Men's Study on Esther Week 2: Providence & Prayer

This week the Men & Sons of CGS tackled the topic of God's total Providence over the affairs of the natural world and the historical world in which we live. God broke into history and changed the direction of an entire nation in this part of the story of Esther.

Transcript

1. God’s Providence through Human Actions Men & Sons Summer 2013
3. I. The Jews of Persia Are Threatened (1:1–5:14) A. Life in Persia Is Dangerous (1:1–22) 1. Xerxes Is a Powerful and Dangerous King (1:1–8) 2. Queen Vashti Defies Xerxes (1:9–12) 3. The King and Nobles React to Vashti’s Disobedience (1:13–22) B. Esther, Mordecai, and Haman (2:1–3:15) 1. Esther Is Made Queen of Persia (2:1–18) 2. Mordecai Foils an Assassination Attempt (2:19–23) 3. Haman Issues a Decree of Death Against the Jews (3:1–15)
4. C. Esther’s Defining Moment (4:1–17) 1. Mordecai Mourns Over Haman’s Decree (4:1–5) 2. Mordecai Begs Esther to Intercede (4:6–14) 3. Esther Calls a Three-Day Fast(4:15–17) D. Esther’s Intervention (5:1–14) 1. Esther Appears Uninvited Before the King (5:1–5a) 2. Esther Prepares a Banquet for the King and Haman (5:5b–7) 3. Haman Builds a Gallows to Kill Mordecai (5:8–14)
5. II. The Reversal of Destiny (6:1–9:19) The Reversal Begins (6:1–14) 1. The King Has a Sleepless Night (6:1–3) 2. Haman Seeks the King’s Permission to Kill Mordecai Immediately (6:4–9) 3. Mordecai Is Honored Instead (6:10–14) B. Haman Is Executed (7:1–10) 1. Esther Prepares a Second Banquet for the King and Haman (7:1–2) 2. Esther Reveals Her Jewish Identity and Accuses Haman (7:3–7) 3. The King Orders Haman Executed (7:8–10)
6. C. The Counter-Edict Is Issued (8:1–17) 1. Esther Introduces Mordecai to the King (8:1) 2. Mordecai Receives the Signet Ring Previously Worn By Haman (8:2) 3. Esther Gives Haman’s Property to Mordecai (8:3–8) 4. Mordecai Writes the Counter-Edict (8:9–17) D. The Day of Conflict Arrives (9:1–19) 1. The Jews Kill Many, Including Haman’s Ten Sons (9:1–10) 2. Esther Asks for Their Bodies to Be Displayed and for a Second Day of Killing in Susa (9:11–19) III. Purim Is Established (9:20–32) A. Mordecai Writes to the Jews of Persia (9:20–28) B. Esther Writes to Confirm Mordecai’s Letter (9:29–32) IV. Epilogue: Mordecai Is Esteemed As National Hero (10:1–3
7.  Main characters?  Conflicts?  Resolution that helps?
8.  Xerxes  Vashti  Haman  Mordecai  Esther  But who is missing?