During the Civil War the first hot air balloons were used for reconnaissance against the enemy positions, particularly to set long range cannons against the enemy positions. Blinded by distance, particularly in wooded areas, the balloons gave them army a strategic advantage to see afar off and aim appropriately. On the ground they were blinded. In the air they could plan long range and effect the target. The balloons were in a precarious position, of course, sticking high above the battlefield. At the same time, the strategic advantage made it obvious that such a risk was worth it.
The “high view” is strategic because it offers a unique opportunity to plan and execute long range initiatives. God offered believers long ago the strategic advantage of a high view that changed their culture and protected His Word. It is what believers of every age hunger for – to be able to influence the battle of the ages and make gains for the Kingdom.
Key Principle: God wants to use us to defeat the enemy. Believers must prepare for the fight and learn how to utilize the special privileges granted by God to His people in the battle for the Kingdom.
8:1 On that day…
We must learn Construction: When did God act on behalf of the believers? Only when they BOTH lived out and spoke out truth from Him. When Esther lived out her practically her walk and disclosed openly her identity, God brought victory against the enemy. When she identified with her people and walked with their good in mind… she constructed a platform for God to work through her.
Mordecai warned Esther to STEP UP and see what her influence could be in 1:13 “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
God worked through them when they WORKED TOGETHER and stood together. Esther did not pull away from her kin. Mark Buchanan’s shares an illustration from Leadership magazine in its Fall 2004 edition on pages 52, 53:
“General Maximus comes to Rome dirty and shackled. This is not the way it’s suppose to be. Where’s Rome’s legendary pageantry to greet one of her heroes-the heraldry, the burnished armor, the laurel crown? Where’s the honor due him? Maximus comes a slave. That’s the premise of the movie Gladiator. Through a maze of events, Maximus goes from celebrated warrior, favorite of one emperor, to despised traitor, nemesis of another. He becomes a FUGITIVE, then caged slave, then unvanquished gladiator. His growing fame in the arena brings him to the sport’s pinnacle: Rome’s magnificent Coliseum to face her elite warriors. The games open with a re-enactment of the battle of Carthage. The gladiators, all foot soldiers, are cast as the hapless Carthaginians. It is a stage for slaughter. They are marched out a dark passageway into brilliant sunlight and met with a roar of bloodlust. Maximus, their leader, shouts to his men: “Stay together.” He assembles them in a tight circle in the center of the arena: back to back, shields aloft, spears outward. Again he shouts, “Whatever comes out that gate, stay together.” What comes out that gate is swift and sleek and full of terror. Chariot upon chariot thunder forth. War horses pull, with deadly agility and earthshaking strength, wagons driven by master charioteers. Amazonian warrior princesses ride behind and with deadly precision hurl spears and volley arrows. One gladiator strays from the circle, ignoringMaximus shouts once more: “Stay together!” The instinct to scatter is strong. But Maximus exerts his authority, and they resist that impulse. The chariots circle, closer, closer, closer. Spears and arrows rain down on the men’s wood shields. The chariots are about to cinch the knot. Right then Maximus shouts, “Now!” The gladiators attack, and decimate the Romans. Commodus, the evil emperor, caustically remarks to the games organizer: “My memory of Roman history is rusty; but didn’t we beat Carthage the first time?” Whatever comes out that gate, stay together. That echoes what Jesus Prayed for us: “May they be brought to complete unity” (John 17:23). And he promises that the gates of hell will not overcome his church. …We know that. We long for it. We pray for it. And we miss it, almost every time. The instinct to scatter is strong.”
One of the basic truths a young believer must learn comes from the story of Esther – standing together builds strength. Standing apart has little or no influence.
8:1 b: “…King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what he was to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai….
We must understand Benefits: That victory included three important features that had the potential to change the whole kingdom where they lived.
The first gift of God was the use of the enemy’s territory or assets – the whole household of good built up for Haman in his arrogance was ceded to believers.
We came into this world with NOTHING and will leave it in a suit without pockets. The first time I noticed at a funeral home a suit put on the deceased I remember thinking… “It doesn’t have pockets!” Then I remembered… they won’t need any! The assets in the physical world that we are granted are provided to accomplish God’s mission for us. When we follow Him and He offers greater assets – He sets in motion a greater responsibility of mission. That is why Jesus said to Peter in Luke 12:48b: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they
entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
The second gift of God was the open door of accessto greater authority to mature believers – seen in Mordecai’s new ability to come before the king. Mordecai’s own work got him part way there, but God placed Esther to get him into the room. It was the team effort we noted above.
A third grace was extended by God – influence. It did not come by compromise with the world, it came through the powerful testimony and careful living of the believers to build the platform for God’s work. God opened the heart of the authority to give a greater opportunity to the believers to influence direction of their country and lives.
Careful living comes from a SURRENDERED LIFE. Remember what we said last time we were together? There are two kinds of people – forgiven and un-forgiven. There are two kinds of forgive people – surrendered and un-surrendered.
Pastor Chris Edmondson tells the story: “You probably recognize the name Sam Houston. He was a Texas and an American hero. .. a native of Virginia. He became a congressman and a governor of the state of Tennessee. He eventually moved to Texas where he joined the fight for independence and became commander of the Texas army. When Texas became a republic back in 1836, Sam Houston was elected it’s first president. Texas is the only state in the union that is allowed to fly it’s state flag at the same level as the U.S. American flag. The reason is that Texas was a republic before it ever became a state. When Texas joined the Union in 1836, Houston became Texas’ first Senator. In 1859, he was elected Governor. He was a very tough man. But you know what his nickname was? The Big Drunk. That’s what people called him. But Sam Houston married a devout Christian woman who prayed constantly for Sam that he would come to know Jesus. One day He did. ..It happened that Dr. Rufus Burleson, pastor of a small church in Independence, Texas was preaching on the text, “Better he who rules his own spirit than one who rules a city.” Houston had taken many cities, but he had no rule whatsoever over his own spirit. And he came under the conviction of God and walked up front of the church during the invitation. He extended his hand to Dr. Burleson and said, “I give you my hand, but with it, I give my heart to Jesus Christ.” Houston was then baptized on November 19th, 1854 in Brushy Creek. Dr. Burleson, right before he was to be baptized, noticed that he had a watch and chain on his vest. He said, “Mr. Houston, you probably want to take that off before your baptized, because it will get ruined.” So he takes it off and hands it to a friend. Then Dr. Burleson adds, “You may want to take your wallet out, too, and hand it to your friend.” Sam Houston replied, “No, my wallet needs baptizing, too.” …I wonder as we acknowledge Jesus’ Lordship, are there things that we remove from our life and hold above the water and say, “God, you are Lord of all my life but this.” When we do that, you have to realize that He is either Lord over all of our life or He’s not Lord at all. Sam Houston baptized billfold made a difference in his life. From that day forward he paid the salaries of his pastor for the rest of his life, and contributed significantly to every ministerial student who attended Baylor University. His baptized billfold, his wet wallet, was a witness to his new-found dedication to God It was a testimony that when God got a hold of his heart, he also got a hold of his wallet.” (sermon central illustrations).
2b “… And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.”
We must take responsibility for Choices: Esther had a choice to make concerning the assets of Haman. The king had turned the assets over, but Esther had to choose to honor the mature Mordecai – her uncle. Some may think it is perfectly natural for her to honor Mordecai, but when money and power are connected, things often change. Godly believers put their mature ones out in front to influence the culture. Though once obscure, he was prepared to step out of the shadows and influence the culture of their world. It was essential that Esther recognize the wisdom and leadership of Mordecai, and place him in a position of great influence. Petty rivalries and jealousy among the believers would have undone the influence of their cause. The time to prepare to make good choices is before you must make them!
Believers that have matured in their faith understand what maturity is:
There are two ways we see truths and our ability to walk in them – we recognize the actual and the ideal.
· To be mature is to see the ideal and live with the actual without undue discouragement while you continually edge closer to the ideal.
· To be immature is to excuse the actual and reject the ideal as too far distant or demanding.
· We cannot ignore our actual condition because we have seen the ideal and it will take much effort. Mature believers have faced the truth but embraced hope, because they have seen God carry them forward.
Esther didn’t get so enamored with the seal of youth that she lost a view of the need for maturity in key places. We are living in a time when we are quick to lay hands on the new and BORED with the tried and true. We must take responsibility for our CHOICES and choose maturity over the latest fad.
3 Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. 4 The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. 5 Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 “For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”
We must learn to Focus: When believing leaders are given protection and position, they must use the grace extended to care for God’s bigger agenda. The personal benefits of God’s blessing had already fallen on Esther and Mordecai – but that was not enough. Their people were about to suffer calamity, and that thought gripped Esther’s heart. If a believer is given the higher ground and uses it for self, the strategic advantage is thwarted for the Kingdom. Note three specifics in the verses about the focus:
1) The believer had to see clearly the purposes of evil and openly acknowledge the damage they were set to cause (8:3).
2) The believer had to respect the system of authority to voice opposition and stand against evil (8:4-5).
3) The believer had to make the pain personal. It could not simply be an academic exercise (8:6).
I am continually amazed at the number of people that are comfortable with the standards the world sets in every area. Style trumps modesty (they wear it because it is the latest thing no matter what it exposes). Popularity trumps consistency (they use the method because it draws a crowd but has little long term value). Humor trumps pure speech. Facebook has been a revelation to me in the LANGUAGE of modern Christians, the VALUES shown in the books and movies we like, the sensitivity to testimony we seemed to have lost. At the risk of sounding like a closet legalist – “Where have the standards of Christianity gone?” (I wonder, do we think Jesus would truthfully laugh at what we are laughing at, watch what we are watching and read what we are reading?)
We enjoy great wealth, prosperity and blessing in the physical world – not to mention the spiritual world! Can we not imagine that God expects our focus to be broader than our own pleasures and desires? A lost world awaits and we find greater ways to entertain ourselves… something is amiss. Focus, for many, is lost. We must learn to focus on God’s agenda to be effective for Him.
7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews. 8 “Now you write to the Jewsas you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”
We must build UNITY: The world cannot undo the moral messes they create with the fallen use of power. They don’t have the spiritual sensitivity in many cases, and simply don’t really comprehend spiritual realities very well since they are spiritually discerned. The platform of witness extended to using the given authority and power granted by God and the authority, as well as building the communication between the believers. They did not try to make sense of their objectives to the reasoning of lost men – there was no point. They set out topull together the believers to call for action. Together they could accomplish what no individual could accomplish.
What can one string do? It can do much more when woven with many similar small strings into a great rope cord.
What can one nail do? It can do much more when melted into a mallet!
We must build UNITY!
9 So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. 10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. 11 In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). 13 A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king’s command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.
We must identify the Tools: With the authority in hand to do a great work, Mordecai used four tools to accomplish the task that God put before him.
· First, he used the connection tools that were made available to get the word out.
· Second, he established his leadership by working through channels of accepted leadership.
· Third, he made sure it was clear to those who were to receive the information (put it in their script and language).
· Finally, he made sure people knew it was an authentic and powerful word. The enemy looks like he will defeat the work of God, but the promises of God are backed by the Person of God. He knows when and how to defend His people (8:11-12). The believers urgently needed the TRUTH to be ready (8:13-14).
15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.
We must anticipate the Results: There were certain results that came as a result of God’s work among them. They need to be recognized and anticipated.
· First there was the outward show of honor offered by people who know little of the power source the believer draws from (8:15).
· The second was the rejoicing of God’s people as their lives are eased (8:16-17a). This could bring about its own peril – as a complacency and malaise sets in.
· The third was new converts (8:17b). Many believers are surprised when God actually works in the heart of a new life!
Pastor Mark Brunner shares this important piece of Christian History. In share it because ot aptly illustrates one believer who came to
terms with the fight, and the victory: “Martin Luther, the lowly monk who changed the face of Europe in the course of his lifetime, faced many foes in his battle to reform the church. There were those who accused him of slander and those that accused him of hypocrisy and greed. Often times the very things he was fighting against would be charged to him by his enemies. They knew that if they could deflect his criticism back unto himself, their lot would be all that easier. No greater foe did he face in that regard than the devil. Luther wrote and spoke about the presence of Satan, his nearness to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther often painted Satan as a mock friend, one who was deceptively there, putting on airs of godliness only to plunge the dagger in when given the chance. Luther knew that there was no human defense against such evil; that Satan’s insidious attacks could only grow stronger and more frequent the harder we struggled against him with our puny weapons of reason and self-will. But, he noted, there was one weapon that Satan could not resist: the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He wrote: “Here shall a Christian learn how to grasp and use the Gospel message, when the time of battle is come and the Law attacks and accuses him, and his own conscience tells him: this wrong you have done, and you are a sinner, and what you deserve is death, and so on, that at such a time he may with true confidence reply: Alas, I am a sinner and I have well deserved death. You are right, but condemn and kill me on that account you shall not. There is One who will hinder you, who is called my Lord Christ, whom you have accused and murdered, although He was innocent. But do you not know how you were burnt and bruised by Him, thus losing all your rights over me and all other Christians? For he bore sin and death, not for His own sake, but for me. Therefore I grant you no right over me, rather I have a right over you, because you attack me although I am innocent, you who were before conquered and condemned by Him, so that you should leave me in peace. For I am no longer merely a child of man; I have become the child of God; for I have been baptized in His blood and His victory, and arrayed in all the riches of His bounty. Behold, in such a manner must all Christians arm themselves with the victory of Christ and repel the devil with it.” (Sermon from the year 1532. w.a. 36. 693 f.)
God wants to use us to defeat the enemy. Believers must prepare for the fight and learn how to utilize the special privileges granted by God to His people in the battle for the Kingdom.
