Thoroughly Equipped: More Than Conquerors

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Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible Uncategorized
Thoroughly Equipped: More Than Conquerors

Today’s reading includes Isaiah 1:1-2:22, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18, Psalm 52:1-9, Proverbs 22:26-27.  I am so excited about moving into the book of Isaiah.  It is one of my most favorite of the whole Bible.  There are many prophesies found in the book of Isaiah regarding the coming Messiah, and all of them were fulfilled in Jesus.  But before we dive into the book of the prophet Isaiah, let’s look back at the very first prophesy of the coming Messiah.  Remember, it is found all the way back in the book of Genesis.

 

So the Lord God said to the serpent [Satan, who had tricked Eve], ‘Because you have done this, ‘Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  [Here comes the first prophesy!]  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Eve’s future offspring, Jesus!] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’”                                            

                                                                      (Genesis 3: 14; author emphasis added)

You see, Jesus would use His anointed feet to spiritually stomp Satan’s headship, forever giving victory to all who believe!

 

Yesterday we talked about the “little foxes” that Satan sends into our spiritual vineyard to destroy our spiritual fruit.  I didn’t want to leave you hanging with the spiritual truth of the schemes of the devil, without equipping you with the spiritual truth of your authority in Christ over the schemes of the devil.  We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us.  (Romans 8:37)  And scripture is filled with weapons of warfare at our beck and call.  Consider the following truths as you trust in Christ to stomp the head of the enemy of your soul.

We must know our enemy to defeat our enemy.  What do we learn in scripture about Satan?

  1. Once was an angel of light, but now the prince of darkness.

Therefore, he knows the language and the make-up of the life of a believer.  I know the language of being a teacher, even though I am no longer a classroom teacher.  Satan knows and he will use that knowledge against us.

 

“14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

                                                            2 Corinthians 11:14

 

How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
    to the depths of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

 

  1. He believes in Jesus (and trembles). He may even recognize Jesus more readily than we do.  James 2:19 says,

“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”

  1. One day Satan WILL BOW to the name of Jesus. In fact, he must bow now, only we don’t usually understand that, and therefore don’t walk in the power we have.

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

  1. He hates the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.

11 They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.

Revelation 12:11

  1. We have authority because Jesus lives in us. All authority.

Mark 3:14-16 says,

14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 

  1. He knows scripture and will try to use it against us—only distortedly.

I use to love to watch Little House on the Prairie.  Do you remember that episode where Ma cut her leg and it got infected?  She was all alone, burning up with fever, reading her Bible.  She read the verse “if your right hand offends you cut it off…”  And so, in the episode, she took a sharp knife, determined to cut her leg.  Thankfully, they cut to a commercial instead!  Even as a child I knew that was scripture being distorted.  I wanted to scream at the television, “Don’t do it, Ma!  That’s not what it means!”  Satan will try to distort scripture.  That is why it is important to read the whole Bible, not just a few selected verses.  Satan even tried this trick on Jesus.

Matthew 4: 1-11 says,

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

  1. We have been given tools to combat Satan. And we need to use them.

This may be the most important point.  And with it being the 7th, the number of completion, I will leave you with these final truths.  What are these tools?

  • Repentance
  • Praise
  • Surrender
  • Name of Jesus
  • Pleading the blood of Jesus
  • Word of our testimony
  • Speaking out/praying/ laying claim to God’s Word, the Sword of the Spirit
  • The armor of God
  • Believing in Him, who is He, and what He has done. Believing what He will do.

Blessings to you, my friends!  May we all be the conquerors that God designed us to be.

Thoroughly Equipped: Authority to Tread

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Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible
Thoroughly Equipped: Authority to Tread

Today’s reading is Song of Songs 5:1-8:14, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 22:24-25.

One verse from yesterday’s reading cannot be overlooked for it shouts great truth that will help us in our daily lives.

“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.”

                                                            Song of Songs 2:15

Let’s think about this in relation to a fruitful spiritual life.  If we are abiding in and growing in our relationship with Christ, we will bear spiritual fruit.  John 15:16 says, “16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”  God chose us to become sons of God that we may bear fruit.  What is spiritual fruit?  The answer can be found at the very beginning of the Bible.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.

                                                     Genesis 1:11-12

From the very beginning of time, God set up the natural and spiritual order of things.  In the natural, plants bear fruit with seed in it.  The seed in the fruit is used to reproduce itself.  And so the process reoccurs over and over.  In the same way, God established spiritual fruit bearing at the beginning of time.

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…

                                                Genesis 1:28

Yes, this, too, is a natural process, in that human beings were to produce more human beings; but it was also spiritual reproduction, because humans were the only creation which was made in the image of God.  We are the Image bearers, and as we bear and display the image of God, we produce spiritual fruit—fruit that will last for all eternity.  But a word of caution about our fruit-bearing ability is found in John 15.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit [c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither canyou unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [d]prove to be My disciples.

                                                      John 15:1-8

We cannot bear spiritual fruit about from Christ.  We must stay connected to Him to bear spiritual fruit.  And the enemy of our soul does not want this to happen—which leads us back to the assigned reading today:

“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.”

                                                            Song of Songs 2:15

If you have traveled far with Jesus, you will know that just as we begin to bear fruit, the enemy tries to thwart our efforts or spoil our fruit.  Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but sometimes he masquerades as a little fox.  Sometimes our spiritual fruit is eaten up and spoiled by the little foxes which need to be caught and dispelled from our spiritual vineyard.

What are the little foxes in your life?  You know, those small irritations or inconveniences which thwart our fruitfulness?  Often there is a pattern which occurs over and over.  Satan is not very smart.  He often uses the same old tricks to derail us.  And we keep falling for it over and over because we don’t recognize it a “little fox in our vineyard”.

When do the little foxes most often come?  Satan knows our weakness.  He knows our fears, our scars, our unhealed traumas.  He knows what will really stop us in our tracks.  He knows when we are tired or bitter or when we have our guard down.

Why do the little foxes come?  The enemy sends the little foxes in our life so that we will be hindered in our command to be fruitful and multiply.  He cannot do anything about our salvation, for we are the children of God, bought with the price of the blood of Jesus, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.  But he can try to prevent us from reproducing the seed of faith in other people.

One thing about the little foxes, though.  We are bigger, we are stronger, and they are really more scared of us than we are of them.  We just need to catch them.  They are sly.  They are sneaky.  But once we recognize them, we can bind them up with the authority that Christ has given us.

No weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

Isaiah 54:17

17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:17-18

19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Luke 10:19

Yep, and even authority over the little foxes in the vineyard.

Thoroughly Equipped: Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley

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Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible
Thoroughly Equipped: Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley

Today’s reading is Song of Songs 1:1-4:16, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, Psalm 50:1-23, Proverbs 22:22-23.

Solomon, inspired by God, wrote this passage, and though we call it a “book” of the Bible, it is actually written as a song; and therefore it is often called Song of Solomon.  But according to 1 Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote many songs.

He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.

                                                                                    1 Kings 4:32

Other translations refer to this book of the Bible as Song of Songs.  This title comes from the very first verse in the book:

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

                                                            Song of Solomon 1:1

The words of the first verse set the tone for what is to come.  These words are superlative words.  Given that Solomon wrote 1,005 other songs, this verse tells us that this is the best song of all of Solomon’s songs.  I have always referred to this book of the Bible as Song of Solomon, but the translation I am reading right now refers to it as Song of Songs, and I like that.  I like that it is Solomon’s best.  Study tells us that it was written early in his reign, probably around 965 BC.  As you remember, Solomon started out strong and finished weak.  Toward the end of his reign, his heart was divided.  He did not wholeheartedly follow God because his many wives turned him toward their false gods.  But when he wrote Song of Songs, his heart was purer, more devoted to the One true God.

As we begin the book of Song of Songs, there are a couple of ways we can look at these passages.  I read Song of Songs right before I got married.  In it, there were several passages that I could relate to, given the fact that “I found him whom my soul loves” (Song of Songs 3:4)  There are many wonderful human to human relational passages from which we can relate and learn.

Yes, there are many ways we can look at this book as a human love story.  But I believe it is greater than that.  It is the love story of our Savior with us.  He is our true love.  Only His love makes our earthly loves eternal.  Without His love, there is no eternal life and love cannot exist in eternal death.  Many scholars feel that it is a close representation of the love between Christ and His Bride, the church—all of us.

So, as you are reading through Song of Songs in the next couple of days, ask the Father to show you glimpses of the truth of the eternal love given to us by God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Today, one verse stood out to me with a reminder of Jesus, my greatest love.  The Beloved is described in this way:

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.”

                                                                             Song of Songs 2:1

In old hymns we often hear Jesus referred to as the Rose of Sharon, such as in this one by Ida Guirey and Charles Gabriel.

            Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom within my heart;


            Beauties of Thy truth and holiness impart,


            That where’er I go my life may shed abroad


            Fragrance of the knowledge of the love of God.

Why do we refer to Jesus as the Rose of Sharon?  Because of today’s passage in Song of Soloman, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” Actually, commentators disagree as to whether Jesus really referred to Himself with this term, or whether the term was intended to refer to us, the Bride, the Church.  However, for those who see Jesus symbolically as the Rose of Sharon, they are referring to the beauty of His presence, the sweetest of his mercy, and the fragrance of His love. The Rose of Sharon plant that was found along the roads in the Promise land was abundant and accessible.  The rose of Sharon bloomed in the Sharon valley along the ground.  This was not a flower found only in private gardens.  It was found in abundance and was accessible to all.  And so it is with Jesus, who offers us abundant life and is accessible to all who call upon His Name.  Just as a groom may bring roses to his bride to express his love, so Jesus has brought Himself to His Bride, the Church.

For those who see symbolically that the Rose of Sharon was referring to us, should not our lives be a sweet smelling sacrifice?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

                                                      2 Corinthians 2:14-16

William Wilberforce was a leader in the movement to abolish slave trade.  One of his tactics was to take influential people on “tours” of the slave ships.  Once they entered the ship they experienced the “smell of death.”  And the unpleasantness of this made them want to rid themselves of slavery.  My husband Mont says that we as Christians should appeal to the senses of non-Christians.  They should see our good works, they should hear our truth spoken in kindness, they should feel our love, they should “taste and see that the Lord is good” by our friendship, and they should smell the fragrance of Him upon us.  This fragrance should be that of life, causing them to want to break free from their own forms of slavery and end their smell of death.

As we think of roses, we may also think of thorns.  We find from Genesis 3:18 and Numbers 33:55 that in the Holy Land, the ground was cursed with prickly weeds, or thorns.  Often, we become aware of thorns along our path.  These may be “thorns of the flesh” like Paul described in 2Corinthians 12:7-9:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Do you have thorns to deal with right now?  We all will at one point or another in our spiritual journeys.  These can be a constant source of irritation or temptation or pain. And as Paul discovered, when He asked for his “thorn” to be removed, God is enough.  His power is made perfect in our weak, thorny spots.

What are we supposed to do with these thorns?  Turn to Jesus.  He took the curse of thorns on Himself when he allowed the crown of thorns on His holy head.  And when the curse is gone, the healing can begin.

We may also find that those thorns are attached to roses.  I have heard it said:  I can complain that roses have thorns, or I can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.

The latter part of that one verse in Song of Songs says that the Beloved (Jesus) is the lily of the valley.  We don’t often remember the lilies when we are in the deep, dark valleys of life.  But He who promised to never leave us nor forsake us is surely in the valley with us—guiding, helping, sometimes carrying us.  And He will provide lilies in the valley—sweet blessings to refresh us and strengthen us.  Most of all he will give us Himself, the ultimate Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley.  Praise Him today for His faithful love.

Thoroughly Equipped: Hast Thou No Scar?

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Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible
Thoroughly Equipped: Hast Thou No Scar?

Today’s reading is Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18, 2 Corinthians 7:8-16, Psalm 48:1-14, Proverbs 22:17-19.

Well, friends, I skipped commenting on the whole book of Job.  Truth is, I don’t understand it myself.  I can’t answer the hard questions that story evokes.  Why did God allow this?  Job was a good man, a faithful man.  We must not miss the fact that Satan was the one inflicting Job with trials and tragedy, nor can we deny the fact that God allowed it.

7 The Lord said to Satan,[a] “Where have you come from?” Satan[b] answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan,[c] “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” 9 Then Satan[d] answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan,[e] “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan[f] went out from the presence of the Lord.

 Job 1:7

The truth is, sometimes God allows the enemy to attack us.  But we must know that any trial, temptation, or tragedy is filtered through His eternal love.  Though our hardships feel like forever when we are going through their valleys, in the scheme of eternity, they are truly a blip on the screen.  It will not last forever, and that is truth.  And though He allows these difficulties in our lives, He will also deliver us from them, in His perfect time.  A verse in today’s assigned passage is a powerful way to look at the story of Job:

Anyone who is among the living has hope.

                                       Ecclesiastes 9:4 

And for the believer, death is truly does not exist.

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.                   57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

 

And yet, our time of tragedy and trial will leave scars.  I am sure Job had scars on his body and scars on his heart.  But Jesus, who is very familiar with scars, can adequately heal and use the remaining scar to glorify God.  Galatians 6:17 says:

“I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

The marks that Jesus had were scars of sacrifice.  Do we bear His marks, too?  We are called to take up our cross and follow him.  We are called to sacrifice.  But all things of value require sacrifice.  Sometimes following Jesus requires persecution.  In our part of the world, physical persecution is rare.  But painful persecution still exists here too, often in the form of exclusion or lack of understanding.  Following Jesus will cost you– often painfully so.  Your spiritual feet may become weary, swollen, bruised.  If you have followed for a long time, you will most likely have scars, as you endure this imperfect world.  Amy Carmichael, a famous missionary to India, once wrote the following poem.  It is written as if spoken by Jesus.

Hast thou no scar?


No hidden scar on foot, or side or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,


I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star


Hast thou no scar?



 

Hast thou no wound?


Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,


Leaned me against a tree to die; and rent


By ravening beasts that encompassed me, I swooned;


Hast thou no wound?



 

No wound? No scar?


Yet, as the master shall the servant be


And pierced are the feet that follow Me;


But thine are whole: can he have followed far


Who has nor wound nor scar?



 

Amy Carmichael

 

If you have followed Jesus very long or far, you most likely have wounds and scars.  But the truth is, traveling down the road of life without Jesus will cause more serious wounds and scars, wounds and scars without healing and without hope.  So, if we are going to be scarred anyway, shouldn’t we have wounds and scars that count for something?  Shouldn’t we accept those wounds and scars that can be healed by the Great Physician and then used as a beautiful thing for His glory?

Thoroughly Equipped: For Such A Time As This

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Thoroughly Equipped: For Such A Time As This

Today’s reading is Job 1:1-3:26, 1 Corinthians 14:1-17, Psalm 37:12-29, Proverbs 21:25-26.

However, my thoughts are still back in the story of Esther.  Let’s savor that story for just a bit longer.  We will continue to walk through the story as if it were a play.

Scene 8:  Revenge is sweet—for a season.

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was furious.  Having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he began to plan a way to destroy not only Mordecai, but also the entire Jewish race.  He appealed to the pride of King Xerxes, telling them of a group of people in his kingdom who did not follow the customs of the land and who did not follow the king’s laws and that it was not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.  Haman then suggested that a decree be issued to destroy them all.

The king agreed and plans were made for the total destruction of the Jewish people.  When the Jewish people, including Mordecai, found out about the decree there was weeping and mourning throughout the land.  Esther’s maid came to tell her that Mordecai was in great distress; she was very worried about him.  She had not heard the report yet about the planned destruction of the Jews, and she sent someone to find out what was troubling Mordecai.  He sent back a copy of the edict of destruction urging her to go into the king’s presence and beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.  She sent word back reminding him of the law that stated that if anyone approached the king in the inner court without being summoned they would be put to death.  The only exception was if the king were to extend his golden scepter to them and spare their life.  And, Esther informed Mordecai that the king had not sent for her in a full month.  Mordecai sent her back a very powerful reply, saying:

“Don’t think that just because you are the Queen that you will not face destruction, too.  And if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your family will perish.  And who knows, perhaps you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”                     

                                                                                                                  Esther 4:13b, 14

Scene 9:  For such a time as this!

Well, that did it for Esther.  She realized that this could be the greatest purpose of her life.  She sent back her reply saying for Mordecai to gather all of the Jews in the area and they along with Esther and her maids should fast and pray for three days.  Then, she said, “When this fast is over, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

When the three days were over, Esther put on her royal robes and went to the inner court of the king.  He was pleased to see her and extended the golden scepter to her.  Then he asked, “Queen Esther, what is your request?  Whatever it is, it will be given to you, even up to half the kingdom” (Esther 5:3).  Esther wisely waited for the right time to discuss her people’s plight, and instead invited the king and Haman to a banquet that she had prepared for them.  They immediately went to the banquet where the king again asked Esther concerning her request.  She responded that she requested that he and Haman return tomorrow for another banquet, at which time she would answer his question.

Haman went home that night very puffed up about being invited to the queen’s banquets.  On his way home, he saw Mordecai who neither bowed, nor showed fear in his presence.  This infuriated Haman.  He went home and gathered all of his friends and family, bragging to them about being invited to Queen Esther’s banquets.  But, he confessed that this satisfaction was diminished every time he saw Mordecai.  His wife and friends suggested that he have gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it.  This suggestion delighted Haman and he had the gallows built.

Scene 10:  As good as Ambien.

That night, the king could not sleep so he ordered that the book of the annals be brought in and read to him.  It had been recorded there that Mordecai had exposed the assassination plan of the king, thus saving his life.  The king realized that nothing had ever been done to show his appreciation to Mordecai.  Right at that time, Haman came to the outer court to ask the king to give permission to hang Mordecai.  The king called Haman in, but before he could ask the king asked him what should be done for someone who pleased the king.  Thinking proudly that the king was referring to himself, Haman replied that that man should receive one of the king’s royal robes and royal crests and royal horses and be led throughout the city, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor” (Esther 6:6).  The king then commanded Haman to go at once and do for Mordecai just as he had suggested.  So Haman had to lead Mordecai through the streets, announcing that the king delighted in him.  He was mortified, of course, but soon after had to go to Queen Esther’s banquet.

Scene 11:  Vengeance is mine, says the Lord!

At the banquet, the king once again asked Queen Esther what her request was, and vowed that whatever it was it would be granted, up to half the kingdom.  At that time, Esther revealed her request: that he would grant her life, and also spare the lives of her people.  Not knowing that she was of Jewish descent, the king did not know what she was talking about.  He asked, “Who is he?  Who would dare to do such a thing?” (Esther 7:5).  She replied, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman” (Esther 7:6).  The king was enraged, and Haman was terrified.  The king left in a rage to go out into the garden.  Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.  When the king came back into the room, Haman was falling on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining.  The king screamed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” (Esther 7:8).  Haman was immediately taken out and hung on the very gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

Scene 12:  Lest they forget.

That very day, a new edict was signed by the king and sealed with his ring which overruled the destruction of the Jews.  There was great rejoicing and celebrating, and Mordecai sent word that this festival should be an annual celebration in remembrance of the Jews being spared.  It was called the Festival of Purim, and it is still celebrated to this day.

In the story of Esther, we find the repetitive cycle that exists throughout biblical history and even into our own lives: People are hungry for God; God gives His instructions and warnings; People obey for a season, then forget their allegiance to God;  God gives warnings; People do not heed the warnings; God allows the people to suffer the consequences of their disobedience for a season; The people are humbled and begin to seek the Lord and His ways again, and then God provides a way of escape, a savior.

As always, the Old Testament is a mirror image of the New Testament.  The New Testament always fulfills the Old Testament.  In many ways, Esther was a sacrificial lamb that saved her people from sure destruction.  This was an image of what was to come.  That is why, in our Christian tradition, Jesus is called the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice, after which no sacrifice was ever needed to be offered again.

It is interesting that Esther told Mordecai that the law was death for anyone who approached the king in the inner court.  In the history of the Israelite temple, the inner court of the temple was called the Holy of Holies, the place where God, the King of Kings dwelt.  It was so holy that no one could stand in the inner court, lest he die.  It was separated from the rest of the temple by a great curtain, very high and very thick.  Once a year, the high priest went into the inner court to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people.  A rope was tied about his ankle so that he could be pulled out of the inner court if he died in that holy place.  We are told in Scripture that the day that Jesus died on the cross, this mighty curtain ripped from top to bottom.  It was too high and thick for a man to rip it.  Our Christian tradition maintains that it was ripped by God, symbolizing that we could now come boldly to the throne of grace because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf.  The royal scepter of the King is now extended to us.

Today, go boldly to the Throne of Grace.  Go to the King of Kings and place your requests before Him.  Ask Him what He wants you to do and to be “for such a time as this.”

 

This is the day we wrap up our lessons of Esther.  We have seen God take an orphan girl and make her a queen.  We have seen Him call her out of her ordinary status to walk the life of one chosen to risk all for the sake of the Holy One.  There are many things we can learn from the story of Esther.  Today I want to focus on just four things.  I call them The Four P’s.

What we learn from the story of Esther can be summed up in the following way:

Preparation, Perspective, Prayer, Praise

Preparation:  God wants to prepare us for the extraordinary.  We can only receive that preparation by reaching up to Him.  That is why I always emphasize the concept of Reaching Up to God.  You prepare for the extraordinary by letting God be God in your life.  He wants to be your redeemer.  He wants to use even the difficult circumstances in your life to show His mighty power and His glory.   He will also use His Word, godly people, and His Holy Spirit to prepare you for the extraordinary.

Perspective:  We should seek God’s perspective in every situation, knowing that we will never be able to—this side of heaven—see the whole tapestry of our lives.  Esther could not have known all the many ways her story of obedience and purpose would bear fruit even thousands of years later.  To have a godly perspective our eyes must be on Him, not on us.  It is about trusting that He is able to do far more than we could ever hope, or dream, or imagine, even if we don’t see the end of the story.

Prayer:  I don’t exactly know how prayer works, but it does.  Sometimes prayer changes situations, but always prayer changes me.  Prayer is honest communication with God.  Prayer is talking and listening.  Prayer is acknowledging God’s power and acknowledging your weakness.  Esther fasted and prayed for three days (there’s that holy number three again!) before she went before the king.  And she got others to pray with her and for her.  Prayer is crucial in finding and participating in God’s extraordinary plan for your life.  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Pray that God will show you the good works that He has prepared for you!

Praise:  Lastly, the outcome of the extraordinary purpose and plan for Esther resulted in praise to God alone.  Recently I read a book by Steve Saint where he described being in Israel during the Feast of Purim, which is a celebration of God intervention and salvation through Queen Esther. This celebration still exists today. Through that feast, centuries after the fact, there is still much praise and celebration toward our extraordinary God for the extraordinary work He did in and through Esther, an ordinary girl.  Our ordinary ways, surrendered to His will can produce extraordinary fruit.  God loves to use the ordinary to produce the extraordinary.  Because when extraordinary things happen in and through the ordinary, the glory and honor and praise go to Him alone.  Let God use you.  He will do far more than you could ever hope or dream or imagine.