Esther Chapter 4:12 to Chapter 5:14


Don’t just live your life for yourself and your own happiness – Live for GOD and for others.

Happiness for you is – Health – Wealth – Family and friends – your pet – your hobby – your weekend – Your job.

1: Isn’t it difficult to honestly sort out our priorities? Who or what are we living for? Is God first in our lives or not? Chapter 4:14 – 5:2.

Up to this point in the story Esther, she has been sometimes living for God and she was sometimes not. And nobody knows up to now that she is one of God’s people. She’s kept that quiet up to now! She’s kept that private up to now.

‘But Esther has kept secret her family background and nationality.’ Chapter 2:10 and 2:20.

If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.’ Luke 9:26

‘In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has, cannot be my disciple.’ Luke 14:33

Esther takes a massive RISK and puts on her royal robes and goes into the entrance hall of the king’s massive throne room, where the king sits on his throne, this could result in death for her. Will the king save her by extending the golden sceptre in his mercy and grace?

Question: Are we going to follow Jesus this week – whatever it takes, whatever it costs, whatever the loss?

Question: Are we not only willing to die for Jesus – are we willing to choose to live for Jesus, in the small, ordinary things that will make up our lives this week?

2: Isn’t it difficult to honestly see our own selfishness and sin. We can so easily seek our own happiness, even at the expense of others. Chapter 5 v9-14

Haman’s whole life is all about Me – Me – Me. On the outside he is a very successful man.

‘Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons and all the ways the King had honoured him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.’ Esther 5:11.

He had success at work, the king honoured him, the people who were important (nobles / officials) looked up to him, made way for him, bowed down to him. And do you know what? He loved it all, all the success, all the respect, all the high profile. But Haman is going to make a public spectacle of anyone who dares to cross him or challenge him.

‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ James 4:6

Question: Do you recognise any ways in which pride and selfishness has spoilt your relationship with others?

Question: Would you be open and honest with God and invite Him to pinpoint pride and selfishness inside your heart and life today?

3: Isn’t it wonderful to look at Jesus, to see how He lives to please His Father and how He dies on that Cross to save and rescue us – a selfless and beautiful Saviour?

You look at JESUS and He is everything that I am NOT and He is everything that I would love to be.

Like Esther, He is Royalty and he is the King of Heaven, and yet for our sakes and our Salvation He is willing NOT only to RISK His life – BUT He is willing to sacrifice His life to save and rescue God’s people.

‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ Philippians 2:6-11

Question: What is stopping you, if you have never done it before, from surrendering your life to Jesus.

Question: If you have already given your life to Jesus, what roots of selfishness and pride do you need to allow Him to dig up and take away from your life now?