Esther

Intro

The last two weeks we have been looking at unlikely heroes of the Bible. we saw in the story of Moses that God is sufficient for the Sent. Last week in the story of David we saw how God calls his sent in bad situations to not point fingers but stand and obey. Today we are going to look at another unlikely hero who didn’t stand, atleast not at first. but we are going to see in her story that. Even in the messed up situations we find ourselves in through the actions of others, ourselves, or maybe some of both. God can still use you to do something incredible.

Today we dive into the story of Ester. A story that you think you might now. but as we are going to see is a lot darker than the veggie tales version. But the darker the circumstances the brighter the glory of our God shines.

Our story starts with the king of Persia looking for a new queen, because his last queen dared to stand up to him. His advisers proposed that they should take all the beatiful unmarried women in Persia and bring them to the king so he can choose a new queen.

I want to make very clear this was not a farytale that disney would make. It was not the story of the common girl falling in love with queen. These young women were taken from their homes and would never return. They would never see their families again. The loser were not sent home they were forced to spend their lives in the kings harem. They would never marry, never be mothers, and forced to do whatever the king wanted whenever he wanted.

This is the situation that Esther finds herself in.

Esther 2:5–11 ESV

Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

Where we are in the timeline Jerusalem has been destroyed and Judah captured and taken into captivity as punishment for the people worshipping other god’s. God said they would be in the captivity 70 years. At this point in the story it has been more than 70 years. Persia conquered Babylon and set the Jews free. But they don’t all go home like they are supposed to. Some stay including Esther’s family.

If they had all been obedient to return home the events of this story wouldn’t have been necessary, Esther would never have been forced to join the kings harem, the Jews would never be at risk of anihilation like we are going to see. If they had just obeyed. and yet God is still going to work things together for the good of His people.

Esther is in a terrible situation. and she is presented with a choice. The same choice radshack meshack and abendigo, had to make, the same choice that Daniel had to make a few decades earlier.

Stand up by living out God’s commands even though it means certain death, or compromise. Mordaci and Esther both choose compromise.

They decided Esther should hide her jewish heritage. which meant Esther would not observe the laws that Jews were required to keep. The foods that she was forbiden to eat she chose to eat. unlike Daniel, and radshack, meshack and Obendigo. who refused to compromise what they knew God wanted them to do. Esther hid that part of herself, and yet everywhere she went she was given special favor, and eventually won special favor even with the king.

What are we to do with that?

Does it give us a pass to go through life hiding our faith believe God will work everything out? no. The Bible here is telling us what happened. It is not telling us what we should do. It is being descriptive not prescriptive.

1. Circumstances Don’t Excuse Compromise.

The fact that God is going to use the position that she will be put in does not justify the compromises that brought her there.

Your circumstances are never an excuse to compromise. Everyday we face situations that the easy solution is to compromise. Esther’s difficult circumstance was made easier by compromising. This morning you may be in a situation that compromising is just easier.

Honestly I’d be shocked if you weren’t. In some way at home, at school, at work, or with your friends. Everyone of us is being pushed to compromise to make our circumstances easier.

But heres the thing Jesus does not call us to live an easy life. He calls us to live an obedient life. Not an obedient just on Sundays or when its easy. But an obedient life when its hard when every fiber of your being wants to compromise to avoid the awkward conversation, to avoid damaging a relationship, to not risk your job.

We are called to the obedient life not the easy life. and it is worth it. It is worth it because Jesus never promised us an easy life.

Jesus doesn’t give you an easy life. Jesus gives you eternal life.

Here’s where we see God’s grace in Esther. a book that doesn’t mention God once. and yet we learn so much about him. Even though Esther hid her identity as God’s child he still used her to save a bunch of his children who disobeyed him by not coming home when he made a way for them to go home.

Esther didn’t deserve it, the Jews who were going to be saved didn’t deserve it and yet in the middle of their circumstances God had a purpose for the place he had Esther. And his purpose was to take care of his people.

Lets look at how he used Esther to accomplish that purpose.

Jumping to chapter 4 in your Bibles. Esther has been made queen. though she still has no power or real freedom. and Haman the kings right hand man hates Esthers uncle Mordicai so much that he convinces the king to eliminate all the Jews left in Persia. Mordaci learns about it sends word to Esther asking her to take action.

This is her response Esther 4:9-16

Esther 4:9–16 ESV

And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, “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.” And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 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. 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?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “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.”

Mordecai is asking Esther to risk her life to go before the king. Who hadn’t called her for 30 days. Remember Xerxes is not a good guy. He is the bad guy from the movie 300. and when Esther is supposed to go see him was right after he was losing his wars with the Greeks including his loss after his battle with Lenidas’ 300 men. He is a bad guy in a bad mood. To go before the king uninvited was to risk certain death.

would she continue to compromise or act in conviction?

Before we get the answer Mordecai has to remind her that every terrible thing she has been through may have been orcestrated for a purpose.

The same is true of you today.

2. You Have Been Placed for a Purpose.

Maybe like Esther you have been brought to this moment in your life by circumstances over which you had no control. Combined with flawed decisions that you made along the way.

Just because the path to the place in life you are in wasn’t shiny and perfect does not mean that God does not have purpose for the place he has you.

We don’t deserve it. Neither did Esther or the Jews who were trouble remember they were in Persia in the first place because they disobeyed God for hundreds of years. and yet God still had a plan and purpose for the place they were in.

In one of Israels lowest darkest parts of their history. God’s grace still shines through.

And it shines through to each and everyone one of us today. Who can look back and say I don’t know how to explain how im standing here today other than to say God has a purpose for me.

You were created on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.

The mistakes you have made do not change that.

Your purpose is to know him and make him known. Regardless of your past mistakes you can know him through the grace available because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Regardless of your mistakes you can tell people how Jesus has redeemed you to make him known.

Are you fulfilling that purpose where you have been placed? or have you been consumed with trying to get to another place? or compromising to make your place more comfortable?

You have a purpose for where you have been placed. Esther almost missed her purpose. Don’t miss yours.

Esther’s story does not end with compromise. Which is why we are talking about her as a hero. She went before the king and risked her life. the king extended that golden scepter to let her live. She invited the king and Haman to eat with her and the king asked her what she wanted. and this is what she said.

Esther 7:3–6 ESV

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” And Esther said, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

Esther stands up and reveals who she is who she had been hiding and at great risk fulfilled the purpose she had been placed for.

There are no supernatural miracles in the book of Esther. There is no splitting of the waters, plagues, or healing of the sick. God didnt choose to save that way this time. Which I think makes the story so relatable to us today.

He used obedience. Our obedience is God’s ordinary means for accomplishing his extrordinary plans.

But the message of Esther is not be hero like Esther. Instead the messag is that God chose to save his people through the ordinary means of two Jews who transitioned from compromise to conviction.

3. Move from Compromise to Conviction

Esther and Mordecai. Started out living compromised but ended living in conviction.

I do not want you to buy the lie that because you have compromised in the past that means that always has to be your story.

Just because you compromised sexually in the past doesn’t mean you cant live in conviction from this day forward.

just because you compromised on being intentional about discipling your kids in the past doesn’t mean that you live out of conviction and make it a priority from this moment forward.

Just because you compromised on consuming entertainment and allowing your kids to consume entertainment that glorifies sin in the past doesn’t mean you cant live out of conviction from this day forward.

Just because you have compromised in the past by letting your political identity overshadow your Gospel identity in the past doesn’t mean you cant live out of conviction starting today.

Just because you compromised by letting your screen time rob you of time with God and your family doesnt mean you cant live out of conviction today.

Whatever area of your life that you have compromised in the past. The grace of God allows you start new today and allow God to write a better end to the story than if you tried to write it yourself.

Living out of conviction is riskier than living out of compromise. Living out of conviction is harder than living out of compromise.

But just because something is safer and easier doesn’t mean it’s better.

If you have given your life to Christ. That means that you believe that Jesus is better. Put whatever you want at the end of the sentence. If you are a true follower of Christ there is nothing you can put at the end of that sentence. Jesus is better.

my challenge to you if you truly believe that today. Do your actions show it. do your convictions show it. or have you compromised because deep down you aren’t sure if Jesus is truly better.

Move from compromise to conviction today not because Esther did. But because you believe with every fiber of your being That Jesus is better.

Conclusion.

No matter whats going on in your life dont let your circumstances push you to compromise.

Because you have been placed for a purpose. How can you know him and make him know right where you are placed?

This morning examine yourself and ask yourself where have I compromised? This last thing is something I have never done but I feel led to do. I want to call every family in this room to a challenge. This week prefeably today sit down with whoever you live with. and ask each other where have we compromised as a family?

spouses ask each other, parents ask your kids. kids ask your parents, your siblings.

write them down. and then ask what it would take to reverse course. Last week I said stop pointing fingers and stand up. Several of you asked me this week what does it look like to do that in your family. This is how it can look for you today.

Dad’s and husbands I prefer if you step up and lead this, if they don’t wives moms you step up, kids if your parents don’t you do it.

Imagine what God could do if your whole family lived in conviction where you are placed for the purpose God has for you.