Esther's Gospel
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The Right To Celebrate
The Right To Celebrate
If you ever get the chance to visit Kill Devil Hills at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, that is where Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their homemade invention—what would become the world’s first controlled, sustained flight in a heavier-than-air craft. To this day, a memorial stands on the spot where they first lifted off more than a century ago.
Sons of a protestant pastor, these brothers had figured out the concept of “wing warping”—a system of manipulating the edges of a plane’s wings to allow the wind to elevate or lower the plane, turn or keep it straight. It was the critical piece in the puzzle that no one had yet figured out.
And their ingenuity paid off. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers tossed a coin to see who would pilot the plane. Orville won the toss and climbed aboard the aircraft he and his brother had built in their bicycle shop back home. The airplane coasted down the sand bar on a wooden rail and then rose into the air for twelve seconds, traveling 120 feet.
It was one small step for man (the Wright brothers) … one giant leap for mankind—and the possibility of air travel!
In The Bishop’s Boys, it catalogs not only the absorbing story of how they invented the airplane, but it also gives interesting accounts of their family life.
One of the things I read that intrigued me was the fact that their father originally believed God had not created man to fly. He wasn’t all that happy with his sons’ fascination with airplanes. In fact, for several years he never even asked for the opportunity to fly with them.
But after six years of watching his sons’ success grow into a world-wide phenomenon, he finally relented and asked for a ride in their airplane—at 86 years of age. The boys were actually a little nervous; they weren’t too sure how he’d react to flying through the air.
Orville was at the rudder and they flew around an open field for nearly ten minutes. At one point in the flight, Orville’s father leaned close to his ear and shouted above the roar of the engine the words his son would never forget: “Higher, Orville, higher!”1
So much for the bishop’s reservations against flight.
Today, you can stand beneath a massive 60-foot monument at Kitty Hawk, where a memorial has been erected as a constant reminder of two preacher’s kids who changed the world.
Memorials are great kept in their place obviously. Our calendars are full of dates that have historical significance from Memorial Day to Veteran’s Day. They help to give our past due significance and put our present into perspective.
They remind us that some things are worth remembering.
The last few verses of Esther tell us of a memorial of events worth celebrating.
Jews still celebrate Purim a festival that began here in Esther 9:17 as a spontaneous celebration.
The fear was ended, the fight was over and all they wanted to do was celebrate and it was all over the kingdom.
The closest we could understand it would be the celebration that spilled into the streets after news hit the airwaves that World War II had ended. People all over the world danced and laughed and hugged each other as if they were long-lost friends. There were no strangers on that day. Everyone was united in their joy.
We have all seen that classic photograph taken in Times Square just after the news was delivered. In the midst of all the spontaneous celebration, a sailor grabbed a young nurse in his arms and planted a big kiss on her. Most peopl thought it was just a romantic kiss between two young lovebirds. It was actually a kiss shared between two complete strangers. The war was over and everybody was happy. Today the sailor would be in jail and the nurse would be seeing a therapist to get past the assault.
The fight was over and a spontaneous celebration that would become a fixed tradition had begun.
And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
The first day was designated for those living in the kingdom and the second for those living with in the walls of Jerusalem.
It’s interesting that during World War II the Nazis hated any mention of the Book of Esther. In fact, one historian recorded that if a Jew arrived at one of the concentration camps with the Book of Esther in his or her possession, that Jew was immediately put to death.
The Nazis wanted no message of hope or deliverance whispered inside the barracks of the death camps. Still, many of the inmates of Auschwitz, Dachau, and Treblinka produced written copies of the Book of Esther from memory and then huddled together, reading them quietly to each other in secret during the Feast days of Purim.
The memorial still gave them hope … even inside a camp that had marked them for death.
It should be convicting that the Jews despite their rejection of Christ as the Messiah still clung to Esther with hope and conviction.
It should encourage the Church today this is a preview of the age of Grace in which God is often silent, but not absent and always protects and preserves His Church.
A Common Queen
A Common Queen
One of the first parallels we draw is that Esther who is nothing special just a common, conquered, citizen… becomes queen.
For the first time in Persian history and possibly the only time the king rejected centuries of law and tradition to place the crown on a commoners head… but not just any commoner a peasant, orphan, foreigner exiled from Israel.
We are fallen sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.-C.S. Lewis
We are nothing more than common sinners alienated from God, but God through Christ allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters into His royal family… and we are given full rights and privileges right along with the biological children/Israel.
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
And if that wasn’t enough he promises to crown us his bride and that we will reign with him in eternity.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
I am not preaching to commoners… rather I am preaching to royalty. I am not encouraging peasant to press on…I am expositing the Word of God to future kings and queens.
What we observe happening to Esther will one day take place for every believer.
• You’ll trade the common clothes of mortality for the royal robes of immortality.
• You’ll trade the body of failure and imperfection for a glorified body that is sinless and perfected in holiness.
• You’ll trade the sorrow and sadness of earth for the joy and pleasure of heaven.
• You’ll trade the fear and uncertainty of speaking to an invisible God for the thrill and wonder of speaking to God … face-to-face.
The Irreversible Death Warrant
The Irreversible Death Warrant
The second parallel we see the Death Warrant.
Just like the king’s edict by way of Haman to kill all the Jews… mankind is under a death warrant sworn out against all men.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
It is important to remember that the Jews were not condemned for what they had done, but rather because of who they were.
They didn’t individually need todo anything… Mordecai had already done it. Just like Adam did for mankind.
They didn’t need to commit treason, murder or any other heinous crime they were jews nd that was all it took.
Just like we don’t have to commit some heinous crime to go to Hell… you are a part of a fallen race.
The murderer and the moral man are no different under this death warrant. The rich and educated face the same end as the poor and illiterate.
If you don’t believe it just take a look at the local graveyard it is a silent testimony to the irrevocable and unavoidable nature of this death warrant.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The death rate is one out of one.
Just like Haman’s edict the jews were without hope they were not allowed to protect themselves. We are completely defenseless against this death warrant brought on the human race, as well.
Oliver Winchester and his wife Sarah once lived in New Haven, Connecticut. Oliver is known for inventing the Winchester rifle—the first true repeating rifle, used by the Union Army during the Civil War.
Upon the invention of his rifle, government and private contractors made him unbelievably wealthy. Life went better than they could have dreamed for about four years. Tragically, Sarah gave birth to a daughter named Annie who died only two weeks after her birth. Sarah was so shattered by the loss that she became a recluse and nearly lost her mind.
Several years later, Sarah’s grief was only compounded when Oliver contracted tuberculosis and died. She became the heiress to his vast fortune, but no amount of money could alleviate her loneliness and sorrow. At a friend’s suggestion, Sarah sought to contact her deceased husband through a spiritist—a necromancer.
During her séance, the medium informed Sarah that her husband was in the room with them. According to the medium, Oliver was delivering the message that the Winchester family was cursed because of his invention of the Winchester rifle. The spirits of those who were killed by his rifle were seeking vengeance.
The spiritist told Sarah that the only solution was to move to a remote location and build a house for these spirits. Supposedly, Oliver had also communicated that as long as Sarah continued to build the house, she would live. But if she ever stopped building on that property and home, she would die.
Sarah immediately sold her home in New Haven, moved west with her fortune, and bought a home that was already being constructed on 162 acres of land. She bought the entire estate and then threw away the building plans.
For the next thirty-six years her construction crew built and rebuilt, altering one section of the house after another. The sounds of hammers and saws could be heard day and night. Railway cars brought in supplies, and every morning Sarah met with the foreman to sketch out new rooms.
Much of it had no rhyme or reason; rooms were added to rooms, wings were added onto wings; flat areas were transformed into towers and peaks; staircases were built that led nowhere. Doors were hung that opened to nothing, and closets were built that opened onto blank walls. Hallways even doubled back upon themselves as the house became a vast, expensive maze, designed to both house and confuse the evil spirits that tormented her mind.
Sarah Winchester depleted her fortune by building the sprawling, confusing mansion. But then, on the night of September 4, 1922, after holding another séance, Sarah Winchester went up to her bedroom and, at the age of 83, died in her sleep.
Oliver had told her that as long as she continued building, she would remain alive. He was wrong.5
Of course, it wasn’t Oliver, anyway. A demon—or a crafty medium—had delivered a message that would distract Sarah Winchester and eventually destroy her.
As humans, we just like Mrs. Winchester, busy ourselves with hammers and saws: playing, enterprising, entertaining, eating, marrying, parenting, educating, working, investing, and planning—and all the while we hope the noise of the construction site will drown out the echo of that inevitable death to come.
One journal article recently admitted that the health industry isn’t passionate about discovering ways to help us live a healthier life; instead, it’s obsessed with trying to discover a way to avoid death.
There is no higher court to which we may appeal, there is no jury we can convince, there is no judge to be influenced, there are no loopholes… Death like Thanos is Inevitable.
Anyone preaching a different message is demonic or devious.
Timely Intercession
Timely Intercession
The third parallel is Esther’s intercessory work on behalf of the Jews.
After three days (sound familiar… Jonah, Jesus, etc…) in solitude Esther appears before the king with no introduction and basically asks that her people be spared…she willingly risks her life to save theirs.
The Jews as a result of the misinterpretation of
After two days will he revive us: In the third day he will raise us up, And we shall live in his sight.
falsely believe that they will be raised three days after the start of the final judgment.
This passage is a reference to the resurrection of Christ.
After three days in the grave, Jesus rose again and now stands before God the Father, interceding on our behalf. He didn’t merely risk His life for our sake … He gave His life for us.
On the third day after judgment transpired on the cross, Jesus Christ arose, guaranteeing safety to enter God’s presence to all who reach out in faith to touch the scepter which is in the shape of a cross.-Martin Luther
The Father gladly receives the petition of His Son and welcomes all those who come through Him. Jesus Christ, our Intercessor.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Eternal Edict Of Life
The Eternal Edict Of Life
The fourth parallel we see is the edict of life.
Hebrews puts it this way.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
In Romans we see both edicts in one verse the edict of death followed by the edict of life.
This second edict begins with an important conjunction—but—which is a critical little word. In fact, what follows this little word makes all the difference in the world.
Whenever you’re having an important conversation with someone, the conversation that comes after the word but is what really matters.
Your boss calls you in and says, “That was a great job, but …”
Your girlfriend says, “I really enjoy being with you, but …”
Your child’s teacher calls and says, “We really enjoy having your son in our classroom, but …”
That little conjunction has a way of grabbing our attention.
It is a client who called and said, “We’ve enjoyed doing business with you; you’ve always done a great job, but …”
Or the doctor’s office called to leave the message, “Everything looks good, but …”
Regardless, whatever comes after that little conjunction matters a whole lot more than what comes before it.
The latter nullifies the former.
In Romans 6:23 , eternity hinges on that little word.
But is an opportunity to receive salvation.
It is only through the intercession of Christ on our behalf the edict is nullified by the edict of life
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
In other words you cannot avoid the edict of death but by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ our Saviour we can accept the edict of life.
The first brings fear, fighting and death… the second brings life, hope and peace.
Mordecai the cause of this mess ends up second only to the king and what does he do with that power… He seeks the welfare of his people
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
The only place on the face of this planet you can find true peace is in the heart of the one who has been redeemed by Christ and thus reconciled to God.
That doesn’t mean we are happy or ecstatic every day, but we are fully aware that we are no longer under the wrath of God, we are no longer hopeless, and helpless … we are forgiven and saved by this edict of life from the throne of God.
Hymn
Before The Throne Of God Above
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest, whose Name is “Love,”
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav’n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
A pastor tells the story of
One man told me recently that he worked in New York on Wall Street for many years. He and his wife were financially and professionally successful. His office looked out toward the World Trade Center.
He recounted what it was like to witness 9/11. Through the windows of his office suite, he had watched the airplanes crash into the towers and the massive skyscrapers collapse. He saw everything: the panic, the suicide victims, the wreckage. Frankly, it was too much for him.
When he finally made it out of the city and home to his wife, they immediately decided to sell everything and move. They eventually ended up in North Carolina, where they began to search for spiritual answers. They visited one church after another, but nothing seemed to help.
Finally, ten years into their search, they visited our church—which was just a few miles from their home. When they later introduced themselves to me, I asked the husband why he had decided to stay at Colonial. He gave me an answer I’ll never forget. He said, “When I sat down in a morning service, I felt peace.”
They listened to the messages intently for months. Finally, the Gospel found receptive soil in this man’s heart and he prayed at the end of a worship service as I prayed from the pulpit—a simple prayer of repentance and faith. His wife came to meet me after a service a few weeks later and announced that she also was ready to accept the Gospel of Christ for herself, and we prayed together as she gave her life to Christ.
The Podcaster of Wisdom For The Heart
A listener to Wisdom for the Heart wrote a very personal message, telling us that she had planned to take her life. Though a believer, she had suffered years of financial and physical setbacks, including 22 major surgeries. Then, only recently, her precious mother had died, making this woman the only living member of her family. She decided, as she put it, to end her life.
She woke up on that fateful day and turned on the radio for the last time. Wisdom for the Heart was on the air and as she listened, God used the message from His Word to change her mind about committing suicide. In her own words, that message caused her to surrender her will to God … no matter what.
The Gospel redeems lives, encourages lives, and sustains lives.
The Gospel provides peace from the guilt of sin, and peace in the midst of life’s storms.
The Everlasting Reminder Of Deliverance
The Everlasting Reminder Of Deliverance
The fifth and final parallel to the Gospel we see is the memorial to never forget this day.
Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
The memorial the Jews call Purim comes from the PUR which means lots (like dice but small stones) like your lot in life.
That is why we call it a lottery by the way is the casting of the lot.
The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.
David even makes reference to it. David realized his lot in life was the result of God’s providential work. God is the only one who can control the roll of the dice. There is no such thing as chance.
Much like when the Jews celebrate Purim and boo and hiss and stomp their feet.
In turn we gather every Sunday to rejoice in the truth if God crushed the Devil on the cross. The fall of man and the resulting declaration of death were nullified bu the Giver of Life, Christ.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
We have been delivered from the power of the grave and death is only a doorway into eternal life for us.
I can’t imagine that any of Jews in Persia ever got over the the miraculous delivery of God. I doubt they ever missed the celebration of Purim. No doubt their joy over their deliverance caused some of their neighbors to turn to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Shouldn’t this also be true of us? Should salvation ever become boring to us? Should the gathering of believers ever be something we can do without?
Before we conclude the Book of Esther remember this.
The providence of God reflects His grace and it ought to be remembered.
We build memorials too many things in our lives bad things, sorrowful things. The enemy of our soul is all too helpful when it comes to constructing these memorials. He taunts us with past failures, past wrongs, past disappointments, disasters, and calamities that make us view life as a long dark tunnel with no light at the end.
We need to take time to remember the His grace and hand in our lives.
Take time some time and just write out a time when God’s hand was evident and working in your life it will thrill your soul.
There are no memorials in the areas where Orville and Wilbur didn’t succeed. That is good advice don’t build memorials to your failures.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The providence of God is spiritually discerned and it should not be ignored.
The story of Esther isn’t a happily ever after for everyone. It concludes with Ahasuerus levying another tax… so basically everything goes back to normal… at least for the king.
The king doesn’t appear to convert too Esther and Mordecai’s God. history tells us he did little more from this point except increase his harem and build his palaces and then he was assassinated in his bedchamber 3 years later.
This should be a wake up call to us about how easy it is to be in the vicinity of a great move of God and miss the point all together.
It is all to easy to act like coincidences just happen and that life events are like the roll of the dice… you get what you get.
Don’t fall for it. Whether you can see or sense it or not God is in control. Every step… every event… every moment God is in control. He is in control of the every situation and He is bringing about His will… so have faith and choose wisely.
This is not necessarily the end of Esther’s story. Once he r husband dies one of his sons takes the throne. You may remember the story of a sober faced servant who came before the king and he was asked why he was sad. The servant begged the king for permission to return to his homeland and help his people. That servant was Nehemiah and history says their is some evidence (some say strong) to indicate that Esther was with the king when the petition was made.
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
History says that is was customary for a young king to have the Queen Mother sit on the throne with him as opposed to his favored wife. So very possibly 21 years later God is still moving through Esther.
The providence of God is physically invisible in our dispensation, but it is invincible.
We end exactly where we started. God alone is the hero of Esther’s story. Through the working of His invisible providence, He always keeps His promises.
God may not be mentioned but if you choose to ignore His finger prints throughout you miss the incredible truth of the Book of Esther.
Esther is the book for Christians who are struggling and can’t seem to see God through the fog of life.
Esther is the book for Christians who are discouraged and weighed down by the persecutions of a world opposed to the Gospel.
Esther is the book for Christians who have forgotten the God deeply and faithfully cares for His people.
Ye servants of God,
Your Master proclaim,
And publish abroad His wonderful name;
The name all-victorious of Jesus extol:
His kingdom is glorious, He rules over all.-Charles Wesley
God may be invisible, but He is still invincible.