Bible Study - Esther 1-2

Good morning blessed sisters. Thought this could help someone. Especially for those of us with busy schedules, that rarely pick up the bible daily to do study. In as much as we need to nourish our bodies with good food, most importantly, our souls needs it more. Starting with the book of esther. For now, our focus will be on chapter 1 n 2. What are the lessons learnt in both? Let's discuss sisters.
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Adenike Morounke Adebola I'm already excited about this..Esther 1 and 2, here I come...
September 18 at 12:26pm · Like

Mo Oyediran What are our thoughts on this two chapters pls?
September 18 at 12:44pm · Like

Adenike Morounke Adebola One thing that jumps out to me in Chapter 1 is how we should respond to authority (whether they are right or wrong etc). I believe that Vashti’s issue was compounded because she was disrespectful to her husband AND her king….I am not too sure what she was hoping to achieve but it sure was the wrong approach.
September 18 at 3:29pm · Edited · Like

Adenike Morounke Adebola I wonder what the background issues were, Who was right? Who was wrong? It didn’t matter eventually as Vashti got herself dethroned BY HERSELF! No one else was to blame. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t know enough to run to God after her big meltdown…
September 18 at 3:30pm · Edited · Like

Ronke Adeyemo Taiwo In chapter one, what i learnt is that we are role models. the main reason Vashti was deposed was because Memucan felt other women will repeat what she has done, so no matter where or in any situation we find ourself. Lets remember that our life is an epistle another woman is reading.
September 18 at 3:48pm · Like · 2

Adenike Morounke Adebola Thanks Sis Ronke (my Choco). I like that perspective. I don't believe Vashti considered the wider implication of her actions. I believe that when the Bible says that anger rests in the bosom of a fool, this is what we're talking about...
September 18 at 3:57pm · Like

Mo Oyediran The story tells me the key to submission is Obedience. Queen vashti for whatsoever reasons outrightly disobey her husband the king. She possibly was not aware of the consequence of her actions until the verdit came. Then it was already late.
September 18 at 4:41pm · Edited · Like · 1

Mo Oyediran I learnt we should learn to obey authorities no matter what we are instructed to do. Moreso, this was her husband. Don't think he had any evil intention with his instructions. He was proud of her especially for her beauty. So, my ? is why would she have disobey him in d first instance? Help me sisters.
September 18 at 4:04pm · Like · 1

Adenike Morounke Adebola One question that I wonder about…WHY DID VASHTI REFUSE TO APPEAR AT THE KING’S COMMANDMENT? Had she lost respect for Ahaserus as her husband and king? Why? Whatever her reason was, it was not strong enough for her to retain the Queenship….I believe that at times, we need to step back and ask ourselves if the things causing anger and resentment in us matter enough to lose the position(s) God has placed us for…I believe carrying out such an assessment will help us determine if it is worth all the drama…I wonder what happened to Vashti...if I remember when we get to heaven, I'll like to ask about her #AddsVashtiToMyToAskList
September 18 at 4:09pm · Edited · Like

Mo Oyediran Sis Ronke, pls can u help us with that? Thanks!
September 18 at 4:43pm · Like · 1

Olasunkanmi Karimu Ogunyemi If vashti was not dethroned,ow would esther get to d throne?
September 18 at 5:43pm · Like · 1

Adenike Morounke Adebola I also like to pray that days of celebration will not be turned to days of sorrow for us because of someone’s foolish decision…I have seen too many of such occasions in my lifetime to realise that it is very important to pray such a prayer whenever one is planning a celebration. We have the case of Ahaserus/Vashti and the birthday Herod celebrated that ended in the beheading of John the Baptist…that is one prayer I don’t joke with anymore when preparing for a celebration….
September 18 at 6:08pm · Like · 1

Hephzibah Oyinda I find Esther 2:1 interesting….the king’s wrath made him forget Vashti…what exactly did he remember about Vashti after his wrath subsided? I believe that as leaders, in one capacity or the other, we should be careful what we do when we’re ANGRY!!!! Some of us may speak words that will have generational impact…
September 19 at 12:02am · Like · 1

Boomy Seun If Vashti didnt do what she did how will d word of prophecy be fulfilled in the life of Esther? God has rejected vashti and embrace Esther. For God's way are not Men's way.
September 19 at 3:39am · Like · 1

Ayodele Esther Elemese I learnt dat no matter highly place I am I should learn to be humble king throw party to men also vashti throw the party to the women, the king can command also she bt she forgot dat one authority is higher than the other even if we are older than the person we should learn to be humbleI
September 19 at 8:30am · Like · 2

Ayodele Esther Elemese I think is God arrangement bc he can bring low and he can lift up and whever God want to favour or lift his own children he has to bring someone down so we should try to be on God side always so that he can lift us up e.g david and saul
September 19 at 8:50am · Like · 2

Mo Oyediran Thanks @ ma'am Ayodele, God bless u real good.
September 19 at 9:07am · Like · 2

Adenike Morounke Adebola I think we can ask - was Vashti wrong to have thrown her own 'rival' party? I think when the king requested her presence, if the party was so important, she could have merged her party with his?Why did she have her own separate party anyway? And her party was in the house that BELONGED the king...Someone told me that division is actually di-vision; when there are 2 visions...I think Vashti's refusal to obey the king's COMMANDMENT (not advice) was the straw that broke the camel's back. I suspect the king had done something to hurt her as her husband (possibly neglected her). I think this was her way of paying him back.Disgracing an authority figure in a bid to pay them back is an ill wind that blows no good. There are better conflict resolution tools...Thanks Sis Ayodele for pointing out Vashti's rival party...I never thought of it that way....
September 19 at 9:40am · Like · 1

Mo Oyediran My take is, does she even hav d right to merge her party with his in d first instance. Why start what u can't complete. She missed it totally.
September 19 at 9:56am · Like · 2

Mo Oyediran Then, I learnt again that there is reward in integrity,holiness and adequate obedient to God's word. If esther had been a wayward lady without interity and virtue her uncle would never have recommended her. Of cos there are sevrall young ladies in the province. But the ones requested for were the virgins amongst them. She couldn't have been known is she wasn't.
September 19 at 10:15am · Like · 2

Adenike Morounke Adebola I find Esther 2:1 interesting….the king’s wrath made him forget Vashti…what exactly did he remember about Vashti after his wrath subsided? I believe that as leaders, in one capacity or the other, we should be careful what we do when we’re ANGRY!!!! Some of us may speak words that will have generational impact…
September 19 at 7:17pm · Like

Adenike Morounke Adebola Someone asked why Esther went to compete with others for the king’s attention. I don’t believe Esther had a choice in this matter…Esther 2:8 says ‘when Esther WAS BROUGHT, not ‘WHEN ESTHER WENT’. NIV says ‘When Esther was taken’…as far as I know, it wa...See More
September 19 at 7:18pm · Like

Adenike Morounke Adebola For me, Esther was a great example in obedience. Even in the palace, she didn’t disobey Mordecai….Later, when she had an objection to Mordecai’s instruction, she voiced out respectfully and finally obeyed when she was overruled….I believe that is too h...See More
September 19 at 7:20pm · Edited · Like

Deborah Gathering Thanks everyone for sharing.

The Gathering of Deborahs (TGD) - Vision

The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose ...a mother in Israel...Jug.5:7

We will not sit and watch the devil have a field day in our part and corner of the world.

We are the company of those that will arise, take charge and assume responsibility for the promotion of God's Kingdom and His righteousness, first in our own homes and then in the world at large.

...

We are the Deborahs of our generation.

Our light has come.

The glory of the Lord is risen upon us.

we will rise and shine...

The vision of The Gathering of Deborahs is to raise women that will arise like Deborah (The Judge) to stem the tide of evil in their generation.

We exhort ourselves with the Word of God, we pray with one another, we provide Biblical counsel to our sisters, we discuss topics that are relevant to Christian women. Please feel free to post articles and comments that are in line with the vision. 

We do not allow adverts on the wall. Please send a private message to this account if you are interested in enterprise related discussions.

Any post with too many abbreviations that render the post unreadable or with untranslated portions in a language other than English will not be approved while similar comments will be deleted.

We'll love to hear from you. You can send any questions, prayer requests, testimonies etc as a message to this account or as an email to thegatheringofdeborahs@gmail.com.

LETTING GO OF BITTERNESS

Chi-Chi

BITTERNESS is a Stumbling Block To God's Blessings In Your Life.

Countless people today are bitter because of what they think God has done to them.

Even in the Bible there were people who showed bitterness towards God also. One of such people is Naomi. If you read Ruth 1:20-21, you see where Naomi changed her name to Mara- meaning bitter, because she was blaming God for her terrible experience in Moab. Yet she wasn't supposed to blame God because in the first place, she and her husband disobeyed God by going to Moab- a place God had forbidden the Israelites to go to. Therefore the consequences she and her husband suffered were as a result of their own action- disobedience.

What am I trying to say here? There are always consequences for our actions- good or bad. There are consequences for disobedience (even if you don't know you are disobeying).

Disobedience/ stubbornness (especially in doing something wrong) can very well cause Bitterness. When you refuse to stop a bad habit. When you refuse to end that relationship/ friendship that is immoral and adds no value to your life. When you refuse to let go of the hurts and pains from your past or refuse to forgive the person/people that caused you such pains. Then you are giving every room for Bitterness to come in and dwell with you, and when it does it brings along with it depression; anger (sometimes rage); despair/hopelessness; stagnation (sometimes demotion), doubt/faithlessness (you find it hard to trust anyone); guilt; shame.

The good news is that you don't need to carry all these baggages that Bitterness has to offer. You can end the Bitterness right now but the decision is yours to make. Enough harm has already been done. Why not choose to let go of the Bitterness. There is a walking out of the wrong path and a working out of the right path. Nobody said it's going to be easy and it isn't a day's job,but it 's very possible to enjoy a life free from Bitterness. How?

1. Develop a healthy obsession with doing good works. By this I do not mean you should become another Nelson Mandela or a hero overnight. It may be things as simple as stooping down to give a hug to a hurting child. Stooping down to assist a weak or sick person. Giving out clothing (or any form of help) to a poor person or someone in need. No job is too little if you are seeking to do good to others. You may not know but these simple acts have a healing effect on someone who is bitter. These good works make you look beyond yourself and think about the wellbeing of others.

2. Learn to obey instructions. If Bitterness is a consequence of disobedience, then you'l agree that developing an attitude of obedience to instructions is a sure way of destroying Bitterness. Learn to be discreet in asking questions. Let's face it,it must have been very difficult for Ruth (in the Bible) to serve or obey her embittered mother-in-law, Naomi after their return from Moab. It isn't easy to serve a bitter person. It takes a lot of self discipline and hard work. But if Ruth had not followed Naomi's instruction about Boaz, and if she had not also obeyed Boaz's instructions she wouldn't have married him nor would she have been the mother of the great grand father to David- an ancestor of Jesus. So obedience is a key to overcoming Bitterness.

So what are you still doing about that Bitterness you carry in your heart everyday?. Isn't it time you left it and embrace the beautiful future God has been keeping for you? The time to act is NOW!!!

Wishing you all a blissful week ahead!

LIVING BEYOND HYPOCRISY

By Chi Chi

"Woe to you Scibes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity". (Matt.23:27-28).

Hmmm, whitewashed tombs? Dead men's bones? Filled with hypocrisy and evildoing? You will agree with me that these are not the words we normally associate ...with Jesus. These words sound so harsh, so emphatic, so blunt, like words borne out of anger. Why would Jesus speak in such a manner?

Actually Jesus had great respect for what some of the Pharisees were trying to do. He knew men like Nicodemus revered God and sincerely sought to follow His ways. But some others were merely interested in the outward show of holiness in the name of safeguarding traditions. These outward shows of piety were the things that triggered Jesus' harsh words to the Pharisees. This shows the deep hatred Jesus has for hypocrisy.
How easily we can fall into similar attitudes! We all have certain religious traditions and devotions that we treasure, but we sometimes disregard those who don't share our religious views or mode of worship. Sometimes we set certain standards of holiness for ourselves but we criticize those who are not living up to it. In our zeal to follow Jesus, we sometimes add on obligations we don't need to add and we condemn those who don't share our views or worship God in the same way.
This is a call to all the Deborahs in the house to worship God in spirit and in truth. Enough of the outward show of piety. Someone once said Nigerians are religious but not God fearing/not spiritual. We like people to know that we go to church, attend prayer meetings and engage in the 'things of God' in church, but how many of us actually allow the Gospel message to transform us to better people in the society (I mean outside the church)? How many of us will not just glance through this article as usual and
say by default: "Thank you sis for sharing"? How many of us will actually allow this message (and other admonitions we receive) to actually bear fruits in us- fruits that will transform generations?
Jesus is saying today that His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and His law is Love. May we see His admonition as a caution to us not to substitute His ways for ours. May we never forget charity and mercy as we seek to live according to His will!
Happy new month and a beautiful week I wish you all!!!!!

LIVING BEYOND HYPOCRISY

Chi-Chi

"Woe to you Scibes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity". (Matt.23:27-28).

Hmmm, whitewashed tombs? Dead men's bones? Filled with hypocrisy and evildoing? You will agree with me that these are not the words we normally associate with Jesus. These words sound so harsh, so emphatic, so blunt, like words borne out of anger. Why would Jesus speak in such a manner?

Actually Jesus had great respect for what some of the Pharisees were trying to do. He knew men like Nicodemus revered God and sincerely sought to follow His ways. But some others were merely interested in the outward show of holiness in the name of safeguarding traditions. These outward shows of piety were the things that triggered Jesus' harsh words to the Pharisees. This shows the deep hatred Jesus has for hypocrisy.

How easily we can fall into similar attitudes! We all have certain religious traditions and devotions that we treasure, but we sometimes disregard those who don't share our religious views or mode of worship. Sometimes we set certain standards of holiness for ourselves but we criticize those who are not living up to it. In our zeal to follow Jesus, we sometimes add on obligations we don't need to add and we condemn those who don't share our views or worship God in the same way.

This is a call to all the Deborahs in the house to worship God in spirit and in truth. Enough of the outward show of piety. Someone once said Nigerians are religious but not God fearing/not spiritual. We like people to know that we go to church, attend prayer meetings and engage in the 'things of God' in church, but how many of us actually allow the Gospel message to transform us to better people in the society (I mean outside the church)? How many of us will not just glance through this article as usual and
say by default: "Thank you sis for sharing"? How many of us will actually allow this message (and other admonitions we receive) to actually bear fruits in us- fruits that will transform generations?

Jesus is saying today that His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and His law is Love. May we see His admonition as a caution to us not to substitute His ways for ours. May we never forget charity and mercy as we seek to live according to His will!

Happy new month and a beautiful week I wish you all!!!!!

Break Forth Into Joy

Good morning sisters. Happy new month.
Is there a promise that has been long delayed yet seems impossible? The Messiah had been promised for a long time and Israel had practically given up hope. And to have Him born of an unknown young girl?
"And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke 1:45).
Has the Lord said it? Do you not know that the Lord watches over His Word to perform it? Do you not kno...w that His Word will not return to Him void?

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 55:10-13).
You have wept sore; you have been desolate. This is the word of the Lord to you...
"Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." (Isaiah 44:23-28).
"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted." (Isaiah 49:13)
"Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:9-10).
It's time to rejoice, sister...
Have a blessed and productive day.