Esther Series – part 15

Pastor Eric A. Green

 

Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  I and my maidens also will fast in the same way.  And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.  Esther 4:15-17

Up to this point, Esther followed the explicit directions of Mordecai, and she found favor with the king through obedience to the instructions of the eunuchs assigned to her.  What a picture of humility before exaltation! We often want exaltation before humility, but it never works like that in the kingdom.  God can only lift up the standard of Jesus Christ where we first lay down our rights.

Esther understood this. Now we see a new order of things:  So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther commanded him . . . (v. 17)

Esther is giving the orders now, and Mordecai is glad to follow them.  She has been promoted, and circumstances demand she step into the role of leader with all its joys and risks – and at the moment, there are more risks than joy!  Esther was going to have to step beyond the royal protocol and come into the king’s presence without a summons, a move that could cost her life.  She didn’t have to do it, but she chose to do it. She valued the lives of those she led more than her own.  What an awesome display of Christ-likeness.

In our desire to be successful, we don’t often consider price of spiritual promotion.  Jesus gave His life for us, Paul gave his, Peter, and so on.  The question now comes to us, what is the price we are willing to pay for the exaltation we seek from God?  Promotion is a two-sided coin, and we often choose to look at “heads” and ignore the “tails.”  So beloved, be careful to walk in obedience and humility today, because that will build the character needed to weather the storms you are sure to face once you are truly promoted! Think about it.

Love and understanding,

Pastor Eric

Esther Series – part 14

Pastor Eric A. Green

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape more than all the Jews.  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?”    Esther 4:13,14

Every biblical imperative has a turning point, and that point can be capsulated in one word – “if”.  Esther stood at the crossroads of her life and the lives of her people, and her purpose would only be realized if she obeyed the voice of Mordecai. 

The “if” principle is true for every saint.  You see, the blood of the precious Lamb of God saves us in order that we live righteously before God and the world.  We must declare His praises boldly and take the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world so that others may come into the heavenly family.  Our Christianity must be lived “out loud” so every creature can hear and be saved.  But this can only happen through us if we embrace the strict, costly terms of discipleship. 

Remember, Jesus told the rich young ruler,
“ If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  (Matthew 19:21)

Perhaps we preachers ought to read our congregations the small print in our “contract” with God.  This and every other invitation to walk with Jesus is preceded by “if”.  The Lord is seeking those who no longer count their own lives and aspirations dear, only His will. The pursuit of our destiny, empowerment, riches, and wealth are one day going to be tested by our willingness to lay them all down for “the least of these”.

Esther had to decide whether she was simply a Jew by birth (a fact that was still hidden), or was she a Jew in spirit. If Esther’s relationship with God was a peripheral fact, she would not feel the compulsion to put her life on the line or to intercede for her people.  But if she was related to God and her people in the spirit, she had no choice but to sacrifice her life for their sakes. 

What was true of Esther is true for us.  I pray that God doesn’t have to bring deliverance from another source, but that you and I will hear the Holy Spirit’s plea for us to lay down our prerogatives, our pursuits, and our very own lives. If we do, we will find life for many others and ourselves as well . . .  just as Esther did. 

Love and blessings,

Pastor Eric

Esther Series – part 13

Pastor Eric A. Green

And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries to destroy the Jews.  He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction , which was given to Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.  So Hatach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 

Esther 4:7-9

Then Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:

"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live.  Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."

Esther 4:11

Esther's ascension to the throne was not an isolated event, but it was connected to the divine plan of God.  Are you aware that there is a divine reason for you being where you are? We are most often so caught up in the day-to-day that we miss divine appointments with regularity.  Are we taking full advantage of the opportunity to be the "salt of the earth" right where we live and work?  Like Esther, your blessings are not isolated events, but God's way of putting us "in play" in His enterprises.

Esther was elevated to the dazzling height of royalty, and she was set for life.  As long as she played the role of Queen Esther in a way acceptable to the king, life was as good as it could be for any young woman.  She, like any of us, would have loved to kick back and enjoy the blessings God had given her, and live a very nice life doing very nice deeds from her very nice position.  Only it was not to be - life has a way of messing up our nice and cozy plans!

Esther would have to take her life in her hands in order to help her people, and though she was reluctant to do so, she did.  She learned and displayed one of the primary lessons in ministry – self-sacrifice.  You see, we never learn to serve others as the Lord wills until we stop counting what it costs us.  As long as we worry about who will give us credit, how tired we are, or how much we have to put out, we will be of no use to God.  True ministry is never a matter of our convenience.  It always costs us something, perhaps even our lives.

Jesus puts it like this:

"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."  John 12:24

He promises that if we forget about ourselves and emulate Him, our laid-down lives will be a pathway for many to live and prosper in the goodness of God.  And remember, God has a wonderful way of raising us up wherever we voluntarily lay our lives (and our rights) down for Him. Pray about it.

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric