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    Aug 25, 2019

    Esther: A Story of Palace Intrigue

    Esther: A Story of Palace Intrigue

    Passage: Esther 1:1-8:17

    Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

    Theology is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "religious beliefs and theory when systematically developed." Although God is not mentioned even once in the Book of Esther, the theology of the Hebrews was based on God as always being present and active. Hebrew theology, then, sees God's activity in the story.

    I am not sure, but I have been wondering how many people really know much about the story of Esther.   Maybe some would know that she was a Jew.  Probably a lot would know she was a queen – does anyone know queen of what?    But I’m guessing that most of us don’t know much more about the story.  This is another one of those wonderful stories with a guy you love to hate, a beautiful woman, a basically good but clueless guy who’s supposed to be in charge, and a guy who’s in everybody’s face.  Let’s get a little bit of background and then take a look at the main characters.

    We have talked many times about the Babylonian Exile when the educated and wealthy and wise people of Israel were carried off to Babylon, leaving those of little influence to fend for themselves back home.  It was a very dark period in the history of Israel.  The Jews lived in Babylon for about 100 years until the Persians defeated Babylon and King Cyrus of Persia allowed them – even encouraged them – to practice their religion and rebuild the temple.  It is thought by some scholars that the story of Esther emerges out of that period, possible around the time of Ezra or Nehemiah.

    Make no mistake the Jews were oppressed.  Despite the fact that the king was making some changes that were beneficial, the Jews were still looked down upon.  They were not equal, and in many circles they were hated.

    The King in the story of Esther, goes by 2 names Ahasuerus and Xerxes.  I’m going to call him Xerxes because, frankly, it’s easier to pronounce!  Xerxes is painted in the story as being powerful, proud, and pliable.  He is powerful in that what he says is absolute.  He speaks and it’s law.  He swiftly condemns 2 men to death because they were plotting against him.  Even though he chooses Esther to be the queen, she is terrified to go see him without an invitation because it is no secret that if you entered the throne room without an invitation and the king wasn’t in the mood, he could order your death on the spot!

    He is proud.  When he wanted to show off the queen – the one before Esther named Vashti – he was humiliated when she refused to be put on display, so she was banished. 

    And he was pliable.  In the instance of Vashti’s disobedience, it appears to me that Xerxes would have been satisfied to just banish her, but the king’s advisors whined because they thought the rest of the women would follow her example and take the opportunity to refuse to obey their husbands – an of course they couldn’t have that!  And then later in the story, Xerxes allows others to dictate and take charge of other issues, notably, Esther herself and Haman as well.  (more on that later)

    Then there’s the guy everybody loves to hate:  Haman.  (If anyone wants to boo a little bit when I mention his name, feel free!)  Haman – boo!  Haman craves power and fame.  And for awhile, he gets it – largely because the affable King Xerxes doesn’t see through his schemes.  When he gets his spot in the sun, Haman walks around the city like he owns the place, with people bowing and scraping – except for Esther’s beloved uncle.  Haman hate the Jews, but he REALLY hates Mordecai!

    Mordecai is the guy that I think must have been a burr in a lot of people’s saddles.  He is first introduced as Esther’s uncle who raised Esther after her parents died.  He was a kind man, but he didn’t usually go away quietly when he was displeased.  As I read the story, I think he comes off as pushy and abrasive.  He snitched on 2 of the king’s eunuchs who were plotting to assassinate the king, saving the king’s life.  He was not shy about pushing Esther – and not very gently – to put herself in harm’s way in order to save the Jews.  And when he found that Haman had hatched a plan to manipulate the king into killing all of the Jews, he ran through the streets in sackcloth and ashes, wailing loudly.

    Then of course there is Esther herself, also called Hadassah.  She was physically beautiful and there are 2 strong hints in the scripture that she also had a beautiful spirit.  In chapter 2, verse 9, it says, “The girl pleased [the palace official in charge of the women] and won his favor, and [he] advanced her to the best place in the harem.”  Then in verse 15, scripture says “Esther was admired by all who saw her.”

    Esther was chosen out of a beauty contest line up and got the top prize.  What young girl of the time would not have thought she was set for life – well, at least while she was in favor with the king?  But Esther was made of sterner stuff and proves to be smart and wise and willing to risk everything on behalf of others.

    Now before we go any farther, I want to be sure you know that there is one significant character who is completely missing from this story.  God is not mentioned even once in the Book of Esther.  The video we watched said that Esther was of the lowest class but the Lord was with her, and also credits Mordecai with not bowing because he was a Jew and wouldn’t bow to anyone but God.  While that may be true, God is silent, invisible and not referred to in this story in the Bible.

    Have you ever noticed how some people shade the truth?  Sometimes we call it “spin” or weaving in an agenda.  Haman was a master.  The story implies that Haman didn’t notice Mordecai in the crowds and so he didn’t know right away that he refused to bow.  But people being people, there were some instigators who just had to report this disrespectful behavior.  Listen to this part of the story from Esther, chapter 3, verses 5-6

    5 When Haman himself saw that Mordecai didn’t kneel or bow down to him, he became very angry. 6 But he decided not to kill only Mordecai, for people had told him Mordecai’s race. Instead, he planned to wipe out all the Jews, Mordecai’s people, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

    Then, after forming a posse and casting lots to decide the best time to execute the Jews, Haman went to the king – chapter 3, verses 8 through 11:

    8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “A certain group of people exist in pockets among the other peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of everyone else, and they refuse to obey the king’s laws. There’s no good reason for the king to put up with them any longer. 9 If the king wishes, let a written order be sent out to destroy them, and I will hand over ten thousand kikkars of silver to those in charge of the king’s business. The silver can go into the king’s treasuries.”

    10 The king removed his royal ring from his finger and handed it to Haman, Hammedatha the Agagite’s son, enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said to Haman, “Both the money and the people are under your power. Do as you like with them.”

    See what I mean?  The infamous “they” refuse to obey the king’s laws.  It wasn’t “they,” it was Mordecai.  And then the pliable King Xerxes allowed Haman to prepare and distribute the decree to execute all of the Jews.

    It is at this point that Esther shows her mettle.  First she sends a royal eunuch to find out what in the world was going on with Mordecai with his emotional, probably indecent behavior in the streets of the city.  Mordecai’s sent a reply, chapter 3, verses 5-8:

    Esther then sent for Hathach, one of the royal eunuchs whose job it was to wait on her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was going on and why he was acting this way. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square in front of the King’s Gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He spelled out the exact amount of silver that Haman promised to pay into the royal treasury. It was in exchange for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave Hathach a copy of the law made public in Susa concerning the Jews’ destruction so that Hathach could show it to Esther and report it to her. Through him Mordecai ordered her to go to the king to seek his kindness and his help for her people.

    In what I believe is an important moment of the story, Esther replies without thinking.  How many of us at first refuse to do something because the “rules” say it’s not possible or we just think it’s not possible because it seems like too big a risk or a stretch or we don’t think of ourselves as having what is needed to do the job?  Esther said

    “All the king’s officials and the people in his provinces know that there’s a single law in a case like this. Any man or woman who comes to the king in the inner courtyard without being called is to be put to death. Only the person to whom the king holds out the gold scepter may live. In my case, I haven’t been called to come to the king for the past thirty days.”  (verse 11)

    Mordecai would not take no for an answer.  He was persuasive and very clear, and verses 12 thru 17 are the keystone of the story of Esther:

    12 When they told Mordecai Esther’s words, 13 he had them respond to Esther: “Don’t think for one minute that, unlike all the other Jews, you’ll come out of this alive simply because you are in the palace. 14 In fact, if you don’t speak up at this very important time, relief and rescue will appear for the Jews from another place, but you and your family will die. But who knows? Maybe it was for a moment like this that you came to be part of the royal family.”

    15 Esther sent back this word to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa and tell them to give up eating to help me be brave. They aren’t to eat or drink anything for three whole days, and I myself will do the same, along with my female servants. Then, even though it’s against the law, I will go to the king; and if I am to die, then die I will.” 17 So Mordecai left where he was and did exactly what Esther had ordered him.

    During three days of fasting, Esther was ready with a plan.  She went to see the king and invited him and Haman to dinner – and the video told you most of the rest of the story.

    My sisters and brothers in Christ, this is one of the stories that, like Ruth, questions the world.  Last week I said, “It is stories like Esther, Ruth and Jesus that are meant to challenge the world as we know it – to challenge human wisdom with Godly.”  Many of the stories of Jesus and most everything he did are in this vein.  In other words, stories like these are intended to make us stop taking the world as it is for granted – urging us to see that the way things are may not be the way the God intends them to be.

    Some of us in this room today lived through the civil rights struggles of the late 60’s.  One thing that stands out for me from that time is how differently people say Martin Luther King.  Some people could see what a prophet he was.  Other people thought he was just making trouble.  I hope that this particular faith family understands what a prophet he was and that he was challenging the world as it was – the world as it never should have been.  And he chose a loving way to challenge racism.  He didn’t instigate violence, though he and others were violently attacked, and he didn’t back down.  He clearly identified and passionately worked for the oppressed.

    Once she understood what was at stake, that’s exactly what Esther did as well.

    How about us?  Where are you being urged to speak or to act on behalf of others?  What may seem to be “right” that really isn’t?  You know, whether you have figured out that God is actually calling you to stand up, I guarantee you that God is likely to be doing the urging!