Second week of Esther. Today we’re summoned to seek. Do you remember playing hide and seek as a kid? And if you were it, you had to seek out all your friends who were hiding. And I always thought the most fun time to play was at night. And once your eyes adjusted to the light, you started to see things differently, didn’t you? I mean, you knew your friends were nearby. You just couldn’t see them. You needed to seek them out, right? God, where are you? Have you ever wondered this? Have you ever felt that God was hiding from you? We’re going to start to see God in our in this story of Esther, even though his name is not mentioned even once. You see, we need to sometimes adjust our vision so that we can see things differently and know that God is with us even when he seems to be hidden. The author of Esther, who’s unnamed, doesn’t mention God at all in this story. Therefore, God seems hidden. And we might be tempted, like the author of Psalm 74 that Tom just read a portion of, to say, God, how long will the enemy mock you? Why do you hold back your right hand? But the author of Esther very cleverly uses the details of the story. To show us how God arranged the events in the lives of Esther and Mordecai to deliver His chosen people, the Jews, from almost certain annihilation. God was in control of the events, even when His name was not mentioned.
You see, the author of Esther wants us to see the hidden God moving throughout the narrative. He wants us to see that God is right there, right in front of us throughout the story. Seek and you will find him. This is true for us. We’re never left alone in the dark. God is always with us. Seek and we will find him. Now, we’re going to read portions of Esther from chapter 2 and chapter 3. Feel free to take out your Bibles, but it might be easier to just follow along on the screen since I’m going to be skipping around a bit. Now, there was in the citadel of Susa, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, who was also known as Esther. Mordecai had taken as his own daughter when her father and mother died. When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa. Esther was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Haggai. who had charge of the harem. Esther had not revealed her nationality. Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Every day he would walk back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. Before a young woman’s turn came to go into King Xerxes, she had to complete 12 months of beauty treatments. prescribed for the women. Six months of oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics.
In the evening, she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Haggai. The king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem suggested. Now, the king was attracted to Esther more than any of the other women. And she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman, son of Hamadatha the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gelt gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman. For the king had commanded this concerning him, but Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down, or pay him honor. He was enraged. Yet, having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews. throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. Then Haman said to King Xerxes, there’s a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them. Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children, on a single day. The thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray.
Dear God, the world is filled with tough things. We don’t always understand why people act the way they do, and we cry out to you. You are ever faithful to your promise. Help us to rely on you and trust your constant presence in our lives. Even when we cannot see you. Amen. The Bible, because it’s recording real life events, doesn’t shy away from hard things. The book of Esther is filled with hard things like slavery and sex trafficking and threatened genocide. And yet, God’s hand moves through these deplorable and depraved conditions. And God encourages us to see His presence in every circumstance, good and bad. You’re going to see throughout the entire story of Esther that God does not forget His promises. Remember, throughout the Old Testament, God gave a promise to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, that through the Jews, a Savior would be born that would save the entire world. In the story of Esther, God raises up two ordinary people. An orphan named Esther, and her uncle Mordecai. And they are going to help God save his chosen people, the Jews, from certain annihilation. Now, Mordecai and Esther are what we call a remnant. They were part of the Jews that were left in the Persian Empire around 470 BC. This is a hundred years after the initial exile to Babylon. So chances are Esther and Mordecai at this time have very few ties to Israel, but God is still going to use them as part of his plan to save his people. Now our other main character is Haman, and Haman is an evil man, and he has been promoted to prime minister of the entire Persian empire, and Haman has deep seated ancestral hatred for the Jews. Going back all the way to Exodus chapter 17, Now, this was the battle where God told Moses if you keep your arms raised, the Israelites will defeat the Amalekites, Haman’s ancestors.
If your hands drop, you will lose. Moses kept his arms up, and the Israelites defeated the Amalekites. Haman’s family kept a grudge and a hatred for the Jews for 1, 300 years. You’re going to see over the next couple of weeks how God will use even the evil Haman to fulfill his ultimate purpose, which is to save the world through the Jews. I have a map of the Persian Empire because I think it’s important for you to understand just how vast it is. It was the size of the United States. And the empire spanned all the way from India. to Ethiopia. And this is important because when Haman says he wants to annihilate the Jews, he’s talking about all the Jews in Israel and throughout the Persian Empire. That would be every Jew on the planet. Our reading today takes place four years after King Xerxes gave the boot to Queen Vashti. So the king’s lonely. So what does a lonely king do? Well, he looks for a date. And so he sends out his troops to find girls from 127 provinces to try to find a suitable wife. Now, these girls did not have a choice to be paraded in front of the king and what amounted to a beauty pageant. And unlike the Miss America pageant, they didn’t choose to participate and they didn’t get to pick their talent. But was Esther left alone in this terrible time? No, scripture tells us that her uncle Mordecai, he walked in front of the court every day to make sure she was okay. Esther had someone in her corner who would alter his daily plans. because he so deeply cared about her. God placed Uncle Mordecai in Esther’s life. And then there’s this other unlikely person who was also part of God’s plan to protect Esther, and that was this Gentile eunuch named Haggai. Haggai made sure Esther had the best food, the best beauty treatments, and the best advice. on how to win the king’s favor. As we’ve said, the name God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but His almighty presence is throughout this story. And this brings us to our very first point. God is with us. When we don’t know it, feel it. or hear his name mentioned. You see, he’s God Almighty, the creator, and 300 years before this we had the prophet Isaiah who prophesied that the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will be called Emmanuel.
That’s the promise we have. That’s Jesus. The word Emmanuel memes. God with us. Where was God in the story of Esther? He was right there. God placed Esther on the throne. God placed Esther into a position of power as the queen. But I think it’s fair to say at this point in the story, Esther has no idea of God’s greater purpose or plan for why she is where she is. And I think it’s true that sometimes when we’re in the midst of a situation, we also wonder, where are you in all of this? The story of Esther is not a Cinderella story. Esther’s been taken from her village. She has to hide her true identity. She wasn’t asked if she wanted to marry the king. Women had no rights. Being a queen was no easy job. In fact, there was no guarantee she would ever see the king again because she had to be summoned by him. But God was with Esther. Esther couldn’t see it yet, but God had a bigger purpose than her just being at the king’s beck Eventually, Esther’s position of power would help her save her people. This brings us to our second point. Nothing happens on this earth without God knowing about it. There are no coincidences with God. God uses every circumstance. Because of Esther’s strange and somewhat precarious position, Uncle Mordecai walks in front of the king’s gate every day. And because of this, he was able to overhear a plot by the king’s officials that they wanted to kill the king. So Uncle Mordecai tells Esther, Esther tells the king and gives credit to Mordecai. God’s divine providence allowed Mordecai to be at the right place at the right time to overhear this evil plot. However, King Xerxes is short on his memory and he forgot all about Mordecai and instead he raises up Haman to a very high seat of power, and it was commanded that everyone in Persia had to kneel before Haman and pay him homage. Mordecai refused, giving no other reason than he was a Jew, and Mordecai had no idea that his refusal basically put all of the Jews in jeopardy. Over the next few weeks, you’re going to hear how this story of Esther takes so many perilous turns. Just when things seem to be settled down, a new problem arises.
Does that sound like your life sometimes? Have there maybe been some unexpected twists and turns and seems to be hidden? You know, we’re not alone because throughout the Bible, people cried out, asking God, where are you in the midst of the trials? The author of Psalm 74 that Tom read, he asks God, remember your people. I’m gonna finish reading that Psalm. This is the way it ends. Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord. How foolish people have reviled your name. Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts. Don’t forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace. May the poor and needy praise your name. Rise up, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how fools mock you all day long. Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries. the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. The book of Esther shows us that God does not abandon us in our time of need. God’s apparent silence is not indifference. In fact, Martin Luther actually called this the hidden God. He said that God’s motives are hidden in the sense that we don’t know what his plans are outside of his promised word. And this is what I hold on to. Jeremiah 29 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you. And not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. There are some difficult things that happen in the book of Esther. But the story of Esther demonstrates that God uses all things for His purpose. Even our brokenness and our sinfulness. And so here is our third point. God is bigger than trauma.
God is bigger than sin. God is bigger than evil. God can and does work through some of the most unfathomable places and people to achieve his purpose. The Bible, just like life, does not shy away from hard things. The book of Esther is filled with hard things like slavery and eunuchs and threatened genocide. And yet, God’s hand moves through all of these conditions. You see, God’s purpose will not be thwarted by human actions. God can and does use all things for His purpose. And what’s His purpose? Is to draw all to Him. so that none will perish. God encourages us to seek his presence every circumstance, good or bad. God is faithful and present in our lives no matter where we find ourselves. And this brings us to our final point. God steadfastly keeps his promises and guides all events so that history Serves his purposes and always runs its course in a way that is for the ultimate good of all, who trust in him. God is with us in the hard times, and we have the promise of forgiveness through the cross and the promise that he gave to us in Matthew 28 20. And surely I will be with you until the end of the age. Let us pray. Dear Lord, you can and do use all things for your purpose, which is to bring salvation found in Christ to all. Your desire is that none shall perish. Help us to seek you when you seem dimly lit. Help us to see your hand in our lives. Thank you for being right beside us in all life’s trials. Amen. You are ever faithful. Amen.
