Are We Willing to Fail?

Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!

Tonight we are going to be looking at the Book of Esther, and we will be pretty much going through all of chapter 4 in the Book of Esther.

The Book of Esther itself is an interesting book written to cover a period of Jewish history between 483-473 BC, when the Jews were under the control of the Persian Empire.

The king at the time was Xerexes I.

And leading up to our focal passage, King Xerexes had excommunicated his queen for disobedience and had set up a beauty pageant to pick her replacement.

Out of that, Esther was chosen to be the next queen.

Esther was a Jew, but her cousin Mordecai had told her to hide her Jewish heritage and had presented her to the king, who she found favor with . This would have been around 479 BC.

Now we skip ahead several years and Haman is promoted to a position of high honor and due to his high position, all the people were to bow down and give honor to Haman.

However, Mordecai refused to do this, so Haman hatches a plan of revenge on Mordecai, but his plan was not only to get back with Mordecai, but to make the entire Jewish people suffer.

So, Haman approaches the king and tells him that these Jews were practicing strange ideas and would not follow the kings laws and as a "good servant " to the king Haman offered to finance the extermination of these people with 10,000 talents of silver ( 12 million ounces). About $380 million worth today!

The king hearing his faithful servant agrees to issue a decree to kill all the Jews but tells Haman to keep his money.

Haman then casts lots during the first month of the year and it was determined that the extermination would begin in the 12th month.

This is where we pick up in chapter 4, but before we get to the meat of the chapter, the main point starts in verse 13, which reads . . .

Scripture Focus

Esther 4:13–17 NIV - Anglicised

he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 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 royal position for such a time as this?” 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 maids 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.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Weeping Over the Decree (vs 1-3)

Now, what I just read was a conversation between Mordecai and his cousin, the queen Esther about the situation that was at hand.

But now, let’s back up and see how we got to this point in the Scripture, starting in verse 1 . . .

Esther 4:1–3 NIV - Anglicised

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. But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no-one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

So, this is referring to the edict or decree that all the Jews would die.

And Mordecai and all the other Jews were devastated by this decree.

To them, life as they knew it was over.

Soon they would all be dead.

This type of decree would have been no different than the horror that they experienced during the holocaust.

So Mordecai tears his clothes and sits outside the king's gate mourning in sackcloth for his people, much like many of his countrymen.

Mourners were not permitted inside the king's gate, but had to stay outside.

But you can imagine the wailing and crying and mourning taking place right outside the kings gate.

Informing Esther of the Decree (vs 4-8)

So loud that those inside the palace could hear what was going on, including Esther, who at the time was pretty much removed from the whole situation.

She had no idea what was even going on.

So, picking up again in verse 4 . . .

Esther 4:4–8 NIV - Anglicised

When Esther’s maids and eunuchs 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. Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

So, Esther, who is inside the palace hears his cries and sees Mordecai's mourning.

She is grieved for her cousin, but thinking that he had just lost a family member, because he was outside in sackcloth mourning, begins to carry out the traditional custom of the people.

She offers her condolences by sending him clothing to change into to let him know it was okay to end his mourning.

Mordecai however, rejects the clothing and Esther is puzzled not knowing what is going on.

So Esther sends her servant, Hathach to Mordecai to see what was going on.

Mordecai tells Hathach their dilemma and even gives him a copy of the decree to take back and show Esther.

Mordecai, also sends word that Esther needs to use her position of influence to go before the king and beg for his mercy on the people, who are "Her people."

Esther’s Response (vs 9-12)

Which is the beginning of the dilemma and situation that Esther now has to face.

So, verse 9 . . .

Esther 4:9–11 NIV - Anglicised

Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “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 he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold sceptre to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

So, do we see the problem here?

Hahatch goes back and tells Esther, but she is really afraid to act on Mordecai’s request.

She informs Hahatch to relay a message back to Mordecai, that it was not possible for her to just approach the king.

She informs him that no one is allowed to the see the king without appointment and if you did, unless the king raised his golden scepter, any intruder, no matter who it was would be killed.

She goes on to tell him that besides, she hasn't even seen the king in a month and it is unlikely that he would agree just to see her.

Mordecai’s Warning (vs 13-14)

But the problem is, she hasn’t even tried.

She hasn’t even begun to take a chance.

After all she is safe right now and things are comfortable for her—right now, so why chance it.

Esther 4:13–14 NIV - Anglicised

he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 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 royal position for such a time as this?”

Bingo!

So Mordecai offers a stern warning to Esther as well.

Don't think that just because you are the queen or in a position of high importance that you can escape the coming destruction.

Don't think that when the day of reckoning comes that you will not answer just like everyone else.

Also, don't think that just because you refuse to do God's will and do this thing, that God will not deliver His people just the same.

Just because you may fail to do God's will, God will prevail and his people will find deliverance.

Esther’s Commitment (vs 15-17)

Mordecai then asks her a question, "Could it be that God has placed you in this position for just a time such as this?"

To which Esther replies . . .

Esther 4:15–17 NIV - Anglicised

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 maids 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.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

So Mordecai got to Esther.

This stirs Esther's heart and she now sees where Mordecai is coming from.

She calls the people to pray and fast for their deliverance.

She indicates that they will pray and fast outside the palace and she and her chambermaids would pray and fast inside the palace.

Esther then resolves that she will go before the king and "if I perish, I perish." If I die, I will die knowing that I was doing God's Will and my death is according to God's Will.

Application/Challenge

And this is a great story of taking a chance for God, but so what?

What does that have to do with us, right?

Well, we know from reading on that Esther did not die and the Jews were spared.

Haman was even killed and Mordecai lifted to a high place of honor.

Well, here it is . . .

Mordecai and the people are representations of ourselves.

Haman and those who want to destroy the people are representations of Satan and his allies.

Esther is a representation of Jesus Christ in our lives.

The people had reached a place where they were hopelessly lost.

They had no idea what direction their life was going.

They had been under the pressure and scrutiny of the world and the walls were closing in on them.

They had run out of ideas and run out of options and were wallowing and anguishing in their misery.

However, there was a way of salvation for them. I

t was a dangerous way and a risky way, but yet a way.

Esther held the key.

However, Esther had to be willing to make the necessary sacrifice to help the people find the way.

It took her a while but she eventually realized that all that was required was her willingness to go, willingness to obey, willingness to be engaged in the process.

Each one of us here are in the same boat as Esther.

God is calling us, and it is risky but the question is, are we willing to take chance?

Are we willing to follow Him where ever He leads?

Are we willing to step out of the boat and trust Him for our needs?

Most importantly, are we willing to try even though we may fail?

AW Tozer said this . ..

No man is worthy to succeed until he is willing to fail. No man is morally worthy of success in religious activities until he is willing that the honor of succeeding should go to another if God so wills. God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man. God will allow His servant to succeed when he has learned that success does not make him dearer to God or more valuable in the total scheme of things. Our great honor lies in being just what Jesus was and is. To be accepted by those who accept Him, rejected by all who reject Him, loved by those who love Him. What greater glory could come to any man?

Folks, we are not guaranteed that every single thing we do will be successful.

However, we are guaranteed that if we follow God and are true to God, we will succeed, because God always succeeds.

We just have to be willing to step up, step out, and take a chance.

Are we willing to do that tonight?

Let’s pray . . .