The Sound of Deliverance

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Hebrews 6:19–20 NKJV

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The sound of deliverance is anchored

++in the love of God

++In our identity

++In our how we see God

++In our hope

The Power of a Moment

Esther 4:14 NKJV

14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

God’s promise of deliverance

++Will come

Psalm 34:19 NKJV

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

1 Samuel 14:6 NKJV

6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

God’s promise of deliverance

Will come

++In His time

A moment is marked by a challenge

Job 14:1 NKJV

1 “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.

What will you do when trouble comes?

To David

++A giant to face

++A jealous king

1 Samuel 17:22–24 NKJV

22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

To Gideon

++Self Opinion (Judges 6:15)

Judges 6:15 NKJV

15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

To Gideon

Self Opinion

++An opposing Army

Moses’ 10 spies

++Internal fear

++Giants in the land

Numbers 13:31–32 NKJV

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

To Israel

++Pharaoh's Army behind theme

++The Red Sea before them

Exodus 14:10 NKJV

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

A moment is one of uncertainty

Daniel 3:17–18 NKJV

17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

In times of uncertainty

++We must trust God

++Realize his ability

++Respect His Sovereignty

++We must know who we serve

A moment reveals the timing of God

Ecclesiastes 3:1–3 NKJV

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

The Timing of God’s

++Testing

Judges 3:1 NKJV

1 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan

The Timing of God’s

Testing

++Teaching

Judges 3:2 NKJV

2 (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),

These moments are the doors of deliverance.

The Book of Esther provides insight into Jewish History outside of Palestine.

The Jews were

++Dispersed throughout the Persian Empire

++Struggling to maintain their cultural and religious distinctive

++This bad situation is about to get worse

Chapter three closes with Mordecai learning of a plot to kill the Jews

Esther 3:13–14 NKJV

13 And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day.

A shows where our hope is.

Mordecai turned to the king for help

Esther 4:1–2 NKJV

1 When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

Esther 4:8 NKJV

8 He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.

Don’t let your situation

++Dictate where you place your confidence

++Remember God is still there

Esther turned to the local rules

Esther 4:11 NKJV

11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.”

The rules said

++I can’t go

++I can’t do

++I have not been invited

Never underestimate the power of God to give you favor

Mordecai provides clarity of the moment

Esther 4:13–14 NKJV

13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The power of hope can never be underestimated.

Hope is

++The foundation of Faith (Hebrews 11:1,6)

++The strength of the poor (Job 5:15-16)

Hope is the key

Romans 8:24 NKJV

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

Hope is

++To have trust

++To expect

++To desire

Psalm 119:81 NKJV

81 My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 NKJV

8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Lamentations 3:26 NKJV

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.