Sermon from August 31 - Queen Esther
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Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Welcome to our final week on Old Testament stories. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback and a special thank you to our readers who have not had an easy job. I’m not sure which week was the hardest but these past three readings have all been doozies.
Last week’s reading and story foretold the coming destruction the southern kingdom, Judah, and its capital Jerusalem. You’ll remember that the northern kingdom, Israel, had already been conquered and taken into exile as well. The predicted destruction for the Judah finally came in the form of the Babylonians. Babylon was located basically in modern day Iraq. Judah was conquered and the people either fled to Egypt or were forced into exile in Babylon. It was just as God had predicted. The people’s faithlessness had brought this upon them. It’s not like they hadn’t been warned over and over and over again.
While they were in exile an interesting thing happened – their conquerors were conquered. The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians who are basically the equivalent of modern day Iranians. So yes, the conflict in the Middle East goes back many years.
When the Persians take over they also inherit the Jewish exiles. The Jews are now living in this land now ruled by the Persians.
It is here that we pick up today’s story from the Book of Esther. Esther is actually a great book to read if you’re looking for an Old Testament book that has a clear narrative that’s easy to follow and that’s not really that long.
This is the second week in our series that we’ve had a woman at the center of the text and the third week a woman has played a major role in the reading. The Book of Esther is often a favorite one among women because one of the main protagonists in the book is a woman who holds power. However, most of the children’s Bibles and many retellings ignore chapter 1 which also has a woman at the center of the story.
Ahasuerus is King of Persia at this time. It’s most likely that Ahasuerus is Xerxes I though it’s also been speculated that it could also be King Artaxerxes. Because Ahasuerus is a bit of a mouthful I’m just going to refer to Ahasuerus as the King from here on out.
The King decides to throw a massive party mostly because he could. The party ends with a banquet that lasts for seven days and everyone is invited. The decorations were expensive to show off how prosperous they were and they even drank out of golden goblets and the wine flowed without ceasing.
On the seventh day, when we are told the King was merry with wine, he orders his wife to come dressed out in the finest robes and her crown so that the king to show off how hot his wife is to people and officials. Now, any of you who are married know that giving drunken commands to your significant other is usually a bad idea. Queen Vashti wasn’t having it. She refuses to do it. Even though he is the King.
As you can imagine, the King who was used to getting his way because he is the king after all, gets enraged. He calls his sages to him to figure out what to do because Queen Vashti has refused to obey her husband and the King. The King and the sages all decide this needs to be squashed immediately because they’re worried all the other women will get the idea that they can do the same thing and pretty soon they’d have a revolution on their hands. They’re worried that if they let this slide it will only be the beginning. They decide to take the crown from Vashti and that the King should marry a different woman. They also send out decrees to the entire kingdom saying that women are to give honor to their husbands and men should be masters of their house. Though it is a pretty sexist move I do give them a little credit for at least feeling threatened by women.
So, the King is looking for a new queen. The call is put out across the land for all beautiful young virgins to be gathered together, be given makeovers, and be presented to the King. Doesn’t this kind of sound like a reality TV casting call? Calling all pretty, young women! Free makeover and a chance to meet the king!
It is then that we meet Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai is a Jew who was born in exile. His cousin is Esther who was orphaned. Therefore, Mordecai takes it upon himself to raise her. Esther also happens to be very beautiful. Because of this she is recruited to be a part of the harem or be a contestant in the Biblical reality show “Who Wants to Marry the King and Become Queen?” However, Mordecai warns her not to reveal to anyone that she is Jewish.
The makeover part is intense – it’s a full six month oil treatment and then six months with cosmetics and perfumes. But after a year she is finally brought before the king and she wins the king’s favor and devotion. She gets the crown and is made the new queen. She gets a royal wedding banquet and everything!
In chapter 3 we meet Haman for the first time. Haman is put above all the other officials and lets the power go to his head in a big way. In fact, people are supposed to bow to him. As you can imagine, Haman really liked it when people bowed before him. However, Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman. We’re not told specifically why Mordecai refused to bow to Haman. It might have been because he didn’t believe in bowing to anyone but God kind of like Sharach, Meshach, and Abendego in the Book of Daniel or it might have been because he thought Haman was a jerk. We don’t know. But one way or another Mordecai refuses to bow before Haman and it enrages Haman. Haman discovers that Mordecai is a Jew and though he thinks it’s beneath him to lay his hands on Mordecai he starts plotting to destroy Mordecai and Mordecai’s people, the Jews. And destroy isn’t hyperbolic. The word destroy and its variations show up 25 times in the Book of Esther emphasizing that this was a major threat to God’s people.
While Haman is a power-hungry jerk he’s also very devious and clever. When he is brought before the King Haman comes with a well-prepared presentation. He brings the Jews to the King’s attention. They are living in the kingdom and they follow different laws than that of the Persian Empire which is partially true, but we have no evidence of major disobedience other than Mordecai refusing to bow before Haman. Haman goes on to suggest that this means they are directly disobeying and rebelling against the King and this should not be tolerated. He then calls for the destruction of the Jews. To make sure it happens he even offers a bribe of 10,000 talents which makes it clear that he will do whatever is in his power to make this happen. The King says sure, doesn’t really inquire anything more about the Jews, and doesn’t even require the bribe and simply hands over his signet ring in order to make the decree official. He basically tells Haman to do whatever he wants and the decree goes out for the destruction of the Jews, no big deal.
Mordecai and the Jews throughout the land learn about the plot of the destruction of the Jewish people. He and other Jews put on sackcloth and ashes which often serve as a sign of repentance and mourning. In this case they are mourning their impending doom.
Mordecai gets word to Esther who first decides the problem is that Mordecai needs nicer clothes instead of sackcloth and ashes. When that doesn’t work she asks for word as to what’s actually bothering him. He sends word to her about everything – Haman’s plot and bribe, the upcoming destruction and eradication of the Jews including her.
He asks her to go the King and speak on behalf of her people. But there’s a rule in place that makes this not only tricky but downright dangerous: if any man or woman goes to the king without being summoned they are put death unless he stretches out his scepter. And we learned earlier that the King likes his women submissive and does not like it when they disobey the rules or his commands. Plus, she hasn’t been called before him for thirty days. This is not a good sign. Esther, for reasons we understand, is not keen to put her life on the line by going before the king out of turn and unsummoned. It could end very, very badly just like it did for Queen Vashti before her.
However, Mordecai points out that she is at risk already. After all, she is Jewish, too. Then he speaks one of the most well-known and key lines of the Book of Esther: “For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” This does the trick. Esther agrees to do it. She asks Mordecai to have the people fast on her behalf. She also courageously goes into it knowing full well the potential consequences – “I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” She’s ready for whatever lies ahead.
After the period of fasting on her behalf she presents herself to the King. There’s a beat. Then he is greatly pleased to see her and holds out his scepter. She is safe, for now. The King asks for her request and graciously says that he will grant her whatever she desires even if it’s half of his kingdom. She invites him and Haman to a banquet she has prepared for them. At the banquet he asks again for her petition; what does she desire? She invites the King and Haman to a second banquet to be held the next day. The King and Haman graciously accept the invitation.
Haman is so pleased with himself to be in the company of the King and the Queen he’s practically walking on air. However, after the meal he again notices again how Mordecai refuses to bow before him. He’s got such an ego on him that in order to make himself feel better from this slight he calls his wife and friends to him so he can recount how awesome he is in their sight. I have all these sons and have received all these promotions and the King has honored me and put me above other officials. The Queen even invited me in her presence with the King. I’m awesome and I know it! But, there’s this jerk of a guy who just won’t bow to me! What should I do?
You can just imagine him being a whiny narcissist, can’t you? His wife and friends suggest that he builds a huge gallows just for the purpose of hanging Mordecai. So he immediately commissions the making of this gallows.
The next day Esther holds the second banquet for the King and Haman. At the banquet the King once again asks for her request. Whatever she wants. What she wants is her life and the life of her people spared. She finally lays it all out there. She is a Jew and her people are going to be destroyed, annihilated. The King asks who is responsible for this. Haman. It’s Haman. The King is horrified and is so angry he has to leave the room. While he is gone Haman begs for her forgiveness but it’s too late. The King calls for Haman’s death by the very gallows Haman had commissioned.
But the law is still in place. It’s also not as simple as saying, yeah, by the way, that law that was written earlier calling for the destruction of the Jews – just forget about that. As we hear later in the passage any law written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked. However, a new law can be put into place. The King gives Esther and Mordecai permission to write a new law that can help prevent the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai writes a new law that gives any and all Jews in the Persian Empire permission to defend themselves against any attackers once a year on the same day Haman had given people permission to attack the Jews. Not only that but they are also granted permission to attack anyone who may attack them. The day came and the Jews were victorious in defending themselves and killing those who would have killed them. They win a rousing victory and God’s people are spared. This is the Book of Esther, give or take a few minor plot points. Again, it’s a great book to read. Give it a shot.
Now you may or may not have noticed in the retelling of this story God is barely mentioned. Actually, the Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible where God is not mentioned specifically by name. There’s no God or the Lord in Esther.
This may not feel so different from our own experiences today. We don’t have prophets in the same style as the Old Testament who are clearly and obviously marked as the mouthpieces of God. We don’t have judges who are quite like Deborah who serve as God’s messengers and leaders of God’s people. There are no longer kings like David and Josiah who are not only good leaders of the people in politics and policy but are also dedicated to God and diligently living out God’s laws. We don’t have God walking among us like Jesus and we don’t have the disciples to tell us what Jesus was really like or the apostle Paul to write us letters with insights as to why Jesus matters. Like in the Book of Esther God might not be entirely obvious to us.
Because God isn’t so obvious it means that like Esther we risk something when we tell others about our beliefs. Just like Esther was terrified to go before the King and reveal she was a Jew it’s also scary telling someone we’re a Christian. It really is. Even as a pastor I know this. Try dating when you’re studying to become a pastor, especially as a woman. That’s always a fun bit of information to try to drop into a conversation.
And I know it’s hard for you, too. The label Christian comes with baggage. It may be the baggage of an experience someone else had with a church that wasn’t so great. It may be the baggage of the media’s portrayal of Christianity which isn’t always pleasant. It may be the baggage of assumptions that come with the word, Christian. It may be the baggage of a bad experience with another Christian or church. Revealing yourself as a Christian and inviting someone to church can take courage. This baggage does not make it easy. Inviting someone to church might just be one of the scariest thing you ever do.
But God is there whether you know it or not. After all, God is present in the Book of Esther whether God’s name is dropped or not. We can’t help but read God into the story. Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman reminds us of the first commandment – thou shall have no other gods. Esther’s request that the people fast for her suggests people are using that time to pray to God on her behalf. Sackcloth and ashes are signs of repentance to God and mourning and lament which is also directed to God. So while God is not named we cannot help but see God present everywhere.
We hear God the most in what Mordecai tells Esther when he encourages her to risk her life and present herself before the king. “For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Here we hear words of faith. Deliverance will come from God. God will be faithful to God’s people. Even in exile God will not let God’s people perish. God will be faithful. God will bring deliverance. But perhaps you have comes to royal dignity for just such a time as this.
One summer Luther Seminary recruited me to be a representative for the seminary at the Youth Gathering in San Antonio. It was an easy job. I hung out at the Lutheran seminaries booth and had youth fill out “I’m interested in learning more” cards. I didn’t really expect to make any real connection with a youth there. But one day I started talking to a youth by the name of Danny. Danny had come to the Youth Gathering but wasn’t sure about whole Christianity thing. In fact, he was leaning toward and way pretty much already declaring himself as an agnostic. But he came anyway. For two or three days he would stop by to say hi and we would talk about life and faith and the world and about all the questions he had. The week ended and while we emailed back and forth for a few months we lost contact. That was nearly eight years ago. I still wonder what happened to him and whether or not he ever made peace with his questions about Jesus and faith and life.
I can’t help but think about Mordecai’s words to Esther when I think about Danny. Because unlike Esther I’m not sure if our conversations made a difference. I don’t know what happened next. But I do know that God is faithful. I do know that deliverance and relief can come from many places. So, I trust that God continues to speak to Danny through other people. Maybe, like Esther, it was intended that I be put at that place at that time to turn things around for Danny’s faith life. But maybe it wasn’t for me to do. And if not, just as Mordecai said and I trust that it will come from another place because God is faithful. I’m paraphrasing here – If you keep silent at such a time as this relief and deliverance will rise from another quarter. Who knows? Perhaps you have come into this situation for such a time as this.” In other words, maybe it was intended by God for you to be there, at this time, talking to this youth about Jesus. Or maybe not. You never know. But trust that God will be there and God will provide.
After all God has already done all the heavy lifting. God has delivered God’s people, us, from sin and death by through Jesus death on the cross and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The hardest work is done.
When you go out into the world with this message you never know what will happen. You never know when an opportunity to tell others about God’s love through Jesus Christ may arise. God will provide for God’s people one way or another. God will make himself known whether it’s through you or through another. But who knows, maybe you will come into a situation where you can share God’s Word for such a time as this. So take courage like Esther and know that God will be there and that God has already done the heavy lifting through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.