SERMON: Esther 1:1-2

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Thank you for subscribing to the Shepherds Church podcast. This is our Lord's Day Sermon We pray that as we declare the

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Word of God that you would be encouraged Strengthened in your faith and that you would catch a greater vision of who

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Christ is May you be blessed in the hearing of God's Word and may the Lord be with you

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Well as pastor Kendall mentioned beginning today and and periodically over these

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God -willing over the next few months. We'll be Doing a study of the book of Esther which

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Again, the by God and his grace. I'll be able to lead us through as I Have opportunity to deliver the word here.

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Oh, sorry, you guys can sit down I Realized like is

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Jeremy the only one standing and then I and then it was not long after that. All right That's my normal line, but I don't say that this part usually so Anyways, I won't start over but I will

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I will say That it's good to be able to have this opportunity to deliver the word this morning

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One of the best elements within what I consider to be My favorite stories are the ones where the hero the protagonist just happens by sheer accident to be in the right place

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At the right time in the Western in the Westerns move like those types of movies with the Cowboys and all that It's a stranger who walks into or he moseys into a dusty saloon, you know, he's minding his own business and wouldn't you know it he's the only one in town who can handle the gang of Desperados that are terrorizing the town folk and he only went in into the saloon because his horse kicked a shoe or something like that Right in the rom -coms.

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It's the meet -cute or in something like it's a wonderful life Which is one of my favorite movies if you haven't seen it, you really you really should take the time

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It's the seemingly unfortunate timing of a long series of things that derail a young man's dreams only to ultimately serve as his and his family's salvation when he needed it most and If you're a cynic, you know, you call you might call some of these things contrived these stories these movies that have that have

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Plots like this, but if you're a Christian if you're a believer you start to realize that this is the way the world really works

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Right. God has a way of pulling on threads that we didn't even know were part of the tapestry Working them together for his glory in our good

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Which brings us this morning to the book of Esther a book that doesn't mention God's name even once Right, you could read through it and think well, isn't that odd, right?

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Does this actually belong here in the Bible? Where's the burning bush where the parted seas and yet that's the point in Esther.

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God is not absent. He's offstage He's moving the scenery queuing the actors arranging the timing so perfectly that what looks like Coincidence turns out to be

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Providence with a capital P and so you have this Persian beauty pageant a Murderous plot against the

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Jews a sleepless king and a courageous queen and none of them really see what's happening Until the curtain comes up, but God knew because God always knows

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Esther invites us to live in that world. Not the world where God's name is constantly written in the sky But the world where your

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Tuesday afternoon and your random conversation at the grocery store are all part of the great story that he's telling

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It's a book about hiddenness hidden plots hidden identities and most importantly the hidden King and his invisible hand of Providence and when that hand moves

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Kingdoms tremble the proud fall and the people of God are delivered And so as we enter into this story

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I want us to remember this that Esther's God is your God in the same hand that Arranged palace politics in Persia is arranging the details of your life

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Quietly invisibly and perfectly we want to keep this perspective as we consider this book and not lose sight of the hand of God in its pages because Ultimately, I want to tell us this from the beginning.

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That is the point of the book of Esther It's not the circumstances or characters it details but the promises of God to his people coming to bear in the midst of it all and Pointing ultimately to the redemption which was to come in Jesus Christ And so with that I would have us to read the opening verses of this book this morning as we'll acquaint ourselves

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With some of the background of the story and take a high -level view of its characters its flow its themes

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Before we make our way through the book in more detail in the future when I'm periodically again able to to preach the word here

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Over the next few months as the Lord wills and so begin and the book of Esther chapter 1 verses 1 & 2

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Hear the word of the Lord this morning Now it came to pass in the days of a Hoshua Eris This is a

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Hoshua Eris which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces

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That in those days when the king of Hoshua Eris sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace.

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Let's pray Father we do. Thank you this morning for your word. We thank you for The story that is contained here in the book of Esther We ask that this morning as we open our open up to it for the first time here in a sermon or that you would help us to Get a good grasp or a faithful grasp of what it is that you'd have us to To learn as we study this book as we learn from this book or help us grow in our appreciation for your providence the ways in which you

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Dispose your will or you carry out your will Lord in the world we ask you to help us Lord to grow in our love

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For it Lord our appreciation for the ways in which you work Lord and again strengthen us to Receive your word this morning by faith.

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We ask in Jesus name and amen So again this morning. I want us to accomplish one main goal and that being to gain a proper kind of 30 ,000 foot understanding of this most interesting book

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Allowing us God willing to be more to more effectively work through the story in the future And we're gonna aim to do that by paying special attention to two things mainly

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So first I want us to spend a little bit of time exploring Esther's place in biblical and covenantal history

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This meaning I want us to understand where in the timeline of the Old Testament old covenant history are the people of God in this

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Story, how did they get there? Where are they headed and second? I want us to pay attention to kind of how the book is organized, right?

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It's it's characters its themes its plot and yet most importantly its structure the way in which the author and God the

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Holy Spirit meant to communicate something to us in the way that the book is Laid out.

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So I want us to come away having an appreciation For this I want us to be able to use it as a tool even to to kind of keep up to do or keep up With where the the narrative is headed to keep it straight in our heads and the connections

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That I believe were intended to make as we read it and to better understand it. And so with that let's get to Let's get to it as we begin our study of the book of Esther So again first place in biblical history in our opening verses verses that we read this morning

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We're kind of brought in we're invited into the historical time in Geography of where the story of Esther is gonna take place and I won't lie to you kind of at the beginning

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I don't want to make this seem more important than it is. This is important information It's helpful But it's not going to be mission critical to us and understanding the elements of this story as we make our way through the narrative

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But again, it's understand It's helpful and important for us to be able to understand the bigger picture of the significance of the book of Esther in the grand

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Scheme of redemptive history and the broader story of the Bible as a whole so to say it another way there will be aspects of the story of Esther that are timeless right themes and applications that don't really depend on where or When the story is taking place to appreciate them and to learn from them, but to ignore the history altogether

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I think would be to miss out on one of those forests of history that God planted by settling for just some of the trees

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And so in our effort to enjoy both If you would indulge me for a moment as we kind of appreciate where we are and that old covenant history

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Again, we read in chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 now it came to pass in the days of a hash wares

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This is a hash wares which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over a hundred and seven and twenty

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Provinces that in those days when the king of hash ware sat on the throne of his kingdom Which was in Shushan the palace and so we're set at the time of the reign of a hash wares and hash wares

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Though there is some debate about the timing of when exactly it was and whether this may have been used here in Esther as a title more than as the man's name

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Because it refers to a king a hash wares means great king It's very commonly fairly commonly believed that this is referring to the

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Persian King Xerxes who reigned over the Persian Empire from 486 to 465

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BC and so you may ask, you know, why do we have here in the Old Testament? Which is in large part the history of God's people

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Israel Right a story that's taking place in Shushan or Susa as it might read in your Bible in most modern translations

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That's what you'd have which is in modern -day Iran or if there's any college students here Iran I hear that's that's the right way to say it

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But how did we how did we get here right in the Old Testament narrative? Well importantly we note that by this period in history again the 5th century

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BC the kingdom of Israel has gone through quite a bit They had an established and united kingdom under Saul David and Solomon and then they were divided into the northern and southern kingdoms

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I'm under Rehoboam after Jeroboam's rebellion Israel was now the ten northern tribes and Judah consisted of the remaining two tribes to the south loyal to the house of David of David the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and then after many centuries of sin against God and disobedience of his commands

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Continually breaking covenant with him. The northern kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrians in the 8th century

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BC in those ten tribes That constitute that northern kingdom. They're scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire and essentially destroyed

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From the pages of history. They're gone those ten tribes. They're scattered in the Empire intermarriage all these things, right?

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So they're they're no longer really existing in covenant history And then finally less than 200 years later in the early part of the 6th century

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BC the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar Conquered Jerusalem and Judah they destroy the temple and they bring many of the

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Judeans as slaves back to Babylon most popular among those slaves Being Daniel who wrote obviously the book of Daniel and it's here in Babylon in exile that Daniel Wrote that book and later on as the after the

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Babylonians were conquered as well But with a number of prophecies regarding the future of God's people and one of those is found in Daniel chapter 2

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That is a great aid to us and understanding the expectation of the Jews at the time of Esther Especially with the benefit of hindsight as we have it obviously here 2 ,600 years later

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But even would have been understood in large part by Jewish leaders like Mordecai in the book of Esther But in Daniel chapter 2 we read of Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream

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Regarding the kingdoms of men in the kingdom of God beginning in verse 31 of chapter 2

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Daniel says to Nebuchadnezzar thou o king sawest and behold a great image this great image whose brightness was excellent

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Stood before thee and the form thereof was terrible This image's head was a fine gold his breast and his arms of silver his belly and his thighs of brass

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His legs of iron his feet part of iron and part of clay Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image upon his feet

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That were of iron and clay and break them to pieces Then was the iron the clay the brass the silver and the gold

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Broke into pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away

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That no place was found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the earth

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So there Daniel's recounting to Nebuchadnezzar the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had No one was able to recount it to him until they brought

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Daniel before him and he does but then he continues from verses 36 To 45 to interpret the dream for him

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This is the dream and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king Thou o king art a king of kings for the

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God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom power and strength and glory and Wheresoever the children of men's well the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand and hath made thee ruler over them all thou art this head of gold and After these shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee and another third kingdom of brass

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Which shall bear rule over all the earth and the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron For as much as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things and as iron that breaketh all these

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Shall it break in pieces and bruise and whereas thou sawest the feet and toes Part of potter's clay and part of iron the kingdom shall be divided

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But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron for as much as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay

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And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay So the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken and whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay

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They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men But they shall not cleave one to another Even as iron is not mixed with clay and in the days of these kings shall the

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God of heaven set up a kingdom Which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people

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But it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it break in pieces the iron

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The brass the clay the silver and the gold the great God hath made known to the king What shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure

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And so Daniel has made clear to the king of Babylon that though he be a great king This golden age will not last forever

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Instead it will be replaced and not only replaced but replaced by three inferior kingdoms before ultimately it is replaced by a far greater

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Kingdom one that is made without hands and that though as a stone It strikes at the feet of this great image of the kingdoms of men

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It destroys the whole thing and from the stone springs forth a mountain that grows to cover the whole earth and lasts forever never to be

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Destroyed which we know now, of course to be referring to the kingdom of God as revealed in Christ Jesus who is the stone who toppled the kingdoms of men and inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth at his resurrection and ascension

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But at the time, of course Daniel and the Jews did not know the specifics of how or when

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God would do this But only that he would and they received the promises of this prophecy by faith and hopeful expectation

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What they did know was the general timeline given by God in the prophecy first They knew that Babylon represented the first of those four kingdoms that would lead into the ushering

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Ushering in excuse me of the kingdom of God on earth meaning that God had revealed to them that he would not forget his people

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In exile right and that he would rather establish his people forever After the passing away of these kingdoms of men

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And they also knew that despite what may come to pass in the carrying out of these world events

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That they could trust their circumstances to God and not spend their days in a quiet shame

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Living in a kind of hidden exile with no hope for the future verse 45 again says the great

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God hath made known to the king What shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure by faith

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They could be assured that God would bring these things to pass For his people now, what does this all have to do with Esther?

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Right. Well what we see here at the beginning of the book of Esther is that there is a new great king again Ahasuerus actually means great king

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Reigning over a kingdom that is not Babylon, right? Why is that? Well the the meadow

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Persian Empire I don't want it's not a history lesson But I'll give you a little bit the meadow Persian Empire under Cyrus the

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Great they conquered the Babylonian Empire around 539 BC and the significance of this is that to the

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God fear to the Jew of Esther's time They would know that they are in a point of history. That is no longer that head of gold

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Right, but this is the first of those inferior kingdoms to come after Babylon the chest and arms of silver

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What an encouragement to them even to go from one exile to another To be encouraged and that's seeing the prophecy in Daniel chapter 2 playing out and and you could ask well

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Would they even really know about Daniel's prophecy? Well Daniel again at the time of the meadow Persian Empire conquering the

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Babylonians Daniel was still very prevalent and was and remained very prevalent Within the meadow

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Persian Empire. So it is very likely that Jewish leaders would have been very aware of his prophecy at that time

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So now again, why is this significant? Why does this matter to our interpretation? Well, it gives us a far greater

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I think of appreciation of what will take place in the story of Esther where we have this population of Jews Living as exiles in a foreign land

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But who are able because of God's prophetic revelations of his promises to live by faith in it again

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They don't they don't need to hide their heads in the sands of Persia But rather they can work and they can labor towards that coming kingdom trusting that God will bring it to pass

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As he had said that he would and when things get difficult They don't see and they don't see from where deliverance may come

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They can live with the belief that perhaps God has put them where they are for such a time as this and that even if he

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Doesn't bring relief right away They can know that it will be raised up from some place at the appointed time because God said that his kingdom would topple

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These others and last forever and we really we see evidence of this from them in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah very clearly which are right around the same time or shortly after the events of Esther where the

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Jews are are pushing to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and reinstate the proper worship of God for that time period and so again

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I think this is especially relevant information for us as we interpret the events of Esther as we interpret how these characters act in The story because we similarly similarly live in an exile of sorts

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We're sojourners in a foreign land And yet we have even greater understanding of our

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God in the person of Jesus Christ even greater fellowship with him in the Holy Spirit Even greater promises in the

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New Covenant even greater revelation in the full canon of Scripture than the Jews of Esther's day would have

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The everlasting kingdom that Daniel foresaw has come and yet. How do we labor right?

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How do we live by faith in our time with what faith do we build our fathers did it, right?

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We can certainly look back at our Fathers in the faith our historical forefathers who who worked strove to build

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Christendom They believed the promises of God they believed the earth would be filled with his glory And yet we have such little faith are far too often content with so little

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Happy with just good enough and unwilling to put our backs into the work to move the kingdom forward

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We prefer to get by right only pushing far enough to be able to see out our days without much trouble

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We don't build for the future We don't work for the generations that are coming after us at least not like Christians used to We're too squeamish to posture for for influence and power in every sphere because you know those things aren't just aren't spiritual enough

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You know we shouldn't be focused on those things But when we examine that thinking you know we we have to ask who suffers for that And the answer is it's our generations, right?

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It's our children's children who will have it even more difficult And we'll have to claw back even further in their pursuit of the kingdom of God and of righteousness

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They'll be the ones who were sacrificing on the altars of good enough and not right now

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That's why you have Christians who are too afraid to tell you that they voted for Trump Or they're embarrassed to tell you that or that Immigration is a problem or that sodomy should be illegal because they don't want to be seen as trying to Lord their

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Christian Christianity over other people and Frankly what I say to that is please don't because I don't have any need for that kind of Christianity We need

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Esther's and Mordecai's right people who are who are very comfortable with their faith Being prevalent in the public square or Christians who are content with their one day per week at most right sacrifice vision labor

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You know I just don't think we're ready for that yet They'll say well I just don't believe that that really matters right if the circumstances call for action

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Then Christians should be first in line, but far too often. We're self -seeking and self -preserving again

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We need Mordecai's kind of Christianity and Esther's and Ezra's and Nehemiah's and Daniel's a Christianity that believes the promises and lives like it a

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Christianity that looks forward with confidence and ambition for greatness because of the promises behind us just as the just as the

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Jews in Esther's Day Did so because of the promises ahead of them and this is something that we're gonna see again throughout the book of Esther faith

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Working in the places that God has them because of this underlying hope and future glory for God's people so again these promises are important to our interpretation because Especially with the name of God not used in the book

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We want to understand that what they're doing why they're doing it is because they believe in what

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God has promised And so with that little bit of historical and biblical context hopefully established

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I want to take for the remainder of our time kind of a high -level look at the book of Esther Again, really kind of just going through the entire thing understanding the story seeing the story in the way that it's organized in a really beautiful Beautiful way, so I imagine that many of you or at least some of you are familiar with the book of Esther But for those who are not

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Again, hopefully this will be a really helpful big -picture view of it Often I think that the book of Esther kind of goes underappreciated and robbed of its true beauty

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Because the story is so interesting right in and of itself We're almost satisfied with the surface -level versions of it because that is it's really captivating right there's feasts

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There's there's you know kind of beauty pageants, you know political maneuvering spies moles

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It really is an amazing story lots of intrigue Plenty of tension battles between good and evil

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But without looking deeper at it at the way that it's organized we can kind of miss some of the the truly impressive things about it that I believe

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God would have For us to receive in it and ironically I think that by elevating certain aspects of the story to levels beyond their actual

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Understanding that actually does make it harder for us to appreciate the book in general But Esther tells the story of a young woman you can imagine named

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Esther And now while she is the title character a very central part of the story She is far from the lone character of import in fact in many respects

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The book is more about Esther and her uncle Mordecai But you know the book of Esther and Mordecai it wouldn't be as it doesn't have the right ring to it

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So I whoever decided that I agree. It's the it's the book of Esther But the book again in its purest sense really tells the story of Esther and Mordecai Jews living in the

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Persian exile as they are used by God within the Persian courts to deliver the Jewish people from their enemies

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But as mentioned before there is a great irony in this book And that is that the name of God or even any reference to him is not to be found in all of its ten chapters

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He is conspicuously absent from the narrative and yet. He's ever present in the plot other characters that will encounter

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Will be a hash aware so we read about in the first few verse of the book the king of Meadow of the Meadow Persian Empire and Esther's husband

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Vashti who is the original queen of the Empire thrown out of the court in chapter 1 and Haman who's the villain of the story who we meet in chapter 3?

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but in each of these we'll see there's much in terms of Kind of typology and parallels that were meant to see and even connections to earlier parts of the biblical narrative

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Which will certainly take the time to do as we make our way through the book in the future But also found in Esther are several important themes that we'll consider obviously

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Providence is a major theme. It's really More more than a theme found at certain points

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It's the underlying principle that should drive our interpretation of the narrative. It's there the whole time

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Throughout though. There are many other things that are worth considering. For example, we'll see the tensions involved with judgment and salvation

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Authority and submission, you know, what does it mean to be faithful in a foreign land? What are the proper bounds of authority and what are our responsibilities to submit to it?

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How should Christians view political influence for example to what extent should we desire church and state?

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Separation if at all all these things are really important and they're there they're present in the book of Esther We'll explore them

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God willing in the months ahead But primarily this morning I want us to focus on the structure of the book the way the story is organized and how

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I believe we're meant to receive It not only based on the intent of the human author, but also by the Holy Spirit The story is organized and we've heard this term before pastor

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Kendall has has taught us this in the past Much like much of Jewish literature in the Old Testament period

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It's organized as a chiasm a literary structure where the climactic moment is found in the middle of the narrative if you'd imagine it's much more like a mountain where the story kind of builds up to its peak in the middle and then kind Of comes back.

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That's a peak point of tension before descending back down in a very like mirror like sense He gets it you get it the ideas and the key moments they're repeated in a reverse order so it's a very

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It's very telling when those when those structures are there That we're meant to see that that central point as the climactic moment the main

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Climactic moment of the story and the fact that the book of Esther is organized in this way Hopefully again,

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I think it could be hopefully would be a great help to us and seeing the narrative play out and remembering the ways

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In which Providence worked salvation for the Jews here through the affairs of men and Hopefully as well

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God willing point us being aid and pointing us to Christ in this story And so the structure that we have here in the book of Esther has seven moves to it seven steps

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To the story with the climactic moment coming right in the middle as the fourth move First the story begins in chapter one

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Which will look more closely at in our next Esther message with a six -month feast

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Thrown by a hash aware as the king of Persia We read in verses three and four of chapter one in the third year of his reign

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He made a feast unto all his princes and his servants the power of Persian and Medea the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him

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When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom in the honor of his excellent majesty many days even a hundred and four score days

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Now obviously in the course of chapters one and two There are some really important things that happen within the story, which we'll talk about in the future

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It's worth noting that while those are critical to the plot and how the thing plays out They are not the actual focus of the story.

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They are not the thing They're the circumstances of the Providence, but they're not the point of the Providence And so first again, you have a hash aware as his feast the second move also involves a hash aware as it is when he is saved so Mordecai Esther's uncle learns of a secret plot to kill the king and Through Esther who by this time in chapter two has been chosen to be the new wife of a hash aware as and the queen of the

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Empire She warns the king of the treachery and saves his life so again think about that what most of us remember from the story of Esther is that of her being elevated to Queen or Vashti's defiance and those things are again really important and they're important parts of the story

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But I think that the the brevity even on those matters Points to those being secondary points to the narrative into the plot that that God is intending for us to receive

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Right, which which again should point to God working good for his people but we have

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Esther or Mordecai through Esther Saving King Ahasuerus warning him of this plot for his life from chapter 2 verses 21 through 23 in Those days while Mordecai sat in the king's gate two of the

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Kings Chamberlain's Big Ten and Toresh of Those which kept the door were wroth and sought to lay hands on the king

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Ahasuerus and the thing was known to Mordecai who told it unto Esther the Queen and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name and When the in when

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Inquisition was made of the matter it was found out Therefore they were both hanged on a tree and was written and it was written in the book of the

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Chronicles before the king Third we have the elevation of a man named

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Haman to a prominent place of power in the kingdom Now obviously we're gonna learn a great deal more about him in the future

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But as I mentioned he's the villain of the story right and suffice it to say for now that his elevation above all the princes of the kingdom was a major threat to the

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Jewish people and Eventually it resulted in him establishing a date through the casting of lots were on all of the

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Jews of the Persian Empire Could be legally killed destroyed particularly because of his hatred of Mordecai for his refusal to bow before Haman and We read of this this third move in chapter 3 verses 1 & 2 which is actually the verse is immediately following what we just read

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In at the end of chapter 2 where Mordecai saves the king verses 1 & 2 of chapter 3 after these things did

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King Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hamadath of the Agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes that were with him and All the king's servants that were in the king's gate bowed and reverenced

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Haman for the king had so commanded concerning him But Mordecai bowed not nor did him reference or excuse me reverence

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Fourth and remember this is that central point now, right? So the fourth move of the story of this chiastic structure

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Lee is this central climactic moment? Which takes place over a four chapter period chapters four through seven so you have ten chapters in this book and the four central chapters are really the that is the central moment that is the the peak of the tension the peak of the

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The climax of the story We have the tables turn right and Haman is exposed for his evil intentions his wicked plot to kill the

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Jews before the king It's found out what he's done what his plans are and the genocide that he means to commit that would even include killing

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Esther the Queen herself who was a Jew and so what happens? Well, it's in this climactic section that the adversary of the people of God is destroyed and he's even destroyed according to the very same

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Means that he meant to destroy them with as the scene again reaches its ultimate point of tension chapter 7 verses 3 through 10

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Esther's hosting her husband Ahasuerus and Haman for a banquet. This is where she means to expose him and does

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Then Esther the Queen answered and said if I have found favor in thy sight Oh King and if it pleased the king let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request

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For we are sold I and my people to be destroyed to be slain and to perish

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But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue Although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage

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Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the Queen Who is he and where is he that thirst presume in his heart to do so?

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and Esther said the adversary and an enemy is the this wicked Haman and then

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Haman was afraid before the king and the queen and the king arising from the banquet of wine and his wrath went into the palace garden and Haman stood up to make requests for his life to Esther the

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Queen free saw that there was evil determined against him by the king and The king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon

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Esther was then said the king will he forced the queen also before me in the house as The word went out of the king's mouth

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They covered Haman's face and Harbona one of the Chamberlain said before the king behold also the gallows 50 cubits high

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Which Haman had made for Mordecai who spoke who spoke in good for the king standeth in the house of Haman and the king said hang him thereon and So they hanged

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Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai and then was the king's wrath pacified and so Honestly pretty miraculously, right?

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We've had to this point a feast for the kingdom of man, right? That's kind of what that represents in chapter 1

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Salvation for the king and Then the elevation of the enemy of God's people and yet all of these these three major moves in the story

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When you look at them, it almost seems impossible that this would be the case At least so quickly, but they all lead ultimately to the destruction of the adversary

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The destruction of Haman in our climactic turning point moment, you know, you'd almost expect again

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I think our minds are conditioned this way To in the way that we understand story or think about stories that it's all gonna build up to the end this major thing at The end where the enemy will be destroyed, but God does not work in that way, right?

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He at least historically and we see it we see it here in the book of Esther in particular God builds up to this middle moment where he deals with that ultimate climactic moment dealing with his adversary and destroys him

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Before we see the story continuing So again now we're in that descending moment Of the part of the story where we see this mirror effect where the moves of the story are repeating in that reverse order

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But just as Haman had been elevated to a position of power Mordecai now Was honored with the role and elevated to second in all the kingdom in power and authority

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The king realizes that Mordecai a man who's been sitting in the king's gate for some time with relative prominence

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And he's got this great gold star on his record for for saving the king for exposing that plot

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In the past that this is a man worthy of promotion and elevation to power such that he was

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Second in command and all the Empire chapter 8 verses 1 & 2 again interestingly This is immediately following the death of Haman the immediate verses after it on that day did the king of Hoshuares give the house of Haman the

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Jews enemy unto Esther the Queen and Mordecai came before the king for Esther had told

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What he was under her Esther lets the king know that this is my uncle And he is he is a

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Jew. I'm a Jew just as he is a Jew And the king took off his ring Which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto

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Mordecai and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman So we see again so quickly how

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God He destroys the adversary destroys Haman And he establishes not only in the role the governmental role that Haman had a second in command in the kingdom

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But but Mordecai is now even over the house of Haman He has replaced Haman fully totally as the head of his house and of the kingdom

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Sixth just as the king was saved at the beginning of the story when the plot was exposed by Mordecai So now the

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Jews are saved because the king through Mordecai has granted them recourse To fight back against their enemies who still intend on their destruction even after Haman's demise

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It's important to remember in this in this story that Haman's death was not the end right that that was the

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That was the picture if you will of the salvation that God was working in this moment That was the beginning of the salvation that God was working in this story

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And yet it was not the the very end of it that there were still enemies to defeat And so the

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Jews are saved here in this sixth move chapter 8 verses 7 through 13 the king through Mordecai issues the decree

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The king Joshua said unto Esther the Queen and to Mordecai the Jew behold I have given Esther the house of Haman and him they have hanged upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the

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Jews Right ye also for the Jews as it liketh you in the king's name and seal it with the king's ring

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For the writing which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring may no man reverse

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Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month that is the month of the month of Sivan on the 3 and 20 and 20th day thereof and It was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the

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Jews and to the lieutenants and to the deputies and rulers of the provinces Which are from India unto

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Ethiopia? 127 provinces unto every province according to the writing thereof and unto every people after their language and to the

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Jews according to their writing and according to their language and Mordecai wrote in the king of Joshua's his name and sealed it with the king's ring and sent letters by post on horseback and Riders on mules camels and young dromedaries

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Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together and to stand for their life

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To destroy to slay and to cause to perish all the power of the people in province

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That would assault them both little ones and women and to take the spoil of them for a prey

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Upon one day and all the provinces of King of Hoshuares namely upon the 13th day of the 12th month

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Which is the month of Adar? And that was the date that Haman had set Obviously for the destruction of the

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Jews the copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published Unto all people and that the

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Jews should be ready Against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies And so Hoshuares again has given them the ability now to defend themselves that they'd be saved from the wicked decree

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That they should all be killed on that day And what's more we see in their salvation and in the saving of the

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Jews here On that day that was meant to be their destruction It turns into a rout of their enemies with the

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Jews killing thousands who would mean their harm chapter 9 verses 5 through 16

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Thus the Jew the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword and slaughter and destruction and did what they would unto those that hated them and In Shushan the palace the

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Jews slew and destroyed 500 men Jumping down to verse 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hamadathah the enemy of the

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Jews Slew they so they also killed the sons of Haman all ten of his sons But on the spoil laid they not their hand on That day the number of those that were slain and Shushan the palace was brought before the king and the king said unto

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Esther the Queen the Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan the palace and the ten sons of Haman What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces now?

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What is thy petition and it shall be granted thee or what is I request further and it shall be done And then said

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Esther If it pleased the king let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow

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Also according unto this day's decree and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows

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Just briefly what a what a wonderful picture here that it's not the the redemption that God provides is not merely a one -for -one

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Replacement right where they wanted to destroy the Jews on that day But in God's destruction of his enemies and using his people to destroy their enemies

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He's gonna grant an extra day. You're gonna have some more time and it's gonna be even fuller the redemption that I'm granting to you

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But we'll do talk more about that when we get to chapter 9 But the king the king commanded it so to be done and the decree was given at Shushan and they hanged

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Haman's ten sons For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the 14th day Also of the month

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Adar and slew 300 men at Shushan, but on the prey they laid not their hand But the other

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Jews that were in the king's provinces Gathered themselves together and stood for their lives and had rest from their enemies and slew of their foes

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Seventy and five thousand but they laid not their hands on the prey Their salvation was not only decreed by the king as an idea

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You could fight back if you'd like to here's the law I'll let you guys if you want to you fight back, but they actually carried it out in faith

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And destroyed the enemies who sought their destruction It was a full and actual deliverance for God's people not merely a possible one

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This should remind us of something namely the Lord Jesus Christ Seventh and finally we have a feast to end the story just as it began

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But this feast is not in celebration of the kingdoms of men But in the deliverance given to the people of God though The date of the feast was set by Haman the adversary through the casting of poor that is lots

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When he determined the date upon which all the Jews should be destroyed The story rounds out with the recasting of such evil what

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Haman had intended for evil God Intended for good and so it says in chapter 9 verse 22 as the days were in the

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Jews rested from their enemies in the month Which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a good day

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That they should make them days of feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor

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And in verse 26 wherefore they called these days Parim after the name of poor

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Haman intending for the destruction stumbled upon this date by the casting of lots by the casting of poor, but instead

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This date was now a feast day for the people of God to commemorate their salvation their victory over their enemies

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And so what are we to take away from this? What I would argue that this really is again the point of the whole book

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Right that these the stories of angry Queen standing up to their husbands and in beauty pageants sleepless nights all those things they have significance

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In how God worked his providence here, but they are not the end that he's working towards.

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They're merely the means They aren't the destination. They're the turns along the way and this is why I want to start with this higher high -level overview, right?

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I don't want us to get so caught up in the elements of the story That we forget about the God of the story.

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The elements are important right the day -to -day is Important, but before we focus too intently on those we need to see the bigger picture being painted here

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Because that's what we do, right? We look at our own lives, right? We get so caught up and what's happening today what

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I didn't get done today what this or that person did to me What I want things to look like for me financially relationally professionally physically

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Whatever it might be that we forget That God is in control and that he upholds and he directs disposes and governs all creatures

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Actions and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy providence

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Again, it's not that the day -to -day isn't important because it is but that it needs to be understood in light of this broader scope

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Now does this mean that we have to just accept everything that ever happens to us as as passive recipients of it?

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Oh, well, you know this is happening. So I just have to accept it because you know, it's providence Yeah, this person is doing something to me and while I could do something about it

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I or even have the authority and ability to do something. I can't because Providence, you know, of course not right and praise

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God that Mordecai and Esther didn't do that That would be like parents who are dealing with the rebellious toddler and deciding well, you know

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Providence sure dealt us a difficult hand here You know, let's let's just pray and see what happens next But that would be utterly foolish

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God is obviously free to work without above and against means at his pleasure But in general he uses means to bring about his will he uses the rod administered by parents to discipline rebellious children

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He uses the state to reward good and punish evil He uses the preaching of the gospel to bring the lost to salvation

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God's use of means does not negate his providence. It is part of it. And so Esther and Mordecai They received the providence of their moment and they lived by faith within it

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They were in exile, but it wasn't a crutch They postured they used their positions their knowledge their opportunities to further the cause of their people

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And we can't be afraid to do that either May God give us more Mordecai's and more

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Esther's men and women willing to accept where providence has placed them Not to the point of passivity

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But to the point that they are emboldened to actually live by faith and act in accordance with that faith

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We need men in our government who would use that authority and influence to fight for the heavenly kingdom We need fathers and mothers who would raise their children up in the way that they should go and not spare the rod

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We need men willing to push the status quo even within the church to drive progress towards seeing

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Christendom established Those are works done in faith a faith that believes that God has put us where we are

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Perhaps for such a time as this and that's what we don't want to miss as we go through the book of Esther God is in control and he is working out a salvation that will vindicate his people at every turn a

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Feast in Persia, but let's replace that with the Feast of Parim. The king is spared good Let's spare the Jews to every one of them

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Haman is elevated to second in the kingdom and at this point God has already done this with Joseph and Egypt and Daniel and Babylon But let's do that again

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Let's elevate Mordecai in his place and in the course of it all God is destroying his enemies and the enemies of his people and he does all of this without even being mentioned once without having to enter the narrative through miracle or prophecy and ultimately

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As we prepare to close here all of that story should point us to Jesus Christ and his gospel This book of Esther reflects to us the course of all of human history and serves

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Even as a picture to us of that full redemption that we have in him we have that feast in the beginning that damned feast where Adam and the woman eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and Second Adam as the head and head or king of all humanity in him all die or made slaves to sin

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Third sin and Satan are elevated to rule the kingdoms of men such that all they did was evil

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Continually but fourth in that climactic moment of history in Christ God exposes the works of darkness and overturns them

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Such that even the cross that was meant to be a sign of cursing was the means through which God wrought salvation

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For his people just as Haman's gallows built to kill Mordecai upon were the very place from which he hung

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Fifth Christ is elevated to rule over the nations in his ascension No longer are Satan and his minions ruling over and deceiving the nations

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Sixth in Christ as the true and better Adam and King we are made alive together with him and are given victory

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Over sin and in seventh all of redemptive history is summed up in that marriage supper of the

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Lamb that great feast Which we preview every Sunday at the Lord's table. This is the story of Esther It's a picture to us of that full redemption

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Available to God's people his Israel the church in Jesus Christ and that redemption is found again only in that gospel

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God has made a way for his people to be spared from the wages of sin and ransom from death

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Through the blood of Christ and so as we close I want us to keep this truth in mind as we make our way through this book and even as you consider that consider the story of Esther on your own

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We can have confidence as the people of God that the Lord Jesus has and will Fulfill his promises to deliver his people because he and he alone is the ruler of the kings of earth and by him

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Kings reign Although we may at times like the Jews and Esther's time Wonder how he will do it as we navigate living in godless nations with wicked rulers

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We must remember that it is well with our souls because though we may not see it His invisible hand of Providence upholds heaven and earth and all creatures and so rules them

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That leaf and blade rain and drought fruitful and lean years food and drink health and sickness prosperity and poverty in poverty

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All things in fact come to us not by chance But by his fatherly hand which washes over us in such a way that not a hair

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Can fall from our heads without the will of our Father in heaven In fact, all things must work together for our salvation in Esther We have a

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Jewish orphan girl and her uncle no royal blood. No political clout No resources plucked out of obscurity and dropped into the the beauty beauty contest of the pagan

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Empire She doesn't come in with the backing of a family name or a pile of gold She comes in with nothing but her wits her courage and her

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God and across from her a swaggering genocidal villain named Haman Backed by the full weight of Persian law and the favor of the most powerful king on earth

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And if you were setting odds, you would know where to put your money And it wouldn't be on Esther But this is

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God's world and he loves to play the long game with short odds He delights in turning orphans into Queens Sleepless nights into turning points and gallows into the very undoing of the man who built them

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Haman struts Mordecai mourns and Esther stands in the breach and all of it looks like a roll of the dice until you see

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That invisible hand that loaded them. This is our God and we are his people

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So let us pray giving. Thanks with all hope to our God Father we thank you for your word

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Where we thank you for the story of Esther and the picture that it is to us of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ Our Lord, we ask

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Lord that you would help us in our consideration of this book Not only today but in the months ahead or that you would grant to us a

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Great knowledge and insight into the ways in which you love and care for your people or in the ways in which you work

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Your promise deliverance to us strengthen us Lord in faith as we continue to worship you in Jesus name and amen