King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Chapters: Esther 5-10
Message: Humble Yourself In God’s Sight
Hello My Friend,
Pride is something that comes naturally to us, there are two forms of pride, one is the pride of self-respect, meaning having dignity and honor in the things that we do. The second, and the one that comes so much more easier for us is the pride of self, meaning having arrogance and conceit in the things we have done. There are people in this world who think that they are irreplaceable, and no one could ever do what they do, and this is the kind of pride that God does not want us to have. If Jesus, with all His power and might, humbled himself, and was raised by His Father we too can be humble and see our Father raise us. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” – James 4:10.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,” To be humble means to be modest in how we present ourselves. We are not to present ourselves (although we, who are saved, and born again, are royalty as we are a child of the KING (I Peter 2:9), as though we are God. Yesterday we read about Esther, the Jew becoming queen, Haman and his wicked plot to have all the Jews killed, and Mordecai sending word to Esther of what he had done. Esther sent told everyone to fast and pray for three days and then she would approach the king, even if that meant she could lose her life. Now, it is the third day, Esther put on her royal apparel, and went to see the king.
“Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.” – Esther 5:1-5.
“that she obtained favour in his sight:” All who humble themselves before Jesus, meaning admit they are sinners, and He alone is their salvation, obtains favor in the sight of God. Without Jesus, we could never stand before God and live to tell about it (John 14:6). Now, you can imagine that Haman must have been pretty proud that he was invited to eat with the king and queen, but his boasting of himself was hindered when he saw Mordecai.
“Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.” – Esther 5:9-14.
“Yet all this availeth me nothing,” You see, with all that he had, he still could not get past his hatred for one man that would not bow down to him. Do you know why so many people cannot enjoy the freedoms and blessings that we have in America, and rather see it destroyed than prosper? President Trump will not bow down to them. Keep in mind that pride always comes before a fall. “The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” – Psalm 10:2-4.
“let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.” The wicked truly are taken in the devices that they imagined. Haman had that gallows made and went to the king to petition for him to have Mordecai hung.
“On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.” – Esther 6:1-2,4,6-8,10,12.
“Now Haman thought in his heart,” This man was full of so much pride that he could not imagine anyone more important than him. Can you imagine the humiliation Haman felt having to parade Mordecai through the streets after he thought all of that would be for him? It is interesting to see how the wicked are so stuck on themselves. You see, Haman was so conceded that he thought everything he got was a privilege, he literally thought that he should be treated as a king himself, and as cunning as he was, never thought twice that all his deception would catch up to him. Oh, but that was just the beginning, Haman arrived for the banquet, it was then that Esther exposed Haman.
“So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.” – Esther 7:1,3,5-6,8-9.
“and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was.” Every person will bow to Christ one day (Philippians 2:10-11), and those who never took the time to receive Him will be begging for their lives only to be sentenced to a second death, hell and the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). However, those who do receive Him while they are still alive will be saved from the second death and hell. After Haman was hung by the very gallows he had made for Mordecai, the king asked Esther what else he could do to make things right. She asked him to allow the Jews to defend themselves of the decree that Haman had forged to kill them all.
“On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.” – Esther 8:1-3,11,17.
“And many of the people of the land became Jews;” Many of the people converted to Judaism out of fear that they would be killed. Perhaps they realized also that there is only one God and the Jews had His favor. I do not know about you, but I would have sided with the Jews and become one myself to be spared from judgment. While we cannot avoid death itself unless Jesus returns and raptures us out of here, we can avoid the second death. NO one has to die and end up up in hell, but that is a choice each one of us has to make on our own (Romans 10:9-10). The pride of self will forever put us to shame, but the humbleness of self will forever bring gory to God and blessings to us. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” – I Peter 5:6-7.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.” – Esther 8:8.
Today’s Prayer: God, As I look back on my life I can see all the difficulties that You have allowed and just how much Your hand played a part in my enduring them, even when I was not always in Your will. I thank You for the cross that I bare and how You bring me to victory every time I place my faith and trust in You. I am glad to be a member of Your family and learning to live by the example of Your Son. Lord, lead me and guide me, keep me humble, and let me be a witness to the amazing life that You provide when I put my faith and trust solely upon You. Let me be as faithful as Esther, willing to always give my life as a living sacrifice to be used for Your glory. I love You and pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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