I Perish

Reluctant Obedience: 2/16/2020

Esther 4:1-17

Opening Story:

Harriet Movie

Point/ Transition:

What allows for courage in the face of horror?  What allows Harriet Tubman to risk her life over and over again for the sake and freedom of others?  Where does this kind of will come from?  Surely many sensed the need, but how does need move into action?

Today, as we look at another strong woman and Godly example in Esther, I pray we can connect to her story, her actions, her progression to obedience and somehow find the will and courage ourselves for this kind of obedience in our time, in our world.  For we still need it, because we to have been put in position “for such a time as this”.

Scripture:

Esther 4:1-17

¹When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. ² But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. ³ In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶ So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

⁹ Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD

YOU MAY BE SEATED

Sermon Body

First, some context:

The book of Esther is a soap opera.  For anyone in this room or in your life who thinks the Bible is boring, have the read Esther.  Let me give you the major headlines that lead up to our text.  First, this book takes place about 100 years after the Babylonian exile.  While many Jews did return, many did not.  Esther is a book with a group of Jews who did not return and are living in Susa, the capital city of the ancient Persian Empire.  The major characters are:

• King Xerxes: a wild leader, King of Persia
• Haman, the Villain
• Mordecai, Jewish Uncle to Esther
• Esther, Niece

Summary of Chapter 1-3

• Chapter 1 and 2: King throwing 2 banquet feats in his own honor for 187 days.- to show off his greatness
• Last day of the banquet, the King is really drunk and demands his wife to show off her beauty to the party; parade her out for all to lust after
• She refuses, and is disposed of – and the King makes a declaration that all Persian men to be the masters of their own homes.
• He then holds a beauty pageant to find a new wife
• Enter Esther and Mordecai
• Esther hides her Jewish identity and wins the contest
• King is so into her, he elevates her to become the new Queen of Persia
• At the same time, Mordecai overhears people plot to kill the King, he tells Esther, who tells the King and Mordecai is given credit for saving the King
• Chapter 3: Haman Promoted by the King and it is demanded that all people bow before him
• Mordecai refuses, Haman is furious and when he finds out that Mordecai is Jewish
• Haman convinces the King to issue a decree to kill all Jewish people, they roll a dye to find out when the massacre will happen… the dye: PUR…

With the death of his people certain… we come to our text today:

We are going to walk through this text through the character and action of Esther.  When we look through these 17 verses, there are 3 distinct actions that capture the journey, the progression that Esther was on.

• Esther Saw and Sent (4:1-5)

For a moment, we need to back up the previous 3 chapters to see what is going on, to understand why Mordecai is grieving. 

• Mordecai is publicly grieving the almost certain genocide of the Jewish people in Susa. Sackcloth and Ashes (more next week, public grieving – and at the gate was a way of registering the grief, ancient protest of sorts.
• Could not come past the gate = not my problem

• Esther saw past the gate. Not only that she saw, she sent for more information. talked about she saw.  Her concern went deeper.

• EMPATHY

• She wanted the story; she wanted to hear it first-hand (the clothes were a scheme to get close)

• When she sent for the story, she got back more than she thought… Mordecai went public, not hiding anymore. Brings Esther into the pain, into the problem.

• Esther Wrestled with Risk (4:6-11)

• This is why I love her – she is so human!

• Upon hearing the request of her Uncle, she turned inward. She understood the problem and the pain – and had a very human response:

• She moved from empathy to “what about me” – She has seen the issue, has concerns, but ultimately sees the risk of her involvement

• She has been hiding her Jewish identity, what would the King do once her heard? He dealt with his former wife for less… and she knows the rules and custom: you simply do not do what Mordecai is suggesting. You die.

• Esther spins some; declares the slim way in (golden scepter) and is insecure in her favor with the King (has not seen him in 30 days)

• She sends back rational and fear to Mordecai

• Esther Accepted the Moment (4:12-17)

• Ultimately, we see how Esther comes out of her wrestling with her own personal risk. She will end this episode with a clear declaration of affirmation to Mordecai’s request and plan. She accepted the risk, and claimed her spot in the moment in Israel’s history. But, these last 6 verses build to this acceptance – the building is worth looking at.

• The Sovereignty of God:

• Verse 13-14a: he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.

• Esther was not the Savior in this situation. When Mordecai declares that “relief and deliverance for the Jews will come from another place”, he has his theology correct. God has a chosen people, God has made a covenant, God will fulfill his promises.  Esther is not a story about how the universe in on one person’s shoulder, but more of a story that no matter how bad it seems, no matter how far God feels, no matter how big the threat or issue – God is sovereign.  So, if God is going to do what he is going to do, then why is Esther even needed?  Because God, since Genesis invites his people into relationship to accomplish his plans and purpose. And for Esther, she will next hear that she has been invited to this moment for such a time as this.

• The Divine Appointment

• Verse 14b: And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
• Esther has been given her life for this time and in this story, for this moment. Her life, her journey to become Queen, what has felt random or lucky (or unlucky based on your perspective) – has been a Divine appointment. All this, for this moment. Mordecai, is used to help her see her position, her access, her very life to be given for this particular moment… yes, God will do as he will – but the Esther is waking up the reality that she has been divinely appointed for this moment.

• The role of prayer and fasting

• Verse 16: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
• DO you see the role devotion plays into this? Interestingly, you may know that God is never mentioned by name in the book of Esther… but this is a clear space where he is alluded to, referenced to.
• She is saying, I will obey – but first God. The call to prayer and fasting precedes the action of obedience.
• It is only after the prayer and fasting that obedience takes place – but note this, she did not connect the prayer and fasting to change the circumstance… she called for prayer and fasting knowing full well what was on the other side – “If I perish, I perish”

Esther is held as an example of obedience, but I hope you see the journey she was on toward obedience.  She has to see, she had to learn more, she wrestled with what it meant for her own safety, but she came to see herself as not random, but as ordained, set apart for this moment of obedience… she knew the problem, counted the cost, and accepted her place in the moment. 

So -  what can we learn from this?

Application

• Obedience is often beyond ourselves

• That makes obedience a struggle, to see and send…
• We have to see others people’s pain and weeping… modern world, we do not have too if we do not want to.
• STORY: do you drive to avoid seeing the pain? What gets up to and past your gate?
• To send to understand. To listen to understand
• To consider and see how who we are, what we have been given is for this moment.

• Obedience risks loss

• God calls us to some amazing places, some amazing moments… and often the risk of the moment; the fear in the moment can win over accepting the invitation.
• On Thursday, Scott White, Steve S., and myself will board a plane to visit some of the most amazing people connected to LAC, our International Staff. Each one, accepting an invitation that was and is full of risk. But, what they have said yes to is celebrated by many of us. 
• I am gearing up to hear about the loss, the risk – but I am also prepared that those will not be the main story, but to hear the adventure, the fulfillment of, in the midst of risk, being used by God for “such a time as this”.
• Risking loss is the journey we are on… do not see risk to be avoided but to be confronted.

• Obedience is “for such a time as this”

• Obedience lives in real-time
• What are you seeing?
• Who are you seeing?
• Can you hear anyone weeping?
• What are you learning?
• What are you praying for? Fasting for?
• YOU. YOU.  Stop punting responsibility to everyone else, blaming everyone else for the state of the world, the nation, your job? 
• Have you owned your obedience to the moment?

Close:

Have you considered that for you, you are living for “such a time as this”?  A common response and feeling sounds more like, it is such a hard time to be alive, to be raising kids, to be a Christian.  If we can be honest, we can sound like either defeatist who are overwhelmed by the state of the world, nation, and culture – that we have resigned to just endure.  Or the other extreme is to overly organize, to have more of a militant response. Time to double down, time to speak up, time to speak out, to strategize from an earthy level, to wield power for whatever our sense of right and wrong and what can cause change.

I hear it all the time in general from all sides. It seems that we can punt responsibility to whomever, whatever, or wherever we think change is supposed to happen.  We put pour trust and hope in politicians, positions, or even pastors to say, do, and act in the correct ways to enact change. 

But, I want to say this morning… what does it look like to look in the mirror and own your role in this moment?   What has the Lord given to you for such a time as this?  For our world, and even for this local church?

@ LAC

“a time like this” a church in motion, yes, but, a church looking and discerning for a new Senior pastor… hear me, do your survey… but please do not put your trust in a survey, or what the majority “wants” in a Senior Pastor… or in an individual human… do not put your ultimate trust in anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ and what and who he has ordained for this local church.  For you are here in this church family for such a time as this – to watch for the Lord’s provision and not try to control the Lord’s plan.

@ 2020 in USA

Let me go wider… this “time” is just that… a moment in time.  A moment in which division is loud and clear.  A moment in which there will be no perfect presidential candidate.  A moment that will have many of us coming to different conclusions based on our sense of what God calls for.  Can we handle this moment?  Can we as a church be an example of what runs counter to the rest of the world?

Or will we further divide?  Esther shows us what is required… we need to see one another, past our gates, past our neighborhoods. 

We need to send out to hear more, we need to learn.  It requires a broadness that runs counter to our algorithmic culture.  Our browsers, newsfeeds, and the people we follow are all formed and designed to keep us narrow and away from difference.  Not so with us, I pray.

We need to listen, to stop talking all the time and over one another.,, we need to listen to understand… and listen to inform action. 

Everyone who works @ LAC, sits with me when the begin and I go over our staff values and expectations.  Let me share with you the 3 staff values we have:

Staff Values:  Discussion, Dialogue, and Decision

Esther moved from preserving her own Self-welfare to risking for the welfare of her people. 

In a world of self-preservation, and self-welfare, do you hear the Lord calling you, calling us at LAC to be a people focused on the welfare of the other?  This call is costly… it has risks… but, keep reading Esther – it is a kind of obedience that is thrilling and puts in the exact moment we have been created for – “for such a time as this”.

Amen.