Esther 1-10, Consider The Sovereignty Of God
1. God Is Sovereign Over His People Everywhere
2. God Is Sovereign Over All Authorities
3. God Is Sovereign Over The Wicked
4. God Is Sovereign Over Your Life
5. God Is Sovereign Over Your Loved Ones
Esther 1-10, Consider The Sovereignty Of God
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Well, as we look at the Book of Esther this evening, I've titled The Message Consider the Sovereignty of God.
And as we walk through some different aspects and highlights of this book, we're going to be spending some time considering the fact that God is sovereign.
Now the idea that God is sovereign means that he is.
Over all things that he has the final say that he has all power all authority.
There is no one who can override God who can overrule God.
But God gets to choose, God gets to accomplish his purposes and he gets the final say, and nobody else can do anything about it.
And so there's this.
Exciting truth about the sovereignty of God, but but it introduces some difficulty for us sometimes, because the sovereignty of God in in our minds can feel like a great challenge to the free will of us as human beings.
And then the other challenge that we might feel is well if God is over all things, then why is there so much problems and hurts and heartache and and there can be these kind of dilemmas that we experience as we consider the sovereignty of God?
And I'm not going to resolve all of those dilemmas this evening.
But but it is important to recognize.
That God is sovereign and those challenges and those dilemmas that we experience are normal and typical.
And and there's ways to understand them and to look into the word of God and fit the sovereignty of God in a perfect way with the things that we're experiencing and understand the reality of sin.
And the choice that God has given to us is a powerful thing, and the effects of sin on this world.
And it doesn't mean that he prevents every bad thing, but that he is capable of working out everything, even if it's not his perfect will and his perfect plan, he's able to work out even the plans of the wicked to accomplish good for his.
People, and so it's an amazing really. Truth and aspect of God's nature and character that he is sovereign and that is demonstrated all throughout the book of Esther and some great encouragement in that.
Quick look at the timeline.
The Book of Esther Falls right in between the time of the.
Rebuilding of the temple and then the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.
And so we've been looking at Ezra and Nehemiah, and Ezra recorded that rebuilding of the temple timeframe by Zerubbabel and the work that was going on there, and then we saw in Nehemiah the the coming and the rebuilding of the walls.
And so the time of Esther is right in that same region.
On the timeline, but it's kind of right in between the rebuilding of the temple and the rebuilding of the walls, and I.
Mentioned it before.
So the the guy that Esther marries his name is Xerxes and Xerxes son is Arctic Xerxes.
And that's who is on the throne in the days of Nehemiah so.
We don't know that that's Esther's son, but certainly you know she was around in an influence and part of the work that God was doing through the the work of Nehemiah and the Book of Nehemiah that we saw there too, so.
So it's right in there, it's the time where Persia is ruling over all the earth as much of the known Earth.
You know that they they knew at that time as a world empire, Persia had conquered Babylon and had maintained the realm.
But during the time of King.
Xerxes things were a little.
Bit shaky, there were some challenges to.
The power and.
There's a lot of historical background.
That it goes on and kind of fits into the different chapters that we're looking at and and I won't be getting into all of those things, but I just throw it out there so that if you want to dig in if history is a little bit of an exciting thing to you to see how all of these things intertwine and there's different battles that happen, that kind of correspond with some of the events.
Here in the book of Esther that that make it a little bit more interesting, and as you see, the context of what was happening for King Xerxes in the midst of the.
But the sovereignty of God is demonstrated in this book, in which the Jewish people were threatened.
They were about to be annihilated.
The King of Persia, Xerxes.
Had agreed to this law which gave the people of his nation or his empire the right to just completely annihilate the Jews, wipe them out and take all of their goods.
And so it seemed that Doom was imminent.
It was going to happen.
The day was set, the law was signed, and under Persian law it was irreversible.
It was not able to be reversed once it had been signed into law, and so it was almost a set thing.
Almost a guarantee, until of course God.
Worked out his plans and purposes in the midst of it.
Now they're in Esther chapter nine.
We got to see a little bit of the the story and understand it a little bit.
And it mentions there the the feast of Purim there in Chapter 9 it's a feast that is established as a direct result of the events of the Book of Esther, and so every year even to this day the Jewish people celebrate how God delivered the Jewish people from genocide here in these.
Events that happen.
Bend in in. Recorded here in the Book of Esther. In fact, the feast of Purim is happening next week, here for 2022 March 16th and 17th are the dates for Purim, and so that's when they celebrate and remember and read the book of Esther and so kind of right in line with the time frame in which.
We're considering as well, and so the Persian Empire rules King Xerxes is ruling over all.
He has essentially all the power on the Earth and the rules over.
Although there is some challenges to that, the empire is.
So mostly standing strong and he has great authority in over 120 provinces, and so he has this great empire.
And yet, in the midst of it, there's some problems that happen within his own family, and then within those that he raises up.
To power and so that's what we see unfold here.
Esther is an interesting book, also in light of all of these things.
It's interesting to note that God is not named by name throughout the book of Esther, and Prayer is not mentioned by name.
It's kind of alluded to and God is hinted at, but there is not a direct reference.
To God and a direct reference to prayer in the midst of this book that is so clearly demonstrating.
The sovereignty of God.
I don't know if you've ever done the counts.
Have you looked through the book of Esther and tried to add up?
How many coincidences had to happen in order for this to unfold in a way that was victorious for the Jews?
Coincidences, of course, as a silly word to use or wrong word.
To use it is.
Not just happenstance that these things unfolded the way that they did.
Although God is not deliberately mentioned or mentioned by name.
He is working out the details and perhaps that's part of the reason why God has chosen to write the book of Esther this way to remind us that even when God is not mentioned by name, even in situations and contexts and and scenarios, that just seem like there, there is no.
Influence of God in the midst of them.
God is still on the throne and he's still working out his purposes and accomplishing what is good for his people.
Pastor Warren Wiersbe says the name of God is not mentioned in this book, but the hand of God is seen throughout the account.
A primary lesson is that God is sovereign in the nations.
Of the world.
And his people must surrender and do his.
He's not mentioned by name, but the hand of God is seen, and so that's what I'd like to consider with you this evening.
The hand of God demonstrating the sovereignty of God at work, and five ways.
We'll consider the sovereignty of God looking at really kind of the main characters of this account in this plot, as it unfolds the Jewish people.
King Xerxes Haman, the wicked man.
Esther the Queen and Mordecai, the older cousin of Esther, and so the first thing we'll consider in looking at the sovereignty of God.
Here's point, number one God is sovereign over his P.
People everywhere God is sovereign over his people everywhere.
Let's jump to Esther chapter one and check out verses one through 5.
It says this.
Now it came to pass in the deeds of a hashira's that was the Hashers who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
In those days when King Asherahs sat on the throne of his Kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel, that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants, the powers of Persia and media, the nobles and the Princess of the provinces being before him, when he showed the riches of his.
Glorious Kingdom and the splendour of his excellent Majesty for many days 180 days in all.
And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting 7 days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel from great to small in the court of the Garden of the King's Palace.
Here is we're introduced to the book we're introduced to the days of a hash.
Aris kings arcsys.
His name is Xerxes, a hash.
This is kind of like a title like similar to President.
He's the emperor, you know, in that.
Sense Ruler over the empire and so Asherahs was that title for him, and so he reigns over 127 provinces.
And it says from India to Ethiopia.
So again, this is the Persian Empire, he rules.
Over all of.
It great power, great authority found here in King Asherahs and at this time.
Some of the Jewish people have returned to Jerusalem. We saw in the book of Ezra that there was 50,000 who went with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem to work on rebuilding the temple.
There was another group that came a little bit later and then a group that came with Nehemiah in his time.
But overall it was a small remnant.
Of the people of Israel that returned to Jerusalem and to Israel.
There were many other Jews who were still scattered abroad in all of the different 127 provinces that King Xerxes ruled over.
And so there are the people of God all throughout the Persian Empire, not just in Jerusalem.
Of course they were there, not just in the surrounding area, in the region.
Of Israel, but.
All throughout the empire there were Jewish people that had been scattered abroad as a result of their captivity.
And so here his King Harris were introduced to him, and he rules over all of this land, and over all of these Jewish people that are scattered within it.
Now it tells us in the third year of his reign.
In verse three, he made a feast for all his officials and servants, and this seems to correspond with some things not recorded.
Here, but some historical things that happened where King Xerxes gathered together a bunch of the people and officials from his empire.
To kind of encourage them and negotiate what they would do in seeking to take over Greece and to to lead an attack against Greece.
And so there was this great feast that happened, and it lasted for 180 days, that they were kind of celebrating, and.
He was showing off the glory in a sense.
Essentially, you know, persuading those rulers and authorities to join with him in this battle that he wanted to.
Engaging into fight.
Well, here in chapter one we see.
What happens during this or shortly after this?
There was another festivity that happened and.
The King decided you know what.
He's a little bit tipsy.
A little bit drunk and he said, you know, I want to show off my queen to all of those who are here, and so he sends for Queen Vashti.
He who refuses, and it completely embarrasses him and humiliates him in front of all of his guests, and so in a bit of a fury, he banishes her, and so she is removed as queen.
And there's you know all of these things, that kind of go into that.
You can check that out in chapter one.
And so now there's this void.
And it sets the stage for Esther to become the queen and to be placed in that spot for her to be.
Instrumental in bringing salvation to the Jewish people.
Because what we find out next.
In Chapter 3, is the enemy is really presented.
His name is Haman.
And he is promoted.
He's second in command and as he is promoted, he's enjoying the new power that he has, and the great reverence that everybody gives him, except for he finds that there's this one guy named Mordecai who will not Bow who will not honor his new power and new position.
And frustrated by that, he decides I'm going.
To not just kill Mordecai, I'm going to kill all of Mordecai's people. All of the Jewish people, and so in Esther Chapter 3, verse 13.
We see it says in verse 13, investor 3, the letters were sent by couriers into all the Kings provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old little children and women in one day, on the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder there.
Here we find Haman joining a long line of people who have been used by the enemy to try to wipe out the Jewish people and destroy the plans of God.
You might remember in Egypt.
The attempt to wipe out all of the boys that that there would not be any continuation of the Hebrew people and so.
There was this plot of the enemy to kill all the Jewish boys as they were born.
You might remember under King Herod when Jesus was born.
That is, he found out about it and remember the the Wise Men returned a different way and didn't tell them where they found Jesus.
He tried to kill all the baby boys.
We saw it not too long ago.
Athaliah, the evil queen of Judah, who tried to kill all the descendants of the the king and destroyed that royal line that God had promised it would come through David and, and so she attempted to.
Defeat that promise of God and that plan of God and on and on and on.
We could go and Haman here is just joining this long list of those who have been used by the enemy to try to thwart the plan of God and destroy the purposes of God and he is setting out to annihilate the Jews.
But there is.
This young lady Esther.
Placed at the right place at the right time.
Encouraged and guided by her older cousin Mordecai.
And the plan.
Although it looks certain.
Falls apart, humans attempt, falls apart and is reversed and ends up doing the opposite of what he intended.
And so although God people were spread all over and there was this great threat against them and and even though they were spread out, there was this.
Conspiracy this plan of the enemy and all of those pockets of the world to wipe them out all at once in one time.
But God.
In his sovereignty, overruled.
That law overruled that plan.
That wicked intention of.
Human now I would encourage you as you kind of think about this overview of the the Book of Esther and these events that happened, what what circumstances had to align and all come together just right in order for this to unfold.
I mean, it's really an incredible story and and story feels like the wrong word because it's not.
A fictional account.
It is a true account.
This is.
Not, you know.
Based on a true story, this is a true story.
You know, sometimes when it's based on a true story, they kind of, you know, manipulate some of the things to make it more dramatic, right?
But boy, it's hard to really get more dramatic than what you have here in the book of Esther.
I mean, I think if anything it's a little bit not clear enough how dramatic it is.
These events at all of the things that had to come together.
This king Xerxes you know with this authority over these realms with this desire for battling Greece and the.
Support that he would need from the the rest of the empire to join together with him to engage in this battle.
And then Vashti refusing you know, this was a very dangerous thing for her to do and to have the boldness to say no.
When the king of the world requested her presence.
You know that had to to work out just right and then for her to be banished and then for her presence to be felt so that then there would be the opportunity for Esther to be found and to be put into that place as queen and then for her to have an older cousin who would raise her when her parents died in order for her to, you know, be.
Raised in the ways of the Lord to trust the Lord, and to be willing to listen to him when he encouraged her to go before the king and risk her life in order to try to intervene on their behalf. And then the the King's love for Esther, right? Like that was something that couldn't be.
Manipulated out externally, right, but the all of these circumstances had to align and just come together in the exact right way in the great sequence that that we see unfold here.
In order.
For the people of God, the Jewish people throughout the empire to be saved.
And so here we have this great reminder of the sovereignty of God.
Even though there's a lot going on all over the world, even though there's a lot going on in all these different peoples lives.
God God is able to manage all of that and to work out what is good and necessary for his people.
No matter where.
They may be.
God is so sovereign over his people everywhere, so that's a quick look at the Jewish people and kind of considering God's hand in their life. And even though we don't get into all the stories of all the families that their lives were saved, right?
It's just like a general broad brush.
Look at what God did for the Jewish people here in the book of Esther.
But I want to take a moment now and consider with you a little bit. King Xerxes and here's point #2 to consider for tonight. God is sovereign.
Over all authorities.
Here you have this guy King Xerxes and he is the most powerful guy on the planet.
But he's not more powerful than God.
He has all authority.
Except for the authority that God has over him and God is able to overrule to override and to work out his plans and purposes in the midst of all of these things.
And so you can look at King Xerxes.
You can look at a hash race and think, wow like he just he could do whatever he wanted to do.
And his word was final, and it was so final even he couldn't reverse it.
I mean, that was an interesting kind of law, and an interesting kind of power to wield.
And yet, at the same time we see God work in his life and sometimes very simple ways to accomplish his purposes.
I want to take you now to Esther Chapter 6 in Esther Chapter 6.
We're jumping kind of into the middle of the account, and so I'm trusting that you're reading along with us through the book of Esther.
It's actually chapter 6 is tomorrow's.
Reading in the schedule, but as we've been reading along, we've been seeing the plot of Haman unfold and his frustration at Mordecai for refusing to bow, and it really is just causing him lots of of.
Frustration and he's really upset and he just can't wait to get rid of Mordechai.
He's already put the plot to kill all of the Jews in place and so all of that is in the works.
But here in chapter six we find just an interesting little just God just kind of throws a little twist in the story and gives a little bit of a different direction here.
To king Xerxes and works out his plans instead of King Xerxes plans.
Check out Esther chapter six look at verses one through three, it says.
That night, the king could not sleep.
So one was commanded to bring the book of the Records of the Chronicles and they were read before the king.
And it was found written that Mordecai had told of big Fauna and Tarish 2 of the Kings Unix, the door keepers, who had sought to lay hands on King Harris.
Then the king.
Said what honor or?
Dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this.
And the King's servants who attended him said nothing has been done for him.
Here in Esther Chapter six, we find that the king has a sleepless night and here the hand of God is at work.
We back in chapter two of Esther.
We find.
The events that the king is reading about or listening to here in Chapter 6 Mordecai because he's interested in the things that are happening with Esther.
He is hanging out near the palace.
He overhears a plot to assassinate the king.
And so he brings it to light.
And those people who have been in this plot are dealt with and put to death as a result of it.
But nothing was done for Mordecai, he wasn't rewarded, he didn't get promoted, there was no attention given to him, they just dealt with, you know, the issue of the the plot and the assassination attempt.
But here in Chapter 6.
Again, the laws been passed.
All of the Jewish people are set to be destroyed on this certain day in the future.
Haman is continuing to grow in power and kind of alongside of the king, earning the King's Trust. And he's he's really rising to prominence more and more.
Situation looks like it's certain that the Jewish people are going to be wiped out.
And Haman is getting more and more frustrated at Mordecai, and he has plans to put Mordecai to death.
On the morning.
After which the king was not able.
To sleep all night.
He's had the gallows built.
Probably not hanging, but it would be like a.
The pole stuck through him would would be there kind of gallows.
It's kind of a gruesome picture, I know.
I'm sorry about that, but that's what he was planning to.
Do so.
She had had this all planned all night long.
Haman was planning on going to kill.
Mordecai in the morning, meanwhile, all night long.
God was holding King Xerxes eyelids open.
So what do you do when you can't sleep?
Well, you might try counting sheep.
You might open up your Bible to first chronicles and read all the chronology of all the genealogy's and all the names right.
Well for King Xerxes that meant you know what.
Let me read the early records the the minutes of the meetings that I've had as king and as he's having this read to him.
They get to this part that tells the story of Esther Chapter 2 where Mordecai uncovered this plot.
And brought it to light.
And as the King's like trying to sleep that kind of like awakens.
Him and he was like wait a minute.
That's right, Mordecai did do that.
What do we do for Mordecai?
Did we honor him in any way?
And the servants say, no, we didn't.
We didn't honor him.
Nothing has been done for him.
And so in the morning, Haman comes to the king.
Intending to bring this request to get permission to put Mordecai to death, but before he gets a chance to make his request, the king says, hey man, I have a question for you.
What should I do for someone?
Really want to honor.
And it's just a classic classic scene in my head because Haman is there.
He's intending to go in.
He's just enjoying all the new attention he's been getting.
King, and when the king says, I want to honor.
Somebody, he's, uh.
Automatically thinking it's me who who could the king want to honor besides me?
'cause like I'm so great and so of course it's me and so he lays out all these different ways that the king should honor this person that he would.
Want to honor?
And the king said, great, that's a good idea.
I love it.
Go and do that for Mordecai, the guy that you're you were hoping to kill this morning, which King Xerxes didn't know about that, but but that guy you go and honor him in all of these ways.
All of this glorious honor that you wanted to have you go and give that to Mordecai, do that for.
Mordecai, and so you see, this whole plot turned around against Haman.
All because of 1 sleepless night.
And that's how men it's so amazing to to meditate on and consider.
One sleepless night.
And God turns the tide of this whole thing. Proverbs chapter 21 verse one tells us that the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water. He turns it wherever he wishes.
And here I mean there's other instances.
You know this whole book that we can consider God being sovereign over King Xerxes and and having his will in his way.
But but here's just this one interesting and really incredible example of of 1 sleepless night and how it sets the stage.
For the plan of.
One sleepless night and the king of the world.
Can be.
Like the rivers of.
Water turned by the Lord whatever he wants.
And so I was looking at that and I was starting to pray.
Lord, would you give Pute in one sleepless night?
You know that that the hand of the king would be redirected in the purposes of award.
Now, what circumstances had to align for all of this to just happen to take place?
The coincidences just continue to add up and and it's not just coincidence.
Rash decision that King Xerxes made and then later on is missing his queen and Esther being beautiful and having this uncle that is wise and involved and loving and so he's nearby and he uncovers this plot and then kings Rexis has this sleepless night and all of these things.
Tie together, God brought them together to accomplish.
The purposes of saving his people throughout the land in this great threat that has come against them.
So God is sovereign over all authorities.
That's important to remember.
You know, we we have had a lot of frustration with authorities over the past few years, right?
It's important to keep in mind you.
Know all God needs.
To do is just one sleepless night, sometimes to completely change the direction and change the course of all of the events that are about to happen well.
We should consider that God is sovereign over.
The wicked you know, sometimes we can be quite frustrated with the reality.
Of the wicked.
The presence of the wicked, and it seems like many times the wicked are getting away with their wickedness.
But we find here the example of Haman a good reminder for us that God takes the plots and plans purposes of the wicked and ultimately in the end turn those things against them.
Let's check out Esther Chapter 3 and verse one and two to get introduced to him. And it says after these things, King Asherahs promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the aggregate and advanced him and set his seat above all the Princess who were with him and all the King's servants who are within the Kingsgate bowed and paid homage.
To Haman for so the King had commanded concerning him.
But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.
And so here we find Haman's rise to power. We don't know what prompted this, or why the king selected him.
But here is Haman and he gets to be placed essentially second in command to the king.
He's above all the Princess who are with him.
He gets to to be in this great place of prominence, so much so that the king says.
Alright, empire of Persia.
Whenever Haman walks by, bow down and pay.
Homage to him.
You honor him.
You recognize him when he walks by.
You pay attention and make sure you treat him with great respect.
And so here he is.
Now, with this great position, this great power, and you can see in the the chapters here, he just loves it.
He just is ecstatic.
He's telling all his friends and his family, like literally, he gathers to get them together and tells them look at all this that I have and all this power that I have and this authority that have it's so great.
Oh, but this guy, Mordecai, he just will not bow to me and and and so he's super powerful.
But he's also super petty.
And verse 5 here of chapter three.
It says when Haman saw that Mordechai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.
But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai.
Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews.
Who were out the?
Whole Kingdom of Asherahs the people of Mordecai.
Super petty.
He says, you know what?
I'm not going to just hurt you, Mordechai.
I'm going to kill all of your people all over the entire world.
Little bit disproportionate to the disrespect that he felt he had been given.
Right?
He says alright, I'm just going to.
Wipe out all the Jewish people.
So he chooses a day he cast lots with the the dice in order to choose the day.
And since a day it's a year away of when it will be legal to kill the Jews and to take whatever they want for all the people around them.
So the data set 12 months away.
And that's true.
Chapter 3 the decree is spread throughout.
The whole Kingdom.
And Esther chapter four, we see the great morning amongst the Jews as they receive the news and are basically preparing for their own demise.
This was a wicked man.
Haman not just foolish, not just you know, greedy for power, but he was a wicked.
Man, Esther says so herself.
When she finally does present this issue before the king in Esther Chapter 7 verse 6.
As the king.
Is astounded and surprised that someone is trying to kill her.
He says who is it?
And she says in Esther Chapter 7, verse 6 the adversary and enemy is this wicked human.
This wicked guy right here.
This is the guy who has been seeking and plotting to put me and my people.
To death.
But up until Esther Chapter 7.
It really looks like.
Human wickedness will succeed.
I mean, he's second in command.
He has
There's the king who's the king of the world, right?
But but he's right next to, he's his right hand guy.
He essentially wields all of the power and he got the king to, you know, sign his law into law, and so he's he has the power of.
The greatest authority in the Kingdom.
He's got the Kings approval.
He's got the kings attention.
He's got the Kings resources.
The the king is just giving him whatever he wants to accomplish his purposes and it it really looks like human wickedness will.
But God intervenes because he's sovereign, even over the wicked.
That is the highest authority, the highest power that the world knows or has.
As believers, you know we're very familiar with the account of Joseph there.
At the end of Genesis Genesis Chapter 50, where he tells us brothers look what you meant for evil.
God meant it for good, right?
And we're very familiar with the idea of God working good.
For his people, even in those things which are meant for evil.
But but here with Haman I I would also encourage you to consider and understand that God works.
Judgment on the wicked in much the same way.
So that even when well, when evil is happening, and it looks like no good.
Can come out of it.
God is able to work out good for his people.
And when evil is happening and wickedness is going on, and it looks like no judgment.
Will will take place.
Understand it's the same principle.
It's the other side of the same coin.
God is able to work.
Good even when great evil is meant.
And God is able to work out judgment even when it looks like wickedness is winning the day.
And will not be.
Brought to justice.
God will bring about justice and judgment for all wickedness.
In all cases, without exception, and we see a little example of that in Esther Chapter 6, where Haman is completely humiliated.
Having to give honor to Mordecai, this one he was intent on killing and is killing all of the Jews as a result of his hatred of him and so.
It's just a little bit of you know, the plans of Haman being turned around to smack him right back in the face.
That's just a little example.
Later on Haman is put to death on the very gallows that he intended for Mordecai.
God is sovereign over the wicked.
When you see wickedness prevail, or it looks like the wicked are getting away with their schemes, their plans, even if they are the kings of the world.
We don't need to fret.
We don't need to stress, they're not.
Going to get away with it.
What circumstances had to align for this great and powerful wicked man?
To be brought to justice.
Oh, there's a lot of things you could.
Tie in here not too much for God.
He brought about exactly what was needed.
So that Haman would experience the judgment of God for his wickedness.
God tells us in Deuteronomy chapter 32 vengeance is mine and recompense their foot shall slip in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.
God says don't worry about trying to pay back and bring vengeance on your own.
Their day is coming.
But but notice it is it's it's.
Off in the distance, their foot shall slip in due time, God says, I, I know, I see it, and you want the judgment?
You want the justice right now, but it's coming.
Just trust me.
Vengeance is mine.
I'll take care of it.
You don't have to take that into your own hand.
Well, moving onto the 4th way to consider the sovereignty of God, we're going to look at the life of Esther for a moment.
And here's point, #4. God is sovereign over your life. Now all of these previous points, hopefully kind of set the stage to help us be able to understand the reality of sovereignty.
God, people everywhere that that they're under the authority of God and he's working out good on their behalf.
No matter what authorities are in power and no matter what.
Wickedness is unfolding and and now we can bring it right back to our own home city in our own lap and say.
God is sovereign over my life no matter what authorities are there, no matter what wickedness is happening and no matter how much is going on elsewhere in the world right here in my own life, God is sovereign and is able to work all things together for good.
Let's turn to Esther Chapter 2.
Jump into verse 15.
It says now when the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter to go into the king, she requested nothing but Haggai, the Kings eunuch, the custodian of women advised and Esther obtained fever in the sight of all who saw.
Here, so Esther was taken to King Asherahs into his royal palace in the 10th month.
Which is the month of Taboth the 7th year of his reign?
The King love asked her more than all the other women, and she obtained grapes and fever 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.
Esther now comes to become Queen of Persia.
This great empire that we've been talking about.
She now is beside the king, not in role and authority.
They weren't kind of structured that way, but but she comes to this important place as the King's bride. The Queen of Persia.
And as.
The Queen she is strategically placed by God.
To be instrumental in the plan of God for delivering the people of God.
But as you look at Esther's life, probably none of us would choose that on purpose, right? I mean what unfair?
Circumstances for her to be brought into this Haram of this king and spend a year of preparation for one night with the king.
One chance to maybe be queen, but then to forever live as a concubine to the king like that's that's not probably anything that any of us would sign up for.
Unfair, probably not what she wanted.
Probably wasn't happy about it.
Wasn't excited about it.
We don't know for sure, of course, but.
Yet all of that God was working.
Even in the midst of however unfair that felt.
To bring about good for Esther, but also to give Astra the opportunity to be part of God's plan.
And so Mordecai tells her, and Esther.
Chapter 4.
Perhaps who knows?
Whether God has put you in the Kingdom for such a time as this, that famous line there, Esther Chapter 4, verse 14.
You have come to the Kingdom for justice such a time as this to be God's agent of deliverance.
And you can think about the circumstances that had to align the timing.
She had to be the right age.
She had to be unmarried.
She had to, you know, come onto the scene after Queen Vashti was banished.
She had to be Jewish in order for all of this plan to to make sense.
And she had to have a wise older cousin who would raise her in place of her adopted.
Her parents that had died, she had to be beautiful and stand out.
She had to be chosen by a hashira.
She had to exist in and be there in that place during the rise of him and in his plot against the Jews.
Like all of these things had to align.
And God worked in the midst of all of that.
To accomplish good for Esther and to put her in the key place to be part of his plan.
She I, I think, about what is her reward?
You know, for being faithful in this situation to do what God had called her to do, she has great reward in eternity for participating in that.
Vernon McGee says it's obvious that Esther did not accidentally win a beauty contest.
She was not accidentally the one who became queen.
She is there for a very definite purpose and God has been arranging this all the time and that's so important to consider because what if your circumstances?
Are all part of God's plan.
And all the things that, oh man, it's unfair and I don't like it but.
I wouldn't want.
To be here, I wouldn't choose this for myself.
But what if it was all part of God's plan, so that for such a time as this for just for right now, for this strategic moment, God has me here.
To be parts.
Of his purpose is to work out good.
On my behalf.
Now the fact that God is sovereign doesn't mean that we should just sit there and do nothing.
That's mordecais encouragement.
Perhaps for this time for such a time as this God put you here so that you can act.
God is sovereign, and so that means you should act.
You should do what God has called you.
To do.
God is sovereign and that doesn't mean that you use no strategy or tact. You look at Esther's example here. In chapter five, Chapter 7, she throws these banquets. She doesn't just straight out ask the king for her request.
She kind of creates some suspense, and her motivations are not clear and explained to us, but we see that she had a plan.
She executed this plan she she came at it a certain way in order to bring about the deliverance that God wanted to bring.
And so God is sovereign over your life no matter who's on the throne no matter what.
Wicked schemes are going on, perhaps for such a time as this God has you exactly where he has you.
So that you.
Can be a key part of his plan.
Well, I'm not going to get into detail here, but one last point to consider.
God is sovereign over your loved ones.
And this you can consider the example of Mordecai here in this account.
Here he is.
Looking on from kind of outside the fence as Esther is taken into the palace and with great care and concern, you can see his love for her as he's pacing back and forth in front of the gates trying to find out what happened.
You know he's greatly concerned.
And yet here he is concerned for Esther, and through that we can see that in a similar way, that when sometimes we rest are in the account right, but sometimes we're Mordecai, and it's our loved ones who are going through unfair things, and it's difficult and challenging, and we wish we could change it for them, like Mordecai would have been able to.
Identify with all those things right?
In a similar way, when we have those that we love.
We can rest in the sovereignty of God.
We can trust that God is no matter who's in authority, no matter what wicked schemes are going about.
We can rest and trust that God is able to work in the midst of all of that going on, and from mordechai's example, I would give you these encouragements when people you love these circumstances that you can't change, love them.
Advise them and pray for them.
And you can see Mordecai's example of this in Esther, chapter two, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, and kind of glean those points from from those chap.
But but loving Esther, he did.
He advised her and gave her good counsel.
And he fasted and prayed for her in order to assist her in the plan that God had for her and for the Jewish people.
And so here throughout the Book of Esther, I could go on for another hour or so, but I'll.
Probably shouldn't.
Do that, so consider the sovereignty of God.
He's sovereign over all his people everywhere.
He is sovereign.
Overall authorities over all the wicked, the wicked plans, the wicked schemes, no matter how powerful they are, how successful they look.
He's sovereign over my life, in your life, and he's sovereign over the lives of those that we love.
And so we.
Can trust and rest in the sovereignty of God.
It doesn't mean we're passive and we do nothing.
It doesn't mean we have no emotion and we don't care 'cause I will.
It must be gods plan 'cause it happened, right?
You see Mordecai morning, you see him, you know planning and taking action and encouraging estetik action.
The sovereignty of God doesn't mean that you know there's no free will, and we do nothing but.
But it also means that.
As we work.
To align with the plan of God we can trust and rest and know he can work no matter what the circumstances are, no.
Matter how bleak it.
Looks and he can accomplish good in our lives.
At this promise to those who love him, God is able to work all things together for good, but.
We thank you.
That we can trust you in that and rest in that and so many times.
God it's hard to see.
But even the potential for good in our situations.
But Lord, we are reminded this evening of your sovereignty.
You are on the throne.
And no matter what authority over us is threatening us or seems to be in opposition to your plans and purposes where we can trust and know that you are even over the highest authorities.
And you're able to redirect, and sometimes it's just with the simple thing of a sleepless night.
Or you can change the course of nations and empires and worlds just with the simplest things, because you rule on.
Hi, then you're able to turn the hearts of kings of those who are wicked.
You can turn their plans against them and our own lives.
Lord, you can turn us to the right path to the path that walks with you and receives from you and is an important part, a vital part, and we get the opportunity to participate.
In your plans and purposes for good for all of your people.
And so Lord help us to trust in you and to walk with you.
We pray this in Jesus name.