Questions to Ponder
- Esther is chosen to be queen by means of a bizarre beauty contest. As a concept, ‘beauty’ is abstract, and difficult to define. How would you recognise or identify beauty?
- In the series we are following, Esther is the only woman identified, leading to the possibility that she is there as a ‘token woman’. In our endeavours to celebrate diversity, and to be inclusive, do we risk ‘tokenism’ based on gender, ethnicity, age, marital status, sexuality, etc.? Is some form of ‘box ticking’ either helpful or necessary in establishing/encouraging diversity?
- If you were invited to make a list of Bible characters for you own team, who would you include in order to better reflect the diversity in the people of God? Why did you choose these rather than others?
- Mordecai famously said to Esther, “Do not think because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” How do you feel when you read this? Why is that?
- ‘For such a time as this’… If I/we heard that spoken to us, what is the unique opportunity we have to be God’s person or people? What is it about me/us that makes us God’s person/people for this time?
- “If you don’t do this, another way will be found… but…” Two very different questions to ponder here:
- What might I/we miss out on in opting not to fulfil God’s call at this time?
- Do you think that there are times when humans thwart God’s ‘Plan A’ and a ‘Plan B’ is needed? Why do you think that?