Introduction
Video Ill.: Book of Esther in 20 Words
This morning, we are starting a new study based loosely on Max Lucado’s book, You Were Made for This Moment.
If you want to study deeper, there is a great study guide that comes with a series of videos you can stream online. It is available from Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, and many other booksellers.
Today, we are considering the idea of being cosy in the culture.
Let’s start by reading from Esther 1 and 2. I will be skipping some verses to shorten the reading today. Follow along if you will:
1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush: 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
|| 4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa.
|| 10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him … 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
|| 16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be || repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.
|| 2 - 1 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. …Let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
|| 5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father || nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace || and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and || family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
15 When the turn came for Esther … to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the || harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other || virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. (Esther 1, 2, NIV)
Let’s start by looking at Mordecai and Esther’s situation.
Esther and Mordecai were Jews who were living in Persia. Persia at this time went from India to Egypt. That’s a lot of territory, a lot of providences, a lot of people.
It started back a few generations ago, with Babylon was going around conquering the world. They conquered Israel. Time passes and Persia conquers Babylon to have one of the largest kingdoms in the world.
It probably didn’t mean much to you when we read the story, but Mordecai was the third generation of Jews born in Persia. His great, great grandfather Kish had been one of Jews that had been captured by Nebuchadnezzar.
That’s a long time ago.
A lot of time had passed.
Many of the Jews had forgotten all about God.
Many of them were just like Mordecai, trying to get by in this land, making it their home. They wanted to fit in so that life would be easier for them.
Esther and Mordecai were no different. Esther had even been given a Persian name to make it easier for her to blend in, and name placed on one of the goddesses of Persia.
Esther and Mordecai disguised their identity.
They conformed to the world of the Persians.
Mordecai worked in the citadel. The citadel was the center of the government — the equivalent of our Capitol Hill. Right in the thick of everything Persian.
But not only did he work on Capitol Hill, he was right in the thick of it. He worked for king — on duty at the palace.
And everything was working out just fine. Mordecai was raising Esther. No one bothered them. They didn’t bother anyone else.
It was a good life.
They were able to blend in, instead of standing out.
(Lucado, Max. You Were Made for This Moment Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video (p. 5). HarperChristian Resources. Kindle Edition.)
Max Lucado writes, “[Mordecai] had gone clandestine with his convictions and deferred his theology to the bureaucracy.”
You see, Persia was one of those empires that really didn’t care what beliefs you had. As a matter of fact, you can go ahead and worship your gods and have your own faith and customs, as long as you also worshiped the Persian gods and kept the Persian customs.
As long as you did that, no one would bother you.
But that wasn’t what God wanted for His people.
God’s people were called to be different.
God told Moses in Leviticus 19:
2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’” (Leviticus 19, NIV)
Be holy.
We often get hung up on this word holy and think that it means we are to be perfect.
That’s not what is meant here. God was calling Israel to be set apart — to be different — to stand out in the crowd — to serve God and only God.
Over the years, well, Israel forgot what it meant to be holy. They lost their way. And God would punish them, trying to set them back on the right path.
The captivity in Babylon and then Persia was just that — a punishment for falling away from God.
And though they were being punished, God’s people were continuing their bad behavior by trying to blend in with the Persian culture.
2. The truth is: Mordecai and Esther are not much different than you and me.
All of us just want to fit in — to blend in — to go with the flow.
None of us want to stand out, be different.
You Were Made for This Moment
Max Lucado
© 2021
pp. 33-34
Max tells the story about the first day of practice of Pony League baseball. Pony League is the next step up between Little League and high school baseball.
He was a newcomer on the baseball team. The first day of practice was a cold day in March. His mom gave him a sweatshirt to wear. It bore the emblem of Abilene Christian College, a fine liberal arts institution from which his sisters had graduated and where he would eventually do the same. He writes:
“I was already in the car en route to the practice — my first practice with studly upperclassmen — when I pulled on the sweatshirt and saw the words ‘Abilene Christian’. I was mortified. I could not show up wearing a shirt that bore the name ‘Christian’. Cool kids aren’t Christians. The in crowd isn’t Christian. I couldn’t debut as a Christian. The odds were already stacked against me….
“The confession of what I did next might result in my defrocking. When Mom dropped me off at the practice field, I waited until she was out of view, and then I peeled off the shirt. I wadded it into a ball and stuck it in the base of the backstop. Rather than being left out by the team, I chose to shiver in short sleeves.”
We do the exact same thing with our faith.
We want so much to blend in — to fit in with this world that we hide — even bury — our faith.
We find ourselves acting like Peter after Jesus had been arrested. Three times when pressed about being with or knowing Jesus, Peter denied ever knowing Jesus.
Don’t we do that when people at work, at school, in our world joke about us going to church? Being believers? Being Christians?
We all just want to fit in so we change who we are based on who we are around. Like the chameleon.
We are all familiar with the chameleon — an interesting creature that is able to change its appearance based on its environment. Why? So that it can survive. Blend in so that nothing comes along and tries to have it for breakfast.
Believe it or not, there’s a plant that does something similar.
‘Chameleon’ Plant Discovered in Chile is a Lot like the Church
Source: Nsikan Akpan, “ScienceShot: 'Chameleon' Vine Discovered in Chile,” Science Mag (4-24-14)
https://www.science.org/content/article/scienceshot-chameleon-vine-discovered-chile
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2014/may/chameleon-plant-discovered-in-chile-is-lot-like-church.html
Copied from Preaching Today
Scientists in Chile have discovered a fascinating plant with properties previously unknown to science. While many animals are experts at mimicry and camouflage, plants have never been observed to change their appearance—beyond just imitating a single other species—as a survival tactic. But one "chameleon" vine does just that, able to mimic several other species, changing shape, color, and more to blend in.
Native to Chile and Argentina, this “chameleon” vine is the first plant shown to imitate several hosts. It is a rare quality—known as a mimetic polymorphism—that was previously observed only in butterflies, according to a study, published today in Current Biology. When the vine climbs onto a tree's branches, its versatile leaves (upper left picture) can change their size, shape, color, orientation, and even the vein patterns to match the surrounding foliage (middle panel; the red arrow points to the vine, while the blue arrow indicates the host plant). If the vine crosses over to a second tree, it changes again, even if the new host leaves are 10 times bigger with a contrasting shape (right panel). The deceit serves as a defense against plant-eating herbivores like weevils and leaf beetles, according the researchers. They compared the charlatan leaves hanging on branches with the leaves on vines still crawling on the forest floor in search of a tree or scaling leafless trunks. A third of the leaves on the ground were eaten, versus none of the leaves on the vines growing on the trees. It is unclear how this vine discerns the identity of individual trees and shape-shift accordingly. The vines could read cues hidden in odors, or chemicals secreted by trees or microbes may transport gene-activating signals between the fraud and the host, the researchers say.
What a picture of conformity—we can't just be ourselves so we have to mimic our environment.
Blend in so we feel “safe”.
We suffer from the chameleon effect.
And you know, we live in a society much like Persia — it doesn’t really matter what you believe as long as you are tolerant of all other beliefs — as long as you subscribe to what the government says and tells you to do.
You Were Made for This Moment
Max Lucado
© 2021
pp. 40
Max writes, “The compulsion to hide our identity as children of God affects us all. Not in Persia, but at work, school, on the bowling league, and in the Pony League. But at some point each of us has to figure out who we are and what that identity means for our lives.
“We face the identical temptation that Mordecai and Esther faced. Our society permits all beliefs except an exclusive one. Do whatever you want as long as you applaud what everyone else does. The incontestable value of Western culture is tolerance. Ironically, the champions of tolerance are intolerant of a religion like Christianity that adheres to one Savior and one solution to the human problem. To believe in Jesus as the only Redeemer is to incur the disdain of Persia.”
3. So who are we?
Israel was called to be different — to be holy.
That same calling applies to us. Peter reaffirmed God’s directive in 1 Peter 1:
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1, NIV)
God has called us to be different — to not conform to the evil around us — but to stand out — to be set apart — to be holy.
Be holy because the God we follow is holy.
Do not conform, but rather be transformed, Paul writes in Romans 12:2.
Be changed.
When we give our lives to God, when we surrender to His will, we will be changed.
Be holy — because He is holy.
John takes that a step further and says to be pure because Jesus is pure.
And it is all possible because God has loved us and has made us His children.
John writes in 1 John 3:
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3, NIV)
Be different, folks.
It’s time to stand out.
It’s time to be different.
It’s time to stand up for what is right.
It’s time to make our presence known.
The world is not going to recognize us, and understand, just as it did not recognize, and understand Jesus.
So it’s time to show the world how God’s love is different — is better — is full of hope.
(Lucado, Max. You Were Made for This Moment Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video (p. 5). HarperChristian Resources. Kindle Edition.)
“To believe in Jesus as the only redeemer is to incur the disdain of Persia. This is why we must remember our true identity. Our eternal citizenship is not the one printed on our passport. We are subjects of a different King.”
This isn’t our home. We are just passing through. Let’s not get so hung up on fitting in that we lose our citizenship and our position in the family of God.
Conclusion
Esther and Mordecai decided to blend in in Persia.
Often we make that decision too in our lives — blend in in our culture.
And we get comfortable there. We’re content to live the life of a chameleon, making sure that we do not ruffle anyone’s feathers, that we do not stir up any trouble, and we do not appear to be any different from anyone else, that we just all get along.
By doing so, we will never be what God wants us to be.
Unless we make a decision to change — to be more — to make a difference.
Even though their story started with them being cosy in their culture, a lot would change with Esther and Mordecai as their story unfolds. We will see this in the weeks to come.
It’s a message of hope that God can still use us if we decide to follow Him and quit trying to fit in in this evil, messed up world.
Becoming a Christian Almost Got Her Killed
Source: Virginia Prodan, “Becoming a Christian Almost Got Me Killed,” CT magazine (October, 2016), pp. 111-112
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2022/august/becoming-christian-almost-got-her-killed.html
Copied from Preaching Today
Vivian Prodan was born in Communist Romania under the brutal regime of Nicolae Ceauescu (“Chow-sches-coo”), a place where questioning a government directive could lead to imprisonment, physical torture, and death. The best way to avoid trouble was to remain silent and try to blend in. But Vivian became obsessed with finding the truth. After graduation, she went to law school and became an attorney. Vivian writes:
One evening a client came in to discuss some paperwork. He radiated joy and peace and without thinking, I confessed, “I wish I had your sense of peace and happiness.” He asked, “Do you go to church?” “Yes,” I replied. “On Christmas and Easter. Why?” He said, “Would you like to come with me to my church this Sunday?”
The next Sunday I visited his church. The pastor read John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life.” I could not believe what I heard. Someone was claiming to be the truth? I felt as though the verses he shared were written specifically for me. For the first time in my life, everything made sense. I accepted the pastor’s invitation to trust in Christ as Lord and Savior. From that moment on, I would dedicate my life to pursuing and speaking the truth, no matter the cost.”
Vivian began defending fellow Christians facing imprisonment for transporting Bibles across the Romanian border, sharing their faith, or worshiping privately in their own homes. This quickly made her a target. Many days her tires were slashed. She was kidnapped, bullied, pushed into moving traffic, and beaten by the secret police. However, the greatest test was yet to come. She writes:
“Late at night my legal assistant peeked into my doorway: “A big man in the waiting room says he wants to discuss a case. That’s all he will tell me.” I was taken aback at how enormous he was. As he sat down in front of my desk, a sneer formed at the corner of his mouth. Slowly, he reached into a shoulder holster, drawing a gun.
“He aimed his gun at me and said, “You have failed to heed the warnings you’ve been given. I’ve come here to finish the matter once and for all.” I heard a distinctive click. “I am here to kill you.”
“I was alone with my killer. And yet, I was not. I began silent, fervent prayers, recalling God’s promises. His Spirit breathed peace into my panicked heart. Then I sensed his message: “Share the gospel.” I knew that behind those hate-filled eyes he had an immortal soul, and he needed to know about the love God has shown in Jesus Christ. At once emboldened, “Have you ever asked yourself: Why do I exist? or What is the meaning of my life?”
He slid his gun back into the holster. Vivian leaned forward. “You are here because God put you here, and he has put you to a test. Will you abide in God or in the will of a man—President Ceauescu (“Chow-sches-coo”)?” His eyes softened.
“Hebrews 9:27 says, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” But the good news is that God has prepared a way out for every one of us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
As she continued to talk with him, he appeared more peaceful. Finally, he said, “You are right. The people who sent me here are crazy. I do need Christ.” He promised, “I will come to your church as a secret brother in Christ. I will worship your powerful God.”
“And with that, my killer walked away saved—a brother in Christ. He went on to enroll in seminary, and we have even kept in touch. He, like me, had found the Truth. And neither of us will be afraid to speak it ever again.”
This morning, have the courage and hope of Vivian.
This morning, be brave.
This morning, be pure.
This morning, be holy.
This morning, be set apart.
This morning, I pray that we will stand out and be different, showing hope and God’s love to this world. Let’s not be cosy in our culture today.
