleanse us, purify us through Your Holy Word, and Your providential hand in our lives to humble us. May we understand as we see Mordecai, that the trials You bring are to chisel us and mold us to be more like You sweet Jesus, and draw us closer to You! They come to keep us from exalting ourselves like Haman. Oh please help us to keep these important Truths ever before us Father God.
It takes humility to acknowledge our pride, and too, our need for You. It takes humility to believe and surrender to You. May our lives not be about ‘me’, or ‘I,’ but only about You. Oh Lord, help us to live our lives humbly before You so we will truly honor You in all we say and do. We ask these things in Jesus’ Name! Amen!
You did great! You are learning the Inductive Method of Study!
Do you see how much time you spend LOOKING?
It is so easy! And all at your fingertips!
Next: We’ll look at the next paragraph, Esther 6:10-14.
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