Scottsdale Bible Church - the new year finds our church in a new study of the book of Esther. To the left is a painting attributed to Jan Lievens (Dutch, 1607-1674) called, "The Feast of Esther".
One of the things that I love about Scottsdale Bible Church is that the church serves heavy portions of "meat" in their quest to disciple and serve the Body of Christ.
The book of Esther is the 16th book of the Bible and is found in the Hebrew Canon (Old Testament). The book is very much a historical account and is told in story book form dating back to 480 B.C.
The primary point of the book is that sometimes God seems to take a back seat, in our lives, while he is actually up to something life changing and significant!
Jamie Rasmussen, our Senior Pastor, teaches us that there are three compelling truths that will be unveiled in the riveting story that is about to unfold:
Truth #1 - In a fallen world, there are times when God seems very remote, distant and inactive.
The story takes place during a time when the Jewish nation is scattered all over the conquering nation of Persia. They are in a foreign land and their temple (which was destroyed) was a very, very long ways away. Because of this, they felt very separated from God.
To further understand this distant feeling, the writer of the book makes no mention of God in the entire book! Not even a reference to God is included. There are no references to God's laws, no references to prayer, and principles such as kindness, mercy, and forgiveness receive nary a mention.
The whole book is written in a style that suggests that God was very, very distant to its author.
Truth #2 - Trust, obedience and perseverance are the keys to navigating divine distance.
Mordecai, Esther's uncle, reveals this central theme in Esther 4:14 where he challenges her to do the right thing. Jamie Rasmussen shared with us that when God is distant that many times we:
- Withdraw instead of trusting
- Do our own thing rather than obeying
- Give in instead of persevering
I must confess that I can certainly relate to this. Not too long ago, we sold our business in Michigan and moved to Arizona (a far and distant land). Many of our friends looked at us and wondered what we would do next. To be honest, I didn't and don't have an answer yet. I am still listening and looking for His voice and direction. But that is another long story.
Truth #3 - There is a HUGE difference between fate and God's providence.
- Fate - it must have happened for a reason.
- Providence - a personal, purposeful divine plan that is behind everything, which is put in place by our heavenly Father.
Jamie taught me to re-frame my statement on this one. When we started our business back in 1991 I made it known that my plan was to be "retire-able" on my 50th birthday. On September 21, 2006 (exactly on my 50th birthday) we sold our last asset in Michigan and made our semi-retirement transition to Arizona. When my wife pointed out to me that this was happening exactly on my 50th birthday, I was instantly brought to tears.
It must have happened for a reason! No, we said it wrong. A personal, purposeful divine plan was set in my heart many years ago and a loving heavenly Father reminded me that he loved me in a very meaningful way. There was NO fate at work here. That is our firm belief.
Now we are waiting, in a strange an distant land, for His direction. It has been a little over a year and still He seems silent. I must admit, I have been tempted to start another financial services company, but the idea just doesn't have my heart. So...I wait upon the Lord.
I am looking forward to this series and what God might teach Carol and I in our distant land. I hope you enjoy my notes along the way.
Here is a link to Jamie's first message on the book of Esther. I promise you will enjoy this 30 minute message!
