Tag: bsf lesson 14 day 5

photo of Esther 3-7 focusing on the tension between Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman at one of the banquets, symbolizing Haman's downfall and Esther's triumph from bsf exile and return study www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 6-7

Esther 6:

The King was reminded that Mordecai had saved his life from an assassination plot, but was never rewarded. He asks Haman what reward should be given to someone like this. Haman (thinking this was for him) said the person should be paraded through the streets wearing the king’s robes and riding the king’s horse and honored. The king tells him to do this for Mordecai. Haman obeys and is in anguish when the second banquet is about to begin.

Esther 7:

Esther finally asks the king to spare her and her people, who were to be killed. He asks who has done such a thin,g and she says Haman. The king leaves, but Haman begs Esther for his life. The king takes offense to this and orders Haman impaled on the pole that had been meant for Mordecai.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

12a) Just before Haman can ask for Mordecai to be impaled, the king remembers about Mordecai foiling an assassination plot and never being rewarded for it. Then Haman comes up with a splendid reward. The banquet happens, and Haman’s evil is exposed. Perfect God timing. God’s sovereignty is seen in the “coincidences.” The king’s sleeplessness, the exact chronicle read about Mordecai’s unrewarded deed, and Haman’s arrival at that precise moment all align perfectly. This shows God’s ironic timing, orchestrating Haman’s downfall and Mordecai’s exaltation before the banquet.

b) That everything happens in God’s timing. These events show that God is sovereignly working, even when He seems silent. They give profound hope that He protects His people and that justice will prevail, often in ironic and unexpected ways, turning the enemy’s own plots against them.

13a) She admits that she is a Jew, finally, and stands for her people. She accuses Haman with no fear. Esther’s courage grew from a fearful “if I perish” to a strategic confrontation. At the second banquet, she bravely revealed her Jewish identity, fully identifying with her people. She then boldly accused Haman directly, moving from a position of desperation to one of confident, decisive action.

b) God used a sleepless king to honor Mordecai, forcing Haman to lead the parade. At Esther’s banquet, Haman’s plot was exposed. He was then executed on the very gallows he built for Mordecai, a perfect reversal of his plan, turning his own pride against him.

c) God’s people experience reversals now through Christ: He reverses death to life (John 11), wrath to life (John 3), and our curse to a blessing (Gal 3). We also anticipate future reversals where God will turn our sorrow to joy (Rev 21) and make the last first (Luke 22).

14) My novel. My job. My dreams. My life’s purpose.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

I love how God is just and those who plot against His people will face His judgment. And, evil plots can lead to nothing but evil.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

Esther 6:

The exact page in a book of hundreds of pages was probably read to the king about Mordecai. Only God can do that.

There are no coincidences here; God is in control of everything and everyone. God arranges all things.

God allowed Mordecai to fall to his pride.

Haman lived for human praise. The only praise that matters is God’s praise.

Haman was humiliated.

Esther 7:

Haman had ultimately asked the king to kill his wife since she was a Jew.

The king left, realizing he had been fooled. He was very angry at this.

Satan’s evil attempts to thwart God never prevail. Using Mordecai backfired terribly. You think the Devil would learn. Satan can cause evil, but He won’t win.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 6-7 details the story’s dramatic climax and sudden reversal, where Haman’s plot is exposed, and he is destroyed by his own pride.

Interpretation

  • Chapter 6 (The Reversal): This chapter is a masterpiece of irony, driven by divine providence. On a sleepless night, King Ahasuerus has the royal chronicles read and is reminded that Mordecai once saved his life and was never rewarded. At that exact moment, Haman arrives, intending to ask for Mordecai’s execution. In a state of blinding pride, Haman accidentally designs a royal parade for Mordecai, which the king then forces Haman to lead, resulting in his total public humiliation.
  • Chapter 7 (The Execution): The reversal is completed at Esther’s second banquet. Esther courageously reveals her Jewish identity and pleads for her life, exposing Haman as the one who plotted to annihilate her people. The king is enraged, and Haman panics, falling on Esther’s couch to beg for his life. The king returns, misinterprets this as an assault, and seals Haman’s fate. Haman is then swiftly executed on the very 75-foot gallows he had built for Mordecai.

Conclusion

These two chapters are the pivotal turning point of the book. They demonstrate that the very moment of Haman’s greatest arrogance was the eve of his destruction. Through a series of seemingly “coincidental” events—a sleepless night, a timely arrival, and a strategic banquet—God orchestrates the complete downfall of the enemy and the vindication of His people, turning the instrument of death into the means of justice.

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 14, Day 5: Reread Revelation 8-9

by atozmom, posted in BSF Revelation: The Hope 2024/2025

Summary of Revelation 8-9

Revelation 8

Jesus opens the 7th seal. There was silence in heaven. 7 angels came with 7 trumpets. An angel carrying incense with the prayers of God’s people arrived. The angel hurled fire on Earth, along with thunder, rumblings, lightning, and an earthquake.

The first 4 trumpets were sounded:
  1. Hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down on earth, destroying a third of the earth
  2. Something like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea, killing a third of all sea life and ships
  3. A star on fire fell from the sky, turning a third of the river waters bitter
  4. A third of the sun, moon, and stars turned dark

An eagle called out to beware of the next 3 trumpets about to be sounded.

Revelation 9

The 5th angel unleashes a star (this is a person with many believing it is Satan) that falls to the earth. Smoke rose from the Abyss. Locusts were released and harmed those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were tortured for 5 months.

The 6th angel released the 4 angels who were bound at the Euphrates. They killed a third of mankind.

Those who were not killed did not repent of their evil deeds.

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 14, Day 5: Revelation 8-9

12a) The Plague of Blood is Exodus 7:14 is similar to the 2nd trumpet judgment in that water is turned to blood. The 3rd trumpet judgment is the reverse of the time Moses made the water sweet rather than bitter. The plague of Locusts is similar to the 5th trumpet judgment where locusts harmed unbelievers but did not kill them. The 1st trumpet judgment is similar to Exodus 9:13-25 where hail and fire fell upon the Egyptians. The 4th trumpet judgment can be compared to the Plague of Darkness (Exodus 10:21).

One main difference is that the plagues of Exodus solely target the Egyptians; whereas, the trumpet judgments target the entire planet.

b) The people who were spared from the trumpet judgments in Revelation continued their sinful ways and did not repent. Similarly, Pharaoh continued to disobey God by not releasing the Israelites until he did, but then he changed his mind anyway, letting the Egyptian people continue to face God’s wrath. God’s purpose is to bring all to Him. In the Exodus plagues, he specifically targeted the Pharaoh. In Revelation, God is targeting the entire world.

13) The study of Revelation has made me more in awe of God and His ways, more compassionate and urgent toward unbelievers, and more grateful for the saved life I lead in Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 14, Day 5: Revelation 8-9

I love spending multiple days on the same passage. I get so much more from these lessons when we do so.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 14, Day 5: Revelation 8-9

Revelation 8

The 7 trumpets are God’s announcement of the judgments.

The prayers of God’s people are pleasing to God, like the smell of incense. They come before Him.

It’s important to remember that the 7 judgments may not be chronological. It’s hard to pin down though with certainty.

The blood could be the color of the hail and fire or what emerges afterward.

Many believe that the “mountain-like object” will be a meteor.

The sea reference is to the Mediterranean Sea. Remember, this was before the discovery of America, and man’s knowledge of the vastness of the earth was limited.

The star could be a meteor as well.

Wormwood is an herb that is bitter.

The 4th trumpet will result in darkness.

The eagle’s announcement should be heeded because 1/3 of humanity is about to die.

Note that each judgment only destroys 1/3 of the earth.

Here, God is showing His power and His mercy. God is destroying man’s subsistence (food, water, shelter, light).

God is warning all to repent before it is too late.

Are you heeding His warning?

Revelation 9

Who is the star in the 5th judgment? We are not told, but some argue it’s Satan, a different fallen angel, God’s Word, or even Jesus. We just don’t know.

The bottomless pit/Abyss here is hell or Hades. This lends doubt to the fact of the star being Satan since Satan is not in charge of anything.

What we do know is that all of this is God’s plan.

The Abyss might not be an actual location.

locusts of revelation 9 www.atozmomm.com bsf revelation
Courtesy of https://www.biblicaltoolbelt.com/l/locust-revelation-9/

The locusts should be considered demon creatures, as you could probably tell by the description of these beings. They are tortured in the hopes they will repent. The locusts are instruments of God’s judgment (Exodus 10:4-14, Deuteronomy 28:38, 1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 7:13, Joel 1:4, and Amos 4:9.)

Notice that John describes the creatures using “like.” This shows that the creatures are not what is being described.

The King of the locusts is Satan. The given name means “destruction” or “torment” in Hebrew.

It is very interesting how the prayers of God’s people play into the End Times.

The 4 angels in the 6th trumpet judgment are standing at the 4 corners of the altar.

Do note we do not know if these are the same angels in Revelation 7:1.

The Euphrates River, remember, is the Cradle of Civilization. It’s where mankind first settled down to farm. It is where many events happen in the Bible, from the first sin (Genesis 2:10-14) to revolt (Genesis 11:1-9) and war (Genesis 14:1). Abram came from here (Ur) and it is where God’s people abide. (Genesis 15:17-21).

The horsemen number may or may not be literal. The army may be demons, based on their description.

Despite the army against them, those remaining did not repent. He continued in his worship of idols and demons. Man’s memory is short. People move on very quickly.

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 14, Day 5: John 10:34-42

by atozmom, posted in BSF John's Gospel: The Truth 2023/2024

Summary of John 10:34-42

The religious officials tried to seize Jesus again when he explained that he is God’s Son and asked them why they don’t believe in the works since they don’t believe in him. Jesus crossed the Jordan where many came to him and believed.

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 14, Day 5: John 10:34-42

12) Jesus uses Psalm 82, saying that the judges were called “gods,” as they administered God’s will, so in light of Jesus’ works, why can he not be called the Son of God.

13a) That Jesus is too powerful and it was not yet his time.

b) That God is in control no matter what happens to and around us.

14) Many people came to Jesus and believed in him.

15) It gives me hope that these people will one day believe, as those that came to him across the Jordan did.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 14, Day 5: John 10:34-42

Great lesson on how God is in control of everything.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 14, Day 5: John 10:34-42

Jesus uses the power of Scripture to stop his accusers. He is the one the Father sanctified and sent into the world.

God’s work never stops; people still believe.

Jesus knows our every thought, worry, fear, and hope. He knows what we want. He knows our ups and our downs. He is there through it all.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 14, Day 5: Matthew 13:51-58

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 13:51-58

The disciples say they understand. Jesus says then they are like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new and old treasures.

Jesus's journey to Nazareth where he is rejected matthw 13 www.atozmomm.com
http://www.thebiblejourney.org

Jesus then traveled to his hometown of Nazareth to teach. They were amazed by his wisdom and miraculous powers. They knew he was Mary’s son and his brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and his sisters. The took offense because they couldn’t see how he could have these powers. Jesus told them he was without honor amongst those who knew him. Since they lacked faith, Jesus did not do many miracles there.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 14, Day 5: Matthew 13:51-58

11a) The responsibility to teach others.

b) The “old” treasures refer to the Old Testament laws and the “new” treasures refer to Jesus and the redemption he brings. Alternatively, you can think of this as the “old” as the truths and mysteries that Jesus (the “new”) fulfilled.

c) Having both the knowledge of the Old and the New Testament gives you a full picture of how to live your life on this side of heaven. The treasures God has given me is helping others through this medium know him. And, helping my family and those I know understand God’s Word, too.

12a) They took offense.

b) He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

c) Some people will never turn to the Lord no matter what they see or hear.

13) None, in truth.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 14, Day 5: Matthew 13:51-58

I always love the idea of old and new, like putting on your new self (Ephesians 4:22-24). It gives me hope when I sin that I can be new again.

Great resource!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 14, Day 5: Matthew 13:51-58

The disciples say they understand, but how many times have you said you understood when in reality, you had no clue? More would be revealed as time goes on, which is how our journey in Christ looks, too. The more we know, the deeper we grow with God and the more we understand.

The parable of the household or homeowner is Jesus’s last parable of the kingdom of heaven.

You bring items out of a storeroom to share.

Since the disciples understand, they must now impart that knowledge to others. Teachers of the Word must understand so that the people do.

No one can believe a lowly carpenter’s son can do such things. He was a normal boy when they knew him.

We can infer that most people of extraordinary talent or ability are normal people.

Note how important belief is again in Jesus’s healing and helping others. You must believe if you are to be helped.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 14, Day 5: Genesis 23

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2020/2021

Summary of Genesis 23:

Sarah lived to be 127 years old. She died in Hebron. Abraham offered to buy a burial plot from the Hittites, and they told him he could pick any plot to bury her in, free of charge. Unsatisfied, Abraham approached Ephron and offered to buy his cave. Ephron offered to give it to Abraham. Abraham refused and offered to pay for the land. Ephron reluctantly agrees, and the land is deeded to Abraham. Abraham then buries Sarah.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 14, Day 5: Genesis 23

14) Personal Question. My answer: Inspirational. God is a personal God and wants a relationship with all of us.

15) They call Abraham “a mighty prince among us.” His reputation has spread, as well as his blessings from God.

16) Abraham purchases his first piece of the Promised Land, thereby owning it.

17) Personal Question. My answer: I’m unsure if they do nor do I know how. All I worry about is trying to do God’s will each and every day. The rest just falls into place.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 14, Day 5: Genesis 23

We see Sarah honored and buried here in a fitting manner. We also see her death. In today’s world where everyone is scared of dying so they put their life on hold and instead trust in masks and medical doctors, we see here that everyone lives, everyone dies, and the truth is death is better because you get to go home. The lies the devil has fed us has spread and put the fear of death in people when it should be the fear of God.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 14, Day 5: Genesis 23

map of cave of machpelah www.atozmomm.com

Fun Fact:  Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age when she died is recorded. She led a good life and stands to be an example for us all.  (Isaiah 51:1-2 and 1 Peter 3:3-6). She is also mentioned more often than any other woman in the Bible as well.

Here we see one of the patriarchs of the Bible weep over the loss of his soul mate. Where we get tears as a sign of weakness is beyond me.

Abraham’s foreigner remark alludes to heaven as our real home.

Abraham wants this cave as the place to lay his wife. He built an altar to God here (Genesis 13:18) and believes it fitting for Sarah. It’s no different than us picking out a nice place to bury our loved ones.

The exchange between Ephron and Abraham is an example of how bargaining was done in that time and in that culture. Ephron had no intention of giving Abraham the land but that is how the bargaining started off. Kindness took precedent and is still predominant in the Middle East today when bargaining. This also testifies to the truth of the Bible.

As we continue our study of the book of Genesis, we’ll see this cave of Machpelah become the family burial plot of Abraham, with Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob buried here.

You can still see the Cave of Machpelah, which is considered the second holiest place for the Jewish people after the Temple Mount. It has a really cool history and would probably be a really cool place to visit one day.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 14, Day 5: Genesis 15:9-21

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage: Again, Abram questions God, asking for reassurances of this promise.  God tells Abram to bring him a heifer, goat, ram, dove, and a pigeon.  Abram cut these in half (except the birds).

Abram fell asleep and the Lord revealed that Abram’s descendants will be strangers and enslaved for 400 years.  But that God would punish this nation and they will emerge with great possessions.  Abram will die in peace and at an old age.

Then the Lord appeared (many believe) in the smoke and united the pieces, making a covenant with Abram, giving his descendants this land.

Questions:

11)  God says that Abram’s descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years (Exodus 6:1; 12:31-36; 40 and most of Exodus tells of God’s plan to free the Israelites from the Egyptians).

God will punish the nation they serve as slaves and afterward the descendants will come out with great possession.  This is shown in Exodus as God punished the Egyptians when Pharaoh refuses to release the Israelites.

In modern history, Egypt as an empire and great civilization no longer exists thanks to Alexander the Great and the Roman Emperor Octavian.  Also, the country of Israel exists today.

Abram will go to his fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age (Genesis 25:7-8).

In the fourth generation, your descendants will come back to Canaan to the land God gives them.

12a)  God as fire:  Genesis 15:17; Exodus 3:2-6 God appearing in burning bush; Exodus 13:21 God leading the Israelites at night as fire; Exodus 19:18 the Lord descending on Mt. Sinai in fire; 1 Kings 18 has Elijah answering the challenge by God coming as fire.  This is God as fire.

God used fire as a sign He accepted sacrifices:  Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 21:26; Leviticus 9:24

God uses fire as judgment:  Genesis 19:24 when He burned Sodom and Gomorrah; Exodus 9:23; Numbers 11:1; Numbers 16:35 where God consumed people in fire.

Fire used to show God’s glory and holiness:  Daniel 7:9; Isaiah 33:13-15

God himself is a consuming fire in Deuteronomy 4:24

God the Son as light: 1 John 1:5, John 3:18-20; John 9:5; Romans 13:12

b) Personal Question.  My answer:  I’m reminded of a Greek myth that tells of how man first received fire.  It was given to them as a gift by Prometheus who was punished by Zeus because Zeus did not want man to have fire.  Prometheus was chained to a rock and forced to endure an eagle pecking at his liver for the rest of his days.

Fire is essential for living and surviving.  We have to cook our food and fire is what has been used for millenia.  Light is essential for seeing.  Otherwise we are blind.

Basically, God is essential for living since He is fire and light.  Without Him we cannot eat.  We cannot survive.  We cannot see.

Man could not exist without fire.  For the Sun itself is a ball of fire from nuclear explosions.  Furthermore, fire changes things.  Look at wood and metals.  Thus, if God is fire and fire changes things, then God changes things, namely us.

13)  Because He wants as many as possible to see the “light” and come to Him; to see His kindness and repent before it’s too late.

14a)  To the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.  This would be from modern-day Egypt to Iraq, which would include Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, and parts of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  The river in Egypt is most likely the Nile River.  The Hebrew word for the river used here means “large river” so probably the Nile.

b)  Under Solomon (1 Kings 8:65) and possibly under Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25).

Conclusions:  I loved the study of fire in the Bible and I only mentioned a tid-bit of ways fire is used.  It also symbolizes evil, the devil, greed, the Holy Spirit, etc.  Fire changes and purifies.  This I LOVE!  Since God is fire God changes and purifies!  Awesome!

I was also reminded by this SITE where I learned about fire how Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew are much more expressive languages than English and the way fire is used depends on translations and meanings.  These languages have many more meanings for some words than English does.

This is just an interesting ARTICLE on the Promised Land boundaries with maps.  However, this article is propounding a world viewpoint.

Maps of Promised Land:  This was interesting.  I found various maps of the Promised Land the Scriptures used to back up the boundaries.  Here is what I found:

http://www.zionismexplained.org/map/thepromisedland.gif  This Link specifically uses Genesis 15:18-21

http://www.differentspirit.org/articles/boundaries.php  This one shows King Solomon’s boundaries with references.

MAP of Modern Day Israel against Solomon’s Empire in 990 BC.

Another MAP of Modern-Day Israel, showing Gaza, West Bank, and Golan

End Note:  I liked this lesson because it prompted me to learn more.  I spent two days looking up references and finding all these websites.  If I hadn’t of done this, this lesson wouldn’t have had the impact it did on me.  Please see HERE for the spiel this one comment inspired.