Cornerstone Class Outline for 5/19/19
·
Announcements,
praises and prayer requests—Dawn Eden
·
Introduction:
o
Continuing
lawn-and-garden adventures
·
I’d like to start
by reading a quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book Life Together:
“He
who loves his dream of a community more than the Cristian community itself
becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be
ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.”
o
Bonhoeffer was
critical of what he called a “wish dream,” the idea that genuine Christian
community is this blissful, idealized experience.
o
He said it’s a
good thing for Christians to be disillusioned by “the unhappy and ugly aspects”
of the Christian community.
o
Disillusionment
is beneficial because it forces us to discard our unrealistic expectations for
the church so we can face the reality of ourselves and other Christians.
o
Genuine
fellowship can happen when we abandon our “wish dreams” for the church and
accept our brothers and sisters with all of their warts and blemishes.
o
I was once saddled
with this idealistic view of Christian community…
·
A quick recap of
Esther 2 and 3
o
Esther became
queen
o
Haman was
promoted as King Xerxes’ most powerful official
o
Haman became
enraged when Mordecai refused to kneel before him
o
Xerxes gave the
signet ring to Haman, giving him the power to destroy all the Jews in the
Persian empire.
o
Haman issued an
edict that all the Jews are to be annihilated. The edict would take effect in
11 months.
·
Let’s read Esther
4:1-5 NIV
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he
tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city,
wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate,
because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province
to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and
told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to
put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther
summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered
him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
·
QUESTIONS on
Esther 4:1-5
o
Verse 3 says, “…there
was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay
in sackcloth and ashes.” How did this
response of the Jewish people to tragedy reveal God in this book where God
isn’t directly mentioned?
§ Fasting, weeping and wailing are prayers of mourning
and repentance to God
§ Dressing in sackcloth and ashes also reflect desperate
prayer to God
·
Let’s read Esther
4:6-11 NIV
6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of
the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had
happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay
into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a
copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published
in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct
her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her
people.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what
Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the
king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or
woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the
king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the
gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since
I was called to go to the king.”
·
QUESTIONS on
Esther 4:6-11
o
Mordecai
instructs Esther to enter the king’s presence on behalf of the Jewish people.
This marks the moment of truth for Esther. In
verse 11, how willing to risk her life does Esther appear to be at this point?
§ As queen, Esther was living a life of luxury. She
might not want to give up the good life all that easily. She resists
sacrificing her life.
o
Thirty days is a
long time for a king and queen to be apart. What are some possible reasons the king has chosen not to see Esther?
§ His passion for Esther may have cooled
§ Perhaps he’s tired of her
§ Perhaps he’s angry with Esther
§ Perhaps he wants her to approach him so he can have a legal
excuse to have her killed
·
Let’s read Esther
4:12-17 NIV
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13
he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s
house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at
this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise
from another place, but you and your father’s family
will perish. And who knows but that you have come to
your royal position for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go,
gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or
drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do.
When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.
And if I perish, I perish.”
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of
Esther’s instructions.
·
QUESTIONS on
Esther 4:12-17
o
Esther’s
hesitancy to say yes caused Mordecai to use more intense persuasion. He
basically told Esther that if she refused to approach Xerxes, “…then relief and
deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your
father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal
position for such a time as this?” What
attribute of God is evident in these words of Mordecai?
§ God’s providence
§ J. Vernon McGee defines God’s providence as follows: “Providence
is the means by which God directs all things—both animate and inanimate, seen
and unseen, good and evil—toward a worthy purpose, which means His will must
finally prevail.”
o
Esther’s words in
verse 16 are likely the most significant words in the book. What character traits do you see in Esther,
based on her decisive statement?
§ Courage
§ Honor
§ Sacrifice
o
Also in verse 16, what does Esther say that implies
the activity of God?
§ Fasting is a form of prayer to God
§ Esther is asking Mordecai and the Jewish people to
fast and pray that God will bless her efforts at persuading Xerxes
·
Application/Conclusion
·
Closing prayer
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