LIVING A LIFE THAT GOD CAN USE: CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO OF ESTHER

CHAPTER ONE: AHASUERUS AND VASHTI

Verses 1-11: Too much pride and alcohol led Ahasuerus to make the wrong decisions towards his wife.

• Jeremiah 9:23-24  “Let not the wise boast in their wisdom or the strong boast in their strength or the rich boast of their riches but let the one who boasts boast about this: they have the understanding to know me, that I am the lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
• Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Verses 12-22: The costs of disobedience can change your life and the lives of others, as Vashti’s actions altered the lives of all the women of Babylon.

• The men certainly saw Vashti’s refusal as a direct wrong against the king, but also against every man.
• Doing the right thing at the wrong time may have sealed her fate.
• God used Vashti’s refusal to raise up a queen who would be positioned to influence the king and save His people.
• God touches the lives of others for our benefit, hardening or softening hearts as needed for His glorious will.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM CHAPTER ONE

1. What does the Bible say about too much pride?
2. How does this situation remind us that God knows the hearts of even those who don’t know Him?
3. When was a time that your pride or anger nearly cost you a lot or did change your life?
4. What role did too much alcohol play in Ahasuerus’s decision-making?
5. What does the punishment for refusing to be paraded in front of drunk men reveal about the place of women in that society?
6. What lessons can we learn about living a life that God can use from Ahasuerus and Vashti’s decisions?

CHAPTER TWO: MORDECAI AND ESTHER

Verses 1-7: Being in the right place at the right time allows God to use us for His plans. God chose Mordecai and Esther to facilitate the salvation of His people. God chooses the right people to use because He alone knows human hearts.

Verses 8-18: Esther wasn’t chosen by God because of only her beauty, as there were many beautiful women. One commentator suggests that there were 400 women in Esther’s cohort of virgins.

Verses 19-23: God, in His manifold wisdom and working behind the scenes, places us where we need to help accomplish His will. 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FROM CHAPTER TWO

1. What characteristics of Mordecai made him meet for the Lord’s service?

2. What are the characteristics of Esther that made her meet for the Master’s service?

3. What was it about Esther’s obedience to Mordecai that helps us understand why she was chosen by God for this task?

BASIC TENETS FROM CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER

• God Almighty is a covenant-keeping God, always mindful of his promises to his people. His promises do not come with expiration dates.
• Salvation is from God almighty, and his saving grace is still available for the lost and hopeless.
• Whether they stayed in Babylon or returned to Jerusalem, the Jews were still under God’s covenant with Abraham. He remained their God, and they were his people.
• God almighty works behind the scenes.
• The Old Testament is the key to understanding the New Testament. The stories point us to the ultimate savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.
• Still today, victory is possible in all situations and comes from God Almighty through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.