Esther
The Woman Who Defied Death
Intro: Recently I came across a humorous list of things Hollywood has taught us.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts. Your enemies will patiently wait to attack you one by one, by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.
If you are blonde and pretty, it’s possible to become a world expert on nuclear fission, or anything else, at the age of 22.
It’s easy to land a plane, providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.
Once applied, makeup never rubs off even while scuba diving or after fighting alien monsters. But only if you are beautiful. However if you are a real woman, your mascara will run and your lipstick will smear.
A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating, but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.
If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone around will automatically be able to mirror all the steps you come up with and hear the music in your head.
Today we continue our message series on Heroes. The heroism found in the books we read and films we watch tends to cheapen the heroic acts of real life heroes. The same can be said of the real life heroes we read about in the bible. Because we are used to images of great strength and courage beyond the realm of real life, we can tend to dismiss the feats achieved in the bible. So as we approach the story of Esther, the Woman Who Defied Death, please keep in mind that she by all accounts was very human. And her feats are nothing less than heroic.
Background: The story of Esther starts some 103 years after king Nebuchadnezzar had taken the Jewish people into captivity. Many Jewish citizens were marched from their home in Israel to Babylon (modern Iraq). Sometime later the Babylonians themselves were conquered by the Persians. Esther lived in the kingdom of Persia. Many of her people had been allowed to return to Israel. For some reason Esther’s family chose to stay where they were. For the most part they were treated well. Many Jewish people were given high ranking government jobs.
The king of Persia during the time of Esther was Ahasuerus (Xerxes). Now the story of how Esther saved her people takes place in the palace of Susa (modern Iran). When we meet Ahasuerus, he was planning an attack on Greece. War was not just for political survival it was for attaining more wealth and prestige. To show off his wealth and military might, Ahasuerus orchestrated a huge feast that went on for 180 days. This was to prove to his people that he was worthy of leading them into battle. At the end of this time, he held a banquet for seven days. In a drunken stupor, Ahasuerus requested that his wife, Queen Vashti be paraded in front of his all male party. For some reason, Queen Vashti refused this request, which brought great shame on Ahasuerus. At that point, Ahasuerus confided with his lawyers as to his response to Queen Vashti. It is deemed that the queen had broken the royal protocol by refusing to submit to the king’s requests. It taught women all over the kingdom to oppose their husbands. Queen Vashti was deposed and sent away from the palace. To find a suitable replacement, a beauty contest would be held. Beautiful virgins from all over the kingdom were brought to the palace and given the finest beauty treatments for a year. After that time, which ever woman pleased the king the greatest, would be crowned as queen. This is how we meet Esther.
Esther was an orphan, a beautiful Jewish girl living with her cousin, a man named Mordecai. Mordecai was some kind of minor government official, perhaps an accountant. One day the king’s people came and took Esther as one of the prospects to be queen. They had no choice as Esther was whisked off to the palace. Alongside the other women, she was groomed for the king. After a year had passed, it was Esther who was chosen to be the Queen.
While undertaking his duties, Mordecai overheard a plot to assassinate the king, and so he relayed what he had heard to Esther. This set off a chain of events that would not only put the lives of Mordecai and Esther in danger; it endangered the lives of any Jew still living within the Persian kingdom. The man who planned to carry out this event was, Haman. He was the Prime minister, appointed by the king himself. His plan involved more than assassinating the king; he also was scheming to rid the kingdom of the remaining Jews. Haman even convinced king Ahasuerus to send out a decree to the four corners of the kingdom with the command to annihilate the Jewish people.
According to royal protocol, as the prime minister and other officials rode past, everyone must bow down to show respect. However, as Haman passed, Mordecai refused to bow. Mordecai’s reverence was toward God and not a ruling authority. Thus Haman’s plan to destroy Mordecai, while executing his plan to murder the Jews was put into full force. Mordecai convinces Esther to rally the king’s support to put a stop to Haman’s murderous plot. The problem is that no one is permitted to enter the presence of the king, without being first summoned by the king. That is exactly what Esther needed to do. To do so could cost Esther her life, the life of Mordecai and consequently her people.
The movie, “One Night with the King” demonstrates the tension in this action. Though it uses artistic license, it none the less demonstrates what is at stake for Esther and her people. Let’s watch.
VIDEO: One Night with the King (ch. 21)
Start: 1:39:49
End: 1:45:00
Esther informs Ahasuerus of the plan to kill Mordecai and the rest of her people. This is where he learns that Esther herself is a Jew. To that point in the story Ahasuerus did not know this. This would have been enough to have her removed from the palace, if not killed. Yet the king Ahasuerus showed pity towards Esther and her people. It is this action to risk her own life, to save the lives of her people that Esther is seen as a heroine. There are three things that we can learn from Esther, the heroine that we can apply to our Christian lives. The first is that:
1. Esther’s beauty and character won the heart of Persia’s king (2:17-18)
Esther truly won the heart of the king. Ahasuerus was enamored not only with her beauty but also her character. She demanded nothing of the king, other than what was suggested by her attendants. She charmed him with grace and humility. Esther was not greedy or pretentious as many of her rivals were. When the time came for Esther to petition the king, he listened because he actually love Esther. The bottom line is, Esther used what God had given her, to glorify God and to save her people. Despite the dire circumstances, Esther stood up to be counted. God was able to use her to deliver his people from the evil.
We too as Christians have been given marvelous gifts. I am often told by people they have nothing to serve God with. That is not true. We are all created different and we all are given a measure of unique gifts to glorify God and to use for the sake of the kingdom. The problem is, we have to be willing to use them. Esther could well have believed the risk to her life to great. Instead of be willing to act, she could have remained silent, as her people were systematically eradicated from the kingdom. But she didn’t. Why, because she believed that her life was the result of a loving God, who for a host of unknown reasons had chosen her to save her people.
We need to listen for God’s call to act. If you want to know what you can to serve God, look first at the gifts and passions he has given you. That is your starting point. If public speaking isn’t your passion or gifting, don’t do it. But if your gifting is serving behind the scenes in some way, then use your gift.
You know the children’s and youth ministries for example are crying out for heroes and heroines. We don’t always need bible teachers, communicators and small group leaders. Often we just need people, who are passionate about young people, and just want to be around them as an example to them. You can walk with them on their Christian walk, offering encouragement, advice and support. If that is your gifting, or if you are passionate about anything, but you are not being faithful with your gift, do something about it. Talk to somebody involved in that area, and begin to serve. As Esther experienced the power of God working through her life, you too will experience his power.
2. She combined courage with careful planning
There can be no doubt that what Esther did was courageous. Nor can there be any doubt as to how dangerous her action would be. But she did not step into the abyss aimlessly hoping to be effective. Esther, along with the support of Mordecai orchestrated her plan to petition the king. She did not rely solely on her beauty to win the king’s support. Esther planned careful as to how best act.
Her courageous act gives us a model to follow in approaching a difficult or dangerous task. (1) Calculate the cost. Esther knew exactly what she was getting into. In calculating the cost, Esther realized her life was at stake. (2) She then set priorities. She believed that the safety of the Jewish race was more important than her life. (3) Prepare. She gathered support and fasted. (4) Determine a course of action and move ahead boldly. She didn’t think too long about it, allowing the interlude to lessen her commitment to what she had to do.
Like Esther, we can:
i. Calculate the cost
We do need to consider that stepping to serve God in any capacity will cost us. We need to know what we are getting into. We need to consider that to take on responsibilities in the church will mean that we will have to give up things elsewhere. But if we believe that God is calling us to be involved in somewhere, that it is important to be obedient to him.
ii. Set Priorities
As Esther believed that the safety of the Jewish race was more important than her own life, we need to believe that serving God is a priority. Our role may seem insignificant, but in the bigger scheme things, how do we not know that we hold an important key for a task to be completed. It is possible that God could have saved his people by going to someone other than Esther if she said no. But think of the sense of achievement and the recognition that came her way. In fact, a feast was established in honor of Esther (9:20-32).
If we believe that a task or endeavor is worth doing. If we believe that God has given us gifts and graces for certain things, then we need to prioritize our lives in order to do it. Now I realize that the demands on people’s lifestyles today are great. But truly, what might we be missing out on? We will miss out on the celebration of a job well done. It might not seem significant to some people. And that is ok, but for others, knowing that we had been apart of a change in people’s lives, or that we led someone to Christ, or that we did something that brought joy into someone’s life brings a great sense of achievement. In our dog eat dog world, where the self is highly valued, this can be a very exhilarating thing and should not be overlooked.
iii. Prepare
Esther gathered support from other Jews, by having them fast and pray for God’s favor. It is not enough to take action; we need to sow anything that we do in pray. The other aspect of this is the support of others in her endeavor. Often when people contemplate the possibility that God is calling them to do something, they are overcome with the fear of being isolated and for not be adequately equipped for the task. If God has placed a passion on your heart and given you the gifts for a task, then he will not leave you alone. First, he has given us the church as a means of encouragement for one another. As for being qualified, I often say that “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the call.” Friends it is normal to feel overwhelmed by that task of undertaking something for God. Do you think it would have been easy for Esther to petition the king, knowing she could lose her life? No, it would have been easier for her to close up and ignore it, while her people suffered and died. But she didn’t, she prepared herself the best she could and confronted the problem head on.
iv. Determine a course of action and move ahead boldly
Once Esther was convinced that she was right for the job, she accepted the task before that was placed before her. When we wait around for confirmation, or in the hope that someone else will pick up the task and do it, we give ourselves that opportunity to get cold feet and lose interest. So when God places something on your heart to do, do it. The longer you leave it, the greater the chance that something else will become a priority in your life and you will lose the commitment to do what God has placed on your heart.
ILLUSTRATION: Athens financial campaign message from Richard Martin
3. She was more concerned for others than for her own security
Esther 4:15-16
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
Esther is a true heroine and a patriot. She loved her people and more importantly she loved her God. She was willing to do anything for her God. I am sure Esther was scared, but she was willing to die for the cause. But I also believe that she had an overwhelming sense of God’s presence. In the scene that I showed from the movie, “One Night with the King” just before Esther leaves to petition the king, she mentions the story of David when he went up against Goliath. She says to her attendant, “What I love most about the story of David and Goliath. David’s victory did not come because he fought well, but because he believed well.” Esther believed well. She believed that her God was mighty and would enter the king’s presence with her. She believed in the greater good, that her God stood for.
Closing:
In the book of Esther, we clearly see God at work in the lives of individuals and in the affairs of a nation. Even when it looks as if the world is in the hands of evil people, God is still in control, protecting those who belong to him. Although we may not understand everything happening around us, we must trust in God’s protection and retain our integrity by doing what we know is right. Esther, who risked her life appearing before the king, became a heroine. Mordecai, who was on "death row" (so to speak), rose to become the second highest ranking official in the nation. After this matter was cleared up, king Ahasuerus promoted Mordecai to the position of Prime Minister (Esther 10:3). No matter how hopeless our condition, or how much we would like to give up, we need not despair. God is in control of our world.
Among Jews, women were expected to be quiet, to serve in the home, and to stay on the fringe of religious and political life. But Esther was a Jewish woman who broke through the cultural and social norms, stepping outside her expected role to risk her life to help God’s people. Isn’t that what we as Christians are supposed to be like? Stepping beyond cultural and social norms, outside of our expected roles in life to help God’s people? Are we not supposed to stand up for what is right, while we stand against the evil that surrounds our daily lives? Well, let’s do it! Let’s do it together, and let us do it boldly. Whatever your place in life, God can use you. Be open, available, and ready—God may use you to do what others are afraid even to consider.
