Esther 3
Esther • Sermon • Submitted
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· 21 viewsWe're looking at the enemy of God's people and God's deliverance
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Introduction:
Introduction:
“What can men do against such reckless hate?”
Are the words that are used in the movie based on JR Tolkien’s book The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,
-King Theodin of Rohan is within the keep at Helm’s Deep, after an army or Urukhai have surrounded the fortress and broken in
-The size of the army was unimaginably large
-And they crashed relentlessly against the fortress like the unforgiving waves of the sea crash against the rocks
-As they face their seemingly impending doom, King Theodin utters these words:
“what can men do against such reckless hate?”
In his despair, this was the only question that he could muster
-Little did he know though, that help was soon to come for the deliverance of he and his people
-and today in the midst of the onslaught of woke American culture, political correctness, and increasing persecution, we often ask ourselves a similar question
-How are we to deal with this kind of persecution and hate
-but thankfully, we have the hope of God’s Word for such times and for such questions
Background
Background
-Judah has been taken captive by Babylon for 70 years
-After 70 years, Cyrus of Persia allows them all to return to their land
-Some Jews don’t go, and stay where they are
-This story takes place in Shushan, the capital of Persia 50 years after the decree
**explain chapters 1-2**
-This happens around 5 years after Esther is made queen
Haman (vs. 1)
Haman (vs. 1)
-Here we meet the last of the four main characters, and his name is Haman
-Now, it is important to take note of how the author introduces or describes a character in narrative texts
-Many times the author will tell us how we are to view the character through the way the character is introduced
-For instance:
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
So, how does the author introduce Haman?
-The only real comment we get about Haman son of Hammedatha, is that he is an Agagite
-And that is incredibly significant
Who was Agag?
In Exodus 17, the Israelites have just come out of Egypt, and they are attacked by a group of people called the Amalekites
-This is where the Israelites are winning as long as Moses keeps his arms up, so Aaron and Hur come along and support his arms
-The Israelites win, and this is what is recorded
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Now, go to 1 Samuel 15.
Saul is king, and God says this:
Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
What does King Saul do? He disobeys and spares some of the cattle, as well as the king of Amalek, a man named . . . Agag
-Samuel comes along and rebukes Saul for his unbelief, and then this happens:
Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously.
And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
So, this is the thing that author wants us to know about Haman: He is an Agagite, an enemy of God’s people
-And this will be confirmed more explicitly later in our text this evening
-Now, does anyone remember how Mordecai is introduced back in chapter 2?
-There was one thing about his introduction that we said would be very important, but we’d get to it next week
In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite.
There was also another significant figure in Scripture who was a Benjamite, whose father’s name was also Kish
-And that is King Saul, the one who was ordered to strike down Agag
-So what the author is wanting us to see . . .
-What he is wanting to highlight is this ancient rivalry between the Amalekites and the Jews
Now, let’s keep going with our story
Vs. 1-6
Vs. 1-6
vs. 1-2
-Now, the promotion of Haman seems quite unexpected and stark in light of the end of chapter 2, where Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king and receives no reward
-We would expect a promotion for Mordecai, but instead Hama is exalted
-Now, the king had commanded that people pay homage and bow to Haman, and everyone does, except for Mordecai
-Now the question is: why?
-Why doesn’t Mordecai bow to Haman?
-Some speculate that it is religiously motivated
-That Mordecai bows to God alone
-That’s how it’s portrayed in the Veggie Tales version
-However, that theory seems a little suspect, considering that Mordecai was in the king’s court and therefore probably bowed to the king whenever he came by
-Some people say that Mordecai was jealous that Haman got a promotion instead of him, so that’s why he doesn’t bow
-He’s throwing a hissy fit about not being promoted
-The bottom line is that similar to last week, we’re not told the exact reason
-We know the author wants to highlight the ancient rivalry between the these two, but other than that, we’re not given anything more specific
-Like we talked about last week, while it’s not wrong to ask these kind of questions, and even formative tentative and humble opinions or theories, we ultimately must look to the sufficient and inspired text for what God wants us to know
-Therefore, I have no intention in my preaching to further than that, because when I do, I have stepped out of bounds and have left the authorization that God has given us, which is His Word
-The emphasis is not on why Mordecai may not have bowed, but on the fact that he didn’t, which sets off the conflict of our plot
Vs. 3-4
-The other officials want to know why Mordecai won’t bow
-And we’re not told specifically what his answer is, but they go to Haman and let him know that Mordecai won’t bow
-They want to know possibly if he’ll be given an exemption
-Is he just allowed to get away with this?
-They also tell Haman that Mordecai is a Jew
-And Haman is angry now
Vs. 5-6
-Now, Haman doesn’t want to just get Mordecai
-No, that’s not good enough for Haman
-He wants to go after ALL of Mordecai’s people, the Jews
-And as the readers, a question begins to appear in our minds as we read this:
“will God deliver His people?”
-Haman, a powerful enemy of the people of God desires to destroy them, and so we begin to wonder:
-will God deliver His people?
Vs. 7-15
Vs. 7-15
Vs. 7
-It’s very interesting what happens next:
-Haman casts lots to determine what day and what month to destroy the Jews on
-We’re not completely sure if this was a common practice in these kind of situations, or if this was a religious thing, or if this was just part of Haman’s twisted personality
Vs. 8-9
-Haman informs the king that there is a certain people scattered all throughout the kingdom — which is true
-These people’s laws are different from other people’s — which is also kind of true
-And that these people do not obey the king — which is not true
Haman then tells the king that these people aren’t worth tolerating
-Haman then offers the king a huge sum of money to be able to create this law that will ensure the genocide of the Jewish people
Vs. 11-12
-True to form in this story, the King is more than fine with going along with other people’s ideas with very little thought of his own, and gives over his signet ring to Haman, ensuring him the authority to create his wicked and violent law
-The seems to state the he doesn’t care about the money, but it appears he actually does, since Mordecai and Esther later on refer to the money given to the King
Vs. 12-15
-So the couriers go out to all the kingdom with this edict, that on the 13th day of the 12th month, the Jews are to be killed
-Men, women, and children
-And all their stuff can be plundered
-So Haman and the King sit down to have a drink (which it’s interesting to note that somewhat often in this story, the King is drinking)
-While the entire city is thrown into confusion about what on earth is going on
And the question, that started quietly in the back of our minds as readers, and is now reverberating to a deafening roar is:
“will God save His people??”
-I mean, consider it!
-Everything seems to be working against God’s people!
**insert theodin quote again**
-The enemies of God’s people are powerful!
-They’re rich
-They’re in positions of incredibly influence
-They have the power and the resources to wipe out the people of God
-and it seems that lives and well-being of people are being determined by the rolling of the dice
-Where is God??
-Will He deliver His people??
-Maybe He’s no longer obligated to come to their rescue
-I mean, Israel has broken the covenant
-Both kingdoms have been exiled
-Maybe God is done with them
And so the question dominates this chapter, and this book:
“will God deliver His people?”
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
So what happens?
Vs. 1-3
-Mordecai, as well as Jews all over the empire are in mourning
-they’ve been condemned to genocide
-Mordecai goes right up to the king’s gate in his state of mourning
Vs. 4-9
-Mordecai explains the situation to Esther through a messenger, gives her a copy of the edict, and commands her to go to the king
-Remember back from chapter 2, the author makes the comment that Esther always obeyed Mordecai (2:20)
-As the man who raised her, she loved and respected and obeyed him
-But now she’s got kind of a crisis
Vs. 10-12
-The reason that Esther is torn, is that as much as she wants to obey Mordecai, there’s one problem with his idea/command
-People aren’t just allowed to walk into the king’s throne room anytime they want
-If you did, you could expect to be killed immediately, unless he held out his royal scepter to you
So, imagine deciding one day that you were going to walk in to the White House, into the Oval Office and speak to the President
-How do you think that would go?
-Or what if you decided that at the next speaking event for the President, you were going to walk up to him on stage and give him a big hug
-You can’t even do that kind of stuff in the US, much less in this total monarchy where this guy rules most of the known world and can do pretty much anything he wants
And so as much as Esther wants to obey, it’s very dangerous
Look what happens next:
Vs. 13-17
Now, I’m sure we’ve all heard our fair share of “such a time as this” sermons right?
-And I’m not downing on any of those
-It is a comfort to know that God places exactly where he wants us in His providence
-Amen?
-That’s a truth we all can and should take comfort in!
-But is that the point of the author?
-Is the point of Esther: be brave like Esther!
-or: God’s put you at your job or in your neighborhood for such a time as this
-Now, I’m not denying that truth!
-but is that the intent of the author
-Remember, what have we been saying that Esther is all about?
-What is end game of this narrative? Where does he want us to end up?
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
We’re looking at God’s providential work to bring about the reversal of fortune for His people
-Where they go from defeated, to triumphant
Furthermore, why are we so quick to identify ourselves with Esther in this account?
-What about all the other Jews who were not in a position of influence?
-As a matter of fact, of all the thousands or even millions of Jews alive at this time, NONE of them were in a place where they could do anything about this
-Only Esther was the one in the place of power and influence to do anything
-And the rest of the Jews were helpless
-They probably weren’t even aware that the king’s new queen was a Jew!
-Why don’t we identify ourselves with them?
-Very often, when we as the people of God are in danger or persecution, we’re very rarely (if ever!) in a position to be able to do anything about it
And remember, what is the question that dominates much of this book, and especially dominates the two chapters we’ve been looking at this evening?
-Will God deliver His people??
And the resounding and definitive answer to that question is given in such an off-the-cuff and unremarkable way, that we almost miss it!
Vs. 14
-The answer to the question of whether God will deliver His people is a resounding yes!!
-Mordecai, who we’re not really even sure how much character he has or how godly he is, absolutely nails it
-Deliverance will arise for the Jews!
-You see, whether Esther had the courage to be courageous in such a time as this or not, God would deliver His people!
-So the thrust here, the big point, is not Esther’s courage, although she is courageous, but the absolutely rock-solid hope in the delivering power of God for His people!
-And in God’s amazing providence, He had placed Esther in this position for such a time as this!
-But regardless of how courageous or cowardly she would choose to be, God would deliver His people
And Esther, to her credit, is courageous, and decides to go to the king at the risk of her life, and we’ll pick up with that next week
Application
Application
So what about us?
-We’re not living in a worldwide empire, run by powerful and easily influenced ruler
-There is no impending genocide for God’s New Covenant people that has been enacted into worldwide law at this point
So what is there for us in this text?
First, there will always be enemies of God and His people
-This is promised to us
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Brother’s and sister’s, this world is no friend of God
-We know that those who are not in Christ are enemies of God
-Now, I’m not advocating some conspiracy theory
-That the world is run by the Illuminati, a handful of demonic people like Bill Gates and Jay-Z and Queen Elizabeth who worship Satan and try to kill God’s people
-Oftentimes, people in power are not consciously motivated by an overt hatred of God
-Haman may or not have been all that aware of the God of the Jews
-But those who are unsaved do ultimately hate God and are His enemies
-And we should not be surprised when we are persecuted by people, or by governmental laws or work policies
-This has been promised to us, and as Peter says, we shouldn’t be surprised or taken aback
But second:
-God will deliver His people
-Now, it may not always be exactly how and when we want
-Paul was beheaded
-11 of the Apostles died martyrs’ deaths
-All through church history, people have paid the ultimate price for being a Christian
-From Polycarp, to William Tyndale, to Jim Elliot
-But deliverance and victory for God’s people is sure
Romans 16:20 (NKJV)
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
How will that happen?
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
-Because of the sacrifice of Christ, that took us from being enemies of God to being sons, we know that our triumph is sure!
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Brothers and sisters, we are on the winning side!
-Our deliverance is sure! Because God has set His Savior, Jesus Christ, exactly in the right moment of history to die for our sins and rise again
-And because He identifies with His people and intercedes for us (even in a much greater way than Esther), our deliverance and ultimate salvation is sure
From the enemies of this world, from demonic enemies, from sin and death and the curse
For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:
“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
And again:
“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.