For Such A Time As This

Esther 4:1–17 NKJV

When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

Esther 4:1-17

For Such A Time As This

Esther 4:1-17

Introduction

God has a plan for your life. In it are the choices that we make each day that either move us closer to destiny or push us back. Esther stepped into God’s divine providence and in a moment, before she could breath it all in - destiny was staring her in the eyes. Like Esther, God has providentially brought you and I to this point in life where we have a choice to seize the moment or “tuck tail and run toward the hills” as they say in the western movies. Which calling will you answer - the call of destiny or the call of comfort.

Providence happens when God wills/leads/draws us into circumstances that only we can fix. Circumstances that only we are anointed to change. Situations were it’s obvious that we’re responsible whether people lose or win. People sink or swim. Circumstances get better or worse. Have you ever been caught in the process of God providentially handling you.

Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob; the one that was born unto Jacob in his old age therefore was favored by his father. You all know Joseph. Joseph is the one in whom Scripture says, “wore a coat of many colors made especially for him by his father”. Joseph was the favored child in the household. Joseph dreamed many dreams of destiny and greatness. Dreams that the Lord gave to him. But Joseph had no idea the the dreams meant that God will providentially orchestrate a set of circumstances that would land him in a muddy, cold dark pit. That God would take him through high and low points in his journey that we so special yet so cruel. From the pit to the prison and from the prison to the palace off he went until he excelled to the highest position in the land under the King. He was destined to save Egypt, Israel, and many lands from the most life-threatening, devastating famine of all time. In his day, he was born for such a time as this. So, was Esther and so were you.

Touch three people and say, “You’re alive born for such a time as this”!

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Content

The Book of Esther portrays the reign of King Ahasuerus, whose empire stretched from India to Ethiopia (1:1–9). The center of his empire was in Susa (Shushan), in Persia. Because Queen Vashti disgraced the king by refusing his order to appear in court, she was removed, and a search began for a new queen (1:10–22). A young Jewish woman named Hadassah, without parents and living with her kinsman Mordecai, was selected to replace Queen Vashti (2:1–18). Early in her reign Esther and Mordecai helped to save the king’s life (2:19–23). A man named Haman, who was promoted to an influential position in the palace court, plotted to kill the Jews because he hated Mordecai (3:1–15). Mordecai intervened through Queen Esther, and the queen called on the Jews in Susa to fast for deliverance (4:1–17). Esther’s intervention with the king led to a sleepless night for Ahasuerus (5:1–6:1). He reviewed the records of “memorable deeds,” and discovered that Mordecai’s earlier help had gone unrewarded. When Haman arrived to initiate his plot against the Jews, the king ordered him to honor Mordecai (6:1–14). When Haman’s plot was then discovered, the schemer was hanged (7:1–10). The king honored Mordecai and sent out an edict protecting the Jews from harm (8:1–17). The Jews, by the king’s permission, slew the soldiers who would earlier have killed them in Haman’s plot (9:1–16). To celebrate their national deliverance the Jews planned a great celebration (9:17–10:3). That celebration became the festival of Purim, a time of feasting and distribution of gifts to all, especially to the poor.

Background of the Story

The Book of Esther portrays the reign of King Ahasuerus, whose empire stretched from India to Ethiopia (1:1–9). The center of his empire was in Susa (Shushan), in Persia. Because Queen Vashti disgraced the king by refusing his order to appear in court, she was removed, and a search began for a new queen (1:10–22). A young Jewish woman named Hadassah, without parents and living with her kinsman Mordecai, was selected to replace Queen Vashti (2:1–18). Early in her reign Esther and Mordecai helped to save the king’s life (2:19–23). A man named Haman, who was promoted to an influential position in the palace court, plotted to kill the Jews because he hated Mordecai (3:1–15). Mordecai intervened through Queen Esther, and the queen called on the Jews in Susa to fast for deliverance (4:1–17). Esther’s intervention with the king led to a sleepless night for Ahasuerus (5:1–6:1).

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Esther, Book Of. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 723). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

He reviewed the records of “memorable deeds,” and discovered that Mordecai’s earlier help had gone unrewarded. When Haman arrived to initiate his plot against the Jews, the king ordered him to honor Mordecai (6:1–14). When Haman’s plot was then discovered, the schemer was hanged (7:1–10). The king honored Mordecai and sent out an edict protecting the Jews from harm (8:1–17). The Jews, by the king’s permission, slew the soldiers who would earlier have killed them in Haman’s plot (9:1–16). To celebrate their national deliverance the Jews planned a great celebration (9:17–10:3). That celebration became the festival of Purim, a time of feasting and distribution of gifts to all, especially to the poor.

Your Dysfunction Has Meaning

Esther’s young life was anything but perfect. We often fail to connect our dysfunction and problems to anything significant. But I’ve come to learn that your tragedy is a part of your trajectory. Your struggles are a part of your success. What you go through in prepares you for what you GONE DO in life. Esther’s parents where former slaves. Many of her relatives before her were slaves of Babylon. Her parents died at an early age. So, she had no mother nor father to watch her grow up. Surely, she felt abandoned, hurt, alone and maybe even defenseless. But her father’s nephew, Mordecai, took her in.

She was a beautiful young lady. Yet life took another twist. As soon as she became a teenager and got accustomed to life with Mordecai, the royal official came and snatched her from that environment and wisked her away to the palace to potentially marry a man that she did not know. But her dysfunction had meaning...

Tell someone, “Your valleys lead to your victories”.

Don’t Forget How Far You’ve Come

Esther made a kind gesture of sending Mordecai some clothing by Hathach once she found out that he was lamenting at the king’s gate in sackcloth and ashes but Mordecai sent the clothing back to her. Mordecai was signaling to Esther that the clothing wasn’t going to solve the issue for his mourning. For a brief flash of time, royalty blinded Esther of how far she had come. Esther grew up a Jewish girl. Raised in Jewish lifestyle. Jewish religion. Jewish celebrations. Esther knew that lamenting in sackcloth and ashes means trouble. But all she did was sent some clothing to Mordecai first until Mordecai’s action let her know that he respone wasn’t good enough.

Doing SOME-THANG IS NOT DOING THE RIGHT-THANG. In any situation there is good THEN there is God! Esther HAD A GOOD-RESPONSE but the circumstance required A GOD-RESPONSE. Comfort blocked her ability to have a hightened sense of her people’s pain. Esther forgot her roots...

Tell somebody, “Don’t forget what it was once like for you”...

Risk Your Comfort for Your Calling

Esther had to rist her comfort for her calling. See, she had to because she was connected to by destiny to her descendants. Your calling is connected to someelse’s deliverance. Your life is bigger than you. It’s been giving to you to be shared by the people that God has ordained for you to come into contact with. Your a SHARE FILE. A SHARE FILE on a electronic device or in the iCLOUD is designed to host valuable information that others from various locations can access in order to thrive, survive, and be successful.

God is the SHARE FILE ORGINATOR. He has put some “important stock” in you that is there for others to access…You’re one of God’s DROPBOX files. A DROPBOX is an electronic file that you can use to upload and host information to too BIG to send through the ordinary path. When He wants to send a BIG blessing; something out of the ordinary path; HE USES YOU!

Don’t Doubt Your Favor With the King

If YOU Keep Silent

Mordecai warns Esther that her silence cannot go without consequences. God refuses to overlook you walk away from destiny.

God would use someone else...

You will miss your own deliverance...

You will have face the same issue that you refuse to address for others...

Give In and Go

Esther engaged Mordecai in a back-and-forth interaction until she finally gave in to the man of God and said, “Okay, I’ll just give in and go. She made a declaration to herself. She stirred up her convictions. She mounted up her faith. She gathered her confidence. She decreed, “I must answer the call.” God needs some folk who will GIVE IN AND GO!