A little Jewish girl cannot yet see over the kitchen counter, but she keeps asking her mother why the whole family is coming over today, and her grandmother, sitting in the corner, answers her with a story. Haman is dead, yet his decree still stands and no one can revoke the king’s seal, so Mordecai and Esther write a letter granting their people the right to defend themselves (Esther 8). The victory was never turned into plunder, because it became a feast that is still remembered today. Listen and ask which story of God’s faithfulness you could tell to someone who cannot yet see over the counter.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Esther 8:3-10 the king cannot revoke the first decree, so Mordecai writes a new one in his name. What does this solution tell us about the way God was at work in this story?
- How might the Jews across the Persian Empire have felt when news of the new decree reached them, and why did they start celebrating even before the battle?
- The speaker stresses that Esther's story matters only because God keeps the promise he made to Abraham. How does that promise run through David and the prophets all the way to Jesus?
- The sermon says that when God does great things, life cannot go on as if nothing happened. What helps you pause and celebrate what God has done?
- The grandmother in the story passes on to her granddaughter a story of God's rescue. What story of God's faithfulness from your own life do you want to remember, and who could you tell it to?
- In what situation this week can you look at your life in light of the fact that God has already declared victory for his people?
