A young Esther who is being like Christ

Esther 4: 1-17

God is concerned about every child of His, regardless of where they are in their walk with Him.

God uniquely puts us in places, positions, and situations to make us like Christ.

As a child, it is challenging to understand that God has a place for you in this school, team, and social activities to help you become like Christ.

It doesn’t matter how young or how old a person may be, God’s plan is to use you in his work, and through the work, you become more Christlike and less like the world and its ungodly systems.

Esther is a young Jewish girl living outside of Israel in Shushan, the winter capital of Persia.

She is living in a wicked land under a wicked king, Xerxes, Ahasuerus is the Hebrew name.

The name of God is not even mentioned in the entire book of Esther, but the hand of God is seen throughout the book.

And this teenage girl, Esther, is there to show the Israelites that God is still with them even in a strange land.

Esther is also to show the Persians that there is a God, Jehovah, who reigns and rules the whole world. And that he loves them and wants to save their souls. 

My proposition to our young people today is that God wants to use you where you are, to show your classmates, teammates, and friends in general, Jesus.

And you can’t show Jesus until you become like Jesus. 

It is amazing how God takes the most unlikely people to use in his ministry to bring glory to Himself and change us into the image of His Son.

Esther is like Christ in four different ways!
 
  1. She did not initially reveal her true identity- vs. 2:10
  2. She is willing to risk her life to save her people- vs. 4:16
  3. She prays intercessory prayer for her people- vs. 4:16b
  4. She is used by God to deliver her people- vs. 7:3-10

It has been said that God will use anybody. I am not so sure about that, but God uses whom He wishes.

God has a track record of using young people in his work.

Samuel was three when his mother took him to the temple to serve. David was a teenager when God made him king of Israel.
 
  1. She did not reveal her true identity- vs. 2:10

“Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it.” (Esth. 2:10).

  1. Mordecai is Esther’s 1st cousin; she is the daughter of his uncle.
  2. Mordecai took Esther into his home and raised her after her parents died.
  • Hadassah is her Hebrew name.
  1. Mordecai concealed Esther’s identity for safety.
Esther is like Christ in hiding her identity; Jesus did the same thing on many occasions.
  • John 2:4, “Jesus saith unto her woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come."
  • After Jesus healed a leper in Mark 1:43-44, he told him don’t tell anyone.

 
  1. She is willing to risk her life to save her people- vs. 4:16c
“And so will I go unto the king, which is not according to the law and if I perish, I perish.” (Esth. 4:16c)
  1. Esther has enormous faith in God.
  • Jehovah's name is not written anywhere, but Esther sees his handprint all over her life.
  • She knew it was God who took her from being nobody to being the queen of Persia.
  • She saw God opening doors that no man can open.
  1. Esther has courage because of her relationship with God.
  2. Esther makes the ultimate sacrifice of putting her life at risk for her people.

She is like Christ because Jesus willingly left heaven and lived as a man, being subject to pain, suffering, and death to save us.
 
  • Isa. 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his strips we are healed.”
  • Vs. 7, says he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearer is dumb so he openeth not his mouth.
 
  1.  She prays intercessory prayers for her people-  vs. 16b.
“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: I also and my maidens will fast likewise.”
  1. After assessing the situation, she did not call a cabinet meeting or a community meeting.
  2. Being like Jesus, she calls a prayer meeting.
  • This is a God size problem that only God can solve.
  • She is young, but prayer is the priority
  1. Her prayer is not a self-centered prayer.
  • She is not concerned about her well-being, but the well-being of her people.
  1. Esther is like Jesus; she prays an intercessory for her people.
  • She gathers all the Jews and prepares to pray through fasting.
  • Fasting and praying for three days.
Esther is being like Jesus, because Jesus intercedes on our behalf to the Father.
 
Heb. 7:25, “Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
 
  1. She is used by God to deliver her people- vs. 7:3-10
“Then Esther the queen answered and said, if I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.”
  1.  God was at work answering Esther's prayer when the king could not sleep one night.
  • And it was read that Mordecai saved his life.
  • Sometimes God will not let you sleep when there is work to do
  1. Haman tried to talk his way out of the mess he made, but while he was yet speaking, they put the hanging sack over his head.
  2. The gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai, Esther had him hung on it.
You better be careful about digging ditches for people, because the ditch you dig could be for you!