When God Seems Silent... His People Need to Party (Esther 9:20-32)
Here’s my sermon for Sunday. You can listen to the audio here. The manuscript is below. You can also get involved in our “Purim Party Pandemic Style” here.
Do Christians know how to party? That’s the question I want us to start out with this morning. Are we people that are good at celebrating? Now some of us might answer in the affirmative. But is that really accurate? And what if we went downtown with clipboards - and we polled people? And we asked - are Christians good party people? I’m sure we’d hear: more like party poopers! If we asked a thousand people, what percentage would say that we threw good parties? I don’t think it would be high.
Now, of course, our celebrations will look different from those around us. And they’ll certainly be misinterpreted by the world. They will. But still, I think if we were honest, we’d agree with them. But is it really that we’re bad at celebrating? Just a couple of months ago - what feels like millennia away now - this football game happened. Maybe you saw a video my wife posted on Facebook, where I’m jumping up and down. I’m overcome by emotion as the team of my childhood, the Kansas City Chiefs, finally won the Super Bowl after a fifty year drought. I know of Christians who were at the parade afterward in Kansas City - folks who camped out the night before even. And when star player Travis Kelce shouted out, “You’ve gotta fight for your right to party,” they shouted back and partied hard.
Now maybe you’re not into football. Or you don’t care for the Chiefs. Maybe you feel that way at Roots and Blues as you hear your favorite artist. Or as you’re in films at True/False. You see a great picture. They bring the director up on stage. You’re standing and clapping and shouting. Now hear me: I don’t have problem with any of those things. But maybe it’s not that we don’t know how to party. Maybe it has to do with what we’re partying about. Or better, maybe what direction we celebrate toward.
Let’s learn from the nation of Israel here today in Esther chapter 9. Last week, Jeff preached from verse 1 through 19. There we see God’s people defend themselves. They get relief from their enemies. In verse 17 and 18, we see the Jews erupt in celebration. And verse 19 introduces the festival we’ll take a look at today.
Here’s where we’ll go this morning. We’ll look at how this party got started. We’ll talk about what it has meant for the Jews. We’ll talk about what it should mean for the the church. Those three points. Let’s get started.
How This Party Got Started
Well, how did this party get started? First, let’s recap where we’ve been. The Jews are in Persia, in exile. There we meet Esther and Mordecai, two cousins, living in one of the capitals called Susa. The King gets rid of his queen at the time. Esther wins a contest to take that woman’s throne.
A wicked man named Haman is elevated to the King’s right hand. He can’t stand Mordecai, so he gets the king to sign off on a decree to wipe out - not just him - but all of his people, the Jews. And that would include, of course, Esther the Queen. Mordecai convinces her to go into the King and share the plot. She does. Haman ends up dead. And all of God’s people get to live. And a new decree is issued. The Jews can defend themselves. They do. Their enemies are defeated. And they can relax.
Second, then, a celebration breaks out. This is described in the last few verses Jeff covered last week. Look at verses 17-19 with me again:
Esth. 9:17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
Spontaneous celebration breaks out. Right? They were all dead. Now they’re alive. Their enemies have been defeated. Relief has been granted. So they can party. In the rural areas, they start celebrating sooner. When their conflict ends. In Susa, where Mordecai and Esther live, it’s a bit later.
But the ground work is also laid for a scheduled celebration. You see? Verses 18-19 describe the Jews - in the country a day before, and those in the city a day later - taking a day of rest. And feasting together. And it turns into a festival where the nation sabbaths and celebrates and showers one another with gifts.
Verses 20 through 22 describe Mordecai - now the King’s second in command - sending letters to all the Jews again, commanding them to keep this festival on into perpetuity. A great reversal had happened. As verse 22 puts it, their “sorrow” had been turned “into gladness.” It had gone from a day of “mourning” into one of celebrating, a “holiday.” And they were to celebrate it forever. On these two days in Adar. With “feasting and gladness.” By “sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.”
Verse 23 tells us the Jews receive this gladly. Verses 26-28 say they commit to doing this now, and passing it down to their kids. They’d hold this festival, called Purim, forever. They would never forget.
What It Has Meant for the Jews
Now that leads to my second point. What it has meant for the Jews. What it meant for Israel then and today. This feast called Purim.
First of all, then, what does Purim even mean? Archaeologists have dug them up. And they’re clay cubes with symbols on them. Basically dice. Purim is the plural of Pur, a Persian word. Think dice versus die. That’s where the name of the festival comes from. It’s also translated as “lots” here - for the original readers. We see all of this explained in verses 24 and 25 and the first part of verse 26. Look at those again.
Esth. 9:24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur.
So why Purim? Why that choice of a name? Dice, seriously? As a festival name? Well, it’s rich in meaning. It recognizes first the destruction of the one who rolled the dice. And second honors the glory of the one who truly controls the roll.
If we go back to verse 7 of chapter 3, we see Haman casting purim, trying to seek out guidance from the gods. These dates - and we’re not sure how - are what he rolls. But instead of his diabolical plan coming to fruition, we see the opposite happen. He gets hanged on the gallows, along with his sons. Not Mordecai, not the Jews. The one who rolled the dice is judged. And with that, the Jews find relief. God’s commitment to His people is displayed.
But you may remember, back from that sermon, that I talked at length about Haman’s title. “Haman the Agagite.” We see it twice in chapter 3. We see it right here in verse 24 of chapter 9. Agag, if you’ve forgotten - and it’s no problem - is at one point the king of the Amalekites. They’re the ancient, really earliest, enemies of God’s people. The Israelites have left Egypt. They’re traveling through the desert. And immediately the Amalekites come out after them. We see this in Exodus chapter 17.
God’s people fight. But they win in a striking way. Moses stands on a hill, holding his staff. When he lifts it up, Israel wins. When he puts it down, they fall behind. His buddies Aaron and Hur end up having to help him. They prop up His hands with a rock. They hold up his arms on both sides. And with Joshua leading the way, Israel defeats the Amalekites. But there is clearly no doubt who is giving the victory. And Exodus 17 closes with these words.
Ex. 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Later on, Israel’s first King, Saul, goes up against the king of the Amalekites, Agag. He defeats him and them. But he disobeys the Lord. He doesn’t wipe them out, as instructed by Samuel, and as prophesied by this verse. And this leads to Saul’s downfall. But the Jews perhaps beginning here - and definitely throughout history - see this as fulfilled in the downfall of Haman. But as verse 16 hints, it’s not quite that simple. But this is the first reason it seems the festival is called Purim. The one who rolled the dice is judged.
But much like with that battle back in the desert, it’s clear the victory is of the Lord. Don’t forget our theme here in Esther - “when God seems silent.” Remember? This book in the Bible doesn’t mention the name of God. But He’s not absent. In fact, He’s very much guiding the roll of the dice.
We see this taught clearly in Proverbs 16:33. “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Haman is rolling dice to get divine guidance. Something even the Jews also did back then. But he’s calling out to false gods here. It’s an evil, unfaithful act. But the one true God is in control - even over that. God’s hidden providence is seen here by the Jews. And they celebrate.
Turn with me also to Psalm 16. This is one of my favorites. Look at verses 5 and 6. “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Now notice what’s happening here. Old Testament scholar Karen Jobes says that the word “lot” can refer either to the dice themselves or what you get as a result of the roll. David is talking about the latter. “You hold my lot.” As the NIV translates it, “You have made my lot secure.” So here’s the point. God controls the rolling of the dice. What we get - our lives - come from His hands. He’s the Lord of the Purim. And that should give us confidence in living out our calling as God’s people. That’s what the Jews also are celebrating here. They not only celebrate the destruction of the one who rolled the dice. They honor the glory of the one who truly controls their rolls.
Now this has become a treasured celebration of God’s people. It took its place alongside the other five feasts given by God to the Jews. And it is still celebrated by Jews today.
The story of Esther is read every year during this party. Children have noisemakers, and when Haman’s name is mentioned, they boo and hiss, and shake the toys, trying to literally blot his name out - as that old passage said.
They seek to follow the prescriptions given here. They give gifts to one another. They give portions of food, as both Esther 9:19 and 22 describe. They do it remembering the other parallel statement in Psalm 16:5. That the Lord gives us our portion. First and foremost - in Him. But also of our food.
They give and eat a sweet treat called Hamantaschen. They’re triangular cookies. It literally means “Haman pockets.” They’re filled with poppy seeds or jam. They are meant to look like Haman’s evil ears.
Jewish people often wear costumes. Why? Remember, they don’t just give gifts to each other. They try to do things to bless the poor. Maybe it’s to keep that anonymous. It could also emphasize again the hiddenness of God in Esther. That when He seems absent, He’s there - He’s here - only concealed.
There is a celebratory meal. With not just a lot of eating. But a lot and lot of drinking. There are parties. There are parades. It’s a time of great celebration. As God’s people were previously commanded to fast - and to do it with intensity - they’re now commanded to feast. And to do that heartily, as well. And faithful Jews have tried to keep the party going throughout the generations.
What It Should Mean For the Church
Let me move on to my third point. What it should mean for the church. What it means for the church today and tomorrow. I’ll start with how we understand it. I’ll then move on to how we apply it.
Let’s talk about how we understand it. There are two truths we have to get into our heads, also. Our destiny is in His hands. His deliverance is coming.
First, our destiny is in His hands. Right? He controls the dice. He numbers our days. He’s sovereign. He’s ruling over our world. Even during this virus! We’re meant to find comfort in that. And celebrate it. In doesn’t mean we don’t use wisdom. And do what wise people tell us to do. We, the Karis family, will. You should your family should. But we are His people! He’s committed to us - our King! Who we are. What we have. It’s all determined by Him. No pandemic can prevail over His people.
Second, His deliverance is coming. That’s true, also. Think about Good Friday to Easter Sunday. God sure seemed silent then, right? But there, we see a reversal even greater than what we see here in Esther. Satan tries to put Jesus on the gallows. But there he finds His downfall. Jesus rises again. And there points to our resurrection, as well. And beyond that, to a New Heavens, to a New Earth, where everything will be as it was intended. Where we’ll rest for ever and ever and celebrate. And this horrible pandemic - and everything like it - will be gone.
Our enemies - Satan and His forces - will finally be cast down. That tribe, the Amalekites, the seed of Satan, that snake in the garden, will finally be defeated. And with that sin and death. Forever. And we can find relief. Church, our destiny is in His hands. Our deliverance, too, is coming. That’s what Purim points to for us.
Let’s think about how we apply it. First, think about our need to remember. To think about our heritage. We’re a part of God’s family. That has seen Him act again and again, throughout history. In ways like we see here in Esther. God’s covenant love has chased his people around and down. He has always been faithful. We can’t forget that. That’s why God gave Israel this feast. So they wouldn’t forget.
But it’s so easy, right? We have to look back at God’s grace in the past. So that we can be filled with faith for the future. And we’ll see His grace flow from Him again.
Second, think about our need for rhythms. Today, we often like the spontaneous. But we resist the scheduled. We don’t like to be told what to do, in general. But commands to party feel really weird. But, church, we need rhythms like what we see here. To keep us on track. Yes, Easter should be celebrated every week, and every day. But it can sure grab us and pull us back to center every year.
Sure, the Lord’s Supper can become rote if we let it. But it can also be a weekly means to help us remember the gospel. A way to celebrate. Baptism can be the same thing. Like with Purim, we can look back and remember when the Lord saved us. It can encourage us in a dark time. When we’re plagued with doubt. When we’re deeply discouraged. When sin pulls at us, these rhythms can put us back on beat. With the pulse of our Redeemer’s heart.
Third, think about our need for renewal. The Jews here are in a bad place. They’ve completely compromised. They’ve been totally assimilated. Mordecai and Esther are heroes, but complicated ones, for sure. They’ve forgotten who they are. And they look and act just like the Persians around them.
But God uses this whole ordeal to wake them up. To pull them back to Him. We need this so desperately, too, church. We certainly need it greatly here in America. To remember who our God is. To remember who we are in Him.
God has done this again and again throughout history. He’s gotten the attention of His people once again. He’s come and captivated their hearts. He’s restored them to their first love. And we still need this today.
Fourth, think about our need to rejoice. Think back to how I began. Do we as Christians know how to party? Yeah, really we do. We can cheer and clap with anyone - at a sporting event or at a concert. But gather with God’s people on a Sunday, and we’re as stiff and stoic as we can be.
Shouldn’t we celebrate God’s grace all around us? His goodness in the sunset. His kindness in a watermelon slice. His love in a dog’s soggy nose. And yes, even in a great song, or an epic touchdown. In that way, our joy as Christians can certainly overlap with that of the world.
But all of that should be eclipsed by our joy in what He’s done for us, what He’s doing, and what He’ll do. In His salvation we’ve experienced. In the hope that’s ahead for us. And for that reason, we should be the happiest people around.
We should absolutely throw the best parties. We shouldn’t be known for being somber and sour. We should be filled with laughter. We should sing and dance - even if off-key or off-beat. We should image our happy God to those around us.
We have a need to remember. We need these rhythms. We are in need of renewal. We have a reason to rejoice. Church, our destiny is in His hands. Our deliverance, too, is coming.
Partying in a Pandemic
But here’s what you may be thinking right now. And I totally understand. That’s maybe nice on a normal day. But what about these days we find ourselves in? How do you party in a pandemic? How twisted and messed up is that?
Man, I miss my red jeep with oversized tires. I had one back in the day. I had to sell it for a minivan, I’m sorry to say. Maybe some day I’ll get one again. But you wouldn’t come up to that Jeep and look it up and down and say, “So what are you going to do if you find yourself in mud? How are you going to handle it if you find yourself in snow?” No. You wouldn’t. If you did, I’d say, “Bud, it was built for that.”
Hear me, friend. This party was built for the pandemic. It was. Think back again to Esther. Haman’s dice rolled what would be the dates for Purim. But when did He roll them? Back during the Passover feast. Again, Israel was pretty messed up then. We don’t know if that was on their mind much at all. But Passover was supposed to remind them.
When they found themselves in a really, really hard place. When they were facing people like Pharaoh. Like Haman! They were to remember, “Our destiny is in His hands. Our deliverance is coming.” That’s what they were supposed to remember when they had their Passover feast. That was also the purpose of Purim. To party even during a pandemic.
In fact, do you know what reportedly got a Jew instantly killed - in those camps back in Germany? Being found with a copy of the book of Esther. Because that story gave them hope. And we need that hope, as well. Especially in what seems like a trial of trials - this whole battle with this virus.
Church, the Lord still has us - His people - in His hands. Our destiny isn’t held by any politician, by any doctor, by any disease, by anyone saying “to hell with social distancing.” He is the Lord of the universe and the Lord of our lives. He is in control. He is good. And He’s with us. What seems like a mess is somehow a part of His great purpose for our world and our lives.
Church, this virus won’t have the last word. Our enemy, who’s behind it, won’t win. Jesus came and lived. He died and rose. It doesn’t mean that we won’t get sick. But it does mean that sickness won’t have the last word. Neither will the death of this body. If that even happens. One day we’ll be raised. And this world will be renewed.
And for that reason, we can party in a pandemic. We need to party in a pandemic. Not in a twisted, sick kind of way. But, in a wise, faithful manner. Pastor Aarik talks this week in his Fathom Mag column about his tendency toward comedy late at night, with his wife and Netflix, when she wants to turn to drama. Aarik talks about his desire for an escape. But he recognizes a good impulse to rejoice.
Why do we party in a pandemic? Not to escape. But to focus. On what’s true, good, and beautiful. On what’s been done for us. On what’s around the corner. So with the Jews, throughout history, in their most difficult moments, we can still celebrate. And remember together that our Redeemer lives. And that He is on the throne. In the midst of a pandemic. Partying is an act of spiritual warfare.
And going beyond that, the pandemic can be a way that God wakes us up. And causes us to remember. To jump-start the rhythms. To begin to rejoice again. To experience renewal. Some of us in Karis have been reading Mark Sayers’s Reappearing Church. It’s a book about renewal and revival. Sayers talks about how crises in our world - and he even mentions pandemics - can be used by God to grab us.
They shows us this world we’ve built - one without Him - is made of cards. The virus, the tornado, the divorce - whatever it is - puts us on our knees. It humbles us. It puts us in a place to meet with God - for the first time or all over again. To get the party started. Or to give it a much needed jump-start. It did exactly that here for God’s people in Persia. Will it do it for us?
Let us pray we would party in this pandemic. And that the pandemic would make us party all the more.
Purim Party Pandemic-Style
On that note, here’s your assignment, Karis. I always try to include application in my sermons. A good sermon has to have it. And I generally try to end my messages in that way. This may be the most specific point of application I’m going to give. This coming Saturday, May 9th, we’re going to have a Purim Party Pandemic-Style.
Here’s what I want you to do. Beginning that afternoon, if you have the means, let’s shower those around us with food gifts. Share something with a friend or family in our bigger Karis fam. And also share with someone who you know is struggling. Give a gift to someone in need. That was at the heart of Purim, as I said, as well.
For those in our family, maybe go for something sweet - you could maybe even try your own version of Haman’s ears. Or make it a full meal. It’s up to you. If you want to use Grub Hub, that’s totally fine. Or you can drop stuff off at the door. Remember, we’re still trying to keep social distancing.
But if you want to take it to another level, here’s another way you could go. Recount the story of Esther to your family or roommates sometime that day. Then try to create your own little carnival, your own little parade, after you do. Maybe you’ll want to put on costumes. And grab some noisemakers. Don’t just share some food. Make it really festive.
Drive to your friends’ houses with the food. Make a lot of noise. Lay on the horn. Play some loud music. And spend some time chatting and laughing - again from six feet away. And shout to those brothers and sisters these two big truths again. Things we really need to hear in this pandemic.
Our destiny is in His hands!
Our deliverance is coming!
Church, we are His people. These words are true. Even in 2020. In this pandemic.
He has been so good to us in the past. Saving us from sin. Blessing us with so much. Our future is bright. With a new heavens and a new earth. Let’s encourage each other with these words. When God seems silent, His people need to party. Cue up the Pitbull. Or the Beastie Boys. Or some Kool & the Gang. Even better, blast the great songs we sing here on Sundays. And let’s get the party started. Let’s pray.