21 st century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS A Vivid Picture of Pathetic SelfCenteredness Haman Who was Haman Haman was a high official in the court of King ID: 361532
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Slide1Slide2
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Pathetic
Self-Centeredness
= Haman
Who was Haman?
Haman was a high official in the court of King
Ahasuerus
(3:1)
The King promoted and advanced and set his seat above (3:1)
Probably second
to the kingSlide3
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Pathetic
Self-Centeredness
= Haman
What was Haman’s evil plot?
He sought to destroy all the Jews in the Persian empire (3:6)
He received permission & authority from the king (3:7-15)
With
the king’s signet ring, he wrote, sealed & sent:
A decree (3:12), which was issued as law (3:14)
To destroy, kill, annihilate all Jews (3:13)
To be done in 11 months (3:12-13)
There was great mourning among the Jews (4:3)Slide4
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Pathetic
Self-Centeredness
= Haman
What did Haman
have/possess?
Great riches (5:11)
Multitude of children (5:11)
High honors from the king (5:11)
Advanced above all others in the kingdom (5:11)
The king’s right hand man and only other guest with Queen (5:12)Slide5
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Pathetic
Self-Centeredness
= Haman
Why did Haman want to kill the Jews?
Because one man held to his convictions
W
ould
not bow or pay homage to Haman (3:2, 5)
Would
not stand or tremble before him (5:9)
Haman had everything
a
noble could want (5:11-12)
But
was
filled with wrath
b/c
of Mordecai (3:5; 5:9)
All “
avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai sitting” (5:12)
Haman was so incensed against Mordecai, he cried to wife & friends (
5:10-14)
How
pathetically self-centered!Slide6
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Heroic
Selflessness
= Esther
Who was Esther?
She was an “orphan”—both parents had died (2:7)
Cousin (adopted daughter) of Mordecai (2:7)
Queen of Persia (with
Ahasuerus
) after
Vashti
How was Esther selected to be Queen?
She was beautiful, young and a virgin (2:2)
Went
through 12
mos.
beauty preparations (2:3, 12)
King loved
her more
than all the other women (2:17
)
She pleased the king (2:4)
She obtained grace & favor in his sight (2:17
)Slide7
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Heroic
Selflessness
= Esther
What kind of woman was Esther leading up to the plot?
She obtained the favor of the king’s custodian (2:9)
When she could take “whatever she desired” before the king (2:13), she took only what the king’s custodian advised (2:15)
She “obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her” (2:15)
She “obeyed the command of Mordecai” (2:20)
She was “deeply distressed”
when she heard of the
plot (4:4)Slide8
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Heroic
Selflessness
= Esther
What did Mordecai ask Queen Esther to do about the plot to kill the Jews?
Commanded her to go in to the king to plead for her people (4:8)
Told her that, as a Jew, she would not escape death (4:13)
Assured her that if she was silent:
God would raise up help from another place (4:14)
She and her family would perish (4:14)
Proposed
that
she was in her current position by the providence of God in order to save His people (4:14)Slide9
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Heroic
Selflessness
= Esther
What did Esther do when faced with
ultimate
challenge?
Had been
Queen of Persia for 5 years (2:16; 3:7)
She (and everyone else) knew the law:
No one permitted in King’s inner court uncalled (4:11)
One law: all put to death for such (4:11)
One exception: King holds up his golden scepter (4:11)
And she had not been called in 30 days (4:11
)Slide10
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid Picture of
Heroic
Selflessness
= Esther
What did Esther do when faced with
ultimate
challenge?
Had been
Queen of Persia for 5 years (2:16; 3:7)
She (and everyone else) knew the
law
She
evaluated the situation
She &
her people would be killed in less than 10 mos.
The king’s right-hand-man had the king duped
and on
his side
There was NO ONE ELSE who could possibly turn this around but
her
Believed
God had crowned her Queen to give her this opportunitySlide11
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid
Pict
of Self-Centeredness Outmatched By Selflessness
While Self-Centeredness fussed and plotted (3:5-15)
Selflessness fasted and prayed
(4:16
)
And asked her people to fast and pray for her
(4:16
)
Recognized complete dependence on God and that nothing would be successful without His help!
While Self-Centeredness
would not
be satisfied unless an entire race perished (3:6)
Selflessness was ready to perish to keep others from perishing (4:16
)Slide12
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid
Pict
of Self-Centeredness Outmatched By Selflessness
Self-Centeredness
created a law to harm others (3:12-15)
Selflessness went against a law to save others (4:16)
Self-Centeredness
deceived the king to get his wish (3:8)
Selflessness faced
death
to make her wish (5:1-2)
Self-Centeredness
was hasty
& pushy
b/f
king
(3:9-10)
Selflessness was timid
& patient
before the king (5:8)
Self-Centeredness
bragged about his greatness (5:11-12)
Selflessness used
caution
with what she had (5:3-8)
Self-Centeredness
only thought of
personal
comfort (6:4)
Selflessness
protected well-being
of others (2:21-22
)Slide13
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid
Pict
of Self-Centeredness Outmatched By Selflessness
Self-Centeredness only
tho’t
of self &
his honor (6:3-9)
Selflessness let others
take care of honor (6:3,6,10-12)
Self-Centeredness
pouted
b/c didn’t
get his way (6:12)
Selflessness
goes
back to his rightful place (6:12
)
Self-Centeredness
’ doomed fate started to show
(
6:13)
Selflessness was nervously doing the right thing (7:1)
Self-Centeredness
would
love a
“blank check” (3:10-11)
Selflessness was trusted
& shown concern
(5:3, 6; 7:2)
While Self-Centeredness demanded his desires (3:3-5, 9)
Selflessness humbly submitted to
higher
will
(5:4, 8; 7:3;
8:5)Slide14
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid
Pict
of Self-Centeredness Outmatched By Selflessness
Self-Centeredness
haughtily sat in
place
of
honor
(7:1)
Selflessness
worded life-in-the-balance
petition (7:3-4)
Self-Centeredness
was terrified
& begged for self
(7:6-8)
Selflessness
did not
dare tell the king what to do (7:3-6)
Self-Centeredness
brings shame
& ruin
(7:9-10;
Pr.
11:2; 16:18)
Selflessness receives grace and gifts (8:1-2, 7-17)
While Self-Centeredness turns people off (3:15; 7:7)
Selflessness appeals to the goodness in others (8:15-17; 9:4, 18-19; 10:3
)Slide15
What living lessons can 21st-century Christians learn from Esther about SELFLESSNESS?
A Vivid
Pict
of Self-Centeredness Outmatched By Selflessness
While Self-Centeredness proceeds from
joy
to
mourning
Selflessness proceeds from
morning
to
joy
(9:22, 28)
While Self-Centeredness only thought of himself
Selflessness only thought of others
While Self-Centeredness works only to advance self
Selflessness
willingly sac.
opportunities for
good
of others
Self-Centeredness
says, “What can/will God do for me?”
Selflessness
says
, “What can I do for God?”
Self-Centeredness & Selflessness both prove the
truth
“Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”
(Gal. 6:7
)