Esther 4
Notes
Transcript
Pray
In case you need a recap,
or you’re new to our series,
Here’s what’s happened so far in the OT book of Esther.
We met mighty King Xerxes - unchallenged ruler of the largest empire known to the world at this time - The medo PErsian Empire.
He’s a generous likable King, throwing huge parites for everyone.
But don’t cross him like his wife, Queen Vashti, did
- she found herself dethroned - and every woman in the Empire punished and shamed.
when a search is made for a new queen,
We met the orphan Esther and her older cousin Mordacia, who cares for her as a daughter,
every beautiful virgin is taken to the King to spend a night with him
and entre his service as a concubine.
Esther, it seems under force,
is pulled into this very morally complicated situation
and ultimately finds herself being chosen as the new queen.
Esther and Mordacia are Jews - God’s people,
living in exile in this foreign land and have kept their nationality secret so far.
And in the last chapter, chapter 3 we found out why.
A new leader has arisen, second only to the King - Haman.
And he is an Amelkite, an ancient enemy of God’s people.
They preyed on Israelite Jews when they were escaping slavery from Egypt.
500 years after that, the Israelite King Saul should have destroyed their whole nation,
BUt King Saul failed - leaving descendants
And another 500- years later - we’re back in the time of Esther - and Haman is one of those decendants.
When Mordacia refuses to bow to Haman,
Haman concocts a plot ending in the plan we saw in
Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
God’s people are about to be annihilated!
I wonder what we would do in that situation?
If Christianity faced annihilation?
Well the Jews of Mordaicai’s time are clear about their responce:
1 - Responding to Judgement v1-3
1 - Responding to Judgement v1-3
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
It’s not a very stiff upper lip British responses is it!
torn cloths, sackcloth, ashes, fasting, weeping, wailing.
But let’s not just put this down to a different time and culture.
Look at some of the things they are doing.
Of course, some of it is a preemptive mouringing of what is to come.
It’s understandable to be sad.
But this is not self-pitying, or pointless mourning,
Sackcloth and ashes represents repentance and fasting suggests are holding onto the Lord for His mercy.
And Mordacia - is very clearly trying to get the Royal palaces attention with his wailing at the kings gate.
They have not given up on God’s rescue.
And what is particualiry interesting, is that they are not moping about complaining that this is unfair, ‘what about my rights,’
They instead repent and mourn, crying out to God for His mercy.
They aren’t angry at God - they are turning to God.
How different our responses so often is to our trials.
Far from the ever so popular ‘victim status attitude’ of our culture,
these guys are very happy to accept that this may well be God’s right judgement on them - remindeing them to return to Him in faith and trust.
We see this parttern throughout the OT.
In Joel as the people face a similar earthly judgement we read:
‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
How unlike us they are - who always assume our trials are unfair,
These people don’t seem to ask the question of fairness.
They are quite content to accept that before a Holy God they deserve everything and more that comes their way in this life.
And so any trial or judgement that comes our way is their oppertuity to return whole heartedly to the Lord.
Their torn clothes symbolising a torn heart or repentance - that returns and clings to the Lord for he:
is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing
I am not suggesting our specific suffering in this life is directly related to our specific level of
rebelion against God.
Quite the opposite,
Everyone in Esther’s day is faced with the same calamity - however relatively holy or not they had been!
The point is -that rather than jumping first to anger and bitterness towards God when calamity faces us.
We should rememeber His holiness and our unholiness.
Let us mourn our sin, tear our hearts, return to the Lord God Almighty - who
is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing
We know, Christians will ulitmeltly always be saved in eternity,
so returning to the Lord always is right,
But for these Jews, they too, as we;ll see in later chapters - they will be delivered!
So we should not overlook that ‘this corporate repentance’ was central to God’s mercy towards them.
There is a battle in our world against repentance - it is weak they say,
it does not promote a victim mentality,
it keeps people humble rather than exhulted they say.
Even some churches shy away from repentnace!
Do they not know their is no salvation from the Almighty without it!
No, it becasue of their crying out to God,
The cogs begin to turn for their salvation:
but it comes from the weakest and most fragile combination of events.
It’s as if it must have been planned:
First of all they’re going to need:
2 - A Mediator who will face death on their behalf v4-11
2 - A Mediator who will face death on their behalf v4-11
Esther hears reports that Mordacia is in mourning at the palace gates, and clearly knows nothing about the plot of Haman’s and the Kings to annihilate all the Jews.
As the queen she has her own household of servants and so starts a back and forth with Mordacia through them.
She sends clothes to Mordacia - perhaps she thinks he’s been struck by poverty - but she’s vastly underestimated the type poverty of He faces.
Ultimately Ester receives this request from Mordacia:
He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
The only chance for the Jews - is if someone can stand before the King and plead for mercy.
But We know from Chapter 1 and it’s repeated here in v 11 - to approach the King is a dangerous move.
‘All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.’
So it’s no small request from Mordacia. She as queen has not even been called for by him for 30 days! He’s enjoying the pleasures of the hundered if not thousands of concubines he owns!
Esther must be prepapred to die in order to mediate with the King for her people.
This seems like a shadowing of the Lord Jesus’ call to stand before the Ancient of Days - the judge of all - the Lord God,
in our place and ask for mercy.
We could never do it - we’d die before we got close,
But the son of man, perhaps he will on our behalf.
Perhpas he will apporach our Judge, and plead for mercy - and if it so requires - will accept death in our place as our mediator.
Why would Esther do it?
Why would Jesus do it for us?
Well they are both going to have to:
3 - Trust God’s Promises v12-14
3 - Trust God’s Promises v12-14
Mordacia does what he knows best - he reminds Esther of God’s promises to His people:
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’
Mordacia knows that God made a covenant with Abraham,
reiterated to Isaac and Jacob
and then the children of Israel.
This covenant promised that Abraham’s people will be more numerous than the sand on the seashore or the stars in the sky; the whole world will be blessed through Abraham.
If that covenant promise is true—and Mordecai believes it is—
then it is not possible for all the Jews in the Empire
(which is, pretty much, all the Jews in the world) to be annihilated.
Mordecai’s statement is not wishful thinking but straightforward faith in the God of covenant promise.
And so his logic is simple - one way or another - God will spare at least a remnant of His poeple.
So… lets honour him and his people and trust his promise by doing everythgin we can to show we trust his word.
It’s worth the risk is his point.
If you don’t = you’ll die - and God will save his people some other way,
But if you succeed - we’ll praise God - you get to live and see his word fulfilled as well.
Trusting God’s word and promise does not mean we ‘let go and let God’ as was the popular phrase a few years back claims.
It means we are a people of enormous risk as we trust Him and act.
We’re not Esther, she’s more the shadow of Jesus than us.
But Mordaica’s and her example of trusting God’s promises and being prepared to risk it all is non-the-less a valid one.
We don’t die on the cross like Jesus - but we should carry it.
We don’t face the consequences of our sin before God - but we should fight it.
There are risks to take when we trust God’s promises - are we prepared to take them?
That promise to Abraham is being fulfilled even today as the spiritual chidlrend on Abraham - turn to the Lord to be saved.
IF we believe His pormise that His gospel will save those the Lord is calling,
then are we taking the risks that show we believe God’s promieses.
Sharing the gospel at work, at home,
round the dinner table?
Are we considering how we help speed the promise of Chirst’s return by taking the gospel to all nations?
Can you go?
Can you give to someone who will?
Can you encourage someone to go?
The world needs to hear of our mediator who will stand before the judge and face death, all on our behalf!
Do you trust that promise of his salvation to work?
Then act.
You might even die - it’s very unlikely these days - but you might.
The question stands though,
do you trust God’s promises enough to risk your life?
Esther did for her people.
Jesus did for you and me.
Will we for those who have not heard of Jesus - and so still face the coming wrath and judgement!?
pause
Mordaicia is such a straight forward man.
He’s not promising Esther she’ll succeed and or be spared - you might die…
end of v14 again;
Esther 4:14 (NIV 2011)
And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’
THis might be God’s plan to save us - it might not -
But who do you trust?
Either way you’re a winner before the audience that counts!
And so it with us.
Jesus has secured us - you’ve won in Him.
He’s promises salvation to all who hear and respond to His gospel.
Where has God put you today,
Where will you allow Him to move you?
What has he given to you as a resource,
What skills has he given you.
Your answers could be for such a time as this… - could you be serving and trusting him in a greater way?
And finally, Esther and the people need to
4 - Believe and Pray - v15-17
4 - Believe and Pray - v15-17
Esther believes the promises Mordacia has reminded her of,
And what a transformation it has on her life.
Up until now she has been instructed, obedient, silent almost - obeying MOrdacia perfectly - it was empahaised in 2v20.
But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.
That’s no bad thing,
, but now - as she matures and grows into being a woman she acts boldly according to her trust in God’s word.
Her name gains the title of Queen now in the book.
Barely referred to as ‘Queen Esther’ previously - from the next chapter she will be ‘Queen Esther’ regularly.
But she’s not acting for her marital King, but for her peoples King.
And she calls them all to belief and prayer,
and now Mordacia - who surely couldn’t fail but to be warmed by her new found risk taking promise trusting faith - obeys her:
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Those in Roots who have given their testimonies and or been baptised over the previous few years - 8 just last week:
You have declared you belief in God and His promises!
Now is the time to act for yourself in obedience and trust to Him - as Esther now does.
Warm the hearts of those who have raised you and taught you by acting in belief and prayer,
take risks for God - don’t hide from Him as Esther could have so easily done.
It’s the same message for us all.
So prayer, fasting and preparations begin.
3 days - not surprising - it’s a big thing - the survival of not just Esther - but all the Jews hang on this move.
God will save them one way or another - but let us pray it’s sooner rather than later.
So we too can be praying and fasting - for salivation to reach many more.
We’re not bound by OT law to fast - but we are bound by the principal of sacrifice in our whole lives.
We give up or fast from all sorts of luxuries and hobbies and worldliness - so we can attend church, go on the mission field, give money, attend prayer meetings, be honest when others aren’t.
Fasting from food may also free time and focus our bodies on God’s promises.
But believe and Pray we must,
we believe the pormises of God,
know the mediator who was prepared to die in our place,
and know that we are securely saved.,
And so we prepare to take obedient risks to save others.
Let us pray now:
