WHEN GOD WANTS SOMETHING DONE
He is with You until it's Done
Esther 3-4
In this book of Esther, we see that faith is the universal currency in the Eternal Bank of Jesus Christ.
This is a book that never mentions the name of God.
Yet, He is all through it.
At least in the Hebrew script, but He is visible only in the language of the faithful.
It was much as it is with us today. Only when we are IN Christ, 'born again' by the Spirit, can we:
see the truth of God, or
fully understand and experience all of life, and
write checks on all that God is and all that He has.
Those checks may not return as cash, but rest assured, they will provide
what we need,
when we need it, and
it will be enough and more than we need.
Before getting back to Esther, let's consider an example of God's "on time" response to a believer's need:
In his book, Miracles in Black, Dr. John C. Wengatz tells of an African preacher who was to take over a new mission station serving a remote tribe of cannibals.
It was the dry season when Joyo Mbaxi took over, but soon the tropical rains would be coming, but no rains came.
In time, everyone was suffering. Many were on the brink of starvation.
In all the years they had worshiped their ancient gods, the rains had never failed them, and so Joyo was told: Leave the country and take "the white man's God" with him.
He refused to go.
The chief, flushed with anger, warned Joyo, "If your God is as good as you say and so powerful that He rules the sky, why doesn't He send us the needed rain?
If the grass is not wet by sunrise tomorrow, we will drink your blood and eat your flesh!"
That was probably the first time Joyo had heard a motivational speaker!
But recalling Elijah's experience, when he prayed about rain, Joyo went to his hut and prayed. All night the agitated warriors mulled about wondering: Refreshing rain or parched parson in the morning.
Just before daylight, thunder rolled in the distance.
Soon lightning flashed across the sky, and rain drenched the entire region! Joyo became a celebrated representative of the real God.
Elijah's God still lives! He is found in the faith of all believers! God still answers prayer!
James 5:17 reminds us: Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
In Psalm 34:8, David urged us: O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.9 O fear the LORD, you his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
IF, we are in the will of God, and pray as we are led by His Spirit, we have all of the resources of God at our disposal.
If, we are out of the will of God, as were many of the 15 million Jews in Persia at the time of Esther, we too are out of touch with God's providence and His provisions.
Esther and Mordecai reminded them that God can be trusted.
As we start Chapter 3, let's remember God's promise to Abraham: ...to bless those who blessed the Jews and curse those who cursed the Jews...
Remember Balaam, the Midianite Prophet? He refused to curse the Jews, Not even for a house full of silver.
Why? Because God told him that: they had been blessed.
Step 1 of God's plan to deliver His people from Persia was to get Esther accepted as queen. He did!
Today, we come to Step 2.
It begins with the appointment of HAMAN as Prime Minister. Haman was an Amalekite, one of the many enemies of the Jew's.
Esther 3:1-5 Sometime later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite (Amalekite), exalting him and setting his position above that of all the officials who were with him. 2 As a result, all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. However, Mordecai did not bow, nor did he pay him homage.
This was not a matter of pride or disrespect. It was a matter of faith. Mordecai bowed only before God. Everyone else, he treated as equal.
3 Then the servants of the king who were at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you violating the king’s commandment?” 4 And after they had spoken to him day after day without his paying any attention to them, they informed Haman to see whether this attitude on Mordecai’s part would be permitted. Furthermore, he had disclosed to them that he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he was filled with rage. 6 But the thought of striking out against Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed of the identity of Mordecai’s people. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Step 2 shows us how determined God was to preserve the Jews so they could return to Jerusalem.
1. He had to get the king's attention.
He did this through the appointment of Haman as Prime Minister.
Scripture is clear: No government comes to power unless God places it, or permits it.
2. God used Haman's inflated ego to create a threat against the Jews.
This served to force the Jews to refocus on the fact that they were still God's Chosen People.
After 70 years in Iraq and another 50 years scattered throughout Iran, few still considered themselves God's Chosen anymore.
By God's providence, the threat of genocide should get their attention—open their mind to accept deliverance when it came.
It would remind them that God is still in control and can be trusted for all things.
Providence has been defined as: God's way to lead a man who will not be led.
3:9 If the king is so inclined, let an edict be issued to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”
The king told Haman, “Keep your money, and do with those people whatever you wish.” Haman dictated letters to all the king’s provincial governors. He ordered that they should…
destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions (3:13).
The trap is set! One stubborn man of God refuses to salute the inflated ego of one self-centered bureaucrat, and now millions of Jews face annihilation!
Preacher-philosopher John Donne reminded us so long ago that "no man is an island unto himself. We are all part of the main." It is just another way of saying that what we think, say, and do always affects more than just us.
Mordecai took his stand. Now every Jew in Persia is threatened. But God would have it no other way!
4:3 Throughout each and every province where the king’s edict and law were announced there was considerable mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping, and sorrow. Sackcloth and ashes were characteristic of many.
Haman is typical of those who know the law but don't know the authority behind it. Haman knew the law—he had written it. What he didn't know is that he had condemned the life of the new queen—Queen Esther!
Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap! Haman is digging his own grave, but he is so infatuated with himself, he can't see it!
On the other hand, Mordecai was distraught!
He was to blame! He prayed in sackcloth for days.
However, from God's point of view, in Chapter 4, Verses 5-14, Esther is set up as a type of Savior.
She will risk her life for the lives of all who are condemned by the law.
Haman's new law made all Jews subject to death.
This is one of the deep roots of Romans 3:23…
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God...and
The wages of sin is DEATH!
Dr. Shaler Mathews, of the University of Chicago, school of religion, defined sin as: ...the backward pull of an outworn good.
It sounds good, but delete all modifiers and what you have is: SIN IS GOOD!
Do the same thing to the definitions of all RELIGIONS— delete all of the modifiers—and you get the same thing: Sin is Good; just do it by the numbers!
RELIGION is just a covering:
The sin and all of its badness remains just under the surface.
Meanwhile, Esther was disturbed by Mordecai's behavior.
Finally, she asked one of the king's attendants to find out what was going on.
4:8 He (Mordecai) also gave him a written copy of the law that had been disseminated in Susa for their destruction so that he could show it to Esther and talk to her about it.
He also gave instructions that she should go to the king to implore him and petition him on behalf of her people.
Queen Esther sent a note back to Mordecai explaining that no one except the seven princes can enter the king's throne room without invitation under penalty of death.
Mordecai replied with a warning—the edict said all Jews, and you are a Jew. Then he proclaimed:
4:14 …If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father’s household perish…
Mordecai makes it clear.
God will find a way.
We may condemn ourselves, but it won't thwart the will of God!
However…
It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!”
Esther was queen, because God wanted her there for this very time.
Esther ordered Mordecai to assemble all the Jews of the city to fast for 3 days…
My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”(3:16)
No prayer! Just fasting!
Had it been so long that she had forgotten how to pray?
When you are God's Chosen, you can't stray beyond His reach. Fasting was a form of submission—a non-verbal prayer.
It was a way of setting self aside so that God's Spirit can speak to them.
If you remember, Jonah didn't pray in the boat either... just toss me overboard, he said, I'm the one out of God's will...
Religion cannot remove the guilt of sin.
Neither does it solve the sin problem.
Just temporarily hides it!
The law, whether the king's or God's, cannot be annulled or repealed!
The wages of sin is still death.
BUT, Jesus said: A New commandment I give you. Whosoever believeth on him shall never perish but have everlasting life.
Even though the Jews were condemned by the king's own law, the King, Himself, will…
stand beside them with all of His resources, and
will protect them from anyone who threatens them.
We will have to wait until next week to see how God works it all out, but until then, remember:
FAITH is essential!
Faith was necessary!
The Jew's still will have to gather together as ordered by new the law, if not, they would not be protected!
Here is the basis of "positional truth:"
If we are in Christ, we are protected.
If we are not IN Christ, we are doomed to be destroyed—not by God, but by our own decision.
In closing, let's look in on Preacher J. Wilbur Chapman.
He needed money for a mission trip out west. A wealthy banker in his church stopped by to encourage him. As he left, he slipped him a signed, blank check.
"It's blank !" Chapman said. "Yes," said the banker. "I didn't know how much you'd need, and I wanted to be sure you would have enough."
Chapman said, "I never had to use that check, but it gave me a secure feeling to know that thousands of dollars were at my disposal."
Phil 4:19... my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
We all have resources available to us, but we have to acquire them by faith.
If God wants us to do something, He will provide everything that is necessary to do it.
Esther! An orphan!
Her beauty was beneficial.
Her faith was essential. but
Her willingness brought deliverance!
When we submit to God, He always delivers!
Let us pray!
