Presenter: Rev. Dr. JoAnne P. King
Date: May 12, 2024
Praise the Lord and Happy Mother’s Day. Today, and for the next few weeks, we will be studying God’s chosen women in the Old Testament. We will examine what they accomplished for Him and glean the message He has for us today through their lives.
As you know, there are only two books in the Bible that are named for women. Today’s sermon will be on the book of Esther. In the book of Esther, we do not learn if she was a mother or not. I am glad to say that she was and at the end of the sermon, I will let you know about her offspring.
Additionally, many commentators don’t believe that the book of Esther should be in the Bible because it doesn’t mention the name(s) of God. At the end of this sermon, I will show you what I found out about this subject as well.
It is important to note as background for this sermon that Samaria and Jerusalem had been conquered by Babylon because of their idolatry. Speaking of idolatry, Pastor Darryl just finished a series on idolatry which he covered excellently. Because of the Israelites idolatry and dabbling in the cultures of the people around them, the Babylonians deported the Jewish well to do, artisans, tradesmen, etc. to Babylon where they were in captivity for 70 years. It was at this time that the Israelites were scattered around the known World.
The Babylonians were defeated by the King of Persia and Media who had control over 127 Provinces from India to Ethiopia which was most of the known World. The king of Persia and Media’s name was Ahasuerus (aka, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius). Esther’s Persian name means morning star and her Hebrew name Hadassah means Myrtle.
During the time of Esther, the Israelites were not in captivity because the King of Persia and Media had defeated the Babylonians and they were living in Shushan where the King’s palace was located.
It was during the third year of King Ahasuerus’ reign when he held a feast for 140 days to show the glorious riches of his kingdom to his princes, nobles and servants of all his 127 provinces.
When this feast concluded, King Ahasuerus had a feast for the people that were in Shushan at his palace. Both the great and the small men were invited for seven days in the court of the garden of the King’s palace.
The guests were served wine in abundance in different gold vessels and the guests drank according to every man’s pleasure.
While the King was entertaining the men, Queen Vashti was entertaining the women of Shushan in the royal house that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
On the seventh day when King Ahasuerus’ heart was merry with wine, he commanded his seven chamberlains that served in his presence to bring Vashti the queen before the King with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
Queen Vashti refused to come at the King’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore, was the King very wroth and his anger burned in him.
The King in his anger sought counsel from the wise men who knew the law and judgment, how Queen Vashti should be punished. Then Prince Memucan answered before the King and princes: “that Vashti the queen has not done wrong to the King only, but to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For this deed shall come before all the women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, That King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.” ‘Likewise, shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the King’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the Queen. Thus, shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.”
“If it please the King, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered., That Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus and let the King give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.”
“And when the King’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all the empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.”
“And the saying pleased the King and the princes; and the King did according to the word of Memucan: For he sent letters into all the King’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people” (Esther 1:16-22).
When the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, his servants ministered unto him and said: “Let there be fair young virgins sought for the King: And let the King appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the houser of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the King’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: And let the maiden which pleaseth the King be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the King: and he did so” (Esther 2:1-4).
In the palace in Shushan, was a Jew whose name was Mordecai who was a son of Kish, Benjamite; who had been carried away captive with Jeconiah King of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon. He raised his uncle’s daughter Hadassah, that is, Esther because she had neither father nor mother. So, he took her as his own daughter. Now Esther was fair and beautiful.
When the King’s commandment and decree was heard, they gathered many maidens including Esther and took them to the King’s palace and placed them in the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Esther found favor in the sight of Hegai, the keeper of the women and he gave her things for purification, 7 maidens and the best place in the house of the women.
Mordecai had warned Esther not to identify her race or her people. He daily walked before the court of the women’s house to know how she did and what had become of her.
Every woman had a one-year preparation before seeing the King which consisted of 6 months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odors, and with other things for the purifying of the women.
After the year, when it was time for the women to spend their night with the King, they could take with them anything they desired from the King’s treasury and keep it. As a result, I believe most if not all of the women were laden with all kinds of gold jewelry. In the morning, the woman returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the King’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the King no more, except the King delighted in her, and that she was called by name.
When Esther’s time came, she required nothing but what Hegai the King’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. So, she wasn’t laden with a lot of gold but something very simple but elegant. Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, in the seventh year of his reign. The King loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Mordecai sat at the King’s gate and while there he overheard two of the King’s chamberlains plotting to harm the King. Mordecai told Esther immediately of the plot. She in turn told King Ahasuerus of the plan and that Mordecai had informed her. The King made inquiries and found that the two were guilty. They were hung on a tree and it was written in the book of the Chronicles before the King.
King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite and advanced him and his seat above all the princes that were with him. The King had commanded the servants that were at the gate to bow and reverence Haman. Mordecai bowed not, nor did reverence him. The servants at the gate asked Mordecai daily why he didn’t bow and reverence Haman as the King had ordered. So, they told Haman that Mordecai didn’t bow and reverence him because he said that he was a Jew.
When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow and reverence him, he was full of rage. It was at this time that he decided that he wouldn’t just kill Mordecai but all of his people that were scattered throughout the provinces. During King Ahasuerus’ twelfth year of reign, Haman cast Pur, which is lot to determine the day and month that all Jews would be killed. The month was A’dar which is the month of March.
Haman went to King Ahasuerus with his plan to kill the Jews. He told the King that there were certain people in all of his provinces that had their own laws that are different from everybody else’s and they do not keep the King’s laws. Therefore, it doesn’t profit the King to suffer them. If it pleases the King let it be written that they may be destroyed and Haman would pay ten talents of silver to the ones that are in charge of taking care of this business to enrich the King’s treasuries.
The King took off his ring and gave it to Haman. He told him that the ten talents of silver are his and so are the people (Jews) to do with as he pleases.
Immediately Haman had scribes draw up documents that were sent to all the lieutenants, governors, rulers, over every province, to every person in their language and in the name of the King with his seal that said: “to destroy, to kill and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day even upon the thirteenth day of Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.” The letter was published and they were told to be ready against that day. The letter was given in Shushan the palace.
When Mordecai realized all that was done, he tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry: and even came to the King’s gate: but none could enter the gate with sackcloth and ashes.
So, Esther sent one of her chamberlains with clothes and to inquire of Mordecai what was wrong. Mordecai refused the clothes and sent Esther a copy of the letter and asked her to go to the King. Esther sent the message back to Mordecai that it is the law that anybody that goes before the King without being sent for will be put to death unless he stretches forth his golden scepter that he may live. She said that she had not been called unto the King for the last 30 days.
Mordecai’s answer to Esther was: “Think not with theyself that thou shalt escape in the King’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)
Esther’s reply to Mordecai was: “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so, will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. So, Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther had commanded him” (Esther 4:16-17).
On the third day, Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the King’s house and when he saw her, he extended his golden scepter to her. Esther touched the golden scepter. The King asked Esther what her request was and he would grant it even up to half of his kingdom. Esther responded: “If it seems good unto the King let the King and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
When the King and Haman came to the banquet, the King asked Esther again what her petition was? Esther responded: “If I have found favor in the sight of the King, and if it please the King to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the King and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the King hath said” (Esther 5:8).
When Haman left the banquet, he was puffed up with pride but once he saw Mordecai’s refusal to bow and honor him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. When he got home, he bragged about all of his promotions and how the Queen had invited only him to the banquet with the King and has invited him and the King to come tomorrow to another banquet! Haman said: “All this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s gate” (Esther 5:13). Haman’s wife and friends suggested that he build a gallows 50 cubits high and tomorrow speak to the King that Mordecai may be hanged on it and then go merrily with the King to the banquet. This idea pleased Haman and he had it built.
On that night, the King couldn’t sleep so he ordered the book of records of the Chronicles be read before the King. It was found written that Mordecai had warned the King that two of his chamberlains had planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. The King asked, what honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? They replied: “there is nothing done for him.”
At this time, Haman entered the court of the King to asked to have Mordecai hung on the gallows. But after the King had Haman to come into the court, the King asked Haman: “What shall be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honor?
Haman couldn’t imagine the King honoring anybody more than himself, so he picked things that he would love. Haman said: Let royal apparel be brought that the King used to wear, and the horse that the King rideth upon. And the crown royal which is set upon his head: And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hands of one of the King’s princes, that they may array the man withal whom the King delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honor.” Then the King said to Haman, “Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the King’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken” (Esther 6:6-10).
Haman took the apparel and horse and put them on Mordecai and paraded him through the streets proclaiming all the words that he had previously said. Afterwards Mordecai came to the King’s gate but Haman went to his house mourning and having his head covered. He told his wife and all of his friends what happened. They said if Mordecai the seed of the Jews before whom you have begun to fall, you shall not prevail against him and surely you will fall before him. After this, the King’s chamberlains came to take him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
So, the King and Haman came to the banquet with Esther, the queen. Again, the King asked Esther on the second day of the banquet of wine, what is thy petition, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? And it shall be performed even to the half of the kingdom.
Then Esther, the queen answered and said, “If I have found favor in thy sight O King and if it please the King let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we have been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the King’s damage. Then, King Ahasuerus said unto Esther, who is he and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the King and the Queen” (Esther 7:3-6).
The King was angry and arose and went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; because he saw that the King determined evil against him.
When the King returned to the banquet of wine; he saw Haman fallen upon the bed where Esther was. The King said, “will he force the Queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the King’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face, and Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the King, behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the King standeth in the house of Haman. Then the King said hang him thereon. They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the King’s wrath pacified” (Esther 7:8b-10).
On that day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before King Ahasuerus because Esther had told the King who Mordecai was to her. The King took off his ring and gave it to Mordecai. Esther placed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Esther fell down before the King again and besought him for the life of her people with tears to put away the mischief of Haman that he had devised against her people. The King put forth the golden scepter to Esther. She said: If I have found favor with the King etc., let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman … to destroy the Jews which are in all the King’s provinces. The King said unto Esther the queen, and Mordecai, I have given Esther Haman’s house and him they have hung on the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the King’s name, and seal it with the King’s ring: for the writing which is written in the King’s name, and sealed with the King’s ring, may no man reverse. The scribes were called and letters were sent to every lieutenant, deputies, rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia in every group written in their language what Mordecai had written signed in King Ahasuerus name that on the chosen date the Jews were to defend themselves against all intruders but on their prey, they laid not their hands.
King Ahasuerus told Esther how many men had been slain in all of the 127 provinces and asked if there was anything else that she wanted done. She requested the hanging of Haman’s ten sons and punishment of the enemies of the Jews in Shushan which resulted in 300 more deaths.
Mordecai was promoted and was 2nd in command to King Ahasuerus. Mordecai wrote a decree to the Jews in all King Ahasuerus’ provinces that they were to keep the 14th day of Adar and the 15th day of the same yearly as Purim. To this day, Purim is celebrated by the Jews. Purim has more of a national than a religious character, and its status as a holiday is on a different level from those days ordained holy by the Torah. Purim is celebrated among Jews by:
-Exchanging gifts of food and drink,
-Donating charity to the poor,
-Eating a celebratory meal,
-Public recitation of the Scroll of Esther or “reading of the Megillah,” usually in the synagogue,
-Reciting additions to the daily prayers and the grace after meals,
-Applying henna (Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews).
Other customs include wearing masks and costumes, public celebrations and parades and eating “Haman’s pockets”; men are encouraged to drink wine or any other alcoholic beverage.
Let’s cover what we have gleaned from the book of Esther. Look what the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:10-14: “For thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (Judah) “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. “And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”
From the above scripture, you can see that Esther and Mordecai were the Jews He planned to use to turn away their captivity and be able to gather His people from all the nations and places where He had driven them.
So, it is in our individual cases, He has a plan for our lives as well. It doesn’t matter what situation you are in or how dismal the prospects may look. He has a plan to deliver you and prosper you. All you have to do is believe His Word and follow His directions.
Just look at what happened to Esther’s life because she followed the Godly direction she was given. What she did for God and His people are memorialized and she is celebrated every year on Purim.
In Esther’s case, certainly everybody had heard what happened to Queen Vashti and now they are gathering all the young virgins for the King to select his next queen. There was only one opening and many virgins competing for the opportunity of being selected queen after one night with the King. If you weren’t selected then that meant for the rest of your life you would be placed in a house with all of the other concubines of the King. In order to see the King again, the King had to call the concubine by name.
Esther had to follow the directions of Mordecai who told her not to identify her race. Next, the Lord allowed her to find favor with the chamberlain who was in charge of all of the women. However, Esther had to humble herself and allow the chamberlain to favor her. There wasn’t another person in the world who knew the King’s likes and dislikes more than the chamberlain. The chamberlain was in a position to tell Esther on her night with the King, what to wear, what to take out of the treasury of the King, what the King liked and disliked. This gave Esther a head’s up on all of her competition.
In our individual cases, God has placed Spirit filled people in our lives to advise us about what we should do in certain circumstances. Like Esther, we should humble ourselves and not only listen and accept their advice but do it. We just read in Jeremiah 29:11, that God has a plan for our lives—thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end.
God’s plan for Esther was the deliverance of His people from the wicked plans of Haman. But in order to achieve this, she had to present herself before the King without being summoned by him. According to the laws of the Persians and Medes, anyone coming before the King unsummoned was to be killed unless he stretched out his golden scepter. Esther requested Mordecai and all the Jews and their animals fast and pray for 3 days and she and her maidens would do the same. It appeared that her life was in danger either way. So, she made up her mind that if she perished, she would perish but she was going to see the King.
We don’t know how much Esther wrestled with fear during those three days, but it seems safe to presume she did. Her life was at stake, as were the lives of her immediate family and her people wherever they lived in the empire. Surely, Mordecai’s words echoed in her mind as she prayed. “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” he said (Esther 4:14).
Each one of us, at some time in our lifetimes are going to be in a situation where we are placed there for such a time as this!
Fear can sway our hearts from God and block our ears from hearing His voice. That’s the time to lean in close to seek the Lord with our whole hearts, asking Him for clarity, wisdom and courage. He understands our fears but doesn’t want them to keep us from seeing Him do marvelous things through us. He invites us to pour our hearts out to Him in prayer and rest in His care while we obey and let Him use us. On this side of fear, you never know what one act of courageous obedience might accomplish in God’s kingdom. So, don’t ever let fear stop you.
At the end of the sermon, I promised to show you where the names of God were written in the book of Esther. They were not written and read in the book of Esther as the commentators were looking for but hidden and abbreviated in the style of an Acrostic puzzle. I found the following information in my Dake Bible. The names of God were written in Hebrew (larger than the rest of the text, so they stood out) vertically, slanted, etc. I will give you the chapter and verse (words) and names of God found in Esther:
- Chapter 1:20 …all the wives shall give to their husband honor, both to great and small. (JHVH – JEHOVAH)
- Chapter 5:4 …let Haman and the king come this day…
(JHVH – JEHOVAH) - Chapter 5:13 …all this availeth me nothing … (JHVH-
JEHOVAH) - Chapter 7:5 …Who is he and where is he…(EHYEH)
(I AM THAT I AM) - Chapter 7:7 …that there was evil determined against him… (JHVH-JEHOVAH)
You may recall that at the beginning of this sermon, I listed the names of the King of Persia and Media’s name as Ahasuerus (aka, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius). Those are not the names of the King but what they call appellatives being mistaken for proper names, and from their transliteration into other languages. Examples of appellatives are: Pharoah of Egypt; Abimelech of Philistia; and others like the modern Czar, Sultan, and Shah. Ahasuerus, meaning the Mighty, was the title of 4 Median and Persian Kings. Artaxerxes, meaning Great King, was used by 4 Persian Kings. Darius meaning the Restrainer or the Maintainer was also used by several of these Kings. His real name was Astyages, the husband of Esther and the father of their son.
I told you at the beginning of this sermon that Esther was a mother and I would tell you about her offspring. Their son’s name was Cyrus and he succeeded his father to the throne of Persia. You can discern from Cyrus’ acts that he was given the knowledge of God by his mother, the Jewish queen Esther, Mordecai and Nehemiah. He was brought up in Jewish training and taught about God and His Word. The training of her son Cyrus showed that Esther was brave because Persia as a nation did not serve the God of Israel.
One of king Cyrus’s first acts can be found in the book of Ezra
Chapter 1:1-4: “Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing, saying, “Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. “And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
Not only did King Cyrus send the Israelites back to build the temple with all the supplies, animals and money they needed but he sent back the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the Temple during the time of King Hezekiah.
Just as Queen Esther and Mordecai raised her son in the knowledge of God, in a heathen nation, we as mothers and fathers are expected to do the same. Take a stand and make it for Jesus! Praise the Lord, and Mothers enjoy your day, today!