FACING LIFE’S CHALLENGES
Esther – Fighting for her life and the lives of the entire Jewish nation
David – His town destroyed, his family and children captured.
Elijah – Running for his life, so depressed he came to a point he prayed that he might die – “Lord, I have had enough, take my life!”
Peter – Failed his Master and Lord, denying Him
The King of Persia, Ahasuerus has an ambitious advisor named Haman.
• He demanded that people bow to him as he passed - something which Mordecai, a devout Jew who probably hold an office in the palace, could not do in good conscience.
• In rage, Haman sought revenge, not only on Mordecai but also on the entire Jewish population of the empire.
• He convinced the King that the Jewish people are a wicked nation and persuaded him to issue an edict permitting him to kill all the Jews and seize their property.
Mordecai learnt of the edict - called on Queen Esther for help, herself being a Jew.
• He urged her to go into the King’s presence and beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
Esther had a problem – no one was to see the King without being invited.
• If she approaches the King without being summoned she will be put to death, unless the King decides to spare her life by extending the gold scepter to her. She was in a very difficult position.
See how did she respond? Esther 4:15-17
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." 17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
In tense situations like this, we would like to “Get things done, quick! We need to defense ourselves!”
Esther’s call was a stoppage of all work and plan, and also food!
• Get everybody, including the maids, to fast and pray… not one, not two but for 3 days.
• Only then will she take the step to see the King.
(1) When Facing Uncertainties or Problems, SEEK GOD’S LEADING
Don’t react impulsively. Don’t depend on man’s wisdom or ways. We need God’s guidance and His ways.
So on the third day, Esther wore her royal robes and went into the inner court of the palace. By God’s grace, the King was please to see her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand, thus sparing her life.
And then the conversation went on – Esther 5:3-8.
Why the delay for another day? Why didn’t she reveal Haman’s plot to the King? We do not know. But we read later on some significant things happened during that one day.
(i) Haman boasted of his great achievements, and added - 5:12-14
(ii) The King read the book of the chronicles - 6:1-13a
We see how God guided Esther, and with that one day God prepared the ground for His purpose to be fulfilled. In that one day, the gallows was built (meant for Mordecai but now for Haman), and God prepared the heart of the King, so that he would come to know and appreciate Mordecai.
Esther was not in a hurry nor was she impulsive. She was confident, having prayed for 3 days. She trusted God’s leading and timing. That seeming delay wasn’t a real delay.
God works in amazing ways. Imagine yourself in a maze, and God is actually above it watching down at you. He saw both the entrance and the exit. He has the aerial view, the plan view. Not only that, He is guiding you OUT. So trust Him.
When God seems absent, He’s present. (His Invisible Workings)
SHIPWRECK AND STRANDED
Man shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. He painstakingly built a little hut for protection and a place to keep the few items he had salvaged from the wreck. He prayed fervently for his rescue, scanning the horizon for a ship, but NOTHING. For weeks he lived under the hot sun and the cold nights.
Then one day, when he returned from a search for food, he was terrified to find that his little hut was in flames. He was crushed by the disaster. The few possessions he had were now gone up in smoke. That night, he slept in the open, by the ashes.
Early the next morning he awoke to find a ship anchored off the island. The captain who came to rescue him said, "We saw your smoke signal, and we came."
The man thought all was destroyed and realised that what he let go become the instrument of blessing. God seemed so distant but He was working on both ends - to bring the ship of rescue near at just the right time, and to reduce the man to nothing in order to bring him to his knees.
SONG: In His Time
Having to wait for someone or something is difficult. What we want, we want now.
• We want everything fast – we want fast food, three-in-one coffee and tea, instant noodle
• Instant results are part of our way of life. One person prayed for patience and told the Lord that he wanted it "Right away!"
Yet we know well that the Lord does not work on our time table.
• Having to wait upon the Lord (Psa 27:14; Psa 37:34) can be painful at times!
• That’s why it requires faith. When we say we trust Him, we’re saying we trust His time and His ways.
(2) WALLS come down by His Grace and His Favour flows.
Esther faced (1) an enemy out to destroy her people, (2) no open access to the King, (3) and even so, no guarantee that the King would be convinced of her story.
Yet when we pray and commit our problems to God, He works to open doors and prepare hearts.
5:2 – anyone coming before the King uninvited can put her to death.
• It was by grace that Esther’s life was spared. The King extended to her the golden scepter.
• It was an act completely out of her control. She is at the mercy of King.
God works in amazing ways to help change the heart of the King. It’s not us trying to convince the King.
• Eventually in Chapter 8:7-8 a new decree was issued – that override the first one.
• This was amazing because in Persia, such things don’t usually happen.
Dan 6:13-15 - the King Darius issued a decree that forbid the people to pray to any other except the King. Daniel continued to pray three times a day. “14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. 15 Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
The new edict - not only protects Jews, but could do more - take the lives of anyone who might attack them.
No one, not even kings, can intimidate God or thwart His purposes.
• Prov 21:1 "The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."
• God will grant us open doors of FAVOUR, just as Esther experienced.
• God can handle anyone - your boss, your husband, wife, children...
Celebration and joy - read 8:16-17, 9:22
• "sorrow turned into joy"; "mourning into celebration"
• Feast of Purim - 9:26-28 - because Esther is determined that its lessons would never be forgotten among the people.
Particularly so because all of them knew they FASTED AND PRAYED for 3 days!
• What God has done in the past - our deliverance - should be remembered.
• He is the same God who can deliver us today.
• He can still turn "sorrow turned into joy"; "mourning into celebration".
PRAY: Father, help us to wait on you as Esther did. You strengthened her and blessed her with wisdom and confidence. We want pray and wait on You to work things out too in our situations today. You are in control even when things seemed so unsure. If You could do that for Esther back then, we know you can do that for us today. You can change hearts we cannot budge. Replace our weakness with Your strength. Give us the faith to trust You, even when the circumstances seem difficult. Fill us with the hope that Your good end is sure to come. If we need to play the role of Esther in our times today - "for such a time as this" - let us be Your servant, and may Your will be fulfilled through us. Through Christ’s Name we pray, AMEN.
