It’s Time to make your voice heard!

When you read through the book of Esther you see a development in the life of Esther. After she receives the news that the wicked Haman had plotted against the Jews she is nervous and afraid. As she develops she moves to prayer, steps out of faith in appearing before the king and now in this chapter the time has finally arrived when she must make her voice heard. God has set the stage for what we see in chapter seven.

Throughout the pages of the Bible God’s people are told to make their voices heard. We are told to make our voice heard in praise. During the triumphant entry of Christ, we are told that the people cried “Hosanna” “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The disciples wanted to quite the crowd. Jesus told them that if they were to be quite the rocks would cry out.

We are told to make our voice heard in witnessing. Jesus gave the example of the man who made a wedding celebration for his son. Once the wedding was prepared he called for the guests. One by one the guests declined to come. Because of this, the man told his servant to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that his house would be full. What a great example of the witness we should be.

We are told to cry out against sin and the list goes on. The church has been silent too long. It is time make our voices heard.

Speak up before the king

In chapter seven we see the seventh banquet mentioned in the book of Esther. The three main guests at this banquet are the king, Esther, the queen, and Haman. I’m sure that when Haman goes to this banquet he does so with mixed feelings. He is happy to be the invited guest of the queen, but at the same time his pride is hurt because the honor he just had to give to Mordecai in chapter six.

As the king did on two other occasions he asks what the petition of the queen is. Once again he offers her up to half of the kingdom. (This did not mean he would really give her half of the kingdom. This was an expression used to demonstrate that the kingdom was willing to be generous.) It seems that this petition of Esther is something that has been weighing heavy on the kings mind. He does not waste any time in asking Esther about it. I’m sure this has been heavy on Esther’s mind as well. No doubt she has rehearsed this speech many times.

Her request was that her and her people be spared from certain doom. You will remember way back in chapter two that Mordecai had instructed Esther not to reveal her nationality when she entered the contest for queen. She has kept that secret this whole time. I’m sure this statement perplexed the king. I can see the shock in his face. “What does she mean her people?” “Is she not Persian?” “Has a secret been kept from me?”

It is now time for Esther to take her place with her people. For her to do this was to not only identify her nationality, but to reveal her religion as well. In this day to be identified as a Jew was much more than nationality. Having made her request it is now in the hands of the Lord.

Startled the king asked who the person was that would do such a thing. Either the king is looking for someone to blame or he does not even realize yet that Esther is a Jew. The king was already hit with one surprise when he found out that his queen was a Jew. He is going to be hit with another. He is about to learn that his number one man is the one responsible for this problem.

Speak up before it’s too late

I can see Haman’s mouth fall open. He has no words. He does not know what to do. Haman may not have known, but God has promised that no weapon formed against His people will prosper. God promised Abraham that he would bless those that blessed him, and curse those that cursed him.

The king is so shocked and enraged that he storms off from the table into the garden. We don’t know what was going on in the king’s mind. It may have been anger. It may have been embarrassment. It could be far more than these two things. Did Haman really want to slay the queen? If Haman wanted to kill the queen could it be that he was involved in the crime of Bigthan and Teresh? Could he want to kill the king as well?

I don’t know what the king thought but I know that it was not by chance that the king was just reminded that a Jew named Mordecai saved his life. If Esther was a Jew, and Mordecai, the man that saved his life was a Jew, then why would he want to kill the Jews? The king walks up and down in the garden trying to control his anger.

When the king returns to the room he sees Haman pawing at the couch of Esther. Haman knows that his last resort is to beg the queen for forgiveness. Seeing this, the king immediately accuses Haman of trying to molest the queen. This crime is punishable by death. The gallows that Haman constructed for Mordecai were convenient, so they take Haman and hang him on his own gallows. Apparently Haman had let it be known that he intended to hang Mordecai, because the people of the palace knew about the gallows he built.

The day before Haman led Mordecai around the city with royal apparel on. Now he is being led through the city with his head covered. No doubt Haman’s wife and his ten sons witness his execution.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  Galatians 6:7

Haman sowed hatred against the people of God. Haman attempted to kill Mordecai by hanging him on the gallows. Now Haman is hanging 75 feet off the ground with a rope around his neck.

It's time to listen to the voice of God

Have you ever heard the saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Well that could not be said for Haman in Esther chapter 6. The fact is, as when chapter six begins it will be the last day of the life of Haman.

When I taught this lesson to my class at church I titled chapter six “It’s Time to listen to the voice of God.” If Haman would have listened to the voice of God this day may have went different. Before the chapter is over Haman will be warned many times about his wickedness, and on each occasion Haman will ignore God’s voice. Haman continues to run head first into his wickedness.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”   Ezekiel 33:11

The fact is that God has no pleasure in the death of a sinner. God does not want anyone to die lost and go to hell. The Father rejoices, the Son rejoices, the Spirit rejoices, and the heavens rejoice when a sinner is saved. If Haman would have turned to God he could have been saved. God would have loved to save Haman.

God speaks His will, verses 1-3

Many times God speaks to us without us even realizing it. We assume that when God speaks He does it in such a way that there is no way we can misplace His voice. This is not always true.  Sometimes God speaks in a “still small voice” as He did to the prophet Elijah. Sometimes He speaks through an event in our life. Sometimes He speaks through others. Maybe He speaks to us through something we read, or hear. In chapter six He will speak through a sleepless night.

I believe it is important that we train ourselves to hear the voice of God. There have been many times that God has spoken to me. Most of the time when God speaks He does it in a small way. A nudge saying maybe you should do this, or not do that. I try my best to listen.

This night in Shushan was a sleepless night. Haman is up all night supervising the construction of the gallows that he intends to hang Mordecai from. The king is up all night as well.  Shakespeare wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” King Solomon agreed by saying,

“The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.”  (Eccl 5:12)

I’m sure that the king had spent many nights awake. No doubt the king had many responsibilities and worries that kept him up at night. He worried about the finances of the kingdom. He worried that someone would try to take his life. Maybe he ate too much at the queen’s feast. We don’t know why he is awake, but God is keeping him awake for a purpose. This night however will be one of the most eventful in history.

Since the king is unable to sleep he orders one of his servants to read to him. Again, this is the hand of God working. The king had many forms of entertainment at his disposal. He could have called for a musician to play music or a troubadour to tell him a story in a song. He could have called for some of his officers to come play a game. He could have called for a woman to come to his chamber. Instead the king asks one of his servants to read to him.

The Persians had a strict order of honor and rewards. This kept the people loyal to the king. As the servant reads the account of something in the mind of the king clicks. It’s like a light going off. He realizes that nothing was ever done to honor Mordecai for saving his life.

You can almost picture the servant reading and the king sitting up in his bed asking, “You didn’t read what was done to honor that man. What did we do for him?” The servant looks over his notes and replies, “Nothing was done to honor him.” If Mordecai would have been honored 5 years before, the events of this day could not have occurred. There was a definite reason that Mordecai’s deed was wrote down, but no honor was given.

God speaks to the wayward, verse 4-14

God takes no pleasure in the unrighteous, but he also takes no pleasure in the unrighteous person’s death. The bible is clear that God does not bring judgment without first bringing a warning. Before Judas betrayed Christ he was warned. Paul tells us in his epistles to warn the unruly. God does not just judge someone without first giving them the opportunity to repent.

I have seen God warn people about their sin. I have also seen people ignore the warnings of God. To see someone ignore the warnings of God is one of the scariest things you can watch. In these verses we will watch Haman ignore the warnings of God. We will also see what happens to a sinner that continues to ignore the warnings of God.

Haman hasn’t slept this night either. He has been up all night supervising the construction of the gallows he intended to hang Mordecai on. Once they are built he goes to the palace early to get permission to kill Mordecai. I’m sure Haman thought that if he would get permission early then Mordecai would have to hang there all day, giving everyone the opportunity to see his dead body.

When Haman arrives the king hears someone stirring in the court so he asks who is outside. When he finds out that it is Haman he calls him into his bed chamber. Again, the hand of God is moving. Had Haman arrived an hour later the king may have already consulted with one of his other advisors. God wanted Haman to be the first one there. God wanted Haman to be the one that spent the day honoring Mordecai, not killing him.

When Haman is called for the king asks him a question without giving the background of the question. “What should be done to the man the king wants to honor?” Haman thought the king meant him. After all, he was the prime minister. He had been given the ring of the king. He was given permission to destroy the Jews. Surely the king was thinking of him. Little did Haman know that before the day was over the situation would be reversed. Haman would spend the day honoring Mordecai and the gallows that were meant for Mordecai would hold his body.

Imagine the sequence of events. First he has to go find Mordecai and bring him to the palace. He has to put the royal clothes on him and get him on the king’s horse. Next, he had to walk up and down each street of the city proclaiming that this was the man that the king wanted to honor. When all this was done he was to take Mordecai back to the palace, remove the clothes from him and send Mordecai away. This was quite a day.

When the day is over Haman heads home. He has his hood over his head like someone has died. He has been publicly humiliated and does not want anyone to see his face.  When he arrives home he again gathers his family and friends like he did in chapter five. What a difference a day can make. This time he does not call them to brag, but to share his humiliation. When he tells his wife and friends about the day he has had his wife speaks up. What she says is very interesting.

Basically his wife is saying that there is no way Haman can prevail over Mordecai. God is sending another warning to Haman. Had Haman repented of his deeds and asked for forgiveness, God would have forgiven him. This may have spared the lives of himself and his ten sons. I don’t know if she thought the day was a bad omen or if she knew the history of the Jews, and God’s promise to Abraham. She did know something was not right. Just as Pilot’s wife warned her husband not to have anything to do with Jesus because of the dreams she had the night before. Haman’s wife is warning him about bad things that lay ahead.

While they are discussing these things a knock is heard at the door. It is an escort come to bring Haman to the banquet Esther is making. As Haman leaves he has no idea he is headed to his last meal. Oh, how things would have been different if Haman would have listened to the warnings of God.

It's Time to take action

Esther Chapter 5

In the fourth chapter of Esther we read the account of Mordecai’s mourning. This mourning eventually comes to the attention of Esther. Mordecai explains to Esther the evil plot of Haman to destroy the Jews. Haman has convinced the king to sign into law a decree that allowed the Persian people to kill the Jews, take their possession, and the Jews were not even allowed to defend themselves. When Esther is presented with these facts she determines that she will go before the king (a potentially deadly decision) and beg for the lives of her people.

I have titled chapter five “It’s Time to Take Action.” Just to determine to help was not enough to save the Jewish people. If the Jews were going to be helped, Esther would have to act on what she had determined.

A church was praying one night that God would do away with the new night club that was built right next to it. While gathered around the altar praying the congregation heard sirens, ran outside and saw the night club burning up in flames. The congregation was so surprised that God had answered their prayers. Then the pastor notices one of his members running around the back of the church with a can of gasoline in one hand and a lighter in the other. The pastor asks what the member is doing. The dear sister replies “sometimes you have to put legs on your prayers.”

I’m not saying that you should do something this crazy, but I am saying that sometimes we need to put legs on our prayers. Just think what would have happened if David would have just prayed that Goliath would go away. What if Moses would have just prayed for God to make a way around the Red Sea? What if Jesus had have just prayed that God would provide a way for us to be saved? What if Esther would have just prayed for God to change the kings mind?

No doubt all of these people prayed, but each of these people put some legs on their prayers. Sometimes it is not enough just to pray that God will save your family. Maybe you will have to go after them. Sometimes it is not enough just to pray that God will restore your home. Maybe you have to make it happen. It is not just enough for you to pray for God to use you in His service. You have to get busy. Esther is about to get busy putting legs on her prayers.

Take Action on the things you Ask for

When chapter 5 begins we see the king sitting on his throne. No doubt he is surrounded by his attendants and officers. He is conducting some sort of official business. While the king sits on the throne, in an alcove stands a very nervous Esther. Esther had been preparing for this moment for three days. When she steps into the throne room the moment is dramatic. I can picture Esther stepping into sight and just standing their nervously waiting for the king to notice her. The question is will the king raise his scepter to her? We have no record of this, but I would imagine in that moment Esther prayed.

You can almost see as the king looks up and notices Esther. In the midst of the crowd of people around the king, he notices Esther. She must have been striking. In that moment the king’s heart is moved toward Esther and he raises his scepter to her. Can you see her smile? I can. She goes forward and places her hand on the end of the scepter.

He knows that she has come with a need. Something is troubling the queen, maybe she is trembling. Seeing this, the king wanting to make Esther feel comfortable, tells her that she can ask whatever she wants and he will give it to her. Instead of making her request known, Esther invites the king and Haman to a lunch. She wants Haman there when she lets the king know that he has tricked the king into the death of the Jews, her death.

The question is, “Why didn’t Esther just go ahead and tell the king Haman’s evil plot?” Dr. Wiersbe says there are at least four reasons.

1. It wasn’t the right time? The king was unprepared to receive this shocking news. It could have been that the king would have considered her accusation an act of treason, or maybe just gossip.
2. It wasn’t the right place. It would have been against palace etiquette for the queen to make her plea publicly.
3. Esther wanted Haman, and only Haman present when she told the king about the evil plot.
4. One more event had to occur before she could share her burden with the king. This will happen that very night. We will see this in the next chapter.

Take Action on your Attitude

The chapter ends with the wicked Haman calling his friends together and bragging about the day he has had. Haman is so excited. He was the honored guest of the king and queen. He has also been invited back the next day to another banquet.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”   Proverbs 16:18

There are a few things that men like to brag about. They like to brag about their riches, the money they make. They like to brag about their children, or grandchildren. Then they like to brag about their promotion or position. Haman boasted about all three of these things. Notice the number of times the word “his” is used. He is so full of himself.

The last thing men like to boast about is how great they are with the women. Haman is bragging that the queen invited him to lunch, and then tomorrow he will eat dinner with her. If Haman knew what the queen had in store for him, he would have turned down the invitation. Things are not going as well as he thinks.

But, all of these good things are meaningless as long as Mordecai will not bow to him. The size of the man can be determined by the size of the things that irritate him. Mordecai was only one man, a man that Haman should have ignored. Instead Haman complains that all the good things that have happened to him are meaningless because Mordecai will not bow to him.

Haman’s malice is so great that it has infected his wife and friends. It is suggested by Haman’s wife that they build gallows for Mordecai. So that night Haman had built gallows 75 feet tall. I would like to point out that the name Mordecai means “little”. Mordecai was a short guy. Why build gallows that tall? The reason that Haman does this is because of the hatred he holds in his heart. Satisfied with this plan Haman ends the night with construction of the gallows that will eventually end his life.

Refuse to no nothing!

Esther chapter 4

In Esther chapter three we read about the terrible decree of Haman that sent shock waves through Persia. Haman has convinced the king to put a group of people to death. Without a concern the king signs the decree. As the decree goes forth the Jews are afraid and mourning, while the people of Shushan are confused. Esther is secluded in her royal palace and doesn’t even know about the problem.

At this time there are around 15 million Jews in the kingdom of Persia. All of them are going to die. The only option is to pull up stakes and leave, but there is nowhere to go. Even Israel wasn’t safe because it was under the control of Persia.

In chapter four we see the reaction of Mordecai and his call for help from Queen Esther. It was no coincidence that Esther is in the position she is in. God will use her to do an amazing work.

When Mordecai heard about the decree the king had signed he tears off his clothing, puts on sackcloth and ashes and begins to morn. Mordecai completely believed the decree would be carried forth. The Laws of the Meds and Persians was unalterable according to the book of Daniel.

At this time there were approximately 15,000,000 Jews in the Persian Empire. Now because of one very small man each of these lives is in danger. Let me point out that 15 million lives were at stake, but only one man was willing do anything about it. These other Jews were going to lose their life. Their children were going to die. Destruction was coming, but they do nothing about it. This reminds me of the average Christian, we see trouble ahead, sin is killing our family and we just sit back with our head in our hands and do nothing about it. Thank God there was one man who was not willing to sit back and do nothing.

I wish we would get to the place in our minds where we say, “I can’t do everything, I can’t do what someone else does, but I refuse to do nothing!”

Mordecai is not afraid to let everyone know where he stood, who his affiliation was with. At first he was not willing to reveal that he was a Jew, but in the face of trouble it brings out the best in him. Sometimes trouble is good because it brings out the best in some of us.

While this is happening Esther is perfectly safe inside the kingdom. This bad news had not reached into the palace. When news finally arrives that Mordecai is mourning in sackcloth and ashes Esther does not understand. They tell Esther that Mordecai is moaning, groaning, crying and making a big show of it. In light of this news Esther does the only thing she knew to do. She takes a brand new suit of clothes and sends them to Mordecai. If the king was to come out to the gate and see Mordecai like this he would be in trouble.

Let me say in passing that the new clothes could not change the king’s decree. So many times we try to change the punishment of sin by putting on a new set of clothes. Some people put on religion. Some put on self righteousness. Others put on the coat of denial. The problem is that none of these will change the situation.

Mordecai did not accept the clothes. Mordecai knew that a new suit of clothes could not solve the problem. I can imagine that when the clothes return back to Esther she knew something was wrong.

Mordecai sends a message back to Esther telling her the reason for the mourning. He tells her of the decree to kill the Jews. Mordecai even sends a copy of the decree to Esther so that she is able to read it for herself.

When Esther receives the decree and reads it for herself she does not know what to do. If she approaches the king without being called she could easily be put to death. If she does nothing millions of Jews will die. Because she is confused she reaches out to Mordecai for help. Mordecai was her adopted father, and gives her some good advice.

Mordecai begins by explaining to her that if she does nothing than she is going to be killed any way. Just because she is in the king’s house that does not mean that she will not be slaughtered with the other Jews. Haman would make sure that ALL the Jews were killed, even the queen. Later we will discover that the king didn’t even know Esther was a Jew.

Then he asks the question “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Mordecai is able to see the hand of the Lord in the life of Esther. It is not by chance that Esther is on the throne.

God has been arranging things for this very reason. Looking back thousands of years we are able to clearly see the hand of God moving in the affairs of the nation. It was no accident that Vashti was put away. It was no accident that Esther won the contest to become the queen. God has been moving all the time.

I would imagine that this was much harder for Esther to grasp. Esther did not have the benefit of history. Esther could not see the end result. It took faith on Esther’s part to believe it was God’s hand moving in her life.

So many times troubles and trials arise in our lives and we react like Esther. We are scared. She believed that if she went in to the king, she would be put to death. This was the end for her in her mind. This trial was going to be the death of her. All she could do is have faith that this trial was not going to kill her, but benefit her.

There may be someone reading who is facing something that they believe will be the end of them. You believe that this trial cannot be overcome and the outcome is going to be bad. It could be that this trial is not for your harm, but for your benefit. Can I encourage you to have faith in God? I know that you cannot see the end result, but be assured if God brought this into your life; He will bring you through it.

The lion that tried to kill Samson later fed him. The giant that tried to kill David became a stepping stone to make him king. The sorrow and sickness that tried to kill Job became a blessing to him in the end. The suffering that killed Jesus became the means of victory for you and I. God may not be trying to kill you. Maybe he is trying to bless you. Esther was not accidentally the queen. God was going to make this trial a blessing.

God knows what is going to happen tomorrow and next week. He knows the end from the beginning. All we can do is trust Him. One day you will be able to look back on this trial and see how God brought you through.

With nothing but faith in her heart queen Esther tells Mordecai to have the Jews fast. She and her maids would fast. And then in three days she will go before the king. If she dies, then she dies. She is willing to do what she can do. She refuses to do nothing.

Stop bowing and start standing

The story of Esther chapter three is one that has been repeated many times throughout history. Dr. Warren Weirsby said that this was “an old enemy with a new name.” You could change the name Haman to Pharaoh, Caesar, Hitler, or Husain and the story would be the same. From the time Israel became a nation, until today there has always been someone wanting to exterminate them.

For four years it has been peaceful in Shushan. Esther is the queen; Mordecai has a new job taking care of the kings business at the gate. Things seem to be going smoothly, but like they so often do, things take a turn for the worse.

I have entitled this chapter “It’s time to stop bowing and start standing.” I feel that too many times the people of God have sat on the sidelines and watched as the enemy prevails. They have taken prayer out of our schools. They have tried to take “under God” out of the national anthem. The Ten Commandments are not allowed to be displayed publicly. Our nation is not supposed to have a national day of prayer, yet the Muslim community can stand in the streets of Washington and pray. It’s time we stop bowing down to the enemy and start standing for what we know to be right.

In the face of evil men we should stop bowing and start standing

In this chapter we are introduced to the third main character in this book. He is a man by the name of Haman. In chapter three Haman is promoted to the position of prime minister. We are also told that Haman was an “Agagite.” The Agagite was the royal family of Amelek. The story of Amelek and Israel goes all the way back to Exodus chapter 17. The Jews are leaving Egypt. The Amalekites come from behind and attach the people marching. Moses commands Joshua to war against them. You know the story Joshua prevailed and won a great victory over Amalek.

The story goes on. Saul, Israel’s first king was commanded by God to destroy Amalek. Saul was to kill every man, woman, boy and girl. Of course Saul disobeyed God and left some of the people alive. Had Saul obeyed God there never would have been a Haman.

Let me stop for a second and say sometimes God tells us to get certain things or certain people out of our lives. We don’t completely understand why He is telling us to do this, and many times we don’t listen. Because of disobedience many people today are fighting Haman’s in their life because they would not get Amalek out when God said to.

I think it’s worth noting that Saul was a Benjamite and he was commanded to kill Amalek. Now Mordecai, a Benjamite, is still fighting this fight with Amalek. Those things in your life that God commands you to get rid of and you choose not to will not only affect you, but your children as well. Don’t be surprised if your children fight with the same Amalek you refused to get out of your life. When we sin we are hurting so many others, besides ourselves.

Because of Haman’s new position it is commanded that everyone bow to him when they see him walking by. In this day to bow meant to get down on all fours. So, when Haman walked by everyone in the kingdom would get down on all fours and bow to him, everyone except for one man.

One man named Mordecai refused to bow when everyone else did. We as the people of God should determine in our heart to be like Mordecai. This world is bowing the knee to many false gods. They bow to the economy, politics, power, popularity, pride and the list goes on and on. The people of God need to stand up and say “I will not bow.” Jesus said that it is impossible to serve two masters. Who are you serving? Mordecai is taking a stand for the first time. It will cost him a great deal to make this stand, but he is willing to risk his life to take a stand for what he knows is right. What are you willing to sacrifice to do what you know is right?

In the face of evil motives we should stop bowing and start standing

As the days go by, Haman becomes more and more angry. Eventually it gets to the point that he wants nothing more than to see this man put to death. But to kill Mordecai would not be enough. He wanted to kill all of the Jews with him. Just like Satan, Haman is a liar and a murderer. Haman brings it to the attention of the king that there are people living among them that do not live by the same laws of the rest of the kingdom. Because one man, Mordecai, would not obey one law, Haman convinces the king that none of the Jews obey any of the laws.

The king takes off his ring with no thought at all and gives it to Haman. In typical Xerxes fashion he acts first and regrets it later. He has just lost up to two million people in his war against Greece, now he is going to have many more innocent people killed.

Failure does not mean Finished

Esther chapter 2

Personal Failure does not mean God is finished (verses 1-4)

In this chapter we will see God use a heathen king, and a wicked contest to bring about His will. When we pick up in chapter two we see a defeated king, who is considering himself a failure.

Every one of us has failed God on many occasions. Sometimes we like to act like we are super spiritual. Naturally we want everyone to think we are the best Christian in the church. The fact remains that every person has their own regrets. There are things that haunt your mind. Things you wish you could do over. Words you wish you would have never said.

In the second chapter of Esther we will see God moving on behalf of His people even when the people are not moving on God’s behalf. When the chapter begins we find King Xerxes in a very low state of depression. In the first chapter he put away his wife, a move he is regretting, and since chapter one he has lost a great military battle. Xerxes thought that he would send large numbers of soldiers to Greece, destroy their army, and virtually take over the known world. Instead the Persian soldiers were whipped by the Grecian soldiers, and sent them home disgraced.

Now some four years after chapter one the king is walking through the palace and regretting the decision he made about the queen. Xerxes would pace up and down the halls of the palace thinking of the queen. No doubt the king had a large number of concubines at his disposal, but there is a difference between physical pleasure and love. The servants see the king depressed and suggest that a contest is held. They will find the most beautiful women in the kingdom, bring them to the king, and he will pick one of them to become the new queen.

This sounds like a good idea to the king, so it is ordered. There is some controversy as to whether this was some kind of a beauty pageant for the women in the kingdom, or if the women were taken with force and brought into the kingdom. In either case, hundreds of women were brought into the kingdom, and presented before the king.

I wonder how many young women were hidden by their parents. I wonder how many parents lied and said they did not have a daughter. I wonder how many women married a man just to avoid being taken to the kingdom. Only one woman would become the queen. The rest of the women would be shut up into a harem. They would never be able to marry. They would forever be the property of the king.

Public Failure does not mean God is finished (verses 5-23)

Beginning in verse 5 we are introduced to two of the main characters in this book, Mordecai and Esther. First we meet Mordecai.

The first question I have is, “Why is Mordecai here?” God had permitted his people to return to their own land. Cyrus had signed a decree allowing them to return home, and rebuild their home land. The problem is that most of the Jews stayed behind. They had grown accustom to the lifestyle, and business of the Gentiles, so they just decided to stay behind. Mordecai was one of them. Mordecai is out of God’s will.

Next we meet Esther. Her name means “star.” Esther was actually her Persian name. Her given name was Hadassah which means “myrtle.” It is interesting that the myrtle tree brings forth flowers that are star shaped. This lady must have really been a star. Esther is being raised by Mordecai, but she is really his cousin, not his daughter.

In these verses we see some real problems. First of all if Mordecai and Esther were passing themselves off as Persians then this means they were not living a kosher lifestyle. For if they were keeping the laws of Moses in relation to their diet, worship and lifestyle they would have quickly been found out.

I’m sure that Mordecai did this for personal safety. No doubt there were people who would hate or harm them if they were discovered as Jews. Daniel and his friends stayed true to the laws of their God while captive in Babylon, why not Mordecai and Esther?

Even more serious is the problem of a Jewish girl being in a harem and ultimately marrying a Gentile. The Law of Moses was clear that the Jews were not to enter into mixed marriages.

It is amazing to see that God allowed all of this to happen. And after all these things He still took care of His people. Just as Joseph found favor in Egypt and Daniel found favor in Babylon, so Esther finds favor in Shushan. Even today God is moving in areas and ways where we just assume that He is absent.

After a year of preparation the time came for the women to go before the king. Every night a new girl was brought to the king and in the morning she was taken to the house of the concubines, unless the king liked her and called for her by name to come to him again.

When the king saw Esther the decision was made. Esther was to be the new queen. Again, this was no accident. This move was essential for God to save His people.

Finally the chapter closes with Mordecai getting a new position now that Esther is the queen. He is sitting at the gate which was where the court was. Mordecai was made a judge. While sitting at the gate he overhears a plot being made on the king’s life. Mordecai immediately tells the plot to Esther, who in turn tells the king. The men that were plotting against the king are found out, and killed. This is a seemingly insignificant event, but we will see in a couple of verses how big of an event this is.

You can watch these lessons taught live by clicking on the links to the right.

It’s Time to Realize God is in Control

Esther Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered if you could really be used by God to do something great? Has something ever happened in your life, and at the time you did not understand it, but later you realized that it was God moving? I think we all have wondered if God could use us like He does someone else. I think we all would have to say that we have experienced those times of uncertainty, only to later realize God was working in our lives.

Each chapter of the book of Esther seems to have one main theme. The theme of chapter one seems to be “It’s Time to Realize God is in Control”. Throughout the book of Esther you can clearly see the hand of God moving on behalf of His people. The hand of God is very obvious in chapter one.

God uses men to accomplish His will

Throughout the Bible we see that God sets up and takes down men in order to accomplish His will. When Daniel stood before king Nebuchadnezzar he stressed this fact to him.

“Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, knowledge to them that know understanding.”   Daniel 2:20, 21

The same is true with you and I. God has every one of us exactly where he wants us. You are where you are today because that is where God wants you to be. So many times we think that if we were someone else, or somewhere else, then things would be better. God made you the way He wants you, and wants to use you just like you are to accomplish His will. Don’t try to be someone else. Be yourself, you are how God wants you to be.

In Esther chapter one God uses a wicked king to bring about His will. This wicked king is referred to as “Ahasuerus” in the book of Esther. This was not the kings’ real name, but rather a title given to the king. The title “Ahasuerus” means “high father.” Just like the Romans called their leader “Caesar,” the Persians called their leader “Ahasuerus.” The king mentioned in the book of Esther is probably the Persian king Xerxes.

In this chapter we see that the king is having a lavish celebration, bringing the princes from his 127 provinces into his kingdom. Xerxes purpose was to display his wealth, impress the people, and ultimately gain their approval to invade Greece. For 181 days these men are brought by rotation into the kingdom, pampered and convinced that they could overtake Greece. Xerxes father, Darius I, had invaded Greece and was shamefully defeated. Now it was up to his son to do what the father could not.

At the end of the six month feast the king holds a seven day celebration for the people of Shushan. These were heathen people and they acted like it. They drink and drink and drink. Then the Bible tells us that in the middle of this drunken feast the king does something that he normally would not have, had he been sober. The king calls for the queen to come to the party and display for everyone how good looking she was. For a woman to come to the feast of the men would be against custom and not acceptable.

I don’t care if you believe it is a sin to drink or not. We must all agree that alcohol has caused too many people to do too many stupid things. Yet every year in America thousands of people are killed by drunk drivers. Every year in America, wives and children are beat, and killed by drunken husbands and fathers. Why does the government not step in? Why are we not in an uproar over the use of alcohol?

A Japanese proverb says “first the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man.”

God uses matters to accomplish His will

We may not understand every situation we are put in. We may not know why God has allowed us to suffer while someone else seems to have it easy. We may not understand, but we need to remember that God is in control.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”    Romans 8:28

God is about to use a matter that seems silly and juvenile to save the lives of millions of Jews.

Can you imagine the way this goes down? The king tells everyone that he is going to call for his wife, the queen, because he wants everyone to see how good looking she is. In a few minutes one of his servants comes and whispers into the king’s ear, “She said that she is not coming.” Imagine how embarrassing the king was to stand up and tell all those people that his wife refused to come.

At this point the whole thing gets out of hand. The queen would not come and show off for the king, so his cabinet members have to get involved. They come together to determine what they are going to do to the queen for not coming. It is obvious that there was no law forcing her to come, so they have to make something up.

The queen is put aside. They pass a law that every wife must honor her husband. It is interesting that they had to pass this law. Obviously this was not one of the laws of the Persians. Women obviously had a lot of freedom in Persia.

The stage is now set for two characters to enter the scene; this being Haman, the man who hated the Jews, and Esther, the woman who would save her people from certain doom.

It’s time that we realize that God is in control. Every day God is working in your life. This work may take you through a series of ups and downs, but never forget that He is working in your life. The bible is clear in its teaching that “all things work together for good to them who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Maybe one of the best things to do is get out of God’s way and let Him work. Or figure out what He is doing, where He is going, and get on board.

"For Such A Time As This"

I recently started a series of lesson at church out of the book of Esther. Normally when I teach through a book I just go verse by verse. With Esther I wanted to do things a little different. I’m still going verse by verse, but I wanted to teach each chapter with a theme. No doubt there is one statement made that sets the tone for the entire book. That statement is made by Mordecai as he asks Esther “and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

With this in mind I began teaching on “Such A Time As This”. I have given each chapter a theme, or a thought. This will make more sense as I blog, or you listen to the lesson archive. In this blog I really just want to give you an introduction into the book. (I don’t know why but the introduction to a book has always been one of my favorite parts of a study. I like to know what’s going on in history at the time the book is wrote. It just makes the book more meaningful I guess.)

No one knows for sure who wrote the book of Esther. Mordecai is the most likely candidate for the writer. The book of Esther is a remarkable book in many regards. It is remarkable in that the name of God is never mentioned in the book. There are no divine titles that even refer to God. The king is mentioned 192 times, but God is never mentioned.

This book is remarkable in that prayer is not mentioned. The book of Esther is not mentioned or referenced one time in the New Testament. Lastly it is a remarkable book in that it is named after a woman. There is only one other book in the Bible named after a woman, and that is Ruth.

The record of Esther is the record of a group of people who are not in the will of God. The Jewish nation has been in Babylonian captivity. After 70 years the captivity was over. Cyrus, the Persian king, was moved by God to make a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Zion. It was God’s will the people return, but only 60,000 actually did return. That meant several million Jews remained.

When the Jews were first carried away into Babylon they were asked to sing the songs of Zion. With broken hearts they hung their harps on the willow trees and cried bitterly saying they could not sing the songs of Zion in a strange land. Now, many years later, Zion lies in ruins but they are unwilling to go back and rebuild it.

May I say in passing that it is sad when God’s people refuse, or don’t care to move forward with God. So many times God opens up doors, makes opportunities for us to do something meaningful. Yet, many times, the average church and the average Christian would rather just stay where they are. Complacency will kill a church.

So, when we pick up in chapter one, we see Persian ruling the majority of the known world, the people of God out of the will of God, and a drunken feast. This seems like a pretty grim setting, but standing somewhere in the shadows is God. Although He is never mentioned we see Him moving on behalf of His people.