Trust God’s Providence amid Life’s Troubles

Esther 3

I. INTRODUCTION
1. Audience Connect ayaw ko sa cliffhanger movies, esp if mag-eend na natatalo ang mga bida & abangan sa part 2 (Avengers)
Why? uncertainty, anxiety paano sila babawi?, questions: Ano ang balak ng writer? Director?, involves waiting
- Sana nga sa movie lang ito pero merong real-life cliffhangers more than anxiety and uncertainty threat sa buhay (Day
Marcos declared Martial Law; Election results—fear of losing the autonomy of the Senate)
-China clamping down on churches, arresting of leaders, banning worship gatherings
-Ask: not directors but God: “Lord, what are you planning? What good will come from this? Where are you God?”
2. Passage Connect people who believe that the material universe is all there is cause-effect, consequences, coincidences, chance
us Christians, because we believe that behind the smallest movements of atoms to the cosmic collisions of galaxies is a God
who governs sovereignly (has total, full control) we talk of Providence
 PROVIDENCE: (sovereignty- God has full right to be in control of everything); God exercising His sovereignty to rule and
govern Creation for good and His glory (yan na ang providence)through secondary causes (natural laws, events, decisions)
Thus, even if we don’t fully understand, we trust that God providentially works behind the scenes of human affairs to
fulfill His good purposes for His glory even if we can't readily sense it
This is what the book of Esther, particularly chapters 1-6 invite us to doAmid life’s troubles and overwhelming
uncertainties we Trust that God is in control-- in Joy or pain, victory or loss, good or bad-- He's above them all.
3. Outline
In Chapter 3, trusting God’s sovereignty and providence is seen in two truths
A. Trust that God is always good even in the rise of evil (vv. 1-6)
B. Trust that God is ultimately in control, not man (vv. 7-16)
4. Prayer: troubled times, uncertainties, pains, fears teach us to focus on the most important and trust in the goodness: God Himself

II. BODY (In the midst of life’s trials and uncertainties…)

1. Trust that God is always good even in the rise of evil (vv. 1-6)
POINT: When troubles and evil rise, look to God’s good character and trust that good actions will spring from it
PROOF:
A. Setting: (v. 1 read) “After these events…”King Ahasuerus’ feast, Queen Vashti’s disobedience and
dethronement, search for a new queen and Esther’s rise, Mordecai’s (Esth stepfather) saving of the King
:4-5 years after Esther was chosen new queen, in Susa (one of the 3 capital cities of Persia) SW Iran
B. Characters: King Ahasuerus (Xerxes)- Persian Empire promotes Haman (second in command), not Mordecai (?)
:Haman- son of Hammedatha, Agagite (cue that he’s an enemy, v.10)from King Agag of the Amalekites
:Mordecai- a Jewish exile, a Benjamite (related to King Saul), (2:5-7)
-1 Sam 15: Saul was instructed by God to destroy the Amalekites including King Agag, ancient enemy of Israel
but Saul disobeys God and lets him go!  God took the Kingdom from Saul
:Foreshadowing Israel vs Amalekites, Mordecai vs Haman
C. Conflict:
i. (v. 2) King Ahasuerusall servants bow down and pay homage to Haman Mordecai refused other
servants confronted him, daily (vv. 3-4) Mordecai’s reason: He was a Jew (v. 4)
-SO? Mordecai refuses to bow NOT because of idolatry BUT because of the ancient feud bet Saul and Agag
ii. (v. 4) isinumbong si Mordecai kay Haman (v. 5) Haman observed and confirmed (v. 6 read) devised a plot to
destroy not just Mordecai, but also all the Jews in Persia!
-Why the very harsh response?  a) Haman was so full of himself (pride, selfishness), b) Revenge (ancient feud)
PONDER: Pause and ask “What is God doing?”  Cliffhanger
a) King Ahasuerus gets drunk display Vashti Vashti refuses and so she was deposed Led to Esther (a Jew)
becoming queen! (WE FIND THIS GOOD!!!)
b) Mordecai saves the King gets no recognition King promotes an Agagite (enemy of the Jews) seeks to
destroy all the Jews in revenge (WE FIND THIS BAD!!!)
Picture: How many times has something like these happened to you?
a) You have a big exam (do or die) study hard you take the exam pass (Good!) BUT if you fail (question God)
b) Sick loved one pray hard gets well (Good!) BUT if he/she doesn’t (question God)
POINT:
-we see the rise of trouble in chapter 3 and w/o chapters 4-10, all we see are dark clouds for God’s people
-and if we live only according to the circumstances, or the experiences, material world we see only doom
 -BUT behind all these things is GOD we may not understand what is happening, but He is good, loving, just
-He invites us to trust His character (good) result in good actions though not immediately but ultimately
PICTURE: Job Why do bad things happen to good people?  God’s answer is Himself (bad things will happen but know
who I am and trust Me)
PRACTICE:
-all the more reason to seek to KNOW God in His Word His acts may be unfathomable (ocean in a cup) but His
character is clear Bible
QT: What did you learn about God? What did you learn about Jesus? What did you learn about the Holy Spirit?
-here’s the hard part TRUST in the things God reveals about Himself (Picture: Leper If you are willing NOT can)
-I know He is able, but doubt if He’s wiling (I look to circumstances not His character)
How do you know you’re trusting?
-Trust is Faith applied You trust God if you live according to His character not your circumstances
-ex. generous in lack (God provides); you are honest exams/transactions (God is truth); Engage in God’s work
though not the most skilled (God enables); keep loving a stubborn relative, daughter (God is love)
RESTATE:
-we see the rise of evil or trouble in Haman’s plot against the Jews, but though we still do not see the next events, and
though God seems silent, this book invites us to keep trusting Him because of His character

2. Trust that God is ultimately in control, not man (vv. 7-16) …in the midst of life’s uncertainties
POINT: Though evil people or troublesome circumstances seem to dominate for a time, God is still higher, He is in control
PROOF: Haman planned to destroy all the Jewsexecutes his plan
A. When? (v. 7) Cast lots (Pur)* (1st month) 13th Day of the 12th Month (v. 13) March 17, 473 BC
Ponder: How is God in control?
-Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord”
-cast lots on the 1st month, the lot fell on the 12th month (about 11 months of preparation)
-enough time for the Jews, Mordecai and Esther to think of a way out different story if it had been the 2nd/3rd month
-God’s providence at work!

B. How? To make the king agree? (vv. 8-9) Deceit and Bribery
(v. 8-9a read) Haman painted the Jews as insubordinate people (his basis is Mordecai), danger for the King genocide
(v. 9b) Haman will pay 10,000 talents/375 tons of silver around Php 8.4 B to the administrators
Ponder: How is God in control?
-Esther 2:19-20 for some reason, Mordecai forbid Esther to reveal her ethnicity, her “kindred or her people”
-a) minority status of the Jews that may affect the selection, b) God at work if she had revealed her identity
from the start, the king would have doubted her after hearing Haman’s accusations prevented her from
playing her rolesaving the Jews
-such a small detail but we can see the silent and behind-the-scene movement of God

C. Resolution: (deceit and bribery)… How did King Ahasuerus respond?

(v. 10 read) w/o further investigation, the king approved (signet ring) Haman, the enemy of the Jews
(v. 11 read) He did not refuse the bribe; this seems to be a euphemism (pakitang tao) for accepting the bribe
(4:7), also a promise of recuperating the money from his plunder after the genocide (v.13)
D. Commencement: (After the king’s approval…)
(vv. 12-13a) 13th Day of the first month scribes were summoned to write an edict for all the king’s officials
throughout the kingdom own script, own language in the name of King Ahasuerus (by his authority)
sealed with his signet ring (proof) sent by couriers to all the provinces (hurriedly- v. 15)
Ponder: How is God in control?
-note the day the edict was put into writing (13 th Day of the first month April 17, 474 BC)
-any Jew will not miss this day for it is the eve of the feast of the Passover (Exodus 12)
-God’s silent reminder that though this day marked the destruction of the Jews foreshadowing of their coming
salvation Why?
PASSOVER (Ex 12) story of redemption or salvation blood on doorpost/ windowsill angel passed over their houses
- Circumstances are
totally against the Jews, but the reflective will not miss God’s silent promise through the Passover

E. Command: (Let’s look at the edict…ano’ng laman?)

(v. 13b read) kill all the Jews (young, old; women, children) on the 13 th day of the 12th month and to plunder them
(v. 14 read)all people in every province must be ready to fulfill this genocide
F. Result:
(v. 15b read)the king and Haman celebrated what they believed was a brilliant solution to a made-up problem
 city was in confusion (Why?--> here we see that God remains in control)
Ponder: How is God in control?
-Word Study: Confusion perplexed (puzzled), agitated (troubled/upset) not everyone was happy or even
agreed with the king’s decision crucial: because all the people must be involved in the genocide (v. 14)
difficult to expect half-hearted people to fulfill your commands
-God caused the people to respond this wayHaman’s schemes will not have the people’s full support (future)

POINT: True! God was never mentioned even once in the Book, but we cannot deny the He is moving sovereignly,
providentially behind the scenes to fulfill His good will for His people (Romans 8:28)
How do we know it’s good?
-we go back to Point 1, because we trust His good character
-spoiler: you read the next chapters and you know that it’s good! hehe
PICTURE: Classic example is Joseph in Genesis 37-50 hated by his brothers, sold to slavery in Egypt, imprisoned under false
charges interpreted the pharaoh’s dreams, elevated second in command, stored food for a coming famine, saved his
family from starvation…
-Gen. 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”
-Haman’s schemes are really meant for evil, but because we know God is good, we can trust and expect that He is in
control, not Haman, not Ahasuerus that at the end, this will turn into good for God’s people
PRACTICE: A. we’re not very different today uncertainties in the country (election results, gov’t policies, economic woes)
-it’s very tempting to put our hope on people (officials—opp/admin), policies ( TRAIN law, drug war, death penalty), ideologies
(communism, socialism, capitalism) let us not forget that God is greater than all these, He is above them all (Dan. 4:35)
-Remember the Psalmist’s exhortation,
“3 Put not your trust in princes, Not disengage but to remember who is ultimately in control
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. protection against despair (troubles); pride (success); taking
4 
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; matters into our own hands (self-will)
    on that very day his plans perish. (Psalm 146:3-4)

B. What we can practice is finding God in our circumstances, trusting Him particularly in life’s struggles, always reflecting
and asking, “Where is God in this? What does He want me to learn?” (ex. Kahirapan sa buhay; failed relationships;
rebellious children; office politics/ delayed promotion; 5; besetting sin)

RESTATE: Trust that God is ultimately in control—He may be behind the scenes, seemingly silent, but He remains sovereign

III. CONCLUSION
Chapter 3 invites us, actually the whole book of Esther invites us, even if we don’t fully understand, we trust that God providentially
works behind the scenes of human affairs to fulfill His good purposes for His glory
 Trust that God is in control-- in Joy or pain, victory or loss, good or bad-- He's above them all.
 The puritan John Flavel has a good reflection about our difficulty in trusting God’s providence, “Providence is like a Hebrew word; it is
only understood when read backwards.” Providence is appreciated only in hindsight
-“Kaya pala moments…” ex. Nagdisobey si Vashti ultimately, kaya pala, kasi God will elevate Esther God elevates her, kaya pala,
kasi…(no spoilers hehe)
Ex. Hindi pinasabi ni Mordecai kay Esther na Jew siya kaya pala, para di siya immediately affected by Haman’s accusations…
marami pa
-Picture:
-Operation Auca 5 missionaries (Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian) attempted to make contact
with an unreached people, the Auca’s/ Huaorani of Ecuador share the Gospel
-Nate was the pilot giving food, shouting friendly phrases to win the tribe they had three first visitors (young woman and suitor,
chaperone)wrong info caused the attack and killed the 5 missionaries (CLIFFHANGER)
-after the death of the missionaries, their wives decided to stay and to continue their ministry in Ecuador
-two women from the tribe left and they met Elizabeth Elliot opened the door for them to make contact with the tribe
-Elizabeth and other missionaries went to the tribe in short, this allowed them to share the Gospel (saved many)
*bitter sweet Kaya pala (John 12:24)  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
*Testimony ni Stever Saint (anak ng pilot) while observing the unconditional love that his parents gave to the tribe, his mom
praying for them, his aunts risking their lives for these people God gripped him and so he decided to commit his life in
reaching out the tribe as well (baptized by Minkaye who killed his father)
*Huaoranis stopped the cycle of violence, being used by God to reach other tribes in their area
*Story of the five missionary martyrs inspired so many (though controversial until today)
-God sovereignly moved in every detail to accomplish His will, for His glory
- Trust God’s Providence amid Life’s Troubles
A. Trust His Character: He is always good even in the rise of evil
B. Trust His Sovereignty: He is ultimately the one in control, not man