Well, I must confess that I had considerable
trepidation about coming to the conference this year.
I thought of the enormous meals that are
served over here in the dining rooms, and
not with content with that, but with the
ice cream treat that was just announced.
I know that you missionaries are living on
slim rations out on the field, but they
make up for it in four days here.
I'll give them credit.
You say, why do you have trepidation about
that?
Well, it's because of a very traumatic experience
I had recently.
Nothing has ever motivated me to lose weight
more than this.
It was the most shattering experience.
You see, there's a family out there I'm
very close to.
They have four kids, Don and Christopher Robertson,
and their four kids.
As they call me, Uncle Bill.
These kids.
And they're expecting number five in the family.
In fact, I called this afternoon to see
the baby had arrived.
But for the last few months, the whole
subject in the house is babies, you know.
Kids don't talk about storks anymore.
They know this baby's going to be a
boy.
The doctors already told them it's going to
be a boy, and they've chosen the name
David for the boy.
And the kids are all excited about their
new baby brother.
And one night, I'm sitting in the living
room there, and little Maren III is on
my lap.
Well, you know the rest of the story.
She put her hand here, and she said,
do you have a baby?
These kids.
That isn't bad enough.
I arrive here at the conference, and dear
brother Ron Harris gets up.
And what does he announce for his subject?
Growth.
And I scrunched down in the chair.
And he began to give synonyms for growth.
Wax.
And then he had to add wax fat.
And I scrunched down further into the chair.
And he wasn't satisfied with that.
He talked about abnormal growth.
And then he went on to Jashurin.
And by then, I was almost out of
the chair.
But to get back to my kids again.
One day, I went down with Don to
the Christian school to pick up the two
oldest girls.
They would be about six and eight, and
Rachel would be the oldest.
And when he got over to the side
of the street where I stayed in the
van, and when he got over to the
side of the street where they were, he
heard Rachel saying to some of her classmates,
would you like to come over and meet
my fake uncle?
What she really meant, I'm not a blood
relative.
But Ron, what synonym would you use for
that?
Pseudo.
Very good.
So much for my children.
You all boast about your grandchildren, so I
have to talk about my children.
Would you turn your Bibles tonight to the
book of Esther, please?
The book of Esther.
And we'll read a portion of chapter one.
Now it came to pass in the days
of Ahasuerus, this was the Ahasuerus who reigned
from India to Ethiopia, over 127 provinces.
In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on
the throne of his kingdom, which was in
Shushan the citadel, that in the third year
of his reign he made a feast for
all his officials and servants, the powers of
Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes
of the provinces being before him.
When he showed the riches of his glorious
kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty
for many days, 180 days in all.
And when these days were completed, the king
made a feast lasting seven days for all
the people who were present in Shushan the
citadel, from great to small, in the court
of the garden of the king's palace.
There were white and blue linen curtains fastened
with cords of fine linen and purple on
silver rods and marble pillars.
The couches were of gold and silver on
a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white
and black marble.
They served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel
being different from the other with royal wine
and abundance according to the generosity of the
king.
In accordance with the law, the drinking was
not compulsory.
So the king had ordered all the offices
of his household that they should do according
to each man's pleasure.
Queen Vashti also made a feast for the
women in the royal palace, which belonged to
King Ahasuerus.
On the seventh day, when the heart of
the king was merry with wine, he commanded
Mehiland, Bithsa, Harbona, Bithsa, Abagtha, Zisar, and Carthus,
seven eunuchs who served in the presence of
King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the
king wearing her royal crown in order to
show her beauty to the people and the
officials, for she was beautiful to behold.
But Queen Vashti refused to come at the
king's command, brought by his eunuchs.
Therefore the king was furious, and his anger
burned within him.
Then the king said to the wise men
who understood the times, for this was the
king's manner toward all who knew law and
justice, those closest to him being, and you
know the names, the seven princes of Persia
and Media, who had access to the king's
presence and who ranked highest in the kingdom.
What shall we do to Queen Vashti according
to law, because she did not obey the
command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by
the eunuchs?
Memucan answered before the king and the princes,
Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king,
but also all the princes and all the
people who are in all the provinces of
King Ahasuerus.
The queen's behavior will become known to all
women, so that they will despise their husbands
in their eyes when they report King Ahasuerus
commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before
him, but she did not come.
This very day the noble ladies of Persia
and Media will say to all the king's
officials that they have heard of the behavior
of the queen.
Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath.
If it pleases the king, let a royal
decree go out from him, let it be
recorded in the laws of the Medes and
the Persians, so that it will not be
altered that Vashti shall come no more before
King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her
royal position to another who is better than
she.
When the king's decree which he will make
is proclaimed throughout all his empire, for it
is great, all wives will honor their husbands
both great and small.
The reply pleased the king and the princes,
and the king did according to the word
of Memucan.
Then he sent letters to all the king's
provinces, to each province in its own script,
to every people in their own language, that
each man should be master in his own
house, speaking the language of his own people.
It's a wonderful book, really, showing the sovereignty
and the providence of God.
God watching over his people in difficult times.
Some people wonder if it should be in
the Bible.
You know, I think that these people who
make these attacks in the Bible should spend
more time reading the Bible, and they get
the answers to a lot of their questions.
They say, well, the name of God is
not mentioned in the book of Esther.
That's true.
It's not mentioned forthrightly in the book, but
it's actually found five times in the book
of Esther in a hidden form.
It's found in an acrostic form.
And I wonder if a couple of brothers
would just come up, and maybe we could
pass this out to illustrate how the name
of God is found.
And we have some volunteers.
And in true Scottish form, I didn't have
much faith, so I have a hundred of
these.
Maybe couples can share them.
And I really think you see the fingerprint
of God when you get this little sheet
showing the acrostic in Esther.
This comes from the Companion Bible, the E.
W.
Bullinger Companion Bible.
And we'll just wait until you get these
little sheets.
The name of God is found five times
in the book of Esther.
Four times the name Yahweh, Jehovah, and one
times Eah.
That is, I am in Hebrew in chapter
7, verse 5.
Maybe we have enough to go around.
While we're waiting for that, maybe you could
just turn in your Bible to Deuteronomy 31,
verse 17.
Deuteronomy 31, verse 17.
There's a word here I think that's very,
very significant.
Chapter 31, verse 17.
This is God speaking, and He's telling what
will happen if the people go off into
idolatry.
He says, Then my anger shall be aroused
against them in that day, and I will
forsake them, and I will hide my face
from them.
Notice that word, hide.
I will hide my face from them, and
they shall be devoured, and many evils and
troubles shall befall them, so that they will
say in that day, Have not these evils
come upon us, because our God is not
among us?
God had promised that He would hide His
face, and in the book of Esther you
do find God's face hidden, but God is
there.
Just the same.
God is a covenant-keeping God.
He made promises to Israel.
I'll never go back on those promises.
Now, in four verses, four verses of this
book, you have the name Jehovah in acrostic
form.
Of course, the Hebrew read from the right
to the left, or reads from the right
to the left.
And you'll notice in chapter 1, verse 20,
beginning over at the right, you have at
the end of the first word, Y, the
second word, the last letter, is H, the
third word, the last letter is V, and
the fourth word, the last letter is H.
Yahweh.
In chapter 5, verse 4, reading from right
to left, the last letter of the first
word is H, the last letter of the
second word is V, the last letter of
the third word is H, and the last
letter of the fourth word is Y.
And here, Jehovah is spelt forward.
Pretty clever, isn't it?
The hand of God.
Chapter 5, verse 13, the first letter of...
reading from right to left, the first letter
of this first word is Y, the first
letter of the second word is H, the
first letter of the third word is V,
and the first letter of the last word
there is H.
Yahweh.
And then in chapter 7, verse 7, the
order is reversed, in the sense that it's
spelt forward the first letters of the word.
And then in chapter 7, verse 5, you
have this other name of God, the I
Am in Hebrew, and you'll see the last
letters, or at least the first letters of
four words, H, Y, H, E, reading from
right to left.
Now, somebody has tried to show the correspondence
in English, and in chapter 120, they've written
this little poem, Do Respect Our Ladies All,
and you'll notice there that the first letters
of the first four words spell Lord backwards.
L-O-R-D backwards.
Do respect our ladies all, shall give their
husbands great to small.
And if you read chapter 1, verse 20,
it says for it, it's great.
All wise will honor their husbands, both great
and small.
It says it like that.
And then it says, And ill to fear
decreed, I find, toward me in the monarch's
mind.
And there, the last letters of those first
four words spell Lord forward.
Marvelous.
And so I think it's really very significant
that although the name is not spelled outright
in the book of Esther, the name of
God, it's hidden, hidden five times in this
marvelous, marvelous book.
The absence of the name of God teaches
us that behind the visible events of history,
there's an almighty and a faithful love that
cherishes and protects the broken and scattered people
of God.
I think this book is filled with encouragement
for those who are on the front lines
for the Lord Jesus, those in the battle
lines.
And I can't help wondering if James Russell
Lowell didn't have the book of Esther in
mind when he wrote those memorable words.
Careless seems the great avenger.
History's pages but record one death grapple in
the darkness to expose systems and the word.
Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on
the throne.
Yet that scaffold sways the future.
Isn't that lovely?
That scaffold sways the future behind the dim
unknown stand of God within the shadows keeping
watch above his own.
There were some Jews who did not return
to Judah under the decree of Cyrus.
And of course, Esther and Mordecai were among
those who did not who did not go
back.
And most commentators think this is an indication
of their spiritual declension.
They really look down their theological noses at
Esther and Mordecai.
They say, well, after all, prayer isn't mentioned
in the book.
And that's interesting, isn't it?
There's no mention of prayer in the book
of Esther.
Although it's strongly implied in the emphasis on
fasting.
It's inconceivable to me that they would go,
for instance, Esther and her companions would go
three days of fasting without prayer.
I can't think of it.
And Esther is often used as an illustration
of a woman who was out of fellowship
with the Lord.
First of all, she, a Jewess, wanted to
be the queen of a pagan king.
And not only that, but she concealed her
nationality.
And not only that, but she ate non
-kosher food, violating the dietary code of the
Mosaic law.
The idea seems to be that her Jewishness
seemed to be a matter more of birth
than of her own conviction.
And Mordecai also comes in for his share
of criticism as well, because he concealed his
identity and commanded Esther to conceal hers.
What do you think about that?
Well, first of all, I'm very low to
criticize these two dear people.
We have a tendency to look at some
of these Old Testament people through Christian eyes,
and I don't think that's fair.
They didn't have the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling
them.
They didn't have a copy of the Scriptures
the way we have.
But I think it's good for all of
us as we grow older in the things
of the Lord to mellow a little.
And just think of the wonderful way that
God used these people and not be critical
of them.
I'd rather side with the people who turn
back to the book of Ezra, chapter 1
and verse 5, and there's a nice little
expression there.
Ezra chapter 1 and verse 5.
It says, Then the heads of the fathers'
houses of Judah and Benjamin and the priests
and the Levites, with all those whose spirits
God had moved, arose to go up and
build the house of the Lord which is
in Jerusalem.
All those whose spirits God had moved.
I don't believe he moved Esther's spirit and
Mordecai's spirit to go back at that time.
He had a purpose for them.
There was a reason for them to remain
there in the land and God was going
to use them in a wonderful way.
But in either case, whatever the right decision
is, God was hidden but in a wonderful
way he was still watching over his people.
What a comfort, huh?
What a comfort to know that in times
of life when the heavens seem to be
brass and God seems to be absent, he's
probably never more present at a time like
that.
Spurgeon said we can't always trace his hand
but we can always trust his heart and
how true that is.
Now first tonight, I'd like to go through
the book of Esther, not all tonight, but...
And I'd like to look at it from
God's standpoint.
We're going to go to heaven as it
were and we're going to look down on
the earth and we're going to be thinking
of the providence of God and the sovereignty
of God and working out his own purposes
in Shushan the palace.
Reminding ourselves that this is something that's going
on all the time in the world.
God the master player moving the checkers on
the checkerboard or the chessmen on the chessboard
and working out all of his great sovereign
purposes defeated by nothing.
By racial barriers or by unbreakable decrees or
anything else.
God is greater than them all and he's
going to work them out.
So we're going to as it were sit
beside God looking down upon the world and
seeing him working in the hearts and lives
of people and bringing them out to a
joyful end.
And then secondly after that I'd like to
go through the book bit by bit and
draw out spiritual lessons in the meetings to
follow.
The book opens rather routinely.
We look down and we can see people
scurrying all around the courtyards of the palace
and rushing through the halls and going about
their daily routine.
Nothing very remarkable about that.
And then we see Ahasuerus embarking on a
king sized ego trip.
He's going to put on this tremendous feat.
What's he going to do?
Show his marvelous power.
Really amazing.
And God looks down.
Now God isn't responsible for that is he?
We're going to see God moving people in
the book.
He's not responsible for that.
And so you have right away the combination
of God's sovereignty and man's free will.
God in his sovereignty allows Ahasuerus to plan
that feast.
It lasts for 180 days.
I'm talking about eating.
But just let me quickly explain.
I don't think the same guests were there
180 days.
Do you?
I think that means that the guests were
coming like in contingence during that time.
I hope.
Otherwise it would be terrible.
But God isn't responsible for that.
There you have man's free will.
God in his sovereignty has given man that
liberty to do that.
That's what he wants to do.
Sinful as it may seem allows him to
do it.
Somebody said to Spurgeon once how do you
reconcile God's sovereignty and man's free will?
And Spurgeon said I never try to reconcile
friends.
And I think that's a good answer.
And you see them both here in the
book of Esther.
If you don't see them I don't think
you understand the book at all.
So he throws this enormous feast.
It's rather typical of the rulers of Persia.
I remember some years ago I don't remember
what year it was when the Shah of
Persia celebrated an anniversary of the kingdom.
And I read in the magazine and I
don't think I ever saw such a display
of glory in anything that's happened on earth
that's happened there in my lifetime in Iran.
So he had good precedence for doing it.
Now for 180 days Ahasuerus dazzles his guests
with the glory and splendor of his reign.
And the wine is served in golden vessels
and no two of them are alike.
That beats your bone-shining cups and saucers
mother.
And the women are not to be left
out.
Queen Vashti also had a feast for seven
days and there's nothing he does that for
the palace women and there's nothing wrong about
that.
Well in Ahasuerus' second feast God looks down
and he doesn't like what he's seeing now.
He doesn't like it.
Because the king orders his servants to go
and bring Queen Vashti first of all the
king himself is feeling pretty high at this
time.
You know that very clear from the record.
And most of the guests are inebriated and
he brings this he wants to bring in
the queen and show off her beauty to
the guests.
Not exactly spiritual I'd say.
And she refuses to do it.
I don't doubt but God exercised a little
control on her intellect and her emotion and
her will.
I don't doubt that.
I think she was a woman of character
but I think God might have given her
a little nudge too.
To stand firm.
She was taking a position of righteousness and
he didn't want her to abandon that.
God had his purposes.
God knew the future.
He knew what lay ahead and I think
he encouraged her to take this stance.
It's no wonder that God wrote in Proverbs
31, 4, and 5 It's not for kings
to drink wine nor for princes intoxicating drink
lest they drink and forget the law and
pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
And so there is Ahasuerus acting in disobedience
to the law of God and God says
well I'll let him do it but I'm
going to harness his sin for my glory.
Now that's wonderful isn't it?
I tell you to me one of the
great things in life and in history too
is to see God allows the man to
have his sin but God has his way.
He super abounds over the sin of man
and brings blessing to his people.
And so he controls Vashti's conscience and so
she refuses to stand up there before those
people.
You know she was a great woman and
she knew that her beauty was not for
those men it was for her husband and
she just refused to become a sex symbol
to them.
Probably God is saying to her good for
you Queen Vashti you're going to have to
pay dearly for the stand you've taken but
don't you worry I'll honor you for it.
You'll be honored for your rectitude and your
modesty.
Was she honored?
Of course, her name is mentioned in the
book here.
It's mentioned in the Bible for all posterity
for all generations.
What a wonderful reward that was.
Well the palace is thrown into panic.
Here we have the first case of militant
feminism.
Nonsense.
Absolute nonsense.
That's what they thought, wasn't it?
They thought, wow, this story is going to
spread and it's going to go through all
the kingdom of Persia and women will become
disobedient to their husbands and where will that
leave us?
And so they resorted to the law to
enforce loyalty and enforce faithfulness.
They all said with one voice, the queen
must go.
Vashti must be deposed and so an unalterable
decree, the law of the Medes and the
Persians was drawn up and she lost her
crown.
And you know, they think it's a great
victory for their own wisdom and power.
And God says they're only doing what I
would have had to do anyway.
I had to get Vashti out of that
place.
I have to get a Jewish maiden named
Esther in there.
Why?
Because God knew what lay ahead.
That's wonderful to realize that, isn't it?
Things happen in our lives.
Why did that happen?
God knows the whole picture and you don't.
That's why it happened.
Beautiful.
He makes the wrath of man to praise
him.
As a remainder of wrath he restrains.
I'm reminded in that connection of the blind
man in John chapter 9.
And to me this has always been especially
beautiful.
You know, this dear guy, he was saved
but he wasn't completely well taught.
And the more that the religious leaders questioned
him, the more he zapped them with the
wisdom of his answers.
And pretty soon they become completely irritated.
And they say in verse 34, chapter 9
of John, verse 34, you were completely born
in sins and are you teaching us?
And they cast him out.
What does that mean?
It means they excommunicated him from the synagogue.
They cast him out.
And God said, thank you very much.
And you turn over to John chapter 10,
verse 3, it says, to him the doorkeeper
opens and the sheep hear his voice and
he calls his own sheep by name and
leads them out.
You know, all they did was they did
what the Lord Jesus would have done anyway.
He would have led him out.
Beautiful, isn't it?
And this is God working out his purposes
in his masterful weaving of circumstances and timing
and sequence of events.
So God says, well, here it is.
I let that man, I let that man
have his wickedness and all of those princes
have their wickedness but I'll have my way
at last.
And of course that starts the search for
a new queen.
And this enormous beauty contest is going to
take place there in Shushan the palace.
And men are sent throughout, delegates are sent
throughout the kingdom to search for the most
beautiful women in the kingdom to bring before
kings.
But you know the ironical thing is the
decision's already made in the purposes of God.
And there's no question about it.
The thing's all settled in the purposes of
God.
And there's a young fellow named Hegai and
he's in charge of the king's harem.
And as these beautiful women are brought to
him, he supplies them with all of the
beauty that's found in bottles.
And he gives them a course in charm
and in culture and in courtesy and how
to act before a king.
And now Mordecai's name is mentioned.
He's out there.
He may be some sort of an official
there because he's sitting out by the gate
of the palace.
He's a cousin of Esther.
The weaving is coming together.
God mentions, it just mentions his name almost
in passing here.
But there he is.
He's a cousin of Esther but in a
sense he's her adopted father too because she
was orphaned years before and he really raised
her.
And God is looking down on all that's
happening now in Shushan and he sees this
Hegai and he controls Hegai's eyes and his
mind too.
He sees a lot of beautiful women in
Esther but just one of many.
I don't know whether she was the most
beautiful.
I don't think that's the point.
The point was Hegai took a special liking
to her.
Nothing happens by chance in God's dealings with
people.
There are no accidents in God's dealings with
people.
And he accepts her right away as a
candidate for queenship.
And God starts to work on Hegai's emotions
so that he really gives extra attention to
this, not in a bad way, not in
a sinful way, but he'll supply her with
anything she wants and he'll give her seven
maidens to wait on her hand and foot
and he gives her the best quarters in
the house of the queen.
Just a little nobody.
Just an inconspicuous insignificant Jewish maiden.
How is this happening?
Not by chance.
Not by chance at all.
And now God sees Mordecai down there and
the bush telephone works well there at the
palace, you know.
It really works well and the word is
passing around and Mordecai has a message and
he sends it in by bush telephone to
Esther.
Don't reveal your identity.
Don't tell them that you are a Jewess
at this time.
God said that's right.
Mordecai didn't lie.
He didn't tell her to lie.
Really, you don't have to tell everything you
know, do you?
That's all she did.
She didn't tell all that she knew.
She didn't lie either.
And Hegai's charm school has now lasted a
year and it's time for Persia's most beautiful
women to parade themselves before the king.
They can wear whatever clothing they want and
whatever cosmetics they want.
Anything that they think will move the king
to choose them.
Must have been a scene, huh?
Must have been a scene.
Everybody trying, all those women trying to attract
the attention of the king.
God is saying in effect, Esther, you don't
have to wear anything special.
I'll take care of it.
I'll take care of the mind of the
king and of all those that are around
him.
And I'll control him.
And so Hegai is allowed to give her
anything she wants, but I don't think she
chose too much.
Poor Esther is sitting there and she's thinking,
what chance do I have?
A poor Jewish girl.
And all of these beauties from all over
Persia, here at the palace, really the chances
are very slim.
God is saying, the king's heart is in
the hands of the Lord.
As the rivers of water, He turns it
with us wherever He will.
I tell you, God knows how to weave
and how to bring things together in His
wonderful purposes.
Don't you worry, Esther, that you're just a
Jewess.
I'm greater than any of those racial barriers
that men might seek.
Finally, the day comes for Esther to make
her appearance before the king.
What happens?
She loves her more than all the other
women.
Now, I don't think the Poles would have
predicted this.
I really don't think so.
I don't think they would have ever predicted
that this is the way things would turn
out.
But God was working behind the scenes.
He loves her more than all the other
women and He takes and He puts the
crown on her head.
Imagine it.
What's this all about, anyway?
God knows what it's all about.
She has to be there for the accomplishment
of God's purpose.
She didn't know why it was all happening
the way it was happening.
She had no insight into what was all
leading up to.
God knew.
And I think this is tremendously encouraging for
Esther.
There's mystery in life.
You've had mystery in life.
I'll bless the heart that guided, I'll bless
the heart that planned when thrones were glory
dwelleth in Emmanuel's land.
God is saying to what I do, you
don't know now.
But you'll know hereafter.
And we sit back and we say, as
for God His way is perfect.
It's the Lord.
Let Him do unto me as it pleases
Him.
And so they have another great feast.
What a book of feasting the book of
Esther is, isn't it?
And it's called The Feast of Esther.
It's a great book for decrees and a
great book for feasts and other things are
repeated over again.
And dear friends, everything is moving according to
schedule.
God's trains all run on time.
Doesn't seem that way to us.
When you're praying and praying and praying, God's
trains all move in time and our prayers
are never in vain.
Would you believe this?
I didn't plan to say this, but when
I was in the Navy, I witnessed to
a fellow 1946 and he came home from
the war and he married and had three
lovely daughters.
He's still unsaved.
You know, I got a letter from him
the other day asking me for an explanation
of the verse, the kingdom of heaven is
among you or within you.
He said, what should it be, among you
or within you?
Imagine, I mean you wouldn't like his conversation
if you heard him.
But you know, 46 94 prayers all those
years.
God's working.
Encourages you to pray on for him.
Maybe you've been praying for somebody for a
good number of years.
Don't give up.
I'm greatly encouraged to continue praying for him.
You know, what's really neat about this or
as young people would say, what's really cool
is that nobody in the palace knows that
Esther's a Jewess.
It's a well kept secret, isn't it?
Esther knows, but nobody knows that the new
queen of Persia is not a Persian.
What a coincidence.
What a coincidence that a Jewish maiden should
be chosen above all the beautiful women of
a vast world empire.
That's exactly what it was.
And God is saying, no coincidence at all.
I just brought it to pass.
Oh, there's nothing too hard for me.
And then there's Mordecai down there and he's
down in the court of the palace there,
you know.
And God works on his mind and says,
Mordecai, do you see those two fellows over
there?
Bigfan and Teresh, do you see them?
Why don't you just amble over a little?
Don't get too close to them.
Just amble over a little closer so you
can hear what they're saying.
You talk about timing.
Just as he gets close enough to hear
what they're saying, what does he hear?
They're making a plot to assassinate the king.
Wow.
What a marvelous converging of circumstances.
Marvelous converging of circumstances.
Making a plot to assassinate the king.
Do you think it was chance that Mordecai
was just there at the right place at
the right time?
Come on.
That wasn't chance.
It's God.
God that placed him there.
And so he sends in words to Esther
about the plot.
And duly recorded in the records of the
kingdom, period.
Period?
No, better put a dash there.
Because it's not the end of the story.
I think that's thrilling.
Really, it wouldn't have been worth, it wouldn't
have worked good at all if Mordecai had
been rewarded at this time.
This was not the time for him to
be rewarded.
And that's tough.
I mean, you serve people, you pour out
your life for people, and the only place
you can find gratitude is in the dictionary.
Isn't that right?
God is at work.
God is a good record keeper.
And nothing that's ever done for his glory,
for the good of his people, goes unrewarded.
Well, then the plot, of course, begins to
thicken, and this wicked man, Haman, comes upon
the scene.
If the king, had a king-sized ego,
I don't know what to say about Haman,
really.
He was certainly a representative of the devil
there in the palace of Shushan, that wicked
Haman.
And he goes in, and he succeeds in
winning the confidence of the king.
Incredible, isn't it?
That a man of his character would ever
get close to the king and be able
to do what he was doing.
Now listen, man's free will.
Not God's sovereignty now.
God in his sovereignty allows Haman to do
this.
You say, but why?
Why?
It's a myth.
It hasn't come to the last chapter.
Why?
Because the Jewish people would be better off
at the end than they would have been
if it hadn't happened.
I think that's wonderful.
We're better off in Christ than we ever
would have been in an unfallen Adam, aren't
we?
We are.
We're better off in Christ than if sin
had never entered into the world.
Unfallen Adam would never have known what it
meant to be justified, and pardoned, and forgiven,
and sanctified, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit,
and an heir of God and a joint
heir of Jesus Christ.
He never would have known what it would
have meant to be conformed to the image
of Christ for all eternity.
In Christ the sons of Adam boast more
blessings than their father lost.
I think it's thrilling.
And so here's Haman in Persia, and God
looks down and he's saying, in effect, I
can't stand that man's pride and arrogance, and
sooner or later I'm going to have to
prick his balloon, which he will do as
we see.
He wants everybody to bow down and worship
him.
Who does he think he is?
God?
And so there he is, and pretty soon
word comes to him that there's one fellow
that won't do it.
His name is Mordecai.
And as far as the record's concerned, he's
the only one in the kingdom of Persia
that won't do it.
How do you like that?
Pretty something to stand alone, isn't it?
When the whole kingdom is going the other
way, when the whole kingdom is swimming against
the tide and Mordecai refuses to do it.
God is saying to him, don't you ever
do it, Mordecai.
Don't you bow to a man whose breath
is in his nostrils.
You only bow to the true God.
He's the only one to be bowed to.
And if anybody challenges you for your insubordination,
you just tell them you're a Jew and
you worship only one God, the true God.
You have to obey me rather than men.
And it was a momentous decision that Mordecai
was making because the lives of all his
people in the kingdom depended on it.
I mean, it was one thing to make
a decision that affects you alone.
It might mean your death.
But it was more than that.
It was more than that.
It affected everybody in the kingdom.
And now, of course, the word has reached
that swaggering Haman.
He said, there's no use of taking out
my wrath on Mordecai alone.
All the Jews are like him.
They've all got to be destroyed.
That was his reasoning in a case like
this.
And there was a measure of truth to
it as well.
I don't say there weren't any Jews that
wouldn't bow.
But if they're all like Mordecai in the
kingdom, then they all must be eliminated.
And so he resorts to a little superstition
now.
Actually, we don't know the details of it,
but he's going to try to fix a
date for the execution of the Jews in
the kingdom.
And through some superstitious strategy, he was looking
for some omen.
How's it going to come out?
Well, they cast lots, you know.
I don't know what the lots were like.
Just think of them being a couple of
dice being thrown on the table.
Just remember that every movement of those dice
through the air was controlled by the hand
of God.
Do you believe that?
It's true.
I often think of that in these marvelous
cases of automobile accidents where people stand there
and say, nobody got out of that alive,
and a man next to them says, yes,
I did.
I've been in an accident where that happened.
And people said, nobody could get out of
that alive.
A fellow said, I got out of it
alive.
A Christian.
I think it's wonderful.
I think it's absolutely breathtaking, mind-boggling to
think of God controlling those dice.
What was the result?
The date was about a year away.
I think if we knew all the facts
of the case, according to the strategy used,
the date couldn't have been further away than
it came up.
Doesn't it make you glad you're on the
Lord's side?
Makes me glad.
I'll tell you, I'd be a nervous wreck
if I didn't know that he was in
absolute control.
Of the most minute things in life, such
as the casting of dice, it gives the
people almost a year to prepare or to
make other plans.
The lot is cast into the lap, but
the whole disposing is of the Lord.
What a wonderful God we have.
It means that he controls every bullet flying
through the air.
Doesn't it mean that?
It means he controls every germ, every streptococcus
germ that there is, as far as his
people are concerned.
What kind of a God we have.
How we should praise him and worship him
forever.
Well, Haman thinks he has the perfect plan.
The law of the Medes and the Persians
is absolutely unalterable.
So he gets the permission of this unwitting
king to sign a decree I really get
a kick out of this to destroy, kill,
annihilate, and exterminate the Jews.
How do you like that?
You can hardly get anything more complete than
that.
I mean, their goose is cooked and their
stuffing is overdone, you'd think.
Makes me think of dear George Landis who
used to be here on the ground in
a house still here.
Dear George, there was one thing he didn't
like.
He didn't like apricot pie.
And he came to Chicago one time and
he was at an assembly there and for
dessert the dear sister had slaved over the
stove and prepared an apricot pie.
And she wasn't content with that.
She said to him at the end of
the meal, how did you like the pie?
He said to himself, I hate, loathe, abominate,
and despise apricot pie.
So when she asked him what would he
say, he said, that was a pie, wasn't
it?
Well she got on the phone and she
called all the sisters and she said, if
you want to give brother Landis something he
likes, give him apricot pie.
Well that made me think of this loathe,
hate, despise, and abominate.
Kill, annihilate, exterminate the Jews on the 13th
of Adar.
11 months later.
11 plus.
Actually Haman is somewhat disappointed.
He wishes a date could have been sooner.
He offers to contribute 20 million dollars to
finance the project.
How did he like that?
He really means business doesn't he?
You know, they say money speaks.
And that's what he offered to the king.
20 million.
I don't know where he was going to
get it unless it was through the confiscation
of the wealth of Jews.
I don't know.
So that's what he offered, 20 million.
I forget how many tons they figure that.
Something like 250 tons of silver.
It's really something, isn't it?
And then with unusual speed and efficiency this
decree is taken out throughout all the land
of Persia that the Jewish people are going
to be exterminated.
And Haman is satisfied and he and the
king go to the bar and have a
couple of drinks to celebrate.
And people will wonder, you know, if there's
a god, why did this happen to his
chosen people?
Wait a minute.
I haven't heard the last chapter yet.
God is saying it wasn't my directive decree.
I permitted it.
It isn't what I would have what I
would have willed.
But the last chapter hasn't been written.
And I'll teach that cruel man that I'm
greater than any unchangeable decree.
And I'll show him that his evil will
recoil on his own head.
And I'll show him that the way of
the transgressor is hard.
And I'll show my people that what I
do is absolutely right, just, fair.
He says in effect, I'll show my people
that I'm working all things together for good
to those who love me.
Marvelous, isn't it?
What a wonderful god he is.
That's why I can never feel casual about
the book of Esther.
Because it's such a revelation of the greatness
of God.
Brother Sharp used the word awesome.
It really is awesome to know that he's
working behind the scenes with infinite wisdom.
And that he never does anything but what
you yourself would do if you had his
wisdom, love, and power.
God nothing does, nor suffers to be done,
but what thou wouldst thyself, couldst thou but
see the end of all he does, as
well as he.
What happens next?
Come back tomorrow night, shall we pray.
Father, we thank you for this wonderful book,
but mostly for the revelation it gives us
of yourself.
Not visibly present in any way, but hidden.
Hidden in a sense from your people, but
never resting.
Never resting.
You neither slumber nor sleep.
And here are your people, kept by the
insomnia of God.
How we do worship and praise you tonight.
And we ask you that in our lives
of service and witness for you that we
might have this consciousness that no matter what
happens in life, it didn't happen by chance.
It wasn't a case of fortune, but you
were working all things together for good.
That we might be conformed to the image
of your Son.
We pray that these thoughts might go with
us and that we might have greater and
greater thoughts of yourself as the days go
by.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.