Sermon Tone Analysis

For Such a Time as This

Part 1

Esther 1:1-22 (Reading vs. 1-12)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - May 20, 2012

*For such a time as this.

Many of us know Esther as a favorite Bible story, a story of taking a stand to do the right thing, a story of God taking care of His people.

And as we begin to take a look at Esther, it’s good to know some of the background.

*The events in this book took place almost 500 years before the birth of Christ.

The Jews had begun to return home after 70 years in Babylonian captivity.

*Bruce Wilkinson tells us that the story of Esther’s life fits between chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra, between the first return led by Zerubbabel and the second return led by Ezra.

So the Book of Ezra deals primarily with the restoration of the Jewish people after the Exile, Nehemiah deals with their physical and spiritual reconstruction, and Esther deals with their preservation.

*Esther is a most dramatic story with unexpected twists and turns. . .

It is still read on the Feast of Purim. . .

It provides the only biblical portrait of the vast majority of Jews who choose to remain in Persia rather than return to Palestine after the Exile. . .

Not all of the godly people left.

Some did not return to Israel for legitimate reasons, but most were disobedient in staying in Persia.

Nevertheless, God continued to care for His people in voluntary exile.

(1)

*God’s hand of providence and protection on behalf of His people is evident throughout the book, though His name does not appear even once.

Though the name of God is not in Esther, -- His finger is.

(2)

*Well, what in the world does all of this have to do with us?

-We will see that it has a lot to do with us.

-In this passage of Scripture, God gives us 5 lessons as timely as today.

1.

The first lesson is that we need leaders who love the Lord.

*Vs.

1-4 remind us of this crucial truth:

1.

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia),

2. in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,

3. that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants -- the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him.

4. when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.

*We need Godly leaders.

But Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) comes across as ungodly here.

He seems extravagant and vain in vs. 4, by showing the riches of his glorious kingdom and splendor of his excellent majesty for 180 days!

*I wonder how much money was wasted on this lavish feast.

Where did he get the money?

-- As we look at the governmental leaders in this book we see a huge problem with greed and corruption, waste and extravagance.

*It reminds me of the ongoing GSA Scandal about the big party they threw out in Vegas that cost over $800,000.

(3)

*We could talk all night about the scandals of the Obama administration.

Much of it has been covered up, but there is no way to cover up what the President did on May 9th.

That was the day that President Obama had an interview with ABC News to announce his support of legalizing same-sex marriage.

(4)

*We don’t have time to go into great detail about homosexuality tonight, but here are a few important truths:

-All of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

-None of us chooses how we are tempted, but all of us can choose how to respond to temptation.

-And Jesus came to set the captives free!

(Isaiah 61:1)

*But when it comes to whether or not homosexuality (or anything else) is right or wrong, here is the bottom line: We can never say that something is right, if God says it is wrong.

And God does say that homosexuality is wrong, both in the Old Testament and the New.

(Romans 1 gives a clear example.)

*And we need Godly leaders in our country!

From the top of our courts to the mayors of our cities, pray for Godly leaders.

*God shows us here that we need leaders who love the Lord.

2. The next lesson is that we should avoid the dangers of alcohol.

*We find this lesson in vs. 5-11, where they continued to party for 7 more days.

It was a lavish feast with much drinking, so vs. 7 says: “They served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king.”

*Trouble started vs. 10-11:

10.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus,

11. to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.

*The king was drunk when he commanded his eunuchs to bring the queen before that crowd.

He wanted to put Queen Vashti on display, but not in a good and godly way.

*Bible scholar Albert Barnes reported that this command, was contrary to Persian customs.

(5)

*John Gill said the request was not wise or proper or safe.

She probably knew that he was drunk and thinking foolishly.

*[This request] was contrary to the law of the Persians, which [did not allow] women to be seen in public; and particularly did not allow their wives to be with them at feasts, only their concubines and harlots, with whom they could behave with more indecency.

As for their wives, they were kept out of sight, at home.

Therefore Vashti might think it an indignity to be treated as a harlot or concubine.

One of the ancient Jewish Targums reported that the King actually requested her to appear before that drunken mob wearing nothing but her crown.

(6)

*Bruce Wilkinson tells us that King Xerxes was a boisterous man of emotional extremes, whose actions were often strange and contradictory.

(1)

-James Gray adds that King Xerxes was a sensual, fickle, and cruel despot.

(7)

-And the king was drunk when he gave this ungodly command.

-- So we see the dangers of alcohol.

*They partied for 187 days!

-- My first thought on that over-the-top feast was that we don’t have many people who party for 6 months straight.

But there are a lot of people in America today who would party like that if they could

*Then I realized that there are people here who do party for 6 months or more.

As a matter of fact, I partied for 6 years, back when I was young, foolish and lost.

I don’t mean that partying was the only thing I did.

But it was the only thing I lived for.

*And there are lots of people living like that today, even in a small-town place like Caldwell Parish.

“Let the good times roll!”

*According to the CDC, 64% of Americans drink alcohol and 50% are ‘regular drinkers’.

(8)

-MADD estimates that this year, 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving crashes, one every 50 minutes.

-One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

-One in three 8th graders drinks alcohol.

-One in five teens binge drink.

-Every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash.

(9)

-And 64% of murders are associated with alcohol.

(10)

*But I don’t have to look at statistics to know that alcohol is a problem.

Both of my mother’s parents were alcoholics.

And the relationship was so strained that after my mom married my dad, she broke off all contact with my grandparents.

The only time I ever visited my grandparents’ home in South Carolina was for their funerals.

*Then I can look back at my own experience.

It is a miracle of the grace of God that I am able to stand here before you tonight.

I should have died in my car many times.

*No wonder the Bible warns us so strongly about the dangers of alcohol.

-Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”

-Proverbs 23:29-32 asks:

29.

Who has woe?

Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions?

Who has complaints?