Esther 2

Great Women of the Bible

Esther – Week 2

Esther 8:1-2; 7-8

Series Slide

Good morning and welcome to worship today. As an update, I want you to know that we have completed the documents for our legal entity as First Methodist Church of Brownwoodsigned by Tom Allen and Priscilla Monson yesterday. Last week the Trustees completed the deed work for the transfer of the deed of our property into our name without any trust clause. Finally, Kathy is working on all the records the UMC is seeking and we are well on our way to being done before the November 1 deadline.

Now, on another note that doesn’t have to do with denominational politics, and instead is about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and taking Christ into the world, First Methodist has some great things happening in the next few weeks and months.

Youth Slide

First of all, you heard from Alex about the youth fund raiser for camps and missions at the beginning of worship, so you will want to be a part of that and all the great activities the youth are doing. We need to realize, this is actually the first year of Alex’s real youth ministry. If you recall, he started in the Fall of 2019… then Covid hit and the ministry has been hit and miss every since, but now – there are 3-5 dozen youth every week!

Fall Festival Slide

Next, out in the lobby, you have the opportunity to sign up for the Children’s Ministry Fall Festival that will happen on October 30th. Brittany has some great events planned for the children and families of the community, but she needs your help pulling it off!

Meal Pack Slide

However, Earlier that Sunday, after worship, we will be packing about 10,000 meals to be delivered around the world through the Kids Against Hunger Program.

Chili Lunch Slide

And the week before that, on October 23rd, we will have a Chili Lunch Fund Raiser to support our Mission Trip to the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf!

God is on the move here at First Methodist and I am so proud to be a part of this great outpost of God’s grace!

Another thing that I am proud of is the great women of this church who will be preaching about the great women of the Bible the next two weeks.

Sermon Slide

Next week, you will have the opportunity to hear from Esme Soto as she shares about Mary Magdalene. The following week, Priscilla Monson will be sharing about Mary from Bethany. I can’t wait to get to watch the messages that God has laid on their heart!

But today, we need to finish up the story of Esther!

Now, like any good mini-series, we need to do a little recap. Now, I know I lost some of you in the history and character development last week, so I came prepared with some visuals to help you.

Israel

The Kingdom of Israel was united for about 100 years before it began to fall apart. As the North and South separated after King Solomon, they didn’t have the strength to withstand the enemies that came. First the Assyrians defeated the Northern Kingdom in 720 BC. Then, in 587 BC the Southern Kingdom fell to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar.

Babylon

Babylon ruled a large area that included much of modern day Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and part of Egypt. It was during this time that Jeremiah, Daniel and many others were exiles in Babylon. Daniel was an interpreter of dreams for Nebuchadnezzar and his heirs. Finally, in 539 BC, along with the Handwriting on the Wall incident we read about in Daniel 5, Belshazzar falls to Darius the Mede.

Persia

Darius was under the Persian Emire ruled by Cyrus. Darius had gained power by giving his daughter to be the wife of Cyrus. They had a son together that we know as Xerxes.

When Darius defeated Babylon, he captured Vashti, the daughter of Belshazzar, and after a few years, when Xerxes and Vashti were old enough, he gave Vashti to be the wife of Xerxes – fully uniting the Babylonian and Persian Empires.

And that is where the book of Esther picks up. In Esther 1, the king is throwing this big celebration trying to gin up support for his war against the Greeks. During this 6 months of celebration and festivities, Queen Vashti says, “If you’re going to party with the men, I’ll party with the women!” and throws her own celebration and party – only to be interupted by the King asking her to come dance nude, wearing only her crown, before his men.

She refused and then gets banished from the King.

Battle

Xerxes goes off into battle against the Greeks in one of the most famous battles of all time. A battle that is often taught at Military Schools today because of what could be learned from the tactics of the Spartans, Greeks, and others who faught against the Persians. But in the end, they were defeated and Xerxes returned to his capital, Susa, victorious.

It doesn’t take long before he is lonely and missing his beautiful bride Vashti. His advisers suggest the first ever episode of The Bachelor, and all the pretty ladies around the kingdom are brought before the King. They undergo a 12 month beautification ritual, then are parade before or with the king over a period of days or weeks. When Esther comes before the king, he is smitten and selects her to be his bride.

Xerxes and Esther

I’ll say this, for all the warmongering and antics of King Xerxes, every indication in biblical and extrabiblical literature suggests that he was a compassionate man who cared deeply for Esther his Queen. His main falicy was that he was easily swayed and really didn’t pay attention to the details of what his advisers were asking of him.

And that brings us to last weeks conclusion.

Sermon Title

This new chracter, Haman, the Kings second in command and closest advisor detested the Jews because Mordacai would not bow before him. So, he tricked Xerxes into thinking that there was an entire group of people who would not follow the Kings orders and they needed to be killed. Xerxes agreed and told Haman, do whatever you want to them.

An order goes out and all the Jews are to be executed in one year, on March 7th. As the word spread through the kingdom, the Jews began to pray and fast, including Mordacai, who was an official in the King’s court. Since no one was allowed to enter the court in mourning clothes, Mordacai stayed at the gate. Messengers carried messages back and forth between he and the Queen, his neice. And in that story we read these words:

Esther 4:13-17

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Sermon Title

After the days of fasting Esther cleans herself up, dressed in her royal robes, and entered the King’s court, just across from the Kings Hall. When Xerxes saw her, he was pleased and invited her in to his presence. He asks her what he can do for her… literally offering her half the kingdom. And what does she do? Invite the King and Haman – her enemy to a dinner party.

Some scholars think she is afraid to ask and kinda comes up with something else… like a dinner party. But I think there was some wisdom on her part. Of course the king isn’t going to turn down some nice roasted lamb chops and all the fixin’s prepared by his lovely Queen. So he sends word for Haman and they meet at the Queens palace for dinner.

So, they gather for this nice dinner, and the King knows she wants something else, so he asks and again offers her half the kingdom if that is what she wants. After a few glasses of wine she says,

“This is my request and deepest wish. If Your Magesty is please with me and wants to grant my request, pleae come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then tomorrow I will explain what this is all about.”

So they leave. Haman – the enemy of the Jews as he is often called, is delighted… he not only got to dine with the King and Queen – he’s getting to come back again the next day and do it all over again!

But his delight is short lived as he walks by Mordacai who basically ignores him. Haman is livid as he returns home and he and his advisors devise a plan to impale Mordacai on a 75’ pole.

So, early the next day, he goes before the king to get permission to kill Mordacai. But what Haman doesn’t know is that Xerxes couldn’t sleep the night before and had his librarian bring a copy of the history of his reign, and in it he reads about how Mordacai thwarted the execution attemp on his life. Mordacai literally saved the King! And Xerxes asks, “what did we ever do for Mordacai the Jew?” And his advisors tell him, nothing. We didn’t do a thing!

The next morning when Haman comes to the king, before he can ask anything, Xerxes asks, “What should I do to someone I want to honor?” Haman thinks he must be talking about him, so he says, “Have him put on a stallion riden by the King, and have him wear the royal robes, and have one of the Kings most noble princes lead him around the town proclaiming, this is what the King does for those he wishes to honor.”

So, the king says – “Great Idea! Go and do everything you said for Mordacai the Jew!”

Haman had to be humiliated as he led Mordacai – the Jew he wanted nothing more than to kill… around honoring him! When he got finished he went home dejected and told his wife and advisors all that had happened… then, he was reminded that he and the King were to dine at a banquet with Queen Esther again! So to the Queens Palace he went.

This time, as they wined and dined, when the King asked what he could do for his Queen, she told him all about the plot to kill her and the Jews. Xerxes asked, “who would do such a thing – who would dare touch you, my Queen?”

Esther 7:6-7

Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.

Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him.

I love it! Haman woke up that morning thinking he was the bees knees… He was next in line to the throne… he was all that and a bottle of sauce!

Then, the king made him lead the man he dispised the most around and honor him…

Now, his own plan to get rid of Mordacai and the Jews was backfiring!

The King storms out to go think about what he is going to do and Haman falls on Queen Esther’s couch pleading for his life. The only problem is that when the King comes back in, he sees Haman pawing at Esther on her couch and says, “Will he even assault the Queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” and his fate is sealed.

The very gallows he built to kill Mordacai is where Haman would die.

And finally, we come to the passage in today’s bulletin.

Esther 8:1-2, 7-8

On that same day King Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. The king took off his signet ring—which he had taken back from Haman—and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s property.

Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.”

And, the Jew’s lived happily ever after. OK, maybe not, but Esther, Xerxes, and Mordacai did.

Here is one of the interesting things about this story. Most Scholars believe that it is not a story written directly by the Jewish authors of the Old Testament – Oh, they edited it, but most believe this is a story from Persia about the Persian King and Queen. It is a story in our Bible today, but it came from outside the Jewish faith.

Why is this story of a orphaned Jewish girl, raised by her uncle, selected by the King of Persia to be Queen important to our faith?

There are several reasons, some that I mentioned last week:

1) It is a story that reminds us that God is with us. God is with us in those times of exile where we are in a strange land, led by people we don’t know or agree with. It reminds us that God is with us when we know and feel His presence, but God is also with us when we don’t feel His presence, when we are struggling and hurting. God is with us.

2) It is a story that reminds us that God is working behind the scenes for our good. God has plans to prosper us and not harm us. God is working all things out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

Do you think Esther thought God was going to use the fact that she was selected by the King to be his Queen for good. Probably not. In fact, the Jewish Midrash – the story behind the story – tells of Esther’s love for another boy who she dreamed of marying, only to be pulled away from her village to play dress up for the King. Yet, God was working behind the scenes – these things that seemed to be harmful actually became exactly what was needed to save the people of Israel.

Do you think Esther and Mordacai thought God was working for their good when Haman tricked the King into letting him plan to kill all the Jews? Of course not, but God was working all these things out for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

Oh, and one last thing. I can’t let this pass without making this comparison –

Esther was willing to sacrifice her life so that her people could live. She dressed in a royal robe and went before the king – willing to give up her life so that her people could have a chance at life.

Another thought – Esther was the bride of the king, not by her choice but by his… she was his beloved – to whom he was willing to give half his kingdom.

And you, church, are the bride of Christ. You can choose to be the bride of Christ. Because you are already his beloved.

Jesus, whom we call the Christ, loved you so much that he was not only willing to lay down his life that others may live, Jesus actually did give his life for you and for me.

When we look back at this story – at this historical account of events in the Persian Empire, we see that God was working all things for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Prophecy after prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Event after event in history had to fall neatly into place for the fulfilment of the Cross.

Esther… and Ruth… and Deborah… and Abigail… are all part of the story that led to what happened on the cross. So much has happened to bring us to such a time as this. All history has led to this moment – a moment for you to decide, quite simply, are you going to believe that Jesus really did live, die, and rise again? Are you going to let that reality make a difference in your life, today?!?