Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #107 "The Fall of Haman" (Esther 7:2-10) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We have reached an exciting turning point in the book of Esther. Up until our passage last week, evil has seemed to have been prevailing. Mordecai had uncovered a murder plot against the king’s life, but instead of him being rewarded, the following chapter (chapter 3) sees the rise of an evil man named Haman, who (because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him) tricks the king into signing an edict to annihilate all the Jewish people in the Persian empire. Mordecai pleads with Esther to go to the king unannounced on behalf of her people, an act that could cost her her life; because it broke Persian protocol and might be seen by others as the same kind of rebellion the first Queen (Vashti) had committed all the way back in chapter 1. But Esther chooses to do this, and finds that the king receives her with favor, and agrees to come to a banquet she has prepared in order to hear her request. And she asks for Haman to be there too, to which the king agrees. So the king comes (with Haman) to Esther’s first banquet to hear her request, but Esther senses God telling her to remain silent and to not share her request at that time, which is kind of frustrating for her because there is some urgency to her request. But she chooses to follow God’s leading and to instead invite the king and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will then share her request. After that Haman has a pole erected for Mordecai on which to have him impaled as soon as he can get the king’s permission. But of course that night the king can’t sleep and so the royal records are read to him and he comes across the account of how Mordecai had saved his life from that assassination plot 5 years earlier. And so he decides to reward Mordecai, so he asks who is in the court; and of course it is Haman; Haman has come to issue his own request (to have Mordecai impaled); but the king speaks first and asks what ought to be done for the man the king delights to honor. And Haman, thinking it is him, gives him a long list of things that ought to be done for him (including exalting him publicly). And so the king tells him to go and do all these things (leaving nothing out) for Mordecai the Jew. And Haman (horrified) finds himself compelled to obey the king and ends up exalting the very man he had sought to destroy. And the text says that afterwards he went home with his face covered in grief. And so (in the midst of a lot of grief and pain) we see that God is working in an amazing; and we have already begun to see how God’s plans are unfolding and the tables are beginning to turn on the enemies of His people. Last week I read to you Deuteronomy 7:9, which reads:

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)— 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

But I intentionally left the following verse for today, because of how it sets the tone for our discussion. It says in verse 10…

Deuteronomy 7:10 (NIV)— 10 But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

The Hidden Face— Now notice that twice it says in this verse that God will repay to their face; because there is a lot of Old Testament imagery and meaning behind that phrase. You will remember that in breathing life into Adam, God gave life to Adam from His very face. When man sinned, he was cut off from the face of God. When Cain committed murder in killing his brother Abel, he says Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. When we sin, (in the Hebrew mind) our face is always affected; we are cut off from God’s face. Yet later in the Tabernacle (and even later the temple) there was kept there the bread of the presence of God. In Hebrew it was known as the Lechem Panim, which literally meant “bread of the faces”; signifying that bread for life was found as man looked into the face/faces of God. It was a promise; because in Jesus (the bread of life), who was born in a bakery (that’s what Bet-Lechem means; “house of bread”), man got to look once again into the face of God in Jesus. Now I say all this because of how Haman in our story today has just covered his face because of his having to exalt Mordecai. He races home with his face covered. There is a spiritual overtone to all of this. And his friends and family tell him he’s doomed because Mordecai is a Jew (interesting how they seem to understand that God stands with His people). And it says…

Esther 6:14-7:1—  14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. 7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,

So Haman is ushered to Esther’s second banquet. And his heart is still racing and he’s trying to regain his composure the best he can. And so he comes in and sits down, only to experience another horrifying surprise. It says…

Esther 7:2-4 (NIV)— 2 and as they were drinking wine [there's that theme of wine again] on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

Now the king suddenly becomes wild with fury. Who would dare set themselves against His queen (the woman he loved) and her people? And Haman’s eyes are growing wide as well. He begins to feel the drumbeat of his own heart. And he thinks to himself, “Surely Esther is not a Jew!” But it says…

Esther 7:5-6 (NIV)— 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

And Haman’s jaw drops to the floor. And the king’s eyes lock onto Haman like a bulldog’s on lamb chops. And all the blood drains from Haman’s face. It says Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. And the King is beside himself with rage. He gets up and storms out. And look what it says...

Esther 7:7-8a (NIV)— 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine [there’s that wine mentioned again; something bad is about to happen] and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. 

And for some reason this looks to Xerxes like an assault upon the queen; probably because of how aggressively Haman is pleading for his life; I mean HE IS TERRIFIED!!!

Esther 7:8b-10 (NIV)— The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”
The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

​God Lifting Us Up— Now I’m sure most of you have gone through times of persecution and oppression; and maybe you have wondered when and how God would deliver you. And especially we Christians in the United States have a skewed understanding of what it means to be in favor with God. We think it means prosperity and feeling close and connected with God all the time. Prosperity gospel prophets will tell us that if we are suffering in some way, then something is wrong with our relationship with God and we need to have a deeper kind of faith; because obviously our faith is not strong enough. I’m not sure why we tend to gravitate towards that heresy so easily, especially when Jesus speaks so clearly about our taking up our crosses (our emblems of suffering and shame) and following Him in His suffering. In the early church there were precious few Christians who expected anything less than pain and suffering on behalf of the Gospel. And looking back through the Old Testament, we discover that God’s faithful ones lived lives that were characterized by suffering. Think of Abraham’s and Sarah’s childlessness; think of Joseph’s imprisonment; Moses’ flight from Egypt and living in isolated seclusion for decades because of his having killed an Egyptian; or just look at the Psalms. Incredible works of poetry? Yes. But they were written (many of them) out of circumstance of intense persecution and pain. David had to deal with enemies who set themselves against him all of his life (from Goliath of Gath to Saul to even members of his own family). Those on whom God’s favor rested in a special way were those who (facing hardship) chose to rely on God in a special way. And in so doing, they found deliverance. Abraham’s wife Sarah conceived and gave birth. Joseph was freed from prison and God made him second in command over all of Egypt; God called Moses out of hiding and (in his senior years) made him His chosen leader for His people; God helped David defeat Goliath, to supersede Saul as king, and delivered him from his enemies time and time again. And so in all these accounts, we discover that the dark times were not God’s vacation days or God somehow backing off for a while. No, it was often during those times that God was working the most. And the same is true of us; if we can rely on God in the hard times, we will find ourselves joining in some of His greatest work. That is one of the key truths we discover in Scripture and is something we see demonstrated so clearly here in the book of Esther. And so I want to encourage you today (in whatever you are facing). Trust in God. If you are anchored to Him (in Christ Jesus) He will not always keep you from the dark times, but He will bring you through those dark times; and He will use those times to do mighty works both in you and through you. So let us trust in Him today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #106 "The Reward of Mordecai" (Esther 5:9-7:1) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today for another message from the book of Esther, which today will focus on the faithfulness of God to humble those who are sinful and arrogant and to exalt those who are righteous and humble.

A Flex Cam Showdown— Not long ago, at a Philadelphia Soul football game, they've  had something called “Flex Cam.” The camera panned out to the crowd, tasking them to flex their muscles. It’s a fun thing, kids and adults showing up on the big screen flexing. However, during once of these events there was a young man on whom the camera fell who wanted to show his fairly large muscles. So he stood up and flexed his biceps and even turned to the girl behind and began flexing in front of her. And then he turned back to the camera to flex some more. But unbeknownst to him, the girl he had been flexing to quietly stood up behind him and slipped off her jean jacket, revealing bulging, body-builder arms. And he turned again, just in time to see her (with a look of pure pleasure) flexing her vastly superior arms over him; after which he quietly slumped back into his seat with a look of absolute embarrassment on his face.

Humbling Fun To Watch— You know, I don’t care whether it is in a movie or television show, or even in day to day life, the funniest moments are often when somebody who is proud or arrogant or full of themselves is humbled. And we will see this happen in a big way in our story today in the book of Esther.

Esther Stands for God’s People— Now we left Queen Esther last week immediately following the first banquet she had prepared for the King and his advisor Haman. Because Esther’s cousin Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him at the city gate, Haman tricked the King into signing an edict that would cause all of the Jews in Persia (not just Mordecai) to be exterminated. However, Haman knows neither of Esther’s connection with Mordecai nor the fact that she is herself a Jew. And so Esther is preparing to reveal Haman’s plot to the king and could have done so at her first banquet, but (apparently) senses God telling her to wait. So she invites the King and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will make her request. And this of course gives God the opportunity not just to bring Haman to justice, but to humble him and bring about the exaltation (the lifting up) of Mordecai, which we will cover. But after this first banquet, Haman (who has no idea what is coming) is on cloud 9. He is excited. It says in…

Esther 5:9-14 (NIV)— 9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits [(this was about 75 feet or almost 8 stories high)], and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

Impaling— Now this pole (and impaling) was a pre-cursor to crucifixion, which some believe the Persians were the inventors of. It was a graphic way to display the corpses of your enemies and instill fear in the hearts of your people. Ahasuerus’ grandfather Darius at one time had 3,000 citizens who had been a part of a revolt impaled at one time. It was very graphic and humiliating; and therefore a method Haman chooses with glee. And Haman (after instituting this plan) probably then turns in for the night and smiles as he drifts into sleep, dreaming of his revenge against Mordecai.

Sleeping Haman vs. Sleepless Ahasuerus— But that night, Ahasuerus, by the providence of God, cannot sleep. He’s tossing and turning, but to no avail. And he calls for his servants and commands that the royal records be read to him. And he is expecting the monotony of the records to lull him to sleep (like counting sheep or reading the phone book). So the royal records are brought, a scroll is chosen, and his servant begins reading. But instead of a boring record, he is read the record of his being saved by Mordecai from the plot against his life made by his two doorkeepers (Bigthan and Teresh) five years (cf. 2:16 with 3:7) earlier.

Divine Orchestrating— Now the royal records recorded not only the years of Ahasuerus’ reign, but also the reign of his father and grandfather. So you can imagine how many records there were. What are the chances that this scroll was chosen? Well it wasn’t chance. God brought it about. Don’t ever tell me this is a God-less book. God is very present in this story on every page; He is behind the scenes orchestrating every event towards the fulfillment of His purposes.

The King’s Inquiry— Now Xerxes, eagerly asks, 3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” And his attendants answer “Nothing has been done for him,” And so the King resolves to rectify that right away. 

Haman’s Pride Backfires— Yet, first thing in the morning, Haman comes before the king at the royal court with a gleam in his eye ready to ask the king for authorization to execute Mordecai. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! And he’s thinking about that stake being set up for Mordecai. And he comes to the king. And the king speaks first. But can you even imagine what would have happened if Haman had spoken first? That expression, “He put his foot in his mouth” just wouldn’t cut it. But the king speaks first. It says…

Esther 6:6-10 (NIV)— 6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” {And Haman thinks it’s HIM!!! And his ego and head begins to swell; his chest begins to puff out. It says…} 
Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’” {And Haman smiles ear to ear as the king puffs his own chest out and gets ready to declare the recipient of this honor. Verse 10…}
10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

Haman Leading Mordecai’s Parade— Now I don't think words can describe the shock and frustration this little man Haman was feeling. Maybe its like that commercial on tv where the man puts his head close to the bushes as he’s working on them and a squirrel leaps out, latches onto his face and begins tearing him up. Hamon receives a similar, nasty surprise. And a whole field of emotions are bubbling up in Haman right now. But it says…

Esther 6:11 (NIV)— 11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

Haman Head of The Parade!— Now you have to get this. Haman has to be the person not only to dress Mordecai in the royal robes and a royal crown and help him onto the royal horse, he has to be the guy who leads the parade for Mordecai as they go though the city. And as he’s leading Mordecai, he has to say, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” And it says in verse 12...

Esther 6:12 (NIV)— 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

No comfort from his wife— And he’s expecting them to comfort him and to placate his wounded ego. However, they don’t. In fact, just the opposite. It says…

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” 

Not quite the pick-me-up he was looking for. And that prophecy (unlike many) didn’t predict events in the distant future; but was more of a just-around-the-corner kind of prophecy. It says…

Esther 6:14-7:1—  14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. 7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,

And we will see next week how things are going to play out for Haman. But God’s word to us for today is this. Although we know that God promises to reward us for our good deeds, we can often times feel that the “payoff” is too far away. And we often wonder if it is worth it. Mordecai went without being rewarded (or even recognized) for what he had done for five years. But though the king may have forgotten, one thing we see here is that God never forgets. And God will reward us in due season when that reward will do the greatest possible good. But we need to patient, just as both Esther AND Mordecai were willing to wait for God’s timing. One of the greatest points of security that will come in your life will come when you come to grips with the truth that God truly is faithful; He has been, He is, and He always will be faithful to you and to me. 

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)— 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Let us know today in a special way the faithfulness of our God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #105 "Moving on God's Timetable" (Esther 5:4-8) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. 

Esther Stands for God’s People— In our passage last week we saw how Haman has begun to implement his plot against the Jews. He has gotten the king to sign a royal decree that all Jews in the empire are to be exterminated. And the decree has been sent out throughout all the empire. And news of this has reached Mordecai, who implores Esther to go before the king and plead their case. And Esther’s obviously scared, knowing that Persian law dictated that she could be executed for appearing before the king un-summoned. But rather than letting her fear master her, she chooses to align herself with God’s purpose and places the needs of her people over her own and chooses to go in to see the king. And as she enters that inner court (4:11), she knows she is placing her very life at the king’s mercy. Yet Proverbs 21:1 may have given her hope. It says…

Proverbs 21:1 (ESV)— 21 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

And that’s what we see here. Because Esther has placed herself in the hands of God and found favor in His eyes, she finds that those same divine hands are at work in the heart of the king. And when the king sees her, it says she won favor in his sight (5:2), and he extends to her his scepter, sparing her life. And he says “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” (5:3)

What Esther Requests-- Now Esther has come before the king; not to seek anything for herself (as Haman, by contrast, will in just a little while), but in order that the lives of her and her people might be spared. But what is interesting is that she doesn’t at this time make her request before the king. Instead, it says… 

Esther 5:4-5 (NIV)— 4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Sensitivity & Timing-- Now Esther chooses the banquet as the place to make her plea. As we talked about last week, she does this to protect the king; so that he might not be placed in a situation where he could publicly lose face; because remember it was he who had authorized this edict to begin with, so it would have made him look bad. But even more importantly, Esther is moving on God’s timetable. Probably because she took that time to fast and pray, she seems to have this sense of the Lord’s timing; and she is moving in accordance with that timing.

Led by the Spirit, not our sense of our needs-- And you know, that is something you and I can really learn from. Are we led by our fears or our own sense or perception of what our needs are? Or are we led by the Spirit of God? The truth is, when we focus on God and on living in obedience and in accordance with His timing, our needs are met; but we have to take our eyes off our needs and set them on Him. It is when we try to grasp too soon what may not be for us (or at least not yet) that we fall into trouble.

A Banquet “Prepared”-- Now this banquet was not something Esther decided to do on the spur of the moment. No, she prepared this banquet before even going before the king, which in itself is a beautiful picture of faith, as it shows she was actively trusting that God would move on her behalf. The banquet is already made. And so the king orders Haman to be brought and they leave immediately for the banquet. It says …

Esther 5:5b-6 (NIV)— So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Wine & Darkness— You know, it’s interesting how much wine appears in the book of Esther. Wine is sometimes presented in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s favor and blessing. But not always; and certainly not so far in this book. In the very first chapter you have wine; and that drunkenness it produced that led to the merciless exile of Queen Vashti; not much favor there. Then you have Haman’s deceiving the King into signing the edict that would have led to the extermination; the genocide of an entire race of people (including Esther); and the text says right after the edict was issued, the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. (3:15) And the very next time alcohol is mentioned is here in this verse; at this banquet where this wicked man Haman; this schemer of evil is brought in the midst of his planning to annihilate the Jews. So wine is more of a symbol of foreboding in this book. It is explicitly mentioned at every plot turn. And so the author’s pointing us to the wine is meant to foreshadow something grim; a dark event associated with wickedness. Proverbs 4:17 says of wicked people...

Proverbs 4:14-17 (NIV)— 16 For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

Everywhere you have wine in this book; you have violence showing up in some way, shape, or form. So they are there at the banquet and the king says to Esther… 

Esther 5:6b-8 (NIV)-- “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

The Time Wasn’t Right-- Now why the wait? For some reason Esther doesn’t feel like the timing is right; it seems that God is impressing upon her to wait. And she probably has no idea why. In fact it may even bother her because there is quite a bit of urgency to her making this request. Her people are about to be annihilated. But she chooses to wait. And this may be because she has a sense of the Lord’s timing. She chooses to obey the leading of the Lord and wait; she chooses to possibly even allow herself to be made to look foolish in order to act in accordance with the timing of the Lord. Now we in hindsight know why the Lord wanted her to wait; it was because He wanted to not only bring about the salvation of the Jews; He wanted to also humble Haman and exalt Mordecai. And this is one of the things God does quite often. He humbles the proud.

Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)-- 34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)-- 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV)-- 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

1 Peter 5:5b-6 (NIV)-- …All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Pride Sickness— I recently watched some of a special on the Corona Virus. And they were talking about how they believe the virus originated with bats. And they said bats are fascinating creatures because although they can carry Corona Virus and other diseases, they are (interestingly) not affected by them. And you know. Pride is similar. It’s as Buddy Robinson once said, “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the person who has it.” And he’s right.

Pharaoh Humbled-- And before God’s will can be perfected in your life and in my life, God must first pull us out of the quicksand of pride. In Egypt it was not enough for God to deliver Israel. He could have stretched out his hand and immediately brought death to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians. But no; He takes the longer path and (through Moses and Aaron) brings humility to Israel’s captors to the point where they give of their own possessions to the Israelites; He humbles them. And ultimately the reason Pharaoh’s army is annihilated by the waters coming upon them was not God; it was Pharaoh’s own pride that led to the destruction of his army and his land. It was because of his heart, hardened by pride, that caused the plagues of Egypt that left it in ruin.

Nebuchadnezzar Humbled-- Later, just before the story of Esther; during the time of Daniel, reigned the proud King Nebuchadnezzar. Now God could have killed Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance and sins. But God takes the longer path. He chooses to humble Nebuchadnezzar; remember, after praising himself and failing to give glory to God, God makes him like an animal; he loses his mind, his nails grow long, and he eats the grass of the field until he lifts up his eyes to heaven and lets go of His pride and gives worship to God. Then (and only then) does God restore him.

Haman Must Be Humbled-- And here we see the same thing. God has determined not only to save Israel (which could have been done at Esther’s first banquet). No; once again God takes the longer path; the one that will humble the enemy of God’s people before Him.

Mordecai Must Be Exalted-- And if Esther had made her request at this time, then Haman may have still been executed, but not humbled; and Mordecai would never have been exalted. And God saw both as necessary because He had plans to make Mordecai King Ahasuerus’ righthand man. And we will see in the closing chapters of this book that Mordecai himself plays a very key role in God’s plan. The proud must fall and the humble must be exalted.

We may miss out if we don’t wait on God’s timing-- You know, you and I can act on things before God’s timing; and things may turn out ok; but we may miss out on a huge part of the blessing God has in store for us or for someone we are connected with if we fail to move in accordance with His timing. We must learn to be patient and wait; even when it is frustrating or we may not understand why. You may be in a time of waiting right now; and those times of waiting can be very fearful; very scary. And we often want God to grant us what we think we need right away. Although we will never say it, we often think that God ought to act on our timetable. But if we can trust ourselves to God’s timing, pieces that are in play for our benefit God can use to bring us the greatest possible good. And that is ultimately what God was doing for Esther and her people; and it is what He wants to do for you and for me as well. And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); let us commit ourselves to following God’s timing in a deeper way. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #104 "The Favor of The King" (Esther 4:15-5:4) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. In recent weeks we have talked about the rise (in the Persian empire) of a wicked man named Haman, an enemy of the Jews who (because of a personal grudge against Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai and the specific line Mordecai comes from) has convinced the king to allow him to wipe out all of the Jews in the empire. Now nobody knows at this point that Esther is a Jew, for Mordecai has urged her to keep that a secret. But Mordecai informs Queen Esther of Haman’s plot and implores her to speak to the king on behalf of her people, though appearing before him unannounced would cost her her life, unless the king were to spare her life by holding out to her his golden scepter. And so the fate of God’s people is placed into the hands of this young Jewish girl, who has to decide whether to let her fear master her or to rise above that fear and act in courage in accordance with the will of God. And of course we know she will make the right choice. Now I am sure she felt an enormous weight. And so would we if we were in her shoes. And in the midst of burdens like that, you know I think we often wonder why God allows us to go through times of intense fear and pain. I know many may be struggling with that question now during this Covid-19 crisis. And so I’d like to open with a story today that I think speaks to that fear and why God allows us to carry burdens.

[THE PERIL OF NO BURDEN— {Some time ago I remember reading how} Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell.

Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." Then he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish."

But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him."

The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration. 

Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery.

Then, for the first time, Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell. But not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death.

Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?"

Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry."]

Esther's Burden— Now the same is true of us. The burdens we carry (the pains and the fears) are often God’s ways of actually preserving us. And if we can be obedient to Him in the midst of those fears, God can work great things through us. But we have to be willing to accept those burdens; like Esther did. Esther didn’t overlook those who would die whom she had the power to save. She recognized that they were her burden. And when she chooses to shoulder that burden, the result is that she saves herself as well.

Esther 4:15-16a (ESV)— 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do….

Prayer Always Accompanied Fasting— Now [By calling for a fast, Esther was asking the Jews to pray for God’s help on her dangerous mission. In the Old Testament, prayer always accompanied fasting (see Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; Ezra 8:21-23).] So she determine’s a course of action and moves ahead very boldly. She says that after she and her maids do this, in verse 16 she says…

Esther 4:16b (ESV)— …Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Pouring the Jug— [I once heard a story of a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: “pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need”. Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! …] 

Esther has made the decision to risk the immediate urge to try to preserve her own life and chooses to take that step of faith. It says in…

Esther 5:1-3 (ESV)— 1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Only Favor— Now in all the movies, after Esther pushes open those huge doors and steps into the room there is a hush amongst all the crowd. And everybody looks in amazement. And there's a look of questioning and almost even frustration from the king. He looks perplexed. Yet, hesitantly, he holds out his scepter and Esther touches the tip, and her life is spared. Yet that is not what we see in the Bible. It says when he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight. He is pleased with her! There’s no frustration; there's no anxiety; there's only favor. And that favor he demonstrates to her was really an extension of God's favor to her. God’s favor was working through him to Esther.

A Sign of Love— In 2:17, it says of the king that he loved Esther more than all the other women. Now some commentators say that this was not love as you and I think of love; a self-giving kind of love. This was the King’s attraction to or even objectifying of Esther, much the same as he had objectified Queen Vashti. But I disagree with them. When Vashti showed defiance, he was filled with rage and was merciless towards her. Yet here Esther shows what could be interpreted as defiance, yet we don't see any hint of any displeasure from the king. In fact we see that he is pleased to see her. There's no hesitation in his extending to her the scepter. And what is remarkable to me is that he never even brings up the fact that she broke the law; not a word! The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, basically, "How can I serve you?"

Esther 5:3 (ESV)— 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Making Himself Vulnerable— And he means it. He is stating that publicly. Now Xerxes is putting himself in a vulnerable position; because he doesn't know what Esther is going to ask. Remember what happened when Herod made a similar promise to Herodias in Mark 6:23? It backfired. She asked for the head of John the Baptist, which he then gave her because she put him in a politically awkward position. 

Esther Protects Her Husband’s Position— But it's interesting that Esther doesn't do that. She doesn't make her request publicly. And her request would have put him in a politically awkward position because it would challenge the very law he had just put out. And though he most likely would have granted her request, it would have hurt his position. What we see instead is that Esther protects the king by calling for a private meeting in which to give her request. It says…

Esther 5:4 (ESV)— 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.”

So we see that Esther acts with wisdom. She is very wise, very tactful, and very considerate of her husband. Even in accusing Haman (which we will see later), we see that she is very careful not to accuse the king, who was (honestly) just as at fault as Haman was. Haman devised the scheme but it was the king who put it into action; he was responsible as well. But Esther never mentions that; she shows tact. She is very careful to only finger Haman in the crime.

Reciprocal Love— So my point is that Ahasuerus really does love and protect Esther and Esther reciprocates that in her treatment of Him. And what this shows is that when we choose to obey the will of God, and do so with tact; with wisdom and in love, there is no need to fear because God will prepare the way; He will open the doors; because His favor went before her. And His favor goes before us as well. And you and I can do the right thing knowing that He stands with us in a very real, though often (as in the book of Esther) an “unseen” way. We can live boldly in knowing that through His power, God can help us to overcome and do His will in the world; because He has raised us up “for such a time as this.” Be encouraged by that this week. Amen.

Lechem Panim #103 "For Such A Time As This" (Esther 4:1-14) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther, beginning chapter 4 today.

Call Him a Saint-- But before we get into the text, I’d like to share a story of [two brothers {I once heard of. Both were}, well known around town for their crooked business dealings and underworld connections. They were as mean and cold-blooded as you could imagine. One day one of the brothers died, and the surviving brother wanted to give his dead brother a funeral fit for a king. He called the funeral home and made all the arrangements, then he called the town’s minister and made him an offer, as they say, he couldn’t refuse. He said, "I’ll give you $10,000 to put that new roof on the church if, in eulogizing my brother, you call him a saint."
    The minister agreed. The whole town turned out for the funeral, and the minister began: "The man you see in the coffin was a vile and debauched individual. He was a liar, a thief, a deceiver, a manipulator, a reprobate, and a hedonist. He destroyed the fortunes, careers, and lives of countless people in this city, some of whom are here today. This man did every dirty, rotten thing you can think of. But compared to his brother, he was a saint"]

Mordecai’s Predicament-- Now I don’t know what the repercussions of that minister’s saying that was; but I imagine the brother was not very happy. But…. One of the key truths we have been learning is you cannot call good what God has condemned. And this is the situation Mordecai (Queen Esther’s cousin) has found himself in. He has been serving as a judge at the king’s gate. And King Ahasuerus decides to make an evil man by the name of Haman (a descendant of the Amalekites, the enemies of the Jews; and a hater of the Jews himself) his right-hand man and commands that all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bow down to him. And Haman, a slave to vanity, enjoys all the royal officials kneeling down and paying him honor (3:2). But Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. And it wounds the pride and vanity of Haman; and he cannot let it go. It’s like the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden of Eden. Haman already has all the trees he could ever need (he has the favor of everyone); he has access to the tree of life (he has the favor of the King himself); but it is that one tree that he cannot have (Mordecai) that consumes his mind. And therefore Haman conspires to kill Mordecai; and not just Mordecai, but all the Jews. And he does this by convincing the king (who does not know his own wife Esther’s people) that the Jews are a threat to the Persian empire. He says they have different customs from those of all the other people and that they do not obey the king’s laws (v.8) (by which of course is meant that Mordecai would not bow). And the thrust of Haman’s argument is that they will create instability in the empire. And he asks for permission to have them destroyed. And the King agrees to this genocide and gives him his signet ring to seal the decree in the king’s name. It is amazing how little information the king asks of this man who wants to wipe out an entire people. But he does!!! He gives Haman his signet ring; his authority, and the decree is written in every language of the peoples and dispatches are sent. And the close of chapter 3 is really unbelievable.

Esther 3:15 (ESV)— 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

A Holocaust Event-- Recently in our Sunday school class at Renton Park Chapel, our conversation shifted towards a discussion of the events in and surrounding the Holocaust. And we cannot even imagine what many of the people of that time had to go through; in a way it seems almost too removed from us. But imagine waking up one morning, making breakfast, and as your turn on the news you hear an announcement that it has been determined that your people are responsible for all the disunity in the country, for the instability in our nation, and for every disastrous choice this country has made. And there is only one solution; a “final solution”. All your people (including you and your family) are going to be rounded up and systematically exterminated. Now that may sound like a foolish fantasy; but remember the Holocaust was not really that long ago. That kind of persecution has been a common thread of God’s people throughout history; and it will continue to be until Christ returns. But imagine receiving that news update. What would you do in Mordecai’s shoes? You’d probably start calling your family; and at the same time you’re getting calls from loved ones, panicking. And you’d be grieving.

Esther 4:1-3 (ESV)-- 1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

The Fasting and Prayer of the Jews-- Can you imagine the fear; the terror? The dreadful anticipation. I mean what do you do? In times like that the only thing you can do is turn to God; lift up your voice to Him and pray for deliverance. And that is what the Jews are doing, as fasting was almost always accompanied prayer. Now it says in…

Esther 4:4 (ESV)— 4 When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 

Why Esther Seeks to Clothe Mordecai-- Now the reason she sends him the clothes is not to try to get him to snap out of whatever it is he is going through. Esther knows that whatever is happening is important. She is sending him clothes so that he [could then enter the king’s gate (cf. 4:2) and talk with Esther directly (cf. Neh. 2:2)] Because remember that verse 2 tells us no one can enter the king’s gate (that official building) clothed in sackcloth. That’s Persian law. I mention this to you to show you that Esther isn’t discounting his feelings here or his means of expressing them, but is seeking to clothe him so she can find out as soon as possible what is going on. It says in…

Esther 4:5-8 (ESV)-- 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 

Further Evidence of Prominent Position-- By the way, [That Mordecai possessed this specific knowledge and a copy of the edict further evidences his prominent position in Persia.] And after this it says…

Esther 4:5-12 (ESV)-- 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” {(You see, she is counting the cost; not in an unhealthy way, but in a rational way. She understands that her own life is at stake.) Now it says…} 12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said.

Set Priorities-- Now it is never wrong to acknowledge the danger in your doing what is right. It is even okay to be afraid. I am not sure how you could be in Esther’s position and not be afraid. But the thing about fear is that it always needs to be taken captive and placed in perspective. And that is what we see Esther do; she sets priorities and she get’s perspective. And Mordecai really helps her with this. It says…

Esther 4:13-14 (ESV)-- 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. [keep in mind that if she is exposed, it doesn’t matter who she is; her life could be in danger because the king is not above the Law of the Medes and Persians. She could be killed even despite her royal position.] 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

What Disobedience Could Cause-- Now this really shows that Mordecai has a strong understanding of the providence of God. [Haman’s death decree was against all Jews in the Persian Empire; thus, it would have included the land of Israel. If his decree had been carried out, all of God’s chosen people could have been exterminated, and God’s plan to send his Son to earth as a Jew could have been ruined. But God’s plans cannot be stopped.] And Mordecai recognizes this. But he also recognizes that there are immediate consequences for not following the will of God. Israel did not obey God when told to enter the promised land. They had been too afraid. And God therefore made them to wander the desert 40 years until that generation died off because of their lack of faith. And Mordecai is afraid the same thing will happen here. Yes God could raise up deliverance in another way, but Esther and her own relatives would be lost if she was not courageous enough to take that step of faith and obedience. And Mordecai basically tells her that where she is now is not an accident. She has been placed where she is; with the influence she has; by God for a purpose. And that purpose (not her life) is her most important priority.

Our Time and Calling-- And you know the same is true of each and every one of us. God has placed us where we are; for a purpose. He has given each of us a sphere of influence. Are we going to be faithful to use that influence for His glory? Are we going to be courageous enough to step out and witness to that person; are we going to be bold enough to stand up for what is right; are we going to be faithful to meet the needs of those who are oppressed and needy. Are we willing to become unsafe to glorify God? That phrase “for such a time as this” makes me think of the needs present in our own time; the need for men and women of God to not only talk about holiness, but be the salt and light in the world. God has laid a call upon your life and my life “for such a time as this.” The question is, how are we going to respond? It is my hope and prayer that you and I will respond as Esther did; in faith and in courage. And faith and courage are choices, not feelings. We have to choose to have faith and courage, even in the midst of contexts where the temptation is to fear, despair, and fall back. And so let us choose to be men and women of faith and courage. Amen.

Lechem Panim #102 "The Revenge of Haman" (Esther 3:3-15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today.

A Worldview of Providence vs. Blind Chance— This past week I was helping my son with his schoolwork (which is all online for the moment due to the current state of things); and he was learning about fossils and dinosaurs. And because he goes to a Christian school, he is learning those things from a Biblical perspective, which I am very thankful for. But I remember one night last week sitting with him in bed reading from his Bible the Genesis account of creation. And I told him that some people do not believe that God created everything; some people believe that at one time nothing existed except a tiny little speck, which they believe exploded and everything somehow came together from that explosion. And of course I was talking about the big bang. And I remember he simply couldn’t believe that by chance everything in the world that seemed so rich with design could come together randomly by chance. And I directed him across the room to his box of Legos and said it is like believing that your Lego box could explode and somehow form a house. And he immediately saw that as being complete nonsense. There would have to be intelligence behind any creation like that. If there is a design, there has to be a designer. And I think agreed with me when I pointed out how much more sense it made that God created the world. But though we as Christians know that, sometimes we forget that the God who created the world is also the God who sustains the world. And (to get specific), let’s consider the major world events like the ones we are facing today). Some people (even some Christians I know) seem imprisoned by fear. But what we as Christians have to remember is that we believe in a Divine Creator; a being who is orchestrating all things together for the good of those who love Him. Nothing is outside of His control; and while things may seem chaotic, we know that God has a purpose and plan that is being worked out. And this is what we see so clearly here in the book of Esther. The name of God is not mentioned anywhere in the book, but the author still points to Him as the main character; as the Great Orchestrator, defending and shielding His people as He slowly but steadily moves everything towards the fulfillment of His purposes. And we will see this theme play out more and more as we progress through the book. God is the great Defender of His people.

Haman the Agagite— Now last week (as we began Esther chapter 3) we saw a man come to power who comes from the Amalekite people generally (the ancient enemies of the Jews whom God had cursed for coming against and attacking His people when they first left Egypt) and from the line of King Agag specifically, the Amalekite king whom Saul had failed to put to death as God had instructed him to. And so this man who comes on the scene here carries a centuries-old grudge against the Jewish people. And of course his name is Haman. Haman is honored by the king and all are ordered to bow down and pay him homage. However, there is one man who refuses. And this was Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official who sits at the kings gate, most likely in the role of a judge). He refuses to bow to Haman. And this is a very public refusal. Verses 3-5 say…

Esther 3:3-5 (ESV)— 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.

The “Wrath” of Haman— So we see that when Haman is told about Mordecai’s refusal and when he sees it himself, he is absolutely livid. In fact, [Haman’s name sounds something like the Hebrew word for wrath (Heb., hemah), an apt description of his temperament and role in this story.] 

Mordecai Open About His Jewish Identity— Now one of the fascinating things in this passage about Mordecai is that it says [he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai did the very thing he had told Esther not to do in her situation (Est. 2:10, 20).] He tells the king’s servants he’s a Jew. And no doubt Haman wasted little time finding out what family he came from, his history; and when he found out, that made Haman hate him all the more, so much so that the scripture says…

Esther 3:6 (ESV)— 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

An Excuse to Destroy the Jews— Now Haman’s pride is hurt. And he has been hating the Jews all along. And so he determines to exterminate them throughout all the kingdom (which by the way included Jerusalem; those who had returned from exile). And so it says in…

Esther 3:7 (ESV)— 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus {(And the twelfth year reveals to us that [Haman has been biding his time for five years.)]}, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) (Pur is the persian word for “lot”; [A lot would be like modern dice which were cast to determine future decisions (cf. the Hebrew lot, 1 Chr. 26:14; Neh. 10:34; Jonah 1:7).] It was [A traditional way of seeking divine guidance (Josh. 18:6; Prov. 16:33) or, as here, finding the most opportune time to do something.] And so these lots were being cast, it says…) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Biding Time; Passover Connection— Nisan was [The first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which began in spring with the Passover (Ex. 12:1–2). While the Jews prepared to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, Haman plotted their destruction.] And until the twelfth month (the month of Adar) Haman has been casting lots against God’s people. Now Haman may have cast the lots, but neither he nor chance were in control. God was in control. It says in…

Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)— 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. [God providentially controlled the outcome of the lot.] It says in…

Esther 3:8-13 (ESV)— 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. (Notice how he is making it seem like this is in the king’s best interest.) 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay (by which he means collect)10,000 talents of silver [that’s a huge sum, by the way; about 12 million ounces; over 300 tons of silver] into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.”  [Haman…appeals to the king’s need to replenish the treasury depleted by Xerxes’ disastrous war with Greece.]

10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand ([A ring used to seal official documents (Jer. 22:24).]) and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews (which of course made it so that [Haman is empowered to act with royal authority.]). 

11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.” (So [Ahasuerus authorizes Haman to use as much of the 10,000 talents of silver as he needs to implement his plan.])

12 Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month ([Presumably of the following (13th) year of Ahasuerus’s reign (see v. 7).]), and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. 

13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

God Preserves The Righteous— Now one of the things you are going to see in the next few chapters is an unraveling of Haman’s plans. Everything just kind of goes haywire. And out of this story rises the theme of God’s victory over the enemies of God’s people and the lifting up of the righteous. Those who are righteous; those who walk with God may be hated by the world; yet we see that God defends those who walk in faithfulness with Him. It says in…

Job 5:12 (ESV)— 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.

God’s Deliverance of His Righteous Ones— And this is really one of the central themes in this book. God thwarts the plans of the wicked and helps the cause of the righteous. He blesses the humble and humbles the proud. He honors those who place Him first and remain obedient to Him. And we can take courage in the fact that, even though we are going through persecution, God will deliver us by His sovereign hand. When we walk with Christ, we will often find that people will take offense at us; because our lives (the Light we live in) exposes their darkness. If everything is dark, nobody seems to care. But when you have somebody stand for something, it shames those who are bowing to everything.

Mordecai and Obedience— But in Mordecai we are reminded that we (as followers of Christ) cannot pay homage to anything that God has cursed. We cannot leave anything alive in our hearts that God has called us to destroy. We have to commit to walk with Christ in obedience because obedience in our hearts and lives to His will is the very fruit of salvation. And if we see anything from this story, we see that God never overlooks disobedience. He didn’t overlook Saul’s; Saul was punished. He didn’t overlook Israel’s (His own people’s sin); even they were punished, having been sent into exile. And God won’t overlook your sin and mine. Saul tried to separate his love for God from his obedience to God. But that is something we cannot do. Jesus Himself said in…

John 14:15 (ESV)— 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

1 John 5:3-4 (ESV)— 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

May we overcome the world the world through our faith this week. And may we discover the freedom that comes through living lives of obedience to God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #101 "The Rise of Haman" (Esther 3:1-2) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we are continuing our study of the book of Esther. Last week, following the rise of Esther, we talked about how Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official appointed by the king who judges at the king’s gate), uncovers a plot to assassinate the king and therefore saves the king’s life. But instead of the following passage opening with his promotion, as the original readers would have expected, we find instead honor being given to another man. It says in…

Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. …

Consuming Credit— It is interesting that our story last week closes with Mordecai not receiving or even looking to receive credit for saving the King from a deadly plot on his life. And yet our passage today (which immediately follows) is introduced by a man who consumes credit. For Mordecai, it was enough for him just to know that he had done the right thing and that his master the King was safe. Haman on the other hand (as we will see) feels the perpetual need to always glorify himself. He was an egotist; or (in other words) […a person…me-deep in conversation.] And (as we will see later in the story) it is Haman’s pride and vanity that will be his undoing. 

Vanity Confession— I remember reading a story of how [Once a girl knelt in a confessional and said, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”
"What is it, child?”
"Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror and tell myself how beautiful I am.”
The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, "My dear, I have good news. That isn’t a sin - it’s only a mistake.”]
    Sometimes it only takes one person to unravel our own false perceptions of ourselves. Every time Haman rides through the king’s gate, everyone at the king’s gate bows to him. Well, everyone except one. The Bible says…

Esther 3:2b (ESV)— …But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage.

Why The Refusal?— Now why doesn’t Mordecai bow? It is believed by many that the reason that he did not bow was because bowing means worship; and because he worshiped God alone, he could therefore not bow to anybody but God. However, that interpretation is most likely not correct because it was a universal custom during this time to bow before your superiors. In fact, [It is known from other sources that in general, Jews did bow to pagan officials of the Persian court. It was not a religious act but one of court protocol, much as moderns still curtsey or bow to the British queen.] In fact, we know that later in the story Mordecai will eventually receive Haman’s former job as grand vizier. And in order for him to receive that job he would have had to pay King Xerxes the very honors he here refuses to Haman. So why then does he here refuse?

Hebrew Introductions— Well [In Hebrew narrative the characteristic described when a character is introduced is key to understanding his or her role in the story….When Haman is introduced, he is identified as an Agagite.]

The Agagites— And the Agagites were the ancient enemy of the Jews. When Israel left Egypt, remember they were attacked by these people called the Amalekites, [whose lineage began with Amalek, grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:2).] And so God curses them. And when God gave the covenant at Sinai, He said He promised [to protect Israel and to be at war with Amalek {(those who set themselves against His people)} in every generation]. Well, the king of the Amalekites during the reign of Saul was a King by the name of Agag. And in the book of 1 Samuel, God says to Saul through the prophet Samuel: ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:2b-3 ESV) But remember Saul doesn’t listen. He defeats the Amalekites (who are led by king Agag)….

1 Samuel 15:9 (ESV)— 9 But {(it says)} Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

But Samuel the prophet comes to Saul. And Saul is all proud of himself (probably like Haman) and boasts about his obeying the commandment of God. But Samuel puts his hands to his ears and says, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” And Saul starts making excuses. Well, I saved the best animals to be an offering for the Lord. And he starts trying to justify himself. But then Samuel says that famous statement…

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV)—  22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

1 Samuel 15:32-33 (ESV)— 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

Expel the Evil— Wow; that’s pretty intense. But you have to understand that the Amalekites were so intensely evil (practicing child-sacrifice and other horrific practices) that God wanted them out of His land; and even more importantly, He didn’t want Israel to adopt those kinds of practices. And yet we see that the Israelites never fully drive the Canaanites from their land. And because of that, they did indeed fall into those same practices. And really Saul’s failure in this conflict with Agag really foreshadows Israel’s continual inability to expel all evil from the promised land. Now why does all this matter? Because it says here that Haman is an Agagite; he’s a descendant of King Agag. And that is what drives his hatred the Jews; and especially Mordecai. Why Mordecai? It’s not just because Mordecai is a Jew. No, Mordecai comes from a very specific line, which is given to us when he is first introduced in Esther 2:5 (which means that it is also key to understanding the story). It says…

Esther 2:5 (ESV)— 5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

Colliding Heritages— Now remember that [Kish.{..was} Mordecai’s great grandfather who actually experienced the Babylonian deportation… {But} Kish {also} represents a Benjaminite family name that could be traced back (ca. 1100 B.C.) to Saul’s father {(whose name was also Kish)} (1 Sam. 9:1).] So this is the family Mordecai is a descendant of; the royal family of Saul, who slew the Amalekites and should have killed Agag. So in this chapter you have more than two men colliding; you have their whole heritages colliding! 

Why Mordecai Refuses— Now by order of the king, every man is to bow down to Haman and pay him homage. But Mordecai doesn’t. Why? Very likely because [no self-respecting Benjaminite could bow before the seed of the ancient enemy of the Jews.] And next week we will see just how well Haman takes this. If you think it is not very well, then (as Sherlock Holmes once said) “you have a very keen insight into the obvious.”

Our Homage— But what our passage today shows us is that we need to be careful not to pay homage to anything that God has called us to put to death; anything that might rob you of the fullness of God’s presence. This past week my daughter Ally asked Jesus into her life for the first time. And she knew she was making a very important decision to follow Jesus. But as a father, as I look into her beautiful blonde-haired face (I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful face), I think “What is my precious Ally’s walk with Jesus going to look like if I’m not completely sold out to Jesus?” What are the ungodly things I still choose to pay homage to? When she gets married, how is her marriage; her kids; her grandkids; how are they going to be affected by my present willingness to be sold out to Jesus? Saul thought his sin was no big deal. And yet it affected generations. And so I wonder if those small choices we make every day to choose godliness over worldliness might not be so small after all. They could affect a lot of people.

Choosing Cleanness— This week I have been remembering the life of Ravi Zacharias, a wonderful Christian thinker and apologist who just went home to be with the Lord; and thinking about the millions of people (myself included) who have been touched by his extraordinary life and ministry. So much of my faith and thinking has been shaped by his faithfulness. But you know I wondered this week in my reflecting, “What does a person like him have to give up to be able to be used by God so mightily?” And maybe there are some major things, but I think most of what true men and women of God give up are little things; any little thing that might rob them of the presence of God. God anoints people and blesses people who are sold out to Him; who will not call clean or okay anything that He has called unclean. And so my challenge to you today (and to me) is: let us (like Mordecai) choose to live lives that are free of uncleanness; let us commit to living lives of holiness and obedience to God. If do, then we (like Esther and Mordecai) will experience the favor and blessing of God. Let’s commit to that today Amen.

Lechem Panim #100 "The Faithfulness of Mordecai" (Esther 2:19-3:2) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Esther, we have come to Esther’s coronation. Out of a group of 400 girls, she has been chosen to be the next queen of Persia. And King Ahasuerus throws a huge party to celebrate. So it is a time of joy and feasting. But in the midst of all this there is also plot and intrigue, as two men secretly lay plans to try to assassinate the king; Esther’s new husband. It says in…

Esther 2:19 (ESV)— 19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time {(most likely so King Ahasuerus could choose more concubines for himself in addition to Esther, it says}, Mordecai {(Esther’s elder cousin)} was sitting at the king's gate.

The King’s Gate— Now [the courthouse of the ancient world was the gate of the city.] If you had a legal matter to settle, you went to the city gate to do it. Court would convene at the city gate. And so Mordecai, we see, holds a position of prominence at the gate; very likely a judgeship. But he was more than just your run of the mill judge because he is not just at the city gate; no, he is at (the text says) the king’s gate. And the king’s gate was where officials appointed by the king sat to administer justice (2 Sam. 15:2–6; cf. Ruth 4:1–11).  And so Mordecai (though Jewish) was an important official appointed by the king. And it seems very plausible that Esther was the one who had him appointed to that position, as he is not mentioned as being in that position until after her coronation. But even if that were the case, we see that she kept her connection to him as her cousin a secret. It says in verse 20…

Esther 2:20-21 (ESV)— 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. {Now it says in…} 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 

The Threshold— Now these two men were guardians of the threshold, the door to the king’s private quarters. So these are guys who have direct access to the king. They have opportunity. And apparently they have motive, though we don’t know exactly what that was. Esther’s crowning may have had something to do with it. Perhaps those in the palace who were supporters of Queen Vashti resented Ahasuerus for de-throning and replacing her. Or it is possible these two men didn’t like that Esther was an outsider, because (although it wasn’t consistently obeyed) tradition dictated that wives for the Kings of Persia should be selected from within the seven noble families of the land. And so these men might have been traditionalists who saw Esther’s becoming queen an offensive thing. We don’t know. But whatever the motive, they are plotting together to kill the king. Now it says in…

Ecclesiastes 10:20 (ESV) — 20 Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Well that little bird was Mordecai. The text says…

Esther 2:22a (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, 

Not Overhearing, But Being Informed— Now in the movies, Mordecai somehow overhears this conversation and reports it to Esther. But that is not what the scripture says. It says that this plot came to the knowledge of Mordecai. He did not overhear it; but acquired the information, probably because of his prominent position. It seems that because of his integrity (being one of the few righteous politicians in history), somebody gave him this information knowing that he would do the right thing.

Can We Be Counted On?— And that just makes me think how wonderful it would be if all the people we came into contact with on a day to day basis could know that no matter what happened, you and I could always be counted on to do the right thing. Now some people won’t like you for that, but they will know where you stand. And you will often win their favor in the end. And that’s because the greatest testimony that you and I will ever bear to the world is the testimony of our living our lives in integrity. You want people to accept the Gospel. Then live it before them; and they will be drawn to it.

Now why did Mordecai feel compelled to try to stop the assassination of Ahasuerus? We aren’t sure. Perhaps it was for Esther’s sake. Yet in the book of Jeremiah we see that God says through Jeremiah about the coming captivity…

Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)— 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Mordecai Seeks Persia’s Welfare— And here we see Mordecai acts in accord with the spirit of this verse. He seeks the welfare of Persia by actively preserving the life of the king. Now Mordecai thinks he is doing the right thing by saving the life of the Persian king. Yet what he doesn’t realize is that it will be that very act that will cause his own life, the life of Esther, and the lives of God’s people to be preserved years down the line. And an important principle is revealed here. When you preserve the life of another person, you also find (perhaps unexpectedly) that you have brought life to yourself as well. This can be in a physical sense (as in our passage this today) or it can be in a spiritual sense. Any of you who have ever had the privilege of bringing somebody to Christ know exactly what I am talking about. When you lead somebody to Jesus, your own faith is strengthened. Why? Because we are called to be agents; to be bringers of life. And you are never closer to Jesus than when you bring His life to another person. And Mordecai demonstrates this spirit in his choosing to be faithful to the king. It says…

Esther 2:22-23 (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

Book of the Chronicles— Now that last fact is what makes this account relevant to God’s plan of redemption here in this story, as it will play a key role in the following chapters; this whole incident is recorded in the minutes of the king.

Mordecai’s Reward Overlooked— Now kings during that time, just like rulers nowadays, know that it is just as important to reward good behavior as to punish bad behavior. You fail or betray the king; your life was probably forfeit. You serve the king in a responsible or extra-ordinary way; you are honored. And [Acts of loyalty were usually rewarded immediately and generously by Persian kings.] But what is interesting here is that Mordecai gets overlooked by Ahasuerus. And this is understandable. Ahasuerus is so enamored by his new wife that all he remembers is her telling him about the plot. Yes the text says she warned him in the name of Mordecai and that is what was recorded. But you can really see how his human mind would have associated that memory with Esther. So Mordecai (for the time being) goes unrecognized. He is neither honored or promoted. And what is interesting is that Mordecai never draws attention to it, even though he could have expected a reward; that is what we would expect to see. Yet instead of Mordecai being honored, the next section opens with the honoring of someone else; a man named Haman.

Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. …

Juxtaposed Rewarded with Unrewarded— Now here [The author places the promotion of Haman just where the original readers would have expected a report of Mordecai’s reward as a benefactor of the king.] And so [Haman’s introduction forms an unexpected twist when juxtaposed with Mordecai’s unrewarded loyalty.] And what is more frustrating is that we know that Haman will be shown to be an unrighteous, devious person, while Mordecai is upright and honest.

The Unrighteous Rewarded— But you know, we experience this kind of thing in our day and age as well; don’t we? Those who are often the most unrighteous are often the ones who are promoted; who are honored; and the good people are overlooked. Yet God eventually does bring judgment where judgement is due and glory where glory is due. Now it may take time. Here it probably took years. But God is a faithful judge. And if Mordecai could be trusted to do what is right, how much more can we trust God (the Divine Judge) to do right. But we have to learn to operate independently from praise; not for reward or our own glory, but for the glory of God. 

Bach’s Glory to God— For those of you who love music, it is interesting that Johann Sebastian Bach once said ["All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."
He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."]

Our Reward— When we live our life for the glory of God, it doesn’t matter who sees or what reward we receive. Now will we receive a reward for doing right? Yes. Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” But scripture also reveals to us the understanding that righteousness before God is it’s own reward. It says in…

Proverbs 11:18 (ESV)— 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

Isaiah 3:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. {Now on the flip side, it says in…} 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

God Will Reward— Now that last verse we see will be very clearly fulfilled in Mordecai’s relationship with Haman. The evil that Haman will intend for Mordecai will fall on his own head. And the same will come of those who oppose Christ and His people. We may have to suffer persecution for a time; we may go a long time without being rewarded for the everyday acts of righteousness that we perform. But God will be faithful to reward us if we, like Mordecai; like Esther, choose to do what is right no matter what the cost. Let us commit to that integrity as we abide in Christ. Amen.

Lechem Panim #99 "The Rise of Esther" (Esther 2:15-18) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Esther, we have come to the part of the story where Esther (along with 400 women) is taken into the palace of Xerxes, King of Persia. Many of these women were to become concubines for the king and one them was to be chosen as Xerxes’ next queen. Now Hegai (you will remember) was one of the men in charge of the women. And he is taken aback by this young woman he encounters named Esther. It says in…

Esther 2:9 (ESV)— 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.

Not just another pretty face— And we know why. Because there was more to Esther than physical beauty; she was not just another pretty face. Nor was it just that she had a likable personality. There are a lot of people with likable personalities. No, there was something different about the way Esther lived her life that made her stand out from everyone else around her. And we see at least three important characteristics in particular that set her apart as being one on whom the Lord’s favor rested. And these are three basic things that we as Christians can and should implement in our lives as well.

POINT 1: ESTHER’S OBEDIENCE— First of all, Esther was obedient. Remember verse…

​Esther 2:10 (ESV)—10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.

She respects and obeys her elders; particularly Mordecai. And we will see this much more as we progress through the book. She honors and obeys those who have been placed in authority over her.

Unhappy Under Authority— Now often people don’t deal with authority very well; and that can be anywhere, but especially the workplace. For some people, it doesn’t matter what job they have, they are never happy simply because of the fact that they cannot work under another person’s authority. They want to be the one in control of themselves and (ironically) often over the lives of others. Submission is a dirty word for them; and that is true for many in our day and age. 
    But scripture teaches us that happiness in our lives can never be found until we learn how to submit to the authorities God has placed over our lives; until we learn how to follow. Even Jesus modeled this kind of submission in His relationship to the Father. But the problem in our culture is that we always want to be the ones to lead; never the ones to follow. 

Are You a Leader?— There's [a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”]

We have too many people nowadays who are unable to follow; people who want to lead their own lives. But the Christlike life is the life that is characterized by the ability to submit to authority and to honor those placed in positions above us. Not that we can’t challenge authority when they are wrong, but even then we can do so with a Christ-like attitude and spirit. But how can we be sure we have that right attitude? First, we must be submitted to God. If we are fully submitted to God, then we can be submitted to those He has placed in authority over us. Because (remember this) our submission to others is an extension of our submission to God.

POINT 2: ESTHER’S HUMILITY & TEACHABILITY— Now the second characteristic we see in Esther's life is that she acts not on impulse, but with wisdom; being both humble and teachable. How do we know this? Look at verse 15…

Esther 2:15a (ESV)— 15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. 

So she takes the time to listen to advice. She doesn’t just grab the richest; most elaborate things. No, she chooses to take less (only what Hegai advises and nothing more). So she exercises restraint; she demonstrates a listening ear, which shows teachability and humility. Now how are we when it comes to being teachable? Are we humble enough to allow somebody else to show us a better way?

Proverbs 1:5 (ESV)— 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 12:15 (ESV)— 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)— 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

So Esther showed herself to be teachable. She trusts not in her wisdom, but in the wisdom of Hegai. 

POINT 3: ESTHER’S REFUSAL TO GRASP— But her actions here also reveal something else about her character; her unwillingness to grasp.

David vs. Saul— Earlier in Israel’s history you had two famous kings: Saul (Israel’s first king) and then immediately following his reign you have the reign of David. And you will remember that the way in which they ruled was night and day. Saul incurred God’s curse and a withdrawal of His presence (His Spirit). David on the other hand was called a man after God’s own heart; he was pleasing in the eyes of God. Yet what made the difference? The difference is this. David never forgot whose kingdom it was. Saul did. Saul thought it was his kingdom; he thought that he was the king. David, on the other hand, recognized that he was not the king; God was the true king of Israel. That is why he never tried to take the throne by force; why he didn’t kill Saul, whom (even after his own anointing) he still calls "the Lord's anointed"); even though he had the chance (multiple chances) to take his life and seize the throne. David is hiding from Saul in a cave. And Saul comes into the cave to relieve himself. And David’s men are whispering to him, saying, “Look, the Lord has delivered him into your hand. Let’s kill him!” But David resists. He resists the temptation to seize; to grasp and instead He trusted that God would bring it about in His own time and patiently waited for the Lord. And that attitude; that demeanor really characterized the majority of his reign.

Esther doesn't grasp— And here we see the same attitude with Esther. She could seize anything she wanted. She could use the various adornments available to her to try to tip the scales in her favor. But no; she resists. She chooses the wiser path, saying “If God wills for me to be queen, He will do it by His outstretched hand, not my grasping hand.”

Our grasping— And I just think, “How often do you and I reach for things; take hold of things; grasp for things that either God doesn’t want us to have or that are not in accordance with His perfect timing? Saul chose the kingdom over God's presence; David chose the presence of God over the kingdom. And God's anointing could therefore remain on David. And here we find an anointing of Esther that went deeper than the perfumes that covered her body. What caused her to stand out was the aromatic fragrance of the presence of God made manifest in her life. She didn't grasp, but instead listened to the voice of wisdom, which IS the very voice of God. God wants to bless us. But first we must be willing to cease grasping for ourselves. Now it is because of these three things that the next part of the verse follows…

Esther 2:15b (ESV)— Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 

When you and I are obedient to those God has placed in positions of authority over us; when we honor them; we win the favor of others. When you and I remain humble and teachable, we win the favor of others. When you and I keep from grasping and trust that God is in control and will give us good things in His perfect timing, we win the favor of others. And sure enough, it says in…

Esther 2:16-18 (ESV)— 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, [by the way this is four years after the King has banished Vashti ] 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

Esther’s Coronation— And so ends the coronation of Esther; and yet another feast. Yet this is a feast that stands in contrast to that feast in the opening chapter, because it is one which is permeated with the favor of God. 
    This week, live in the favor and joy of walking in obedience and humility with God. Remain teachable before Him and others. And trust in Him to meet your needs (even in difficult circumstances, such as the ones we’re facing during these Covid-19 days). Refrain from grasping and instead let your hands be outstretched to receive those the gifts God has for you when and how He wants to give them to you. And may His peace and favor rest on you. Amen.

Lechem Panim #98 "Esther Is Taken" (Esther 2:12-14) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.

Winning Things— I don’t know how many of you have every won anything before. Winning things can be exciting. Once I remember entering a contest for a Canon digital camera. And I actually won, which absolutely made my week! It is fun to win things. And sometimes that desire to win things can be intoxicating; even addictive. 
    I've never played the lottery before. And I don't think it is a right way to use the money God has given me. But sometimes it appears on the news, especially when there is a record-breaking jackpot. And a lot of people are interested in that event. And many many people buy lottery tickets just so that they can have a chance of winning that money. Now the chances of winning are astronomical! They say you have better chances of getting struck by lightning. Now I think my odds would be better. Chances are, I’d get struck by lightning twice; probably. But you know, it doesn't matter how impossible those odds are, when the winner is announced those people who have entered are glued to that announcement. Because no matter how small their chances are, there is a chance. A chance of their lives being changed in one single moment. When your number is called.

The Ultimate Win— What if the prize was more than money? What if it was also a relationship; the chance of being married to a wealthy or good-looking person? You know, it’s fascinating how many people are captivated by the royal family. Well, have you ever imagined what it would be like to be somebody like Kate Middleton, instantly ushered into an enormous amount of wealth and into a relationship with another person; and more than that, into Royalty!? What would it be like to have your name called, for you to be chosen?

Women’s Lives Forever Changed— Well that is the situation that Esther has found herself in, whether she wanted it or not. She has been chosen from 50 million people to be a part of a harem of 400 girls. And the way the King (Ahasuerus) is going to choose his next queen is by having each individual woman spend a night with him in his bed. And the one who pleases him the most will be made queen. Now just think about what this would mean for Esther; being made to enter into the bed of a gentile king. And Esther is often criticized for this. Yet what we must realize is that this is completely out of her control. There's no such thing as women's rights. Ahasuerus made that pretty clear in his dealings with Vashti in chapter 1. Women were to remain subject to their husbands as the rulers of the household. And if women were to be subject to their husbands, how much more so to the will of the king. Esther is made to enter into a relationship that she knows is unholy. Yet she cannot resist. And so she also must prepare herself for her one night with the king. And King Ahasuerus clearly spares no expense in preparing these girls for their special one night with him. It says in…

Esther 2:12 (ESV)— 12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women—

Princess Diaries— Now there's a movie that I remember watching with my wife a long time ago called Princess Diaries. Some of you may remember it. The story centers around a young girl who finds out that she is a princess and her journey towards becoming a queen; and the whole beautification process and learning that she has to go through in order to prepare herself to be queen. Everything from her hair being cut and straightened, eyebrows being waxed, makeup being done. Learning how to wave like a queen; walk like a queen; have the mannerisms of a queen; how to eat right at the royal table. And it takes time; time for her to go from being an ordinary, messy teenager to being an extra-ordinary, royal woman. And that is part of the humor of the movie, watching her as she tries to become this whole new person.

Preparing for Royal Life— And in many respects, this is the exact same thing that Esther had to go through. She is being prepared for royal life. She is learning how to operate within a royal court. And more than that, she is beautifying herself. The text says that the women were given twelve months to beautify themselves. That’s a lot of Maybelline, Loreal Paris, and everything else. Well, what is going on during those twelve months? The text says that they spent six of those months with oil of myrrh and another six months with spices and ointments for women—. 

Cosmetic Burners— One of the unique things that archaeologists have found in Lachish in Israel are some cube-shaped spice burners. And these were originally thought to be used for burning incense during religious rituals. However, now it is believed that what these actually are are cosmetic burners used by women therapeutically and for hygienic purposes. A woman would take oil of roses, oil of cloves, or essence of musk (scents that are still being used today by the way) and place them in the cosmetic burners and heat them in the fire. Just wearing a robe that she would drape over her body like a tent, she would crouch over one of those burners and let that aroma cover and perfume her and scent her clothes. And one very famous archaeologist cites this passage as a biblical example of this very common ancient practice, which would make sense because aromatic oils and spices were actually Persia’s major export. Persia was known for it. Remember the Magi who came to see Jesus, whom many scholars believe came from Medo-Persia? Two out of the three gifts they brought were aromatic oils (Frankincense and Myrrh). 

One Night— Now this entire year of preparation is for one night; that first encounter with the king that each girl will have (as indicated in verse 12). And now that year is over; and each girl is preparing for her special night with the king. And it says of each woman in…

Esther 2:13 (ESV)—13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 

They have prepared themselves physically and now each girl has the privilege of picking out those things she is going to adorn herself with to make herself stand out.

Dress for the Job You Want— Now you know that piece of wisdom, “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want to have.” Well that applies here. These girls want to make themselves look the part. And more than this, it is believed that these women were also allowed to keep whatever they chose. So you can imagine that each woman is trying to pick out the most expensive; the most elaborate; the most queenly things she can find. And you can imagine the spirit of competition; the bickering; the squabbling over who has the best whatever. This is all about who is the most beautiful; who has mastered the art of seduction better. I mean, talk about an uncomfortable environment. And yet what is amazing is that Esther keeps clear of all of that, as we will see. Now the text says of each woman…

Esther 2:14a (ESV)— 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. 

Concubines— Ok, now what is going on here? We have mention of another second harem, another eunuch (Shaashgaz), and suddenly this word concubine. What is a concubine? Well a concubine is like a wife, but of lower status. They were women who were [officially recognized as the king’s mistresses]. And this is what most (if not all) the women became after their one night with the king. Remember, Ahasuerus is not choosing one woman. He is choosing one Queen. After these women lost their virginity to the king during their one night, they became his concubines. And in fact [Each woman’s first night with the king was her initiation as a concubine.] And this is who that second harem is for; for those women who had become concubines. And what this meant was that she could never return to her family; she could never marry. She went to the king's harem of concubines [where she would spend the rest of her life in luxurious but desolate seclusion...The woman would not even see the king again, unless he asked for her by name.] The text says…

Esther 2:14b (ESV)—She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

Old Dreams Died— Now I think it is important for us to understand the position that Esther has found herself in. Was it really a good thing for her to be chosen to be a part of this glorified beauty contest? Would she have seen it this way? I think sometimes we forget exactly what this would mean for her in that context. No hope of having a normal marriage between her and a man who would keep himself only for her; small chance of ever even seeing him again; small chance of raising a family of her own; and little chance of ever getting to see her friends and loved ones ever again. A new place; a beautiful and rich place, yes; but a place of isolation and loneliness among other women who most likely operated with a very different value system. Before we think she hit the jackpot too quickly, we must realize that every dream Esther ever had up until this point as to what her future would look like and her future relationships would look like have all died, as she is thrust into an environment and a situation she probably never would have chosen for herself. And yet she trusts God. And we will see just how much He is involved in all of this and how much He will take care of her as she moves in step with Him.

A Present Trust in Christ— And you know, maybe things have taken a sudden turn in your life recently. Maybe your future that you at least had a general idea of what it would look like has suddenly either changed or become very uncertain. What we learn from Esther (and really the entire Bible) is this; and I want you to remember this; write it down; engrave it in your memory. It doesn’t matter where life takes you. What matters is that wherever that might be, you are hand in hand with the Savior. God is less concerned about destinations than we think. He is more concerned about how we walk with Him. And for Esther that was in a relationship of faith and trust. And so I want to encourage you today (to encourage myself) to learn to walk in that relationship of faith and trust. If we can do that, we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what circumstances or trials life throws at us. Let us trust in Christ today. Amen.