Captivity (Pt 2)

Esther

Introduction: Many people today are wrestling with the questions, “Where is God?” Both those who profess to be Christians, and those who are not experience discouragements, setbacks, bad news, difficulties, and a whole assortment of life challenges that cause us to wonder, “where is God?” It may very well be that our questions are rooted in a very different version of God than the God of the Bible, however, we all know what it feels like to be smashed with the realities of this present world and wonder if there will ever be and deliverance, rescue, freedom, or hope.

Be encouraged today. You are not alone. It is no mistake that you are here, right now, at this moment, to listen to the confident assurance that is revealed in the Bible.

Transition: We have been working through a series that is discovering the big picture of the Bible. We’ve been watching the Bible narrative unfold on the wide screen and discovering God’s master plan unfold. The goal is to see the whole Bible, so that we can make sense of the details.. and this is absolutely the case today as we look at the book of… Esther. Where we discover this main truth:

Esther: God providentially delivers His people.

Transition: I'm going to offer a retelling of this account of Esther and as i do so I want you to pay special attention to the way God orchestrates deliverance for His people. Turn with me and let’s begin reading the first few verses of the account.

Story line of Esther

Read 1:1-4

Not only did the king want to show off his wealth, but also his wife. However, Queen Vashti refuses to be put on display by the king during the party which insights his anger. 1:5-12

After receiving counsel from his so called advisors, King Ahasuerus expels Vashti from her position as queen and bans her from ever being in his presence. His edict went all through out the Medes and Persians. 1:13-22

The king is then counseled to look for a new young dish that would replace Vashti. 2:1-4

It’s at this point in the narrative that we are introduced to the Jewish exiles residing in Susa named Mordecai and Esther. He is a Benjaminite Jew in 586 BC by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. She is an orphan being cared for by her relative Mordecai, and she is beautiful! She is taken into the harem of the king and immediately receives the attention of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of preparing the host of girls who will be presented as options for the King. 2:5-9

We are told in 2:10-11 that… Her caregiver, Mordecai, continues to keep an eye and ear on how Esther is doing.

After a year of preparation, a beauty contest was held and King Ahasuerus picked Esther to be queen and threw a party to celebrate. (2:12-18)

It just so happened that one day when Mordecai was at the kings gate, he overheard a plot to kill the king. He reported this to Esther who passed it on to the king and the assassination attempt was squelched. Mordecai’s name was recorded in the king’s record book. 2:19-23

Then, a guy named Hamman comes on the scene. He is promoted as the king’s right hand man. He is described as an enemy of the Jews. He demands that those at the king’s gate bow down to him, but Mordecai will not do it. Hamman finds out it is because Mordecai is a Jew. Hamman is so proud and evil that he determines to not just go after Mordecai, but to annihilate all the Jews. He tricks the king into signing a decree that.. Read 3:13.

When Mordecai reads the edict, he begins to grieve and summons the help of Esther to do something for her people. She responds by saying it is only a death sentence to anyone who attempts to talk to the king without his invitation. Mordecai replies with what we often note as the key rally cry of the book of Esther. Let’s read it directly from 4:12-17.

Esther presents herself before the king, and he extends his golden scepter to welcome her into his presence. She asks the King to attend a banquet and to invite Hamman. The king approves, and Hamman is elated. However, as soon as Haman goes skipping out the doors, Mordecai is standing there and Hamman becomes more infuriated because he still is not bowing down. After whining to his wife and friends and bragging about his invitation to the banquet, he is advised to have a huge gallows made and ask the king to have Mordecai hanged. And so he did. 5:1-14

On that same night, King Ahasuerus was having trouble sleeping. Like any good king having trouble sleeping he had someone read him his record books. It just so happened, that the person read about Mordecai revealing the assassination plot of the king. * This unfolds so perfectly that I have to just read it directly from 6:3-14.

At the banquet, Esther reveals Haman's plot to annihilate her people, and the king has Haman hung from the same gallows he had built for Mordecai. 7:1-10

Esther was given Haman's house, we might imagine that Haman’s wife was thrilled with that! Mordecai was elevated to the position Hamman had as the King’s right hand man. They issue a new edict that the Jews should defend themselves against their enemies, and so they did and on the day Hamman had intended for annihilation, the Jews defended themselves and destroyed their enemies. 8:1-9:32

The account ends this way.. (read 10:1-3)

Point: God providentially delivers His people.

Even though God is not named in this narrative, His hand of rescue is providentially at work.

That simply means that is actively governing His people , weather they are aware of it or not. It means that God is always working to bring about His plan for His glory and the good of His people. It means that God is not absent, or silent, or mystically hiding until we rub his lamp. No, God is lovingly and constantly ruling every nuance and every detail of His creation.

We see this plainly in the lives of Mordicia and Esther, but we see God’s deliverance ultimately in Jesus Christ.

This act of temporary deliverance for His people during the time of Esther was preparation for eternal deliverance. God continued to providently act for the good of His people by sending a final deliverer. The king of heaven, His one and only Son. Jesus came at just the right time, according to the exact detail of God’s plan. He lived a perfect life, and died the perfect death in the place of His people. Why, so that those who are born again might trust in Christ alone and be delivered from death, hell, and the grave. So that the consequences of our sin that burden us down, cause us conflict, insight pain and hardship might be forgiven and wash whiter than snow.

This is the great hope of deliverance that God has providentially worked out and continues to work out for His people. So, if your not a Christian today.. consider the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is no mistake that you hear this good news that you can be delivered through the death burial and resurrection of Christ. Believe on Him today and be reconciled to God.

If you are a Christian, then let us consider the example of Moredcia and Esther and relish in the good activity of God to use every detail of our lives to bring Him glory and bless us with good.

This blessed assurance keeps our eyes on Jesus during times of covid chaos, national unrest, world wide calamities, family struggles, misunderstandings, marriage problems, sickness, pain, and all the rest. Every molecule of our existence is operating for the glory of God and our good.

Conclusion: God is always acting in loving compassion on behalf of His people. Do I belong to Christ? Am I resting in His providential care?