Dig Deeper - Sunday 26th July
Sermon Reflection Questions - Courage for the Moment: Esther
Esther 3:12-4:17
Unfortunately there was no sound on the livestream during yesterday's 10:30am service
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 26th July service
Today is week 2 of our summer sermon series on Unexpected Courage: Ordinary People that God Used. We will be looking at a pivotal moment in the Book of Esther when Esther needed courage, for a particular moment in time, and not just for herself but for her race, the people of Israel, too; and God gave it to her!
The Decree is issued: Our reading takes up when Haman has just issued his edict and there are only 30 days before all Jewish people in King Xerxes provinces will be murdered. The clock is ticking!
Let’s look at the various responses:
King Xerxes & Haman, Verse 15 in Chapter 3 says that while the decree was issued in Susa the capital and letters taken out to all the other provinces, the King and Haman sat down to drink. They obviously aren’t worried about any backlash or how it will be taken.
The City of Susa: was in confusion. The people who lived in the capital were confused and upset. Persian or Jewish, they wondered how this happened and what it might mean for them. (Ch.3:15)
Jewish People throughout the King’s provinces: the Jewish people responded with great mourning, fasting, weeping and wailing and many lay on or put on sackcloth and ashes. They knew what it meant for them and they were greatly upset. (Ch4:3)
Historical Point: the use of sackcloth and ashes when mourning or repenting was common in these times. It was an outward action to demonstrate to God that the people were serious about seeking Him for help or for forgiveness.
Mordecai’s response:
Mordecai goes full out with weeping and wailing, sackcloth and ashes in public in the city of Susa. Scripture says he wept loudly and bitterly. No one would be in any doubt about his stance.
Esther’s response:
Verse 4 says that when Esther heard the news and in particular of Mordecai’s response, “she writhed in great anguish.” But it doesn’t say she put on sackcloth and ashes, or wept or wailed out loud.
She then seeks to get Mordecai to stop what he was doing and put on regular clothes again, to stop drawing attention to himself.
Why did she do this? Was she afraid? For him or for herself? This would probably be a normal response to the threat of being killed just for being Jewish.
What does Mordecai do? He refuses the garments she sent him. He isn’t going to clean up and pretend that everything is ok.
So, Esther sends her attendant, Hathach, to go and ask Mordecai what was going on.
Mordecai’s Reply: Mordecai fully informs Hathach about the exact amount of money Haman promised to the King, gives him a copy of the edict to show Esther and inform her, and then orders her to go to the King to implore his favour and to plead with him for her people.
Mordecai gives her all the information she needs to understand what is going on and act.
Esther responds by sending another message to Mordecai via Hathach.
Verse 11, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.’”
Esther says to Mordecai – if I approach the King without being summoned, I may be killed.
Mordercai’s response – if you don’t you will end up being killed anyway!
“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’ (v.13-14)
Mordecai believes God will rescue His people somehow, some way, but he also knows that if Esther doesn’t step up, she will perish.
Mordecai is saying to Esther God may have put you in your position for this very reason!
And what is Esther’s response to all this, after prevaricating and hoping she wouldn’t have to stick her neck out? She says yes. She steps up to the plate and says to Mordecai, OK, then go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa and get me some prayer support! She calls for a fast for 3 days and 3 nights, and by inference, prayer, and she and her maidens will also do the same. Then she will approach the king and see what God will do.
Mordecai jumps to it and goes out to organise the support!
Esther was positioned strategically by God to make a stand for her people. One that would require more than her own strength and courage and wisdom. She needed God’s help to pull it off and the support of her people.
When God does this to us – puts us in position for Him to use – we don’t always recognize it initially.
Like Joseph, in prison in Egypt;
like Mary & Joseph going to Bethlehem for the census and Jesus being born while they were there – fulfilling prophecy.
Once Esther realised what was being expected of her, she needed courage. Who did she turn to for that? God!
This story of Esther also points towards Jesus, the Son of God, born as a man, sent to fulfil God’s will in saving the world; Jesus had a God task that was scary. Scripture says Jesus’ soul was greatly troubled as He was approaching the cross, and we know He spent all night in the Garden of Gethsemane praying and asked if that task/cup might not have to be His, but also prayed for God’s will to be done.
Who did Jesus turn to when He needed strength for His task? Father God! Jesus also brought His close friends with Him into the garden while He prayed. He desired their support, even though they fell asleep!
Jesus “set His face like flint” and endured the cross that we could be forgiven, rescued from sin and death, and made right before God, brought into His family. “For such a time as this” Jesus did the Father’s will at much cost and pain to Himself. Jesus was the only One who could do this, as He was without sin, and we owe Jesus everything – all our devotion, loyalty, love, courage and obedience.
Spiritual Context:
The story of Esther is commemorated annually by Jewish people in a play during Purim. You may remember we had the Purim Play here at St John’s some years back. It’s a bit like a panto, with everyone dressing up and anytime Haman comes on we all boo and anytime Mordecai comes on we all cheer. It’s fun, but it is also serious as it is held annually by Jewish people to remind themselves of the threat of people trying to wipe them out as a nation and the goodness of the LORD God to rescue them. That goodness of God is what Mordecai was believing and trusting in.
We see this theme repeated throughout the bible and in modern day times, and that’s because there is a spiritual dimension going on through history. Satan, whom the bible calls our enemy, is trying to hurt God by hurting His people. He stirs people up to hate one another for whatever reason, and this leads to antisemitism, persecution against Christians, and the list goes on. We need to be alert to this and stand with God for His people around the world.
Our prayer today is that all people come to saving faith in Jesus, from every race, and understand that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour of the World.
Back to Esther’s story. “For such a time as this” – I know we often jump on the band wagon of this saying, but there is real truth here.
We were deliberately created by God to live now, this year, in this place, and He has God purposes for us to fulfil – both individually and together, corporately.
God sees and is in control of all time. He made us for this moment.
We need to ask God for ourselves and together as a church, what does God want us to do this year?
The leadership at church have been seeking God for that very thing – God’s plan for us to live out our vision and values for Him for the coming days and years.
So, let’s ask ourselves:
· Where has God placed you strategically this year? Where has He placed us together strategically this year?
· How does God want me/us to be a witness for Him in that place or situation?
· What spiritual gifts or talents has God given us that He wants us to be using?
This could look like being faithful, doing the right thing, showing compassion, having kind words for others, sharing our faith in Jesus – in the work place, at school, in the community and in our homes.
This could look like helping our church pray more, stepping out in outreach with either Alpha or The Social Team, supporting discipleship through small group participation, and giving more financially to support the work of the church. If you enjoy working with kids or youth, there’s nothing better than working on those teams and seeing the young ones have a God light bulb moment while learning about Jesus.
The best thing about all this is all we have to do is ask God what He wants us to be doing – He’ll be glad to answer that prayer.
At the end of Esther’s story, after the evil Haman is defeated, the Jewish people are rescued, Mordecai is promoted, and the King and Esther are happy together, it says, “and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honour” (8:15b-16).
So, they went from a city thrown into confusion and people mourning because of a leader who was not interested in his people’s welfare, to a city that was happy and people who were blessed.
So, let’s work with God to run a happy ship, in His church in Walmley and out in the community, and make kingdom impact in the lives of those around us today and this year – you and all of us, for such a time as this!
A Prayer:
LORD God, thank You for giving us the best present ever! Your own Son to come and redeem us all from sin and death. Please show us where You want us to be active for you, doing our bit which Your word says you have already prepared for us to do, so that together Your great big God family will thrive and shine and light up the way to Jesus, our Saviour. In His name, Amen.
