Our story takes place in the Fortress City of Susa, in the heart of the Great Persian Empire circa 478 BC. King Xerxes, at the end of an incredibly elaborate celebration, has a conflict with His Queen which leads to her removal from the throne.With Queen Vasthi gone, Virgins are gathered from across the empire to see which woman will please the king enough for him to make her the new queen. We meet Mordecai and his cousin Esther, both Israelites who were born in exile and live in the Fortress of Susa. Esther: a significantly attractive young woman. Mordecai an enterprising guy who had a position of responsibility. Mordecai’s refusal to bow and honor the kings number 2 man, Haman, the arrogant enemy of God, drives Haman to seek the destruction of the entire Israelite population of Persia. Haman convinces King Xerxes to order the annihilation of all jews in Persia, one year from now, on a single day. The order is posted in Susa…

1 When 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.

• The decree is posted & Mordecai begins to mourn in the traditional jewish way
• He mourned publicly, perhaps he wanted the King could see him
• We are told the response was the same by Jews in all the Persian Empire
• ‘HAIRCLOTH’ & Ashes
• Jacob in Gen 37, David in 2 Sam 3, Hezekiah in Isaiah 37, Daniel in Daniel 9

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.

• Seeing Mordecai in such a state upset Esther, she knew something big was up
• Esther recognized the very Jewish mourning practice [Haircloth & ashes]
• Clothes sent to make him less conspicuous, she was still unknown as a jew
• Clothes refused, she sends a servant to get the low down

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.

• Esther’s servant when to Mordecai in public and got the whole scoop
• The money is important to show how much Haman wanted this personally
• Copy of the edict so she had the details: Kill a Jew and you get his stuff!
• Mordecai instructed her to go to the king [Mordecai instructed Esther on a lot]

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.”

• Esther hears Mordecai’s instructions & responds with the perceived reality
• Esther realizes her influence with the king is waning [2^nd gathering of Virgins]
• Totally opposite of our situation with Christ [Go boldly before the throne]

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?”

• Mordecai’s answer is kinda harsh but absolutely true
• Great theology: If God wants to do it, He is gonna do it…with or without you
• Mordecai instructs Esther hat she is where she is to perhaps save her people

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.

• Esther is moved by Mordecai’s plea…but she wants his help
• Her plan is based on trust in God. How did she get to that point?
• She literally surrenders her life into God’s hands…where it is already!
• Esther is now the driver of the action [she has the vision that Mordecai follows]
• Jews fast in order to pray to Yahweh / no other purpose to fast from food

Application Principals From Our Text:

If WE live believing God is totally in control, it will cause us to mourn with great grief, knowing that God allows for earthly suffering we can’t understand.

Seeking to comfort those who mourn is how God’s children can become relationally intimate. Trying to reduce someone’s pain is a reflection of God’s influence.

Our surrender to God’s sovereignty is to be paired with acting in ways HE has called us to act. God calls HIS people to act, fully aware of the corruptness of earthly authorities, while knowing we have perfect grace and justice in the end from our creator.

If YOU do not fulfill God’s will… it will not effect HIS will being done! HE wants to use us but HE is never limited by our limits.

If YOU belong to Christ, HE has placed you in positions and around people to glorify HIM. Spend your energy figuring out how to make that happen.

In life or death situations, get hyper intentional in your communication with God. Follow the ways that God’s people have always done that.

COMMUNION:

We must be in the hands of God for God to do exactly what He like with us, and that means disentanglement from every thing that hinder His purpose. If you want to remain a full -orbed grape, you must keep out of God’s hands for He will crush you, wine cannot be made any other way.

The call of God has nothing to do with personal holiness. It’s about being made broken bread and poured-out wine. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink whole grapes. But God can never crush those who resist the fingers he uses to do it. Those fingers may belong to someone we dislike, or to some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit. We think, “If only God would use his own fingers to crush me, and do it in some special, heavenly way!” ~ Oswald Chambers [2 quotes]