Esther 3:1-15 | Where is God when evil surrounds me?
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Where is God when evil surrounds me? That is our question of the day!
If you are new to Emmanuel, welcome! We are so glad you are joining us today! As mentioned earlier, if you are our guest, we are asking you to do one of two things for us today. Either, fill out a friendship card in the pew rack in front of you and place it in the offering box as you leave the auditorium. Or, you can go online to emmanuelbloom.com/guest and let us know of your visit today. That’s the first step in us knowing that you are here and us having proper record of your visit.
We are in our second study in the book of Esther, the Old Testament book that never mentions the name God.
If you weren’t able to join us last week, we have titled this series of sermons, Where is God? And we are looking at the story of Esther and how it relates to various situations in life.
As a reminder church, the Bible is a compilation of 66 books that are all about God. You and I are not at the center of the narrative, God is.
Especially as American readers, we tend to read the bible with us in mind - as if we are at the center of the story. But that is simply not true. At the center of the Bible narrative is God and His grace toward His chosen people.
Therefore, as we read the various genres of Scripture, we are wise to consider the authorial intent of the one God used to write that particular passage in light of the rest of the Bible’s narrative.
Friend, our desire as a church is for you to know God well, by knowing his Word well. So we walk through books of the bible, alternating often from the new and old testament, so that we can learn about the main character of all the bible, and the center of all history - God Himself.
And as we come to the book of Esther, we see God on display, but behind the scenes.
As many of you will recall, this story is broken into 5 different scenes. And last week in Scene 1 we looked at the question:
“Where is God when those in charge are wrong?”
And as we perused the pages of chapters 1-2, we learned some very fascinating details about the opening of this book.
To catch us all up, in the first scene of Esther you have:
King Xerxes (the ruler of the known world of this time) in the middle of 5th century BC.
He ruled a huge portion of that side of the globe, except a section of Greece that he failed to conquer. Other than that, he is ruling over 127 provinces that span from upper Egypt to India. Following in the footsteps of his father, Darius the Great, Xerxes is all about everyone knowing how awesome he is.
So he throws a 6 month long party and invites many of the important people in his provinces to come celebrate him.
One day, Xerxes decides to have his wife, Queen Vashti, leave a party that she was hosting to come and show off her beauty to all of his friends. She refuses, and Xerxes is furious.
He receives some bad council from his advisors and they put a plan in place to banish Vashti and write an edict that would be sent to all the provinces that woman are to submit to their husbands.
After the rage (and alcohol) wear off, Xerxes misses his wife and slumps into some form of depression. His helpers devise a plan to bring in all the available young woman from all the provinces in order to refresh Xerxes by finding him a new Queen.
It just so happens, that Esther (an ethnic jew who remained back from the Babylonian Captivity) wins the favor of the King and becomes the next queen. It also is serendipitous, that Mordecai, Esther’s cousin who is also her guardian, overhears a plot against the King and is able to send a message to safeguard Xerxes life. The assassins are caught, and Mordecai’s name is recorded in the history records. And the curtain drops on Scene 1.
And as we looked a little closer at the story, and considered the details of what is going on, we quickly realize the wickedness of Xerxes and those who rule alongside him.
For starters, the pride and selfishness that exude from Xerxes and his advisors is hard to swallow.
Second, they uproot the lives of all these people and hold this immoral pageant, simply to appease one man.
Third, the disregard for humanity in general and the desire for power and recognition at whatever cost is hard to reconcile.
However, as someone mentioned to me this week as we reflected on the study from last Sunday, isn’t it interesting to see this being played out similarly right before our eyes on the world stage with Russia and Ukraine?
Pride, selfishness, immorality, disregard for human dignity and sanctity all for the desire of power and recognition.
However, we view the details of Esther alongside the rest of the Scriptures and learn that God is still present. In fact, even as sin is rampant, and evil men rule with little regard for others, God is still at work - faithfully fulfilling His plans and promises.
As modern day readers, we have the blessing of seeing where the history of Esther led - to God caring for His people. And friend, history repeats itself. God cares for His own!
But before we get the cart before the horse, we enter scene 2 of this excellent story in chapter 3.
Hopefully you took the time this week to read chapter 3. If you are joining us for the story, we encourage you to do that each week - to read ahead in the story before you get to the next Sunday. This will help as we put the story in context and see how it all fits together. At some point this week I hope you will read chapter 4 in preparation for next Sunday.
Regardless of your reading this past week, here in chapter 3, the story of Esther is becoming more intense. The tension is building, and it begins in v. 1 with this:
1. The Deluge of Evil (vv. 1-4)
We notice some history to this flood of evil starting in chapter 3 verse 1, that:
1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him.
At first glance, this may not seem like much of a sentence. However, remember what just happened as scene 1 closed out.
The character Mordecai thwarted an assassination plan on the King.
But as we start chapter 3, a new character, Haman, is promoted to second in command (similar to what we would know as Prime Minister in more recent times).
This doesn’t seem fair. Shouldn’t Mordecai be recognized for his heroism? We know that the account was written in the history log book for that day, but who is going to be reading those?
To make matters worse, the new guy who is second in command, is from a long line of Hebrew God haters. As you will remember from last week, both Esther and Mordecai are Jews - they are the people of the God of the Hebrews.
As I mentioned a few moments ago, it is crucial as Bible students to do our best to learn the intent of the Author of the book that we are studying. In other words, “Why did the author write what they wrote?”.
And in considering authorial intent, we notice that the author doesn’t simply mention that Haman is advanced, but that Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammadetha, is advanced.
There is a reason the author mentions Haman’s lineage.
If you know much about Jewish history, by reading the OT, you may recall the children of Israel exiting from Egypt and the long journey back to the promised land.
Along that journey, weary and vulnerable, we see them attacked by the Amalakites in Exodus 17.
This is the battle when Moses goes on top of a hill with Aaron and Hur and while he has his hands raised high, Joshua and God’s people prevailed, however when his hands lowered Amalek prevailed. So, as the story goes, they pull a stone over for Moses to sit on, and Aaron and Hur proceed to hold Moses’ hands up for the duration of the battle.
Israel prevails there at Rephidim, and it is recorded that the Lord will eventually blot out the people of Amalek, but that there would be war with them from generation to generation.
And indeed there was.
In fact, Moses reminds them of what the Amalekites did to them just before entering the promised land, in Deuteronomy 25, and says, when you are settled and have peace all around you, don’t forget the Amalakites and when the directive comes, blot them out from the face of the earth.
Fast forward a few centuries, to about 1000 BC, and in 1 Samuel 15, you have King Saul, the one ruling the Israelites at that time, given the directive to wipe out the Amalakites. Saul does things his own way, keeping back the best, including Agag the King, and actually is dethroned because of his disobedience.
So you have this repeated hostility, first in Exodus 17 with Moses and Amalek, then with their descendants in 1 Samuel 15 you have King Saul and King Agag, and as you fast forward another five or so centuries, you have our current story nestled in the Persian Empire with Mordecai (descendant of Saul) and Haman (the Agagite - descendant of Agag).
Remember, Authorial Intent, we will see why Haman’s lineage is so important in a few verses.
From this history lesson in v. 1, we see in vv. 2-4 that it was normal for those in attendance to bow to those in authority. In fact, as now the second in command, all the officials are showing respect to Haman.
Well, everyone except Mordecai.
2. The Destructiveness of Evil (vv. 5-7)
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.
6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
Mention time frames (1-2 about 4 years) (12th year - about 9 years have passed since story began)
3. The Deceptiveness of Evil (vv. 8-11)
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them.
9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews.
11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
4. The Dissemination of Evil (vv. 12-15)
13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day.
The decree is written, sealed, and sent! This is going to happen!
15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Things are looking very bleak!
The enemy of God’s people is number 2 in the known world and has lied his way to a plan that will ruin everything!
It is a very fitting time to ask:
Where is God when evil surrounds me?
Throughout this scene, we find an enemy of the people of God using his power to try to get rid of them. However we recognize, as the author leads us, that this is not a racial issue, as much as it is a religious one.
The flood of evil against righteousness began years before this example in Esther.
In fact, we read in Genesis of Cain killing Abel. There are various views to why he did this after his failed attempt to make a sacrifice to God. However, John gives us further insight to why he did it:
12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
There is a historical war that extends all the way back to the first few humans who occupied the earth - and it is a war between evil and righteousness. And this war that began in Genesis 4 has emanated throughout history.
We see it in Genesis 4, and in Exodus 17. We are reminded about it in Deuteronomy 25 and again here in the book of Esther. Jesus warned about it in the Sermon on the Mount that Lena read from earlier in Matthew 10, and we see it again in John 15:8-16:4.
If you have your bibles, turn there with me to John 15.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
Friend, humanity has always been at war. Since the fall of humanity in Genesis 3, evil and righteousness has constantly been at war.
And if you choose to follow Jesus, by living a life that is contrary to the sin of our day, you will be persecuted.
It may come in the form of persecution like our brothers and sisters in underground churches in China.
It may come in the form of a cold shoulder at work or exclusion from a particular group of friends.
It may come in the form of mean comments or little sneers as you walk by.
It may come, young person, as not getting to play as many minutes as some others on your ball team because you stood up for what you believe in.
Regardless, those who live contrary to a culture that is contrary to God will face hardship.
And friend, it may not be popular. It may not be convenient. It may very well cost you a relationship or a job.
But understand this friend, the hardship you may face for living righteously is not new.
Where is God when evil surrounds me?
Does he not know? and if He does, does He even care?
Where is God when evil surrounds me?
He is here, as always, faithfully fulfilling His plans and promises.
Community Questions
1. Did anything unique stand out to you in Esther 3?
2. How does the history of Haman’s hatred for Mordecai (Agagites vs. Israelites) help you understand the broader context of persecution toward people who follow God?
3. Read John 15:8-16:4. How do Jesus’ words prepare those who will follow Him? How does that relate to our study in Esther 3?
Reading ahead for next Sunday - Esther 4:1-17