LESSONS FROM ESTHER  

Chapters 1-7

I. Background
   A.  King Ahasuerus' kingdom went from India to Ethiopia
   B.  The King killed the Queen because she disobeyed him - now he is looking for a new Queen
   C. A young Jewish girl Esther was chosen from the most beautiful virgins in his kingdom
   D. The Jews were slaves but her cousin Mordecai told her not to tell of her nationality
   E. Esther's parents had died when she was young and Modecai raised her as his daughter
   F. Mordecai overheard two men preparing to kill the King - he told Esther and they were hanged
   G. At this time Haman  ( the Agagite ) was promoted over all the princes of the kingdom
   H. Because Mordecai would not bow before Haman he became furious
   I. Haman offered the King ten thousand talents to allow him to kill all the Jews In the kingdom
II. God Uses Esther To Save The Jewish Nation
   A. Mordecai told Esther to beg for the lives of the Jews
   B. Esther said if I go to him and he refuses to see me I will be killed - it has been a month since I saw him
   C. Mordecai gave her three options:
      i) do nothing and all the Jews would be killed and she would be found out and killed
      ii) hold her peace , save herself , and watch her people die
      iii) go to the King and reason with him for you may have come " for such a time as this "
   D. Before she goes to the King she asked that the Jews to fast three days with her
   E. She goes to the King and he raises his septer allowing her to enter
   F. He told her she could ask anything and he would grant it
   G. She invites the King and Haman to a banquet that day and a second one the next day
   H. That night the King could not sleep and read that Mordecai had saved his life and never been rewarded
   I. During the second banquet the King asked for request
   J. She pleaded for her life and the lives of her people including Mordecai - Haman planned to kill the Jews
   K. The King hanged Haman from the gallows Haman built to hang Mordecai
III. Lessons From Esther
   A. She was _____ and _______
   B. The more critical the _____ , the more critical the ________
   C. She was as effective in the _____ things as she was on the ______ things
   D. When her cause was ________ God gave her ________
 
P.S. If Saul had killed King Agag , this event would never have happened