UNLIKELY HEROES: ESTHER ESTHER 4:12-14 PASTOR ROBYN HOGUE

The Book of Esther begins with a six-month drinking feast given by Persian King Xerxes for the army and princes in the 127 provinces of his kingdom, concluding with a seven-day drinking feast for the women organized by Persian Queen Vashti in the pavilion of the royal courtyard.

At this feast, Xerxes gets thoroughly drunk and, at the prompting of his courtiers, orders his wife Vashti to parade her beauty before the nobles and populace, wearing her royal crown. She refuses, and Xerxes decides in response to her rebellion to remover her from her post as queen. He then orders all young women to be presented to him, so he can choose a new queen to replace Vashti. One of these is Esther, who was orphaned at a young age and is being raised by her cousin, Mordecai. She finds favor in the king’s eyes and is made his new queen. Neither Mordecai nor Esther reveals that she is Jewish.

Shortly afterwards, Mordecai discovers a plot by two courtiers to kill Xerxes. They are apprehended and hanged and Mordecai’s service to the king is recorded in the daily record of the court.

Xerxes simultaneously appoints a Persian named Haman as his number two, his prime minister. Mordecai falls into Haman’s disfavor as he refuses to bow down before him in reverence. Having thus found out that Mordecai is Jewish, Haman plots to kill not just Mordecai, but the entire Jewish minority in the empire as a lesson to anyone who would refuse him. Obtaining Xerxes permission and funds to execute his plan, he casts lots known as “purim” to choose the date on which to do this—the thirteenth of the month of Adar. When Mordecai finds out about the plans, he informs Esther what has transpired. She initially refuses to act, and Mordecai approaches her again. This is where our first scripture reading picks up for today. “When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you along of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:12-14)

Esther reconsiders and requests that all Jews of Shushan fast and pray with her for three days. On the third day she seeks an audience with Xerxes, during which she invites him to a feast in the company of Haman. During the feast, she asks them to attend a further feast the next evening. Meanwhile, Haman is again offended by Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him and he builds gallows for Mordecai, with the intention to hang him there the very next day.

Sunday, August 16, 2020 | UNLIKELY HEROES: ESTHER | 1 That night, Xerxes suffers from insomnia, and when the court’s daily records are read to him to help him fall asleep, he hears of the services rendered by Mordecai in the earlier plot against his life. Xerxes asks whether anything was done for Mordecai and is told he received no recognition for saving the king’s life. Just then, Haman appears, and King Xerxes asks him what should be done for the man that the king wishes to honor. Haman, thinking that the king is referring to himself, says the honoree should be dressed in the king’s royal robes and led around on the king’s royal horse. To Haman’s horror, the king instructs Haman to do so to Mordecai.

Later that evening, Xerxes and Haman attend Esther’s second banquet, at which she reveals she is Jewish, and that Haman is planning to exterminate her people, which includes her. Xerxes instead orders Haman hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. The Jews in Persia are spared, and Mordecai assumes the position of second in rank to Xerxes from which he institutes an annual commemoration of the delivery of the Jewish people from annihilation—The Feast of Purim.

Esther is one of those books some people doubt belongs in the Bible. Luther refused to write a commentary about it. It’s full of sex and seduction, blackmail and attempted genocide. The Book of Esther never mentions the name of God. So how did such a book find its way into the Holy Scriptures? Perhaps for two reasons: God is always acting in the background of human history—hidden the Jews would call it. And the actions of a beautiful woman end up saving a nation…a nation of God’s chosen people.

Our unlikely hero is Esther, a Jewish beauty with a secret identity who becomes queen of Persia. She becomes queen by winning a Miss Persia contest with the only judge being King Xerxes. We don’t know it if was love at first sight or lust at the first look, nevertheless, Esther finds herself in the lap of luxury. Hate and bitterness in the heart of one with power winds up with an edict to exterminate God’s people. Esther alone has the power and influence to alter the plan and Mordecai, her cousin who has become her father figure, sends Esther this message, which I take for our text today: Chapter 4, verse 14 “And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

As is the case in every one of our Unlikely Heroes in our summer series, there are many lessons which can be drawn for us from their examples. From those available to us from Esther and Mordecai, I invite you to consider two with me today.

1) YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE KING FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Nearly every Sunday we pray “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” And while we are praying, I sometimes wonder if there’s another conversation going on under our breath. That prayer might go something like this:

• Lord, how many times do I need to ask before You respond? • Lord, if You will grant this one request, I will never ask for another thing in all my life. • Lord, if You help me win the lottery, I’ll gladly tithe 10% of my winnings to the church.

The real questions is this: What on earth am I doing for Heaven’s sake? What am I doing that matters in the light of eternity? What investments am I making in people that will make a difference when I’m gone? Have I discovered something worth dying for? Or even better, have I discovered something worth living for?

Sunday, August 16, 2020 | UNLIKELY HEROES: ESTHER | 2 Although willing to serve the king, Mordecai refused to worship the king’s representative. At Mordecai’s prompting, Esther says, “I will go to the king even though it was against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (4:16) Do you have that kind of passion about something in life? The King of Kings has chosen you!

You too have been chosen by the King. It wasn’t King Xerxes of Persia and it wasn’t because of your beauties. You have been chosen by the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Who knows but that you have come into His kingdom for such a time as this?

2) IT’S NOT ABOUT CONVENIENCE. IT’S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY.

Since we have been chosen by the King, why not live a carpe diem kind of life? Seize the day. I’m going to paraphrase William Penn: If there is any good you can do, any difference you can make, neither defer it nor neglect it. Do it now. If you can help somebody as you travel along, if you can cheer somebody with a word or a song, if you can keep somebody from traveling wrong, then do it now.

While life threatens us with danger, it also offers us wonderful opportunities. Some of our finest opportunities come in the most difficult of circumstances in our lives. Who knows but that you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?

At West Point, young cadets gather in the chapel and offer this prayer to Almighty God:Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be contented with the half-truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth are in jeopardy. Our world could use more people willing to live prayers like this.

The Jewish feast of Purim celebrates the deliverance facilitated by Esther. It is a joyous holiday full of gift giving, food and drink. In the synagogue there are songs of joy and revelry normally not allowed in a place of worship. Why? Because God one day saw fit to deliver them because one woman and unlikely hero, at the risk of her life, decided to do what was right. Let us never forget such acts of bravery. Who knows, but that you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?

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