For Such a Time as This

by Darryl Manning            11/11/01

Many times God uses a small number of people to do big things. Without Noah, no person would be alive today. Through faith in God, David defeated the giant and brought victory to Israel. God is never surprised by the events of our world. He prepares special individuals to make a difference in the time in which they live.

Today we will look at the story of Esther and Mordicai and how they saved their people from annihilation. Then we will apply the story to our church. Our story is found in the Old Testament book of Esther. The story takes place in the fifth century B.C. Though free to return to Palestine, many Jews chose to continue living in Persa. The Persian King was Xerxes (Ahasueras, in Hebrew). He ruled 127 provinces that stretched from India to Ethiopia and included the land of Palestine.

King Xerxes’ wife, Queen Vashti, refused to obey a command of the king and lost her position. The king authorized a beauty contest that was won by a young Jewish woman named Esther. Esther was an orphan and who had been raised by her uncle, Mordicai. He encouraged Esther not to reveal her nationality.

Mordicai kept in close communication with Esther as she handled the duties of being queen. One day he found out about a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. Through Esther, the plot was told to the king and the men involved were executed. These actions were recorded in the King’s books giving credit to Mordicai.

Soon, King Xerxes elevated a man named Haman to the highest position among the nobles of the Kingdom. All the royal officials at the Kings gate were commanded to give special honor to Haman when he passed. However, Mordicai, refused to kneel down and pay honor to Haman.

(Haman was a descendent of King Agag who was an Amalakite. These people attacked the Jewish people in the wilderness on their way from Egypt to Palestine. God had commanded King Saul to utterly destroy these people but he did not fully carry out God’s command. This may explain why Mordicai would hot honor Haman.)

Haman hated Mordicai and devised a plan to not only kill Haman but also destroy all the Jews. He persuaded King Xerxes to sign a decree that on a certain day the people of Persia could kill the Jewish people and confiscate their property. This decree, if carried out, would effectively eliminate all the Jewish people.

When Mordicai learned of the decree, he sent word to Esther asking her to intervene with the King and see if something could be done. Esther was afraid and sent back word to Mordicai that her life would be in jeopardy going before the king. Mordicai sent back his famous words encouraging Esther to risk her life for her people. “…who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

It is not hard for us to see that God had certainly placed Esther in her position for this special time in Jewish history. God is never caught by surprise by the wicked actions of the enemy. He is always prepared to handle every situation.

God has also raised up House of Joy Church for such a time as this. We have been given the message of joy and commissioned to share it with other Christians, with other churches, and bring the message of joy to our world.

Some would say, “But who are you to accomplish such a wonderful mission?”  Remember, God many times uses one or two people to do mighty things.  He only needs someone who is willing to take the risk of laying everything on the line for Him. He will use our small church to accomplish this mission if we are willing to follow His plans.

Queen Esther was afraid but she accepted her commission and went before the King. He extended his scepter to receive the Queen and offered to fulfill any request she might make. Queen Esther invited the King to bring Haman and come to a banquet she had prepared.  At the banquet, the King pledged to give Esther whatever she wanted up to half the Kingdom. Esther asked the King to come back the next night for another banquet saying she would then make her request known.

Now something really fantastic takes place that shows God’s power but also His sense of humor.

Naman left the banquet puffed up with his own importance. On the way home he passed Mordicai who showed no respect or fear of him again. This enraged Haman. When he got home, he reported to his wife and friends the wonderful events of the Queen’s banquet and his importance. He also related his anger toward Mordicai. Haman’s wife and friends suggested that he have a gallows built seventy-five feet tall during the night and the next morning ask the king to have Mordicai hanged on it.

During that same night, King Xerxes could not sleep. He instructed someone to read to him from the King’s Chronicles. The reading included the story of Mordicai foiling the plot to take his life. The king asked if anything had been done to honor Mordicai and found nothing had been done.

The next morning Haman presented himself before the King to request Mordicai be hanged on the gallows he had built. Before he could make his request, the King asked Naman. “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Haman, thinking the King wanted to honor him said. “For the man the king delights to honor, ⁸have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

¹⁰“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

You should be laughing at this point. What a God we have who delights in turning the tables on our enemies.

No wonder David said. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

God has been preparing tables for us at HOJC. Through the struggles of being transformed into the House of Joy, God has given us special graces through it all. Every time disaster seems to fall, grace comes and we laugh and dance right through it.

That night, Esther revealed Haman’s plan of exterminating the Jews. King Xerxes became extremely angry. He left the room for a few minutes to decide what to do. Haman threw himself on the couch where Esther was reclining to beg for mercy. Just then, King Xerxes reentered the room and exclaimed. “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”

One of the King’s servants told King Xerxes of Haman’s gallows he had prepared for Mordicai. The king said, “Hang him on it!”  So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

King Xerxes regretted the decree he had allowed Haman to write. That decree could not be changed because once written and sealed with the King’s ring, the laws were permanent. King Xerxes summoned Morticai and gave him permission to write a new decree that would help the Jews escape annihilation. The new decree granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies.

The edict commanded by the king was carried out. The enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. The Jews killed over seventy-five thousand who had nerve enough to attack but did not touch the plunder. 

Mordicai then issued a proclamation that all Jews celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar (usually in March) as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. To observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. The Jews still celebrate this yearly. It is called Purim.