Intermediate Lesson 23 - Book of Esther

MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE TODAY FROM THE BOOK OF ESTHER

Church: Sardis                                            Lesson 28 of 39                                   Theme: Holy Spirit

Background Information:

We asked in the book of 1 Kings, “How can the creation know how to accept the Holy Spirit?

Statement of Faith to Say Amen to for the Book of Esther:

I can be awakened to build an internal temple with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Essential Question

How can I live among people in peace when laws are being made that satisfy the flesh?

Book of Esther

Have students read pages 137-143 in the book, The Pattern of Sound Teaching.

After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"

Remember the Issue:

Remembering to love the family of God is important. When the Jezebel spirit works to change laws to tolerate sin, God will “stir up” our spirit to awaken us to turn to God and away from the world. When we turn to God, this is how we accept spiritual gifts from God.

The Jezebel spirit is a spirit that wants to satisfy the flesh and will work to change the laws to tolerate sin. In the book of Esther, Esther was awakened to understand that she needed to call on God’s Holy Spirit because after she was made queen of Babylon, a decree (law) was written to kill every living Jew: young and old, little children and women. The king’s court delivered the message to the people while the king and Haman were drinking. Haman had messengers deliver the decree to all the providences from India to Cush. Haman had planned this so that if someone had a question about the decree, the king would not be able to respond to the question. The king was not sober, and the Holy Spirit will not come on people who are drunk with wine. Esther did not have a temple to go and pray in because she was living in Babylon among people who were serving false gods. Esther could not make a sacrifice because the temple had been destroyed. Esther then prayed and fasted. This is how Esther called on God’s Holy Spirit.

Remember the Truth Jesus Brought:

Esther sent one of the king’s eunuchs to talk to the Jews to find out what was going on. Hatach found out the entire story about how Haman set a decree in motion to exterminate all the Jews. Esther knew she needed to go before the king and plead for the king to save herself and her people. However, there was a law that if Esther went into the inner court of the king without being called by the king she would be put to death unless the king held up a golden scepter. Esther was awakened to be willing to die for what she believed in.

Esther took a stand for God’s Holy Spirit when she said, “I will go before the king which is against the law, and if I perish, then I perish.” Esther was awakened to know that people who were being protected by the miracles of God did not have to rely on the Holy Spirit. However, Esther was not under the law of Moses and sacrificing against the law of Moses for the miracles of God to solve untoward situations. Esther was awakened to have faith and was willing to die for what she believed in. This was not a characteristic of people who were in the stories before this. The book of Esther is the place where people were awakened to begin conversations about God’s Holy Spirit and to make a choice to perish for what they believed in. Today we need to awaken to believe that the Holy Spirit can comfort us when we are mentally and physically persecuted with untoward situations.

Once the decree was made it could not be rescinded. The king gave Esther his signet ring, and a decree was written to allow the Jews to defend themselves. When the day came for the Jews to be utterly destroyed, the Jews were able to fight back.

People first learn about God through their families. God’s name was not mentioned in this story, but God’s Holy Spirit was moving across the whole Earth at this time. This story was announced from Cush to Asia, and this gave each family from Cush to Asia a message to talk about at the dinner table. During this time, everyone in the world from Asia to Cush made a choice to support the Jews or to go against God’s people.

The people who were serving false gods were understanding the message of God’s miracles from a different point of view. God was able to protect His people with laws and not miracles. The people who served false gods were able to make a choice of what they wanted to believe in. They could choose to put their faith in God’s Holy Spirit or a Jezebel spirit. The people were able to decide if they were going to fight the Jews or not. Esther gave the Jews the ability to fight back against the law. Each person made an individual choice of how they were going to behave.

Remember the Rock God Established:

After Esther’s stand, a letter was sent to every Jew in the 127 providences from India to Cush to proclaim a celebration of the fourteenth and fifteenth day of Adar every year for eternity because the Jew's sorrow was turned to joy. Family support is important. The family should be the first place that we hear about God.

Just as the world did not make laws to support God’s commandments in the past when it looked at the miracles of God, the world does not make laws that teach God’s commandments now even though we can look at the sacrifice that Christ made to understand how to make laws that do not satisfy the flesh. In being saved by grace through faith, we are to look at the sacrifice that Christ made and understand that laws should not satisfy the flesh. Jesus said to obey the Father's commandments. Even though Jesus said to obey God’s commandments, the world does not teach God’s commandments. We are now awakened to build our internal temple by listening to the Holy Spirit and understand that the Holy Spirit does not support laws that satisfy the flesh.

Esther was among the earliest of those who stood against people who were making laws to satisfy the flesh. She was awakened to trust God’s Holy Spirit. Esther said, “If I perish, then I perish.” Esther depended on God’s Holy Spirit to protect and comfort her. Through God’s Holy Spirit, Esther acted to save the family of God. In the New Testament, there is a promise that the Holy Spirit will give its followers a spirit of truth that will help guide and empower them.

Activity:

The activity directions are located in Appendix 2 – Step 6.

Students will perform a simulation that builds a temple by listening to the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:

God offers the spiritual gift of a new spirit.

Next Lesson:

After God reminds us, “stirs up,” and awakens a believer’s heart with a new spirit, the Isaiah spirit teaches us how to bear witness to our living sacrifice by bearing the fruit of the spirit.