INTRODUCTION:
A.What can I, as a single individual, contribute to the great,
vast, overwhelming needs of our world?
1. As a young person like Esther, you are important & even
though you are only one person, you, with the strength God provides,
can make a difference in this world.
a. But in the first four chapters of Esther, it doesn't look like
anyone can overcome the problems which they faced.
I. THE VICES OF THE EVIL
A. THE DISPLAY (1:1-6)
1.The Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings,
with room for 26,700 employees on its 30-acre site. Enlarge that
10 times for Xerxes acropolis!
a.The king gave banquet for the important officials for 6 months
(vv.3-4) & a banquet for all the citizens for 7 days (v.5)
(1) His father, Darius I, had invaded Greece & been shamefully
defeated at Marathon in 490 & died in 486.
b. The king wanted to avenge his father & expand his empire
so he had to impress the nation by displaying wealth of the kingdom.
(1) Esther lived in a time of great national arrogance & pride
about how strong & wealthy the nation was.
B. THE DRINKING (1:7-10)
1."Banquet" (v.5) means drinking feast - how can young
people have an impact on a society that drinks?
C. THE DEBAUCHERY (1:11 - 2:14)
1.The drunken king wanted Queen Vashti to parade her body before
the lustful eyes of wicked, drunken men. She refuses & is
deposed.
a.The book passes over 4 years. With an army of 200,000 men, cross
the Hellespont in 480, took Athens but navy defeated at Salamis
& in 479, army defeated at Plataea.
1. After defeat, the king longed for his queen - the counselors
suggested he search for a new queen (2:2b, 3b, 4a, 12)
D. THE DUPLICITY (2:21-23)
1.Two disgruntled guards plot to assassinate the king - Mordecai,
a Jew, got word to the new queen, tells the king & plot defeated.
E. THE DEPRECIATION FOR LIFE (3:1-9a)
1. Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman & Haman plots to destroy
all the Jews. Life was devalued just like with abortionists, terrorists
& dictators today.
F. THE DESIRE FOR MONEY (3:9b-15)
1.Haman offered 10,000 talents of silver to destroy the Jews.
Persia's annual income was 15,000 talents. Since the Greek wars
had impoverished the treasury, the king granted him the authority.
II. THE VIRTUE OF ESTHER
A. HER ATTRACTIVENESS (2:7-18)
1. Esther is the orphaned cousin of Mordecai. Now taken into the
king's harem & she's all alone again.
a. Like Joseph, found favor with her overseer (2:9) & Mordecai
also concerned about her welfare (2:11)
(1) She requests nothing except what her overseer advised (2:15)
- she possessed great beauty (2:7) & chhosen to be queen.
B. THE ATTENTIVENESS (2:10)
1. Following the advice of Mordecai, she didn't reveal her
ethnic origins & even after
she became queen, she was attentive to Mordecai (2:20).
C. THE ALLEGIANCE (Chapters 4-7)
1.Haman has plotted to kill all the Jews but Mordecai knows Esther
doesn't know about the plot so he tells her to petition the king
on behalf of the Jews (4:8)
a. Since the king had not called her, she doesn't know how he
feels about her & to appear before the king without being
called could mean her life.
2. Mordecai reminds her of 3 things:
a. Just because a palace resident is no guarantee be delivered
from death.
b. Her silence wouldn't prevent deliverance coming from another
source.
c. Come to the throne by God's providence for such a time as this.
3. With courage & determination, goes before the king &
he offers her up to half of his kingdom (Esther 5)
a. Requested the King & Haman to come to a banquet & then
come to another banquet tomorrow. On the way, Mordecai again refuses
to bow & Haman is infuriated & he builds gallows on which
to hang him tomorrow.
(1) The king can't sleep, discovers Mordecai never rewarded &
Haman has to honor Mordecai (6:4-13)
b. At the second banquet, Esther reveals Haman is trying to kill
her & her people - Haman is hanged.
III. THE VICTORY EXTENDED
A. THE FAVOR (8:1-3)
1. Mordecai appointed to Haman's position & he used his position
for the good of God's people.
B. THE FOES (8:4- 9:32)
1.Esther couldn't do everything but she could do something &
what she could do, she did - she approached the king & asked
him to reverse Haman's edict.
a. He couldn't change the edict but did issue a new decree that
favored the Jews so they could assemble & defend themselves
& great joy (8:15-17)
(1) When the fateful day arrived, the Jews got little opposition
& the feast of Purim was established to remind Israel of how
God had saved her from her enemies.
C. THE FUTURE (10:1-3)
1.Notice the greatness of Mordecai (10:3). God continued to use
Esther & Mordecai to make sure the Jews were treated with
fairness & held in high regard.
a.The king died 13 years later. Esther may have lived into the
reign of stepson Artaxerxes & may have still exerted influence
in the days of Ezra & Nehemiah.
1.Without Esther & Mordecai, the Jews would have been exterminated,
no hope for Jesus to come & offer Himself for man's sins.
2. Young people, don't ever say, "I'm only one person - what
can I do to have an impact on the wicked world in which I live?"
a. Esther was a little, insignificant orphan, a little girl who
had lost her mother & father but God used this insignificant,
precious young girl to deliver His people (Eph.3:20)
(1) God still calls His people to stand alone. For one individual
to stand alone in "such a time as this."