Prayer and Pride
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· 2 viewsDo we trust God's plan when we can't see his hand?
Notes
Transcript
1 Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace.
The third day! Let’s not rush along and miss this Christological Archetype
What a boring life for a king.
exalted above all others
no real freedom but artificial
much like the life we live today in our self-exalted world (social media)
Life must have moved in slow motion for Esther as she dressed and walked the hallways thinking this could be the last time
Airborne school
First deployment
2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.
Wonder if the king thinks about the last queen and he mishandled things?
She wasn’t executed so know she moves into being Obi Wan Kenobi “you are our only hope”
3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”
King realizes what Esther has done to get there
half the kingdom was hyperbole
So here she is, she came to ask for the salvation of her people and she has been given this opportunity, what will she ask? To kill Haman, to reverse the law to kill the Jews?
4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Remember where she was, culture here says you never go straight to business, but you slowly get there. It would have been rude, even a violation of custom for Esther to go straight to “save the Jews”
5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
This is actually outside of custom b/c eunuchs were usually the only ones of opposite sex allowed to interact with the queen
6 As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.”
This was not like the parties mentioned earlier in the book, this is an intimate setting for only the king, Haman and the cupbearer and guards
7 So Esther replied, “My petition and my request is:
PAUSE for climax...
everyone is holding their breath...
8 if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”
WHAT?! Another banquet...
Why is she waiting so long? Do you ever feel like God is waiting too long in answering your prayer only to find His timing perfect?
By the way, this is the peripeteia of the story, when things appear to be going one way and then suddenly shift to signal the eventual downfall of (usually) the protagonist.
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.
Haman had just been honored as second in command of the whole kingdom and just like that his entire day is ruined...
He just can’t get enough, he probably would have killed Mordecai where he sat if he could have gotten away with it.
10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.
When you are having a bad day, what is the best cure…get your ‘tribe’ together and push through...
11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.
11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king.
NO! Boast to everyone about how great you are and how rich you are and on and on and on… up
How Prideful
esther 5:
NO! Boast to everyone about how great you are and how rich you are and on and on and on… up
Know anyone like this? How about let them know in love how they come across to to others…maybe they don’t know.
13 “Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
He has everything and this doesn’t satisfy…sounds like people today…like people throughout time.
Only two ways to become satisfied: 1. get more stuff 2. desire less stuff
14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Haman could’t wait for the decree to be completed so he decided to kill Mordecai early
50 cubits=75 feet probably hyperbole...
So Haman will impale Mordecai tomorrow right before having a celebration dinner with Esther, looks like things are finally turning around for good ole Haman.
If Esther had not waited to ask for what she has in her heart, Mordecai would live...
Lessons from
Lessons from
Pride comes before destruction proverbs 16:18
Pride: pretending to have greatness and glory that belong to God alone
Hallmark of pride in our culture is the rise of the offended self and the need to continually talk about it.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 16
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling
Prayer accomplishes much
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer accomplishes much
The second lesson for us today is learned from Esther. [15] Esther faced on impossible task. She is much like many of us. Life is full of difficult decisions. Undoubtedly, she would have loved to receive a prophetic vision from God on what to do and how to do it. But she had none. God did not speak to her or send someone to speak to her. God did not give her dreams or prophecies or visions. She was responsible for making a decision with serious consequences.
Prayer accomplishes much
She is just like us today. She couldn’t see the happy ending of the story from the frightening middle. Like Esther, we live in a completely pagan society. Like the Jews of Persia, we have no earthly king, no earthly prophet, and no earthly kingdom. Like them, we live in an age when we cannot depend on miracles and visions to guide us.
Like Esther, we face difficult ethical and religious questions in a highly political world that tends to be hostile to our most fundamental Christian convictions. We struggle to respond wisely and faithfully to difficult circumstances that come our way and over which we sometimes have little or no control. In such a world, in the midst of such circumstances, what are we to do?
We can do what Esther has done. Be faithful to the Word of God. Live in obedience to him. Get instruction from friends and family who are wise and mature in the Christian faith. And most importantly of all, pray. Pray long. Pray hard. Then, and only then, make a decision and go with it, trusting that God will work out all of the details as only He can.
When we do these things, like Esther, the Mission Impossible in our eyes becomes Mission Possible when placed in the hands of God.