Update, December 2023 and February 2024. Liam Goligher has been proven to have been living a double life. Evidence here: Liam Goligher turns out to be a wolf in shepherd’s clothing, Police ticket proving Liam Goligher’s illicit sexual activity. I am not going to be taking any of the posts off this blog in which I’ve featured Liam Goligher’s work. I never scrub posts from my blog because to scrub a post would mean that all the comments which were made on the post would also be scrubbed, so those commenters would be de-voiced. At this blog I always try to prioritise the voices and viewpoints of victims-survivors.
Of Plots and Kings
Esther 2:19 – 3:15
Liam Goligher discusses two mysteries: the Mystery of Providence and the Mystery of Iniquity. He concludes this sermon with these thoughts:
In the book of Esther both of those mysteries are working simultaneously. But we’re given a clue today that Providence will win in the end. God’s good government will win in the end. Let that support you, let that strengthen you when things start to unravel. May God make us, as his people, people of such fortitude that we encourage each other and strengthen one another in the battles that lie ahead.
***
Ps Goligher has told Barb by email:
As a pastor and as a Christian I believe there to be no greater issue among our church folk, unaddressed and largely unrecognized, as domestic violence (whether emotional, psychological or physical). I am so delighted to know you are raising a standard against it.
***
Posts in this series
Part 1: Liam Goligher’s sermons on the book of Esther (pt 1)
Part 2: Beauty and the Beast — Liam Goligher’s 2nd sermon on the book of Esther
Part 3: Is this post.
Part 4: If I Perish, I Perish — Liam Goligher’s 4th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 5: Battle Plans — Liam Goligher’s 5th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 6: Sleepless in Susa — Liam Goligher’s 6th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 7: Mission Impossible — Liam Goligher’s 7th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 8: Binding the Strong Man — Dr Liam Goligher’s 8th sermon on the book of Esther.
Part 9: Holy War — Dr Liam Goligher’s 9th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 10: Celebrate: Come On! — Dr Liam Goligher’s final sermon on the book of Esther
A Cry For Justice 
I am very, very pleased to see Dr. Goligher’s PS comment to Barb: he believes there is no greater issue among church folk unaddressed and unrecognized than domestic violence, whether emotional psychological or physical.
And because it is largely unrecognized is in part why the victim carries the stigma after divorce and often times is frowned upon, harshly judged and criticized.
Thank you, Dr. Goligher, for joining your voice along with ACFJ and to those of us who have been terrorized by these evildoers. God bless you and your ministry!
Thank you for sharing this video series by Liam Goligher on the book of Esther.
I have not heard it expounded on this way before, and brings to life the sobering and heartfelt side of this story.
To hear yet another advocate speak out for the abused women of today reminds me of a verse from (1 Kings 19:18). When Elijah thought that he was the only one left that honored the Lord.
And the Lord encouraged him saying,
This series is so encouraging and strengthening because it is true preaching (“rightly dividing the word of truth”), from a compassionate heart.
I’ve heard the erroneous view that Vashti was an “unsubmissive” wife who got her just desserts by being demoted. Also, “Now, ladies, Esther gives us a model of how to make a godly appeal to one’s husband, or any (MAN) in authority: put on your prettiest dress and do your makeup and hair to perfection, determine the right timing to ensure he’s in the best mood possible (that is, as good as it CAN be for an entitled tyrant), then ever so MEEKLY make your request.” (I actually heard this by a woman Bible teacher telling how she handled a situation where errors were being made in business transactions by a curmudgeon (male) store owner.) Ugh!
A stark contrast to Liam Goligher’s teaching is John MacArthur’s on the same book. (Esther: For Such a Time As This [Internet Archive link]1 Transcript of a sermon.) MacArthur sees this as some kind of Disney princess movie, the love story of Ahasuerus and Esther. “And he is the man who has his heart conquered by this Jewish orphan named Esther.” (para. 11) “This is like a Cinderella story. Esther stole the king’s heart. Esther became his queen. An obscure Jewish orphan, a child of exiled people, conquered people, is exalted to the highest position that any woman could have in the entire world at that time… “ (para. 29)
Reading the transcript of MacArthur’s sermon is a peek into the mind of a person who is totally clueless about abuse. A person who literally LOOKS at a woman (Vashti, then Esther) and doesn’t SEE her at all; doesn’t see the degrading situation and horror which is she forced into (which he ignorantly thinks of as “marriage”).
Although MacArthur does get right the main point of the big picture – God’s sovereign work in saving the Jews, the people through whom the Savior came- he sure misses a LOT of the details in the middle of the story which are important, hope-filled truths applicable for God’s children in dire circumstances, today, esp. women in abusive marriages. I believe Liam Goligher’s teachings give so much more nuanced and healing insights because he understands evil / abuse (and cares about victims), and he respects women, seeing them as complex creatures, like men, whose lives are also worthy of examining at a level deeper than / in addition to their typical “roles.” (It doesn’t surprise me that these 2 men hold very different views on ERAS.)
1[December 10, 2023: We added an Internet Archive link to the transcript of John MacArthur’s sermon Esther: For Such a Time As This that Gany T. linked to. Editors.]
I tweeted your comment, Gany T, to let Liam Goligher know how much you appreciate his insight. 🙂
Thank you! I’m looking forward to the rest of this wonderful series.
I listened to the sermon and thought, “How little the world has changed.” The entitled will spare no expense to eliminate those who will not bow down to them.