Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Hadaza, Esther. is living in a sense in two cultures. She's an exiled Jew. But she's living.
in Persia. Two names, Adassa and Esther, we normally know her as Esther, and now Esther enters the beauty pageant. We learn. that Esther wins the biddy pageant. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Senior Pastor at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The book of Esther contains one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible. A young Jewish woman unexpectedly becomes queen of the world's most powerful empire. Today, we continue in Esther and witness how God orchestrates a beauty pageant to position Esther for a pivotal role.
Now, here's Pastor Jean Monroe with today's message. Can you imagine the most powerful king in the world removing his wife from being queen because she refuses to display her beauty to men at a sumptuous banquet? This is what happens in the story of Esther in the Old Testament. King Ahasuerus is the king of the superpower of the day in Persia. The king now has to find a replacement.
and his attendants undertake a beauty pageant throughout the provinces to nominate a new queen. And in this way, in spite of the opposition against the Jews, Esther, the relative of Mordecai, is brought to the king and wins the competition. Once again, we see God at work behind the scenes. Turn in your Bibles to Esther chapter 2, verse 17, as we continue to see how the story unfolds.
So when the king's order and the edict were proclaimed, And when many young women were gathered in Susa, the citadel, Esther also was taken. into the king's palace. Esther, verse 17, one grace and favor in his sight more. Than all of the other virgins. The king loved her.
She became his new queen. He crowns her with his royal crown and a great banquet. is given in her honour. And Look at verse 20. or nineteen now when the virgins We're gathered together the second time.
Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. Esther had not made known her kindred or her people as Mordecai had commanded her. For Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. The writer is emphasizing. that she is following The command of Mordecai who is in a sense her adopted father.
Still And all that goes on, still no one knows. that she's a duess.
Now in verses 21 through 23, Mordecai uncovers a plot against the king. Verse 21, in those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Tarish, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, And he told it to Queen Esther. And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai, When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded.
in the book of the Chronicles. in the presence. of the king. Mordecai reveals a plot to kill King Ahasuerus. It may be that through the intervention of Esther, Mordecai is in some position of authority.
Legal matters are settled at the king's gate. Perhaps Mordecai has been appointed a magistrate or a judge as a wise man. And when sitting there, he hears a couple of the king's officials Conspiring to kill. King Ahasuerus. This is Treason and he communicates the details of the plot to Emster, who informs the king And Esther makes it clear to the king that she got her information.
Verse 22, in the name of Mordecai. The plot's investigated. It's found to be true. Both of the officials are hanged on a gallows. And very interesting for the story.
The account is recorded in the historical record, in the official records of the kingdom. But Mordecai, rather strangely at this point, is not rewarded. At least not yet.
Now think of that big picture. Here are two obscure foreigners, Jews. Living in Persia. And they have access to the king. One directly.
Queen Esther, and one indirectly. Mordecai. God's hand. Is that work?
Now let me First of all, say Three things, three features of Esther, and then some lessons for us. First of all, about Esther. Esther, to see the obvious, is a Jewish woman. There's much to commander, but we are puzzled. uh why a young Jewish virgin is marrying an immoral Persian king.
Wasn't her marriage to King Ahasuerus in direct violation of the law? Deuteronomy 7 verse 3, you shall not intermarry with them. Yet Esther is not criticized in the text. In the book of Esther, we have to wrestle, as it were, with some of these ambiguities. Questions that we have that are not neatly tied up in the way that we would like.
So first of all Cheese. Jewish secondly She's beautiful. She has outstanding charm and elegance. The rabbis in their writings held that Esther was one of the most beautiful. Woman in Biblical history.
Just lovely to look at. She had a beautiful figure, was lovely to look at. Her beauty is. Is emphasize. You know, we live.
In a society where many young women, and probably this is true in history, many young women, and not just young women, older women as well, are very unhappy with the way they look. What's true beauty? We learned about it in 1 Peter, didn't we? I'll be listening. Sisters Women of all ages.
Here's true beauty. Peter said, it's the hidden person of the heart. with the imperishable quality Of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. This is what God counts as beautiful. Isn't that more important?
Than what your friends at school or college or your colleagues think, or you look in the mirror, you look at yourself. It's not to say that Christian women should be doubted. No, not at all. But it is to say that the true beauty which lasts And does not put its primary focus on the external, is a beauty which will grow. And the beauty most important of all.
is precious in the sight. Yeah. Ladies that beauty. is worth pursuing. Whoever you are, I wonder.
If your true beauty is growing. You're becoming more beautiful. She's a Jewish woman, she's a beautiful woman. Third, she's a gracious woman. She has an elegance.
There's something about Esther. She finds favor with different people. Look at verse Nine. And the young woman pleased him. This is the hair guy who's got the charge of the woman.
She pleased him and won his favor. The end of verse 15.
Now, Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. Verse seventeen. The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight. More than all, The Virgins. Yes, she was beautiful, but there was more than external beauty with Esther.
I believe there was that inner beauty, that beauty which is precious in the eyes of God. which is displayed to others. Let me ask you, not just a woman. But all of us. Are you a person who finds favour with others?
As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe very strongly on grace, don't we? In fact, our salvation is totally of the grace of God. It is not of ourselves, lest any one of us should boast. It's not of our own doing, no.
So we believe very strongly in the grace of God. that we have received God's grace in so many ways. In our salvation primarily, but also, as we celebrated today, the grace and the blessing of God in giving us children. But Is that grace? Display it to others.
And you're home? At your work. Would your colleagues Say that you're a person of grace. We're not talking about someone who's weak. But a person of grace Sad, isn't it, if we as Christians are ungracious.
Unkind. Bad-tempered. Complaining. Critical? Pedi?
Harsh. Self-centered, truly the very opposite of the spirit of Christ, isn't it? Paul writes to the Colossians in the first century in Colossians 4: conduct yourself wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech Always. Be gracious.
Your speech always is gracious. In Luke chapter 4. As the Lord was teaching. It said all spoke well of him.
Now here's our Saviour, and marveled at the gracious words which came out of his mouth. That's a testimony for your work, isn't it? Where there's gossip, where there's backbiting. where there's enmity. For you To show A difference is a follower of Jesus Christ.
Esther. as a woman of grace.
Now four truaths. to remember as we wrap this up. First, And we learned this last week, and we're going to continue to learn it. Because it's a lesson we often forget. God's invisible hand.
is at work. behind the scenes. God's invisible hand is at work behind the scenes. Can I say to you, don't interpret. Don't draw conclusions solely by what you observe.
We tend to do that. God is in control, not you. Why were the Jewish young woman be queen of Persia, the most powerful emperor at that time. Why did the king not immediately reward Mordecai for uncovering? uh this plot to kill him.
Why? We often ask that dormer why. Why did this happen? Why this? Esther 2 is a reminder.
That God is at work Yes, he's at work behind the scenes. Like God. Be God. Living by faith means that we trust God Even when his purposes, particularly when his purposes are hidden from us. God has, as it were, for each of us.
God has a map, as it were, of our lives. He said, I would like to know all of that.
Well Here's a map of our lives. He knows the end from the beginning, Isaiah tells us. And if you're like me, you would like to know the root. You would like to know the way. You would like to know what's going to happen if you do such and such.
If I do this, Lord, what's going to happen next? But often, in fact I would say usually God doesn't reveal all of it to us. He doesn't give you a map with all of the roads and saying, This is what's going to happen to you now, and in six months you're going to be there. And if you do such and such and you embark on this ministry, this is where it's going to be in four years from now, not at all. The Lord says to Abraham, Go from your country.
To the land I will show you. And the New Testament commentary from Hebrews is this: He, Abraham, went out. not knowing where he was going. The world would say that's utterly crazy to go out when you don't. Know where you're going.
What's your destination? Paul in the New Testament says that those who are sons of Abraham You know what characterizes them? Faith. Faith. This is the adventure.
of faith. This is what it means to live by faith. We have faith in Christ for our salvation, but we're to live each day by faith. You want God to tell you the whole picture. You want God to tell you if you obey Him, how He's going to turn out.
God usually doesn't do that. He tells you, obey me, go out, be like Abraham. And I can say, I hope not in a self-serving way to some extent. I've tried to live like that. Years ago.
When Good and I left Scotland, we'd never been to Dallas. We'd never seen it, I'd never been to Texas. We didn't know how it was going to turn out. We assumed God was going to lead us back to Scotland. That was my roadmap, as it were.
And we when we got the offer in my last year at seminary from the little church in Pittsburgh. You know what our initial reaction was? No, not gonna err. Pittsburgh. Never been to it.
Don't wanna go. After months, we don't know. This is what God Is saying, How will it be? Don't even tell me what I'm gonna get. I have no idea why Uh compensation.
That's true, John. I want you just to obey me. Go. Go. Think of it.
What a way of peace. What way of security? to trust God in all of the circumstances. You trusted Christ for your eternal destiny, didn't you? Why wouldn't you trust him for this life?
Is it work? His invisible hand is at work. Behind the scenes. Secondly, God Answers. Before we call.
A Holocaust is being plotted against the Jews in Persia. We're going to learn about that. And before The crisis comes with its absolute fury and hatred against the Jewish people. God is a way ahead. He's preparing the solution before the problem arises.
Mordecai May. Have had an indication of the rising tensions against the Jews by some of the Persians, but God is a way ahead of him. The kings of Judah. when they're going against the Assyrians that outnumber them. Were they told, don't trust in your chariots?
Remember this. The God is ahead of you. It's true that God is with us, it's true that God is for us, but I love to think that God is ahead of us. Isaiah says, Before they answer, before they call, I will answer. While they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Haven't you, Christian friend, discovered in your life? But some situation that you never knew about. That God has provided the solution, the remedy for it, a way ahead of you. God has solutions. Before our problems arise, Because he knows the end.
from the beginning. What is our calling? What does an authentic Christian mean? I'm to be an authentic follower. of Christ.
By definition He is ahead of me. Yes, he's at my side. Yes, he's for me. Yes, he lives within me and is a work within me. But in this way, he's ahead of me, dealing with circumstances, asking you to follow him.
Even when the path is difficult, even when you have no idea what you're doing. Put your trust in him. God answers before we call. Third.
So I thought of this. What is the greatest? Unseen answer. at least the world's standpoint. Our sin A failure.
But in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself. Think of the deep, deep problem of sin since the Garden of Eden. How is a holy God going to accept sinful man and woman? No, all of the animal sacrifices, all of your good deeds, all of your giving cannot atone for one sin. What's the answer?
The lamb of God is slain before the foundation of the world. That God, as He always is, is a way ahead of us. And in the eternal purposes and decrees of God. Our magnificent God, our loving God, has provided a way of salvation which to the unbelievers seems utter foolishness. Yes, says Paul, but to us who believe It is the power of God.
and the wisdom of God. That here is the answer. to my brokenness. Here is the answer to your failure and to the mess you've made of your life. It's not to look to yourself.
is not to look to anyone. It is to look to the cross. of Christ. A tragedy. to the world Foolishness to the world, ah, but to us.
Who've been to the cross? And saying that Christ dying for our sins, being buried and raised again, is the wisdom of God and the power. of God. Have you been to the cross? Do you see the Saviour?
What does that mean to you? To know him. As your Savior. Here's the final one. Be still.
I know God. It follows from what I've said, doesn't it? The God who can place a young Jewish woman as the Queen of Persia. The God who can allow Mordecai to discover an assassination plot is well able, isn't he? to superintend the affairs of your life.
Beyond that, the affairs of this world.
So, that as we saw last week, that all things work together for our good. And for his Glory. The God who took care of his ancient people in Persia around 479 BC is the same God. Today I'm the Lord. I change not.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God who protected his ancient people is the God who still watches over us. Working. often silently and invisibly behind the scenes. What does that mean if you believe it?
Do you? Stop worrying. Stop fretting. Stop being anxious. That's the context of Bisillon or God from Psalm 46 verse 10, stop your striving.
Stop trying to work everything out by yourself. Be still and know God. There it is. My trust is to be in Him. It is true, there's much I don't understand.
There's much in my life that I might have wanted to change, but my life is in the hands of God, this wonderful God, who not only saves us. But watches over us in our Christian journey, and one day is going to come for us and snatch us to be forever with Him. Meantime, You listen. Be still. And no God.
Be still. And trust God. Be civil. and love God and what an impact that will have on your life. And in the lives of others that you come into contact with in a world of Of stress.
of uncertainty. of anxiety. We as a people of God. Can be still. and take every burden, every care, and cast it on him.
And then return, know that peace. which passes all. Understand. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and a message titled A Beauty Pageant. John's powerful exposition reminds us that God's hand is always at work.
even when he seems distant or his purposes are unclear. To enhance your understanding of this captivating biblical narrative, we've created the Esther Listening Guide. This resource will help you follow along with each broadcast in our series, highlighting key themes and providing thoughtful questions for deeper reflection. The story of Esther offers timeless lessons about divine providence, courage, and faith. Download your free copy of this valuable companion guide by visiting theverdict.org.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? What do you think of Esther? Could she have refused to enter the beauty pageant? Yet it appears that God is working behind the scenes to bring this Jewish young woman into the very palace of power. A huge opposition is going to be mounted against the Jewish nation.
But God is setting everything in place. You may be in the middle of a crisis, but trust God, Remember, through the seeming tragedy of the cross of Jesus Christ, we see the greatest triumph of his resurrection.
So let's trust our sovereign God. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
