Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Esther

Meaning of Esther's name:

Hadassah (Hebrew) - myrtle
Esther (Persian) ~ star , Ishtar (goddess)

Time Frame:
After the book of Haggai and Zechariah but before Ezra and Nehemiah

Return from exile
One group of exiles has returned but Esther and the rest chosed to stay.

OUTLINE OF THE BOOK:
Danger (1-5)
  1  :  Prologue (a celebration)
  2-3  :  King’s First Decree
  4-5  :  Haman’s Exasperation With Mordecai
King’s Insomnia (6)
Deliverance (6-9)
  6-7  :  Mordecai’s Exaltation Over Haman
  8-9  :  King’s Second Decree
  9-10  :  Epilogue (a celebration)

*Perhatikan warna yang digunakan - ianya seakan - akan 'mirror reflection'.*

Chapter 1-2
AN UNLIKELY QUEEN
- an orphaned Jewish girl
- tribe of Benjamin, descendant of  Kish
- kept her national identity a secret

Chapter 3 (AN UNTIMELY APPOINTMENT)
- Haman an Agagite (nationality - Amalekite)
- most powerful official in the empire
- willing to bribe the king to destroy the Jews

AN UNSETTLED HISTORY
1 SAMUEL 15
-Amalekites, the first to oppose Israel when they are coming out of Egypt.
- God commanded King Saul to totally destroy them
- an unfinished task, a bitter rivalry

CHAPTER 4-5, 8 (ESTHER'S DARING SACRIFICE)
- Mordecai's challenge, "For such a time as this"
- choice between self or national preservation
- with a willingness to die and with a wise plan


CHAPTER 6 ( XERXES'S TIMELY INSOMNIA)
- Insomnia leads to reading of history book
- unlikely discovery of Mordecai's good deed
- decision to honor Mordecai


CHAPTER 6-10 (MORDECAI'S UNEXPECTED RISE)
- Haman's overnight fall from grace and execution
- Mordecai given the king's signet ring




TRACING GOD'S PRINTS

IN OUR LIFE'S ODYSSEY

- our plights and happenings
- doors that are opened
- all the dots eventually join

IN LIFE'S 'COINCIDENCES'

- the meeting of enemies
- the insomnia's of our life
- in "removals" and "appointments"

IN CALLING US OUT OF OURSELVES

-  in opening our eyes and heart to "our people"
- in "couraging" us through prayer
- in seeing the fruit of lives laid down


Speaker: Annette (IFES)

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