For Such A Time As This

For Such A Time As This

The title of my message is “For Such a Time as This”.

I’m going to be sharing the story of Esther.

Esther is one of the great stories in the Old Testament.

There is so much we can learn from her life.

One thing that is interesting to note about the book of Esther is that this is one of the only books in the Bible that does not mention God AT ALL in the entire book.

It does not say God or Lord or anything like that.

Song of Solomon is the other book.

Why would God allow a book in the Bible that doesn’t mention Him at all?

Why would He have a story in there that doesn’t talk about Him?

Many people believe it’s because it shows even though God isn’t the center of this story, His fingerprints are still all over it.

It reminds us that even in our lives when it seems like God isn’t there, you can look and see His fingerprints in our lives.

We can see how He moved and orchestrated things.

So what I want to do today is look at the story and pull some things out of this that I think definitely apply to us today.

I’m going to give you the abbreviated version of the story and then pull some specific verses that really stood out to me.

The story of Esther takes place during the reign of King Xerxes.

The story starts off with King Xerxes throwing a big banquet for his people.

One of the nights while drunk (the bible says he was in good spirits from wine) he asks Queen Vashti to come walk around with her crown on for everyone to see her beauty.

Now at first this seems harmless.

However the law prohibited anyone from looking on the faces of the royal women.

So by doing this it’s kind of a slap in her face.

Not only that but some scholars believe that when it says for her to wear her crown and walk around he meant JUST her crown.

So the Queen refuses.

Naturally that’s unacceptable.

Xerxes advisors convince him that he must do something about this because if the Queen is willing to disobey her husband, the king, how many other women will stand up and disrespect their husbands.

So they convince Xerxes to ban Queen Vashti from his presence and to replace her as Queen.

So they decide to do a beauty contest.

Whoever wins becomes Queen.

One of the girls that was picked to be a part of this was a Jewish girl named Hadassah or Esther.

Esther was an orphan

She had an older cousin named Mordecai that raised her like a father.

When Esther was chosen to be a part of this “beauty contest” he told her to NOT let them know she is a Jew.

There’s lots of speculation out there on why he told her to do this.

Some say it was because they would force her to do things that would go against the jewish law.

Some think that they would just look down on her and wouldn’t even consider her because she’s a jew.

Either way Esther listened to Mordecai and didn’t reveal she was jewish.

Long story short, Esther has favor with King Xerxes and he makes her Queen.

Now Mordecai at this time would hang around the King’s courtyard just to make sure everything was ok with Esther.

During his time there a man named Haman, who is basically King Xerxes right hand man comes along.

Everyone was to bow and honor Haman but Mordecai did not.

This enraged Haman

But he didn’t want just Mordecai to suffer, he wanted his people to suffer.

So he goes to King Xerxes to try to get him to destroy all the Jews.

And listen to how he describes them.

Esther 3:8 “Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.”

Notice how he doesn’t say who the people group is.

I feel like this is a great description of what the church is supposed to look like today.

They keep themselves separate.

As the church we should not physically try to separate from the world because how will we reach them?

But I do think we are called to be separate from the “things” of this world.

He said “their customs are different from ours.”

We aren’t meant to join in the customs of this world just because people around us are doing them.

Just because our culture says something is ok when the bible clearly states it’s not, doesn’t mean we follow the culture.

But what really stood out to me here was when he says, “they do not obey the king’s laws”.

The Old Testament is full of people who went against the laws of the king.

Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego come to mind right away.

These heroes in the bible knew that GOD was the ultimate authority and they would not disobey Him, even if it meant breaking the laws of their land.

It’s a scary place to be but as Christian’s we have to have the mindset of, I will follow the laws of this land UNLESS they tell me to go against the Word of God.

If every church in the world listened to their government when it came to their faith, how could the gospel get spread in other countries?

Countries where it’s illegal to follow Jesus and they are forced to have underground churches.

But they do it because the Word of God tells them too!

Our supreme authority is GOD!

And I pray that this country doesn’t put us in positions that we have to choose between our faith and the law but we need to be willing to do what’s right!

ANYWAYS!!

Continuing on with our story!

So Haman convinces Xerxes to sign off on this idea.

Mordecai gets word of this and reports to Esther.

He tells her she has to talk to Xerxes and tell him to stop this.

However there is a problem

Noone, including the Queen can approach the King without being summoned.

Esther 4:11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

This isn’t a simple conversation that a normal couple could just talk about over dinner.

Back then you don’t see the King even if you’re Queen unless you’re summoned.

And if you just show up and he doesn’t extend the his gold scepter to welcome you, they kill you.

But Mordecai has a response that I just love.

Esther 4:14 “ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Mordecai is saying, maybe God put you in this position for exactly this situation.

That maybe God will give you favor with Xerxes and you will save the Jewish people.

I was thinking about “for such a time as this” and it got me thinking.

We talk a lot about how we need to quit looking in the past and look to the future that God has for us.

Last week I asked the question, “what are you hoarding?”

What are things that you are having a hard time letting go of.

A lot of the time those things are offenses and hurts from your past.

We can’t truly fulfill God’s future plans for our lives if we’re too busy looking in the past.

But then I was thinking when reading this, sometimes we get stuck looking into the future.

How many times in your life have you said things like…

I can’t wait to graduate high school and go to college

I can’t wait until I’m done with college and get a real job

Just get me through the week and to the weekend

Just get me to my vacation

I can’t wait until I get the job that God REALLY wants me to have and has called me to do.

There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to something.

But so much of our life can be stuck looking into the future of what God has for us that we miss what He wants to do through us now!

We don’t realize that God is saying to us, you are where you are FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!

God doesn’t just have a plan and a calling for you in the future, He has one for you right now.

You may hate your current job but God put you there for a reason.

Maybe there’s someone there you’re supposed to witness to?

Maybe you’re going to learn something about yourself that is going to benefit you for His future plans?

Teenagers, stop focusing on what God’s long term plans are for you and look and see what He wants you to do now.

God has put you in your school for such a time as this.

For you to be that example and witness to your peers.

Many of the hero’s in the bible, including many of the disciples were most likely teenagers.

Young people have the power to do incredible things for the Lord.

But they have to stop focusing only on what God plans are for their future and start thinking about how God wants to use them now!

Think about this.

God could have created you at any time in history.

But He chose to create you during THIS time.

God knew what was going to happen when 2020 hit.

And God said I need YOU to be right where you are to impact the people around you for my glory.

Some of us need to take a break from praying about our future and start praying, “God what do you want me to do NOW?”

Who do you want me to reach NOW?

What are you trying to teach me NOW?

Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

We tend to plan out the course that we think God wants us to go on.

But we need the Lord to establish our steps.

To me that means looking at the big picture of what you think God is EVENTUALLY calling you to, but in the meantime focusing on the STEPS God is wanting you to take now while you wait for that future.

And then when you realize God has put you in this position for such a time as this, you need to have BOLDNESS to do what God wants you to do.

Esther received that message from Mordecai and knew what she had to do.

So she worked up the courage and boldness to go before the King.

And he welcomed her!

She was able to convinced Xerxes from destroying the Jews and he actually had Haman put to death.

Esther could have sat back and been quiet and her people would have been destroyed.

But she chose to say, “Maybe God put me here for a reason, and maybe I’m supposed to DO SOMETHING about this.”

This country is divided.

There are a lot of people who are hurting and don’t have hope.

God has put YOU HERE AND NOW to spread the hope of Jesus.

To stand up for the TRUTH!

To be that example of Jesus Christ to those around you.

I believe this country is ready for revival!

But it’s going to take the church to stand up and be BOLD and understand that they have a vital part in God’s plan.

That they have a job to do RIGHT NOW!

So my challenge to you is this…

Stop focusing on what God has for you in the future and start focusing on what God has for you now!

I promise you will have a different outlook at your job or school or wherever you are if you have the mindset of, “God has me here for such a time as this and I’m going to seek HIS plan and reasoning for me to be here now!”

And then have the boldness to do what He’s calling you to do.

Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Do this and watch how effective you are for the Kingdom of God.

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