Esther 41316 1 Background Ahashuerus was king of Persia Gods people were his provinces The king had leaders from 127 provinces to come to a celebration that lasted 180 days 2 It was a feast of drinking and sin ID: 680888
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "“For Such A Time As This”" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
“For Such A Time As This”
Esther 4:13-16
1Slide2
Background
Ahashuerus was king of Persia
God’s people were
his provinces
The king had leaders from 127 provinces to come to a celebration that lasted 180 days
2Slide3
It was a feast of drinking and sin
The king sent for Vashti
to come and show her beauty
She refused because of her modesty
3Slide4
The king accepts the rejection to reject her and choose another queen to take her place
Ester, a Jew, was chose to be queen
4Slide5
Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, had offended Haman
Through deceit Haman got an order signed by the king that all Jews should be put to death
5Slide6
God stepped in and through His great providence delivered His people
Christ, the promised Seed, was to come through the Jewish nation
God fulfilled this promise
6Slide7
This study is written for our benefit
Many of the incidents in this account sound like they could be from today’s newspaper right her in America
7Slide8
“For such a time as this”
What sort of time was it?
8Slide9
1. A time when the king and the leaders of the nation were selfish, wicked and immoral
9Slide10
“Sin was in the saddle”
10Slide11
Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth
rule, the people mourn
11Slide12
What about leaders today?
What about those shaping the lives of our young people – media, education, etc.
What about some in the church?
12Slide13
2. It was a time of worldly pomp and show
The king and leaders of 127 provinces took a six months’ vacation for sin and wickedness
They neglected the nation, its welfare and their homes
13Slide14
Today our nation is neglecting to preserve the foundations of righteousness in our own nation
“prayer” outlawed in schools
Homosexuality held up as a civil rights issue instead of sin
14Slide15
Abortion is accepted and practiced
3700 abortions per day in America (
http
://
www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html)
15Slide16
“Today, our nation is neglecting to preserve our freedom and to purify the streams of immorality.” Gus Nichols (1961)
16Slide17
2 Tim. 3:1-5
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy
,…
17Slide18
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
18Slide19
3. It was a time of strong drink
How many alcoholics are there in America?
How many “problem drinkers”
Some say 15-30 million alcoholics
19Slide20
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
20Slide21
Who
hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of
eyes? They
that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed
wine.
21Slide22
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it
giveth his
colour
in the cup, when it
moveth itself aright.
At the last it
biteth
like a serpent, and
stingeth
like an adder.
22Slide23
Thine
eyes shall behold strange women, and
thine
heart shall utter perverse things
. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that
lieth
upon the top of a
mast.
23Slide24
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
24Slide25
4. It was a time of immodesty and shame
The king wanted
Vashti
to display her beauty before the leaders of 127 provinces who were involved in a 6 month drinking party
We should be thankful the queen had the moral courage to do right!
25Slide26
1 Tim. 2:9-10
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with
broided
hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly
array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
26Slide27
5. It was a time when the sanctity of marriage was at a low ebb
The King was willing to get rid of the Queen for no fault of hers
The divorce rate in America is estimated at 40% to 50%
One unscriptural marriage is one too many
27Slide28
Mt. 19:9
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth
adultery: and whoso
marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
28Slide29
6. It was a time when human life was cheap
The leaders were willing to sign a decree to have 2,000,000 Jews killed
because one of them would not bow down to Haman!
29Slide30
Life is cheap today
Abortion, suicide, murder, etc.
The entertainment media is filled with murder, adultery, homosexuality, hate, etc.
These cheapen life and destroy the souls of men
30Slide31
7. It was time that needed the good woman Esther!
31Slide32
Esther 4:13-16
Then Mordecai commanded to answer 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,…
32Slide33
then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who
knoweth
whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this
?..
33Slide34
Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 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:…
34Slide35
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.
35Slide36
Her silence would have been sin
She found herself in a responsible position and she had to do what she could
36Slide37
We live in a time that needs good people ---
In leadership in the nation
In business
In education
In the home and in the church
37Slide38
“A time that needed good people --- of conviction and prayer. Our time. Gus Nichols
38Slide39
Conclusion
“For such a time as this” what kind of disciples do you think the Lord needs? Are you one of that kind? Are you one the Lord can count on and depend on?
39Slide40
References
Adapted from material by:
1. Gus Nichols
2.
Wendell Gann (http://home.hiwaay.net/~wgann/)
40