Ahasuerus has dealt with his embarrassment and shame by removing Vashti as his queen. Some time passes and he begins to think over what has happened (Esther 2:1). His attendants offer their advice. Incidentally, they are described as “lads” and there seems to be a youthfulness to them they are not wise old advisors. This… Continue reading Search for a new queen
Category: Bible Study
The Anti-Christ and The Anti-Church
In Ephesians 5:21-32, Paul paints a picture of the church as the bride of Christ. Jesus is the loving, faithful, self-giving husband who pours his life out for her, he seeks her beauty and her good. She is faithful, honouring and submitting to him and so, the church, the bride he has won is the… Continue reading The Anti-Christ and The Anti-Church
Going Home: death, grieving and life in between
It’s something we all have to face at some point. This last year we were hit with the double whammy of seeing my father in law and then my mum die within a few weeks if each other. But we do not grieve as those without hope. Here is some teaching on John 14 from… Continue reading Going Home: death, grieving and life in between
Vashti’s defiance
The story of Esther starts in the emperor’s palace. Ahasuerus, most closely identified with Xerxes is described in terms of power and wealth. He is described as ruling over an empire from Africa to India (1:1-2). He throws a party to show off his wealth and opulence (1:4-8). This wasn’t just a knees up and… Continue reading Vashti’s defiance
Esther, fact or fiction?
I was chatting with my dad the other day about the book of Esther as he is preparing to lead some Bible studies on the book. We were talking about some of the challenges of studying and teaching through the book. One of the questions that gets raised is about the type of literature that… Continue reading Esther, fact or fiction?
This is Paul signing off
We are coming to the end of Paul’s letter. If he had leapt quite abruptly into the challenging stuff at the beginning without the extended prayers, thanksgiving and commendations we get used to with his other letters, it also finishes fairly abruptly without the personal greetings we find in other letters such as in Romans… Continue reading This is Paul signing off
Reaping what you sow
This next section reinforces the point that we’ve seen developed through chapter 5-6, we cannot fix our lives and our relationship to God by making external adjustments to our behaviour through rule keeping and rituals. Instead, our lives will bear fruit in accordance with the roots. A look at the text (Read Galatians 6:7-10) An… Continue reading Reaping what you sow
Bearing burdens
How do we “keep in step with the Spirit” and bear fruit? The first few verses of Galatians 6 begin to apply what it means to patiently love others and to be self-controlled in our own lives. A look at the text (Read Galatians 6:1-6) Paul is describing someone here, not so much caught out… Continue reading Bearing burdens
Filled with the Spirit
Paul’s solution to the question of Christian obedience and holiness is not to impose laws and rituals (legalism), nor to say that grace means we can do what we please. Instead, he sees our true hope being the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:2-23, he says that the result or fruit of receiving the Holy Spirit… Continue reading Filled with the Spirit
Tempted
#FaithrootsPodcast 1 Chronicles 21:1 -22:1 Tempted 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1 The census (v1-5) 2 Samuel 24 makes God the source of the provocation for a census. “Satan … ‘Adversary,’ without the article, than than God is the instigator of David’s census. Such a figure does not appear elsewhere in Chronicles(or Ezra-Nehemiah): indeed only in Job 1-2… Continue reading Tempted
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