In the morning we talked about how David from mourning became dancing, and from dancing became mourning. This reminds us that whether in times of adversity or prosperity, we must be alert. This afternoon we shall use the book of Esther for our mutual learning.

The books of Esther and Ruth are the only two books titled with female names. If you were to compare these two books, you’ll notice something interesting. The book of Ruth happened in a small city. On the other hand, the story of Esther happened in a big city. These two stories have a common point - they start with mourning but the end is one of dancing.

In Ruth, the family went down to the land of Moab and their family became a story of mourning. All the males in the family passed away and it is really tragic because the husband of Naomi and her two sons passed away. It started with a story of mourning but the story developed and ended up in the stage of dancing. They had a faithful Ruth and she regarded the God of Naomi as her own God. At the point where they had no hope, they returned to the promised land and were blessed by God.

We read the story of Esther in the kingdom. We turn to Esther 1:1-3;

1 ‘Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia),
2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,
3 that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him— ‘

The story was that the people then were held captive by a foreign land. At that time, they faced a situation where the entire nation was mourning because they faced a crisis. It appears that this crisis would be inevitable and would end in a tragedy for the people but because they are the people of God, there was a miraculous intervention of God to help the people. From mourning becomes dancing.

God is our amazing God and if we’re able to turn to Him, our situation can be turned for the better. When men come to a dead end, he can turn to God and God can turn mourning into dancing. Those who depart will have no hope and will end up in hopelessness. The book of Job tells us that if we’re oppressed, men should turn to Him. We read Job 35:10;

‘But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,’

These two books give us a very good reminder that when we’re oppressed, we have to seek God. In our lives, there’ll be times in the night where we are filled with pain and sorrows, like Job. Are we able to sing in the night of sorrows? The night represents darkness in the night with no hope.

The workings of God can include His hands of disciplines and blessings, and He will try us for us to become better people. When we understand that this almighty God is also the God of love, well understand that He won’t separate us from times of darkness. Then we can understand that He will turn our mourning into dancing.

In the book of Esther are 10 feasts. In chapter one the feast was set up by the king and was a feast for the entire nation. In Esther 1:5, the king gave another banquet lasting for 7 days;

‘And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. ‘

All these are happy beginnings. In Esther 1:9;

‘Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.’

The king not only gave his feast, but his wife also gave a banquet. But this king became proud. The king wanted the queen to come out to show others her beauty. V12 tells us that the queen refused to come out;

‘But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.’

The king became very angry and put this queen aside and continued to the fourth feast. Then Esther came out. We read Esther 2:18;

‘Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.’

Queen Esther was selected.

Now we go on to the fifth feast in Esther 3:15;

‘The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.’

Here was the feast set up for the king by Haman. Haman was an evil man and the mourning of the Israelites originated by this man. In the book of Esther is a man named Mordecai serving in the king’s palace. He was serving in the palace gates and Haman was serving in the city. When Mordecai saw Haman, he was unwilling to bow down to him and this was reported to Haman in Esther 3:2;

‘And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. ‘

This feast was one full of conspiracies. Haman had a plan to tell the king that the Israelites wanted to overthrow him and hence he had to kill all of them. The king believed what Haman told him and letters were sent out to destroy and eliminate all the Jews, both young and children. This was the most horrible feast in the book of Esther.

Esther was a Jew and initially didn’t reveal her identity. But later on when the crisis surfaced, Mordecai told her to tell the king to not eliminate the Jews. But the crisis is that the king hadn’t called Mordecai to see him for 30 days. If the king didn’t call you and you enter to see him, you’ll be beheaded. These were the words of Esther in Esther 4:11;

‘“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” ‘

In v13-14 he told someone to reply Esther;

13 ‘And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”’

When Esther heard these words, she made a request in v16;

‘“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”’

This is where the amazing point is. When Esther went to see the king, the king pardoned her. The king extended to Queen Esther the golden scepter and she wasn’t killed. The king thought that if the queen wanted to see him at this time, it should be urgent. Kings then tend to exaggerate in their speech, “What is it that you want from me? If you want something, I can give you half my kingdom.”

This is the beginning of the sixth feast. In Esther 5:1 records another feast that Esther set up for Haman;

‘Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. ‘

The Jews were in this crisis, how can they be singing and dancing? They were already sad to become slaves and yet they have to face elimination. This book talks about the king’s command and the king’s commands cannot be changed. When we are in crisis, is it true that we won’t be able to escape it? As the story develops, we understand that what Queen Esther asked the people to do (fast 3 days and 3 nights) was teaching them to depend on God. Mordecai also reminded her to seize opportunities. This also tells us that in crisis we have to do our part. If we don’t, God won’t be able to help us.

Esther is a very good lady. In the past if the king chooses you to be a concubine, you can’t reject. If you want to reject, heads will roll. For the women then if you could enter the king’s palace, it’s good because you’ll be able to lead a royal lifestyle. Mordecai didn’t because of the status of Esther try to seek personal benefits. We read Esther 2:15;

‘Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. ‘

Esther didn’t request for any personal benefits. She was already selected to be a queen, but she didn’t. It’d be easy, she just had to open her mouth. For this matter to ask the king for help wasn’t for personal benefits but for her people. This is something precious because if she made this request and the king didn’t stretch our his scepter, she would lose her life. This tells us that God is the one working behind everything. In this book, something happened amazing to Esther. When they were facing the crisis to be eliminated, that day and night the king couldn’t fall asleep. Why couldn’t he fall asleep? We read Esther 6:1;
‘That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. ‘

If you were a king in the past, there’re many activities for you to do. You can call the dancers to sing and dance before you. You can even call for a massage. However, the king had a special request for the history to be read before him. When the history was read to him, it recorded the incident of Mordecai saving him.

In the past, two rebels tried to kill the king. When Mordecai came to know about this, he reported it to the king. The king was awake and the story was read to him. Perhaps after this had been read, the king would proceeded to ask, “Have we ever given this man any reward?”

This was something amazing. Why couldn’t the king sleep? When the king couldn’t sleep, Haman entered the king’s palace. The king asked Haman that if such a person helped save the king, what kind of reward would he (king) award him? Haman thought it was him and detailed many things for this benefactor to be glorified. Unexpectedly, this reward didn’t go to Haman but to Mordecai.

In the book of Ruth records many incidents that happened by chance. This is something very coincidental, but isn’t it the works of the hands of God? Why couldn’t the king sleep? Because the king of heavens didn’t allow him to sleep. The works of the king of heaven are miraculous. Although the king on earth says that his laws can’t be changed, the king in heaven doesn’t need to tell people that His will cannot be changed. The king in heaven is able to change the wills and desires of the king’s on earth. Didn’t we say that the will of the earthly king cannot be changed? Meaning the Jews will be killed?

The Jews were saved eventually. Form mourning, they danced. In Esther 8:17 records another banquet;

‘And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.’

Here talks about this feast that was thrown and during the feast, the crisis was removed. The Jews were overjoyed and threw a very big feast. This is the God we believe in. We have been chosen by grace. We can remember this feast as God giving salvation to the gentiles.

The last feast is in Esther 9:17;

‘And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.’

Here records that this feast which they instituted because they were delivered. In the New Testament, Jesus mentioned a few feasts. Feasts can also be spoken in relation to the kingdom of God. The salvation plan of God is not just for the Jews but everyone who believes in Him because He wants to save everyone who believes in Him. We read Isaiah 25:6-9;

6 ‘And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees.
7 And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.
9 And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord ; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”’

Prophet Isaiah records the salvation God has given His people. It also records that God will give grace to all the people of the world. He will wipe the tears on our faces, and a time of mourning can be turned to the time of rejoicing.

As Christians we have been chosen by God to come into this grace. God has prepared a feast for us in the future, are we willing to join the Lord’s feast? When Jesus was on earth, He told us of a parable regarding the feast in Matthew 22:1-6;

1 ‘And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,
3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’
5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.
6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. ‘

When the Lord Jesus told this parable of the feast, He was indicating that the Jews rejected the gospel. They gave many reasons for not coming to the feast. There is a same recording in Luke 14:15 onwards. V16 says;

‘Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, ‘

18;

‘But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ‘

They gave many excuses for not coming. Some wanted to buy land and oxen and some had a new wife. In short, they didn’t want to come to the feast. Because they had many cares of the world and didn’t care for the feast of the Lord. The feast of God is of course important. The disciples of the Lord once asked Jesus, “Is it true that the people saved in the future will be few?” The Lord replied, “Many are called but few are chosen.”

The day of judgement will be a day of mourning too but for those who are saved will be a time of rejoicing. Whether it is a time of mourning or dancing depends on the choices made today. If God has given us salvation and we don’t find it the foremost need to hold on to the end and we’re not willing to do our part, then on that day it won’t be a day or rejoicing for us but mourning.

The book of Revelation has two feasts. One is the feast of the lamb and the other is the feast of the birds.

Let’s look at they feast of the lambs in Revelation 19:17;

‘Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, ‘

Those willing to come to the feast of the marriage of the lambs are made ready. The book of Revelation also tells us that God wipes the tears of every men and men won’t have to experience pain and sorrow.

What about those unwilling to come? God also prepared for them another feast. This is a feast no one wants to go. This is a feast of the birds and where the people mourn. These are the people who don’t believe in God and will be a tragedy for them. In this life, we’ve already suffered much. No matter how rich you are, what you can enjoy in this world won’t be for long. The sufferings we have to undergo in the future if you’re not saved will be eternal. When we’re on earth and before we enter into the feast, the most fearful situation is if you’re neither mourning nor dancing.

We read Matthew 11:16-17;

16 ‘“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,
17 and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’’

At that time, the Lord Jesus told the Jews that He has brought this gospel to them by inviting them to the feast. By playing music to them, He is giving them joy. But they refused to dance. He tells them that they need to move but refuse to repent. They’re numb to the gospel, they neither cry nor be happy. They never appreciate that the gospel of the Lord Jesus is good and the joy will be overflowing. The Lord Jesus rebukes such people as whatever He speaks, they oppose Him. Jesus wanted them to repent and return to God. He challenged them to leave their comfortable life. Sometimes you hear that we need to leave behind our comfortable lifestyles but question why. Will we become like the Jews? Not only do we not believe, but mock people who preach such a message. This kind of laughter is not of joy but mockery.

From mourning to dancing, we can see in the book of Esther how God turned the crisis situation. We also read from the book of Isaiah that God will set up this feast for us to turn this mourning into dancing. Are we willing to do our best for us to enter into this feast? Or are we people who are unresponsive to the calling of God?

May God help us so that our faith can from a mourning become dancing. If today we don’t feel for the message, you be sure that the feelings you have in the future will be one of mourning.