LESSONS FROM ESTHER
We are in the middle of a lot of change here at CCBC. I know that the renovations have gone on longer than any of us expected. We are all looking forward to seeing things get done around here.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to be having a few different services. Next week, Ace Clark is here. The week after that we have another night with a few people sharing.
And so tonight, I wanted to take some time and simply encourage you. I wanted to take a night and in the midst of “chaos” try to have a semblance of “normalcy”. Perhaps a night that can be a little familiar to us.
I want to share a story from the Bible with you tonight. And then quickly point out three lessons that we can take and apply to our lives from this story.
This story is a drama, filled with suspense, romance, murder, jealousy and anger. There are heroes and vilians, rich and poor. And, as with any good story, there is a happy ending. It is probably one of the most interesting stories in the Bible, and yet one that many people have never read.
It is the story of Esther. In fact, an entire book in the Old Testament is dedicated to her story. It is one of only two books in the entire Bible named after a woman. Both are exciting stories.
Let me try to sum up the “book” for you and then quickly give you three principles that I’ve discovered in this amazing story.
The Story of Esther
For those who are not familiar with the story of Esther, it is a story with four major characters: the king, Haman (the prime minister), Esther, and Esther’s righteous cousin - Mordecai.
During a search for a Queen, the King of Persia is introduced to Esther, a beautiful Jewish maiden. He flips out when he sees her, because she is more beautiful than any other woman, and he asks her to become his queen.
Soon after she becomes queen, Esther’s cousin Mordecai uncovers a conspiracy to kill the king. He informs Esther, who in turn warns the king, and the men involved are put to death.
In comes the prime minister, Haman. Haman is second-in-command to the King. He’s a man who loves power. He demands to be worshipped by the people of Persia. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay him honour. Mordecai worshipped God alone, and would not bow before any man.
Mordecai is asked why he would not bow down before Haman. He simply replies, "I am a Jew."
In a fit of anger, Haman convinces the king to issue a decree to have all the Jews in Persia put to death.
Jews all across Persia began fasting, weeping and wailing as they awaited the fateful day they would be put to death.
Mordecai goes to Esther and convinces her to try and get the king to change his mind. But this is not as easy as it seems. You see, no one, not even the queen, can approach the king without an invitation. If Esther approached the king without first being summoned, she would likely be put to death. The only exception would be if the king extended the gold sceptre towards her.
She decides to approach the king. She decides that it would be better for her to die than to allow such a terrible thing happen to her people, the Jews. She decides that it would be better to die doing God’s will, than to live in disobedience.
For three days, night or day, Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jews in the land fasted and prayed.
On the third day, Esther entered the inner court of the palace in front of the king’s hall. And waited for the king to respond. Would he extend the gold sceptre? Or have her put to death? (Imagine intense music here!)
I’m sure a whispered, "Thank You Jehovah" escape her lips as she watched her husband extend the gold sceptre.
As she approached, the king’s love for her was evident, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."
But Esther knew a secret that has been passed down to women for centuries ... The way to a man’s heart is ... through his stomach.
All Esther asks is for the king and Haman to have lunch with her. At lunch, the king again asks Esther what she wanted. The intelligent woman that she is, Esther invites the king and Haman to have supper the next day.
Haman runs to his friends and begins boasting about being invited to have supper with the king and queen. As he is telling his buddies about how important he is, Haman notices Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate. Haman burns with hatred towards Mordecai and decides to build a gallows, seventy-five feet high and ask the king to have Mordecai hanged in the morning.
But that night, the king can’t sleep. After tossing and turning for hours, the king orders the book of chronicles, the record of his reign to be read to him. As he listens to all that has happened during his reign, he is reminded of the time Mordecai uncovered the plot to have him killed. The king realizes that Mordecai has never been rewarded for his faithfulness.
The next morning, Haman approaches the king. Before Haman can say anything, the king asks him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?" Haman immediately thought the king was talking about him. So he tells the king that he should put a royal robe around the man and carry him through the city streets proclaiming what a wonderful man he is.
The king tells Haman to go get Mordecai and place a royal robe around him and take him through the city proclaiming what a wonderful man he is.
That night at supper, Esther finally asks the king to spare her people. The king is furious that someone would trick him into making such a decree. He demands to know who did it. Esther tells him that Haman is the guilty man. The king becomes so angry that he storms out of the banquet.
Haman realizes that he is in deep trouble so he turns to Esther and begs for his life. Just then the king comes back in and sees Haman wrapped around Esther’s legs. The king has Haman hung on the gallows Haman had built for Mordecai.
The Jews are saved.
Three lessons we can learn from this story.
(slide)
I. Never forget, God is in control – you can trust Him.
Do you realize that there are over 170 passages of Scripture which speak about the providence of God? 170!! Trust me, I counted them.
(slide) Psalm 23; The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(slide) Psa. 146:7; (The Lord) upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
(slide) Jeremiah 31:35; This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the Lord Almighty is his name.
(slide) Matthew 6:26; Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
(slide) 1 Cor. 2:9; ... it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
On and on we could read. God has displayed His providence all through history. He saved Noah; protected Abraham; delivered the Israelites; divided the Red Sea; supplied manna and quail; conquered Canaan; fought the battles of Israel; feed Elijah and the widow; warned Joseph in dreams; warned the wise men of Herod’s true desire; protected Paul; cared for John while on the island of Patmos.
We serve an All-powerful and an All-knowing God who will never leave us or forsake us. He is always with you.
Perhaps you are wondering, "Where is God?" Allow me to answer that question with complete assurance: He is with you.
So people may read the Esther and think, "What a bunch of coincidences!" I read it and think, "God had it all worked out!"
God was working His plan when Esther became queen. God placed Mordecai in position to uncover the plot to kill the king. Late one night, God reached down and touched the king with a little insomnia, so he would remember Mordecai’s faithfulness. When the Jews were crying out to God to save them from death, God was already working it all out.
ILL: Driving a car - we can only see a little of what lies ahead - God is like an eagle. He knows what trouble lies ahead, and He begins working out tomorrow’s problems today.
God knows your situation. He is already doing the needed work. Have confidence in that fact. He is still in control.
Lean on the providence of God. He will take you through today in order to prepare you for tomorrow. Wait on Him. As foolish as this sounds, God knows what He’s doing.
(slide)
II. Never forget who you are – You are a child of God
The second lesson from Esther is remember Whose we are. We are God’s people; God’s children.
(slide) The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:15-17 that we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.
(slide) 2 Cor. 6:18 says, I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
(slide) We are God’s children. Ephesians tells us that we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s households.
We are citizens of heaven.
Esther could have ignored who she was. She was in no danger of death. The Jews would be put to death, but the king did not know she was a Jew. If she kept silent, she would be spared. But by speaking up, she risked being put to death herself.
But she knew that she was a child of God first. The queen of Persia was a secondary title. First and foremost, she was a Jew: a child of God.
ILL.: I am proud to be a Canadian. Not enough people seem to be willing to say that. Americans sure put us to shame in that area. I’ve talked to many Canadians who would rather be American. But not me. I am proud to be a Canadian.
But this isn’t my home. Being Canadian is secondary to me. First and foremost, I am a citizen of Heaven; a child of God.
Esther remained true to who she was: God’s child.
III. Never forget that God’s promises are trustworthy.
I wonder how Mordecai felt. He had uncovered a plot to kill the king. He saved the king’s life - yet did not even receive a simple, "thank-you."
He could have become bitter. He could have become angry with the king. "Next time, I’ll let them kill you." He could have done so many things.
And what did he do? He remained faithful to the king.
Sometimes I wonder where God’s blessing is. I try to follow Him in obedience, yet sometimes I feel empty inside. He promises to look after me; so why do I struggle so much?
Stay focuesed. Don’t give up. Continue to trust Him. God is faithful in his promises.
Mordecai continued to serve the king. The night the king had the official records read to him, he realized Mordecai had not been thanked properly. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to Mordecai. Haman had planned to kill Mordecai in the morning. It would have worked if not for the king remembering the day Mordecai saved his life.
At the end of the book of Esther, Mordecai is placed in the position Haman once held - second in command to the King. Mordecai was elevated to a high position in the kingdom.
Unlike the king of Persia, God remembers his promises. He is aware of your faithfulness. He knows the struggle you are experiencing. He plans to keep His promises. His will never fail you.
This life is but an vapour of time - it is passing quickly before us. I’ve talked before about people who live with an “eternal mindset”. These are people who realize that this life is not all there is. They live their life realizing that even if they struggle here and now, the day is coming, when Heaven will be their reward. When they will see God, The King, face to face.
The day is coming when He will reward His faithful servants. We will stand before Him and hear Him say those words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward!"
Yes, God wants to bless us here on Earth. God has so many things in store for us if we will just remain faithful to Him.
But nothing can compare to the reward He has in store for His people.
If you are wondering where he is tonight, realize again, that He is right there with you, He will never leave you. His strength will hold you up. His promises are ever true.
Just wait on Him - and your strength will be renewed. You will mount up on wings of an eagle; you will run and not grow weary, you will walk and will not faint! - just wait on Him.
(slide) Jesus makes this promise in Rev. 2:10; Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He that overcomes, Jesus promises, will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Rev. 3:5
Conclusion
Lessons from Esther.
(slide) First, never forget God is always in control. You can count on it. While you may not be able to see what is around the bend in your life, God has an awesome view. He is working out tomorrow’s needs your life today.
(slide) Second, never forget who you are, or Whose you are. We are God’s children. He is our Abba Father. And just as any good father desires to bless his children, so our Heavenly Father desires to bless His spiritual children. We are not of this world; we have citizenship in Heaven.
(slide) And finally, never forget, God’s promises are trustworthy. Don’t give up. Hang in there! His blessings and rewards will come. God always keeps His promises.
