The Book of Esther is about the surprising providence of God that is at work among his people, even in the darkest of times. Even though God's name is not mentioned once in the entire book, the sovereign hand of God is at work, bringing about his good purposes. In Chapter 1, we learn of the harsh setting in which the story takes place. We also begin to see that even in a world of pride, the pursuit of sinful pleasure, and the abuse of power, God has not forgotten his people.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
THINKING: QUESTIONS AIMED AT OUR MINDS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND GOD’S WORD.
After reading Esther 1:1–9, how would you finish this sentence: “The book of Esther starts out by . . . ? What details stand out to you in this opening section?
in light of Scripture’s teaching about the beauties of submission and headship in marriage (as in Eph. 5:22–33), in what various ways is this story of the king’s decree ironically distorted, even ridiculous? What are we learning here about this king and his decrees?
FEELING: QUESTIONS AIMED AT OUR AFFECTIONS TO HELP US LOVE GOD
Where do you see hints of God working behind the scenes here? What does this tell us about who God is?
DOING: QUESTIONS AIMED AT OUR HANDS TO HELP US LIVE FOR GOD (PERSONALLY, COMMUNALLY, AND MISSIONALLY)
The King was prideful, self-indulgent, and abused his power. How do you see these things at work in the world around us?
In what way are you guilty of such pursuits? How does the gospel answer this problem?
