The Book of Esther

Determined to Make a Difference framed everything this week as we looked at the Book of Esther, with Ephesians 2:10 running like a thread through it all. Next week will be Mission, Vision, Culture for the next twelve months. Today is Esther, which is coming up in the church Bible reading plan, and what it teaches about being the kind of people who make a difference. Pastor Tom was honest about the frustration many feel staring at a broken world, even saying out loud, “I’m sick of shaking my fist at the sky.” The Kingdom of God advances as the church makes a difference, not when it collapses into an inward-looking social club. People desperately need Jesus, and the church, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, has a mission to tell the world about Him.

Sick Of Shaking My Fist

Every follower of Jesus is called, both individually and collectively, to make a difference. When a church accepts the mission Jesus gave, we see God do great things. When a church becomes inwardly focused, just another social gathering, effectiveness slows to a crawl.

Created Anew For Good

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Created anew means saved. So we can do the good things means saved with a purpose. He planned long ago means that among all this human activity God remains sovereign, He remains in control, He is at work. God being in control is not license to kick back. It is an invitation to join Him, to participate in what He is doing.

Four At The Center

Esther has four central figures: Esther, her relative Mordecai, the Persian king Xerxes, and a royal official named Haman. Esther and Mordecai are Jewish, living hundreds of miles from Israel in Persia. The story opens with a massive royal feast hosted by Xerxes. Under pressure from advisors, Queen Vashti is deposed. A search for a new queen begins, Esther is chosen, and her Jewish identity is kept secret. Mordecai uncovers an assassination plot, warns Esther, and in doing so saves the king’s life. Esther makes sure Mordecai is credited in the royal records.

Then the tide shifts. Haman is promoted above the other royal officials and demands that people bow. Mordecai refuses to bow. Haman becomes furious and escalates his bruised ego into a genocidal scheme to destroy all the Jews. He manipulates Xerxes to push the decree through. The date is set by casting lots, and it lands eleven months away. The speaker paused to note the chilling detail he wanted us to feel. The law could not be reversed. Even so, this is where Mordecai presses Esther to act, and the cost is real. Going in to see the king without being invited could be death.

Going In Could Be Death

Esther 4:13 says, “Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: ‘Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?’” Esther calls for a three-day fast. She resolves, if I die, I die. She enters Xerxes’ throne room unsummoned and holds her nerve. She invites the king and Haman to a banquet, then to a second banquet.

Meanwhile Haman is still seething. Enraged at Mordecai, he builds a seventy-five-foot pole to have Mordecai impaled, planning to ask the king’s permission in the morning. That night Xerxes cannot sleep and has the royal records read to him. Mordecai’s loyalty is remembered. The next day Xerxes asks how a man should be honored. Haman, assuming the honor is for himself, lays out an extravagant plan. Instead, he is forced to publicly honor Mordecai. At the second banquet Esther reveals her identity and exposes Haman’s plot. Haman is condemned and is executed on the very pole he built. Esther pleads for her people again. The first law cannot be undone, but a new decree authorizes the Jews to defend themselves. When the day arrives, they rise, fight back, and are rescued. The feast of Purim is born from this moment of deliverance.

Out of the four main figures, two are examples to follow and two are cautionary tales.

Haman, Self-Serving

Haman. Self-serving was the label he put in front of us. Manipulative. Petty. Prideful. Vindictive. Scripture describes Haman as ambitious and highly motivated, but with everything orbiting around himself. He manipulates Xerxes for his own agenda. He boasts about wealth and position, yet is so petty that one man’s refusal to bow ignites a rage that swells into revenge against an entire people. Haman is an extreme example of someone drowning in pride and self-centeredness. The speaker did not soften the warning. This is what comes of a life bent in on itself.

Wasted Potential

Xerxes. Wasted potential was his summary. Ineffective. Easily influenced. Passive. Impulsive. Xerxes rules a vast empire, literally the most powerful man in the story, but he is repeatedly swayed by whoever has his attention. He acts on impulse, lets advisers steer him, and gives Haman authority to destroy a people without seriously questioning it. The man with the most power accomplishes nothing worthwhile. Esther and Mordecai make the difference, not the emperor on the throne. The speaker lingered here long enough to let it land. More power, more status, more platform is not the key.

Strong Character

Mordecai. Strong character was the anchor phrase. Principled. Faithful. Caring. Influential. Long before the crisis, Mordecai is faithful. He cares for Esther like a daughter. He stays attentive to her welfare. He protects the king by exposing the assassination plot. He stands by his convictions when pressured to bow. When crisis comes, he recognizes what is at stake and uses his influence to challenge Esther to act. The influence that matters, the speaker said, grows out of the kind of person Mordecai had already chosen to be, not out of titles handed from above.

Ready To Step Up

Finally, Esther. Courageous. Took the opportunity. Patient. Strategic. Esther does not begin the story powerful or fearless. She does not choose many of the circumstances that put her in the palace. Mordecai helps her recognize the opportunity before her. She overcomes fear, risks her life, crafts a plan, waits for the right moment, and follows through. This is what happens when someone is ready to step up when the opportunity comes.

What Keeps Us Stuck

It’s easy to nod along with Esther and Mordecai’s qualities. Most of us would agree those are the kinds of people who make a difference. But the story presses on the negative side too. We can miss what God wants to do through us because we become too self-centered to care, or too passive and indifferent. We can be too weak in character to carry responsibility, or too afraid to step up when the moment comes. Making a difference is not about chasing influence, talent, or a bigger platform. Haman and Xerxes had those. It is about becoming the kind of person who can be trusted with the opportunities God gives. Selfless enough to care. Faithful enough to be ready. Alert to recognize opportunity. Courageous enough to step up.

God Is At Work

God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, and yet His fingerprints seem to be everywhere. Esther somehow ends up in the palace. Mordecai uncovers the plot. His good deed is recorded, almost forgotten. On exactly the right night, Xerxes cannot sleep. Of all the records that could have been read, the reader lands on Mordecai. Haman walks in at precisely the wrong moment for himself and the right moment for Mordecai, and a pole is already set up. At some point, Pastor Tom memtioned, this is more than happenstance or coincidence, and it is certainly more than luck. God is at work. And yet the story is full of people making decisions and taking action. God is in control, and still, human action or inaction carries significant consequences.

Such A Time As This

Esther 4:13 says, “Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: ‘Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?’” Mordecai presents a tension. If you do not step up, God will still accomplish His purposes. His plans will not be undone. But your role appears to be extremely important. Does that mean my action or inaction can disrupt God’s plans? Esther does not teach that, and neither does the rest of Scripture. And yet our choices and how we exercise our freedom have real consequences.

Higher Than Our Thoughts

Isaiah 55:8 says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge. How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways.” Psalm 147:5 says, “How great is our Lord. His power is absolute. His understanding is beyond comprehension.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

How is God completely in control, overseeing every detail, and yet our choices are consequential and important? How is God the author and finisher who knows the beginning from the end, never surprised, and yet here we are with freedom to make decisions that impact the world around us? How can both realities be true? Of course we cannot wrap our minds around how God works. That is not a problem to be solved. It is a comfort.

Participation, Not Passivity

If we can agree, reading Esther, that God is over everything and always at work, and at the same time that what we do and decide carries consequences, then we begin to own our part. Mordecai has to speak up. Esther dedicates herself to fasting and prayer before risking her life. She calls God’s people to join her in prayer. She chooses the right moment and says the right thing. In Esther, people are called to step up and take action, and at no point is God inactive or uninvolved. God being in control is never presented as an excuse for God’s people to be passive. There is no way to read Esther and conclude, God has everything under control, so I can sit back and wait for Him to work it all out. Quite the opposite. Mordecai essentially tells Esther, God will accomplish His purposes, but you have been given an opportunity to participate in what He is doing.

We cannot control everything. We cannot manufacture God’s timing. We cannot accomplish His purposes in our own strength. We are dependent on His empowerment and guidance. Even if we cannot explain how it all fits, we can be faithful. We can pray. We can step up. We can obey. We can recognize when God has put an opportunity in front of us. God is advancing His Kingdom, and He has chosen to involve His people in that mission. We are called to continue what Jesus started. That is why we pray. That is why we care about people. That is why we take our gifts and callings seriously. That is why we refuse to spend our lives on the sidelines. It is why we share the gospel. Because somehow, in the sovereignty of God, our prayers matter. Our obedience matters. Our courage matters. Our participation matters.

Right Where You Are

Who knows if perhaps you were placed in your workplace, your school, your neighborhood, your friend group, your circle of influence, your kids sports team, your college, your hobby, or your church for just such a time as this. Wherever you are right now is where God has you. So pray with expectation. Recognize you cannot control everything. Look for the opportunities that are in front of you. Do the right thing when no one is watching. Refuse the comfort of the sidelines. Step through doors God opens. Learn when it is time to take action and when it is time to be patient. Stay faithful in every season. With back to school on the horizon, this is a moment to apply the verse, to be a positive influence, to help a friend, to share your faith and tell your story, to be generous with your time, to join a team and serve.

God’s Masterpiece

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God has plans and purposes He will accomplish. One of the great privileges of following Jesus is His invitation to participate in what He is already doing. So maybe the question is not, How does sovereignty and free will work. Maybe the more practical question the book of Esther places in front of us is this: If God has placed me here, given me this opportunity, and put these people around me, am I willing to step up and do my part?

Prayer And Invitation

Do not be self-serving and self-centered like Haman. Reject pettiness, manipulation, pride, and vindictiveness. Be wary of being like King Xerxes who, despite being the most powerful man in the world, was passive, ineffective, and easily pushed around. Instead, be more like Mordecai and Esther. Be principled, faithful, and caring. Be courageous when called upon, seizing opportunities to make a difference. God is God. He is over it all. And yet His design and intention is for His people to be part of advancing the Kingdom of God.