IF I PERISH, I PERISH (2 OF 5)
Scripture: Esther 3:1-6, Esther 4:1-17
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If I Perish, I Perish (2 of 5)
Series: Turning the Tables
Jonathan McLeod
Esther 3:1-6; 4:1-17
''Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish'' (Esth. 4:16).
THE GOD WHO DIDN'T SPEAK
In the short story ''The Adventure of the Silver Blaze,'' one of the clues that helped Sherlock Holmes solve the case was ''the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.''
Inspector Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): ''Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?''
Holmes: ''To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.''
Gregory: ''The dog did nothing in the night-time.''
Holmes: ''That was the curious incident.''
The dog not barking was an important clue for Holmes. It told him that the crime was committed by someone the dog knew well.
In the book of Esther, there is the curious incident of God. ''But,'' you say, ''God is silent in the book of Esther. The author doesn't even mention God.'' That is the curious incident.
Karen Jobes writes that ''the complete absence of God from the text is the genius of the book.'' The author of the book of Esther intentionally leaves out any mention of God to show us that even when God is silent, he is still working in the lives of his people. We shouldn't interpret God's silence as his absence.
[Read Esther 3:1-6; 4:1-17.]
WHAT TO DO WHEN GOD IS SILENT
Esther had to make a very difficult decision. She was asked to do something that would put her life at risk. Perhaps she thought to herself, ''I wish God would clearly show me what I should do.'' But God was silent.
Like Esther, we're often unsure what we should do. [Give examples of decisions we face.] Of course, we have the Bible (i.e., God's word), but it doesn't always give us the answers we're looking for. God is silent. What should we do when God is silent?
Do what you're convinced is BEST, and leave the REST to God.
HAMAN'S GENOCIDAL PLOT
In chapter 3, we are introduc ...
Series: Turning the Tables
Jonathan McLeod
Esther 3:1-6; 4:1-17
''Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish'' (Esth. 4:16).
THE GOD WHO DIDN'T SPEAK
In the short story ''The Adventure of the Silver Blaze,'' one of the clues that helped Sherlock Holmes solve the case was ''the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.''
Inspector Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): ''Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?''
Holmes: ''To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.''
Gregory: ''The dog did nothing in the night-time.''
Holmes: ''That was the curious incident.''
The dog not barking was an important clue for Holmes. It told him that the crime was committed by someone the dog knew well.
In the book of Esther, there is the curious incident of God. ''But,'' you say, ''God is silent in the book of Esther. The author doesn't even mention God.'' That is the curious incident.
Karen Jobes writes that ''the complete absence of God from the text is the genius of the book.'' The author of the book of Esther intentionally leaves out any mention of God to show us that even when God is silent, he is still working in the lives of his people. We shouldn't interpret God's silence as his absence.
[Read Esther 3:1-6; 4:1-17.]
WHAT TO DO WHEN GOD IS SILENT
Esther had to make a very difficult decision. She was asked to do something that would put her life at risk. Perhaps she thought to herself, ''I wish God would clearly show me what I should do.'' But God was silent.
Like Esther, we're often unsure what we should do. [Give examples of decisions we face.] Of course, we have the Bible (i.e., God's word), but it doesn't always give us the answers we're looking for. God is silent. What should we do when God is silent?
Do what you're convinced is BEST, and leave the REST to God.
HAMAN'S GENOCIDAL PLOT
In chapter 3, we are introduc ...
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