For such a time as this.
Question of the day: Tell us about a defining moment in your life.Good morning class. I miss being there so much. This is Academy Days weekend and I am covered up. I will be there next week, and I am so much looking forward to that. Please keep me and MPA in your prayers.
Today we are going to study all of chapter 4 in Esther. This is perhaps the most famous passage. Certainly the most famous verse is in this passage. It is a good one. Enjoy.
Read: Esther 4:1-17
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
4 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
This chapter starts with a look at Mordecai's reaction. Review for a moment what he was reacting to. Why did he react so strongly?
I think it is quite possible that he felt somewhat responsible. Remember he refused to bow in respect to Haman.
Not a big enough offense to commit genocide. But Mordecai must have felt like he had some responsibility for what happened.
It is important to remember that the author in the last chapter makes a point to let us know that Haman was a hater of the Jews. I think we can say that he used what Mordecai did to fuel his hatred and took the opportunity to get his evil plan through. What I am trying to say is that the actions of Haman had more to do with Haman than with what Mordecai did.
Yet Mordecai was devastated and certainly taking some of the responsibility.
Have you ever had something happen to people you love and perhaps you took too much credit for what happened?
How does Esther respond to the news that her cousin is making a spectacle of himself?
Do you find it interesting that she at first didn't ask why?
At first she just wanted him to clean up his act and put on some nice clothes.
There are some commentators who suggest that in this chapter we see the possibility that both of these main characters in this story are not living a necessarily honorable life by Jewish law. I realize the thought is difficult since these characters have been heroes in our stories since we were children. Is it unkind to look at them in a negative light or does it in some ways make the overall, the overarching themes even richer?
Here are what some scholars are saying. Esther was liking her pagan lifestyle, and her cousin was now embarrassing her. All she wanted was to make sure he stopped and wore something decent. Later we see Mordecai possibly threatening Esther. When he says, "but you and your father’s family will perish" some scholars suggest he may have been personally threatening her.
Regardless what we do know is that Esther at first doesn't seem to care about why. When her refuses the clothes, she then does inquire. The answer she gets starts a shift. Esther goes from being a some what quiet passive character to someone who is taking action.
What makes the difference?
When Esther first went to the palace around 6 years earlier Mordecai told her to not tell people who she was.
Now he is asking her to not ignore the fact that she is one of them.
This is a huge shift.
A big change.
Why?
Imagine for a moment, that you are put in a lavish lifestyle, a completely secular lifestyle, honored, given a high position, waited upon, all the while being told that you couldn't let people know you were a Christian. Even you name has been changed.
I am sure It would be easy to become part of that culture. To forget who you really are.
The fact that Esther's first response to her mourning cousin was to try to get him to change his clothes and stop instead of inquiring gives us a clue as to what the last six years had done to Esther. She had forgotten who she was. She was living as a pagan and not as a Jew.
What does Mordecai say to Esther that reminds her who she is?
When she owns it, what happens?
Esther goes from a passive figure in this story to directing it. She starts moving, taking action, even telling her cousin what she will do and what she wants him to do.
She takes a huge risk. She shows strength.
What really made the difference here?
Esther is reminded that she is Hadassah. She is a Jew. She is a child of God. She is part of a larger community that needs her.
How important is it for us to know who we are?
Who are you?
What is your name?
Who are your people?
Because of what Jesus did for you, who are you?
I have been up here at Pisgah a lot the past couple weeks. Having the opportunity to be with the students is always inspiring. One thing that I find over and over again is the drastic difference between those who KNOW they are His kids and those who don't.
Understanding who we are in HIM makes all the difference!
Why does it make such a difference?
Why is it so important that we know who we are?
I really believe that the enemy wants nothing more than for us to loose our identity. At the core of all his lies is one of the most destructive lies. A lie about your identity.
I don't want you to say "Who are we?" you must keep this personal!
WHO ARE YOU?
I would really like you to go around the circle one more time and answer that question. With a short answer, something like....
I am Beth and I am redeemed.
Will you?
Why?
What happened again to Esther in this chapter.
She went from a just a girl, to a warrior for her people and it all came in remembering who she was.
Too many times we say things like,
"I'm fat"
"I'm stressed"
"I'm unworthy"
"I'm unloved"
"I'm damaged goods"
"I'm not enough"
"I'm weak"
"I'm........"
All messages that we are being told by the enemy who wants you to forget who you are. Because if you remember, if you KNOW who you are....
You will become a warrior!
It is interesting to me that in this story we focus on the one famous line, "For such a time as this." It is a great line! No question. But perhaps the most important words in this chapter are, "her people." in those two words Mordecai was telling Esther to own who she was, to remember who she was, and in knowing that she becomes the partners with God in working out His providence.
Will you spend time this next week letting God reveal to you who you are?
Will you open your heart to His truth about you?
Will you tell the enemy to SHUT UP!? To get "behind me satan"
Will you let the still small voice drown out the enemy's voice?
If you will it will be amazing to see what happens next.
Knowing and owning who we are in Christ will transform us. We will go from being caught up in everything that doesn't matter like what we are wearing to being agents of change for Him.
At the beginning of class I ask about a defining moment in your life. For Esther the defining moment was acknowledging she was a Jew. It was being reminded of who she was, a chosen people, God's girl.
When we acknowledge that we are HIS it will be a defining moment. When we are going through life and have difficult moments or seasons, acknowledging that we are HIS will be a defining moment.
Are you ready for a moment that will change the trajectory of your life?
Then know who you are in Jesus!
Be a Christ follower!
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