We thank you for joining us tonight.
And we're going to be in the book of Esther, the first chapter
of the book of Esther. And just a little bit of review,
and then we're going to go on and hopefully say a few words
about the first nine verses of this chapter. One of the things
that came to my attention in doing some research about Esther
is that it is one of those books that had a lot of people thinking
it probably shouldn't be in the canon. And a couple of reasons
for it was there's not one place in the book of Esther is the
name of God mentioned, any name of God. And secondly, not any
of the book of Esther is quoted in the New Testament. So they
had a lot of problem over that. Well, I'd like to read just a
part of a paragraph. Again, it is critical to remember
that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council
decided on the canon. It was God and God alone who
determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a
matter of God imparting to His followers what He had already
decided. The human process of collecting
the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty and
despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the
recognition of the books He had inspired. And so it was always
God overriding what was going to be put in there. Now, I knew
a man one time that said that the Bible should have 70 books.
It has 66, and 66 is not a perfect number. 70 is, and so he was
going to go through the Apocrypha and find out which books are
supposed to be in the Bible. Recently, I heard a young man
say that he, in his studies, that the book of James should
not be in our canon. And foolishness after foolishness
after foolishness has been stated about the Bible. But by God's
grace, God's people believe what God has put in here just like
it stands. And so we'll just trust him.
And if we have a problem, we have to take it to Him. All right,
as we look here in this book of Esther, we find it so broadly
demonstrated in the book of Esther, but also throughout the entire
Bible, that God is sovereign. every book of the Bible that
is demonstrated. Here we're going to see that
it is particularly demonstrated because God is, to me, like behind
the lattice as we read in the book of the Song of Solomon,
that He is kind of standing behind all that's going on, but He is
directing everything. Even though His name is not mentioned,
even though it's not brought out as a quote into the New Testament,
God is overseeing has purposed, not purposing, but has purposed
everything that goes on. And we will see in this book
that in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, which just precede
this book, in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, we read about God's
people that left this place and went back to Jerusalem and how
God protected them. And in this book, we find out
how God took care of the people who stayed. Now, a lot of people
would say that the people that stayed should not have any blessing
of God, but you know what we find in the scriptures about
our own self? We find out that God protects those who are heirs
of salvation. And it's just like a picture
of God taking care of the heirs of salvation, wherever they are
scattered throughout the world. Because they didn't go back does
not mean that God is not going to take care of them. Because
they don't do some religious duties does not mean that God
is not going to take care of them, preserve them until the
day of salvation. And at that point, known unto
God, they can pass away at any time. once God gives them His
wonderful grace in salvation. So really, we can't die. God's people, the lost sheep,
will not and cannot die until He brings them to salvation.
And then at any time after that, there is an appointed time. Well,
in this book, we read about the sovereignty of God in creation.
Just as we find everywhere else in the Bible, I have to be reminded
As we read in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 2, by faith
we understand that the things that are made are made of things
that are not made. I mean, they're not visible, but God made them. Just turn over there to the book
of Hebrews chapter 11, if you would, in verse 2. Hebrews chapter
11 and verse 2, we read this wonderful statement about God's
sovereignty over his creation. Everything, and it's by faith. that we do, verse three, excuse
me, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by
the word of God. The world of Esther was framed
by the word of God. The world of Ahasuerus was framed
by the word of God. God has the oversight over all
things so that things which are seen are not made of things which
do appear. Now, it took a long time for
science to finally say, oh, that's true, when the church has known
it all along. I cannot understand it, but the
truth of it is God has made this world out of things that are
invisible, and put together in the form that we see visible. All right, so God is sovereign
over His creation, and He is sovereign over the administration
of His creation, even in the use of kings like Ahasuerus.
He is sovereign over Pharaoh. He is sovereign over Ahasuerus. And he's sovereign over King
David and some of the good kings. Ahab was not one, but some of
the good kings of Israel. He was sovereign over them, just
as he was over Ahab, a really terrible king. He was sovereign
over his people wherever they're found. And then he's sovereign
over every aspect of salvation of his elect. I will have mercy. on whom I will have mercy. Now
that's recorded in the book of Exodus, but we find the Apostle
Paul brings that in the book of Romans. So when we look at
salvation, God is in the background through the lattice, if you please,
saying, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. Now there's
gonna be some people in the book of Esther that he is going to
show particular mercy to. And then we're gonna find out
just as he is sovereign over the elect, he is sovereign over
the reprobate too. For this very purpose have I
raised thee up. That's what he tells. That's
what Moses told. But this message is God's message
to Pharaoh. For this very reason have I raised
you up. And so we're going to find a
very nasty guy here in the book of Esther that is raised up. And to begin with, when Esther
becomes queen, we don't know there's a plot. We don't know
there's a problem. And maybe Haman didn't have a
problem at that time. But he gets a problem, and he's
gonna destroy every Jew in the country. And God raises up, in
his own good purpose, deliverance for his people. And he uses Esther
to do that. God is sovereign over the operation
of his creation, everything. It takes a mighty God to stop
this earth and spin it back on its axis without everybody flying
off. And that's what happened in the
days of Joshua. Fifteen degrees, wasn't it, went
backwards? Something like that. Anyway,
it went backwards. Or it stood still. Or whatever
God wanted to do, it happens. So He is sovereign over the operation
of His creation. God is sovereign over the human
will. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord, and like rivers of water, he turns it wherever
he wants. He is sovereign over the will
of man. Now, natural man thinks he has
a free will. We know from scriptures that
we did not have a free will in our natural state. It was crippled. It was dead. It was immobile. It was unable
to choose right things. Nobody seeks after God. That's
God's word about it. We just trust that. Nobody seeks
after God. So God is sovereign even over
our will, and He makes us willing in the day of His power. He makes us willing. He makes
us willing to bow. He makes us willing to accept
God as He has declared in the scriptures without worry about
it. God is sovereign over this book
of Esther. He's sovereign over all things. And as we travel through the
book of Esther, it is revealed to us again and again that God
alone can reap good out of bad, and God alone can reap good out
of sin. Now when man says he's going
to do it so that it might be good, it is wrong, wrong, wrong. Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Now we're gonna go
over a few places in the Old Testament in particular, but
a few in the New Testament where it looked just as wrong as it
possibly could look wrong, and then Solomon is born. God is in charge. He doesn't
advocate what David did, but as a result, Solomon is born. All right. Let's look at the
book of Esther now in chapter one, and we want to read the
first nine verses. Chapter one of the book of Esther, verse one, And we read, now it
came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, this is Ahasuerus which reigned
from India unto Ethiopia. We passed this up a couple of
weeks ago just to show the area that Ahasuerus reigned over during
his time, and it's a big piece of property. And it is divided,
as he goes on to say, here, and in those days when King Ahasuerus
sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace.
Now I read that this was the summer, or excuse me, the winter
palace of Ahasuerus, or the king at that time. Other writers said
that this is where this particular king reigned all the time from,
and he wasn't going to reign in Babylon. We read in the book
of Jeremiah, and we read that last time about Nebuchadnezzar
coming down and taking, not all, but quite a number of Israel
back to Babylon. Now this guy's reigning over
that, but he's also reigning over a whole bunch more that
Nebuchadnezzar never reigned over, and so he has his own palace,
and he goes on to say, in the third year of his reign, he made
a feast unto all his princes and his servants, the power of
Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces
being before him. when he showed the riches of
his glorious kingdom in the honor of his excellent majesty many
days, even 180 days, a half a year of celebration, of demonstration
of his power. And it tells us here, and when
those days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the
people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and
small, seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
white, green, and blue hangings. And if you look those words up,
it tells us that some of them are the same colors that were
used in the tabernacle. And they came from the same sources. Some of them, the blue came from
some mussels and on and on. And purple to the silver rings
and pillars of marble and beds were of gold and silver upon
pavement of red and blue, white and black marble. And they gave
them drink and vessels of gold, vessels being every one different
to the other. Nobody got the same looking. goblet for the wine, royal wine
in abundance, and according to the state of the king. And the
drinking was according to the law, none did compel, for so
the king had appointed to all the officers of his house that
they should do according to every man's pleasure. Also Vashti the
queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged
to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the
heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded, and he tells
us there who he commanded to do that. Now, I wanted, did I
miss the verse that told us how many provinces there was? A hundred
and twenty provinces, and over each of those provinces was a
prince. Verse seven, is it verse seven?
Verse one, okay. Over 127 provinces. Okay. That's how it's divided
up and that's how many different goblets we have. That's how many
different beds we have of gold and of silver. That's how much
frivolity here. Now, it was in this culture,
it was not accepted for women to be in the mixture with men.
Now it's a little bit that way today over there. So when we get to this requirement,
this request, this command of King Ahasuerus, we're going to
find out it went against everything that was culturally correct in
this place. All right. And unless I have
read this incorrectly, and I'm sorry I missed that one part,
these verses share with us that there is a lot of carousing,
drunkenness, fleshly desire, because the only women that were
accepted in this place were not the people that most of us would
want to know. They were like Rahab. There's a lot of desire for attention
from Ahasuerus. There's a lot of pride and sinful
activity. Now I'm going over that, you
know, I hate to do this, but Mike and Mike, and I probably
Craig would share the same thing that when messages are going
on and the verse is brought up, by the way, they read on and
they find something else and their mind goes off this way
and then off to this way. And maybe that happens with you.
Well, I'm listening to Mike on Sunday and he reads a passage
of scripture. I says, that's exact description
of went on in Esther Esther chapter one. So would you join me in
the book of Titus? In the book of Titus, this is
exactly what was going on here in the book of Titus chapter
three and verse three. Now, this is where the Holy Spirit,
using the apostle Paul to write, shares this is where we all come
from. Before we cast stones at Ahasuerus,
and his court, and all the partying that was going on there, for
we ourselves also, Titus chapter three, verse three, we ourselves
also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful
and hating one another. Now, if that's not enough, back
up to the book of Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter 2 and
we read again almost what we read over there in the book of
Esther, what was going on at that time. Ephesians chapter
2 and verse 3, among whom also we all had our manner of life
or our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Now that just
reads like we just read in the book of Esther. This is where
we are by nature. And these folks are doing what
comes naturally. Now, I'm not saying it's right.
I'm saying it's what comes natural. Now, as we go back, we find that
there are several things that we can see in this passage of
Scripture, and that is that we see the condition of natural
man's heart displayed openly in these verses of Scripture,
and particularly as we go on into the chapter one of the book
of Esther. as we hear Ahasuerus' command, as we hear Vashti's
retort. I refuse." And Josephus, now
Josephus was a Jewish historian and he makes comments and I'm
not going to take Josephus over the word of God. Josephus said,
they asked her to come three or four times and she said, not
on your life every time. She refused. His command, she
refused. And then the results of the whole
thing, we'd say, well, how could that, how could that? That's
how God determined to get a deliverer on the throne. Only God can bring
good out of sin. When we try it, we are going
to get so fouled up. When God does it, it is an honor
and a glory to what he can do with people. So we find in the
book of Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9 that the heart is deceitful
above all things. We just read that in Titus chapter
3 and we read that in Ephesians chapter 2. The heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? That's
what Jeremiah said about the heart. That's what we find throughout
the scriptures. And every time we get a whole
group of men or women or the mix of them, we're going to find
that kind of trait among them unless God has worked the work
of grace. And then only by the grace of God does he restrain
us from backing up in that. All right. We also find in this
verse of scripture, except for the grace of God. There go I. Turn with me, if
you would, to the book of 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and
verse 10. The apostle Paul says this. But by the grace of God I am
what I am. And His grace which was bestowed
upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than
they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Now we're going to find out that the grace of God is not a new
thing in the New Testament. The grace of God is quite evident
in the book of Esther. The grace of God to deliver His
people is evident in the book of Esther. The grace of God in
the salvation of His people is evident in the book of Esther.
And we find out that if it wasn't for the grace of God, there go
us, just like we see here in the book of Esther, in the first
nine or 10 verses of the book of Esther. We also see from this
passage that the many times in the Bible that only God can make
and only God alone can make good come out of bad. and only God
alone can make good come out of sin. We read on this, we find
in these for six months they're having Mardi Gras. I mean Louisiana
style Mardi Gras, New Orleans style Mardi Gras for six solid
months they're having Mardi Gras. And then it gets worse on those
seven days. I am convinced that if Ejeguerres
was not drunk, he would have never made that request. It was
against culture. It was not in his best interest
to have his wife come and be showed off. It was against the
culture of the country. It was against his own value
system as a lost man even. But we find that that's what
he did. We may look in the Bible and
we find many examples that God worked in the worst situations
for good to come out of it. He is the only one that can take
sin and make good come out of it. Now, we stand back and in
awe seeing a God that can do that, but that is God's business.
Now, we find In the book of Exodus, chapter three, the book of Exodus,
excuse me, in the book of Exodus, chapter seven, it tells us that
God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Wouldn't it have been simpler?
Wouldn't it have been easier? Wouldn't it have been, if Pharaoh
had just said, okay, go. but we find here, turn with me
if you would to the book of Exodus chapter 7. Exodus chapter 7 and
verse 13. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart. that he hearkened not unto them
as the Lord had said." Now there is a first scripture over in
the book of Exodus chapter 5. Would you back up two chapters? Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2. Moses requests to take the children
of Israel out into the wilderness and have a feast. unto the Lord
in the wilderness." That's verse 1. Verse 2, and Pharaoh said,
who is the Lord that I should obey His voice and let Israel
go? Isn't that just the natural man's
heart? Who is this? And that's Jehovah.
Who is Jehovah that I should pay any attention to Him? I know
not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Well, we get over
to chapter 7 there, and we just read that the Lord hardened his
heart. He didn't have to do much, but he hardened his heart. It
wasn't Pharaoh that hardened his heart, it was God that hardened
his heart. And we find in the book of Romans
chapter 9 and verse 17, for this very reason. Can you imagine
Pharaoh's mama being told that she had this baby for one reason?
Now it doesn't tell us that his mother knew that, but for one
reason, she had this baby, he grew up to be Pharaoh, and God
said to him through Moses, for this one reason have you been
raised up that I might show my power in you, by putting you
away. You know, I find another place
that is just as wrong as could be, that 11 brothers sold one of the brothers the book of Genesis. They were
so jealous of him. He was his dad's favorite. He had a coat of many colors,
whatever that all meant. He had that coat of many colors.
They were so jealous of him that first of all, they're going to
kill him. Throw him into a pit, just let him die. And yet, when
those Midianites came along and offered silver, they sold him
into Egypt. Now, let's go over here to the
book of Genesis chapter 37, if you would. Genesis chapter 37. Genesis 37, it's just wrong. I don't know about you, but I
only thought about selling my brother two or three times. It never happened. But it happened to Joseph. And
they went home and lied. They tore his coat all up, killed
a sheep, put his blood on it and said he got attacked by a
wild animal and this is all we could save. And his dad did the same thing
that Vashti did. She refused, and it's recorded
about his dad, refused to be comforted. Do you know how long
he mourned over that? until the day he saw Him." How
terrible this whole mess was. Alright, Genesis chapter 37 and
verse 28. Then there passed by Midianites,
merchant men, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit
and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver, and
they brought Joseph to Egypt." Now, we know the rest of the
story, but let's jump ahead in chapter 50 of this, and this
is that wonderful verse. How in the world could this nonsense
that they did, the maltreatment of their brother, how they treated
their dad is terrible. take back this lie about him
that he'd been killed when they knew full well. And if you take
11 and divide it into 20, someone got short. It didn't come out
even. Well, Genesis chapter 50 and
verse 20. Joseph revealing himself and
talking to his brothers after this, he says, but as for you,
you thought evil against me. And you know that word evil could
be underlined? Because they really hated him. But God manned it
unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people
alive. Now, when we get to the book
of Esther, we're going to find out that Vashti refused to come
into the presence of her husband at his commandment. And we're
going to see that. How could anything positive come
out of this? And yet this is exactly how God
is going to get his person in the right place at the right
time. And many people are going to
say, this is unfair. It's unfair for him to command
it. This is against the rules of
our country. And yet he did. It's unfair for
him to be drunk and do this. Well, another place that's just,
you just, Judah and Tamar. My goodness. Judah had a son. Tamar married. He's no longer around. I'll be
another son for you. I'll be another son for you.
Be another son for you. It never happened. And he goes
to town and rents a whore. Or he thought it was. A promise
of paying a sheep. And then she gets pregnant. And
he finds out about it, and he says, we're going to burn her. And he says, who did this? Whoever
these items belong to. And he swallowed hard, because
he knew. He says, she has been more righteous. Isn't it interesting that the
offspring of this union is in the line of our Savior, the Lord
Jesus. Only God can bring any good out
of such sin as that. It goes on, David and Bathsheba. Nothing could be worse for the
kingdom. A laughing stock among the rest of the kings. And then we read Solomon is born. First king after David. You read
about Solomon's reign. Everybody rested under his spine
because there was peace. Such a picture of our Savior
that we rest in him. That there's such peace. He's
taken care of all the battles that have ever gone on. You know,
in the book of John chapter 8, would you move over there with
me to John chapter 8? John chapter eight, you just
don't think there's any good gonna come out of this because
this woman is headed for execution. These guys stopped off for one
reason. Mike's been bringing it out several
times there in the book of Luke. It's just simple mockery is all
they're looking. If Jesus could make some comment
that they could have a problem with. Here in the book of John
chapter eight, we read these words. John chapter eight, verse
two, And early in the morning, he
came again into the temple. Now that's just as on purpose
as we're going to find Esther is going to reign. Just as on
purpose as a woman is going to be at a well. Just as on purpose,
the Lord is going to be where he needs to be, where his purpose
to be, where he has purpose to be in the covenant of grace to
intercept a bunch of Pharisees on their way to the stoning room. And all the people came unto
him and sat down and he taught them. And the scribes and the
Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they
set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman
was taken in adultery in the very act. There is no discussion
about her guilt at all. And she knows she's a condemned
woman. She is on the way to being stoned. That's her knowledge of the whole
thing. And yet the Lord intercepts. Now Moses in the law commanded
us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? Now that
question is they're wanting to catch him. This is not an honest
question. We already know what we're going
to do with this woman. What sayest thou? This they said, tempting
him that they might have to accuse him. Now it was not right what
she was doing. There's no question about that.
But isn't it a marvelous thing that God can take a great sin
and bring good out of it? But Jesus stooped down and with
his fingers wrote on the ground as though he heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up unto himself,
and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him
cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and
wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being
convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning
at the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone,
and the woman standing in the midst. And when Jesus had lifted
up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman,
where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? And
she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, No man,
Lord. I'm here by divine appointment. And she heard the best word she
could have ever heard. Neither do I condemn thee. Go
and sin no more. a bad situation, a sinful situation,
and they had every right under the Mosaic law to do what they
had intended to do. But the Lord showed grace. Judas' kiss You know, tonight I heard a voice
out here. It was Yvonna's. I was so glad
to hear that voice. She came in, she kissed me on
the cheek. I was so thankful. And I kissed her back on her
cheek. Sorry, Mike. Just, you know, we use that.
Let us greet each other with a holy kiss. Show affection,
Christian affection. And that's what Judas did, but
to identify this man to be condemned. He had already marketed him.
He had already sold him. And all they did or needed was
to be identified. It is a marvelous thing that
he'd been in and among them, and yet he needed to be identified.
So Judas went up and kissed him. Now we say, oh my goodness, that's
a terrible thing. Well, in Christ we say, that's
what the scripture said. It must be fulfilled. Judas did
what was purposed by God to be done and identified the Savior
so that they knew who to take. And all that fell out, and then
it tells us they did something that is just absolutely criminal. They crucified him. as a male
factor that says they crucified the Son of God, and yet God can
bring the best out of the greatest sin, and that's delivering the
Son of God as a sinner. They crucified Him. You know,
we find in the scriptures that the disciples saw a man born
blind. We know this, so I just love
this. A man born blind, and they were,
like Job's friends, who did sin? This man or his parents? And
Jesus just, well, let's just go over there and read that.
John chapter nine, John chapter nine. Esther is going to follow all
of this. We're going to see so often in the book of Esther,
the sovereignty of God declared, and we're going to see that he
is going to work the grace of God out of some of the most sinful
conditions. One of them is a drunken brawl. He is going to work that. Vashti
is banished. Vashti is put away. No longer
ever to come into that presence of her husband again. She's divorced. and he marries another woman.
All right. The book of John, chapter 9,
verse 1. And Jesus passed by, and he saw
a man that was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked
him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath
this man sinned, nor his parents. Lord, who did sin, Vashti or
Ahasuerus? Lord, Ahasuerus did the worst,
didn't he? Oh, no, Vashti, she didn't come.
Who did sin? Well, but that the works of God should
be made manifest in him. What a statement! I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day, and the night
cometh no man, when no man can work. And He heals the man. Who
did sin? Well, as we go through the book
of Esther, we will keep these things in mind, and we will remember
that verses 1 through 9 give us the events of providence to
follow. And that is verses 11 and 12
when King Ahasuerus says, not says, commands that his wife
be brought into the presence of these 120 drunk men. And she
says, absolutely not. The word is really powerful in
that place. The word is refused, but it is
absolutely refused. And then we find that God in
His grace puts a woman in her place for such a time as this. Let's stop there for tonight.