PAUSE Before You Act
Sermon 3B
NOTE: This is part B of sermon three in the series, PAUSE Before You Act. While this sermon may be used independently, you may want to see the other sermons to give background and introduction. Handouts and keys for these studies are already prepared. Contact me if you could use them. Thanks.
B. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION 2: KING AHASUERUS (ESTHER 3)
• Most everyone has heard of the story of Esther.
• The Jews are in exile in Persia.
• Vashti, the queen to King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes I), angers him and he searches for a replacement.
• All of this is in the providence of God, and a young lady named Esther is waiting in the wings.
• Esther is a beautiful young Jewish lady, orphaned in her youth, who has been adopted by Mordecai, her cousin.
• One of the officials of Ahasuerus, Haman by name, is a proud and arrogant individual who is angered because Mordecai will not bow to him.
• In the covert, manipulative way that such men use to get their way, Haman offers a proposal to the king.
• Let’s pick up the narrative in Esther 3:8.
Esther 3:8–10 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. 9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. 10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
Esther 3:13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
• At Mordecai’s urging, Esther bravely risks her life by appearing before the king unsummoned.
• She has the favor of the king and he grants her request that a banquet with the evil Haman be held.
• Also in the providence of God, the king has a sleepless night, and one of his officers remind him of a time when Mordecai has sent warning of a threat to the king’s life.
• You remember the humorous conversation when the king asks Haman, “What should I do to honor a man that I wish to favor?”
• Haman, assuming that it is him, tells him to parade him through the square.
• Ahasuerus says, “Go do that for Mordecai.”
• In the appropriate moment, Esther reveals her identity as a Jew and points the finger at Haman who is soon hanged on the impalement pole that he had prepared for Mordecai.
• The lesson here is that Ahasuerus allowed others, men whose motives were self-serving, to persuade him to do something which he had not thought through.
• Sure, he had a lot of other business, but he should have waited until he understood the matter before he acted.
C. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION 3: DARIUS (DANIEL 6)
• The story of Esther above is very similar to another story, that of Daniel.
• Darius is ruler of Babylonia. He is a Mede by birth rather than a Persian.
• In a move of administrative organization, he appoints 120 princes over the land.
• Daniel, one of these, rises to the top and incurs the jealous wrath of the others.
• They formulate a plot against Daniel.
• Once again, we see that this is subtle and covert rather than direct.
Daniel 6: 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
• Daniel, of course, prays as always and soon an accusation is brought before the king against Daniel.
• With no way around the unalterable law of the Medes and Persians, he must follow the order he has sealed and allow Daniel to be cast into the den of lions.
• But here the words of the king in 6:14.
Daniel 6:14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
D. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION 4: THE PHARISEES (JOHN 7:45-52)
• Jesus has made an appearance at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.
• He had delivered His “rivers of living water” message on the last day of the feast.
• As always, the response is a mixture. Some respond in faith, others in unbelief.
• The Pharisees are incensed that the Temple police have not arrested Jesus.
• Let’s pick up the narrative here in John 7:42 ff.
John 7:45–52 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
ILLUS: LIFE'S DEEPER MEANING
Examining life for Deeper Meanings is a twentieth century preoccupation. We assume that things are not what they seem. Words disguise Hidden Feelings. Actions symbolize Something Else. We sometimes try too hard to discover the hidden meanings when there just might not be anymore to it than what is on the surface. Tom Mullen illustrates this at the very beginning of his book:
An engineer, a psychologist, and a theologian were hunting in the wilds of northern Canada. They came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. Because friendly hospitality is a virtue practiced by those who live in the wilderness, the hunters knocked on the door to ask permission to rest.
No one answered their knocks, but, discovering the cabin was unlocked, they entered. It was a simple place—two rooms with a minimum of furniture and household equipment. Nothing was surprising about the cabin except the stove. It was large, potbellied, and made of cast iron. What was unusual was its location: it was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling beams.
"Fascinating," said the psychologist. "It is obvious that this lonely trapper, isolated from humanity, has elevated his stove so he can curl up under it and vicariously experience a return to the womb." "Nonsense!" replied the engineer. "The man is practicing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he has discovered a way to distribute heat more evenly throughout the cabin." "With all due respect," interrupted the theologian, "I'm sure that hanging his stove from the ceiling has religious meaning. Fire 'lifted up' has been a religious symbol for centuries." The three debated the point for several minutes without resolving the issue. When the trapper finally returned, they immediately asked him why he had hung his heavy potbellied stove by wires from the ceiling. His answer was succinct: "Had plenty of wire, not much stove pipe!" Tom Mullen, Laughing Out Loud and Other Religious Experiences
APPLICATION
Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
Job 29:16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
QUOTE: And I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know: “I investigated the case of those I did not know.” It was particularly in legal cases that the poor were without protection, and so Job undertook to help them. Job claims he sought the truth in legal suits and did not favor those he knew, his own community, at the expense of strangers. Reyburn, W. D. (1992). A handbook on the book of Job. UBS handbook series
STEPS TO GAINING UNDERSTANDING OF A MATTER
1. We must allow a period of discovery before we act.
149 x the Bible speaks about waiting. (AV)
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.
Psalm 25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Psalm 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: For thou art the God of my salvation; On thee do I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; For I wait on thee.
Lamentations 3:25–26 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
ILLUS: You remember King Saul, when he did not get a word from the Lord through Samuel, panicked and consulted the witch at Endor. That was his death sentence, spiritually, personally and professionally.
2. We must be careful not to judge according to appearances. (John 7:19-24)
John 7:19–24 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
3. We must not allow pre-conceived notions and prejudices to cloud our opinion. (James 2:1)
James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
• No time to do it now, but the context of chapter 2 is very important. Read it soon!
4. We must examine according to our spiritual nature, not our flesh. (John 8:15; 1 Cor. 2:14-15)
• Hear the Words of Jesus as He speaks to the Jewish leaders.
• They had pre-judged Him, written Him off without examining the evidence.
John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
1 Corinthians 2:14–15 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
5. We must be willing to listen to both sides of the matter. (John 7:51)
• We looked at the context of this passage earlier.
• Here is the main point.
John 7:51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
For further reference, see Deut. 19:15-19
• Often, men with selfish motives will push us to make decisions quickly.
• We need to make it our habit to say, “Let me get back to you on that.”
6. We must ask, “How would I want to be treated were I in the same position.” (James 2:8-9)
James 2:8–9 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
7. We must not run ahead blindly with our thoughts but rather seek God’s thoughts on the matter. (Isa. 55:8-9)
Isaiah 55:8–9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
QUOTE: Often, if we will simply take the time to wait on the Lord, to look a little more closely, to put ourselves in the position of the other person, to pray a little more, to check our attitude, then what seemed to be an impassible mountain of conflict fades into a little mole hill. (lkw)
