HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 58 - The Esther Series: Courage in Crisis (Esther 10 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 58

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The story of Esther demonstrates God's sovereignty as He works behind the scenes, using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes to fulfill His redemptive plan.

• Mordecai is elevated to second in command under King Xerxes, paralleling Joseph's position in Egypt
• The book highlights how God elevates women in a culture where they were marginalized
• Esther's courage, strength, and wisdom were instrumental in saving God's people
• God's divine providence turns evil plans into protection for His people
• Key lessons include being strategic rather than reactive when facing challenges
• God works invisibly even when we don't immediately see His hand
• The preservation of the Jews was essential to God's plan to bring the Messiah
• Like Esther, we each have moments where our courage and obedience matter
• God can use ordinary people with seemingly disadvantaged backgrounds

Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan When You Don't See Him: Lessons From the Book of Esther

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word


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Speaker 1:

I just love the story of Esther. You know she was so courageous, she was strong, she was resolute. There are certainly some takeaways that you can look at her life and how she approached the situation. But in the end it is to do. For me it's to be all in.

Speaker 2:

Hi, my name is Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strong's Around the Word. We're friends sitting around the table who love the Lord and love digging deep into His Word. Each day you'll hear me reading a Bible passage and then we'll chat about what we're learning from it. Today I'll be reading Esther, chapter 10. It's our last day in the book of Esther, all from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us around the word Esther, chapter 10.

Speaker 2:

King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire to its distant shores, and all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai whom the king had promoted, Are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia?

Speaker 2:

Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. That was our Bible reading for today. Now let's listen in on the discussion around the word. All good things must come to an end, and today is the last day of our study of Esther, and it's so funny as I'm reading chapter 10, that's our reading from today. It makes me think that this book almost should be called Mordecai, Because it really is an epilogue about Mordecai. That, you know, he was put second in command of the kingdom, which, again, who have we thought of before? That was like that Joseph in the Bible was second in the kingdom and he was an unlikely person to have been put there too, you know.

Speaker 4:

But time and time again, this book elevates women to a position that just warms my heart, it gives me confidence, it makes me know that he does cherish us as equals as his children in his kingdom. So had it not been for Esther, there couldn't be a Mordecai victory. You know, yeah, chapter 10 is all about Mordecai. Mordecai was famous and Mordecai was known and he was great. But this it wouldn't have happened without Esther. So I just love how the scripture elevates us girls oftentimes when culture then wouldn't have. Oh, it absolutely didn't, yeah, so that's against all odds. In other words, you know, esther is the title of the book.

Speaker 2:

Well, I love, like whenever we have the end of a Bible plan, I like to go around and see at the table. What did you get out of this? What did God speak to you? What was the big lesson for you? And I know there were many, but kind of your top message. What did God tell you in this?

Speaker 1:

I think, for me for sure, it's that to do what God has called us to do. You know we have, we each have a purpose and a mission in our life, and that's to bring glory to God. Always it's about God, like, angie, you said in one of the studies. You know, is it when we pray, are we asking for something to help us, or are we asking something to help the world, to help the community, to help God's people? And so, anyway, I think what I just love? The story of Esther. You know she was so courageous, she was strong, she was resolute. There's certainly some takeaways that you can look at her life and how she approached the situation, but in the end it is to do. For me it's to be all in.

Speaker 2:

I'll say for myself okay, I'm going to go with two. It's kind of hard to pare it down. You know I'll go two. First of all, that if I have a big decision to make or something conflict anything, that to be wise, to not be quick to react to something, but to really bring the Lord into the situation, get his perspective, get the other person's perspective and be wise about it. I mean the fact that she fasted for three days before she went and saw the king, that just is so wise to me.

Speaker 2:

And even the way she presented her requests, it wasn't immediate, it wasn't reactionary in nature, it was very well thought out. So for people that are quick to speak or do opposite of that verse quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry that's what I learned is that to just, you know, take your time and let God lead in the whole process. And the other thing that's just really encouraging to me is that just seeing that God is working behind the scenes when I don't see him that's the big theme for this whole plan. For me is that he's working in my life, orchestrating people, things that are happening that I don't even know right now on my behalf, and so all I can do whenever I have those times where I'm wondering what's going on or trying to grab some control back, I just have to remember my big Abba Father.

Speaker 3:

He loves me, he cares for me and he is working behind the scenes, even if I don't see it right now the through line of God's ability to turn the tables on those that wanted evil for Israel, to protect them, to cover them and to lift those who are faithful and honest and true to a level of being influential in a good way. I just also think it's neat to see the relationship between Esther and the king and knowing that you know the king got off on a bad foot with Vashti, but you see how he really does care for Esther and Mordecai, now elevating him to help with the kingdom. And then the fact that God is sovereign in protecting his people and he also gives them the right to help protect themselves against life and death.

Speaker 2:

And Angie, what does you get out of this?

Speaker 4:

Big picture, reminding me that God is sovereign, his providence is the ultimate. You know that's what's going to happen. So I believe in divine providence and if I believe that he is good and he is faithful, then why would I ever fear? So I'm reminded again that he has a plan. This book that we study tells us he has a plan. He had the plan from the beginning of before the foundation of the earth, and that plan is going to be completed. And Esther was a pivotal part of that plan. Because the biggest part of his plan is to bring the Messiah to the world to rescue us and to restore our relationship with God, the Father, the relationship that sin interrupted. Sin destroyed that relationship. So his plan all along was to get us a Messiah that would rescue us and restore that relationship. So his plan all along was to get us a Messiah that would rescue us and restore that relationship. So the destruction of the Jews at this point in time in history would have thwarted that. But we know, because of what this book says, that that's never going to be thwarted. So here we see that the enemy's edict, it was turned to God's goals. God's goal was to get us to the Messiah. So that's what wins in the end.

Speaker 4:

And you know what guys? I just I want to be on the winning team. You know I do. I want to be, I want to follow the Messiah, I want to surrender to him, jesus Christ, and I want to be in God's kingdom, not only when I pass from this life, but on this side. God's kingdom is good. God's dictates, god's laws, god's statutes are for my good. None of them have harmed me. They've all been good for me, so that's the team I choose. They've all been good for me, so that's the team I choose. And Esther is a beautiful book in honor of, just a big highlight of God's whole story about how he loves us.

Speaker 2:

Well, I love that Talking about. You want to be on God's team, on the team Team, jesus. We want you, the listener, to be on that team as well. We don't want to ever end a Healing, strong Bible plan without telling you the best news, and that's that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and my sins. There's nothing that you can do to earn it. It is a free gift from God for you. What you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you of those sins and repent. That means turn away from that way of life and make him your savior. I'd love for you if that's what you would like to decide right now, to pray this prayer with me right now. This is the prayer of salvation. Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust you as my Lord and Savior. Please help me to daily surrender to your will In Jesus' name. Amen. And friend, if you prayed that prayer, please let us know. We have an email address for prayer requests that you can email us. It's prayerrequestshealingstrongorg. Tell us that you did. Tell us, hey, I prayed the prayer of salvation and we would love to pray with you and get you some other resources and some next steps on your journey as a believer in Christ. And if you are listening and you have a prayer request as well, please send us one. We have a dedicated team that literally prays for every prayer request, many times sending them to you so that you know that you're prayed for, because we take prayer very seriously. We have seen God do such amazing things through people around the world, and even we get prayer reports back from people that we prayed for months later, and so, hey, we care about you, we care about what you care about, so please let us know how we can be praying for you. That's prayerrequestathealingstrongorg. Guys, we thank you for sitting around the table with us. It's been a wonderful adventure these 17 days. We hope that you eventually will sit around the table with your friends, get into God's word and see what he shows you, because I promise you it's going to be amazing.

Speaker 2:

Our time with Queen Esther is done. Can you believe that? That just flew by? I love her story. She's one of my favorite people in the Bible because she's a regular girl. God used a regular girl that, by society standards, didn't have anything going for her. She was an orphan, but look what he did. He elevated her to the queen of that nation and then he eventually saved his people through her because of her courage.

Speaker 2:

We can all be encouraged by her story and, most importantly, what I get out of it and I hope you did too is God many times is working behind the scenes. When we don't see it, we may think that he's not there. We might be going. Where are you God? I don't know why you're allowing this. What's going on? Where are you God? But I promise you he is there, he's working and he's working all things out for your good, as it says in Romans 8, 28.

Speaker 2:

So I thank you so much for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word. I hope you are encouraged to get in God's word. Grab some friends and start talking about what you're learning from it. And if you like our podcast, consider giving us a rating, clicking subscribe and sending that link of our podcast to your friends. Tell people about us and what we're doing here. We are a small group of volunteers that are putting this together. So if you're really encouraged by this, consider giving a donation to healingstrongorg. That helps us with our mission to encourage people who are going through their own healing journey, but it also helps us do things like this podcast to get the word out to other people. So until next time, remember faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.