Scripture: Esther 4:10-15.
Title: “A Cinderella Story”
Key Verses: Esther 4:14 – Esther 4:16
Introduction: This is a story of Courage, Daring, and Adventure. It is a “Cinderella” story about a young woman coming from ‘Rags to Riches.’ The book of Esther was written by a Jew to his people scattered abroad, of God’s wonderful deliverance from destruction during their captivity. The great fact is given that although the Jews were in broken relationship with God, they were still the objects of His love and care. The broken relationship may account for the fact that the name of God does not once appear in the whole book, yet God is revealed throughout the book in His providence, in His overruling power and in the preservation and deliverance of His covenant people.
This story opens with the king giving a FEAST. They were are all getting drunk. In this drunken state the kings sends for his queen to display her beauties, probably in an indiscrete way. The queen refuses the king’s invitation for reasons we do not know.
The kings flies into a rage! The king enjoyed ABSOLUTE power. He was in command of the largest army that ever marched onto the field of battle in the ancient world. The king inquires with his guests as to what should be done as a result of his queen refusing his invitation. It was suggested that this situation must be dealt with immediately because it would cause a FEMINIST rebellion and all the men would have difficulty within their homes and their marriages. This REBELLION must be stopped immediately to keep the men of the empire from losing their masculine supremacy. Vashti, the Queen, was immediately uncrowned and dismissed as queen.
There was to be a search for another queen to replace Vashti. The word went out to all the land to bring the most beautiful maidens before the king for him to choose a queen. Sounds like a “Miss Universe” Pageant doesn’t it? This is where Esther comes into the picture. Because of her beauty her cousin Mordecai sends her into the group to be considered for queen.
Esther was not born a Princess. She was a member of a conquered race. Esther was an ORPHAN. She had been adopted by her cousin Mordecai as his own daughter
Esther was CHOSEN from a great number of beautiful women that had been hand picked to be brought before the king for him to select a queen.
It would be hard to imagine what thoughts were coursing through Esther’s mind. One day living a very common life and then the next day being considered for QUEEN. And then becoming the Queen of the great Persian Empire. Her mind was probably trying to catch up with all that was happening to her.
I. NO ACCIDENTS.
a. It wasn’t an accident nor was it luck that caused Esther to be PROMOTED into the POWERFUL office of a Queen.
b. When God gets ready to PROMOTE someone He may start many years before the actual Promotion Occurs. (Such was the case with Esther: Her Beauty, Her Cousin Mordecai that ADOPTED her, Her being in the Right Place at the Right Time.)
c. God has a PLAN and a DESIGN for each of our LIVES. (The PROVIDENCE of God – “The LOOKING AHEAD to the FUTURE”)
d. John Wesley’s father, Samuel, was a dedicated pastor, but there were those in his parish who didn’t like him. On February 9, 1709, a fire broke out in the rectory at Epworth, possibly set by one of the rector’s enemies. Young John, not yet six years old, was stranded on an upper floor of the building. Two neighbors rescued the lad just seconds before the roof crashed in. One neighbor stood on the other’s shoulders and pulled young John through the window. Samuel Wesley said, “Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough.” John Wesley often referred to himself as a “brand plucked out of the fire” (Zech. 3:2; Amos 4:11). In later years he often noted Feb. 9 in his journal and gave thanks to God for His mercy. Samuel Wesley labored for 40 years at Epworth and saw very little fruit; but consider what his family accomplished!
II. “FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS” (Esther 4:14)
(In TMES like these “These are the ‘Days of Our Lives’)
(Esther found out her people, the Jews, had had a death sentence placed on them and unless she went to the king a spoke on their behalf they would all be destroyed and their property taken away by their killers. Simply because of a man named Haman that couldn’t get Esther’s cousin Mordecai to bow to him!)
a. Soon after Esther was elevated to the powerful position of Queen she found out there was a reason for he good fortune.
b. Esther soon found out the higher the POSITION the higher the RESOPOSIBILITY. The GREATER our CAPACITY to SERVE, the GREATER our OBLIGATIONS.
c. Esther found out her new position was not a privilege simply to be enjoyed, but a hight responsibility to be used in the SERVICE of others.
d. What TIME is It? God’s people were SCATTERED throughout
the Provinces of Persia. (God’s people have a habit of getting Scattered)
e. When Mordecai came to inform Queen Esther that there had been a decree signed by the King that all Jews was to be killed Esther seemed to hedge a little on Mordecai’s insistence to go before the King and ask for the law to be repealed.
f. Mordecai put pressure on Esther, reminding her that she risked death whether she approached the king or not. Esther 4:14 “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” (NLT)
g. God has a DESIGN for every life. But He gives us the ABILITY to CHOOSE! If you refuse to do God’s bidding you will lose, but God will use another.
h. God’s people throughout the empire was in a desperate situation. Much like today.
III. ‘HAND EM’ HIGH HAMAN’ (The ‘Villain’ of the Story)
a. This is the man responsible for the ‘Death Sentence’ placed on the Jews, including the Queen. (He had even BUILT a GALLOWS 75 ft. high to HANG Mordecai, Be careful about building Gallows!)
b. What’s his problem? Haman has a burr under his saddle because everyone in the kingdom bows to him except for Mordecai the Jew. (Why Haman wanted everyone to bow to him we don’t know – Could have been the custom of that time.)
c. At the time of the writing of Esther Haman was the most powerful POLITICIAN in the kingdom of Persia and SECOND only to the King.
d. He was a FAVORITE to the King and pretty much had the King in his pocket. He could manipulate the King to do almost anything he wanted.
e. Everybody bowed to Haman because of his high ranking position with the king. (Except Mordecai the Jew, he just wouldn’t honor this conceited, pride filled politician.)
f. This caused Haman to hate not only Mordicai, but the whole Jewish race. Haman went to the King and got him to make a decree to have all the Jews killed because of the LAWS being different than the laws of the Persians. (The King fell for it not knowing his QUEEN was a Jew!)
IV. DECISION TIME. (Esther 4:16 “If I perish, I perish”)
a. There comes a TIME in all of our lives when we have to make a DECISION as to where we STAND. (It may be on the JOB, in SCHOOL, our MARRIAGE, or MOST IMPORTANTLY our RELATIONSHIP with God and our RESPONSIBILITY as a Christian)
b. Mordecai reminded Esther of WHO she was, a Jew! Now that she was Queen she had the Responsibility to use her new power for her people.
c. Mordecai told Esther if she refused to use her power to help God would use another, but she and her family would be destroyed anyway.
d. “I could die!” If I go before the King uninvited he could have me killed even though I’m the Queen. (She and her servants FASTED for three days in PREPARATION and then he went before the king.)
e. When Esther went before the King he invited her into his throne room and didn’t have her killed, but gave her what she wanted. (You see, God works on BOTH ENDS of the situation)
IV. GIVE A MAN ENOUGH ROPE AND HE WILL HANG HEIMSELF.
(Esther 7:10 “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.”)
a. Be careful about hurting the people of God.
b. On the night before Haman’s plot was discovered by the King the King had trouble sleeping and picked up the recordings of the kingdom and read about the time when Mordecai had saved his life by revealing a plot to kill him. So the king decided to REWARD Mordecai)
c. Haman’s PLOT was discovered by the King and the King had Haman killed on the GALLOWS he had built for Mordecai.
d. The DECREE the King had signed couldn’t be repealed, but through the pleas of Esther the King gave the Jews the right to defend themselves.
CONCLUSION: God’s question to me: "Do you know why I gave you the life you have, in such a time as this?"
The challenge Esther received is in our word for today from the Word of God, Esther 4:14, and it may very well be the challenge that our Savior has for you at this point in your life. "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" In other words, God has placed you where you are, not just to enjoy the benefits of your position, but to save lives! Have you considered that may be that’s the same reason you’ve been positioned where you are?
You work where you work, you live where you live, you go to school where you go to school, you do what you do because God has assigned you there to be those people’s link to Jesus!
Of all His millions of children, you are the one God has positioned to rescue the people around you.
What does God plan to accomplish through my life, my relationships with my spouse and my family and friends?
How does God want to touch those persons through my life?
Why have I been given the life I have, at this time, where I am?
www.jhcarver@excite.com
