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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ESTHER 6
LESSON #07
THE CONCEPT OF BIBLICAL HONOR AND PARTICIPATING IN GOD’S POWER
v MEMORYVERSE: ROM 13:
v READ EST 6:1-3
Ø THE KING’S INSOMNIA AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OFGOD
§ THE KING, SLEEPLESS, READSWHAT WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE THECONGRESSIONAL RECORD OF FOUR YEARS AGO. HE HAD IN MIND BEING SO BORED HE WOULDEASILY FALL ASLEEP.
· PRINCIPLE: GOD CAN REACH ANY MAN AT ANY TIME, NO MATTER WHOHE IS, WHERE HE IS, WHAT HE IS DOING, WHETHER HE IS A BELIEVER OR NOT.
¨ THIS IS ANOTHER AREA OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OFGOD. UPON THE KING’S INSOMNIA, HINGES THE SURVIVAL OF A CHOSEN NATION, THE FULFILLMENT OFPROPHECY, THE COMING OF THE REDEEMER, AND THEREFORE THE WHOLE WORK OF REDEMPTION FROM SIN.
Ø WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE SOVEREIGNTYOF GOD AND HOW GOD PUTS PEOPLE IN SPECIFIC PLACES AT SPECIFIC TIMES TO PRODUCE GOD’SDESIRED PURPOSES WHEN HE GAVE ESTHER FAVOR TO BECOME QUEEN.
§ IN READING THE GOVERNMENTRECORDS, THE KING RECALLS HOW MORDECAI SAVED HIS LIFE BY UNCOVERING AN ASSASINATION PLOT. (EST 2:21)
· THE KING DISCOVERS THAT MORDECAIWAS NEVER REWARDED (HONORED) FOR THIS SERVICE TO THE KING. HE DECIDES TO CORRECT THISOVERSIGHT.
Ø GODS PERFECT TIMING REGARDING EVENTSBECOMES CLEAR.
§ WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHTESTHER WOULD HAVE TOLD THE KING HER REQUEST AT THE FIRST BANQUET. HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOTGODS PERFECT TIMING. WHEN WE READ CHAPTER 6, WE SEE WHY THE TIMING WAS NOT RIGHT ATTHE FIRST BANQUET.
· GOD WANTED TO MAKE THE KING AWAREOF HIS DEBT TO MORDECAI SO THAT THE KING WOULD BE PREPARED TO DEAL UNFAVORABLY WITH HAMAN.
¨ PRINCIPLE: NOTHING IS LOST OR UNNOTICED IN THE ECONOMY OF GOD.
Ø EVERYONE HAD FORGOTTEN THAT MORDECAI WAS NOTREWARDED FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE KING MORE THAN 4 YEARS BEFORE. MORDECAI AND ESTHERPROBABLY HAD FORGOTTEN IT AS WELL. HOWEVER, GOD NEVER FORGETS. HE CAN USE THE MOSTINSIGNIFICANT DETAIL TO TURN EVENTS.
v READ EST 6:4-14 THE ULTIMATE JUSTICE!
Ø NOTICE THAT THE KING KNEW MORDECAI WAS A JEW.HE REFERS TO HIM AS MORDECAI, THE JEW (10). PERHAPS HE KNEW THIS BY THE CONGRESSIONALRECORD HE HAD JUST READ. BUT MOST LIKELY HE KNEW THIS BY THE GRAPEVINE. AT ANY RATE, THEKING DECIDED TO HONOR MORDECAI DESPITE THE DECREE TO HAVE THE JEWS DESTROYED.
§ WHAT IS HONOR?
· HONOR = MANIFESTED RESPECT ORESTEEM FOR WORTH, MERIT OR CREDIT.
¨ DISCUSSION:
Ø WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DOES THE WORLD HONOR?
Ø WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DOES GOD HONOR?
Ø OF COURSE, THE ULTIMATE JUSTICE IS THAT HAMANMUST GIVE HONOR TO MORDECAI EVEN THOUGH HE HAS A BURNING HATRED FOR HIM.
v A STUDY IN THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF HONOR
Ø 1. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF HONOR JOH 8:54
Ø 2. GOD HAS HONOR TO GIVE 1SM 2:29
Ø 3. SOME PEOPLE ARE WORTHY TO RECEIVE MOREHONOR THAN OTHERS 1CH 17:7-18
Ø 4. RECEIVING GOD’S HONOR MEANS WE’RE SUPPOSEDTO GIVE HONOR ROM12:10; 13:7
§ WE ARE TO GIVE HONOR TO PEOPLE WHO DEMONSTRATETHE CHARACTERISTICS THAT GOD HONORS
· CHARACTERISTICS THAT GOD HONORS:
¨ 1. GOD HONORS RIGHTEOUSNESS PRO 14:34
¨ 2. GOD HONORS WISDOM / INSIGHT PRO 12:8
¨ 3. GOD HONORS LOYALTY PRO 21:21
¨ 4. GOD HONORS THOSE WHO RECEIVE CORRECTION PRO 12:1-2
¨ 5. GOD HONORS THOSE WHO HAVE PERSEVERANCE 1PE 1:7
¨ 6. GOD HONORS HUMILITY AND SERVANTHOOD PRO15:33
¨ 7. GOD HONORS THOSE WHO HONOR AND FEAR HIM PRO 22:4
§ GIVING HONOR WILLINGLY TAKES HUMILITY. WHY?
· MAT 5:5
¨ THE HARDEST THING FOR HAMAN TO DO WOULD BETO HAVE TO HONOR MORDECAI.
Ø THE HUMAN FLESH NATURE DESIRES THE POSITION OFIMPORTANCE AND THE ATTENTION THAT GOES WITH IT.
Ø IF THE FLESH NATURE DOES NOT READILY RECEIVEHONOR FROM OTHERS, IT DEMANDS IT.
Ø IF A PERSON IS NOT HUMBLE, BEING FORCED TOGIVE HONOR TO ANOTHER CAUSES A RISE IN JEALOUSY AND HATRED.
§ GOD REWARDS HUMBLE SAINTS WITH SPIRITUAL POWERWHEN THEY WILLINGLY GIVE HONOR TO OTHERS.
· THIS IS HOW WE PARTICIPATE IN GODSPOWER.
¨ LUK 9:1-2 ACTS 1:8 (MAT 5:5)
Ø GOD GIVES GIFTS OF POWER, AND WEPARTICIPATE WITH HIM IN USING IT.
Ø 1COR 12:10
Ø THIS SIXTH CHAPTER IN ESTHER IS A PIVOTALCHAPTER. THE TABLES ARE BEING TURNED ON HAMAN. LETS CONSIDER HOW GOD DOES THIS.
§ READ ROM 8:28-30
· WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT GODSSOVEREIGNTY AND GODS PERFECT TIMING WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT GODS FOREKNOWLEDGEAND PREDESTINATION.
¨ FOREKNOWLEDGE:
Ø BECAUSE GOD IS OUTSIDE TIME AND SPACE, HE ISALL KNOWING. HE KNOWS EVERYTHING AHEAD OF TIME. THIS IS FOREKNOWLEDGE.
Ø INHERENT IN THE IDEA OF FOREKNOWLEDGE(KNOWING SOMETHING BEFORE HAND), IS THE IDEA THAT GOD HAS A PLAN.
§ WHAT IS GODS PLAN FOREVERY CHRISTIAN AND EVERY CHURCH? (ROM 8:29)
· -1. TO MAKE MEN SONS OF GOD (ADOPTED SONS, MATURE ANDINHERITING) SONS RENEWED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
· -2. THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD GROW TO THE FULLNESS OFCHRIST EPH 4:13
§ FROM THIS PLAN FLOWS A CALLOR CHOOSING AND A PREDESTINATION WHICH IS TO ELICIT A RESPONSE OF FAITH IN MAN.
¨ PREDESTINATION:
Ø THE WORD PREDESTINATION MEANS = TO ORDAINAHEAD OF TIME, TO PRE-DETERMINE, TO MARK OUT AND SET BOUNDARIES AROUND.
§ BECAUSE GOD IS ALL KNOWINGAND ALL POWERFUL, HE PREDETERMINES EVENTS.
Ø HOW FAR WILL GOD GO IN PREDETERMINING EVENTS?
§ GOD HAS A CHOICE AND AWILL. (1PET 1:20)
§ HOWEVER, GOD WILL NEVERVIOLATE MANS FREE WILL.
Ø THEREFORE, PREDESTINATION IS GOD ARRANGINGBEFOREHAND CERTAIN EVENTS ACCORDING TO HIS ULTIMATE SOVEREIGNTY AND PURPOSE. (ACTS 17:26)
§ GOD TAKES INTOCONSIDERATION MANS WILL AND SELF-DETERMINATION AND USES THEM TO FIT IN WITH HIS PLANAND DETERMINED PURPOSE.
· BECAUSE MANS WILL OFTENDISRUPTS OR FRUSTRATES GODS PLAN, GOD WILL TAKE TWISTED BACK ALLEYS INSTEAD OF MAINSTREETS TO GET TO A DESIRED DESTINATION.
¨ FOR EXAMPLE: THE GENEAOLOGY OF CHRIST IS AGOOD EXAMPLE WHICH INCLUDES GENTILES RAHAB AND RUTH, AND THE SETTING ASIDE OF THEDESCENDENTS OF JECONIAH IN FAVOR OF THE DESCENDENTS OF NATHAN.
¨ NOTICE THE ORDER OF EVENTS IN ROM 8:29:
Ø GOD FIRST FOREKNOWS WHO WILL ACCEPT HIM LONGBEFORE THAT PERSON IS EVEN INTERESTED IN GOD.
Ø THEN GOD PREDESTINATES EVENTS THAT WILL BRINGTHAT PERSON TO HIM.
Ø THEN GOD ORDERS EVENTS IN THAT PERSONSLIFE TO CONFORM HIM TO CHRISTS IMAGE.
Ø NOTICE THE ORDER OF EVENTS IN ROM 8:30:
§ THE PERSON FOR WHOM GODPREDESTINATES THE EVENTS IS NOW CALLED BY GOD TO ACCEPT HIM.
§ SUMMARY STATEMENTREGARDING PREDESTINATION AND FOREKNOWLEDGE:
· GOD, FOREKNOWING HOWMEN WILL ACT UNDER VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, DETERMINED TO PERMIT THEM SO TO ACT; THUSMAKING THE ACTS CERTAIN TO COME TO PASS AS PARTS OF HIS TOTAL PLAN, YET LEAVING ALLMEN FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY DO — LUK 22:22
HOMEWORK
ESTHER 7
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATIONOF EST 6
Ø THINKABOUT THOSE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE THAT DESERVES HONOR AND NEVER SEEMS TO RECEIVE IT. WRITENAMES THAT COME TO MIND.
Ø NEXTTO THE NAMES WRITE ONE SPECIFIC THING YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK TO HONOR THAT PERSON.
v PREPARATIONFOR EST 7
Ø READEST 7:1-10
§ WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU SEEIN ESTHER IN THIS CHAPTER?
v MEMORYVERSE: PROVERBS 29:2
