WEBVTT 00:00:30.132 --> 00:00:30.233 Well. 00:00:30.233 --> 00:00:32.299 Good morning, Valley View. 00:00:32.299 --> 00:00:37.000 Great to be with you today while we continue our study in the book of Esther. 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:41.899 You know, I want to begin by pointing out the reality that change can be hard. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.633 We've all experienced that in life. 00:00:44.633 --> 00:00:53.033 You try to make a change and it doesn't come easy, especially if you've been practicing something your whole life and you're trying to now go the opposite direction. 00:00:54.265 --> 00:00:57.600 We experienced this when we lived in the South Pacific doing missions. 00:00:57.865 --> 00:01:01.533 Many of these countries drive on the opposite side of the road. 00:01:01.566 --> 00:01:04.465 They drive on the left hand side of the road. Former British colonies. 00:01:04.465 --> 00:01:10.566 And so I was pretty nervous about having to learn to drive on the left side of the road, as you can imagine. 00:01:11.766 --> 00:01:15.099 And it's so interesting driving the left side of the road wasn't that hard. 00:01:15.132 --> 00:01:20.599 People gave me a few tips that made it simple, but what was crazy was almost every time. 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:25.365 For the longest time, when I went to get in the car, I opened the door and there's no steering wheel. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:30.500 Because I've gone around to the passenger side, which is the driver's side here, you can't break that habit. 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:37.965 Or how many times I went to use the turn signal and I turned on the windshield wipers, because those are switched in in the car. 00:01:37.965 --> 00:01:40.700 And my kids when the whenever the windshield wipers were going bad. 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:42.566 It's not raining, I know. Be quiet. 00:01:42.566 --> 00:01:44.865 You know, they knew what was happening. 00:01:44.865 --> 00:01:49.033 It is hard to reverse a habit you've built in your whole life. 00:01:49.233 --> 00:01:50.632 It's hard to change directions. 00:01:50.632 --> 00:01:53.632 In fact, there's actually been countries who have done this. 00:01:53.632 --> 00:01:59.332 They've swapped the whole country from left side of the road, driving the right side of the road all, all at once. 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:02.233 There's a picture in Sweden. 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:02.233 They did this overnight. 00:02:02.233 --> 00:02:07.433 And here's how it look. The next day, September 3rd, 1967. 00:02:07.433 --> 00:02:09.800 Tomorrow we're going to switch it over. 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:14.699 And of course they did everything they could, but still change is hard. 00:02:14.699 --> 00:02:17.866 It's hard to reverse a pattern you spent your whole life building. 00:02:18.633 --> 00:02:24.633 And I think today we're going to see what's even harder at times is to reverse a broken legacy. 00:02:25.566 --> 00:02:29.300 Esther is dealing with the fallout of a broken legacy. 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:31.332 We're going to see that in today's passage. 00:02:31.332 --> 00:02:35.300 We've been working through the book of Esther and we're in chapter nine today. 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:41.832 And in fact, I think today we're going to see four ways to reverse a broken legacy. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.133 She has been handed a broken legacy. 00:02:44.133 --> 00:02:47.133 It has affected everything they've done. 00:02:47.466 --> 00:02:50.466 How do we go about reversing a broken legacy? 00:02:50.733 --> 00:02:56.866 If you have a Bible, turn to Esther chapter nine, and if you have one of our church Bibles, we're still waiting for more of those to come in. 00:02:56.866 --> 00:03:02.099 If you don't have one, normally I would offer one to you, but if you happen to have one, that will be on page 387. 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:03.000 In the church Bible. 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:10.265 Let's just start by reading the first few verses in chapter nine to get our bearings on where Esther is in the story. 00:03:10.500 --> 00:03:13.500 Esther chapter nine, verse verse one. 00:03:14.265 --> 00:03:32.000 Now in the 12th month, which is the month of Adar, on the 13th day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.099 The Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:56.300 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King hazardous to lay hands on those who sought their harm, and no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples, all the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 00:03:57.500 --> 00:04:02.733 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces. 00:04:03.265 --> 00:04:09.099 For the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 00:04:09.332 --> 00:04:13.099 We're going to see four ways to reverse a broken legacy. 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:16.100 And here in this first section. 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:22.199 One of the starting points, one of the ways to begin to reverse a broken legacy is to wait on purpose. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.365 Now, leading up to this part in the story, we've seen Esther's journey. 00:04:27.365 --> 00:04:34.665 And if you haven't been here with this, the story of Esther is about a Jewish peasant girl who becomes Queen of Persia. 00:04:34.932 --> 00:04:41.865 But yet God put her in that place because her people were threatened, and he used her to bring about the rescue of her people. 00:04:41.865 --> 00:04:46.333 And last week the king gave her permission to protect her people. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.500 And now, this week. 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:49.600 And it was a little nuanced. 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:51.466 We'll talk about that in a minute this week. 00:04:51.466 --> 00:04:54.833 Now the moment has come where they are able to stand for themselves. 00:04:56.065 --> 00:04:58.833 But here's the thing that doesn't stand out right away. 00:04:58.833 --> 00:05:02.399 I said one of the ways to reverse a broken legacy is to wait on purpose. 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.632 That's the theme of the section, and it may not stand out right away. 00:05:05.632 --> 00:05:08.632 But it says in the first verse in the 12th month. 00:05:09.733 --> 00:05:16.165 Now, if you look back at chapter eight, when the King gave them permission to write a law to defend themselves, that happened in the third month. 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:23.600 So they've been waiting 910 months to see how their fate would play out. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:26.865 That is a long time to wait and see what will happen. 00:05:27.966 --> 00:05:30.932 We know people have been given permission to attack us. 00:05:30.932 --> 00:05:33.699 Now we've been given permission to defend ourselves. 00:05:33.699 --> 00:05:40.100 How's this going to play out now? Who would like to wait that long to figure that out? 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:42.632 I don't even like waiting in line at the grocery store. 00:05:42.632 --> 00:05:47.665 If the next line over's moving just a tiny bit faster, you start to get nervous. 00:05:47.665 --> 00:05:48.632 What's going on? Why? 00:05:48.632 --> 00:05:56.632 Why does God hate me in this moment and like them waiting that long to find out what's going to happen? 00:05:56.833 --> 00:05:59.833 What is our fate? 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:02.699 That's hard to do. 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:06.833 How can we use that time of waiting to wait on purpose? 00:06:06.833 --> 00:06:09.833 Wait with intention. Use it wisely. 00:06:09.865 --> 00:06:12.399 It's interesting. Here we see them do that. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:18.065 Look at some of the phrases that are used of what happened during that time while they're waiting. 00:06:18.065 --> 00:06:20.500 It's a little cryptic, but it's hidden here in the words. 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:33.565 If you look near the middle of verse two for phrases in particular in this section, when that day came, it's that one of the phrases says no one could stand against them while they've been waiting. 00:06:33.565 --> 00:06:35.432 They've been preparing. 00:06:35.432 --> 00:06:38.432 They didn't just lay down and say, well, I guess we'll see what happens. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:39.966 Oh, they've been preparing. 00:06:39.966 --> 00:06:42.100 They maybe have been preparing their defenses. 00:06:42.100 --> 00:06:49.766 Maybe they've been gathering whatever arms they might need to protect themselves, maybe preparing their homes so that they could be ready. 00:06:50.233 --> 00:06:51.932 No one could stand against them that day. 00:06:51.932 --> 00:06:53.365 They were ready. 00:06:53.365 --> 00:06:55.233 But second, look here. After that it says, why? 00:06:55.233 --> 00:06:58.466 Because the fear of them had fallen on all the peoples. 00:06:59.865 --> 00:07:04.533 I'm guessing during this time there was a whole bunch of conversations happening. 00:07:04.632 --> 00:07:08.266 Look, you need to know that you thought what Heyman said, that you could attack us. 00:07:08.266 --> 00:07:09.699 But now things have changed. 00:07:09.699 --> 00:07:11.632 Let me tell you what this new edict says. 00:07:11.632 --> 00:07:12.632 You don't want to do that. 00:07:14.065 --> 00:07:15.800 Come be reasonable. 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:18.565 We don't want to have to have a fight with you in these coming months. 00:07:18.565 --> 00:07:20.600 I'm imagining there was a lot of persuading. 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:26.533 Don't you see the situation has changed and now understanding has changed. 00:07:26.533 --> 00:07:31.000 Fear had fallen on them, realizing, oh, we can't go down this route. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:33.000 For some people at least. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:39.132 Also, it says the officials, provinces, satraps, governors, royal agents all help the Jews. 00:07:40.865 --> 00:07:45.300 So the tone among leaders had changed again, I'm guessing conversations were happening. 00:07:45.300 --> 00:07:47.065 Hey, you've seen the edict, right? 00:07:47.065 --> 00:07:50.065 You need to know that if you go against this, you're going against the king. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.966 Persuasion was at play for months. 00:07:52.966 --> 00:07:56.000 They're having these conversations is my guess. 00:07:57.699 --> 00:08:05.632 And then lastly, it says in verse four, for Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces. 00:08:06.932 --> 00:08:08.800 Mordecai was elevated. 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:11.865 And Mordecai, I'm sure, made use of that position. 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:15.333 I mean, he's now been put in a powerful position. 00:08:15.333 --> 00:08:21.899 Surely he's having working behind the scenes, working the political angle, doing all he can to protect his people. 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:25.000 There was an active waiting. 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:26.466 It wasn't a passive waiting. 00:08:26.466 --> 00:08:30.932 They weren't just, well, I guess we're hand it over to fate. 00:08:30.932 --> 00:08:34.166 And you've been in this seasons when you've had to wait. 00:08:34.533 --> 00:08:36.500 You've been there. 00:08:36.500 --> 00:08:38.966 Maybe you were waiting for a new job to come up. 00:08:38.966 --> 00:08:42.865 Maybe there was a relationship transition and you weren't sure what was going to happen. 00:08:42.865 --> 00:08:45.399 Maybe it was a sickness or an illness. 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:46.732 And we've all had those seasons. 00:08:46.732 --> 00:08:50.466 Some of them, some of them we've used well and some we've wasted. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.700 But every season is preparation for the next season. 00:08:56.265 --> 00:09:00.500 Luke 1610 talks about this, talks about that. 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:04.633 If you are faithful with a very little thing, you'll also be faithful with much. 00:09:05.865 --> 00:09:08.566 All you can deal with is the season you're in now. 00:09:08.566 --> 00:09:10.332 That's all you have. 00:09:10.332 --> 00:09:13.332 And it may not be what I would choose. 00:09:14.232 --> 00:09:27.799 But it's where we are and so we want to wait on purpose in that season, when we moved into our last house in little Rock before moving here, we moved in there probably, I think it was 2011. 00:09:28.566 --> 00:09:31.566 One of my neighbors was this mountain of a man. 00:09:32.133 --> 00:09:33.500 It's just this gigantic guy. 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:38.200 He's probably six foot eight, probably 250 pounds of solid muscle. 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:41.700 He looked like some kind of Russian lumberjack, huge red beard. 00:09:42.265 --> 00:09:45.365 And you'd come up to shake his hand and you just was so intimidating. 00:09:45.365 --> 00:09:49.365 I mean, you just keep looking up at this gigantic guy, and. 00:09:49.365 --> 00:09:51.133 Yeah, the nicest guy you could ever meet. 00:09:51.133 --> 00:09:53.100 I mean, super nice. 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:56.332 But yet his physical presence was a little overwhelming. 00:09:57.865 --> 00:09:59.600 And I remember him when we first moved in. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:01.700 I didn't see him much. 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:06.832 They had little kids, so we saw his wife and our kids were out playing in the street. 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:06.832 Didn't see him much. 00:10:06.832 --> 00:10:10.399 Come to find out later, his mom had recently passed. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:15.633 She meant the world to him and he turned to alcohol to try to numb that pain. 00:10:15.633 --> 00:10:19.566 And it took him down a dark hole and he pulled away from everyone. 00:10:19.832 --> 00:10:24.899 And it was a rough season, and he shared with me later that that I didn't handle that well. 00:10:25.765 --> 00:10:35.299 In fact, he shared with me that with me later when a few years later, his marriage faced challenges and his wife filed for divorce and and left him. 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:38.365 But I remember what he said to me in the midst of that. 00:10:38.365 --> 00:10:43.399 He said, I'm not going to go down that road again. 00:10:43.765 --> 00:10:46.000 I'm not going to turn to alcohol. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:49.000 I see what I did in that phase. 00:10:49.432 --> 00:10:51.600 I'm going to go a different direction. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:53.000 I don't know what God's doing here. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.799 I don't like it either. 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:58.700 But I'm going to use this season differently. 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:09.732 And he had his ups and downs, but he definitely use that season better, focus in on more positive outlets, get getting involved and exercise trying to get connected into a church again. 00:11:09.732 --> 00:11:10.700 There were ups and downs. 00:11:10.700 --> 00:11:14.700 Even he would say it didn't go as well as it could have, but it was a different direction. 00:11:15.865 --> 00:11:20.799 And I would say, I think looking back, he waited on purpose in that season. 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:27.966 He was much more intentional to use that time and try to make the most of it. 00:11:27.966 --> 00:11:31.732 So when it comes to reversing a legacy, start by waiting on purpose. 00:11:32.033 --> 00:11:33.600 I don't know what you've been handed. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:36.600 Maybe you've been handed a very broken legacy. 00:11:37.133 --> 00:11:40.133 Wait on purpose, wherever you are. 00:11:40.166 --> 00:11:43.166 Use that time wisely. 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:55.533 Powerful part of this section as we get in this section, in the first and second verse, we get wording that really brings to the fullness this entire book of Esther. 00:11:56.299 --> 00:11:57.500 Now you've seen it on the screen. 00:11:57.500 --> 00:12:00.033 It started out that way today over and over again. 00:12:00.033 --> 00:12:02.432 What's the theme of the whole book of Esther? 00:12:02.432 --> 00:12:05.432 What's the word we saw on the screen today? 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:09.166 It was on the screen, wasn't it? 00:12:09.166 --> 00:12:11.200 Did we put that on the screen today? 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.033 The great reversal. 00:12:13.033 --> 00:12:15.232 Reversal. 00:12:13.033 --> 00:12:15.232 We've seen it over and over again. 00:12:15.232 --> 00:12:17.133 The theme of Esther reversal. 00:12:17.133 --> 00:12:20.865 And this is where it all is emphasized at its fullest. 00:12:21.566 --> 00:12:37.399 Look back here at verse one near the end of the verse, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred the very day they thought, everything we want to happen, we're going to wipe out the Jews. 00:12:38.100 --> 00:12:39.432 The reverse occurred. 00:12:39.432 --> 00:12:40.832 The opposite happened. 00:12:40.832 --> 00:12:43.832 Here's the interesting part of this verse. 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:47.600 This verse points out something that the whole book of Esther is about reversal. 00:12:48.466 --> 00:12:54.732 And I've not shown this yet, but really, this is embedded in the whole structure of the Book of Esther. 00:12:55.432 --> 00:12:58.000 The whole book is basically a mirror of itself. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:03.633 The things that happen at the beginning get reversed and mirrored at the end, and it all culminates in the middle. 00:13:03.633 --> 00:13:05.232 I'm going to try to show you this on screen. 00:13:05.232 --> 00:13:08.133 It's going to be hard to see. 00:13:05.232 --> 00:13:08.133 So I've got a little pointer here. 00:13:08.133 --> 00:13:12.000 Can you all see that sort of okay, let me see if this works. 00:13:13.432 --> 00:13:16.432 I was afraid it wouldn't. 00:13:20.332 --> 00:13:22.299 Did you all see it? 00:13:22.299 --> 00:13:23.899 I don't see it. 00:13:23.899 --> 00:13:24.432 Oh, wait. 00:13:24.432 --> 00:13:27.066 Oh that's tiny. Okay. 00:13:27.066 --> 00:13:28.166 Forget this. 00:13:28.166 --> 00:13:29.865 Look at the screen. 00:13:29.865 --> 00:13:31.166 Here's what I want you to see. The whole. 00:13:31.166 --> 00:13:32.200 We're going to go through this quickly. 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:35.865 The whole book mirrors itself and just look quickly, quickly. 00:13:35.865 --> 00:13:38.932 The book opens describing the extent of a hazardous kingdom. 00:13:38.932 --> 00:13:41.932 And it ends by describing the extent of his kingdom. 00:13:42.133 --> 00:13:46.500 It opens with two banquets held by the king, two feasts for the Jews. 00:13:47.332 --> 00:13:49.832 Esther taken to the king and conceals her identity. 00:13:49.832 --> 00:13:51.200 The king comes to Esther. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:54.399 You see this back and forth and how this is a mirror of each side. 00:13:54.633 --> 00:14:00.966 Heyman is promoted, but later the Jews and Mordecai are promoted, casting lots for the war. War. 00:14:00.966 --> 00:14:03.865 On the 13th of Adar, a ring is given to Haman. 00:14:03.865 --> 00:14:05.966 Mordecai rips his clothes. 00:14:05.966 --> 00:14:09.200 Jews and Esther have a fast, but then the ring is given. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:11.666 Mordecai Mordecai has royal garments. 00:14:11.666 --> 00:14:12.732 The Jews have a feast. 00:14:12.732 --> 00:14:16.666 The contrast there, the completion, the mirroring, Esther's first feast. 00:14:16.732 --> 00:14:20.533 Heyman's boasting Haman shame or Esther second feast. 00:14:20.666 --> 00:14:23.600 And at the center of it all the turning point in the whole book. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.332 I mentioned this in chapter six, but now it really stands out. 00:14:26.332 --> 00:14:28.066 Is the King's sleepless night. 00:14:30.232 --> 00:14:38.365 Here's the point I want to make about all that that structure, that highlighting how the whole book really mirrors itself with a pivot in the middle where everything changes. 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:41.600 It all changed on that sleepless night. 00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:45.899 Which means sleepless nights are no fun. 00:14:46.432 --> 00:14:47.732 We've had those. 00:14:47.732 --> 00:14:49.732 You don't choose to do that. Yeah. 00:14:49.732 --> 00:14:51.299 I mean, if you do, even then, it's not fun. 00:14:51.299 --> 00:14:52.633 I had some all nighters in college. 00:14:52.633 --> 00:14:54.732 I wasn't fun, I chose to do that. 00:14:54.732 --> 00:14:55.899 Bad planning. 00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:56.966 Not the way to go. 00:14:56.966 --> 00:14:59.932 But there's plenty of those sleepless nights where you go, God, what are you doing here? 00:14:59.932 --> 00:15:01.066 I really need sleep. 00:15:01.066 --> 00:15:04.000 I don't understand, and you never know where. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.000 That's the turning point in your life. 00:15:07.966 --> 00:15:09.932 You never know when the sleepless night. 00:15:09.932 --> 00:15:11.299 And we use it metaphorically. 00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:13.732 When the challenge that came along is the turning point. 00:15:13.732 --> 00:15:20.100 And what he's doing in your life, and seeing that in the book of Esther can give you hope. 00:15:21.299 --> 00:15:25.200 There's hope now, when you're up all night with that newborn baby. 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.200 That's why Isaac's not on the stage yet with us. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:29.732 They just had a baby. 00:15:29.732 --> 00:15:32.399 But there's hope. 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:35.432 There's hope when you're up late waiting for that child to come home. 00:15:35.432 --> 00:15:36.566 When you're wondering where they are. 00:15:36.566 --> 00:15:37.765 They're not here. They're not. 00:15:37.765 --> 00:15:40.365 They said they'd be here. 00:15:40.365 --> 00:15:41.399 There's hope. 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:46.033 When maybe you've gotten a little older and it's harder to sleep for a variety of reasons. 00:15:46.033 --> 00:15:56.033 Maybe it's menopause or maybe frequent trips to the restroom down the hall and you go, what are you doing here, Lord, I don't understand. 00:15:56.033 --> 00:16:02.299 Or there's hope for our camp counselors this week who won't sleep much because our students are off at Camp Cole. 00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:03.966 We took our students. 00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:03.966 They left this morning. 00:16:03.966 --> 00:16:12.966 I heading out to their week of camp. And Saint Louis, you never know when the thing that seems to be the tragedy and the challenges, the turning point in the whole story. 00:16:14.166 --> 00:16:18.765 That's why we wait on purpose and trust that he's moving in the midst of that. 00:16:18.765 --> 00:16:23.533 So that's the first step here in the book of Esther, chapter nine on Reversing a Broken Legacy. 00:16:23.533 --> 00:16:26.899 Now let's look at how the story continues, because it says it reversed. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:30.332 What is actually the outcome, what actually happened on that day. 00:16:30.533 --> 00:16:40.765 Look here at verse five, the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 00:16:41.066 --> 00:16:49.033 And so the citadel itself, the Jews, killed and destroyed 500 men, and they also killed a bunch of names. 00:16:49.033 --> 00:16:55.033 Verse ten, the ten sons of Haymon, the son of Hamadan, for the enemy of the Jews. 00:16:55.033 --> 00:16:57.166 But they laid no hand on the plunder. 00:16:59.265 --> 00:17:06.200 So at first the way to navigate to trust that God will reverse a broken legacy is to wait on purpose. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:14.599 But here what we see, and part of seeing God reverse a broken legacy here, is to see hardened hearts revealed. 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:16.232 This is what we see in these verses. 00:17:16.232 --> 00:17:17.900 This is number two. 00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:20.900 Hardened hearts are revealed. 00:17:21.032 --> 00:17:22.365 And here's what I mean by that. 00:17:22.365 --> 00:17:34.799 When you look at this and you see 500 men killed, also the ten sons of Hayman, this happened after all these months of waiting nine, ten months, all this time. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:38.200 And I have to think that the Jews didn't want to go around killing people. 00:17:39.099 --> 00:17:43.566 I have to think that during this time they were pleading, listen, change your ways. 00:17:43.566 --> 00:17:45.333 Don't go down this path. 00:17:45.333 --> 00:17:48.032 Don't put us in a place where we're going to be at war with one another. 00:17:50.965 --> 00:17:53.665 And yet their hearts stayed hard. 00:17:53.665 --> 00:17:54.865 The ten sons of hangman. 00:17:54.865 --> 00:17:59.599 This should have been the moment where they said, listen, we're not going to be like our father. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.099 We're not going to be evil like him. 00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:02.665 We're going a different direction. 00:18:02.665 --> 00:18:08.465 When they come to the king and they come to Mordecai, and they come to Esther, and they plead and say, we're going to build a different legacy. 00:18:08.465 --> 00:18:11.465 We're not like him. 00:18:12.165 --> 00:18:13.732 But they didn't. 00:18:13.732 --> 00:18:16.432 They kept going down this path. 00:18:16.432 --> 00:18:18.865 And now it becomes clear. 00:18:18.865 --> 00:18:23.900 Their hearts are hardened toward the Jews. 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:32.799 In fact, it says they did as they pleased to those who hated them, despised them. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:39.200 The good part of this season of waiting is it became very clear who is for them and who is against them. 00:18:41.232 --> 00:18:51.500 But the other good part of this, too, is it was a time for them to examine their own hearts, their own motives, especially now that they were in the position of power. 00:18:52.465 --> 00:18:54.799 You know how this happens. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:01.900 Maybe you've been the underdog and suddenly you're in a position of power and you're like, oh, now we're going to see things set right. 00:19:02.566 --> 00:19:03.932 Oh, you treated me that way. 00:19:03.932 --> 00:19:06.932 Well, you get ready for yours. 00:19:06.965 --> 00:19:09.000 Listen, that's in our hearts too. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:10.700 You know, they've got to be wrestling with that. 00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:13.700 Our God is in place now. Mordecai is there. 00:19:13.932 --> 00:19:17.532 Watch out! Here we come. 00:19:17.566 --> 00:19:20.599 We all need to take the moment to pause and go. 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:21.432 What are my motives here? 00:19:21.432 --> 00:19:25.165 Am I out for vengeance or am I honoring Christ? 00:19:26.365 --> 00:19:29.365 Am I making it about me or about him? 00:19:30.633 --> 00:19:39.833 You know, this is part of the reason that Valley view that we are governed by elders as a group of six men, plus myself, who oversee the church. 00:19:40.266 --> 00:19:44.599 These are folks that you have voted on as people you want leading the church. 00:19:44.732 --> 00:19:50.299 It's not just one person off being able to do whatever they want, anytime they want. 00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:58.133 Now there's accountability and we sit down and we wrestle with hard things, and we take the time it takes and we pray and we encourage one another. 00:19:58.566 --> 00:20:10.333 And my goal is for us to be unanimous on any decision, even if it takes a long time, so that not any one person who has an off day is just running off. 00:20:10.333 --> 00:20:17.532 And we all have our off days. No matter who you are, and not just running off doing whatever they want, following whatever whim. 00:20:18.266 --> 00:20:24.299 And there's accountability, there's encouragement, and of course, there's no perfect structure. 00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:28.566 There's no way to protect against all sin, man. 00:20:28.566 --> 00:20:44.599 The hope is that this puts us in a place where we're doing a better job of leaning on Christ and ultimately leading the church, and so here, hardened hearts have been exposed while they waited. 00:20:44.633 --> 00:20:45.566 Now look at what happens. 00:20:45.566 --> 00:20:49.865 How do we know what is going on with the King in the midst of this? 00:20:50.165 --> 00:20:52.165 Where is his heart in the midst of this? 00:20:52.165 --> 00:20:56.133 Because last week we saw where he said, sure, go ahead, write a new law. 00:20:56.133 --> 00:21:03.532 But beware, don't write it in a way that makes it look like you're undermining what I said before, because laws that have been written, those can't be revoked. 00:21:04.833 --> 00:21:05.900 They're they're treading. 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:08.500 They got to tread carefully here. 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:14.200 And so I'd have to think that if I were in the shoes of the Jews at this point, you got to wonder, okay, this is what we've done. 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:36.266 How's the king going to react to this look in the next set of verses here, verse 11, that very day, the number of those killed in Susa, the city that was reported to the king, and the king said to Queen Esther in Susa, the citadel, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men, and also the ten sons of Heyman. 00:21:37.232 --> 00:21:40.766 What then have they done in the rest of the King's provinces? 00:21:41.766 --> 00:21:43.266 Now? What is your wish? 00:21:43.266 --> 00:21:44.633 It shall be granted you. 00:21:44.633 --> 00:21:47.299 What further is your request? 00:21:44.633 --> 00:21:47.299 It shall be fulfilled. 00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:57.865 And Esther said, if it pleases the king, but the Jews who are in suits will be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict, and let the ten sons of Heyman be hanged on the gallows. 00:21:57.865 --> 00:22:00.400 So the King commanded this to be done. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.965 A decree was issued in Susa. 00:22:01.965 --> 00:22:03.633 The ten sons of Heyman were hanged. 00:22:03.633 --> 00:22:11.932 The Jews who are in Susa gathered also on the 14th day, the month of Adar, and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 00:22:11.932 --> 00:22:20.000 The third way we see a legacy reversed is when eyes are opened to reality. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.799 When eyes are opened to truth with the king. 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:27.633 Whatever hesitancy he had. 00:22:27.633 --> 00:22:35.432 First off, we note that he's the one to come to Esther and say, here's what's happened today 500 have been killed, plus the ten sons of Heyman. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:39.000 He has been watching. 00:22:39.333 --> 00:22:44.000 And then he says something to Esther that shows, I think, an important principle in Bible study. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:53.299 If if you've done much Bible study, you've seen this, that you looked for patterns, but then you look for breaks in the patterns that often points to some significant meaning in the passage. 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:59.799 So if you've read the book that was out 20 years ago or so, The Prayer of Jabez that was picking up on a break in a pattern. 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:07.766 If you've read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew, you see man, man, man, man, woman, man man man man, another woman. 00:23:07.766 --> 00:23:16.232 There's four women that show up and there they're all gentile women is pointing out some things whenever you see a pattern and then you see a break in pattern, you go with, What's God trying to communicate through this? 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:22.732 And with the King, we've seen the pattern of him coming to Esther and saying, whatever it is you want, you tell me. 00:23:23.865 --> 00:23:25.099 And he does that again here. 00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:26.900 Except there's a break in the pattern. 00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:29.299 What is he said all the other times up to this? 00:23:29.299 --> 00:23:30.732 What is he said to her before? 00:23:30.732 --> 00:23:31.732 What's the limitation? 00:23:31.732 --> 00:23:36.965 He gave her up to half my kingdom. 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:39.266 But what does he say here? 00:23:39.266 --> 00:23:40.799 He doesn't say that. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:42.665 He doesn't say up to half my kingdom here. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:44.732 Look back, he says. 00:23:44.732 --> 00:23:46.732 Now what is your wish? 00:23:46.732 --> 00:23:47.965 This is in verse 12. 00:23:47.965 --> 00:23:50.465 It shall be granted you. 00:23:50.465 --> 00:23:52.165 And what further is your request? 00:23:52.165 --> 00:23:55.900 It shall be fulfilled before I set up to half my kingdom. 00:23:55.900 --> 00:23:57.432 Now what do you need? 00:23:57.432 --> 00:24:06.333 Whatever it is, I think in this moment his eyes are finally open to the reality of the situation. 00:24:06.333 --> 00:24:09.532 I mean, before it seemed that he thought, look, Heyman's dead. 00:24:09.700 --> 00:24:10.700 What's the big deal? 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:13.700 What threat is there really on your life? 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:15.932 But now he sees. 00:24:15.932 --> 00:24:18.633 Oh, there was a lot at stake here. 00:24:18.633 --> 00:24:21.633 You had a lot on you that I didn't see. 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:23.833 What do you need? 00:24:23.833 --> 00:24:26.165 My eyes are open to the truth of the situation. 00:24:26.165 --> 00:24:29.066 I've been blinded to it. 00:24:26.165 --> 00:24:29.066 I've been a little slow to come around. 00:24:30.432 --> 00:24:33.900 Some of us can be slower to come around than others at times. 00:24:34.766 --> 00:24:35.865 I don't want to hear any amens. 00:24:35.865 --> 00:24:38.865 Wives. 00:24:39.465 --> 00:24:40.566 But we've experienced this. 00:24:40.566 --> 00:24:54.599 I remember when we moved to Phoenix, we were living in little Rock, went to Phoenix to do seminary, and before we come, the realtors who we got connected with through friends, they said, look, this isn't little Rock, Arkansas, this is Phoenix. 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:57.700 And right now the real estate market is bananas. 00:24:58.766 --> 00:25:03.200 And you need to come prepared to make an offer on any house you see in you like that day. 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:06.266 And you need to be prepared to make it for more than they're asking. 00:25:06.266 --> 00:25:08.965 If you want a chance of getting the house. 00:25:08.965 --> 00:25:11.032 And I was like, that sounds silly. 00:25:11.032 --> 00:25:13.432 I didn't make any sense to me. 00:25:11.032 --> 00:25:13.432 I've never heard of that. 00:25:13.432 --> 00:25:14.266 That can't be true. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:19.500 Well, I show up and of course they're like, look, let's go look at houses. 00:25:19.532 --> 00:25:22.532 Okay, here's the houses that came on the market this morning. 00:25:22.865 --> 00:25:24.200 Let's go look at those. 00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:25.599 We look at 5 or 6. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.566 Which do you want to put an offer on today. 00:25:27.566 --> 00:25:29.000 Yes, today. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:31.566 If not it'll be gone tomorrow. 00:25:31.566 --> 00:25:34.532 We put offers on the house the same day and they're gone. 00:25:34.532 --> 00:25:37.365 They've already been sold before we can put an offer in. 00:25:37.365 --> 00:25:39.532 And it was like that day after day after day. 00:25:39.532 --> 00:25:41.465 It was nuts. 00:25:41.465 --> 00:25:43.500 And I finally had to say, oh, you were right. 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:45.566 It really is like this. 00:25:45.566 --> 00:25:48.465 I couldn't believe it beforehand because I couldn't imagine it. 00:25:48.465 --> 00:25:51.465 Since I didn't think of it, it couldn't be true. 00:25:51.700 --> 00:25:53.066 A little slow to come around. 00:25:54.465 --> 00:25:57.465 The King's eyes have been open to reality. 00:25:58.133 --> 00:26:10.965 The truth, part of reversing a broken legacy is becoming aware of truth and reality and what is really going on. 00:26:12.165 --> 00:26:13.532 And we see that here. 00:26:13.532 --> 00:26:15.865 It's been exposed to the King. 00:26:15.865 --> 00:26:21.665 Now, however, let me address something in this passage that can be a little troubling. 00:26:21.665 --> 00:26:25.200 Why does she ask to have the ten sons of hangman hanged up? 00:26:26.633 --> 00:26:29.633 I mean, that seems a little over the top, doesn't it? 00:26:30.365 --> 00:26:32.000 Seems like. Come on. Really? 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:33.665 You got to go there. 00:26:33.665 --> 00:26:41.232 Maybe it's like, haven't you all started to cross the line here of what's fair but noticed? 00:26:41.232 --> 00:26:51.566 Part of this is in the realm of we're just doing what we have to to protect ourselves and not going beyond that by hanging up these ten sons of hangman. 00:26:51.566 --> 00:26:54.165 You're setting an example. Stop. 00:26:54.165 --> 00:26:56.266 Don't end up like them. 00:26:56.266 --> 00:26:59.266 Don't continue down this road. 00:26:59.566 --> 00:27:08.599 Also note that when she asked for more and he said, look, whatever you need, tell me, look how limiting she was with her wording. 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:09.799 Look back at verse 13. 00:27:09.799 --> 00:27:15.232 Esther said, if it pleases the King, let the Jews who are in Susa, only here in Susa, not the whole world like before. 00:27:15.299 --> 00:27:17.099 Just here. 00:27:17.099 --> 00:27:19.865 And by the way, be allowed tomorrow. 00:27:19.865 --> 00:27:22.865 Just tomorrow, just one more day. 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:24.599 Just here. 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:25.900 Just one more day. 00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:28.400 We're not out to dominate the world. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:31.400 We want to make sure to see this thing through. 00:27:32.299 --> 00:27:34.732 And we're not just going crazy. 00:27:34.732 --> 00:27:36.833 In fact, we see that phrase once again. 00:27:36.833 --> 00:27:39.200 They laid no hands on the plunder. 00:27:41.365 --> 00:27:49.732 Now, that phrase is what's going to drive us to really the importance underlying this whole passage. 00:27:50.732 --> 00:28:04.665 Because the reason why I think this passage is about reversing a broken legacy is because they are dealing with this issue with Haman and with his edict, because of a broken legacy that has been handed down to them. 00:28:06.066 --> 00:28:10.900 If you remember, back in chapter three, Kobi talked about this. 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:15.165 Haman was called and he's often called in other places in other chapters as well. 00:28:15.165 --> 00:28:19.700 He's called an aggregate means he's descended from King Agag. 00:28:19.700 --> 00:28:29.732 And if you go back to first Samuel with King Saul, Saul was commanded there to destroy Agag and the Amalekites, all his followers, and to wipe out all their stuff. 00:28:31.165 --> 00:28:32.165 And what it's all do. 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:38.299 He saved the king, and he saved a whole bunch of their stuff. 00:28:39.700 --> 00:28:43.700 In fact, he saved a bunch of their stuff so that he could offer it as a sacrifice to God. 00:28:43.700 --> 00:28:46.700 He felt like that would be a good thing to do. 00:28:47.932 --> 00:28:50.932 But there's a powerful verse in that section. 00:28:51.532 --> 00:29:01.900 There's a powerful verse that says, Samuel confronts Saul and he said, listen, so what you did is wrong because and here's the phrase he says, to obey is better than sacrifice. 00:29:04.333 --> 00:29:10.066 It is more important to obey God's command than to come up with whatever sacrifice you think will please him. 00:29:10.566 --> 00:29:12.732 It's way more important to obey. 00:29:12.732 --> 00:29:15.200 He gave you a clear command. Follow that. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:17.900 Instead, you made up some other thing you thought would please him. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:19.932 Really? 00:29:19.932 --> 00:29:22.932 Because you didn't want to obey him. 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:30.200 And now, in Esther, hundreds of years later, they're dealing with the fallout of that. 00:29:30.932 --> 00:29:34.465 You know, this is why we have God's word to follow, by the way. 00:29:35.333 --> 00:29:36.732 Because I can't think of it. 00:29:36.732 --> 00:29:39.665 I can't imagine that it would happen. 00:29:39.665 --> 00:29:41.133 That's what I follow, God's word. 00:29:41.133 --> 00:29:47.566 There's no way I could possibly think of all the permutations, all the things that could go right or wrong in this world and in this life. 00:29:50.099 --> 00:29:52.400 So I follow God's Word. 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:54.732 Try to follow God's word. 00:29:54.732 --> 00:29:56.833 None of us do it perfectly. 00:29:56.833 --> 00:29:59.000 I look to his eternal wisdom. 00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:05.766 I look to what he has to say about it because I know if I'm following that he's going, he's going to sort it all out. 00:30:05.766 --> 00:30:07.400 I don't have to know everything. 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:15.133 And I try not to be in a place like Saul where I say, I think this plan is better. 00:30:15.133 --> 00:30:16.932 That's God's command. 00:30:16.932 --> 00:30:19.932 I think I'll go this route. 00:30:20.700 --> 00:30:25.865 Here's what this last point is about how we reverse a broken legacy. 00:30:25.865 --> 00:30:28.865 Here is what they are facing here. 00:30:29.333 --> 00:30:32.299 The heart is the issue. 00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:35.165 Samuel, when he confronted Saul, is confronting his heart. 00:30:35.165 --> 00:30:37.365 You just didn't want to obey God. 00:30:37.365 --> 00:30:40.032 You wanted to do things your way. 00:30:40.032 --> 00:30:43.032 And that was the beginning of Saul's downfall. 00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:45.532 To obey is better than sacrifice. 00:30:45.532 --> 00:30:51.133 The heart is the issue and we want to get to the heart of the issue there. 00:30:51.133 --> 00:31:03.000 We're dealing with this issue with him, and because of the broken legacy that had been handed down to them from Saul from generations ago. 00:31:04.066 --> 00:31:06.633 Here's what I want to do for just a moment. 00:31:06.633 --> 00:31:12.799 I want to acknowledge the reality that I know some of us in here have been handed broken legacies. 00:31:12.965 --> 00:31:21.665 You've been handed things that you didn't want and that has shaped you, that has made life challenging. 00:31:22.633 --> 00:31:25.633 And I'm sorry for that. 00:31:26.099 --> 00:31:28.432 I don't know why God allowed that to happen. 00:31:28.432 --> 00:31:32.566 I don't know I don't know why people made some of the decisions they did. 00:31:32.566 --> 00:31:34.365 But let me say this real clearly. 00:31:34.365 --> 00:31:37.365 That doesn't have to define you. 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:41.799 It might help describe some of your life and what you do, but it doesn't have to define you. 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:44.799 It doesn't have to be your destiny. 00:31:45.766 --> 00:31:52.066 Today can be the day of a whole new legacy for you and your family for generations to come. 00:31:52.333 --> 00:31:55.333 We don't have to continue down that path. 00:31:55.465 --> 00:31:58.900 It's not predetermined that you'll become whatever was given to you. 00:32:01.365 --> 00:32:05.965 What I want to do right now, and I know this will require some courage on some of our parts. 00:32:06.766 --> 00:32:19.732 If today you want to start a whole new legacy, put a stake in the ground and say our family is going to have a whole new legacy, I just want to pray for you, and I'm just going to ask you to stand where you are, if that's what you want. 00:32:21.333 --> 00:32:23.266 No one has to. 00:32:23.266 --> 00:32:32.766 But if you want to be prayed for, if you want others to gather around you and pray for you for a whole new legacy, would you stand where you are right now? 00:32:33.500 --> 00:32:41.266 Now some of you, if someone's standing around you, just gather around them, put your hands on them. 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:47.599 Just go ahead right now. Move towards them and just begin to pray over them. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:52.532 And you can pray some of what I pray as well, and repeat some of what I repeat as I pray. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:58.965 But listen, I promise God wants you to have a whole new legacy and direction in life. 00:32:59.333 --> 00:33:07.599 And if someone could go, there's a couple in the back here with no one standing around them and praying for them and putting hands on them over here, up here as well. 00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:10.299 If someone would come over here, if a couple of you would come. 00:33:10.299 --> 00:33:13.299 I don't want anyone left standing alone. 00:33:15.500 --> 00:33:16.133 Come over here. 00:33:16.133 --> 00:33:17.732 Up in the balcony to the left. 00:33:17.732 --> 00:33:18.566 Over here with a few of you. 00:33:18.566 --> 00:33:21.566 Come over, put your hands on. 00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:24.532 Down front here. 00:33:24.532 --> 00:33:26.165 I just want to see people here. 00:33:26.165 --> 00:33:27.865 There's another person standing back here alone. 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:31.599 Down here. 00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:32.599 If you could. 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:35.766 If you men come and put hands on this gentleman here as well. 00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.400 Now, I'm going to begin to pray. 00:33:39.400 --> 00:33:41.165 And you can pray as well where you are. 00:33:41.165 --> 00:33:42.532 Pray out loud for those people. 00:33:42.532 --> 00:33:45.732 You can repeat some of my prayers, but I'm just going to start by praying. 00:33:45.732 --> 00:33:48.732 First of all, for thanks. 00:33:48.732 --> 00:33:50.365 Let's start with gratitude. 00:33:50.365 --> 00:33:54.833 God, we thank you for loving us. 00:33:54.833 --> 00:33:57.599 Thank you for being in our lives. 00:33:57.599 --> 00:33:59.799 We acknowledge that you are holy. 00:33:59.799 --> 00:34:02.633 You were great as we sang this morning. 00:34:02.633 --> 00:34:05.165 You are good and just where you are. 00:34:05.165 --> 00:34:08.166 Call out some of his character. 00:34:08.666 --> 00:34:15.833 Call out his goodness, his glory, his holiness, his sovereignty. 00:34:15.833 --> 00:34:17.565 He is in control. 00:34:17.565 --> 00:34:20.900 God, we thank you for who you are and God. 00:34:20.900 --> 00:34:24.032 We confess that we've not been perfect. 00:34:25.233 --> 00:34:27.500 As we come to you asking for a new legacy. 00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:29.800 We confess we've not been perfect either. 00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:38.000 We're not here blaming people for what they've done in the past, not excusing it either, but we confess we've not been perfect. 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:39.233 We've made mistakes too. 00:34:39.233 --> 00:34:42.233 We've chosen to go against you. 00:34:43.900 --> 00:34:46.900 And we confess that we ask for your forgiveness. 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:50.465 And now, Jesus, I pray for strength. 00:34:50.465 --> 00:34:57.400 I pray for strength for every person in here who is seeking a new legacy, seeking to move past a broken legacy. 00:34:57.733 --> 00:35:02.199 And would you pray for strength over each person that you have your hands on now? 00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:03.500 Pray for strength. 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:06.199 Pray for dependance on the Holy Spirit. 00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:10.300 Pray for courage and pray for joy. 00:35:12.166 --> 00:35:13.766 This is a heavy moment. 00:35:13.766 --> 00:35:15.599 It can be overwhelming. 00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:21.432 May there be tremendous, overwhelming joy and peace in the midst of this. 00:35:22.599 --> 00:35:24.965 Thank you God for the way you love us. 00:35:24.965 --> 00:35:27.032 We love you, Jesus. 00:35:27.032 --> 00:35:28.766 Amen. 00:35:28.766 --> 00:35:29.233 Amen. 00:35:29.233 --> 00:35:32.233 Thank you for gathering and praying. 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:34.032 In fact, what we're going to do now as