okay as Tim as Tim mentioned today we<\/p>\n
are going to be speaking about es Esther<\/p>\n
5 we have been in the Book of Esther for<\/p>\n
five weeks now and this is going to be<\/p>\n
the the end of our time in Esther for<\/p>\n
now so as we're approaching chapter 5<\/p>\n
let's let's talk about how we've gotten<\/p>\n
to where we are right now at Esther 1 we<\/p>\n
met uh hashes or xer<\/p>\n
uh who was a drunken arrogant Monarch<\/p>\n
through 187 day party for himself so<\/p>\n
that he could show off his wealth and<\/p>\n
power and Prestige to all the important<\/p>\n
people lived in his Empire at the end of<\/p>\n
that party he tried to summon his wife<\/p>\n
to show off her beauty for the people at<\/p>\n
the party and she refused him so he<\/p>\n
banished her from his Empire and he<\/p>\n
needed a new Queen uh in chapter two<\/p>\n
Xerxes and his advisers uh abducted<\/p>\n
beautiful young women from around the<\/p>\n
Empire and had a contest to see who<\/p>\n
would be the next Queen and our heroine<\/p>\n
Esther won that<\/p>\n
contest as you hear about the contest<\/p>\n
you might not think that winning it is<\/p>\n
actually becoming Queen but for the<\/p>\n
purposes of our story it is in chapter 3<\/p>\n
we met hmon for the first time hmon is<\/p>\n
our caricature of evil in the Book of<\/p>\n
Esther he is our antagonist he rises to<\/p>\n
power within the Empire of Persia Rises<\/p>\n
to second in command and in doing so he<\/p>\n
really becomes arrogant as well and<\/p>\n
seeks uh for everybody he comes in<\/p>\n
contact with to uh worship Him and cower<\/p>\n
before him the same way they do the<\/p>\n
king now we had one character Mori who<\/p>\n
did not cower before hmon and Hon's<\/p>\n
response was to orchestrate the genocide<\/p>\n
of of all of the Jews in the Empire to<\/p>\n
write this perceived<\/p>\n
wrong uh in chapter 4 we saw Mori<\/p>\n
grieved by the perceived irreversible<\/p>\n
fate of the Jews um he tore his clothes<\/p>\n
he uh was in sackcloth and mourning and<\/p>\n
um he's praying and fasting for uh<\/p>\n
discernment uh and he goes to Esther who<\/p>\n
is living in the palace as Queen and she<\/p>\n
says that she doesn't know if she can<\/p>\n
help uh the king hasn't called on her in<\/p>\n
a month and she's a little afraid for<\/p>\n
her own safety to go to the king<\/p>\n
unannounced Uninvited but the end of<\/p>\n
that chapter ended with the proclamation<\/p>\n
that Esther was going to go to the king<\/p>\n
Uninvited she she had made this decision<\/p>\n
to do so and that she she was going to<\/p>\n
pray and fast for three days before she<\/p>\n
did so uh and that's kind of where we<\/p>\n
are as we enter chapter 5 we the author<\/p>\n
of Esther has built tension in the story<\/p>\n
as we're anxiously awaiting this<\/p>\n
confrontation that we that we're going<\/p>\n
to hear about in chapter 5 we're hanging<\/p>\n
on their every word we are uh we're left<\/p>\n
wondering what's going to happen at the<\/p>\n
end of every chapter um before we just<\/p>\n
binged watched everything on Netflix we<\/p>\n
had to wait a week in between new TV TV<\/p>\n
shows right um and that's kind of what's<\/p>\n
happening in the Book of<\/p>\n
Esther the the the author is um putting<\/p>\n
characters In Harm's Way or wondering<\/p>\n
what's going to happen the best TV shows<\/p>\n
always had you uh sitting on the edge of<\/p>\n
your seat debating with your friends<\/p>\n
what was going to happen in the next<\/p>\n
week um as you waited anxiously for the<\/p>\n
next episode to come out and in chapter<\/p>\n
five the author is gonna continue to<\/p>\n
move that tension down the line uh in<\/p>\n
chapter five Esther is g to have this<\/p>\n
confrontation with Xerxes and she uh is<\/p>\n
going to be given an opportunity to<\/p>\n
share the the problem the danger that<\/p>\n
her she finds herself in and her people<\/p>\n
find themselves in and if we were<\/p>\n
watching this on television we'd<\/p>\n
probably be yelling at our at the TV<\/p>\n
screen tell him tell him now tell him<\/p>\n
what's going to happen but she doesn't<\/p>\n
do it and we're probably thinking that<\/p>\n
she just she blew it and at the end of<\/p>\n
chapter 5 as we get an an episode about<\/p>\n
hmon towards the end of chapter 5 we<\/p>\n
think that because Esther<\/p>\n
waited that Mori is gonna die before she<\/p>\n
can do anything about it but what<\/p>\n
happens next is that God steps into the<\/p>\n
picture and it's not we realize that God<\/p>\n
is the one who's really in control of<\/p>\n
all of these events Esther or morai is<\/p>\n
not going to save the Jews God is going<\/p>\n
to save the<\/p>\n
Jews Esther Mori hmon Xerxes they're not<\/p>\n
in charge of what's happening in these<\/p>\n
events God is the one who is in charge<\/p>\n
of what's Happening God's invisible hand<\/p>\n
as<\/p>\n
called it last week is directing<\/p>\n
everything that's happening in the Book<\/p>\n
of Esther most of my discussion today is<\/p>\n
going to focus on chapter 5 but since<\/p>\n
this is the last sermon we're going to<\/p>\n
have on Esther for a while uh in the<\/p>\n
spirit of Bene watching I am going to<\/p>\n
spoil the ending of the story for us so<\/p>\n
with that in mind let's turn to our<\/p>\n
text on the third<\/p>\n
day Esther put on her royal robes and<\/p>\n
stood in the inner Court of the king's<\/p>\n
Palace in front of the king's quarters<\/p>\n
while the King was sitting on his Royal<\/p>\n
Throne inside the throne room opposite<\/p>\n
the entrance to the palace and when the<\/p>\n
king saw Queen Esther standing in the<\/p>\n
court she won favor in his sight and he<\/p>\n
held out to Esther the golden scepter<\/p>\n
that was in his hand then Esther<\/p>\n
approached and touched the tip of the<\/p>\n
scepter scepter and the King said to her<\/p>\n
what is it Queen Esther what is your<\/p>\n
request it shall be given to you even to<\/p>\n
the half of my kingdom and Esther said<\/p>\n
if it please the king let the king and<\/p>\n
hmon come to a feast that I have<\/p>\n
prepared for the<\/p>\n
king then the king said bring hmon<\/p>\n
quickly so that we may do as Esther has<\/p>\n
asked so the king and hmon came to the<\/p>\n
feast that Esther had prepared and as<\/p>\n
they were drinking wine after the feast<\/p>\n
the king said to Esther what is your<\/p>\n
wish it shall be granted to you and what<\/p>\n
is your request even to the half of my<\/p>\n
kingdom it shall be fulfilled then<\/p>\n
Esther answered my wish and my request<\/p>\n
is if I have found favor in the sight of<\/p>\n
the king and if it pleased the king to<\/p>\n
Grant My Wish and fill my fulfill my<\/p>\n
request let the king and hmon come to<\/p>\n
the feast that I will prepare for them<\/p>\n
and tomorrow I will do as the King has<\/p>\n
said and hmon went out that day joyful<\/p>\n
and glad of heart but when hmon saw Mori<\/p>\n
in the king's gate that he neither Rose<\/p>\n
nor trembled before him he was filled<\/p>\n
with wrath against Mori nevertheless<\/p>\n
hmon restrained himself and went home<\/p>\n
and he sent and brought with his friends<\/p>\n
and his wife zeresh and hmon recounted<\/p>\n
to them the Splendor of his riches the<\/p>\n
number of his sons all the pro tions<\/p>\n
with which the king had honored him and<\/p>\n
how he had Advanced him above the<\/p>\n
officials and the Servants of the<\/p>\n
king then hmon said even Queen Esther<\/p>\n
let no one but me come with the King To<\/p>\n
The Feast she prepared and tomorrow also<\/p>\n
I am I am invited by her together with<\/p>\n
the King yet all this is worth nothing<\/p>\n
to me so long as I see morai the Jews<\/p>\n
sitting at the king's gate then his wife<\/p>\n
sesh and all his friends said to him let<\/p>\n
a Gallows 50 cubits High be made and in<\/p>\n
the morning tell the king to have morai<\/p>\n
hanged upon it then go joyfully with the<\/p>\n
King To The Feast this idea pleased hmon<\/p>\n
and he had the Gallows<\/p>\n
made two roads diverged in a yellow wood<\/p>\n
and sorry that I could not travel both<\/p>\n
and be one traveler long I stood and<\/p>\n
looked down one as far as I could to<\/p>\n
where it bent in the undergrowth then<\/p>\n
took the other as just as fair and<\/p>\n
having perhaps the better claim because<\/p>\n
it it was grassy and wanted<\/p>\n
wear though as for that the passing<\/p>\n
there had warned them really about the<\/p>\n
same and both that morning equally lay<\/p>\n
in leaves no step had troden black oh I<\/p>\n
kept the first for another day yet<\/p>\n
knowing how F away leaves leads on to<\/p>\n
way I doubted if I should ever come back<\/p>\n
I shall be telling this with a sigh<\/p>\n
somewhere ages and ages hint two roads<\/p>\n
diverged in a wood and I I took the One<\/p>\n
Less Traveled by and that has made all<\/p>\n
the<\/p>\n
difference you might recognize those<\/p>\n
words from uh Robert Frost's famous poem<\/p>\n
The not taken uh in the poem The Poet<\/p>\n
faces a fork in the road um he takes<\/p>\n
time to weigh his options and eventually<\/p>\n
takes the one that he perceives is Less<\/p>\n
Traveled by Frost is trying to express<\/p>\n
the uh the importance of the decisions<\/p>\n
that were faced with in life and the<\/p>\n
Merit in going against the grain but I<\/p>\n
would go one step further and say that<\/p>\n
this poem great metaphor for what's<\/p>\n
happening in Esther 5 and in the<\/p>\n
Christian Life<\/p>\n
overall see and hmon are both at a<\/p>\n
Crossroads during chapter 5 their next<\/p>\n
DEC decision is of the utmost importance<\/p>\n
because one path leads to destruction<\/p>\n
and one path leads to<\/p>\n
life they're standing at the fork in the<\/p>\n
road they're gazing down as far as they<\/p>\n
can see trying to perceive which way is<\/p>\n
best they approach the decision in<\/p>\n
different<\/p>\n
ways<\/p>\n
Esther seeks the Lord's wisdom she takes<\/p>\n
time she discerns what the will of God<\/p>\n
is she follows what it says in Proverbs<\/p>\n
35 and6 trust in the Lord with all your<\/p>\n
heart do not lean on your own<\/p>\n
understanding and all your ways<\/p>\n
acknowledge Him and He will make<\/p>\n
straight your<\/p>\n
paths she's discerned what she needs to<\/p>\n
do over days as she seeks the Lord she<\/p>\n
patiently waited at the fork in the road<\/p>\n
for the Lord to whisper his Direction in<\/p>\n
Wind on the other<\/p>\n
hand hmon has chosen to follow the<\/p>\n
path desire of fleshling of selfishness<\/p>\n
and he follows the foolish foolish<\/p>\n
counsel of his friends and it leads him<\/p>\n
towards the path of<\/p>\n
Destruction Esther is ready to<\/p>\n
act hmon has already acted foolishly<\/p>\n
recklessly let's see what happens to<\/p>\n
them reminded of the words of Jesus in<\/p>\n
Matthew 7:13-14<\/p>\n
says enter by the narrow gate for the<\/p>\n
gate is wide and the way is easy that<\/p>\n
leads to destruction and those who enter<\/p>\n
by it are many for the gate is narrow<\/p>\n
and the way is hard that leads to life<\/p>\n
and those who find it are<\/p>\n
few hmon is going to take the easy<\/p>\n
Road Esther will take the difficult<\/p>\n
Road when you approach the forks in the<\/p>\n
road in your life which road will you<\/p>\n
take let me tell you frost is right<\/p>\n
taking the narrow road taking The Road<\/p>\n
Less Traveled by will make all the<\/p>\n
difference because the difficulty of the<\/p>\n
path is not what matters it's the<\/p>\n
destination that will make the<\/p>\n
difference while we may know which plan<\/p>\n
will ultimately succeed in this in the<\/p>\n
Book of Esther let's talk about how our<\/p>\n
characters in our story arrive at their<\/p>\n
destinations um we may see the decisions<\/p>\n
are not exactly their own but God is<\/p>\n
directing their paths in chapter 5 God<\/p>\n
will providentially use Esther's plan<\/p>\n
for the Deliverance of his people and<\/p>\n
Hon's plan for the destruction of the<\/p>\n
wicked God providentially uses Esther's<\/p>\n
plan for the Deliverance of his people<\/p>\n
and Hon's plan for the destruction of<\/p>\n
wicked so as we uh shape our discussion<\/p>\n
today first we're going to talk about<\/p>\n
Hon's plan his decision to go down the<\/p>\n
easy road then we're going to talk about<\/p>\n
Esther's plan and her decision to take<\/p>\n
the difficult path finally we're going<\/p>\n
to talk about God's overarching<\/p>\n
Providence that<\/p>\n
is actually directing all of the events<\/p>\n
of this story as we start chapter 5<\/p>\n
hymon has already manipulated Xerxes<\/p>\n
into oaying the genocide of all of the<\/p>\n
Jews in the Empire on a set appointed<\/p>\n
day uh but that's not enough for him in<\/p>\n
verse n hmon fueled by lots of wine um<\/p>\n
is feeling really<\/p>\n
important he is really excited about his<\/p>\n
sta his status his status his State and<\/p>\n
life uh he's leaving a feast prepared by<\/p>\n
Queen Esther that only he and the King<\/p>\n
got to<\/p>\n
attend he thinks he's made it he thinks<\/p>\n
this is as good as it's ever going to<\/p>\n
get<\/p>\n
and but something immediately brings him<\/p>\n
down from this pedestal that he's on he<\/p>\n
beholds morai again in the king's gate<\/p>\n
and morai isn't terrified of him he<\/p>\n
stands up to him he doesn't bow before<\/p>\n
him<\/p>\n
uh and immediately all of this good will<\/p>\n
that hmon has comes crashing<\/p>\n
down so hmon takes a a page out of uh<\/p>\n
xery's book and he calls all his<\/p>\n
friends and in verses 10 through1 13 he<\/p>\n
throws a party for himself where he<\/p>\n
tells all his friends and advisers and<\/p>\n
his wife how rich he is how powerful he<\/p>\n
is how amazing he is but the one thorn<\/p>\n
in his side is<\/p>\n
Mori the one thing he can't get past is<\/p>\n
that this one man stands up to him that<\/p>\n
he won't cower before him and it makes<\/p>\n
everything else not matter to to hmon<\/p>\n
so zeresh his wife who is clearly a<\/p>\n
lovely person suggests to hmon that he<\/p>\n
should just kill Mori just kill him be<\/p>\n
done with it then you can go be excited<\/p>\n
about the feast that you're invited to<\/p>\n
tomorrow you know she's just flippantly<\/p>\n
growing about ideas here uh she wants<\/p>\n
him to build a Gallows that's 50 cubits<\/p>\n
high it's about 75t tall she wants them<\/p>\n
to build a stake in their backyard<\/p>\n
basically and what would be happening is<\/p>\n
they would kill morai and then just hang<\/p>\n
his body from it so everybody could see<\/p>\n
that Mory had been killed very<\/p>\n
flippantly just throwing about this idea<\/p>\n
and hymon loves it heon's like let's do<\/p>\n
that we're gonna we are going to do this<\/p>\n
the good news for morai is that Hon's<\/p>\n
plan is ultimately destined to fail<\/p>\n
because he stands in opposition to God<\/p>\n
and God's people there are two ways I<\/p>\n
want to talk about that uh Hon's path<\/p>\n
leads to destruction the first is that<\/p>\n
hmon idolizes his own<\/p>\n
significance Hon's plan is rooted in<\/p>\n
self selfishness recklessness pride and<\/p>\n
greed he idolizes himself in his own<\/p>\n
Glory he craves recognition and will not<\/p>\n
be satisfied until Mor gu respects him<\/p>\n
or is dead his importance has become an<\/p>\n
idol in his life and it supersedes<\/p>\n
everything<\/p>\n
else I'm reminded of the words of uh<\/p>\n
Proverbs<\/p>\n
1618 Pride goes before destruction and a<\/p>\n
hotty spirit before a fall Hon's fall is<\/p>\n
coming it's coming quickly and it will<\/p>\n
be<\/p>\n
spectacular he the warning of this<\/p>\n
proverb and the moments in your life<\/p>\n
when you are convinced of your<\/p>\n
importance of your own significance<\/p>\n
don't allow that to become an idol in<\/p>\n
your life second way that sins hmon<\/p>\n
toward the wide gate is that he takes<\/p>\n
count foolish counsil from his friends<\/p>\n
and his wife this counsel encourages him<\/p>\n
to embrace the the most fleshly desires<\/p>\n
of his heart he listens to a suggestion<\/p>\n
to murder someone just so he can feel<\/p>\n
better and his mind will be at ease when<\/p>\n
he goes to another party do you have<\/p>\n
people in your life that are encouraging<\/p>\n
you to embrace the Temptations you face<\/p>\n
embrace the fleshly side of your spirit<\/p>\n
that's going to lead you to destruction<\/p>\n
every time we have to surround ourselves<\/p>\n
with people who will convict us who will<\/p>\n
point us to repentance when we need to<\/p>\n
be pointed to repentance hmon has<\/p>\n
surrounded himself with people who will<\/p>\n
just agree with whatever he says and<\/p>\n
want to Puff him up we need people who<\/p>\n
will be real with us and will tell us<\/p>\n
when we're wrong and will point us to<\/p>\n
Jesus and the grace that he offers<\/p>\n
zeresh kind of changes her tune a little<\/p>\n
bit at the end of chapter six uh she<\/p>\n
says if Mori before whom you have begun<\/p>\n
to fall is of the Jewish people you will<\/p>\n
not overcome him but will surely fall<\/p>\n
before him well I don't know where that<\/p>\n
advice was in chapter 5 it would have<\/p>\n
been helpful hmon might have made a<\/p>\n
better decision uh unfortunately it's<\/p>\n
too little too late for our guy in<\/p>\n
Esther 6 and<\/p>\n
7 we get to watch this spiral of hon<\/p>\n
happen in in in Esther 6 uh there's wit<\/p>\n
there's irony there's humor at Hon's<\/p>\n
expense<\/p>\n
because the author wants us to see how<\/p>\n
foolish he is how prideful prideful he<\/p>\n
is and what that's led him to do and how<\/p>\n
it's led him to act in chapter six<\/p>\n
hyon's coming to the Palace after the<\/p>\n
events of chapter five and he is uh just<\/p>\n
excited to go to another party all he's<\/p>\n
got to do first is burn morai and then<\/p>\n
he'll be on his way but he doesn't know<\/p>\n
that at the beginning of chapter 6<\/p>\n
Xerxes has been been awake all night he<\/p>\n
couldn't sleep um and and trying in<\/p>\n
trying to help himself sleep he opened<\/p>\n
up his old record books and wanted to<\/p>\n
read about his great deeds and the<\/p>\n
things that had happened in his kingdom<\/p>\n
seems kind of like just trying to read<\/p>\n
an encyclopedia to put yourself to sleep<\/p>\n
that's kind of what he's trying to do<\/p>\n
but it just so happens that he he opens<\/p>\n
a record book that has the um the record<\/p>\n
of what happened at the end of eser 2 at<\/p>\n
the end of Esther 2 morai overhears a<\/p>\n
plot to uh to Assassin at Xerxes and he<\/p>\n
tells Esther and Esther tells the king<\/p>\n
and morai is supposed to be rewarded but<\/p>\n
the king forgot he forgot to reward<\/p>\n
morai and he's reading about this event<\/p>\n
again and realizing that he never<\/p>\n
rewarded<\/p>\n
morai well um it just so happens that<\/p>\n
hmon is walking into the court at the<\/p>\n
time that they're trying to figure out<\/p>\n
how they're going to reward morai but<\/p>\n
hmon doesn't know that so when the King<\/p>\n
asks him hey what should the what should<\/p>\n
I do for the man that I Delight to honor<\/p>\n
well because hmon is who he is he<\/p>\n
believes that that's him he thinks he's<\/p>\n
the one who's about to be honored he<\/p>\n
thinks there's nobody else in the<\/p>\n
Kingdom that the the king would Delight<\/p>\n
to honor so when he says what should the<\/p>\n
reward should be he's thinking about<\/p>\n
himself he's thinking this is all going<\/p>\n
to be given to him so what he what does<\/p>\n
he say he says for the man whom the king<\/p>\n
Delights to honor let Royal robes be<\/p>\n
brought which the king has worn and the<\/p>\n
horse that the King has ridden and on<\/p>\n
whose head a Royal Crown is set and let<\/p>\n
the robes and the horse be handed over<\/p>\n
to one of the king's most noble<\/p>\n
officials let them dress the man whom<\/p>\n
the king Delights to honor and let them<\/p>\n
lead him on a horse through the<\/p>\n
square<\/p>\n
so hmon wants to be<\/p>\n
Xerxes he wants to wear the robes that<\/p>\n
the King has worn he wants to have a<\/p>\n
crown put on his head he wants to ride a<\/p>\n
horse that the King has ridden it's not<\/p>\n
enough for him to be second in command<\/p>\n
he wants to be the king he wants to be<\/p>\n
just like the king what do you think<\/p>\n
that he thought when Xerxes said okay<\/p>\n
now that sounds great now go do all that<\/p>\n
for morai the Jew so not only is hmon<\/p>\n
not the one record rewarded he is the<\/p>\n
one who has to go about the city<\/p>\n
proclaiming that morai is the man who<\/p>\n
the king Delights to honor he has to put<\/p>\n
xerx royal robes on him he has to put<\/p>\n
him on xerx horse he has to put a crown<\/p>\n
on his head and he has to walk in front<\/p>\n
of the horse and say this this is what<\/p>\n
will happen for the man who the king<\/p>\n
Delights to<\/p>\n
honor now if if hmon didn't already<\/p>\n
realize that he was he was going towards<\/p>\n
destruction he should have in this<\/p>\n
moment he but yet he's still trying to<\/p>\n
find a way to destroy the Jews he's<\/p>\n
still trying to find a way to destroy<\/p>\n
morai and he's he's phased a little bit<\/p>\n
but he's like okay I can still do this<\/p>\n
I'm just going to go to this field<\/p>\n
with Esther and then we'll get this done<\/p>\n
unfortunately for him he doesn't realize<\/p>\n
that Esther and mor are related he<\/p>\n
doesn't realize that Esther is planning<\/p>\n
to<\/p>\n
reveal in chapter 7 what hmon has done<\/p>\n
how he has planned the destruction of<\/p>\n
Esther and her people and when that's<\/p>\n
revealed he is the one who cowers before<\/p>\n
Esther he's been wanting morai to cower<\/p>\n
before him this whole time but he is the<\/p>\n
one who cowers before Esther and in a<\/p>\n
last bit of irony<\/p>\n
he is hung on the very Gallows that he<\/p>\n
intended for Mori if you start down the<\/p>\n
broad path there is only one<\/p>\n
destination<\/p>\n
destruction truthfully this is what will<\/p>\n
happen to anyone who stands in<\/p>\n
opposition of God if we're seeking our<\/p>\n
own glory and our own recognition if<\/p>\n
we're working against God we are doomed<\/p>\n
to destruction what are the ways in your<\/p>\n
life right now that you're standing<\/p>\n
against God have you fallen in love with<\/p>\n
your own Glory with your own<\/p>\n
significance with your own<\/p>\n
status with where you stand at your job<\/p>\n
with your friends in your life how much<\/p>\n
money is in your bank account are you<\/p>\n
craving self-recognition over God's<\/p>\n
glory have you surrounded yourself with<\/p>\n
voices that will puff you up instead of<\/p>\n
convicting you we have to turn from<\/p>\n
these things and seek Christ instead of<\/p>\n
following in the footsteps of hmon<\/p>\n
follow the footsteps of Esther Esther<\/p>\n
has spent three days Discerning her plan<\/p>\n
and the Lord's will for what she needs<\/p>\n
to do next she hasn't taken this<\/p>\n
decision lightly she understands the<\/p>\n
risks think about what happened to to<\/p>\n
vashi she knows how Xerxes deals with<\/p>\n
people who don't follow protocol in<\/p>\n
chapter two we talked about how Esther<\/p>\n
had kind of thrown aside her Jewish uh<\/p>\n
Heritage she had cast aside her Jewish<\/p>\n
Heritage as hadassa which is her Jewish<\/p>\n
name and fully become Esther to save<\/p>\n
herself from any Prejudice that she<\/p>\n
might experience in her competition to<\/p>\n
become<\/p>\n
Queen now in her people's time of need<\/p>\n
she's willing to forsake her own safety<\/p>\n
and the safety that she's experienced<\/p>\n
within the palace walls and take action<\/p>\n
on that fourth<\/p>\n
morning God gives her the opportunity to<\/p>\n
stand firm to stand up for herself and<\/p>\n
her people on that fourth morning she<\/p>\n
puts on her royal robes she goes into<\/p>\n
the court king's court and she's<\/p>\n
standing before Xerxes and we know what<\/p>\n
she would have seen she would have seen<\/p>\n
Xerxes standing sitting on his throne<\/p>\n
with his Royal scepter and behind the<\/p>\n
throne would have been a guard who had a<\/p>\n
sharpened Axe and that guard was<\/p>\n
prepared to execute anyone whom Xerxes<\/p>\n
willed so as she's standing there<\/p>\n
looking up at Xerxes waiting to be<\/p>\n
noticed she also is seeing her potential<\/p>\n
executioner right there can you imagine<\/p>\n
how her hands would have sweat how her<\/p>\n
knees probably quak how her breath<\/p>\n
hitched when Xerxes finally finally<\/p>\n
noticed<\/p>\n
her but Against All<\/p>\n
Odds she wins the favor of Xerxes Xerxes<\/p>\n
sees her and she wins his<\/p>\n
favor there's some significance in the<\/p>\n
use of that word she she has taken<\/p>\n
action and she's being rewarded for it<\/p>\n
she is it's an active verb she won his<\/p>\n
favor she didn't she didn't find it or<\/p>\n
have it given to her she won it she did<\/p>\n
something to receive<\/p>\n
it Esther started to take control of the<\/p>\n
situation she started to take action and<\/p>\n
is being rewarded it's also clear from<\/p>\n
the way that xerx xerx request that he's<\/p>\n
curious why she would forsake protocol<\/p>\n
in order to come before<\/p>\n
him and as you read her uh her be the<\/p>\n
the uh offer that he gives<\/p>\n
her um you're thinking tell him Esther<\/p>\n
now is your chance he offered you half<\/p>\n
have his kingdom tell<\/p>\n
him the dire situation that you find<\/p>\n
yourself in but she doesn't do it what<\/p>\n
does she do she invites him to a party<\/p>\n
we know Xerxes loves a party so she<\/p>\n
invites him to a party and the one other<\/p>\n
person she invites is hmon the man who<\/p>\n
has orchestrated the murder and genocide<\/p>\n
of her and all her people he is the only<\/p>\n
other person invited at the<\/p>\n
feast so at the feast she gets another<\/p>\n
opportunity and what happens she puts it<\/p>\n
off till<\/p>\n
tomorrow and we wonder why did you do<\/p>\n
that we think she's failed<\/p>\n
potentially and some commentators do<\/p>\n
think that Esther didn't share her<\/p>\n
request because she was<\/p>\n
afraid U I'm of the opinion that she was<\/p>\n
being very purposeful with everything<\/p>\n
that she did<\/p>\n
she spent three days Discerning God's<\/p>\n
will she knew exactly what she was doing<\/p>\n
she knew exactly how she was leading<\/p>\n
Xerxes along she knew exactly how to<\/p>\n
dangle the carrot in front of him for<\/p>\n
lack of a better<\/p>\n
term and in chapter S she boldly<\/p>\n
proclaims her identity and who she is<\/p>\n
and takes advantage of that opportunity<\/p>\n
that she's been given to share the plan<\/p>\n
and even in that moment it's not without<\/p>\n
risk understand what's happening there<\/p>\n
she is saying hey you don't you don't<\/p>\n
know this about me but I am a member of<\/p>\n
this people group this uh Prejudice and<\/p>\n
subjugated people group in this Empire<\/p>\n
and we are all supposed to<\/p>\n
die now if if things didn't go her way<\/p>\n
okay now she's GNA die she would be also<\/p>\n
put to death because of the order that<\/p>\n
has been<\/p>\n
placed but thankfully the king is<\/p>\n
angered for her and hon hmon is the one<\/p>\n
who cowers before her and he is the one<\/p>\n
who meets destruction instead of<\/p>\n
Esther so why does Esther's plan work<\/p>\n
where Hon's plan<\/p>\n
failed Esther's plan works for two<\/p>\n
reasons her plan is rooted in humility<\/p>\n
wisdom bravery and<\/p>\n
self-sacrifice in short Esther<\/p>\n
prioritizes the Deliverance of her<\/p>\n
people over her own<\/p>\n
safety she also has sought God's will<\/p>\n
she is<\/p>\n
intentional she's willing to offer up<\/p>\n
her life and safety of her people safety<\/p>\n
of safety of herself for her people but<\/p>\n
she doesn't do it flippantly she's she<\/p>\n
has sought God's Will and discerned his<\/p>\n
plan for her<\/p>\n
steps she's no longer the passive<\/p>\n
listless Esther we find in chapter two<\/p>\n
She's Not Just obeying everyone in order<\/p>\n
to save herself she's taking actions<\/p>\n
she's standing firm<\/p>\n
and she's participating in God's<\/p>\n
will where is the Lord calling you to<\/p>\n
take action in your life right now where<\/p>\n
is the Lord calling you to enter into<\/p>\n
his<\/p>\n
will see most of the time we wait around<\/p>\n
expecting God to solve all our<\/p>\n
problems and we miss the opportunities<\/p>\n
that he's placed in front of us to enter<\/p>\n
into his will and take action for his<\/p>\n
kingdom for the advancement of his<\/p>\n
kingdom like Esther we must take time to<\/p>\n
intentionally discern where the Lord is<\/p>\n
calling<\/p>\n
us to action and to advance his kingdom<\/p>\n
we must learn how to hear his voice and<\/p>\n
even foro our own<\/p>\n
interests for the good of God's<\/p>\n
kingdom I want you to think about the<\/p>\n
picture of Jesus in The Garden of<\/p>\n
Gethsemane uh Jesus knew his hour had<\/p>\n
come he knew it was time for him to go<\/p>\n
to the Cross he knew he had been<\/p>\n
betrayed but he took time he went to the<\/p>\n
Garden of Gethsemane and he knelt before<\/p>\n
the Lord and he prayed<\/p>\n
he understood the gravity of the<\/p>\n
situation remember how stressed he was<\/p>\n
how much pain he was already<\/p>\n
in how the gravity of the situation made<\/p>\n
him sweat drops of<\/p>\n
blood and think about what he said he<\/p>\n
said father if there's any way for this<\/p>\n
to happen any other way take this cup<\/p>\n
from<\/p>\n
me but then he said not your will but<\/p>\n
not my will but yours be<\/p>\n
done are you willing to pray that<\/p>\n
prayer are you willing to forgo your own<\/p>\n
interest your own will in order to<\/p>\n
follow God's will will you follow in<\/p>\n
Jesus footsteps because that's what he<\/p>\n
calls us to do because one day like<\/p>\n
Esther we will stand before a judgment<\/p>\n
seat we'll stand before a<\/p>\n
throne and on that judgment seat won't<\/p>\n
be a human King but God will sit there<\/p>\n
and all of humanity will be brought<\/p>\n
before him in order to be judged how<\/p>\n
will he look on you will he see someone<\/p>\n
who has followed the wide path to<\/p>\n
destruction will he see someone who has<\/p>\n
worked for the detriment of his kingdom<\/p>\n
on<\/p>\n
Earth will he see someone who is<\/p>\n
obsessed with their own recognition over<\/p>\n
God's glory to those people God will say<\/p>\n
depart from me I never knew you will<\/p>\n
will he see someone who who is willing<\/p>\n
to forsake their own Glory their own<\/p>\n
safety their own<\/p>\n
Comfort even their own life<\/p>\n
potentially so that the kingdom of God<\/p>\n
would grow here on Earth will he see<\/p>\n
someone who has followed the narrow path<\/p>\n
that leads to<\/p>\n
righteousness to those God will say Well<\/p>\n
done my good and faithful<\/p>\n
servant will you follow<\/p>\n
hmon or will you follow<\/p>\n
Esther I want to close the sermon series<\/p>\n
this sermon Ser is how we started it<\/p>\n
with a discussion of the Providence of<\/p>\n
God uh when I read Esther I'm reminded<\/p>\n
of the hymn God Moves In A mysterious<\/p>\n
way the the lyrics are printed in your<\/p>\n
in your uh bulletin today and some of<\/p>\n
them say God Moves In A mysterious way<\/p>\n
his wonders to perform he plants his<\/p>\n
footsteps in the sea and rides upon the<\/p>\n
storm you fearful Saints fresh courage<\/p>\n
take the clouds you so much dread are<\/p>\n
big with mercy and shall break in<\/p>\n
blessings on your<\/p>\n
head his purposes will ripen fast<\/p>\n
unfolding every hour the bud may have a<\/p>\n
bitter taste but sweet will be the<\/p>\n
flower blind unbelief is sure to Air and<\/p>\n
scan his work in vain God is his own<\/p>\n
interpreter and he will make it<\/p>\n
plain we cannot begin to Fathom the<\/p>\n
purposes<\/p>\n
of God until he makes it plain for us to<\/p>\n
see remember what Paul said in in Romans<\/p>\n
11 that we opened this worship service<\/p>\n
with God's ways are unknowable and<\/p>\n
inscrutable see God will<\/p>\n
often work beyond our comprehension and<\/p>\n
what we can<\/p>\n
see we cannot see how things are going<\/p>\n
to play out unless he chooses to give us<\/p>\n
a glimpse of what's going to happen and<\/p>\n
sometimes this things that scare us the<\/p>\n
most those clouds that hover over us<\/p>\n
that are what we really need for our<\/p>\n
blessing and our<\/p>\n
sanctification in the Book of Esther<\/p>\n
God's presence and his plan are not<\/p>\n
immediately evident as we've mentioned<\/p>\n
many times God is not even mentioned in<\/p>\n
the Book of<\/p>\n
Esther but he is still the most<\/p>\n
important character and he's still the<\/p>\n
hero of the<\/p>\n
story think about this in light of our<\/p>\n
discussion today after chapter 5 it<\/p>\n
seems like because<\/p>\n
Esther didn't act that Mori is going to<\/p>\n
die before the next Feast even<\/p>\n
happens but God keeps Xerxes a awake<\/p>\n
that night and it just so happens that<\/p>\n
he reads the record book that tells him<\/p>\n
that morai was never rewarded for what<\/p>\n
he did at the end of chapter<\/p>\n
2 let's think about all of the<\/p>\n
coincidence that coincides that have to<\/p>\n
happen so that Esther's plan just so<\/p>\n
happens to work<\/p>\n
Xerxes gets drunk and he calls for vashi<\/p>\n
and vashi refuses so Xerxes needs the<\/p>\n
new Queen Esther justo happens to be<\/p>\n
beautiful and finds favor with everyone<\/p>\n
and she just happens to become that new<\/p>\n
Queen morai just so happens to over<\/p>\n
heere a plot to assassinate the<\/p>\n
king he just so happens to tell Esther<\/p>\n
and Esther chooses to share that<\/p>\n
information and it just so happens that<\/p>\n
Xerxes doesn't remember to reward morai<\/p>\n
until just the right<\/p>\n
moment Esther just so happens to find<\/p>\n
favor with Xerxes when she enters his<\/p>\n
court<\/p>\n
Uninvited but she chooses not to share<\/p>\n
her plan until just the right<\/p>\n
moment it just so happens that Xerxes<\/p>\n
can't sleep that night<\/p>\n
so he reads the record book that says<\/p>\n
that morai hadn't been rewarded it just<\/p>\n
so happens in a turn of chance that hmon<\/p>\n
is the one who decides the reward for<\/p>\n
morai and he's the one who has to carry<\/p>\n
it out so he doesn't have a chance to<\/p>\n
murder morai before the<\/p>\n
feast it just so happens that hmon gets<\/p>\n
brought to the feast again and at in<\/p>\n
that moment Esther shares the Peril that<\/p>\n
she and her she she finds herself in<\/p>\n
along with all her<\/p>\n
people well it just so happens as Xerxes<\/p>\n
leaves and<\/p>\n
hmon throws himself at Esther's mercy<\/p>\n
and that's the moment that Xerxes walks<\/p>\n
back in and Xerxes uses that as an<\/p>\n
excuse to kill<\/p>\n
hmon and so it all kind of gets wrapped<\/p>\n
up in a nice little bow for us hmon is<\/p>\n
dead hung on this The Gallows that were<\/p>\n
prepared for Mori and Esther gets to<\/p>\n
cancel The Kill Order against all the<\/p>\n
Jews in the empire in the end morai is<\/p>\n
the one he gets to take Hon's uh riches<\/p>\n
and his house and his status and he is<\/p>\n
the one who's lifted up and honored in<\/p>\n
Empire now you can believe that all of<\/p>\n
those coincidences just happened to fall<\/p>\n
in a place at the right time or you<\/p>\n
could believe that God orchestrated<\/p>\n
every single one of those events in his<\/p>\n
perfect timing and in his perfect will<\/p>\n
in order for his people to be delivered<\/p>\n
from certain<\/p>\n
death no matter how dark things seem God<\/p>\n
is always on his throne and he is always<\/p>\n
in<\/p>\n
control I'm reminded of another time<\/p>\n
that things things seemed very<\/p>\n
Bleak Jesus uh had been betrayed<\/p>\n
arrested<\/p>\n
beaten whipped mocked and<\/p>\n
scorned he was wrongfully<\/p>\n
convicted sentenced to cruci<\/p>\n
crucifiction he was so weak he couldn't<\/p>\n
even carry his own cross to his place of<\/p>\n
execution when they got there they laid<\/p>\n
him down on that cross and they put<\/p>\n
nails through his hands and his feet<\/p>\n
they lifted him up just like hmon was<\/p>\n
intending to lift up morai so that<\/p>\n
everyone could see the so-called King of<\/p>\n
Jews killed on a<\/p>\n
cross the disciples had denied Jesus<\/p>\n
gone into hiding were fearing for their<\/p>\n
own<\/p>\n
safety as Jesus died on that cross and<\/p>\n
as they laid him in the Tomb all seemed<\/p>\n
lost but three days later just like in<\/p>\n
Esther that stone rolled away and Jesus<\/p>\n
rose from the<\/p>\n
dead just in the moment when all things<\/p>\n
all things seemed lost God<\/p>\n
God re-entered the picture Jesus rose<\/p>\n
from the dead rose from the dead and in<\/p>\n
doing so he became a living sacrifice<\/p>\n
for the sins of all mankind because on<\/p>\n
that cross he bore the weight of every<\/p>\n
sin each and every one of us in this<\/p>\n
room can be washed by the blood of that<\/p>\n
sacrifice and cleansed by the blood of<\/p>\n
the Lamb see as much as we may want to<\/p>\n
follow in jesus' footsteps and let God's<\/p>\n
will become our own we're going to fail<\/p>\n
we're going to fall short there are<\/p>\n
going to be days when the flesh wins out<\/p>\n
because every day we experience a battle<\/p>\n
between the Flesh and the spirit within<\/p>\n
our own selves and there are days when<\/p>\n
the flesh<\/p>\n
wins but God's grace is still sufficient<\/p>\n
in those<\/p>\n
situations we can still choose the<\/p>\n
narrow<\/p>\n
path in our moments of weakness we can<\/p>\n
receive Grace and it's not dependent on<\/p>\n
our victories or our failure<\/p>\n
our strengths or our weaknesses God's<\/p>\n
grace is enough and it is sufficient for<\/p>\n
you and for<\/p>\n
me even when it all seemed lost God was<\/p>\n
in control remember the truth of the<\/p>\n
children's book the Moon is always<\/p>\n
round even when we can't see all of it<\/p>\n
the Moon is always round sometimes the<\/p>\n
night is cloudy it's stormy can't see<\/p>\n
the moon sometimes the city lights are<\/p>\n
so bright that they seem to block it out<\/p>\n
out sometimes there just doesn't seem to<\/p>\n
be a moon up there at<\/p>\n
all but the reality is the moon is<\/p>\n
always round and God is always in<\/p>\n
control he is and will always be exactly<\/p>\n
who he has promised to be and he will<\/p>\n
bring everything to fruition one day his<\/p>\n
kingdom will<\/p>\n
come there's one thing you remember from<\/p>\n
this sermon let it be this when you're<\/p>\n
standing at a fork in the road in your<\/p>\n
life remember remember the words of<\/p>\n
Psalm 119 your word is a lamp to my feet<\/p>\n
and a light to my<\/p>\n
path when we' have hidden God's word in<\/p>\n
our hearts it will light our path<\/p>\n
forward and will direct our<\/p>\n
steps we'll be able to discern his voice<\/p>\n
and know his will for our<\/p>\n
lives today God is calling you down the<\/p>\n
Narrow<\/p>\n
Path it may be<\/p>\n
Rocky it might be difficult to<\/p>\n
climb but the destination is worth<\/p>\n
it let's<\/p>\n
father God we are so thankful that your<\/p>\n
Sovereign hand governs the events of<\/p>\n
this world we pray that you will<\/p>\n
strengthen our faith in the moments<\/p>\n
where we doubt your<\/p>\n
presence Lord let us learn to recognize<\/p>\n
your voice and remind us to<\/p>\n
intentionally listen to the ways you<\/p>\n
direct<\/p>\n
us Lord help us look for the<\/p>\n
opportunities you placed before us to<\/p>\n
participate in your<\/p>\n
will father create in us new hearts that<\/p>\n
seek to put to death the Temptations of<\/p>\n
flesh that we experience daily and<\/p>\n
pursue<\/p>\n
righteousness Lord we love you and thank<\/p>\n
you for the gift of your<\/p>\n
son father fill us daily with your<\/p>\n
spirit in Jesus name we pray these<\/p>\n
things amen<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20240802","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xIC_PLYHElU","video_id":"xIC_PLYHElU","video_duration":"40:21","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":392,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions\/392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}