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: Thursday, September 24, 2020
Chapters: Esther 5-10
Message: Then I Am Strong
Hello My Friend,
I love the stories in the Bible that remind us that no matter how much we are taunted and how bad we are treated by the world, including many who say they are Christians, God has our back. To the world we are just fools trusting in a man who walked the earth two thousand years ago and got martyred for His faith, but to the faithful, born again Christian, we are His and He is ours, and there is nothing they can do to us because even in death we have the victory. As the days draw closer to Christ’s return we are going to be tried for our faith even more, but we will endure because while we are weak to them, Christ makes us strong. Praise God! [II Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]
After learning of the decree to execute all the Jews, Esther came up with a plan to expose Haman to the king, even if that meant she would lose her life. She encourages the Jews to fast and pray for three days along with her, and then she would approach the king, even if that meant she would die for it. Esther put on her royal clothes and went into the kings court, and he received her with gladness.
[Esther 5:1-3,7-8 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. 2 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. 3 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. 7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; 8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.]
[let the king and Haman come to the banquet] All she requested was to have a banquet with him and Haman. Haman left that day with his head swelled that he was personally invited to dinner with the queen, but it was not enough, he despised Mordecai so much that nothing would make him happy unless he was dead.
[Esther 5:9,11-14 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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. 14 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.]
[Yet all this availeth me nothing,] Does this sound familiar to you? There are people filled with so much hate that all the power and riches they have do nothing for them. Let me tell you, their issues stem from more than a hatred of someone because they will not bow down to them. This comes from a mountain of pride and conceit, and has Satan written all over it. Sooner or later their strength will be no more, which was about to happen with Haman. One night, when the king was reading through the book of records, he discovered that Mordecai was not properly honored for exposing the plot on his life. Haman happened to be in the court ready to get the okay to hang Mordecai when he called him in and gave him the shock of his life.
[Esther 6:4-8,10 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. 5 And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. 6 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? 7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, 8 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: 10 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.]
[To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?] Can you imagine the humiliation Haman felt having to parade Mordecai through the streets after he thought all of that would be for him? That was not the end of his humiliation, during the second banquet Esther exposed Haman for who he truly was.
[Esther 7:3-6,8-9 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: 4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage. 5 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? 6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. 8 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. 9 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.]
[Hang him thereon.] The wicked are strong until they get exposed for who they truly are, they never prosper, and those who do, only do for a short time until God sees His plan through. The wicked will always suffer in their sin, but God’s people will be exalted in their faith. Now, 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 concerning that all Jews be executed.
[Esther 8:5-8,11,17 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces: 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? 7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. 8 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. 11 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, 17 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.]
[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. It is that fear that we all need to realize that unless we are converted we too will die. And guess what? The second we accept Christ as our Saviour, He will protect us for eternity, [Matthew 18:2-6 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.]
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 faithful to Your will for my life. I thank You for the cross that I bare and how You give me the strength to carry it every time I place my faith and trust in You. Lord, lead me and guide me, 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 ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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