God At Work
Esther
This morning I am sure you have wondered or questioned where is God?
* Why did God put me in this position?
* How did or is God going to do this?
* How is this going to work out in the end?
We look at the world round about us everyday and we wonder is there any hope? The question of if the United States economy will ever bounce back? Will gas prices continue to soar?
* Then we may go back and ask the same questions I just mentioned
* Be assured this morning, God knows what He is doing and God knows what is going on all around…God is in control and God is at work
Esther is a very unique book, because as some of you know, God isn’t mentioned in the book
* There are several instances, we will see today and over the next few weeks that happened in the Life of Esther that will show us God’s divine work in Esther and the Jews
* We are also going to see in the Life of Esther, some of the things she does to that gives us a clear picture she was a woman of God
Today we are going to Concentrate How God Positions Esther and How He Positions us as well
I. Seeing the invisible Working of God
a. There are a few things we must understand about the Character of God
1st: God is Omniscient (All Knowing)
* Psalm 147: 4 & 5
* Psalm 139: 1 & 2
* God never has to scratch His head, wondering what in the world He is going to do next with people like us, or with nations of this world
* God knows everything, God is perfect in knowledge, & God’s understanding is infinite
2nd: God is Omnipotent (Almighty)
* Isaiah 14: 24-27
* God has the POWER: to speak the universe into existence, to fill the oceans and scatter the stars through space, to stack mountains to the summit, to ignite the sun that maintains all life, to create man in his own likeness. God did it ALL
3rd: God is Omnipresent (Everywhere)
* Psalm 139: 7-10
We learn from Scripture that God is omnipotent—or “almighty”—such that no part of creation can escape His influence or authority. We see that God—through His Spirit—is omnipresent, such that no part of creation can escape His presence. And we understand that God—perceiving all things—is omniscient, such that no part of creation can escape His knowledge.
b. Just as in Esther life there was a process and there is a process in your life as well as God moves the Chess pieces to get you where He wants you
* Think about where you were several years ago in your life and where you are today…being in the divine hand of God and where He has placed and positioned you
* We don’t always know what God is going to put on our plate, but we know He knows
II. Seeing the invisible Working of God: The Process Begins
a. The Kingdom of Persia has grown from 120 regions to 127 regions under the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes)
* Esther 1: 1-3
b. In celebration of all the victories he had accomplished, the king decides to have a nation wide celebration…a 180 day celebration
c. Over much wine, the king decides through his pride he wanted to show his wife off to the guest
* Esther 1:10 (the request)
* Esther 1:11-12
d. This embarrassed the king…the most powerful King known at that time
e. She “broke” the law by not obeying the king, but also to those who were there
* They were afraid other wives would do the same
f. The reigns of marriage were cut
* This is a point to where we must make sense of God’s hand in this. God never condoned the heavy drinking, nor did he condone the thought of the king exposing his wife, nor did he condone the divorce
* What we see here is the king over indulgence of self pride, one who lived a life of disobedience to God
* As a result of these things, the divorcing of his wife, an opportunity for the Jews to be rescued…God was looking down and said it is time for me to move in…prove who I am to my people…I will usen Esther
* History tells us there were several years of war, until chapter 2
* When king Ahasuerus comes back, he is feels alone
* It is at that point they come up with a plan to bring in young ladies from all over the province and the king could choose who he wanted
III. Seeing the invisible Working of God: From Rags To Riches
a. Esther 2:6 tells us Esther mom and dad had died, in which her cousin Mordecai adopted her
b. Esther is chosen queen (2:12-20)
c. All the women go before the King
d. One woman stands out above all the others....Esther v. 15-16
e. v. 17 The royal crown is placed upon her head
f. Esther had a new home, new clothes, new food
g. Like when we become children of God we are changed
h. When she came in she had rags...when we receive Jesus we are clothed in righteousness
Be encouraged
a. God’s plan is to position us in His own time
* Sometimes we tend to want things now & sometimes there is a waiting period
* We look at the beginning part of Esther=s life, we would read & say there were some unfortunate events
* But God had a position for her...she would be queen
* God has the same for us in our lives...a position...a purpose...it takes time for the positions to open
* It is a process that will unfold
* He may be placing you in a position so you can help when the need arises
* Charles Swindoll, “That is exactly how it happened with Esther. She was an unknown, orphaned young woman whose life had absolutely no connection with the most powerful man in the Persian Empire. Yet God, in His providential tapestry, was weaving these two unrelated lives together. With a smiling face, He began it all on one of those ordinary kind of days.
b. God’s plan allows us to go from the position of ordinary to extraordinary – Charles Swindoll
* Often in the midst of difficult circumstances, God is busy working behind the scenes and wants to use you do the extraordinary even in the midst of your circumstance, even if we can’t see Him working.
* There were many canidates to be queen, but only one was chosen…Esther (an orphan and a captive Jew)
c. God’s plan in positioning us is not hindered when the events of this world are secular – Charles Swindoll
* The Tower of Babel
* God is not only at work in the life of a Christian, but he is in work of people all around us
* That is something hard to grasp
* He sees all and knows all
How can we respond in our lives this morning? Is. 6:8
I knew of a man, who was filled with confusion. He was young minister who was at a road block in his life as he felt God was moving him forward. He had changed his lifestyle because God had just moved him not to long ago.
As he pondered on these thoughts, he called a close relative who had been pastoring for a long time. During the conversation the young man asked, “Why would God move me like this?”
The relative said, “I once knew a man, who sat in the basement of my church, looked me straight in the eyes and said, Here I am Lord, use me. I’ll do what you called me to do. All along God was positioning you, though we don’t always know how, why, or when.”
Here I am Lord Use Me – Say that with me
Maybe this morning you have said Here I am Use Me…Be strengthened…
If you are wondering where God is today, realize, that He is right there with you, He will never leave you. His strength will hold you up. His promises are ever true. Ask yourselves today…how is or how has God positioned me and how have I responded?
