We have all seen the signs: “Caution: Men at Work”. They are not posted to explain the job the men are doing. In spite of the nature of many drivers, they are not posted to get people to slow down and look at the work and decide if they like the progress or nature of the work. They are posted to cause people to be pay attention to something they may not normally, without a marker, try to notice. We are to proceed with care and observe how the work of the men may impede into the road, causing a possible hazard. If we pay attention to the men and machines who are in the vicinity of the roadway, we will likely avoid accidents.
In Esther 5 we observe God’s people at work in the midst of a desperate plot against them. We observe the enemy at work as he tried to exterminate the people of God. Quietly, we see the entrance of God – unnamed in the text and seen only in what an unbeliever would call “uncanny coincidence”. His entrance is so subtle, and so easily missed, that it requires a CAUTION SIGN THAT SAYS – “CAUTION:GOD AT WORK!”
If we look carefully at what God did, we will be able to discern an important lesson – God is not outwitted by His enemy, and is able to thwart all his wicked plans. At the same time, the blessing of the believer is that God chooses to collaborate with us in the victory – if we will surrender ourselves to His and seek His favor wholeheartedly.
Key Principle: The power of the world comes to nothing in the face of the believer’s opportunity to seek God’s favor. If God be on our side, the world can stand against us – they will lose.
Esther’s Request:
The request of the believer was rooted in:
- Recognition of God’s control (see 4:14 and the words of Mordecai: “…deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish.”).
- Response to God’s apparent unfolding of His plan (4:14: “…And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”).
- Request for intercession among God’s people (4:16: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found inSusa, and fast for me…”).
- Real seeking of God’s favor: 4:16: “…do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way.”).
- Recognition of no personal power: 4:16: “…And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”).
5:1 Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace.
Involvement not distance: She prepared herself to be personally involved and risked herself. It was not enough to pray that God would act – she got involved personally because that is what the need was. If the cause requires action, the person who have been granted by God to access the solution will need to act.
Pastor Craig Pullem wrote: “On any given Sunday, we come to watch the praise team sing; we watch a deacon pray; we watch praise dancers dance; we watch ushers usher; we watch greeters greet; we watch Sunday school teachers teach; we watch preachers preach. And then after we finish our watching—after we watch everybody do what they do—then we go home. We can become—if we are not careful—spiritual gapers. The crowd, in most churches, under this scenario is really a gaper’s block. Well, Pastor—how do you know that this in not the way that it is supposed to be? Galatians 6 proclaims “Every man is supposed to prove his own work.” Do you have any work? 1 Corinthians 3:13 says “Every individual’s work—one of these days is going to be tried.” We dare not sit on the sidelines – or we will lose the blessing. We need God’s empowering more than He needs our accomplishments. It is NOT God that is losing out when we sit on the sidelines…The normal Hebrew word for responsibility (oseh) is taken from the root word for “burden” and “work”. In other words, it is often unpleasant but God has put on you RESPONSIBILITY. You must get involved to be truly and blessedly used of God. Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
5:2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.
Caution not presumption: She showed respect and caution, even though she could have rightly perceived that God was in what she was doing. Did the king know that she was a Jewess? Did the king even know that the Jewish people were about to suffer calamity? (Remember, in Esther 3:8, Haman did not name the people he was acting against: “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.”). She could not assume he didn’t know, and she proceeded with caution and respect – not presumption.
A middle-aged farmer wanted to be a preacher for years but wasn’t sure if it was God’s will. One day, while he was working in the field, he decided to rest under a tree. As he looked up into the sky he saw that the clouds seemed to form into the letters P and C. As he thought about it, he realized that PC stood for Preach Christ! Immediately, he jumped up, sold his farm and went out to preach Christ. He was convinced that this was what God wasleading him to do. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a horrible preacher. After one of his sermons a neighbor turned to his wife and whispered in her ear, “I’m not so sure that God wasn’t just trying to tell him to Plant Corn!” It’s very difficult at times to discern the will of God for our lives.
I get concerned about the number of times I get told GOD TOLD ME IT WOULD HAPPEN for some subjective event….proceed with caution. We can easily come to believe something so strongly that we think God owes us to do it the way our mind conceives it. If we truly respect God, and revere God – we will be careful about the “God told me” phrase.
In addition, we need to seek God’s direction before we claim we are walking in in! James 4:16 speaks of those who presumptively make plans and remarks, “As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.” James’ point is that since life is a mere vapor, we should avoid the arrogance of living as if we are really the one in control of it all. When American Colonists wrote letters they would often complete the letter with the initials, DV. - or “Deo volente: God willing.” (in Latin). We must learn to live trusting God with our future plans.
The Associated Press ran the story of Andre-Francois Raffray. Thirty years ago, at the age of 47, he worked out a real estate deal with Jeanne Calment, age 90. He would pay her $500 each month until her death, in order to secure ownership of her appartment in Arles, France. This is a common practice in France, benefiting both buyers and seniors on a fixed income. Unfortunately for Raffray, Jeanne Calment has become the world’s oldest living person. Still alive at 120, she outlived Raffray, who died in December 1995, at the age of 77. He paid $184,000 for an apartment he never lived in. According to the contract, Raffray’s survivors must continue payment until Mrs. Calment dies. Mr. Raffray thought he was looking into the future and making a shrewd investment. But the fact his he could not imagine what the future had in store for him.
5:3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Direct encounter not oblique: Esther prudently wanted the enemy’s man, Haman, to be in the room when she unfolded the situation of her people. If there was going to be a pleading between them, she wanted to be present and stand her ground in the accusation.
The fact is that “You really cannot be what you cannot bear.” If you refuse to encounter opposition, you will be forever a lightweight in the spiritual realm. Paul wrote in Ephesians that our armor was given for the believer to STAND against the devil. We are warned to RESIST his attacks. We are simply told to use God’s provided armor and NOT FLINCH from the battle. I remind you again, there is no armor for the buttocks as you turn tail and run.
5:5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
Joined not alone: Note the graduated nature of the invitation. Esther was able to read the signal of the king’s openness and stress level by posing a situation that would require him to “help her out” with her need. She partnered with the king in inviting Haman – and the king showed an open willingness to work with her. (In Philemon, the Apostle Paul helped two believers deal with a wrong that a master suffered from a runaway slave. He entreated Philemon to work with him, in order to get partnered help – an excellent way to work in such difficult circumstances).
5:6 As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther replied, “My petition and my request is: 8 if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”
Timed not impatient: Timing truly is everything. Esther may have delayed because she was not sure how to proceed. She may have delayed because it had been a month since the king called for her, and she wanted to re-root the relationship. The text doesn’t tell us why – but she clearly felt the time was not right. Especially in relationships, understand timing is critical to the outcome. There was no presumption in Esther that because “she was doing God’s business” she should push. By waiting, Esther gave the Lord time to work on the king. This doesn’t appear to be laziness or procrastination, but a plan.
Haman’s Request:
5:9 “Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart…”
Unbelievers live on NOW: Haman’s whole life raised or fell on the circumstances he could see in the here and now. A believer can see longer into the future, and should not only view NOW to gain proper perspective on victory. NOW can seem dark – because NOW is not all there is!
“…but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.
Unbelievers focus on RECOGNITION: Haman had a hungry appetite for those who would cower. We all find that inner desire to be recognized and showered with importance – particularly those who work in the political wheels of operations (whether in a community, government or even an office). Power makes people hungry from recognition. That hunger is the enemy’s distortion of a God given desire to work and be fulfilled – distorted by a fallen ego that sees value in ourselves when OTHERS see it, not when GOD sees it. A believer’s fulfillment comes from their identity in Christ (Ephesians 6:10-20 reveals one of our weapons is the cleats prepared in and for the Gospel – i.e.our identity in Him). An unbeliever feeds from others what they should get from the Lord – identity and recognition.
5:10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.
Unbelievers view SUCCESS by the wrong standard: Haman’s litany offered from a proud heart was accumulated WEALTH, grown FAMILY, and moments of CELEBRITY RECOGNITION. He bowed down to the gods of fortune, fame, power and pleasure – the most enduring gods of unbelieving humanity. Sadly, all of those are temporary and fleeting – not the measure God uses for a life.
5:13 “Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Unbelievers use feelings as STANDARDS: Haman shared his anger with his wife and friends to gain a plan. When a plan that FELT RIGHT was submitted, he took action. There was no larger standard of truth for him than how he felt. A believer has the Truth of God’s unchanging Word to use a s benchmark for right action. One of the great dangers of the twenty-first century church in the West is we are increasingly acting on feeling in the context of a generation Biblically illiterate generation of Christians. As time passes, we are learning to Christianize our yearnings with “the Lord led me” language when there is no Biblical precedent in principles for our actions. The further we go with this, the more we tag God’s name with our inner longings - a dangerous precedent.
God’s Intervention:
God’s hand, to the unbelieving eye, seems like “coincidence”. He works through such normal means, seamless in the human realm of perception, for He created all things.
6:1 During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
God worked in the stillness: God waited until no other voice could reach the king, and spoke apart from His people, and apart from the enemy’s wrangling. He kept the king’s heart stirred and directed his thoughts toward an obscure history.
6:2 It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
God worked through surrender: God directed the hands of the servant to fall on the singular document that would elevate Mordecai, totally apart from any work of Esther. She did not need to address the issue at all – God took it on. When she took steps of obedience, God solved the problems without her! Yet, God worked in response to His people’s prayer and fasting as well as Esther’s valiance. Was the servant a Jew? We cannot know. We simply can know that God had more weapons in His arsenal than the people of God would even perceive. We dare not limit God’s reach to the extent of our own. We must reach as far as we can, trusting He can reach as far as is necessary – even when we cannot see how!
6:3 The king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?”
God worked from testimony: God’s man did right, and that testimony gave the Lord a platform to work off of. He could have worked totally apart from Mordecai’s earlier faithfulness, but often God builds on the testimony of the obedient believer. It is terribly important to remember that God may decide to use our obedience – even in simple matters – to build a great work. When we faithfully follow the Lord and do what pleases Him, we offer our lives for His use – even if it is MUCH LATER than when we expect it.
6:3b: “…Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
God worked covertly: The king felt he reached all his own conclusions. Yet, God orchestrated what would be found by him, and who would be able to advise him on the relevant history in the unlikely hour of the night. God was carefully bringing the king along, just as Esther was attempting to do. He was helping the king reach the right conclusions!
6:4 So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him. 5 The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7 Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8 let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; 9 and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.’”
God worked through an enemy’s mouth: The weakness of the vain and arrogant is their predictable self aggrandizing. God didn’t make Haman act against his own interest, but he led a hungry horse to the feeding trough and watched a predictable response.
We live in a culture where speed is king. I find myself in a hurry even if there is no reason. People get uptight today if they miss a revolution in a revolving door. We are an uptight generation of compulsive activists. There are ten times more things to do in a day than anyone can do, and so we feel we are always behind and failing to do all that we could. All we do is respond, respond, respond to stimuli. We want peace but it just does not fit into our agenda. Peace calls for doing nothing sometimes, and we can’t handle that. Pascal the great Christian philosopher and scientist said, “Most of man’s troubles come from his inability to be still.” SOURCE: Glenn Pease in THE FRUIT OF PEACE. http://www.intohisword.net/pauline/galatians13.shtml
When the people of God brought their need to their Father, and dealt with their hearts – doing all that they could do – then God dealt with the need apart from their direct work.
Elizabeth Elliot tells of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians. She writes: ’Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me, confident and, we think, well-informed and well equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?” She suggests that we often ask God for too little. ’We know what we need, a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. ’What we really ought to have is the Guide himself. Maps, roadsigns, a few useful phrases are things, but infinitely better is someone who has been there before and knows the way.” Elizabeth Elliot, A Slow and Certain Light
God gave His people the opportunity to collaborate (as He had with Adam in the Garden) but worked out the problem apart from the people. It was done WITH the people, even when it was not done THROUGH the people. The power of the world comes to nothing in the face of the believer’s opportunity to seek God’s favor. If God be on our side, the world can stand against us – they will lose.
