May 24-28, 2021
City Church Discipleship Group Guide
The Book of Esther
Over the next few weeks, our groups are going to try something new, a way of approaching God’s Word that may be different for some, but has actually been the norm throughout history— we are going to spend an extended part of our discipleship group times reading and hearing portions of the Bible. It may seem strange and you may want to stop at various points to ask questions, that’s ok. If God reveals something to you through the Bible, pause and say it. If a question comes up in your mind while reading, ask it. The aim though will be to get through whichever portion is given for that day. God’s Word is a lamp and it’s a rich feast, when we read it together the feast gets bigger and the path gets brighter.
People have different levels of comfort about reading out loud, that’s ok too, don’t let that stop you. Your group can decide how it wants to break up the reading. At the end of the books, take time to discuss what stood out, what questions were raised, and what to do with what you read, how should we apply it. Your answers may not be profound, but God blesses those who search for Him by reading and listening to what He has said.
The reading for this first week will be the book of Esther. It’s only 10 chapters and it’s a fantastic story.
Background
Esther is set in Persia, during the reign of King Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes, between 486-464BC, following the defeat of Babylon. The fall of Babylon signified the end of the exile of the Jews. Many Jews had already started back to Jerusalem, while others were scattered abroad. Esther's story is one of surprising deliverance for God’s people and marks the beginning of the Feast of Purim. The ESV points to three key themes in the book that are very helpful to remember while reading: divine providence, human responsibility, and the absurdity of wickedness.
Encouragement
When you’re reading, don’t try to master the content. Think of it like a drive through the country, you can’t memorize every tree and bird and flower, but when the drive is over you can look back and know it was a good time because you saw trees and birds and flowers.