The Tables Have Turned – Bible Lessons on Esther
Queen Esther’s Life is full of Bible lessons, preserved for us. Here are six Bible lessons on Esther for us to complete Steph Nickel’s series about Queen Esther.
Grand Plans Foiled by Esther’s Success
Haman had grand plans to get even with his arch enemy, Mordecai, by annihilating all the Jews throughout King Ahasuerus’s kingdom. But God had other plans.
Even after Haman was hung on the gallows he’d had built to end Mordecai’s life, Haman’s plans were still in effect. But all that was about to change.
A Change of Plans
Esther 8:7-8 say, “Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, ‘Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked’” (ESV).
The remainders of chapter 8 as well as chapters 9 and 10 tell how the Jews gained victory over their enemies, including the 10 sons of Haman. While things worked out for Queen Esther, Mordecai, and their people, it is a sobering tale, one with applications to this day.
Half a Dozen Bible Lessons on Esther
Here are a half a dozen lessons we can learn from the book of Esther:
1. God is Working Things Out
God is working things out—even when we can’t see His plan.
I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it was for the young woman, Esther, to be taken from her family and friends. Although she was treated well and lived in luxury, she couldn’t come and go freely. On the advice of her guardian, Mordecai, she hadn’t shared her lineage. Therefore, to a great extent, she was cut off from knowing what was going on in the lives of her people—even after she became queen.
2.Be Faithful
We are called to be faithful.
We can see the quality of faithfulness in both Esther’s life and in Mordecai’s. Esther gained the admiration of all those she encountered. She also gained the admiration and love of the king. When she went uninvited before him, he extended his sceptre to her and welcomed her into his presence—more than once.
Because of Mordecai’s wisdom and faithfulness, a plot was foiled to take the king’s life. And, eventually, after many trials and tribulations, he became second in command to King Ahasuerus.
3.Be Marked By Courage
Courage is to mark our life.
Esther exercised courage by excelling in all her preparations to go before the king. She exercised courage by going before him, unsummoned, to save her people. It took courage to plot against Haman. He was a man of great power, and she had no guarantee that the king would take her side against him. She could have been the one put to death.
4.Read Difficult Bible Passages
We ought not avoid the challenging portions of God’s Word.
As I’ve mentioned before, this is an intriguing story. And if it were a work of fiction, we could simply enjoy the twists and turns and the final outcome. However, this story is true. It’s difficult to fathom such cruelty. We may even question why there couldn’t have been a different outcome for the enemies of the Jewish people. Couldn’t things have been resolved more peacefully after Haman was put to death?
I’ve often quoted Ephesians 1:11, but this is a prime example of how we must trust that God is the One who, indeed, “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (ESV).
5.Align Yourself With God
Those who align themselves against God and His plans will come to a tragic end if they don’t seek Him for forgiveness.
We’d all rather focus on the promises of God for those who come to saving faith in Jesus, those glorious promises we can rest in even during the most challenging of circumstance.
However, we can’t simply focus on these portions of God’s Word. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV) (emphasis mine).
6.Share the Joy and the Word
It is our responsibility to share the joy and the sober realities found in the Scriptures.
We are called to speak the truth in love. May we seek to do so this day—and every day.I encourage you to prayerfully read the book of Esther and discover the lessons God would teach you in its pages.
How do you think you is the most important lesson you have learned from Queen Esther’s Life? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
More Podcasts to Enjoy:
More Blogs
This Unusual Summer: Sheltering In Place TBR Pile
Images Courtesy of:
Princess – xusenru
Couple – StockSnap
Fitness – Ichigo121212
Cross – MabelAmber
Leave a Reply