Esther the Unseen Hand of God

Esther – The Unseen Hand of God Esther 2:21-3:6 Could you be accused of living differently?

Over the summer, we are looking events that occurred in the Persian city of Susa 2500 years ago.

The events were recorded in the ancient book of Esther The events were also recorded in ancient Persian history and by 1st century historian Josephus

Up to speed Xerxes became the King of the Persian Empire after the death of his father, Darius Xerxes banished his wife Vashti from the Empire because she would not show off her beauty and body

Esther – became Queen after a beauty pageant and spending a night with the King Her cousin/adopted father, Mordecai, was given a position in the government

Two of Xerxes supposed “trusted servants” became angry about Mordecai’s appointment They conceived a plot to assassinate Xerxes Mordecai heard about the plot He passed the assassination plot onto his daughter – Queen Esther who told the King. The plot was investigated and found to be true The two traitors were executed The events were recorded in the daily log of the events of the King

At this point, no one knew that Esther and Mordecai were Jewish The Jew, who had been living for decades in exile first under Babylonian rule and now Persian rule, were constantly under a cloud of possible of persecution There was a serious undercurrent of antisemitism in the Persian Empire The Jewish people held positions of economic power 1000 or more in the city of Susa alone

Sometime later - Xerxes promoted one of his advisors, Haman, to the position of viceroy. By command of Xerxes, everywhere that Haman went people were to bow down to Haman in greeting and paying homage Mordecai, the Jewish father of Queen Esther would not bow down and pay homage to Haman

Haman was told about Mordecai’s refusal to pay homage and that he was a Jew Haman and his ancestors were sworn enemies of the Jews Haman determined that Mordecai had to be removed from his position and that the entire Jewish contingency in the Empire needed to be eradicated

Back to Mordecai’s account

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. (Esther 3:5-6 NLT)

Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the pr ovinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from tho se of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let t hem live. If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silv er to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.” (Esther 3:8-9 NLT)

The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman … the enemy of the Jews. The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.” (Esther 3:10-11 NLT)

So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. I t was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each pr ovince in their own scripts and languages.

The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Dispatches were s ent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, i ncluding women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was sched uled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed th em. (Esther 3:12-13 NLT)

A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they w ould be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion. (Esther 3:14-15 NLT)

We can’t even imagine what these events and days were like. Like the days of WWII and the rounding up of the Jews around Germany and their conquered lands

Those kinds of events are happening around the world today in places like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria

Let me take us back to Haman’s objection/accusation towards Mordecai and the Jewish people

“There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves s eparate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obe y the laws of the king.”

One of the running storylines in Scripture is God’s plan that His people contrast those who do not serve Him

God later out directives for His people so that the life of His people would contrast the pagans around them The contrast would be revealed:

Physical way – Circumcision Religious/Devotion – One God Work ethic and dependency – Sabbath – His people would only work 6 days – they would live on 90% of their earnings and Tithe the other 10% They would be different in -- Dress, diet, treatment of orphans, widows, poor, outcast, outsider

The contrast with all the other people’s/cultures was to serve as a prophetic lesson/message to the cultures and nations around them Mordecai and the Jewish refugees DID live differently Years before the events we’re studying God’s people were sent into exile because they had failed to live differently than the nations around them – instead they adopted the ways of the nations around them The contrast was gone – the prophetic picture was silent God sent them into exile in Babylon

The Jewish people had adopted the pattern of life that the people’s and nations around them were living  Multiple gods  Ignored/abandoned the Sabbath and tithing  They lived however they wanted

Solomon said: “There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end, it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

It is no less true today God desires that His people – the church – live in contrast to the people of the world That Jesus followers would be a prophetic message and lesson to the people around them

Tension between: Relevant and Righteous  The church needs to be relevant, keep up with the changing times, views, and philosophies  Keep up with culture  Stretch and comply  Don’t be old fashioned

Fully adapting to the culture and times is not God’s plan

God’s plan is that Jesus followers live in contrast – live prophetically Live as a message to their neighbors and communities

God’s intention has not changed because we’re in the 21st century

Every follower of Jesus who is committed to living a God honoring life will constantly live in TENSION

Tension to live in the world – but not be controlled by or attached to the world

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it wi ll soon pass away. Many of you (1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT)

Living in the world but not attached or controlled by the world is meant to be prophetic

Prophetic - send a message – to say something to the culture and community

Jesus: “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” (Matthew 5:13 NLT)

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15 NLT) “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT) Forgiveness – The culture may value revenge and vengeance – Jesus culture forgives

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13 NLT)

Followers of Jesus are not free to use their words however they want The way that a Jesus follower talks is to be different than the culture

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be a n encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. (Ephesians 5:3-4 NLT)

Culture/society may allow sexual mores to fluctuate Jesus culture “abstain sexual immorality”

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s peo ple. (Ephesians 5:3-4 NLT)

I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even paga ns don’t do. … You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. (1 Corinth ians 5:1-2 NLT)

Culture and society may legalize and indulge in substances Jesus followers are not to be driven by, controlled by, or attached to by substances

Jesus on the cross would not take pain killer

“They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.” Mark 15:23 (NLT)

Believers are forbidden even to go to gladiatorial shows, lest they become hardened to cruelty and condone murder. Be it far From Christians to conceive any such deeds, for with them temperance dwells, self- restraint is practiced monogamy observed, chastity guarded, righteousness exercised, worship performed, God acknowledged. Truth governs them, grace guards them, peace screens them, and the holy word guides. Theophilus of Antioch, 2nd Century

Contributions are voluntary, and proportionate to each ones income. They are used to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boy and girls who are destitute of means and parents, and of old people, now confined to the house, and such as have suffered shipwreck, or any who are in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in prison for their fidelity to Gods church. Tertullian, 2nd Century

They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens they share in all things with others, yet endure all things as if foreigners ... They marry, like everyone else, and they have children, but they do not destroy their offspring. They share a common table, but not a common bed. They exist in the flesh, but they do not live by the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives ...They are poor, yet make many rich. They are in lack of all things, yet abound in all.

They are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of yet they are justified. They are reviled, and bless. They are insulted and pay back the insult with honor. They do good, yet are punished as evil doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life. They are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks. Yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. (Epistle to Diognetus 5)

Mordecai and the Jewish people were accused of living differently The early followers of Jesus lived differently

In both cases the believer’s lives were a prophetic message to the culture and to society

Could you be accused – doing life differently?

Words are different, time and money, sexual mores, attitudes towards substances, revenge, marriage, parenting

Church attendance can be a prophetic message to people in your circle “What did you do this weekend?”

Could I be accused of living differently? Could you be accused of living differently?