Queen Esther, Episode 3, "Obedience or Obeisance"
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Queen Esther, Episode 3, "Obedience or Obeisance"
Speaker 1:
Victory over fear and standing up to a tyrant are among the subjects we will discuss in today's presentation. We are introduced to one of the most evil men in Bible history, Haman, and one of the bravest godliest men, Mordecai, who refused to bow to evil but stood against it in obedience to God. Thank you for joining us today for Episode 3, in our Queen Esther series, entitled "Obedience or Obeisance." My name is Stephanie Wright. Let's get started on today's presentation. So, we are continuing in our study of Esther. We will just give a very short background for those who are just joining us in this study. This is around 480 years before Christ. It is during the reign of the Medo-Persian empire, one of the most powerful empires of that time. And this is the biblical historical account of a woman named Hadassah, but she was given the name Esther, who became the queen of Persia and saves her nation from being destroyed by an evil man named Haman.
Speaker 1:
Last week, we said Chapter 2, was all about favor and obedience. We're going to start with Esther, Chapter 3, starting at verse 1. This chapter is going to be talking about obedience as well and honoring God. Verse 1. "After these things, did King Ahasuerus [and we did say that he was also known as King Xerxes] King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him." So, if you don't know the story, we're going to go back and do a very quick review about this guy named Haman. The entire Jewish nation was about to be wiped out because of this man. It is believed that Haman was a descendant of the Amalekite King, King Agag. Haman would never have been born if King Saul, some 500 years earlier than the time of this book, Esther, if Saul had been obedient to the command of Samuel and killed all the Amalekites.
Speaker 1:
Now, if you read in I Samuel 15, you'll understand why God gave this command to kill all of the Amalekites, but Saul was disobedient. So, years later, approximately 500 years later, coming up to the time of Esther, along comes this man named Haman to try to destroy the entire Jewish nation. This point bears repeating once again, this is the point that needs to be made. No one will stop God's plan. He is always more than one step ahead of Satan as he was in this case involving Esther. Saul's disobedience did not defeat God's plan for his people. If one person does not obey God, he will find someone else who will. He always has an ultimate plan, the best plan, and the people who will faithfully and diligently serve him, they will implement that plan. We're not really sure why the King gave Haman so much favor, but God prepared Esther first, with favor. God gave Esther favor, not man. Men did favor her, but God is the one who allows men to give us favor. Remember, we learned that Esther was prepared speedily to go before the king when the king had dethroned Vashti, his first queen because she was disobedient. Then Esther came before the King and she obtained favor from, Hege, the chamberlain, in Esther 2 and 9. So, if you go back and read that you will see that Hege, this chamberlain helped to prepare Esther speedily to eventually become the queen. Verse 2. And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence." We bow before God. We don't bow before man. We do give respect to men, but we, in our hearts and in our soul and in our spirit, we bow totally before God. Back to Mordecai. Mordecai did not bow. Mordecai worshipped God and to bow to Haman would have been to give Haman the honor that was only due to God. Haman was an enemy to the Jewish people and Mordecai, obviously knew this, as did others, because as we said, Haman was an Agagite, descended from the Amalekites.
Speaker 1:
Haman wanted to destroy the Jewish people like the devil wants to destroy God's people today. You and me and anyone in Christ. Read John 10:10, "the devil comes not but for to steal, kill, and destroy." But Mordecai is a type of Christ who refused to bow to Satan, when He, Jesus, was tempted in the desert, that's in Matthew, Chapter 4. We also need Mordecai's perception, discernment, to recognize our adversary, the devil. First Peter 5:8 tells us to "be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." Verse three. "Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?" Remember, the King had basically given Haman a position of authority, and people were supposed to respect Haman just as if he were the King.
Speaker 1:
They were to bow to him. So, the King"s servants are asking Mordecai, "Why aren't you obeying the King's command?" And there's no answer from Mordecai. He didn't even give them an answer. Sometimes you don't need to answer folks. You need to just be quiet. Verse 4. "Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew." So, Mordecai revealed that he was a Jew, even though he told Esther not to tell she was a Jew. So, finally, they told him that Mordecai was not giving him respect. In other words, "Man, this Mordecai is disrepecting you." So when people don't think you are conforming to their standards, because this is what was happening, people will turn on you because they are sometimes in the situation they wish they were not in.
Speaker 1:
They wish they had enough courage to not yield to the status quo or just to do what God says and not what man says. Verse 5. "And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath." He was mad! Verse 6. "And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai." Verse 7. "In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, [they] cast lots, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar."
Speaker 1:
So, here begins the plan in the first month Nisan and it continued for a year from Nisan to Adar plans were made to destroy the Jewish people who were dispersed throughout Medo-Persia, a whole year. But, God had a plan too, then, just as he does now for our lives. We don't have to worry about Satan's schemes and plans. We don't have to fret over what people may be trying to do behind our backs because God already has put a plan in place to deliver us from the schemers. I said in another Bible study that, Jesus is in the board room. We don't have to be in the boardroom. We don't have to be in the meetings because Jesus is there. That is why it is wrong, even a sin, not to trust and believe God when adversity comes against us, he already has made a way of escape, a way for our deliverance.
Speaker 1:
When fear tries to overtake you, that is the first sign you have the victory. The devil cannot defeat you. So, he tries to scare you. Too many people are fearful, especially when they have difficulties on their jobs or in their homes or in the church. And they come up against the devil. Don't be fearful. God has not given us the spirit of fear. He has given us the spirit of power and love and a sound mind. You're not going to go crazy. Don't be afraid. Know that God is with you and has a plan of good, not evil to bring you to your expected end, His expected in Jeremiah 29:11. We quote it all the time. We need to remember it in our hearts. More often when the enemy tries to pull his little scare tactics and blow his self up, like a Blowfish or something, just remember
Speaker 1:
he's nothing. He's like a dog on a chain and when God decides to yank his chain, He yanks it. So, he is nothing to be afraid of. Verse 8. "And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them." Boy, he was really laying it on, wasn't he? So, here we have Haman playing the fear game. Just what I was talking about earlier. He puts fear in the king's heart of this "certain people" whose laws are different from the king's laws. He is telling the king it is not to your benefit to put up with these people. So, you know what you should do. You should just destroy them.
Speaker 1:
All of them. Verses 9 and 10. "If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy." So, looking at verse 9, Haman says he's going to put 10,000 talents of silver in the hands of those who are going to be responsible for helping to destroy the Jewish people in Medo-Persia. Now, 10,000 talents of silver, my research said is anywhere from $10 million to $15 million (that was in 2017). So, you know, I'm sure that he didn't have all that money, but he was, that was all part of the planning that had gone on for a year. He was gathering this money together already ahead of time.
Speaker 1:
He was setting this thing up. The setup, the setup, just a setup, but you know what? God is the one who knows how to tear down any setup. And God was going to tear this setup down. All that money that Haman had gathered together to help to destroy the Jewish people. In verse 10, when it talks about the king giving Haman his ring, I question the king's wisdom. Once again, I questioned it before when he took the advice of his counselors concerning Queen Vashti. He was the King and his law was the law that mattered. But, nevertheless, he dethroned Vashti because, you know, she was disobedient, but he allowed himself to be influenced by his princes and lawyers and others. Nevertheless, we know that it was all in the plan for Vashti to be dethroned and Esther to come to the throne.
Speaker 1:
So, we have here the King is taking the advice of Haman without what seems a decision without any research on these people that Haman says are his enemy. He just accepted what Haman is saying. And we will see later that what I am saying is exactly right because the king did later do research and ended up honoring Mordecai, the man Haman said was his enemy. So, that's a lesson for us. Do your homework, do your research, get into God's Word, and study God's Word. You don't necessarily always have to take the word of the person that's delivering a message to you. You don't even have to take the word of what I'm delivering to you. Get in and do your own research. You know, there's nothing wrong with saying something doesn't sound right about that. Let me just go do a little bit reading on my own or even better, read the word, and let the Spirit reveal to you what you need.
Speaker 1:
Something in your spirit may tell you that what you are hearing doesn't feel right. And sometimes you listen to stuff on TV and you know, something's not quite right about what I'm hearing from this message on TV, or even sometimes what might be coming across the pulpit. Seek the Lord for yourself. The best teacher is the Holy Ghost. Amen. Verse 11. "And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee." So, the king is giving Haman the high five, telling him to move forward. Verse 12. "Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, [and remember, we said there were 127 provinces] and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring."
Speaker 1:
So, in your mind, just imagine the United States, and let's say an edict went out and it would go across the whole United States every city, every town, every village would be assured that no matter what language you spoke if something came down from the king, you would understand it. Everybody would know. So they were getting this message out. Let's read verse 13. It says, "And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey." They were going to wipe out the Jews in Medo-Persia. They had it planned down to a "T." They were going to even kill the children. And I know that some of you are thinking, you have to be thinking of the Holocaust and how 6 million Jews were killed during that time. And remember, this was one of the most powerful kingdoms of that day. But, just at it would not work in Haman's time, it did not work in Hitler's time.
:
Amen. Verse 14. "The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day." That tells those who were going to commit the murders to get ready. We're going to kill these people. I don't know who all they were enlisting to do this, but it went out throughout all of the provinces that they were to get ready to kill these people because they had been labeled as evil. How, how sad? Oh, my God. Verse 15. " The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed." He said, "Hurry up and get this done." This king gave a command and he didn't even really understand what he was doing.
Speaker 1:
He just took somebody's word for it. Be careful how you hear. Be careful what you listen to. My mother-in-law used to say, "A dog that will bring a bone, will carry a bone." Okay? Be careful of people who like to bring stuff to you that somebody allegedly said about you because a lot of times it's not true. Amen. The post went out, being hastened by the king's command. The decree was given in Shushan the palace, the capital of King Ahasuerus, King Xerxes. And the King and Haman sat down to drink, but the city Shushan was perplexed. So, we see the decree going out over all of the provinces, 127 provinces. They intended to totally wipe out the entire Jewish nation, including the children. But we will learn later that the tables will be turned. They will be turned completely around.
Speaker 1:
And you know, that's how the enemy does. Looking at verse 15. The king and Haman sat down to have a drink. They are getting ready to commit mass murder and they're sitting down and having a drink. That's how the enemy will do. He will sit down and plan to destroy you and he's not even worried about what he's doing. That is why it is imperative. It is required. It is necessary that we stay praying and fasting and seeking God and staying before God for ourselves, for our children, for others, for friends, for those who don't even know they are in trouble. The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. The devil doesn't just want to make you sick. When you get sick, that's just a little taste of what he would really like to do. He really wants to kill you. Sickness is nothing. He wants to destroy you.
Speaker 1:
This is why it is so important because the devil will sit down and have a drink and be rejoicing over what he's going to try to do to you. But always remember that God has the last word. God is going to turn the tables on the devil every time. As long as you are staying before God and praying and fasting, staying on your face, and living a clean life and a Holy life, you don't have to be worried about the devil. He can sit down and have all the drinks he wants. He's just drinking to his own defeat. That's what he's doing because God is going to destroy him. Esther is a great book for teaching victory in our lives. It is a wonderful book for teaching victory because it progresses so nicely. And it shows you how the enemy's plans are set up and brought down by God. Amen. So we are at the end of chapter three, we're going to move on to chapter four next week, the Lord saying the same. Amen. So be encouraged. We thank you for joining us today and hope you've been blessed.
:
Join us next time for Episode 4, "Fast to
Deliverance for Such a Time As This," in our Queen Esther series. When we learn about one of the most powerful weapons, we have to prevail in times of peril. This is Stephanie Wright. Thank you for
joining us today.
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