Have you noticed the date- It is the twelfth day of the twelfth month -in the modern calendar-. Purim is in February of our calendar - but it was the 13th day of the 12th month in the Jewish calendar. So it seems fitting that we conclude our study of the Book of Esther on the 12th day of the 12th month---It is also fitting that we do this in Advent - as we celebrate the proclamation of -peace on earth, good will toward men.---Because this is what Purim is all about. The salvation of the Jews brings peace -shalom- and welfare -tov- - to the Jew first and also to the Greek -or at least the Persian--

-Sung Psalm- 27---Today we come to the central addition that the Nicene Creed added to the Apostles' Creed----God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God- begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.---The Apostles' Creed had simply said, -I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord.---But as we have seen in our study of the Church Fathers, there were some who taught that Jesus was a lesser being than God. And if Jesus is a lesser being than God, then to put it simply, Jesus is not God - and therefore, Jesus could not be the Light of the World - he could not be the Redeemer that Isaiah had promised-

Tonight we look plainly into one of the central themes of the book of Esther- when the chips are down, Esther does not simply pray and ask God to intervene.--No, Esther herself goes to the king and puts her life on the line. She certainly prayed. She spent three days fasting - which, in Jewish culture, meant prayer as well. But due to the author's decision to leave the name of God out of this book, we are left with a striking impression that when God is silent, it is human action that -saves the day.---Because sometimes it appears that God is about as involved in day-to-day life as Xerxes.--Is God really paying attention- Is he really doing anything- In the middle of the book of Esther, you would be pardoned for wondering, is God really going to let his people perish---Some Christians have thought that we should form a Christian ghetto and passively endure the troubles of this age. That's not Esther.--Other Christians have said that we need to oppose, protest, and fight the cultural decline. That's not Esther, either.--Still other Christians have assimilated to the -spirit of the age- - and look just like the culture. That's not Esther - although until four days ago, she sure looked like it-----That's why some commentators think that Esther compromised her Jewishness by marrying a Gentile and eating unclean foods----But as we have seen, she didn't really marry a Gentile. She was forced into the harem.--This is not -assimilation- - this is called doing your best in a very awful situation...

-Sung Psalm- 2---In Isaiah 9 the prophet speaks of the coming of the son - the one who would reign on the throne of David, his father, forever.--God had told David in 2 Samuel 7, -I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.- God was teaching David - and us - what it means to be a child of God. David wanted to build a house for God - but God says, no, it's the other way around- I will build your house.--The throne of David will be established forever. The son of David will become the Son of God.--Little did David realize how true that would be- But Isaiah seems to have glimpsed it - the name of the Son of David will be -Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God...- And God himself --the zeal of the LORD of hosts-- will make it happen...

We heard last time that the King's decree was issued on the 13th day of the first month. In other words, the day before the Passover.--So the conversation between Mordecai and Esther happened either on the 13th or the 14th day of the first month - which would also explain why Esther was horrified to hear that her cousin was in sackcloth and ashes on the Passover----So Esther's fast starts on the Passover. All of history is turned on its head. The feast celebrating the great victory of God over Egypt is turned into a fast lamenting the Persian decree against the Jews.--Think about it this way- under what circumstances would a Christian turn Sunday into a fast day---It is almost inconceivable- How could one fast on the day of resurrection-- -This is why Esther is so remarkable- She joins Moses and Jesus as the three people to command a canonical feast. And for us who live in the diaspora - the dispersion among the nations - she shows us what it means to live as elect exiles of the dispersion.--And in our passage tonight, she starts by keeping her eyes on the resurrection - even as she endures the cross...

-Sung Psalm- 148---The early Fathers recognized that there was a danger in the way the Apostles' Creed was worded. You might wind up thinking that the Father is the Creator, the Son is the Redeemer, and the Spirit is the one who is active in the church.--But if you believe in the Holy Trinity, then you must confess that the Triune God is the maker of heaven and earth.--This is what Paul is getting at in Colossians 1 - when he says that the Son is -the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... All things were created through him and for him.---Paul cannot imagine a unitarian deity. The One God who is the maker of heaven and earth is the Tri-une God...

Esther and Mordecai are living in a world that is overtly hostile. -The Jews are a small minority in the Persian Empire and are potentially vulnerable. A second given is the arbitrariness of Persian laws in general and Haman's decree in particular. Such a law cannot be revoked. And with Haman at the helm, there is no doubt that it will be executed thoroughly...--A third given is the social code of the period. The palace has a particular rule of conduct. A constant series of royal laws suggests how hidebound life in the palace is. In addition the wider social code assumes a number of static relationships such as the low status of women.- -Wells, 55---But Mordecai will call Esther to think of all of these obstacles as gifts- -Take your femininity, your long training in the harem, your vulnerability, your membership of the Jewish people - givens that may seem challenging or unjust - and treat them as gifts by incorporating them into the larger story of saving your people. -And- each of these apparent givens does indeed become a gift in the course of Esther's sequence of banquets for and petitions to the king.- -Wells 56---The weak and foolish things of the world are precisely what God uses in salvation to shame the wise and powerful-

-Sung Psalm- 32---The Apostles' Creed was probably not written by the apostles, but it is an excellent statement of the basic teaching of the apostles.--Some have complained that there is no teaching about justification or regeneration or other points of the doctrine of salvation, but the reason why the Creed does not focus on such things is because you are not saved by believing in the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Satan believes the doctrine of justification by faith alone - and he hates it- It is not believing a doctrine that saves you.--Rather, you are saved by believing in the Triune God and what he has done in history through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.--That's what the Creed is all about-

The first two chapters set the stage for the book of Esther - but the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 sets the contrast between Mordecai and Haman.--Mordecai, as we saw last time, is a descendent of Kish - King Saul's father. That means that King Saul was his great-uncle many times removed---We also should note that Haman is an Agagite. What is an Agagite- A descendent of Agag. Agag was an Amalekite king - in the days of King Saul.--The book of Samuel tells us that Saul was commanded to destroy Agag - and devote Agag and his people to destruction -a term used in the OT when God commanded their utter destruction-. But instead, Saul spared Agag - along with much spoil - claiming that he had intended to offer sacrifices to the LORD.- -Samuel replied that the LORD desires obedience rather than sacrifice---The basic problem was that Saul did not do what God commanded.--Now, in our text tonight, we see that a son of Agag and a nephew of Saul are pitted against each other.--Perhaps the family history may explain some of the animosity between these men. Haman would remember that the house of Saul was the occasion for his ancestor's demise. No, Saul did not kill king Agag - but Samuel the aged prophet did. It may have been nearly 600 years before - but if the Jews remembered the story, how much more would the Amalekites-

-Sung Psalm- 131---What do you covet- Do you look at your neighbor's house, and desire it- Do you look at your neighbor's wife, and desire her---Or is your coveting of a different sort- Do you desire status- Do you long for the praise of others- Do you look at others and wish that you had their position- their gifts- their abilities---Whatever you covet, God calls you to repent. And he calls you to contentment. Are you content with what God has set before you to do- It may be a small place. But you may be content in a small place, being faithful in that which Christ has given you to do...