January 26, 2014
Epiphany 3
The Rev. Kim Gilliland
SCRIPTURE:
Esther 2:1-4, 17-18
We may roll the dice but the LORD determines how they fall.
Proverbs 16:33 (NLT)
QUEEN FOR A DAY
WE ROLLING THE DICE
One of the things that I really enjoy about power outages is that we do things as a
family that we would not normally do. That’s because there is no TV, no radio, no
computer, no Internet. There’s just us and when the hydro goes out, what we discover is
that we can be fun to be around.
One of the things that we do when the power goes out is we play board games and
one of the favourite board games in our house is Monopoly. The first few times around
the board are pretty standard. Generally if you land on it you buy it because when there
are five or six players, if you don’t buy it the first time you land on it, no doubt someone
will have bought it before you land on it again. But then the properties all get purchased
and the swapping begins. “I’ll trade you Pennsylvania Avenue for Marvin Gardens. And
would you take two railways for Oriental Avenue?” And so the game goes. Eventually,
the properties come together. Houses and hotels are purchased and then the real game
begins.
At that point only on thing matters. It’s the roll of the dice. How many times can
you land on a safe place when all of the properties are held? How many spaces do you
need to land on Chance or Go? Because either of them is be better that landing on
Boardwalk with a hotel on it. And then everyone wonders how many spaces you need to
hit Free Parking because house rules say that all of the fines and penalties go in there and
right now there’s a wad of cash to be had.
But no matter how good your scheme was or how many properties you own or how
much cash you have sitting in front of you, the wrong roll of the dice can take you from
winning the game to utter defeat.
Sometimes life is like that. You think it’s all set up. You think you have it all
figured out. You think you’re ahead of the game. But then you pick up the dice and take
your turn. And no matter what you think or what you hope, the roll of the dice can change
everything.
GOD DETERMINES HOW THEY FALL
You know what I mean because all of you have seen it happen either to you, your
family or someone you know. You think you’re healthy but as you’re going up the stairs
at home you suddenly get a crippling pain in your chest. You can’t breath and your
fingers start to tingle. You hear someone say that they’ve called 911. It’s the roll of the
dice.
A few months ago, the employees at Heinz in Leamington thought they had secure
employment for the rest of their lives. Good paying jobs with pensions and benefits. But
then on November 14, the employees discovered that by June they would be out of work.
And tomato growers would be scrambling to sell their crop. And hundreds of other feeder
industries and contractors would be looking for other ways to earn a living. It’s the roll of
the dice.
But then there’s Chris Hatfield who decided many years ago against the odds that
someday he would be an astronaut. Do you have any idea of how many people have the
same dream and never get a sniff of it? Last year, Chris enthralled the world by making
the most of his time aboard the space station. With Chris, space became interesting and
fun again. The roll of the dice.
And what about the person who is looking for that special other person? They’re
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tired of looking but decide to go on the blind date anyway. No doubt he’ll be as much of
a dud as the last one was. But he isn’t and something clicks. The roll of the dice.
Here’s the point. We can make all of the plans we want. We can be risking or
careful, calculating or laiser faire. But eventually we have to roll the dice and see where
life takes us. Sometimes it works the way we want it to and sometimes it doesn’t. But
listen to the words the King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:33 (NLT) where it says, “We
may roll the dice but the LORD determines how they fall.”
What does that mean? It means that our lower story lives ultimately are determined
by God’s upper story plans. You might think you have it all figured out. You might
believe that you know what your future holds. But it can change in an instant. God’s
purpose will be fulfilled. His plans will be accomplished. In the end what God wants to
happen will happen whether it fits in with our plans or not. We may roll the dice but the
LORD determines how they fall.
HAMAN ROLLS THE DICE
Such was the case in the book of Esther. Here’s a bit of background. The Persians
had succeeded the Babylonians as the world’s newest super power. You’ll remember that
last week, King Cyrus allowed all the Jews who felt God’s calling to return to Jerusalem
to rebuild the temple of the LORD. 50,000 answered that call and went back to begin
again. But the rest of the Jews choose to remain. These people had no memory of
Jerusalem. They had spent their entire lives somewhere else. They had built business and
families in a distant land.
By the time of Esther, King Xerxes was the ruler of Persia. Thirty years had passed
since the Jews had returned to Jerusalem. But these people had decided to stay. Xerxes
was a powerful king who could do whatever he choose to do. One day when Xerxes was
having a bit party, he summoned his Queen Vashti, to come to him and meet his guests.
But she refused. Xerxes was furious and decided to make an example of Queen Vashti.
He was even more concerned that her actions could influence others and - as it says in
Esther 1:17-18 - before they knew it all of the women in the empire would start refusing
to do what their husbands told them to do. Heaven forbid! My, how things have changed,
but in the fifth century B.C. that was not a good idea. Women and men were seen quite
differently.
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Regardless Queen Vashti was banished forever from the king’s presence. This
meant that a new queen would have to be found. But this would be no roll of the dice.
This was a well designed plan. Xerxes’ people went throughout the land looking for the
most beautiful women. Esther was one of the ones who was chosen. This is interesting
because the odds were not in her favour. She had been orphaned as a child and raised by
her Uncle Mordecai. Other than her beauty, she had nothing going for her. But then she
was chosen as a candidate for the next queen and suddenly things changed. The dice had
been rolled. All of the women were put through a year long process of preparation and, to
make a long story short, at the end of the year, Xerxes chose Esther for his next queen.
She had rolled the dice and won. She was the more important woman in the empire.
During all of this time, Esther had purposefully kept hidden the fact that she was
Jewish. Her Uncle Mordecai had told her to keep that quiet until a later time. In the
meantime, Mordecai had made a daily trip to the palace gate to see how his niece was
faring. But in the midst of that, he encountered a very high official by the name of
Haman. Haman was one of those people to whom everyone was supposed to bow down
because he was an important bureaucrat. But Mordecai would not bow down to him.
Enraged by Mordecai’s insolence, Haman crafted a plan not only to get even with
Mordecai but with all of the Jewish people in the empire. He had the king sign and seal
an edict that stated that on one day of the year, anyone could kill a Jew without fearing
any penalties. In this way, Haman hoped to eliminate all Jews in the empire in a single
day.
But what day would it be? To find that out, he cast some dice and according to the
dice, the date fell on the month of Adar which is between February and March. On one
day in the month of Adar, the Jews would be free game. Copies of this edict were sent to
every province in Persia. And when the Jews heard of it, what mourning there was. It
appeared that Haman had tossed the dice and won. But the dice had fallen against the
Jews. Or so it seemed.
Mordecai, like the other Jewish people, was mortified and so he requested Esther
to help. If she could only convince Xerxes of this error, then perhaps the day could be
saved. But there was a problem here. Do you remember Queen Vashti? She was done
away with because she displeased the king. Esther faced the same prospect because she
was not supposed to approach the king unless she was summoned and she had not been
summoned. If she went to Xerxes of her own volition and he was not happy, she could
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meet the same end as Vashti.
Esther at that point had to make a decision. Would she remain an anonymous Jew
and let her people perish while she lived in the lap of luxury or would she approach the
king. When you read the story, it is clear that she was torn. It’s not that she did not value
her Jewish ancestry. It’s just that she did not relish the prospect of angering the king and
all that could mean. But Uncle Mordecai sent to her a message that helped to make up her
mind. In Esther 4:13-14 (NIV) he said, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s
house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief
and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s
family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for
such a time as this?”
What Mordecai was telling Esther was that God’s will will be done. She was being
called to help save her people but if she refused to do it, God would find someone else.
Why? Because ultimately God’s will and God’s purpose will not be thwarted by a single
disobedient person. If plan A doesn’t work, God will quickly move to plan B.
The lesson here is simple. If you don’t want to do God’s work, God will find
someone else to do it. You aren’t God’s only solution. You alone cannot change God’s
plan. God will do what God will do either with you or without you. His upper story
purpose will be fulfilled. All you have to do is decide whether or not you are going to live
your lower story life accordingly.
Esther heard the words of Mordecai. They suggested to her that it was no mere
chance that she was the queen. It had happened to fulfill what God hoped to achieved.
People might have cast the dice but God had directed the events to unfold in such a way
that the exact right people were in the exact right places to achieve exactly what he
wanted to achieve which was the delivery of the Jewish people from the king’s
extermination edict. After some long thought Esther finally relented and said in Esther
4:16 (NIV), “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I
perish.” She was going to cast the dice and she would live or die with whatever came up.
That is the epitome of faithfulness. If someone is willing to die for what they
believe in, then you know that they really believe it. They will do whatever God wants
them to do regardless of what it means for personal safety or prosperity. God’s upper
story purpose is the most important thing for faithful people and they will live their lower
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story lives accordingly no matter the personal consequences for themselves.
ESTHER ROLLS THE DICE
And so Esther hatched her own plan. She approached the king and he was pleased
to see her. So far so good. He asked her what she wanted and told her that she could have
anything she wanted up to half of his kingdom. Esther could have had anything but all
she asked for was a dinner party with the king and with Haman, the very official who had
devised the murder of the Jews.
Haman was thrilled that the queen had invited him to a private dinner party with
her and the king. He was on top of the world. Everything was going his way. All that
stood between him and perfect happiness was the horrible man Mordecai who still would
not bow down to him. Haman’s wife knew this and suggested that in preparation for
Mordecai’s final demise that Haman build a seventy-five foot gallows from which to
hang his old nemesis on the day when the Jews would be slaughtered. This was done and
Haman could almost taste the revenge. Everything was going his way. He had rolled the
dice and won - or so he thought.
But at the dinner with King Xerxes and Haman, Esther revealed that she herself
was a Jew and that according to the king’s edict she too was fair game for the slaughter
that would soon take place. Haman, of course, was now terrified. The King, realizing
what had happened, stormed out of the dinner and went for a walk in his garden as he
decided what to do. In the meantime, Haman begged Esther to show him mercy. But in
doing this he outdid himself. For as he pleaded for his life, he tripped and fell on Esther
as she reclined on a couch. Just then Xerxes returned to see Haman in this most
compromising position. Finding him guilty of attempting to rape the queen, he had him
hung on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai.
Haman had rolled the dice and while he though he had won, he had merely
deceived himself. He may have rolled the dice but it was God who determined how they
fell. It was God who decided the outcome.
And irony of ironies, guess who the king appointed to take Haman’s place? None
other than Esther’s Uncle Mordecai. And all of Haman’s estate was given to Esther as
well.
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The only problem that remained was the edict that king had signed for the
destruction of the Jews. Because of the way it was originally done, it could not be undone
but the king issued another edict that stated that the Jews could defend themselves on the
day of their proposed destruction.
When that day finally came, the enemies of the Jews attacked them but the Jews
were vigorous in their defense and 75,000 were slain that day along with the ten sons of
Haman. The Jews had triumphed against great odds. Because of that, an annual feast was
declared to celebrate the victory of God’s upper story purpose over the treachery of his
enemies. The feast is called Purim which is based on the word “pur” which means dice. It
is celebrated on the very day when the Jews were supposed to be destroyed because
slaughter had been turned to redemption and defeat had been turned to victory. No one
could deny God his plan. His upper story purpose was going to be fulfilled despite what
Haman or anyone did.
The same pattern was followed five hundred years later. The enemies of Jesus
thought they had won. They arrested him, tried him in a kangaroo court, scourged and
tortured him, and then hung him on a cross. As he hung, the soldiers gambled for his
clothes. And when he died, his enemies declared victory. But as we know, their lower
story plans could not overcome God’s upper story purpose. On the third day, Jesus rose
from the dead turning slaughter into redemption and defeat into victory.
Are you ready to roll the dice? Are you willing to step out in faith? If you do
remember that whether you get sevens, elevens or shake eyes, you may have rolled the
dice but it is God who determines how they fall.
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PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
God of Grace and Glory, speak to our hearts. Remind us our your many blessings
which, if we to number them would be more than the stars of the sky and the sands of the
sea shore. How blessed we are that you love us beyond measure. We lift our thanks and
praise to you.
We come before you with our prayers of thanks. Thank you for warm homes and
clothing. Thank you for good food, efficient communication and snowplows. We thank
you for the long walks with crunchy footprints in the snow. At the same time, we
remember those for whom winter is a chore and burden. Give them patience during this
long season and guidance on the icy sidewalks.
We give thanks for those who reach out to others in times of need, who lend a hand
or bend an ear in Jesus’ name. In our actions, your word becomes real. In our words we
share the reason for our deeds - the grace of Christ and our saving faith in him.
We offer thanks, especially this week, for those who operate the local food banks.
Many are served who need assistance. Many eat more and better than they otherwise
would. Thank you for the generous donations from our community as we strive to meet
the real needs of those who are most vulnerable.
We offer our prayers for the sick of our congregation and community. We pray
especially for Isabel McLeod and Doug Montgomery. Bless him and all those who are ill
with your Holy and Healing Spirit.
We also live up those who mourn, especially the family and friends of Claude
Montcalm and Bill Quick. May they find a sense of peace in the knowledge that their
loved ones are with you and freed of any pain in their lives.
For Christians who have walked the road of faith before us and shown us the way
to go, we thank you. May we travel in the footsteps of Jesus even as they did that, one
day, our children may look back at our lives and call us faithful.
In all of life we give you thanks. In all our troubles, we come to you in prayer knowing
that you answer even before we ask. Grant us your peace and your blessing in Jesus’
name. Amen.
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WORSHIP RESOURCE PAGE
January 26, 2014 / Epiphany 3
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 27:4-9; Isaiah 9:1-4; Matthew 4:12-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
CALL TO WORSHIP
God is our light and our salvation!
We have no need to fear!
God is our light and our salvation!
We will never be afraid!
Come, let us worship!
PRAYER OF APPROACH
God, you are our light and our salvation. We have no need to fear. God, you are the rock upon which we
build our houses. On your firm foundation, they will never fall. The wicked may seek our lives. The
enemy may encamp around us but your salvation is sure and secured in the work of Jesus Christ. How
great you are! How awesome your might! How gentle your love! Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Speak to us of our need. Remind us of the temptations that the wicked place before us which lead us
away from you. Your path is narrow and the way is sure but our feet turn aside because our minds
deviate from your thoughts and our spirits from your Spirit. Cleanse us, O God of Mercy, from all of our
individual and collective sinfulness as we repent and offer our sins to you. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Jesus remembers us. He remembers the cross which he bore for our sins. He remembers the gates of Hell
that were shattered by his resurrection. In our repentance, we honour Christ and enable him to forgive
our sinfulness. No sin is too great for his mercy.
DEDICATION OF OFFERING
We have come with our gifts. We have come with our abilities. We have come with our worries and our
fears. We lay them all before you, O God of Love, upon the altar of your grace. Accept us and what we
bring enabling us to accept Christ and his sacrifice for us. Amen.
COMMISSIONING
Jesus called the fishers to leave their boats and follow him. God blesses us with the same courage to
answer his call. As we leave, let us listen for his voice and respond in humble faith.
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Message Outline
Pastor Kim Gilliland
January 26, 2014
QUEEN FOR A DAY
GOD DETERMINES HOW THE DICE FALL
We may make our plans.
But when we roll the dice, God determines the final outcome
We may role the dice but the LORD determines how they fall.
Proverbs 16:33 (NLT)
God’s purpose will ultimately be fulfilled!
HAMAN ROLLS THE DICE
In Persia, in the 500 B.C. Haman rolled the dice and tried to have the Jews exterminated.
He thought he had won.
Mordecai challenge Queen Esther - a closet Jew - to go to the king and save her people.
He challenged her to fulfill her God-given purpose.
Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if
you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place,
but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal
position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:13-14 (NIV)
Esther finally saw her purpose and went to the king, come what may.
I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. Esther 4:16 (NIV)
ESTHER ROLLS THE DICE
Esther invited Haman to a dinner party with the king and there
revealed Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews and that she herself was a Jew.
Haman was executed on the same gallows he had erected he intended to use to hang Mordecai.
The king then allowed the Jews to defend themselves on the proposed day of extermination.
The Jews were victorious against their enemies.
To honour this day the Jews celebrate Purim, ‘pur’ meaning dice.
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We roll the dice but God determines how the fall.
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