Esther for This Time #1 – The Backdrop & the Party

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Prayer, Reversals, and JOY

Have you studied the book of Esther? Do You Need Reversals in Your Life? Are you struggling to find faith and courage? Esther will show you how. Join our newest series based on the Book of Esther.  It’s a  wonderful study for Lent.  It is about trusting in God, intercessory prayer, and receiving strength to stand firm amid life’s challenges. It is about gentle leadership, discernment, and how God can give you reversals and joy in situations and relationships. Esther is a book of faith, hope, and joy!

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[Don’t forget the Joy podcast series here.]

This is the Time

Welcome to Esther for This Time: Prayer, Reversals & JOY Episode #1, based on my book Esther For Such a Time As This: Prayer, Reversals, and JOY.  When we wonder, “Where is God in our lives or our families or communities,” Esther reminds us that God never abandons us. He is faithful. Now is a good time to start if you have never read or studied Esther. You cannot depend on movies depicting Esther because some are more fictional than historically accurate. You will gain so much more by reading it yourself, as the lessons from Esther are so encouraging. And, of course, there is a JOYFUL ending. Today, we will cover these points:

The Backdrop for Esther (Esther 1: 1-3)

• The days of Ahasuerus (Esther 1:1) refer to the reign of King Ahasuerus, who historically ruled the world as King of the Persian Empire from 486 to 465 BC. In Greek, his name was Xerxes.
• The Persians, led by Cyrus the Great, the grandfather of Ahasuerus, had defeated the Babylonian Empire of King Nebuchadnezzar, who had taken the Jewish people captive to Babylon beginning in 605 BC. Cyrus the Great had a relaxed attitude toward the Jewish people and allowed them to return to Jerusalem or move to other places. Some went back to Jerusalem. Some scattered throughout Europe. Some stayed in Persia and learned to fit into its culture. This is where we meet Esther.

The Lavish Party (Esther 1: 4-8)

• King Ahasuerus resided in Susa, one of the three royal cities in the Persian Empire.
• He threw the lavish party, mostly to inspire patriotism and show off his wealth and splendor to his military leaders so they would support him for going to war against Greece, as history tells us.
• An old tradition stated that the rest of the party could drink only as the king drank, but at his party, all were instructed to drink freely. The golden goblets used for serving the wine may very well have been the sacred goblets seized from the Jewish temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC (see Daniel 1). Now, they were being used in a very unholy way by a very pagan king!

Personal Reflection.

• King Ahasuerus was trying to make himself a god in power, prestige, and more.
• He did not know or refused to acknowledge the truth that God loves us dearly but as Proverbs 15:3 points out: “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good,” or Hebrews 4:13, saying: “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
• Consider these questions for reflection today:
  • Do you wonder where God is when you see the world focused on self-image, power, and prestige?
  • Do you get discouraged when it appears God is silent about all the evil taking place in the world?
  • When God seems silent, do you turn your attention to the party—that is, to the worldly distractions that draw you away from God, faith, and family?

Prayer Response

1. Read and pray with Psalm 103: 15-22. Try to memorize the verse that speaks most to you.
2. Seek God. When you think he is silent as the world parties on, open yourself more to God. Remember that only God, our heavenly Father, Jesus, our Savior, and the Holy Spirit can offer you the true Joy, Peace, Love, and Fulfillment that the world is seeking, as epitomized by King Ahasuerus.
3. Ask for your needs. When you are lonely, confused, or frustrated, talk to Jesus from your heart.  Ask Him for what you need. Remember Jesus’ words in John 15: 11: As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.   (You may want to listen to my podcast season #1 series, Finding JOY.)

Cup of JOY Women

• Consider forming a weekly one-hour Cup of Joy Women’s small group. Brief study guides accompany this podcast series, and you can begin anytime.  You will meet for only ten weeks and it’s free! Pray about accepting this opportunity to engage others and gently evangelize by meeting with one or more friends over coffee or tea in your home or church.
• For information, email Karen or go to Cup of Joy Women.

Links

• Download Bookmarks from this podcast series: WRAPyourselfinJOY.com.
• Check out more podcasts here!
• Click here to find the book Esther For Such a Time As This: Prayer, Reversals, and JOY
• Join my newest podcast  Ruth – Finding JOY in Tough Times and Trusting in God’s Goodness. 

Esther for This Time: The Ten-Part Series over the Book of Esther

• Esther for This Time #1—The Backdrop & the Party ~ Esther will show us that God never abandons us; He was faithful 2500 years ago and is faithful to you today.
• Esther for This Time #2 – The Queen, the Refusal & the Bad Advice  ~ Pursue God’s true wisdom instead of worldly counsel from those motivated by power.
• Esther for This Time #3 – The Spa & A New Queen   ~  Hear how the attractiveness of the heart wins friends and favor and see God’s providence begin unfolding quietly.
• Esther for This Time #4 – Unwavering Resolve & the First Edict   ~ Only God can deliver a people from destruction; With prayer and resolve, He can and He will.
• Esther for This Time #5 – Your Mission For Such a Time as This ~  View powerful examples of interceding for a nation in desperate times.
• Esther for This Time #6 – Pray, Wait and Discern   ~  Esther demonstrates the value of prayer, but also why it’s important to wait and discern God’s solution.
• Esther for This Time #7 – God-Designed Comedy  ~ Enjoy the change: God reverses calamity with a sense of  ~ humor.
• Esther for This Time #8 – Reversals Begin ~ God loves reversals and offers creative solutions to problems; He can make them happen for you, too.
• Esther for This Time #9 – Creative Solutions and MORE Reversals  ~ Watch the reversals unfold through prayer, and the nation’s deliverance brings a desire for conversion.
• Esther for This Time #10  –  Celebrate God’s Goodness & the Feast of Purim  ~ Join the celebration; God delivers his people from their enemies and will do the same for you.