This sermon will discuss mourning and dancing from the book of Ruth and Esther. These are the only two books named after women. There’re many commonalities between these 2 books. But then when we read them, we must understand it’s not just talking about the history of salvation for the Jews; it is intimately linked to OUR Christian lives. We can learn from what happened in the past.

The book of Ruth can be said to be a story in a small town. When a family entered the land of Moab, the story turned to mourning. Why? Every male in the family died leaving behind 3 widows. When did the story turned again? When Naomi and Ruth were willing to return to Israel. Then their mourning was turned to dancing.

What about the book of Esther? It happened in a big city; the story of a palace. The Israelites had been taken captive to a foreign land. When the Israelites were about to be destroyed by King Ahaseurus, it seemed like an unavoidable danger; a thing to mourn. But God delivered them and their mourning was turned to dancing.

Both stories started off with mourning and ended off with dancing. And both books don’t mention the name of God. But the miraculous hand of God is evident in these two stories. Therefore the Bible describes God as a God who is hidden. Only when Man trusts in God can they transform danger into safety. The speaker hence likes to call these books ‘a tale of two cities’. Not the one written by Charles Dickens LOL. Let us understand that God can transform our mourning into dancing; He can help us in times of helplessness.

How about those who leave God? They have utter hopelessness.

Job 35:10
God is the one who is able to bring about songs in the night. If man doesn’t seek God, they are in helplessness and will mourn.

As Christians, we need to understand this truth as well. In life, it’s inevitable we meet with nights of darkness. Just like Job. He was in pain. He didn’t understand why he had met with such great tribulations. He didn’t know that God had never forsaken him. But if one is able to understand, that’s how one is able to sing in the night.

When you have undergone tribulations, you’ll draw nearer to God. Recall how God has helped us when we were down and in distress. When we do, we will kneel down to thank Him for His great love and grace.

Let’s take a look at the story of Esther. The characters: foreign King Ahaseurus, Esther, her foster father Mordecai, and evil Haman. There’re 10 feasts in the book of Esther. In between each feast we see God’s deliverance. A feast is a very important concept.

Esther 1:1-3
The story begins with a feast to describe the splendour King Ahaseurus enjoyed. He three a feast in Shushan, the citadel. He was a very powerful king; he reigned over provinces from India to Ethiopia. He had power and wealth.

The second feast is recorded in v5-7. The king was so rich he was able to throw a feast for EVERYONE in the city for SEVEN days.

The third feast is going to develop into the story of Esther. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the palace. Throwing a feast should be a time of rejoicing; people would be dancing rather than mourn. But the feast turned into mourning. The king drunk and his heart was merry (v10). He wanted to show the people how beautiful she was and she refused. This made the king angry because it made him lose faith. So he asked his servants what he should do. They said the women would learn from the example of Queen Vashti and despise their husbands (v17). She would be disposed of. A time of dancing became a time of mourning.

Esther 2:17-18
The fourth feast involved the choosing of Esther. The king loved Esther and set the crown on her. The mourning had passed and they were going to dance again.

Esther 3:1-6
Then, things took a downturn again. Because Esther’s foster father Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, a high ranking official, Haman was filled with wrath and wanted to annihilate the people of Mordecai.

The fifth feast - the king threw a feast for Haman. Haman kept the murderous intent of annihilating the Jews in his heart and convinced the king that these people were a threat to the king. A decree was hence passed to annihilate them. While they danced in this feast, the Jews mourned (4:3).

Knowing the Jews were decreed to be annihilated, Mordecai lay in sackcloth and ashes and wailed. Mordecai wanted Esther to deliver the people by going to the king but this was difficult for her. Anyone who goes to the king’s inner court without being called will be put to death if the golden sceptre isn’t held out to the person. He told her, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.”

To transform your mourning into dancing, you can only rely on God.

The sixth and seventh feast were thrown by Esther for the king and Haman. Esther courageously went to meet the king and the king stretched out his sceptre. We do not see God being mentioned but His hand is everywhere.

Esther 8 records the sixth feast. Haman was joyful but little did he know this feast would be a turning point from dancing to mourning for him. He prepared a gallow to hang Mordecai from.

In Ruth, things “happened”. But in Esther, many things “happened JUST in time”.

Before the fifth feast, Mordecai had found out the plot of some people trying to assassinate the king and saved him. I’m Esther 6:1-2, the king couldn’t fall asleep and asked for the records to be read to him, thus finding out about/remembering how Mordecai had saved him. He could’ve done many things when he couldn’t sleep e.g. ask people to dance for him, ask beautiful women to lie with him, etc.

Of all the things he read about, he read about how Mordecai saved him. The king could’ve just fallen asleep after reading this but he still asked whether honour had been given to Mordecai. Then just nice when he was thinking how to honour, just nice Haman entered into the outer court. So just nice the king asked Haman how to reward a man. Haman thought the king meant to reward him but it turned out to be for Mordecai.

See the hand of God in this. The king couldn’t fall asleep because the king in heaven didn’t allow it.

The decree of the king is supposedly irreversible. But we know the king in heaven is of greater authority than the king on earth. It is HIS decree that doesn’t change. By working in the heart of the earthly king, the earthly king can change. The Jews were ultimately delivered. The feasts thrown by Esther pointed out the wickedness of Haman. The Jews were saved and their mourning turned to dancing.

Esther 8:17
The eight feast was a joyful one with no threat of death. God’s grace was bountiful.

Esther 9:17
The ninth feast was after the Jews had rest from their enemies.

Esther 9:18-19
The Jews held yet another feast - the tenth feast.

Their mourning turned to dancing. Their desperation transformed into hope. This is the God we believe in. Today we have been called into His grace.

A feast is a very important concept to the Jews. God’s salvation plan doesn’t just cover the Jews. He has prepared a feast where everyone on earth is invited to attend.

Isa 25:6-9
Prophet Isaiah prophesied that all peoples would attend the feast prepared by the Lord. Salvation is prepared for all. Why does He want us to attend this feast? When man is separated from God, it is a time of mourning. When man returns, it’s a time of dancing.

The feast is symbolic of God’s salvation. All of us have been invited to attend this feast of dancing. But have we truly participated in this feast?

Luke 14:15-24
Jesus spoke a parable where a certain man gave a great supper/feast and invited many. “Come, for all things are now ready.” But a strange thing happened. “With one accord they began to make excuses.” They gave many excuses not to attend. Why did they refuse? Buying a piece of ground, five yoke of oxen, getting married shows they esteemed these more then the feast of heaven. They esteemed their wealth on earth more than heaven. We give ourselves many excuses not to attend God’s feast because we find it a burden. If we only esteem our own happiness, how can we enjoy His feast?

Are only few saved? Jesus said that not everyone can participate in the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. The day of judgement will be a day of mourning. Those not properly adorned will be thrown out where there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth. But it’s also a day of dancing for those who willingly attend the feast and esteem their faith. It tells us of those willing and not willing to put in effort in their faith. Do WE esteem and put in effort in our faith?

Jesus was challenging the people in that generation. For them to forsake their material life in this world. This doesn’t mean to not make a living but rather to give up our comfortable lives; to put in our effort in our faith.

Esther was living in the palace but she never forgot her status and obligation.

We’re also in the grace or God. Have we carried out our obligations?

Esther had a special virtue. When she was chosen in the palace, she could’ve asked for anything but didn’t. It was easy for her not to ask anything for herself. But it was very difficult for her to make a request to the king on behalf of her people, as it could cost her her head. But she knew what was her status and obligation. She was willing to put in the effort for her own faith.

As Christians, do we learn from the example of Esther? We’re enjoying the blessings of God. Have we carried out our obligations? Today we may not need to risk our lives to meet the king. We can preach the gospel without risking our lives today. But do we preach?

Of course we can don’t preach. But remember what Mordecai said. “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come from another place, but you…will perish.”

Sometimes when a Christian has been a Christian for a long time, he becomes numb to the word of God and forgets he needs to put in effort in his life of faith.

Matt 11:16-19
The people had become numb. They didn’t rejoice in Christ’s salvation. They even accused Him of being friends with tax collectors. Jesus answered them, “But wisdom is justified by her children.” If we don’t feel we have fallen short of God’s glory and grace, we’ll feel we don’t need to do anymore in our faith. As time goes by we won’t rejoice because of the fact we are saved.

We know the Holy Communion is also a feast. Sometimes we mourn during the Holy Communion. We weep because Christ has suffered for us. But sometimes we also rejoice and dance because Jesus loves us sinners. He has given us eternal life. But do we return His favour with a heart of gratitude.

A feast can also be a lament. Revelation talks about 2 feasts. One is the feast of the lamb - a feast of dancing (Rev 19:7). But the other feast is one where the birds of the air will eat their flesh - a feast of mourning.

Which feast will we choose?