Esther Part 2

It is a real honour and privilege for me to be filling in for Jay over the next few months. It’s not so easy to jump into his preaching plan.

The book of Esther is considered by some to be a problem because it does not mention the name of God. It is also about God protecting and delivering His people the Jews from an antisemitic, genocidal attack.  The arch villain in the story Haman is one letter away from the modern terrorist group Hamas who like Haman would want to wipe Israel out. The book of Esther exposes antisemitism and shows that God is sovereign over it and is about the great triumph of His people over those who sort to destroy them.

Many today have been touched by this same antisemitic sentiment and would not like the story of Esther as Israel triumphs over its enemies.

But it is a cool story. One of the coolest.

Jews today still celebrate the feast of purim as is directed in the text.

The story is read out and whenever the name Mordecai or Esther is mentioned the people cheer and whenever Haman is mentioned the people stamp their feet and boo.

It is a great feast of celebration as the people remember that God didn’t just thwart the plans of His people’s enemies he turned their plans onto their own heads.

The very name Purim comes from the word Pur or “lot” as Haman sort by Lot to select the optimum month for the Jews destruction.

At the end of the day, it’s a huge celebration.

God is over our enemies’ plans

God is over the casting of lots

God is over the law of the Medes and the Persians.

God has enabled us to triumph over our enemies.

The feast of Purim is a feast of hope for the people of Israel – that God will ultimately fulfill His promises to them and lead them in triumph.

But it can lead us NT era gentile interpreters into trouble so I have 3 simple headings for us today as we learn from this great story.

Pay Day Some Day

Haman copped it, the enemies of Israel copped it. God will bring justice to his people Israel. It is the basic lesson of Esther. God’s original promise to Abraham that He would bless those you and curse those who curse you still remains.

We don’t have time to finess around this. Here is the account of the second coming of Christ.

Revelation 19:11–21

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

The nations will have gathered to destroy the nation of Israel and in the battle of Armageddon and Jesus will bring it all to an end. Justice will be done. Pay Day Someday. Some may appear to be getting away with things but no.

We can take this personally that all of the little injustices that you and I suffer will one day be righted.

In Esther there is real delight in the sahme coming upon Haman.

He and his family are so pompous and it just exaggerates the delight in his downfall. The timing.

He builds gallows and approaches the king to get his permission to hang Mordecai on it but the king instead is wanting to honour Mordecai because of a previous plot he uncovered. Before Haman can ask for Mordecai’s head the king asks him how he should honour someone. Haman thinks it is about him and so he has a huge reply like a parade on the kings horse. The king says great you make it happen for Mordecai. A massive serve of humble pie for Haman.

Then when Esther is getting the courage to ask the king about saving her people she invites the king to dinner and Haman too. He thinks that he is an honoured guest. But on the third occasion Esther tells the king and Haman is exposed. The king is furious and leaves the room. Haman leans on Esther to beg for mercy just when the king returns and he thinks he is making a move on Esther and so Haman ends up hung on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai.

Talk about Pay Day Someday. That Day came very swiftly and early for Haman.

During the celebration of Purim the people boo and stamp their feet whenever Haman is mentioned. Like at Suncorp when the Blues run out for state of origin.

It is hard for us to not feel delight and gloat at his demise.

The Jewish people end up killing 500 then 300 and 75,000 in the regions in 2 days. It is a massive triumph over their enemies.

It is hard for us not to get swept up in the delight of Haman’s being humbled and receiving his just desserts.

But the kingdom of Christ has different values. Jesus told us to love our enemies and fancy those of us who are actively benefiting from not being treated as our sins deserve rejoicing at the news of someone being treated as they deserve.

We need to be very careful here. Careful to remember that Jesus is the judge and not us and the defeat of our enemies will be achieved by Christ and not us.

God is Sovereign

Esther shows God not just defeating Israel’s enemies. But using the enemies themselves in so doing.

Chance is used

The king of Persia and his decrees

Esther is queen at just the right time.

God is at work pulling strings behind the scenes and delivering His people.

Esther is not the only place in the Bible where such sovereign acts of God working triumph for His people is made.

Another is in Acts 4

Peter and John had spent the night in the slammer for healing the lame man in the Temple and then preaching that it was because Jesus rose from the dead. They stood before the heavies, the very guys who had Jesus killed a month and a half earlier.

Peter reminds them of the facts.

Acts 4:8–12

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

In that Spiritually charged moment the Sanhedrin don’t know what to do.

The lame is healed and in front of them.

Peter and John are mere fishermen and unschooled.

Plus there on guilt is on the table.

So they tell Peter and John to stop talking about it. They said we can’t help but talk about what has happened. Then look what happened.

Acts 4:23–31

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Here is where there is a big difference between our rejoicing in triumph and the Jews celebrating Purim.

God acted sovereignly in ancient medo/Persia. He also was acting sovereignly at the first Easter. Leaders thought they were handling Jesus but instead God was getting achieved His will and victory.

There was a massive triumph achieved on our behalf. The enemies of our souls were defeated. Sin, Satan and death itself were all conquered.

In language akin to what happened to Haman.

2 Corinthians 2:14

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Colossians 2:15

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

We are meant to be being lead by Christ in a triumphal procession as Jesus’ great victory is worked out in and through us.

We are too much on the back foot.

There is an element of faith in accepting this triumph but Jesus wants to lead us in it.

Its time we like the early church begin to pray for boldness. We are on Jesus’ victory ground.

We come from the position of defeat and approach our world accordingly.

We have lost faith in the one who has triumphed over our enemies.

Can Jesus triumph over your enemies? Yes He already has. Trust Him in it.

Can Jesus transform your life.

Can Jesus transform your family.

Can Jesus transform this church

Can Jesus transform this community

Yes but we retreat into our closets and pray for the sovereign God to move and bring it. When it’s time for us to pray for boldness.

Why not, Why not

Why haven’t we, Why haven’t we.

Lack of faith in the great victor Jesus Christ.

One last point

Now is the Time

One of the most famous quotes from Esther is Mordecai trying to get Esther to take the risk and opportunity in her position as queen.

Esther 4:13–14

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?”

What great faith in God’s sovereignty expressed in the call to get Esther to act. Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Now is the time for us.

Jesus is leading us in triumphal procession having triumphed over our enemies. Our very lives are lives of rejoicing in Christ’s triumph.

Now is the time for salvation

We are the fragrance of Christ to our world – now.

Jesus wants us to act – now. Why not?

2 Corinthians 6:1–2

1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.