Before one more mini-series of articles from the book of Esther, let’s consider what we can learn from Esther 7-8. (If you just landed on this article, I encourage you to read through the whole book of Esther, starting with this link to the first chapter, and – if you’d like – you’re welcome to read the past articles on this site, too.)
Given what happened to Haman, let’s remember to keep our anger and our pride in check. I think that this is one of the benefits of giving glory to God: it reminds us that our purpose isn’t about making other people treat us with the respect that we think we deserve. Rather, when we strive to worship God personally and to help others do the same, we don’t have as much room for unhealthy, self-seeking motivators.
Note also in this account, Esther was passionate about her goal (and, saving God’s people from certain destruction is a good goal), but she was also strategic. This seems like something she probably learned from Mordecai.
- She invited the king to two banquets in a row, perhaps to gauge his responsiveness or just to build up to her request (although those are just guesses about her motivation).
- She invited Haman to those banquets, maybe so that he couldn’t escape out of the city when she broke the news to the king.
- She didn’t get greedy when the king offered her half of the kingdom.
- She appointed her trusted cousin over the property that the king gave her.
While we trust God to work out His plan, there are times when bulldozing into a problem isn’t the right call. Let the Holy Spirit guide your choices, and when He may not seem to be providing specific directions, don’t forget that God gave you your brain, too.
In addition, let’s remember – and remember and remember – to trust God’s plan. For instance, God didn’t stop Haman from building a seven-story structure to hang Mordecai upon, because there was going to be another purpose for that same structure.
Remember that the book of Esther is about God working to save His people. The individuals who have a part in this story, from Mordecai to Esther and from Xerxes to Harbona, are imperfect. Some of them make bad decisions, and sometimes they do things that are just plain wrong, but that’s how God works in a world occupied by fallen, sinful human beings like us!
God redeemed us and pronounces us righteous (once we accept His gift of salvation through Jesus), but our daily lives are still littered with mistakes and sinful choices. Mistakes and shortcomings do not disqualify us from having roles in God’s plan, but it does remind us that He is wise and masterful, weaving all sorts of events into something good!
We might wonder why “bad” things are happening around us, and these may be genuinely sinful and evil. In fact, I’d like for you to think about something that seems to be really broken around us today, whether in your life, your family, our country, or the world. It shouldn’t take long to come up with two or three examples of stuff going on that is just wrong.
However, a God who can…
-
- Have Haman, the enemy of His people, hanged on the very structure that he [Haman] had built,
- Use a boy [Joseph] sold into slavery and falsely accused of rape to save both the nation of Egypt and his family, and,
- Turn the execution of an innocent man on a cross into salvation for humanity:
This God – our God – can take even really bad things and use them for good.
As someone wrote (Mangano, p.100, quoting Hill & Walton),
“God’s control cannot be calculated,
God’s solution cannot be anticipated,
And God’s plan cannot be thwarted…”
So, don’t just pray for God to stop bad things. I mean, still ask God for that, but don’t stop there. Beyond the stopping of evil, pray for something even better…something even more impossible without God’s help: ask God to use those bad things for good.
We can approach the King – the God of the universe – to ask for mercy and grace. We don’t deserve those blessings, but He keeps giving us both beyond measure, because of His love for us and because of who He is.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for July 21, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, July 21, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- ]The Bible and Archaeology, by J.A. Thompson, © 1962, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.166-171.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 