The
current World population today is 6.8 billion pp! With a population so large it is easy to
underestimate the significance of one.
A)It is easy to think things
like: There
are so many people
who have so many gifts and talents doing so many things that are so
important who needs me!
B)
What can I as one individual contribute to the overwhelming needs of the world, my community, my church?
C)But the truth of the matter is you are you
1)the
only one of
you in the World
D)God doesnt just see
things in the realm of the Big Picture but he is interested in the individual.
1)He
has a plan for your life Use you in your sphere of influence.
Edward
Everett Hale
I am only one, but still I am one. I
cannot do everything, but I Still can do something. And because I cannot do
everything, I will not refuse to the something that I can do.
What I can do, I should do and, with
the help of God, I will do."
Chuck Swindol adds this insight from his book on
the Life of Esther. When I read Gods
Word, I dont find many stories about great crusades, and city wide revivals
and mass meetings where Gods attention rested on an entire country or a whole
community. More often, I find individual men and women who made a difference,
who set the pace or cut a wide path or stood in the gap and changed their
times. From Genesis to Revelation, we see Gods hand on the lives of
individuals who thought and said what was right-regardless- and as a result,
history was made.
True in History of the Church as well Men like
Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, Graham, Chuck Smith.
Single
men who went against the grain and made a huge impact.
As we come to Ch. 3-4 of Esther we are introduced
to
One man who was filled with great hatred
See One man mourning in great grief who couldnt
just sit back and say whatever will be will be!
And One woman who took a great risk.
History
was forever Changed! As we go thru these Chapters
make some observations about the kind of man or woman God uses! 8 Principles
..uses !
Quick review: King Ahasureus King of
Esther Orphan raised by godly cousin named
Mordecai { Pageant
A)Esther is Chosen
B)Ch.2 Ended with Mordecai uncovering a plot to assonate the King {Tells Esther tells the King
1)the men
involved were hung on the gallows for everyone to see this is what happens
when you try to undermine the king
Ch. 3 the
Landscape suddenly changes as we are introduced to one man who was filled
with great Hatred So much so that it almost
resulted in the annihilation of an entire race of people.
After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes
who were with him.
Now
wait a second Mordecai just saved the kings life who is this guy Haman
and why is he being promoted?
A)Reminder
Life is not fair But God is still SOVGN dont forget that pt. as we see the
story unfolds
B)Who
is Haman? Son of Hammedatha the Agagite.
C)This
info takes us back about 500 yrs event that took place in the book of 1st
Samuel when Saul was King
God
had instructed Saul battle with the Amalekites Destroy all of them Why? Cancer?
A)Saul not only didnt do
that but he brought back their King as a trophy a man by the Name of Agag.
B)Samuel questions Samuel
takes sword Hacks Agag into pieces Brutal great example of how to deal
with Sin Harshly
C)But from that day forward there
was a hatred that had developed in the heart of the Agagites against the Jews.
So
Haman is a man with a deep seeded Hatred.
Watch what happens next
V.2 And
all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed and paid homage
to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not
bow or pay homage. 3 Then the king's servants who were within the king's gate
said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?" 4 Now
it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that
they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand; for
Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
That last
phrase for Modecai had told them that he was a Jew
is important to understanding what is going on here.
Mordecai
is not being defiant because this guy Haman got promoted instead of him
A)No the reason he is not
bowing was because he was Jewish ie a follower of Jehovah
B)Mordecai was a devoutly a
godly man and bowing down to any earthly person or thing was considered
idolatry and he was not going to do that.
1)To do so ran against the
deepest convictions of his faith.
C)Similar to Shad
..
Abendego in the book of Daniel not going to bow even though everyone else
was.
So
right away we see this ONE MAN Mordecai going against the grain.
A)
Even though it was the Kings command. So in essence
he wasnt just offending Hamans Pride he was
disobeying the King.
B)1st Principle of the kind of man or woman that God
uses is he/she is one who stands on the word of God and is not afraid to go
against the grain.
C)Common thread of those
that God uses They have to be those who are willing to take a stand and do
what is right regardless of the circumstances!
It
is easy to follow the crowd and to do what everyone else is doing.
A)It takes a man or woman of
faith and conviction to stand for what they believe no matter the cost
C)Test are you that kind of
person?
5 When Haman
saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6
But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the
people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were
throughout the whole
Here
we see the ramifications of Pride and prejudice
A)Not the Movie deep
seated hatred over yrs that is now being fueled by a single mans pride
B)Demonic influence here
adding to the evil.
C)Only wonder what this man
grew up hearing about the Jews that fueled this Hatred inside of him
D)As Parents we need to
watch what we say and attitudes we adopt around our kids
1)Even regarding Church Seen Teens young adults
completely abandon Church- because heard their parents talk to many times about
problems or people -
E)Why do I want to go there?
Why do I want to be a part of that.
7 In the first
month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they
cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month,
until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
Note:
What year did he have his feast? Third year.
What year was Esther made queen?
Seventh year.
A)Now, we are in the 12th
year so this is five years later.
Isn't that interesting?
B)God has had the chief
characters in position for five years now.
1)Esther's
been there for five years as queen, and yet, the reason for her being there is
not yet revealed.
C)The purpose of God for her
being there has not yet been fulfilled.
1)Yet,
she has been there, God has her there in advance.
D)And many times, God, in
working out His purposes in our life, is working years in advance, and we don't
even realize it, we don't even know it.
He
is putting us in position, putting us into place years in advance.
A)Our
problem, we live on a day by day basis, and we look at today, and we look at
tomorrow, and we say, "Nothing's happening in my life. I've been here for two whole weeks, and
nothing's happening."
B)Well, God's purposes are not
always accomplished in two weeks.
Sometimes it's years.
C)And
here it is five years later that we now begin to see why God has put these
people in these positions.
1)He's
got them there well ahead of the time that they will be used.
2nd
Principle of the kind of person that God uses he/she is the kind of person
who knows how to be patient and bloom where they are planted.
A)The casting of lots was
sort of a superstitious way of making a decision the lot fell on the month of
Adar = March
8 Then Haman
said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed
among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different
from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is
not fitting for the king to let them remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let a
decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents
of silver{ six
million dollars} into the hands
of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries."
B)The Jews were scattered
throughout the 127 provinces probably close to 3 million strong
C)Haman says I'll give you
six million dollars if you'll let me carry out this eradication.
1)I'll
see that it comes into the king's treasuries.
Haman
is the kind of man who knows how to push the right buttons to appeal to the
king.
A)He brings up the issue of
the kings influence these Jews were not obeying his laws
B)Really only one Jew that
we know of who wasnt bowing and that was Mordecai
C)People with and agenda
love to exaggerate People come to me Lots of pp are upset about this
1)Or I have talked to a lot
of pp who think this way
D)I usually ask what is a
lot? Who have you talked with usually 2 pp { Multitudes
We
have already seen that Ahauserues was worried about his influence got rid of
Vashti set example
A)Haman also appeals to his
desire for wealth I will give you 6 million
..
B)Note this Haman isnt
asking for 6 million to play exterminator he is willing to pay to do it
1)What kind of man what
degree of hatred is there that would possess a man to do that ?
RD V.10-13
Interesting
the time table here: Haman ordered the annihilation of all the Jews in the
first month of the year and it was not to be carried out until the 12th
month.
A)Sign of his hatred let
them live in torment for 11 months knowing what awaits them
B)Now Ray Stedman in his
commentary on the book of Esther draws and interesting picture here by way of
contrast.
C)He pictures Haman as being
symbolic of the flesh influencing the King
1)And Mordecai is a picture
of the Holy Spirit seeking to lead Esther.
D)Stedman makes this point
that Giving into the flesh starts with a decision. Nothing can be done in your
life without the consent of your will! You cannot pass the buck to anyone else.
You have the final responsibility for what happens in your life, because
nothing can be done, good or evil, apart from the consent of your will.
E)One
hasty decision was going to affect the lives of millions of people.
1)So too in our lives one
spur of the moment decision to give into the flesh can affect many
Stedman adds What you decide in the
depths of your heart affects everyone who knows you. The decision made in
secret in the very innermost part of your thinking, sooner or later touches the
lives of everyone with whom you have to do. Such a decision reaches out to the
uttermost limits of your empire
.You cannot give yourself to playing with
thoughts in secret that do not sooner or later break out in open deeds.
So
the Decision was made: V 14 adds A copy of the
document was to be issued as law in every province, {Once it was issued
into law the edict could not be reversed even by the king} being published for all people, that they should be ready
for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the
decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to
drink, but the city of
What
a depiction of pride and arrogance and the disregard of human life.
A)They sat down to drink
- the rest of the city is perplexed
wow
B)No one could change the
kings edict - Helplessness is quickly eroding into hopelessness
C)But in the midst of all of
this God was not sleeping 1)In His Sovereign plan he determined one person
would make a difference.
2)One person would stand in
the gap
When Mordecai
learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and
ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and
bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the front of the king's gate, for no one might
enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
This sackcloth with ashes, of course, was the sign of
extreme mourning.
A)We remember how that Ezra,
when he was informed of the sin of the people, tore his clothes, put on
sackcloth and ashes, and just sat there in a dazed state all day long; a sign
of extreme sorrow and mourning,
B)Now, you were not allowed to show any signs of mourning around the
palace. {
Happy Place
1)No sign of sorrow there;
and so, he left his usual position there by the palace gate,
C)So he went out into the
middle of the city, began to wail, began to cry, as was, of course, the
oriental custom. He cried with loud and bitter cry.
D)TV middle East
1)Here in
3rd Principle: A man/woman that God uses is one
that is touched deeply by the affects of sin.
A)Nehemiah devos heard of the reproach mourned many days but no
one knew.
B)There is a time for public sorrow time for private
sorrow
1)The man of God he is
moved by the affects of sin
C)Cant be glib Joke about it! Letterman but not a man of God.
1) Shock Value Provacative
no place in the pulpit
Sacredness to the Word of
God
D)Now Mordecai takes a risk here because the last part of v. 2 tells us
he went as far as the gate.
4th Principle: A man/woman that God uses is
willing to be bold to right an injustice.
But Shushan wasnt the only
place where pp were mourning
3 And in every
province where the king's command and decree arrived, there was great mourning
among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth
and ashes.
Picture
the scene Massive mourning Interesting how suffering can really bring
people together and bring pp to a place of seeking God more fervently
Testimonies from Sunday
Some have quit.
4 So Esther's
maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then
she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but
he would not accept them.
Esther
was probably clueless at this point to the Edict separated from normal life
there is the Palace
A)She
is wondering what is going on with Mordecai when he refused the clothes she
sent she knows something serious is happening here
Rd v.5-8a
So they, now doubt, had these posters up all over; these
flyers.
A)And so, Mordecai gave to Hatach one of these to show to Esther what
was going on,
V.8b-9 and that he might command her to go in to the king to make
supplication to him and plead before him for her people. 9 So Hathach returned
and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Mordecai is Charging Esther- "you've got
to go in and intercede for the nation, for your people."
5th Principle: A man/woman
that God uses inspires others to do what God has called them to do.
RD V. 10-12
Cant come unless summoned
Cant just march into the court of the king Death
Side note: We can
come boldly to our King!
RD V. 13-14
This is interesting it shows us that
Mordecai knew that God was a God who would keep his promises. A)He wasnt going to let his pp be completely annihilated.
B)
God had promised the future for the Jewish people, the Messiah has not yet
come,
1)Mordecai, knowing the
faithfulness of God in keeping His promises believed that somehow, God would
spare the Jewish people from this edict that had been given.
C)Nehemiah Prayed "I pray, Lord God of
heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with
those who love You and observe Your commandments,
D) 6th Principle: A man or woman that God uses is
one who believes that God is a Promise Keeper.
1)Able to see the greatness and faithfulness of God inspite of the
bleakness of the situation.
The idea that Mordecai is impressing upon Esther is; who knows, Esther,
but maybe God has chosen you to be the
instrument in bringing to pass His purposes.
Maybe God has brought you to the kingdom for such a time as this. Five years when
you were chosen to be queen.
Maybe God had positioned you for this very moment; for this very task
of saving your people.
I do believe that all of us come to that place in life for
which God has been preparing us.
A)Paul, as he is writing to
the
For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.
B)In other words, what Paul is saying is God has set out a plan for
your life.
1)God has foreordained the
work that He intends for you to do for the glory of the kingdom.
C)He's already got it all
worked out; but in the mean time, He's working in you to prepare you for that
work that He's prepared that you should do.
Now, a lot of times, while we're in this time of
preparation, as God is working in us, we're chomping at the bit.
A)We are growing impatient - I want to see the purpose, the plan of
God. I don't like this time of
preparation.
B)And it is easy to try and
jump ahead of the Lord. Instead of letting God lead we want to push open doors
C)Help God out Abe / Sarah
with Hagar
1)Gods timing often seems
slow but in reality God is always on time.
Prep time right now! {Dont grow weary waiting
A)Dont get to comfortable that when the time comes you dont want to
respond.
B)Mordecai is telling Esther the time is now!
C)What about you something the Lord has been saying to you the time
is now!
RD V. 15-17
7th Principle A man/woman that God uses knows the importance
of Praying and fasting.
Offering Prayer fasting 2 best weeks of the year
8th Principle: A man/ woman that God uses is willing to risk
everything for the sake of Gods kingdom and His glory.
Now, the interesting thing to me is that in three days'
time, Esther fulfilled the whole purpose of God for her life.
The rest of it, she could just cruise and enjoy being queen.
But in three days, all of the preparation up to that point was for
these three critical days. God brought
her to the kingdom for such a time as this.
These three momentous days. {
Next time.