For Such A Time As This

Terry Siverd
01/08/17 - Sun AM

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd

Cortland Church of Christ / January 08, 2017

A few weeks ago we preached from the book of Ruth.  This morning I want to preach from the book of Esther.

And then next Sunday we want to begin an extended series from the book of Job.

These three books are the focus of the 2017 Easter weekend L2L Convention, which will include some of our youth.

The books of Ruth and Esther are the only two books among the sixty-six books of the Bible named for women.

They are both two very dramatic stories about the inter-weaving of the providence of God

There are also elements in both Ruth and Esther that provoke thoughts of the Christmas season.

Ruth returns with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to that little town of Bethlehem.

In Bethlehem Ruth marries Boaz and they give birth to Obed, which puts them in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

As we pointed out last Sunday Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David.

“Esther” is the Persian name given to a Hebrew girl named Hadassah.  Esther means “STAR”.

In Matthew’s gospel, when we read the account of birth of Jesus (Mt.2:1f), we are told about magi from the east (Persia) who traveled a considerable distance to Jerusalem.  These wise men make inquiry saying: 

Where is He who is born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.

With not-so-altruistic motives, Herod and his cohorts send them on to Bethlehem.

Mt.2:9-10 states, And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star which they

had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where The Child was.

 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

So, here in the story of Esther, some 500 years before the birth of Jesus, we read of a star in Persia.

}Celestial scholars are presently unraveling some absolutely astounding observations about the star of Bethlehem.|

Esther was a Jewish woman who was selected by the Persian King Ahasuerus (a.k.a. Xerxes) to be his wife.

The king had banished his former wife because of her disobedience and chose Esther by means of a beauty contest.

King Ahasuerus was unaware of the fact that Esther was a Jew.  At this juncture, Esther’s nationality was a non-issue.

Esther’s cousin and caretaker was Mordecai.  Mordecai learned of a plot to kill the king and made it known to Esther

who passed this information on to the king  The two men involved in the plot were immediately hanged. (chps. 1-2)

One of the princes in the kingdom was Haman.  Mordecai and Haman had a mutual disdain for one another.

The source of their mutual disdain went back 1,000 years to the days of the Exodus (1445BC).  Haman was a descendant of Amalek.  The Amalekites attacked the Israelites during their wilderness journey.   Joshua led Israel in defeating the Amalekites, but God declared that He would “utterly blot out the memory of the Amalek” (Ex.17:14).

In 1030BC, God told Saul to destroy the Amalekites, but he disobeyed and spared their king, Agag (1Sam.15).

Samuel the prophet did what Saul should have done - - he hacked (hewed) Agag to pieces at Gilgal (1Sam.15:33).

Haman devised a plan to eliminate Mordecai.  He told the king that there was “certain group of people” in His kingdom who had their own laws and customs and that if allowed to continue they might pose a threat to the king.

Therefore, Haman convinced the king that this group of people (i.e., the Jews) should be killed. 

While Haman and the king didn’t know it at the time, he was asking the king’s permission to kill Queen Esther.

A law was enacted that allowed the Jews to be murdered.  When Mordecai learned of the new law he urged 

Esther to speak to the king and ask him to reconsider.  Esther was loved by the king, but she did not have the

authority to enter the king’s chambers and talk with him at any time she pleased.  Mordecai told her that God had

allowed her to become the queen in order to help protect her people (the Jews).  Though conflicted with the thought of perishing by the hand of the king or by the new law that was enacted, she determined to let the

King Ahasuerus know that she was a Jew and that his new edict would require that she also be killed. (chps.3-4)

Then Moredcai told them (intermediaries) to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace

can escape any more than all the Jews.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will

arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. / Esther 4:14-15

Without an invitation into His presence, Esther approached the king and invited him and Haman to a banquet.  When asked what the occasion was, she delayed her message by asking them to return a second day to the feast.

The king agreed - - and Haman was thrilled to be so favored by the king and his new queen.  His ego was swelled.

However, later that day, Haman encountered Mordecai was once again enraged.  He determined to kill Mordecai.

His wife and friends urged him to have a gallows made upon which to hang Mordecai the next morning. (chp.5)

About this time Haman came to the palace to talk with the king and inform him of his plans to hang Mordecai.

The king was pleased to see Haman because he had a question that needed clarification.

Before Haman could broach the subject of Mordecai’s hanging, the king asked Haman, “what shoud be done to a man I wish to honor publicly?”  Haman assumed the king must surely be intending to honor him (Haman) for being such a devout servant, so he devised an elaborate and opulent ceremony for giving distinction & honor.  He said that

the man should be paraded through the streets wearing the king’s robe and crown while riding on the king’s horse.

Haman was intending to tell the king of his intentions to hang Mordecai, but the king was caught up in his desire to show honor to whom honor was due.  He told Haman, you have come up with a marvelous plan to honor the man

who saved my life. Gather everything you need and do things just as you have planned - - for Mordecai (6:10).

Haman was appalled at the thought of honoring Mordecai.  After the parade was over he went home in a rage.

He vented briefly to his wife & friends but it was soon time to return to palace for day two of the Queen’s banquet.

When Haman and the king arrived at Esther’s palace the king was eager to hear her request.

He loved her very much and was willing to give her up to half of the kingdom (5:3 & 6 and 7:2).

Esther told the king that there was a plot to destroy her and her people (the Jews).

The king was angry and asked who was behind such wickedness.  When she pointed to Haman, the king was furious.

He stepped outside to think and ponder this news.  Meanwhile, Haman was apparently trying to tell Queen Esther that he didn’t know that she was a Jew.  Haman was begging for his life because the king had already said the person behind the plot was to be hanged.  Haman got animated and excited.  He fell onto Esther’s couch. 

When King Ahasuerus returned from his walk in the garden, He saw Haman on his wife’s sofa and grew ever more angry at the thought that Haman was now trying to assault her (7:8) - - i.e., to make sexual overtures to his wife.

Haman was hanged that day on the gallows that he intended for Mordecai.  (chps.6-7)

Esther made one more request to the king.  She asked if the edict to kill the Jews could be reversed.

The law was “re-written” or amended in order to save the Jews and destroy the family of Haman.

Haman was a Agagite, or an Amalekite.  The Jews were given permission to defend themselves (8:11).

And so they did.  “The Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them” (9:1).

Many enemies of the Jews were destroyed in the capital city of Susa and throughout the entire empire.

“Mordecai became greater and greater” (9:4).  King Ahasuerus granted authority to Mordecai to

declare “the feast of Purim” (9:21 & 26).  Mordecai was second only to the king (10:3). / chp.8-10

_____

Now, let’s conclude by offering some practical observations.

(1) God’s Providence Knows No Boundaries

  What are the odds that a Jewish girl living in Susa would be chosen to be the queen of Persia?

  Why were Mordecai & Esther still in Persia?  They could have and probably should have returned home from exile.

Perhaps they can be blamed for “conformity and assimilation”, but in the end they both stood tall for Jehovah God.

  What are the odds that Mordecai would overhear a plot to kill the king?

  And what about the king’s sleepless night and his review of the records that led to honoring Mordecai?

(2) God’s Providence Doesn’t Nullify Our Obedience

  Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage (3:2).

This reminds us of the courage of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego (Dan.3) and of Daniel (Dan.6).

  Esther was willing to risk her own life for the sake of God’s people (4:16) - -

I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

   When God opens a door or provides a way of escape, we must be willing to respond with faith.

 (3) Power Is Fleeting

  Haman, a man of high standing, is unexpectedly hung on the very gallows he planned for Mordecai (7:10).

  When the book opens, Esther and Mordecai are displaced Jews with no apparent power.

When the book ends, Esther is queen and Mordecai is second in charge of the Persian Empire.

  A few years after this story, King Ahasuerus is assassinated and his kingdom begins to crumble.

  What a noble thought - - to use our power or whatever influence we may have to the glory of God.

(4) It Is Important To Celebrate God’s Work In Our Lives.

  Thus was born “the feast of Purim”.

Many scholars think that this is the feast mentioned in Jn.5:1, attended by Jesus.

  I’ve been reading from time to time a book titled, The Sacred Ordinary.

Sometimes we miss out on the glory of God by focusing on only extra-ordinary events.

To be married … To have children … Our jobs … Our church family … Wednesday Nite Bible study.

Indeed, the glory of God can be found in the day-to-day, ordinary events of life.

We must determine to celebrate every day as a gift from God and be grateful for every little thing.

Historical Note

The Persian Empire was initially led by King Cyrus.

Under his leadership the Persians overthrew the Medes and in 550BC these two powers were united.

In 547 BC, Cyrus defeated Croesus, King of Lydia (modern day Turkey).  In 539BC, Cyrus conquered Babylon.

The Persia government was unique to a Mesopotamian world that had formerly been divided into many different warring clans.  It was the first time people of many different races and cultures were controlled under one ruler and government.

King Darius followed King Cyrus and he fought against the Greeks but lost to them in the Battle of Marathon.

Darius’ son, King Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes), was determined to complete what his father failed to accomplish.

He took the throne in 486BC.  His reign began with a great banquet lasting six months (cf. Esther 1:3ff).

The movie, “330: Rise Of An Empire”, tells of story of The Battle Of Thermopylae (7,000 Spartans/Greeks vs. 150,000 Persians).

In 479BC, Ahasuerus (Xerxes) destroyed the Spartan army and burned Athens but was subsequently defeated by the Greeks.

The Battle of Plataea became the watershed (turning point) of Persian imperialism.

Although the Persian empire remained somewhat powerful for another 150 years, this battle signaled their eventual decline.

They were conquered by the Greek army led by Alexander the Great in 330BC.  These battles represent several “what ifs”

of world history.  Had the Greeks not conquered the Persians The Western World as we know it would have not existed.  

(cf. Paul Butler, Commentary On Esther, pg.262-266, College Press)