Esther’s Greatest Power – Part 1
The Power
of Grace in Marriage
How to
Manage Stubborn Husbands
Esther
2-7
Esther’s Greatest Power – Part 1
The Power
of Grace in Marriage
How to
Manage Stubborn Husbands
Esther
2-7 |
|
|
June 21, 2015 AM
Father’s Day
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Romans 15:4)
A.
Happy
Father’s Day everyone!
1.
Son: Dad,
do you know the difference between a pack of cookies and a pack of
elephants?
2.
Dad: No.
3.
Son: Then
it’s a good thing Mom does the grocery shopping!
4.
Someone
asked, "What is a father?" Immediately an older man answered, "A father
carries pictures where his money used to be."
5.
“A truly
rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are
empty.” — Unknown
6.
A father
is a man who expects his children to be as good as he meant to be.~
Carol Coats
7.
The most
important thing a father can do for his children is to love their
mother. ~ Henry Ward Beecher or Anjaneth Garcia Untalan, (not sure)
8.
“By the
time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a
son who thinks he’s wrong.” — Charles Wadsworth
9.
“Any man
can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Anne Geddes
10.
The
greatest gift I ever had came from God; I call him Dad!
B.
The Book
of Esther is one of the neglected books of the Bible.
1.
Most
people have never heard a sermon, or a series of sermons, on the book of
Esther.
2.
And for
good reason – it is very pointed, very clear in its truth about handling
hard hearted, stubborn, selfish men.
3.
And how
to let something more powerful than anger change your home – GRACE!
C.
It is
mainly about a woman – named ESTHER
1.
If you
have read this book of Esther, then you already know it is
an intriguing and fascinating
story of human love and palace-intrigue.
2.
It covers
a time of Israel’s history when they were spiritually away from God, and
physically away from their land.
3.
The
Jewish people so ignored and rejected God’s ways of living that they had
harshly reaped the consequences of their choices and watched their
entire country burned to the ground, and Jerusalem reduced to a pile of
burnt rubble, as they and all their children were taken away as slaves
and captives to a far away empire called Babylon!
4.
And that
is where this Book picks up the story – with the people of Israel in
captivity, away from God and from their land, and about to be utterly
destroyed by an enemy named Haman, that you would think was Adolf
Hitler’s twin brother!
D.
The
Apostle Paul, in Romans 15:4 reminds us that
all the things that happened to Israel happened as examples for us.
They teach us about Israel, but they also very clearly teach us about
OURSELVES!
II.
Review
(Esther 1:1-9)
A.
We Have
Already Met, Ahasuerus the King
1.
Ahasuerus
is a title, like Pharaoh, Caesar, and Taoiseach
2.
His real
name was Xerxes – lived about 500 years before the birth of Jesus
3.
Pretty
ruthless man
B.
We
learned About the Kingdom of Media and Persia
1.
Vast
empire - 127 provinces under the dominion of one empire (Ireland only
has 4 provinces, Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht). 3,000 miles
from Egypt to India! As big in size as Europe!
2.
When the
Book of Esther begins, Ahasuerus wasn’t finished expanding his empire
3.
He set
his sights on Greece and Europe itself!
4.
And the
great feast of Esther chapter 1 was a part of the preparation for the
organization of his upcoming campaign against Greece
5.
He
miserably failed
6.
That’s
where chapter 2 comes in.
C.
We Then
Met, Vashti the Queen
1.
Queen
Vashti of Media ruled this empire along-side her husband, Ahasuerus
2.
A
descendent of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, and related to Cyrus the Great
3.
She takes
her place as the first official feminist in history, as you will see
D.
They Were
having a Huge Celebration
1.
180 days
(1/2 a year) of partying and revelling in preparation for their invasion
of Greece
a.
The
empire was getting ready to go to war, so they were living it up before
they potentially died!
b.
The
Persians of that day were known for being soft, and pleasure seekers
2.
At the
end of the 180 days, a special one week feast is held for everyone great
and small
E.
A major
marital spat, and we learned the wrong way to handle a hard husband!
1.
Ahasuerus’ Drunken Command (Esther 1:10,11)
a.
Ahasuerus
was a Drunkard, Partier, Megalomaniac
b.
In a mood
of showing off
c.
So, he
COMMANDS his wife. Commands that she be brought before him and that she
present herself before the whole city as another one of his beautiful
possessions
d.
This was
a slam to Vashti – a public embarrassment for her
e.
Rude,
disrespectful, demeaning, controlling, uncaring, and the list goes on
and on
f.
How do
you respond to a man like that?
2.
Vashti’s
Feminist Response (Esther 1:12)
a.
She knew
his command/request was wrong. Anyone would have known that was wrong –
and last week we talked about why
b.
Vashti
had three options: Ignore him, Fight him, or Divorce him.
c.
She is no
saint – a partier too, and a rebel, selfish, spoiled…
d.
Vashti
chooses to fight him – head to head, toe to toe, eye to eye
1)
Plainly
REFUSED his command – publically hurt him
2)
There.
They were now even.
3)
Ahasuerus
should just get over it, and get on with life
4)
He will
just have to learn that he cannot just boss her around
5)
And then
she went back to her own party
e.
That
should have been the end of it.
f.
But, oh
no! This was a fight she didn’t think would go as far as it did
3.
The
Consequences of Vashti’s Actions (Esther 1:12, 19-22)
a.
She
brought out fierce and dangerous anger in Ahasuerus
b.
Ahasuerus
quickly divorces his queen. Vashti could not have stopped it!
c.
Vashti
loses everything
d.
And
Ahasuerus just went on with life
e.
And the
kingdom learned its lesson – that men will win every time! “Might” will
make right
f.
But was
it the best lesson?
g.
Again, I
don’t believe Vashti thought this would go as far as it did. But it did!
Whew!
4.
And that
was the end of chapter 1! But thankfully there are more chapters – and a
better way to handle stupid, stubborn, childish, pig-headed, arrogant,
angry, rude men! (Did I miss anybody?)
F.
This
Bible is not a Book of religious sayings, or prayers, but of the telling
of the stories of the lives of real people (like Esther), and how the
Grace of God saved them and their marriages, or helped them, or restored
them from ruin.
G.
Now. You
may be looking for a whole lot more information than what I am about to
show you…
1.
But don’t
be so picky and particular about all the problems with your husband, or
your wife that you miss the foundational things, the main things you
need to be doing before you can try and fix things not illustrated in
this lesson this morning!
2.
Remember,
there is a whole lot of Bible, with a whole lot of help
3.
But if
you reject the help God is going to give you this morning from this
amazing Book of Esther, then you probably will reject all the other
helps in the rest of the word of God! Don’t do that!
III.
The Story
Continues… (Esther Chapters 2 – 5)
A.
Ahasuerus
Sought Another Wife (2:1-4)
1.
Did not
want the best kind of a wife…
2.
But the
most beautiful – remember Vashti?
3.
The most
attractive
4.
He is
still interested in an object, a possession
5.
If you
haven’t figured it out yet, Most men are still only selfish creatures
that want a great looking girl to be by his side! To show off.
6.
Tell me
that is not the case with all the scummy guys hanging off of knock out
doll-girls!!!
B.
Meet
Hadassah / Esther (2:5-10)
1.
A Jewess
2.
Part of
the captivity of Israel to Babylon and Persia about 70 years earlier
3.
Lost her
parents
4.
Raised by
her older cousin, Mordecai
C.
The
Competition (2:8,9)
1.
Like a
beauty contest
2.
It has
always been intense
3.
Never
fair
4.
You had
better set your course – your character – your limits
5.
Don’t
compete – God is in charge
6.
You take
care of the life God gave you, and look forward to marriage and family
and your own home
7.
But leave
the picking and choosing to God!
D.
The
Qualities She Had
1.
Outwardly, Fair and beautiful – pleasing to the eye, and attractive
2.
Inwardly,
Submitted – to Mordecai – trusted him – obeyed him
a.
Hid her
nationality
b.
Not
ashamed of it
c.
By
discrete
d.
Not make
it an issue
e.
Sometimes
people make their colour, or their gender the issue
f.
Jesus
didn’t
1)
He could
have pushed the point of Him being GOD in the flesh
2)
That he
could have called down 12 legions of angels
3.
Pleased
Others – Hegai
4.
Earned
Respect – earned the favour, praise of Hegai AND of all the other women
(that’s hard)
5.
They are
all why she was chosen, and even preferred ahead of the others – because
she had many layers of beauty!
E.
Mordecai’s Deep Concern (2:11)
1.
If there
is someone to learn from, about being a godly DAD, it would be from
MORDECAI, who wasn’t even a DAD!
2.
He had
done his best to raise her right – God fearing, she knew how to walk
with God herself, and to be a godly woman
3.
He had
protected her – from being cheated, deceived, robbed of her best
4.
But now
she is out of his care and protection!
5.
What
would happen to her? Ahasuerus was not someone to toy with. Esther was
in real danger!
6.
Esther
was out of his care… But not out of his PRAYER!
7.
Mordecai
is a good friend – oh that we men protected ladies, especially young
ladies!
8.
Are you
the brother of a sister? Do you pray for her and protect her?
9.
1Ti 5:1,2
Rebuke not an elder, but intreat
him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as
mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
F.
The King
Chooses Esther – Makes her Queen (2:12-18)
1.
Here we
have modern man- doing what modern men do – lining up girls and “trying
them before buying!” What an amazingly up-to-date book the Bible is!
a.
Nothing
has changed
b.
Men still
won’t commit to one woman for life by faith
c.
Always
has to be by FLESH!
2.
So, like
cattle, one after another, the young ladies of the kingdom are brought
to the king, to spend the night with him, and like a spoiled brat, he
dismisses them, always finding some fault – none were just right
3.
That was,
until Esther appeared – see Cinderella!
4.
No
further search once he met her
5.
He Crowns
her - Like Miss Universe!
6.
Has a
celebration (it seems to be his favourite thing to do) and calls it
Esther’s Feast (2:18)
7.
Should
have stopped the story right there
8.
“And they
lived Happily Ever After!”
9.
Ah, no!
This is not a fairy tale book!
10.
God shows
us extreme examples, and then shows us how to deal with them
11.
So that
we can adjust and apply what we learn to OUR mundane, not so extreme
home and marriage problems! Amen!
G.
Not
Everything is Honkey-Dorey! (3:7-15)
1.
There was
a problem brewing that neither Esther nor Ahasuerus was aware of
2.
There was
an enemy – Haman
a.
And not
even HE was the real enemy
b.
There was
an enemy BEHIND the enemy – Satan (remember Job?)
3.
Haman was
carrying out an age-old vengeance against the Jewish people
a.
Wanted
them ALL dead
b.
And that
would include Esther herself, and any future children she might have
4.
And
without hardly any effort, the ruin was sealed
5.
It was
only a matter of time before Esther, and all the Jewish people were
exterminated – about 11 months
6.
What a
way to start a family!
H.
What Went
Wrong?
1.
Ahasuerus
Did Not Know Esther
a.
Never
knew where she came from, her culture, her likes, her dislikes!
b.
Never
cared to ask
c.
Just got
married and got free legal sex!
d.
The Bible
commands that every married man gets to know his wife – understand her,
or at least TRY to understand her, and her needs, and her background,
and her likes and dislikes! (1Peter 3:7) “according to knowledge)
2.
Ahasuerus
Wasn’t Close to Esther
a.
Would go
weeks and even months without spending any time with her
b.
Too busy
in his own affairs
c.
Always on
business
d.
Always
away from the home – not his palace, but his place by her side in the
core of his home!
3.
Ahasuerus
Allowed a Problem to INTO His home
a.
HE was
ultimately responsible for this threat actually taking shape
b.
A threat
to his very marriage
c.
A threat
to his future children
d.
And never
was aware of it
4.
Ahasuerus
was actually a PART of the problem
a.
Actually
signed the death warrant with his own ring and name
b.
HE would
be to blame for the genocide of the Jews
5.
Esther
Thought She Could Do Nothing
a.
At first
was ignorant of what was going on
b.
Then when
she was made aware of the danger, she had no clue what to do
c.
She had
no power against such a plot
d.
She had
no rule over her husband
e.
What
could SHE do?
f.
She just
accepted things
1)
Esther
Thought everything was “normal” – just how things had to be!
2)
Many a
woman finds herself extremely frustrated and bitter for no clear reason
– but it is because what they see as normal, and what they have just
always put up with, was serious and they don’t know how to deal with it!
g.
That is
until Mordecai taught her about the power of GRACE. Not the toleration
of wrong, but the changing of what is wrong using grace!
I.
Next Week
- How Esther Approached Her Husband and Changed Him for the Better
IV.
Conclusion
A.
Gentlemen, none of us deserve such a woman as Esther! None of us deserve
such careful respect
B.
We are
all-too-often like Ahasuerus
C.
And we
wonder why our wives and our homes are so disconnected, so cold, so
hurt!
D.
It is
because MOST of us have never understood GRACE
E.
We take
kindness for granted
F.
We
especially take GOD’S kindness and grace for granted
G.
If we
want our homes to survive…
1.
Ladies,
you need to learn what Esther is going to show us
2.
And men,
you need to learn what GRACE can do in your home, in your fights, in
your children, and in your own heart
H.
Ephesians
2:8,9 |