Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Esther 7-Job 2)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Esther 7-Job 2)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Keep Digging

    Check out this helpful resource from The Bible Project complete with summaries, resources, and videos on the book of Job! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Esther 7-Job 2 Family Guide!

  • Job 2

    Job 2

    Read Job 2

    2 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

    Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

    3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

    4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

    6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

    7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

    9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

    10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

    In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

    11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

    Go Deeper

    At this point in the story, God has already brought attention to Job’s faithfulness once. In response, Satan was allowed to destroy everything Job held dear: possessions, livestock, even his children. In this chapter, we see God bring up Job’s faithfulness yet again to Satan. By this point, Job would probably prefer to feature less prominently in God’s esteem. Had he been aware of the conversation going on in heaven, he might even wish he had cursed God earlier in Job 1 just to fly below the radar. 

    But the obvious point in the story is that Job has no idea that this cosmic interaction is even taking place. He is simply living his life, taking the hits as they come, aware of nothing else but that God has blessed him until now and that all of those blessings have now been stripped away. He has no context of greater purpose–no knowledge that his faithfulness and patience will ever be documented and read for generations as a testament of godliness. There was no awareness of eternal stakes or concerns about his legacy that bolstered him. All he knew was that everything he once had was gone and there was no certainty that his own life wouldn’t next be forfeit. 

    And in this devastating situation, his response was simply, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” Were any of us in this same situation (and a number of us may have been in a similar one), how easily would we choose to not only trust God, but humbly and willingly receive such circumstances from His Sovereign hand? Somehow for Job, the trust in who God was superseded all questions about what He was doing. His heartfelt response is echoed in the sentiment shared by Paul in his letter to Timothy. In the midst of suffering, Paul says, “I know whom I have believed in”, not that he knew what he had believed in. It seems that the humble resilience of both of these icons of faith rested on the fact that their foundation was not built on what God was doing, but on who they knew God to be.

    In the darkness that often is life in this fallen world, the tenets that mark the “blameless and upright” people of God are the beliefs that, regardless of circumstance, He will be proven sovereign and He will be proven good.

    Questions

    1. When faced with your own adversity, how often have you responded more like Job and how often have you responded more like Job’s wife?
    2. When your friends go through personal tragedy, do you come around them and mourn with them, letting your silence speak louder than your wisdom?
    3. If you had to choose to have nearness to God in the midst of trouble or distance from God in a life of ease, which would you choose?

    A Quote

    “Reading Job prayerfully and meditatively leads us to face the questions that arise when our lives don’t turn out the way we expect them to.” Eugene Peterson

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  • Job 1 + Introduction

    Job 1 + Introduction

    Job Introduction

    Many of us are familiar with Job without having immersed ourselves in the full story. We know that he was a good man who suffered a lot, but his story is much more complicated than that. Scholars place the story of Job’s life during the same era as the patriarch in Genesis, placing him alive alongside (most likely) Jacob. While we don’t know a ton about Job’s backstory, we do know that he loved God. We also know that he was an upstanding husband, father, and wealthy landowner. Until he lost everything. 

    What unfolds in this story is both important for us to read, yet a little difficult to fully comprehend. Tim Mackie, co-founder of The Bible Project, describes Job this way:

    “You’ve stepped into one of the most sophisticated and mind-bending literary works in the Bible. This book has been designed to stimulate your mind and heart by raising huge questions about God’s character and the meaning of human suffering. But just so you know, no straightforward answers lie within…Most people finish the book feeling unsure they got the point, but convinced they’ve experienced something profound.”

    Why should we read the book of Job? Life is full of suffering and hardship. If you live long enough, you will experience the full range of human emotions. You’ll experience extreme joy and profound sorrow; triumphant gains and gutting losses. As followers of Jesus, we should expect to suffer hardships this side of eternity. By reading the book of Job, we are going to learn not necessarily why we suffer, but how to suffer faithfully. When we’re able to mourn, suffer, and grieve faithfully, that is compelling to the outside world. 

    As we read the book of Job, examine it through the lens of the hope we have because of the Gospel. As difficult as life gets on earth, we always have the hope of eternity on our side. When you’re reading along, grab a highlighter and journal to take notes as you go! Don’t give up on the days where it might feel repetitive. Lean into the text and dig deeper with other resources that will help you clarify what needs clarifying. 

    Read Job 1

    Prologue

    1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

    4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

    6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

    Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

    8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

    9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

    12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

    Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

    13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

    16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

    17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

    18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

    20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

    “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
        and naked I will depart.
    The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
        may the name of the Lord be praised.”

    22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

    Go Deeper

    How do you respond when the bottom drops out beneath you? When the sun is shining, there’s money in the bank, and we’re healthy, it’s much easier to praise the Lord and smile. But what’s your response when:

    • you get cut from the team?
    • you unfairly get a bad grade on a test?
    • your boss belittles you and insults your intelligence?
    • your son frustrates you yet again? 
    • your spouse seems to love her job more than her family?
    • a loved one receives a life-threatening diagnosis?

    In Job 1, we see a man who was blameless, upright, feared God, and “was the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3b). The Lord said, “There is no one on earth like him…who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). Job faced temptation like the rest of us, but he walked away from sin.

    Job was the best of the best and was richly blessed with a large family and an abundance of wealth, livestock, and servants. Satan told the Lord that Job obediently walked with the Lord only because he had everything he needed. Take it away, and his faith will go away. So the Lord allowed Satan to do whatever he wished with Job (except he could not harm Job himself). Satan brought major trial after major trial, culminating in the loss of Job’s 10 children.

    The bottom dropped out beneath Job. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to lose just about everything in one day? To lose everything you own and to lose your very own flesh and blood? Most of us would probably do as Satan predicted—we would curse God to His face (v. 11). 

    Yet, we see something beyond extraordinary in Job. He grieved (tore his robe and shaved his head), but then he fell to the ground and worshipped the Lord. Can you believe it? Job did not sin by accusing God of wrongdoing. Instead, on the worst day of his life, Job praised the name of the Lord.

    We see why Job earned the description of being the greatest among all the people. Job’s response should challenge us to do likewise. When we face trials of many kinds (which are guaranteed according to Jesus in John 16:33), will we be found faithful and worshipful like Job, or will we choose to curse God and walk away?

    Questions

    1. Since only Jesus is sinless and perfect, what does it mean when it says that Job is “blameless?”
    2. Who’s really in control of Job—God or Satan? How do we know who’s in charge?
    3. What would it look like for you to “shun evil” in your life?

    Listen Here

    Listen to the song “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman. You can either listen in your music provider of choice or you can listen along through this YouTube link. The song dovetails perfectly with Job’s response to his massive trials as seen in Job 1:21.

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  • Esther 10

    Esther 10

    Read Esther 10

    The Greatness of Mordecai

    10 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

    Go Deeper

    At first glance, Esther 10 might seem a bit unnecessary. What can we actually learn about God from three verses at the end of a book in which God is never mentioned? We can learn quite a bit, actually. 

    In the first two verses, we find it harder to see anything to apply to our lives, but this is why Scripture is amazing. In verses 1 and 2, we read about King Xerxes, saying he “imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores.” This seems insignificant to us today, but here we see the scope of the power of King Xerxes. He holds the power to enforce a tax all the way to the edges of an empire that pushed the borders of modern-day Greece and India! The author, in verse 2, essentially tells the ancient readers to fact-check him in the records of Xerxes’ rule. 

    Once the power of Xerxes had been firmly established in the reader’s mind, the author moves to point out that Mordecai, the Jewish man, was second in power only to Xerxes himself over this massive empire. Not only was he second in command, but he “worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” Mordecai was given this power by God and he used it for the benefit of the people of God. Does this sound familiar to you? 

    Way back in Genesis 41, we read of a guy named Joseph. Joseph, too, was Jewish, and he was named second-in-command to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, at a time when Egypt was as powerful as anyone in the world. The point of drawing this parallel is this: God protects and provides for His people. Both Joseph and Mordecai went through tremendous trial before ascending to their positions, and both were used by God in positions of power to provide for His people (Joseph feeding them in the famine) and protect His people (Mordecai halting and reversing the edict to kill the Jews). 

    A final point from this section, as small as it is, is a reminder of the power of Scripture. Paul said it best in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

    “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

    Questions

    1. What stood out to you most in these verses? Was it the power of Xerxes? The position of Mordecai? Or something else? 
    2. Upon further reflection on your answer to question 1, what can we learn about God? 
    3. Has this study changed the way you view the “insignificant details” in Scripture? How will this change how you read the Bible? 

    Keep Digging

    Here is a link to an interactive map of the ancient world. If you’d like a visual of the size of the Persian Empire under King Xerxes, check out the map between 486-465 BC.

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  • Esther 9

    Esther 9

    Read Esther 9

    9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

    5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

    11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

    13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”

    14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

    16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

    18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

    19 That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

    Purim Established

    20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

    23 So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25 But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. 26 (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.

    29 So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— 31 to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. 32 Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

    Go Deeper

    Esther 9 is the culmination of the plot against the Jewish people that Haman began in chapter 3, except it has a little bit of a different ending than Haman had in mind. On the day King Xerxes originally decreed for the Persians to overpower the Jewish people, the Jewish people completely destroyed the Persians. The day that would’ve meant certain death for God’s chosen people became the day of their salvation. Today, we read an important lesson: anything opposing God must be completely destroyed. Anytime we read such graphic texts that detail the death and destruction of so many people, we need to pause and pay attention. It can provoke many questions—and that’s good! The more we understand what’s going on, the more clearly we see God. So what does happen?

    First, notice the Jewish population did not seek to kill anyone; they defended themselves from those who attacked them first (Esther 8:11). No one had to take up their sword against God’s people, but those who did marked themselves as His enemies. Any Jewish people who fought were defending themselves from God’s enemies.

    Secondly, while Esther’s plea to impale Haman’s sons seems harsh, with a greater understanding of the story, we see that she actually shows faithfulness. Haman was a descendant of the Amalekites, and the Amalekites were the Israelites’ greatest enemies. Twice God promised to wipe them out completely (Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:17-19), and in 1 Samuel 15 God gave Saul the command to destroy them entirely. However, Saul disobeyed and allowed the Amalekite king to live; as a result, some of his sons escaped. Now, 600 years later, we see Esther follow through on God’s command to destroy the evil enemies of His people. While God’s righteous judgement might still be hard for us to comprehend, we can choose to trust that God has a better understanding of the story than we do. If He promised the Amalekites would be destroyed, then He was going to see it through to completion, and this time, it is through a faithful girl named Esther. 

    A third thing to note is that the Israelites didn’t take any plunder in these battles. Once again, the Israelites were trying to right a past wrong. In 1 Samuel 15, when Saul let some of the Amalekites live, he and his men took plunder from them, even after God forbade it. The Jewish people in today’s story, like Esther, knew their history and refused to make the same mistakes their ancestors did. They knew God asks for complete obedience, and so they fully devoted themselves to following Him, no matter the task.

    Esther and the Israelites showed their allegiance and faithfulness to Yaweh by destroying those who proved themselves to be enemies of God. While we have the same call, it looks a bit different for us today. God does not ask us to take a sword to any person, but He does call us to be ruthless in taking out the sin that seeks to take us out. First Peter 5:8 says that we have an enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We have an enemy, we are in a battle, and we must actively put to death any of the schemes, lies, and temptations to sin that actively seek to put us to death. We must fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)!

    Questions

    1. What does it mean to be an enemy of God? Did you know that’s what you were once labeled? Read Romans 5:10 and praise God for His forgiveness.
    2. Is there any area of your life in which you are not being obedient to God? Is He calling you to do something that you haven’t done? If so, confess and choose to be faithful today.
    3. Do you have any “pet” sins that you keep around and let stay by your side? How can you take one step towards ruthlessly destroying that sin in your life today?

    Keep Digging

    The book of Esther is full of so many rich details. For a list of questions (and articles full of explanations) on the book of Esther, check out this resource from GotQuestions.org! 

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  • Esther 8

    Esther 8

    Read Esther 8

    The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

    8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

    3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

    5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

    7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8 Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

    9 At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

    11 The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. 12 The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

    14 The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

    The Triumph of the Jews

    15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

    Go Deeper

    Esther has another courageous request to bring before the king. She has no idea what the outcome will be, but she faithfully steps forward a second time. In verse 3, we see she pleads, falls at the king’s feet, weeps, and begs for mercy on behalf of her people. King Xerxes miraculously extends favor again. He gives Esther and Mordecai complete permission to issue a new decree that would overturn Haman’s evil plot. Once written, it was rushed throughout the land of Susa to empower the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews immediately celebrate because it is obvious God is rescuing His people.

    God’s will was to preserve His people from destruction. He orchestrated the right people in the right places at the right time. Esther and Mordecai did not know what the outcome would be, but they stepped forward faithfully and acted courageously to save His people from death. They were elevated to positions of influence so God could use them.

    The Lord is working the same way today. His will is going to be done. However, it is not always clear how He is working. Is He working when people we love are threatened? How is He working when we feel alone? What is His plan in the middle of a challenging season? No matter what it looks like at the time, we know God is working. Even when it all looks wrong, we know God is working. God still longs to save the people of this world from death. That is why He sent Jesus. Like Xerxes’ new decree that overturned Haman’s evil plot, Jesus is our “new decree” that overturns Satan’s evil plot. Satan doesn’t win in the end.

    God’s people should emulate the courageous faith and passion we see in Esther. We should seek to save the lives of those around us. Romans 6:13 says, “Offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” We each could be the right person in the right place at the right time God uses to bring forth life to someone in darkness. What if God is preparing us for this time? Believers in Jesus should be praying for the exact outcome we see in Esther 8:17—that many people would come to faith in Jesus because they see how He has miraculously rescued us. Let it be so!

    Questions

    1. What did you learn about God from this chapter?
    2. Who was the right person (or people), in the right place, at the right time who shared the Gospel with you? Thank God for them right now. How can you be that in someone else’s life?
    3. What circumstance in your life requires you to step forward with courageous faith like Esther? Remember, God is already at work in ways you can’t see.

    By the Way

    Consider what we have to learn from the life of Haman. He had achieved all earthly success. In the end it was all for nothing. Solomon, who had also reached the pinnacle of earthly success (even more so than Haman) says this in  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: 

    “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil”.

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  • Esther 7

    Esther 7

    Read Esther 7

    Haman Impaled

    7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

    3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

    5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

    6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

    Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

    8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

    The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”

    As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

    The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

    Go Deeper

    Up until this point, Esther has been the Bible equivalent of a soap opera or high-suspense movie drama. To understand the importance of this piece of the story, we need to review what has happened so far. Our main character, Esther, hid her Jewish identity to become the wife of the King of Persia. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, saved the King from an assassination plot, which the King forgot about until chapter 6. Haman convinced the King to write a decree for all the Jews to be executed. In chapter 6, Haman went to the King to attempt to have Mordecai hanged, but the King instead had Haman honor Mordecai by bringing him around the city on a horse. 

    If you go back and quickly skim over chapter 5, try to notice the similarities and differences between the two chapters. These parts of the stories are very similar (and this is intentional). In chapter 5, Esther had a banquet where she asked the King and Haman to return the next day. That night, Haman had a wooden beam put up with the intent of having Mordecai executed on it. In today’s reading, Esther threw another banquet and exposed Haman’s plot. In a dramatic twist, the King had Haman killed on the wooden beam that had been put up for Mordecai’s execution.

    So while this story full of murder and plot twists is interesting, what does it have to do with God and with us? This was a scary time for God’s people in this story. They were in exile from their homeland, living in the capital of Persia, and facing almost certain execution. It seemed like the odds were stacked against God and His people. But this provided an opportunity for God’s power to be displayed all the more.

    At this point in the story, the problem of the Jews being murdered had not been solved, but God had already begun turning the tables. When things seem at their darkest and most hopeless, God takes the victories of our enemies and turns them into His victories. We can trust what Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The rest of this book, and the rest of our lives, will show this to be true. 

    Questions

    1. What has been your favorite part of the book of Esther so far?
    2. Which character from this story so far do you relate to the most and why? Characters: Ether, Mordedai, Haman, and the King.
    3. What can we learn about God from today’s reading?

    By the Way

    Haman being impaled by the same pole he had built to execute Mordecai is an example of Psalm 9:15-16 coming to fruition:

       15 The nations have  fallen into the pit they have dug;

        their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

        16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;

        the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Esther 1-6)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Esther 1-6)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Keep Digging

    Check out this helpful resource from The Bible Project complete with summaries, resources, and videos on the book of Esther! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Esther 1-6 Family Guide!

  • Esther 6

    Esther 6

    Read Esther 6

    Mordecai Honored

    That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

    3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

    “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

    4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

    5 His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”

    “Bring him in,” the king ordered.

    6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

    Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

    10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

    11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

    12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

    His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

    Go Deeper

    Today’s chapter gives us glimpses of God working behind the scenes to bring deliverance to the Jews. Despite the grand scheme Haman hatched to kill Mordecai and his people, God used the king’s sleepless night to accomplish His purposes. Apparently, daily events were recorded in a book. The king ordered the book read aloud, and “They found the written report of how Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus” (v. 2). The official records marked this event happening five years previously, but Mordecai had never been rewarded, and worse yet, he and his people were about to be wiped out.

    The plan of Haman begins to unravel from here on a grand scale. Just when Haman is about to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he prepared, the king rewards Mordecai’s loyalty. “So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him–this is what is done for the man the king wants to honor” (v. 11). Mordecai, who had been driven by overwhelming grief to put on sackcloth and ashes and bitterly wail in the middle of the city, is now given honor and special recognition.

    And God is not finished yet! Mordecai’s period of mourning is about to be over. Isaiah 61:3 proclaims, “To provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they shall be called righteous trees planted by the Lord, to glorify Him.” Hallelujah! Let this be a beacon of hope for us. Through every hard and sanctifying moment, our God is at work. In the waiting, the suffering, the surreal experiences we walk through, we are seen, known and loved by our Savior who gave His life for us.

    Questions

    1. Haman’s life was riddled with pride and selfish ambition. Where have these destructive forces crept into your life? Confess this to your Life Group. 
    2. Mordecai modeled faithfulness despite his circumstances. Who do you know that is living out their faith intentionally, despite the odds? Make a point to tell them this week and encourage them on their journey.
    3. Write down/journal 3 things that remind you of God’s sovereignty in your life. Turn them into a prayer of thanksgiving to Him.

    Dig Deeper

    Check out this article that explores what the Bible says about false accusations.

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  • Esther 5

    Esther 5

    Read Esther 5

    Esther’s Request to the King

    On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

    3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

    4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

    5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”

    So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

    7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

    Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai

    9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.

    Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

    14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

    Go Deeper

    Have you ever seen the cartoon of the man leaning on a shovel praying for God to make a hole in the ground? Or how about the drowning man who is offered a buoy, but declines, explaining that he is waiting on God to save him? Thankfully Esther knew that trusting in God sometimes means you also have to take action. Esther was understandably afraid for her life as she moved out in faith. So how did she do it? She made a prayerful plan, she was prepared, she was peaceful, and she was patient.  

    Esther took time to think and plan before giving very specific instructions to Mordecai. She knew that prayer and fasting among her people and his people would put them in complete dependence on God for what happened next. 

    When the time came, Esther prepared for battle. Her uniform and battleground didn’t look like one of a typical warrior, but rather consisted of royal robes and logistical placement in the inner courts where the king would see her and invite her into his presence. Her entrance and battle cry weren’t ones of rage and fury. Instead, she waited to be called upon and approached in peace, waiting for the king’s scepter to be extended to her in the demonstrative sparing of her life. She even touched the end of the scepter in a show of respect. Keep in mind, she knew that her life was at risk; she told Mordecai in verse 4 “And if I perish, I perish.” 

    Commentaries are split on whether Esther was too fearful to ask for what she wanted right away or whether she was waiting for the exact right moment, but either way she was patient in asking the king for protection of the Jews. She prepared not one, but two banquets for the king and Haman, and even when pressed by the king to tell him what she wanted from him—she waited. She trusted and she waited on God’s timing. 

     We will see in the upcoming chapters how her plan, her preparedness, her peaceful approach, and her patience served her and God’s people well. How often do we approach difficult situations this way? We too often end up at one end of the spectrum or the other—we get ahead of ourselves and take action too quickly, only to realize we also got ahead of God. Or we are left leaning on the shovel waiting on God to do something, without recognizing that He already brought rain, made the soil wet, and put the shovel in our hands in order to dig the necessary hole. We can serve God faithfully if we remember to approach these situations as Esther did—with a prayerful plan and a purpose.

    Questions

    1. Which way do you tend to struggle—do you get ahead of God or do you fail to take action?
    2. In what situations might you need to take action and how can you prayerfully prepare? 
    3. If you identify some action you need to take, be sure to include your community as Esther did with Mordecai to make sure you are confident that you are acting in God’s timing and prompting.

    Did You Know?

    The NIV commentary gives a possible explanation why God’s name does not directly appear in the book of Esther. The people of the Middle East had many gods and those names were mentioned in official documents. However, the Jews were unique in that they served only one God, so a story about the Jews was naturally a story about God. For that reason, we see only indirect references and examples of divine incidents throughout the book of Esther.

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