The canonization of Esther in the Holy Scriptures has been a hotly debated topic for centuries. While Esther tells of a historic event in the life of God‘s people, it never once mentions God’s name. For all practical purposes Esther is in the Bible to explain the origin of the Jewish celebration of Purim. This celebration is a three day event beginning with a day of fasting followed by two days of feasting, reminding Jews of God’s deliverance from their enemies. The Jews still celebrate Purim today and as part of the celebration they read the entire book of Esther aloud. When the name of Haman is mentioned they all hiss and spit. When Esther and Mordecai are mentioned they all cheer. Purim means “lots.” Haman had cast lots to decide the day for the annihilation of the Jews, and instead, through an ironic turn of events, his plot ended with his own death and the victory of the Jews over their enemies.
The time of Esther is about 480 B.C. The place is Susa, the winter capitol of Persia. Ahasuerus, (Xerxes 1), is king and the people of Israel are scattered among the nations. The Babylonian captivity has ended, but many Jews did not return. The events of Esther are before Nehemiah who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, but after Darius 1 who ordered the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
The characters of Esther each have an important part in the story. As the book opens the Persian king, Ahazuerus, is having a huge celebration that lasts for six months. He is most likely preparing for battle against the Greeks and has planned this as a pep rally for the troops. He wants to assure loyalty and devotion from his military leaders. Part of the celebration creates an opening for the heroin of our book. The king is drinking and partying and in this condition he decides to have the queen, Vashti, come in and show her beauty. One ancient historian says that she was to enter wearing only her crown. Vashti refused. This is perhaps the first recorded women’s liberation movement in Persia. Embarrassed and angry, the king calls for his wise men to help him decide what to do about it. Vashti is dethroned and possibly even executed. After this event about four years pass. During this time the Persians are defeated in battle by the Greeks at Salamis, which marks a turning point in the future of the Persian Empire.
Esther is uninterested in these details and leaves them unrecorded. But after this battle we see a stirring in the kingdom events. The king is ready for a replacement queen and all the prettiest young women are rounded up and taken to the capitol for a year’s beauty treatment and consultation on how to please the king. It is a one night stand for most. But among the young beautiful virgins selected is a Jewish girl named Esther. Her uncle or cousin, Mordecai, a man of some standing in the king’s court, raised her. And when it comes her turn to go to the king, she follows the advice of her coach, the king’s eunuch, Hegai. Esther has such a winning presence with everyone she meets that 2:15 says she won the favor of all who saw her. As it turns out, the king loved her more than all the others so he made her queen.
And they all lived happily ever after, right? Wrong.
Next we have a minor detail added to the story that turns out to be an important piece in the plot. Mordecai over-hears a plot to kill the king and relays the word to Esther. She gives the message to the king, naming Mordecai as the source for the information. After an investigation, it is found to be true and the assassins are killed and the details are recorded in the king’s chronicles.
Time passes. The king appoints a man named Haman to what appears to be a position of second in command. Haman is an Agagite. And when everyone else bows and honors Haman, Mordecai stands and refuses to honor him. Now just a brief background note is in order here. The family trees of Mordecai and Haman take us back to the days of Saul, king of Israel. Saul was a Benjamite and a son of Kish. Esther 2:5 traces Mordecai to Kish also. Saul had killed the Amalekites, sparing only the king, Agag who was put to death by Samuel. Haman is called an Agagite, possibly a descendant from this Amalekite king. This may be why Mordecai refuses to bow to him. This also may answer why, when Haman becomes angry towards Mordecai for not bowing down to him that he plots to destroy all the Jews, just as they had destroyed his people.
Anyway, Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman makes Haman so angry that he plots to kill not just Mordecai, but all the Jews. Haman may be thinking that he has risen to this position of power for just such a time as this! In order to choose a day for the deed, Haman casts the Pur or lot. This is the origin of the name of the Jewish celebration, Purim. Haman then goes to the king and gets approval to kill all the Jews in the Persian empire on that day, promising to pay the king for the troops. The king agrees and Haman writes the death warrant for all the Jews. Listen to Esther 3:13-15.
Just imagine being a Jew there in Susa and seeing this new law posted everywhere.
Mordecai is horrified as were all the Jews where the king’s command was taken.
It was a terrible crisis, and yet, somehow Esther didn’t even know about it until she learned it from Mordecai. Someone called her the clueless Queen, because she seemed clueless about why Mordecai was in sackcloth, so she must have been clueless about this death warrant on the Jews. But there was a more important ignorance in the camp. The king didn’t know Esther was Jewish, and neither did Haman. Cluelessness works for or against you sometimes.
In view of this crisis, when Esther learns of the law and Haman’s plot, how would Esther use this ignorance about her Jewishness? Would she hide behind it and hope to escape by means of it? Or would she use her position and her identity as a Jew to help save her people?
Chapter 4 is the deep valley of Esther. It is the place where her character is weighed. The risk before her is magnified by the fact that the king hasn’t called for her in 30 days. Just to go before him is to risk death, how much more so to disclose her Jewish identity. How does one deal with terrible risks?
Let’s pause at this point and think about how God may be speaking to us in His Word here.
What does God’s Word say about the risk involved in being a Christian?
For anyone even remotely familiar with the New Testament, you know that following Jesus Christ means carrying a cross. Jesus made it clear. If any man would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
Song: If any man…. Come after me…. Let him deny himself. Take up his cross… and follow me… unto life eternally! Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus, He is the way, the truth and the life. (See Matt. 16:24-27)
Crosses were designed to execute people on. For a Christian to hide their identity because of the risk is paramount to denying the faith. This afternoon we will be looking at Revelation 12-14: Heaven’s horrible enemy here on earth. We will see how the enemy of God is working to bring down God’s people. He is powerful and has worldwide control. He is deadly and able to kill the followers of the Lamb. But he is also beaten. His time is short. Many will die in the period of his furry against the saints, but ultimately he and all who follow him will pay, and all who walk with Jesus will be raised to life everlasting.
Mordecai sends a message to Esther that reveals the plot of Haman to destroy the Jews, commanding her to go to the king and plead for her people.
Esther answers that you can’t just waltz in before the king. Unless he accepts you, you die, and the king hasn’t sent for me in a month! Perhaps she is thinking that the king already knows she is Jewish.
Mordecai answers her in clear terms: 4:13-14.
Similarly, Jesus has called you and me to confess His name before men. It is the only hope that this world has. To be silent in order to avoid trouble is to deny Him. To hide our identity with Jesus Christ as His people is to become unsalty salt and hidden light. Jesus said plainly, “You are the salt of the earth, but if that salt looses it’s flavor, how shall it be made salty again, it is therefore good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trodden under men’s feet. You are the light of the world! A city sat on a hill shall not be hidden, neither shall men light a lamp and hide it under a bushel. But instead they place it on a lamp stand and it gives light to all that are in the house! Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven!
When are you and I to be salt and light? Only when it goes without risk? Are we to confess Christ only to those who will encourage us and support out faith? What do you think?
Now that we are all agreed that Jesus Christ has called us to confess his name in faith and obedience, how are we doing at it?
Ask yourself this question: If everyone here follows my example and confesses Christ as I do, how long would it take to spread the name of Christ to this entire town? If people talk about Jesus with their friends and family the way I do, how many others would hear about him?
Let me ask another question that may be more important, in light of the lesson today.
Who are you most afraid to confess your faith in Christ to?
Esther’s challenge was not to tell all the Jews about who she was. That would be easy. Her task was to tell the man who had signed the decree to kill all the Jews into law.
And I love her answer to Mordecai when he forced the issue and made her responsibility plain to her.
Let’s finish here: 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
The cause of Christ is greater than your health. It is greater than your comfort and job. It is greater than your money and possessions. The cause of Christ is greater than your life. For almost 2000 years now, people have been giving their lives for the cause of Christ.
The girl in the Columbine shooting… died with a confession of faith in Jesus Christ on her lips.
