Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning CrossPointe and Happy Mothers Day to all the mommas!

My name is Justin and I serve as one of the pastors here, more specifically I serve students and families of students, and serve as one of the CPK leads for the elementary age range.

If you have your bibles, we are going to be in the book of Esther chapter 7;

I know last we left off was in chapter 3 but don’t worry, this morning we are covering the entire book of Esther and it’s overall themes.

If you don’t know we, as a church are in a massive transition in location, vision and mission and God has moved us as a family in this direction at the last minute (so to speak) and so our preaching pace through this book has had to change.

Its currently my job to preach the least preached book in the bible.

Let me just make clear to you what that means, family: Zero commentaries were written on Esther in the first 7 centuries of the church and still to this day contains the least bit of commentary throughout catholic and protestant history.

Calvin never preached from it, Martin Luther absolutely despised it even the best commentary on the book suggests to never preach the book in it’s entirety.

Esther makes no mention of God at all, AND YET as we read and journey through this book-- all the sweetness of His glory and plan being fulfilled despite very (and I mean very) imperfect people with hidden agendas carrying out their own motives is palpable.

You can see God, the puppet master, sovereignly reigning and orchestrating the redemption of His people throughout the book.

The book of Esther doesn’t have any particular role models either.

A strong argument could be made that the characters in this book are actually morally ambiguous.

There is a lot of debauchery, sexual promiscuity, inappropriate displays of angers, deceit, intentions of slaughter and malice from the “heroes” of this book.

Speaking of characters, one of the main characters in this book is the Persian King Ahasuerus who is better known in his Greek name Xerxes, which is weirdly easier to pronounce, so I’m going to go with that.

Recap of Esther 1-7

The book of Esther takes place 100 years after the Babylonian captivity- although most Jews fled Persia some Jews stayed.

So this book takes place in Susa, the Persian capital.

The book opens with a giant banquet feast in which King Xerxes gets incredibly drunk and decides he wants to parade his wife through the city so folks can worship her beauty.

However, he married a gangster (shoutout to my strong willed women).

Queen Vashti has more respect for herself than that and tells the king no.

But our drunken “god”-king Xerxes gets in a drunken rage and disposes her from being Queen and banishes her from ever speaking to the king or his officials again.

But not only that, he makes this silly decree that men should lord over there households and women should honor their husbands- get this- out of fear for a feminist revolt.

What an awful king.

Ahasuerus (still calling him Xerxes FYI), decides he needs a new queen so he invents something that still exists to this day- he creates the inaugural season of The Bachelor and rounds up 100 Persian virgins to compete in a beauty pageant for the king to see who pleased him the most and that woman would become Queen.

Now here come two important Jews to the story, Mordecai an old man, and his younger niece Esther.

Mordecai commands Esther to hide her heritage from the officials gathering the women and compete in this year long beauty pageant.

Now, Mordecai and Esther’s ambitions remain unclear as to why they entered and hid their intentions (which is important to know) but what we do know is Esther gained favor with the king and he made her Queen.

Mordecai who patrolled the gates of the palace often to hear about how Esther was doing “just so happened” to overhear a plot to murder King Xerxes.

Mordecai informs Esther, Esther informs the king what Mordecai heard and after investigations found Esther to be correct the King throughs another banquet but this time in celebration of Mordecai for saving his life.

Chapter 3 introduces to us another character named Haman who is appointed by the King to be in the highest position in the kingdom and commands that everyone bow down to Haman.

Now Mordecai, refuses to bow and this fills Haman with rage.

So much so that when Haman discovers that Mordecai is Jewish, Haman successfully convinces the King to create a law that basically guarantees the slaughter all the Jewish people on a day selected by Haman.

Haman casts a dice.

A die is called “Pur” in Hebrew, just keep that and stow it away for later.

It is decided that in 11 months, all the Jews will die.

Haman and the king have a drinking banquet (another one) to celebrate this new law coming to be.

Where’s God?

Now that you’ve heard all of this, guys, my question to you is, “WHERE’S GOD?” 3 whole chapters without a prayer, prophecy, foreshadow, or mention of God.

Maybe you’ve been too entertained by the drama of this story to notice but I implore you now to place yourself as a Jew in this city.

As one of God’s chosen people and how they must be feeling in this situation!?

We are talking about the public celebration of genocide.

The public celebration of systemic injustice.

And maybe you can’t relate to that, maybe thats too political (even though it isn’t) for you to comprehend but I want you to think about the last time you were in despair or maybe the last time you felt the Lord be silent during your time of great NEED for Him.

There may be something right now that you need God desperately for.

You have been praying, and seeking his face and yet you don’t see His activity- His handiwork- moving throughout your life.

But look at me, DON’T BELIEVE THE LIE THAT GOD IS NOT WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR YOUR GOOD.

But also do not mistake where God has placed you now, as God’s neglect or oversight in your life.

God does not neglect and God does not look past you.

Do not mistake your lack of materials as a lack of God’s provision, do not mistake your present situation or situation to come as lack of care or concern.

We do not have a high priest who sits in the heavens and watches idly at our issues.

God is a better king than Ahasuerus!

Ahasuerus was a drunken pushover who was easily manipulated.

God is a God of justice, mercy and love for His people.

We have a God, a high priest in Jesus, who knows us, can sympathize with us, and is working-all-things- for-your-good.

And I want you to know, family, that for you good does not mean always but in fact rarely means good to you.

Does that mean you’ll get good things?

Maybe at best.

But what I think the book of Esther shows us that you may think you see inactivity but God is working things out for your good and your good is not financial fortitude, your good is not a healthy functioning family, your good is not a life without struggle or hard times… your good is God’s glory.

For who’s purpose?

God’s purpose.

And we know God’s purpose is HIS glory.

Guys, everything you will go through now, is for your good and for His glory and that should be our comfort.

Back to Esther.

Chapter 4 opens up with deep deep morning from the Jews.

The Bible says, in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was a great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting.

Esther hears about this and becomes troubled herself.

Esther and Mordecai plan to ask the king to reverse his law.

But according to Persian law, approaching the king without a royal request receives a penalty of death and Esther hasn’t seen the king in 30 days because he hasn’t summoned her.

Mordecai tells Esther that maybe she has been placed in the kings service for such a time as this.

He tells her, even if you stay silent and your household perishes- deliverance for the Jews will come from somewhere and Esther says her famous line, no I’m going to tell the king to reverse this and reveal my heritage even though coming up to him receives death.

If I perish, I perish.

Her position is admirable.

3 days later, something weird happens.

Esther stands in the kings courtyard dressed beautifully with arms wide open, and the king sees her and is entranced by her beauty, he tells her to ask for anything and it will be done.

She decides to ask the king and Haman to come to banquet feast that she is holding.

So the king fetches Haman and they go and the king is just gaga for Esther.

He tells her again what do you want from me? Name it, and even if its half my kingdom- it’s yours....

this is it!

This is the moment she was planning to ask for the reversal and reveal herself to the king!

But she freezes.

She doesn’t.

Instead she says, I would like you to come to my banquet feast again tomorrow.

Haman leaves the banquet drunk out of his mind, and sees Mordecai in the streets and becomes enraged again and orders a tall spike to be placed up so that Mordecai can be impaled on it.

Chapter 6 is where things become really good.

It just so happens....the king goes to bed that night and can’t sleep.

He’s having a tough time.

So he orders someone to get the most boring book in the world and read it to him so he can fall asleep.

This book was the chronicles of all memorable deeds.

Yeah, he picked the right one.

Well, during the read he is reminded of how Mordecai saved his life from those plotting that coup awhile back.

The king asks the reader, hold on- what kind of celebration or honor did I bestow on Mordecai?

and his readers say nothing.

Just then Haman walks in to the kings chambers with the intention of telling the king about impaling Mordecai BUT before Haman could says anything- the king asks him, what should I do to the man whom I delight to honor?

Haman, of course, thinks the king is talking about him and so Haman says you should get him your own robes, a beautiful horse thats yours, and parade him around the city.

So the king said okay! Go get the robes and the horse and give to Mordecai and parade him throughout the city!

Haha

Let’s read together chapter 7, starting at verse 1...

Esther was cunning in her appeal to Xerxes, she knew she had his favor.

But you and I know more to this story- Haman’s treachery is nothing new us.