Lesson Seven Reaping What is Sown 7

For Such a Time as This Life Lessons from the

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW Lesson 6 brought us to the beginning of the climax of the Book of Esther. In it we saw the hand of God’s providence displayed like nowhere else in the . All of God’s chess pieces were in place, and He began to unfold the moves that would lead to a divine pronouncement of “Checkmate!” It was amazing how this unfolded:

A providential insomnia fell upon , causing him to ask for a reading from the chronicles; out of 12 years’ records of his reign the attendant just happened to select the text about ’s actions saving the king’s life A providential arrival of into the king’s court, of course with his own intentions, but to have an unknowing role in the honoring of Mordecai A providential narcissism blinded Haman to the point he himself chose the great honor to be bestowed on his very enemy A providential irony displayed as Haman led his enemy around town proclaiming his greatness, then rushed home in shame and mourning while Mordecai humbly returned to his duties A providential downfall begins for Haman, with even his own wife and friends proclaiming that he was on the way out as long as he opposed Mordecai

This week we reach the climax of the story as we read of the ultimate downfall of this man. Chapters 8–10 will record the resolution of the remaining details of the story, as well as giving us a glimpse of the Jewish holiday of and its significance.

DAY ONE: The Generous Offer Please carefully read :1–2 and answer the following questions.

1. As you remember from last week, we read that the servants came to interrupt Haman’s pity party and took him to Esther’s banquet. What do you think his attitude would have been in facing the things that lay before him that afternoon? ______

1 2. In the latter part of the feast when the wine was being served, what did Ahasuerus ask (v. 2)? ______

NOTE: The second day means that this was the second feast as mentioned in the last chapter, not that this feast was two days long.1

3. Ahasuerus was quite generous with his offer to Esther. This serves as a picture of God’s generous offer of listening to and responding to our prayers. He wishes us to come before Him with our needs and intercessions. The word petition in Hebrew meant a request, prayer, something that was obtained by entreating another,2 and request meant a desire or something sought, especially in a request made to royalty.3

What are some things that you read about God’s generous offer of hearing and responding to our petitions and requests from the following passages? Psalm 50:15; 91:15 ______Jeremiah 29:12–13 ______Matthew 7:7–11 ______

John 15:7; 16:23, 24 ______

Romans 8:26, 27, 32; Ephesians 3:20 ______

2 Scripture Memory: This week we will be memorizing Galatians 6:7–8. Review the passage several times throughout the day each day this week, and by the end of the week, you should have it memorized completely.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7–8 (NKJV)

DAY TWO: The Unexpected Revelation Please carefully read Esther 7:3–4 and answer the following questions.

1. We can easily imagine that Esther’s heart was pounding, and that she quickly prayed that God would give her the exact right words to say. After probably taking a deep breath, how did she begin her two-fold request (v. 3)? ______

NOTE: As we saw in an earlier study, favor meant grace, loveliness, charm, kindness, or preciousness, while pleases meant to be good, beneficial, favorable, well pleasing, or to be lovely.4

2. What explanation does she give of this strange and unexpected request (v. 4)? ______

NOTE: These are the same words used in Haman’s declaration to the people of Persia (:13). They meant to utterly destroy, annihilate, commit homicide, and leave the Jewish people in utter ruin and desolation.5 The Amplified Bible puts this, “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slain, and wiped out of existence!”

3. Bible scholars describe verse 4 as one of the most difficult passages in the Book of Esther to translate, but that it most likely meant that the Jews were to be destroyed, which would have been an economic loss for the king, so Esther had to speak up about it.6 Either way, Esther boldly identified with her people in this.

Of course to this point neither Ahasuerus nor Haman had a clue that Esther was Jewish, but now had come the time to stand up and proclaim that truth. We should never be ashamed to stand for Christ and say that we are His children. What strong words did Jesus have about this (Luke 9:26)? ______

3 4. What should our attitude be toward the fact that we are Christians and identify with our Lord (Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:8–10, 12)? ______

Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

Do not be deceived, God is not ______; for whatever a man sows, that he will also ______. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap ______, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit ______everlasting life. Galatians 6:7–8 (NKJV)

DAY THREE: The Shocking Accusation Please carefully read Esther 7:5–6 and answer the following questions.

1. What was Ahasuerus’ shocked response to this threat to his beloved queen (v. 5)? ______

2. The phrase dare to presume in his heart meant he filled his heart with such an idea.7 Ahasuerus was shocked to know that there was such an evil traitor who would seek to kill his queen. There would later be another traitor with even more wicked intentions, yet was influenced by the same ultimate enemy. Who was this, and what led him to fill his heart to do such a thing (John 13:21–30)? ______

3. No doubt there were further moments of silence before Esther responded. Who did she accuse of such a thing, and what was the reaction (v. 6)? ______

NOTE: Terrified means to be overtaken with a sudden dread and terror; this word described the strongest form of being intimidated.8

4. We too face a wicked adversary who hates Christ in us, and will do all he can to destroy us or make us ineffective for God’s kingdom. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for adversary meant literally a narrow man; this described a personal foe, adversary, or

4 oppressor.9 How do the following passages describe how we can face such a foe and walk in bold victory, not in cowardly hiding away or in sad defeat? 2 Corinthians 4:2; 10:3–5 ______

Ephesians 6:10–13 ______

1 Peter 1:13–15; 5:8, 9 ______

Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

Do not be deceived, God is not ______; for whatever a man sows, that he will also ______. For he who sows to his ______will of the flesh reap ______, but he who sows to the ______will of the Spirit ______everlasting life. Galatians 6:7–8 (NKJV)

DAY FOUR: The Angry Ahasuerus Please carefully read Esther 7:7–8 and answer the following questions.

1. What was Ahasuerus’ response to this unbelievable turn of events (v. 7a)? ______

NOTE: The NLT translates this, “Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage.”

2. As Ahasuerus burst out of the room in anger, perhaps to compose himself or think more clearly what to do about this, what did Haman do and why (v. 7b)? ______

5 3. Haman really had lost it at this point. He knew his only hope was to plead with Esther, for she had the power to make a plea for his life to be spared. What happened as the king came back in the room, and what did he think about this (v. 8)? ______

NOTE: One capital offense had already been revealed against Haman, which was manipulating the king into planning to kill the queen’s people; now in Ahasuerus’ mind the second one was sexually assaulting (force, KJV; molest, NIV) the queen. One of the Jewish Targums humorously adds that the angel Gabriel pushed Haman onto Esther as the king entered the room!10

4. Haman had demanded that Mordecai the Jew bow before him; now here Haman was bowing before the feet of the Jewish Esther!11 What a tremendous turn of events! Derek Prime well points out that these events are a great illustration of the conflicts that Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, experienced, and how God would work to resolve them.12 Read the passages below, and record how this ties in with the experiences of Mordecai and Esther in view of the wicked Haman.

Asaph’s Conflict, Psalm 73:2–9 ______

Asaph’s Change of Perspective, Psalm 73:15–24 ______

Asaph’s Contentment, Psalm 73:25–28 ______

Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

Do not be ______, God is not ______; for whatever a man ______, that he will also ______. For he who sows to his ______will of the ______reap ______, but he who ______to the ______will of the Spirit ______everlasting ______. Galatians 6:7–8 (NKJV)

6 DAY FIVE: The Reaped Reward Please carefully read Esther 7:9–10 and answer the following questions.

1. Haman’s face had been covered at the words of the king; his doom was sealed. One of the eunuchs, Harbonah, spoke up at that point. What did he tell the king (v. 9)? ______NOTES: No doubt Haman was not too well appreciated by the people of and the king’s household either. Interestingly, Harbonah is a fitting name. He was mentioned as one of the eunuchs responsible for the women in :10. His name can either mean “donkey driver,” not too great of a term for someone in charge of women, or ironically “the anger of him who builds,” reflecting Haman’s angry building of the seventy-five foot tall gallows on which to impale the one the king honored!13

2. What was Ahasuerus’ response to Harbonah’s statement (v. 9b)? ______

3. What happened then, and what was its effect (v. 10)? How does this all tie in with this week’s memory passage (Galatians 6:7–8)? ______

4. This gives new meaning to the phrase, “Hang ‘em high!” In all of this we can’t help but see a picture of what had to be done for us as sinful men. The word subsided meant to go down, get lower, to abate like flood waters, and was the same term used to describe Noah’s flood waters subsiding.14 In the same way, something had to make the waters of God’s wrath subside because of our sin. We’ll see more of a picture of this in Lesson 8 as well. What does Galatians 3:10–14 tell us of why Christ had to be “hung” for our offenses against God? ______

Scripture Memory: Can you write out this week’s passage by memory here below? Give it a try, and keep reviewing the passage several times throughout the day.

Galatians 6:7–8:

7 DAY SIX: Living in Such a Time as This 1. and 7 help us to see how these events all have come together for the good of the Jewish people, and how God providentially worked to deliver them. God is always at work even on those days we can’t even see or feel that He is there. He will ultimately deal with all the “Hamans” of our life, and bring glory to His name through it. Our responsibility is, as the old hymn said, to trust and obey, for there’s no other way! Consider the following familiar passage, and then record how the way God worked in the lives of our main characters makes this all the more real to you personally: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:28–32, NKJV)

2. It took time for Esther to boldly stand up and identify herself as a Jew. Some might criticize her for not being as bold as Daniel and his friends earlier in the Captivity years, or others who did so in different situations. Yet this passage also reassures us, because it shows us we don’t have to be “super saints” to be used by God in a mighty way! Yet by Esther’s life and example, all around her could see that she was different, and she shined the light of the Lord from her life. God wants to use you as well in whatever situation you are in, even if it is “only” taking things before Him in prayer.

Think through your current station in life. How can you be a better example of Christ both in your words and actions to those around you? How can you make a difference in the areas of influence you have for godliness, and to reflect Christ in all you do? How can you start doing this even this week? Share your thoughts here and with your group so you all can encourage each other in this. ______

3. “In a moral universe all bills must be paid.”15 There is a spiritual law of sowing and reaping, and it is demonstrated clearly in the book of Esther. Haman sowed to his own flesh, his own glorification, and sowed seeds of evil by seeking to destroy others who had done nothing to him. Haman reaped the ultimate reward for those who live in such a way: Disgrace and death. Mordecai on the other hand sowed to the Spirit. He raised Hadassah (Esther) as his own child and imparted godly principles to her. He humbly sought the Lord and interceded for his people with prayer and fasting. He led Esther to make the decision to fulfill her calling “for such a time as this.” He humbly carried out his day to day duties even when he had been elevated by others. As a result, he reaped life, and as we’ll see in the next chapter, was lifted up to prominence.

8 As you look back over your life, there have no doubt been times where you have sown seeds both to the flesh and to the Spirit. What are some of the times you failed, and what did you learn from them as a result? What are some times you have sown to the Spirit, and what did your life benefit from as a result? Please share some examples and spend some time praying for the others in your group so you will all better invest your lives by sowing to the Spirit, and not the flesh! ______

Scripture Memory: Hopefully you now can write out this week’s passage completely by memory. Do so now, and keep on reviewing it so you will be ready to share it with others in your group time.

Galatians 6:7–8:

9 Lecture Notes

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10 Group Prayer Requests

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1 John MacArthur ed., The MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville: Word , 1997), p. 689. 2 Spiros Zodhiates ed., The Complete Word Study (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994), p. 2368. 3 Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter eds., The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), p. 160. 4Spiros Zodhiates ed., The Complete Word Study Old Testament, pp. 2316, 2320. 5 Ibid., pp. 2296, 2312, 2373. 6 F.B. Huey, Jr., Esther. In F.E. Gaebelein ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1988), pp. 825, 826. 7 Spiros Zodhiates ed., The Complete Word Study Old Testament, p. 2332. 8 Ibid., p. 2306. 9 Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter eds., The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament, pp. 46, 966, 967. 10 F.B. Huey, Jr., Esther, p. 826. 11 Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. In E. Ray Clendenen ed., The New American Commentary Vol. 10 (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993), p. 350. 12 Derek Prime, Unspoken Lessons about the Unseen God (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2001), p. 112. 13 Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 138. 14F.B. Huey, Jr., Esther, p. 827. 15 Derek Prime, Unspoken Lessons about the Unseen God, p. 112.

©2005 Harvest Christian Fellowship; All Rights Reserved; Written by Thomas Klock for Men’s Bible Fellowship. www.harvest.org

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