"OVERVIEW OF ESTHER PART II"
Notes
Transcript
Theme – “Preservation through Providence”
Definition of terms -
Preservation – protection from harm
Providence – Guidance from God
By the grace of God, we will come to see how the theme “Preservation through Providence” is exemplified throughout the book of Esther.
The Setting -
King Ahasuerus makes a request –
Now, as we look at the outline, I would encourage you pay close attention to how God is working everything out according to His plan despite the fact the word God is never used in this book -
The outline that I am using is taken from the book called “Talk Thru the Bible”
The Threat to the Jews – 1-4 - Specifically 3-4
The Threat to the Jews – 1-4 - Specifically 3-4
Haman is now brought into the picture – What do you know about Haman?
Haman’s Evil Plan – 3
Mordecai’s plea – 4
Mordecai and Esther are having a conversation –
Mordecai explains what is going on with the Jews – requesting Esther who is a Jew to plead before the King
Esther tells Mordecai that I have not been invited to approach the king. If I go to the king without being granted permission then I will surely die
Look at Esther’s response – 4:16-17 – She say’s I will go – Haman and set up this terrible plan to kill all Jews and not Esther the queen is going to risk her life to spare the Jews. Esther has complete confidence in God!
16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.
Now, let us transition and look at how the Jews triumph – it is amazing to see how God works things out for His perfect plan –
2. The Triumph of the Jews – 5-10
2. The Triumph of the Jews – 5-10
1 Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.
This is an extremely brave thing that Esther does –
Keep in mind that if you were to approach the king without being called then you shall be put to death –
Esther goes and stands where the king can see her When the king sees her he invites her in rather than killing her – this is a complete act of God and His goodness
The King’s response -5:3-4
3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
He will give her up to have the Kingdom - Again this is God
Esther invites the king and Haman to a banquet and they both come
It is interesting to note that at the banquet Esther does not request protection for the Jews in fact she does not say anything –
The question comes up – Why didn’t she say anything?
She might have been scared
Afraid of the outcome
Didn’t know what to say
She requests to have them both come to another banquet – that will take place in Chapter 7
Remember that Haman does not like Mordecai and chapter 5:9-14 tells us his plan -
Esther 5:9–14 (NASB95)
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.
10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13 “Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
His plan is to have Mordecai hung upon the gallows that he built about 50 feet high – Haman planned on killing Mordecai prior to going and having a meal with Esther and the King – but look it how God continues to work out His perfect plan –
1 During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
6:1 – The king was unable to sleep so he requested the book of memorable deeds. As we was reading through it he was reminded of how Mordecai has said his life by telling the queen about the two guys who wanted to kill the king.
The king wanted to honor Mordecai for what he had done
6:6 – the king asks what should be done to honor someone?
6 So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?”
Haman assuming that it is himself says all kind of things.
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.”
6:10 – The king says Haman do this to Mordecai – Could imagine what is going through his mind right now? - Again God is working out his perfect plan – Remember the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenants? (God means what He says)
The king and Haman have another feast with Esther - at that time Esther tells the king what Haman is doing – 7:5-6 – Esther has complete confidence in the Lord!
5 Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do thus?” 6 Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.
The gallows that Haman made for Mordecai was used to hang Haman on –
11 In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).
8:11-12 – The Jews are spared – God accomplishes His perfect plan – Esther did not know what was going to happen but she trusted completely on the Lord and He worked out His perfect plan!
SO WHAT??
Dever – Lessons –
God always punishes His enemies
Consider your state carefully
Repent immediately
God will certainly deliver His people
Be comforted in trials
Be confident with joyful hope in your waiting
Yet, as Matthew Henry said, “though the name of God be not in it, the finger of God is, directing many minute events for the bringing about of his people’s deliverance.” Dever, M., & Goldsworthy, G. (2006). The Message of Esther: Surprise. In The message of the old testament: promises made (p. 454). Crossway.
After all, the book explains the Feast of Purim, which comes from the plural Hebrew word for “lots” or “dice.” And the roll of the dice gives us a random outcome, right? If you think so, then to you this book will be nothing more than a really remarkable story of how all this stuff just seemed to happen. What stuff?
•Esther just happens to be Jewish, and she just happens to be beautiful.
•Esther just happens to be favored by the king.
•Mordecai just happens to overhear the plot against the king’s life.
•A report of this just happens to be written in the king’s chronicles.
•Haman just happens to notice that Mordecai does not kneel down before him and he just happens to find out that Mordecai is a Jew.
•When Haman plots his revenge, the dice just happen to indicate that the date for exacting revenge is put off for almost a year! (What does Proverbs 16:33 say? “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”)
•Esther happens to get the king’s approval to speak, but then she happens to put off her request for another day.
•Her deferral just happens to send Haman out by Mordecai one more time,
•which just happens to cause him to recount it to his friends.
•They, in turn, just happen to encourage him to build a scaffold immediately!
•So Haman just happens to be excited to approach the king early the next morning.
•It just so happens that the previous night, the mighty king could not command a moment’s sleep,
•and he just happened to have had a book brought to him that recounted Mordecai’s deed.
•He then happened to ask whether Mordecai had been rewarded, to which his attendants happened to know the answer. Simply consider for a moment the fact that Mordecai happened not to have been rewarded for having saved the king’s life. How unusual this must have been! Someone who saved the king’s life never rewarded? I wonder if Mordecai ever chafed under that: “Doesn’t he realize what I did for him?” Well, it all just happened.
•Anyhow, Haman happens to approach the king just when the king is wondering how Mordecai should be honored.
•Later on, the king happens to return to the queen just when Haman happens to be pleading with Esther in a way that can be misconstrued.
•The gallows Haman built for Mordecai just happens to be ready when King Xerxes wants to hang Haman. Dever, M., & Goldsworthy, G. (2006). The Message of Esther: Surprise. In The message of the old testament: promises made (pp. 455–456). Crossway.
There are no signs and wonders, no special revelations, no prophet like Moses—and no one even mentions God! Yet the way the story is told makes it clear that, even when God is most hidden, he is still present and working to protect and deliver his chosen people. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 851). Crossway Bibles.