Remembering Rescue

[00:00:01] You, our Heavenly Father. We ask that through Your Word and Spirit, you would now illumina Your Word to us that we might live by it. Indeed, it is through the Scriptures alone that we have confidence in what you have revealed and for our Godliness and for life. We ask that you would bless us now as we begin to conclude our reading through Esther. Bless the reading and preaching of Your Word. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. [00:00:39] Let's turn to Esther, chapter nine, verses 20 through 32 esther 19. It Esther nine, beginning at verse 20 and then reading through the end of the chapter. [00:01:16] And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the 14th day of the month of Adar, and also the 15th day of the same year by year as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies and as the month had and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday that they should make them days of feasting and gladness days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted that they had started what they had started to do and what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman, the Agagite, the son of Hamadotha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Purr, that is, cast lots to crush and to destroy them. But when it came before the king, he gave orders, writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore, they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter and of what they had faced in this matter and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them that without fail, they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year. That these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation in every clan, province, city and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abahail, and Mordecai the Jew, gave full written authority confirming the second letter about Purim. Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the Kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, that these days of purim should be observed at their appointed seasons as Mordecai the Jew and Queen. Esther obligated them. And as they had obligated themselves and their offspring with regard to their fasts and their lamenting, the command of Esther confirmed these practices of perim, and it was recorded in writing. [00:03:41] May God bless his word to us. Please be seated. [00:04:01] Well, as usual, there are many, many interesting things to observe and enjoy and meditate on in this portion and another portion of Esther. [00:04:15] One of them, of course, is a very fitting ending to a book which has so much laws that are recorded and written down that the book in some ways ends with yet another session of record keeping to our elder oftadall the clerk of the session, and any other clerks out there be encouraged. Record keeping and clerking and these kinds of things are honored in the Scriptures. [00:04:45] There's another aspect of this last chapter that is very fitting with the rest of the Book of Esther, and that is the theme of food and banqueting throughout the Book of Esther from the very beginning in what was sinful eating and banqueting with the call of Queen Vashti. And then throughout the book, other meals and things happening, esther's own banquets and things that she invited the king to. Here at the end, we have a celebration around food, people sharing food, eating with thanksgiving. [00:05:25] This ending of Esther, which in some ways recounts some of the events of the book, is, of course, talking about the origin of this holiday purim. It's giving explanation for that. Some scholars take what is written here, and the summary here is perhaps Mordecai's own words, the things that he sent out, and that is why we have the description of the story here. Whether it's that or simply a summary of events and a reminder of how things got to where they did, a recapitulation of these things, it is an opportunity for us to reflect on the book as a whole and what God has doing. There's a call here to remember and to celebrate with thanksgiving what God has done. [00:06:13] One last thing I'll mention right here by way of introduction is that the book itself is placed sometimes in different parts of Scripture. [00:06:24] Sometimes it's placed as we have here in our Bibles right before the Wisdom literature. It's an interesting place that some would say, and I would agree calls us to think about Esther with relationship to the wisdom literature. We see. We've considered throughout the book esther and Mordecai's actions and the call in some ways to have to think carefully about how we live in this world as pilgrims and resident aliens and societies that are not really our home. And sometimes Esther is actually placed at the very end of the Old Testament in some ways that the canon is ordered. And that's an interesting place as well for this reason. [00:07:14] One reason is that there are a lot of parallels between Esther and the exodus of God's people. There's a kind of recapitulation here, an echo of the themes of Exodus as God is in some ways saving his people. Yet again, we have in this time of exile, a salvation of the Jews, and a hope and a looking forward to the things in the new covenant under Jesus, where we see the final exodus from slavery, from sin, and from death and the evil one. [00:07:50] What kind of parallels do we see between Esther and Exodus? [00:07:55] Peter Lee, a reformed Old Testament professor at RTS and one other seminary, which I'm forgetting at the moment. He lists these seven things, which I'll just list for you. [00:08:09] The first, between Esther and the Exodus is we have the redemption of God's people, a moment in which they were held in slavery, and there were the threat of death and they were redeemed. A second is that we see the use of an individual as an instrument of redemption, Moses and Esther. [00:08:30] The third is that we see these two people both reluctant to act, moses, I don't want to go. What will I say? How will I do this? These kind of things. And Esther as well, concerned about whether it's wise to go before the king. We see they both have support, Aaron, in the case of Moses, Mordecai in the case of Esther. [00:08:53] Number five. They both must persuade a pagan king, pharaoh and Ahasuerus 6th and this is the most remarkable one for our chapter is at the end we have the establishment of a festival passover. In the case of the Exodus and Purim in the case here in Esther, and finally, a restoration of God's people that is paralleled in scripture in Isaiah 40, in the following chapters in Jeremiah 31, this idea that God is going to bring back his people out of the lands and back into the promised Land is pictured in the Prophets as a kind of Second Exodus. [00:09:39] Well, all that to say, when we think about Esther, one of the things that we see so prominently is this theme of rescue and redemption along the lines even of Moses, an extraordinary, extraordinary delivery of God's people, in spite of the fact that so much of it seems to be random. [00:10:03] Purim is named after, as the Scriptures tell us, this word Pur or lot. And it comes from that moment earlier in the book when lots were cast, allots were cast. To determine this is in chapter three, to determine when certain things would be done. If you want to turn back with me, you can look at chapter three, verse seven. [00:10:32] In the first month, which is the month of Nassan, in the 12th year of King Ahasuerus, they cast pure. That is, they cast lots before Haman, day after day, and they cast it month after month till the 12th month, which is the month of Adar. [00:10:47] Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, there is a certain people scattered abroad, dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and I'll stop there. And then he basically continues to make his argument on why the Jews should all be destroyed. Well, what's happening here, as we thought about when we came to this passage originally, what was happening is that they were using lots to determine when certain things would be good to do. Sort of rolling dice and watching. To see which were the lucky days, basically, which were the days to go to the King, which were the days to send out this law, which were the days to act a kind of dependence on a superstitious dependence on lots and magic and fate and these kinds of things. And throughout the book, another way that we've seen random, I'm putting in quotes this sort of chance thing happening is that we've seen people acting in certain ways in this way and that way, thinking certain things are so certain and settled, when in fact they are not. [00:11:53] One of the themes of the Book of Esther is it tells the story in this surface way, people seeing events and planning things on this kind of surface level. But then the narrator allows us to see underneath all of that kind of what's really going on, which is that God is sovereign and that God, in these things, in these moments that seem either random or uncertain or inevitable, are not any of those things. [00:12:28] Nothing is inevitable except for that which God promises. Nothing is truly random. It may seem that way from our perspective, but ultimately God is in control. [00:12:41] And so it's a funny way that on these days in which they celebrate their deliverance, it's named after lots and a helpful reminder, I think, to all of us to think about the events of our lives in relation to the Lord, his sovereignty over them, even those things that seem by chance but clearly are not. [00:13:10] One Chronicles 16 eight through Ten says this oh, give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him, tell of all his wondrous works, glory in his holy name. Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice seek the Lord and his presence continually. Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered. O offspring of Israel his servant children of Jacob his chosen ones there's this call in Scripture to remember the work of the Lord. Even when things seem random, even when things seem like they inevitably must go one way or that they're faded to be, we must always remember that the Lord is at work and Esther in Esther Nine here. I think one of the things that Scripture gives to us is a reminder that when we see the work of the Lord, particularly in these very wonderful ways, we ought to stop and give thanks. We ought to stop and remember to tell of his wondrous deeds, to mark the good things that God has done, because that's what we have here. [00:14:39] After this great rescue, they established this day for feasting and for gladness to remember the way that God had given them relief or rest from their enemies. [00:14:50] There's an interesting parallel to this, and the parallel is fasting. At the end of the book this is in verse 31 we read that these days of purim should be observed at their appointed feast as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring. With regard to their fasts and their lamenting, what exactly is meant there is a little bit difficult to say, but one possible, and I think a likely interpretation of that is it has in view the lamenting and the fasting that was happening before their salvation. [00:15:34] Remember that this thanksgiving and all of this that they're celebrating upon their rescue is following a period of fasting. Remember Mordecai at the gate in sackcloth and ashes, a humbling of himself calling a people calling on the Lord. [00:15:52] There is this way in which they saw their extraordinary need and called out to God. [00:16:00] We see a similar thing in Joel 114 consecrate a fast call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord. [00:16:15] Something like that was happening with the Jews under King Osuaris when they were threatened with this persecution. [00:16:24] We see a similar act of fasting and repentance of lowliness in Jonah three here with pagan people, the people of Nineveh. [00:16:34] Remember Jonah goes and preaches barely to the people of Nineveh. And then we read this about the king in Jonah, chapter three. And he issued a proclamation and published throughout nineveh quote by the decree of the king and his nobles, let neither man nor beast herd nor flock taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and let the violence and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we may not perish. [00:17:18] And they didn't perish, did they? God did turn and did hear their cries of repentance and he saved them. [00:17:27] What we see in both these instances of fasting and repentance and humility and thanksgiving and celebration and eating are recognitions of who we are under the Lord. Now, these are extraordinary moments, right? Life and death hanging in the balance in these various instances. And that's why they issue forth in these extraordinary festivals and feasts and fastings and these kinds of things. [00:18:00] But in all of this, I think there is a call for us to remembrance or to paying attention and remembering the things that God has done. In other words, we're not to wander blindly through this world simply thinking that things are what they are and that it's all random and that God has nothing to do with it. In a book that doesn't mention God at all, he is yet so evident, so present, so obvious. And that point is hopefully impressed upon us as we reflect on the story of Esther, both their fasting and the humiliation and their calling out for salvation and ultimately their thanksgiving and their joy. [00:18:46] In the book that we've been considering during our Sunday School adult Sunday School class, holy Helps for Godly Living, richard Rogers writes, this Thanksgiving raises us up to joyful remembrance of God's wonderful kindness. While fasting brings us as we remember, our vileness brings us down, both greatly draw our hearts in more love and obedience to God. [00:19:13] We could sum it up simply this way, that in this last chapter, I think God calls us to pay attention to his works and to respond accordingly. [00:19:25] When we think about this on a grand scale, our minds should, of course, go to the greatest work of all that God has done, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:19:35] When we consider Jesus on the cross, what greater miracle, what greater moment of deliverance, what greater exodus is there act of redemption than Jesus'work for us and his giving Himself for us? Here we don't have a Moses or an Esther, an Aaron or a Mordecai, but we have the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed, one who is promised and comes in the fullness of time, at the perfect time. The New Testament says to bring about the redemption of God's people at this perfect moment in time. There are so many things at play, institutions and people, pharisees and Herod, the Samaritans, the Romans, all these things going on in the world, all of these things happening. And then comes John the Baptist, right this another moment, a miraculous birth, one who comes into the world to prepare the way for the Lord. Then comes Jesus, born of a virgin, coming on the heels of the announcement of his cousin, who comes into the world and proclaims to us a day of liberty, a day of freedom. [00:20:57] When we think about the Lord Jesus Christ, it makes sense then, that the Lord calls us to live every day with thanksgiving, and in a sense, also every day with fasting and humility. Our life is a life of repentance, isn't it? A life of mortifying the flesh, a life of denying the things of this world and putting off that which is of the flesh and putting on that which is of the Spirit and of Christ, of living our lives in repentance and humility, in abasement, but also in joy and in thankfulness. Knowing what God has done. [00:21:38] This ought to reflect all of our lives. It ought to reflect the Lord's day in particular. And at times, when we see God's providence in special ways in our families, in our churches, it is good to stop and to pray. Perhaps sometimes prayers of prayers, of seeking deliverance, and perhaps sometimes prayers of great thanksgiving in all of it. We look to the Lord. We look to the Lord. We see his work in his providence, and we see how he is bringing all things to come into their full and into their own through Jesus. [00:22:20] So beloved. As we consider these events in the Book of Esther, as we consider God's marvelous works, let us remember that he is still at work, and he does so through his word and Spirit in our lives. Let's pray. [00:22:38] Lord, we ask that you would help us to humble ourselves before you when we see the sinfulness of our hearts and how we deserve death, how we deserve the punishment for our sins, when we feel the dangers of evil in this world, the persecution of the Church, the threats of the threats against Your people. We ask that you would help us to remember the events during this time under King Osuaris and how you raised up help from among Your people and pointed us to our Savior. We ask that you would help us to remember in the smallest and most mundane details of our lives, the most extraordinary things that happen to us, those devastating, terrible things that come into our lives, and the great joys and moments of celebration in all of it. Lord, in good and bad and up and down, help us to see you, our faithful shepherd, leading us and caring for us all the way. [00:23:47] When we think of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, help us to see in Him the mediation, a mediator between us and God. Help us to see the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life and a thanksgiving that lasts not for a day or a moment, but forever, where we will feast with joy and gladness in the kingdom of heaven with one another, all surrounding the throne of God. Help us to look forward to that day and to live in light of the Gospel of Christ. We pray this in his name. Amen.