2021 What Now?

2020 What a Year it Was!

Well church, we made it to 2021! Now I don’t have to tell you how crazy weird 2020 was. If you would have asked me to give a prophetic word at the beginning of the year telling you what God said concerning the year, I think I would have failed to speak out because of utter disbelief. We are living through it, and I still can’t believe what this world has come to. More on that a different day because today I want to talk about doing our part as Christians in unbelievable times.

There was another time when things were pretty crazy. Where the world turned upside down for an entire race of people. Not just any people - God’s people.

The background: Our story begins with Xerxes the King of Persia. It is 103 years after Nebuchadnezzar had taken the Jews into captivity (2 Kings 25), 54 years after Zerubbabel led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1,2) and 25 years before Ezra lead the second group to Jerusalem (Ezra 7). All but a few thousand of God’s people -Israel - were in the Persian provinces. The King had the leaders of 127 provinces to come for a celebration to lasted 187 days – more than six months.

It was common for the Persians to put on a feast before launching an invasion. In this case they were planning to invade Greece. It was a feast of drinking, of sin, etc. The King sent for Vashti to come and show her beauty; she refused. The King accepted the suggestion to reject her and choose another to be queen in her stead. Esther was chosen. She was a young, beautiful Jewish girl. She underwent months of training and beauty treatments before she was presented to the King. Her cousin Mordecai had offended a vain official named Haman, who by trickery got a decree signed that all the Jews should be put to death. The decree was unalterable.

For Such a Time as This

Esther 4:13–16 NKJV

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 here we have Mordecai. His thought to Esther was, a great big what if. What if she had come to the throne "for such a time as this?” What did he mean by that? What sort of a time was it?

It was a time when the King and the leaders of the nation were selfish, wicked and immoral. It was a time when Sin Ruled, it was a time when Haman walked the earth and that was a problem for Esther, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews. He was the epitome of anti-semitism. He hated the Jews with a deep passion, and particularly he hated Mordecai. “Why?” You may ask. That’s a good question, so let’s read it together.

Esther 3:1–5 NKJV

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.

Haman

So as we can see, Haman was consumed by hate and bitterness which was birthed from a deep-seated pride. He developed a seething hatred against not only Mordecai but against all of the Jews because they honored God more highly than they honored men. So he devised a scheme and through trickery, he was able to have King Xerxes issue a decree that would have the Jews killed- all 2,000,000 just to have revenge on one man!

Esther 3:8–15 NKJV

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.” Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

Esther

A pretty devious plan to be sure, but God had prepared a trump card in advance. God had a plan that He had put in place ahead of time, and he called her Esther. Esther had something that Haman didn’t have.

A Woman of Promise

She was a woman of promise. One of God’s chosen people. One of the very ones whom Haman had desired so strongly to destroy. Of course, Haman had no idea that Esther was a Jew, but God had conveniently arranged to have this amazing woman in the right place at the right time, or like Mordecai says, “for such a time as this!”

The question then I have for you today is this, could it be that God has you in this day and age for such a time as this? If you are asking, “Pastor, why me? Why would it matter that I’m alive at this time? Then I would ask you a simple question. Are you not a woman or man of promise?

So now that we’ve established the promise part, how does that play out? Well the first thing we need to do is follow Esther’s lead.

She Refused to Remain Silent

Esther was a woman who refused to remain silent. She saw a need, she saw a crisis she saw danger and rather than run and cower in fear, she stood up and faced it. She spoke against the evil in her nation and chose to do something about it. Was it because she was a courageous woman? Not really, it had more to do with the fact that she feared God and loved her people. I’ve taught on this in the past. What is it that casts out fear? Right, it’s love, and how does that work? Well, it works by loving something or someone else so much that you consider the danger to yourself to be less consequential than the threat to your loved ones. Because of that great love and the courage that it gave her, she was a woman who had great courage of her convictions. (v 16b- And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!")

Compare to Vashti

Now let’s compare her to Vashti, because she was also born for such a time as that as well. She was born to be a part of that world system. She was born to live in the debauchery of that time, and in so doing she brought shame upon her husband and exile upon herself.

Because of who she was, Vashti was born for such a time as that!

Do you know the time?

What about you? Do you know what time it is? Are you a person who cowers at the sight of prideful, boastful men? Do you feel victimized by the World’s system? Because, let’s face it; the world’s system is corrupt. There are many times in our Christian walk when we will be forced to take stands for what is right. None more important than in our own families. Even if you have an unbelieving spouse, you are under an obligation to stand for what is right- why? Consider what is at stake.

At work, you should stand for integrity. In all your dealings you should be above reproach. It is hardest to stand above reproach when you are threatened unjustly. It is easy to keep your mouth shut, and not make waves. It is even easier to rise up and rebel against the authorities God has placed over you. So then, what kind of person is needed for such a time as this? Glad you asked.

What is needed in these situations is a person of Character and conviction! You see, character and Conviction cause you to have the favor of God!

Esther 2:8–9 NKJV

So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

How do you account for Esther’s winning over Hegai’s favor? It would be easy to presume that Esther was simply the most stunning of the women- but that would be to forget that Hegai was a Eunuch and had no use for beautiful women .

It could be said that Esther had a way about her. That she came from a noble family and that her parents were wealthy and brought her up in society, so that her breeding is what made her stand out- but that would be to forget that she was an orphan being raised by her COUSIN!

No saints, Esther stood out because she had convictions. The Bible says that when we are people of Righteousness and Excellence we can stand before kings!

Proverbs 16:13 NKJV

Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.

and...

Proverbs 22:29 NKJV

Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Esther and the other girls that were selected were just ordinary girls, so they had to have special preparations before they could be brought before the king. This wasn’t just a day at the spa, no this was a full year of preparations before she could even meet with the king!

Esther 2:12 NKJV

Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.

Historically we understand the preparations: Six months with myrrh. This was done in order to soften the skin. You see, these were common girls, and common girls, worked the field and as a result had very rough skin.

Interestingly too, myrrh is used as an embalming ointment and signifies death. So these girls were symbolically experiencing a death to who they once were, a death to their old lives.

The second six months was spent soaking in perfumes and “preparations.”

The perfumes were used not only to smell nice, but they were used to identify the women as noble- it was the badge they wore. It showed that they belonged in the palace.

The “preparations” were literally soaps and detergents and even scouring pads.

It is also understood that during this year the girls would be learning about life in the palace and a big part of that education would be about the customs, laws and most importantly the protocol for those who were to be in the presence of the king.

So THIS was the Esther to whom Mordecai brought this urgent matter. This is Esther who knew protocol and understood that to ask something of the king in open court like this could mean her death. But again she was a woman of conviction, she was a woman who understood the source of her strength.

Esther 4:15–16 NKJV

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!”

Esther understood authority.

And because she understood authority, she understood the importance of prayer and fasting. How are the two related? Simple, prayer and fasting is the protocol of heaven because fasting is a form of humbling oneself before God. It’s a way that we put God before our own appetites. Think of the position of the hearts of the people at the festival in the beginning of the story.

Vashti – the previous queen’s heart was certainly not humbled- even though the king was just as much to blame as she. She was under obligation to do her husband’s bidding as king.

Fasting is about denying appetites while the whole festival was all about indulging them. The humility of fasting allowed Esther to pass the test that Vashti failed.

Esther understood that she could not usurp the authority that was over her. She knew the correct protocol for approaching the king. She understood that the king had the power to take her life, and so she approached the king in a humble way. Yet even though she knew that the king could take her life, what was at risk was more important than her life.

You were born for such a time as this!!!!

Like Esther we need to be people of Conviction! We may never stand before kings, but we stand daily before our employers, our spouses, and even our children- they value your integrity and your convictions!

Conviction is no less important to God than it is to men- understand that He is the King of Kings. We need to prepare ourselves to go before the King of Kings. We need to allow His Holy Spirit to anoint our lives and make a common man noble! And we need to apply that myrrh to our lives and die to self. We need to allow the perfume of his kingdom be upon us as we worship, and we need to allow his Word to scour us and cleanse us.

We need to understand and submit to God in order to be an agent for change. We need to understand that the king has made a protocol – we can only approach him a certain way- through his son Jesus!

We need to grasp the importance of prayer and fasting.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We need to walk humbly, not only before God, but before the authorities he placed in our lives, and we need to learn how to plead our case humbly. Never have we needed this kind of intercession in our nation as we do today. We need to be so compassionate about out world that our heart needs to break like Jesus’.

If the pandemic wasn’t bad enough, we have a nation divided along racial and political lines. We have a nation where more than 50% of all marriages end in divorce and that breaks the heart of God. We have a nation where 8% of all abortions in America are done for convenience and that breaks the heart of God. We have a nation where children are learning about sex, getting into relationships that most adults don’t have the emotional maturity to understand and the best the “experts” can say is “well you can’t stop them” THAT breaks the heart of God. Alcoholism and drug use are on the rise, as is teen suicide. Human trafficking is rampant and the majority of its victims are children and that breaks the heart of God!

Where are the Esthers today? Where are the Esthers that will stand before the King of Kings and plead for their people? Where are the Esthers who will have the fortitude of character stand and say “If I perish, I perish”?

Where are the Esthers that will fast and pray for their nation? Church, you and I were born for such a time as this! It is on you now! On me, on all of us.

If we hope to live up to the calling of God and be the beacon to the lost this new year, then we must be willing to take hold of that calling. We were saved for a purpose. We must be willing to love so much that we are not afraid for even our own lives. We must walk in humility before God.

Let us pray.