04-18-2021 – Derek Yarber – Most Advanced Jigsaw Puzzle Part 2 (Gospel Meeting)

I do apologize for breaking things in the middle. Believe it or not. I don’t like to have part one part, two lessons, but sometimes it’s almost like you just need to do such a thing. And I think it’s the case with this one, we’re covering a book that has 10 chapters and in two lesson sessions, well, it kind of the purpose really isn’t to do a textual study of Esther.

And if you were here in our class, you know that, but for those who weren’t here, I just want to make sure that we’re all on the same page with just heavily cliff noted version of what it was that we discussed. We’re looking at Esther from the standpoint of a jigsaw puzzle and not just any jigsaw puzzle, but the most complex jigsaw puzzle that has ever been cut and then piece back together.

And that is the beautiful, amazing Providence of God is to me, insane that anyone could take all of these people’s freewill and coordinate them in such a way so that he always produces the same thing, the deliverance of his people. And here’s what we found so far. And looking at our study, we propped up the bottom of the box and the top of it.

So we can see the finished product. Esther chapter eight, verse 16. This is the puzzle. When it’s all put together, the Jews had light and gladness, joy, and honor, the Jews are God’s people at this juncture. And what’s being stated as simply the Lord saved his people. And that’s the finished puzzle when it’s all put together. But thus far,

we’ve been able to observe nine different pieces to this puzzle. And as I stated in our Bible class, not all of them are Pretty picture. You have a perverted King, you have Wiseman Men that are dummies young men who only look At the outward beauty of Women. You have a man who is so full of himself. He’s been drinking the Hayman Kool-Aid you have his wife and his friends are giving terrible advice.

And so you have this guy named Mordecai. Who’s bothers you so much. And his people just kill him, get rid of him and make him suffer a little bit, build a Gallo so that he has to struggle for breath and build it 75 feet tall so everyone can see it. And he’s thoroughly embarrassed in front of the whole kingdom. Build it today,

talk to the King in the morning about how Mordecai needs to die. We kill him tomorrow and from tomorrow on life is good for us. And especially for you Great Haman that everyone falls down before and worships when you step into their presence, everyone but Mordecai and the Jews, but we’re not going to worry about them. From this point forward tomorrow, All of our problems Are going to be solved and everybody goes to sleep that night,

hoping to get a good night’s rest. There’s just one thing Issue as the King lays his head on the pillow that night, for some reason, Xerxes, the first one We know in the scriptures as a hazardous, just as a sleepless night, Strange that it comes that night of all Nights, we pick up Then chapter six in the first three verses that night,

the King could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the Chronicles. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of two of the Kings Unix who had sought to lay hands on her, a hazardous that’s the assassination plot. Then the King said, well, this man who unfolded all this and say my life Mordecai, what honor or dignity has been bestowed on him for this?

And the King servant said your majesty. We did nothing For this man. You ever had one of those nights where you just can’t sleep overnight. It gets that way. It doesn’t seem like the older you get the harder it gets. Like can you imagine though, being in the King’s position, the most powerful man in the entire nation, and for that matter,

the most powerful man in the entire world and all the responsibilities that you have, it makes sense that he couldn’t sleep one night, but that night of all nights, what do you do when you’re having trouble sleeping? At night? I have this process through which I go, I have to unwind for minimally 30 minutes to maybe as much as about an hour.

And what I do is I turn on the TV and I don’t watch just any, I can’t even stand to watch anything anymore. Other than some movie series and TV series, I kind of do that. And so I’ll try to unwind for a little bit. And if anything interrupts my process, you got to start it all back over again. It doesn’t matter how tired I am.

I have to do that to sleep for about a four or five solid hours. Wake up. It’s all over pretty much from that point. But I have this process of unwinding. You probably do too. Maybe watch a little something before you go to bed. Maybe you listen to music. Maybe you read books. If you’re in the class, you know,

that’s not an option for me, whatever it takes though, for your mind to relax This guy In the absence of TV and iPods and MP3 players and earbuds, he doesn’t have much of an option. And so he’s going to read, but he’s a King. So he doesn’t have to do the reading. He has someone go get a book and lose his sleep also,

and read that book to him. And it just so happens to be the book of Chronicles. Now, this is not the Chronicles Of scripture, that the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Judah, there are other Chronicles. Also outside of scripture, probably my favorite and merely earthly Chronicles are the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, it’s like the Chronicles of Narnia.

There are all kinds of Chronicles back then, but these are the Chronicles of the Kings of Mead, the Medes and the Persians. And all of these acts are recorded. Even some about God’s people found in there. And this name so happens to come up. Think about it this night of all nights, Mordecai, don’t forget. Haman’s going to come in in the morning and ask for the life of this terrible Mordecai character.

And that night, for some reason, the King can’t sleep. Any meeny meiny Chronicles. He picks to be read in which Mordecai’s name is Brown. And the testimony is made about how great he is and what he did to save the King’s life. And he’s blown away. He’s humble. He says, we got to do something to honor this man that night Of all nights,

puzzle piece number 11 to the brilliant jigsaw. One of God’s Providence. Haman pays a late night visit to the King. Coincidentally, when the King cannot sleep Verses four through 11 of chapter six, Haman had just entered the outer court to suggest that the King hang Mordecai on the gallows. He had prepared for him. And the King said, well, go ahead and come in.

And what’s it matter. I can’t sleep. So the King asked him, Haman, what do you think should be done for the man whom the King delights to honor Haman thought in his heart? Don’t forget. He’s been drinking the Haman. Kool-Aid he thought in his heart, I’m the greatest man in the kingdom. Other than the King, he wants to honor me.

This is great. So he lays it on thick Haman answers. Let a Royal robe be Bross, which the King is worn and a horse on which the King has written a special horse store that away in your mind for later, let it be delivered to the hand of one of the King’s most noble princess that he may have. Ray, the man whom the King delights to honor,

then parade him on horseback through the city square and proclaim before him thus, shall it be done to the man whom the King delights to Then the King said to Haman, what an I D I knew I had you around forever Reason. Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you suggested and do for Mordecai, The Jew, do you think God has a sense of humor?

Mordecai, the Jew who sits within the King’s gate leave methane undone of everything that you’ve spoken. So Haman had to be the one to take the rope, the horse array Mordecai, and lead him on horseback through the city square. And he had to be the one to proclaim before him thus, shall it be done to the man whom the King, the lights to honor.

The very one who supposed to die Is the one who gets honored in the most impressive way. Again, I will say, if you enjoy irony, do you see the irony in that puzzle piece? Number 12, Esther’s favor with the King. She can ask anything she wants of him and the King because of her beauty and her loveliness is going to give that to her chapter seven,

the first six verses King, the King and Haman went to dine with queen Esther. Remember the second time King again said to Esther, what is your petition queen? Esther? It should be granted to you up to half the kingdom. Then queen Esther answered my keen. We have been sold my people and I to be destroyed, kill and annihilated. Don’t forget.

She has a copy now of the proof. She can show it to him. So King, a hazardous answered. Who is he? Where is he? Who would dare to do such a thing to my queen. And Esther said the adversary and the enemy is the man who sits in our presence. Haman And understandably Haman was terrified before the King and as well,

the queen verses seven and eight, the King of Rose in his wrath and went into the palace guard. And he’s got to go somewhere and blow off some steam and think about this for a second. Okay. But Haman stood before queen Esther pleading begging for his life. And when the King returned from the palace garden, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was Many believed that he was making contact with her,

maybe at her feet, perhaps even kissing her feet and Act of contrition. But even if he wasn’t touching her, just imagine here’s this beautiful young lady who’s sitting down or maybe lying back on the couch. And there’s a man sprawled out in the direction of the King’s wife. How’s that going to be perceived? The King said, well, he also assaulted my queen.

Well, I’m in the house. And as soon as the word left, the King’s mouth, they come up Heard Haman’s face. He knows he is in for it now. And in the begging and pleading for his wife, it’s interpreted the wall the wrong way. The King thinks that he’s making advances On his bride. And he said, you, sir,

I am through with you. There is no mercy To be hat puzzle piece. Number 13. Those gallows are going to be needed to be used that very day, but not for the one for whom they were originally built. They’re going to come in awfully handy though, verses nine and 10 and chapter seven. Now her bona, one of the units said There’s a gallows 50 cubits at 75 feet high,

which Haman made for Mordecai. And the King said, that’s the perfect spot. Hang him on it. So they hang Haman on the gallows. He had prepared for Mordecai. Then the King’s wrath subsided. I originally thought that Esther is just such a great book because of how it tells about the Providence of God and make no mistake about it. It is that,

but I want to deviate just a little bit and our focus for the remainder of our study and illustrates something that I think is such a more profound, old truth. Even in that I believe the book of Esther is not so important for the Providence of God, As much as it is The prosthetic account of Jesus Christ himself. At this point in the study,

it hit me and I said, wait a minute, got to be kidding me. I’ve been missing this all along. Think about it. There isn’t any Evil Prince. Who’s so powerful. And he has this Jew who he just hates. He can’t stand. He sees him as a threat to his power and his prestige. And so he says, I’ve got to kill this guy.

And the way to do it is to piece together wood, hang him on it. But it turns out the very device that he constructs for. Mordecai’s destruction. The only hope for God’s people, He ends up destroying himself and saving God’s people through it. Do you know any other person’s life story that might somewhat align with that? There’s this evil Prince he’s called the ruler of this world named Satan.

And he sees this Jew and he hates his guts. He thinks that he’s a threat to his power and his prestige, and rightly so. And so he pieces together wood, and he thinks I’m going to hang him from it and destroy him. The only hope of God’s people And in the process, he has no idea that he’s built the very instrument.

That’s going to be used to destroy himself and to save God’s people. Folks, the story of Esther and in particular, Mordecai is so important because Jesus is Mordecai. Not literally, but Metaphorically. He matches up To him in every way. And I think it’s interesting That for the first half of the book, Mordecai is this kind of behind the scene,

shadowy character. And by the end, it’s all about Mordecai Greatness. Coincidentally, the Bible for about the first half has this shadow. We behind the scenes character, who’s pooling all the streams and he’s putting together this complex puzzle. And in the end, It’s all about him. When we find out it always was all along. It’s all about Christ from start to finish.

I feel like the late Billy Mays, But wait, there’s more. Yes, there is more to this Puzzle piece. Number 14, Haman Power. He was strong and he wielded it over people, especially, Especially over God’s people, but he’s not going to be doing that any longer. Chapter eight verses one and two King Ahasuerus gave queen Esther. The house of Haman and Mordecai came before the King for Esther had told how he was related to her.

So the King took off his signet ring, which he had given taken from Haman and he gives it to Mordecai and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. I don’t mean to take anything away from Esther. She is the heroine of the book, make no mistake about it. But Mordecai, I believe is the hero of the book of Esther because without Mordecai,

Esther might not have survived past her childhood years because he had compassion on this helpless Jew. She survives and becomes the instrument through him. God saves his people. Don’t forget. It’s also because of Mordecai, the Jew and the compassion that he has on a jet title, man, that a hazardous is even still around to save God’s people. Otherwise he already would have been dead.

And the assassination Wat I will ask, do you know of any Other character who has such compassion? Not Only on his own people, the Jews, but also on Gentile So that he’s able to cohesively bring them together in one kingdom as Mordecai does Jews and Persians and the kingdom of the person, Except Jesus does it. And the kingdom of heaven, Mordecai is Jesus,

not literally metaphorically he’s Christ. This is the gospel account in a prophetic sense, Just found that the power of Haman and he had a lot of it. He had wealth, he had riches, he had prestige. It’s all stripped from him through that instrument, the wooden piece that he pieces together and destroys himself. All that power is stripped from Hayman.

And it’s given him Coincidentally, through that wooden instruments, the cross That Satan puts together to destroy the hated you, Jesus, who’s a threat to him. What does he do? But destroy himself and strip himself Of every ounce of power that he wants held over God’s people. And from That point forward, Jesus is depicted as seeing holding the keys that Satan once had the powers.

What that means in apocalyptic, riding the keys over death and Hades Satan has. He doesn’t have it anymore. Hebrews two says Jesus destroyed him through the instrumentality Of the cross. The old trues of Esther are the new truths of Jesus covenant, but in concealed fashion Verses seven and eight of Esther, eight King Ahasuerus said to queen Esther and Mordecai, the Jew Haman.

They have hanged on the gallows, but he, because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree. This is the King speaking to Mordecai and Esther, you have my signature in the ring. You write whatever law you want to protect you and your people. You stamp my signature on it and you can take it to the bank and the King’s name,

seal it with the King signet ring, 10 and 11. He wrote and sent letters by the old style pony express, the Persian pony express. Remember by couriers on Royal horses, bred from Swift steeds. These letters permitted the King permitted the Jews who were in every city together together to protect their lives, destroy, kill, and annihilate. All people that would assault them and to plunder their possessions.

They don’t have to worry About it anymore. And so verses 15 and 16 Mordecai went out from the presence of the King and Royal apparel with a great crown of gold and a garment of purple. Now what kind of figure usually wears a crown. I don’t have gold, a purple rope and rides on a special horse, but a King himself. He Knots number one in charge.

Mordecai’s number two in charge, but he’s being treated Like a King. He is now a ruler among the Persians, and then Jews had lights, gladness, joy, and honor, coincidentally. After the cross, whenever Satan has destroyed any defeats himself, he thought he was going to use that to beat Jesus. But Jesus, in fact uses that to beat him.

After the fact, we find Jesus in the book of revelation, wearing a beautiful robe With a shade of red And having on his head, not one but many beautiful crowns and riding on a special horse, a white one that symbolizes not only his victory, but also the pure Of its rider. All foreshadow by what takes more takes place with mortar. Okay.

And the book of Esther, but wait, there’s more Chapter nine verses three and four. All the officials of the provinces help the Jews because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. Mordecai was great in the King’s palace, but far beyond those walls, his fame spread throughout all the provinces for this man. Mordecai became increasingly prominence. It’s not just among God’s peoples,

not just in the palace everywhere throughout the whole world becomes acquainted with Mordecai and how great of a man. He is coincidentally after Jesus destroys Satan through the cross that he had constructed for him. What does Jesus tell his disciples? But now it’s time. Don’t just keep it among my people. Don’t stay in Jerusalem. Don’t stay in. Junita go behind in fact,

go everywhere throughout the world and tell them my story and how I’ve won the victory for them. Just like we see Mordecai in the book of Esther. But wait, there’s more verses Is five of chapter nine. The Jews defeated all their enemies with the sword. They did what they pleased with those who hated them. And we’re not talking about a few people here.

They killed 75,000 of their enemies. Now don’t forget the way things look just a few hours before it appeared that God’s people were done, that they would all be destroyed. Everything was set up to annihilate that the very next day, the effort begins of the Jews. God’s people to actually All of their enemies and because of that Power of God behind him.

And because of every piece of this puzzle that he had in place, many things, ugly pieces of themselves, he turns it into the most beautiful masterpiece imaginable for his people. He doesn’t have them destroyed. He spares them and it’s all their enemies that ended up being destroyed. Brothers and sisters, not only has Christ won the victory for himself, but as well,

he’s very clear in the revelation and telling us chapter 17, verse 14, that those who choose to be accompanied with him are called. They are chosen and they are faithful and they win just as much as Christ hat. It doesn’t matter how bad it looks. It doesn’t matter how of the world comes against us. It doesn’t matter if every person on the globe safer Christians is against us.

Because if Christ is for us, there is no one who can stand against us In the end, no matter how ugly it is in the present. In the end, we win. Not because of how great we are, but because of how that shadowing, how great that shadowing Mordecai Jesus is because he wins. We win, but wait, there’s more chapter 10 verse three,

Mordecai. The Jew was well-received by the multitude of his brethren. They like this guy, Mordecai. He was seeking the good of his people and he was speaking peace to all of his countrymen. I find it remarkable that after these Persians try together together to eradicate Mordecai, estrone and all of the Jews, Because they’re stronger than they are at the time.

Whenever Mordecai Esther in the Jews gained more strength than they, they have every chance to get, even to destroy these people and to give them all what they do. Cozort now they do the ones who are actively fighting against them. But instead of trying to destroy them, he seeks. They’re good. Instead of seeking to make war with them. Instead he says,

look, guys, I would rather have peace. I’d rather just be friends and exist together in one kingdom. And I I’d rather just enjoy our lives together. He sought the peace in the good of all people. When there were people who temporarily, physically speaking, were more powerful than Jesus. They abuse their authority and they brutally murdered him. And once Jesus defeats Satan through the very cross that Satan had built to destroy him Once Christ does that,

he rises to number two in charge, Large first Corinthians 15 says, God, the father himself has accepted from that statement. He rises the number two in charge. He’s more powerful than anyone. And finally you can give all of his enemies what they deserve, But instead, what does he offer them? But forgiveness, goodness and peace. Make no mistake about it.

If we don’t accept those terms, eventually we have to meet the wrath of the King, but it’s not his first choice. That’s not what he wants. He’s fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah chapter nine, verse six, six, that his name will be called Prince, which is ruler a King of peace. That’s what he wants. More than anything else.

Folks, the story of Mordecai is the story of Jesus conceal. Yes, Esther is the heroine of the book, but Mordecai is the hero of the book. And it’s through, You’re the hero of these old trues fulfilled Jesus, the Christ That you and I have a chance to have peace with God and victory with in the end, we don’t deserve it,

but because of his goodness, he gives us that opportunity. And when you put together all 14, I’m sure we could have made many more than this, but we don’t have time. When you put together all of these 14 jacket pieces. What you end up with is the most advanced jigsaw puzzle ever created. The amazing marvelous, unparalleled Providence of almighty God to save his people.

The wisest man who ever lived outside of Christ himself, put it this way. Ecclesiastes chapter three, verses 10 and 11. He said, I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. I’ve seen all these people living. I see what they do. I see them going to school. I see them at work.

I see them in their neighborhoods. Everything that we do, he has made everything God beautiful in his time. As I look out and I observe the actions of humanity. That’s an interesting statement because as I look out, I see a lot of ugly things going on. Solomon says I’ve seen in the life that I live eventually in the end, God makes it beautiful.

And there’s not a single piece of it. That’s without accident. He doesn’t force anyone to do anything, but he aligns human choices perfectly to bring about his will. The salvation of his people. He says I’ve seen it time. And again, it’s the same thing that Paul says in Romans eight, a chapter of ugliness. I see death. I see suffering.

I see persecution. I see sickness. I see hardship. And then I see this Romans eight, 28, all things work working together for good to those who love God to those who are the called. According to his purpose, this is the same statement that made in the old Testament. So he has put eternity in their hearts except that no, no.

I can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I hope having gone through the book of Esther, we have a greater appreciation of the Providence of God and what it takes on his end to bring about our salvation things of which we will never know, perhaps prior to eternity, if God even bothers to mention them to us there. I also hope having gone through the book of Esther and seeing this puzzle piece fit together,

we don’t walk away saying, Oh, now I understand everything that God has done for me. No, you don’t. You don’t even come close nor do I. And we never will. Unless he tells us to us in the end, no one can know all the work that God does for his people. From beginning to end, I returned to the thesis statement of the book of Esther,

a rhetorical question, chapter four, verse 14 yet, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this, or if you prefer for the declarative statement, do you realize that you have and created for this very moment folks out? I don’t believe that it’s an accident that any one of us is in this place where we are today.

When we are here today, God had an old truth that he wanted each one of us to understand for our new world. And that there’s nothing that happens by that doesn’t mean he approves of everything that transpires on the globe, it simply means that he uses every deed of humanity to put together the most beautiful jigsaw puzzle. The salvation of his people, God has brought you to this point on the precipice Of his kingdom to be on the rise Outside of it,

looking inside, he has called you to be a part of it. Everything in your life has led up to this point. You’re on the outside of the kingdom and you’re looking in and he invites you finally, come on, you realize everything I’ve done for you and arranged in your life to bring you to the spot. Why haven’t you come inside yet invites you to be a part of it so that you no longer have to be on the outside.

Looking in from this point forward, you can be on the inside and you have no reason to look outside. He tells you to get up and to do something this time about your sinful condition and to be bad And have your sins washed away through which you finally make your salvation, Him acts 22, verse 16. You don’t have to be on the outside of the kingdom anymore.

He’s brought you right outside the doors. Finally, to step on into the inside. Those are with Jesus and her victors in the end, they’re called and they are Chosen because they’ve accepted the Lord’s calling and they’re faithful To remain true to the Lord all the way to the end And as a subject of the kingdom, if you don’t find yourself in that spot,

understand that if you were serving any other King, he would have you executed for defiance against him. But this King is different. He’s a ruler of peace. And instead he tells us through John’s pen in his first letter, chapter one, verse seven, just talk to the number one in charge. And you can do that because of your, and my connection together.

Talk to the number one in charge. Tell them where you messed up as his child. Tell him that. You’re sorry. And I, he is faithful. And just to forgive, you all says, and it’s just like, none of it ever happened. It’s just like you were fully compliant to him all along. That’s the mighty ruler that Jesus is the King of all Kings.

Do you realize that you were created for this very moment? Do you understand that you were brought to the doors of the kingdom for such a time as this? Do you understand that the King of all Kings once you more than he wants anything in anyone else in this morning, you can have him. If you’ll respond to his calling to you while we stay in and sing the song together,