↓Skip to main content

Bible Reading - Esther 3:1–15

·4 mins
sermon notes

Bible Reading #

Esther 3:1–15 #

Notes: #

Conflict in the Palace #
  • Haman came from a lineage of people who hated the People of God 123
  • Mordecai was a Jew, and it was through the Jews that Christ would come to bring redemption. 4
  • As readers, we expect that God would reward Mordecai for what he did in chapter 2, as He did for Joseph and others. Instead, a proclamation for extermination of his people, goes out. Often times, we are not “rewarded” in the way we think we should be. However, through all of it, God is working to accomplish His purpose, which we are reminded, are for our good. 5
  • Haman uses his position and the opportunity to attempt to destroy God’s covenant people.
  • Conflict always exists between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this World. 6
Takeaways #
  • God is providentially and Sovereignly working to accomplish His will even when the circumstances cause us to wonder if He cares.
  • Gods ultimate promise, is to send a redeemer.
  • God is faithful
  • There are always consequences for disobedience. All of this is a consequence of Saul’s refusal to obey God. 3 This is an example of a consequence that occurred generations after the disobedience.

  1. saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:16, ESV) ↩︎

  2. Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. (Deuteronomy 25:17-19, ESV) ↩︎

  3. And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:17-23, ESV) ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. This is a drama between the Chosen People of God, and the people of the world. (Those who oppose God’s people and promises.) ↩︎

  5. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, ESV) ↩︎

  6. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. (John 15:18-21, ESV) ↩︎

↑