Intro:Last week we examined how God did something great in a teenagers life. He allowed her to be a part of His divine plan that would bring salvation to all of humanity. Her name was Mary. -Despite her age, adversity and attitude, God did something great!
She brought salvation to the world: *now the Lord in His infinite wisdom will bring redemption through another young lady …her name is Esther
Text: Esther 4:14
Intro: Give brief background on Esther
Date: Written around 480 BC
One of only two books named for women
-after six month party King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) has fight with wife Vashti…
-ch.1-details Vashti and decree from Xerxes
-ch.2-King chooses Esther
-ch.3-Haman the Agagite was promoted above all other princes. Things start to heat up now.
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1) Despite the plan of the wicked; God can do something great:
-In Chapter 3 Haman orders everyone to bow to him.(3:2). Yet there is one man who disregards those orders and refuses to bow. His name is Mordecai. (Read v.3:5) and this makes Haman so furious.
-Notice in vs. 6 Haman sets his mind to wipe out the children of God.
-This has been the plan of the wicked one since Adam and Eve. To destroy the children of God. Started with Eve all the way
to today. Even in this century we find Israel the center of controversy because so many people hate them.
a)Haman’s plan: Lie to King about them (vs.3:8) “certain people”. First Haman says they are weird “customs are not ours”, then they are wicked (unlawful); and then they are worthless “no profit.
-Let me say the same lies Haman told Ahazuerus are the same lies being told today.
b)Our customs are weird: Yes we still believe the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God.
We don’t need modern translations to interpret God’s Word, the H.S. will do a much better job.
-We still believe there is only one way to Heaven, not the pluralistic approach of many religions today. I hear Dr. Farrell
in one of his messages responding to the comment “Muslim” and Christianity are close to the same thing. He said the two
aren’t close. They’re not even in the same ball park. Mohammed wasn’t a prophet because Allah isn’t even a god. And he’s
right.
*By the way, he went on to say something else I agree with and that is “If that statement offended you then you need to get
saved. Everyone who is saved knows there is a difference.
John 8:44
-You know that statement in many circles (and every political environment I know) would get thrown out of town. But it
doesn’t make it any less true.
-we still believe purity before marriage is by God’s design. The Idea of shacking up is stacking up to be an accepted
lifestyle and when someone like me or you says something: like Haman says “we’re weird”,
-People today say some of the things we believe in are wicked. They are harmful to the good of the people.
*prayer is harmful because it hurts other people’s feelings
*Church harmful is involved in politics because gov’t can’t be fair to all
*Christ is harmful because He exclusive. People are so offended by Jesus they try to remove His name from everything.
What we know and they don’t want to know is prayer is our lifeline, In Christ is where we found life, and the church is
the place we gather to worship and be energized for the race we’re running.
-One thing Haman and the world today says that I agree with: we are worthless. If they expect us to bow to their
mentality, worship at the feet of their idols, push what they think instead of what we know, then they are right we are
worthless, because Christians just can’t do it. We stand where Mordecai stands..honoring God.
**Yes church Evil has a plan, But God is going to do something great.
2) When God’s children appear to have lost; God is doing something great:
Ch3:9-11: In Persia the king was like a god. Here Haman gets his ring and permission to do what he pleases. Right
now things look pretty bad for the Jews.
-The Plan: (vs.11) On Adar 13th the Jews (children also) would be get completely destroyed.
-What could possibly stop it now: Let’s read our verse
a) A man for such a time as this: his name was Mordecai. He was telling the queen that
her family will be destroyed in just a short time if she doesn’t get to the King.
-He is sounding the alarm. Christians we need to sound the alarm for our family. The devil has a plan for your family.
I don’t know when the noose will drop; only that it is going to drop death on some of our loved ones if we don’t sound
the alarm.
Illus: Listening to story on radio about boy in S.S. challenged to win someone to Lord. God opened door,”If
this is so important why didn’t you tell me about it earlier”. Next morning heard that boy’s house on fire and young man
died. The noose was dropped by the enemy; but God had taken the child home.
b) A woman for such a time this:
-A Woman of wisdom: (tell by her directions). She knew her strength would come from prayer (LOOK AT VERSE 16).
-A Woman of courage: she went to the king (5:1)
-A Woman who would take her courage and her wisdom and use it for others: She cared about her family enough to go to the
King. Ladies the Bible tells us to pray and ask God for whatever is troubling us.
All through the Bible we find evidence of God answering prayer:
-Elijah raised the widows son when she asked
-when Hannah prayed God blessed her
-In Mark’s moms house when they prayed the house was shaken
-Don’t you believe the Lord when He said “Ask and it shall be given you,seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be
opened unto you”. Matt. 7:7
DARK TIMES REQUIRE DEEP PRAYER! But it is in such a time as this that we see God can do great things.
Illus: Just here recently in church someone ask for pray for a friend who was going to have a brain tumor removed.
The family was very nervous because of many things, not the least of which was size of tumor…on day of surgery Doctor
took one more x-ray to see h=if it had grown. Guess what….no tumor. You can say they misread the other test; can say
there must be some reasonable conclusion…BUT I SAY God is still doing something great when at the right time the right
person prays.
*Esther was going to the king.
3) Redemption draweth nigh, because God is doing something Great :
a) He jogs the memory of the one in charge: The king can’t sleep (Read 6:1) -The eve before he is to be hung: read what needed to be read, and Haman walked in at just right time. (tell story).
b) God will have people in right place for such a time as this:
-Mordecai saved Kings life before (accident?)
-Esther being picked queen (accident?)
-Ahazuerus having insomnia and reading this particular page (accident?)
-Timing of events: The night before Mordecai is going to be hung (Accident?.. Hardly)
Prov.21:1 “The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water”: he turneth it whithersoever
he will. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous; and the transgressor for the upright.”
*Everything God does is for a reason, and God’s timing is perfect”
Close: Want to say that the gallows built for Mordecai by Haman were the gallows used to hang Haman. He was killed with his own hatred. As a result of the victory: Mordecai promoted, queen honored, people triumphant; and feast made. *What made it possible: Because (just as text says) at such a time as this the right people made the right choice and God did a great thing.
Salvation Illus:
Remember Hagar when she ran out water and her son was dying of thirst. She was ready for both of them die. Then an angel
came by and said “Hagar what aileth thee?” And we read God opened her eyes and she saw the well of water.”
-It was right behind her all the time.
*For some of you salvation is right at your finger tips
-As I said before nothing is by accident. Someone here is headed to the gallows our enemy the devil has built for you.
But God wants to send you a message of redemption: He has prepared a feast for you; all you have to do is receive him.
That’s what this moment is for:
-Ladies will you go to the King?
-Men will you sound the alarm?