The Contest and the Crown

A lot of difficult decisions and ethical dilemmas confronted us in the first half of chapter 2. Even though we know the rest of the story, we still have to wrestle through some of the details in the scriptural narrative. As with many situations in the Bible that recount the lifestyles of sinful people, there is no way to sanitize this story.

I. The of Faith (10)

• They don’t their faith, they just it. 
• “Esther’s enviable progress in one world, the world empire of Ahasuerus, came at the cost of completely suppressing her identity as a citizen of the kingdom of God.”
• In the Persia that surrounds you everyday – in your job or school or gym or home – are you keeping your relationship to Jesus Christ a ?
• You can’t effectively if no one knows you are a Christian.

II. The of Mordecai (11) 

• As J. Vernon McGee said, “when we are in the will of God, we will be ; but in Mordecai’s state, he was pacing.” 

III. The of the Women(12-14)

• This 12-month process was a crash course on how to look like a queen, sound like a queen, eat like a queen, smell like a queen, and act like a queen.

IV. The of Esther (15-18)

• It certainly appears that Esther knows the rules and to use them to her advantage. 
• She concerned herself with the over the spiritual, and while it may have saved her life, it cost her .
• The only love in this story is between God and a prodigal nation. The love and favor God shows to Esther is the same kind of love and He shows to all sinners regardless of what they have done or are doing.
• God works through faithful people and in of unfaithful people.

V. The against the King (19-23)

• The whole event was carefully reported and chronicled in a book, but Mordecai was not rewarded for his actions.
• Though we may lack and choose to compromise with the world, it does not mean that God is with us.  
• God’s people are not perfect, but His is.