Living By Faith

Introduction

While the writing of Esther is largely written to explain to us how the feast of Purim came into existence in Jewish history, there is so much more to Esther than the story behind a holy day. While the writing of Esther never mentions God, there is a clear direction as the events unfold that someone is working in the background to bring all the pieces together at just the right time. While the writing of Esther reveals some of the horrific practices of ancient cultures and turns a spotlight on similar practices in our day and time—the corrupt nature of power, the use and misuse of women, the political intrigue—such themes remind us that human beings do not change.

But the overall writing seems to suggest that people are often trying to live life without knowing the results and trying to make good decisions while maintaining their faith and confidence. In many ways, this writing creates a picture of how life is lived. As we draw closer to our series on Esther, I want us to focus today on what it means to live by faith. As we look through chapters 7 & 8 today, we will notice how things come together for the preservation of the Jews and for Haman’s demise but we also must sense how all uncertain this seems at the time. We see the faith of Mordecai and we see the resolve of Esther and both must wait on others to make choices as well. If you know the story, you know it turns out well. And that ending affects our ability to understand the drama that occurs in between the beginning and the end. We walk by faith in this world. May we be encouraged today.

The Reveal

Once Upon a Time is the beginning of all fairy tales. After you have read several fairy tales the beginning and the ending are known “and they lived happily ever after.” In between the beginning and the end is a story of mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, and uncertainty but after 2-3 fairy tales you have know the ending will turn out okay. Knowing the ending takes all the intrigue away from the middle. If you follow a sports team, you may from time to time record the event of your team. If you know the final score before watching the event then the fact that your team is losing in the middle of the game means that you relax for the rest of the recording. You already know that your team wins.

But life isn’t a fairy tale or a prerecorded game. In the vast majority of cases we live life not knowing the ending. We even have a proverb to help us in such times of uncertainty “plan for the worst and hope for the best.” We don’t have time to go around this room but each one of us is dealing with some type of story that we don’t know the ending to. Such uncertainty increases our worry and anxiety. The story of Esther 7 & 8 is such a story. The edict for Jews to be killed has gone out. Such a law cannot be revoked. The end is coming.

Esther took a chance. She went to see the king without the king asking for her. She could lose her life to do so. The king accepts her. His queen isn’t the only woman in his life. He has a harem. He has wars to run and power to hold. Being a king is not easy. Esther interrupts his life. She doesn’t know if she will be a welcome diversion or a unwelcome pest. Risking her life she comes to the king’s throneroom and he looks up and in the moment of reflection and a blinking of the eye, he decides she is welcome. We breathe a sigh of relief. Surely Esther did too. Her desire is to have the king and Haman come for a banquet. They do. What do you want Esther? A second day with the king and Haman. The king is favorable to such an idea but it was a risk. Did she chicken out at the first banquet? Was this all part of her plan to get the king and Haman to relax so she can spring the news on them both? The text doesn’t tell us. We are not allowed to understand her thought processes. She asks for a second day and the king agrees.

Do you think Esther slept well that night waiting for the next day? Do you think she was worried? While the text doesn’t tell us, surely these are things we know about human beings. She made sure the king’s favorite wine was in place. Food was prepared. She oversaw all the details and the second day arrives with the entrance of the king and Haman and it is the moment of truth. Will this plan work? Will she survive? Or will she be seen as a nuisance to the king? Will he think I have too much on my plate to worry about these Jews? I found a new queen once, I can find another. She doesn’t know. But the stage seems to be set for not only the reveal of Haman as the enemy of the Jews but for her to reveal that she, too, is a Jew and may with the king’s agreement be killed.

What do you want Esther? I will give it to you up to half my kingdom. Name it. And Esther using the words of the edict asks for her life and the life of her people—the Jews. Verse 5 tells us that the king either didn’t read the edict that Haman wrote or that he has only heard one thing—Esther is going to die at the hands of someone. The judge’s gavel falls. Haman is revealed as the evil one and the king filled with rage must decide what to do. Haman knows what the king will do. The king’s decision is how to carry it out. And within a very few moments Haman’s body is hung on the pike he had built for Mordecai.

But the story isn’t over. The edict cannot be undone. The slaughter of the Jews will still happen. But the tables turn quickly and Mordecai is given the king’s signet ring and a new edict is written that allows the Jews to protect themselves against attacks on the day of the first edict. And in Susa a second day is allowed as well. Thus, the Jews are saved. So what does this have to say to us.

Application

Consider the following: from the time of the edict that Haman wrote to the second edict is approximately 2.5 months. Do you think people were nervous during that time? Esther and Mordecai get Jews in Susa to pray and fast for three days. What do you think happened the rest of the time? Do you think people had a hard time concentrating? Do you think people were worried? Do you think people wondered out loud and internally what would happen? Do you think people wondered if God was still around? When Mordecai woke up the next morning after Haman’s nighttime building of a spike meant strictly for him do you think Mordecai thought his life would end? Do you think Esther was worried that Xerxes might choose Haman over her?

Do you think they were human beings in the same way we are? In so many ways we live this life without being able to know outcomes. Too often we allow the outcomes to determine the quality of our faith. Bad outcomes means God failed. Good outcomes verifies God’s goodness. I suggest to you that the goodness of God is constant and that our feelings about his goodness doesn’t change him. Is God good when a loved one dies or is God good only when the loved one lives? Is God good when you lose your job or is God good only when a job is preserved? Is God good when you contract cancer or is God good only when the cancer is healed?

Is your faith real when things turn out well or is your faith real in times of testing? Does the outcome determine the quality of your faith or does your faith grow in the face of outcomes that leave us sad and uncertain? Isn’t faith real faith in the hard times not the easier times? Like most human beings we live life not knowing outcomes but because of our faith we discover the freedom and joy that comes from trusting that God is still near. In our faith we learn to find contentment in outcomes because we know God is at work. In our faith we weep and cry out in pain to a God who already knows outcomes and has assured us that he is doing something. The cross is a clear revelation of the pain of this life lived in faith and trusting that God was doing something when the weight of the sins of all were squarely placed on the lamb of God.

Living by faith is not easy.

To live by faith means that we know not everything will turn out the way we want it to but we trust God anyway.

To live by faith means that we acknowledge the pain is real but we trust God anyway.

To live by faith means that there are times we are uncertain but we trust that God is working anyway.

To live by faith means that if our God can bring good out of the evil’s attempt to destroy God’s plan, then when evil comes we are tied to the one who is greater than the evil that has come.

Invitation.

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