Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #97 "Hadassah and God’s Favor" (Esther 2:8-10) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther during our time together, last week seeing what was going on in the Persian empire during this time, which included Xerxes’ war against Greece. After throwing a party for his military personnel just before he left to show how capable he was of winning the war, Xerxes (or Ahasuerus, as he’s also known) goes on to fight Greece and suffers a massive defeat. And so he comes back in shame and disgrace and is seeking comfort in the arms of someone who can lift him up during this difficult time. Normally that would have been his wife Vashti; but due to her unwillingness to disgrace herself before his guests, he had had her banished just before he left. And so now he is wife-less and miserable. But his men (whose idea it was to banish Vashti to begin with) no doubt feel a little fear and quickly seek to rectify the problem. And so they suggest that Ahasuerus throw an empire-wide beauty pageant in order to help him choose a new queen. And he apparently likes that idea very very much. And so women are gathered and brought to him from all over the kingdom. And it is at this point that the author introduces to us an orphan girl named Hadassah living in the care of her cousin Mordecai. Esther was her Persian name, but those closest to her would have known her as Hadassah.

A Fragrant Myrtle— Now Hadassah’s name means “myrtle” in Hebrew; as in the myrtle tree; which gives off a very fragrant smell. [And in scripture we find that the behaviors of people often align with their name. Well, this was especially true of Hadassah. Hadassah is more than just her name. It (like many Biblical names) was a description of who she is.] 
    There was a prophet just before this time by the name of Zechariah who began his prophetic ministry in 520 B.C. under Darius (Xerxes’ father). And during that time Zechariah has this vision in which a man on a red horse stands amidst a bunch of myrtle trees in a ravine. And in his vision [the myrtle trees in the ravine represented Israel under Gentile subjection.] And here we see that Esther is very much a myrtle tree brought under Gentile subjection. It says in…

Esther 2:8 (ESV)— 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.

In The Care of Hegai— So she is taken into an environment that (for a Jewish girl) would be absolutely unclean, unholy, and even frightening, as she is placed under the authority of a Persian officer named Hegai. Now it’s often times when we are put in stressful situations that our true selves are seen most visibly. And Hegai likes what he sees in Hadassah. It says…

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.

Righteous Myrtle— What did this man Hegai see in Esther? You know, it’s interesting; in Israelite culture myrtle trees were often associated with righteousness. [The Talmud (a book of Jewish teaching) explains why Queen Esther was also called Hadassah: Why was she called Hadassah? Because the righteous are called myrtles.
    The sages in the Midrash (an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures) take this one step further: Just as a myrtle has a sweet smell and a bitter taste, so too Esther was good and listened (“sweet”) to the righteous Mordechai, and was adverse (“bitter”) to the wicked Haman.] So once again she lives according to her name. And because she does live according to her name; in righteousness, God’s favor rests upon her.

The Favor of God— Now what does it mean that God’s favor rests upon a person? We often think of it as meaning that your life is unusually blessed by the Lord; where everything seems to go right and your life is whole and complete. And when things don’t go right, it must mean God’s favor is no longer with you. But here we find that Esther, on whom God’s favor so clearly rests, is a person whose life is not perfect. She doesn’t have the ideal family situation; she doesn’t have a good social status. And things go from bad to worse. She (a good Jewish girl) is taken and placed in the harem of a pagan king. But we see so clearly that even in the midst of a whole world of bad, God’s favor never leaves her. He is with her every step of the way. And this is what King Solomon had prayed for back in…

1 Kings 8:50 (ESV)— 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

Trend of Favor— And we see that favor resting on Esther. Now Esther never had a special verbal call from God. God never gave her specifics as to how He was going to use her (at least not audibly). She simply found herself being placed in situations that she did not expect and probably didn't want to be in. But her story encourage us because of the simple fact that God didn’t appear to her in a cloud or in a burning bush, or in a voice from heaven. And yet God was still able to use her in amazing ways. Why? What was it that gave her this special favor from the Lord? Well, we see that it has much to do with her character; her righteousness and willingness to walk with God in the midst of very difficult circumstances; because she chose to deny herself and obey God in what He was leading her to do. And it is because of that; the obedience of an insignificant Jewish girl that the fate of an entire race of people was saved out of the hands of those who were seeking to wipe out the Jewish people.

Obedience the Key to God’s Favor— And what we learn from this is that God doesn’t need you to have a huge religious experience for Him to use you. He just needs your obedience. Obedience to God is the key to having His favor rest on you.

Do you have the sense in your own life that God’s favor rests with you? Do you feel like you're moving with God, or do you feel like you're moving against or away from God? What is the key to living in the favor of God? The key is to allow him to transform and reshape your character. And you cannot wait until he places some dynamic call upon your life. He may not appear to you as he did to Moses in the burning bush; there may not be any clear audible call from heaven. But, like with Esther, God’s call for you and I to be holy unto Him is every bit as real; and He can do incredible things through our lives if we choose to live in accordance with His will and character. Then God’s favor can rest upon us in a special way.

The People God Can Use— God is not limited by your past; who you are; or even your circumstances. He only wants your obedience. And at every point, Esther models that obedience in her relationship to God, and also in her relationship to her cousin Mordecai. Verse 10 says…

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

What are the Chances?— Now what are the chances that Esther would be chosen queen? This pageant stretched throughout the whole kingdom of Persia, consisting of about 50 million people at that time. That’s a pretty big pageant. What are the chances that out of all those people, Esther would be selected (by chance)?

Lou Gehrig’s Disease— Once a father was telling his son about baseball legend Lou Gehrig. And he mentioned that he died in 1941. And the son asked, “What did he die of.” “Well {(the father replied)}, he died of Lou Gehrig’s disease.” And the boy’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. And he said in awe, “What are the chances?” Well, it wasn’t chance. The disease was named after him.

Well, what are the chances that out of 50 million people, Esther would be selected? I mean even just to be among the 400 women who were brought to the harem; the odds are astronomical! How is this possible? Well, the moment we ask that question, we have already missed the point; because it wasn’t chance at all. God had brought about all these events (from the banishment of Vashti to Esther’s being taken) in order that Esther might come into that position. None of this was chance, but was part of God’s will and plan for the salvation of His people; which He brought by His divine hand. God orchestrated all of it. And we really see how Mordecai recognizes this later in the book, when he says to Esther… 

Esther 4:14b (ESV)— …And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

You know what this says to me? The situations you and I face every day; the jobs we work; the people we come into contact with. That’s not chance. Rather God has placed us in those specific spheres of influence because He has ordained ahead of time that we ought to be His instruments to those people? God has raised us up in those circumstances to fulfill His purposes; to give Christ to another. 
    You know what passage scares the living daylights out of me? It’s when Jesus calls His disciples (which includes us) His hands and His feet. Because what it reveals is that Christ chooses to work through us. And if we are not willing to do what Christ is moving us to do, then we are impeding His Kingdom work.

​And so we need to remember that God has raised us up in this time in this place to make a difference for His Kingdom. Don’t be afraid to stand for Christ; don’t be afraid to share your faith. He may be using you and moving you towards the fulfillment of a grand purpose for your life that you will never reach unless you obey Him in the moment. We may not be able to see the end, but we can take the path He puts immediately before us, as Esther did time and time again.. Let us commit to obey God as she did, so that in every way we might also experience the favor of God in a special way. Amen.

Lechem Panim #96 "Lord In Our Brokenness" (Esther 2:1-7) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying together the book of Esther; a marvelous book that has so much to speak to regarding the unique situations we are facing today. And last week we highlighted how Xerxes (or in our English Bibles: Ahasuerus) is preparing to march on Greece (which we know will be unsuccessful). And he throws this massive feast during which he is showing his army how great Persia is and (more importantly) how great he is; and he decides he wants to put his wife (the Queen) Vashti on display. So he commands that she be brought before them; but she refuses. And Xerxes reacts in the worst way possible (following the advice of his advisor Memucan) and banishes Vashti. So chapter one ends in brokenness. And soon after that Xerxes leads his army out of Persia to face Greece.

God’s Humbling of Xerxes— Now Xerxes obviously had a pride problem. And if there’s anything we learn from scripture (especially the book of Proverbs) is that pride always comes before a fall. And if we don’t humble ourselves, God must find a way to humble us. And that is not a bad thing. Sometimes it is in our falling (after we have reached rock bottom) that we can then be in a position to receive God‘s grace. This is certainly what happened in the life of Xerxes. He had to go through a process of intense humiliation before he was prepared to receive what was for him one of God’s greatest graces in his life (Esther). And similarly in our own lives, before God can show us His primary objects of grace, He must first show us the grace of His humbling, so that we will be ready to receive those objects of grace. And really the instrument that God used to humble Ahasuerus was the Persian war against Greece.

Thermopylae and The 300— There was more than one battle, but one of the most significant battles was the Battle of Thermopylae. Xerxes remember had amassed this incredible force and they are marching to try to defeat Greece. And the King of Sparta, Leonidas, marches to Thermopylae with the 300 men of his royal bodyguard, gathering troops as they go (as many as they can) to meet the Persians. [The Greeks were not able to muster a large force immediately because of some religious prohibitions. In progress at the time were two major religious festivals. The first was the Spartan’s Carnea in honor of the Greek god Apollo; and the second was the famous Olympic Games.] So in other words, sports was distracting people from what was really going on.

King Leonidas no doubt felt some frustration as he marched with his 300 men. Who cares about the Olympics? Xerxes is marching right now to defeat us! Nevertheless, he amasses a force of about 7,100 men by the time they reach the pass of Thermopylae, which was nothing compared to the army of Persia (around 250,000 men). But the Greek’s advantage lay in the fact that although they were hopelessly outnumbered, the Persians had to enter through a narrow pass (kind of like a funnel). So suddenly numbers didn’t count for anything. And the Greeks fight valiantly and are able to even repel the Persian forces for a period of time. And these Greeks are tough; they are fearless; they are the fight-to-the-death kind of warriors. They believed themselves to be descendants of the demi-god Hercules; they thought he was their ancestor. And they strived to live up to that in the fierceness of their fighting. 

Now this battle took place in the blistering heat of August. And just to let you know how fearless these guys were; during the battle (as the historian Herodotus records) a Spartan by the name of Dieneces is told that [the Medes were so many that when they shoot their multitudes of arrows it would block the sun light. Dieneces reportedly quipped, “Our friend…brings us right good news, for if the Medes hide the sun we shall fight them in the shade and not in the sunshine” (Persian Wars 7.226; LCL 3: 543).] These guys are willing to go to the grave before surrendering to Xerxes. And so Greece succeeds in repelling (at least for the time) the Medo-Persian forces, until they are betrayed by a Greek man who shows the Persian forces another way to get to them. And Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors are the only ones who stay to make that last stand. And they of course are killed. But the battle is so demoralizing for Xerxes that after they eventually defeated the Greeks, Xerxes had his men quickly bury the bodies of the 300 Greeks and 19,000 corpses of his own men (leaving only 1,000) so that his massive army would not know that they had just been obliterated by so few men. And they go on to sack Athens, but are then defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis. And Xerxes returns to Persia with his tail between his legs.

All this happens between chapters 1 and 2 of Esther. When the text says in verse 1 of chapter 2, “after these things”, all this has happened in between. So he and his army arrive home. And what is the first thing Ahasuerus wants to do? 

Olympic Defeat— I remember once my wife Tanya and I were watching the olympics and there was man who was skying down the mountain making incredible time! And his wife is there supporting him and cheering him on. She was a professional sportswoman herself. And he crosses the finish line in place for gold. And they both watch as the other skiers compete, hoping that his time will not be beat. But finally, another skier beats his time. And realizing the gold has just slipped from his hands, he puts his face down on his wife’s shoulder. And she says to him, “It’s going to be ok.” 

You know, you can be the toughest guy in the world, but when you fall, sometimes you need someone there to pick you up. Well that is how Ahasuerus is feeling. 

Esther 2:1 (ESV)— 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

Ahasuerus Wanted Comfort— You see, Ahasuerus wants to crawl up into his palace, put his head on his wife’s shoulder and receive comfort from her. But there’s a problem with that. He had banished her just before he left!!! No more Vashti! And he can’t simply re-instate her because of the nature of the law of the Medes and the Persians, which could not be repealed. So his men come up with a brilliant idea. It says… 

Esther 2:2-4 (ESV)— 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

An Empire-wide Beauty Pageant— So Xerxes decides to throw an empire-wide beauty pageant to select his new queen. Now this is ingenious because what better way can you come up with to help your nation forget that you were just beaten (royally) on the battlefield than telling your kingdom that you are going to select a woman from amongst them (it could be anybody) to be their queen. It’s kind of like the media does today. Major political scandal happens? Yeah, we can talk about that. But hey look what’s on! The Bachelor. Which lovely lady will he choose?! People tend to be much more interested in stars than in what people are really going through in and throughout the world. And that was the same in ancient times as well as today. Leaders are often masters of distraction. And it is no different here when Ahasuerus throws this beauty pageant. Welcome to The Bachelor; season 1; Persian edition, except we will see that Esther is a few grades above your typical Bachelor contestant.

The Star That Reveals— The people want a star; and the people will soon be given a star Esther is the Persian word for star. But when we study and examine her story, we find that Esther is not the kind of star that distracts people from what is really going on; but is a star that illuminates and calls attention to it; and we will see this specifically later in how she will bring to light the dark plot of Haman the Agagite.

Esther 2:5-6 (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, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 

So Mordecai is [among the fourth generation of deported Jews.] His great grandfather Kish experienced the Babylonian deportation. And the text says in…

Esther 2:7 (ESV)—7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

So the first thing told to us about Hadassah is that she is an orphan living in the care of her cousin Mordecai.

Ally Playing Orphan— Not long ago our daughter Ally discovered a new game; playing orphan. She likes to pretend that she is all alone and that she has no parents or grandparents. She likes to be little Annie I guess. The funny thing is I remember doing the same thing with my sister Bethany growing up. We loved to play orphans like the Boxcar children (if you remember them). 

But in reality, being an orphan is tough. It is very difficult to lose your parents, no matter what age you are. Not long ago I took a trip back to the church where I had begun pastoral ministry years ago to help do the funeral for one of our dear friends who had died of lung cancer. And just recently I was reading a post from her daughter about how much she misses her mom, and how those feelings had been most recently triggered by a familiar smell that had brought back a flood of memories. And dealing with not only the initial pain of losing somebody, but the void they leave behind, is difficult. Now I know that we must all, at some point, lose our parents. But the earlier you lose them, sometimes it can be harder because they don’t get to see you arrive, if you know what I mean. Esther (for instance) would never experience the joy of having her parents share in her growing up, her engagement, her wedding, her first child, any of it (not to mention becoming queen). And that is especially painful. And you know I love how scripture doesn’t leave out the fact that while God is in sovereign control over the nations, He is also sovereign on a smaller scale in each and every one of our own individual lives. He is the Lord even in times of brokenness; and despite our brokenness (maybe even at times because of our brokenness) God can do amazing things in and through us. Just about everybody in scripture who was used by God in a mighty way had some kind of brokenness in their lives or situations. And Esther’s life is no exception.

Now I don’t know where you are today. Maybe you are dealing with brokenness in some way. Maybe you feel that that brokenness is your fault (like Ahasuerus no doubt did). Or maybe you feel that your brokenness is rooted in circumstances that were dealt to you and are completely outside of your control, as Esther probably felt. Either way, God has something to offer to you today. Not something that will automatically take all the pain away (though He does bring healing); but the assurance of knowing that He is in control and He can use even (I would say especially) our darkest circumstances to do the greatest things. But we need to trust Him and His plan, even when we might not see that overall plan yet (if ever). And we need to trust that God does love us and that He will neither leave us or forsake us. That is His promise to you and to me. So let us (in every way) trust in Him. Amen.

Lechem Panim #95 "The Banishment of Vashti" (Esther 1:5-2:1) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther, last week talking about the rise of Xerxes and the war that he was engaged in with Greece, the next major world empire. And this helps us to understand this feast in our passage today in Esther chapter 1; how it was one that was meant to display Xerxes’ greatness and ability not just to rule well, but to be strong enough to lead his army into victory in this war against the Greeks. It says in verses 5-8…

Esther 1:5-8 (ESV)— 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, ([Susa the citadel refers to the fortified palace complex.]) both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace (Now this was [An enclosed courtyard for entertaining in the summer months (see 7:7).]). 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired.

No Compulsion— Now what this “no compulsion” meant was that [King Ahasuerus set aside the custom that everyone had to drink whenever the king drank.] Guests could drink whenever they wanted; as much as they wanted. And in addition to drinking for fun and leisure, [The Greek historian Herodotus explained that the Persians drank as they deliberated matters of state (cf. 3:15 ), believing that intoxication put them in closer touch with the spiritual world.] And so you have this prolonged, drunken, pervasively worldly and pagan feast going on in Susa. And on top of this feast, you also have another feast for the women. It says in verse 9…

Esther 1:9 (ESV)— 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.

A book of feasts— So you have feast after feast. And in fact the book of Esther is filled with feasts. [The word mishteh, “banquet, feast(ing),” occurs fifty-five times in the Old Testament, twenty of which are in Esther,] [In fact, there are nine of them (or ten if one splits the ninth into two feasts)] [seven of Esther’s ten chapters refer to somebody throwing a party.] In fact the purpose of the whole book of Esther is to show how one major feast Jews celebrate even to today came into being; the feast of Purim. And we’ll talk more about that in upcoming weeks. But for now, keep this feast theme in the back of your mind.

Esther 1:10-11 (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown,[b] in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at.

Ahasuerus Objectifies Vashti— Now imagine this. Your husband invites you to come out in front of a bunch of his guests (who are slobbering drunk, by the way) so they can stare at you and see what a trophy your husband has. Yet what gets me is here King Ahasuerus is inviting his men to lust after his wife and devour her with their drunken eyes. Now what is disgusting to me (and should be disgusting to you too) is that he is treating her like an object; he is objectifying her. And he’s inviting all his friends to do the same. And to engage in this kind of behavior is absolutely wrong. Remember Jesus says in Matthew 5 (in the Sermon on the Mount)…

Matthew 5:27-28 (ESV)— 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

Anything that objectifies a woman is wrong; when you use a woman for your own selfish pleasure (degrading her), you are in sin. Jesus doesn’t want us to have any part of that. And guess what; Queen Vashti doesn’t want any part of that either. Verse 12 says…

Esther 1:12a (ESV)— 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs.

Why Vashti Refuses— Now we are not told why Vashti refuses to come. Some have suggested that perhaps she refused because lewd behavior was expected. Some have suggested that the command for her to wear her crown was really a command to come wearing only her crown. And that might be the case. However, it is interesting to note that, from what we know from history, she actually is seen to give birth to Ahasuerus’ third son, Artaxerxes in c. 483 B.C. So it is very possible that she is pregnant during this time. 

Pregnancy and Culture— Now in our culture we have made pregnancy a very public thing. But in ancient culture you would often go into seclusion. It was an embarrassing, sometimes shameful thing to be seen when you were pregnant. And it is possible that this is why Vashti is so resistant. And even the fact that he tells her to do this shows a lack of care for her. He is very much focused on himself; and therefore when he hears about Vashti’s refusal, the text says…

Esther 1:12b (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

The Anger of Ahasuerus— Now one thing you are going to see (not only here, but throughout this book) is that Ahasuerus has a very hot and violent temper. And if you know anyone who is prone to anger, you will know that they are in bondage to that anger. It controls them. In fact, a year after this, when Ahasuerus eventually marches against Greece, he has to cross the Hellespont, a narrow body of water that lies between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. So he orders bridges to be built. And so they were built. But before his troops could use them, a storm destroys them. And Ahasuerus is so enraged, he gathers all the engineers together who designed the bridges and has them beheaded. Then he turns in his rage to the water that had swallowed his bridges. History tells us he sent some of his soldiers into water with whips, telling them to lash the water 300 times as punishment for swallowing his bridges. So they lash the waves with those whips 300 times. Then he has his soldiers throw shackles into the water to bind the water and even has them take red-hot irons and stab the waves with them. Now imagine having a ruler like that. Or even worse, imagine having a husband like that! Some of you may have grown up in a home where you saw that kind of anger often; maybe on an even daily basis. I have counseled people who have been in those kinds of situations. And let me tell you, Jesus doesn’t want there to be any room for this kind of anger in our lives…

Colossians 3:8a (NIV)— 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,…

Don’t Be Slaves to Anger— Jesus doesn’t want anger to control our lives. Anger destroys relationships and it ultimately destroys ourselves. And someone who has rage as a part of their life is a slave to that anger. There is righteous anger that moves us to act in accordance with God’s will and then there is selfish anger and rage that is destructive rather than constructive. And it is that kind of anger that is sin. And we see that Ahasuerus (at least at this point in his life) is a slave to his anger. Now it says in…

Esther 1:13-22 (ESV)— 13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. [You see, they are afraid that Vashti’s disobedience will spark a women’s liberation movement. So they say…] 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.

Vashti De-Throned— Now here Ahasuerus is told not just to command that Vashti be de-throned, but that he do it in such a way so as to make it impossible for anyone (including himself) to repeal that command. And so he does. He de-thrones her for her disobedience. He is so concerned about how she made him look that he never stopped to consider how he made her look. But you know what?; I think Ahasuerus regretted his mistake. Why? Because it says in…

Esther 2:1 (ESV)— 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

He regrets his actions— You see, he regrets his actions. And ultimately that is where anger leads us; regret. He drives his wife away. And when he comes to his senses, it is too late. And what bothers me about this situation is that their relationship could have been restored in the first place if only he had been willing to acknowledge he had made a mistake and sought to treat his wife more fairly. But he doesn’t. Instead he does what is in his own self-interest and what is in the interest of those around him; not what is in the best interest of his wife. 

He treats Esther differently— But you know, I think he may have had a change of heart after this. And the reason I tend to think this way is because we see in and throughout this story that he treats Esther differently. There is no evidence that he objectified her in the same way he did Vashti. And when she appears to model the same kind of defiance when she later approaches the king uninvited, he shows mercy where he could have shown anger. I think her marriage to him may have affected his demeanor in a positive way. There was something special about Esther. And next week  we will begin to explore what that was.

But there are some key lessons we can learn from Ahasuerus. This book opens up with a sense of lostness and brokenness; lostness and brokenness that is the natural result of pride and anger. Ahasuerus sent into exile the very person he cared about. And maybe sin in your life has cost you something. Maybe it is already hurting your marriage or your relationships. It might be anger; it might be lust; maybe it’s putting your own needs ahead of someone else’s. Jesus wants us to be willing to surrender our pride; to admit when we are wrong; and to help us to treat those we claim to love lovingly; even as He first loved us. Let us commit to do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #94 "The Rise of Xerxes" (Esther 1:1-4) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to the show today. You know, in recent days I have been reflecting on the uniqueness of Christianity amongst the many other religions of the world. There are many religious works today, each offering differing (and often mutually exclusive) worldviews; meaning they make claims that are at opposition with other worldviews; and therefore you have to choose (you can’t have it both ways). And so you have to evaluate which religion (or religious work) is true based on a set of criteria. And for many it is enough that the religious book in question be the cause of some kind of special emotion or experience that they have while reading it. For others, it is that the philosophy of the book resonates with them, challenges them, or aligns with one’s own set of beliefs held even prior to picking up the book. But virtually none of these books has anything to offer that is independently verifiable historically or scientifically. And those that try are often shown later to be erroneous and false. That is, until we come to the Christian Bible. One of the key things that separates the Bible from every other religious book is that it ties itself to known history. Every page bleeds with the challenge “come and check this out. Here is what REALLY happened; here are the facts.” Even Jesus, the embodiment of the Word of God, begs people to come and check out the facts; to have faith, yes, but not a blind faith, but rather a faith that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. He always gave people a sign (whether it was a healing, a miracle of nature, etc.) that showed that He is who He claimed to be. And that formed the foundation for their (hopefully) then coming to put their faith and trust in Him. And the Bible is the same way because it is His Word. The Bible offers to us not just a set of beliefs we should ascribe to, but a history of God Himself interacting in time and space with His people; performing real miracles; doing real things. And then it invites us to (based on the evidence) to place our faith in Him. The first seventeen books of the Old Testament are historical. The first 5 books of the New Testament are historical, by which I mean they are meant to be read (primarily) as history. And I think what God might be trying to say to us is that before you get into poetry, into prophecy, into instruction and teaching, you must first come to grips with the understanding that I have acted in time and space with real people in real places and my entire Word is historically accurate and worthy of your trust.

And I want to emphasize this as we enter into this first chapter of Esther because the author begins not with “Once upon a time” or some other vague backdrop, but with a number of key historical markers that help his readers to understand where exactly this story took place in known history and who specifically we are talking about. He says…

Esther 1:1-3a (ESV)— 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants.

Xerxes is Ahasuerus— Now we see that the first name given to us in the book of Esther is that of the King, Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is the name many of us have in our Bibles, which comes from a Hebrew transliteration. But we know him in history primarily by his Greek name, Xerxes. Ahasuerus is none other than the mighty Xerxes. 

Cyrus Conquers Babylon— Now let’s back-track a tad. You will remember from last week that not too long before this, Cyrus (king of Persia comes to power). Israel had been in exile to Babylon, but then Cyrus conquers the Babylonian empire; and what is incredible is that he does this without a fight. Remember in Daniel chapter 5 we see the Babylonian king Belshazzar throwing a drunken party using the vessels of gold and silver stolen from the temple in Jerusalem. And the fingers of a human hand appear and write on the wall “Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. (Dan. 5)”. And Daniel reveals to Belshazzar that God is going to immediately bring his kingdom to an end. And He does. That very night (the night of October 12, 539 B.C.) the army of Persia waded up the waters of the Euphrates River through the canals of the city of Babylon and took the city. And in fact Belshazzar was such a terrible leader that Cyrus was actually welcomed by the Babylonians as a liberator. And so all the lands previously under Babylonian rule (including Jerusalem and Judah) now fell under the control of the ever-expanding Persian empire. 

Darius and the Beginning of the Persian Wars— Now after Cyrus died, the throne went to Cambyses and then to Darius 1 (the Great). And Darius the Great goes on to conquer Greece in 550 B.C. and following. But Greece is never totally conquered. In fact later they fight back relentlessly against Persia, defeating them at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., that famous battle where a man ran 26 miles, which is where we get our distance for modern-day marathons. And Darius is furious at having lost this battle and therefore swears revenge. However, on his way back to try to crush the Greeks and gain revenge, he dies, leaving the duty of crushing the Greeks to his son, Xerxes, who comes to power in 486 B.C. Now despite strong advice not to go to war with Greece again, Xerxes decides to ignore that counsel and in 481 he is finally able to set out; and does so with a massive army. Persia (the largest empire in history; now with a population of around 50 million people) puts on a massive military display, boasting hundreds of thousands if not close to a million soldiers. So this battle against the Greeks should be no contest. However, unbelievably, the Greeks are able to repel Xerxes. And there are some very famous battles you may remember from your history class when you studied the Persian War. The Battle of Thermopylae (the battle of the 300 Spartans); the Battle of Salamis, where the Greeks annihilate the Persian navy, Persia losing around 300 warships.

Eventual Defeat by Alexander the Great— So there is constant fighting between Persia (the reigning world empire) and Greece, the next major world empire. And Xerxes continues fighting (mostly unsuccessfully) until Alexander the Great finally comes on the scene and defeats Persia for good. 

Important Backstory— Now the reason this whole backstory is so important is because unless you understand what historical events are going on in the background, you won’t really get what this feast (or feasts) is about. [In the book of Esther, the Persian war against the Greeks, takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the book. It would be included in the “after these things” (2:1).] So this banquet in chapter 1 is more than just a banquet. It is a war-related banquet. How do we know this? Who is at this banquet?

Esther 1:3b-4 (ESV)— The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. 

Building Support— [The time (483 b.c., the third year of Xerxes’ reign), and the presence of the army, suggest that Xerxes may have been building support for his invasion of Greece (preparations c. 483–480; the Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480).] So Xerxes/Ahasuerus is getting ready to march against the Greeks. But remember there are those who don’t think he can or should do this; and so he throws this massive banquet to display his greatness and kind of get everyone hyped up into believing that he can do it. And so this is not just a “let’s get our groove on kind of party.” There’s purpose behind it. To show that he is all-powerful and in complete control and able to do whatever he wants to do. That is how the book opens up; with a king thinking he’s in absolute control. And yet, as we will see, he is humbled in some amazing ways.

And by the end of the book we discover that it was never him who was in control of history, but God. History is His Story. And nobody can thwart His plans or His purposes. And the same is true for you and for me today. We can have assurance in the midst of all this craziness going on in the world today because we know that behind the scenes the hand of God is moving, working all things together for His glory and our benefit. Let’s give thanks to Him for that today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #93 "A Sign of Hope" (An Introduction to Esther) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I don’t know how all of you are faring during this unusual crisis in our nation (and really the whole world). It is not an easy time economically. I am sure many of you have been laid off, as my wife (who is a dental assistant) has been laid off from her job. Many of you are probably wondering what the future might hold for you and your family and may even be wondering if you are going to make it financially. I mean these are uncertain times. And who would have thought that we would go through something like this.

Recently I was reading an author in my studies of the book of Esther and he made the remark about how ordinary and regular it is for people to go through trials and difficulties. And I remember thinking, “actually, I am doing okay. Not really going through anything difficult right now.” But then he said, “And if you think you are doing okay right now, watch out, because there’s a trial just around the corner.” And I thought something like, “Well, aren’t you just a bright little ray of sunshine.” But he was right. It was not long after that that all of this began to unravel. And his point was not to discourage, but to encourage. He was making the point (in his commentary) that the story of the book of Esther is not a light and airy fairytale, but a powerful story born out of pain and uncertainty. Persia (as we will see) was not the place to be, particularly if you were a Jew. Everyone in this book is afraid. And yet God uses those dark circumstances for some incredibly good things and Israel comes out of these trials far stronger than it had been before this time of intense darkness.

And the same is true of us. I believe that on the other side of this the United States is going to be stronger and better. I believe God’s Church is going to be stronger and better. We are being forced to think creatively in how we interact with one another, how we do Church. And many Churches are being forced to catch up in a lot of ways. Has this been difficult? Yes. But I’m telling you, these past few Sundays have probably yielded more livestreams of the Gospel than at any other time in history. And I know in my Church (Renton Park Chapel) we are having many people view our service online whom I know would probably not darken the door of my Church (or maybe any Church). And that is only one small refraction of how God is using these circumstances for good. 

But all of this is still hard. And I think about how my family (and many of you) are affected by this. But you know, it gives us a chance to ask ourselves, “Do we really believe many of the things we talk about on a regular basis regarding God and His faithfulness; His love for us and therefore His provision for us?” 

Pilots— You know in my church we have two pilots, both of whom own airplanes and both of whom have built or did major rebuilding on their airplanes. Now I don’t know too much about airplanes, other than what I have gleaned from conversations with guys who do. But I do know that building an airplane can be a long project and requires a lot of time and care. And I (who live about ten minutes from Boeing) am very thankful to those who know how to build airplanes. But there comes a point when the building stops and you have to actually get into the airplane and fly it. One of these men in our church finished his little red plane and eventually took it for a test-fly. Now that kind of takes faith to the next level, doesn’t it. I mean yeah you can brag about whatever parts you put into it (how shiny you got the wings) and how well it has been put together. But then come a moment when you climb into that cockpit, turn the ignition, and begin rolling down the runway. And if it was me, a thousand different questions would probably be going through my mind. Did I remember to do this, that, or whatever? Or, if it’s like any of the pieces of furniture I have put together over the years, why are there extra pieces afterwards? Now when it comes to a dresser, I might be able to get by. But an airplane. Ummmmm……..maybe not so much.
    But for these men, their faith in their planes was probably more real afterwards than before. Their talk of trust became an active faith.

And so it is during these trying times. It is easy to have faith in the good times. But what about now when uncertainty clouds so much of our future? Now is the time to ask when we sing about God being our rock, our deliverer, our foundation, the One in whom we place our faith and trust, do we really believe that? All of this gives us the opportunity to demonstrate (not just talk, but demonstrate) our faith in God. Do we really believe Jesus is who He says He, that He can do what He says He can do, and that He can be for us who He says He can be for us? 

The is the question Israel was forced to ask themselves about God over and over again; and never more so than in the book of Esther, which we began studying during out time together last week.

The State of Exile— Now you will remember that we have begun exploring the state of exile Israel had experienced during that time; the judgment of God; but also the nature of God’s judgment. Remember we said that whenever God judges, His judgment is alway redemptive; it is to bring healing through repentance; which manifests itself in a change of heart (the inner person) and also a change of direction in how we outwardly act. God judges sin not to destroy or hurt us, but to move His people to turn from those sinful behaviors that are by nature destructive. Secondly, whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; hope that His judgment will not last forever; but that at the right time He will restore them when they turn back to Him with all their hearts. And just prior to the book of Esther we see this restoration begin to take place. Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, allows the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple; and on top of that, he has Persia finance it. His proclamation, recorded in Ezra 1:4, says this…

Ezra 1:4 (ESV)— 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

The Persians Paid For It— How amazing it is that God not only sets them free; not only has the king that ruled over them given them permission to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple, but even has their enemies (the Persians) pay for it. 

Does God’s Covenant Still Stand?— Now during this time one of the chief concerns of the Jews was (because their was no more temple, no more priesthood, no more sacrifices, and no monarchy); where they stood in relationship to God and His covenant. 

“Is God going to back our efforts?”— I was reading an author who said that even though they were set free to go home and even rebuild the temple, this question still remained in their minds because the command to rebuild the temple didn’t come from God, but from a pagan king; and not out of love for God, but in order to further his own political agenda. So the question becomes, “Is God going to back our efforts?” Because they could rebuild the temple, but that doesn’t automatically mean God is going to restore His presence; that He will reestablish His covenant with them. Would God respond to them and move in their midst once again? That was the soul-cry of their hearts.

Not the First Plundering— But this bit of history about those in the Persian empire being commanded to give to the Jews of their resources intrigues me, because it is not the first time their enemies have financed their undertakings. Remember when Israel first left their bondage in Egypt it says...

Exodus 12:35-36 (ESV)— 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

Remember What God Did Before— And this made we wonder if God isn’t almost beginning to answer their ultimate question even as they are asking it. God not only sets them free from Egypt but grants them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, causing them to give silver and gold to them. And in this way God shows that He is with them. And I wonder if here, at this point in Israel’s history, it may be that God, through the plundering of the Persians, is saying to them, “Remember what I did for you before when I called you out of Egypt? Look; I’m doing it again. I’m still with you; yes, my covenant still stands.” 

The Prodigal’s Surprise— How like God this is; to as we look up from the slop we are eating and ask if He will receive us again (like the Prodigal son wondered as he moved from the slop back towards His father’s house), we find Him already moving towards us; already making way for our restoration. If you remember nothing else today from God’s message this morning, remember this: If you find yourself beginning to want to return to Jesus, you will find He has already begun moving towards you. Our God is the God who forgave us while still on the cross (that blessed cross we sing about in so many of our songs); our God is the God who begins to restore us before we have sense enough to even seek restoration. Perhaps the most powerful verse on prayer in all of scripture comes from the book of Isaiah…

Isaiah 65:24 (ESV)— 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Already Making Way For Your Restoration— If you find yourself desiring restoration to God, it is because God has already begun to make way for your restoration. And this is what we see here. Israel is wondering if God will restore them; but through Cyrus and this incredible decree Cyrus gives, God is showing them that yes, He is still with them and has indeed already begun to restore them.

​And that is his message for you and for me today. It doesn’t matter what we have done, or how lost we feel. God has given us His Son as a real and tangible sign that He still loves us; that He still wants to have a relationship with us; and He will redeem us if only we put our trust in Christ. Put your trust in Him today. Even if you have believed for many many years, choose to get in the cockpit and allow that cognitive trust to become a living and breathing (actively trusting) faith. Amen.

Lechem Panim #92 "The Star of God's Presence" (An Introduction to Esther) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I hope all of our listeners today are faring as well as you can during this very unusual time. And I hope today’s message of hope will be an encouragement to you. 

Intro To Esther— Today we will be beginning a journey through one of my favorite books of the Bible, a book that has a message that is very relevant to some of the things we are facing right now. It is a story filled with plot and intrigue; love and passion; danger and courage. God’s people are faced with annihilation; and yet they are saved by God’s mighty hand through one of history’s most important heroes; a young Jewish girl who, because of her obedience and trust in God’s plan, saved God’s people from certain destruction. And of course we know her as Esther.

Mordecai— Now just to give you a little bit of background, God had sent the Jews into captivity for their failure to keep themselves free from false gods. But at this point they have been released from exile; yet there are many who still remain. And among these was a man by the name of Mordecai, a Jew whose great grandfather Kish was very likely carried away into the Babylonian captivity. And Mordecai (as elder cousin to Esther) plays a very key role in this story. 

Authorship— Now we don’t know who wrote the book of Esther (it is anonymous). However it had to be someone who had access to the records taken in Persia, and someone who also had a very strong interest in Jewish affairs. This as unusual combination, leading some (myself included) to think the author could very well have been Mordecai himself, who seems to have had some position in the king’s palace. And his most important role in this story is the fatherly role he takes on for a young Jewish orphan girl named Esther.

Hadassah the “Star” of God’s Presence— Now Hadassah is her Jewish name. But the Persian name she is given is Esther, which means “star.” And this makes sense because in Persia (where this story takes place), astrology (using the stars to practice divination in order to learn the future) was a serious thing. Even today, the number of people who check their horoscopes is staggering. Paganism is very much alive today, let me tell you. Now the Wise men (the Magi) of Media and Persia were very into this kind of thing. And remember Daniel not too long before this was actually head of the wise men of Babylon/Media/Persia. And because of his faithfulness to God, God gave him understanding of visions and dreams, some of the very gifts that the Magi claimed to possess. And so Daniel rose to become head of the Magi. And in that position he no doubt was an ambassador on God’s behalf, teaching the other wise men about the one true God, Yahweh, and may have revealed to them signs of a coming Messiah, using their own astrology to do it. 

The Magi and the Star— And so when we come to the birth of Christ, it says Wise Men (Magi) came from the East, following a star; these men whose ancestors had most likely been influenced by Daniel back in his Babylonian captivity, and whose influence could still be felt in the Medo-Persian empire, which was still alive and well during the time of the birth of Christ. There was still a strong Jewish presence there even at the beginning of the New Testament; Jews who never left even after the exile was over. Many chose to stay, Esther and Mordecai being among them. But back to the Magi; that is most likely how they (the Magi) knew of the coming Messiah. And I want to make that connection for you because that star the Magi followed revealed the presence of God; there “with us”. That is the meaning of “Immanuel”; God with us.

God Not Mentioned— But in the book of Esther, one of the perplexing things is that the word "God" is not mentioned anywhere in the book. We have the pagan Persian king Ahasuerus mentioned at least once in ever chapter, but God is never mentioned. Yet despite that we find that God is in fact the main character. Yet He is not revealed on a mountain; in a pillar of fire; or in a voice from heaven. No, we see His presence revealed in Esther and in how He moves and directs the events in her life to save His people from destruction. God doesn’t speak through prophets in this book; we have no divine revelation; there are no miracles or signs from heaven. Instead God is behind the scenes, quietly guiding these events towards His purposes. And Esther (like the star of the Magi) is in a sense that star that reveals the presence of God; that reveals to Israel that God is still with them and is still their deliverer.

Post-exile in Persia— And this was easy for them to forget. They had been carried into exile in Babylon. Then Babylon fell to Persia and Cyrus the Great came to power, the founder of the Persian Empire. And miracle of miracles, he allows Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. And not only does he allow Israel to return home to rebuild the temple, but even allows them to use the resources of Persia to do it!  Now Cyrus had a bit of strategy here. From what we know of history, his sending former captives back to their homeland was actually part of his overall strategy to help him strengthen his authority in those more remote parts of his empire. But regardless, it served Israel well. And it goes to show how quickly God can bring redemption and restoration to a people that truly repents.

Looking Back to Egypt— Now you can say God was harsh in sending them into exile. But remember that this was an issue that God had wrestled with them over for hundreds of years, ever since He delivered them out of Egypt and that whole pagan culture. We know that there were times that they looked back in physical hunger, longing for what was familiar to them in Egypt. And that included paganism and idolatry. But God knew that though He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, they would never be free (even after reaching the Promised Land) until they forsook their false gods and embraced Him (Yahweh) as the center of their reality and the sole recipient of their worship. And the same is true of us. You may not bow before a statue; an idol. But I am telling you, there ARE things we worship other than God; that we give ourselves to other than God that will bring us no life and will in fact produce death in us. And God knows it, which is why He fights so hard (even being willing to allow us to suffer for a while) in order that we might let go of those things and come to experience life in His very presence; before His very face. Lechem Panim (the bread of the presence of God in the tabernacle) was a reminder to them of that reality. 

They Are Cured!— And one of my mentors pointed out to me that after this Israel never again fell into idolatry. God’s judgment in sending them into exile worked. And the God who was holy enough to send them into captivity was also loving enough to bring them out. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. And that is how we ought to see God’s judgment; as an extension of God’s love. It is always redemptive; it is always constructive. In fact, it proves to us (as Hebrews 12:5-11 says) that He has accepted us as His children.

Now some say America is too far gone to make any kind of significant spiritual turnaround. But I don’t believe that for a minute. There is hope for our nation. But that hope lies not in our being able to sway major institutions, though we should always strive to do so. Our hope lies in the salvation, obedience, and consecration of normal everyday people; in the individual rather than the institution.

Individuals, Not Institutions— One scholar I read often said something that has always stuck with me; and which is very important for us to remember in and throughout our study of this book. He says: We live in a day when most people believe that institutions are the determining factors. They declare that if we could just change institutions, then we could change society. This is the appeal of the politician. Scripture tantalizes us with the amount of space it devotes to individual people rather than institutions. People seem to be the tools that God uses to bring change. The implication is clear. Ultimately, persons determine institutions; institutions do not determine persons. The decisions that are made deep in the heart of an individual in the intimacy of aloneness with God are the decisions that will be historically significant for deciding the future.

What God Can Do Through One Obedient Person— Herein lies our hope. It isn’t going to be institutions that have the greatest impact on turning our country around; it’s individual people like you and me who, as the darkness closes in, will choose to remain faithful to God. Nowhere in scripture is it more clearly shown to us what God can do through one obedient person to affect the course and the fate of a nation than right here in the book of Esther. An insignificant Jewish girl, through the providence of God and her obedience, changed the fate of a nation. 

Our Potential Power— Now many of us may feel powerless when it comes to affecting change; I know I do; at least significant change on any kind of large scale. But what God wants you to understand today is that you have a power you can’t even fathom; power that is released through your personal commitment to Christ to remain consecrated to Him. John Wesley said an amazing thing. He said, “Give me ten men that hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God and we will change the world.” It is important to note that he did. And there is no telling what God can do through you if you (like Daniel and Esther), even in the face of leadership that is telling you it is okay to do something else, still choose to do and to stand for the right thing. God can do great things through us.

God is Present— And even when God may seem absent (like in the book of Esther, where His name is never even mentioned; and maybe that’s the point), He is never more present even when we can't see Him. This is the message of the book of Esther. And it is His message for you and for me this week. 

This week, may we live a lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all of our hearts. And may you and experience (in every way) His redemption, His restoration, and His love for Us. Amen.

Lechem Panim #91 "The Prayer of Daniel" (Daniel 9) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. Last week we talked about one of my favorite heroes, the prophet Daniel; an amazing man who had an amazing impact on everyone who had the privilege of falling under his influence, from the lowest servant to the king himself; and there were multiple kings he served under. And he did so during a very difficult time; a time when God’s people were in exile. And you will remember that one of the things that set Daniel apart form everybody else was his prayer life.

Intro to Daniel 9— And so today I want us to take a look briefly at the first half of Daniel chapter 9 and see if we can draw some insight into how Daniel prayed and why His prayers proved to be so effective. Daniel, who is an old man at this time, over 80 years old, is serving under Darius (the king of Persia). And he is pouring over the scriptures; particularly over Jeremiah, who had written prophecies concerning Israel’s upcoming captivity in Babylon. And Daniel comes across Jeremiah 29:10-12, which says…

Jeremiah 29:10-12— “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Just Three Years Away!— And Daniel begins to think, and is beginning to do the math, “Huh...wait a minute. That puts our captivity around about 67 years. Let’s see.....year 605 to 538....yeah that’s right. Well, wait a minute....that would mean our captivity is almost over!” And just imagine his excitement. Never before has he come across a passage of scripture that has gotten him this pumped; this shaken with joy. “My God, are you telling me that we are going to be free in three years? In three years I may get to set foot in Jerusalem (Your city) once again!” And he immediately starts praying. And we will get to his prayer in a minute. 

Praying Scripture— But let me ask you, do you ever have difficulty knowing what to pray? Sometimes when you start praying (I know I have experienced this) you kind of have writer’s block. You think to yourself “If I only knew where to begin.” Well here it is interesting to see that Daniel begins in the scriptures. And his prayers have strong content and amazing power because they flow out of his meditation on the Word of God. 

Meditating on The Word— Now some of us, when we make our new year’s resolution to “read the Bible more” start by trying to bulldoze through a large chunk of scripture. And when we get to the end, we feel pretty good about the amount of scripture we covered, but (honestly) we didn’t get much out of it. Why? Because we didn’t take the time to meditate on the Word of God. It’s much better to read a shorter passage of scripture and meditate on it. We need to let it’s roots sink into our minds and hearts throughout the day.

The Cow and The Cud Illustration— Dawson Trotman illustrated Biblical meditation by comparing the way cows {(who have 4 stomachs)} get the cud on which they chew: 

A cow eats grass as it grazes early in the morning. When the sun gets hot, it will lie in the shade of a tree, and through the use of a unique elevator system it will bring up the grass from one stomach and thoroughly masticate it. When this is finished, it will put it into another stomach, having gotten from it everything possible in the way of nutrients.

Chewing the Word— That is how we need to meditate on the scriptures. Just like Daniel, we need to be willing to stop and chew the cud. And when we do, we will discover such blessings from God’s holy word that our lives cannot help but be transformed, because we have allowed God the time to make that scripture personal to us and our own individual situations. Have you ever noticed a difference in your life when you didn’t get much into the Word a particular week? And you felt dry and weak, lacking the power of God because maybe you did not take the time to chew the cud? Daniel really kept the disciplines of prayer and meditation at the forefront of his life. Not only did he pray three times a day, but he took the time to chew on the Word of God. And I think that is key. He says in verse 3…

Daniel 9:3 (ESV)— 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel’s Mourning— Now picture this. Daniel (a high official) takes off his beautiful royal robes and jewelry and clothes himself with “sackcloth and ashes”, both of which were visual ways of demonstrating to God his need for Him and his willingness to conform to the will of God. And interestingly, our season of Lent begins for many Christians with this symbolic use of ashes. And Lent is also a time when many people give up certain things (a form of fasting) in order to outwardly demonstrate a repentant heart as we anticipate Good Friday. It is a way for us to humble ourselves before God. Now whether or not you fast from something during Lent or receive the ashes or not, nevertheless, humility is always key when it comes to entering in to the presence of God.

What is Humility?— But what is humility? Some of us have been taught that it means we have to convince ourselves that we are garbage in comparison to everyone else. But if Christ has called you clean, and has adopted you as His child, who are we to put ourselves down? Should we put down what God has glorified? I don’t think so.

Measured Against the Greater— I think Phillip Brooks said it best when he said, "The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is." 

Looking To The Cross— And you know, he’s absolutely right. What we ought to be thinking about is the greatness of God and how small any man’s righteousness is by comparison. Don’t puff yourself up; but be humbled by the fact that no matter how Holy God has made you, it was your sin and my sin that held Christ to that cross (which is part of what Lent is all about). 

Wrestling With God— The next thing we can learn from Daniel concerning prayer is that he prayed with intensity. We see in verse 3 that Daniel pleads with the Lord. And that word “plea” in Hebrew means “to wrestle”. So Daniel wrestles with God, similar to the time when Jacob wrestled with God in a physical sense in Genesis chapter 32. And verse 4 says, “I prayed to the Lord my God...” The Hebrew word “prayed” is an emphatic imperative that denotes extreme intensity.

Avoiding Vain Repetition— So many of our prayers are just vain repetitions…Many of us are like the little boy who said his prayers one night and got confused with his rhymes, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If he hollers let him go . . . eeny, meeny, miney, mo.” What?!

Have you ever prayed to God a ritualistic prayer without ever stopping to think about what you were praying. We need to take our prayers a little more seriously. Daniel’s prayer was filled with urgency and fervency. Ten times he says something like, “O, Lord” or “O My God.” The word “O” is actually an untranslatable word that represents a groan. Romans 8:26 says that when we are praying in the Spirit there are often groans that can’t be uttered. Have you agonized in prayer? Have you wrestled and groaned when you prayed?...

People Groaning for Us— I can testify that the only reason I am where I am today is because I had godly parents and grandparents faithfully praying for me in and throughout my life. God heard their groans for me and He answered them. And the same to you who are listening today. Many of you are followers of Christ today because there were faithful Christians (maybe your mom or your dad, your grandparents, or somebody like that) who were willing to groan and plead about you to the Lord. And there are more people yet to be touched by Christ’s Gospel of salvation and a transformed life who are going to be touched because you (when the time and opportunity presents itself) are going to groan before the Savior for the salvation of their souls.

The next thing Daniel does is he confesses sins specifically. He says in verses 4-5…

Daniel 9:4-6 ESV— [4] I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, [5] we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. [6] We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Faithful Daniel Identifies With Israel— Now what is interesting to me is that Daniel is actually one of the Jews who has remained obedient to God and has been faithful to keep His law in and throughout His whole life. At every single point at which he is tested, he has proved faithful. Yet he still identifies himself with his nation of Israel and recognizes that he is part of a community that has lived in rebellion against God.

You see, he takes responsibility. He not only admits that his nation is at fault, but is willing to take some of the blame on their behalf. Now I have heard a lot of preachers who stand up and speak about the evil that is going on in our country. I am one of them. But how often do you see a Christian who is willing to admit that he/she is partially to blame? Sadly you don’t see that too often. No, we as Christians are often too busy playing the blame game rather than accepting fault, confessing it before God, and asking Him for healing not just for our nation, but for us specifically; because it is often our sin that is at least a contributing factor to the problem.

Confessing— But what Daniel is demonstrating is that confession must remain a constant element in our prayers. If we lose our ability to confess (and not just confess general sin, but specific sins in our lives), then we will lose our ability to recognize, deal with, and turn from the sin that is in our lives and be, as the scriptures say, Holy as He is Holy. We have to repent. We have to confess and be willing to come clean with our sin before God.

Expect God to Answer— Now the last element of prayer that Daniel demonstrated is so obvious, but should never be taken for granted; and that is that when we pray, we ought to expect God to answer. Because He always will. When Daniel prayed, he received an answer even before he finished prayer. And there have been times in my life (and I am sure yours as well) where that has happened. But that does not always happen. Sometimes you pray and pray and pray, but nothing seems to happen. And this can be a real struggle for a lot of people. It is sometimes hard to continue praying for something or someone when, after a long time of praying, nothing happens. There are people I have prayed for for years who have still not received Christ. And if we let it, that can discourage us. 

He Will Answer— But even when our prayers don’t get answered right away, we must persist and not cease in praying because God has promised to hear and answer our prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)— 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Let us have that confidence today and pray faithfully, so that we might see God move through our prayers in amazing ways. Amen.

Lechem Panim #90 "Judgment, But With Hope" (Jeremiah 29:11 & Daniel) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. 

Heroes— You know, I think it is very important for each and every one of us to have heroes; men and women of God we look to to inspire us and show us how to truly live for God. One of the heroes of scripture who inspires me the most is the prophet Daniel; a man taken into captivity to Babylon, which was the reigning world empire and forced to live amongst a strange people in a strange land surrounded by all sorts of false gods and various temptations. And yet in the midst of all that, he remembers to whom he really belongs and remains true to God in the face of (what seem at least to me to be) insurmountable difficulties.

Backdrop— Now, just to give you a little background, Israel (because of their unfaithfulness to God) had been sent into exile. God had made a covenant promise to His people to be faithful to them; to prosper them; to bless them. Yet that covenant was contingent upon obedience to Him. They were to remain consecrated, set apart for Him. It was their obedience to God that would allow His presence to dwell with them in the temple; and it was that presence that would bless them. But if Israel was unfaithful to God, then God promised judgment on them. We see this clearly in Deuteronomy 28, which says…

Deuteronomy 28:15 (ESV)— 15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Deuteronomy 28:36a (ESV)— 36 “The Lord will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known….

Deuteronomy 28:64a (ESV)— 64 “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other,…

Temple Destroyed— Now Israel, unfortunately, did not pay heed to this. They began worshiping the same gods and engaging in the same practices as the pagan nations. So God had to bring judgment. Israel was attacked and many Israelites were carried away into exile into Babylon. And we know that Daniel was among them. And not long after that the temple in Jerusalem, the center of their worship and the zenith of their faith; the very temple that was built and dedicated by Solomon, was destroyed.

What This Did to Them— Now we cannot even begin to imagine what this was like. Jerusalem and particularly the temple were the heart of Jewish worship. In Jerusalem you had the monarchy, which had now ended. The temple in which the presence of God dwelt was destroyed (something they thought could never happen). And with the temple went their ability to function the way that God had intended them to. With the temple went the sacrifices and the priesthood. They lost everything. And eventually that is where all sin leads us; it leaves us destitute. It takes away everything from us.

Unpopular Themes— Now we often do not like to talk about the judgment of God on sin. In fact in many churches nowadays if a pastor wants to start talking about judgment or sin, he probably ought to start packing his bags; because he very likely will not be at that church very long. Judgment and sin are very unpopular topics. Yet both are necessary before we can begin to understand God’s grace and redemption. Because the message of Grace isn’t that God overlooks sin, but that God’s righteous judgment on sin was born by Jesus Christ.

God’s Judgment is Always Redemptive— Furthermore, those who look negatively at this biblical theme of judgment don’t understand the true nature of God’s judgment, which is always redemptive. God judges us (ultimately) because He wants to preserve us. You see, it is sin that destroys. And therefore God’s judgment is always aimed towards liberating us from bondage to sin. It is always redemptive. Many of us love…

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)— 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Written to Those Under God’s Judgment— Many of us know this verse by heart. But what many don’t realize is that this verse was written to a people who were in exile; right in the center; the very heart of God’s judgment. Even Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.”

The Promise of Restoration— And this reveals something remarkable to us about the way that God judges. Whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; the promise of their restoration if they but turn back to Him. Even in His judgment He already begins to show them His mercy; His promise. And this pattern stretches all the way back to Genesis to the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.

Skins of Grace— Now usually when we talk about the Fall in those first chapters of Genesis we focus in on this theme of God’s punishment. And I don’t want to downplay that. But I think what we often miss is also a deep expression of God's loving provision. Adam and Eve had sinned against God; they had turned their backs on Him; and the Bible says they realized they were naked and hid. And God comes to them and lovingly leads them to acknowledge their sin. And afterwards He must, because He is a Holy God, deal with their sin. They are cast out of the Garden of Eden. Yet God does not send them out of the Garden naked and afraid, covered in nothing but the fig leaves they had tried to manufacture to cover themselves, though He had every right to. Rather, He takes an animal and kills it; He removes the skin of the animal and clothes them with that skin (foreshadowing the whole animal sacrificial system). I just think, what an amazing picture; that even though sin brought upon them shame (justly), God covers that shame with the skin of an animal. The death of that animal removed their shame. Even in the skin of that animal God was giving them hope; because He would eventually allow another to have His flesh torn and pierced; His very Son. And that death would be the death to end all death; to completely remove our shame and unite us again with the presence of God. As the skin of the animal covered them, foreshadowing sacrifice and the whole sacrificial system, so also it foreshadowed the day when we would be covered by the blood of Christ.

Satan’s Voice vs. God’s Voice— When God judges us, He always leaves us with hope. In fact, some time ago I found myself sharing with somebody something my own mentor had told me years ago about how to distinguish in my mind between God’s pointing sin out in my life and Satan’s trying to condemn me. And that is a real struggle for many Christians; and it may be for you as well; knowing when God is trying to correct you and when it is really Satan trying to tear you down. The acid test is this; if the source is Satan, it will leave you with a feeling of failure and the claim that you will never escape. But if the source of that voice is God, though the failure may be pointed out, He will always leave you with hope; hope that by His power, He can enable you to overcome. Because God always gives (even in His rebuke) the hope of future restoration if only we will repent and seek God (as Jeremiah 29:13 says) with all our hearts.

Repentance is the key to redemption— And repentance is key to redemption. And repentance means more than saying I’m sorry. No, the Greek word “repentance” (μετανοέω) means a change of mind; a change in the inner man. And the Biblical Hebrew word for repent is שׁוּב (SHUB ), which means “to turn back, return.” It is directional. So it is more than confession; more than just being sorry and expressing it. No, it means to change your direction. You are going one way and now you begin to go the opposite way. If we want to be saved, we must μετανοέω; we must שׁוּב; we must change in the inner person and we must change our direction. And I want to encourage you today that, no matter how far you may have fallen, if you are willing to repent like that, God will help you to repent and God’s promise of restoration will be available to you.

The Temple Dedication— When the temple was first completed, Solomon (I think with amazing wisdom and foresight) prays this incredible prayer of dedication. And in it he seems to anticipate a time when Israel might turn from God. Listen to what he prays in…

1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 46 “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace).

Daniel turned his eyes toward Jerusalem— Isn’t it interesting that the Bible says (when Daniel is taken captive and placed under the charge of the chief of the eunuchs)…

Daniel 1:9 (ESV)— 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,

What had Solomon prayed for? That when Israel is taken captive, God might…

1 Kings 8:50b (ESV)— grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

God is answering Solomon’s prayer. Why? Because Daniel (who knows what Solomon wrote) is doing exactly what Solomon said would be their visual act of repentance.

1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 

Remember King Darius’ edict that all people in his kingdom (Israel included) should worship no other god except him as king? When Daniel hears that edict, how does Daniel respond? It says in…

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)— 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Deliverance through Cyrus— You see, Daniel is modeling what real repentance looks like at that open window. And it is interesting to note that not long after this God does bring deliverance to His people through the hand of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire, which we will talk more about in the coming weeks. 

A feeling of hopelessness— You know, In general I sense this general feeling of hopelessness among Christians. I have even heard it said that America is too far gone to be able to turn things around. Now I understand that viewpoint, though I believe our passages today reveal to us another, more accurate way of seeing our current predicament. Yes I believe the time is fast approaching when God is going to judge this nation. But what I want you to see today is that this is not something we should dread, because (although it is going to be difficult) it is going to be redemptive. And if we individually and collectively repent, God will restore us. God always offers the hope of restoration to those under judgment; if they but turn to Him.

And so this week, let us commit to live lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all our hearts. And may you experience (in every way) His love, His redemption, and His restoration in your own life. Amen.

Lechem Panim #89 "Living Life Unchained" (1 John 5:19-21) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. Today we will be finishing our study of 1 John, a letter that was written to early Christians to help them have assurance of their salvation; giving them tests they can apply to teachers to determine whether they are Spirit-filled teachers or false teachers; and tests they can apply to themselves to prove that they are true children of God. And the closing verses of 1 John remind us of five things. And the first two are these: (1) Whose control we are under as children of God, and (2) Whose control the world is under.

1 John 5:19 (NIV)— 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 

Elephants and Rope— Once I read a story in which a group of elephants were standing together. [As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time {at least physically} break free from their bonds but because... {of their inner condition}, they were stuck right where they were.]

Our Chains— Now you and I may think we are are not in bondage simply because we don’t see any physical ropes or chains. But our mental and spiritual chains are every bit as real. The reality is that the mind of the elephant had become enslaved to the point that even though it wanted to be free, it had inner barriers that made it impossible for it to be so. The same is true of us. We, since we were young (ever since we were born) were enslaved to the law of sin and death. 

A Core Center Change— And though sin can be defeated in our lives, it requires something more than our own strength; it requires a change at the core center of who we are. And although that begins with the work of Christ; accepting and receiving His forgiveness; it cannot stop there. Because when He (The Light of The World) comes into our lives, His Light reveals just how filthy our hearts really are. And we don't actually realize how bad we really are until we're saved. In fact we usually think we are pretty good. We may even think we are doing God a favor by choosing to receive Christ. But afterwards, when the the Holy Spirit turns on the Light it's like "YIKES!!!! I had no idea how bad my sin was; how deeply its roots have penetrated my life!" And when we see that for the first time suddenly our hearts begin to cry out for something more than just forgiveness. Our hearts begin to cry out for complete freedom from the bondage and control of that sin; true freedom of the heart, life, and mind. And that freedom is what we call holiness. Holiness is a total freedom from sin that comes through a complete surrender of all of who we are to the Holy Spirit.

A New Power— Without Christ we are under the controlling power of sin and death. But in Christ we come under a new controlling power; the law of the Spirit who gives life and sets us free from the controlling power of sin and death.

The Climax of Christianity— You see, the Spirit does what the Law can't; and that is to bring into our lives the presence of God that can make us truly holy. This is why I have said in and throughout the course of my ministry and will continue to say that the climax of Christianity is not Christ's death on the cross; nor is it even His resurrection. Both of those events were means to the ultimate climax which was the reunion of man with the Holy Spirit of God; which began at Pentecost. Pentecost is where the Spirit of God came to dwell once again with mankind. And heaven itself is merely an extension (and of course a deepening) of that reality. But the point is that the height of Christianity is the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God who produces life in you. And that is why Jesus came; to restore that presence. Because before the Spirit could come, the debt had to be paid. We needed a Savior who could pay the price for our sin, cleanse us by the power of His blood, and make way for the Spirit of God to come into our lives. And that is something we remember in a very real and tangible way during this season of Lent, which began this past Wednesday.

Now the next two things John reminds of us in this closing passage are these: (3) The way that we come to have truth, (4) the divine identity of Jesus and how He is the source of life, 

1 John 5:20 (NIV)— 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

And so we are reminded that our relationship with truth and with life is personal; they come in and through a relationship with a person; the One who is truth and who is life; namely, Jesus Himself. You want to have knowledge and have life for today and for eternity, you have to come to Jesus. There is no other way. Why? Because He is truth and life itself.

Now the fifth thing John warns us about is the final thought of John. It is His final command. So simple and yet (at the same time) often the most difficult…

1 John 5:21 (NIV)— 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. {and so you have (5) a warning against idolatry.}

Worldly-Minded—  I don’t know if any of us worship actual idols; I don’t know, maybe you do. But an idol can be anything you put before God; what you heart is set on; what your mind constantly dwells on instead of Him. I don’t know too many people who worship actual idols (I do know some). But I do know Christians of whom 90% of their thought lives revolves around their business, even when they are not at work. I know people whose lives or kids’ lives revolve perpetually around secular activities. It doesn’t matter what is going on at Church; those things take precedence over Church every single time. Isn’t that idolatry. What disturbs me just as much is this. Let me ask you, what chance is there of those kids ever receiving the mind of Christ?; Of having their hearts set ablaze for Jesus? What are the chances that God could even be ABLE to call any of them to the mission field? We allow ourselves to be so tied up with meaningless, fleshly things, that we render ourselves incapable of doing anything truly meaningful on an eternal scale. And that is right where Satan wants to keep us. 

Creation Museum: Changing Minds— When the Creation Museum, a Museum that takes and presents a Biblical perspective on dinosaurs, was being planned to be built in Kentucky, there was an uproar from many evolutionists. And one of them said one of the most remarkable things. He said, “We wouldn’t mind if you were going to build a Church, but you’re trying to change people’s minds!!!”

An Unchained Christian— You see, that is exactly what the Devil wants; for us to have just enough religion to where we feel we’re covered, but not enough to where it begins to change the way we think. You see, nothing is scarier to him than a Christian who has become unchained from the flesh and the things of the world. It is as scary to him as a bull elephant.

Wesley’s Ten— John Wesley once said an amazing thing about the power of the unchained Christian. He said, “Give me ten men who hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and we’ll change the world.”

Your Potential— What could God do through you if you allowed Him to unchain you? If you let Him change the focus of your mind; the way you think? I am telling you, Satan loses sleep over that very question; and the entirety of his mind is bent on keeping you focused on the world and on the flesh; on the things that have no long-term eternal value. Your salvation is not based on a decision made at an altar or even your baptism. Your salvation is based upon knowing and having the presence of God in your life. Salvation is not an event; salvation is person; a person who died for your sins so that you could enter into a holy relationship with Him. And if that is the case, then that relationship must take precedence over everything else.

Affairs Are Gradual— Some time ago I was looking at some statistics as to the number of married people who have had extramarital affairs. And obviously the number was high. But you know it occurred to me, very few men (or women), having been committed in marriage, wake up one day and decide they are going to have an affair. No, there is a whole series of decisions leading up to it. And many of those decisions are harmless in and of themselves, such as saying "hi" to the other person, getting to know them on a friendly basis in an appropriate context. But sometimes there comes a point where you start spending a little bit more time with them than you should; you let your guard down; boundaries begin to be erased. You begin to only see each other a little more than you should. But what ends up happening is you give more and more of yourself to the other person; taking little step after little step until the actual act itself is only the last small step. There was no momentous decision to abandon your spouse. Only the small decisions that steadily accumulated.

Spiritual Affairs Are The Same— The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Even the things we do that are not sinful can be just as dangerous if we begin to give ourselves to them just a little bit more and a little bit more. What was once an occasional indulgence or hobby becomes something you flirt with; then you devote just a little bit more of yourself to it; and just a little bit more. And pretty soon, unbeknownst to you, you are cheating on God. He is no longer the center of your thought life or the center of your time. And whether that thing was sinful before or not, it has become sin for you because it has drawn you away from the Holy Spirit and the Mind of Christ. In Revelation 2:4 God tells John to write to the Church in Ephesus (the very people 1 John is written to), saying…

Revelation 2:4 (NIV)— 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Our Obligation— We (you and I) are the Bride of Christ; we are His spouse. And we have an obligation to love Him over and above anything else.

Sacrifice and Eliminate— Sin? It has to be put to death in us. Idols? They need to be placed on the altar. Worldly things and pass-times that don’t matter on the larger scale of eternity? They need to be kept to a minimum or (in many cases) eliminated completely.

“Your Hand Is Bigger Than Mine”— [A little boy and his father visited the country store, upon leaving the store the owner of the store offered the little boy some free candy. "Get a hand full of candy", the merchant said to the boy. The boy just stood there looking up at his father. The owner repeated himself, "Son get a hand full of candy, its free." Again the boy did not move continuing to look up in the face of his father. Finally, the father reached into the candy jar and got a hand full of candy and gave it to his son. As they walked back home, the father stopped and asked his son why he did not grab a hand full of the free candy. The boy with a big smile on his face looked into the face of his father and said "Because I know that your hand is bigger than mine.”]

God Gives Greater— The truth is, when you and I unclasp our hands; when we keep our hands from grabbing the temporary things that may have fleshly appeal, what God gives us in exchange is much greater and more abundant than anything we could grasp ourselves. His hands are bigger. And that is why today I would like to invite you to become unchained; to, in this moment, tell God, “I have let stuff come in between you and me. I have lived in defeat far too long. I am ready for you to change my mind; I am ready to surrender to your Spirit; I am ready to be free; free from death and the sin that holds me. Please Lord, set me free!!!” Pray that prayer today, and He will respond. Amen.

Lechem Panim #88 "The Sin Leading to Death" (1 John 5:16-18) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today.

The Omnipotence of God— One of the things I don’t ponder enough about God is simply His omnipotence; His absolute power over all things. I mean, just think; everything you and I have every known; the entire universe which houses billions of galaxies filled with planets far bigger than ours was brought into existence in one moment by a word spoken by the mouth of God. I mean to think of the intricate design; even down to the very structure of our DNA. He is amazingly powerful; in fact He is all-powerful.

Does God Have Limits?— But are there limits to God? Actually yes, there are. God is limited by his nature and character. For instance, God cannot sin because His nature is Holy and He cannot act outside of His nature and character. In the same way God is love, therefore God cannot create selfishly; merely to exact His own will upon an inferior being. To do that would go against His nature. No, He must create creatures who are free to love Him or free to reject Him. Only then can true love exist because love cannot be forced; or it is no longer love. We are either free to love Him and there are eternal benefits of doing so or we can reject Him, and there are eternal consequences to that as well. And we’ll talk about both in this closing section of 1 John. Verse 16 of 1 John chapter 5 reads…

1 John 5:16a (NIV)— 16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. 

[Sin not leading to death is sin for which forgiveness is possible because (1) forgiveness is sought and (2) God is willing to grant it.] In fact God is always willing to forgive our sin when we repent. 

The Sin Leading to Death— But then you have this second kind of sin: the sin that leads to death.

1 John 5:16b-17 (NIV)— There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

Now this verse may seem a bit confusing, and there is a lot of debate over how to interpret it; whether it means physical death for sin dealt out by God (such as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira), physical death as a result of legal punishment for certain sins (such as theft or murder), or whether it is spiritual death, which (ultimately) is the result of all sin. I am going to approach it today more from the standpoint of spiritual death. What we are talking about here [is probably sin that is (1) unrepented of and (2) of the kind or nature that John has warned about throughout the letter: resolute rejection of the true doctrine about Christ, chronic disobedience to God’s commandments, persistent lack of love for fellow believers—all indications of a lack of saving faith—which will not be forgiven.]

A Hardened Conscience— There is a point that a person can reach where they no longer are able to receive salvation, not because God is no longer willing to forgive them, but because they have so set themselves against God; they have so deadened their consciences that they have become too hardened to receive it. Now can God work to re-soften their hearts? Yes. Nobody is beyond salvation. But until He does; until our hardness is softened (often through the prayers of others), we are not able to be brought to salvation.

Stalin’s Steel Fist— Ravi Zacharias tells an amazing story shared by Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin. [According to Svetlana, as Stalin lay dying, plagued with terrifying hallucinations {of wolves he believed were attacking him}, he suddenly sat halfway up in bed, clenched his fist toward the heavens once more, fell back upon his pillow, and was dead. The incredible irony of his whole life is that at one time Josef Stalin had been a seminary student, preparing for the ministry. Coming of Nietzschean age, he made a decisive break from his belief in God. This dramatic and complete reversal of conviction that resulted in his hatred for all religion is why Lenin had earlier chosen Stalin and positioned him in authority—a choice Lenin too late regretted. (The name Stalin, which means “steel,” was not his real name, but was given to him by his contemporaries who fell under the steel-like determination of his will.) And as Stalin lay dying, his one last gesture was a clenched fist toward God, his heart as cold and hard as steel.]

Steel Hearts— Now the reason God could not save this man was not because God was not willing, but because Stalin had set himself (like steel) against God and was determined to cling to his own sinfulness. And God would not overrule his will. And many people (even some Christians) are determined to live the way they want to live regardless of what the Bible says. Yet we know that we are called to lives of transformation;  what the scriptures call being “born again”.

1 John 5:18 (NIV)—18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

It was interesting. In my studies I took a look at a very popular study bible and what it had to say about this verse and do you know what it said? Listen to how their note on this passage opens: [Christians commit sins, of course,]. Now how does the verse open? 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin;

A Different Background— Now whoever wrote this note comes from a particular theological background. They believe that the Christian must be in bondage to the sinful nature until we get to heaven. However, although it is true we will always be subject to temptation (as Jesus was) what scripture actually teaches is that the old nature can die this side of heaven; and by the Spirit of God, we can have victory over all sin in ours lives. Colossians 3 describes this and it is a major theme in this epistle as well; light being unable to have fellowship with darkness. And yet many Christians (like this particular commentator) believe we cannot have victory over our sinful natures. All we can do is keep sinning and saying “I’m sorry” without ever coming to experience consistent victory. And so they have tapered the Bible to fit their own pre-conceived theological viewpoint. I had a professor who was on the translation team of a popular translation used by many today; and he said (in frustration) that he witnessed this kind of thing a number of times; the text being mistranslated to fit the theology of the translator rather than the translator allowing what the text actually says to re-shape their theology.

An "Off" Translation— And here I looked back at how they translated this particular passage (verse 18). And sure enough, listen to what I found. They translated it: 18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, which suggests that although we sin, it’s just not as bad a habit. But that is not what the scripture says. But you see, they feel compelled to change what the scripture says because it does not match their particular doctrinal belief, which is that all Christians will continue to sin and there is nothing that we can do about it until we get to heaven. But is that what the text is really saying? Look at how they continue in their note on this passage. They say: [Christians commit sins, of course, but they ask God to forgive them, and then they continue serving him.] So in other words, there is a constant cycle of sin and repentance. But, interestingly, listen to how they continue. They say… [God has freed believers from their slavery to Satan, and he keeps them safe from Satan’s continued attacks.]
    Now I want to point this out to you because you and I are called to be thinking Christians. This person has just said “Christians commit sins, of course,”. Yet they also say [God has freed believers from their slavery to Satan, and he keeps them safe from Satan’s continued attacks.] How can those two ideas be compatible? We keep on sinning, but even though we do, we are still somehow not slaves to sin? That is their argument. But the question becomes, “Is that view compatible with scripture? Jesus presents a very different viewpoint in…

John 8:34 (NIV)— 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

The Bible (and Jesus specifically) says you cannot continue in willful sin without being a slave to that sin. You must forsake one master completely and serve another master completely. That is what Paul speaks to so closely in the book of Romans. He says in…

Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)—17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Parent Imagery— So you have the slave/master imagery which the Bible uses to describe complete freedom from sin, but in this epistle in particular remember you have this whole parent imagery as well. John reveals that we are to be children of God and no longer children of Satan. You cannot have two parents. We are to, as God’s children, manifest only His characteristics.
    Now for some this sounds like we are calling people to a much harder way of life; that to keep the Law of God the way He wants us to would be burdensome. But how would being able to obey God’s commands and live according to His Word the way He wants us to be burdensome? 

Is it really easier?— Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, in talking about this in his discussion on the Ten Commandments, asks: [Do we really believe that living with a divided heart is easier than living with a single heart? Is our life any richer if we look to the creation for what only the Creator can give us? Must we deal profanely with holy things like the name of the Lord and his Sabbath? Are we better off having no respect for those who gave us life? Do we have to live with deadly hate for any of our fellow persons? Is there no deliverance from the defilement and the destructiveness of lust? Can we come to the place where we can use language truthfully, even if it means our own hurt? Can’t God make us content with what we have so we do not have to perpetually covet what is not our own? Just to frame these questions ought to bring us to the conclusion that the Ten Commandments were not given to be an onerous burden and a structure to bind us. Rather, the Decalogue is our charter of freedom. The commandments are not a set of demands to bind us, but a tenfold promise of the freedom into which the Spirit of Christ wants to release us. If I will let him flood me with his Spirit and with his love, there is not one commandment that I have to break today.]

We CAN be free— You and I can be free of sin. I don’t know if there is any greater news I can share with you today than that. That is the heart of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can be forgiven of your sin and you can be freed from its power over your life as you are given a new nature; the very nature of Christ. And that nature is yours for the asking today. It is not something you can manufacture yourself, but (like your initial salvation) is offered by grace through faith alone. If you want that new nature today, simply ask and it will be given to you. Amen.