Welcome to Sha Tin Baptist Church Sha Tin

Welcome to Sha Tin Baptist Church Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 1

Please turn off your mobile phone Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 2

Esther Making a Difference Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 3

Background • Place: Persia • Date: 483 -473 B. C. • 114 years after deportation of Jews in Esther’s clan • 55 years after the 1 st return of the Jews from captivity (led by Zerubbabel in 538 B. C. ) • 22 years before the 2 nd return (led by Ezra in 458 B. C. ) Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 4

Unusual Book • Written in Persia and probably censored • God’s name not mentioned • But God's acts and sovereignty could be easily seen in the whole story Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 5

What we can learn today • God is with us even if we are away from our homeland • We can trust God in difficult times • Our lives can make a difference too Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 6

Esther’s Circumstances • Orphan • Raised by older cousin Mordecai • Possibly tempted to complain or feel sorry for self Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 7

The Proud Pagan King • King Xerxes shows off his wealth for 180 days • King Xerxes gives big 7 day party with lots of wine Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 8

The Party Pooper • King gets drunk on 7 th day • King summons Queen Vashti to show off her beauty • Queen Vashti doesn’t obey King Xerxes Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 9

The Party’s Over • King burns with anger • King banishes Queen Vashti from the royal Persian palace Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 10

King Xerxes seeks a new wife • Searches all 127 provinces for beautiful young virgins • Brings all contestants into his harem for the contest • Esther taken because lovely in form and appearance Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 11

Esther’s Rags to Riches story • One of many in the harem • Won the favor of everyone who saw her • Won king’s favor and approval more than any of the other virgins • Made queen Note: no coincidence; God allowed all this Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 12

Crisis • Mordecai won’t compromise his faith • Mordecai chooses to bow down to God only and not to Haman • Haman devises evil plot – asks the king to have all Jews killed • King agrees & issues decree Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 13

Esther 4: 1 Sorrow & Humility When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 14

Esther 4: 5 Query Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king's eunuchs whom the king had appointed to attend her and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 15

Esther 4: 6, 7 Report So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in from of the king's gate. And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 16

Esther 4: 8, 9 S. O. S. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people. And Hathach came back and related Mordecai's words to Esther. Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 17

The Challenge • Someone from the Jews had to beg the king for mercy • The king did not know that Esther was a Jew • What if the king hated Jews? • Would the king hate her? Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 18

Esther 4: 10, 11 The Excuse Then Esther spoke to Hathach him to reply to Mordecai: "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death; unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days. " Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 19

Esther 4: 12, 13 Exhortation And they related Esther's words to Mordecai. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you are in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 20

Esther 4: 14 Responsibility For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from the Jews from another place and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? " Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 21

Esther 4: 15, 16 Step of Faith Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me: do not drink or eat for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish. " Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 22

God works for His people • King accepts Esther’s entry • King offers her up to half of his kingdom • The king has insomnia and reads that Mordecai once saved his life • The king honors Mordecai Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 23

God works (continued) • Haman humbled • Haman makes king angry • King has Haman hanged • King hires Mordecai as #2 man Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 24

God works (continued) • King asks Mordecai to help him write a new decree in behalf of the Jews as seemed best to him! • King had edict written to all 127 provinces! Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 25

God works (continued) What the Jews were allowed to do on the appointed day (13 th day of Adar) • Assemble & protect themselves • Destroy, kill and annihilate anyone who might attack them Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 26

New Celebration - Purim • 14 th and 15 th days of Adar (last month of Jewish calendar – usually in Feb. or March each year) • A continual reminder of God’s deliverance and Esther’s heroism • A celebration of the resting of the Jews from the oppression of their enemies Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 27

What we can learn today • God is with us even if we are away from our homeland • We can trust God in difficult times • Our lives can make a difference too Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 28

Application 1 Thanksgiving & Praise • Sincerely thank God that He is sovereign in our lives – even in our less-than-ideal situations • Acknowledge that God does not make mistakes - our lives are not the result of chance; He designed them Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 29

Application 2 Deal with Difficulties in a Righteous Way • Pray (and possibly fast) • Seek godly counsel – people who: 1. Know God and His Holy Word 2. Know God’s purposes 3. Understand the situation 4. Think & live a life set apart from the world • Choose to do what is right • Trust God for the outcome – whether pleasant or unpleasant Sha Tin Filipina Baptist Church - 8 April 2001 30