One of the things I like to do is find practical, every day ways that you and I can be like people in the Bible.

At first glance, this is a little bit difficult with Esther. How many of us win a beauty contest to become queen of an empire, and follow that up saving your entire people group from genocide? Can I see a show of hands?

I mean, if Esther were alive today, we could send her off to Darfur to fix things up, and then she could win the Miss Universe pageant for an encore!

I suppose it might be a good idea to go beyond the first glance.

Like most people in the Bible, Esther speaks to us today more through her character and her choices than through the events of her life.

And, even though this is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God, once again, like with Hannah last week, we see that God is in complete control of the world. God works with and even in spite of our choices to bring about what he intends.

So, even though most of us won’t have the opportunity to influence world empires and events, even though most of us don’t see life work out as beautifully as Esther’s life comes together…even though this is an amazing story that reminds us more of Disney’s best fairy tales than it does of our mundane work-a-day life…Esther’s fears, Esther’s choices, and God’s sovereignty work together in ways that can be models for us, too.

I’m glad we had the chance to see the whole story read and acted out in front of us today.

We were dropped into a world of kings and empires, and introduced to the Persian King Xerxes. The people of Israel had been an exiled and scattered people for a long time. When the exile first happened, as we looked at several months ago, Daniel and his 3 friends became the Jewish heroes who rose to power and prominence as they served God faithfully.

But Daniel’s been gone awhile, and the Jews were wondering if they would ever have influence again.

When Esther enters the court, when she’s chosen to “compete” to become the new queen, there are echoes of Daniel.

Just like Daniel and his friends were chosen as the best of the best, so is Esther. Just like Daniel was under the care of a steward who takes a liking to him, so is Esther. Just like Daniel was given special food to eat, so is Esther.

But it’s a little bit different, isn’t it? From the beginning, Daniel makes his different diet and his religious beliefs an issue. Times are quite different now for Esther. Mordecai, her uncle, doesn’t let her tell her nationality. We’re not told why he does that, but it turns out to be a good thing, as the story takes a turn for the worse.

Haman, the bad guy with all kinds of power, hates uncle Mordecai. And he’s so angry, that it isn’t enough just to get back at Mordecai. Haman has a plot and a plan that will kill and destroy every Jew in the entire 127 provinces that Xerxes rules, most of the known world.

There’s more at stake here for Esther and the people of Israel than during Daniel’s time. Daniel’s worst case scenario was his own death; for Esther and Mordecai, it’s the fate of an entire nation.

Turn with me to Esther chapter 4, verse 6.

It’s on page 455 in the bibles in the pews. Esther is unaware of how bad things are, but Mordecai is mourning, publicly, in sackcloth and ashes. It’s an embarrassing display, and Esther sends proper clothes to him…which he refuses. So Esther sends her attendant to talk with Mordecai and figure out what’s going on. [READ 4:6-11].

Esther knows what the stakes are for her if she tries to help. Yes, she’s in a position of influence; but being a queen in an empire like Xerxes’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She can’t even go see him without his permission, and she hasn’t seen him for a month. If she initiates a meeting, if she tries to assert her will, she may very well end up dead…or kicked out of the court like her predecessor, Vashti.

A translation of Esther’s response might be, “Look, I know this is terrible, but how can you expect me to risk everything to try and help? You’re the one who’s always been so careful about my heritage, you’re the one who’s orchestrated me being in this place. You know that all we’ve worked so hard for could disappear if I don’t follow the prescribed roles.”

Look at verse 12, for Mordecai’s response [READ 12-14]

Mordecai’s words are sort of “motivation by fear”. Look, Esther, you’re not untouchable. You could die just like the rest of us. In fact, you WILL if you don’t do something.

But there’s also a hint here of God, even though God is never named. “Relief and deliverance for the Jews WILL arise…”

God’s purposes will not be thwarted. We each have our own choices, our own will, our own decisions to make about whether we will choose to join what God is doing. Sometimes, as in Esther’s case, choosing to join what God is doing is a great risk. It comes at a personal cost, a personal sacrifice.

I think Mordecai is reminding her of the hand of God. “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

“This isn’t just our game, our scheming, our work that’s got us to this point, Esther.

“I see a bigger plan and picture. Maybe all of this has happened just so that you can be our people’s savior.”

And what a beautiful tension is here! God has done amazing work to get the perfect person in place to bring about the salvation of his people. All of this stuff that Esther thought was just good luck for her, or maybe the result of her careful planning, all of this was God at work. On the one hand, it’s an amazing thing to see that this is a unique person put in just the right place to do what God wants done.

But at the same time, Mordecai’s words remind Esther and remind us that we aren’t a bigger deal than God.

Esther, “If you remain silent”…if you don’t choose to do what is in God’s plan…well, God isn’t out of options and out of hope because of your choice. No, “relief and deliverance for the Jews WILL arise from another place.”

It’s a beautiful tension! She’s got the ability and the position to do something heroic because of what God has given to her…but God is not dependent upon her. She simply has a choice before her, a choice of whether or not she has the strength and the trust to do the right thing.

Does she ever! [READ v. 15-16]

Here’s a person I want to be like. She’ll risk her own life and status to do the right thing. She seeks God’s help through fasting, through a spiritual discipline. She’s willing to ask her community, her people to help her and join with her.

She’s not a lonely martyr, but someone brave and wise enough to turn to God and others for direction and help.

Esther is an example of the intricacies and complexities of how God’s will is done, how God is sovereign, in a world where we have choices and free will. It is not a coldly calculated, pre-planned, mechanically ordained world that God has created. Our choices matter, and Esther is a model for us of how to make good, courageous choices and do it in the right way, seeking God’s help and the help of others.

And it is not an out-of-control, crazy world where God wrings his hands and is dependent upon us to do the right thing. While we can emulate the choices Esther made, while we ourselves want to ask God for the courage to make right choices even when we are afraid, we are never the Messiahs. God will always find a way to accomplish his will and plan in our world.

[SHOW MERGE SLIDE]

Somehow, God has the ability to make all of this stuff merge together. World history and personal choices. Random happenings and people willing to serve him. Wrong choices and right choices all mixed together.

God can take it all, and God can merge it together into what he intends. We can trust that and believe that, no matter how difficult circumstances are.

For us, our time in life is filled with all kinds of little merge moments. Moments of choice, where we are in a particular time and place, and God’s plan is merging in.

And we have the choice, just as Esther did, the choice of whether we will obey and risk and join what God is doing.

I guess what I’m saying is, God really is powerful enough, sovereign enough, to weave together all our choices and merge them into what he’s doing.

And that means all our choices…not just the big ones, not just the life ones, but all of them are “merge moments.”

Every single day, you and I are in places and with people that no one else is. Sometimes it’s just by luck, sometimes it’s because of our own gifts, sometimes it’s because of our hard work. But every single day, we have “merge moments” where who knows? It might be that we are placed there for such a time as this [CLICK to slide]…for such a time where our choices can join with God’s to do what God intends in our world.

Esther used all of her wisdom, all of her spiritual strength, all of her connections with her community, to make a brave choice to do the right thing. She used her strengths and she quietly and with humility worked around her challenges. She made it easy for God’s will to merge into her situation.

This week, you and I will have opportunities for merge moments.

I hope we’ll remember Esther, and make choices that align with what God is doing.

I need some kids and others to help pass out these little cards. These can serve as a reminder of Esther, a reminder to look for those merge moments, a reminder that God is always in charge, and we can choose to obey him to make those merge moments easy. [PASS THEM OUT]

I’ll close with this, one more reminder that merge moments aren’t just the huge things like Esther’s story.

A couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth Sherwood gave us another image that I want to intentionally connect with these merge moments. Maybe you’re like me, and weren’t here in person to hear what she said. Do what I did, and listen on our website to Aug. 10, or stop by the office for a CD from that day.

Elizabeth talked about “curb moments.” Like Jesus, who was willing to sit down on the curb with the woman who touched him in a crowd, Elizabeth reminded us that we all have many opportunities to sit on the curb with others. We can listen to them, we can take them with us on the curb into the presence of Jesus.

Those are merge moments! Those are the times, those day to day, simple times, when we are on the curb with people, and we have the chance to take up the challenge that we were placed there “for such a time as this!” For a time when God can sit on the curb with them, for a time when God’s plan merges into this world because we intentionally choose to join what he’s doing.

Put this card somewhere this week where you’ll keep bumping into it.

Remember Esther! Trust God! Challenge yourself to live and risk and choose for God!