Lessons From Esther – Lesson 5
Est 4:12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
Est 4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
Est 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Several things here.
Mordecai said to Ester think not that thou shalt escape.
Don’t turn a blind eye to the problem, thinking it will not affect me. The problem affects all Jews and you are one. So don’t put your head in the sand like an ostrich and say not my problem. Don’t think you are something special that you will be spared.
There are a lot of Americans that do not get this principal. Our nation is falling apart. If it keeps going like it is, there will not be a country that has freedom at all. But they will think what is happening does not concern me, it will not affect my little world. Not true. It affects everyone that is in America.
We see faith in God’s promises. Mordecai says if Esther does not act, then deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place.
Where? I mean look around. Persia is huge, it military might incredible. No one can walk in and take it over and in less than a year, in time to save the Jews. So when Mordecai has faith that there will be deliverance, he is not getting that from what he sees. We are taught in the Bible to walk by faith and not by sight.
Mordecai is walking by faith.
And as I have said many times, God never expects His children to walk by blind faith. He always gives something to base our faith on. Creation is an example. It is too incredible, too immense, too complicated, too organized, too engineered to be an accident. All creation testifies of our creator God. God created in such a way that there is an abundance of evidence to make it easy for us to believe by faith that God’s word is true and that our God created everything we see.
What did Mordecai have to base his faith in. I mean look at how strong his faith is. Even when he cannot see where help would possibly come from. He says deliverance will come. Mordecai had God’s promises recorded in the scriptures. There are so many, but we are just going to look at Jer. 33 because it specifically has to do with what God promised to the Jews after the captivity.
And this is the time that Mordecai is living in. The return has started but only the temple has been rebuilt, and not the wall. The people in Jerusalem are not protected, and not really doing well. There is no joy, no praise, no prosperity, they are not built up, and they only have Jerusalem, not the land nearby for example Bethlehem.
Jer 33:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
Jer 33:2 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jer 33:4 For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;
Jer 33:5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
God tells Jeremiah what is coming and that is what happened. Now comes the promises.
Jer 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Jer 33:7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
That is a promise from the God who cannot lie. He will cause them to return and watch it God says He will build them as at the first. Mordecai could look at that and say without a doubt that has not happened yet.
Jer 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
Jer 33:9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
Are you seeing it? God promised He will cause joy and praise and honor in Jerusalem before all nations of the earth. And all nations will hear of all the good that God will do unto them. God promised to bring prosperity again to Jerusalem.
Mordecai could look at that promise and have zero doubt that although it has not happened yet it is guaranteed to happen.
Jer 33:10 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
Jer 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
The voice of joy, and gladness, and praise for the Lord, and the return the captivity of the land as at the first. Modecai could say that has not happened yet.
Jer 33:12 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
Jer 33:13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.
God promised that the land will be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. And the flocks shall pass again in the cities of the mountains, and the vale and the south and in the land of Benjamin and in the place about Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah. Saith the LORD.
Mordecai could look and have zero doubt that those promises have not happened yet. So he had plenty of promises to base his faith on. Mordecai could have strong faith that deliverance would come even though he could not see it with his eyes.
He could firmly stand on the promises of God and walk by faith and not by sight and simply believe the promises of God. Even when faced with the darkness of the decree to kill them all.
This should be an example to us. We are also to walk by faith. And we also have many promises in the Word of God that are directed towards us. We also can put our trust in them and have faith even with all of the darkness that is in our world.
Promises like where two or three are gathered together He is in the midst. And the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. And the promises to hear our prayers.
The question might come to mind, If Mordecai had such faith, then why the sackcloth and ashes. 1 it is always good to be aware of and express our need for God to work. We have no power of our own. 2 Mordecai knew deliverance would come, but when? And how many might die before it comes.
Mordecai knew God would not let all the Jews be wiped out because God must fulfill His promises, but God could still do that if even half of the Jews were killed.
So yes have faith in deliverance. It will come guaranteed, but also pray for God to work sooner than later and pray for deliverance to come before anyone dies.
The 3rd thing is and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Mordecai tells Esther who knows if God has not put you where you are to use you. Esther, God might have made you queen for exactly this reason. For exactly this situation. And if so, then who are you to not allow God to use you. God does work this way. He does operate in complete foreknowledge. God does place certain people in certain positions or in certain towns to be used of Him to do His will.
That was true with Noah, and Moses, and Pharoah’s daughter, and Rahab and Boaz. God worked this way in Esther’s day and God still works this way in our day.
God worked in a man’s heart to start a church in Wheatridge Colorado. God then worked in men’s hearts to run a bus route. God worked to have my kids ride the bus. Later first the kids and then the rest of us got saved. And now thousands upon thousands of households are getting the gospel delivered to them.
Those men who ran the bus route have no idea but in God’s economy they are getting some of the credit for each house that we are delivering the gospel to. I have no doubt that those men were placed by God in that little church for a reason. To be used by God.
Our attitude should be, and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? God might have put us here for such a time as this. Since that is true then do what is needed and let God work as He sees fit. In our case it is to get the gospel out. The Gospel is America’s greatest need and second we help the fatherless and others.
In Esther’s case it was to go see the king.
Est 4:15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
Est 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Est 4:17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
Est 5:1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
Est 5:2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
Est 5:3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
Est 5:4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.
Est 5:5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Est 5:6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
Est 5:7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;
Est 5:8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.
Esther showed courage and went into the court. She put her life on the line for her people.
So why not tell the king immediately. Is she having doubts? Has her courage cooled?
No. Esther is wise. She is being smart. She is using her experience.
Do you remember the beginning of the book. Do you remember how this king thought about feasts. He held long feasts. To invite the king to a feast that lasted 30 min. would be rude and disrespectful.
Esther is going to speed things up by only having a two day feast.
Esther is willing to let God use her, and she is being active in the process. And she is doing it with wisdom according to the customs of the position that God has placed her in.
She is not running off have cocked, or operating in a panic. On the second day of the feast she plans on telling the king and exercising faith in her God to work.
And notice Esther is operating in a godly way. Within the framework of God’s morality. She is not operating as the world which says all is far in love and war. She is not going to lie or cheat or steal to solve this. It is never right to do wrong to do right. The ends do not justify the means. Esther understands that.
And also notice that she is only trying to do what she can. She is not mounting a rebellion. She is not raising an army. She is not planning an assassination.
This is another important principal. God does not ask nor expect you to do something outside of your ability or resources to do. Please understand. Yes He expects us to rely upon Him and His resources that He gives. What I am saying is that He does not expect us to rely on resources that He does not give. We are only responsible to do what we can with the resources that He gives.
So you see Esther doing what she can with the resources and opportunity that God has given her. She is not going out trying to do something in her flesh. She is being bold and courageous and exercising faith and trusting that God will work and use what little she can do.
This same principal applies to us. I cannot get a plane ticket and fly to Haiti and fix the gang problem. But I can care. I can’t help everyone in Haiti, but I can help a few orphans.
I cannot go fix Washington. I cannot get people to vote right. I cannot force anyone to believe the gospel. We can’t change America. But we can do what we can. We can do what God wants us to do with the resources that He has given us. We can get the gospel out. We can get it delivered right to where people live.
God does not expect us to take on the burden of success that belong on His shoulders. Results are His load to carry. But God does expect us to do what we can. He does expect us to move. He does expect us to do what we can with the resources that He gives.
We should take Esther’s and Mordecai’s example to heart. Be bold and courageous and do what we can in faith. And within the framework of God’s morality.