Will you please turn to the book of Esther? The book of Esther, chapter 2. We will read from Esther 2:5-11.
There was a Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother.
And the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
And it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was brought unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens selected to be given her out of the king’s house.
And he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.
Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
We will also read Esther 4:13-17.
Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house more than all the Jews.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall perish.
And who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Then Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day.
I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
And finally, Esther 9:20-22.
And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
to establish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day:
that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
Shall we pray?
Dear heavenly Father, as we continue in Thy presence, we do thank Thee for Thy precious Word. We ask Thee, Lord, that Thou wilt give us understanding and wisdom, that we may know what Thou art saying to us. We do praise and thank Thee that Thy Word is living and operative, and is eternal. So we do open ourselves to Thy Word and let it speak to us. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
This morning we are on the book of Esther. In the Bible, you will find Esther placed behind the book of Nehemiah. But chronologically speaking, the history in Esther is actually before the history of Nehemiah.
What happened in the book of Esther happened during the time of Ahasuerus, and the Ahasuerus there is Xerxes in secular history. We know that the book of Nehemiah, and even part of Ezra, happened during the time of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who was the son of Xerxes.
So historically speaking, what happened in the book of Esther stands between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. In other words, the events in Esther happened after the return of the Jewish remnant to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, and before the return of the Jews under Ezra.
The book of Esther is a historical record, but it is written so vividly and dramatically that it is very fascinating. I do not know if, brothers and sisters, you have ever read Esther. If you have not, I hope you will read it, because we are not able to go through the whole book and tell you the whole story. You have to find out the story yourself.
We do not know who wrote this book of Esther. The only thing we know is that he must have been a Jew in the Dispersion, because he seemed to know Persian customs very well. The Talmud says that this book was written by the scribes of the synagogue. But most likely, these scribes did not compose this book; they only gave it authoritativeness and final editorial supervision.
Of the books in the Old Testament, there are only two books that bear the names of women. One is Ruth, and the other is Esther.
Ruth was a Moabitess, a Gentile woman. But she was joined to a Jew because she made God her God. Through that union with Boaz, we find David the king, and also the One who is greater than David, even our Lord Jesus.
Esther was a Jewish woman, but she was married to a Gentile king. Yet God used her for the deliverance of His people.
Everyone who reads the book of Esther will not fail to see one thing: the name of God is not mentioned there. It is a book in the Bible, and yet the name of God is never mentioned in this book.
Even in the Song of Songs, the Song of Solomon, we find at least one occasion where the name of God is mentioned. That is in Song of Solomon 8:6, when it describes love or jealousy as “the flame of the Lord.”
But only this book, Esther, of all the books in the Old Testament, neither the name of God nor the name of the Lord is ever mentioned. And yet, we do find God everywhere. His name is not mentioned, but His hand is very evident.
We see God moving behind the scenes in a hidden way, but it is very evident all through that book. Now, why is it?
There is a good reason for it. This book recalls the history of the Jewish people who did not respond to the call of God to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Instead, they remained in the land of captivity. This book is concerned with their history.
In other words, the people of God who were supposed to respond to God’s call to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple did not do so. The people of God were supposed to live for God and live for the name of God.
During that period, God was no longer called the God of heaven and earth. He was addressed as the God of heaven. Why? Because there was no place on earth for His name. He had put His name in Jerusalem, in the temple there; but the temple was destroyed, Jerusalem was in ruins, and the people of God were in captivity.
So the name of God was no longer on earth, as if He had withdrawn into heaven. Then the opportunity came for the Jews to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple, and to let the name of God be upon this earth.
But unfortunately, only a remnant of God’s people returned. Most of the Jewish people preferred to remain in the land of captivity. Why? Because during those seventy years they had built up their businesses, built their houses, and had a very good life to live.
Furthermore, they were not deprived of their religious freedom. They were able to worship God in their synagogues, which was a very ingenious human invention—very convenient. So most of the Jewish people remained in the land of captivity. They did not bother to return.
In other words, they lived for themselves, not for God. They preferred their own well-being to the well-being of God.
Because they stayed behind, the name of God was not mentioned in that history. Because of their rebellion and disobedience, they were under the sentence of God: Lo-ammi—not My people.
So officially, God had disowned them. But thank God, God had not forgotten them. We find how God still took care of them, no longer in a public way, but only in a hidden way.
Now, brothers and sisters, when we study the Word of God, we know it is for our admonition. Is there any analogy we can find in our history today? Is this book relevant to our days? What are the lessons that God wants to teach us today?
You know that we are living in the last days. This is the time of the recovery of the testimony of God, because our Lord is coming soon. And the call is out for God’s people to come out of Babylon—that is, confusion, religious confusion—and to return to Jerusalem, the city of peace.
In other words, God is calling His people to return to the simplicity and sincerity of Christ Jesus. We have to return and stand on the ground of the simplicity of Christ, and then be built up together as the house of God, that the name of God may once again shine in this dark world. Now, this is the call.
My brothers and sisters, how many of God’s people have heard that call? How many have responded to that call? How many really love God and live for God and for His testimony?
How many of God’s people just love themselves too much—too comfortable? They do not care about God’s name. They are religious, and yet religious for their own comfort, not for the testimony of God and for His name.
In other words, even today, most of God’s people still remain in Babylonian captivity. There is no separation between the church and the world. There is that religious confusion in which we live.
Brothers and sisters, if we are not where we should be, or we are not what we ought to be, then in a sense we have failed God.
You remember our Lord Jesus said that unless we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, we are not His disciples. Are we His disciples? Do we really deny ourselves? Do we really take up our cross and follow the Lord wherever the Lamb is? If not, then we are not His disciples.
In other words, even though God has not disowned us as His children, so far as our life is concerned, there is no testimony to His name.
Because the Jewish people did not return to Jerusalem and remained in the land of captivity, what happened? If they had all returned to Jerusalem, the book of Esther would not have been written. There would have been no such history.
The reason why we have the history recorded in Esther is because of the failure of God’s people to respond to God’s call. They remained in the land of captivity. They thought they could live a comfortable life. They thought they could live peacefully. And lo and behold, they were in the grip of the enemy.
Brothers and sisters, as long as we are not where we ought to be, as long as we are not what we should be in Christ Jesus, we are exposed to all the power and oppression of the enemy.
Because they remained in the land of captivity, there was danger that the whole race would be completely annihilated. Not only those living in captivity would be annihilated; even those who had obeyed God’s command and gone back to Jerusalem would also be destroyed. Think of that.
Brothers and sisters, if we do not obey God and live for God, we are exposed to the attack of the enemy. We are under his power. Furthermore, instead of encouraging our brethren who are faithful to the Lord, we discourage them. We bring danger even to them.
So this is a very serious situation. Brothers and sisters, look at Christianity today. Is it not a picture like the Jews in the land of captivity during the time of Esther?
There, the Jews were not even able to make known their identity. Mordecai commanded Esther not to tell anybody of her birth or her kindred. They tried to hide their identity because the Jews were hated and despised by the world.
Christianity has so fallen. Yes, the Bible did predict that there would be apostasy, a general falling away before the coming of the Lord. And brothers and sisters, apostasy has already begun in Christianity.
You find in Christian theology that God is dead. Christianity has been so humanized that God is out of the picture.
We are so ashamed of being called Christians. We try to hide our identity, thinking that by doing so we are protected and preserved. We are deceived.
You will find the Jewish people entered into a very dark history. They came into almost total annihilation, and it was all because they were not where they should be, and they were not what they ought to be.
Do you think there is something there to tell us? How important it is that we, as God’s people, really put God first instead of putting ourselves first. How important it is that we are faithful to God’s call, that we are concerned with His name and with His testimony instead of being occupied with our own things.
How important it is that we be where God wants us to be. Because if not, we will suffer, and we will bring our brethren into suffering.
Another thing you notice in this book of Esther is divine providence everywhere. The name of God is not mentioned, but the hand of God is everywhere.
Even though God at that period was not addressed as the God of the earth, because world dominion had passed into the hands of the Gentiles, God was not recognized. But heaven still rules over the affairs of men.
You find God’s hand in every little thing and every great thing. Even in a sleepless night of the king, even in the divorce of a queen, or the bringing up of a queen, you find that in every instance God was working behind the scenes.
He was not seen, and yet He was working. There you find His providential care over His rebellious people.
Brothers and sisters, it ought to give us great encouragement. Sometimes we feel the world is so wicked. We feel that the power of darkness is so prevailing. We sometimes wonder.
But brothers and sisters, remember one thing: God is still on the throne, and heaven does rule in the affairs of men. We find that God is for us. No matter how rebellious we are, who can be against us?
We find the providential hand of God moving all over the world—in our individual affairs, in corporate affairs, in national affairs, and in international affairs. The hand of God is moving. God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. It ought to give us great courage and confidence.
Now we go back to this book of Esther. Esther 1 gives us the background. There you find that in the third year of Ahasuerus—Ahasuerus actually is not the name of the king; Ahasuerus is a title, like majesty or emperor.
This Ahasuerus was the one who ruled from India to Ethiopia, over 127 provinces. In other words, Ahasuerus ruled over such a vast piece of the earth. In secular history, we know this Ahasuerus was Xerxes.
In his third year, he gathered all the princes and nobles of his land from the 127 provinces to Shushan, the capital. There they feasted, and there he showed forth his wealth and grandeur to them for 180 days.
Secular history tells us that Xerxes gathered all his servants together for such a long period and showed forth his grandeur because he was preparing for the invasion of Greece. Greece at that time was rising up, so he gathered his servants to prepare them for that invasion.
After the 180 days, he made a feast of seven days for all those who were present in Shushan. Of course, there was much drinking and all these things—you know the Persian court.
It was on the last day, when probably he was drunk and the nobles and people were drunk, that he wanted his queen Vashti to appear before the people to show forth her beauty. Vashti, in the Persian language, means beautiful.
Vashti had enough decency not to expose herself to all those drunken people, so she refused to come. Because she refused to come, Xerxes was angry. In history, we know Xerxes was a person given to great wrath and anger, and he did many things in his anger.
He called his counselors and asked what should be done. According to the custom of those days among the Persians, the man was king of the house. The counselors said, “This is not merely a matter of one person. If the nobles hear about it, all their wives will despise their husbands. Then what will happen to the empire?” So they suggested that the queen must be deposed.
And it was done. That was the background. This is secular history, but God was behind it.
In Esther 2, you find God’s hand there. After his wrath was over, Xerxes began to think of his wife. Of course, he could not take her back, so his servants suggested, “Why not gather beautiful women from all over the empire, prepare them for you, and then choose a queen from among them?” So it was done.
We then come to the seventh year of Ahasuerus. Why from the third year to the seventh year? During those four years, Xerxes was on expedition. He fought against Greece for four years. He met defeat on land at Thermopylae, and then met defeat by sea at the Battle of Salamis. He was completely defeated.
So he came back after his defeat, and of course he wanted to seek comfort somewhere else. That is why it was in the seventh year of his reign. All these women had been gathered during those years and were being prepared. They had to be prepared for twelve months, purified with perfume and all these things.
And it so happened that Esther was taken among the women.
The Hebrew name of Esther was Hadassah, which means myrtle. We know myrtle grows in lowlands, so it is symbolic of humility and lowliness. But her Persian name was Esther, and Esther in the Persian language means star, symbolic of exaltation.
She was an orphan. Her father and mother died early, so her cousin Mordecai, who must have been much older than her, took her in and raised her as his daughter. Mordecai in the Persian language means little man.
Now, you wonder why Mordecai and Esther remained in the land of captivity. Why did they not go back to Jerusalem? Probably it was not their fault. If you compute the years, Esther was probably not born yet when Zerubbabel returned, and Mordecai was probably just a little child.
So probably it was not the fault of Mordecai or Esther; it was probably the fault of their parents. Their parents did not obey God. They lived so comfortably in the land of captivity that they refused to go back to Jerusalem to build the house of God.
That is the reason why we find Mordecai and Esther remaining in the land of captivity. They were not where they should be. They were in the wrong place. And because they were in the wrong place, Esther was taken among the women.
Humanly speaking, you would say it was a great honor to be taken by the king, even to be a concubine, and not to mention later becoming the queen. But from God’s viewpoint, it was a great degradation.
Why? Because God’s command was that His people should not intermarry with Gentiles, to keep that race pure for the coming of the Messiah. So here you find another disobedience to God’s command. So far as man is concerned, it was a great honor; so far as God is concerned, it was a great shame.
Mordecai was so ashamed of being a Jew that he tried to hide his identity. He told Esther not to tell anybody who she was, and Esther had to obey. So Esther was taken in.
Esther found favor with everyone. On the day that she went in to the king, he was so pleased with her that he put the crown upon her head and made her queen. There was a great feast for her called Esther’s feast.
That is what happened in Esther 2. Of course, Esther would not have become queen if Vashti had not been deposed. So here you find God’s hand behind all things.
Then you come to Esther 3. Xerxes raised up Haman, an Agagite, to be the grand vizier, the prime minister of the empire.
Now, that is interesting because Haman was called an Agagite. Agag was the king of the Amalekites. You remember that when God’s people came out of Egypt and were in the wilderness, the first battle they fought was against the Amalekites.
When they were weary in their journey, the Amalekites came and attacked them from behind. You remember the story in Exodus 17: Moses went to the mount, and when his hands were lifted up, Joshua won the victory on the plain. But when he was tired and his hands went down, the enemy gained the victory.
So Moses had to have his hands sustained by Hur and Aaron until the victory was won. You know the story. At the end of the chapter, God said that He would wage an eternal war against Amalek until the name of Amalek was wiped out.
Why? Because the hand of Amalek was on the throne of the Lord. In other words, the Amalekites were enemies of God. Their hand was upon the throne of God. They wanted to dethrone God. Therefore, God would make eternal war against them until they were completely destroyed.
The Amalekites gave the children of God many problems. During the time of Samuel and King Saul, God commanded Saul to wipe out the Amalekites. But Saul did not obey.
He kept the finest of the flocks and the herds, and he preserved Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Even though Samuel did kill Agag, evidently Saul allowed some of the royal family to escape.
Because of that, after many years, that enemy of God was still there. Is it not ironic that because Saul did not wipe out the Amalekites, his descendant Mordecai—a Benjamite—had to confront Haman, the descendant of Agag?
What the fathers have failed to do, the children will suffer the consequences. If Saul had obeyed God, there would have been no Haman. Remember how important it is that we obey God.
The Amalekites in Scripture represent the flesh, because Amalek was a descendant of Esau, and Esau represents the flesh. The flesh always strives against the Spirit. The flesh always tries to take the throne of God. Therefore, God has declared an eternal battle against the flesh.
The flesh and the world always work together. You find Xerxes raised up Haman; Haman served Xerxes. The flesh always serves the world, and the world is always in alliance with the flesh. But where should the flesh go? Hang it. That is where the flesh will come. It has to be crucified.
But anyway, the most wonderful thing was this: before Xerxes raised up Haman, God had already put Esther in the palace. God is always a step ahead.
Before the enemy came to the scene, God had already provided. Nobody knew about it, but God knew. That is the providence of God.
Then you come to Esther 4 and Esther 5, and the conflict grows. Haman was raised up by the king to be second to the throne, and the king gave orders that all his servants should bow before Haman.
There was Mordecai. At that time, he sat at the gate of the palace. In other words, he had been made a petty officer, a small official. When Haman passed through the gate, all those at the gate would rise up and bow, but Mordecai refused to move.
Well, Mordecai was not where he should be. If he had not been there, there would have been no problem. But unfortunately, he was there. Yet thank God, he had not fallen so far as to compromise with God’s enemy.
That crisis stirred Mordecai up, and we find that he rose higher and higher spiritually. Why did he not bow? He remembered God’s Word. God had proclaimed an eternal battle with Amalek. How could he bow to God’s enemy? He could not do that. That would be denying God.
So Mordecai refused to do that. Because he refused, he got into trouble—not only for himself, but for the whole Jewish race. Was it worth it? Will you compromise? It is worth it.
Of course, Haman was so angry. He thought that merely killing Mordecai was too small a thing for him, so he wanted to wipe out the whole Jewish race.
He suggested to the king that there was a people scattered among the peoples of the empire. They had different laws, did not obey the king’s laws, and were a trouble in the land. “Why not annihilate them? I will give you ten thousand talents of silver to enrich your treasury.”
The king said, “You have the money, and you can do the thing”—to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish. So the decree went out throughout the whole empire.
On a certain day, the thirteenth day of Adar—Adar in our calendar would be February or March—the enemies of the Jews could rise up throughout the empire, kill the Jews, and take their spoil.
When the news went out, there was sorrow, weeping, and fasting among the Jews. Mordecai put on sackcloth and wept.
Esther was in the palace. She did not know what was going on, but she was told that Mordecai was in sackcloth. So she asked her servants to bring garments to Mordecai so that he could change. She thought it was just an awkward thing, but Mordecai refused.
Then Mordecai asked people to show Esther what had happened and told her, “You go in and plead for your people.”
Esther said, “I cannot do it, because there is the law of the Persian court. Unless the king calls you, you cannot enter into the inner court. If you enter into the inner court without being called, you will be killed. And I have not been called for thirty days.”
Mordecai said, “Do not think that because you are in the palace, your life will be spared. If you do not do this, God will raise up relief and deliverance from another quarter. But you and your father’s house will perish.”
Here you find Mordecai believed. He believed that God was able. He told Esther, “Maybe you are in the palace for this very purpose.”
Now, brothers and sisters, we know that Esther was in the palace not by the direct will of God, but by the permissive will of God. If she were living in the direct will of God, she should have been in Jerusalem.
But God allowed this thing. You can see that God can even use human failure to serve His purpose. God can even use His permissive will as His direct will. Is that not wonderful?
Esther rose up to the occasion. She said, “All right. You call all the Jews together in Shushan and pray and fast three days and three nights, and I will do the same. Then I will go against the law. If I perish, I perish.”
In other words, “I would rather perish in the will of God than against the will of God.”
Brothers and sisters, here you find a situation that was abnormal. God’s people were not where they should be. Yet thank God, a crisis will either crush them or strengthen them. Mordecai and Esther rose up in their spirit to God. Wonderful.
Then, from Esther 5 to Esther 9, the tables were turned. It was just fascinating.
Esther came in and asked the king, and the king stretched out his golden scepter. If the king stretched out the golden scepter, it meant that you were accepted. He said, “Queen Esther, what do you want? Even to the half of my kingdom?”
Esther said, “I want You and Haman to come to my feast today.” So the king told Haman, “Make haste.” Haman was so happy because, of all the people, only he was invited to the queen’s table with the king.
But when he came out of the palace and saw Mordecai sitting there unmoved, he was so angry. He went back and told his wife and friends of all the honor and greatness heaped upon him—but then there was Mordecai.
His wife and friends suggested, “Why not make a gallows fifty cubits high? Go to the king and ask to have Mordecai hanged on it.” So they made their gallows—a cross.
Everything seemed to be against God’s people, but God was working. That night Xerxes could not sleep. Brothers and sisters, do not complain if you cannot sleep. God may have a reason for it. Thank God for your sleepless nights.
He could not sleep, so he asked people to read him the chronicles of the empire. That is the funniest thing. Why? Because if you cannot sleep, you should read something that will put you to sleep. Nobody reads the chronicles—they are the most tedious.
But when the chronicle was read to him, it came exactly to the point where two of his chamberlains at the gate had wanted to murder him. Mordecai knew of it, and Esther told the king. It was investigated and found to be true, and the two chamberlains were killed.
When Xerxes heard it, he said, “What honor, what reward, did we give Mordecai?” They said, “Nothing.” Now, is that not strange? Something done and nothing rewarded? You know, God is behind it.
Maybe Mordecai said, “Well, I did such a good service to the king, and he forgot me.” He might have murmured against it. But God had a reason for it.
Brothers and sisters, when you do a good thing and nobody seems to appreciate or reward you, God has a reason for it. Do not feel bad about it. The reward will come at the right time. If the reward came earlier, it would not be that good.
So the king said, “He has to be rewarded.” Then he asked, “Who is in the outer court?” It was early in the morning. Who was there? Haman had come to ask the king to hang Mordecai.
The king called Haman in and asked, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Haman thought, “That must be me.”
So he tried his best. He said, “Let the man whom the king desires to honor be clothed with the king’s royal robe. Let the king’s horse, with a royal crown upon it, be brought. Let that man sit on the horse, and let one of the most noble princes of the kingdom go before him and proclaim, ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”
The king said, “Make haste, and do it to Mordecai the Jew.”
How did the king know that Mordecai was a Jew? Why did he say to Haman, “Make haste”? I wonder if the king had suspected that Haman had overstepped himself. When a person is put in such a high position, gradually he develops ambition.
In Haman’s very suggestion concerning the king’s robe and horse, perhaps the king thought, “Well, if that is what you want, you have it.” So the king said, “Make haste and do it to the Jew.”
Haman had to do it. After he did it, he went home with his head covered.
Then the servants came and said, “Come to the feast. The feast is ready.” So he went. The king asked Esther again, and Esther pleaded for her life and the life of her people: “There is someone in Your kingdom who has sold us. They want to kill us. If we had been sold as bondmen and bondwomen, I would not have said anything; but the damage cannot be repaid.”
The king said, “Who is that man who has such an evil thought?” Esther said, “The wicked man is this Haman.” The king was angry and left for the garden.
Haman knew trouble was there, so he remained behind and tried to beg the queen. He fell upon the couch where Esther was reclining, begging. The king came back and said, “Will he even force the queen before me in the house?” Immediately they covered Haman’s head, which was a symbol that he was to be killed.
Again, you find the providence of God. A chamberlain said, “Behold, the gallows which Haman has made for Mordecai stands in Haman’s house.” So the king said, “Hang Haman on it.” Now the flesh should be hanged.
Then we know that the tables were turned, and there was the feast of Purim, which the Jews keep even to this day.
Now, brothers and sisters, that is history. But what is the lesson for us? I think there is a good lesson for us.
There are overcomers in every situation, in every condition. When you look at the broad picture, you find that the Jewish remnant who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of God represents the overcomers of the church.
The overcomers of the church are not super-Christians; they are normal Christians. Christians in general are not where they should be and are not what they ought to be. But by the grace of God, there is a remnant—those who respond to God’s call and His grace. They are the overcomers of the church.
Those who remain in the land of captivity are defeated. But even with those who remain behind, we find there will be a Mordecai and an Esther.
In other words, even in the place where God’s people ought not to be, by the grace and mercy of God, when Christ comes there will still be people able to stand up for God. There will be overcomers even in places where you do not expect them.
On the contrary, in the places where you expect there to be overcomers, there will be those who are overcome. It is not because the position is right that the condition is automatically right.
Among those who returned to Jerusalem, some could not stand opposition and privation, and they returned to the land of captivity. Even among those who remained, some of their nobles oppressed the people. Even in the building of the wall, some nobles would not put their necks into the work.
Ah, brothers and sisters, do not think that because you are in the right place, you are right.
That is the reason why, even in the church in Philadelphia, you find there is a call to overcome. You may lose your crown.
But thank God, even in Laodicea, even in Thyatira, even in Sardis, you find there is a call to overcome. There will be overcomers in the wrong place.
People may be in the wrong place, but they may be right with God, and God notices them. Dear brothers and sisters, God is great.
Of course, we should be in the right place. It is more conducive for us to develop the right attitude and the right condition. But that does not mean people in the wrong place cannot be right with God. I believe this is what God wants to teach His people.
Now finally, Esther 10. Esther 10 is the conclusion, and the conclusion is the greatness of Mordecai. Mordecai was a little man, but this little man became great by the grace of God.
Why? Because he had the honor of God and the welfare of God’s people in his heart. Dear brothers and sisters, we are little people, but God can make us great if we put His honor first and if we are concerned with the well-being of God’s people.
So this is the book of Esther. May the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee that we may be unfaithful, but Thou art always faithful, because Thou canst not deny Thyself. Oh, how we do pray that we may be faithful.
How we do pray that we may not get Thee into such trouble. But we thank and praise Thee because Thy providential care is everywhere. We do experience Thy providential care even in the days of our rebellion.
Oh, how gracious, how merciful Thou art. We do ask, Lord, that Thou wilt strengthen our faith and encourage us, that we may press on to be where we ought to be and to be what we ought to be, that Thou mayest be glorified. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.