We’re starting a new book on the Bible Study Blog today. Feel free to join in the every-other-day series. Here’s an overview.
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Greetings! This is an overview of Esther, an Old Testament book written roughly 470 B.C. It is 10 chapters long and is easy to read.
The events takes place in the palace of the King of Persia. The Israelites had been taken by force from their homeland a couple hundred years earlier. They had been permitted to return but many had not, including Esther and her Uncle Mordecai.
Esther becomes Queen after the King gets mad at the previous Queen and removes her. Mordecai discovers a plot by the evil Haman that would have all the Jews killed. Esther must decide whether to risk her life and speak up for her people.
Esther, along with Ruth, is one of the two books of the Bible named for women.
The book has no mention of God but his presence is felt throughout.
The writer is unknown, though it may have been Mordecai, Ezra or Nehemiah.
Esther contains one of my favorite verses, where Mordecai is encouraging Esther to get involved. It captures much of the theme of this book and is a great challenge for us all. God may not have put us in a “royal position,” but He has put us somewhere. And there are opportunities to serve him wherever we go, even though we’ll have to take risks along the way. His sovereign will is going to be fulfilled whether we do our part or not.
Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
Being part of God’s plan is a true joy. Are you remaining silent at this time, or are you using the gifts, talents and position God has given you?
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beautiful one Neil!
And there are opportunities to serve him wherever we go, even though we’ll have to take risks along the way. ………ah yes amen!
How shall I serve Him today?
“Are you remaining silent at this time, or are you using the gifts, talents and position God has given you?”
I’m trying, but they call me a fundie and tell me I’m too literal.
Join the crowd, Marshall and wear it as a badge.
“Are you remaining silent at this time, or are you using the gifts, talents and position God has given you?”
I’m trying, but they call me a heretic and tell me I’m too liberal.
Now watch what you say
Or they’ll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Oh won’t you sign up your name
We’d like to feel you’re
Acceptable, respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable…
~Supertramp
Almost a touche, ER. But it’s hard to determine exactly WHAT you believe. I don’t mean that as a shot, only that you’re so terribly hard to pin down. I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing.
And Dan,
Why am I not suprised that you cited such a bad band and such a bad song?
OH! I meant to counter Dan with this from Ian Anderson:
“People what have you done?
Locked Him in His golden cage,
Made Him bend to your religion
Him Resurrected from the grave.”
And Marshall, why am I not surprised to discover you don’t like “The Logical Song”…?
Great quote from Anderson. I agree completely.
But if you didn’t like Supertramp, then here’s another quote along these lines…
When you are right, you cannot be too radical; When you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Or, perhaps:
Years ago my mother used to say to me, she’d say, “In this world, Elwood, you must be” – she always called me Elwood – “In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.” Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me.
~Elwood P. Dowd
I like SuperTramp and always loved the beginning of the Logical Song. It was my first choice to test the quality of an audio device. Well, either that or something by Pink Floyd.
But as with most rock bands, their tunes may be good or even great, but I wouldn’t let their politics weigh too heavily on my voting patterns. This may come as a shocker, but I don’t think that too many rock stars have a Biblical worldview.
I have many CDs by Neil Young and always considered him one of my favorites. But a few years back I saw a clip of him onstage with some kind of pro-choice t-shirt and lost a lot of respect for him. Yeah, Neil, way to stick it to the man.
Great quote by MLKJ, though I’m not sure of the practical application. I don’t know too many people who say, “I’m wrong on this issue, so I should be more conservative.” But you may have a point. Conservatives should have been more radical about weeding out false teachers. As Jesus warned there were always be some of them in the church. But that doesn’t mean we had to give them leadership positions and control of many seminaries.
Sorry for the diversion. Anything to say about Esther?
Marshall, aside from an intellectual assent that Jesus lived, and that he points the way to God, and that I’m relying on that connection for my relationship with God, and that I’m trying to follow Jesus’s ideas and example as best as they’re known and as best I can understand them, I don’t think anything else I believe or don’t believe matters. That still leave you plenty to pin.
Oh, Lordy. “Intellectual assent” that Jesus lived. Metaphysical trust and reliance on “connection” etc. Surrender of self as much as any selfish self can re: the rest.
“and that he points the way to God”
E.R., can you elaborate on that?
Esther is a great book. If you ever get to see a Purim play put on by a group of Jews (preferably Messianic Jews) I highly recommend it.
I also recommend the song “For Such a Time as This” by Wayne Watson. This song came to me in a very tough time of my life. Turns out a friend was helping me and she was going through some very difficult times. I purchased the tape and gave it to her and pointed her to the song. I told her that her presence in my life was annointed by God and that he had placed her in my path “for such a time as this”.
I hope that in some way, I lifted her up as much as she did me.
(P.S. There was nothing romantic in our relationship, her husband was fully knowledgable of everything. I even asked one of her kids whether to buy CD or cassette)
I like Esther okay. But I really dig Ruth. Some great stuff, there. I also like Joshua Judges Ruth – the Lyle Lovett album. Clever title.
The Newsboys had a song that worked that in as well – the lyric went something like “Joshua judges ruthlessly.”
On Jesus pointing to God. It’s in yer own files:
Mark 10: 17-18.
Matthew 6: 9-13.
John 1:18.
John 6: 46.
ER – yes, Jesus points to God the Father, but I’m just confused about your points above. Maybe it isn’t worth pursuing, but it sounds like you are trusting in works. You said:
“aside from an intellectual assent that Jesus lived, and that he points the way to God, and that I’m relying on that connection for my relationship with God, and that I’m trying to follow Jesus’s ideas and example as best as they’re known and as best I can understand them, I don’t think anything else I believe or don’t believe matters.”
Then you referenced these verses:
Mark 10:17-18 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
John 6:46 “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.
When it comes to “beliefs,” don’t you think that the key is trusting in what Jesus did for us on the cross? Do you think we have to do some work ourselves to be saved?
You have totally read all of that into what I said. See the word “relying,” which, if I’m not mistaken, is very close, etymologically, the word usually translated “believe,” which suggests “recline,” and relax, and trust. Is it because I don’t use the same jargon as you that you can’t see that, while I am more tolerant of divergent views, you and I do agree on the true essentials? Faith. In. Jesus. Christ. I do take James seriously, tho.
I’ve enjoyed reading the back and forth bantering on this topic of using our God-given gifts. Esther was quite a gal. Not only was she not ashamed of using her beauty (a gift) to win her position as the king’s wife, but she was also quite valiant and “gutsy” in going before him without invitation. We could all use a little of this beautiful queen’s courage.
Hi Marlajayne,
Thanks for commenting! May we all use our gifts for the kingdom as she did.