The Turning Point

Esther 5 (CSB)

1 On the third day, Esther dressed in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing its entrance. 2 As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favor with him. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.”

4 “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for them.”

5 The king said, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

6 While drinking the wine, the king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”

7 Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request: 8 If I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”

9 That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai. 10 Yet Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh to join him. 11 Then Haman described for them his glorious wealth and his many sons. He told them all how the king had honored him and promoted him in rank over the other officials and the royal staff. 12 “What’s more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she had prepared. I am invited again tomorrow to join her with the king. 13 Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows seventy-five feet tall. Ask the king in the morning to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed.

every situation has a turning point- right?

fight or flight?

3rd response sit there and do nothing.

the decision of what to do is crucial- as is why you do it

The Turning Point: The Text In Its Context

Esther’s Wise And Strategic Shrewdness

Why would Esther need to be strategic? Xerxes already offered her up to half his kingdom, why not just go for the win? Well, the answer is Xerxes obviously hadn’t offered her half the kingdom. This was a figure of speech that was often used, and not meant to be taken literally.

If the phrase sound’s familiar to you, King Herod used the same phrase in

Mark 6:23 (CSB)

23 He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

speaking with Herodia, which resulted in John the Baptist’s head being served on a silver platter.

This “formula of generosity” follows the “ritual of acceptance” (i.e., extending “the gold scepter,” v. 2).5 Were this phrase to be taken literally, the king would be divested of his kingdom in only two uses of the phrase!

There were several other reasons for Esther to be careful with how and when she made her request.

(1) She was asking for the reversal of an irreversible law, which had been sponsored by the most powerful advisor in the empire and signed with the king’s own signet ring.

(2) Xerxes needed money to replace the enormous funds and resources lost in the failed attempt to conquer Greece. Granting her request would cost the king ten thousand talents—as much as half the annual tax revenue of his empire, and that isn’t pocket change.

(3) Xerxes was nothing if not vain and it would be hard for the king to grant her request without losing face, since the edict had been officially authorized by his own royal person.

(4) Finally, in order to make her request, she would have to reveal her hidden Jewish identity, risking a potential backlash from the husband she had been deceiving for the past five years

The feast would provide an opportunity for some of the formality to be diminished and would eliminate the risk of Esther embarrassing the king while on his throne and in his court. Any of the reasons listed would be sufficient cause for some measure of strategy. When they are considered all together, the feast does not sound foolish after all.

Now the moment we have been waiting for (again). The king is full, the wine has flowed, and he’s ready to fulfill his wife’s request. We are ready for Esther to spring her trap—and possibly admit she’s poisoned Haman’s food, though few of us would blame her if a little spilled in Xerxes’ bowl as well. There is no admission of poisoning, however, just an invitation to another party. What is it with these endless Persian feasts! Esther! What are you doing? You had the moment and you missed it!

But did she? Look carefully at her wording.

Esther 5:8 (CSB)

8 If I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”

Esther didn’t just invite the king to another feast; she connected his attendance with his answer to her as-yet-unnamed request. If he really would grant her plea, then his presence the next day would be her assurance. Both the king’s curiosity and his commitment level would be piqued.Not only would the king be present, but so would Haman. She would be dining with the devil, again.

We should give special credit to Esther for having Haman attend these feasts. Few enjoy confrontation. Even fewer handle it in a biblical manner. Talking about people is a lot easier (but not holier) if they are not in the room. What Esther has to say about Haman she will say in his presence. It would have been easy to just invite Ahasuerus and then have him handle Haman. But Esther will confront her enemy (7:6).

She had spent some time in contemplation while fasting, I believe she sought to do what was right in God’s eyes and that she also consulted the people placed around her for ideas. Esther gets a lot of grief from Monday morning QBs- people sitting somewhere drinking coffee (or better yet, Mountain Dew.) Some of those wannabe QBs are even commentators who write books about her. They criticize her choices, saying that she should have gone in, guns blazing, and been bold like Vashti. Others suggest Esther resorted to worldly methods of scheming to get what she wanted. Faith in God demands boldness of action and dependence on His power.

Boldness doesn’t have to mean stupid and dependence certainly doesn’t mean passivity or inaction!

Esther’s use of a plan was just as bold as Vashti’s refusal. While Vashti reacted in anger and faced deposal, Esther risked death. We are called to be in the world but not of it. Esther and Mordecai had sinned in hiding that they belonged to God. Subtlety and strategy, however, are not necessarily anti-gospel. Jesus told his disciples

Matthew 10:16 (CSB)

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.

When we consider participating in missions in places where governments are not just opposed but hostile toward the gospel, strategy is not evil or worldly. For example, we could get on a plane bound for North Korea and announce to everyone mid-flight that we are boldly taking the gospel to that communist nation. Upon landing, however, if we were even allowed to deplane, it would only be for one of two destinations: detainment or deportation. I am not advocating lying. I am just saying that since the Lord called us to shrewdness, utilizing strategy does not make us children of the devil or the world. Knowing when to say what is also important for gospel purposes, but it should not lead to unending silence.

Each of Esther’s words that are recorded for us are measured, but she would eventually give Xerxes the details of her request. When seeking to see those around us come to Christ, we may be strategic with what, where, and when we share with them the gospel, but we cannot be silent forever. There comes a time when the content of the gospel has to be shared. We cannot hope people will make it to heaven just by observing our lives anymore than Ahasuerus could discern what Esther wanted just by attending her feasts.

Act While Watching For God’s Hidden Hand

As we seek to be used by God for the building of his kingdom, we need to follow the Lord’s plan and his timing even if we do not fully understand either of them. Esther did not know how God would use the night between the feasts. She just knew she discerned a two-feast strategy.

We desire detailed instructions signaled by a neon sign in a cornfield and perhaps a Being Faithful For Dummies self help book. God desires we simply act.

When an angel of the Lord told Philip,

Acts 8:26 (CSB)

26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.)

Unlike many of us who refuse the “what” until given a “why,” Philip obeyed and would eventually be used to share the gospel with an Ethiopian man (Acts 8:35). Just because we may not understand the Lord’s plan fully does not mean we lack the information we need to act faithfully.

Perhaps God does not give us all the details because he wants us to trust in his presence, his provision, and his promises. Our dependence on God for our strength is not just for our good, but for His glory. When the outcome arrives, we can be quick to say, “Look at what God did” instead of “Look at what I did.”

Esther’s success was ultimately not a result of her shrewdness. The king did not have to extend the scepter, but he did. The king did not have to invite a request, but he did. The king did not have to come to the banquet, but he did.Esther’s planning was important but Someone else was integral in the king’s participation. The author of Proverbs says,

Proverbs 21:1 (CSB)

1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand:

He directs it wherever he chooses.

King Xerxes, President Biden, President Trump- nobody is immune. God places them in power and directs them when it is necessary. Spoiler Alert- God is just starting to show that Hidden Hand of His!

Haman’s Darkly Humorous Folly

The OT Wisdom literature contrasts Wisdom with Folly. Esther’s latest choices embody wisdom. Haman takes the role of the fool. He is completely unaware of the danger he is in, rejoicing in his good fortune to be included at the banquet with the king and queen. Haman is glad and merry of heart. The last time that anyone’s heart was merry was the king in 1:10, just before he made a serious misjudgement concerning Vashti, hinting already that too much alcohol might lead him to a similarly poor decision. Haman is shortly to do this with respect to Mordecai, although at this point his folly will be less apparent.

Mordecai continues to show him no respect, neither rising nor trembling in Haman’s presence, and that drove him to rage! But this time he manages to control himself and returns home, where he sends for his friends,

Esther 6:13 (CSB)

13 Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai is Jewish, and you have begun to fall before him, you won’t overcome him, because your downfall is certain.”

He wanted advice on how to proceed. But before getting to the point he has to let them all know exactly how awesome and powerful he is. Shouldn’t his friends and advisors already know about his wealth and the number of sons. They definitely should know about about Haman’s fortuitous elevation in position because of the favor he had with the king. After all these advisors were probably men who received notice from the king of the changes! And his wife should definitely be privy about how many kids they had- AMEN?

Haman is like the fool in

Proverbs 13:16 (CSB)

16 Every sensible person acts knowledgeably, but a fool displays his stupidity.

Haman’s words reveal his folly. Ironically Haman will lose each of the things that he boasts about. about which he boasts. He seems to be at the edge of complete victory but will eventually lose everything to Mordecai and his fellow Jews. His boasting is like someone with an inferiority complex who needs his ego stroked. Such boasting is again consistent with Proverbs’ picture of the fool. It is a black comedy, we might pity Haman for his being so out of touch with reality but we also recognize that Haman really is more dangerous than Darth Vader. Haman has no satisfaction from the litany of his greatness. The offence of Mordecai being in the gate and not offering homage offsets everything else.

Finally, Haman gets to the point- he wants advice on what to do with Mordecai, and Mordecai’s Jewishness remains central to the problem. The basic issue is that Haman wants to enjoy the banquet but cannot do so if Mordecai remains because although he gains honour by attending the banquet, Mordecai undermines this through his refusal to offer homage. Remember that the Middle Eastern culture is based on shame coming from people knowing the more people watching him go to a private banquet with the king and queen, the more people will see Mordecai taunting Haman by not bowing.

There suggestion is that a stake of some fifty cubits be erected (roughly seventy-five feet) on which Mordecai is to be impaled once Haman has spoken to the king. That should be high enough for everybody to see Haman getting even with Mordecai. No crime deserving capital punishment is mentioned, nor is any plausible. Haman is simply to use his authority to destroy Mordecai before launching the genocidal attack on the Jewish people.

I find it very funny that the King’s response to Vashti’s defiance intended to ensure that wives did as their husbands required, this chapter now has both the king and Haman follow their wives’ suggestions, again showing the foolishness of their claims to power. Since Haman is just as capable of acting on foolish advice as the king, he agrees to the proposal.

A darker problem now emerges. Esther has shown great wisdom and tact so that on the next day she will in some way bring about deliverance for all the Jews, though exactly how this will be resolved is not yet clear. But Haman’s anger against Mordecai has now put in train a process that will see him executed before Esther can bring this about. Deliverance without Mordecai will, for Esther at least, be a hollow victory. Does this therefore mean that Haman’s folly outweighs wisdom?

We will have to wait till next Sunday for more. But I am certain that we can be certain that Godly wisdom trumps worldly folly.

That brings us to

Decide and _____: Our Contemporary Application

Like everything else in this book we can see our present circumstances mirrored in this ancient tale- AMEN? Christians today find ourselves in dangerous times- with many people calling our core believes outdated and hurtful. How do we respond? God’s people must indeed commit themselves absolutely to God and yet also use all the wisdom available to them. But these do not of themselves guarantee the outcomes we desire, and wisdom can be undone by folly, especially in a world where there are inequalities in power. Both Esther and Haman can sleep well because they believe they have put in place plans that will see their desired outcomes, but Esther is counting on God to be at work! She doesn’t think everything is all up to her, she seeks to act in a way that honors God and gives it everything that she has. Yet she is also ready to join God as His will and purpose becomes more clear. We need to do the same. Make sure our plans are in agreement with God by submitting them to the authority of the Bible. We cannot attempt to do good by doing evil, by acting in a way contrary to God’s word. Then we need to put all of our God given talents and possessions to bear in those plans. The entire time we need to be looking for God working in our circumstances!

We need to be willing to accept risk of failure in those plans. Esther integrates a deep commitment to God’s purposes with great skill in dealing with self-centered people. She is finally commited to following God openly and relying on His power. That isn’t enough to guarantee everything will work out the way she hopes. Right commitments do not guarantee comfortable outcomes. Believers often live with the myth that moral sincerity brings a sure reward. There is no magic formula to force God into action. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel’s friends sharing his Babylonian captivity) state something quite sobering that we must take to heart:

Daniel 3:17–18 (CSB)

17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

There is no theological calculus that obligates God or guarantees believers freedom from pain and loss, even when we are faithfully committed to the values and mission of God. Not even when we seem to meet the standard of avoiding sin. The promise of a protected life if we are faithful is just as false as the prosperity gospels promise that God blesses every believer with a good job, big house, and nice car.

Daniel’s friends understood that God could deliver, while understanding that God could not be manipulated. Faithfulness, not controllable outcomes, is what matters. This is not an easy doctrine is it. Some of the sharpest pains in life occur precisely where we think God could/should have “shown up” and changed the situation. I have faced that feeling, haven’t you? Believing that God let you down and blaming Him for your circumstances is a powerful trap used by Satan. Repenting of those feelings is often the start of incredible spiritual growth.

So how should we respond when we see evil being done? How and when we should respond is a very hard question, one with no easy answer. When we see a situation where we feel God need’s to step in solve the problem we cannot sit and passively wait for God to act. Christians are obligated to fight evil even when God seems silent. The very worst response is to think that the problem is above your pay grade. The biggest way to determine your qualification to step up and help is the fact that God has helped you to recognize the need for somebody to step in an help!

You don’t need to be a queen like Esther. You don’t need to be a leader of anybody or anything, you just simply need to be willing to act. Look at the situation- test your responses against the teaching of the Bible- consult with wise advisors- and act. Anyone, regardless of their station in life, can find themselves in a position to intervene when a crisis occurs. The most unlikely person just may be the one to help. Esther and Mordecai illustrate these realities well: not only fighting evil when God hasn’t “shown up” but seeing the need, even though they themselves are hated and obscure.

Ponder this for a bit- would you have expected Esther to be the person who is the hero of this book? Esther grows from a person of “weak character” to one with “heroic moral stature and political skill.” And that transformation begins with a single defining moment when she decides to identify herself with God’s covenant. Esther is referred to by name thirty-seven times in the story. In only fourteen of those references she is “Queen Esther.” All but one of those fourteen references to her as “Queen Esther” occurs after she decides to stand with the Jews and use her position to defend them. Esther assumes the dignity and power of her royal position only after she claims her true identity as a woman of God and decides to act!

Points To Ponder

“For What It’s Worth” by Knute Larson and Kathy Dahlen

Haman’s drooling fixation with status seems a bit absurd, even comical. When his imagination soared, the best he could come up with was a vicarious triumph in the king’s clothes. But he exhibited a deep-seated human longing. He is as contemporary as our neighbor … or ourselves.

While browsing the Internet, I found that in the year 2000, a Honus Wagner sports card (how many know who he was?) sold for $1,265,000. A 1921 Paul Strand photograph titled “Rebecca” auctioned off for $335,750. Someone bought a framed painting by Rothko depicting white, red, and black bars titled “No. 9” for more than $14,000,000. And, in the quintessential bid at fantasy, a buyer paid $3,225 for a Star Trek tunic made for, though never worn by, William Shatner.

Within the heart of each of us pounds a longing to touch upon the famous, to dally with the powerful, and to rub shoulders with someone greater than ourselves. And lest we scoff too quickly, watch how we clutch for the hand of a passing President, drop the name of a celebrity we’ve glimpsed, and battle the mob to get that athlete’s autograph—even though none of them will ever remember us from out of the crowd.

We need not settle for second-hand honor. Believers in Jesus Christ truly know the King of all kings, the artist of the universe, the source of all knowledge and wisdom. He invites us into the intimacy of family; he entrusts his work into our care; he clothes us with his own nature. Yet we prefer mob-sanctioned heroes and crowd-defined greatness.

Haman was enamored with Xerxes, as we should be with God. But while his relationship with the king fed his pride and reduced his personality to a mere caricature of a man, intimacy with God deepens humility and enlarges us as individuals to develop beyond our earthbound capabilities. When we become satisfied in Christ, we assume our proper place in the drama of God’s unfolding kingdom and his eternal glory for which we were made.

[Knute Larson and Kathy Dahlen, Holman Old Testament Commentary - Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Max Anders (Broadman & Holman Publishers., 2005), 341–342.]

Church Government by Andrew J. Schmutzer

If you see the problem, you may be called to help address it—especially if you are the only one and feel totally unqualified! Often, church members will identify a problem and bring it to the pastor or another leader. Pastors and other leaders often want to say that if you are the one seeing the problem, you may be called by God to partner with them in finding a solution. There may be a reason you are the person to whom God revealed the problem. Next time you are feeling compelled to speak up about an unaddressed need, forgotten person, unstaffed volunteer position, or logistical hiccup at your church, stop and ask yourself, “Am I willing to be part of the solution to this problem, or am I hoping to report it and make it the leaders’ new problem?” Take a few extra beats to stop, pray, and attempt to bring a few solutions to go along with the problem. Offer your observations and solutions as a gift, not an ultimatum, and see what your leaders say. God might be giving you a special new ministry! Your church leaders may not be able to use all the solutions you bring, but your willingness to step up and be part of the solution is a great reflection of Christ’s heart—it will bless and encourage your shepherds.

[Andrew J. Schmutzer, “Esther,” in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 262.]

Question Needing Answers

Describe a time when you were used to the detriment of God’s kingdom. How and when did you experience conviction over it? What did you learn from the experience?

How can we know we are being used for the development of God’s kingdom rather than its detriment?

Describe a time when you followed a plan that was determined by your will rather than God’s Word. How did this turn out for you (and others)?

How can we be certain we’re discerning God’s plan for our lives from his Word rather than devising plans from our wills?

Have you ever used prayer for delaying rather than obeying? If so, why? How can we minimize this tendency in our lives?

Describe a time you walked obediently in faith and experienced the Lord’s favor, provision, and blessing. How do we know he will provide all we need if we obey?

In what ways can we feed idolatry in our lives rather than forsaking it?

How does the gospel answer our need for true significance?

What can we do to surround ourselves with voices of conviction rather than just voices of compliance?

In what ways are you hoping the Lord will use you in the development of his kingdom this year?

[Landon Dowden, Exalting Jesus in Esther (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019), Es 5.]

Discuss why admiration by others is so appealing to most of us. What can you do to free yourself from this desire?

List the status symbols in our society. Do you find yourself wanting to acquire some of them? Are they harmless? What attitude should a Christian have toward these signs of prestige?

What does it mean to find your contentment in God? Contentment often sounds like settling for second best; brainstorm ways in which contentment represents a drive toward excellence.

[Knute Larson and Kathy Dahlen, Holman Old Testament Commentary - Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Max Anders (Broadman & Holman Publishers., 2005), 343–346.]

A Week’s Worth of Scripture

Monday

Proverbs 21:1–31 (CSB) 1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses. 2 All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs hearts. 3 Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 The lamp that guides the wicked—haughty eyes and an arrogant heart—is sin. 5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor. 6 Making a fortune through a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a pursuit of death. 7 The violence of the wicked sweeps them away because they refuse to act justly. 8 A guilty one’s conduct is crooked, but the behavior of the innocent is upright. 9 Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. 10 A wicked person desires evil; he has no consideration for his neighbor. 11 When a mocker is punished, the inexperienced become wiser; when one teaches a wise man, he acquires knowledge. 12 The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked; he brings the wicked to ruin. 13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered. 14 A secret gift soothes anger, and a covert bribe, fierce rage. 15 Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers. 16 The person who strays from the way of prudence will come to rest in the assembly of the departed spirits. 17 The one who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich. 18 The wicked are a ransom for the righteous, and the treacherous, for the upright. 19 Better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife. 20 Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person, but a fool consumes them. 21 The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22 A wise person went up against a city of warriors and brought down its secure fortress. 23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 24 The arrogant and proud person, named “Mocker,” acts with excessive arrogance. 25 A slacker’s craving will kill him because his hands refuse to work. 26 He is filled with craving all day long, but the righteous give and don’t hold back. 27 The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable—how much more so when he brings it with ulterior motives! 28 A lying witness will perish, but the one who listens will speak successfully. 29 A wicked person puts on a bold face, but the upright one considers his way. 30 No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord. 31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.

Tuesday

Matthew 10:16–20 (CSB) 16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

Wednesday

Proverbs 13:1–25 (CSB) 1 A wise son responds to his father’s discipline, but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke. 2 From the fruit of his mouth, a person will enjoy good things, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. 3 The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. 4 The slacker craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied. 5 The righteous hate lying, but the wicked bring disgust and shame. 6 Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner. 7 One person pretends to be rich but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has abundant wealth. 8 Riches are a ransom for a person’s life, but a poor person hears no threat. 9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is put out. 10 Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice. 11 Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it. 12 Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. 13 The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. 14 A wise person’s instruction is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death. 15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous never changes. 16 Every sensible person acts knowledgeably, but a fool displays his stupidity. 17 A wicked envoy falls into trouble, but a trustworthy courier brings healing. 18 Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore discipline, but the one who accepts correction will be honored. 19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste, but to turn from evil is detestable to fools. 20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but good rewards the righteous. 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. 23 The uncultivated field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away. 24 The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently. 25 A righteous person eats until he is satisfied, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.

Thursday

James 2:20–23 (CSB) 20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.

Friday

Proverbs 6:16–19 (CSB) 16 The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him: 17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, 19 a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.

Saturday

1 Corinthians 4:6–13 (CSB) 6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another. 7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? 8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! 9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12 we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.