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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ESTHER 9
LESSON #10
LUCK IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 18:3 OR PSALMS 25:2
v READ EST 9:1-10 THE ENEMY DESTROYED
Ø IN VERSE 1 THE LAST 2 CHAPTERS ARE EXPLAINEDIN A NUTSHELL.
§ WE HAVE TWO DECREES INEFFECT THAT WILL RESULT IN A ONE-DAY CIVIL WAR.
· THE JEWS BAND TOGETHER IN CITIES.(2)
¨ BANDING TOGETHER GIVES THEM A SHOW OFSTRENGTH AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL ENEMY.
Ø THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT FEAR FELL UPON ALLTHE PERSIAN PEOPLE. (2)
¨ EVEN THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HELPED THE JEWSBECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID OF MORDECAI.
Ø REMEMBER THAT MORDECAI NOW HAD A HIGHPOSITION OF AUTHORITY SECOND ONLY TO THE KING. (3-4)
§ THE WORD ABOUT MORDECAISPOSITION SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM.
· PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE POWER OFTHAT POSITION WHEN HAMAN HELD IT AND INSISTED EVERYONE BOW DOWN TO HIM.
¨ MORDECAI MUST HAVE MORE POWER THAN HAMAN TOCAUSE HAMANS DEATH.
· BEHIND THE SCENES, IT IS GOD WHOGIVES FAVOR.
· BEHIND THE SCENES, IT IS GOD WHOGIVES AUTHORITY.
¨ READ ROM 13:1-2
· IN THIS CIVIL WAR WE ARE TOLDTHAT THE JEWS KILLED 500 IN THE PALACE ALONE. (6)
· THE JEWS KILLED HAMAN’S 10 SONS(10)
¨ THIS IS NINE MONTHS AFTER HAMAN WAS KILLED.
Ø WHY WAS IT NECESSARY FOR HAMANS SONS TODIE?
§ A SON WAS TO CARRY OUT HISFATHER’S LIFE IN THE SAME WAY THE FATHER WOULD HAVE, HAD HE LIVED. THEREFORE, THIS IS AJUDGMENT ON HAMAN.
· HOWEVER, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THEJEWS DID NOT TAKE ANY SPOIL EVEN THOUGH THEY LEGALLY COULD HAVE DONE SO. WHY?
¨ THIS WAS TO INDICATE THAT THE KILLING WAS NOTOUT OF VENGEANCE BUT A JUST DEFENSE.
Ø THEY PROBABLY DIDNT WANT ANY REPRISALSMONTHS OR YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
v READ EST 9:11-16
Ø THE KING GETS THE REPORT THAT 500 OF THE JEWSENEMIES DIED IN THE PALACE.
§ HE GIVES THE REPORT TOESTHER AND ASKS HER IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. (12)
· ESTHERS NEW REQUEST: (13)
¨ SHE REQUESTS A ONE-DAY EXTENSION TO THE CIVILWAR. WHY?
Ø IT DOES NOT STATE WHY ESTHER ASKED FOR ASECOND DAY, BUT PERHAPS SHE HAD LEARNED OF A PLOT TO ATTACK THE JEWS OF SUSA THE NEXT DAYWHICH WOULD MEAN THE JEWS WOULD BE DEFENSELESS. (SEE VS. 15)
§ THE KING GRANTED THEEXTENSION.
· NOTE THAT THE ONE-DAY EXTENSIONIS ONLY FOR THE CAPITAL CITY OF SHUSHAN (SUSA).
· THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TIME TOCOMMUNICATE AN EXTENSION OF THE CIVIL WAR TO TWO DAYS IN OUTLYING AREAS.
¨ SHE ALSO ASKS THAT HAMAN’S TEN SONS BE HANGEDON THE GALLOWS. ACTUALLY THE WORD GALLOWS MEANS A TALL POLE UPON WHICH A MAN WAS NAILED.THE 10 SONS HAD ALREADY BEEN KILLED IN VS. 10, SO THIS IS SIMPLY A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THEIRDEAD BODIES TO WARN THE JEWISH ENEMIES.
Ø THIS PRACTICE WAS VERY COMMON WITH THE JEWSFROM THE TIME OF MOSES DEU 21:22-23, AS WELLAS WITH MANY OTHER CULTURES AND NATIONS IN ANCIENT TIMES.
Ø ON THE SECOND DAY OF THIS CIVIL WAR, 300PERSIANS ARE KILLED IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF SHUSAN (SUSA).
Ø THE DEATH TOLL IN THE REST OF THE PERSIANKINGDOM:
§ 75 THOUSAND PERSIANS WEREKILLED.
· THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US HOWMANY JEWS WERE KILLED, IF ANY.
· HOW EXTENSIVE IS THIS LOSS OFLIFE?
¨ THE POPULATION OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE WASABOUT 73 MILLION PEOPLE, OF WHICH 3 MILLION WERE JEWS (16)
v READ EST 9:17-32 THE SETTING OF THE FEAST OF PURIM
Ø THERE WAS EVIDENTLY SOME VARIANCE IN THECELEBRATING OF THE FEAST OF PURIM THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE, ACCORDING TO VERSES 17-18.
§ PERHAPS THIS DIFFERENCE WASBECAUSE OF REMOTE TERRITORY AND TIME CHANGES. HOWEVER, MOST LIKELY THE DIFFERENCE WASBECAUSE OF THE ONE-DAY EXTENSION OF THE CIVIL WAR. MOST OF THE PERSIAN KINGDOM HAD CIVILWAR ONLY ONE DAY. THE CITY OF SHUSHAN (SUSA) HAD CIVIL WAR FOR 2 DAYS.
· THOSE JEWS IN MOST OF THE PERSIANKINGDOM WOULD CELEBRATE THE VICTORY FOR ONE DAY WHILE THOSE IN THE CAPITAL CITY WOULDCELEBRATE THE VICTORY FOR 2 DAYS.
§ MORDECAI WROTE LETTERS TOTHE JEWS THROUGHOUT THE REALM TO MAKE THE CELEBRATION UNIFORM FOR ALL JEWS EVERYWHERE(20).
Ø THE NAME OF THE OBSERVANCE OF PURIM
§ THEY NAMED THE EVENT IN THEBOOK OF ESTHER AFTER THE CASTING OF DICE.
· HAMAN THREW DICE TO DECIDE ONWHICH DAY TO CAUSE THE ANNIHILATION OF THE JEWS.
¨ THE WORD FOR CASTING LOTS IS PUR.IT IS FROM THIS WORD THAT THE HOLIDAY IS NAMED. THE PLURAL FOR PUR IS PURIM.
Ø PERHAPS THEY USED THE PLURAL BECAUSE OF THETWO DAYS OF CELEBRATION.
§ THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THENAME, PURIM:
· THE NAME IS AN INDICATION THATNOTHING IS BY CHANCE BUT BY GOD’S SOVEREIGN DESIGN.
¨ READ PRO 16:33
Ø THE CASTING OF LOTS WAS A COMMON PRACTICE INTHE OLD TESTAMENT:
§ JOS 13:6, 14:2 THE PROMISED LAND WAS DIVIDED AMONG THE 12 TRIBESOF ISRAEL BY CASTING LOTS.
Ø THE CASTING OF LOTS WAS A COMMON PRACTICE INTHE NEW TESTAMENT:
§ MAT 27:35 THEY CAST LOTS FOR JESUS ROBE AT THECRUCIFIXION.
§ ACT 1:16 THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES CAST LOTSTO REPLACE JUDAS WITH MATHIAS.
v THE CELEBRATION OF PURIM:
Ø ON THE 13TH OF ADAR
§ THE 13TH DAY WAS ADDED TOTHE EVENT DURING THE TIME BETWEEN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT.
· DURING THE TIME OF JUDASMACCABEUS WHEN IN 161 BC HIS ARMY DEFEATED A SYRIAN ARMY AND KILLED THE SYRIAN GENERAL,NICANOR. IT WAS DECLARED A HOLIDAY AND GRADUALLY BECAME INCORPORATED INTO PURIM UNTILFINALLY IT WAS A DAY OF FASTING AND CALLED ESTHER’S FAST.
Ø ON THE 14TH AND 15TH OF ADAR
§ THE 14TH DAY WAS CALLEDMORDECAI’S DAY IN THE PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Ø THE MANNER OF CELEBRATION:
§ ON THE 13TH DAY:
· A DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER.
§ ON THE 14TH DAY:
· THESYNAGOGUES WERE CLEANED AND REPAIRED.
· THE JEWS READ THE STORY OF ESTHERFROM HAND-WRITTEN ANIMAL-SKIN SCROLLS.
¨ EVERYTIME THE NAMES OR MORDECAI OR ESTHER AREMENTIONED, PEOPLE SHOUT BLESSINGS.
¨ EVERYTIME HAMANS NAME IS MENTIONED, THEPEOPLE SHOUT, SHAKE RATTLES, AND STAMP THEIR FEET.
· THE JEWS READ FROM EXODUS 17,THEN PSALM 22.
¨ EXO 17:8-16 IS THE STORY OF AMALEK. IT REPRESENTS THE BATTLE OF GOOD AGAINST EVIL, GODAGAINST SATAN.
Ø HAMAN IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS EVIL IN MAN.
¨ PSA 22 ISA MESIANIC PSALM OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
Ø THE PSALM MIRRORS THE FEELINGS OFABANDONMENT FELT BY THE JEWS UNDER THREAT OF DEATH.
§ ON THE 15TH DAY:
· THIS IS A DAY OF FEASTING,CELEBRATION AND GIFT GIVING.
¨ GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
¨ ALMS ARE GIVEN TO THE POOR
Ø ESTHER THEN WROTE TO CONFIRM WHAT MORDECAIHAD WRITTEN AND TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF FASTING.
§ MAYBE THERE WAS SOMERESISTANCE IN THE PROVINCES TO THE IDEA OF CELEBRATING BOTH DAYS AND INCLUDE FASTING. (29)
Ø THE CELEBRATION OF PURIM HAS BEEN VERYPOPULAR AMONG THE JEWS DOWN THROUGH HISTORY BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSTANT STRUGGLE AGAINSTPERSECUTION AND THREAT OF ANNIHILATION.
v APPLICATION: THE USE OF CASTING OF LOTS
Ø MANY CHRISTIANS THINK THAT THE CASTING OFLOTS IS AN ACT OF GAMBLING, OR A BELIEF IN LUCK. IT IS TRUE THAT SEVERALGAMBLING GAMES USE THE THROWING OF DICE, AND GAMBLERS TALK ABOUT TRUSTING LADY LUCK.
§ THE CASTING OF LOTS IS NOTNECESSARILY GAMBLING OR TRUSTING IN LADY LUCK.
§ WE SEE THE CASTING OF LOTSAS A VERY SCRIPTURAL PRACTICE IN THE BIBLE, IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.
§ THE MEMORY VERSE FOR TODAYSLESSON TELLS US THAT CASTING LOTS IS PART OF GODS SOVEREIGNTY. HE IS IN CONTROL OFTHE OUTCOME. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IF THE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR GODS DIRECTION BEFORETHE LOT IS CAST.
§ THERE IS NO SUCH THING ASLUCK IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER. THE OUTCOME OF EVENTS IS BY THE SOVEREIGNWILL OF GOD WHO WATCHES OVER THE BELIEVER AND HAS AN INPUT INTO THE BELIEVERS LIFE.
· REMEMBER OUR LESSON ON GODSFOREKNOWLEDGE AND PREDESTINATION EARLIER IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER!
¨ EVENTS IN THE BELIEVERS LIFE AREFOREKNOWN AND PREDETERMINED BY GOD NOT BY LADY LUCK.
Ø THEREFORE, THE CASTING OF LOTS IS NOT BY LUCKOR BY CHANCE AS MANY PEOPLE THINK, BUT BY THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
§ IT IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TOLET GOD MAKE THE CHOICES WITHOUT MANS BIASED OPINIONS.
HOMEWORK
ESTHER 10 AND SUMMARY
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
Ø WHAT ARE THE DANGERS IF HUMAN BEINGS MAKE THECHOICES OF INDIVIDUALS TO FILL A POSITION?
Ø WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES IF THE CHOICES ARELEFT TO GOD BY THE CASTING OF LOTS?
v PREPARATION FOR EST 10
Ø READ EST 10:1-3
§ THE BOOK OF ESTHER CAN BEVIEWED AS AN ALLEGORY FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUTHAMAN BEING A PICTURE OF SATAN.
· IN THAT LIGHT, CONSIDER THEFOLLOWING ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATIONS:
¨ KING DARIUS, BY HIS POSITION, NOT HISPERSONAL LIFE, IS A PICTURE OF JESUS CHRIST AS KING.
¨ ESTHER DEPICTS THE BELIEVER, THE BRIDE OFCHRIST.
¨ MORDECAI DEPICTS THE HOLY SPIRIT
¨ HAMAN DEPICTS EITHER SATAN OR THE FLESHNATURE OF MAN
· WITH THESE INTERPRETATIONS INMIND, WRITE A PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING HOW THE STORY OF ESTHER FITS THESE NEW TESTAMENT ROLES.
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 47:1
