FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS; BE EXPENDABLE FOR GOD!
Ester 4:12-14
If you are to fulfill the purpose of God for your lives in a very critical hour, you can get the lessons from the life of Esther, the woman who dares to risk everything for God.
Est 4:12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,
Est 4:13 he sent back this answer: Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
Est 4:14 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?
The account of Esther begins in 483 B.C. some 37 years before Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls.
Series of bad and discouraging incidents happened in the life of Esther
1. Esther live during the time that her country has been captured Babylonians and later Medo-Persians
2. All of Esther’s immediate family died and she became an orphan – Mordecai, his godly relative raised her as his own daughter.
3. Women is not important equally as men in the kingdom of Medo-Persian
4. Esther is still single and there is no husband to take care of her
5. The queen has just aggravated the currently low standard of women’s right by disobeying the king and later caused her royal crown.
6. There is a political unrest as the secret assassination is being conspired to kill the king
We usually have many regrets and complaints in life. If we are in Esther’s shoes, we may be complaining for lots of things.
• Why God make me as a Jewish minority instead of Persian
• Why should I become an adopted orphan?
• Why should I become a single woman instead of man?
• Why should I become poor girl wandering in a foreign land?
I. There is no accident in God. He has a purpose for every details of your life.
TRUST GOD’S PLAN!
Est 2:7 Mordecai had raised Hadassah, also known as Esther, his uncle’s daughter, because she was an orphan. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
Often times, we question the wisdom of God because of bad situations, discouraging incidents, frailties and inadequacies. Let us consider some possible situations if God allowed things the way we like them to appear.
• If Queen Vasthi did not displease the king, there will be no need for another queen
• If Ester happened to be man, then he of course cannot be qualified for the Persian beauty contest (Note: there is no gay contest during that time)
• If She is not an orphan, Mordecai may not adopted her as his own daughter and raised her according to God’s law
• If Esther had been a married man, she wouldn’t have become queen.
• And if Esther hadn’t been a minority, she wouldn’t have cared about the Jews and what was going to happen to them.
• If the 2 eunuchs did not plot against the king, Mordecai will have not chance to save the king and eventually became hero and be promoted as prime minister.
Sometimes what looks like a disaster in your life is part of a much bigger plan of God. But you will never fulfill your destiny if you are having a pity party.
Esther could have just said, “if only I wasn’t Jewish, if only I was like someone else." A lot of people do that. They live their lives in resentment, always looking at people and saying, "Well it must be nice to be them."
Remember this; your big limitations make you perfect for the role God wanted you to fulfill. Do not forget the lesson number one; there is no accident in God. He has a purpose for every details of your life.
II. Loyalty to God invites anger from the enemy’s side but it is always safe and best to be faithful to God.
KEEP YOUR LOYALTY TO GOD!
Est 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.
Est 3:6 So 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.
The chronology of events:
1. Haman is made the king’s favorite (Est_3:1).
2. Mordecai refuses to give him the honor he demands (Est_3:2-4).
3. Haman, for his sake, vows to be revenged upon all the Jews (Est_3:5, Est_3:6).
4. He, upon a malicious suggestion, obtains an order from the king to have the all massacred upon a certain day (Est_3:7-13).
5. This order is dispersed through the kingdom (Est_3:14, Est_3:15).
Mordecai did not bow to Haman because bowing is a form of worship in their culture and he resolve to worship God alone. When ask about his reason, He just said that I am a Jew.
Remember this; Faithfulness attracts two parties; one is the enemy’s attention but the second and most important group is the attention of God. Do not forget; Loyalty to God invites anger from the enemy’s side but it is always safe and best to be faithful to God
III. When God is calling you to use your gift for his glory, do not hesitate to dare to risk everything for God
HEAR GOD’S CALL AND BE EXPENDABLE!
Est 4:14 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?
When Mordecai sends Esther word that the Jews are going to be annihilated, he basically tells her in Esther 4:13-14, "Don’t think that you can just ignore this disturbing trend. Yeah, I know it’s been tough, but this is your destiny. God put you here. It’s no accident that you are a Jewish girl and now the queen of Persia."
Est 4:15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
Est 4:16 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.
Isaiah 58:6-11 gives ten amazing promises to those who act on injustice. Take a moment to read it. God promises that –
Isa 58:6 "The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.
Isa 58:7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.
Isa 58:8 "Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side.
Isa 58:9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond. "If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word;
Isa 58:10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.
Isa 58:11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.
1. His favor will shine on you,
2. your wounds will be healed,
3. He will always be with you,
4. He will save you
5. He will protect you,
6. He will answer your prayers,
7. He will turn darkness to light,
8. He will guide you,
9. He will satisfy you with good things
10. He will keep you strong and well.
All of those promises are built on being generous with people less fortunate because God wants us to learn generosity.
Danger is an opportunity for God to move and show up his power to save.
IV. God has the habit of reversing the enemies plan if you will just pray, obey and act by faith
GATHER PRAYER SUPPORT GROUP!
Est 4:16 "Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die."
Est 4:17 So Mordecai went away and did as Esther told him.
The first reversion of the enemy’s plan:
Instead of convincing the king to implement the death penalty for Mordecai, Haman end up proclaiming the honor for him.
Est 6:11 So 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 honour!
The second reversion of the enemy’s plan:
Instead of hanging Mordecai to death, Haman was hanged on the same gallows that he prepared for Mordecai.
Est 7:9 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!
Est 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
V. D not be afraid to make a stand for God. Your decision affects people’s lives more than what you can imagine
BE BOLD AND CELEBRATE GOD’S GOODNESS!
Est 8:17 In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
Est 9:2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No-one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
VI. Do not forget the story of God’s deliverance and let it be remembered by the next generations for the honor and glory of God.
REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE!
Est 9:28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
