Esther Sermon - 6

Lars Janssen

Esther Series • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Behind the Seen: A Step of Faith

Esther 5:1-14

1. Introduction – One of my favourite TV shows is the show 24. Jack Bauer saving the world from imminent doom.

a. And what was great about the show, besides the action and the drama, was that every show, and really every season, seemed to end with a cliff hanger. Somebody got themselves into a predicament, and you had to wait a whole week before finding out how it resolved.

i. Or you do what we did and pop in the next DVD and binge watch a whole season.

1. And what usually happened in the next episode is that the immediate tension was resolved rather quickly, but the bigger problem was still lying in wait.

b. Well the same thing happened next week. We were left with a cliffhanger ending. After a series of exchanges with Mordecai, Esther decided that she was going to align herself with God’s people and go see the king uninvited.

i. So, let’s see how this cliffhanger is resolved. And we’ll see that much like 24, the immediate conflict is resolved rather quickly, but the larger problem still looms. Let’s read chapter 5.

c. What we’ll do this morning is what we’ve done in the previous weeks. We’ll look at this scene in detail – I’ll fill in some of the cultural and historical holes that are missing.

i. We’ll look at what we can learn from this scene and then we’ll apply it to life today.

1. We read the whole chapter, but our focus this morning will be verses 1-8. Vv. 9-14 play an important role, but they tie more in to the scene we’ll study next week. So, we’ll look at it quickly, and come back to it next week.

2. Retelling – Since we know the end of the story, it’s hard for us to feel the tension and anxiety in this scene.

a. Esther had decided to go and see the king uninvited. Now, this isn’t like in our day when an unexpected house guest is inconvenient, but harmless…

i. Let me make this as clear as possible – it was illegal. It’s not that it wasn’t a good idea and may inconvenience the king…

1. Esther was about to break the law – and the penalty for breaking that particular law was immediate death. Let’s get that in our heads. She has decided to go the king, and she was most likely going to die.

b. Archeological excavations on ancient Persian cities have uncovered paintings of kings sitting on their thrones – and they flanked on either side by axe-wielding soldiers, ready to put to death any unwelcomed visitor.

i. Let’s be clear about it – this was the fate Esther was walking in to.

1. And to make it even worse – Esther has had no direct word from God to do this. God didn’t tell her to go the king – he didn’t speak to her from a burning bush or give her miraculous signs to convince a skeptical audience.

a. Esther is going before the king with no guarantee of success and a really strong certainty that she was going to die – but Esther goes into Xerxes’ court.

c. And Esther didn’t simply go into the king’s presence immediately. She prepared herself.

i. She fasted for three days, and asked the whole Jewish community to fast with her.

1. And at the end of those days of fasting, Esther knew it was time to go. And not what she did. She didn’t just make herself presentable – she went as far as putting on her royal robes.

d. But even though she is in her royal robes – this must have been extraordinarily frightening for Esther. Physically she’s been fasting for three days and nights.

i. Relationally she hasn’t seen the king for 30 days, and now she’s going to reveal that she’s been deceiving him for 5 years.

1. And the narrator seems to drive home the point of just how intimidating this was for her. Six times in verse 1 the word ‘king’ or ‘royal’ is used – just to show what Esther was up against. There’s tension there – and we must recognize it.

e. And notice that Esther doesn’t go running into the king’s court – she ventured in quietly, waiting to catch the king’s eye – and then she waited for the verdict.

3. The King’s Response – And then…relief! Xerxes holds out his scepter – pardoning Esther from immediate death.

a. And the king’s response is quite typical of what we’ve seen of Xerxes so far – he responds to Esther with lavish generosity. “I will give you anything you want – up to half my kingdom.”

i. And Esther simply requests that the king and Haman come to a banquet that she’s prepared.

1. So far, a pretty simple and reasonable request – especially given the fact that this king likes to eat and drink.

b. The king agrees and sends for Haman, and they feast together.

i. But the king probably knows that Esther didn’t risk her life simply to ask him for a dinner date. So, the king inquires again – What’s on your mind? Ask me for anything and I’ll give it to you.

c. And now is Esther’s opportunity – she has the king’s attention; she has the man who conceived of the evil plan she’s trying to stop – but, it seems as if Esther loses her nerve.

i. It looks likes she is going ask the king, and then…she asks the king and Haman to another banquet. Why?

d. Maybe she really did lose her nerve; maybe she asks for another dinner so she has time to compose herself so she can ask the king.

i. A stall tactic…or part of the plan? I think it’s part of Esther’s plan. Think about; this is a king who doesn’t like to lose face in front of people.

1. Here’s a king who has no twice publicly offered Esther up to 63 and a half provinces.

a. Who has twice accepted what Esther has to offer.

i. And if he accepts Esther’s invitation to a second banquet – he almost has to give her whatever she asks in order to save face.

1. Delay tactic…maybe. Part of her plan – more likely.

a. So, the king and Haman accept Esther’s offer to dinner the next night.

4. Haman’s Joy/Rage – And the last few verses of this chapter set the scene for the next couple of chapters.

a. Haman goes away delighted that Esther has once again invited him to have a private audience with the king and queen.

i. But his euphoria is quickly turned to anger when he sees Mordecai – who once again doesn’t show Haman honour or respect – the two things Haman longs for.

b. And so, in a fit of rage, Haman goes home and vents to his family and friends.

i. Here’s a man who is a trusted advisor to the king. One of only 7 people in the entire kingdom who has unlimited and direct access to the king.

1. Someone who just had a private dinner with the king and queen and has been invited for another one.

a. But he can’t get over the fact that one man, Mordecai, won’t show him honour.

c. And Haman’s wife, Zeresh, suggests getting rid of Mordecai. A massive gallows is built in Haman’s backyard, and it is built in order to have Mordecai killed on it.

i. But more on that in the next couple of weeks.

5. Step of Faith – Because I what I want to focus on for the rest of our time this morning is the step of faith that Esther took.

a. She didn’t know how things were going to turn out, but she stepped out with courage and conviction and probably a little bit of faith – knowing that she had to do the right thing.

i. And isn’t it true that most of us will experience times when we have to step out with courage, conviction and a little bit of faith – not really knowing what will happen when we do.

b. We step out in faith when we take a new job trusting that it will be better working environment and better for our family.

i. We step out in faith when we share the gospel with other people – not knowing how they are going to receive it.

c. We stepped out in faith when we decided to adopt. It was going to be expensive, it was going to be complicated and there were going to be roadblocks, it was going to completely change our lives – but we stepped out.

i. We didn’t know how or what it was going to look like – we stepped out in faith and trusted that that was what God wanted us to do at that particular time.

1. It was a step of faith for us to go down to a single income. We had to adjust our budget and what we spent money now, but we make it work.

a. We all face similar situations – whether it is starting your own business, changing jobs, leaving a job, sharing the gospel, deciding to follow God where he is leading you… these are all steps of faith because we aren’t sure how they will end.

6. Romans 8 – Esther went to Xerxes without a direct word from God – with no guarantee of success, but stepped up and she stepped out and she did the right thing in her defining moment.

a. And the same is true for us when we step out in faith – we step out, not knowing how things are going to turn out, if they are going to turn out; we don’t know if we’ll succeed of epically fail.

i. But we do have a promise, a promise that God will work things all things for our good. Listen to these verses from Romans 8.

b. The one who walks by faith must do so with the privilege of sight. Steps of faith are always blind, but they are not unaccompanied.

i. And even though his name wasn’t mentioned, God was with Esther.

1. The king didn’t have to extend the scepter to Esther, but he did. The king didn’t have to listen to Esther, but he did.

a. The king didn’t have to attend the first banquet, but he did. He didn’t have to summon Haman, but he did.

i. He didn’t have to agree to a second banquet, but he did. And he did so because God was with Esther, working things for her good and his glory so that his people would be delivered.

c. And in our own lives, when we step out in faith, it is not a helpless leap into the darkness, though sometimes it feels like…

i. It is a step into the arms of God.

1. And we can have confidence that if God didn’t even spare his own Son in order to save use, God will also give us everything we need.

d. When we step out in faith, when we do what God has called us to do, we can say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” “Who can bring a charge against me? And the answer is “No one!”

i. When we step out in faith, we can be assured that nothing, not persecution or nakedness or homelessness or famine or even death can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1. Now, that doesn’t mean that everything will run smoothly; there will be bumps and detours along the way, and we might not even reach our intended end.

a. Stepping out in faith is trusting that God will indeed work everything out for our good and ultimately for his glory.

7. Faith and Planning – But hear me on this – stepping out in faith is not an excuse for reckless behaviour.

a. Esther made a plan and then stepped out in faith.

i. There is a balance between faith and thoughtful planning.

1. Humble faith is not the same as reckless presumption. Stepping out in faith is not a license to act impulsively, rashly, foolishly or carelessly.

b. When we decided to adopt, it was an exciting time – God was moving and working.

i. But there were things that needed to be done in order for us to be adoption ready.

1. We had to have a home study, we took a course, retained a lawyer, got out house together and got approved by the government to be adoptive parents.

a. We couldn’t just take a child home with us – that would have been impulsive and illegal…we had to have a plan and have everything worked out in a timely fashion.

i. But we still acted in faith, because we sensed it was what God wanted us to do.

c. Stepping out in faith is not the same as reckless presumption. If you go down to a single income, you have to adjust your lifestyle and live within your means – ahead of time so you know what you’re working with.

i. Changing jobs – you have to make sure it’s beneficial for you and your family.

1. Esther show us the wise balance of bold faith and thoughtful planning.

ii. And when we step out in faith, with a humble and trusting heart, we will find that God’s providence was there all along.

1. We may not be able to see it, but that’ doesn’t mean we can’t trust it.

8. Application – So, where is God convicting you in this area? Where do you need to have more faith and step out boldly for God?

a. Maybe God is asking you to trust him more in regard to your finances.

i. Whether it’s giving more to this church, or supporting a missions’ organization or sponsoring a child.

1. Does God want you to step out boldly in faith and trust that he will provide for you?

b. Maybe God wants you to step out boldly in faith and share the gospel with a loved one or friend or coworker.

i. Whatever it is, we must trust that God will provide for us – maybe not in the way we pictured or planned.

1. But we must know that if we act in faith and with a trusting heart, God will be with us along the way.

a. He was with Esther as she made her way to the king and he will be with you as you step out in bold faith and obedience.

i. And if God is for you, no one and nothing can stand against you.

c. For next week, read chapter 6 and we’ll put it together with the end of chapter 5. Next week we reaching the turning point in our story.