The “Feasts”
Series
#5
“FEAST OF PURIM”
TEXT: Book
of Esther
INTRO: There are
close to 7 billion people on the face of the earth, and just in America there
are about 306,000,000 people! In this sea of humanity can one person make
any real difference? Does God take
notice of you? Is your life of any important
value? To each of these
questions the Bible says a resounding YES!
History is full of how one
person made a difference in a nation, a state, a city, or even the world! History is full of people God worked
through; people just like you and me.
There were two requirements by God to be used by Him to do something
significant;
1. Believe on Him!
2. Be available to
Him!
God is at work ... you are
important! You can make a
difference in this world, in your state, in your city, in your home, etc.
ILLUS: Helen
Barrett Montgomery (1861-1934) was both a reflection of the gains made by
Baptist women in the 19th century and a precursor of change in the 20th century.
A licensed minister, social
activist, author, and lecturer, she published a translation of the Greek New
Testament and was the first woman president of the Northern Baptist Convention
(1921-22). Her lifelong work for
missions included world travel and the presidency of the Woman's American
Baptist Foreign Mission Society, and her support of ecumenism led to her
involvement in the establishment of what has become the World Day of
Prayer. -- "The
Baptists," Christian History, no. 6.
The only book in the whole
Bible that never mentions God by name is the book of Esther, yet no other book
shows more clearly how God was at work in the lives of a few individuals who
turned to Him, and they were used in mighty ways. A couple of Godly people made a
difference in the life of an entire nation!
PROP.SENT: The Bible teaches us that God will
use even one person who is willing to trust Him and be available. It is with such people that God can
change an entire nation, an entire family, or whatever ... He still is looking
today for “Esthers” and “Mordecais;” those like them who trust the Lord and are
willing to be available to do His will! They made a difference with God, and so
will you!
I. DARKNESS & GLOOM! Esther 3:8-15;
2:12-19
A. Great
Catastrophe! Esther 3:8-11
1.
a. It was tough
times!
b. Life was anything but
smooth!
2. Now because of the jealousy and
hatred of one man towards another man who was Jewish, things would get
worse!
a. Mordecai was a Godly and faithful
Jewish man and a hard worker.
b. Haman hated Mordecai because he was
so good!
c. His hatred caused him to not only
plot Mordecai's death but to also destroy everyone like him! (All Jews!) Esther
3:5-6
3. The other person in this story is
Esther ... a real beauty, outwardly and inwardly, who also was Jewish and
related to Mordecai … but this was unknown to the king at the
time!
a. Look at her attitude! Esther
2:12-19
b. She had many reasons to complain …
but didn't ... she would do what she could where she
could.
c. She set her heart to love the
unlovely!
d. She could have felt insignificant
and unimportant, even “used” ... blaming God for her rotten life and her
people's captivity ... but she didn't.
(1. She could only see the King on
certain occasions, the first time took over a year of beauty
treatments!
(2. Just think how unimportant she
could have felt, especially with all the other wives this guy
had!
4. Yet, God is able to take all these
difficult circumstances and still do something
wonderful!
ILLUS: When
complimented on her homemade biscuits, the cook at a popular Christian
conference center told Dr. Harry Ironside, "Just consider what goes into the
making of these biscuits. The flour
itself doesn't taste good, neither does the baking powder, nor the shortening,
nor the other ingredients. However,
when I mix them all together and put them in the oven, they come out just
right."
Much of life seems tasteless, even
bad, but God is able to combine these ingredients of our life in such a way that
a banquet results. -- Greg
Asimakoupoulos in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from
the editors of Leadership.
B. Godless
Command Esther
3:12-15
1. Finally the decree comes ... “destroy all the Jews!” Haman's hatred finds expression – a decree by the way that could not be
stopped once given! The laws of
the Medes and Persians were such that no law made could be repealed … done to
prevent the making of thoughtless laws normally. This was official policy of the
Mede-Persian Empire; once a law was made, there was no going back on it! (See the following verse in Daniel,
Daniel served under the Medo-Persian Empire as well): Dan 6:8 “Now, O
king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered -- in
accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be
repealed.”
2. The date was set by casting a lot
(called “Purim”) ... the date fell on the 13th
(if the month began on Sunday it would
have been Friday the 13th!)
3. This godless command allowed for
the killers to also get all the plunder from the Jews! (Note the reversal from King Saul’s day; he
was supposed to have killed all the Amalekites – Haman is an
Amalekite!)
4. The Jews were about to lose
everything ... their lives and their goods! What could be worse, or go worse for
them?
5. God however is not restricted by
man’s evil ways … and He does not forget those who turn to Him for
help.
ILLUS: In
her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells about an incident that taught
her the principle of giving thanks in all things. It was during World War II. Corrie and
her sister, Betsy, had been harboring Jewish people in their home, so they were
arrested and imprisoned at Ravensbruck Camp.
The barracks was extremely crowded
and infested with fleas. One
morning they read in their tattered Bible from 1 Thessalonians the reminder to
rejoice in all things.
Betsy said, "Corrie, we've got to
give thanks for this barracks and even for these
fleas."
Corrie replied, "No way am I going
to thank God for fleas." But Betsy
was persuasive, and they did thank God even for the
fleas.
During the months that followed,
they found that their barracks was left relatively free, and they could do Bible
study, talk openly, and even pray in the barracks. It was their only place of refuge. Several months later they learned that
the reason the guards never entered their barracks was because of those blasted
fleas. -- John
Yates, "An Attitude of Gratitude," Preaching Today, Tape No. 110.
II.
DETERMINATION & GODLINESS Esther 4:1-3,
12-16
A. Good
Cause Esther 4:1-3
1. This evil was not the direct result
of sin in these Jewish lives, therefore their cause was a good one to fight
for!
2. Where do you begin to
fight?
a. Where they did ... on their knees!
This the starting point of “spiritual
warfare!” Esther
4:1-3
b. Everyone began to pray among the
Jews! Esther 4:3
3. Prayer is the roadbed for
determination!
ILLUS: It
is our business to see that we do right; God will see that we come out
right. -- Donald
Gray Barnhouse in Revelation. Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 2.
B. Good
Conscience Esther 4:12-14
1. Because none of this was the result
of any evil they had done ... it was time to trust
God!
2. What would be out of their control
would be in God's control ... this is usually the way God works; what we can do
for our self He will expect us to do, what we can't, He
will!
ILLUS: After
their long and weary exile in Babylon the people of Israel were set free to
return to their own land. Spurred
on by Nehemiah, they began to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This aroused the hostility of the pagans
around them, who threatened to undo their work. The people of Israel took two essential
steps: they prayed to God, and they posted a guard day and night. Even as they prayed for God's protection
and help, they did what they could. They knew that prayer is not a way to
avoid responsibility, it is not a shortcut to success without
effort. -- Ron
Klug, Bible Readings on Prayer. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no.
6.
3. With a good conscience Esther must
gamble her life for all of the Jews!
C. Good
Courage Esther
4:15-16
1. Time for more prayer before acting
… not just praying after problems, something we too often
do!
a. Could one little gal make a
difference in the life of the nation?
b. YOU BET!
2. What a brave gal ... a good cause
and a good conscience basted in prayer produced good
courage!
a. We need not fear Satan's schemes if
we have a clear conscience.
b. God was already at work behind the
scenes, it was just not yet evident to
God's people ... this is so often true when our conscience is clear and we
are facing a mess!
ILLUS: Two
books that offer a number of excellent stories that can be used as illustrations
are those by Paul Aurandt: Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story (Bantam) and More
of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story (Morrow). Compiled originally for Harvey's
nationally syndicated radio series, the stories are built around the surprise
ending format.
One of my favorites is the one
about West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. Normally all of the good choir people
came to church on Wednesday night to practice, and they tended to be early, well
before the 7:30 starting time. But
one night, March 1, 1950, one by one, two by two, they all had excuses for being
late.
Marilyn, the church pianist
overslept on her after-dinner nap, so she and her mother were late. One girl, a high school sophomore, was
having trouble with her homework. That delayed her, so she was late. One couple couldn't get their car
started. They, and those they were
to pick up, were subsequently late. All eighteen choir members, including the
pastor and his wife, were late. All
had good excuses. At 7:30, the time
the choir rehearsal was to begin, not one soul was in the choir loft. This had never happened
before.
But that night, the only night in
the history of the church that the choir wasn't starting to practice at 7:30,
was the night that there was a gas leak in the basement of the West Side Baptist
Church. At precisely the time at
which the choir would have been singing, the gas leak was ignited by the church
furnace and the whole church blew up. The furnace room was right below the
choir loft! -- James S.
Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988)
pp. 252-253.
3. Esther and Mordecai were determined
to do the godly thing!
III. DELIVERANCE & GOD! Esther 5:9-14; 6; 7; 8;
9:1-28
A. God's
Call Esther 6;
8
1. To the
King:
a. It was no
accident the king could not sleep that night! Esther
6:1
b. It was no accident that the king
requested a bed-time story be read to him that night! Esther
6:1
c. It was no
accident that the king chose to hear stories about his own reign over
the kingdom. Esther 6:1 (things that happened 5 years
earlier!)
d. It was no
accident that the story chosen for that moment was when Mordecai had
previously saved the king's life! Esther
6:2
e. It was no
accident that the king asked if anything was ever done to reward
Mordecai for this! Esther 6:3
f. It was no
accident that Mordecai hadn't been rewarded earlier than at
this time for what he did, although for Mordecai when it happened it must have
seemed like he wasn't properly thanked for it at the time! God had kept the reward for the right
moment, which isn't always right when
we think! Esther 6:3
g. It was no
accident that Haman just happened to be in the palace that night and
no one else was available for the king when he wanted someone important! Esther
6:4
h. It was no
accident Haman's own pride cost him his life! Esther
6:6-7:10
ILLUS: Shortly
after Dallas Theological Seminary was founded in 1924, it almost came to the
point of bankruptcy. All the
creditors were going to foreclose at noon on a particular day. That morning they met in the president's
office with Dr. Chafer for prayer that God would provide. In that prayer meeting was a man by the
name of Harry Ironside. When it was
his turn to pray, he prayed in his characteristic manner: "Lord, we know that
the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the
money."
While they were praying, a tall
Texan with boots on and an open collar stepped up to the business office and
said, "I just sold two carloads of cattle in Ft. Worth. I've been trying to make a business deal
but it fell through, and I feel compelled to give the money to the seminary.
I don't know if you need it or not,
but here's the check!"
A little secretary took the check
and, knowing how critical things were financially, went to the door of the
prayer meeting and timidly tapped. When she finally got a response, Dr.
Chafer took the check out of her hand. It was exactly the amount of the debt!
When he looked at the name, he
recognized the cattleman in Ft. Worth, and turning to Dr. Ironside said, "Harry,
God sold the cattle!" -- James S.
Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988),
p. 419.
2. Now God through the king calls for
all Israel to defend herself ... God would be with them but they still would
have to also fight! Esther 8:11-15
a. Rejoicing broke out among the
Jews! Esther 8:16-17
b. God would vindicate
righteousness ... He still does today!
c. Many others joined the Jews "suddenly" when it became obvious that God was
on their side! Esther 8:17b READ!
B. God's
Conditions Esther 9:1-17
1. The Jews did some important things
that brought success:
a. They gathered themselves together
for the battle! Esther 9:2
b. They didn't try to fight alone or
separate!
c. The church could learn from this
today!
2. They only killed those who attacked
them … no others! They didn't seek
revenge on their enemy ... just righteousness! Esther
9:5-10
a. Note: they killed only armed
men!
b. According to Esther 8:11 they were permitted to kill even the women and
children of the enemy, BUT they didn't! They had compassion on
them!
ILLUS: Doing
an injury puts you below your enemy; revenging one makes you even with him;
forgiving it sets you above him. --
Anonymous. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1.
3. They even refused riches though
they were permitted to keep the “plunder.” Esther
8:11, read also Esther
9:10,15,16
a. 3 times it says they left the
plunder ... which was permitted them!
b. For whom do you think the plunder was
left? – They no doubt left the plunder for the widows and children of their
enemies who they had been permitted to kill but
didn't!
c. They were thus ministering unto their
enemies, so they wouldn't starve or be poor. In that culture particularly, women
widowed and children left fatherless were in danger of destitution without some
means of helps.
d. Their attitude here is
important! It was the same attitude
of their leaders: Mordecai and
Esther!
e. Is it any wonder God was pleased to
deliver them! With this kind of
attitude of compassion toward even enemies God would not ignore His people and
their need!
C. Great
Celebration! Esther 9:18-28
1. The day that was marked to be tragic for
them became a day of great blessing!
a. Rather than their being fearful ...
their enemy was fearful of them!
Esther 9:2-3
b. They had a reputation of
faithfulness to God! Esther 9:2-3
c. God has the way of turning horrible
things into joyful things!
ILLUS: Happinessce
Jones is a renowned concert organist and teacher at Baylor University. Several
years ago she played the first full concert on the new pipe organ at the Crystal
Cathedral in California, which cost over $1 million. At the age of sixteen she
was a piano major at the University of Texas. A sprained wrist interrupted her
promising career as a pianist. For six weeks she could not touch a keyboard. Not
wanting to waste the time, she decided to learn to play organ pedals with her
feet, and a new career was born. "God has a way," she relates, "to get your
attention and say, 'Hey, I have something better for you to do."' -- James S.
Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988)
p. 273.
2. This "bad" day became a "glad" day! Esther
9:22
a. It became a national
holiday!
b. It was to be celebrated every
year!
c. They were to tell it to their
descendants and have them celebrate it; annually!
d. They do this today, reading the
book of Esther and mentioning the 10 sons of Haman all in one breath (just the
10 sons), indicating that God destroyed the 10 evil sons at one
moment!
3. It was 3
fold:
a. Fasting
b. Feasting
c. The giving of presents to each
other AND THE POOR – this giving to the poor may support the
action of their leaving the plunder for the widows and children of their
enemies! Esther 9:22b
CONCLUSION:
The “Feast of
Purim” is evidence of God's faithful care for us as His children …
one godly life in a nation can make a difference! It was a celebration of God’s power over
their enemies, and of God’s power in the life of a couple of people. Can one person with God make a serious
difference in this world? YES!