Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture reading

Esther 4:14-16 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,  “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.

I and my young women will also fast as you do.

Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

***********PRAY************

On my way home from church the last time we joined you we were talking about what my next sermon would be on.

I told the girls that I wasn't quite sure yet.

Suddenly Tianah says quite simply and boldly.

Haman!

I was thinking to myself, how does a seven year old know anything about Haman?

So I questioned her.

Are you talking about the guy that gets hung on a gallows?

Yep!

She replied.

I sat stunned for about a minute and told her I will pray about it.

I spent a couple of days reading Esther and asking God what He wanted to say.

His reply.

****SLIDE****

Have YOU come into God's kingdom for such a time as this?

The book of Esther has a unique place in Scripture.

It takes place when the Jewish nation had become part of the Persian empire.

-- Because of Israels sins God allowed the nation of Israel to be taken over by Babylon.

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1 Chronicles 9:1 So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith.

-- King Nebuchadnezzar took Israel captive 108 years before Esther.

-- forty seven years after their captivity by Babylon, the Persian empire took over Babylon

-- You may remember the story about the handwriting on the wall.

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Daniel 5:24-28

“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.

And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 

TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 

PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

-- We find Mordici and Esther a little over 50 years into the captivity of the Persian empire.

-- The Persian empire was pluralistic containing many different nations.

-- Scripture records that there were 127 provinces.

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Esther 1:1  Now in the days of A-hash-vay-rosh, the A-hash-vay-rosh who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,

-- You can only immagine how every captured nation desired to be in power and favored by the King.

-- A side note here is that some of you may be wondering why the Kings name is A-hash-vay-rosh in some translations and Xerxes in other translations.

A-hash-vay-rosh is the Hebrew translation while Xerxes is the Greek translation.

-- Although the Persian empire alowed people to practice their beliefs individually and even collectivly to some degree.

-- The culture in Esther's time has become very secular.

-- Not once in the entire book of Esther is the name of God mentioned.

-- We also learn also that Mordecai told Esther to keep her Jewish heritage a secret.

-- Furthermore public displays of faith such as the Passover had fallen out of practice.

-- All indications that the book of Esther is written in a culture when God's people did not apply faith to their daily lives.

-- To add to this secularism in Esther it also seems evident that there was a strong anti-Semitic attitude, a hatred for the Jews.

In the middle of a pluralistic culture, when it can be risky to speak about God and live out your faith.

We find two people that are keeping their heritage a secret

Yet they come to a place where they are willing to take a stand and proclaim publicly who they are

Through their public acknowledgement a series of event occur in which God rescues his people.

We don't have time to talk about the entire book of Esther today but I do want to highlight some critical moments that pertain to our lives today.

-- Mordecai a Jewish man had taken in his young cousin Esther and was raising her.

-- Esther was a beutiful girl not only on the outside but she was growing in beauty on the inside.

-- Through a series of events in the kingdom the King was in search of a new Queen

-- The King gave orders that all beautiful young virgins to be gathered to his harem.

-- Esther was taken into custudy and brought to the palace with the other young women.

-- Through Esther's submissiveness and gentle nature she was found to please the servant of the King.

-- And then when she came before the King she won his favor.

-- The King chose Esther as his Queen.

-- Although the book of Esther does not mention God's name.

-- It is clear from the character of Mordecai and Esther that Mordecai was training Esther in the ways of the Lord.

-- Yet even as he was doing so Mordecai was afraid for Esther if she were to reveal her identity.

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Esther 2:20  Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him.

Doesn't this sound farmiliar?

How many times do we stay silent about who we are?

Have we told our children not to tell others about Jesus Christ for fear that they will be persecuted or worse?

How does this affect our children when they grow up?

How do they understand publicly confessing their faith and witnessing?

As the history of Esther continues to unfold.

-- We find out that Mordecai is a servant of the King who sits with other servants at the city gate.

-- One day while Mordecai was sitting at the gate he hears of a plot to kill the King.

-- The character of Mordecai demands he take action for the life of the King and protection of Esther.

-- Mordecai tells Queen Esther of the plot to kill the King.

-- Queen Esther tells the King in the name of Mordecai

-- The plot is investigated and found to be true.

-- The huligans are impaled on a stake for high treason and the affair is recorded in the book of the chronicles.

Lets stop here for a moment

When we find out someone else is in danger do we warn them?

If we have the ability to help do we do it?

Mordecai was risking his life and relationships with those he worked with who wanted to kill the King.

Yet Mordecai stood for what was right and against those who would harm others.

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Have YOU come into God's kingdom for such a time as this?

-- Now we are introduced to the big troublmaker; Haman

-- For an unknown reason the King promotes Haman the Agagite above all other officials.

-- All the King's servants are told to bow down to Haman

  -- However Mordecai refused to do so.

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Esther 3:2  And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him.

But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage.

There is some discussion over why Mordecai refused to bow and we will talk a little bit more about that in a moment.

However I think Mordecai was a believer and did not want to bow down to anyone other than God.

He was likley convicted by the second commandment.

Yet his confession to the public was that he was a Jew.