Esther A Hero
Who Seized Her Divine Moment
I want to start off our time together this morning with these words from Erwin McManus Book, ‘Seizing Your Divine Moment.’
WHAT IF - you knew somewhere in front of you was a moment that would change your life forever, a moment rich with potential, a moment filled with endless possibilities? WHAT IF – you knew there was a moment coming, a divine moment, one where God would meet you in such a way that nothing would be the same again? WHAT IF – there was a moment, a defining moment, where the choices you made determined the course and momentum of your future? HOW – would you treat that moment? HOW – would you prepare for it? HOW – would you identify it?
MOMENTS – are as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands of the sea, any anyone of them could prove to be your most significant divine moment… HOWEVER – mundane a moment may appear, the miraculous may wait to be unwrapped within it. YOU – rarely know the eternal significance of a moment. WHEN - a moment is missed, you have a glimpse at an opportunity lost. WHEN – you dream, you look to a moment still to come. YET – the only moment that you must take responsibility for right now is the one in front of you…
THERE – may well be many moments waiting behind this one, and though the most significant moments of you life may still be moments away, the moment you are in right now WAITS to be seized…
TODAY – as we continue in our message series Heroes we are going to meet a Queen named Esther… who when her moment came, like so many of the Heroes on 911, seized it with GREAT PASSION and with total disregard for her own well being...
NOW – to help us all start out at pretty much the same place this morning I want to do 2 things. FIRST - give you a brief summary of the historical context for the book of Esther and SECOND introduce you to the main players….
This drama from the word of God takes place nearly 2500 years ago in the city of Susa, just north of the Persian Gulf, and East of the Tigris and Euphrates river, (modern day Iran).
IT – has been over 90 years since Jerusalem fell at the hands of the Babylonians.
(because of they refused to repent and leave their life of sin and rebellion)… PERSIA - is the world Empire. NOW – many of the God’s people have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the Temple, BUT OTHERS - have remained in settlements throughout the Persian Empire. (okay that’s the background)
AND HERE’S – the major characters in this story…
Xerxes; is the 5th king of the Persian Empire and he is in the 3rd year of his reign which began in 486 BC after the death of his father Darius the First. He is a man focused on power, money and sex. He had a pretty violent temper and often acted without thinking.
Vashti; is the Queen of Persia she is a woman of character and conviction, we see her only in the opening scene.
Mordecai; is a Jewish man whose family was exiled when Jerusalem fell. He is a cousin of Esther and has been raising her ever since her parents died. He is a man of integrity and faith.
Esther; is an orphan girl who is being raised by Mordeci, she is a woman of both inner and outer beauty.
Hamon; is the villain of the story, he is dressed in black and is wearing a black hat... He is the second in command of Persian Empire. He is a man consumed with himself and full of hatred.
LOOK UP – I’m convinced that God is going to speak to every single person in this room today and give them something home from Esther’s life… Why? Because God’s word is living and active, shaper then a double edged sword and it WILL NOT come back void today.
THE WAY – I want to approach our time together this morning is to FIRST – tell you the story (one scene at a time; there are seven). THEN – conclude by talking about the lesson God wants each of us to take home today…
The Story…
Scene One; ‘The Party’ [chapter 1]
THIS - scene opens up with King Xerxes in his capital city. AGAIN – he’s been king for just 3 years. AND – according to the Greek historian Herodotus he was planning on invading Greece in 2 years. (His dad had tried 7 years earlier and was defeated at the Battle Of Marathon). AND – to set the stage for this event Xerxes threw a HUGE party to let people know just how great and powerful he was.…
For one hundred eighty days he showed off (he did what? Understand it’s never a good thing to show off to impress people) his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom.
- Esther 1:4 (CEV)
NOW - I think we would have to call Xerxes the ultimate party animal. I MEAN – he’s throwing a party for all of his nobles, officials, princes and military leaders, one commentator said probably a group of about 10-15,000. And did you notice know how long this party lasted? 6 months. AND - do you know what he did right after that party? HE - threw another one ( a smaller one) for 7 days in the enclosed garden of his palace.
AND – this party was wilder and crazier then the first one… IN FACT – the main purpose of this party was just to get trashed… I MEAN - he had an open bar everyone could drink what they wanted - 24/7, for a solid week.
OKAY – do you see the picture? THERE’S BEEN - a major party going on for days… everyone is pretty wasted. AND – on the last day of the party the king (no doubt drunk) thought; “Hey, this has been a great party. Every body is fixing to go home. But before they leave, I think I’ll show off just one more thing. My wife. She’s so beautiful.”
AND SO – he sends his servants to get her. NOW – traditional Jewish interpretation is that – when he told his servants to; bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head… That the crown was all that she would be wearing… SO – what the king is asking his wife (his queen) to do – is to come down and parade around naked in front of his drunken buddies…
QUESTION - what do you think Queen Vashti did when she heard the King’s order? She refused, she told him to take a hike… YOU SEE - she wasn’t about to be gawked at by a group of drunken men… SHE - wasn’t about to allow herself and the King (who was not in his right mind) to be disgraced. VASHTI - was a woman of convictions and even though she knew that the price would be high to refuse, she said, "Tell the king I’m not coming."
WELL - when Xerxes hears this he gets ticked off and he asks some of his officials what he should do. They say, ‘bro, if you don’t do something about your wife… when our wives get wind of it. Things will really get out of control. Man the last thing we need is a country full of angry women who don’t know their place? Dude you need to punish your wife take her crown and then issue a decree that all woman in the empire need to listen to their husbands, and that the man is the one who was to wear the toga in the house…”
SO - they remove Vashti’s crown and issue a decree that all woman in the empire, must respect their husband. (It is as if they think they can demand their wives to respect them. BUT - that’s not how it works… RESPECT - is not something you demand… it’s something you earn).
Scene Two, ‘The Pageant’ [Chapter 2]
The next scene I call the pageant. AND - it takes place nearly four years after the end of chapter one. In the intervening years Xerxes takes his navy and goes to Europe and tries to defeat Greece, (again, something his dad failed to do). But he doesn’t do much better (in fact there a movie recently came out about this defeat, ‘The 300’) AND - the Greek historian Herodotus says that Xerxes came home and sought consolation with his harem.
IN OTHER WORDS – he tried to numb the pain in his life with sexual sin… people still do that today… it never works. Sexual sin ALWAYS takes you further then you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay.
WELL – shortly after this Xerxes decides that it’s time to find another Queen. HIS buddies suggest sending out commissioners to all 127 provinces of the empire and have them bring back to Susa the most beautiful virgins that they can find. "We’ll have a Ms Persia Pageant…and let the one who please you be the next Queen…AND - we graciously volunteer to help you judge, the pageant."
IT’S HERE - that we see the invisible finger of God begin to move… AND - it stops right at Esther. ESTHER - is chosen as one of the girls from her province. Mordecai her adopted father tells her to keep the fact that she is Jewish hidden. AND REGARDLESS - of the odds Esther would win the pageant and become Queen.
NOT LONG – after she became queen, Esther got her stepfather Mordecai a government job as a judge sitting at one of the palace gates… (I guess some things never change!)
One day while he was sitting at his post, he overheard two disgruntled employees talk about how they were planning to assassinate the king. Mordecai sends a note to Esther telling her all about it. ESTHER - tells Xerxes what she had heard (giving the credit to Mordecai). THE KING - has the two conspirators killed. AND – has this incident recorded in the official royal records.
NOW – I need you to move your mouse over and click save… BECAUSE - you’ll need to open up that piece of information a little later…
Scene Three, ‘The Plot’ [Chapter 3]
IT’S HERE – that we meet Hamon for the first time. YOU SEE - Fearing for his life, the King instituted a massive shakeup in his government and promoted an obnoxious politician named Haman to be his right hand man, the Prime Minister (second in command to Xerxes himself).
HAMAN - was a cocky guy who demanded that everyone literally bow down before him whenever he walked by. AND - everyone did… EXCEPT - Mordecai. Being a Jew, Mordecai was committed to bow only before God. Exodus 20:3-5: “You shall have no other gods before me...You shall not bow down to them or worship them...”
NOW - the guys who worked near Mordecai and bowed down, were getting a little upset. ‘hey if we have to bow down, why doesn’t Mordecai’ Each time Mordecai refused to bow, THEY - asked him why… FINALLY - Mordecai gave them his reason… BECAUSE – he was a Jew. SO THESE GUYS – go run and tell Hamon what was going on.
Hamon gets ticked off… AND – when he heard that Mordecai was a Jew… HIS – head nearly spun around… HAMON - hated the Jews. They were the most stubborn people that he had ever seen. All of the other conquered nations would bow and give honor to Persian leaders, but not the Jews. They would not bow to anyone except their God.
SO – Hamon decides to see for himself.. AND – sure enough as he walked by Mordecai refused to bow down… Hamon’s reaction is recorded in verses 5 & 6…
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 6So he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since he had learned that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
AND THE FIRST THING – Hamon did after making this decision was to get together with his personal astrologers on New years Day to cast lots to determine the day for implementing his plan. AND – the lot indicated that the 13th day of the 12th month was the time to do it.
NOW - I for one think that Hamon wasn’t too happy about having to wait a full year before he could begin his program of ethnic cleansing…
QUESTION – who do you think caused the lot to fall as it did? PERHAPS – Proverbs 16:33 will give you a clue…“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD…”
UNDERSTAND – our God is sovereign. HE – sits on His throne and the earth is his footstool. HE – is the one in charge of everything. SURE – this world may have it’s kings and lords… BUT – our God is the KING of kings and LORD of lords!!!! POINT – whatever you are going through, God is over it and can bring you through it!
AFTER – this Hamon goes to Xerxes and sells the King on his idea. AND - an official irrevocable decree was issued saying that on a single day, "the 13th day of the 12th month all the Jews, men, women, children were to be killed and all their possessions plundered.”
Scene Four, Her Purpose [chapter 4]
When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2He stood outside the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter while wearing clothes of mourning. 3And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in sackcloth and ashes.
– Esther 4:1-3
WHAT IF – later on this week… while you are watching America’s Got Talent or reruns of CSI they break into the show to bring a special news bulletin. It’s a message from the Oval Office, the cameras zoom in on the President and he makes this announcement. "Today, I have signed executive order ‘43’ into law. Which states that with America’s best interests in mind - that on July 3, 2008… all Christians , men, women and children are to taken from their homes, schools and places of employment – their property confiscated and then promptly executed, without exception. Good night…” How would you feel? What would you do?
FOR US - at least right now, it’s just a hypothetical situation… BUT - for Esther and God’s people living in the Persian Empire it was a cold, cold – fast approaching reality.
EVENTUALLY - news about Mordecai being in such a bad way reaches Esther in the Palace. (apparently she had no idea what was going on…) ALL –she knew was that he adopted father was greatly distressed… SO - she sends clothing for Mordecai to put on instead of sack cloth… BUT - Mordecai refuses to take them... HIS SORROW – was just too deep.
SO – she sends her servant back again to find out what’s going on… AND - Mordecai told him everything, he even gave him a copy of the text of the King’s decree to take back to Esther… AND - Mordecai urged Esther to go into the kings presence and plead for her people…. The servant returns, tells her everything… She sends them back one more time with a message for Mordecai… LET’S – pick up our reading at verse 10;
Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 "All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king." - 4:10,11
Esther’s initial response was fear and with good reason… I mean
• She knew about what happened with Vashti
• No one knew she was a Jew (part of the people who now had a death sentence hanging over them)
• And she knows the law – to go into the King’s presence without permission could mean death.
NOW - when Mordecai hears of Esther’s hesitancy, he turned up the heat and made a very convincing closing argument in 4:13-14:
"Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (NIV)
Mordecai is basically saying three things to Esther.
#1 - Don’t think you’ll escape the holocaust when it happens.
ESTHER - you’ll be wiped out just like everyone else when it becomes clear that you are one of God’s chosen people.
#2 – Esther - If you refuse to step up, God will send someone else.
MAN - I love Mordecai’s understanding of God’s sovereignty. HE KNOWS – that God will accomplish all He intends, regardless of Esther’s involvement. SURE - Esther is important… BUT – she was not indispensable.
BOTTOM LINE – if Esther refused to sieze this moment she would miss out on an opportunity to serve God and blow the blessings that would come with faith and obedience… BUT SHE - she could not tie the hands of God.
LOOK UP – you & I will never stop the plans that our God has in this world… BUT - we can (and often do) forfeit the awesome opportunity to be a part of it… AND LISTEN – God is about to do some things at River Run – beginning today and through the Takin’ It To The Streets series in August, the official launch of River Run Brevard, The community outreach on October 6th… that are going to blow our minds!
UNDERSTAND – Almighty God has plans to shake up and radically transform the lives of some people in this room in ways that we cannot even begin to comphrehend. YES - The KING of kings and LORD of lords is going to take some people in this room;
• To places they have never been
• To ways of living they have never lived
AND THEN – he is going to send them out into this world to make a difference… THE ONLY- question that remains, is will you be one of those people?
The 3rd thing that Mordecai was saying to Esther in his statement was
Esther God has put you exactly where He wants you to be
ESTHER - this is your purpose in life! This is what God has made you to do! ESTHER – you may not understand how you got where you are or why you are even there (maybe you don’t even like where you are)… BUT – I want you to know Esther that you are where you are at THIS very moment, so that God can accomplish His will through you…
AND – that is why you are where you are right now. QUESTION – have you ever wondered with the world in such a mess right now… WHY – didn’t God save people like Peter and Paul for today, for our time… BECAUSE – God knew that you would be here.
WHEN – Esther hears those powerful words her faith and courage begin to kick in… SHE - instructs all the Jews in Susa to spend three days praying and fasting.
NOTICE - that she doesn’t try to do this alone. She knows she needs some help. Help from and from His people. (AND – so do we… WE – created to do life together. QUESTION – are you trying to do life or overcome trouble on your own? HOW – is it working?)
ESTHER - tells Mordecai that she will go into the king. She decides to risk her life and says courageously in 4:16, “If I perish, I perish.” LIKE – the apostle Paul who when people were telling him not to go to Jerusalem because his enemies would kill him said,
I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. – Acts 20:24
Scene Four ends with thousands of Jews in the city and Esther and her maids in the palace… ALL – in humble prayer before the Sovereign God.
Scene Five, ‘The Petition’ [Chapter 5]
After 3 days of fasting and praying Esther goes for it, she goes for broke. YOU - can just about feel Esther’s heart beating as she puts on her Royal Robes and walks down the corridor to the King’s chamber. She’s probably praying over and over again, "Lord please let him extend his scepter." Xerxes is sitting on His Throne… HE - looks up, sees Esther approaching, he smiles and extends his gold scepter…
"What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"
NOW - apparently during her time of prayer God revealed to Esther a plan for saving her people… AND – that plan did not involve her making the request to save her people right then… INSTEAD - she told the King that she would like him to bring Haman and come to a special banquet that she had prepared.
SO – they share a meal together and after dessert is served, the King once again asks Esther what she wants. You can feel the suspense building (but she doesn’t make the request) INSTEAD - she says, “you know this was so much fun, I’d like to do it agin tomorrow night, Hamn are you free for dinenr?”
QUESTION – how do you think Hamon is feeling right now? I THINK – that he’s pretty pumped right… I MEAN - he was the only one invited to eat with the king and queen two days in a row! IN FACT - 5:9 says that he went out “happy and in high spirits.”
BUT - as he was walking through the palace, guess who he sees? Mordecai… AND – guess what Mordecai doesn’t do? Bow… AND – Hamon immediately starts to loose it… BUT– he quickly calmed himself down and regained control, because he knew that Mordecai and his people would soon be dead.
WHEN - Haman got home that night, he called all his friends together and told them all about his rise to the top. AND ABOUT - half way through his self-promotion party, he stood up on a kitchen table, cleared his throat and said, "And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!" 13Then he added, "But all this is meaningless as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate." (5:12,13)
[MAN - that’s crazy… I Mean, who here, would ever do something like that… allow one person or circumstance to steal your joy and cause you to forget all the good things happening in your life?]
Hamon’s wife and his friends in an effort to make him feel better come up with a great idea. THEY - encourage Haman to build a gallows in his backyard 75 feet high and ask the King to hang Mordecai from it. Haman is thrilled and has some workers begin it’s construction right away. He could hardly sleep that night knowing that in the morning he would finally be rid of Mordecai for good.
Scene five closes with images of a Hamon sleeping restlessly and the sounds of a hammer building a 75 foot gallows… If this was a TV show this where the words ”to be continued” would flash up on the screen…
Scene Six, ‘God’s Plan’ [Chapters 6,7]
As Chapter 6 opens open we find that another person can’t sleep that night. King Xerxes was tossing and turning, unable to sleep (I don’t know… maybe he ate too many tacos at the Queens banquet).
BUT – the bottom-line is that this is not a coincidence, instead it is a case of God induced insomnia or holy heartburn…
AND - since they didn’t have Tylenol PM back then, Xerxes asked one of his servants to read from the official records. This would surely put him to sleep! But, as he started to doze off, he sat up when he heard about what Mordecai had done several months earlier to save his life. He asked his servant what had been done to honor and reward Mordecai for his loyalty. He was embarrassed that he had forgotten to do anything special for him.
At that precise moment, Haman arrives at the court so that he could be first in line to talk to the King about hanging Mordecai. God’s timing is so cool…
Haman is beside himself because he thinks he was going to get rid of Mordecai sooner than he had thought! The King asked Haman a simple question, “What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?”
QUESTION – who does Hamon, think that the King is talking about? Him… SO – he thinks, ‘okay I better make this good…’ LET’S - pick up our reading at 6:7;
"For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ’This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ "
Xerxes says; “dude that is an awesome idea now YOU go do what you just said for Mordecai…”
11So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!" 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,
TALK ABOUT - having a bad day. EVERYTHING – is going wrong. He’s so embarrassed that he runs home with his tail between his legs and a bag over his head so no one will recognize him…
WHEN – he gets home his wife and his friends tell him – “you’d best leave this Mordecai guy alone. Man, If you keep going after him, he is going to take you out (and we don’t mean to dinner)…” SUDDENLY - there was a knock at the door… IT - was the kings servants coming to take him to the queens banquet… AND – I’m sure Hamon thought, ‘what now, things couldn’t get any worse…”
OH – how wrong he was…
NOW – I think we need to read all of chapter 7 together… BECAUSE - it’s kind of like a ride on a great roller coaster, YOU – just can’t be told about it, you need to experience it for yourself…
So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, 2 and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted."
Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-this is my petition. And spare my people-this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. "
5King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?" 6 Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman." Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
8Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?"
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, "A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king. "The king said, "Hang him on it!" 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
Scene 7, The Prologue
IN – this scene we see Esther and Mordecia walking in the palace garden… The sun is shining the sky is clear blue… AND – as they walk the following facts scroll across the screen…
In the days following Hamon’s execution…
• Queen Esther was given all of His estate.. both land & property…
• King Xerxes issued a new decree (written by Mordecai) that saved the Jewish people
• There were great celebrations held among the Jewish people throughout the empire… Joy flowed like a river and because of all that happened, many gentiles turned to God…. AND
• Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he worked for the good of his people and was a friend at the royal court for all of them. (10:3)
OKAY – that’s the STORY… WHICH – brings us to the next point in your notes…
The Lesson
LISTEN – the main lesson that screams from the story of Esther is this… Our God is alive and moving in this world. His divine plan of redemption and deliverance is unfolding… AND – you like Esther have been invited to be a part of it. YES - God is inviting you to be a part of something that is sooo much bigger than you. Something that will outlive and outlast you. Something awesome and beautiful. Powerful and eternal. Something new and alive! UNDERSTAND:
• captives will be set free
• the brokenhearted will be comforted
• the good news will be preached to the poor
• bondages will be broken
• hope will be renewed
• the lost will be found
• knees will bow
• tongue will confess
• the nations will hear of his name
• His kingdom will advance
• Darkness will give way to the light
• salt will become salty again
• lives will be lived like Jesus
• Christ will be re-presented to the world again
• The victory will be won
• Christ will return
THOSE THINGS – are more than certain… THE – only question that remains is this:
• Will you be a part of it?
• Will you seize your divine moment?
• Will you like those hero’s of Sept 11, 2001 – who ran into a burning building to save others without any regard for their own life… DO THE SAME?
The building of this world is burning… and will soon collapse
Billions are lost in this world…
Including 1,000 within a few miles of this building
WHAT IF - you knew somewhere in front of you was a moment that would change your life forever, a moment rich with potential, a moment filled with endless possibilities? WHAT IF – you knew there was a moment coming, a divine moment, one where God would meet you in such a way that nothing would be the same again? WHAT IF – there was a moment, a defining moment, where the choices you made determined the course and momentum of your future? HOW – would you treat that moment? REMEMBER – the only moment that you must take responsibility for right now is the one in front of you…
What divine moment is God waiting for you to seize?
It may be something big that has been chasing you down for years… OR – it may be something that on the surface seems small but is packed with power…
LISTEN – when you boil it all down – it comes down to one thing… ‘Desire.’ What is you desire? IF – you desire is to be used by God… God will use you.
(we sang ’Desire’ by Jeremy Camp to close)
