Esther, Part 6: When the Hidden Hand Becomes Crystal Clear
God protects His people through governmental rule, personal restraint, and divine reversal.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What have been your biggest takeaways from our Esther series thus far? What has most surprised you about the book of Esther?
- What are some examples of “ironic reversals” in the book of Esther?
- How does the book of Esther challenge our assumptions about how God works, especially when He seems absent?
- How does Romans 13 help us understand the role of government in God’s plan? Where do we see that at work in Esther 8?
- Three times in chapter 9, it says that the Jews defended themselves against their enemies, but did not plunder them.
- Can you think of a time where “defending yourself” could have easily morphed in “plundering another”? How did you handle that situation?
- What are other situations in life where the line between defending oneself and avenging oneself (plundering) can become blurry? How can Christians show strength and restraint in those moments?