WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.720 I'm going to invite you to the Book of Esther. 00:00:02.880 --> 00:00:04.240 Esther, chapter two, is where we are together. 00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:10.320 And Esther, chapter two, the easiest way to find that if you've never read the Book of Esther is find the Book of Psalms, it's right in the middle of the Bible. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:13.420 You can go to the Book of Psalms and just flip back two books. 00:00:13.680 --> 00:00:20.800 So, the Book of Esther is just two books before the Book of Psalms, which is usually the middle book in 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:21.280 the Bible. 00:00:21.340 --> 00:00:22.530 It's the biggest book of the Bible. 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:25.990 That's the easiest to find and just go back two books from there. 00:00:26.860 --> 00:00:28.700 When we get to the Book of Esther, here's what I want you to know. 00:00:28.700 --> 00:00:33.980 If you've ever read the Book of Esther or studied the Book of Esther, Esther is a difficult book. 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:40.190 It gets a bad rap, and I think the reason it's a difficult book and it gets a bad rap has a lot to do with where we're going today in chapter two. 00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:42.060 It is messy. 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:44.620 Esther's not really quoted in the New Testament. 00:00:44.620 --> 00:00:46.730 You got all these quotes of the Old Testament in the New Testament. 00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:47.990 You don't find one for Esther. 00:00:48.300 --> 00:00:55.340 And when you read church history on the Book of Esther, people say a lot of negative things about the Book of Esther, and it's because of the mess that we're going to 00:00:55.340 --> 00:00:56.350 step into today. 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:00.350 We're going to see what makes this book such a challenge. 00:01:00.980 --> 00:01:05.900 And, while we look at the mess of the Book of Esther, we're also going to look for in chapter two... 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:12.670 what you're going to see is really God's hand of grace coming in to this chapter. 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:15.960 And that's what we're going to title this chapter is Messy Grace. 00:01:15.960 --> 00:01:20.100 Not because grace is messy, but really because grace is made for the mess. 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:27.540 I mean, we recognize in our lives, we can make a mess of things and the way we're able to find ourselves restored and forgiven and 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:30.540 renewed is because of grace. 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:36.540 And Esther chapter two, I think, starts to build the idea of God's grace stepping into the mess of this story. 00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:39.540 And when we go through chapter two together, we're going to look at three characters. 00:01:40.440 --> 00:01:47.580 We're going to talk about three sections from the characters and then we're going to discuss what in the world happened and what 00:01:47.580 --> 00:01:54.720 do we do with that, because it's a mess to read the story, and so we need to reach some conclusions as to why this 00:01:54.940 --> 00:01:58.860 passage of the Bible is where it is and what it means for us. 00:01:58.860 --> 00:02:01.640 And so Esther 2:1, I'm just going to kick it off. 00:02:01.660 --> 00:02:09.020 You remember the story begin with King Xerxes, Ahasuerus or Ahasuerus is the way that it's written 00:02:09.020 --> 00:02:10.410 in the New American Standard. 00:02:10.580 --> 00:02:13.910 Some of your translations may translate it as Xerxes. 00:02:14.200 --> 00:02:16.710 One is his Hebrew name, the other one is his Greek name. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:24.420 And so it depends on which translation you have as to which name they referred to him as, but in Esther 2:1, after these 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:31.500 things, when the anger of the King Xerxes or Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what he had 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:34.520 done and what had been decided regarding her. 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:41.960 So if you remember this story in the beginning, chapter one, King Xerxes wants to display to his kingdom, 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:43.780 the Mito Persian kingdom... 00:02:44.320 --> 00:02:45.180 It's in modern day. 00:02:45.260 --> 00:02:47.300 The headquarters where he's at is in modern day Iran. 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:53.100 He wants to display to his kingdom how great he is and reveal his glory so everyone just continues to praise him. 00:02:53.440 --> 00:02:56.480 This guy loved himself more than he loved anything in life. 00:02:56.540 --> 00:03:00.400 He was always sitting on his throne and he always wanted to hear people's opinion of him. 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:02.820 And it better be a good one, or you're going to lose your life. 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:04.470 That's the kind of person Xerxes was. 00:03:04.600 --> 00:03:08.000 And so, he puts on this party that lasts 180 days. 00:03:08.420 --> 00:03:14.100 In verse eight of chapter one, it tells us he decides he's going to have one rule for this party, and the one rule is there is no rule for the party. 00:03:14.540 --> 00:03:15.410 You do what you want. 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:18.150 You become your own moral compass, and if you don't have any morals who cares? 00:03:18.320 --> 00:03:18.940 Nobody cares. 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:20.120 We're just having a party. 00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:27.900 And everyone just gets wasted, and then Xerxes decides to make this dumb decision where he treats Vashti like 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:29.780 she's a tool to be used. 00:03:29.780 --> 00:03:33.130 And he makes a request of her to show up to the party with nothing but her crown... 00:03:33.260 --> 00:03:34.700 is all he wanted her to wear. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:39.260 She says no, he gets mad and he divorces himself from Vashti. 00:03:39.760 --> 00:03:46.760 And some believe, not only does he separate himself from Vashti, but he actually requires an edict for her 00:03:46.760 --> 00:03:51.600 execution that Vashti's not only separated from the king, she is separated from this planet. 00:03:51.920 --> 00:03:53.940 That's how far some people believe he went. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:00.740 And then in chapter two, verse one, when he wakes up from his drunken stupor, he realizes a kind of an idiot he was. 00:04:00.820 --> 00:04:01.200 That's what he's saying. 00:04:01.580 --> 00:04:06.100 Or, at least to a degree, he realizes what kind of mistake he has made regarding her. 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:10.700 And then in verse two, he decides to seek counsel, once again. 00:04:10.700 --> 00:04:12.040 What should I do with this? 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:27.360 And in verse two, it says this, "Then the King's attendance who served him said let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king." Some translations go a little bit further here and they let you know that it's not just attendants that the king goes to, but it's young men. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:28.020 Young attendants. 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:35.540 So, it's the same dumb single party frat guys that got him in trouble in chapter one are 00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:39.840 the same guys that he now comes to and is like, "You know what I need from you young, single guys? 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:45.040 I need marriage advice." And, here's the wonderful advice they give. 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:51.040 They say to Xerxes, "Xerxes, you were so bad with the first relationship, we've got a great idea. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:54.900 Let's give you several more relationships at the same time. 00:04:54.920 --> 00:05:02.020 You've been such a great guy, knocking it out of the park with that first one, let's just compound all of this." That's the advice they give in verse 00:05:02.020 --> 00:05:02.300 two. 00:05:02.320 --> 00:05:03.980 And then, verse three and four, it goes on. 00:05:04.400 --> 00:05:11.420 And may the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and have them bring every 00:05:11.420 --> 00:05:18.480 beautiful young version to the citadel of Susa, which is just north of the Persian Gulf in Iran, to the harem, into the 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:25.680 custody of Hegai, the king eunuch, who is in charge of the women and let their cosmetics be given 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:26.320 to them. 00:05:26.880 --> 00:05:30.820 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti. 00:05:31.400 --> 00:05:35.620 And, the suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly. 00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:40.680 Now, when you read verse three and four, it's this section of scripture... 00:05:41.140 --> 00:05:48.280 If you're a dad, especially of young ladies, I'll tell you the way to interpret this is this section of 00:05:48.280 --> 00:05:55.320 scripture has you contemplating, when you read about people like this on earth, you're thinking to yourself, "I'll probably need to consider a shotgun and freshen up on my MMA 00:05:55.320 --> 00:06:02.360 skills." Because it's saying in this story, at least some people interpret it this way, that when the king starts to hear the idea of these young guys, 00:06:02.380 --> 00:06:09.640 it's this wonderful idea that when they go throughout the region of this land in order to take these young virgins, that it's 00:06:09.640 --> 00:06:11.860 not necessarily seeking them willingly,. 00:06:12.020 --> 00:06:16.820 This isn't the Cinderella story where the prince is like, "I want to get married. 00:06:16.820 --> 00:06:24.000 Let's just invite all the young ladies and I'll pick the one that seems right for me and the kingdom." That's not the choice here. 00:06:24.280 --> 00:06:31.300 It's more along the lines of you go around and see which girl you think I would think is the prettiest, and you don't even ask them 00:06:31.300 --> 00:06:32.960 if they want to come, you make them come. 00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:37.460 And, you bring them to the kingdom and they become a part of his harem. 00:06:37.460 --> 00:06:38.360 There's no choice involved. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:41.260 Some people think that the king may have gone this far. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:48.980 It's difficult to interpret specifically that way, but at least it gives the opportunity to lean that way, that 00:06:48.980 --> 00:06:52.040 your choices really are do what you're told or die. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:54.640 That measure. 00:06:54.640 --> 00:06:59.050 So, when you read the story, you ask the question then, or at least we should, how do we respond? 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:04.830 What do we do with this? 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:13.140 One of the significant things that I think is important for us to understand as God's 00:07:13.260 --> 00:07:20.640 people is there are circumstances for us that seem more dire than others, and 00:07:20.640 --> 00:07:26.760 things that quite frankly seem much more dark than we want to lean into. 00:07:29.880 --> 00:07:36.010 Especially a circumstance like this, where this individual, this king, may be taking advantage of ladies. 00:07:38.220 --> 00:07:43.900 But at the same time, we recognize as a church that we are called to be a light in the darkness and that the Gospel heals. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:51.090 If there is a place that we would hope the Gospel could transform, it would be the heart of a king like this. 00:07:52.440 --> 00:07:59.500 That he would go from a place of seeing women as tools to be used to seeing them as image bearers of God to be honored. 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:07.350 And, the thing that would do that is the truth of who God is and the Gospel that changes hearts. 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:15.800 When you read the story of King Xerxes, one of the things that makes this a challenge to communicate the truth of who God 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:20.400 is and the value of really the women that he might be mistreating is... 00:08:20.860 --> 00:08:24.170 We know he's mistreating and maybe specifically in these verses... 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:27.270 is what's reflected in verse one. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:34.539 In verse one, you see Xerxes when he starts to be aware of the dumb choice that he has made towards Vashti. 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:40.080 You see the terms that he's expressing here, that they take no responsibility. 00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:48.760 I mean, look at it, remember he says in verse one, after these things when the anger of the king had subsided he remember Vashti and 00:08:48.760 --> 00:08:49.790 what she had done. 00:08:52.280 --> 00:08:54.420 He remembered Vashti and what she had done. 00:08:54.420 --> 00:09:00.640 Not, "I was an idiot and I'm so sorry for my stupidity." There's no repentance in his heart. 00:09:00.640 --> 00:09:02.370 Remember, it was her fault. 00:09:02.920 --> 00:09:07.140 I got so angry and it wasn't me that needed to be responsible for me. 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:08.460 It was her fault. 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:16.280 And then, all of a sudden, when he realizes what Vashti had done and he starts to regret the circumstances, because it's not his fault, 00:09:16.400 --> 00:09:21.780 it says this: He remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decided regarding her. 00:09:22.900 --> 00:09:29.460 It's like, "Who do you think made the law that banished Vashti?" Me, completely out of my circumstances. 00:09:29.940 --> 00:09:32.640 He goes from two extremes here. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:39.980 He's completely in a rage trying to force what he wants to have happen, because Vashti isn't being obedient to his request, 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.330 so you see this king getting angry. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:49.500 And then, when the king doesn't get what he wants, what he plays in this verse is also the card of the victim. 00:09:51.660 --> 00:09:53.040 Can you believe what Vashti did? 00:09:53.980 --> 00:09:54.910 And those laws? 00:09:56.820 --> 00:10:01.420 How it's hurt me and the way that it's affected me. 00:10:02.220 --> 00:10:03.020 Poor me. 00:10:03.020 --> 00:10:03.800 Woe is me. 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:06.320 That's the two cards that the king is playing in the story. 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:13.540 And, I want to be careful here and tread lightly because there are times in life when people are victim and they're truly 00:10:13.540 --> 00:10:15.840 a victim to the circumstances. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:23.560 Someone over them terrorizes them, mistreats them and they're vulnerable and 00:10:23.560 --> 00:10:24.000 they're a victim. 00:10:26.700 --> 00:10:34.000 But then there are other instances where the person pretending to be the victim isn't really the victim. 00:10:34.060 --> 00:10:35.040 Rather, they're the victimizer. 00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:42.100 But in Xerxes situation, what other card does he have to play? 00:10:43.340 --> 00:10:45.420 I mean, think about the way he's built his empire. 00:10:45.420 --> 00:10:48.220 The center of Xerxes's universe is Xerxes. 00:10:50.400 --> 00:10:57.580 And when you can't get what you want by your authority and your anger, and you see yourself as the solution to life, 00:10:58.920 --> 00:11:06.320 what else do you have but to try the card of the victim to win the sympathy of the people so that you can still manipulate the circumstance 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:07.680 to get what you want? 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:09.740 That's Xerxes. 00:11:11.280 --> 00:11:17.200 And quite honestly, in a lot of ways, it's the way we set ourselves up for in America. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:20.530 And, it's not to say that people aren't victims. 00:11:20.800 --> 00:11:27.960 People are victims and we should be concerned, compassionate and caring to people that are taken advantage 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.490 of when the weak are prayed upon on. 00:11:32.780 --> 00:11:39.960 But, in our own culture, we set ourselves up to lead people to believer that the world needs to revolve around them, 00:11:40.920 --> 00:11:42.420 that they are the center of the universe. 00:11:44.220 --> 00:11:47.440 And, when things don't go the way that they want, they throw their weight around in anger. 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:56.600 But, when you don't get what you want and you're the center of the universe, you find yourself weak and the only card you have to play if you are the king of your domain 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:59.060 is victim. 00:12:01.020 --> 00:12:08.080 So, when I think about how the Gospel could impact this moment for Xerxes, there's 00:12:08.260 --> 00:12:13.080 really one thing in both circumstances that Xerxes needs. 00:12:15.280 --> 00:12:15.740 It's humility. 00:12:19.060 --> 00:12:19.580 It's humility. 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:21.980 Humility is the language of God. 00:12:23.560 --> 00:12:30.390 The Bible tells us humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you. 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:41.080 In His pride, in His anger, it's to recognize Xerxes, your actions, your attitude, your 00:12:41.300 --> 00:12:44.890 behavior in making yourself the center of the world is destroying the people around you. 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:50.080 You need to realize that you're not the one in authority, but there is one greater. 00:12:51.380 --> 00:12:51.940 And, you're accountable. 00:12:54.140 --> 00:12:58.400 And, the same thing in his circumstance where he feels like he is the victim and playing woe is me. 00:12:58.400 --> 00:12:59.820 He is still the hero of the story. 00:13:02.140 --> 00:13:06.640 He's still the center of the universe, and the response is the same. 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:16.100 Xerxes, you built this and you need forgiven and you need to stop looking within 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:20.540 you and you need to look to the one who will heal you. 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:23.140 Because, it's not you. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:33.120 But anytime we lead into this type of scenario, it's not only detrimental 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:40.500 to the individual who sees their identity as the center of the universe, but everyone else around them that is being affected by their behavior. 00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:41.320 Pride leads to destruction. 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:43.050 Humility is what heals. 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:52.240 So you think about this issue of Xerxes and you think about your scenarios in life, maybe you specifically... 00:13:58.180 --> 00:14:07.640 How willing are you to take accountability? 00:14:07.640 --> 00:14:11.330 How willing are you to confess and seek forgiveness? 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.360 Does your leadership typically display itself in anger? 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:25.050 And, when you display that anger and don't get what you want, do you then pout as if you were the victim? 00:14:29.400 --> 00:14:30.300 Or, do you take accountability? 00:14:33.020 --> 00:14:33.560 Humility. 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:43.260 Surrendering the situation to the Lord to recognize it's not you who is ultimately in control, but Him. 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:48.170 Character number two, and this is where it gets even more challenging. 00:14:48.420 --> 00:14:50.440 Xerxes is an easy one, right? 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:51.430 You can see his flaws. 00:14:51.640 --> 00:14:52.380 It's apparent. 00:14:52.380 --> 00:14:59.440 And, maybe it's a reason to also honor the Lord, praise the Lord for, because it's easier to see how the gospel fits in his circumstances, but 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:05.360 the next two characters that we're going to be introduced to, a little bit harder that we struggle with, because we want to put these characters on a pedestal. 00:15:05.800 --> 00:15:09.060 And the first one that we find is this character named Mordecai. 00:15:10.640 --> 00:15:16.840 And, I want you to know there is room in what I'm going to present to you with Mordecai and Esther in just a moment... 00:15:17.280 --> 00:15:19.530 The bigger hero of the story there. 00:15:20.060 --> 00:15:21.460 There's room here for interpretation. 00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:28.960 So I'm going to tell you, I'm going to share a little bit more of my opinion on who these two characters are, and you can disagree with me and 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:36.140 you can disagree with me passionately, and I would even be curious to know if you agree or disagree with what I have to say with these two. 00:15:36.180 --> 00:15:43.360 But there is a challenge in understanding who these characters are and what they represent in the greater story that the Lord wants us to focus on. 00:15:43.380 --> 00:15:44.140 So, here's what happens. 00:15:44.420 --> 00:15:51.920 Verse five, there was a Jew at the citadel in Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 00:15:52.120 --> 00:16:08.340 who had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:09.000 Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon had deported. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:09.000 Amen. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:16.040 If you remember how this story is told or where it fits in the timeline of Jewish history, I've shared this with you before that the story of Israel goes a man named Abraham is promised from him, there would be a nation, and through him, all nations would be 00:16:16.040 --> 00:16:16.740 blessed. 00:16:17.020 --> 00:16:24.060 And as you follow the timeline of Israel, they end up in Egypt and under the hand of Pharaoh, 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:27.120 as slaves, and eventually this guy named Moses sets them free. 00:16:27.340 --> 00:16:31.450 And they end up to a promise land, which is where Israel is today. 00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:35.390 They end up in this promise land, and then they end up under the rulership of kings. 00:16:35.920 --> 00:16:43.260 And as they end up under the rulership of kings, they're disobedient to the Lord, and the Lord sends Israel into deportation, and two people groups 00:16:43.260 --> 00:16:50.480 deport them, the Assyrians take 10 Northern tribes in 722, and the Babylonians take two southern tribes in 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.080 606 to 586. 00:16:53.140 --> 00:16:55.000 And the northern tribes are never heard of again. 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.760 The southern tribes carried on to Babylon. 00:16:57.140 --> 00:16:59.640 God tells them that they're going to return one day to Israel. 00:16:59.660 --> 00:17:05.980 After 70 years that they're deported out of Israel into Babylon, God would free them, and in 70 years, they would be able to go back. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:14.599 Esther is a story that takes place after they're taken into the Babylonian in captivity, and this is what the author is saying here in 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:15.319 chapter two. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:22.619 He's saying here is the background to this guy named Mordecai and his lineage that was taken out of 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:24.240 Israel into Babylon. 00:17:24.780 --> 00:17:31.960 Now, when it tells us this about Mordecai, it's not saying that Mordecai was carried from captivity from Israel to Babylon, 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:34.750 but rather his family was, and this is his genealogy. 00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:43.140 Most likely, maybe Kish was taken out of this area into Babylon, and now Mordecai finds himself born 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:50.080 in captivity under the Babylonians, which are eventually conquered by the Mito Persians. 00:17:50.140 --> 00:17:53.020 And the Mito Persians is whose Xerxes represents today. 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:56.440 So, a little bit of historical background there for who Mordecai is. 00:17:56.440 --> 00:18:04.300 And then it says verse seven, he was the guardian to Hadassah, that is Esther, his 00:18:04.360 --> 00:18:07.100 uncle's daughter for she had no father or mother. 00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:13.860 Now the young woman was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:21.700 So it came about when the commanded decree of the king were heard, and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, 00:18:21.780 --> 00:18:28.900 that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai who was in charge of the women. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:36.780 So you see here, many young ladies, Mordecai's raising Esther. 00:18:36.820 --> 00:18:44.000 Esther's not his daughter, but he's adopted Esther, and he is cousin to Esther, and that Esther represents 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.120 one of several ladies that were taken into custody. 00:18:47.140 --> 00:18:54.540 And if you read a little bit of Jewish history on this, there are Jewish historians that think that when 00:18:54.540 --> 00:19:02.240 Xerxes sent his guys out to take ladies into his harem that he could pick a new queen, that Josephus, 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:07.780 one Jewish historian says that upwards of 400 plus young ladies were taken. 00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:09.200 And then it goes up from there. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:10.620 So 400 is the lower number. 00:19:10.820 --> 00:19:18.040 Some say up to 1400 women were taken during this period to the King Xerxes for him to decide who 00:19:18.040 --> 00:19:19.500 his future wife would be. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:27.380 And you see in verse eight that Esther was one of those, that it doesn't say that she was necessarily given a choice, but that she 00:19:27.380 --> 00:19:29.360 was taken. 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:30.910 And then verse 10, 11 goes on. 00:19:31.340 --> 00:19:38.080 Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred because Mordecai had instructed her that she was not to reveal them. 00:19:38.360 --> 00:19:45.800 And every day, Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was 00:19:45.800 --> 00:19:47.840 happening to her. 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:52.080 Mordecai, how do you respond? 00:19:54.440 --> 00:20:01.220 Again, this character is a little bit messy and there's a little bit of difficulty in really understanding the heart of what Mordecai is about. 00:20:01.260 --> 00:20:03.320 Because on the one hand, he looks godly. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:11.340 On the one hand, he adopts Esther, which I think one of the things that's closest to the heart of God is the idea of adoption. 00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:19.280 [inaudible 00:20:12] God in the New Testament correlates our relationship to him as one of an adopted child, because we were 00:20:19.280 --> 00:20:20.420 alienated from God. 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:21.360 We didn't belong to God. 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:22.760 The Bible calls us enemies of God. 00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:26.600 But in Ephesians 1:5, he predestined us to adoption. 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:32.070 And in Romans 8:13-25, a few times it mentions the idea of adoption. 00:20:32.260 --> 00:20:33.800 And again, in Galatians 4... 00:20:34.100 --> 00:20:37.480 I think it's verse five, you've been adopted into the Lord. 00:20:37.540 --> 00:20:40.360 So, the idea of adoption very biblical, very godly. 00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:45.720 It's mimicking the heart of God for us as people who are alienate to him, that he pursued us. 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:47.180 He desires a relationship for us. 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:52.070 He paid the price for us, and you see that heart here expressed here with Mordecai. 00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:56.760 He not only adopts, but he checks on Esther. 00:20:56.760 --> 00:21:03.800 You see in verse 11, after Esther's taken, he's every day going to the kingdom, he's walking out in the courtyard to learn how 00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:05.500 Esther is faring. 00:21:06.060 --> 00:21:11.540 And then, a little bit later, it even tells us that Mordecai goes out of his way to preserve the king's life. 00:21:11.540 --> 00:21:17.040 He rescues the king at one point from death, as people wanted to take the king's life. 00:21:17.540 --> 00:21:19.080 So, Mordecai appears godly. 00:21:19.260 --> 00:21:27.580 But then on the other hand, when you think about Mordecai's position in the Mito Persian empire, he 00:21:27.580 --> 00:21:34.740 comes in this story on this timeline after the 70 years that Israel was to be 00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:41.740 held captive in Babylon, meaning God told his people you're going to be taken into captivity. 00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:43.220 The Babylons are going to conquer you. 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:43.830 You're going to be taken into captivity. 00:21:44.280 --> 00:21:46.620 After 70 years, I'm going to allow you to return. 00:21:48.040 --> 00:21:54.620 And so, some of the Jews have now made the journey and they are back in Jerusalem, but not Mordecai. 00:21:56.900 --> 00:22:04.100 It begs the question is Mordecai then godly if God opened the door and told his people He wanted them to return, yet Mordecai 00:22:04.100 --> 00:22:04.960 refuses to go back? 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:14.780 Or, when you read the Book of Esther, you never see anyone specifically talking to the Lord 00:22:14.780 --> 00:22:16.050 or about the Lord. 00:22:16.360 --> 00:22:21.000 And some people look at the Book of Esther and call a godless book in that sense, that God has not spoken about directly. 00:22:21.620 --> 00:22:28.580 How godly can you be when you don't even talk about the Lord in the book, especially when your character is introduced? 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:33.880 And then, some people will say, "Well, in the Book of Esther, it says that Esther is taken. 00:22:33.940 --> 00:22:41.660 It says these ladies are taken, but it never really truly says that they're taken by force." And, it never shows any of the ladies disputing 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:44.000 being taken by the king. 00:22:44.100 --> 00:22:51.220 So maybe yes, the king came and got them, but they also went willingly and Mordecai never fought 00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:52.220 it. 00:22:53.340 --> 00:23:01.100 There's no description here in this narrative that says, and it was opposed to Mordecai's desire or will for Esther that 00:23:01.100 --> 00:23:03.980 he may have willingly allowed her to go to the king. 00:23:04.040 --> 00:23:11.040 And then some people go a little bit further and say in verse 11, when he's going out to the courtyard, if he willingly let her go to the king, 00:23:11.340 --> 00:23:15.500 that his intentions in going and checking on Esther isn't because he's really concerned with Esther. 00:23:16.620 --> 00:23:22.260 It might be that he's more interested in the political game that he's going to receive because he knows Esther's in the kingdom. 00:23:23.760 --> 00:23:30.900 And so, he's just interested in the juicy daily gossip so he knows where he stands before King Xerxes, because Esther 00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:31.740 belongs to him. 00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:37.520 How godly is Mordecai? 00:23:39.760 --> 00:23:40.120 Who knows? 00:23:42.620 --> 00:23:45.340 But let me ask, what would you do in his shoes? 00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:55.640 We don't know the full story or the intentions behind everything that's written here, but what would you do in his shoes if there was an opportunity, let's say, 00:23:57.300 --> 00:24:00.760 for your child to become queen of the Mito Persians? 00:24:04.420 --> 00:24:11.420 What if there was a risk to try to stand up for your child because 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:16.900 you didn't want them to become a part of the king's harem? 00:24:17.580 --> 00:24:19.440 How far would you go to fight for your kid? 00:24:22.760 --> 00:24:28.220 Where is the line between convenience and conviction? 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:36.830 What price would you accept to compromise your faith? 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:46.310 How much would someone have to pay you for you to do something that you knew would stand against the Lord? 00:24:48.840 --> 00:24:54.920 One of the chapters in the Bible that I have loved to reflect on in the last couple years... 00:24:54.940 --> 00:25:01.980 I was doing a devotion with my kids a year or so ago, and we got to Acts 16, and the Book of Acts, 00:25:02.120 --> 00:25:06.700 chapter 16, one of the things that struck me when I was reading it with my kids... 00:25:07.300 --> 00:25:08.860 it was a family devotion one night... 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:13.760 was Paul's heart in the beginning of that chapter to go to the city of Lystra. 00:25:15.760 --> 00:25:23.240 If you read Paul's first missionary journey, it ends and Acts 14, the last town that he goes to on his first missionary journey is 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:24.110 the town of Lystra. 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:31.820 And, the last thing that happens to Paul in that town is he's drug outside of the city and they stoned him and left him for dead. 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:32.690 They thought he was dead. 00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:39.490 And Paul got up, and Paul ends up going home and reports on his first missionary journey. 00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:46.920 And when Paul then decides to go on his second missionary journey in Acts 16, and they ask Paul, "Where do you want to start in your missionary journey?" You know 00:25:46.920 --> 00:25:48.160 the first place Paul says? 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:50.220 It's Lystra. 00:25:51.280 --> 00:25:52.220 It's Lystra. 00:25:52.220 --> 00:25:59.260 And, Paul didn't travel by himself, and the friends that went with him, they would've heard the story of how Paul and everything that happened to Paul and how Paul was stoned at the 00:25:59.260 --> 00:26:00.400 end of his journey in Lystra. 00:26:00.800 --> 00:26:04.240 You can imagine if you're joining him on a second missionary journey, you're like, "Where are we going to go first, Paul? 00:26:04.280 --> 00:26:11.500 You saw all these great places." Paul's like, "I'm going to start in Lystra." I don't know about you, but when I think about faith and the conviction 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:16.000 and convenience of what it should be, I would say, "I'm not sure if that's the Lord's will, Paul. 00:26:16.040 --> 00:26:17.340 How about this? 00:26:17.540 --> 00:26:18.720 What's the second town? 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:26.060 I'll meet you there and you go ahead and go to Lystra." And then Paul goes to Lystra, he preaches, and then as Paul starts on his secondary missionary 00:26:26.060 --> 00:26:31.050 journey, one of the things that happens to him is he gets a vision from the Lord that God tells him to go to Macedonia. 00:26:31.580 --> 00:26:32.900 Go to region of Macedonia. 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:38.980 So, Paul goes to the region of Macedonia and he ends up in a town called Philippi, and do you know what happens to Paul in Philippi? 00:26:40.040 --> 00:26:41.080 He gets thrown in jail. 00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:45.940 God's will for him was to go to Philippi, and what happens to Paul is he gets thrown in jail. 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:53.460 I don't know about you, but when I think about me and if I were to think the Lord is leading me to do something and I get there and I'm thrown in jail, I 00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:55.710 would be questioning whether or not that was really the Lord. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:57.740 I would think, I think Satan tricked me. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:02.300 He pretended to be God, but obviously the Lord would not want me in jail. 00:27:02.560 --> 00:27:04.250 That's not very convenient. 00:27:04.860 --> 00:27:06.340 And, that becomes the struggle. 00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:07.420 What is our faith about? 00:27:09.880 --> 00:27:10.560 What is our faith about? 00:27:13.770 --> 00:27:17.490 Is it about convenience or is it about conviction? 00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:22.540 Is it about truth or is it about comfort? 00:27:25.060 --> 00:27:31.600 What risk will I go to stand for the reality of who Jesus is and how important He is in the lives of other people? 00:27:34.230 --> 00:27:35.880 What sacrifice would I pay? 00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:40.080 Jesus paid it all. 00:27:43.060 --> 00:27:44.460 Why would I stop at anything less? 00:27:47.120 --> 00:27:54.320 That's why when you look at Mordecai, he's such a challenging figure because God's people, God's people should be back in Jerusalem because that's 00:27:54.320 --> 00:27:55.540 where God's presence was. 00:27:59.040 --> 00:28:01.500 Convenience or conviction. 00:28:03.140 --> 00:28:04.000 Not passivity. 00:28:04.060 --> 00:28:11.220 At least in the circumstance, we've got to recognize that one thing Mordecai should do, and I wish the text told us a little bit more, is 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:13.160 at least stand up for your child. 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:21.180 At least understand that God has given you a gift in nurturing their heart, even at times when they don't want. 00:28:21.260 --> 00:28:26.160 It is so important and valuable for you as a parent, because God created the family to go and bless the world. 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:33.480 And you as a parent have an opportunity to nurture a heart that's going to affect their generation and generations to come if they could walk with 00:28:33.580 --> 00:28:35.310 Jesus and see the goodness of who He is. 00:28:38.060 --> 00:28:44.440 Psalm 127:4, like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:47.250 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. 00:28:47.860 --> 00:28:49.280 I love that picture of parenting. 00:28:50.540 --> 00:28:54.520 So understand that kids are like an arrow, and in this day you shaped your own arrows, right? 00:28:54.520 --> 00:28:58.520 You got to shape this arrow for the trajectory to which it's to be sent. 00:28:58.860 --> 00:29:03.300 And then it describes you as a parent, as a warrior, which is a perfect picture of parenting. 00:29:03.760 --> 00:29:04.100 Is it not? 00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:07.470 Every day is a battle. 00:29:08.120 --> 00:29:09.060 It does not stop. 00:29:09.060 --> 00:29:10.050 It doesn't matter the age. 00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:17.500 There's all always something to be conquered with your child, and to understand that God has a goal for them in mind... 00:29:17.540 --> 00:29:18.920 and I know how kids operate. 00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:22.650 Kids operate in the short term, but you, as a parent, you play the long game. 00:29:23.180 --> 00:29:25.360 Your kids, instantaneous gratification. 00:29:25.360 --> 00:29:26.620 That's what they seek in life. 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:28.260 And, kids are made that way. 00:29:28.580 --> 00:29:35.600 Your brain, it does not develop to think of longterm consequences with the decisions you make in your life until your early 20s for 00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:37.560 young ladies, mid-20s for young men. 00:29:39.820 --> 00:29:46.940 You as a parent, it's important to think about how you're helping your child be shaped to the direction that God's 00:29:47.040 --> 00:29:47.640 calling them in life. 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:53.760 You play the long game, which means it's not always about the details, but it's about what their heart is becoming. 00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:58.140 Because if their heart can be aligned right, the direction will take care of itself. 00:29:59.820 --> 00:30:01.420 It doesn't mean you don't deal with the directions. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:03.420 Sometimes they need help. 00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:11.380 For example, if you think about shaping the heart of your child and you go to your child and you say, "Why don't you steal?" If you ask them that, "Why don't 00:30:11.380 --> 00:30:11.960 you steal? 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:19.180 Why aren't you a child that steals?" And hopefully your kid is not a child that steals, but if your kid's response is "Because I 00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:23.740 don't want to get caught and deal with the consequences," a parent could be like, "Well, that's good. 00:30:24.120 --> 00:30:31.360 I'm glad you don't want to get caught." No one wants to get caught and no one wants to deal with the consequences, but the godly 00:30:31.360 --> 00:30:35.060 answer deals less with the actions and more with the heart. 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:44.020 And, what I mean by that is the child should get to a place where it's not just, "I don't want to deal with the consequences," but rather "I have determined to be a person of integrity. 00:30:44.300 --> 00:30:50.080 The reason I don't steal isn't because I'm worried about getting caught or not getting caught. 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:53.140 Rather, it's the kind of person I want to be. 00:30:53.140 --> 00:31:00.240 I want to be a person of integrity and I want to make my life about that, and because my life is to be about 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:07.340 that, then it automatically removes me from other choices in this world, like stealing and lots of 00:31:07.340 --> 00:31:12.180 other poor decisions." But, you as a parent get to help them shape that heart. 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:17.100 It's about the long game, the direction you're going to send that arrow out in this world. 00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:21.540 And the arrow is being sent to bless. 00:31:23.040 --> 00:31:30.480 A godly heart will place God's desire over life's convenience because God 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:32.220 himself is the prize. 00:31:34.280 --> 00:31:35.040 So, that's where we got to get to. 00:31:35.100 --> 00:31:37.740 I think that's where Acts 16, that's where Paul was. 00:31:39.260 --> 00:31:46.360 Out of all the things that can matter in this world to Paul, his prize was Jesus and to honor Him in everything 00:31:46.360 --> 00:31:47.460 that he did. 00:31:48.580 --> 00:31:53.820 He was a man of integrity, a man for the Lord. 00:31:53.900 --> 00:31:54.560 And then, Esther... 00:31:54.560 --> 00:31:55.920 I need to move on here. 00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:56.220 Esther. 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:02.400 Verse seven, pick back up a little bit back, a couple verses here. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:07.960 He says he was the guardian to Hadassah, that is Esther... 00:32:08.100 --> 00:32:08.720 talking about Mordecai... 00:32:09.420 --> 00:32:12.680 his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. 00:32:12.940 --> 00:32:19.940 Now the young woman was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own 00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:20.040 daughter. 00:32:21.940 --> 00:32:24.500 Real quick, I think there's a foreshadowing here with Esther. 00:32:24.540 --> 00:32:26.720 I think that's the reason why it told us both of her names. 00:32:27.180 --> 00:32:34.220 This word Hadassah is actually the word for myrtle, and this word for Esther means star. 00:32:34.660 --> 00:32:37.520 I think it's a little bit of a foreshadowing of who Esther's going to be. 00:32:37.860 --> 00:32:38.540 Now, I don't think... 00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:39.760 here's my personal opinion... 00:32:39.760 --> 00:32:44.900 Esther starts off this book as a godly young lady, but I think by the end of the book she certainly is. 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:48.580 There's room for me being wrong on that. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:53.280 This is just speculative, but by the end of this book, I think she is a godly young lady. 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:56.080 Here in the beginning, I think there's a struggle for her to find her place. 00:32:56.680 --> 00:33:02.870 But, it says here this Hadassah is a picture of a myrtle, and you see some references there at the end of the verse. 00:33:03.080 --> 00:33:06.820 Isaiah 41, 55, Zechariah 1:8. 00:33:06.820 --> 00:33:11.420 Those verses are referenced because the myrtle is used as an image of God's healing. 00:33:12.280 --> 00:33:18.540 What I mean is God says in those verses that in the desert there are thorns, and the thorns are going to be replaced by myrtle. 00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:23.720 It shows the beauty of who God is, that God heals the brokenness of the desert. 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:27.840 And so, myrtle is a picture of what God is ultimately going to do over the world. 00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:34.920 He's going to bring His healing hand, so that myrtle is that picture, and the flower on the myrtle looks like a star, 00:33:34.940 --> 00:33:36.230 which I think is Esther. 00:33:36.800 --> 00:33:43.820 In fact, today when the Jews celebrate the Feast of Booths, they still carry myrtle branches as a reminder of peace 00:33:43.820 --> 00:33:48.060 and thanksgiving, which the Lord wants to restore for his people. 00:33:48.920 --> 00:33:50.340 But a little bit of foreshadowing there in verse eight. 00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:57.980 So it came about when the command and the decree of the king were heard, and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa and to the custody of Hegai, that 00:33:57.980 --> 00:34:03.030 Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 00:34:03.100 --> 00:34:06.000 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:13.560 So he quickly provided her with cosmetics and food and gave her seven choice, female attendants from the king's palace and transferred her and 00:34:13.560 --> 00:34:16.000 her attendants to the best place in the harem. 00:34:16.040 --> 00:34:19.780 So Esther comes in, not only does she come in but she gets the best that they have to offer. 00:34:19.780 --> 00:34:21.199 The best location, the most attendants. 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:29.120 And so, you see this happening with her, and then verse 15, now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and the uncle 00:34:29.120 --> 00:34:36.300 of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go into the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:39.300 the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:42.560 And Esther was finding favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:50.020 So, Esther was taken to King Xerxes in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth in the seventh year of his 00:34:50.020 --> 00:34:50.120 reign. 00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:51.540 Last two verses, I promise. 00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:59.260 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor in the kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:02.340 the royal turban on her head and made her queen in the place of Vashti. 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:07.780 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his officials and his servants. 00:35:08.240 --> 00:35:14.440 He also made a holiday for the provinces and he gave gifts in proportion to the king's bounty. 00:35:15.560 --> 00:35:16.620 What do you do with Esther? 00:35:18.020 --> 00:35:19.020 How do you deal with her? 00:35:19.820 --> 00:35:21.860 She's not this flat monotone character. 00:35:23.060 --> 00:35:24.030 She's a little bit complex. 00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:32.090 When I think about her story, she's most likely late teens, somewhere around there, when all this takes place. 00:35:32.820 --> 00:35:39.300 Let me just ask you, how many of you made the best decisions of your life in your late teen years? 00:35:40.020 --> 00:35:47.200 How many of you are like, man, if you could go back then, you would just be so impressed with how amazing I was and the choices I have made for my life during that time 00:35:47.200 --> 00:35:47.680 period? 00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:50.220 There's maybe one of you, if you lie. 00:35:50.840 --> 00:35:52.630 You know how that goes. 00:35:54.540 --> 00:35:59.360 Some of you might even say if social media were around when I was a kid, we'd be in jail. 00:35:59.380 --> 00:36:00.830 You'd be talking to me in jail right now. 00:36:01.140 --> 00:36:02.080 That's how that would work. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:04.280 We don't make the best decisions when we're young. 00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:08.980 We need to mature and grow and we need guidance and wisdom from the people around us. 00:36:09.640 --> 00:36:16.980 But some people, when they read this story, they want to assume Esther's the hero and there's nothing but the best for Esther. 00:36:17.100 --> 00:36:20.620 So, when Esther was taken, she's definitely taken by force. 00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:27.100 And when she was taken into the kingdom and she met with the harem, she did nothing but lead ladies' Bible studies every night. 00:36:27.100 --> 00:36:27.700 That's Esther. 00:36:27.720 --> 00:36:35.020 She's memorizing scripture with the women, and when she got her night with the king, all they did was sit by the fire and play Skip-Bo and UNO together 00:36:35.020 --> 00:36:36.120 until the sun came up. 00:36:36.200 --> 00:36:36.550 It was glorious. 00:36:37.180 --> 00:36:39.490 That's how people want to describe this story. 00:36:39.980 --> 00:36:41.900 And then there's other people that play the fence a little more. 00:36:41.900 --> 00:36:45.820 They're like, "Well, she didn't want to be taken but she tried to make the best of it for her people. 00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:47.580 That's why she didn't reveal who she was. 00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:55.900 She was taken by force, but she went into the king and she gave in, and she did the best she could with where she was." 00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:57.450 And, that was the scenario. 00:36:57.580 --> 00:37:04.660 And then, some people think that Esther, she didn't really start off godly but she 00:37:04.760 --> 00:37:06.580 grew into that role based on the need. 00:37:07.600 --> 00:37:11.820 What I mean is when you read stories of the Babylonian captivity... 00:37:11.860 --> 00:37:12.640 You can go to the Book of Daniel. 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:14.580 Read Daniel 1. 00:37:14.620 --> 00:37:21.800 See how Daniel was deported, and Daniel stood for the Lord before the Babylonian king to the point that Daniel wouldn't even eat the king's 00:37:21.800 --> 00:37:27.480 food, knowing if he didn't eat the king's food, the king might kill him when the king offered him that food for rejecting it. 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:29.650 And, Daniel refused because he didn't want to compromise. 00:37:30.600 --> 00:37:38.200 But when you read the Book of Esther 2:9, Esther is given cosmetics and food, and 00:37:38.200 --> 00:37:43.260 the food could have corrupted the Jews on their dietary restrictions, but Esther didn't reject that. 00:37:46.620 --> 00:37:55.000 How godly might Esther be? 00:37:55.100 --> 00:38:02.940 We struggle with Esther because we want to shape our heroes and heroines in a certain way, but when you read the Bible you find a 00:38:02.940 --> 00:38:09.800 lot of the people that we tend to think are so godly had some incredible flaws, like Noah, built the ark, finds favor with God. 00:38:10.040 --> 00:38:14.070 First thing he does after he's off the ark is he gets wasted drunk and out of his mind. 00:38:15.020 --> 00:38:19.140 Abraham, godly Abraham, he gives his wife over twice. 00:38:20.230 --> 00:38:22.630 David, don't even get me started on David. 00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:24.980 David was a mess all over the place. 00:38:25.380 --> 00:38:31.980 David murdered not just Uriah, but a group of his soldiers to cover his own sin when he committed adultery. 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:38.320 These heroes of the Old Testament that they look at, they've got flaws. 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:43.210 And when we read the story of Esther, I'm not so sure that Esther is this spotless hero either. 00:38:43.500 --> 00:38:47.240 In fact, I don't even think the book would be helpful for us if we saw her that way. 00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:55.160 If we saw Esther as the hero and she's done nothing but follow God and never made a mistake, even in her teenage years, in compromising her faith... 00:38:56.080 --> 00:39:04.040 The way they're going to tell the story is this, Esther was good, and because Esther was so good, God 00:39:04.040 --> 00:39:07.080 did good things for her and that's why we have this story. 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:10.430 But, what does that do for you? 00:39:12.640 --> 00:39:13.520 Have you always been good? 00:39:15.060 --> 00:39:15.800 Have you been perfect? 00:39:16.980 --> 00:39:19.640 Here we have godly, great heroine Esther. 00:39:21.160 --> 00:39:26.680 How does that book encourage you that God only shows up for the good people, and if you don't find yourself as one of the good people all the time, then you don't get God. 00:39:27.960 --> 00:39:28.530 That's not helpful. 00:39:29.480 --> 00:39:30.600 That's not encouraging, right? 00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:35.380 Because we need grace and forgiveness and love. 00:39:35.500 --> 00:39:36.660 So, this is what I would say to us. 00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:38.580 I don't think the hero of the Book of Esther is Esther. 00:39:41.720 --> 00:39:44.760 I think the hero of the Book of Esther is the Lord. 00:39:46.200 --> 00:39:47.770 And, here's where you see it. 00:39:48.820 --> 00:39:50.140 In a couple verses, verse nine... 00:39:50.340 --> 00:39:51.340 and, I should have written this down. 00:39:51.340 --> 00:39:52.000 Verse 15. 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:53.500 It's also there in verse 17. 00:39:53.540 --> 00:39:57.940 What you see repeated multiple times, there is this phrase that's just peppered in the story. 00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:00.420 Esther finds favor. 00:40:02.140 --> 00:40:03.460 Verse 15, Esther finds favor. 00:40:05.040 --> 00:40:07.080 Verse 17, Esther finds favor. 00:40:08.980 --> 00:40:14.610 It's as if without saying God has His hand in the circumstance that it's telling us God has His hand in the circumstance. 00:40:17.120 --> 00:40:24.240 It's as if God dips into the mess of this story and all of the things that are happening here, and He's setting 00:40:24.240 --> 00:40:29.160 up the stage to provide an opportunity for God's people to find freedom. 00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:36.500 That's what Esther does at the end of the book is she becomes a part of God bringing rescue to His people who are facing death. 00:40:37.560 --> 00:40:38.120 And, how does it happen? 00:40:39.660 --> 00:40:46.920 That despite us, God steps in and he moves in the mess that 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:48.060 we can find His grace. 00:40:52.010 --> 00:40:59.520 Esther, I think, comes to the Lord because she sees the evidence of His grace, and she surrenders to it. 00:41:00.660 --> 00:41:03.380 And guys, what I think about this story in relating to us, let me just ask you this way. 00:41:04.060 --> 00:41:11.120 How many times in your life does God have to pepper your story with His grace, that you would finally come to a place where 00:41:11.140 --> 00:41:12.510 you surrender to Him? 00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:16.330 Or, maybe we could say it like this if you feel like you're surrendered. 00:41:17.040 --> 00:41:24.100 How many times in your life can you reflect back on the grace of God peppered into your life, where it brought you to 00:41:24.100 --> 00:41:28.600 the place of recognizing how much you needed the Lord and you turned to Him? 00:41:31.980 --> 00:41:32.980 That's the story of Esther. 00:41:34.980 --> 00:41:38.740 That in one young lady turning to the hand of God, many people are rescued. 00:41:40.980 --> 00:41:42.340 Guys, that should be our story, too. 00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:52.300 We came to the Lord, and not only did the Lord heal my life and transform my life, through me, He blessed other 00:41:52.300 --> 00:41:52.400 people. 00:41:54.560 --> 00:41:57.540 It's an incredible story that gives hope to everyone that way. 00:41:58.640 --> 00:42:06.280 That God would do such a thing with His grace, and that as He is the hero of the story, we have the opportunity to 00:42:06.460 --> 00:42:08.920 come to Him as He weaves His grace into our lives. 00:42:10.900 --> 00:42:14.040 Let me end with this and be done. 00:42:14.040 --> 00:42:17.600 There is a sculpture in Geneva, Switzerland. 00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:22.080 It was made by a man who's Romanian. 00:42:22.160 --> 00:42:25.250 His name's Albert Gyorgy, I think is how you say it. 00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:28.240 But, he made this sculpture... 00:42:30.440 --> 00:42:34.230 and this is a touching story, but he made this sculpture after he lost his wife. 00:42:36.200 --> 00:42:43.400 And you see, it's titled Melancholy because you see as this man is sitting there absent of his wife, he's just recognizing 00:42:44.500 --> 00:42:46.980 the hole in his soul because she's not there. 00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:56.840 When I think about this, not only do I see the pain of an individual who loved and cherished his wife, but I really see 00:42:56.840 --> 00:43:04.200 a Gospel story in it too, that we're all made this way as spiritual beings, and 00:43:04.200 --> 00:43:07.310 the one intended to fill our soul ultimately is the Lord. 00:43:08.560 --> 00:43:13.340 And what you see in the Book of Esther are people going through the struggle and they're all in different places. 00:43:13.380 --> 00:43:18.080 You have Xerxes in his pride, who is completely blind to the need for the Lord. 00:43:19.620 --> 00:43:26.740 You have Mordecai, who's wrestling with convenience and conviction, and then you have Esther, who's 00:43:26.740 --> 00:43:33.960 being put in a place of opportunity as God is weaving His grace and His hand is becoming evident with how much He can not only bless 00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:42.280 her, but all of her people if they would just surrender to Him, God 00:43:42.280 --> 00:43:50.380 has made us as a worship being and all of us have struggles, but the answer for us begins 00:43:50.380 --> 00:43:55.300 and ends with our surrendering to the Lord to allow him to have His way in our lives. 00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:57.300 That's the gospel of hope. 00:43:57.300 --> 00:44:04.420 That's who Jesus is, that in the midst of our mess, His grace comes reigning in that we can find freedom in 00:44:04.420 --> 00:44:11.660 our king, not because of anything that we've done in our perfection, but because of what He has done in his perfection, because He is the rescue 00:44:11.660 --> 00:44:13.380 king come for our soul.