Part 1 (2:1-9): These verses finish Chapter 1’s rebuke to the priests A command is referred to twice in this section (2:1, 2:4). What command is he referring to? What was the offence of the priests that would cause them to be cursed? What was the curse? What is offal/dung, and what is the significance of […]
Author’s note: how do you manage to get a handle on the context of a book like Malachi and cover the whole first chapter in one Sunday? At the current rate, I’m going to sit down on the job on one or both sections…. The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. […]
Intro: this is now the Happily Ever After chapter to the story of Esther. 12th month, 13th day: how long was this from when the reversal order had been given? Reversal (9:1, ESV): this seems to be a major theme in the book of Esther. What was it exactly that was reversed in the book […]
This was written for a my English 300 class at PA College of Health Science Fall 2016. As a male nurse, I’ve often been asked why I decided to become a nurse. I suppose that’s because for some, the career choice may not be so obvious for a guy. To be honest, I don’t always know […]
This chapter seems like a study in the power of God to control world events in unbelievable ways. I keep thinking about it in regard to our presidential election. What “coincidences” do you see in this chapter that were not just coincidences? On that night, the king could not sleep. Why not? Also, it must have been toward morning that […]
Until now, we have mostly seen Esther in a passive position. Almost certainly, she was taken into the king’s harem with little to no choice of her own. Many of the verbs speaking of Esther are in the passive sense–in other words, she was not very in control of her destiny. In the end of […]
Recap from last Sunday: Mordecai’s unwillingness to respect/commit to loyalty to Haman set off chain of events that was going to bring annihilation to the Jews. Chapter 3 set up the disaster that the book hinges on. The reason I bring up Mordecai’s choices here is because we start Chapter 4 with Mordecai in sackcloth and a bitter […]
After these things… How much time had elapsed here? Haman the Agagite: is there significance to his name? Xerxes apparently trusted Haman implicitly so much that he elevated him above the other officials and we don’t see the multitude of counselors any more. Was that wise? The king’s command: bow and pay homage (ESV) or […]
A few questions to get you started: How many years was chapter 1 from Chapter 2 (“…Now after these things…”) ? Is there any significance to Mordecai and Esther’s names? (probably transliteration of the common name for Persian gods) Do you think Esther was taken by force into the Harem or did Mordecai “enroll” her? […]
Starting book of Esther next Sunday. Maybe you’ve never thought of this, but I think there are some tough questions to answer before we can jump into the book. Christian scholars through the ages have a wide variety of explanations that perhaps we must struggle through a bit to come to most Scriptural understanding of […]