Radiant Joy, Gladness & Honor

Welcome & Happy Mother’s Day!!

We have a small gift for each mother in attendance today. After the service we will offer a flower to each of you, honoring you and your vital role in our lives. WE thank you for the love and care that you have demonstrated to your children over the years.

Announcement- Business Meeting- Zoom Meeting at 11:45 on Sunday May 17th.

Prayer

Kids’ Corner

Cheerful Giver?

How did you serve someone? What did you cheerfully Give?

Wasn’t it a joy to give and to serve someone?

Worship in Song

It is Well with My Soul

I’m Trading My Sorrows

He Will Hold Me Fast

Something New-

Esther 8:15–17 ESV

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

Light-

Brightness/Luminescent/ Glowing/ Shining/ Radiant

I don’t get the picture of “this little light of mine.” I get the picture of a glow shining forth from each one of the people of God. The actual Hebrew word used here is “Orah”. Maybe you have seen an artists rendition of one of the Saints of Old, and there is a glow or light coming from the saint’s head.

The description in Esther is that the Jewish people, had in essence, an “orah” about them as they responded to the news of the recently released edict, that Mordecai drafted in the king’s name. This gives us the impression that they were easily identifiable, in contrast to other people groups in the Persian Empire at the time, but also, they were drastically different than once described in Esther 4:3 after the reading of the King’s edict, drafted by Haman. Maybe you’ve heard someone describe another person as “glowing”, when they have healthy and cheerful.

Esther 4:3 ESV

3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Gladness & Joy- Joy & Gladness

Mirth/Jubilation/Pleasure/

Genesis 31:27 ESV

27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?

Joyful banquets- Feasting

Jeremiah 7:34 ESV

34 And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste.

Psalm 105:43 ESV

43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.

The people of God were characterized by Radiant Joy, Happiness, Gladness and Mirth.

and finally . . .

Honor

This is the same word that was used to describe Ahasuerus’ wealth and the treasures of his royal kingdom.

Esther 1:4 ESV

4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Splendor/Preciousness/ Honor/ Value/Magnificence/ Pomp

Play Pomp and Circumstance Mix

The idea, here is that the Jewish people were now seen as valuable, once again, in the eyes of the Persians. They were not necessarily elevated to a higher esteem than anyone else, but were valued, as all human lives should be valued, as pricey, precious and that they should be recognized as such.

Precious, is a word I used to describe my granddaughter Reagan Rose, this week. A newborn precious and honored gift from God.

What is the Reason for their Radiant Joy, Gladness, & Honor?

As I was studying this and mulling over the context, of the circumstances that have already taken place in the preceeding chapters and verses, I had to ask, “Why are they so radiantly, celebrating, happy and honored?”

Well, certainly they had recieved good news. The edict that Mordecai wrote in the king’s name was good news, indeed. But it didn’t negate the edict that was already proclaimed by Haman, in the king’s name. So they were still facing a potential battle for their lives.

Certainly they were able to rejoice that justice had been served. At least to the extent that Haman, who was preparing to publicly execute and innocent man, had been executed, for his evil behavior.

But I believe, as we look at the situation the jews found themselves in, indicates that they were in such a luminescent attitude of mirth and rejoicing and splendor, because they had been given hope!

They were not yet entirely spared from the threat of danger, but they were given hope. Hope that they could at least defend themselves against their enemies. The playing field had been leveled.

Cause & Effect-

Were these attributes of light, gladness, joy and honor the result of the works that Esther had done?

It is easy for Christians, people who believe in God, to think of the circumstances of our lives in this way. From a moralistic punishment and reward system. It certainly is tempting to think of our lives this way. Especially, when we’ve done a good deed and life is going well.

Celebration of the Hope of Life

The celebration of communion is based solely upon the GOOD, Holy, Righteous, Loving character of God. This was exemplified, most intimately for mankind, in the person of Jesus Christ.

And Christ told his disciples, at the last supper that they were to do this, in remembrance of Him. Christ’s willing sacrifice, was the greatest gift from our loving, heavenly Father, and it is good for us to stop and take the time to remember the gift of His body and His blood, which was poured out so that we could have the forgiveness of our sings.

Even as we have been able to see, the primary message of the book of Esther, is that God is a promise keeping, covenant sealing faithful God, we also recognize that His intention and plan was to offer a New Covenant, through which He would not only fulfill the former covenants, but also reveal Himself to us in an even more intimate and precious promise.

The writer of Hebrews explains this in Heb 9.

Hebrews 9:15–28 ESV

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Celebration of Salvation through Communion

As the Elders pass out the elements for communion please listen to the words of the songs that are playing-

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

The potential effect of our Radiant Joy, Gladness and Honor is that others will come to know the Joy of our Salvation in their own lives.

Esther 8:17 ESV

17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

This isn’t a boasting of ourselves, it is a outward flow of the blessedness, which we have recieved from our Savior and Lord.

Worship- Even So Come

Celebration of Mothers this Mother’s Day.

We have flowers for each mother that is present today. So mothers, please drive past the front entrance of the building as you leave, where we will hand you a flower, in honor of you this Mother’s Day.

Prayer-