Heroes Of The Bible: Esther Series

Heroes of the Bible: Esther

Scott Bayles, pastor

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 9/5/2021

NOTE: This sermon was adapted from my book, Holy Heroes of the Bible. If it's a blessing to you, please consider buying the book which includes chapters/sermons on 17 additional Bible heroes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBNJTSZ

As most of you know, we’ve spent the last several weeks being lifted up by the stories of some of the greatest heroes of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is filled with stories of ordinary people who had heroic faith and who, through God’s power, accomplished some pretty amazing feats! I believe that their stories can inspire all of us to live like true heroes of God.

Throughout this series, we’ve been inspired by the stories of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samson, Ruth, David, and most recently Elijah—a hero who relied on the power of prayer and supplication, who was imbued with super-speed, and who trained a sidekick to replace him after God took him to heaven in a whirlwind.

Today we’re going to meet another great heroine of the Bible—Esther.

• Next Slide: Esther

The story of Esther has all the makings of a block-buster movie—heroes, villains, drama, suspense, romance, intrigue and a happy ending. But far from a modern piece of fiction, those words describe a true story, lived and written centuries ago. More than just entertaining reading, it's the story of how one woman saved a nation!

The book of Esther is set during the height of the Persian Empire. Over a century earlier, the Babylonian Empire conquered and utterly destroy the Kingdom of Judah, and the surviving Jews were carted away as exiles to Babylon where they become servants and slaves for the next seventy years. In time, the Persian empire rose to power and conquered Babylon, freeing the Jews. However, because their homeland lay in ruins, most of the Jewish exiles remained in Persia. Among them, was a young girl named Esther.

As we explore one of the most captivating and compelling books of the Bible, I’d like to highlight three aspects of Esther’s story and discover how she became a hero to her people. Esther’s story begins with her burdens.

• BURDENS

In comicbooks, heroes are often born out of tragedy.

As a young boy, Bruce Wayne excitedly emerged from a theater in Gotham City along with his wealthy socialite parents, Thomas and Martha. But, as the trio made their way through a dimly lit alley, a mugger stepped out of the shadows, and shot Bruce’s parents in cold blood. Bruce watched in horror as his parents died in front of him. Burdened by his parents’ death, Bruce vowed to wage war on criminals as the Batman. Likewise, Peter Parker was orphaned at a young age and raised by his aunt and uncle, only to be further burdened by the murder of his Uncle Ben, which drove him to become Spider-Man. Similarly, as the sole survivor of the planet Krypton, Superman is the ultimate orphan, burdened by the death of his entire planet. Each of these iconic heroes were orphaned by tragedy. The same is true of Esther.

Esther's parents were among those exiles who choose to remain in Persia, and that decision would not only change the course of Esther’s life, but eventually save the lives of every Jew throughout the far-reaching empire.

The Bible sums up Esther’s tragic origin in a few short verses:

“At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai… His family had been among those… exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter” (Esther 2:5-7 NLT).

The Bible doesn’t give us any details about Esther’s parents or how they died, but regardless of the circumstances any child that survives the death of her parents endures significant trauma and carries the burden of that pain and loss wherever they go. Traumatized children often experience recurring nightmares, sleep problems, hyper-vigilance, impaired concentration, anger, depression, and feelings of detachment. That’s a heavy burden to bear. Thankfully, Esther didn’t have to carry it alone.

Esther’s cousin Mordecai took her into his home and loved her as his own daughter. He helped her to cope with her loss, provided a stable home, and showered her with the love of God. Thanks to Mordecai, Esther’s burdens didn’t destroy her or define her. Instead, she grew into a capable, courageous young woman.

As Christians, we ought to do for one another what Mordecai did for Esther. The Bible says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). Sadly, there’s no shortage of orphans in the world today. Countless children are in need of good, godly homes. Did you know that 65% of foster parents are church-going Christians and that Christians are more than twice as likely to adopt a child than non-Christians? Yet, only about 3% of Christians are foster or adoptive parents. There are 145 million orphans worldwide and nearly 236 million people in the United States who identify as Christians, which means that American Christians alone have the resources to house every orphan in the world—if only we were willing to be a hero to those children.