Esther 4:1&4, 8-17
● God with us in our grief
Esther 4:1&4 ““1 When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly. 4 Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so that he would take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them.”
○ Worldly Grief vs. Godly Grief
Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed”
Genesis 3:14-19 “So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. “He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you. “And he said to the man, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust”
Job 5:17 “See how happy is the person whom God corrects; so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty..”
Isaiah 42:3 “He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick;
he will faithfully bring justice
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.”
● God with us in our gifts
Esther 4:8-13 “8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. 9. Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther. 10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, 11 ‘All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned - the death penalty - unless the king extends the gold scepter, allowing the person to live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last thirty days.’ 12 Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai” 13 Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, ‘Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace.
Matthew 19:16-22
Esther 4:14 “14 If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
● God with us when we go
Esther 4:15-17 “15 Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish” 17 So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had commanded him ”
○ Conviction
○ Courage
○ Community
John 1:14 “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”
Matthew 1:23 “And they will name him Immanuel, which is translated to
God is with us”
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