Esther 4 - Coincidence or Destiny
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Intro
Intro
Right place at the right time
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coincidence - a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
Esther is a book of coincidence or a book of divine sovereignty
Read Esther 4
1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 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?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “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.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Some of you have heard this very famous verse
14 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?”
as well as esther’s response
16 “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.”
before we get into these famous verses lets start where we left off two weeks ago
a decree has been issued that in 11 months all the Jews in all of ahasuerus’s empire will be annihilated
Chapter three ends rather ominously
So what do the Jews do???
So what do the Jews do???
1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
They cried out to God
Mordecai leading out in this story he goes into this mourning ritual
While he is dressed like this he doesnt enjoy his usual access to the kings gate where he can communicte with Esther
He is separated from her with no access to her
The text doesnt say they are praying to God but we can expect thats what is going on here
God’s people are crying out for Salvation once again
Where will this salvation come from
Who knows
Esthers response
Esthers response
4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
Mordecai put these clothes on and come talk to me
He refuses this again noting there is a seperation between esther and mordaci that can only be bridged by these eunichs going back and forth between them
Mordecai understands something has to change amd he remains seperated from her
He understands Esther could be the solution so he instructs her to stop hiding her heritage and go before the king
Esther is looking to fix the problem
Let's go back to how things were
Esther is now in a tough position
Esther is now in a tough position
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
She faces death if she obeys Mordecai
The favor she once had with the king seems to be gone
She hasnt been called before the king in 30 days
Maybe the king has been distracted or moved on from esther
whatever the reason she doesnt seem to be in the position to just walk into the king and tell him what is going on
Esther knows what happened to Vashti when she disobeyed the king
Esther know she faces similar consequences
But she will also probably die if she doesnt
12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
A fact that Mordecai reminds her of
Do no think you are spared from the fate of your people
Esther just because you have managed to achieve this special station dont think it will protect you
Mordecai’s faith
Mordecai’s faith
14 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?”
Relief and deliverence will rise from somewhere
God will deliver his people
Mordecai knows God is faithful
Even if you Esther arent willing to stand up
God will work
But dont think its just lucked into this postion of queen
Who knows
A common theme in the old testament
We dont know God’s plan our job is faithfulness to him
Who knows what he will do
Mordecai is pointing to this divine presence that has been around working behind the scenes to achieve his ends and he is imploring Esther
Who knows what will happen you dont
Perhaps its time to walk out on that ledge
Perhaps its time to step and see what God will do
Who know s maybe you have become queen for such a time as this
Maybe just Maybe God has placed you in this exact time in history to do this exact thing
Right place at the right time
not by coincidence but through the sovereignty of God
Esthers Faith
Esthers Faith
15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “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.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
I will do this and if I die I die
I will trust God and go forward
What do we take away here
Its as straight forward as it sounds
Who knows you dont I dont
But God has placed you and me here at this time in history for a purpose
And even though he seems far away
isnt talked about
he is working and we must live our lives with this truth in the back of our mind this is the exact time and place I am supposed to be
Who knows maybe God will use me
We see so many things that cause us question if God is in this
Parents divorce
Joe’s suicide
Friends leaving the church
Who knows be faithfaul
If this blows up in my face it doesnt matter because God has put me here for this
I am in the exact right spot at the exact right time