Esther 2:1-18

Begin with Esther 2:1-7

What Has Happened:

- King Xerxes has thrown a part to show off all his power and possessions .

- At the end of this part he request that his queen come out and dance before his drunk friends that her beauty might be seen.

- Queen Vashti refuses and this displeases the King, and his “wise men” counsel him to send out a decree, that all women by honor and respect their husbands, this is law.

- Vashti is banished from the kingdom, in hopes that this single incident doesn’t become the first domino falling in a long line.

- In the moment this pleases the King.

What’s Going On Now:

- Three-Four years has passed in our story.

- The Biblical writer doesn’t feel us in on what has transpired since Xerxes makes his royal decree.

- History gives a little account on what took place in those three years.

- An abbreviated account is this Xerxes has lead his army to invade and conquer Greece, but his military campaign has failed and they have retreated back Susa.

- As Xerxes sits in the citadel his anger is calmed and begins to think of Vashti.

- This is where we begin this morning.

Main Idea: By God’s grace we are delivered and not discarded. He delivers us from sin and ourselves and then chooses to use us for his purposes.

With that in mind I want us to look at some lessons we learn from this passage this morning.

1. The counsel we seek matters! (1-4)

- Chapter one should have made it clear that Xerxes need better counsel.

- Many times choice made in haste lead to remorse.

- As we find Xerxes in chapter two he has a since of remorse over the decision he made about Queen Vashti.

- This isn’t a remorse that led to repentance, but a remorse that lead to another flesh filled decision.

- But again they will lead him to make another strange decision.

- The “wise men” counsel him to collect the most beautiful virgins in the land and spend each night with one of them, until he finds the one that pleases him the most. (2-3)

- This please the kings flesh and he goes forward with the plan.

- Even though it sounded good it wouldn’t fill his need…Everything the world has to offer, will never fulfill our greatest need

Take away: Unlike Xerxes we need to seek counsel that propel of faith, not feed the flesh.

2. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we did choose and because of decision we did not make . (5-7)

- Here we meet two new individuals into the story, Esther (the name sake of this narrative) and her cousin Mordecai.

- Mordecai is trying to care for his cousin…He has basically adopted her and carried for her after the loss of her parents.

- We get a little excited when we hear there are Jews in Susa…

- We need to ask a couple of questions…

- Why are they here…The answer is the opening verse of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzer came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. Then he carries his captives to Babylon.

- However, in the book of Ezra, under the rule of King Cyrus, the people were allowed to return to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord…basically they had been freed to go home.

- So why are they still there…Someone in the family of Mordecai and Esther has chosen to be disobedient and stay…and as a result they are still in Susa

- They are on the verge of pain and uncertainty because of decisions made by someone before them.

- Even though we are impacted by the bad decisions of those who are before us, it doesn’t mean that God forgets us.

Take Away: Even when we are living in pain and uncertainty we can choose how are going to live, know that God can choose to deliver rather than to destroy.

3. Persevere and trust in the Lord, even when compromise would be easier. (8-18)

- We should not be surprised that we immediately go from a description of Esther’s beauty to her being picked up and taken in to the Kings palace as a result of the Kings decree.

- I need to offer a warning here…Don’t read the end of the story into the beginning…In doing so we miss truths and lessons that we need…Remember even though we do not have everything we want we do have everything we need.

- This section is tough because we see the compromise and concealment.

a. Mordecai and Esther don’t fight her being taken into custody (8)

b. Esther doesn’t reveal her nationality, at the advice of Mordecai (10)

c. Mordecai is concerned…He walks in the courtyard trying to get an update on her. (11).

d. The events that transpire…

- Before I go on let me pause and offered a word of wisdom to all the husbands in the room. Next time it takes your wife an hour to get ready, just be thankful it doesn’t take a year.

- Back to the events. These women leave one groups as virgins, spend the night with the king, and leave the next morning joining a group of his concubines. This means that at some point during the night the woman goes from a virgin to marital status with the King.

- Again, lots of compromise…

- Despite all this we will find that God grants Esther favor…

a. With Hegai the eunuch (9)

b. In the eyes of all who saw her (15)

c. King of Xerxes (17)

- Eventually Esther becomes the queen who replaces Vashti…The King loves her and throws another feast and gives gifts (repealed taxes and was generous)

Take Away: Despite the compromise and concealment God is using and will use Esther…Remember that despite past compromise God can still use you. (Think of not only Esther, but also Peter)

We are not perfect by God’s plan is…

4. No one compares to Christ.

- We end with Esther being crowned Queen.

- Xerxes authority was for his own pleasure…but Jesus exercises his authority for our good.

a. John 10 says that Christ as the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

Xerxes was only worried about this own life.

b. John 17 Jesus prays that the love that God has loved Him with would be in us.

Xerxes wanted people to see his greatness, Jesus wants us to experience it.

- Xerxes after his night with the women left them to shame. They are taken from their families as beautiful virgins and left in shame to concubines for the King.

- Jesus takes away our shame. The cross not only pays our penalty that sin has brought upon us, but it also takes away the shame. In the cross we are made whole.

- Mordecai could only check on Esthers situation…but Jesus can change our situation.

- Mordecai doesn’t do everything we hope he would, but he does care for Esther….but as much as he cars for her he can’t change her situation.

- We all have people in our lives that care about us, but only Jesus can change the situation that we are in.

- He does this through the cross.