Latest / Scripture Central / For Such a Time as This | Book of Esther | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III | Aug 3-9

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For Such a Time as This | Book of Esther | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III | Aug 3-9 · Scripture Central

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I know that God has brought me here for a time such as this.
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Sometimes circumstances we wouldn't choose take us to where
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God needs us to be. It's one of those little signs
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that God is working behind the scenes.
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God is not explicitly present, but he's unmistakably present.
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And I think that's how God often works in our lives as well,
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quietly behind the scenes. Even if all the odds are stacked
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against you, you still play an important role in bringing about
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God's purposes for Jews. The book of Esther is a favorite
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book in the Hebrew Bible. Each year there's a special
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Jewish festival called Purim. In some cities are fun parades
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on the streets, in synagogue. The entire book of Esther is
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read out loud. Not once, but twice.
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I remember attending Purim at a synagogue in Jerusalem when we
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lived there. It was so fun.
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People dressed up in costumes. Everyone cheered for the heroes.
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They booed for the villains. But the Book of Esther is more
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than a fun holiday story. It has the power to change our
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lives. So let's dive into it.
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If we look at a big picture of the Old Testament overview, the
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book of Esther takes place during the Persian period after
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the Babylonian exile. So remember, after Babylon
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destroyed Jerusalem, the Jewish people experienced decades of
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captivity. Eventually Persia defeats
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Babylon and their leader Cyrus gave the Jews permission to
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return to Jerusalem. And we read about this return
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back in the books of Ezra in Nehemiah, which described the
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rebuilding of the temple, the rebuilding of the walls around
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Jerusalem. Here's an approximate timeline
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of what's happening in the Persian period.
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And Esther fits about in the middle of this historical
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period. But their story is a different
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part of the story. Ezra and Nehemiah are exiles who
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return to Jerusalem. But scholars estimate that many
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of the Jews did not return to Jerusalem.
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They stayed where they were. Esther is one of these Jews who
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scattered throughout the Persian Empire.
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These Jews are often referred to as Diaspora Jews from the word
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dispersion describing the Jews who lived outside of the land of
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Israel. So in Esther chapter one verse
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one we read now it came to pass in the days of Ahazuaris.
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Now Hazuaris is the name of the Persian king in Hebrew.
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Other translations will use the Greek name of the king.
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For example, we read in the New International Version.
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This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who
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ruled over 127 provinces. It's talking about the same
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person, just using a different form of the name.
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So today I'll be using Xerxes, mostly because it's easier to
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pronounce than a Hasueris. Now, I should say at the outset
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that scholars debate whether the king in Esther is Xerxes,
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another Persian king, or simply a literary figure.
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But as we see in the book of Esther, Xerxes is an individual
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who likes to party. In the 1st chapter, he has a
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party that lasts 180 days. What would you do after a party
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that lasts that long? You'd have an after party, of
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course, and that's what Xerxes does.
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We read. By the King's command, each
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guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king
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instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he
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wished. While Xerxes is having his
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party, Vashti is having her own party with some of the women.
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At one point Xerxes gets drunk and he asks Vashti to come out
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and show herself to all of his friends so they can admire her
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beauty. Vashti refuses and Xerxes gets
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mad, so he asks his advisers what he should do.
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They said Queen Vashti has done wrong not only against the king,
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but also against all the nobles and the people of all the
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provinces of King Xerxes. This very day, the Persian and
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Median women of the nobility who have heard about the Queen's
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conduct will respond to all the King's nobles in the same way.
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There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
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Now when I read this, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.
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I'll probably cry because Xerxes will throw away his whole
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marriage because his ego is so small.
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He can't handle Vashti saying no to him.
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Sebastian is kicked out of being queen.
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Time passes and now Xerxes is lonely again.
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The King's advisory Others have a suggestion.
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They say let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for
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the king. Let the king appoint
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commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these
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beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Sousa.
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Let beauty treatments be given to them.
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Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen
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instead of Ashti. So this is when we are
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introduced to Mordecai and his cousin Esther.
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Mordecai adopted Esther when her parents died and raised her as
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his own daughter. The scriptures describe Esther
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like this. Esther had a lovely figure and
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was beautiful. Now, for some reason, when I was
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growing up, the idea that I had in my mind was that Mordecai
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told Esther to go try out for this beauty pageant.
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We might say, but that's actually not what the scriptures
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teach. Look carefully, we read When the
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King's order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women
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were brought to the citadel of Susa.
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Esther also was taken to the King's palace.
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Note that there's no mention of Mordecai suggesting that Esther
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sign up, and the Hebrew word that's used for brought or taken
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here has the connotation of being seized.
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This could imply that the King's officers essentially rounded up
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beautiful young women by decree. It might not have been an event
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that you could RSVP know to. So think about the implications
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this has for Esther. As a young woman, she's brought
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into a place she didn't choose. It's a reminder sometimes
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circumstances we wouldn't choose take us to where God needs us to
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be. Mordecai was deeply concerned
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for Esther. We read Esther had not revealed
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her nationality and family background because Mordecai had
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forbidden her to do so. Every day he walked back and
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forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was
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and what was happening to her. The result of the competition
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was that the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of
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the other women and she won his favor and approval, so he set a
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royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Ashti.
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Now about this time 2 of Xerxes officials had a plot to
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assassinate him. We read Mordecai found out about
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the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the
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king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was
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investigated and found to be true, the two officials were
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impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the
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Book of the Annals in the presence of the king.
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Now in chapter 3, we're introduced to the villain of the
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story, Haman. He is a descendant of Agag.
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Now we might have to pull our memories back a little bit, but
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if you remember back in First Samuel Chapter 7, Agag was the
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king of the Amalekites, one of Saul's chief enemies.
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We're also told that Mordecai is from the tribe of Benjamin, the
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same tribe that Saul was from. So can you feel the narrative
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tension brewing? Saul was supposed to kill Agag,
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but he didn't, and now Agag's descendant Haman is causing
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trouble for the Jews. Haman had recently been given a
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position of prominence by King Xerxes.
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We read all the royal officials at the King's gate knelt down
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and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this
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concerning him, but Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him
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honor. When Heyman saw that Mordecai
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would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.
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Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he
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scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai.
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Instead, Heyman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's
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people, the Jews throughout the whole Kingdom of Xerxes.
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It's crazy, right? One man insults you, and you
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decide to kill his entire people.
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So Heyman cast a lot to determine which month he would
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slay the Jews. We read in the 12th year of King
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Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nissan the poor, that
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is, the lot with cast in the presence of Haman to select a
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day and month. And the lot fell on the 12th
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month. So notice that by chance, on the
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first month, the lot falls on the 12th month.
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This gives Mordecai and Esther time to act.
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If the lot had fallen on the second month, there would have
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been no time. It's one of those little signs
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that God is working behind the scenes.
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So Haman says to the king, There's a certain people
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dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your
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Kingdom who keep themselves separate.
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Their customs are different from those of all other people, and
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they do not obey the King's laws.
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It is not in the King's best interest to tolerate them.
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If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy
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them. So the king agrees and signs a
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royal decree. The text is specific that
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dispatches were sent by couriers to all the King's provinces with
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in order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young
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and old, women and children, on a single day, the 13th day of
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the 12th month. When Mordecai learned of all
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that have been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and
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ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and
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bitterly. In every province to which the
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edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning
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among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing.
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When Esther learned about Mordecai, she was in great
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distress. She sent clothes for him to put
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on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
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Then Esther summoned Hatak, one of the King's eunuchs assigned
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to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling
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Mordecai and why. So Mordecai explains the whole
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situation to Hatak and told him to tell Esther to beg the king
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to have mercy on the Jews. Esther responded to Mordecai,
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saying all the King's officials and the people of the royal
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provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king
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in the inner court without being summoned, the king has but one
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law that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold
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scepter to them and spares their lives.
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But 30 days have passed since I was called to go to the king.
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This was the original version of don't call me, I'll call you
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right so you can understand Esther's concern.
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Mordecai's response to Esther is powerful.
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He says do not think that because you are in the King's
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house, you alone of all the Jews will escape.
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For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for
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the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's
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family will perish. Note how Mordecai has complete
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faith that the Jews will be delivered.
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He doesn't say, Esther, you're our only hope.
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Instead, he expresses his confidence that one way or
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another, deliverance will come. And that is an important message
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for each of us. Deliverance may or may not come
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today and may or may not come in this life, but through Jesus
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Christ, ultimate deliverance will come.
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And then Mordecai utters what might be the most famous words
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in the book of Esther. He says, Who knoweth whether
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thou art come to the Kingdom for a time such as this.
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Remember, Esther was brought to the palace.
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She was an orphan. She was a descendant of those
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who'd been in exile. She was a foreigner in her
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society. She was the weakest of the week.
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And I wonder if Esther's just been doing her best one day at a
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time. And now Mordecai comes to her
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and says, you've been called to the Kingdom for a time such as
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this. And Esther says, I didn't ask to
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be here at this time. I love what President Thomas S
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Monson taught. There have always been
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challenges in the world. Many of those which you face are
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unique to this time, but you are some of our Heavenly Father's
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strongest children, and He has saved you to come to the earth
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for such a time as this. With His help, you will have the
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courage to face whatever comes. Esther shows us that God uses
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different people in different ways, and in this moment God is
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using the girl who never planned on being there in the first
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place. Just think about that.
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God is using the person who never planned on being there.
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You could be right now or in the future, the person with a
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calling you had never planned on or a challenge that you never
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wanted. You might say, I didn't ask for
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any of this. Maybe Esther felt the same way,
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and maybe Mordecai response, God has brought you here for a
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reason. I hope that sometime today each
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one of us will look in the mirror and say to ourselves, I
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know that God has brought me here.
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For a time such as this. Consider these questions.
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Reflecting back on your life, can you see a time where God put
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you right where you were needed so that you could bless others
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bringing it to the present? Where in your life right now do
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you feel like you've been brought into a situation you
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didn't choose, but that this could be your time such as this?
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We don't have to have a Kingdom changing experiences in order to
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answer these questions. I think of my oldest son, Levi.
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He was called to serve in the Georgia Atlanta N Mission and he
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spent most of his mission serving in metro Atlanta.
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But there was a time when he was called to a small rural town and
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one day he was knocking doors in this small rural town and a
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woman let him and his companion enter the house.
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And then who should come into the room but his 9th grade
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wrestling coach from Orem, UT. Somehow this 9th grade wrestling
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coach from Orem, UT was in this small town in rural Georgia, and
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he and his wife, who were members of the church, were
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having maybe a time in their lives when they needed to have
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some strengthening of their faith.
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And who better to come into their lives at that moment than
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a 9th grade wrestling student who knew but what my son was
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called to the Kingdom for a time such as that.
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I want to open it up if any of you have a story that you'd like
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to share from your life that connects with either of these
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two questions. We moved here to Utah about two
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years ago and I got here. I thought, oh, I cannot do this.
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And I was about to tell my husband to pull the house off
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the market while I was out here. And I went to church and someone
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giving the talk had reported that they went to a area
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conference and what they heard was that the Lord was bringing
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people here for a reason. And the Spirit testified to me
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that we needed to come here for a reason.
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I'm not sure what that reason is still, but we have been very
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blessed to be here and hopefully I can fit in here just fine.
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Thank you. So when we are studying in Utah
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and suddenly we got we need to go back to India to renew our
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visa. That time our family very
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disappointed during the middle of the masters.
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Why I need to go back to India for visa work?
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But God plan is wonderful in our lives.
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When we went back and we started to teach in institute class and
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also as a call, through callings we show the light of Christ in
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our Saints and through teachings of our testimony, our family
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members are baptized. So it's a great blessing for us
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to go back to India. Wow.
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So God brought you to India just for the right time.
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Yes, thank you. I was exiting the temple the
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other day and I stopped at the desk for just a moment and spoke
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with a friend and then turned to leave.
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And as I turned to leave a sister came real close to me.
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So I put my arm out just automatically and kind of hugged
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her and we exited the door together.
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And then she turned to me and she said, I feel drawn to you.
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You just gave me the hug that I've been longing for from my
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mother. And I held her in my arm for a
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minute and didn't understand completely what was happening,
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but knew there was a sacred event happening in that moment.
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And then we exited and she just didn't want to let go.
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And neither did I really touched me.
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It's so beautiful and it's a reminder that the time such as
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this doesn't have to be saving an entire nation.
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It could be reaching out to one person.
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Thank you for those stories. So God has a work for each of us
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to do, and he had to work for Esther as well.
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In response to Mordecai, Esther said go gather together all the
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Jews who are in the city and fast for me.
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Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
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I and my attendants will fast as you do.
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When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is
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against the law, and then note her powerful phrase she said.
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And if I perish, I perish. Esther's words point to a
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powerful principle of surrender. Surrender is when you completely
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set aside your will and exclusively focus on gods.
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It's when you honestly believe. I am not the author of my story.
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I'm the servant of the author. Put differently, we might see
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that surrender is when you let God prevail in your life.
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Esther's If I Perish, I Perish is a powerful example of
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surrender, and it reminds me of an account we looked at earlier
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with Joshua. You remember the story?
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After crossing the Jordan, the Israelites advanced toward
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Jericho, and as Joshua approached the city, Joshua
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looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn
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sword. Joshua asked.
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Are you for us or for our enemies?
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And the response was unexpected. Neither.
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But as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.
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We then read. Joshua fell face down to the
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ground in reverence. Something really powerful is
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happening here, right? Joshua opens up with a question.
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Are you on my side in heaven? Answers wrong question.
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This isn't about God signing up for Joshua's campaign.
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It's about Joshua signing up for God's.
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That's why Joshua falls face down to the ground in reverence.
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In this moment, Joshua pivots from I'm in charge to I'm your
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servant. We might say Joshua changes from
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God be for me to God, I'm for you.
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That's surrender. When we come to God in prayer,
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do we go with a list of all the things that we need from him?
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That's God be for me. Or do we we completely submit to
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our Father in heaven. You see, Esther and Joshua, they
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faced different situations, but ultimately it's the same
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question. Is God here for me or am I here
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for God? I think the concept of surrender
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is so powerful and I want to share 2 modern examples.
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First, let's look at a story told from President Oakes who
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was writing about his great great grandmother Hannah.
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He said in 1877, Hannah and her husband Orange were happily
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established in Mount Pleasant, UT, where Orange was serving as
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a Bishop and where their industry had earned them what
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Hannah later described as the finest home in Mount Pleasant.
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Then Brigham Young called for leaders to go E over the
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mountains to colonize what is now Emory County, at that time
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barren and unpromising. Obediently, Orange and a
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pioneering party set forth over the mountain in October 1877.
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Two years later, Orange moved Hannah and their seven children,
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then ages 1 to 16, constructing their own Wagon Rd.
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As they struggled up the deep Canyon.
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Now we read about this and we can just glide past that.
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Another great story of pioneers. But seriously, stop and think
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about Hannah. She's a real person, a young
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mother with seven children ages 1 to 16.
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Can you imagine her life bushwhacking through a
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wilderness, sleeping on a dirt floor in A1 Room House when she
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used to have the best home in the town?
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Continuing with President Oakes, he says many years later, toward
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the end of her long life, Hannah wrote, The first time I ever
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swore was when we landed here. I said damn, a man that would
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fetch a woman to such a God forsaken country.
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Don't get mad at me, I'm just quoting.
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Now know what President Oakes says next.
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Some may wonder why I find those words so faith promoting.
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They speak to me of a great great grandmother who did not
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deny her very mortal emotions but nevertheless went forward in
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obedience to do what she was called to do.
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That's surrender. And think of the impact.
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Hannah's surrender directly changed the life of President
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Oates, which means her surrender has changed your life.
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When we surrender, even in small ways, there are huge ripple
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effects, both for us and for later generations.
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This next story comes from Jonathan Rumi, the actor who
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plays Jesus in The Chosen at a university graduation.
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He shared the story, which takes place before the Chosen ever
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began. Jonathan says May 12th, 2018 was
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a Saturday. On that day, God remade me a
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completely new creature in Christ.
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Here's how I had 20 bucks in my pocket -80 in my checking
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account, drowning in thousands of dollars of debt, enough food
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to last one day, zero opportunities, and not a single
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Chick-fil-A coupon. I dropped to my knees and I
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poured myself out to the Lord and surrendered everything to
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Him, saying I can't do this without you.
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So whatever you will for me, I will accept it.
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Even if it means quitting acting, leaving the arts,
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Whatever it is, I I surrender. And for the first time, I
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actually meant it. The weight lifted off me
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immediately. It wasn't on me anymore.
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I didn't have to worry about it. My circumstances were no
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different. I was still broke, but my
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disposition and my heart for Christ completely changed.
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I entrusted everything to Him. So I went and spent that last 20
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bucks on a killer brunch and I simply waited.
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I came home a couple of hours later.
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I opened my mailbox just out of habit, and there sat in front of
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my face, 4 mysterious checks. I went into my apartment,
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dumbfounded, set up my phone and recorded myself opening them so
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I'd have proof later that it wasn't imagining this.
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Now it's powerful. You can see the actual footage
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of this event from May 12th, 2018.
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Let's take a look. 50 bucks as I thought.
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Thank you. Thank you.
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God, $200. Another 50 bucks.
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It's $800. I love seeing this miracle
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unfold in real time. Continuing, Jonathan says.
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I started my day -80 bucks. By the end of opening those
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checks, I had 1100. It may as well have been
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$1,000,000 at that point. God is listening, you just have
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to completely trust him and surrender unconditionally.
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It's the hardest thing that I've ever done but the greatest thing
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that has ever happened to me and will be the most life changing
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thing to ever happen to you if you allow it.
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I found that surrender leads to salvation in every way possible.
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Yourself. Reliance won't cure you, your
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willpower won't save you, but in your complete surrender to God,
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you will always succeed because Jesus was, is, and ever shall be
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enough. Now sometimes surrender is a big
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thing, like Jonathan's experience deciding in that
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moment to be willing to do whatever it is God has asked you
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to do, or Hannah's moment of being willing to move to the
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wilderness. But sometimes surrender can come
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in small ways. Maybe when we choose to act on a
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prompting from the Holy Ghost, even though it might not make
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sense to us, we surrender to God in big ways and in small.
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So again, consider your life thinking about the past 12
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months. Where have new scene surrender
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and how might God be inviting you to surrender right now?
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Right now, I have a wonderful opportunity to serve with the
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Church, and it is something that I'm very interested to do and
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engage in to further genealogy, not only for myself but for
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others. However, I have a great job and
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a very profitable role and I'm realizing that I cannot engage
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with both and and I am going to have to surrender one for the
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other. And the question is, which one
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do I surrender? Thank you.
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So how are you going to know which one you surrender?
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I think I already know. My heart is already telling me
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where I should go. I think it's a question of me
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just accepting that this is the direction the Lord wants me to
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follow, and since I want to be a true disciple of Christ, then
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there is only one option. Really there isn't 2?
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Thank you. It's a reminder of Esther's
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words, right? If I perish, I perish.
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There is such great power and surrender.
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Now, as you're reading through the book of Esther, you might
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have noticed something unusual. There's no specific mention of
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God. There's no prayers that are
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spoken. There's no prophets performing
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miracles. God is not explicitly present,
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but he's unmistakably present. And I think that's how God often
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works in our lives as well, quietly behind the scenes.
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Now, what a lot of people don't know is that there are additions
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to the book of Esther in the Apocrypha.
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Now, these texts aren't part of our canonized scripture, but
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they provide some interesting details, including suggesting
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what Mordecai and Esther said during this time when they were
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praying. As Esther prepares to go into
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the king, these apocryphal editions record Mordecai as
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praying. You know, O Lord, that it was
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not an insolence or pride or for any love of glory that I refuse
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to bow down to this proud Haman, for I would have been willing to
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kiss the soles of his feet to save Israel.
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But I did this so that, and I might not set human glory above
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the glory of God, and I will not bow down to anyone but you who
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are my Lord. Think about Mordecai's example.
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We probably won't be asked to bow down to Haman, but we might
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be tempted to prioritize human praise over God's glory.
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What a prayer for us to consider.
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I love Mordecai's devotion. Now Esther's prayer in the
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Apocrypha is also powerful. She says, Oh my Lord, you alone
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are our king. Help me who am alone and have no
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helper but you. Give me courage.
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Oh king of the gods and master of all dominion, put eloquent
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speech in my mouth. Oh God, save us from the hands
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of evil doers and save me from my fear.
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I love that phrase. Save me from my fear.
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That's a prayer I can pray. Now, these prayers aren't
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scripture, but Joseph Smith did say that we can benefit from the
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apocrypha. I love learning about these
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prayers. So let's go with Esther to the
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inner court. After three days of fasting,
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she's standing, waiting to see the king.
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Can you feel her faith in this moment?
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You know how the story's going to end, but she doesn't.
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So slow down. Stand next to the entrance with
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Esther. Can you feel her heart pounding?
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There's no sign. There's no Angel.
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The king still hasn't called for her.
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Esther doesn't know what will happen next, but she moves
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forward with faith. She approaches the king with no
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guarantees, and then the king reaches out his golden scepter.
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It's a miracle. The king asks Esther what she
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wants, and she says, well, the only thing I want is for you and
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Haman to come over and have a banquet with me.
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So if the king likes the idea of that, and at the banquet, the
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king again asks Esther, what can I do for you?
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And Esther says, well, just come back tomorrow for another
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banquet. Heyman leaves the palace in high
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spirits. He feels like his status is
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getting higher and higher. The Queens invited him to two
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banquets. This is incredible.
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But as he's leaving, he sees Mordecai sitting at the King's
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gate, still refusing to bow. Once again, Haman is filled with
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rage. He goes home, both to his wife
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and his friends about dining with the queen, but he confesses
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that none of it means anything to him as long as Mordecai is
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still alive. And so his wife and friends come
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up with an idea. Have a pulse it up, reaching to
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a height of 75 feet, and ask the king in the morning to have
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Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the
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banquet and enjoy yourself. Heyman loves the idea and he has
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the pole erected. Now, the very night before
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Mordecai is supposed to be executed, something happens.
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It's a pivot for the whole story of Esther we read that night.
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The king could not sleep, so we ordered the book of the
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Chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read
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to him. It was found recorded there that
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Mordecai had exposed 2 of the King's officers who guarded the
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doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
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What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?
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The king asked the attendance answer.
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Nothing has been done for him now.
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First, this is a reminder to write in your journal.
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The entire history of the world could shift based on what you
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record. This shows us also that God's
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divine design is alive and well. We saw it with Joseph in Egypt.
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We saw it with Ruth. Through these little
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coincidences, it just so happens that the night before Haman was
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going to request Mordecai's death, the king couldn't sleep.
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And it just so happens that the book that was brought before
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them was the one that told about Mordecai.
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And it just so happens that right as the king was pondering
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this, Haman comes to ask permission to have Mordecai
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impaled on a pole when Haman entered.
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But before Haman could make his request, the king asked Haman
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what should be done for the man the king delights to honor.
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Now Haman thought to himself, who is there that the king would
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rather honor than me? So he answered the king for the
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man the king delights to honor. Have them bring a royal robe the
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king has worn and a horse the king is ridden, one with a royal
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Crest placed on his head. Then let the robe and horse be
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entrusted to one of the King's most noble Princess.
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Let them put the robe on the man the king delights to honor, and
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lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming
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before him this is what is done for the man the king delights to
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honor. You can just see Heyman, giddy
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with excitement, being honored in this way.
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The king loves Heyman's suggestion and says go at once,
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get the rope in the horse, and do just as you have suggested
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for Mordecai, the Jew who sits at the King's gate.
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Do not neglect anything you have recommended.
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Can you imagine Heyman's face at this moment?
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Well, Heyman is shocked, but he has no choice but to obey.
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So he parades Mordecai through the city and then goes home,
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completely crushed. But now it's time to go to
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Esther's second banquet. And it's at this second banquet
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that Esther makes her request. She says, if I have found favor
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with you, your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my
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life, this is my petition, and spare my people, this is my
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request, for I and my people have been sold to be destroyed,
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killed and annihilated. King Xerxes asked Esther, who is
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he? Where is he, the man who is
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dared to do such a thing? Esther said.
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An adversary and an enemy, this vile Haman.
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The king got up in a rage and went out into the palace garden.
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But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his
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fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
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Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet
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hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was
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reclaiming. The king exclaimed.
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Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the
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house? Just then one of the servants
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told the king a pole reaching to a height of 75 feet stands by
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Haman's house. He had it set up for Mordecai,
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who spoke up to help the king. And so, on the King's orders,
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they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai.
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So now Haman's gone. But the decree to annihilate the
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Jews is still in effect. It couldn't be revoked according
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to Persian law. So Xerxes gives Haman's estate
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to Esther and his signet ring to Mordecai.
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Since Xerxes can't cancel the first decree, he authorizes
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Mordecai to issue a second one on the day that had been
32:27
appointed. Now the Jews are authorized to
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protect themselves, and to commemorate this reversal of
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fortune, Mordecai and Esther established a new festival.
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We read These days were called Purim from the word poor,
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referring to the law that Haman had cast.
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It's ironic Haman cast lots the poor to determine the lucky date
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to destroy the Jews, but God uses this very timeline to
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destroy Haman instead. We then read and these days of
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Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews.
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Now, this suggests that Jesus Christ himself celebrated Purim.
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Some of you might be yourself. This sounds like a great
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holiday, and if it was good enough for the Savior, it's good
33:11
enough for me. I wish I could learn more about
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how to celebrate Purim. Wish granted.
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On the course website I have all the details of how you can
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celebrate Purim in a modern setting.
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But before we conclude, I want to highlight two big picture
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messages that we might easily miss.
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First is Saul's reversal. If you remember from the book of
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Samuel, King Saul was a descendant of Benjamin, and at
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one point Samuel told Saul to kill Agag and destroy all the
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animals of the Amalekites. But Saul failed.
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He spared King Agag and he kept some of the plunder for himself.
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Because of this disobedience, Samuel told Saul, the the Lord
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has torn the Kingdom of Israel from you today.
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But in the book of Esther that failure is reversed.
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Like Saul, Mordecai was also a descendant of Benjamin.
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Haman is a descendant of Agag. Where Saul failed to kill Agag,
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Mordecai presides over the downfall of Haman and all of his
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descendants. Where Saul, contrary to Samuel's
34:14
command, kept some of the plunder.
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The book of Esther repeatedly points out that the Jews did not
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keep any of the plunder from their enemies in the time of
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Mordecai and Esther. Saul had great power and failed.
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Mordecai had no power and succeeded.
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So remember, even if all the odds are stacked against you,
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you still play an important role in bringing about God's
34:38
purposes. Now a second big picture message
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we see is Esther as a type of Christ.
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Do you remember what Paul wrote about the Savior?
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He said Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
34:52
assuming human likeness and being found in appearance as a
34:56
human. He humbled himself and became
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obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
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This passage gives us a lens for reading the book of Esther.
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Esther risk losing her high place of standing.
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She was willing to lower herself to bless the people.
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Think about it. Esther steps into danger she did
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not create to rescue those who could not help themselves.
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Esther points us to Jesus Christ that there's a difference.
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Esther risked her life. Jesus gave his life.
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Esther says if I perish, I perish, but Jesus knows he will
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perish. He says for this cause came I
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into the world. Esther's surrender points to the
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greatest surrender, Christ's. And we see this surrender in
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Gethsemane when he said, Father, if thou be willing, remove this
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cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.
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This is the ultimate surrender. And when our lives are centered
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on Christ, when our hopes, our ambitions, our sense of worth
36:04
are all rooted in his love, that's when we find the strength
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to surrender as well. Not because surrender is easy,
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but because we know we are surrendering to a king who first
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surrendered himself for us.