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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our passage today from Acts chapter 1 we find Jesus getting ready to ascend into heaven. Now if I were one of the disciples who had been with Jesus during these 40 days following His resurrection, I cannot even imagine the grief I would feel. I’d be clinging to Jesus’ feet, never wanting to let Him go. To be in a world without the visible presence of Jesus was something these disciples did not want to experience again. But Jesus had said back in…
John 16:7 (ESV)-- 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. Comforter-- And of course He was talking about the Holy Spirit, the One here called the Helper. Some translations read Comforter. And Comforter is not a bad translation; but the word incorporates much more than what we typically mean by our English word “Comforter”. Yes, the Holy Spirit comforts us, but a better translation is Helper or “the one who strengthens/empowers”; because the Holy Spirit is the One who enstrengthens and empowers us to be like Jesus. He is the One who had anointed Jesus’ own life and ministry and is the One Christ promises will empower ours as well, convicting us, drawing people to Christ, shaping us into His image, and helping us to carry out His mission. He is also the one who teaches us and reminds us of what Christ has said (John 14:26). But He is also Jesus’ guarantee that His followers (including us) will never be alone. Because He would bring the presence of God into their very hearts and lives. Jesus (Immanuel) had been God with them. The Holy Spirit would be God in them. And so (as unbelievable as it might seem) the Holy Spirit actually brings God even closer to us than Jesus had been to these disciples when He was on earth. And with God in them, they could finally be empowered to be like Jesus. Jesus had said in… Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” “Be My Witnesses”-- Now that verse, [Verse 8 is the thematic statement for all of Acts. It begins with the Spirit’s power that stands behind and drives the witness to Jesus. {And} Then it provides a rough outline of the book: Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), Judea and Samaria (chs. 8–12), and the end of the earth (chs. 13–28).] And so right at the outset we see God’s plan for the Gospel to reach beyond just Jerusalem; beyond just the Jews. God’s salvation would be for the whole world. Now it says in… Acts 1:9 (ESV)-- 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Here All Along-- Not long ago, after preaching on this passage in my Church, I had a dear woman approach me afterwards with a look of disappointment on her face. And she told me why. She said that she appreciated the message, but wished that I had spoken more about the ascension. And she was right. I had gone through it way too quickly. And maybe that is because we naturally think of the ascension of Christ as kind of small potatoes in comparison to His death and resurrection; or even His future coming. And that is something I think a lot of us pastors I think rush through, missing some of the amazing applications that the ascension of Christ has for you and for me today. A godly man whose writings have been some of the most formative for me in and throughout the years is Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. And even he once said: [As a pastor I had never preached a sermon on the ascension. I had preached on Christ’s birth, his baptism, the events in his life, his death, and his resurrection, but I had never preached on his ascension. {And so he said} Because I thought that there must be something significant in that story, I began to prepare a sermon on it, trying to understand what the significance is. {And he says} As I worked, I thought of two questions: How far did Jesus go? And how long did it take him to get there? Then {he said} I laughed at my own stupidity. How far is a space question. He created space. He was there before there was space. He is not in space; he transcends space. Space is in him. How long is a time question. He created time because it is a reflection of space, a reflection of the creation. Days, hours, and minutes are part of created experience; they are not part of God’s experience. He is not bound by time or space. {And he says} When I reached that point in my thinking, I had a moment of revelation. When Jesus returns, he will not have to travel through space; nor will it take him any time, for he is Lord of space and time. That means he is already here. He never really left. We just don’t have the capacity to recognize his holy presence. We speak of having Christ in our hearts. The reality though is that we are in him because there is nowhere he is not. As Paul said to the Athenians, “He is not far from each one of us; for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27–28). {And he says} Suddenly I found that I had a sense of his nearness that I had never had before. When Jesus comes again and our eyes are opened to see him, I think we will realize that he has been here all along.] What an amazing thing to think about; the fact that Jesus (although He ascended) has actually neither left nor forsaken us. Perhaps we also often overlook the end of the Great Commission passage given to us in… Matthew 28:20b (ESV)-- …And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He Has Never Left You-- The reality is that Jesus has never left you. There has never been one single moment in your walk with Christ where He has ever left you. And He will never leave you. Now it says in… Acts 1:10-11 (ESV)— 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In A Human Body-- Now a key thing to recognize here is that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father still bearing His physical resurrected body. [The amazing miracle of the incarnation is not only that the eternal Son of God took human nature on himself and became a person who is simultaneously God and man, but also that he will remain both fully God and fully man forever.] He has brought humanity into the very being of God. God has joined mankind in the flesh of Jesus Christ. And the angels reveal that someday Jesus is going to return just as they saw Him leave; with that same resurrected body. His [return, like his ascension, will be bodily and visible.] Maranatha-- And we as followers of Christ have been looking forward to His return ever since that very day. In fact, the early church didn’t say “hello” or goodbye.” Rather they said “Maranatha”, which is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” They were always looking forward to that day when Christ would return. Get Going!!!-- Now I think it is kind of humorous how the angels ask the disciples why they are standing there, as if it was an everyday thing to see our Lord ascend in a cloud into heaven. But it’s the angels’ way of saying, “All right guys, the show’s over. Christ gave you a very important commission to complete. Go prepare for it.” And the disciples turn and leave. And it says in… Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)--12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Waiting in Prayer— And so we see [The main activity in the upper room was prayer. Jesus had told them “to wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), but “waiting” on God and prayer are closely related in several places in the OT, and therefore it is likely that they were praying constantly that the promised Spirit would descend.] An Explosion Through Prayer— Now (perhaps like the ascension) we often also skip over this section because we want to get to the good stuff; Pentecost and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in and through the disciples. But what we so often miss is that the Holy Spirit only came after the disciples had a 10 day, nonstop prayer meeting. They were praying together, confessing sins, becoming of one mind and of one accord. They are saturating themselves in prayer. And throughout the book Acts we see that everything the disciples did was centered on prayer. What is revival?— Now I hear a lot of people say how they want to see revival happen in our nation. But do we want revival like this? Are we hungry enough to seek the Lord like these few disciples did? You know, a lot of times we get it backwards when it comes to how we understand how revival comes. We don't want to pray or draw close to God by ourselves. We want God to do all the work for us; so we ask God to bring us revival; to make us hungry for prayer; hungry for him. But God says, “No no no. Pray first; then I’ll make you hungry. I don't think it's an accident that James 4:8 (ESV) says: 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you... First comes obedience— You see, first comes obedience, then comes the presence of God. We obey first; we draw near to Him whether we feel like it or not and then He will draw near to us. We choose to go to church whether we feel like it or not; we read our Bibles whether we feel like it or not; we pray whether we feel like it or not. We seek God out every moment of the day because it is in the times when we don’t feel like doing these things and yet do them out of obedience; it is in those times that God is most pleased and often pours out His greatest blessings. And so I want to encourage you today to draw close to God. Allow His Holy Spirit to fill and renew you in the image of your Creator. And with that renewing will come a mighty power; a power He can use to help change the world. Draw near to Him today. Amen.
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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In today’s message from the book of Acts, we are going to discuss the greatest call that you and I can have on our lives.
Close to Extinction-- I remember in one of the writings of the late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, his asking: [And what is the first call for each one of us? It is to understand God’s primary description of who and what we are. {Ravi Zacharias put it thus:} All the other accolades that people want to thrust at us are secondary at best. The fact that someone writes, another speaks, still others invest or play sports, is merely the means to express the greater end. {He said} Some time ago, I attended a Bible study session with some sports professionals. The speaker that morning challenged the players to leave a legacy they could be proud of. He began by asking them how many knew the name of their great-grandfather. A handful of hands went up. Then he asked how many of them knew where their great-grandfather was buried. Most of the hands stayed down. With each more specific question, fewer hands went up. He then made his point: “Each one of us is just three to four generations away from extinction.” {Ravi said} Silence gripped the room. How sobering to think that, just a few generations down the family tree, no one would even know I had ever existed! Then the speaker challenged these men about the legacy they would leave behind. One after another, the players responded. But then one said, “Really, I don’t care whether or not my great-great-grandson or great-granddaughter knows that I played ball professionally. It really doesn’t matter that much. I just want them to know the God I served and loved.” The words came from the heart, and for a moment, in the silence, {Ravi said} we all knew the truth of both thoughts. Our devotion to God’s call and to his claim on our lives provides the groundwork of all that ultimately matters. Words like those of the professional ballplayer are all the more profound, because many of our youth consider his calling a dream. But the greatest dream of all is to know God and to know what he has intended for your life.] The greatest call upon your life is the call He has given for you to follow Him in radical, world-changing discipleship. Soldiers of the Cross-- And that was Jesus’ ultimate mission while here on earth (aside from the cross); to make disciples who would be world-changers. As someone once pointed out: [He did not want to be just a Bible teacher to a group of spiritually hungry souls who would get their only ration of spiritual food once a week from his sermons. He wanted to train a band of strong, rugged soldiers of the Cross who would then collaborate with him in the work of the ministry in the church.] No Other Plan-- And the man who said that (LeRoy Eims) also shared a personal story in his book The Lost Art of Disciple Making. He said: [I had gone to a Christian conference and in one of the messages the speaker was emphasizing how vital these men were to Jesus’ mission. He told us a story that stirred our imaginations. He spoke of the return of Jesus to heaven—His ascension—and the excitement that it caused among the angels. He painted quite a picture, for he was good with words. He told of one of the angels who asked the returned Son of God a question, “What plan do You have to continue the work You began on earth?” Without hesitation Jesus answered, “I left it in the hands of the apostles.” Another angel asked, “What if they fail?” Again there was no hesitation, “I have no other plan.” The speaker assured us it was only a story, but it got the point across. The future of Christianity, humanly speaking, rose or fell on the ministry of these men.] Our Responsibility-- Now when you think about that, the implications are profound. Jesus has entrusted the success of His Great Commission to you and to me. He has placed the fate of the world in our hands. It is up to the obedience of individual men and women who (daily) have to choose how sold out they are to Jesus Christ; just how dedicated they are to Christ’s mission of discipleship. And that is a choice that you and I have to make as well. Are we going to orient our lives around Jesus Christ and His mission? The 40-day gap— Now in our passage today, Jesus had recently risen. But the ascension doesn’t happen right away. There is a forty-day gap between the resurrection and the ascension in which Jesus is appearing to the disciples, instructing them, training them, and preparing them for His ministry that they are about to continue in the world. Verse 3 says that He was also speaking to them about the kingdom of God; that kingdom they would soon be bringing people into. And it says in… Acts 1:4-5 (ESV)-- 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Awaiting The Holy Spirit-- So we see here that Jesus doesn’t want the disciples to leave Jerusalem until they have received the Holy Spirit. Why? Because He knows that in order for any ministry to be affective, we must have the Holy Spirit go with us (and also “before us”), because it is not ultimately our work. Rather we join in the work the Holy Spirit is already doing. And so Jesus is preparing the disciples for the more immediate event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit will come down upon them and cleanse them and empower their lives and ministry. A Time of Excitement-- Now just imagine the excitement the disciples had during this time. Their Lord had risen; He was walking and talking with them once again. The hope in Him as their Messiah, that hope they lost at His death, was restored. And they are beginning to get excited about knowing what comes next. And we see that Jesus has led them to [the Mount of Olives (v. 12), at the foot of which lay Bethany (Luke 24:50).] My Journey to Olivet-- I remember when I went to Israel, coming to the Mount of Olives. And one of the things I remember seeing that I did not expect was a massive number of tombs; white sepulchers all over. And in fact there are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount. Tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, and Absalom are among them. Numerous rabbis and Jews are buried there even to the present age; though at an exorbitant price. It is very expensive to be buried there. And when I asked why, our guide said it was because of a very interesting prophecy in the Old Testament. It says in… Zechariah 14:3-4, 9 (ESV)-- 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. {And verse 9 says…} 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. They Missed It-- Now after telling me this, our guide said of many of the Jews then, “They missed it.” And you know, they still miss it even today because they are not being told. But the disciples see what is happening; they see Jesus, their Messiah, leading them up the Mount of Olives. And the whole time their knees are like buckling and shaking. They’re thinking “Is this the moment?” “I don’t know.” “Should we ask the Master?” So verse 6 says... Acts 1:6 (ESV)— 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” What The Disciples Expected-- And they asked Him this because they had drawn the conclusion from his resurrection and promise of the Holy Spirit that era of the Messiah had dawned and Israel’s final salvation and restoration was at hand. But keep in mind that they were still expecting the Messiah to drive out the Romans and restore Israel to physical, military, and political glory, as God had done numerous times in and throughout the Old Testament. But look at Jesus’ response. He says… Acts 1:7 (ESV)— 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. And in that we see that Jesus is not interested in revealing to us the hour of His return. Rather He wants us to focus on abiding in Him in the present, doing the work that He has commissioned us (as His ambassadors) to do in the world. Look at what He says in… Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” “Be My Witnesses”-- [Jesus corrected them...but by telling them (Acts 1:8) that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, not in order to triumph over Roman armies but to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world.] The disciples wanted to know the hour of the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Jesus says, “Don’t worry about that. It’s in God’s hands. But until then, you are to proclaim my name; be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And then He gives them the Great Commission, which is recorded for us in… Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)— 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I am with you always-- Now that last phrase I am with you always is an intriguing phrase. We often treat it like a separate promise of His presence to be with all believers. And that may be true. But you almost get the sense that this promise is also connected with the commission He just gave. It’s almost like He’s saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” as you continue in the work of making disciples. And what this may be hinting at is the reality that you and I are never going to experience Christ more fully or more closely (in our own lives) than when we are bringing somebody to Jesus or into a closer walk with Him. You want to experience Jesus Christ? Go where He’s at work and join with Him. And when you do, you will find that you will have connected yourself with one of the central purposes of your life; and that will allow God to bless you in ways He otherwise would never be able to. And so let us commit to live lives where we are intentionally reaching out to make disciples. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. As we have started a new series on the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at the testimony of Luke (author of the both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts). Luke had become the companion of Paul and one the early Church’s greatest historians. Now although Luke writes as a historian, Luke’s occupation before this had been quite different. He had been a physician.
Medical Machinery-- I remember not long ago I went to visit a gentleman in the hospital; to both minister and pray with him and just be with him through a very difficult time. And as I stepped into that hospital room I found myself almost instantly surrounded by all kinds of medical equipment. Now I didn’t know what much of that equipment does. But I remember a nurse came in with a rather large piece of machinery. And as she proceeded to hook my friend up to it and to press other pieces of machinery onto his chest, I saw on the computer screen live video images of my friend’s heart. And as she moved the equipment around, she began to take precise computer measurements, calculating every sound; every pulse. Laid out in visual form were the wavelengths; the very heartbeat of my friend. Now that kind of thing is awe-inspiring to me. But it also leads me to wonder what it must have been like to receive medical care in the first-century world of Jesus. In talking about this, my wife remarked to me how she could not even imagine giving birth during that time. And in fact, if she had, she would probably never have made it because of how our son was positioned in her womb. She very likely would have died in childbirth. Conditions and injuries that we would consider relatively minor were so much more dangerous then. Some of you tuning in today may be in the medical field. Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to treat somebody in ancient times or during this time period in and around the life of Christ? Luke’s Focus on Christ’s Birth-- Well, Luke didn’t have to imagine, because that was his primary occupation; he was a physician. And interestingly, he is the gospel writer who gives us the most details concerning the events in and surrounding the birth of Jesus. Maybe as a physician he was just so captivated and couldn’t get over the fact that in the womb of Mary; that womb that medically sustained Jesus, was the very Creator of the Universe who was at that moment already sustaining her; that her very blood which was bringing Him life would one day be poured out on the cross, bringing life to her. Luke’s Focus on The Healings of Jesus-- Also we find that Luke places special emphasis on the healing ministry of Jesus; and when we understand he was a physician, we can kind of see through his eyes and recognize why he was so fascinated by it. Jesus needed no equipment; Jesus never prescribed any medication; He never had to make a single surgical cut. He merely spoke and the worst conditions imaginable; even those that were beyond the hope of cure; conditions that Luke had encountered over and over again, were cured. I wonder how many times Luke had to tell someone, “I’m sorry, you will never see again,” “I’m sorry, you will never walk again,” “I’m sorry, but this infliction is incurable.” Luke presents Jesus in a way that only a physician could; because Jesus had succeeded in many of the same kinds of situations where Luke himself had failed. Only one time in all four of the Gospel accounts is Jesus called or thought of as a medical Physician; and it is here in the Gospel of Luke; Luke 4:23. Luke simply could not get over the power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ in the absolute worst of medical situations; how every illness and every defect left at the mere touch (or even just the mere spoken word) of Jesus. And Luke, like Matthew, also recognizes this as a fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah 35:5-6a (NIV)-- 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. At one point John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus if He truly is the promised Messiah. And Luke says in… Luke 7:20-22 (NIV)-- 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. So Luke points out how Jesus knowingly fulfilled these prophecies from Isaiah; the last of which is that the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Luke the Gentile-- And this is another one of Luke’s major themes (particularly in his Gospel); [Jesus’ compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others often regarded as outcasts in Israel. <In fact,> Every time he mentions a tax collector (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10-13; 19:2), it is in a positive sense.] In a time in which women were on the bottom rung of society, [Luke emphasized the central role of women in the life and ministry of our Lord (e.g., 7:12-15, 37-50; 8:2-3, 43-48; 10:38-42; 13:11-13; 21:2-4; 23:27-29, 49, 55-56).] And the reason Luke has a special place in his heart for outcasts was because he himself was an outcast. In Colossians 4:11-14, Luke is clearly distinguished from those of Paul’s fellow workers who are of the circumcision. He isn’t circumcised because he’s a gentile. And in fact, that makes him the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. And because he was not a Jew, according to Jewish thought he was not an inheritor of the promise. And yet in his Gospel Luke shows how Jesus opened up the way for anybody, no matter who they were or what they had been through, to become a part of the family of God; that the mercy of God has been extended to all people; whether Jew or Gentile. And in Luke’s first book, the Gospel of Luke, he reveals this as the mission of Jesus; and here in Luke’s sequel to the book (the sequel being, of course, the book of Acts) we see revealed how that mission unfolded in the early life of the Church. Both books are united by that same central theme, and together they make up the largest part of the New Testament. Now where did Luke get this idea? Well, remember he was a companion of Paul, who wrote the epistles long before he wrote his gospel and no doubt mentored him. And Paul had said in… Galatians 3:28 (NIV)-- 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The Compassion of Jesus-- Luke found hope and exceeding joy that he, though an outcast, could become a part of the family of God. This is why Luke was so fascinated by the compassion Jesus extended to all who were considered lost. In his Gospel he therefore records more of the parables of Jesus than any other gospel; many in which God’s mission (carried out by Jesus Christ) is shown to be one of pursuing; God being likened to characters who are searching for something that has been lost. He is like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7); He is like a woman searching for a lost wedding coin (Luke 15:8-10); He is like a father yearning for the return of a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). A.W. Tozer once wrote a book that has since become one of the great Christian classics, entitled The Pursuit of God. Yet this is somewhat of a misnomer because here we find that what Luke was captivated with was God’s pursuit of us; Jesus is seen to be the one who pursues us into the darkness; into the night; so that He might bring us back to God. This was absolutely central to Luke’s theology. Luke 19:10 (ESV)-- 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” A Misplaced Phone and Document-- I remember one week when my wife and I misplaced two things. She misplaced her cell phone and I misplaced a very important document. And so on two separate occasions in that same week we found ourselves searching all over the house, overturning all kinds of things in order to find that cell phone and that document. And in each case there was joy when that item was discovered. A Misplaced Engagement Ring-- I can still remember back when she and I first got engaged, her tearfully telling me some days afterwards that she had misplaced her engagement ring. She had woken up, looked at her hand, and discovered that it was gone. And she had been going frantically through every part of her dorm looking for it. And soon afterwards, after being allowed in to help her search, we found it in her bed; having slipped off while she was asleep. And I still remember the joy in her face and the tears in her eyes when she joyously put the ring back on her finger. God’s Pursuit of us-- And I just think, what an amazing thing that God pursues each and every one of us with just as much (in fact infinitely more) fervency. God does not leave one stone unturned in His pursuit of us. We are all valuable to Him; Jew or Gentile, man or woman, adult or child, righteous or sinner; rich or poor. God is pursuing you. And He will find you if you let Him. And He will make you His own. And in every healing Luke records, he shows how Jesus points people to the part of them that needs to be healed the most; their hearts. In Jesus, God has provided that ultimate healing. All we have to do is receive Him, surrender to Him, and allow Him (as our Great Physician) to heal and transform our hearts. And so I want to encourage you today, if you need to receive that healing today, invite Him into your life and say, “Lord, I need you to heal my sin; I need you to heal my brokenness; I am crippled, blind, deaf and mute without the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Come fill me, heal me, change, and transform me.” Receive healing from Jesus. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Last week we started a new series on the book of Acts, beginning first by taking a look at the life and ministry of the author (Luke), who had formerly been a physician but who left everything to follow Christ and come alongside and minister with the Apostle Paul. And (as we will see today) God used Luke in remarkable way and (as He so often does) redirects Luke in a way he himself probably could never have imagined, as he went on to become the historian of the early Church.
Our Historian— You know, it’s interesting; whenever we visit my Grandmother in Kentucky, she will often tell us various stories of when she and my grandfather (and their children, my father, aunts, and uncles) were missionaries in Taiwan. And those stories are fascinating to listen to. But more often than not, when she is telling these stories, she has sitting by her side my dear Aunt Faith, whose memory surpasses the memory of anybody I have ever known. She can remember many addresses and phone numbers not only from the current time, but can also tell you what they were at any given stage of their life. She can remember every fact and every detail. She is, without a doubt, our family’s personal historian. She catches the mistakes and (when necessary) points them out in order to make sure the story is accurately passed down. And so far (thanks to her) they have been. Luke the Historian-- And so we see here (and really throughout the entirety of his Gospel) that Luke writes with the same kind of precision as any first-class historian. He had said back in his introduction to his Gospel (which is the prequel to the book of Acts written to the same recipient: Theophilus)… Luke 1:1-4 (NIV)— 1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Three Atheists Converted— Luke wanted his recipient Theophilus and all else who would read this account to know the facts, so that (knowing the facts) they might reasonably place their faith in Jesus Christ. Three great men I would put Luke in the same category with are C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, and Lee Strobel. All three of them were unbelievers until they began investigating the reliability of the accounts given to us in scripture. C.S. Lewis said he was very reluctant to the idea of becoming a Christian, but eventually was dragged (in his own words) “kicking and screaming into the kingdom” because the evidence he found for Christianity was so absolute and irrefutable. Josh McDowell likewise was very cynical of Christianity, but was challenged by a group of loving friends of his who were Christians to actually look at the evidence. And so he set out on a personal vendetta to try to disprove Christianity. He ended up also becoming a Christian; because of the overwhelming amount of evidence. Lee Stobel, author of The Case for Christ was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune; and a devout atheist. And the worst thing he thought could happen happened; his wife became a Christian. And he was terrified that she was going to become some kind of religious prude, and so he decided to take all his skills as an investigative journalist and expose Christianity for the cult he knew it had to be and convince his wife to get out of it. And his book chronicles his journey, as he interviewed scholars and numerous experts and authorities on the issue. But he was surprised at what he found; and that was that there are mountains of evidence stacked in Christianity’s favor. And he says he finally sat down and wrote a list of all the positive evidences for Christianity and then another (what he perceived to be) negative list of the evidences against Christianity and put the lists side by side. And he said he found (to his amazement) that after comparing those lists it would actually take more faith for him to maintain his atheism. And so he also was compelled to become a Christian. Luke’s Desire for Proof-- Now I say all this because Luke would have been like these men; he would have wanted proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is why he investigated as thoroughly as he did. He wanted to be sure for himself; but he also knew that others were not going to believe unless they also had sufficient evidence. And so he became a historian; perhaps the greatest historian of all time. And as we move through the book of Acts, one of the things we will see is that Luke is a guy who (like in his Gospel) is very much concerned with the details; the facts in and surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus. This is why he is careful to give us the [details that helped identify the historical context of the events he described] He takes time to explain when they happened and what was going on during that time period. Phrases like In the time of…, In those days…, In the ____ year of.… Over and over again Luke ties his Gospel in with known history. And these details can be checked out. Sir William Ramsay-- In the [Late 1800’s/early 1900’s Sir William Ramsay was a well-known archaeologist and historian…{and} was considered to be the world's most imminent scholar on Asia-Minor, and it's geography and history. He read the book of Acts and said,“the book of Acts is a highly imaginative and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity” (in essence, “of my knowledge of history, I have no respect for Luke as a historian”). {But} Then he went to the middle east for the express purpose of proving the Bible wrong in its history. He came home and wrote the book, “Luke, The Beloved Physician” in which he proclaimed Dr. Luke to be one of the worlds foremost historians. Here’s a quote from Sir William Ramsey…this was after looking carefully at the evidence: “I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian, and they will stand the keenest scrutiny, and the harshest treatment.”] [Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements trustworthy . . . this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians”] Pretending The Bible Was True-- Now what is fascinating about the story of Sir William Ramsey is that he had decided (almost as a joke) to pretend that the Bible was true and to start using the Bible as the basis for his archeological digs. And what ended up happening is he made discovery after discovery after discovery using the Bible as his starting point. And he came to this conclusion (and we don’t know if he ever became a Christian or not). But this is the conclusion he came to (and I paraphrase): “If the Bible (Luke in particular) can be trusted at every single point that it can be checked out, I wonder if I shouldn’t take more seriously those areas that can’t be checked out.” An Accurate Habit of Mind-- And this was his reasoning. He said: “There is a certain presumption that a writer who proves to be exact and correct in one point will show the same qualities in other matters. No writer is correct by mere chance, or accurate sporadically. He is accurate by virtue of a certain habit of mind. Some men are accurate by nature; some are by nature loose and inaccurate.” And so his conclusion was that Luke was this kind of accurate person; consistently accurate. Why Luke Wanted To Get The Details Straight-- Luke was trustworthy in his investigation; and the reason was because Luke didn’t want have a false picture of Jesus (remember his own salvation was on the line); rather he wanted to know for certain who this Jesus really was. And he had to be thorough in his investigation because, unlike Matthew and John, he was not an eyewitness of the events of Christ’s life. And so he had to get most of that information second-hand. Positioned to Examine Witnesses-- And Luke is in a fantastic position to gather information about Jesus because he was (as we said before) a close friend and traveling companion of Paul, which allowed him to come into contact with and interview those who were eyewitnesses; not just the disciples, but the many others as well. Jesus touched a lot of people and therefore there were a lot of witnesses. Think about all the people He touched; all the miracles He performed. It says in John’s Gospel… John 21:25 (NIV)-- 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. Many Witnesses— And so we see that there would be many accounts because there were many witnesses of all these events. Even just the number of those who were witnesses to the Resurrection (to whom Jesus appeared to after He rose from the dead) is staggering. Paul writes in… 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NIV)-- 5…that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Eyewitness Records-- And Paul was a reluctant witness as well. He didn’t want to believe. But then he encountered the risen Christ and had to change his beliefs based on what he saw. But all this to say, there was a multitude of witnesses to all these events and therefore there was a multitude of stories and accounts. And many endeavored to write them down, as we see in verses 1-2 of Luke chapter 1. Luke 1:1-2 (ESV)— 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, A Reasonable Faith-- Now I say all this because sometimes we need to be reminded that the Bible is unlike other religious works in that (by giving us specific historical details) it puts kind of puts its neck on the line and says “come and see”; come and check this out; come verify that this is true. Are we to accept what it says by faith? Yes. But what we must always remember that it is not a blind faith (believing not having any real reason to) but rather we have a faith in Christ and His Word that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. It is a reasonable faith. We can trust the scriptures and find in them solid reason to believe that Christ is who says He is. And consequently (because of that) we can also have assurance that He can do for us what He says He can do; and that is to redeem us from all our sins. And so let us give Him thanks for that today. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us today as we begin a new series on a book of the Bible that has so much to say to us as we face these difficult and unusual times. If you are seeking a book that shows what God can do in and through men and women sold out to Him, this is it, as it gives us an account of the dynamic birth and explosive growth of the Early Church. And of course I am talking about the book of Acts, a book that (in the midst of what we are facing now) will really help us to grasp what it means to be the Church during all these trials that we are facing in these days.
Who’d You Follow?-- Now the way I want us to start off today is by having you think of the many giants of the faith in and throughout all of scripture; the men and women you admire the most. And I want you to think; which is the one (besides Jesus, of course) that (if you were given the opportunity) you would want to follow around the most? If you had the opportunity to minister with and be discipled by anybody (to share in their life experiences) who would that be? Would you join Noah in his ministry of building the ark and preaching repentance to the people? Would you sit under Daniel in Babylon and then Persia, joining him in prayer in that room with its windows open facing Jerusalem; would you even be willing to join him in a den of lions? Would you follow David through his many excursions; joining him on the battlefield to face Goliath or running with him in fear from King Saul, who would be seeking to take both of your lives? You know, what is amazing when we think of these giants of the faith is that nobody that we would want to seek to follow, to sit under, and to emulate had a perfect or stress-free life. Many (if not all) of them faced persecutions and dangers like we can’t even imagine. Following Paul-- There are a number of men (and women) in scripture I look up to and would love to follow, but whom I also think would be very challenging to follow in ministry. And one of these in particular (although I would love to follow him), it would be incredibly difficult because of what he faced. He was the victim of numerous hate crimes, being pelted with stones; being whipped mercilessly; dealing with imprisonment and even shipwreck. And of course I am talking about the apostle Paul. I can think of few people I admire more than him; and yet at the same time I think about how difficult it would be to share in his ministry. And [We know enough of what Paul and his fellow travelers endured to know that anyone identifying with Paul and the cause of Christ were candidates for the same sufferings.] Growing Pain-- But suffering (especially for the sake of Christ) is not something we should seek to avoid. And that’s because suffering and difficulty is what causes us to grow. This is why James writes in… James 1:2-4 (ESV)-- 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Strengthened Character-- And so while in looking at the life of Paul our flesh might hesitate to want to share in his sufferings, we know that to walk with somebody like that through the things that they faced would be both an honor and a privilege; and would produce such a strength of character in us. Luke, A Companion of Paul-- Paul had that steadfastness; and those who walked with him had that steadfastness as well. And one of those men who walked with Paul is the author of our book; a man who was willing to follow Paul to the ends of the earth for the sake of the Gospel; and that was a gentile convert to Christianity by the name of Luke; author of both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. [Although some of the material in Acts was no doubt collected from different sources by Luke, much of the material comes from his own experiences traveling with Paul (Col 4:14; 2Tm 4:11; Phm 24). {There are}…many instances in Acts where the point of view changes from “he/they” to “we,” implying that the author himself was there with Paul during those periods.] He was with Paul in the midst of many of his trials and tribulations. He was with Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey and saw the savage and brutal attacks on Paul and Silas, their subsequent imprisonment, and their miraculous release (16:10-17). He was with Paul on Paul’s sea voyage from Caesarea to Rome when (as you remember) the ship was overcome by a storm of hurricane-like force that battered and ultimately wrecked their ship upon the coast of Malta. Luke had swum with Paul through the breakers as the ship ran aground before being broken apart by the waves. We also know that (among other circumstances) Dr. Luke also stayed by Paul’s side when Paul was under arrest in Rome (27:1—28:16; Col. 4:14). Now the question is, “Why go through all of this?” Why would anyone choose a religion like Christianity that would involve so much pain and suffering? Beans or Songs— [Tim Stafford, a senior writer for Christianity Today, wrote in one of his articles, saying: A pastor I know, Stephey Belynskyj, starts each confirmation class with a jar full of beans. He asks his students to guess how many beans are in the jar, and on a big pad of paper writes down their estimates. Then, next to those estimates, he helps them make another list: their favorite songs. When the lists are complete, he reveals the actual number of beans in the jar. The whole class looks over their guesses, to see which estimate was closest to being right. Belynskyj then turns to the list of favorite songs. "And which one of these is closest to being right?" he asks. The students protest that there is no "right answer"; a person's favorite song is purely a matter of taste. Belynskyj, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame asks, "When you decide what to believe in terms of your faith, is that more like guessing the number of beans, or more like choosing your favorite song?" Always, Belynskyj says, from old as well as young, he gets the same answer: Choosing one's faith is more like choosing a favorite song. Tim Stafford writes: When Belynskyj told me this, it took my breath away. "After they say that, do you confirm them?" I asked him. "Well," smiled Belynskyj, "First I try to argue them out of it.”] Meaningful or True?— The concept of truth is an important issue because it affects how we view Christianity. Are we Christians only because it is meaningful to us, or is it because we know it to be true? You see a lot of people today (even many Christians) think that what is true for me is true for me and that what is true for you is true for you. But what they really mean is “what is meaningful for me is meaningful for me and what is meaningful for you is meaningful for you.” It is pretty much the same as choosing your favorite music artist; it simply comes down to what you feel speaks to you. But I want to stress to you that this is not how the early Christians came to faith in Christ. If choosing Christianity was like choosing a song, I am sure they would have sought a different tune. No, for the disciples it was more than that. Listen to what Luke writes in… Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)-- 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Eyewitnesses —> Certainty-- You have the word “eyewitnesses”, which is why there were ministers by the way. People were willing to be ministers because there was eyewitness evidence that Christianity (founded on the resurrection of Christ) was actually true. And then you have in verse 4 this amazing word. And that is the word “certainty”. Luke writes to Theophilus in order (he says) that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Now look at the rest of Luke’s introduction at the opening of the book of Acts. It says in… Acts 1:1-3 (ESV)-- 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Why Luke Followed Christ-- Any Christian who says you can’t prove (at least beyond a reasonable doubt) that Christianity is true has not really read Luke; because Luke believed the resurrection was a proven event. And the evidence he uncovered is what provided Luke with the intellectual groundwork to be able to receive and accept Christ. You see, if you were a Christian at that time, you had a good reason. It wasn’t just because you found Christianity to be meaningful or because it gave you warm fuzzies inside. No, it is because it was true; it was verifiable; it was rooted in facts; in history; in geography. It wasn’t out there somewhere in the cosmos. No, Jesus had happened right there in their very midst! There were witnesses (hundreds of witnesses) to His resurrection. And these early Christians had nothing to gain in this world for following Christ other than pain, persecution, and even death. And what I want you to note is that Luke’s decision to follow Christ could not have been an easy one. Luke abandoned his whole livelihood. His whole medical career he abandoned completely to follow Christ. As the disciples who had been fishermen left their nets to become fishers of men, so Luke left his practice to become a physician (not just for people’s physical bodies) but for THE Body of Christ; for the sake of the Kingdom. He went from a clinic (whatever that looked like) to binding Paul’s many wounds and no doubt caring for him and nursing him back to health after his many beatings; and he himself may have endured some of that. This was a major life change for Luke; a change that can only be explained (not by the latest fad religion on the block) but rather in encountering the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The truth changed him; and Luke allowed it to re-shape and change the course of his entire life. Truth Shaping Us-- And that is how it always is when we truly encounter Jesus. It changes us; it empowers us; it moves us out of our comfort zone and makes us willing to face any persecution necessary in order to bring people the good news of the hope of salvation in Jesus. My hope is that in and throughout our study, we also might not just learn the history of the early Church, but that we will also experience the same kind of Spirit-empowered change that Luke, the apostles, and the rest of the believers experienced as they followed Christ. May we embrace the truth as fully as they did. And may it shape us into being the men and women Christ has called us to be. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us from wherever you are choosing to listen today.
Jesus' Deliverance Foreshadowed— As you know, we have in the book of Esther; and today we will be wrapping up this 20-week journey we have been taking together through this marvelous book. And the overall theme of the book of Esther has been the victory of God on behalf of His people; and so it is very pertinent to us today, as we need hope; we need victory during these very unusual and difficult times. In this book God gave His people victory over their enemies who sought to destroy them. He is shown to raise up the smallest of people (like Esther; like Mordecai) to bring about that divine victory. And in our passage today that victory has already taken place. The enemies of God’s people have fallen and His people are preserved. Now anytime there is an awesome victory, there is almost always celebration. And that is what we see here in Esther chapter 9. After the Jews experience this incredible victory that God has given them, they break out in spontaneous celebration. Verse 17 and following says… Esther 9:17-19 (ESV)— 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar [(February-March)], and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another. From Victory to Celebration-- You know when God breaks through; whenever you have victory, there must always be celebration; a recognition of who God is and what He has done for you and for me. And that is what we see here, as Jews (all throughout the Persian empire) celebrate the faithfulness of God. But you know, we often forget the things God has done for us because we don’t take the time to look back. And you know, that harms our faith. Because it is in looking back that we observe how God has faithfully led us in the past and therefore it provides us the rational grounding we need to trust God also with our future. And so God therefore wanted His people to be a people who were constantly looking back; constantly remembering How He had moved faithfully in their midst time and time again. Institution of Festivals-- And one of the ways He led them to look back was in and through festivals. He had written into the lives of the Jewish people 7 festivals for them to observe throughout the year. And they would come together as a community at specific times of the year to throw (basically I’ll call them) God-parties. He wanted His people to come together to joyfully and collectively and remember. Now festivals (unlike just written reminders of God’s faithfulness) are participatory; they would not only help His people to remember, but they would also give them a personal way to actively and joyously orient their hearts, their minds, and really their entire lives around remembering and personally engaging with God. Jesus Within a Culture of Remembrance-- What would it be like to be a part of a culture in which every holiday; every feast; every communal celebration all revolved around remembering what God has done for us? That is what it was like to live as a Jew. And it is important to note that Jesus Himself observed all these festivals. In fact, many of the main events in His life took place in accordance with the timing of these Jewish festivals. And we’ll talk more about that in the future. But Jesus observed them. Post-exile (Ordained by Man)— And I want to point out that the Feast of Purim is not among the feasts that God instituted, which were all instituted before Israel was sent into exile in Babylon and then Persia. Two human-ordained feasts were established post-exile that are still being observed even until today. And those are Hanukkah and Purim. But Jesus still observes both of them, Hanukkah in John 10:22 (also called the Feast of Dedication) and Purim, which is most likely the unnamed feast mentioned in John 5:1, which verse 9 reveals took place on a Sabbath. And chronologically, the only feast that occurred on Sabbath between the years of 25-35 CE was in fact Purim (in the year 28 CE). And it is ironic that this feast is not named explicitly in John because remember that the book of Esther doesn’t explicitly mention the name of God. And so perhaps God (who guided the Gospel writers) is showing a little bit of humor here. As His name is concealed in Esther, so in John the name of the feast is also concealed. Establishing Purim-- But although Purim was not a festival ordained and commanded by God, Mordecai and Esther established it because they wanted God’s people to always remember what He had done for them in Persia. So they take this spontaneous outbreak of celebration by the people, and officially establish it as a feast to be kept annually from generation to generation. Verse 20 and following says… Esther 9:20-22 (ESV)— 20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. Now those Jews in Susa fought an extra day and therefore celebrated a day later. [Mordecai avoids any difficulties this might cause by ordering that both days be observed.] We see also that there were [gifts of food. This would enable all alike to share in the feasting, including the poor (cf. Deut. 16:11; Neh. 8:10, 12; note on Est. 2:18).] Everybody’s to celebrate. Nobody is left out. Verses 23 and following say… Esther 9:23-32 (ESV)— 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. Purim Celebrated Today-- Now the Jews still celebrate and remember the feast of Purim even to this day. And the way they do that is: [the day preceding (13th Adar) is kept as a fast day (called "the Fast of Esther"), in accordance with the command of the queen (4:15-16). As soon as the stars appear the festival commences, candles are lit, and all the Jews go to the synagogue, where, after the evening service, the benediction is pronounced, and the book of Esther is read {in its entirety}… As often as the name of Haman is mentioned in the reading, the congregation stamps on the floor, saying, "Let his name be blotted out. The name of the wicked shall rot!" While the children shake rattles. After the reading the congregation exclaims, "Cursed be Haman; blessed be Mordecai!" etc.; the benediction is said, and all go home and partake of milk and eggs. On the 14th, in the morning, the people go to the synagogue; several prayers are inserted into the regular ritual; Ex 17:8-16 is read as the lesson from the law, and Esther, as on the previous evening. The rest of the festival is given up to rejoicing, exchanging of presents, games, etc. Rejoicing continues on the 15th, and the festival terminates on the evening of this day.] And that is how they remember what God did for them. Remembering Our Heritage-- Now this leads me to ask, “How are we passing true remembrance and communal worship of God down to the next generation? What symbols do we have in our homes to remind us of what God has done for us?” God instituted these festivals so the Jews would constantly live in a spirit of remembrance. Do we remember? The book of Esther was written so that the Jews of a later generation might understand the mighty hand of God that moved on their behalf. What steps are we taking to make sure that the next generation knows what God has done for them? Are we modeling to them lives that are truly centered on Jesus Christ and on living in remembrance of what He has done for us on the cross, and in the empty tomb, and in the giving of His Holy Spirit and Pentecost? We need to; future generations are depending on our remembering and our teaching them to remember. The Greatness of Mordecai— Now the book of Esther closes by telling us what happened to Mordecai; the one who remembered and obeyed the Lord; the one who (though Haman sought to destroy him) God chose to lift up. It says… Esther 10:1-3 (ESV) The Greatness of Mordecai-- 1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. Lifted Up— If we are obedient to God as Esther and Mordecai were, He will lift us up. If we choose to live in remembrance and in the fear of Him, He will bless us and He will preserve us; and His favor will be and will remain with us. Let us be a people who are obedient; who remember; let us be a body that is truly centered on our Lord in every way. Let’s do so. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We appreciate your tuning in to us today. We have begun to wrap up our study of the book of Esther, in which we have seen how God used a young Jewish girl by the name of Esther to be His instrument through whom He saved His people from a mass genocide at the hands of the wicked Haman, the king’s former right-hand man who had tricked the king into signing into irrevocable law that on one day (in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day) the Jews all throughout Persia would be rounded up and killed. Now through Esther this plot becomes known and Haman is executed. And the king allows a second decree to be written allowing the Jews to defend themselves and to attack those who were intent on bringing them harm. And so on that day, when Israel was supposed to fall at the hands of their enemies, they instead gained mastery over their enemies. And so there is a dramatic reversal that we observe. And the author of the book of Esther really highlights this in how he has structured the text.
[Chiastic Structure of Reversals-- In 3:10 - the king gives Haman his ring. In 8:2 - the king gives Mordecai that same ring. In 3:12 - Haman summons the king’s scribes. In 8:9 - Mordecai summons the king’s scribes. In 3:12 - letters are written and sealed with the king’s ring. In 8:10 letters are written and sealed with that same ring now given to Mordecai. In 3:13 we see that the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day. In 8:11 - the enemies of the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day (though that was never carried out; it was just part of the law given to directly confront Haman’s decree). In 3:14 - Haman’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 8:13 - Mordecai’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 3:15 - couriers go out in haste. In 8:14 - couriers go out in haste. In 3:15 - the city of Susa is bewildered. In 8:15 - the city of Susa rejoices. In 4:1 - Mordecai wears sackcloth and ashes. In 8:15 - Mordecai wears royal robes] So in this we see a dramatic reversal of the fate of Israel. But one of the questions we need to ask (especially in this latter part of the book of Esther) is “How does this passage (and really the book as a whole) shape our understanding of how you and I are to relate with our enemies? And moreover, how do we balance a desire for God’s justice with an understanding of His love and forgiveness?” Our Motivation To Seek God’s Justice-- What scripture points us to as we wrestle with this question is to how we are to model our justice after the pattern of a God who chooses to receive the just punishment due us upon Himself and to forgive the wounds inflicted upon Himself. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner and is always seeking to redeem each and every one of us. And you know the same ought to be true of us. Our central desire must not be to see our enemies pay, but to see sin conquered and people freed from the power of death. Whenever we cry out for the justice of God, it cannot be from a desire to see our enemies perish because of their wounding us. Our cry for the justice of God must always be tempered with the desire to see the hearts and lives of our enemies changed by the power of Jesus Christ. If your desire is to see people receive hell from Jesus, then your spirit is not right. The disciples, when offended by the Samaritans, make this mistake in Luke 9:54-55, where it says… Luke 9:54-55 (ESV)-- 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. Jesus was not out to punish, but to redeem. That is why He says in… John 3:17 (ESV)-- 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 12:47 (ESV)-- 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Not Against People, But Against Sin-- Now you can argue from the Old Testament that Holy War was often used by Israel at the instruction of God. But what we must always remember is that [The essence of holy war in the Old Testament is not about two nations in warfare, one of which happens to be Israel. Holy war is about God warring against sin and evil on the earth.] It’s not against people; it’s against sin. And whenever God does wages war on a people, it is because those people have not repented and accepted the redemption offered to them. You see, God’s Holy War is not against people, but against the sin that enslaves people. Now given those who bind themselves to sin and never allow Christ to set them free have bound themselves to their own destruction. But even then Jesus is fighting tooth and nail for them to come to repentance in order that they might be saved. Hence, the CROSS!!! The Cross Changes Everything-- And really the cross changes everything in regards to how we think about the justice of God; because Jesus doesn’t cry out from the cross a plea for God to destroy those who pressed that crown of thorns into the capillaries of His forehead; who lacerated his back; who nailed his hands; who pierced his feet; who hung His body in such a way (from what we know of Roman crucifixions) so that every time he had to breath out he had to pull himself up. No, instead, with what strength He could muster between these breaths he was struggling to work out, Jesus uttered these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV) I confess to you, I have been a Christian for most of my life; I have been pastoring for many years now and have preached on that statement of Jesus many many times. And yet I still have trouble processing that. I still cannot wrap my mind around that kind of forgiveness. Karen Jobes and Holy War-- Holy War ends at the cross. An author I was recently reading said that: [The death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, provides the only basis for the cessation of holy war, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit provides the only power by which one may love one’s enemies as oneself. All of the vengeance God’s people would like to wreak on those who practice evil has now been satisfied in the suffering and death of Jesus. He has taken the wages of sin, he has suffered the vengeance of evil. The vengeance due to us for our sins against others and due to them for their sins against us has been satisfied in Jesus’ body on the cross. It is only on the basis of recognizing that the penalty has been paid by Jesus that we can forgive others as we have been forgiven. True holy war in human history has ceased because Jesus has fought its last episode on the cross. It is no accident of history that the modern nations that still endorse the concept of holy war (Arabic, jihad) are nations that reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and the moral system he commands.] Jonah’s Attitude-- Now you and I can cry out for the judgment of God. There’s a place for that. But what we have to remember is that God’s judgment is always redemptive. If Jonah had had the right perspective, He would have rejoiced at Nineveh’s repentance. But did he? No. He wanted to see the justice of God exacted in the form of vengeance. He wanted to see Nineveh burn. Why? Because of their wickedness and particularly how they (Assyria, of which Nineveh was the capital) had injured his people. What Would We Do?-- But where do we stand on this issue? If your greatest enemy; the one who persecuted you the most; who was the greatest thorn in your flesh repented and therefore escaped the judgment of God, would you be happy for them? Or would there be bitterness in your heart? Would you be like the second son in the story of the prodigal son; angry because of the mercy of the father? Or would you, recognizing God’s own mercy towards YOU, be able to rejoice in their escaping God’s wrath? And more so; do we go beyond that to actually seek their salvation and help them to escape God’s wrath? One of the verses I find to be the most difficult passages in all of scripture to apply; and I think it is virtually impossible to apply without the infilling of the Holy Spirit is… Matthew 5:43-45a (ESV)-- 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Agape your enemies-- Now that word “love” here in Matthew is a special kind of love in Greek. It’s not a casual kind of love or an entry-level kind of love; no, it’s agape; a sacrificial kind of love; the very kind of love Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated in His life and ministry and then on the cross. Well, how does sacrificial love translate into my relationship with my enemy? Do I extend to them the agape of Christ? Many of us struggle just to pray regularly for those close to us. How about how much time we actually devote to praying for our enemies? In thinking about our world, we often pray for justice. Yet I think the cross challenges what we mean when we pray for justice; because ultimately the Christian’s cry for justice is always and must always be a cry for people to find forgiveness and redemption from sin and find healing. And that can be hard to desire for those who have wounded us. And that leads me to think about the question, “Are we truly yearning for people to find freedom from God’s judgment in and through Jesus Christ?” Now we say we do. But if we are to take what Jesus says seriously, “How does our prayer life reflect that?” “What kind of prayers are we offering on behalf of those who have set themselves against us, against Christ, and against His Church?” “What kind of love are we showing to our enemies?” A love that merely tolerates? Or a pro-active, sacrificial, pouring out kind of love; an agape kind of love? Burned Hands-- [Corrie Ten Boom in the book, Reflections of God’s Glory (page 69), wrote, “In Africa a man came to a meeting with bandaged hands. I asked him how he had been injured. He said, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned. “Later I heard the whole story. The neighbor hated him and had set his roof on fire while his wife and children were asleep in the hut. They were in great danger. Fortunately, he was able to put out the fire in his house on time. But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire and his house started to burn. There was no hate in the heart of this Christian; there was love for his enemy and he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbor’s house. That is how his own hands were burned.”] What a remarkable story. Our Focus/Central Concern-- We live in a culture that is in flames; and as we watch the news we see that is now often literally true. When we get to heaven, Jesus is going to ask us, “Where are your burn marks? Where are the marks of your intercession for those who needed me?” Folks, we need to make sure that we are actively seeking the redemption of those who are lost; that we are praying for them; that we are ministering to them; that we are leading them to Jesus. We need to allow Christ’s mission to seek and to save the lost to become the very center and focus of our lives. Peace is only found at the foot of the cross. Because it is through our reconciliation with God that we can then become reconciled with one another. That is is the message of the Gospel. And so let us make the decision to be instruments of peace by bringing people the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther.
The Second Decree— We are entering into the final chapters of the book. You will remember that Haman (who had conspired to have all the Jews in the Persian empire exterminated) has himself just been executed; and executed in the very manner that he had wickedly devised for Esther’s cousin Mordecai. And so King Xerxes gives Esther the estate of Haman. And Mordecai comes into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. And the king gives Mordecai his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman.; giving Mordecai his own authority and power; just as he had previously given to Haman. And Esther appoints Mordecai over the estate of Haman. Yet even though Haman has been killed, God’s people are still in danger from this decree that has been issued against them; this decree that has authorized the complete destruction of the Jews. So Esther pleads again for her people. Now the king cannot revoke or cancel the previous decree according to Medo-Persian law, but he can offset it by empowering the Jews to fight back and defend themselves. And so King Ahasuerus tells Esther and Mordecai to write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to them and to seal it with his ring, encouraging them by saying, “for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” And so Mordecai writes the decree. And it says in… Esther 8:9-12 (ESV)— 9 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. A Cold War Missile Silo-- Not long ago I was watching a show about an underground nuclear missile silo that was manned during the Cold War. President Eisenhower had given the military pre-authorization to launch their nuclear missiles from that silo if they were attacked by the Soviet Union. Now there was a reason they were buried deep underground. The idea was that although above-ground bases could be damaged by the Soviet attack, the silo would survive and be able to launch a whopping counter-attack. Now the silo never needed to be used. It was enough of a deterrent just to be there. Well, this counter-decree formed by Mordecai was to have a similar affect. Yes, you can attack us as Haman’s decree will allow you to do. But be prepared for a ready defense; a whopping counterattack backed by the king’s new right-hand man, Mordecai. Esther 8:13-15 (ESV)— 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. 15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. The Robes of Mordecai-- Now we see here that this second rewarding of Mordecai exceeded the first (cf. 6:6-9). Because blue and white (these colors that he is clothed with) were the royal colors of the Persian empire. He’s royalty now. Just think of that! Mordecai (the one who only a short time before this was sitting in sackcloth and ashes) is now adorned in the clothes of royalty. Now what I want to highlight for you in this is that God has the power to bring us from ashes to glory. He will (ultimately) humble our enemies and will lift us up. And that is God’s resounding promise to you and to me in every page of scripture, and especially here in the book of Esther. The Tables Turn-- Now after this Mordecai is seen to leave the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen it says that Susa has a joyous celebration. The Jews, filled with gladness and joy, are feasting and celebrating. And Mordecai rises in prominence; and fear comes on the people to the point that many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. Now just think about how ironic this is; because God’s people who (were hated and despised by many around them) have now become the desired people. Almost everybody wants to associate with Jews now, help them, and be on their side because the balance of power has shifted suddenly into Jewish hands. And so on the appointed day, the second edict is carried out; and Haman’s evil plot falls on his own head (9:25). It says… Esther 9:1-10 (ESV)— 1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder. His Boast Was Toast-- By the way it is so interesting how the text highlights how Haman lost everything he had bragged about back in 5:10-11; even his sons, who suffer the consequences of his sin. Now the next passage reveals what could be seen as very uncharacteristic of Esther, who up until this point has seemed like such a sweet, kind, innocent girl; but listen to what she says. It says in… Esther 9:11-16 (ESV)— 11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict {(in other words, let there be another day of killing here in Susa)}. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. Not Vengeance, But Self-Defense-- So you have this massive slaughter of Israel’s enemies, including Haman’s 10 sons. And honestly, there are some Christians who shy away from the book of Esther (particularly this last section) because of what they perceive to be Esther’s (and the people in general’s) vengeful nature. How can a God who commands that we love our enemies and do good to them be pleased with this slaughtering of Israel’s enemies? But you know what I think we have to realize is that these were not merely enemies (people who hated them (9:5)); these were people 9:2 says sought their harm. This isn’t vengeance in the sense that you and I think about vengeance; this is self-preservation; we are talking here about self defense here. I want to make that very clear. Taking Steps to Protect Themselves-- Notice that although the edict allowed them to, the Jews are not said to have killed any women or children. They are only said to have killed men; 8:11 says any armed force. You see, we have to be careful to not miss the details given to us in the text. They were not trying to do what Haman tried to do to them. Haman was going to exterminate all of them (men, women, and children). But they, though the edict allowed (as a reversal to Haman’s decree), didn’t do that; but rather killed only those who were actively seeking their harm; any armed force that sought their harm. Now remember also that Haman sought to lay hands on their plunder; yet here the Bible emphasizes over and over again that they did not touch the plunder. It wasn’t about money; it wasn’t about vengeance. They were concerned for their very lives. And the same thing with hanging Haman’s ten sons on the gallows after they had been killed. Some see that as vindictive or vengeful. I see it as, “Hey, don’t ever touch us or your fate will be like these guys.” It was not for some barbaric purpose, but to be a deterrent against further attack. And it works. Israel prevails over their enemies and there eventually is peace. And so in a pagan land God establishes His people. And what this shows us is that God has always and will always stand with His people. Those who set themselves against His sheep He will bring down. The Enemies Fall-- Just recently I was talking with a woman who (though very kind and godly) had some people at her place of work who had set themselves against her (and against some other women of character and integrity who worked at the same establishment). And I remember praying with this woman and have been carrying her in prayer for some time, ever since she first let me know the situation. But just recently she approached me and told me that over the past several months, the most amazing thing has happened; almost ALL of those malicious people who had set themselves against her had started to drop off one by one due to various circumstances. And not only that, but her employers have begun showing her a greatly increasing amount of respect for the skill, character, and kindness that they say they see in her. There is a favor that seems to be going before and with her. And I’m telling you, God always does this kind of thing. He always stands with His faithful ones. He always brings justice in due season, even if He allows us to suffer for a while. That is why I want to encourage you today to trust in Him. Give yourself over into God’s hands and (as He did for Esther, Mordecai, and the rest of His people) He will prove Himself to be a faithful Deliverer for you. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. Now I have to share with you a story I read not long ago that made me laugh.
[The Gossiping Priest-- Four priests met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one priest said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hearts confessing certain sins and needs. Let’s do the same. Confession is good for the soul.” In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to R-rated movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to smoking cigars, and the third one confessed to gambling. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn’t confess. The others pressed him saying, “Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?” Finally he answered, “It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here.”] It Takes One To Blow The Horn-- It is easy to think that our sins will never be exposed; that we can get away with the wrong things we have thought, done, or intended to do. This was certainly true in the life of Haman, who set himself against God and His people Israel. Yet it only takes one person to blow the horn. And in this story it is Esther who, because of her faithfulness to act in obedience according to the will and timing of God, brings to light the wickedness of Haman and thwarts his plans. And what we ought to learn from this is that all sin will ultimately be exposed. Numbers 32:23 (ESV)-- 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. Job 20:27 (ESV)-- 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. Proverbs 26:26 (ESV)-- 26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV)-- 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Luke 12:2 (ESV)-- 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV)-- 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. The Ashley Madison Accounts Exposed-- You will remember that a number of years ago the famous website “ashleymadison.com" (a website that was designed to promote marital unfaithfulness by encouraging married people to have an affair) was hacked; and numerous accounts were exposed. And many lives have been drastically affected by that exposure. Some even went so far as to take their own lives. They never thought that their sin would be found out. But it was. The Exposed Purposes of the Heart-- All sin will ultimately be exposed. And that last part of 1 Corinthians 4:5 is scary because it stretches beyond just outward sin into the very realm of the heart and mind. It says the Lord will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. So this brings us to the question, “Are we clean not only outwardly (like the Pharisees were), but inwardly?” Have we allowed Christ to change our hearts? Because one day our hearts and minds are going to be opened and the real depth of our Christian faith revealed. How deep did we allow Christ to touch us? Haman’s Sins-- Our sins will find us out. And Haman’s most certainly were. In the king’s eyes, he was guilty of three capital crimes. [One, he manipulated the king in planning to kill the queen’s people. Two, he was perceived to accost the queen. Three, he planned to execute a man whom the king had just greatly honored for extreme loyalty to the kingdom.] God Reverses the Attack-- And after his dark deeds have finally been revealed Haman is punished. And the very pole he set up for Mordecai to be impaled on, which towered above the city in its height to make a display of Mordecai’s corpse, he himself is impaled on. Now your translation may say that Haman was hung. But it is not what we typically think of when we think of hanging. He wasn’t hung with a noose, but on a pole. And the [Hebrew word translated “poles” literally means “tree” or “wooden object.”] And it was actually common practice during that time to impale victims on wooden stakes. And sometime it was an actual method of execution, but more often criminals were killed by other means and their bodies then impaled for public display. Now having said that, the [Persians {also} practiced crucifixion, and the punishment spoken of here might refer to that practice: impaling people alive on wooden posts and allowing them to die of exposure.] The Attack Reversed-- Now I know all of this is very graphic. But it very clearly demonstrates an important Biblical truth. And that is that God turns upon the very heads of the enemies of His people the persecution they themselves had sought to inflict. And this is the central theme we see in these closing chapters of Esther; God reverses the attack and His sovereign plan remains un-thwarted. And we will explore this more in our time together today. Go ahead and look with me at chapter 8, starting at verse 1… Esther 8:1-2 (ESV)-- 1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. Haman’s Estate Given to Esther-- And so with the King’s giving Mordecai that signet ring, he is giving Mordecai the very power and authority that had previously been Haman’s. And ironically, Mordecai would never have had that power had Haman not sought to destroy him to begin with. And the next turn of events is just as ironic. [Haman’s plot to destroy Mordecai leads to Mordecai’s acquiring both Haman’s position and property.] He gets control of Haman’s estate. And what is important for us to note is that it is not Mordecai who takes that vengeance. It is God who brought it about by His sovereign hand. And this is how it is with us as well. God stands with us and He will bring justice; we never have to seize it for ourselves. And similarly, it is also God who protected Mordecai. Consider that Mordecai very likely knew nothing about Haman's plot to hang him. And yet despite that, God showed Himself to be a shield for Mordecai as well. Now it was Persian custom during that time for the property of a traitor to be returned to the king. And in this case the king gives that estate over to Esther, who places Mordecai in charge of it. But for Esther, this is not enough; because her ultimate concern was not for honor; or for an estate; but for her people. Therefore it says in verse 3… Esther 8:3-7 (ESV)— 3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. A Counter-Decree-- Now I want to point out that the King had promised to grant Esther whatever she requested. He said, “Even up to half my kingdom, it will be given you.” And yet here we find that he is unable to grant Esther’s request; for doing so would mean rescinding the decree he had already made; something that he was not legally allowed by Medo-Persian law to do. And the reason behind this law could very likely be because revoking a previously made law would cause the king to lose face and would also undermine his authority. And so as frustrating as this is, we find that the decree of death instituted by Haman cannot be revoked by a mere word from the king. Yet although King Ahasuerus cannot revoke the first decree he has made, he can institute a counter-decree. It says in verse 8 and following... Esther 8:8 (ESV)-- 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.” Sin’s Consequences Cannot Be Rescinded-- And we will see that this is exactly what Mordecai will do; he issues a counter-decree. Now the idea that the decree of death cannot merely be taken back is very important because it reflects (in a way) the larger decree of death pronounced on all of mankind as the natural result of sin. Now we know the king’s decree was unjust here. However, God’s decree against sin and the penalty of death that is the result of that sin is not unjust. And in a similar way, God cannot simply call off His decree without compromising who He is as a just and Holy God. All Sin Will Be Punished— All sin will (and must) be punished. Now in and throughout the book of Esther, we see the effects of sin. And as we know from scripture, sin always leads to death. And the lie of sin is that you can continue in it without there being any consequences. It should be noted that the first thing Satan ever says about sin is, "You shall not surely die." The lie of sin is that we can engage in it without consequence. Yet what we must realize is that all sin must and will be punished. God’s Counter-Decree— An author I was reading just recently pointed out that: [Just as {Ahasuerus/} Xerxes king of Persia could not simply rescind the first decree of death, God, King of the universe, cannot simply rescind the decree of death pronounced in the Garden of Eden against humanity. Instead, he issues a counter-decree of life, the gospel of Jesus Christ.] Now I think he’s exactly right. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ lies in the fact that although God’s decree of punishment for sin cannot be undone, a counter-decree can and was made to preserve us from that death. Jesus Christ Himself became the recipient of God’s punishment. Jesus Himself was God’s counter-decree against sin and death. God’s judgement fell on Him, therefore paying for our sin and liberating us. And that salvation is available to anyone who is willing to receive and follow Christ. And if you have never done that, I encourage you to simply ask Him today to forgive your sins; and tell Him that you receive that counter-decree against the sin in your life and that you want to follow Him. And (as all of God’s people were delivered in this book) so you will be delivered also and given eternal life in Him. Choose Christ today. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We have reached an exciting turning point in the book of Esther. Up until our passage last week, evil has seemed to have been prevailing. Mordecai had uncovered a murder plot against the king’s life, but instead of him being rewarded, the following chapter (chapter 3) sees the rise of an evil man named Haman, who (because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him) tricks the king into signing an edict to annihilate all the Jewish people in the Persian empire. Mordecai pleads with Esther to go to the king unannounced on behalf of her people, an act that could cost her her life; because it broke Persian protocol and might be seen by others as the same kind of rebellion the first Queen (Vashti) had committed all the way back in chapter 1. But Esther chooses to do this, and finds that the king receives her with favor, and agrees to come to a banquet she has prepared in order to hear her request. And she asks for Haman to be there too, to which the king agrees. So the king comes (with Haman) to Esther’s first banquet to hear her request, but Esther senses God telling her to remain silent and to not share her request at that time, which is kind of frustrating for her because there is some urgency to her request. But she chooses to follow God’s leading and to instead invite the king and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will then share her request. After that Haman has a pole erected for Mordecai on which to have him impaled as soon as he can get the king’s permission. But of course that night the king can’t sleep and so the royal records are read to him and he comes across the account of how Mordecai had saved his life from that assassination plot 5 years earlier. And so he decides to reward Mordecai, so he asks who is in the court; and of course it is Haman; Haman has come to issue his own request (to have Mordecai impaled); but the king speaks first and asks what ought to be done for the man the king delights to honor. And Haman, thinking it is him, gives him a long list of things that ought to be done for him (including exalting him publicly). And so the king tells him to go and do all these things (leaving nothing out) for Mordecai the Jew. And Haman (horrified) finds himself compelled to obey the king and ends up exalting the very man he had sought to destroy. And the text says that afterwards he went home with his face covered in grief. And so (in the midst of a lot of grief and pain) we see that God is working in an amazing; and we have already begun to see how God’s plans are unfolding and the tables are beginning to turn on the enemies of His people. Last week I read to you Deuteronomy 7:9, which reads:
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)-- 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. But I intentionally left the following verse for today, because of how it sets the tone for our discussion. It says in verse 10… Deuteronomy 7:10 (NIV)-- 10 But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. The Hidden Face-- Now notice that twice it says in this verse that God will repay to their face; because there is a lot of Old Testament imagery and meaning behind that phrase. You will remember that in breathing life into Adam, God gave life to Adam from His very face. When man sinned, he was cut off from the face of God. When Cain committed murder in killing his brother Abel, he says Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. When we sin, (in the Hebrew mind) our face is always affected; we are cut off from God’s face. Yet later in the Tabernacle (and even later the temple) there was kept there the bread of the presence of God. In Hebrew it was known as the Lechem Panim, which literally meant “bread of the faces”; signifying that bread for life was found as man looked into the face/faces of God. It was a promise; because in Jesus (the bread of life), who was born in a bakery (that’s what Bet-Lechem means; “house of bread”), man got to look once again into the face of God in Jesus. Now I say all this because of how Haman in our story today has just covered his face because of his having to exalt Mordecai. He races home with his face covered. There is a spiritual overtone to all of this. And his friends and family tell him he’s doomed because Mordecai is a Jew (interesting how they seem to understand that God stands with His people). And it says… Esther 6:14-7:1-- 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. 7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, So Haman is ushered to Esther’s second banquet. And his heart is still racing and he’s trying to regain his composure the best he can. And so he comes in and sits down, only to experience another horrifying surprise. It says… Esther 7:2-4 (NIV)— 2 and as they were drinking wine [there's that theme of wine again] on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” Now the king suddenly becomes wild with fury. Who would dare set themselves against His queen (the woman he loved) and her people? And Haman’s eyes are growing wide as well. He begins to feel the drumbeat of his own heart. And he thinks to himself, “Surely Esther is not a Jew!” But it says… Esther 7:5-6 (NIV)— 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” 6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” And Haman’s jaw drops to the floor. And the king’s eyes lock onto Haman like a bulldog’s on lamb chops. And all the blood drains from Haman’s face. It says Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. And the King is beside himself with rage. He gets up and storms out. And look what it says... Esther 7:7-8a (NIV)— 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine [there’s that wine mentioned again; something bad is about to happen] and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. And for some reason this looks to Xerxes like an assault upon the queen; probably because of how aggressively Haman is pleading for his life; I mean HE IS TERRIFIED!!! Esther 7:8b-10 (NIV)-- The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided. God Lifting Us Up— Now I’m sure most of you have gone through times of persecution and oppression; and maybe you have wondered when and how God would deliver you. And especially we Christians in the United States have a skewed understanding of what it means to be in favor with God. We think it means prosperity and feeling close and connected with God all the time. Prosperity gospel prophets will tell us that if we are suffering in some way, then something is wrong with our relationship with God and we need to have a deeper kind of faith; because obviously our faith is not strong enough. I’m not sure why we tend to gravitate towards that heresy so easily, especially when Jesus speaks so clearly about our taking up our crosses (our emblems of suffering and shame) and following Him in His suffering. In the early church there were precious few Christians who expected anything less than pain and suffering on behalf of the Gospel. And looking back through the Old Testament, we discover that God’s faithful ones lived lives that were characterized by suffering. Think of Abraham’s and Sarah’s childlessness; think of Joseph’s imprisonment; Moses’ flight from Egypt and living in isolated seclusion for decades because of his having killed an Egyptian; or just look at the Psalms. Incredible works of poetry? Yes. But they were written (many of them) out of circumstance of intense persecution and pain. David had to deal with enemies who set themselves against him all of his life (from Goliath of Gath to Saul to even members of his own family). Those on whom God’s favor rested in a special way were those who (facing hardship) chose to rely on God in a special way. And in so doing, they found deliverance. Abraham’s wife Sarah conceived and gave birth. Joseph was freed from prison and God made him second in command over all of Egypt; God called Moses out of hiding and (in his senior years) made him His chosen leader for His people; God helped David defeat Goliath, to supersede Saul as king, and delivered him from his enemies time and time again. And so in all these accounts, we discover that the dark times were not God’s vacation days or God somehow backing off for a while. No, it was often during those times that God was working the most. And the same is true of us; if we can rely on God in the hard times, we will find ourselves joining in some of His greatest work. That is one of the key truths we discover in Scripture and is something we see demonstrated so clearly here in the book of Esther. And so I want to encourage you today (in whatever you are facing). Trust in God. If you are anchored to Him (in Christ Jesus) He will not always keep you from the dark times, but He will bring you through those dark times; and He will use those times to do mighty works both in you and through you. So let us trust in Him today. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today for another message from the book of Esther, which today will focus on the faithfulness of God to humble those who are sinful and arrogant and to exalt those who are righteous and humble.
A Flex Cam Showdown-- Not long ago, at a Philadelphia Soul football game, they've had something called “Flex Cam.” The camera panned out to the crowd, tasking them to flex their muscles. It’s a fun thing, kids and adults showing up on the big screen flexing. However, during once of these events there was a young man on whom the camera fell who wanted to show his fairly large muscles. So he stood up and flexed his biceps and even turned to the girl behind and began flexing in front of her. And then he turned back to the camera to flex some more. But unbeknownst to him, the girl he had been flexing to quietly stood up behind him and slipped off her jean jacket, revealing bulging, body-builder arms. And he turned again, just in time to see her (with a look of pure pleasure) flexing her vastly superior arms over him; after which he quietly slumped back into his seat with a look of absolute embarrassment on his face. Humbling Fun To Watch-- You know, I don’t care whether it is in a movie or television show, or even in day to day life, the funniest moments are often when somebody who is proud or arrogant or full of themselves is humbled. And we will see this happen in a big way in our story today in the book of Esther. Esther Stands for God’s People— Now we left Queen Esther last week immediately following the first banquet she had prepared for the King and his advisor Haman. Because Esther’s cousin Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him at the city gate, Haman tricked the King into signing an edict that would cause all of the Jews in Persia (not just Mordecai) to be exterminated. However, Haman knows neither of Esther’s connection with Mordecai nor the fact that she is herself a Jew. And so Esther is preparing to reveal Haman’s plot to the king and could have done so at her first banquet, but (apparently) senses God telling her to wait. So she invites the King and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will make her request. And this of course gives God the opportunity not just to bring Haman to justice, but to humble him and bring about the exaltation (the lifting up) of Mordecai, which we will cover. But after this first banquet, Haman (who has no idea what is coming) is on cloud 9. He is excited. It says in… Esther 5:9-14 (NIV)— 9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits [(this was about 75 feet or almost 8 stories high)], and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up. Impaling-- Now this pole (and impaling) was a pre-cursor to crucifixion, which some believe the Persians were the inventors of. It was a graphic way to display the corpses of your enemies and instill fear in the hearts of your people. Ahasuerus’ grandfather Darius at one time had 3,000 citizens who had been a part of a revolt impaled at one time. It was very graphic and humiliating; and therefore a method Haman chooses with glee. And Haman (after instituting this plan) probably then turns in for the night and smiles as he drifts into sleep, dreaming of his revenge against Mordecai. Sleeping Haman vs. Sleepless Ahasuerus-- But that night, Ahasuerus, by the providence of God, cannot sleep. He’s tossing and turning, but to no avail. And he calls for his servants and commands that the royal records be read to him. And he is expecting the monotony of the records to lull him to sleep (like counting sheep or reading the phone book). So the royal records are brought, a scroll is chosen, and his servant begins reading. But instead of a boring record, he is read the record of his being saved by Mordecai from the plot against his life made by his two doorkeepers (Bigthan and Teresh) five years (cf. 2:16 with 3:7) earlier. Divine Orchestrating-- Now the royal records recorded not only the years of Ahasuerus’ reign, but also the reign of his father and grandfather. So you can imagine how many records there were. What are the chances that this scroll was chosen? Well it wasn’t chance. God brought it about. Don’t ever tell me this is a God-less book. God is very present in this story on every page; He is behind the scenes orchestrating every event towards the fulfillment of His purposes. The King’s Inquiry-- Now Xerxes, eagerly asks, 3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” And his attendants answer “Nothing has been done for him,” And so the King resolves to rectify that right away. Haman’s Pride Backfires-- Yet, first thing in the morning, Haman comes before the king at the royal court with a gleam in his eye ready to ask the king for authorization to execute Mordecai. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! And he’s thinking about that stake being set up for Mordecai. And he comes to the king. And the king speaks first. But can you even imagine what would have happened if Haman had spoken first? That expression, “He put his foot in his mouth” just wouldn’t cut it. But the king speaks first. It says… Esther 6:6-10 (NIV)-- 6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” {And Haman thinks it’s HIM!!! And his ego and head begins to swell; his chest begins to puff out. It says…} Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’” {And Haman smiles ear to ear as the king puffs his own chest out and gets ready to declare the recipient of this honor. Verse 10…} 10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.” Haman Leading Mordecai’s Parade-- Now I don't think words can describe the shock and frustration this little man Haman was feeling. Maybe its like that commercial on tv where the man puts his head close to the bushes as he’s working on them and a squirrel leaps out, latches onto his face and begins tearing him up. Hamon receives a similar, nasty surprise. And a whole field of emotions are bubbling up in Haman right now. But it says… Esther 6:11 (NIV)-- 11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” Haman Head of The Parade!-- Now you have to get this. Haman has to be the person not only to dress Mordecai in the royal robes and a royal crown and help him onto the royal horse, he has to be the guy who leads the parade for Mordecai as they go though the city. And as he’s leading Mordecai, he has to say, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” And it says in verse 12... Esther 6:12 (NIV)— 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. No comfort from his wife-- And he’s expecting them to comfort him and to placate his wounded ego. However, they don’t. In fact, just the opposite. It says… His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” Not quite the pick-me-up he was looking for. And that prophecy (unlike many) didn’t predict events in the distant future; but was more of a just-around-the-corner kind of prophecy. It says… Esther 6:14-7:1-- 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. 7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, And we will see next week how things are going to play out for Haman. But God’s word to us for today is this. Although we know that God promises to reward us for our good deeds, we can often times feel that the “payoff” is too far away. And we often wonder if it is worth it. Mordecai went without being rewarded (or even recognized) for what he had done for five years. But though the king may have forgotten, one thing we see here is that God never forgets. And God will reward us in due season when that reward will do the greatest possible good. But we need to patient, just as both Esther AND Mordecai were willing to wait for God’s timing. One of the greatest points of security that will come in your life will come when you come to grips with the truth that God truly is faithful; He has been, He is, and He always will be faithful to you and to me. Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)-- 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Let us know today in a special way the faithfulness of our God. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther.
Esther Stands for God’s People— In our passage last week we saw how Haman has begun to implement his plot against the Jews. He has gotten the king to sign a royal decree that all Jews in the empire are to be exterminated. And the decree has been sent out throughout all the empire. And news of this has reached Mordecai, who implores Esther to go before the king and plead their case. And Esther’s obviously scared, knowing that Persian law dictated that she could be executed for appearing before the king un-summoned. But rather than letting her fear master her, she chooses to align herself with God’s purpose and places the needs of her people over her own and chooses to go in to see the king. And as she enters that inner court (4:11), she knows she is placing her very life at the king’s mercy. Yet Proverbs 21:1 may have given her hope. It says… Proverbs 21:1 (ESV)— 21 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. And that’s what we see here. Because Esther has placed herself in the hands of God and found favor in His eyes, she finds that those same divine hands are at work in the heart of the king. And when the king sees her, it says she won favor in his sight (5:2), and he extends to her his scepter, sparing her life. And he says “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” (5:3) What Esther Requests-- Now Esther has come before the king; not to seek anything for herself (as Haman, by contrast, will in just a little while), but in order that the lives of her and her people might be spared. But what is interesting is that she doesn’t at this time make her request before the king. Instead, it says… Esther 5:4-5 (NIV)— 4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” 5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. Sensitivity & Timing-- Now Esther chooses the banquet as the place to make her plea. As we talked about last week, she does this to protect the king; so that he might not be placed in a situation where he could publicly lose face; because remember it was he who had authorized this edict to begin with, so it would have made him look bad. But even more importantly, Esther is moving on God’s timetable. Probably because she took that time to fast and pray, she seems to have this sense of the Lord’s timing; and she is moving in accordance with that timing. Led by the Spirit, not our sense of our needs-- And you know, that is something you and I can really learn from. Are we led by our fears or our own sense or perception of what our needs are? Or are we led by the Spirit of God? The truth is, when we focus on God and on living in obedience and in accordance with His timing, our needs are met; but we have to take our eyes off our needs and set them on Him. It is when we try to grasp too soon what may not be for us (or at least not yet) that we fall into trouble. A Banquet “Prepared”-- Now this banquet was not something Esther decided to do on the spur of the moment. No, she prepared this banquet before even going before the king, which in itself is a beautiful picture of faith, as it shows she was actively trusting that God would move on her behalf. The banquet is already made. And so the king orders Haman to be brought and they leave immediately for the banquet. It says … Esther 5:5b-6 (NIV)— So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” Wine & Darkness— You know, it’s interesting how much wine appears in the book of Esther. Wine is sometimes presented in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s favor and blessing. But not always; and certainly not so far in this book. In the very first chapter you have wine; and that drunkenness it produced that led to the merciless exile of Queen Vashti; not much favor there. Then you have Haman’s deceiving the King into signing the edict that would have led to the extermination; the genocide of an entire race of people (including Esther); and the text says right after the edict was issued, the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. (3:15) And the very next time alcohol is mentioned is here in this verse; at this banquet where this wicked man Haman; this schemer of evil is brought in the midst of his planning to annihilate the Jews. So wine is more of a symbol of foreboding in this book. It is explicitly mentioned at every plot turn. And so the author’s pointing us to the wine is meant to foreshadow something grim; a dark event associated with wickedness. Proverbs 4:17 says of wicked people... Proverbs 4:14-17 (NIV)— 16 For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. Everywhere you have wine in this book; you have violence showing up in some way, shape, or form. So they are there at the banquet and the king says to Esther… Esther 5:6b-8 (NIV)-- “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” The Time Wasn’t Right-- Now why the wait? For some reason Esther doesn’t feel like the timing is right; it seems that God is impressing upon her to wait. And she probably has no idea why. In fact it may even bother her because there is quite a bit of urgency to her making this request. Her people are about to be annihilated. But she chooses to wait. And this may be because she has a sense of the Lord’s timing. She chooses to obey the leading of the Lord and wait; she chooses to possibly even allow herself to be made to look foolish in order to act in accordance with the timing of the Lord. Now we in hindsight know why the Lord wanted her to wait; it was because He wanted to not only bring about the salvation of the Jews; He wanted to also humble Haman and exalt Mordecai. And this is one of the things God does quite often. He humbles the proud. Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)-- 34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)-- 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV)-- 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 1 Peter 5:5b-6 (NIV)-- …All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Pride Sickness— I recently watched some of a special on the Corona Virus. And they were talking about how they believe the virus originated with bats. And they said bats are fascinating creatures because although they can carry Corona Virus and other diseases, they are (interestingly) not affected by them. And you know. Pride is similar. It’s as Buddy Robinson once said, “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the person who has it.” And he’s right. Pharaoh Humbled-- And before God’s will can be perfected in your life and in my life, God must first pull us out of the quicksand of pride. In Egypt it was not enough for God to deliver Israel. He could have stretched out his hand and immediately brought death to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians. But no; He takes the longer path and (through Moses and Aaron) brings humility to Israel’s captors to the point where they give of their own possessions to the Israelites; He humbles them. And ultimately the reason Pharaoh’s army is annihilated by the waters coming upon them was not God; it was Pharaoh’s own pride that led to the destruction of his army and his land. It was because of his heart, hardened by pride, that caused the plagues of Egypt that left it in ruin. Nebuchadnezzar Humbled-- Later, just before the story of Esther; during the time of Daniel, reigned the proud King Nebuchadnezzar. Now God could have killed Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance and sins. But God takes the longer path. He chooses to humble Nebuchadnezzar; remember, after praising himself and failing to give glory to God, God makes him like an animal; he loses his mind, his nails grow long, and he eats the grass of the field until he lifts up his eyes to heaven and lets go of His pride and gives worship to God. Then (and only then) does God restore him. Haman Must Be Humbled-- And here we see the same thing. God has determined not only to save Israel (which could have been done at Esther’s first banquet). No; once again God takes the longer path; the one that will humble the enemy of God’s people before Him. Mordecai Must Be Exalted-- And if Esther had made her request at this time, then Haman may have still been executed, but not humbled; and Mordecai would never have been exalted. And God saw both as necessary because He had plans to make Mordecai King Ahasuerus’ righthand man. And we will see in the closing chapters of this book that Mordecai himself plays a very key role in God’s plan. The proud must fall and the humble must be exalted. We may miss out if we don’t wait on God’s timing-- You know, you and I can act on things before God’s timing; and things may turn out ok; but we may miss out on a huge part of the blessing God has in store for us or for someone we are connected with if we fail to move in accordance with His timing. We must learn to be patient and wait; even when it is frustrating or we may not understand why. You may be in a time of waiting right now; and those times of waiting can be very fearful; very scary. And we often want God to grant us what we think we need right away. Although we will never say it, we often think that God ought to act on our timetable. But if we can trust ourselves to God’s timing, pieces that are in play for our benefit God can use to bring us the greatest possible good. And that is ultimately what God was doing for Esther and her people; and it is what He wants to do for you and for me as well. And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); let us commit ourselves to following God’s timing in a deeper way. Let’s do so. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. In recent weeks we have talked about the rise (in the Persian empire) of a wicked man named Haman, an enemy of the Jews who (because of a personal grudge against Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai and the specific line Mordecai comes from) has convinced the king to allow him to wipe out all of the Jews in the empire. Now nobody knows at this point that Esther is a Jew, for Mordecai has urged her to keep that a secret. But Mordecai informs Queen Esther of Haman’s plot and implores her to speak to the king on behalf of her people, though appearing before him unannounced would cost her her life, unless the king were to spare her life by holding out to her his golden scepter. And so the fate of God’s people is placed into the hands of this young Jewish girl, who has to decide whether to let her fear master her or to rise above that fear and act in courage in accordance with the will of God. And of course we know she will make the right choice. Now I am sure she felt an enormous weight. And so would we if we were in her shoes. And in the midst of burdens like that, you know I think we often wonder why God allows us to go through times of intense fear and pain. I know many may be struggling with that question now during this Covid-19 crisis. And so I’d like to open with a story today that I think speaks to that fear and why God allows us to carry burdens.
[THE PERIL OF NO BURDEN— {Some time ago I remember reading how} Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell. Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." Then he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish." But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him." The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration. Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery. Then, for the first time, Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell. But not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death. Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?" Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry."] Esther's Burden-- Now the same is true of us. The burdens we carry (the pains and the fears) are often God’s ways of actually preserving us. And if we can be obedient to Him in the midst of those fears, God can work great things through us. But we have to be willing to accept those burdens; like Esther did. Esther didn’t overlook those who would die whom she had the power to save. She recognized that they were her burden. And when she chooses to shoulder that burden, the result is that she saves herself as well. Esther 4:15-16a (ESV)-- 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do…. Prayer Always Accompanied Fasting-- Now [By calling for a fast, Esther was asking the Jews to pray for God’s help on her dangerous mission. In the Old Testament, prayer always accompanied fasting (see Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; Ezra 8:21-23).] So she determine’s a course of action and moves ahead very boldly. She says that after she and her maids do this, in verse 16 she says… Esther 4:16b (ESV)-- …Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Pouring the Jug-- [I once heard a story of a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: “pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need”. Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! …] Esther has made the decision to risk the immediate urge to try to preserve her own life and chooses to take that step of faith. It says in… Esther 5:1-3 (ESV)— 1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” Only Favor— Now in all the movies, after Esther pushes open those huge doors and steps into the room there is a hush amongst all the crowd. And everybody looks in amazement. And there's a look of questioning and almost even frustration from the king. He looks perplexed. Yet, hesitantly, he holds out his scepter and Esther touches the tip, and her life is spared. Yet that is not what we see in the Bible. It says when he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight. He is pleased with her! There’s no frustration; there's no anxiety; there's only favor. And that favor he demonstrates to her was really an extension of God's favor to her. God’s favor was working through him to Esther. A Sign of Love— In 2:17, it says of the king that he loved Esther more than all the other women. Now some commentators say that this was not love as you and I think of love; a self-giving kind of love. This was the King’s attraction to or even objectifying of Esther, much the same as he had objectified Queen Vashti. But I disagree with them. When Vashti showed defiance, he was filled with rage and was merciless towards her. Yet here Esther shows what could be interpreted as defiance, yet we don't see any hint of any displeasure from the king. In fact we see that he is pleased to see her. There's no hesitation in his extending to her the scepter. And what is remarkable to me is that he never even brings up the fact that she broke the law; not a word! The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, basically, "How can I serve you?" Esther 5:3 (ESV)-- 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” Making Himself Vulnerable-- And he means it. He is stating that publicly. Now Xerxes is putting himself in a vulnerable position; because he doesn't know what Esther is going to ask. Remember what happened when Herod made a similar promise to Herodias in Mark 6:23? It backfired. She asked for the head of John the Baptist, which he then gave her because she put him in a politically awkward position. Esther Protects Her Husband’s Position-- But it's interesting that Esther doesn't do that. She doesn't make her request publicly. And her request would have put him in a politically awkward position because it would challenge the very law he had just put out. And though he most likely would have granted her request, it would have hurt his position. What we see instead is that Esther protects the king by calling for a private meeting in which to give her request. It says… Esther 5:4 (ESV)-- 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” So we see that Esther acts with wisdom. She is very wise, very tactful, and very considerate of her husband. Even in accusing Haman (which we will see later), we see that she is very careful not to accuse the king, who was (honestly) just as at fault as Haman was. Haman devised the scheme but it was the king who put it into action; he was responsible as well. But Esther never mentions that; she shows tact. She is very careful to only finger Haman in the crime. Reciprocal Love-- So my point is that Ahasuerus really does love and protect Esther and Esther reciprocates that in her treatment of Him. And what this shows is that when we choose to obey the will of God, and do so with tact; with wisdom and in love, there is no need to fear because God will prepare the way; He will open the doors; because His favor went before her. And His favor goes before us as well. And you and I can do the right thing knowing that He stands with us in a very real, though often (as in the book of Esther) an “unseen” way. We can live boldly in knowing that through His power, God can help us to overcome and do His will in the world; because He has raised us up “for such a time as this.” Be encouraged by that this week. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther, beginning chapter 4 today.
Call Him a Saint-- But before we get into the text, I’d like to share a story of [two brothers {I once heard of. Both were}, well known around town for their crooked business dealings and underworld connections. They were as mean and cold-blooded as you could imagine. One day one of the brothers died, and the surviving brother wanted to give his dead brother a funeral fit for a king. He called the funeral home and made all the arrangements, then he called the town’s minister and made him an offer, as they say, he couldn’t refuse. He said, "I’ll give you $10,000 to put that new roof on the church if, in eulogizing my brother, you call him a saint." The minister agreed. The whole town turned out for the funeral, and the minister began: "The man you see in the coffin was a vile and debauched individual. He was a liar, a thief, a deceiver, a manipulator, a reprobate, and a hedonist. He destroyed the fortunes, careers, and lives of countless people in this city, some of whom are here today. This man did every dirty, rotten thing you can think of. But compared to his brother, he was a saint"] Mordecai’s Predicament-- Now I don’t know what the repercussions of that minister’s saying that was; but I imagine the brother was not very happy. But…. One of the key truths we have been learning is you cannot call good what God has condemned. And this is the situation Mordecai (Queen Esther’s cousin) has found himself in. He has been serving as a judge at the king’s gate. And King Ahasuerus decides to make an evil man by the name of Haman (a descendant of the Amalekites, the enemies of the Jews; and a hater of the Jews himself) his right-hand man and commands that all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bow down to him. And Haman, a slave to vanity, enjoys all the royal officials kneeling down and paying him honor (3:2). But Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. And it wounds the pride and vanity of Haman; and he cannot let it go. It’s like the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden of Eden. Haman already has all the trees he could ever need (he has the favor of everyone); he has access to the tree of life (he has the favor of the King himself); but it is that one tree that he cannot have (Mordecai) that consumes his mind. And therefore Haman conspires to kill Mordecai; and not just Mordecai, but all the Jews. And he does this by convincing the king (who does not know his own wife Esther’s people) that the Jews are a threat to the Persian empire. He says they have different customs from those of all the other people and that they do not obey the king’s laws (v.8) (by which of course is meant that Mordecai would not bow). And the thrust of Haman’s argument is that they will create instability in the empire. And he asks for permission to have them destroyed. And the King agrees to this genocide and gives him his signet ring to seal the decree in the king’s name. It is amazing how little information the king asks of this man who wants to wipe out an entire people. But he does!!! He gives Haman his signet ring; his authority, and the decree is written in every language of the peoples and dispatches are sent. And the close of chapter 3 is really unbelievable. Esther 3:15 (ESV)— 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. A Holocaust Event-- Recently in our Sunday school class at Renton Park Chapel, our conversation shifted towards a discussion of the events in and surrounding the Holocaust. And we cannot even imagine what many of the people of that time had to go through; in a way it seems almost too removed from us. But imagine waking up one morning, making breakfast, and as your turn on the news you hear an announcement that it has been determined that your people are responsible for all the disunity in the country, for the instability in our nation, and for every disastrous choice this country has made. And there is only one solution; a “final solution”. All your people (including you and your family) are going to be rounded up and systematically exterminated. Now that may sound like a foolish fantasy; but remember the Holocaust was not really that long ago. That kind of persecution has been a common thread of God’s people throughout history; and it will continue to be until Christ returns. But imagine receiving that news update. What would you do in Mordecai’s shoes? You’d probably start calling your family; and at the same time you’re getting calls from loved ones, panicking. And you’d be grieving. Esther 4:1-3 (ESV)-- 1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. The Fasting and Prayer of the Jews-- Can you imagine the fear; the terror? The dreadful anticipation. I mean what do you do? In times like that the only thing you can do is turn to God; lift up your voice to Him and pray for deliverance. And that is what the Jews are doing, as fasting was almost always accompanied prayer. Now it says in… Esther 4:4 (ESV)— 4 When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Why Esther Seeks to Clothe Mordecai-- Now the reason she sends him the clothes is not to try to get him to snap out of whatever it is he is going through. Esther knows that whatever is happening is important. She is sending him clothes so that he [could then enter the king’s gate (cf. 4:2) and talk with Esther directly (cf. Neh. 2:2)] Because remember that verse 2 tells us no one can enter the king’s gate (that official building) clothed in sackcloth. That’s Persian law. I mention this to you to show you that Esther isn’t discounting his feelings here or his means of expressing them, but is seeking to clothe him so she can find out as soon as possible what is going on. It says in… Esther 4:5-8 (ESV)-- 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. Further Evidence of Prominent Position-- By the way, [That Mordecai possessed this specific knowledge and a copy of the edict further evidences his prominent position in Persia.] And after this it says… Esther 4:5-12 (ESV)-- 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” {(You see, she is counting the cost; not in an unhealthy way, but in a rational way. She understands that her own life is at stake.) Now it says…} 12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Set Priorities-- Now it is never wrong to acknowledge the danger in your doing what is right. It is even okay to be afraid. I am not sure how you could be in Esther’s position and not be afraid. But the thing about fear is that it always needs to be taken captive and placed in perspective. And that is what we see Esther do; she sets priorities and she get’s perspective. And Mordecai really helps her with this. It says… Esther 4:13-14 (ESV)-- 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. [keep in mind that if she is exposed, it doesn’t matter who she is; her life could be in danger because the king is not above the Law of the Medes and Persians. She could be killed even despite her royal position.] 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” What Disobedience Could Cause-- Now this really shows that Mordecai has a strong understanding of the providence of God. [Haman’s death decree was against all Jews in the Persian Empire; thus, it would have included the land of Israel. If his decree had been carried out, all of God’s chosen people could have been exterminated, and God’s plan to send his Son to earth as a Jew could have been ruined. But God’s plans cannot be stopped.] And Mordecai recognizes this. But he also recognizes that there are immediate consequences for not following the will of God. Israel did not obey God when told to enter the promised land. They had been too afraid. And God therefore made them to wander the desert 40 years until that generation died off because of their lack of faith. And Mordecai is afraid the same thing will happen here. Yes God could raise up deliverance in another way, but Esther and her own relatives would be lost if she was not courageous enough to take that step of faith and obedience. And Mordecai basically tells her that where she is now is not an accident. She has been placed where she is; with the influence she has; by God for a purpose. And that purpose (not her life) is her most important priority. Our Time and Calling-- And you know the same is true of each and every one of us. God has placed us where we are; for a purpose. He has given each of us a sphere of influence. Are we going to be faithful to use that influence for His glory? Are we going to be courageous enough to step out and witness to that person; are we going to be bold enough to stand up for what is right; are we going to be faithful to meet the needs of those who are oppressed and needy. Are we willing to become unsafe to glorify God? That phrase “for such a time as this” makes me think of the needs present in our own time; the need for men and women of God to not only talk about holiness, but be the salt and light in the world. God has laid a call upon your life and my life “for such a time as this.” The question is, how are we going to respond? It is my hope and prayer that you and I will respond as Esther did; in faith and in courage. And faith and courage are choices, not feelings. We have to choose to have faith and courage, even in the midst of contexts where the temptation is to fear, despair, and fall back. And so let us choose to be men and women of faith and courage. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today.
A Worldview of Providence vs. Blind Chance-- This past week I was helping my son with his schoolwork (which is all online for the moment due to the current state of things); and he was learning about fossils and dinosaurs. And because he goes to a Christian school, he is learning those things from a Biblical perspective, which I am very thankful for. But I remember one night last week sitting with him in bed reading from his Bible the Genesis account of creation. And I told him that some people do not believe that God created everything; some people believe that at one time nothing existed except a tiny little speck, which they believe exploded and everything somehow came together from that explosion. And of course I was talking about the big bang. And I remember he simply couldn’t believe that by chance everything in the world that seemed so rich with design could come together randomly by chance. And I directed him across the room to his box of Legos and said it is like believing that your Lego box could explode and somehow form a house. And he immediately saw that as being complete nonsense. There would have to be intelligence behind any creation like that. If there is a design, there has to be a designer. And I think agreed with me when I pointed out how much more sense it made that God created the world. But though we as Christians know that, sometimes we forget that the God who created the world is also the God who sustains the world. And (to get specific), let’s consider the major world events like the ones we are facing today). Some people (even some Christians I know) seem imprisoned by fear. But what we as Christians have to remember is that we believe in a Divine Creator; a being who is orchestrating all things together for the good of those who love Him. Nothing is outside of His control; and while things may seem chaotic, we know that God has a purpose and plan that is being worked out. And this is what we see so clearly here in the book of Esther. The name of God is not mentioned anywhere in the book, but the author still points to Him as the main character; as the Great Orchestrator, defending and shielding His people as He slowly but steadily moves everything towards the fulfillment of His purposes. And we will see this theme play out more and more as we progress through the book. God is the great Defender of His people. Haman the Agagite-- Now last week (as we began Esther chapter 3) we saw a man come to power who comes from the Amalekite people generally (the ancient enemies of the Jews whom God had cursed for coming against and attacking His people when they first left Egypt) and from the line of King Agag specifically, the Amalekite king whom Saul had failed to put to death as God had instructed him to. And so this man who comes on the scene here carries a centuries-old grudge against the Jewish people. And of course his name is Haman. Haman is honored by the king and all are ordered to bow down and pay him homage. However, there is one man who refuses. And this was Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official who sits at the kings gate, most likely in the role of a judge). He refuses to bow to Haman. And this is a very public refusal. Verses 3-5 say… Esther 3:3-5 (ESV)-- 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. The “Wrath” of Haman-- So we see that when Haman is told about Mordecai’s refusal and when he sees it himself, he is absolutely livid. In fact, [Haman’s name sounds something like the Hebrew word for wrath (Heb., hemah), an apt description of his temperament and role in this story.] Mordecai Open About His Jewish Identity-- Now one of the fascinating things in this passage about Mordecai is that it says [he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai did the very thing he had told Esther not to do in her situation (Est. 2:10, 20).] He tells the king’s servants he’s a Jew. And no doubt Haman wasted little time finding out what family he came from, his history; and when he found out, that made Haman hate him all the more, so much so that the scripture says… Esther 3:6 (ESV)-- 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. An Excuse to Destroy the Jews-- Now Haman’s pride is hurt. And he has been hating the Jews all along. And so he determines to exterminate them throughout all the kingdom (which by the way included Jerusalem; those who had returned from exile). And so it says in… Esther 3:7 (ESV)-- 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus {(And the twelfth year reveals to us that [Haman has been biding his time for five years.)]}, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) (Pur is the persian word for “lot”; [A lot would be like modern dice which were cast to determine future decisions (cf. the Hebrew lot, 1 Chr. 26:14; Neh. 10:34; Jonah 1:7).] It was [A traditional way of seeking divine guidance (Josh. 18:6; Prov. 16:33) or, as here, finding the most opportune time to do something.] And so these lots were being cast, it says…) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Biding Time; Passover Connection-- Nisan was [The first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which began in spring with the Passover (Ex. 12:1–2). While the Jews prepared to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, Haman plotted their destruction.] And until the twelfth month (the month of Adar) Haman has been casting lots against God’s people. Now Haman may have cast the lots, but neither he nor chance were in control. God was in control. It says in… Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)-- 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. [God providentially controlled the outcome of the lot.] It says in… Esther 3:8-13 (ESV)-- 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. (Notice how he is making it seem like this is in the king’s best interest.) 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay (by which he means collect)10,000 talents of silver [that’s a huge sum, by the way; about 12 million ounces; over 300 tons 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.” [Haman…appeals to the king’s need to replenish the treasury depleted by Xerxes’ disastrous war with Greece.] 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand ([A ring used to seal official documents (Jer. 22:24).]) and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews (which of course made it so that [Haman is empowered to act with royal authority.]). 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.” (So [Ahasuerus authorizes Haman to use as much of the 10,000 talents of silver as he needs to implement his plan.]) 12 Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month ([Presumably of the following (13th) year of Ahasuerus’s reign (see v. 7).]), and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. 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. 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. God Preserves The Righteous-- Now one of the things you are going to see in the next few chapters is an unraveling of Haman’s plans. Everything just kind of goes haywire. And out of this story rises the theme of God’s victory over the enemies of God’s people and the lifting up of the righteous. Those who are righteous; those who walk with God may be hated by the world; yet we see that God defends those who walk in faithfulness with Him. It says in… Job 5:12 (ESV)— 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. God’s Deliverance of His Righteous Ones— And this is really one of the central themes in this book. God thwarts the plans of the wicked and helps the cause of the righteous. He blesses the humble and humbles the proud. He honors those who place Him first and remain obedient to Him. And we can take courage in the fact that, even though we are going through persecution, God will deliver us by His sovereign hand. When we walk with Christ, we will often find that people will take offense at us; because our lives (the Light we live in) exposes their darkness. If everything is dark, nobody seems to care. But when you have somebody stand for something, it shames those who are bowing to everything. Mordecai and Obedience-- But in Mordecai we are reminded that we (as followers of Christ) cannot pay homage to anything that God has cursed. We cannot leave anything alive in our hearts that God has called us to destroy. We have to commit to walk with Christ in obedience because obedience in our hearts and lives to His will is the very fruit of salvation. And if we see anything from this story, we see that God never overlooks disobedience. He didn’t overlook Saul’s; Saul was punished. He didn’t overlook Israel’s (His own people’s sin); even they were punished, having been sent into exile. And God won’t overlook your sin and mine. Saul tried to separate his love for God from his obedience to God. But that is something we cannot do. Jesus Himself said in… John 14:15 (ESV)-- 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 1 John 5:3-4 (ESV)-- 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. May we overcome the world the world through our faith this week. And may we discover the freedom that comes through living lives of obedience to God. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we are continuing our study of the book of Esther. Last week, following the rise of Esther, we talked about how Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official appointed by the king who judges at the king’s gate), uncovers a plot to assassinate the king and therefore saves the king’s life. But instead of the following passage opening with his promotion, as the original readers would have expected, we find instead honor being given to another man. It says in…
Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 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. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. … Consuming Credit-- It is interesting that our story last week closes with Mordecai not receiving or even looking to receive credit for saving the King from a deadly plot on his life. And yet our passage today (which immediately follows) is introduced by a man who consumes credit. For Mordecai, it was enough for him just to know that he had done the right thing and that his master the King was safe. Haman on the other hand (as we will see) feels the perpetual need to always glorify himself. He was an egotist; or (in other words) […a person…me-deep in conversation.] And (as we will see later in the story) it is Haman’s pride and vanity that will be his undoing. Vanity Confession-- I remember reading a story of how [Once a girl knelt in a confessional and said, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” "What is it, child?” "Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror and tell myself how beautiful I am.” The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, "My dear, I have good news. That isn’t a sin - it’s only a mistake.”] Sometimes it only takes one person to unravel our own false perceptions of ourselves. Every time Haman rides through the king’s gate, everyone at the king’s gate bows to him. Well, everyone except one. The Bible says… Esther 3:2b (ESV)— …But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. Why The Refusal?-- Now why doesn’t Mordecai bow? It is believed by many that the reason that he did not bow was because bowing means worship; and because he worshiped God alone, he could therefore not bow to anybody but God. However, that interpretation is most likely not correct because it was a universal custom during this time to bow before your superiors. In fact, [It is known from other sources that in general, Jews did bow to pagan officials of the Persian court. It was not a religious act but one of court protocol, much as moderns still curtsey or bow to the British queen.] In fact, we know that later in the story Mordecai will eventually receive Haman’s former job as grand vizier. And in order for him to receive that job he would have had to pay King Xerxes the very honors he here refuses to Haman. So why then does he here refuse? Hebrew Introductions— Well [In Hebrew narrative the characteristic described when a character is introduced is key to understanding his or her role in the story….When Haman is introduced, he is identified as an Agagite.] The Agagites-- And the Agagites were the ancient enemy of the Jews. When Israel left Egypt, remember they were attacked by these people called the Amalekites, [whose lineage began with Amalek, grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:2).] And so God curses them. And when God gave the covenant at Sinai, He said He promised [to protect Israel and to be at war with Amalek {(those who set themselves against His people)} in every generation]. Well, the king of the Amalekites during the reign of Saul was a King by the name of Agag. And in the book of 1 Samuel, God says to Saul through the prophet Samuel: ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:2b-3 ESV) But remember Saul doesn’t listen. He defeats the Amalekites (who are led by king Agag)…. 1 Samuel 15:9 (ESV)-- 9 But {(it says)} Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. But Samuel the prophet comes to Saul. And Saul is all proud of himself (probably like Haman) and boasts about his obeying the commandment of God. But Samuel puts his hands to his ears and says, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” And Saul starts making excuses. Well, I saved the best animals to be an offering for the Lord. And he starts trying to justify himself. But then Samuel says that famous statement… 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV)-- 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:32-33 (ESV)— 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. Expel the Evil-- Wow; that’s pretty intense. But you have to understand that the Amalekites were so intensely evil (practicing child-sacrifice and other horrific practices) that God wanted them out of His land; and even more importantly, He didn’t want Israel to adopt those kinds of practices. And yet we see that the Israelites never fully drive the Canaanites from their land. And because of that, they did indeed fall into those same practices. And really Saul’s failure in this conflict with Agag really foreshadows Israel’s continual inability to expel all evil from the promised land. Now why does all this matter? Because it says here that Haman is an Agagite; he’s a descendant of King Agag. And that is what drives his hatred the Jews; and especially Mordecai. Why Mordecai? It’s not just because Mordecai is a Jew. No, Mordecai comes from a very specific line, which is given to us when he is first introduced in Esther 2:5 (which means that it is also key to understanding the story). It says… Esther 2:5 (ESV)— 5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, Colliding Heritages-- Now remember that [Kish.{..was} Mordecai’s great grandfather who actually experienced the Babylonian deportation… {But} Kish {also} represents a Benjaminite family name that could be traced back (ca. 1100 B.C.) to Saul’s father {(whose name was also Kish)} (1 Sam. 9:1).] So this is the family Mordecai is a descendant of; the royal family of Saul, who slew the Amalekites and should have killed Agag. So in this chapter you have more than two men colliding; you have their whole heritages colliding! Why Mordecai Refuses-- Now by order of the king, every man is to bow down to Haman and pay him homage. But Mordecai doesn’t. Why? Very likely because [no self-respecting Benjaminite could bow before the seed of the ancient enemy of the Jews.] And next week we will see just how well Haman takes this. If you think it is not very well, then (as Sherlock Holmes once said) “you have a very keen insight into the obvious.” Our Homage-- But what our passage today shows us is that we need to be careful not to pay homage to anything that God has called us to put to death; anything that might rob you of the fullness of God’s presence. This past week my daughter Ally asked Jesus into her life for the first time. And she knew she was making a very important decision to follow Jesus. But as a father, as I look into her beautiful blonde-haired face (I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful face), I think “What is my precious Ally’s walk with Jesus going to look like if I’m not completely sold out to Jesus?” What are the ungodly things I still choose to pay homage to? When she gets married, how is her marriage; her kids; her grandkids; how are they going to be affected by my present willingness to be sold out to Jesus? Saul thought his sin was no big deal. And yet it affected generations. And so I wonder if those small choices we make every day to choose godliness over worldliness might not be so small after all. They could affect a lot of people. Choosing Cleanness-- This week I have been remembering the life of Ravi Zacharias, a wonderful Christian thinker and apologist who just went home to be with the Lord; and thinking about the millions of people (myself included) who have been touched by his extraordinary life and ministry. So much of my faith and thinking has been shaped by his faithfulness. But you know I wondered this week in my reflecting, “What does a person like him have to give up to be able to be used by God so mightily?” And maybe there are some major things, but I think most of what true men and women of God give up are little things; any little thing that might rob them of the presence of God. God anoints people and blesses people who are sold out to Him; who will not call clean or okay anything that He has called unclean. And so my challenge to you today (and to me) is: let us (like Mordecai) choose to live lives that are free of uncleanness; let us commit to living lives of holiness and obedience to God. If do, then we (like Esther and Mordecai) will experience the favor and blessing of God. Let’s commit to that today Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Esther, we have come to Esther’s coronation. Out of a group of 400 girls, she has been chosen to be the next queen of Persia. And King Ahasuerus throws a huge party to celebrate. So it is a time of joy and feasting. But in the midst of all this there is also plot and intrigue, as two men secretly lay plans to try to assassinate the king; Esther’s new husband. It says in…
Esther 2:19 (ESV)— 19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time {(most likely so King Ahasuerus could choose more concubines for himself in addition to Esther, it says}, Mordecai {(Esther’s elder cousin)} was sitting at the king's gate. The King’s Gate— Now [the courthouse of the ancient world was the gate of the city.] If you had a legal matter to settle, you went to the city gate to do it. Court would convene at the city gate. And so Mordecai, we see, holds a position of prominence at the gate; very likely a judgeship. But he was more than just your run of the mill judge because he is not just at the city gate; no, he is at (the text says) the king’s gate. And the king’s gate was where officials appointed by the king sat to administer justice (2 Sam. 15:2–6; cf. Ruth 4:1–11). And so Mordecai (though Jewish) was an important official appointed by the king. And it seems very plausible that Esther was the one who had him appointed to that position, as he is not mentioned as being in that position until after her coronation. But even if that were the case, we see that she kept her connection to him as her cousin a secret. It says in verse 20… Esther 2:20-21 (ESV)— 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. {Now it says in…} 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. The Threshold-- Now these two men were guardians of the threshold, the door to the king’s private quarters. So these are guys who have direct access to the king. They have opportunity. And apparently they have motive, though we don’t know exactly what that was. Esther’s crowning may have had something to do with it. Perhaps those in the palace who were supporters of Queen Vashti resented Ahasuerus for de-throning and replacing her. Or it is possible these two men didn’t like that Esther was an outsider, because (although it wasn’t consistently obeyed) tradition dictated that wives for the Kings of Persia should be selected from within the seven noble families of the land. And so these men might have been traditionalists who saw Esther’s becoming queen an offensive thing. We don’t know. But whatever the motive, they are plotting together to kill the king. Now it says in… Ecclesiastes 10:20 (ESV) — 20 Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. Well that little bird was Mordecai. The text says… Esther 2:22a (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, Not Overhearing, But Being Informed-- Now in the movies, Mordecai somehow overhears this conversation and reports it to Esther. But that is not what the scripture says. It says that this plot came to the knowledge of Mordecai. He did not overhear it; but acquired the information, probably because of his prominent position. It seems that because of his integrity (being one of the few righteous politicians in history), somebody gave him this information knowing that he would do the right thing. Can We Be Counted On?-- And that just makes me think how wonderful it would be if all the people we came into contact with on a day to day basis could know that no matter what happened, you and I could always be counted on to do the right thing. Now some people won’t like you for that, but they will know where you stand. And you will often win their favor in the end. And that’s because the greatest testimony that you and I will ever bear to the world is the testimony of our living our lives in integrity. You want people to accept the Gospel. Then live it before them; and they will be drawn to it. Now why did Mordecai feel compelled to try to stop the assassination of Ahasuerus? We aren’t sure. Perhaps it was for Esther’s sake. Yet in the book of Jeremiah we see that God says through Jeremiah about the coming captivity… Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)-- 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Mordecai Seeks Persia’s Welfare— And here we see Mordecai acts in accord with the spirit of this verse. He seeks the welfare of Persia by actively preserving the life of the king. Now Mordecai thinks he is doing the right thing by saving the life of the Persian king. Yet what he doesn’t realize is that it will be that very act that will cause his own life, the life of Esther, and the lives of God’s people to be preserved years down the line. And an important principle is revealed here. When you preserve the life of another person, you also find (perhaps unexpectedly) that you have brought life to yourself as well. This can be in a physical sense (as in our passage this today) or it can be in a spiritual sense. Any of you who have ever had the privilege of bringing somebody to Christ know exactly what I am talking about. When you lead somebody to Jesus, your own faith is strengthened. Why? Because we are called to be agents; to be bringers of life. And you are never closer to Jesus than when you bring His life to another person. And Mordecai demonstrates this spirit in his choosing to be faithful to the king. It says… Esther 2:22-23 (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. Book of the Chronicles-- Now that last fact is what makes this account relevant to God’s plan of redemption here in this story, as it will play a key role in the following chapters; this whole incident is recorded in the minutes of the king. Mordecai’s Reward Overlooked-- Now kings during that time, just like rulers nowadays, know that it is just as important to reward good behavior as to punish bad behavior. You fail or betray the king; your life was probably forfeit. You serve the king in a responsible or extra-ordinary way; you are honored. And [Acts of loyalty were usually rewarded immediately and generously by Persian kings.] But what is interesting here is that Mordecai gets overlooked by Ahasuerus. And this is understandable. Ahasuerus is so enamored by his new wife that all he remembers is her telling him about the plot. Yes the text says she warned him in the name of Mordecai and that is what was recorded. But you can really see how his human mind would have associated that memory with Esther. So Mordecai (for the time being) goes unrecognized. He is neither honored or promoted. And what is interesting is that Mordecai never draws attention to it, even though he could have expected a reward; that is what we would expect to see. Yet instead of Mordecai being honored, the next section opens with the honoring of someone else; a man named Haman. Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 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. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. … Juxtaposed Rewarded with Unrewarded-- Now here [The author places the promotion of Haman just where the original readers would have expected a report of Mordecai’s reward as a benefactor of the king.] And so [Haman’s introduction forms an unexpected twist when juxtaposed with Mordecai’s unrewarded loyalty.] And what is more frustrating is that we know that Haman will be shown to be an unrighteous, devious person, while Mordecai is upright and honest. The Unrighteous Rewarded-- But you know, we experience this kind of thing in our day and age as well; don’t we? Those who are often the most unrighteous are often the ones who are promoted; who are honored; and the good people are overlooked. Yet God eventually does bring judgment where judgement is due and glory where glory is due. Now it may take time. Here it probably took years. But God is a faithful judge. And if Mordecai could be trusted to do what is right, how much more can we trust God (the Divine Judge) to do right. But we have to learn to operate independently from praise; not for reward or our own glory, but for the glory of God. Bach’s Glory to God-- For those of you who love music, it is interesting that Johann Sebastian Bach once said ["All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub." He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."] Our Reward-- When we live our life for the glory of God, it doesn’t matter who sees or what reward we receive. Now will we receive a reward for doing right? Yes. Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” But scripture also reveals to us the understanding that righteousness before God is it’s own reward. It says in… Proverbs 11:18 (ESV)— 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. Isaiah 3:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. {Now on the flip side, it says in…} 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. God Will Reward— Now that last verse we see will be very clearly fulfilled in Mordecai’s relationship with Haman. The evil that Haman will intend for Mordecai will fall on his own head. And the same will come of those who oppose Christ and His people. We may have to suffer persecution for a time; we may go a long time without being rewarded for the everyday acts of righteousness that we perform. But God will be faithful to reward us if we, like Mordecai; like Esther, choose to do what is right no matter what the cost. Let us commit to that integrity as we abide in Christ. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Esther, we have come to the part of the story where Esther (along with 400 women) is taken into the palace of Xerxes, King of Persia. Many of these women were to become concubines for the king and one them was to be chosen as Xerxes’ next queen. Now Hegai (you will remember) was one of the men in charge of the women. And he is taken aback by this young woman he encounters named Esther. It says in…
Esther 2:9 (ESV)— 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. Not just another pretty face-- And we know why. Because there was more to Esther than physical beauty; she was not just another pretty face. Nor was it just that she had a likable personality. There are a lot of people with likable personalities. No, there was something different about the way Esther lived her life that made her stand out from everyone else around her. And we see at least three important characteristics in particular that set her apart as being one on whom the Lord’s favor rested. And these are three basic things that we as Christians can and should implement in our lives as well. POINT 1: ESTHER’S OBEDIENCE— First of all, Esther was obedient. Remember verse… Esther 2:10 (ESV)--10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. She respects and obeys her elders; particularly Mordecai. And we will see this much more as we progress through the book. She honors and obeys those who have been placed in authority over her. Unhappy Under Authority— Now often people don’t deal with authority very well; and that can be anywhere, but especially the workplace. For some people, it doesn’t matter what job they have, they are never happy simply because of the fact that they cannot work under another person’s authority. They want to be the one in control of themselves and (ironically) often over the lives of others. Submission is a dirty word for them; and that is true for many in our day and age. But scripture teaches us that happiness in our lives can never be found until we learn how to submit to the authorities God has placed over our lives; until we learn how to follow. Even Jesus modeled this kind of submission in His relationship to the Father. But the problem in our culture is that we always want to be the ones to lead; never the ones to follow. Are You a Leader?— There's [a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”] We have too many people nowadays who are unable to follow; people who want to lead their own lives. But the Christlike life is the life that is characterized by the ability to submit to authority and to honor those placed in positions above us. Not that we can’t challenge authority when they are wrong, but even then we can do so with a Christ-like attitude and spirit. But how can we be sure we have that right attitude? First, we must be submitted to God. If we are fully submitted to God, then we can be submitted to those He has placed in authority over us. Because (remember this) our submission to others is an extension of our submission to God. POINT 2: ESTHER’S HUMILITY & TEACHABILITY— Now the second characteristic we see in Esther's life is that she acts not on impulse, but with wisdom; being both humble and teachable. How do we know this? Look at verse 15… Esther 2:15a (ESV)— 15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. So she takes the time to listen to advice. She doesn’t just grab the richest; most elaborate things. No, she chooses to take less (only what Hegai advises and nothing more). So she exercises restraint; she demonstrates a listening ear, which shows teachability and humility. Now how are we when it comes to being teachable? Are we humble enough to allow somebody else to show us a better way? Proverbs 1:5 (ESV)-- 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, Proverbs 12:15 (ESV)-- 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)-- 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. So Esther showed herself to be teachable. She trusts not in her wisdom, but in the wisdom of Hegai. POINT 3: ESTHER’S REFUSAL TO GRASP— But her actions here also reveal something else about her character; her unwillingness to grasp. David vs. Saul— Earlier in Israel’s history you had two famous kings: Saul (Israel’s first king) and then immediately following his reign you have the reign of David. And you will remember that the way in which they ruled was night and day. Saul incurred God’s curse and a withdrawal of His presence (His Spirit). David on the other hand was called a man after God’s own heart; he was pleasing in the eyes of God. Yet what made the difference? The difference is this. David never forgot whose kingdom it was. Saul did. Saul thought it was his kingdom; he thought that he was the king. David, on the other hand, recognized that he was not the king; God was the true king of Israel. That is why he never tried to take the throne by force; why he didn’t kill Saul, whom (even after his own anointing) he still calls "the Lord's anointed"); even though he had the chance (multiple chances) to take his life and seize the throne. David is hiding from Saul in a cave. And Saul comes into the cave to relieve himself. And David’s men are whispering to him, saying, “Look, the Lord has delivered him into your hand. Let’s kill him!” But David resists. He resists the temptation to seize; to grasp and instead He trusted that God would bring it about in His own time and patiently waited for the Lord. And that attitude; that demeanor really characterized the majority of his reign. Esther doesn't grasp-- And here we see the same attitude with Esther. She could seize anything she wanted. She could use the various adornments available to her to try to tip the scales in her favor. But no; she resists. She chooses the wiser path, saying “If God wills for me to be queen, He will do it by His outstretched hand, not my grasping hand.” Our grasping-- And I just think, “How often do you and I reach for things; take hold of things; grasp for things that either God doesn’t want us to have or that are not in accordance with His perfect timing? Saul chose the kingdom over God's presence; David chose the presence of God over the kingdom. And God's anointing could therefore remain on David. And here we find an anointing of Esther that went deeper than the perfumes that covered her body. What caused her to stand out was the aromatic fragrance of the presence of God made manifest in her life. She didn't grasp, but instead listened to the voice of wisdom, which IS the very voice of God. God wants to bless us. But first we must be willing to cease grasping for ourselves. Now it is because of these three things that the next part of the verse follows… Esther 2:15b (ESV)— Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. When you and I are obedient to those God has placed in positions of authority over us; when we honor them; we win the favor of others. When you and I remain humble and teachable, we win the favor of others. When you and I keep from grasping and trust that God is in control and will give us good things in His perfect timing, we win the favor of others. And sure enough, it says in… Esther 2:16-18 (ESV)— 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, [by the way this is four years after the King has banished Vashti ] 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity. Esther’s Coronation— And so ends the coronation of Esther; and yet another feast. Yet this is a feast that stands in contrast to that feast in the opening chapter, because it is one which is permeated with the favor of God. This week, live in the favor and joy of walking in obedience and humility with God. Remain teachable before Him and others. And trust in Him to meet your needs (even in difficult circumstances, such as the ones we’re facing during these Covid-19 days). Refrain from grasping and instead let your hands be outstretched to receive those the gifts God has for you when and how He wants to give them to you. And may His peace and favor rest on you. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Winning Things— I don’t know how many of you have every won anything before. Winning things can be exciting. Once I remember entering a contest for a Canon digital camera. And I actually won, which absolutely made my week! It is fun to win things. And sometimes that desire to win things can be intoxicating; even addictive. I've never played the lottery before. And I don't think it is a right way to use the money God has given me. But sometimes it appears on the news, especially when there is a record-breaking jackpot. And a lot of people are interested in that event. And many many people buy lottery tickets just so that they can have a chance of winning that money. Now the chances of winning are astronomical! They say you have better chances of getting struck by lightning. Now I think my odds would be better. Chances are, I’d get struck by lightning twice; probably. But you know, it doesn't matter how impossible those odds are, when the winner is announced those people who have entered are glued to that announcement. Because no matter how small their chances are, there is a chance. A chance of their lives being changed in one single moment. When your number is called. The Ultimate Win— What if the prize was more than money? What if it was also a relationship; the chance of being married to a wealthy or good-looking person? You know, it’s fascinating how many people are captivated by the royal family. Well, have you ever imagined what it would be like to be somebody like Kate Middleton, instantly ushered into an enormous amount of wealth and into a relationship with another person; and more than that, into Royalty!? What would it be like to have your name called, for you to be chosen? Women’s Lives Forever Changed-- Well that is the situation that Esther has found herself in, whether she wanted it or not. She has been chosen from 50 million people to be a part of a harem of 400 girls. And the way the King (Ahasuerus) is going to choose his next queen is by having each individual woman spend a night with him in his bed. And the one who pleases him the most will be made queen. Now just think about what this would mean for Esther; being made to enter into the bed of a gentile king. And Esther is often criticized for this. Yet what we must realize is that this is completely out of her control. There's no such thing as women's rights. Ahasuerus made that pretty clear in his dealings with Vashti in chapter 1. Women were to remain subject to their husbands as the rulers of the household. And if women were to be subject to their husbands, how much more so to the will of the king. Esther is made to enter into a relationship that she knows is unholy. Yet she cannot resist. And so she also must prepare herself for her one night with the king. And King Ahasuerus clearly spares no expense in preparing these girls for their special one night with him. It says in… Esther 2:12 (ESV)— 12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women-- Princess Diaries— Now there's a movie that I remember watching with my wife a long time ago called Princess Diaries. Some of you may remember it. The story centers around a young girl who finds out that she is a princess and her journey towards becoming a queen; and the whole beautification process and learning that she has to go through in order to prepare herself to be queen. Everything from her hair being cut and straightened, eyebrows being waxed, makeup being done. Learning how to wave like a queen; walk like a queen; have the mannerisms of a queen; how to eat right at the royal table. And it takes time; time for her to go from being an ordinary, messy teenager to being an extra-ordinary, royal woman. And that is part of the humor of the movie, watching her as she tries to become this whole new person. Preparing for Royal Life-- And in many respects, this is the exact same thing that Esther had to go through. She is being prepared for royal life. She is learning how to operate within a royal court. And more than that, she is beautifying herself. The text says that the women were given twelve months to beautify themselves. That’s a lot of Maybelline, Loreal Paris, and everything else. Well, what is going on during those twelve months? The text says that they spent six of those months with oil of myrrh and another six months with spices and ointments for women--. Cosmetic Burners— One of the unique things that archaeologists have found in Lachish in Israel are some cube-shaped spice burners. And these were originally thought to be used for burning incense during religious rituals. However, now it is believed that what these actually are are cosmetic burners used by women therapeutically and for hygienic purposes. A woman would take oil of roses, oil of cloves, or essence of musk (scents that are still being used today by the way) and place them in the cosmetic burners and heat them in the fire. Just wearing a robe that she would drape over her body like a tent, she would crouch over one of those burners and let that aroma cover and perfume her and scent her clothes. And one very famous archaeologist cites this passage as a biblical example of this very common ancient practice, which would make sense because aromatic oils and spices were actually Persia’s major export. Persia was known for it. Remember the Magi who came to see Jesus, whom many scholars believe came from Medo-Persia? Two out of the three gifts they brought were aromatic oils (Frankincense and Myrrh). One Night-- Now this entire year of preparation is for one night; that first encounter with the king that each girl will have (as indicated in verse 12). And now that year is over; and each girl is preparing for her special night with the king. And it says of each woman in… Esther 2:13 (ESV)--13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. They have prepared themselves physically and now each girl has the privilege of picking out those things she is going to adorn herself with to make herself stand out. Dress for the Job You Want-- Now you know that piece of wisdom, “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want to have.” Well that applies here. These girls want to make themselves look the part. And more than this, it is believed that these women were also allowed to keep whatever they chose. So you can imagine that each woman is trying to pick out the most expensive; the most elaborate; the most queenly things she can find. And you can imagine the spirit of competition; the bickering; the squabbling over who has the best whatever. This is all about who is the most beautiful; who has mastered the art of seduction better. I mean, talk about an uncomfortable environment. And yet what is amazing is that Esther keeps clear of all of that, as we will see. Now the text says of each woman… Esther 2:14a (ESV)— 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. Concubines-- Ok, now what is going on here? We have mention of another second harem, another eunuch (Shaashgaz), and suddenly this word concubine. What is a concubine? Well a concubine is like a wife, but of lower status. They were women who were [officially recognized as the king’s mistresses]. And this is what most (if not all) the women became after their one night with the king. Remember, Ahasuerus is not choosing one woman. He is choosing one Queen. After these women lost their virginity to the king during their one night, they became his concubines. And in fact [Each woman’s first night with the king was her initiation as a concubine.] And this is who that second harem is for; for those women who had become concubines. And what this meant was that she could never return to her family; she could never marry. She went to the king's harem of concubines [where she would spend the rest of her life in luxurious but desolate seclusion...The woman would not even see the king again, unless he asked for her by name.] The text says… Esther 2:14b (ESV)--She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. Old Dreams Died-- Now I think it is important for us to understand the position that Esther has found herself in. Was it really a good thing for her to be chosen to be a part of this glorified beauty contest? Would she have seen it this way? I think sometimes we forget exactly what this would mean for her in that context. No hope of having a normal marriage between her and a man who would keep himself only for her; small chance of ever even seeing him again; small chance of raising a family of her own; and little chance of ever getting to see her friends and loved ones ever again. A new place; a beautiful and rich place, yes; but a place of isolation and loneliness among other women who most likely operated with a very different value system. Before we think she hit the jackpot too quickly, we must realize that every dream Esther ever had up until this point as to what her future would look like and her future relationships would look like have all died, as she is thrust into an environment and a situation she probably never would have chosen for herself. And yet she trusts God. And we will see just how much He is involved in all of this and how much He will take care of her as she moves in step with Him. A Present Trust in Christ-- And you know, maybe things have taken a sudden turn in your life recently. Maybe your future that you at least had a general idea of what it would look like has suddenly either changed or become very uncertain. What we learn from Esther (and really the entire Bible) is this; and I want you to remember this; write it down; engrave it in your memory. It doesn’t matter where life takes you. What matters is that wherever that might be, you are hand in hand with the Savior. God is less concerned about destinations than we think. He is more concerned about how we walk with Him. And for Esther that was in a relationship of faith and trust. And so I want to encourage you today (to encourage myself) to learn to walk in that relationship of faith and trust. If we can do that, we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what circumstances or trials life throws at us. Let us trust in Christ today. Amen. Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther during our time together, last week seeing what was going on in the Persian empire during this time, which included Xerxes’ war against Greece. After throwing a party for his military personnel just before he left to show how capable he was of winning the war, Xerxes (or Ahasuerus, as he’s also known) goes on to fight Greece and suffers a massive defeat. And so he comes back in shame and disgrace and is seeking comfort in the arms of someone who can lift him up during this difficult time. Normally that would have been his wife Vashti; but due to her unwillingness to disgrace herself before his guests, he had had her banished just before he left. And so now he is wife-less and miserable. But his men (whose idea it was to banish Vashti to begin with) no doubt feel a little fear and quickly seek to rectify the problem. And so they suggest that Ahasuerus throw an empire-wide beauty pageant in order to help him choose a new queen. And he apparently likes that idea very very much. And so women are gathered and brought to him from all over the kingdom. And it is at this point that the author introduces to us an orphan girl named Hadassah living in the care of her cousin Mordecai. Esther was her Persian name, but those closest to her would have known her as Hadassah.
A Fragrant Myrtle-- Now Hadassah’s name means “myrtle” in Hebrew; as in the myrtle tree; which gives off a very fragrant smell. [And in scripture we find that the behaviors of people often align with their name. Well, this was especially true of Hadassah. Hadassah is more than just her name. It (like many Biblical names) was a description of who she is.] There was a prophet just before this time by the name of Zechariah who began his prophetic ministry in 520 B.C. under Darius (Xerxes’ father). And during that time Zechariah has this vision in which a man on a red horse stands amidst a bunch of myrtle trees in a ravine. And in his vision [the myrtle trees in the ravine represented Israel under Gentile subjection.] And here we see that Esther is very much a myrtle tree brought under Gentile subjection. It says in… Esther 2:8 (ESV)— 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. In The Care of Hegai-- So she is taken into an environment that (for a Jewish girl) would be absolutely unclean, unholy, and even frightening, as she is placed under the authority of a Persian officer named Hegai. Now it’s often times when we are put in stressful situations that our true selves are seen most visibly. And Hegai likes what he sees in Hadassah. It says… Esther 2:9 (ESV)— 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. Righteous Myrtle-- What did this man Hegai see in Esther? You know, it’s interesting; in Israelite culture myrtle trees were often associated with righteousness. [The Talmud (a book of Jewish teaching) explains why Queen Esther was also called Hadassah: Why was she called Hadassah? Because the righteous are called myrtles. The sages in the Midrash (an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures) take this one step further: Just as a myrtle has a sweet smell and a bitter taste, so too Esther was good and listened (“sweet”) to the righteous Mordechai, and was adverse (“bitter”) to the wicked Haman.] So once again she lives according to her name. And because she does live according to her name; in righteousness, God’s favor rests upon her. The Favor of God-- Now what does it mean that God’s favor rests upon a person? We often think of it as meaning that your life is unusually blessed by the Lord; where everything seems to go right and your life is whole and complete. And when things don’t go right, it must mean God’s favor is no longer with you. But here we find that Esther, on whom God’s favor so clearly rests, is a person whose life is not perfect. She doesn’t have the ideal family situation; she doesn’t have a good social status. And things go from bad to worse. She (a good Jewish girl) is taken and placed in the harem of a pagan king. But we see so clearly that even in the midst of a whole world of bad, God’s favor never leaves her. He is with her every step of the way. And this is what King Solomon had prayed for back in… 1 Kings 8:50 (ESV)— 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them Trend of Favor-- And we see that favor resting on Esther. Now Esther never had a special verbal call from God. God never gave her specifics as to how He was going to use her (at least not audibly). She simply found herself being placed in situations that she did not expect and probably didn't want to be in. But her story encourage us because of the simple fact that God didn’t appear to her in a cloud or in a burning bush, or in a voice from heaven. And yet God was still able to use her in amazing ways. Why? What was it that gave her this special favor from the Lord? Well, we see that it has much to do with her character; her righteousness and willingness to walk with God in the midst of very difficult circumstances; because she chose to deny herself and obey God in what He was leading her to do. And it is because of that; the obedience of an insignificant Jewish girl that the fate of an entire race of people was saved out of the hands of those who were seeking to wipe out the Jewish people. Obedience the Key to God’s Favor-- And what we learn from this is that God doesn’t need you to have a huge religious experience for Him to use you. He just needs your obedience. Obedience to God is the key to having His favor rest on you. Do you have the sense in your own life that God’s favor rests with you? Do you feel like you're moving with God, or do you feel like you're moving against or away from God? What is the key to living in the favor of God? The key is to allow him to transform and reshape your character. And you cannot wait until he places some dynamic call upon your life. He may not appear to you as he did to Moses in the burning bush; there may not be any clear audible call from heaven. But, like with Esther, God’s call for you and I to be holy unto Him is every bit as real; and He can do incredible things through our lives if we choose to live in accordance with His will and character. Then God’s favor can rest upon us in a special way. The People God Can Use— God is not limited by your past; who you are; or even your circumstances. He only wants your obedience. And at every point, Esther models that obedience in her relationship to God, and also in her relationship to her cousin Mordecai. Verse 10 says… Esther 2:10 (ESV)— 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. What are the Chances?-- Now what are the chances that Esther would be chosen queen? This pageant stretched throughout the whole kingdom of Persia, consisting of about 50 million people at that time. That’s a pretty big pageant. What are the chances that out of all those people, Esther would be selected (by chance)? Lou Gehrig’s Disease— Once a father was telling his son about baseball legend Lou Gehrig. And he mentioned that he died in 1941. And the son asked, “What did he die of.” “Well {(the father replied)}, he died of Lou Gehrig’s disease.” And the boy’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. And he said in awe, “What are the chances?” Well, it wasn’t chance. The disease was named after him. Well, what are the chances that out of 50 million people, Esther would be selected? I mean even just to be among the 400 women who were brought to the harem; the odds are astronomical! How is this possible? Well, the moment we ask that question, we have already missed the point; because it wasn’t chance at all. God had brought about all these events (from the banishment of Vashti to Esther’s being taken) in order that Esther might come into that position. None of this was chance, but was part of God’s will and plan for the salvation of His people; which He brought by His divine hand. God orchestrated all of it. And we really see how Mordecai recognizes this later in the book, when he says to Esther… Esther 4:14b (ESV)-- …And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” You know what this says to me? The situations you and I face every day; the jobs we work; the people we come into contact with. That’s not chance. Rather God has placed us in those specific spheres of influence because He has ordained ahead of time that we ought to be His instruments to those people? God has raised us up in those circumstances to fulfill His purposes; to give Christ to another. You know what passage scares the living daylights out of me? It’s when Jesus calls His disciples (which includes us) His hands and His feet. Because what it reveals is that Christ chooses to work through us. And if we are not willing to do what Christ is moving us to do, then we are impeding His Kingdom work. And so we need to remember that God has raised us up in this time in this place to make a difference for His Kingdom. Don’t be afraid to stand for Christ; don’t be afraid to share your faith. He may be using you and moving you towards the fulfillment of a grand purpose for your life that you will never reach unless you obey Him in the moment. We may not be able to see the end, but we can take the path He puts immediately before us, as Esther did time and time again.. Let us commit to obey God as she did, so that in every way we might also experience the favor of God in a special way. Amen. Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying together the book of Esther; a marvelous book that has so much to speak to regarding the unique situations we are facing today. And last week we highlighted how Xerxes (or in our English Bibles: Ahasuerus) is preparing to march on Greece (which we know will be unsuccessful). And he throws this massive feast during which he is showing his army how great Persia is and (more importantly) how great he is; and he decides he wants to put his wife (the Queen) Vashti on display. So he commands that she be brought before them; but she refuses. And Xerxes reacts in the worst way possible (following the advice of his advisor Memucan) and banishes Vashti. So chapter one ends in brokenness. And soon after that Xerxes leads his army out of Persia to face Greece.
God’s Humbling of Xerxes-- Now Xerxes obviously had a pride problem. And if there’s anything we learn from scripture (especially the book of Proverbs) is that pride always comes before a fall. And if we don’t humble ourselves, God must find a way to humble us. And that is not a bad thing. Sometimes it is in our falling (after we have reached rock bottom) that we can then be in a position to receive God‘s grace. This is certainly what happened in the life of Xerxes. He had to go through a process of intense humiliation before he was prepared to receive what was for him one of God’s greatest graces in his life (Esther). And similarly in our own lives, before God can show us His primary objects of grace, He must first show us the grace of His humbling, so that we will be ready to receive those objects of grace. And really the instrument that God used to humble Ahasuerus was the Persian war against Greece. Thermopylae and The 300— There was more than one battle, but one of the most significant battles was the Battle of Thermopylae. Xerxes remember had amassed this incredible force and they are marching to try to defeat Greece. And the King of Sparta, Leonidas, marches to Thermopylae with the 300 men of his royal bodyguard, gathering troops as they go (as many as they can) to meet the Persians. [The Greeks were not able to muster a large force immediately because of some religious prohibitions. In progress at the time were two major religious festivals. The first was the Spartan’s Carnea in honor of the Greek god Apollo; and the second was the famous Olympic Games.] So in other words, sports was distracting people from what was really going on. King Leonidas no doubt felt some frustration as he marched with his 300 men. Who cares about the Olympics? Xerxes is marching right now to defeat us! Nevertheless, he amasses a force of about 7,100 men by the time they reach the pass of Thermopylae, which was nothing compared to the army of Persia (around 250,000 men). But the Greek’s advantage lay in the fact that although they were hopelessly outnumbered, the Persians had to enter through a narrow pass (kind of like a funnel). So suddenly numbers didn’t count for anything. And the Greeks fight valiantly and are able to even repel the Persian forces for a period of time. And these Greeks are tough; they are fearless; they are the fight-to-the-death kind of warriors. They believed themselves to be descendants of the demi-god Hercules; they thought he was their ancestor. And they strived to live up to that in the fierceness of their fighting. Now this battle took place in the blistering heat of August. And just to let you know how fearless these guys were; during the battle (as the historian Herodotus records) a Spartan by the name of Dieneces is told that [the Medes were so many that when they shoot their multitudes of arrows it would block the sun light. Dieneces reportedly quipped, “Our friend…brings us right good news, for if the Medes hide the sun we shall fight them in the shade and not in the sunshine” (Persian Wars 7.226; LCL 3: 543).] These guys are willing to go to the grave before surrendering to Xerxes. And so Greece succeeds in repelling (at least for the time) the Medo-Persian forces, until they are betrayed by a Greek man who shows the Persian forces another way to get to them. And Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors are the only ones who stay to make that last stand. And they of course are killed. But the battle is so demoralizing for Xerxes that after they eventually defeated the Greeks, Xerxes had his men quickly bury the bodies of the 300 Greeks and 19,000 corpses of his own men (leaving only 1,000) so that his massive army would not know that they had just been obliterated by so few men. And they go on to sack Athens, but are then defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis. And Xerxes returns to Persia with his tail between his legs. All this happens between chapters 1 and 2 of Esther. When the text says in verse 1 of chapter 2, “after these things”, all this has happened in between. So he and his army arrive home. And what is the first thing Ahasuerus wants to do? Olympic Defeat— I remember once my wife Tanya and I were watching the olympics and there was man who was skying down the mountain making incredible time! And his wife is there supporting him and cheering him on. She was a professional sportswoman herself. And he crosses the finish line in place for gold. And they both watch as the other skiers compete, hoping that his time will not be beat. But finally, another skier beats his time. And realizing the gold has just slipped from his hands, he puts his face down on his wife’s shoulder. And she says to him, “It’s going to be ok.” You know, you can be the toughest guy in the world, but when you fall, sometimes you need someone there to pick you up. Well that is how Ahasuerus is feeling. Esther 2:1 (ESV)— 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. Ahasuerus Wanted Comfort-- You see, Ahasuerus wants to crawl up into his palace, put his head on his wife’s shoulder and receive comfort from her. But there’s a problem with that. He had banished her just before he left!!! No more Vashti! And he can’t simply re-instate her because of the nature of the law of the Medes and the Persians, which could not be repealed. So his men come up with a brilliant idea. It says… Esther 2:2-4 (ESV)— 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so. An Empire-wide Beauty Pageant-- So Xerxes decides to throw an empire-wide beauty pageant to select his new queen. Now this is ingenious because what better way can you come up with to help your nation forget that you were just beaten (royally) on the battlefield than telling your kingdom that you are going to select a woman from amongst them (it could be anybody) to be their queen. It’s kind of like the media does today. Major political scandal happens? Yeah, we can talk about that. But hey look what’s on! The Bachelor. Which lovely lady will he choose?! People tend to be much more interested in stars than in what people are really going through in and throughout the world. And that was the same in ancient times as well as today. Leaders are often masters of distraction. And it is no different here when Ahasuerus throws this beauty pageant. Welcome to The Bachelor; season 1; Persian edition, except we will see that Esther is a few grades above your typical Bachelor contestant. The Star That Reveals-- The people want a star; and the people will soon be given a star Esther is the Persian word for star. But when we study and examine her story, we find that Esther is not the kind of star that distracts people from what is really going on; but is a star that illuminates and calls attention to it; and we will see this specifically later in how she will bring to light the dark plot of Haman the Agagite. Esther 2:5-6 (ESV)— 5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. So Mordecai is [among the fourth generation of deported Jews.] His great grandfather Kish experienced the Babylonian deportation. And the text says in… Esther 2:7 (ESV)--7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So the first thing told to us about Hadassah is that she is an orphan living in the care of her cousin Mordecai. Ally Playing Orphan-- Not long ago our daughter Ally discovered a new game; playing orphan. She likes to pretend that she is all alone and that she has no parents or grandparents. She likes to be little Annie I guess. The funny thing is I remember doing the same thing with my sister Bethany growing up. We loved to play orphans like the Boxcar children (if you remember them). But in reality, being an orphan is tough. It is very difficult to lose your parents, no matter what age you are. Not long ago I took a trip back to the church where I had begun pastoral ministry years ago to help do the funeral for one of our dear friends who had died of lung cancer. And just recently I was reading a post from her daughter about how much she misses her mom, and how those feelings had been most recently triggered by a familiar smell that had brought back a flood of memories. And dealing with not only the initial pain of losing somebody, but the void they leave behind, is difficult. Now I know that we must all, at some point, lose our parents. But the earlier you lose them, sometimes it can be harder because they don’t get to see you arrive, if you know what I mean. Esther (for instance) would never experience the joy of having her parents share in her growing up, her engagement, her wedding, her first child, any of it (not to mention becoming queen). And that is especially painful. And you know I love how scripture doesn’t leave out the fact that while God is in sovereign control over the nations, He is also sovereign on a smaller scale in each and every one of our own individual lives. He is the Lord even in times of brokenness; and despite our brokenness (maybe even at times because of our brokenness) God can do amazing things in and through us. Just about everybody in scripture who was used by God in a mighty way had some kind of brokenness in their lives or situations. And Esther’s life is no exception. Now I don’t know where you are today. Maybe you are dealing with brokenness in some way. Maybe you feel that that brokenness is your fault (like Ahasuerus no doubt did). Or maybe you feel that your brokenness is rooted in circumstances that were dealt to you and are completely outside of your control, as Esther probably felt. Either way, God has something to offer to you today. Not something that will automatically take all the pain away (though He does bring healing); but the assurance of knowing that He is in control and He can use even (I would say especially) our darkest circumstances to do the greatest things. But we need to trust Him and His plan, even when we might not see that overall plan yet (if ever). And we need to trust that God does love us and that He will neither leave us or forsake us. That is His promise to you and to me. So let us (in every way) trust in Him. Amen. Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther, last week talking about the rise of Xerxes and the war that he was engaged in with Greece, the next major world empire. And this helps us to understand this feast in our passage today in Esther chapter 1; how it was one that was meant to display Xerxes’ greatness and ability not just to rule well, but to be strong enough to lead his army into victory in this war against the Greeks. It says in verses 5-8…
Esther 1:5-8 (ESV)— 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, ([Susa the citadel refers to the fortified palace complex.]) both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace (Now this was [An enclosed courtyard for entertaining in the summer months (see 7:7).]). 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. No Compulsion— Now what this “no compulsion” meant was that [King Ahasuerus set aside the custom that everyone had to drink whenever the king drank.] Guests could drink whenever they wanted; as much as they wanted. And in addition to drinking for fun and leisure, [The Greek historian Herodotus explained that the Persians drank as they deliberated matters of state (cf. 3:15 ), believing that intoxication put them in closer touch with the spiritual world.] And so you have this prolonged, drunken, pervasively worldly and pagan feast going on in Susa. And on top of this feast, you also have another feast for the women. It says in verse 9… Esther 1:9 (ESV)— 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. A book of feasts— So you have feast after feast. And in fact the book of Esther is filled with feasts. [The word mishteh, “banquet, feast(ing),” occurs fifty-five times in the Old Testament, twenty of which are in Esther,] [In fact, there are nine of them (or ten if one splits the ninth into two feasts)] [seven of Esther’s ten chapters refer to somebody throwing a party.] In fact the purpose of the whole book of Esther is to show how one major feast Jews celebrate even to today came into being; the feast of Purim. And we’ll talk more about that in upcoming weeks. But for now, keep this feast theme in the back of your mind. Esther 1:10-11 (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown,[b] in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. Ahasuerus Objectifies Vashti-- Now imagine this. Your husband invites you to come out in front of a bunch of his guests (who are slobbering drunk, by the way) so they can stare at you and see what a trophy your husband has. Yet what gets me is here King Ahasuerus is inviting his men to lust after his wife and devour her with their drunken eyes. Now what is disgusting to me (and should be disgusting to you too) is that he is treating her like an object; he is objectifying her. And he’s inviting all his friends to do the same. And to engage in this kind of behavior is absolutely wrong. Remember Jesus says in Matthew 5 (in the Sermon on the Mount)… Matthew 5:27-28 (ESV)— 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Anything that objectifies a woman is wrong; when you use a woman for your own selfish pleasure (degrading her), you are in sin. Jesus doesn’t want us to have any part of that. And guess what; Queen Vashti doesn’t want any part of that either. Verse 12 says… Esther 1:12a (ESV)— 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. Why Vashti Refuses-- Now we are not told why Vashti refuses to come. Some have suggested that perhaps she refused because lewd behavior was expected. Some have suggested that the command for her to wear her crown was really a command to come wearing only her crown. And that might be the case. However, it is interesting to note that, from what we know from history, she actually is seen to give birth to Ahasuerus’ third son, Artaxerxes in c. 483 B.C. So it is very possible that she is pregnant during this time. Pregnancy and Culture-- Now in our culture we have made pregnancy a very public thing. But in ancient culture you would often go into seclusion. It was an embarrassing, sometimes shameful thing to be seen when you were pregnant. And it is possible that this is why Vashti is so resistant. And even the fact that he tells her to do this shows a lack of care for her. He is very much focused on himself; and therefore when he hears about Vashti’s refusal, the text says… Esther 1:12b (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him. The Anger of Ahasuerus— Now one thing you are going to see (not only here, but throughout this book) is that Ahasuerus has a very hot and violent temper. And if you know anyone who is prone to anger, you will know that they are in bondage to that anger. It controls them. In fact, a year after this, when Ahasuerus eventually marches against Greece, he has to cross the Hellespont, a narrow body of water that lies between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. So he orders bridges to be built. And so they were built. But before his troops could use them, a storm destroys them. And Ahasuerus is so enraged, he gathers all the engineers together who designed the bridges and has them beheaded. Then he turns in his rage to the water that had swallowed his bridges. History tells us he sent some of his soldiers into water with whips, telling them to lash the water 300 times as punishment for swallowing his bridges. So they lash the waves with those whips 300 times. Then he has his soldiers throw shackles into the water to bind the water and even has them take red-hot irons and stab the waves with them. Now imagine having a ruler like that. Or even worse, imagine having a husband like that! Some of you may have grown up in a home where you saw that kind of anger often; maybe on an even daily basis. I have counseled people who have been in those kinds of situations. And let me tell you, Jesus doesn’t want there to be any room for this kind of anger in our lives… Colossians 3:8a (NIV)— 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,… Don’t Be Slaves to Anger-- Jesus doesn’t want anger to control our lives. Anger destroys relationships and it ultimately destroys ourselves. And someone who has rage as a part of their life is a slave to that anger. There is righteous anger that moves us to act in accordance with God’s will and then there is selfish anger and rage that is destructive rather than constructive. And it is that kind of anger that is sin. And we see that Ahasuerus (at least at this point in his life) is a slave to his anger. Now it says in… Esther 1:13-22 (ESV)— 13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. [You see, they are afraid that Vashti’s disobedience will spark a women’s liberation movement. So they say…] 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people. Vashti De-Throned-- Now here Ahasuerus is told not just to command that Vashti be de-throned, but that he do it in such a way so as to make it impossible for anyone (including himself) to repeal that command. And so he does. He de-thrones her for her disobedience. He is so concerned about how she made him look that he never stopped to consider how he made her look. But you know what?; I think Ahasuerus regretted his mistake. Why? Because it says in… Esther 2:1 (ESV)-- 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. He regrets his actions-- You see, he regrets his actions. And ultimately that is where anger leads us; regret. He drives his wife away. And when he comes to his senses, it is too late. And what bothers me about this situation is that their relationship could have been restored in the first place if only he had been willing to acknowledge he had made a mistake and sought to treat his wife more fairly. But he doesn’t. Instead he does what is in his own self-interest and what is in the interest of those around him; not what is in the best interest of his wife. He treats Esther differently-- But you know, I think he may have had a change of heart after this. And the reason I tend to think this way is because we see in and throughout this story that he treats Esther differently. There is no evidence that he objectified her in the same way he did Vashti. And when she appears to model the same kind of defiance when she later approaches the king uninvited, he shows mercy where he could have shown anger. I think her marriage to him may have affected his demeanor in a positive way. There was something special about Esther. And next week we will begin to explore what that was. But there are some key lessons we can learn from Ahasuerus. This book opens up with a sense of lostness and brokenness; lostness and brokenness that is the natural result of pride and anger. Ahasuerus sent into exile the very person he cared about. And maybe sin in your life has cost you something. Maybe it is already hurting your marriage or your relationships. It might be anger; it might be lust; maybe it’s putting your own needs ahead of someone else’s. Jesus wants us to be willing to surrender our pride; to admit when we are wrong; and to help us to treat those we claim to love lovingly; even as He first loved us. Let us commit to do so. Amen. Hello, and welcome to the show today. You know, in recent days I have been reflecting on the uniqueness of Christianity amongst the many other religions of the world. There are many religious works today, each offering differing (and often mutually exclusive) worldviews; meaning they make claims that are at opposition with other worldviews; and therefore you have to choose (you can’t have it both ways). And so you have to evaluate which religion (or religious work) is true based on a set of criteria. And for many it is enough that the religious book in question be the cause of some kind of special emotion or experience that they have while reading it. For others, it is that the philosophy of the book resonates with them, challenges them, or aligns with one’s own set of beliefs held even prior to picking up the book. But virtually none of these books has anything to offer that is independently verifiable historically or scientifically. And those that try are often shown later to be erroneous and false. That is, until we come to the Christian Bible. One of the key things that separates the Bible from every other religious book is that it ties itself to known history. Every page bleeds with the challenge “come and check this out. Here is what REALLY happened; here are the facts.” Even Jesus, the embodiment of the Word of God, begs people to come and check out the facts; to have faith, yes, but not a blind faith, but rather a faith that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. He always gave people a sign (whether it was a healing, a miracle of nature, etc.) that showed that He is who He claimed to be. And that formed the foundation for their (hopefully) then coming to put their faith and trust in Him. And the Bible is the same way because it is His Word. The Bible offers to us not just a set of beliefs we should ascribe to, but a history of God Himself interacting in time and space with His people; performing real miracles; doing real things. And then it invites us to (based on the evidence) to place our faith in Him. The first seventeen books of the Old Testament are historical. The first 5 books of the New Testament are historical, by which I mean they are meant to be read (primarily) as history. And I think what God might be trying to say to us is that before you get into poetry, into prophecy, into instruction and teaching, you must first come to grips with the understanding that I have acted in time and space with real people in real places and my entire Word is historically accurate and worthy of your trust.
And I want to emphasize this as we enter into this first chapter of Esther because the author begins not with “Once upon a time” or some other vague backdrop, but with a number of key historical markers that help his readers to understand where exactly this story took place in known history and who specifically we are talking about. He says… Esther 1:1-3a (ESV)— 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. Xerxes is Ahasuerus-- Now we see that the first name given to us in the book of Esther is that of the King, Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is the name many of us have in our Bibles, which comes from a Hebrew transliteration. But we know him in history primarily by his Greek name, Xerxes. Ahasuerus is none other than the mighty Xerxes. Cyrus Conquers Babylon-- Now let’s back-track a tad. You will remember from last week that not too long before this, Cyrus (king of Persia comes to power). Israel had been in exile to Babylon, but then Cyrus conquers the Babylonian empire; and what is incredible is that he does this without a fight. Remember in Daniel chapter 5 we see the Babylonian king Belshazzar throwing a drunken party using the vessels of gold and silver stolen from the temple in Jerusalem. And the fingers of a human hand appear and write on the wall “Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. (Dan. 5)”. And Daniel reveals to Belshazzar that God is going to immediately bring his kingdom to an end. And He does. That very night (the night of October 12, 539 B.C.) the army of Persia waded up the waters of the Euphrates River through the canals of the city of Babylon and took the city. And in fact Belshazzar was such a terrible leader that Cyrus was actually welcomed by the Babylonians as a liberator. And so all the lands previously under Babylonian rule (including Jerusalem and Judah) now fell under the control of the ever-expanding Persian empire. Darius and the Beginning of the Persian Wars-- Now after Cyrus died, the throne went to Cambyses and then to Darius 1 (the Great). And Darius the Great goes on to conquer Greece in 550 B.C. and following. But Greece is never totally conquered. In fact later they fight back relentlessly against Persia, defeating them at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., that famous battle where a man ran 26 miles, which is where we get our distance for modern-day marathons. And Darius is furious at having lost this battle and therefore swears revenge. However, on his way back to try to crush the Greeks and gain revenge, he dies, leaving the duty of crushing the Greeks to his son, Xerxes, who comes to power in 486 B.C. Now despite strong advice not to go to war with Greece again, Xerxes decides to ignore that counsel and in 481 he is finally able to set out; and does so with a massive army. Persia (the largest empire in history; now with a population of around 50 million people) puts on a massive military display, boasting hundreds of thousands if not close to a million soldiers. So this battle against the Greeks should be no contest. However, unbelievably, the Greeks are able to repel Xerxes. And there are some very famous battles you may remember from your history class when you studied the Persian War. The Battle of Thermopylae (the battle of the 300 Spartans); the Battle of Salamis, where the Greeks annihilate the Persian navy, Persia losing around 300 warships. Eventual Defeat by Alexander the Great— So there is constant fighting between Persia (the reigning world empire) and Greece, the next major world empire. And Xerxes continues fighting (mostly unsuccessfully) until Alexander the Great finally comes on the scene and defeats Persia for good. Important Backstory-- Now the reason this whole backstory is so important is because unless you understand what historical events are going on in the background, you won’t really get what this feast (or feasts) is about. [In the book of Esther, the Persian war against the Greeks, takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the book. It would be included in the “after these things” (2:1).] So this banquet in chapter 1 is more than just a banquet. It is a war-related banquet. How do we know this? Who is at this banquet? Esther 1:3b-4 (ESV)— The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. Building Support-- [The time (483 b.c., the third year of Xerxes’ reign), and the presence of the army, suggest that Xerxes may have been building support for his invasion of Greece (preparations c. 483–480; the Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480).] So Xerxes/Ahasuerus is getting ready to march against the Greeks. But remember there are those who don’t think he can or should do this; and so he throws this massive banquet to display his greatness and kind of get everyone hyped up into believing that he can do it. And so this is not just a “let’s get our groove on kind of party.” There’s purpose behind it. To show that he is all-powerful and in complete control and able to do whatever he wants to do. That is how the book opens up; with a king thinking he’s in absolute control. And yet, as we will see, he is humbled in some amazing ways. And by the end of the book we discover that it was never him who was in control of history, but God. History is His Story. And nobody can thwart His plans or His purposes. And the same is true for you and for me today. We can have assurance in the midst of all this craziness going on in the world today because we know that behind the scenes the hand of God is moving, working all things together for His glory and our benefit. Let’s give thanks to Him for that today. Amen. Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I don’t know how all of you are faring during this unusual crisis in our nation (and really the whole world). It is not an easy time economically. I am sure many of you have been laid off, as my wife (who is a dental assistant) has been laid off from her job. Many of you are probably wondering what the future might hold for you and your family and may even be wondering if you are going to make it financially. I mean these are uncertain times. And who would have thought that we would go through something like this.
Recently I was reading an author in my studies of the book of Esther and he made the remark about how ordinary and regular it is for people to go through trials and difficulties. And I remember thinking, “actually, I am doing okay. Not really going through anything difficult right now.” But then he said, “And if you think you are doing okay right now, watch out, because there’s a trial just around the corner.” And I thought something like, “Well, aren’t you just a bright little ray of sunshine.” But he was right. It was not long after that that all of this began to unravel. And his point was not to discourage, but to encourage. He was making the point (in his commentary) that the story of the book of Esther is not a light and airy fairytale, but a powerful story born out of pain and uncertainty. Persia (as we will see) was not the place to be, particularly if you were a Jew. Everyone in this book is afraid. And yet God uses those dark circumstances for some incredibly good things and Israel comes out of these trials far stronger than it had been before this time of intense darkness. And the same is true of us. I believe that on the other side of this the United States is going to be stronger and better. I believe God’s Church is going to be stronger and better. We are being forced to think creatively in how we interact with one another, how we do Church. And many Churches are being forced to catch up in a lot of ways. Has this been difficult? Yes. But I’m telling you, these past few Sundays have probably yielded more livestreams of the Gospel than at any other time in history. And I know in my Church (Renton Park Chapel) we are having many people view our service online whom I know would probably not darken the door of my Church (or maybe any Church). And that is only one small refraction of how God is using these circumstances for good. But all of this is still hard. And I think about how my family (and many of you) are affected by this. But you know, it gives us a chance to ask ourselves, “Do we really believe many of the things we talk about on a regular basis regarding God and His faithfulness; His love for us and therefore His provision for us?” Pilots-- You know in my church we have two pilots, both of whom own airplanes and both of whom have built or did major rebuilding on their airplanes. Now I don’t know too much about airplanes, other than what I have gleaned from conversations with guys who do. But I do know that building an airplane can be a long project and requires a lot of time and care. And I (who live about ten minutes from Boeing) am very thankful to those who know how to build airplanes. But there comes a point when the building stops and you have to actually get into the airplane and fly it. One of these men in our church finished his little red plane and eventually took it for a test-fly. Now that kind of takes faith to the next level, doesn’t it. I mean yeah you can brag about whatever parts you put into it (how shiny you got the wings) and how well it has been put together. But then come a moment when you climb into that cockpit, turn the ignition, and begin rolling down the runway. And if it was me, a thousand different questions would probably be going through my mind. Did I remember to do this, that, or whatever? Or, if it’s like any of the pieces of furniture I have put together over the years, why are there extra pieces afterwards? Now when it comes to a dresser, I might be able to get by. But an airplane. Ummmmm……..maybe not so much. But for these men, their faith in their planes was probably more real afterwards than before. Their talk of trust became an active faith. And so it is during these trying times. It is easy to have faith in the good times. But what about now when uncertainty clouds so much of our future? Now is the time to ask when we sing about God being our rock, our deliverer, our foundation, the One in whom we place our faith and trust, do we really believe that? All of this gives us the opportunity to demonstrate (not just talk, but demonstrate) our faith in God. Do we really believe Jesus is who He says He, that He can do what He says He can do, and that He can be for us who He says He can be for us? The is the question Israel was forced to ask themselves about God over and over again; and never more so than in the book of Esther, which we began studying during out time together last week. The State of Exile— Now you will remember that we have begun exploring the state of exile Israel had experienced during that time; the judgment of God; but also the nature of God’s judgment. Remember we said that whenever God judges, His judgment is alway redemptive; it is to bring healing through repentance; which manifests itself in a change of heart (the inner person) and also a change of direction in how we outwardly act. God judges sin not to destroy or hurt us, but to move His people to turn from those sinful behaviors that are by nature destructive. Secondly, whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; hope that His judgment will not last forever; but that at the right time He will restore them when they turn back to Him with all their hearts. And just prior to the book of Esther we see this restoration begin to take place. Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, allows the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple; and on top of that, he has Persia finance it. His proclamation, recorded in Ezra 1:4, says this… Ezra 1:4 (ESV)-- 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” The Persians Paid For It-- How amazing it is that God not only sets them free; not only has the king that ruled over them given them permission to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple, but even has their enemies (the Persians) pay for it. Does God’s Covenant Still Stand?-- Now during this time one of the chief concerns of the Jews was (because their was no more temple, no more priesthood, no more sacrifices, and no monarchy); where they stood in relationship to God and His covenant. “Is God going to back our efforts?”-- I was reading an author who said that even though they were set free to go home and even rebuild the temple, this question still remained in their minds because the command to rebuild the temple didn’t come from God, but from a pagan king; and not out of love for God, but in order to further his own political agenda. So the question becomes, “Is God going to back our efforts?” Because they could rebuild the temple, but that doesn’t automatically mean God is going to restore His presence; that He will reestablish His covenant with them. Would God respond to them and move in their midst once again? That was the soul-cry of their hearts. Not the First Plundering-- But this bit of history about those in the Persian empire being commanded to give to the Jews of their resources intrigues me, because it is not the first time their enemies have financed their undertakings. Remember when Israel first left their bondage in Egypt it says... Exodus 12:35-36 (ESV)-- 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Remember What God Did Before-- And this made we wonder if God isn’t almost beginning to answer their ultimate question even as they are asking it. God not only sets them free from Egypt but grants them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, causing them to give silver and gold to them. And in this way God shows that He is with them. And I wonder if here, at this point in Israel’s history, it may be that God, through the plundering of the Persians, is saying to them, “Remember what I did for you before when I called you out of Egypt? Look; I’m doing it again. I’m still with you; yes, my covenant still stands.” The Prodigal’s Surprise-- How like God this is; to as we look up from the slop we are eating and ask if He will receive us again (like the Prodigal son wondered as he moved from the slop back towards His father’s house), we find Him already moving towards us; already making way for our restoration. If you remember nothing else today from God’s message this morning, remember this: If you find yourself beginning to want to return to Jesus, you will find He has already begun moving towards you. Our God is the God who forgave us while still on the cross (that blessed cross we sing about in so many of our songs); our God is the God who begins to restore us before we have sense enough to even seek restoration. Perhaps the most powerful verse on prayer in all of scripture comes from the book of Isaiah… Isaiah 65:24 (ESV)— 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Already Making Way For Your Restoration-- If you find yourself desiring restoration to God, it is because God has already begun to make way for your restoration. And this is what we see here. Israel is wondering if God will restore them; but through Cyrus and this incredible decree Cyrus gives, God is showing them that yes, He is still with them and has indeed already begun to restore them. And that is his message for you and for me today. It doesn’t matter what we have done, or how lost we feel. God has given us His Son as a real and tangible sign that He still loves us; that He still wants to have a relationship with us; and He will redeem us if only we put our trust in Christ. Put your trust in Him today. Even if you have believed for many many years, choose to get in the cockpit and allow that cognitive trust to become a living and breathing (actively trusting) faith. Amen. Lechem Panim #92 "The Star of God's Presence" (An Introduction to Esther) Pastor Cameron Ury3/22/2020 Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I hope all of our listeners today are faring as well as you can during this very unusual time. And I hope today’s message of hope will be an encouragement to you.
Intro To Esther— Today we will be beginning a journey through one of my favorite books of the Bible, a book that has a message that is very relevant to some of the things we are facing right now. It is a story filled with plot and intrigue; love and passion; danger and courage. God’s people are faced with annihilation; and yet they are saved by God’s mighty hand through one of history’s most important heroes; a young Jewish girl who, because of her obedience and trust in God’s plan, saved God’s people from certain destruction. And of course we know her as Esther. Mordecai-- Now just to give you a little bit of background, God had sent the Jews into captivity for their failure to keep themselves free from false gods. But at this point they have been released from exile; yet there are many who still remain. And among these was a man by the name of Mordecai, a Jew whose great grandfather Kish was very likely carried away into the Babylonian captivity. And Mordecai (as elder cousin to Esther) plays a very key role in this story. Authorship-- Now we don’t know who wrote the book of Esther (it is anonymous). However it had to be someone who had access to the records taken in Persia, and someone who also had a very strong interest in Jewish affairs. This as unusual combination, leading some (myself included) to think the author could very well have been Mordecai himself, who seems to have had some position in the king’s palace. And his most important role in this story is the fatherly role he takes on for a young Jewish orphan girl named Esther. Hadassah the “Star” of God’s Presence— Now Hadassah is her Jewish name. But the Persian name she is given is Esther, which means “star.” And this makes sense because in Persia (where this story takes place), astrology (using the stars to practice divination in order to learn the future) was a serious thing. Even today, the number of people who check their horoscopes is staggering. Paganism is very much alive today, let me tell you. Now the Wise men (the Magi) of Media and Persia were very into this kind of thing. And remember Daniel not too long before this was actually head of the wise men of Babylon/Media/Persia. And because of his faithfulness to God, God gave him understanding of visions and dreams, some of the very gifts that the Magi claimed to possess. And so Daniel rose to become head of the Magi. And in that position he no doubt was an ambassador on God’s behalf, teaching the other wise men about the one true God, Yahweh, and may have revealed to them signs of a coming Messiah, using their own astrology to do it. The Magi and the Star-- And so when we come to the birth of Christ, it says Wise Men (Magi) came from the East, following a star; these men whose ancestors had most likely been influenced by Daniel back in his Babylonian captivity, and whose influence could still be felt in the Medo-Persian empire, which was still alive and well during the time of the birth of Christ. There was still a strong Jewish presence there even at the beginning of the New Testament; Jews who never left even after the exile was over. Many chose to stay, Esther and Mordecai being among them. But back to the Magi; that is most likely how they (the Magi) knew of the coming Messiah. And I want to make that connection for you because that star the Magi followed revealed the presence of God; there “with us”. That is the meaning of “Immanuel”; God with us. God Not Mentioned-- But in the book of Esther, one of the perplexing things is that the word "God" is not mentioned anywhere in the book. We have the pagan Persian king Ahasuerus mentioned at least once in ever chapter, but God is never mentioned. Yet despite that we find that God is in fact the main character. Yet He is not revealed on a mountain; in a pillar of fire; or in a voice from heaven. No, we see His presence revealed in Esther and in how He moves and directs the events in her life to save His people from destruction. God doesn’t speak through prophets in this book; we have no divine revelation; there are no miracles or signs from heaven. Instead God is behind the scenes, quietly guiding these events towards His purposes. And Esther (like the star of the Magi) is in a sense that star that reveals the presence of God; that reveals to Israel that God is still with them and is still their deliverer. Post-exile in Persia— And this was easy for them to forget. They had been carried into exile in Babylon. Then Babylon fell to Persia and Cyrus the Great came to power, the founder of the Persian Empire. And miracle of miracles, he allows Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. And not only does he allow Israel to return home to rebuild the temple, but even allows them to use the resources of Persia to do it! Now Cyrus had a bit of strategy here. From what we know of history, his sending former captives back to their homeland was actually part of his overall strategy to help him strengthen his authority in those more remote parts of his empire. But regardless, it served Israel well. And it goes to show how quickly God can bring redemption and restoration to a people that truly repents. Looking Back to Egypt— Now you can say God was harsh in sending them into exile. But remember that this was an issue that God had wrestled with them over for hundreds of years, ever since He delivered them out of Egypt and that whole pagan culture. We know that there were times that they looked back in physical hunger, longing for what was familiar to them in Egypt. And that included paganism and idolatry. But God knew that though He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, they would never be free (even after reaching the Promised Land) until they forsook their false gods and embraced Him (Yahweh) as the center of their reality and the sole recipient of their worship. And the same is true of us. You may not bow before a statue; an idol. But I am telling you, there ARE things we worship other than God; that we give ourselves to other than God that will bring us no life and will in fact produce death in us. And God knows it, which is why He fights so hard (even being willing to allow us to suffer for a while) in order that we might let go of those things and come to experience life in His very presence; before His very face. Lechem Panim (the bread of the presence of God in the tabernacle) was a reminder to them of that reality. They Are Cured!— And one of my mentors pointed out to me that after this Israel never again fell into idolatry. God’s judgment in sending them into exile worked. And the God who was holy enough to send them into captivity was also loving enough to bring them out. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. And that is how we ought to see God’s judgment; as an extension of God’s love. It is always redemptive; it is always constructive. In fact, it proves to us (as Hebrews 12:5-11 says) that He has accepted us as His children. Now some say America is too far gone to make any kind of significant spiritual turnaround. But I don’t believe that for a minute. There is hope for our nation. But that hope lies not in our being able to sway major institutions, though we should always strive to do so. Our hope lies in the salvation, obedience, and consecration of normal everyday people; in the individual rather than the institution. Individuals, Not Institutions-- One scholar I read often said something that has always stuck with me; and which is very important for us to remember in and throughout our study of this book. He says: We live in a day when most people believe that institutions are the determining factors. They declare that if we could just change institutions, then we could change society. This is the appeal of the politician. Scripture tantalizes us with the amount of space it devotes to individual people rather than institutions. People seem to be the tools that God uses to bring change. The implication is clear. Ultimately, persons determine institutions; institutions do not determine persons. The decisions that are made deep in the heart of an individual in the intimacy of aloneness with God are the decisions that will be historically significant for deciding the future. What God Can Do Through One Obedient Person-- Herein lies our hope. It isn’t going to be institutions that have the greatest impact on turning our country around; it’s individual people like you and me who, as the darkness closes in, will choose to remain faithful to God. Nowhere in scripture is it more clearly shown to us what God can do through one obedient person to affect the course and the fate of a nation than right here in the book of Esther. An insignificant Jewish girl, through the providence of God and her obedience, changed the fate of a nation. Our Potential Power-- Now many of us may feel powerless when it comes to affecting change; I know I do; at least significant change on any kind of large scale. But what God wants you to understand today is that you have a power you can’t even fathom; power that is released through your personal commitment to Christ to remain consecrated to Him. John Wesley said an amazing thing. He said, “Give me ten men that hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God and we will change the world.” It is important to note that he did. And there is no telling what God can do through you if you (like Daniel and Esther), even in the face of leadership that is telling you it is okay to do something else, still choose to do and to stand for the right thing. God can do great things through us. God is Present-- And even when God may seem absent (like in the book of Esther, where His name is never even mentioned; and maybe that’s the point), He is never more present even when we can't see Him. This is the message of the book of Esther. And it is His message for you and for me this week. This week, may we live a lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all of our hearts. And may you and experience (in every way) His redemption, His restoration, and His love for Us. Amen. |
Rev. Cameron Ury graduated from Asbury University in 2007 with a B.A. in Bible and Theology. From there he continued his studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. It was there that he met his wife Tanya, who graduated from WBS with her M.A. and M.Div. degrees. Cameron and Tanya got married in 2009. Cameron then graduated with his M.Div. degree with a pastoral concentration in 2011.
After shepherding churches in both Mississippi and Ohio, they joined the ministry team at Renton Park Chapel in January of 2018, where Cameron serves as Senior Pastor and Teacher. Cameron is also the founder and host of Lechem Panim, a weekly radio show that airs on KGNW 820AM "The Word Seattle". The ministry of Lechem Panim is centered around leading people into the life-giving presence of God in and through Bible study, prayer, and active discipleship with the aim of ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Archives
February 2021
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