Big Idea
God is faithful to His promise, even when it seems He is absent.
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Discussion Questions
- What was the most impactful thing from the text and the sermon the past two weeks?
- There has been a massive increase in the number of people who do not believe in God and claim no religious affiliation. Why do you believe so many people have a hard time believing there is a God? What can we do to help others know God?
- God is noticeably absent from the book of Esther, but He’s also very present and working behind the scenes to accomplish His purpose. Discuss what you learned during a time in your life when God seemed absent to you, but in hindsight you could see that God was working behind the scenes.
- One of the purposes for describing the elaborate scene in chapter one is for the readers to understand the greatness of the king and the pride that enveloped his life. Talk about how does pride manifests itself in your life?
- Sometimes the outcome of the event contains the reason for the author including the event itself. After the king listened to Memucan’s advice (Esther 1:16–20), what do we now learn about Vashti? What do we now learn about Ahasuerus?
- The king surrounded himself with “wise men who knew the times” (v.13). Talk about whether their advice was good or foolish? Discuss the kind of people you surround yourself with and look to for godly counsel.
Prayer Focus
As you pray this week, be sure to thank God for giving you His wisdom in Scripture so that you can wisely navigate life in a cursed world. Also, ask God for the strength to follow His wisdom and reject the strong pull of the wisdom of the world.
Next Steps
Think about the ways God has worked behind the scenes in your life and, in your journal, write a short psalm of praise to Him for His faithfulness to you.