WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.620 I've spoken with many people over the years who have said some version of the same thing. 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:11.460 They said, you know, if Jesus would just come and appear to me, then I would believe in him. 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:18.859 If I could be like Moses or David and see a burning bush or hear the voice of God, then I would believe. 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:25.960 If God would enact some kind of a miracle for me to witness, then I would have faith. 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:30.760 And, you know, if I'm totally honest, I've felt the same thing. 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:33.480 I've wished for the same thing. 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:41.620 That God might somehow demonstrate his presence to me in a way that I could see or hear or touch. 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:45.140 And it's a very real question. 00:00:45.299 --> 00:00:48.100 How do you believe in a God that you can't see? 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:51.020 How do you believe in a God that you cannot hear? 00:00:52.100 --> 00:00:54.159 How do you believe in a God that you can't touch? 00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:00.799 Moreover, how can you possibly consider trusting such a God? 00:01:00.899 --> 00:01:06.019 Trusting such a God enough that you would give your life to that God? 00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:08.980 I think it's a very real question. 00:01:09.939 --> 00:01:13.540 And this is a question that we're going to be considering together over the next couple of months 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:16.519 as we look at a little book in the Old Testament called the book of Esther. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:20.120 Esther is amazing for a lot of reasons. 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:25.980 But one of the main reasons we're going to be looking at it is because unlike many of the other books of the Bible, 00:01:26.579 --> 00:01:30.900 in Esther, God is never mentioned a single time. 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:33.080 Never mentioned. 00:01:34.380 --> 00:01:35.760 No voice of God. 00:01:36.180 --> 00:01:39.780 No divine sword-wielding messenger of God. 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:41.659 Nobody walks on water. 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:48.640 No miraculous healings of lepers or curing of blindness or raising people from the dead. 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.560 None of those things happen in Esther. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:58.259 And yet, as we'll see over the next couple of months, God is everywhere in this story. 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:05.400 It is saturated with God's presence for those who have the eyes to see Him. 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:16.420 And, you know, Esther, this young woman, unlikely character, is one of the greatest examples of faithfulness we have in Scripture. 00:02:17.480 --> 00:02:24.159 So today what we're going to do is we're going to look at Esther chapter 1, and we're going to go through Esther chapter 2, verse 8. 00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:32.300 And this section that we're going to be looking at is sort of, it sets the scene. 00:02:32.300 --> 00:02:43.560 There are three events that happen in this section of the story that sort of set in motion all of the subsequent events that will unfold. 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:45.660 So we're going to look at these three events. 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:48.480 We're going to see a king boast. 00:02:49.580 --> 00:02:50.480 So the king boasts. 00:02:51.380 --> 00:02:53.420 A queen takes a stand. 00:02:54.180 --> 00:03:00.460 And then finally we're going to meet a mysterious young girl who doesn't even come into the story until chapter 2. 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:01.439 Let's pray. 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:05.460 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:18.300 And every week we confess that our desire is very often to put your word on the table and to parse it out and to analyze it and to dissect it and to try to explain it. 00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:31.580 But Lord, what we most need, what I most need from you is to be the one on the table, to be the one who is analyzed, to be the one who is dissected. 00:03:31.580 --> 00:03:32.580 And Lord, we need your word to explain it. 00:03:32.580 --> 00:03:35.719 And Lord, we need your word to explain us to ourselves. 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:40.859 Because we know that unlike any other book, this book can. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.819 It can explain our hearts to us. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.219 And that more than that, it can reveal your son to us. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:48.479 And that's what we most need. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:49.479 In your son's name. 00:03:49.979 --> 00:03:50.219 Amen. 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:51.219 Amen. 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:52.219 Amen. 00:03:52.219 --> 00:03:53.219 Amen. 00:03:53.219 --> 00:03:54.759 So, let's look at the opening of Esther. 00:03:54.759 --> 00:04:00.520 And we're going to see this boastful, vain, pompous king. 00:04:01.259 --> 00:04:04.539 The year is 483 B.C. 00:04:04.539 --> 00:04:07.400 And we meet a king right off the bat. 00:04:07.459 --> 00:04:11.099 It's interesting that the author starts with this king, King Ahasuerus. 00:04:11.859 --> 00:04:14.699 He's also known in history as King Xerxes. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:23.279 So, if you're familiar with the somewhat fictionalized movie 300 about the Battle of Thermopylae and King Leonidas, 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:28.219 the villain in that movie, Xerxes, is actually a real historical figure. 00:04:28.539 --> 00:04:33.300 It's the same person, King Ahasuerus, also known as King Xerxes. 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:38.500 And we're probably going to use those names interchangeably throughout the course of this series. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:42.319 But at this point, this king is the most powerful man on earth. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:44.960 He's the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire. 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:50.139 And he's just returned from a massive military campaign. 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:52.240 And he's at Susa. 00:04:52.939 --> 00:04:58.519 And Susa is the luxurious citadel and home of the Persian royalty. 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:07.939 It's an unimaginably beautiful, luxurious, wealthy place full of gold and silver and jewels and wealth of all kinds. 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:12.699 And this king is all about flexing his wealth and power. 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:15.879 He wants everybody to know how wealthy and powerful he is. 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.019 And so, he invites officials from all over his kingdom. 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:20.539 I say invites. 00:05:20.719 --> 00:05:24.399 I'm assuming it was more of a compulsion that they come. 00:05:25.019 --> 00:05:29.519 But he wants people from all over his kingdom to come to Susa where it says in verse 4, 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:37.879 he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.279 And if you're picking up on a little sarcasm there, you're exactly right. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:48.159 This is one of those great places in the Bible where you see that what we're getting in Scripture is not just a historical account. 00:05:48.599 --> 00:05:49.419 This is art. 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:52.179 This is a work of literature. 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:59.439 And the author of Esther is brilliant at sarcasm and dramatic reversals. 00:05:59.739 --> 00:06:05.899 And right off the bat, we get a sense of this author's almost kind of mocking tone toward this king, 00:06:06.039 --> 00:06:08.659 the splendor and pomp of his greatness. 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:13.760 This is a six-month festival of self-aggrandizement. 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:19.700 And to cap it all off, he throws a week-long drinking party with a round-the-clock open bar. 00:06:20.940 --> 00:06:24.700 And, you know, that can only lead to good things. 00:06:25.640 --> 00:06:33.820 And so, on the last day of this sort of binge-drinking party, it says the heart of the king is merry with wine. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:34.660 That's a nice euphemism. 00:06:35.320 --> 00:06:37.600 I think we probably know what that means. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.740 He's feeling very merry at this point. 00:06:40.820 --> 00:06:46.800 And he's already showed off his gold and his silver and his gourmet food and his yachts. 00:06:46.900 --> 00:06:48.260 He showed everything off. 00:06:48.320 --> 00:06:52.740 There's one thing that he has yet to bring out to impress all of his drunk friends. 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:54.660 His wife. 00:06:55.620 --> 00:07:02.920 And so, he gets this great idea to send seven of his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti. 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:04.759 And let's just be clear about this. 00:07:04.980 --> 00:07:09.540 This is not so that they can meet Queen Vashti or even hear her speak. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:19.100 This is purely so that Queen Vashti can be presented and stared at by a bunch of drunk, rich men. 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:30.340 And I think we need to pause here and just sort of reflect on the fact that King Ahasuerus is almost presented to us as a caricature. 00:07:31.400 --> 00:07:31.560 Right? 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:35.980 There's a tone of sarcasm and mockery from the author. 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:39.620 We're seeing already the author's not taking him very seriously. 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:41.939 And so, it's easy for us to not take him very seriously. 00:07:42.019 --> 00:07:43.879 To roll our eyes and be like, what a ridiculous character. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:45.120 And move on with the story. 00:07:45.180 --> 00:07:49.340 But I think it's worth reflecting on this king a little more deeply. 00:07:49.339 --> 00:07:53.060 I mean, here's a man who has it all. 00:07:53.939 --> 00:07:59.679 He has all of the sex and money and power he could possibly imagine. 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:05.500 He lives on a level of luxury beyond anything we can possibly imagine. 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:10.159 And so, the question that arises is, why is he trying so hard? 00:08:12.139 --> 00:08:14.179 You know, what's he trying to prove? 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:21.360 Why compel people from all over your kingdom to come and tell you how great you are? 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:31.160 Why bring out all of this luxury and wealth just to earn the affirmation of these people who all technically work for you? 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.960 What is the impulse in the human heart that drives that kind of behavior? 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.100 You know, it's easy to distance ourselves from this. 00:08:42.100 --> 00:08:51.060 But I would say it's probably very similar to the impulse that drives us to count how many likes we get on social media. 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:52.620 Right? 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:54.379 Maybe it's a difference of scale. 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:57.519 But not of essence. 00:08:58.920 --> 00:09:03.000 You know, I think there's something in the human heart that wants affirmation. 00:09:03.180 --> 00:09:07.060 That wants to know a sense of our own worth. 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:13.099 It's the same impulse that drives us to relentlessly compare ourselves to other people. 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:25.259 You know, when we look at other people's careers, or other people's kitchens, or other people's children, or other people's marriages, or other people's bodies, or other people's exciting lives. 00:09:25.259 --> 00:09:38.879 Because it's almost impossible, especially in this day and age where you are presented with pictures of idealized bodies and idealized vacations and idealized living rooms. 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:42.059 It's almost impossible not to compare. 00:09:42.059 --> 00:10:03.739 And the thing is, when you have an unchecked impulse in you, like this, an unchecked impulse toward self-aggrandizement, toward self-exaltation, and then you put such a person in a position of power, they can do an enormous amount of damage. 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:13.580 Václav Havel, first president of the Czech Republic, is an incredibly thoughtful leader. 00:10:13.700 --> 00:10:15.620 Was an amazing man in many ways. 00:10:16.659 --> 00:10:19.000 And he gave a lot of great speeches and did a lot of great writing. 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:29.519 But one of the speeches that has always left its mark on me, he was receiving an award and he was giving this acceptance speech as he received the award. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:39.179 And in this speech, he's very honest about his own position, and he's very honest about the temptations of power, in particular political power. 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:46.460 Because he says all of us have this thing in us, this desire for existential affirmation. 00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:51.340 For somebody to point at you and say, you are worthy, you're the best, you're amazing. 00:10:51.340 --> 00:11:02.040 And he says, when you know that is in you as a human being, it's easy to begin to use your power to gain more and more and more existential affirmation. 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:07.639 And he points to that as the root of many of the evils that we've seen throughout history. 00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:14.980 Leaders who have done enormous amounts of damage to the people that they propose to serve. 00:11:14.980 --> 00:11:17.820 He says this near the end of his speech. 00:11:17.820 --> 00:11:38.800 Politics is an area of human endeavor that places greater stress on moral sensitivity, on the ability to reflect critically on oneself, on genuine responsibility, on taste and tact, on the capacity to empathize with others, on a sense of moderation, on humility. 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:46.839 It is a job for modest people, for people who cannot be deceived, and by that he means self-deceived. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:52.299 These are the kind of leaders we need to be electing in our country. 00:11:54.359 --> 00:11:56.059 Don't just pay attention to policy. 00:11:57.939 --> 00:12:01.179 These are the kind of leaders that we need to seek to become. 00:12:03.319 --> 00:12:06.259 So that's the king and his brash proposal. 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:10.620 Moving on in the story, we see this wonderful queen. 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:15.419 And if there's anything that I wish we had more of in Esther, it would be more about Queen Vashti. 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.559 We just see a little bit of her, but what we see is very intriguing. 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:22.159 The king sends seven eunuchs to fetch the queen. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:23.799 Now, I'm not sure why it took seven. 00:12:26.139 --> 00:12:29.100 What it suggests to me is that maybe they weren't on the best of terms. 00:12:29.939 --> 00:12:34.340 And he says, you know, maybe you should all go and bring her, right? 00:12:34.340 --> 00:12:36.700 But he's seen seven eunuchs to fetch the queen. 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:38.460 And you can imagine time passing. 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:41.040 You know, no Vashti. 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:42.060 More time passes. 00:12:42.660 --> 00:12:47.139 You can imagine all of his friends are sort of starting to shuffle their feet and clear their throats. 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:49.700 And everybody's kind of waiting for the queen to appear. 00:12:49.820 --> 00:12:51.500 It's starting to get awkward. 00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:57.600 And the king is sort of nervously looking at the door and drumming his fingers on the table and waiting. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:01.920 And after an awkwardly long time, the eunuchs sort of slink back in. 00:13:02.019 --> 00:13:08.440 And they sheepishly whispered to the king, Vashti's not coming. 00:13:09.540 --> 00:13:12.460 And you can almost imagine the wine sort of spraying out of his mouth. 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:12.960 What? 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:15.980 You know, it's a kind of absurd moment. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:18.759 But it's a great moment. 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:23.720 Because we see Queen Vashti refusing to be objectified. 00:13:23.819 --> 00:13:26.059 She says, I'm not going to participate in this. 00:13:26.939 --> 00:13:29.580 She refuses to allow herself to be treated like a piece of meat. 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:35.059 And, of course, you don't have to know much about history to know she's doing so at tremendous risk to herself. 00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:35.899 Right? 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:37.819 But she does it. 00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:38.299 She refuses. 00:13:39.700 --> 00:13:42.759 And it's clear that this comes as a major shock to King Ahasuerus. 00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:46.059 And so this would have been a massive embarrassment. 00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:48.759 He's got all of his friends there, all these people he's trying to impress. 00:13:49.119 --> 00:13:50.399 And they say, the queen's not coming. 00:13:51.139 --> 00:13:51.979 And so he does it. 00:13:51.979 --> 00:13:52.639 It's sort of funny. 00:13:52.719 --> 00:13:55.179 You can imagine he sort of looks around, has no idea what to do. 00:13:55.379 --> 00:13:59.239 And so he calls his advisors together and basically says, what do we do? 00:14:00.019 --> 00:14:00.199 You know? 00:14:01.379 --> 00:14:06.099 What laws are the, how do you, you know, what does the law book say? 00:14:06.339 --> 00:14:06.559 You know? 00:14:07.699 --> 00:14:10.099 And it's this comic moment. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:15.339 And, again, you know, the more I study it, the more I think that Esther is a kind of historical dark comedy. 00:14:16.059 --> 00:14:23.779 And, and so what's so funny about this is that these advisors, they say, well, that isn't the real issue. 00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:25.099 Yeah, Vashti, that's an issue. 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:27.399 But there's a much bigger issue at stake. 00:14:27.459 --> 00:14:37.259 And that is the fact that once word gets out that Vashti has disobeyed you, next thing you know, all of the wives throughout the kingdom, they're all going to be disobeying their husbands. 00:14:37.439 --> 00:14:38.500 It's going to be total anarchy. 00:14:38.500 --> 00:14:42.379 And so they say, we've got to lock this thing down right now. 00:14:42.460 --> 00:14:44.919 And so they say, they tell the king, you have to do two things. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.799 Number one, you have to get rid of Vashti. 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:53.620 Now, thankfully, that doesn't mean killing her, but it does mean banishing her to the harem where she will never be seen or heard from again. 00:14:55.340 --> 00:14:59.240 Get rid of Vashti and get a better wife, a better queen. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:05.019 But number two, we need to pass a law that makes it a federal crime for women to disobey their husbands. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:07.379 It's utterly ridiculous. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:09.240 And you hear that and you say, that's horrible. 00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:09.879 It is horrible. 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:15.279 But I think the author also makes us, is wanting almost to make us roll our eyes. 00:15:16.019 --> 00:15:18.180 All of these men scrambling, right? 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:21.120 Make it a federal offense to disobey your husband. 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:28.080 And here, I think we see the first signs of something really important. 00:15:28.220 --> 00:15:31.519 And it's kind of the beginnings of a central theme in the book of Esther. 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:40.860 And it begins to raise the question, maybe this king isn't as all-powerful as he first appears. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:46.980 When we first see him, it's this jaw-dropping description of luxury and power. 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:48.740 We are meant to be in awe. 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.159 I've never seen a leader like this. 00:15:52.019 --> 00:15:54.600 And many would have looked at him as a god. 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:57.159 Maybe he's not a god. 00:15:58.680 --> 00:16:02.180 Maybe he's not as all-powerful as he appears. 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:05.980 I mean, anyone in leadership, most of you already know this, 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:10.820 anyone in leadership knows that if you have to demand respect, you've probably already lost it. 00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:16.259 Already in chapter 1, the tide is beginning to turn, 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:19.919 which begs the question, who is really in control? 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.240 Who's really calling the shots? 00:16:23.100 --> 00:16:26.360 And before I say more about that, I just want to look briefly at the third character, 00:16:26.819 --> 00:16:28.539 who's the mysterious young girl. 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:33.059 Some time passes between chapters 1 and 2, 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:36.419 and we're not really told this in the Scripture, 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.899 but we know from history that during this several-year period, 00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:45.620 Xerxes, Ahasuerus, launches this massive military campaign against Greece. 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:53.299 And in his pride, he greatly underestimated how hard it would be to conquer Greece. 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:57.019 And so he eventually suffers a humiliating defeat 00:16:57.019 --> 00:17:01.799 and loses his entire navy and has to return home in shame. 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:06.259 And he's dejected and he's miserable. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:11.319 Historians tell us that during this period, he was drinking an enormous amount. 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:16.019 He was fraternizing with the wives of some of his officials, 00:17:16.259 --> 00:17:20.680 and that behavior sowed the seeds for what eventually led to his assassination. 00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:24.019 But he's not in a good place. 00:17:24.139 --> 00:17:27.399 And so his attendants are saying, you know, we've got to get him out of this funk. 00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.539 We've got to cheer him up. 00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:34.659 And so they cook up this idea to have a kind of empire-wide beauty contest 00:17:34.659 --> 00:17:38.500 where they will appoint officials in all of the provinces, 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:42.980 and they will essentially compel young, beautiful, virgin women 00:17:42.980 --> 00:17:46.059 all to come to Susa for this beauty contest. 00:17:46.579 --> 00:17:50.139 And what this essentially means is that they're forcing these women to come 00:17:50.139 --> 00:17:57.099 so that Xerxes, Ahasuerus, can choose a new queen to replace Vashti. 00:17:57.099 --> 00:17:59.939 And I just want to say, this was really awful. 00:18:00.919 --> 00:18:05.039 They were taking these young women, many of them, you know, most all of them teenagers, 00:18:05.379 --> 00:18:08.339 and they're forcing them to leave their homes in the towns where they grew up, 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:09.899 and they're making them come to the citadel, 00:18:10.399 --> 00:18:15.059 and they will then be sent to essentially prostitute school. 00:18:16.179 --> 00:18:20.519 And once they are deemed ready, they will go and spend one night with the king. 00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:25.639 And then most likely after that one night, they will then go to the harem 00:18:25.639 --> 00:18:28.920 of all of the other women who have spent one night with the king, 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:31.599 and there they will remain for the rest of their lives. 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:32.680 They will never be able to leave. 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:34.720 They will never be able to have families of their own. 00:18:35.139 --> 00:18:38.000 They will remain sort of captive members of the harem. 00:18:38.099 --> 00:18:40.319 So this is a horrible thing that's happening. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:44.960 But it just so happens, and you're going to hear that a lot in the book of Esther, 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:48.839 it just so happens that one of the young women chosen is Esther. 00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:52.939 And I want to hold off saying too much about her until next week. 00:18:53.019 --> 00:18:56.079 Next week we'll begin to really get to know her as a character. 00:18:57.419 --> 00:19:03.119 But all I want to say this week is that Esther is the very picture of vulnerability and weakness, 00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:04.700 which is very important for the story. 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:09.900 She is young, probably 14 or 15. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.120 She's a young girl in this kind of patriarchal world. 00:19:16.220 --> 00:19:17.740 She has no parents. 00:19:17.840 --> 00:19:18.840 We don't know what happened to them. 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:19.960 We just know they're not in the picture. 00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:20.819 They're probably dead. 00:19:21.620 --> 00:19:23.480 And she's being raised by her cousin. 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:26.140 And we also know that she's a Jew. 00:19:26.580 --> 00:19:28.700 But she's a Jew who's living in hiding. 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:30.160 She's living undercover. 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:34.299 At this point in history, the exile had ended. 00:19:34.299 --> 00:19:38.319 Some of the Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem to begin the rebuilding. 00:19:39.019 --> 00:19:43.279 But many Jews remained dispersed throughout the Persian Empire. 00:19:43.919 --> 00:19:50.039 And we find out that Esther is actually living right there at Susa, in the shadow of the citadel. 00:19:51.460 --> 00:19:55.919 And yet she's living undercover for fear of persecution. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:04.340 And yet what God's about to do is to pull Esther, this most unlikely picture of vulnerability person, 00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:06.640 into the very heart of the Persian government. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:15.520 So this is our first glimpse of something that we're going to come back to again and again and again, 00:20:15.620 --> 00:20:18.180 probably every week in this series. 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:21.500 And that is the idea of God's providence. 00:20:22.800 --> 00:20:28.600 And by God's providence, I mean God's work of sustaining and governing the universe. 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:34.699 And this is one of the main ways that we experience God in our lives. 00:20:34.719 --> 00:20:40.500 Even though we cannot see Him or hear Him or touch Him, we see His presence. 00:20:40.779 --> 00:20:43.199 We see the work of His hands. 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:49.879 We see events unfolding in ways that reflect God's will in our lives. 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:56.840 And this raises, I think, for us a very important question as we look at this opening chapter. 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:05.340 How do we make sense of the fact that there are morally reprehensible things happening in this story, 00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:09.260 and yet this is ultimately a story of God's providence? 00:21:11.040 --> 00:21:11.400 Right? 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:17.620 So when the king demands that Queen Vashti allow herself to be stared at by his drunk friends, 00:21:17.619 --> 00:21:21.079 when they compel young women to become part of the harem, 00:21:21.619 --> 00:21:24.439 these are morally reprehensible acts. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:28.539 These are horrible things to do to other human beings. 00:21:29.299 --> 00:21:34.899 And yet at the same time, these are key events in the unfolding story of God's plan. 00:21:35.939 --> 00:21:37.859 And how do we reconcile those things? 00:21:38.899 --> 00:21:42.379 And the answer is simply God's providence. 00:21:42.380 --> 00:21:49.780 Because God's providence goes way beyond anything you're going to find in other philosophies or religions. 00:21:50.840 --> 00:21:52.960 So if you look at all the other philosophies and religions, 00:21:53.260 --> 00:21:59.420 there are some that group together along the lines of determinism or fatalism. 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:05.460 In other words, there are a whole group of perspectives that say more or less that the end is fixed, 00:22:05.460 --> 00:22:09.000 and that ultimately our choices really don't matter, 00:22:09.740 --> 00:22:11.900 that our fate is set, it's determined, 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:18.400 and what happens in our lives will happen despite the choices that we make. 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:20.759 So no matter what we do, we cannot escape fate. 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:23.240 So think of the story of Oedipus. 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:24.039 Right? 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:30.120 Oedipus is told at the beginning of the story that he is fated to kill his father and marry his mother. 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:31.200 He's told his fate. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:36.620 And yet the entire story, he's doing everything he can to avoid that fate. 00:22:37.860 --> 00:22:43.400 But at the very end of the story, in the end, he kills his father and he marries his mother. 00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:44.500 That's fatalism. 00:22:44.600 --> 00:22:45.460 That's determinism. 00:22:46.620 --> 00:22:50.480 There's a whole other group of perspectives that say the opposite. 00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:54.620 They say our choices are the things that determine the outcome. 00:22:55.360 --> 00:22:58.799 And this is the set of perspectives that say we need to take control of our destiny. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:01.500 We are the ones who determine our destiny. 00:23:02.159 --> 00:23:05.339 Our choices will make the difference of where we end up ultimately. 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:11.879 And so what happens in your life is entirely the result of the choices that you make. 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:14.059 And the idea flows out of that. 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:18.960 If we were to make different choices, we would lead to different outcomes. 00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:19.740 Right? 00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:21.480 So think of the movie Back to the Future. 00:23:21.659 --> 00:23:24.180 I don't, hopefully most of you at least know about that movie. 00:23:24.180 --> 00:23:27.120 It's an old movie by today's standards. 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:32.259 But Back to the Future was built around the idea that you could go back in time, make different choices, 00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:36.200 and that those choices would dramatically shape the future that unfolded. 00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:36.600 Right? 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:38.360 So that's that set of perspectives. 00:23:39.080 --> 00:23:43.560 So the first set of perspectives says our destiny is determined despite our choices. 00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:44.880 The end is fixed. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:45.640 It doesn't matter what you do. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.259 The second says our destiny is determined because of our choices. 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:55.180 God's providence is both and neither. 00:23:56.059 --> 00:24:05.119 God's providence is far more beautiful, far more nuanced, far more balanced than any perspective you're ever going to see in any other philosophy of religion. 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:19.259 Because what the Bible says is that God has such control over history, and yet He is so intimately involved in our lives that our destiny is determined through our choices. 00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:21.299 Through our choices. 00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:24.879 So on the one hand, our choices matter. 00:24:26.179 --> 00:24:30.459 Our choices shape the future as it unfolds. 00:24:30.460 --> 00:24:36.500 Our choices do have an impact, and we are responsible for the choices that we make. 00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:42.440 But on the other hand, God is directing courses and outcomes. 00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:48.600 God is weaving everything together like a great tapestry in history. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:55.380 So what this tells us is that you can have a king like King Ahasuerus who seems like he has absolute power. 00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:58.120 You look at him and he seems like he's a god. 00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:04.459 And he calls someone like Esther into what seems like a hopeless situation. 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:08.599 And yet we know that two things are true simultaneously. 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:18.279 Number one, the king is doing wicked things that run completely against God's desire for human life. 00:25:19.139 --> 00:25:20.079 That is true. 00:25:20.679 --> 00:25:21.919 These are wicked acts. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:31.759 But number two, God can repurpose these evil things and use them for His own good, loving, and just purposes. 00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:34.380 And the two are true at the same time. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:39.340 And what this means, to put it simply, evil will never have the final word. 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:46.400 Evil will never have the last say in our destiny, in our life. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:46.440 Right? 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:55.960 So whatever suffering you may be facing right now, whatever hardship is gripping your heart and your soul, 00:25:56.920 --> 00:26:02.000 we always know that because of God's providence, this is not the last chapter of your life. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:05.140 This is not the end. 00:26:05.820 --> 00:26:07.300 This is not how it will turn out. 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:13.279 But with God, evil can do its worst. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:17.039 But it will always be overcome by good. 00:26:19.379 --> 00:26:21.419 And whatever it is that keeps you up at night, 00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:26.740 you know, whatever obstacle keeps you awake, 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:31.019 whatever broken relationship haunts you, 00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:35.920 whatever situation feels hopeless to you, 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:38.900 right, as hopeless as Esther might have felt, 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:44.139 with God there is no such thing as a hopeless situation. 00:26:44.839 --> 00:26:46.960 Because God is a God of providence. 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:51.339 And of course, the greatest example of all of this is the cross. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:53.000 Right? 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:57.720 Because when Jesus came, the world saw for the first time her true king. 00:26:57.720 --> 00:27:01.759 But this king is not like any of the kings of the world. 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:04.940 He's nothing like King Ahasuerus. 00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:08.019 He's nothing like any king or leader we've ever seen. 00:27:09.059 --> 00:27:12.279 Instead of exalting himself at the expense of his people, 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:14.880 he humbled himself, 00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:19.079 allowed himself to be executed for the sake of his people. 00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:22.339 And the cross, when you look at it, 00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:25.559 seems like the worst act ever committed, 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:27.240 the ultimate evil act. 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:29.400 And here's the mind-bending truth. 00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:30.400 It was. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:32.539 It was evil. 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:35.339 It was the worst act of evil ever committed. 00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:37.900 And yet, simultaneously, 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:41.380 it's the greatest act of good ever achieved. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.779 It was God's way to set us free 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:47.000 from all of the things that enslave us. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:49.019 It was God's way to make it possible 00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:52.059 to be adopted and become his children. 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:56.619 So it was truly evil and truly good. 00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:59.899 Defeat and victory at the same time. 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:05.840 And the most important thing that the cross shows us about God 00:28:05.840 --> 00:28:10.060 is not just how his providence works. 00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:14.019 It's that God loves us. 00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:17.519 I mean, think about that. 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:28.279 The God who provides for and sustains and governs every molecule of this universe 00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:29.279 loves you. 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:31.519 He loves you. 00:28:34.019 --> 00:28:38.160 And what that means is that this is not just a God that you can believe in, 00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:42.200 but this is a God whom you can trust. 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:44.640 Let's pray.