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THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Esther: Encouragements Of God's Faithfulness

E. Thriving When The Days Are Evil

(Summary Overview Of Esther)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

We face vast spiritual darkness and evil on several big issues, and we need to know how to respond to them:

(1) We face it on the alleged "climate crisis": The story, "Biden says Ida shows 'climate crisis' has struck" (Republican-American, September 3, 2021, p. 1A) reported, "'These extreme storms, and the climate crisis, are here,' [President] Biden said in a White House speech. 'We must be better prepared. We need to act.'"

However, Steven E. Koonin who served as the senior scientist in President Obama's Energy Department in an administration where President Biden was then vice-president, recently wrote that "'humans have no detectable impact on hurricanes during the past century.'" (George Will, "Days of climatic uncertainty,'" Ibid., August 12, 2021, p. 8A)

(2) We face it on the abortion issue: "President Joe Biden . . . blasted the Supreme Court's decision not to block a new Texas law" that "prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity." (Jessica Gresko, "Biden blasts failure to block abortion curb," Ibid., September 3, 2021, p. 9A) However, "Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood" that promotes abortion with President Biden's support, "worked with a Nazi doctor, gave speeches to the women's branch of the Ku Klux Klan, and called minorities 'weeds that need to be eradicated'" (Brannon S. Howse, Marxianity, 2018, p. 191) "through eugenics," controlling reproduction, Ibid., p. 58.

(3) We face it on the Critical Race Theory: A letter by retired Torrington Middle School history teacher Thomas Ethier claimed CRT is not grounded in Marxism. (Ibid., Republican-American, September 3, 2021, p. 8A) Yet, "(i)n . . . 1967, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover told Congress: 'Communists and other subversives and extremists strive . . . to precipitate racial trouble . . . undermine and destroy established authority" and "incite black hostility toward law and order" in order "to portray the communist movement as . . . the only force capable of ameliorating the conditions of the black and oppressed . . .'" (Ibid., Howse, p. 178-179). Thus, "(t)he talking points and propaganda of Black Lives Matter and other like-minded initiatives derive specifically from communists and leftists." (Ibid., p. 179)

(4) We face it on the issue of religious exemptions for Covid-19 vaccinations: Though President Biden last Thursday allowed for religious and medical exemptions in his order for federal and many business employees be vaccinated for coronavirus (Zeke Miller, "Biden lays out sweeping pandemic strategy," Ibid., Republican-American, September 10, 2021, p. 1A), since no major organized religion objects to Covid-19 vaccines, it may become hard for individuals even to obtain a religious exemption. (Phil McCausland, "No major organized religion objects to Covid vaccines. Will religious exemptions hold?"; msn.com, September 5, 2021) That will distress many people who are pressured into choosing between getting a Covid shot in violation of their conscience or losing their job. (Ibid.)

However, we have documented (by Fred Guterl, "COVID-19 Vaccines and Fetal Tissue: The Science and Controversy Explained," March 13, 2021, newsweek.com, by "Catholic women issue statement opposing use of 'abortion tainted' vaccines," March 9, 2021, catholicnewsagency.com and by Daniel Wrapp, et al., "Cryo-EM structure of the 209-nCoV spike in the prefusion confirmation," Science Magazine, March 13, 2020) how the companies that produce the Covid-19 vaccines offered in the U. S. used aborted fetal cell lines to develop their vaccines. Since Exodus 21:22-23 teaches that abortion at any trimester kills a human being, for many Christians, using a Covid-19 vaccine would cause them to condone murder in genuine violation of their conscience!

Need: So, we ask, "In view of the vast spiritual darkness and evil we face, how should we respond well to it?!"

I. The roles Esther and Mordecai in God's plan were very important, for they saved the Hebrew people from destruction in God's preserving His Abrahamic Covenant, Esther 9:24-25, 22 with Genesis 12:1-3.

II. However, their service for God occurred under difficult circumstances due to the great evils they faced:

A. The Persian Empire had begun to weaken with the disastrous defeat of Esther's king Ahasuerus (alias Xerxes I) to the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis in 479 B. C. just before Esther became queen. (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, "Introduction to the Book of Ezra," p. 701; Ibid., ftn. to Esther 2:15-17)

B. Xerxes I was "weak and tyrannical," seen at the Battle of Salamis where he repeatedly "started up in rage, as one after another of the heavy Persian vessels was sunk . . ." (Compton's Ency., 1973, vol. 16, p. 212).

C. "Persian history for the next 125 years was filled with conspiracies, assassinations, and the revolts of subject peoples ground down by ruinous taxation," Ibid. Even Xerxes I himself was assassinated in 465 B. C. (Edd Hodsdon, "King Xerxes I: 9 Facts About His Life and Rule," February 26, 2021; thecollector.com)

D. Haman's edict to kill the Hebrews was formed in 474 B. C. (Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Esther 3:7), and according to secular records, by 465 B. C., another man had replaced Mordecai as Persia's first minister (Ibid., ftn. to Esther 10:3). Xerxes I himself was assassinated by a court official in 465 B. C. due to the unrest caused by his incompetent and oppressive rule, so Esther was then replaced as queen (Ibid., Hodsdon). Accordingly, Esther and Mordecai had a window of less than nine years to minister for their welfare of their Hebrew people!

III. However, when Mordecai urged Esther to risk her life to visit the king uninvited in order to save her people from Haman, Esther heeded Mordecai, and God greatly used them both, Esther 4:11-5:2ff.

Lesson: Though their efforts to deliver their Hebrew people were difficult due to the spiritual darkness and evil they faced, and though their window of opportunity to help their people was short, Esther and Mordecai seized what opportunity God provided them to serve Him, and He consequently greatly used them!

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-11. (2) May we seize the opportunity we have to serve God with His blessing.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . .)

We apply this sermon's lesson to the issues presented in our sermon introduction (as follows):

(1) We have often stated that we must hold to Genesis 8:22 where God promised to keep the earth's climate habitable for man as long as the earth exists, so may we believe that promise opposite "climate crisis" ideology.

(2) We have often stated that Exodus 21:22-23 teaches that abortion at any trimester kills a human being, so may we hold to that Scripture passage's truth and resist abortion on demand.

(3) We have often stated that God in Exodus 20:15 and 17 with Ezekiel 18:1-28 opposes Marxism and Critical Race Theory that was influenced by Marxists, so may we heed those verses in resisting Marxism and CRT.

(4) Then, regardless the lack of "major organized religions" objecting to the Covid-19 vaccines though each vaccine offered in the United States had aborted fetal cell lines utilized in their development, we still have Biblical and historical precedents for taking a stand in refusing to use these vaccines in accord with conscience (as follows):

(a) The Greek New Testament text of Christ's Revelation 3:14-21 message to the Laodicean Church of our era to a degree parallels the ministry of Martin Luther in Church History with today's "overcomer." This means that God wants us to use Luther's life and ministry as a general pattern for us today (as follows): the Greek New Testament phrase hos ka'go ("as even I Myself") in Revelation 2:27 of Luther's era also appears in Revelation 3:21 for our era in the context of being used of God to influence others as rulers. (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 842, 845)

(b) Well, Luther took a stand apart from "major organized religions" at the Diet of Worms in 1521, 500 years ago! When urged by the Emperor to recant his beliefs, Luther said, "'Unless I am convicted of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or of councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen." (Henry Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church, 2^nd ed., 1966, p. 279, 282-283)

(c) So, regardless of our lack of "major organized religions" for use as a "cover" for taking a Biblical stand, God wants us to follow Luther's Biblical and historical lead and hold to Scripture truth apart from such "cover."

(5) For guidance after taking a stand without "cover" in a dark, evil world, we apply Psalm 119:105:

(a) We must realize that our need to take a stand without "cover" is caused by vast spiritual darkness and evil around us, much like riskily walking along a path at night with only the foot-lantern of Scripture to guide us.

(b) Thus, we must focus on Scripture to illumine just the first "baby" step in front of us that God wants us to take since the foot-lantern of Scripture illumines just that first "baby" step right in front of us, Psalm 119:105a.

(d) As we do this for "baby" steps three, four, etc., we eventually safely travel all of life's path, v. 105c.

(6) For encouragement in having taken a stand without "cover" in a spiritually dark, evil world, we can apply Psalm12:1-8 NIV: David feared that the godly seemed to vanish from society due to the lies of proud elitists (v. 1-4, 8), so God promises to protect the afflicted who call on Him for help, v. 5. God will forever protect those who trust Him from lying elitists, v. 7. God's words, opposite the lies of proud elitists, are reliable and perfectly pure, so the upright can edify themselves by focusing on Scripture to offset their alarm caused by the lies of proud elitists, v. 6.

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life. In today's world, may we seize the opportunities we have to function Biblically so God can use us.