Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

Esther 4:8&9 "8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. 9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai." Our current series explores God’s callings. Last week we saw Moses’ reluctance at the burning bush. This week we turn to Esther. God did not appear to her in dramatic fashion, yet His sovereign plan is clearly at work in her life. These events unfold in Susa, the Persian capital, during the reign of King Xerxes I (5th century BC). Haman, the king’s highest official, has secured a decree to annihilate all Jews throughout the empire (Esther 3:8–10). Upon learning of the genocidal plot, Mordecai mourns publicly in sackcloth and ashes outside the king’s gate. Because of court protocol, he cannot enter the palace in mourning c...

Esther 4:6&7 "6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate. 7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them." Last week we saw God call Moses. Despite Moses’ reluctance, he obeyed and fulfilled God’s mission. Today we honor him as one who pleased God, so much that he appeared with Elijah at Jesus’ Transfiguration. This week we turn to Esther, another unlikely deliverer of God’s people. The story takes place in Susa, the Persian capital, during the reign of King Xerxes I (5th century BC). Haman, the king’s highest official, has obtained a decree to annihilate all Jews in the empire (Esther 3:8–10). When Mordecai learns of the plot, he mourns publicly in sackcloth and ashes outside the king’s gate. Because of court protocol, Mordecai cannot enter the palace in mourning clothes. Queen Esther, ...

Luke 9:30&31 "30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." This week we studied God’s call on Moses. Though Moses doubted himself, God never doubted him. Despite his reluctance, Moses obeyed, returned to Egypt, and fulfilled his mission. He confronted Pharaoh through ten plagues, led the Israelites out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, received the Law on Mount Sinai, mediated the covenant, and faithfully shepherded God’s people for forty years in the wilderness, preparing the next generation to enter the Promised Land he himself would never see. Moses ranks among the greatest figures in the Bible, and God was well pleased with him. At Jesus’ Transfiguration, before Peter, James, and John, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke with the Lord. They discussed His “departure” (Greek: exodos), which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Moses and Eli...

Exodus 4:12&13 "12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." In this passage, God directly answers Moses’ excuse that he is “slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). After affirming His sovereignty over human abilities in verse 11, God promises both His presence and divine enablement: “I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.” Still, Moses offers one final, blunt refusal: “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” After four earlier excuses, he simply asks God to choose another. The Hebrew carries a tone of deep resignation. This moment reveals the very human struggle of fear and reluctance in the face of God’s call—even for an 80-year-old man who had just encountered God at the burning bush. God persists with His plan. He equips Moses with miraculous signs (staff to snake, leprous hand, water to blood) and provides huma...

Exodus 4:10&11 "10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" We often remember Moses’ great feats and forget his doubts. Despite witnessing the burning bush and hearing God’s voice, Moses still saw himself as unqualified. He had already voiced objections (Exodus 3:11, 13), but here he focused on his personal limitation—whether a speech impediment, shyness, or lack of rhetorical skill. Forty years in Midian had not cured his insecurity. God responded with a powerful rhetorical question: “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” This answer underscores God’s sovereignty: He is the Creator of every human faculty. Hu...

Exodus 4:1 "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee." We often remember Moses’ great feats and forget his doubts. At the burning bush, after forty years in exile as a shepherd in Midian, Moses questioned his own qualifications. He was convinced the Israelites would reject him: “They will not believe me.” God had already promised, “I will be with thee,” and even guaranteed that the people would one day worship on this very mountain (Horeb/Sinai). Yet Moses still feared he lacked credibility. Raised in Pharaoh’s court but absent from Egypt for four decades after killing an Egyptian, he had no shared suffering with his people. To them, he was a stranger returning with a bold claim of divine authority. His hesitation was realistic. After generations of brutal slavery, the Israelites were demoralized and hopeless. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a prophet needed clear si...