For such a time as this
Truth to Power - The Book of Esther • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Death to the Jews. Reactions to Xerxes' edict against the Jews are varied:
Haman and the Persian king celebrate by drinking wine;
The Jews weep and fast throughout the kingdom of Persia;
Mordecai acts, asking Esther for help.
Edmund Burke said: "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
All that is required is to remain silent, indifferent, and evil will prosper.
But how can one remain silent in the face of the annihilation of approximately 15 million Jews? There was no safe place for them, since Xerxes ruled a vast empire, stretching from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1).
The point is: the Jews cannot flee to any safe place, so we must act.
This is what Mordecai did:
Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Rosa Parks, mother of the civil rights movement, was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give her bus seat to a white man. Boycotts and protests followed, and eventually the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation unconstitutional. In Quiet Strength she writes:
I have learned over the years that knowing what must be done does away with fear. When I sat down on the bus that day, I had no idea history was being made—I was only thinking of getting home. But I had made up my mind. After so many years of being a victim of the mistreatment my people suffered, not giving up my seat—and whatever I had to face afterwards—was not important. I did not feel any fear sitting there. I felt the Lord would give me the strength to endure whatever I had to face.
From queen to hero. This chapter marks the development of a character who until now has been subordinate to Mordecai, secondary in the narrative: Esther.
In this chapter, Esther will grow and mature: not only beautiful but also courageous, not only queen, but hero. In this chapter, Esther goes from being a follower to a leader, even giving direction to Mordecai.
Application. My prayer is that, through this sermon, a change will occur in your life: that you may finally be a leader capable of guiding and blessing those around you!
Sermon outline. All the actions in this chapter depend on the long-distance dialogue between Mordecai and Esther. We therefore want to consider:
Mordecai’s petition;
Esther’s response;
Hadassah’s decision.
N.1 - Mordecai’s petition
N.1 - Mordecai’s petition
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.
Mordecai's Action. Mordecai's call is a summons to awaken from sleep. Esther was in her beautiful palace, while evil was advancing. It is precisely through this revivalist lens that we must consider Mordecai's call:
1A. The concreteness of the danger
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.
Dressing in sackcloth and ashes because of Haman's edict meant believing what was written in the edict. Mordecai believed it!
Mordecai had taken Haman's threats seriously. Mordecai knew that Haman would get to the bottom of the matter, so he did not downplay the danger.
Application. We are under attack! We are under siege by Hell, so let us take the adversary's threats seriously.
To live in a world under siege is to live in constant peril; to live there and be wholly unaware of the peril is to increase it a hundredfold and to turn the world into a paradise for fools.2
A. W. Tozer
Nehemiah. Because of the constant threats from Jerusalem's enemies, Nehemiah and the Jews worked with weapons in hand:
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
The point is not to minimize the ongoing spiritual conflict, nor to diminish the enemy's evil intentions:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
The enemy doesn't want to scare your life or intimidate your faith, but rather he wants to completely destroy your life, ruin your marriage, and shatter your faith in God.
Like Mordecai, like Nehemiah, we must understand that the enemy is dangerous.
1B. The limitations of the petition
But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
Mordecai's weeping, his pain, his supplication extends far, all the way to the King's Gate.
Warren Wiersbe said: “that was as far as he could go because Oriental Kings lived in an original paradise that sheltered them from the realities of life!
Scottish preacher George H. Morrison said: "They must have a good time at any cost. They must live their easy and comfortable lives, as if there were no voices calling them.
Application. The Holy Spirit cannot reach beyond the door of our hearts. It is up to us to open our hearts to His call:
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
To all my brothers and sisters who would like to reach beyond the doors of the hearts of their unbelieving family members, I want to remind you that you have done everything possible.
You have reached the doors of the hearts of your son, your wife, your friend… Do not insist, do not force, wait patiently at the door of their hearts.
For those who have received “Mordecai's call”, I hope that like Esther, you too can receive the message and act accordingly.
God cannot get any closer! God is not at the city limits of Toronto, but at the door of your heart, a door that only you can open.
N.2 - Esther’s response
N.2 - Esther’s response
When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
Esther's action. Mordecai's appeal does not leave Esther's servants indifferent, and they alert their queen to Mordecai's condition.
Through Esther's response, I wish to highlight two elements:
2A. Ignorance about the danger
Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
What is striking is Esther's total ignorance of Haman's edict.
In fact, throughout the Persian Empire, the Jews were aware of what was happening, except for the one closest to King Xerxes. Perhaps the comfortable life of the palace had detached Esther from reality.
Application. When we are too immersed in the things and mechanisms of this life, we can run the risk of ignoring the spiritual warfare that is taking place around us.
Imagine walking down the street, completely immersed in your phone, scrolling through social media. You walk right past a large puddle, blissfully unaware that it’s full of mud and could drench your shoes. It’s like ignoring the danger right beside you. In Proverbs 22:3, we are reminded, 'The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.' Let’s not just walk through life with blinders on!
2B. The ineffectiveness of Esther’s help
When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
Esther is not insensitive to Mordecai's pain and sends him clothes, but her help is refused.
Queen Esther had financial means and, in her own way, wanted to ease Mordecai's pain and solve his problem. But Mordecai's problem could not be solved with new clothes; it was a spiritual problem.
Application. There are many who, like Esther, believe they can solve spiritual, relational, or family problems by giving them a new toy, a new dress, or a new car.
They don't know that materialism has never solved any problem.
750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 423: Materialism
The story is told of a prosperous, young investment banker who was driving a new BMW sedan on a mountain road during a snowstorm. As he veered around one sharp turn, he lost control and began sliding off the road toward a deep precipice. At the last moment he unbuckled his seat belt, flung open his door, and leaped from the car, which then tumbled down the ravine and burst into a ball of flames.
Though he had escaped with his life, the man suffered a ghastly injury. Somehow his arm had been caught near the hinge of the door as he jumped and had been torn off at the shoulder.
A trucker saw the accident in his rearview mirror. He pulled his rig to a halt and ran to see if he could help. He found the banker standing at the roadside, looking down at the BMW burning in the ravine below.
“My BMW! My new BMW!!” the banker moaned, oblivious to his injury.
The trucker pointed at the banker’s shoulder and said, “You’ve got bigger problems than that car. We’ve got to find your arm. Maybe the surgeons can sew it back on!”
The banker looked where his arm had been, paused a moment, and groaned, “Oh no! My Rolex! My new Rolex!!”
God gives us material possessions so we will enjoy them, not so we will worship them.
N.3 - Hadassah’s decision
N.3 - Hadassah’s decision
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.”
Hadassah's decision. After a moment of uncertainty, Esther decides to do her part and intercede for the Jewish people.
It is at this moment that the queen ceases to be Esther, the beautiful woman chosen by Xerxes, and takes on her Jewish identity: Hadassah!
Regarding Hadassah's decision, I would like to consider two aspects:
3A. Requires collaboration
“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.”
Esther feels the need for the support of all Jews and asks for their cooperation. Esther immediately understood that facing this challenge in isolation was not the best strategy.
Application. Why don't you ask for help? Why is it so difficult to act like Esther and invite the Church to pray for you? Why do you persist in facing your problems in isolation?
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Fellowship
During World War II, the enemy conducted experiments to find the most effective type of punishment for eliciting information from prisoners. They found that solitary confinement was the most effective. After a few days of solitary confinement, most men would tell all.
That is why we need fellowship—without it we too become easy prey for temptation and abandonment of our values.507
The Christian life cannot be fully lived if we live in isolation: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Isolation, and particularly isolation from the mutual encouragement of the body, is a dangerous thing.
R. Kent Hughes
48 God created us to operate in relationship with Him and with each other. We are not made for isolation.
David Stoop
Seeking Wise Counsel (2002)
David Stoop
3B. Personal Responsibility
“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.”
Esther asked for help in fasting, but she knew full well that she was the one who had to appear before King Xerxes.
While for Mordecai, Esther sent servants in her place, with the King, it was Esther's responsibility to intercede for the Jews.
Application. The king awaits us, and we cannot send someone else in our place:
But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfil His purpose through your life.
Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)
That day, you won't be able to call home, call your husband, invite your pastor,... We can pray for you, be encouraged, intercede, but you must present yourself before the King: I hope that, like Esther, we are preparing ourselves!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Transformation. Fragile, weak, intimidated, and full of fear. This is Esther at the beginning of chapter 4.
Yet, after Mordecai's message, something in Esther moves, changes, transforms, and she begins to act, trusting in the Lord's help.
I hope that because of this word, your life is also being transformed. I pray that a transformation will occur in you too!
