Esther (Psalms 75:7)

1. Intro.
1. the name of God does not occur in the book of Esther, but His hand is seen everywhere
2. the history of this book is a confirmation of Romans 8:28 [all things work together for good]
3. the leading people of this book represent character types, an how God deals with each
1. people are responsible for their action, but are free to act as they please
2. today we want to notice how God deals with each of these individuals
1. Vasti, the queen, is demoted
2. Esther, the orphan, is crowned
3. Mordecai, the despised, is honored
4. Haman, the proud , is handed
2. Vasti, the self-willed, uncrowned
1. her position – Esther 1:9
1. she had the honor and privilege of sharing the glory and riches of the king
2. she was beautiful in the kings eyes – Esther 1:11
3. Christians have a similar relationship with God who is King of kings
2. her opportunity – Esther 1:10-11
1. she was given a command to appear before the people with her royal crown
1. opportunity to display the gift of the king
2. opportunity to please the king
3. she got her position because of the king’s choice and grace
2. it was her duty and privilege to obey
3. as Christians we have a similar opportunity given to us [let your light so shine …glorify your Father]
3. her rebellion – Esther 1:12
1. she refused to obey because she did not want to leave her own feast
2. disobedience to God is often the result of self-made plans
4. her example – Esther 1:16-17
1. acts speak louder than words (her action had far reaching results)
2. as Christians this is something we should never forget
5. her rejection – Esther 1:19, 2:17
1. her disobedience led to a separation of fellowship with the king
2. little did she realize the consequences of her disobedience
3. how long she lived to mourn over her folly we do not know
4. surely her days were filled with shame and bitterness of soul
5. is it any different for the disobedient Christian
3. Esther, the humble, exalted
1. her position – Esther 2:7
1. she was an unlikely candidate for being queen (birth and circumstances)
2. in the providence of God, unlikely things do happen
3. poverty, ignorance, or guilt are no barriers for the grace of God
2. her character
1. gracious and trustworthy – Esther 2:9 [pleased him]
2. obedient – Esther 2:20 (humble and submissive spirit)
3. this may seem a small matter, but it is something that God does not overlook
4. her beauty was not just external, she had inner beauty – Esther 2:15 [required nothing]
3. her crown – Esther 2:17 (her humility and faith are now rewarded)
1. she was rewarded for her character, and exalted for a purpose – Esther 4:14-16
1. then salvation of her people was in her hands
2. she dedicated her life to this great objective – Esther 4:16 (she surrendered herself)
2. God knew what was within her; therefore, God exalted her
4. Mordecai, the faithful, rewarded
1. his character
1. faithful – Esther 2:21-23
1. to know of a wrong and to do nothing, is to be a partaker of the wrong
2. we are to do right at all times
3. it is not always easy to do what is right
2. consistently faithful – Esther 3:2-4
1. a man’s faith is of little value if it does not affect his daily life
2. those who govern their lives by the fear and love of God will not do as other men do, not even for the sake of peace
2. he was despised – Esther 3:5-6, 5:14
1. all of this wrath and killing was the result of one man’s courage and conviction to stay faithful to God
2. was it worth it to be faithful
1. the man who walks by sight and not by faith will say, "no"
2. the providence of God reveals that it is worth it
3. his faith was in the God who could work all things out for our good (providence)
3. he was honored
1. God began the work of deliverance by giving the king a bad nights sleep – Esther 6:1-2
2. the desire was put in the kings heart to reward Mordecai for his timely warning – Esther 6:3
3. from hatred to honor, who would have thought it possible – Esther 6:4-11
4. he was also exalted to a place of power, whereby he saved all the Jews
5. Haman, the proud, destroyed
1. his promotion – Esther 3:1
1. the greater our privilege, the more terrible our downfall when we do not walk humbly with God
2. we ought never to forget Who it is that enables us to be what we are
2. proud – Esther 3:5 (easily offended, felt he deserved respect and honor); 6:6 (no one more deserving)
3. boastful – Esther 5:11
4. revengeful – Esther 5:13-14
1. the greatness of an individual is seen in his readiness to overlook insult and injury
2. revenge or holding a grudge is contrary to the Christian way
5. his shame – Esther 6:11-12
1. Haman spread his wicked net in vain before the eyes of God
2. God governs in wisdom and power for the interest of His people
3. all those who are puffed up in pride before God will certainly be brought down in shame
6. his destruction – Esther 7:10
1. "the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands" – Psalms 9:16
2. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, but he that exalteth himself shall be abased"
3. the God of Grace is also the God of judgment
6. conclusion
1. Vasti, the self-willed was put out of fellowship
2. Esther, the humble was exalted
3. Mordecai, the faithful was rewarded
4. Haman, the proud was destroyed