Cross My Heart Ministry

God’s name is not mentioned by Mordecai in his words to Esther, but God’s Sovereignty and His provision are clearly evident.  Mordecai’s faith in God Almighty is steadfast.  He has confident hope that God will provide.  The only question is: does Esther choose to be part of the blessing?

Will she see that all the events and circumstances of her life have been orchestrated to have her in this position for this specific time and this opportunity?

There are many cautions in scripture about speaking rashly, gossiping, criticizing, and letting nothing unholy come out of our mouths.

The sin of commission is easy to identify and I have many times needed to apologize for my words.  (You know – once uttered, words are like the proverbial toothpaste in the tube – -hard, if not impossible, to put back).  Once uttered, our words are out there and can’t be pulled back in.

But this passage addresses our sin of omission when it comes to our words.  Just as it is sinful to speak when we should be silent, so it can be sinful to remain silent when God is calling us to speak.

• Are you and I holding back a word of praise or affirmation that needs to be released to encourage another?
• Are we shirking on our responsibilities as mothers to use words to discipline or correct our children?
• Are there words of kindness or sympathy that we need to make time to share?
• Are there words of truth that need uttered when the character or reputation of another are being maligned?

God orchestrates opportunities for us to speak up and it is our responsibility to rise up in obedience – to respond as He prompts in a way that is Spirit-led and God-honoring.

Esther faced a dilemma that many of us face when God provides such an opportunity.  Rather than our physical life perishing (which was the very real possibility for Esther), for you and me it might be death to a relationship, a position, or it might invite criticism we would not welcome.

• When your girlfriend begins to complain about her husband, might you encourage her to pray for him…or ask her if she could identify five positive things about him she is grateful for?
• When a group of friends begins to gossip about another friend, might you have the courage to speak up and vouch for the one being condemned?
• When conversations are going south, might you have the courage to change the subject?

Are we willing to take a chance on our popularity perishing among our group of friends?

Sometimes being quiet is a hard thing, but sometimes speaking up can be even harder.

Are you and I open to seeing our presence in every conversation and situation as a for such a time as this opportunity?

Esther’s response shows again she is the star shining brightly in a dark place at a dark time.  She demonstrates that she learned well from her cousin and father-figure Mordecai.  Here’s her reply to him:

Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.
 Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
 I and my attendants will fast as you do.
 When this is done, I will go to the king,
 even though it is against the law.
 And if I perish, I perish.
Esther 4:15-16

We know that in Scripture, fasting and praying go hand in hand. The commentators I read agree that this is a call to pray.

Esther is taking this battle very seriously.  She is stepping up to be a warrior woman.  She is calling everyone to pray on her behalf.  All the Jews in Susa – those outside the palace are to pray. And inside – Esther and her attendants will do the same.

I’m guessing that most likely her attendants are not Jewish, so reading between the lines, it would seem that Esther’s faith has made an impact on those who serve her. She is living as a woman of God –allowing her faith in Him to shine brightly in this dark place.

She is resigned to what she must do. But she is convicted that before she goes, she must prepare by spending time in prayer.

Her final words – –If I perish, I perish — are in essence an AMEN.  A so be it.  A confident faith that she is placing her life in God’s hands.

Her choice to go to the king may result in her death.  She knows this.  So how does she prepare – order her favorite last meal? Call for more beauty treatments or order a new dress or lingerie? Does she spend time having a good cry?

She does none of that. She prays! She woman’s up and she gets down on her knees.

I pray that you and I would respond the same in a time of crisis.  God can use a crisis to create revival in us individually and in our community.  Trouble is a revealer.  It proves our faith genuine.

Only a woman of faith can say, “If I perish I perish.”

Paul may have written these words long after Esther’s time, but I think she not only believed them, but lived them:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
 but what is unseen is eternal.
II Corinthians 4:18

The woman of God fixes her eyes on what is unseen.

It is prayer that brings on that eternal vision.  It is through prayer that we are prepared for battle.

As we begin to cultivate a habit of prayer and strengthen our prayer muscles, we can be sure that God will provide – or life will bring – opportunities for the application of prayer.

You can listen to the entire teaching lecture for Esther Lesson 3 here:

http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/esther-lesson-3-laura-macfarlan/

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Esther’s name means star.

Verse 7 describes her as “..lovely in form and features ..”

She is beautiful, but most likely all the girls brought to the palace are beautiful.  What makes Esther different? Why does she stand out from the others?

Esther is put under the care of Hegai, the manager of the harem.  As a eunuch, he would have been forced to give up much to serve the king.  Perhaps many of these girls treated him as a servant or possibly as less than a man.  Maybe they  even disrespected him or made fun of him behind his back.

But Esther somehow earned his favor.  Perhaps just by honoring him with respect and kindness.  We can’t know for sure, but we do know from verse 9, She pleased him and won his favor. And from verse 15, “When the turn came for Esther … to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested…”

She followed the advice of Hegai and it paid off.  Not only with those looking on…but with the one who really mattered. The King. He chooses Esther above all the others to be his queen.

Esther’s coronation is the direct result of her teachable spirit.  She chose to listen and learn from Hegai – the eunuch – someone others would possibly dismiss.

If you want to know how to please your new boss, his secretary is a good source of information.  The janitors, the cooks, the housekeepers of this world tend to know way more about what goes on in any organization than some in upper level management.  We can learn from all people – not just those in a high position of authority and importance.

The book of Proverbs is chocked full of scripture on the topic of wisdom and listening to advice and learning:

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Proverbs 1:8

Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Proverbs 19:20

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. Proverbs 9:9

Our teachable spirits mean we learn from others, we learn from his Word, and we even learn from the decisions we make and life’s experiences – the good ones AND the bad ones. We are to be life-long learners.

The one thing that hinders us from learning is pride.  Thinking we know best and we’ve got it all figured out means we don’t learn from the Hegais in our world.  Proverbs 11:2 gives this warning:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

The woman of God has a teachable spirit.

Does that describe you? Would you pray that it would?

You can listen to the audio teaching on Esther by clicking on the links below.

Introduction:  http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/esther-bible-study-introduction/

Lesson 1:  http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/esther-lesson-1-laura-macfarlan/

Lesson 2:  http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/esther-lesson-2-laura-macfarlan/

This is the first Miss America, Margaret Gorman.  She was crowned in 1921. Check out that crown!

The Miss America Pageant was originally a “Fall Frolic” – an event launched by local Atlantic City businessmen in 1921 as a gimmick to extend the summer season.

Since that time The Miss America Organization has expanded to include not only swimsuit, but evening gown, talent, interview competitions – and millions of dollars in scholarship money each year.  Representatives from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia compete for the coveted national title.

Perhaps you watched the 2017 Miss America competition where Arkansas’ own Savvy Shields from Fayetteville was crowned Miss America!

Many of us probably can pull up memories of being nine years old, watching the pageant with our mom or grandma and dreaming, “Could that be me?” A lot has changed since you and I were nine. Beauty queens get to walk the runway–waving to adoring fans and supporters—but  life for many of us brings a desire to run away from it all.

A first read of Esther Chapter 2 might stir up memories of watching the Miss America pageant. Perhaps you even closed your eyes and could almost hear Bert Parks singing, There She is…Miss America.

But a closer reading of the text and a deeper understanding of the Persian culture means that if we are looking for a modern day analogy, the Miss America Pageant might not be the best comparison. Continue reading →

We are studying Esther this semester in the Bible study I teach locally and you are invited to join along! You can do so by:

• Reading my Tuesday blog (which highlights one truth from the teaching the previous week)
• Do the Lesson with us (you can order your own book here: http://joyofliving.org/product/esther-adult-study-english/
• Listen to the weekly teaching lecture here: fbcsiloam.podbean.com
• Or do all the above!

The theme of this book is the providence of God in the preservation of His people.  It’s interesting to note that God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, but God’s hand is all over it.

The heroine of this book which also bears her name has been made queen. At first glance the book of Esther reads like a Cinderella story.  The king’s men are sent throughout the kingdom to find all the young girls and bring them to the palace. All would be given beauty treatments and one would be made queen. But then a more detailed reading reveals these girls were not really given a choice upon being recruited.  They become part of the king’s harem and are essentially concubines.

Life for our heroine, the poor little Jewish girl who becomes queen, really is not a fairy tale.  She is married to a man who could have her killed just for coming into his presence without being summoned.

Her Jewish heritage is at first kept secret. An orphan, she had been raised by her older cousin, Mordecai. When an edict is issued to annihilate the Jews, he sends word for her to act.

The enemy of God has worked throughout history to annihilate God’s people –the Hitler of the 21^st century was not the first.

Esther’s understandable reluctance is answered by Mordecai. His words are found in Esther 4:14 and they are the key verse for our study in the book of Esther:

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?
Esther 4:14

God’s unfolding promise to bless the world through the Jewish people to Abram back in Genesis 12 was not forgotten.

God is faithful to keep His Word.  The Hamans and Hitlers of the world don’t’ stand a chance against the true living God.

Mordecai’s words confirm his confident belief in God: relief and deliverance for the Jews will be provided. The question is, “Esther, are you going to choose to be part of it? Are you going to get to be part of this blessing – or will God choose someone else for it?  Perhaps you were even brought to this position for such a time as this!”

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.  He is the blessing to the world who made eternal life possible for all with His once and for all sacrifice.  If you claim Jesus as your Savior, you are part of the blessing promised to Abraham.  Our identity in Christ means we are grafted in!

And that means  are also blessed with “such a time as this” opportunities, as well!

Do we see them? Acknowledge them? Do we eagerly look for the doors God opens and walk on through? Or do we stay seated and allow God to allow someone else to claim the blessing He intended for us?

God was not in heaven wringing His hands and thinking, “Oh no – whatever will I do if Esther doesn’t step up? Years of planning wasted…my people are goners… the lineage for Jesus to be born will be eliminated….” NO! Of course not! God is God! He is almighty and all powerful! He will have His way!

He doesn’t need us – He allows us to be used by Him.  He loves us and wants to draw us into what He is doing. This is not duty, but delight! This is not have to, but want to! Are you all in?

The link to the entire Introductory lecture on Esther can be found here:

http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/esther-bible-study-introduction/