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What are the odds that an orphaned Jewish girl would become the queen of the world’s most powerful empire? In this message, Pastor Tim Glende shows that God's great power has a good purpose and can overcome what we would consider insurmountable odds.
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Gods Odds
Week 1 - St Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Welcome again to week number, one of God's six-week study of the Book of Esther.
I got a quarter. What are the odds that this ends up? Tails.
You know, the odds that's one in two. Let's go see it. It's not heads. Now, if I pick that coin up four more times and flip it again, what are the odds that it will land on heads? A second time in a row, third time in a row of fourth time in a row and a fifth time in a row. I think it's 1 in 32. When you do the math, W. Like, if any of you play poker, you know, the best odds are to get a pair and the hardest odds in poker to get as a royal flush. You know what are the odds. One in six hundred and forty nine thousand, seven hundred thirty-nine. Almost 650,000 21. What are the odds? That your name is similar to someone else's. OK, Google search. My kids to find out how many kids today in the last year. Had the name Noah, Noah has about one in 97.
Miranda, my daughter whose birthday is today? (Hi honey. Happy 26th) is one in about 3,500. The odds are far different that other people bear her name at least in today's world. How many of you ever had two yolks and 1 egg? When you cracked it open your like what are the odds? It's one in a thousand. So some of you here are like super specially maybe even this morning, you gotta double yolk. What are the odds that you get audited by the IRS 1 and 222? Some of, there's more than twenty one or Twenty people here today. So someone in here is probably getting audited at some point this year. What are the odds that you get struck by lightning experts? Say it's 1 in 15,000. What are the odds that you get killed in an airplane crash? One in 11 million. Some of you might say, so you're saying there's a chance.
More of a chance of that than you winning the Mega Millions. I don't know who it was an Illinois. That is going crazy right now thinking, what they're gonna do with all that money, the one in 300 plus million odds.
Like, when you think about life, when you think about numbers, when you think about odds, sometimes the odds are really good. They're in your favor there there, one in two, or maybe even better, but sometimes the odds are astronomical that you get five numbers, plus the Mega Ball, number all together on one line on a sheet of paper, and your life is changed forever.
Some odds makes sense. You'd probably bet on it because you believe it will happen and other things in life you would say that. I can't believe that happen. What are the odds?
I just want you to think about your life, maybe some of your lives are longer than others. So you've had some of those What are the odds moments? Like sometimes we jokingly say this, like my friends back in college, my freshman year, leading up to November 11th of my sophomore year would have said the odds are astronomical, that, that man who wears those sweatpants with holes in those places ever finds a woman, And then for some reason, this lady this young woman decided to give me a chance and on my first date, I really impressed her with my Buster Douglas t-shirt.
And a milkshake. And for some crazy reason, she kept dating me, never broke up with me. We got married and what are the odds? My friends would have said back then crazy. And the odds that you find somebody like that. Some of you saw the picture of the wedding we were at and she's a beautiful beautiful woman like I definitely That was.
There are other odds moments in your life where you would say the odds, definitely didn't say that. That was very likely.
Like Pastor Ash, he retired, whispered to me in my office and he said the one thing that I never saw happened here. And I don't think it'll happen here just because of this church and the nature of it that it'll ever build a new church.
He said he wasn't in the odds. Or my son who's now a second-year medical student who got into medical school on his first try. That's not normal. What are the odds?
And you might have moments like that in your life, too. But you can look back on it. You can trace it. You maybe even flipped a coin to decide on it and you can see the things that happened because of that decision that led to that place or that thing that happened that you didn't want to happen, that caused that to happen. That led you to that place and you would look back and go the odds of that happening or in my mind of all those things, converging to bring that about. We're pretty astronomical. As with all of that, in mind that I want you to think about your life and think about the things going on in your life, and see in this story. Some amazing truths. We can learn about God and odds.
It's a lot of people would say things happen, randomly, or by chance. this story is going to reveal to us a long shot of all long shots. Far more than the Detroit Lions aren't winning. The Super Bowl one in 15,000, by the way. Sorry, Lions fans, this is not going to happen. Something far greater than that.
Something, if you really did the numbers and really thought about all that would have to happen to have it happened, far greater than winning the Mega Millions, the story of Esther. Like so many things that are so unique and so rare. To see God's hand involved. When not, once in the name, literally, in the words of this book, God's name is Juiced,
God's Odds.
And today I want you to find a general truth i mean truth, an overarching Truth for this series and we're going to see all those things. The the flips of the coin that the world would say had to happen in order to get to astronomical odds for something. Pretty to be in the right place at the right time in order to have that happen.
But the stage doesn't get said until you understand the truth that I think is behind this whole book and the truth. I want you to take away today, if you're feeling in your notes and you're filling your blanks. Here's the big idea behind today's message. You are put in a place In the place you're in, your are put in place for a purpose. I want you to think about the place you're in right now and I want you to see this big idea because some of you right now, might have the question. I don't know if I'm put in this place for a purpose. Like, going through that. Suffering pain loss uncertainty that.
Some of you have maybe heard of someone who gets older say it. Why am I here? Maybe some of you who are younger right now are searching for purpose and wondering. Why are you here? And some of you are going through something and you're saying, why does God have me here? See, this big truth that's in place, you're going to see in these first few chapters. That there was a young lady who must have wondered that question. Why am I here like seriously? How can all this be happening to me?
Big idea you're put in place for a purpose. Have your question in mind. Hold on. To this truth. We're going to see it on display and then find a takeaway in X in Esther chapters 1 and 2. And here's a summary of Esther chapter one act. If you haven't read it already, I want you to understand the story before chapter two, chapter one introduces us, the setting gives us the timeline gives us another main character in the story is name is Xerxes. This happened during the time of Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces, stretching from India to Kush, that's the Far East to Africa. God. But when the attendants delivered the Kings Kings command, he was having a wild lavish party. A seven day Bender. They delivered it on the command of the queen to come. She refused to come, then the came became Furious and burn with anger, Queen vashti. He's done wrong. Not only is the king but also against all the Nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes, therefore, his leaders are telling this. If it pleases the king issue, a Royal Decree, and let it be written the laws of Persia and Mead, Which cannot be repealed. That vashti is never again to enter the presence of Xerxes. Also, let the King give her royal position to someone else. Who is better than she? Then when the king's edict is proclaimed throughout this vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands from the least to the greatest.
And here are the takeaways, I want you to see in the setting for chapter 2. King Xerxes and his buddies are pigs. They're throwing a lavish party. They're boozing it up. There are probably being very sexual with other women as wife is not in the party room and invites her to the come to the party, which is kind of traditional and she says no Like, I don't know. Why was she offended? Was she upset, was she felt like she was the mean, I don't know, but but vastly basically says no,
Well, it's good to be the king and a queen in that era. Say no to the King was not good, not smart, not lies.
And so she loses her position. She loses her crown to it. The kingdom then gets a decree from the King that says women are to obey and fall in line. Never to be like, Queen. Vashti, you have to depose her. So that all the women get the message of who's the Boss.
Like that's the setting. That's the place that this story is in.
A bunch of womanizing pigs. Ruling, a country, demeaning women. Lavish parties out of control. That is the place.
To which the rest of the story gets told. And I want you to have that in mind. Keep that in mind, over the next few weeks of what kind of people you're dealing with, how they viewed women and how the snap of a finger, a queen could be kicked out of her position.
And I'll King could write a message that had to be followed and could never be changed.
And here's the second truth, I want you to see in this section, This is a real event in real history and God recording it records and connects it to a real person. Like, a lot of people questioned, the bible say that never happened. How do you know that happened? How do you know there was a person named Joshua like really no one recorded. His name, anywhere else in history Xerxes is all over the pages of History. Xerxes was the king of the powerful Persian army. He came into rule, not the first one in the Persian army but one of the descendants of Cyrus the Great.
For some of you, maybe you've seen the movie 300 that, that Xerxes, those men, his men, any of you Assassin, Creed people like you play it, you shouldn't play it if you do, but Assassin's Creed Xerxes has one of the characters and power figures in that video game. Like, people know the name, it's a real name, it's an event in time in history. This isn't made up it. We're going to see. As you heard me read before these things are recorded in the annals of History. And so we talked about God's odds. History records these events. These are some of the few events outside of the main history of most of the Old Testament. Like most of the Old Testament covers 1500 BC to 1000 BC or a little after 1500 BC it is Moses, 1000 is David. The next few years down to about 600 or the other kings. So literally a thousand year gap of Time covers. Most of the Bible. But these are right at the end, this was written around the events that took place in 500 BC. So right before God shut off, communication and recording of scripture, some of the last words, perhaps written in all the Old Testament, this story gods
And I want you to hold in the background. The point in the place that you've been put, is where Esther was this point? That's where he picked it up in Chapter 2. You heard these words before when Xerxes Fury subsided and he remembered what he had said. And to create about her and part of the decree was, we will find someone to replace her. So then the king's personal attendants proposed this as the plan. Let us search for beautiful young virgins for the king. This advice appealed to the king and he followed it. Now, there was in The Citadel Susa, Jew of The Tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Heard me read that before he had a cousin named Hadassah. Who had been brought up because whom he had brought up because she had neither father and mother. This young woman also known as Esther and a lovely figure, was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother had died. I just want you to stop and think about that.
At this point in this place with all that history of what's going on? Do you know what had to happen and what had transpired and and what, no doubt Hadassah Esther must have had in her mind.
When the king's orders, an Edict of been claimed, many young women were brought to the Citadel of sus and put under the care of haggai. Esther was also taken to the king's Palace and interested in him.
I'm in charge of the harem.
Like sometimes people have made Esther into this beauty pageant. This amazing story of the like, The Little Mermaid, the unlikely character who gets to become the princess and the Queen.
This is sex Trading.
Like these are young girls.
As described in those words taken from their homes,
And forced to go, and we put in a Harem
To be looked at as sexual objects.
Now, if you're Esther
Have you not by this point? Ask the question. What's the point of me being in this place? Like 100 years earlier Esther's grandparents, or maybe her great-grandparents were a part of the people taken away in captivity to be exiled from their Homeland by Nebuchadnezzar. Like this is wasn't a sign up for an amazing vacation, this was taken away as slaves. They weren't a part of the group that went back though. They remain behind in this foreign country. So she's in a land that's not her Homeland with people who aren't her own. She's probably looked down upon or would have been if their nationality was known as a Outsider in a reject and Add to it. What's the point of being in this place? Like, seriously God. Both her mom and her dad died.
And now, the only family she has is someone who took her in with her cousin, who has her in her home. No doubt. Sees guards who come line up the beautiful women. And holler away.
Like the big idea you have to have in your mind if you've ever asked a question like God I don't get the point of this place at this time that's Esther. Why me? Why am I here? Seriously, God.
And yet, at that moment, What are the odds?
That had all the beautiful women who had come into the Harem of the king who were being paraded around in.
Viewed as objects for the king to pick one. That Esther is this Jewish girl. He had a soul and would be the one chosen by and when favored, by the guy in charge of the women Hey guys, set up some of the things going on, you made. Sure she got super taken care of for some reason. This man was so inclined to choose her. For some reason, vashti was deposed and this beauty pageant was not. So much Beauty happened and Esters there. Esther actually won his favor and not only his but the story goes on you heard the rest of it before she goes and she gets elected by the king but as she's there even before she is selected to be the queen Mordecai's, they're walking back and forth.
Every day to keep track of her, he didn't give up on her. You didn't say anything. I can wait until he comes to the gate. He stands there every day, he makes sure. She's okay.
And then she's chosen to be the queen.
As you look at the verses that follow in verse 17, the King was attracted to her more than any of the other women. She won his favor and approval, a royal crown on her head and made her Queen instead of Ashton.
And you still might be wondering why? Like if you were Esther, would you think this sounds like a great job?
Like if you know the Jewish culture, you know what they were told about, who to marry who not to marry like they weren't supposed to cross cultural lines, they were supposed to marry someone of their religion and Faith. She's marrying the ultimate Heathen of heathens. The guy who throws Bender parties and Views women as objects sound like the ideal husband. You're looking for her for Vivian someday.
And yet this, at this point in this story at this place,
We see the hand of God in play.
Because here's what happens next. Like you caught the rest of the story, and you kind of wonder why the Mordecai part Mordecai's sitting at the gate over here is these two kings officers, who were guarding his doorway? Like these two are probably part of the group of 300. These are the Mighty Men. These are our known idiots. These are people who are good with battle and good with strategy like you could put in charge of the King's entrance. Like you're the last line of defense, like you're the social, you're the security for the President, right? And the people closest to him, the most trusted of them.
Like they conspire to kill him Mordecai, finds out about it. Only way you could find out about it is because he's walking back and forth by the gate, keeping tabs on his cousin who he cared about wanted to make sure she was okay for some reason. Maybe they didn't see him or they didn't think he was all that smart. They're having a conversation out there, he gets wind of the plan, he tells the queen who tells the king and he gets credit for it and the King finds out that it's true. The final verses tell us that those men are killed, executed, put to death and all Was recorded in the presence of the king's book and his animals.
So one will be forgotten.
Everything that had to happen, transpired, The Dominoes that had to fall that seemed. So what's the point now? What it gets worse and worse, God, why would you have me or why would you want me here? What good purpose could come out of any of this?
And yet, Mordecai, caring for his cousin, wanders and stumbles into the conspiracy theory and tells the king, the King's life is spirit and he gets credit for it. God has you in place? For a point.
But think of all the wheels, all the evil, all the bad, all the unknowns, all the uncertainty that had to transpire and happen in order for that to happen. God works in bad. God uses bad gods in control of all things.
And I know you can look at it and go, but is it really God?
Or just a I can't lose. Not very good. Who id'd the hottest young girl to make his wife? Well, some Garden God can cause evil to think Kings do not so good. Things to bring about something good at that point. To bring about his purpose in a place. And I want you to hold on to that event because that event happening is important for the rest of the story. Mordecai at that gate. Hearing those words, saving the King's life. Which leads to today's truth. Like all this is back, Brown. This is perhaps a background Truth for the whole story but you see this on display in these verses. Are you going to see it? Play out over the next several chapters God's power? Always has a good purpose.
If you're going to learn any doctrinal truths in this series and you're going to see them on display, you're going to understand the tension that we wrestle with. When we talk about this point at this place in this time, why has God heard his sovereignty? You're writing down the words sovereignty, God's Rule and reign in fact that God rules and Reigns over all things is sovereignty as power like God can do anything at any point in time. He can step in, he can act God's power to create gods.
Power to act God's power to use God's power to move sinful Kings and bring about his purpose. God's power. Always has a good purpose. Sovereignty is power.
Providence is the purpose.
God's Rule and Reign sovereignty, God's Rule and Reign for blank purpose, Providence.
And here's the thing about power in Providence. Like, we wish God would stepping with power all the time and simply act and do what we know God can do, right?
And when he doesn't, we question his Providence.
The, why? The purpose, the four?
See, the only thing we get to understand sometimes this side of heaven, and sometimes not is, is for his Providence. Like when you carefully navigate that accident and you don't skit or hit the right or the left wall, but you go through it unscathed. And in the moment you go angels of God, Providence, like hindsight 5 seconds later tells you someone else was stepping in to save me.
Five, Ten Years Later. Like I can celebrate the Providence of God on my daughter's birthday, which was 26 years ago, trace it back to that date, which was a lot longer ago, like, 32 years ago, Thirty years ago and and I can trace it back to something to happen before that when I chose not to leave school and chose to stay in school. And the next fall, I meet this girl, I can see that everything happening down the road and how God Has ruined his Reign for me, was in play. Not a puppet master Point. All the strings I had choices, but his Providence is always with a good purpose. And I need you to hear that right now because some of you are in an ester moment cuz you don't know why you may get hindsight Esther. Did you not? But you need to celebrate and understand the story and see sovereignty. And Providence, power always has a good purpose. God is always at work. For a good purpose. You know how, I know that cause he promises it this verse is sometimes misused by Christians, I want you to hold on to come back to it throughout the rest of the series. Because it reinforces today's truth, we know, as Christians, We Believe, Paul says, we know, not just head knowledge but experience or knowledge by faith. We know that in all things, God works.
In Red Sea moments that are so good and amazing and job moments that are so horrible and so painful, we know that in all things God is working at sovereignty. And Providence. It doesn't always work out the way we want. We don't always see the purpose sometimes. It involves pain and ugly loss and death. Sometimes it leaves us Unknowing. Sometimes it's because of our own doing that. We're in a certain place at a certain point. But you know what? God can do in all things, he can work for the good of those who love him. Like, I know people who have landed themselves in prison because of their choices
And in that moment in all things, God is Sovereign and Providence can work for the good. And will.
Maybe the good God is working for right now. And in the mess that you are in is to bring your heart to repentance that's good.
In the midst of the sadness and the pain due to nothing. You were hurt. God's promise is still real. He's working all things for good. Because he loves you. Sovereignty. Great power, Providence. It will always serve a good purpose.
And I know that's hard and I know that's messy and I know some of you right now, might not wholly, believe me, but I'm guessing in those moments right then and there as all that happened to Esther with every Domino fouling her family, getting hauled off into captivity her parents being taken from her and dying her being sex traded off and used as a sexual object by the king, she went to seen it in the moment, but later hindsight's going to give us an answer. That reinforce that truth? God's power. Good purpose sovereignty. Evidence.
And I want you to hold on to that in those moments, when you're not certain.
Because here's what God says about his promises in his plans. Hold on to this verse And connect to this one. The plans of the Lord stand for firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
God works all things for the good of those who love him who couldn't be called, according to his purpose. And you know what? His ultimate purpose for you and for me is Heaven.
And you notice that a side of sovereignty so that you and I Might be there, Jesus.
And you know why he did that? Providence. His Rule and Reign for you. And me. Was desired for all eternity.
And so God planted him in a place for a point to accomplish his purpose.
The name of God might not be found on any of the pages of this book. But as you're going to see over the next few weeks, That. Was in that takeaway reinforce that promise.
Because some people would say this was random luck. It's Against All Odds but Mordecai just stumbled into the right place at the right time Esther. You know, might have been in the wrong place at the right time, but it brought about that. Now, I will tell you this about God's odds. God's time. Is always the right place because it's God's place. At the right time because God rules over time.
And the odds when they're in, God's hands are always good. Because sovereignty and Providence is for you and me forever. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we see this story and there's so much more to it. Like a tester was living it like she was in it. Like every bad break went against her every position, she was in and place, she was put was Was why was filled with Brokenness and pain and hurt and there's some people Lord who are going through that I will never maybe find out why hindsight won't allow us to see it. This side of Heaven. Maybe we will. But in those moments, let us hold on to this truth that we're seeing God at work, 2,000 years ago, to 2,500 years ago, And having people at a place for a point. Because God's power always serves a good purpose. What will happen in the next few weeks? And we see more of these God's moments that defy everything, but how you use them to bless, help us see it too because maybe the place you have this planet. Right now it is intended to bless that person. Plus us. Or keep us in relationship with you until the ultimate blessing you have in store for us. So we're whatever it is, whatever the point, help us see the purpose. Amen.