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Welcome to the live big broadcast with Derek Greer. We believe this teaching from God's Word will empower you to live a full, impactful life in Christ. Let's dig in. We're going to be in Esther chapter 2 in verse 10. We are in the third part of our series in the Book of Esther. We've been largely talking about marriage, but the truths here are for single people, people that will be married, and really for anyone that wants to be applied or wants to understand the Scriptures better. Because ultimately we are the bride of Christ and we are in the covenant of marriage with Our Savior, Esther 2:10. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. Now we know from our prior Sundays that Esther was a Jewess. But unlike many of us, she did not wear her ethnicity on her sleeve. Too many of us today are more African American, more white, more Hispanic, more African, more east or Southern Asian than we are Christian. When forced to choose between your people according to the flesh and the Christ who redeemed your spirit, who do you choose? You see, our identity in Christ is real when we stop being who we have been and start becoming who we were created to be. And every day, Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's quarters to learn of Esther's welfare and what was happening to her. We covered this last week, and in that passage we discovered the power of submission. Because Esther obeyed the voice of her uncle, her uncle felt responsible for her results. You see, obedience is our job. The outcome is God's job. And then we have to learn to stay in our lane by not worrying about it. Each young woman's turn came to go into King Assuarius after she had completed 12 months of preparation. And this was according to the regulation for the women. So there was six months of soaking in oil, six months of soaking in perfumes. Just as Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness to prepare himself for 40 years of leading the children of Israel, just like Jesus spent 30 years of living in preparation for only three and a half years ministry. A famous logger said this. He said, if my life depended on cutting down a tree in five minutes, I would spend the first three minutes sharpening my axe. Preparation time is never wasted time. For thus were the days of their preparation apportioned six months with the oil of myrrh. And then he talks about the perfume. But myrrh is the main ingredient added to the olive oil in the making of the holy anointing that was used to Consecrate the temple, the priests and the Kings. Also, about 75 pounds of myrrh was used in the burial of our Savior. But also because myrrh is an antibacterial, it's an antiseptic. The ancients also used this very, very expensive oil to treat wounds from the battlefield. So what we see here from the scripture is that her bathing in myrrh was number one about consecration. Number two, since it was used at the master's own burial, it also represents dying to self. So Esther had to put on the altar who she had been so she could become who God wanted her to become. But number three, that myrrh was used for the healing of old bruises and wounds. Healing often takes time, and that's okay, six months. Most of us want someone to lay hands on us or have an experience where God just kind of zaps us and he erases all the effects of our past and changes our future in an instant. But what we see in these verses is some stains are so deep that they require soaking before they come out. There are some issues in our lives so deep one word on a Sunday won't fix takes months of. As Jesus said, remain in me, let my word remain in you. Then you'll ask what you will, and it will be given you. But there has to be a remaining, a soaking, a meditating on letting it get in you and under your skin. Some stains are just so deep it requires time in his presence, in his word, with his spirit, in order for that issue to be resolved. Many of us, because we don't have a quick fix, we think it wasn't God, but God was like, listen, all I did was start it. And you ran off to the next thing before I can finish it. You see, for every complex problem, there's a quick solution that's easy, convenient, and wrong. Mind the temptation. Six months with the oil emergency and six months with perfumes. Myrrh was the foundation of her care. And in Iran, or the area that they were in at that time, desert temperatures often exceeded 110 degrees. Sometimes it would go up, you know, well into the 120s. I remember I was in the Middle east, and for some reason, we had to walk down off the plane and then walk back up to get into the airport. I thought I would melt when I felt that heat. And I was like, you know what? This must be what hell feels like. You know, I'm not. But because of the heat, perspiration was a very regular part of living in life. I had some contractors Install a concrete walk outside of my home. And the contractor was smart. Instead of just painting the surface of the cement, he mixed the color into the cement. So when the walk chips, it chips down to the color and doesn't need to be repainted. The reason we're so busy managing surface stink is because we didn't let the change sink in deep enough. Sometimes a dab won't do. It requires a soaking. It requires some time to get the stain out. Even with our washing machines for high soil, the cycles are a little bit longer. And many of us, we're so in a rush, we want to quickly get out, but we never get clean. I'm going to talk to this side of the room. But Esther was willing to go through the process. So six months with oil lemur, which is our foundation, and then six months with other perfumes and preparations for the beautifying of women. Ladies, one of the most beautiful things you could ever wear is confidence. Every woman is beautiful. It just takes the right man to see it. Thus prepared each young woman, and she went into the king. Now, it took about a year of beauty treatments, but this was by design because they also wanted to ensure that the woman that went into these private quarters that were protected by mans with these scimitars, these big old swords, and. And all the rest, they wanted to make sure that she was not already with a child that was not the king, because the king did not want to raise a child that was not his own. How often have we tried to make God responsible for things we conceived without him. Thank God for his mercy, thank God for his kindness. And each woman was given whatever she desired to take with her from the woman's quarter to the king's palace. And the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women. So there was one house for the virgins. And then we see there's a second house. And she went into the custody, meaning these women were protected like property by the king. She went into the custody of Shaq, I'm just going to call it that way. The king's eunuch who kept the concubines. So the second house was for the king's concubines. And this was a pagan king, but at least he accepted responsibility for the women in his life. She would not go into the king. Again, pay attention to the text. Unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name. This was a very high stakes game that Esther was playing. You know, on the surface, a year of spa treatments, you know, massages and. And a finishing school might sound exciting, but if she was not the one chosen, and she happened to be one of the 399, as I told you last week, Josephus said that There were over 400 women that competed for the king's favor. But if she did not win, she would be treated like a widow for the rest of her life. She could not marry another man, she'd be under guard, and she would live in the confines of the palace. But how many of you know that faith is spelled R I S K? Risk. So Esther had to take this risk. All we can do is our part in excellence and leave the rest to God. Verse 15. Now watch this. Now, when the turn came for Esther, success comes when opportunity. Watch this. And preparation meet. If you have the opportunity, but don't have the preparation, it's no good. If you have the preparation, without the opportunity, it's no good. Suddenly both of these things come together. She's prepared for months, at least a month. The king beckons. You know, we spend 12 years earning our diploma, then some of us go on four years to earn our undergraduate degree. And a degree we seldom use, by the way. But we invest no time in preparing for the relationship we want to last a lifetime. Series like these matter more than you realize. Now, when Esther's turn came, You gotta seize your chance while you have the chance. When it's your turn, own it, step into it, because after it, we die. Now, when the turn came for Esther, her turn came. And a lot of people get excited about people whose time has arrived, but you don't realize how long they had to soak. And sometimes the soaking got tedious, sometimes it got a little bit boring. Sometimes you even ask what for. But preparation comes before the opportunity. And the wonderful thing about the future is it comes one day at a time and one choice at a time. Now, when the term came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter. So again we have this unlikely orphan girl. We discovered in earlier verses that her parents had died and the uncle adopted her. This young lady was familiar with childhood loss and pain and probably didn't always feel like she fit in, and probably kind of felt like life could have been different for her if she was just handed a better hand. But no power on earth can stop you when God has said, your time has come. See, you can tell me if you want to what I can't do. But you. Too late. I started from the bottom. Now we're here. She requested nothing. You see something of the character of this woman. A woman. I'm a little bit ahead of myself. That probably had a lot of reason to be bitter. But we find a very submissive and yielding young lady. First, she submitted to her uncle. But here it says she requested nothing. But what? Haggai, the king's eunuch, the custodian of the woman. Watch this. Advised, this young lady was beautiful, but get rid of the stereotype because she was not stupid. Proverbs 12:15 says this. The way of the fool is right in his own eyes. The fool is always right in his imagination, always has an excuse for what he did or why it didn't work out. But watch the last clause. But a person who listens. You can't hear unless you listen. But a person who listens to advice is what wise. Sometimes our foolishness is simply because we won't listen. Proverbs 11:14 says this. Victory is won with many, not just one. Advisers. You know, I've walked with the Lord a lot of years, but I spend time with older men, men greater than me, who have been where I am. Yeah. A different generation. Yeah. They sung different songs. They did a lot of things differently, but life is life. And they had babies like I did. They had children like. And I've learned to listen. I don't go into the room to try to impress them. I go into the room to listen and to hear. And that has been one of the strengths of my life and ministry. It says, victory is won through many advisors. Proverbs 9:8 says this. Do not correct or advise scoffers. Some people you just need to leave alone, lest they hate you. All they do is criticize what you say, talk about your motive. They don't have enough wisdom to hear, and they'll flip it and turn it against you. So I've learned. Listen. I didn't know this as a young man, but I've learned in my older age, don't give advice until asked. But watch the next clause. Okay, I keep that. Maybe 25% of the time. It says, rebuke a wise man. This is why I don't correct everybody. The foolish person will hate me, but the wise person will appreciate and love me. This is important. Stop taking advice from your lonely and bitter friends and family members. Love them, please. But take advice from people who are successful in the area that you want to be successful in. And please don't take everybody's advice. I've had people come to my office. This is what the book Said, did you know the author's been divorced seven times and he's writing about marriage. Pay attention to the fruit. People who do not accept wise counsel will only have foolish people in their lives with nothing to say. And Esther obtained favor. There's that word again. She found favor in the sight of all who saw her. Esther's ultimate gift was not her beauty. It was her favor. You see, your luck can run out, but God's favor could change your life and situation forever if you look for it. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus. You see that word taken? Because it's the second time it's mentioned. Let's go back to Esther 2 and 8. Just a quick notice and we'll get right back. This is when they decided to have this beauty contest. And so it was when the king's command and decree was heard again, this beauty contest. And they wanted all the women to be. To come before the king and for him to select who he liked. And when many young women were gathered at Sushan, the citadel, under the custody of Heggia, that Esther was. Watch this. Was taken to the king's palace. Now watch this. The other women, according to scripture, were gathered. Is that what it said? It said they gathered. Right? Gathered. But Esther was what? Taken? The other women volunteered, but Esther went under constraint. Esther was a virgin Jew. She did not want to be wed to an uncircumcised pagan king. The others gathered, but what was happening to her happened forcibly. I want you to think about some of the unspeakable things that have happened in your life. And I want you to know that God's providential care can still be at work even in the most degrading situations. The cross proves that the worst that man could do, Jesus took it and turned it into our victory and our salvation. Don't tell me what God's providence cannot accomplish, but please don't mishear me. God did not make Exerxes or Assuarius get drunk. He didn't do that. He didn't make him try to humiliate his wife. But I need you to understand, no deed, good or bad, is ever wasted in God's plan. Esther 2:17. So Esther was taken to the king into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The. The Bible's using dates here and the range, locations, personal names. And it's doing this to let us know this is not myth. Likewise, God has given us so much history in our lives that we shouldn't start doubting him now. What God has done is fact. And this is the value of walking with him for more than just one season. You'll get to the place that there's just too much history to doubt him now. Verse 17. The king loved Esther more than. Watch this. All. All the other women. Now, listen, Powerful men are generally not attracted to bitter women. Now, a powerful man might make a woman bitter, But the relationship seldom starts out that way. Now, I have been with couples, you know, over 30 years, counseling sessions, etcetera, in the worst possible situations. But I noticed a simple smile can reduce 50% of the tension in a marriage. Yeah, I've learned half the problem is attitude. The other half are skills that we can learn. You can learn all the skills you want, but if you maintain the wrong attitude. But also you can have a great attitude. But if y' all don't learn some skills. So here's my advice to any couple that's struggling. I want you to try for seven days. Here's the doctor's medicine. Smile more, complain less. Stop taking advice from bitter people and watch what happens. Listen, I know you've been hurt. I know some things that happen are not fair. But watch this. Your attitude, your choice. Okay, I gotta hug myself again. Before. And Esther obtained grace and what? Favor. There's that word, favor again. When God favors you, what was meant to break you, God uses to only make you stronger. Every scar in my life I survived is proof that I was able to beat what was meant to kill me. You say you're scarred. I say you are blessed. Because it wasn't meant to leave a scar. It was meant to kill you and destroy you. It was meant to stop you. But I've learned what people have done to stop me. I use it for fuel, to push on and to move harder and even grind more. If you're like me, and I know you are, you've already survived 100% of your worst days. And today will be no different. Come on, catch this spirit. Catch this spirit. I said you have survived 100% of your worst days. Came in with the diagnosis. You survived it. The. The. The child came in with that announcement. You survived it. Your spouse came in talking that craziness. You survived it. Today will be no different. Come on, I'm preaching good there. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. She obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. When you have God's favor, what's true for others doesn't have to be true for you. So he Set the royal crown upon her. Watch this. And made Vashti the queen instead. Or, sorry, made Esther the queen instead of vasting. This is important. There's only one person that will ever be born with your fingerprint. There'll only be one person with an eye that looks just like your. That's what all the biometrics are about. Now you can go through the airport without a passport because you know your eyes and all that, it identifies you. No one's exactly like you. So God doesn't replace us, but he will let someone take your position if you keep playing. When virgins were gathered together a second time. Now, Esther has already been crowned king according to the scriptures. And no one really knows exactly what was happening with this second go around. Maybe it was a reunion for all of the beauty queens, I'm not quite sure, but it says here something important. Because in this culture and at this time in history, only the important people, the movers and shakers, sat at the gate. So, like when you see Lot sitting at the gate, that meant he didn't just enter the city, he was leading in a major mover and shaker in the city. So Mordecai sat within the king's what gate. So though he was a Jew, he sat at the king's gate where all the leaders met. Never let your ethnicity lock out your possibilities. Sometimes with the victim of our own limited imagination more than society. Now, Esther had not revealed her family and her people. And we're going to end with this. Just as Mordecai had charged her, now here she is, the queen. She didn't need to listen to Unk anymore. Most powerful woman in the nation. But we find her in this position of authority and she still remembers where her help came from, he said. Now Esther had not revealed her family or her people, just as Mordecai had charged her. For Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. Now, Esther is one of only two books in the Bible where God's name is not explicitly written. And just because everything in your life does not instantly shout Jesus, doesn't mean that God's fingerprint is not on it. Just because Jesus is in the prayer and a robe in your dorm room, just because there was no burning bush, just because there was no cloud by day or fire by night, doesn't mean that God was not leading you. The Bible uses this language. It says Ruth, quote unquote, just happened to be at Boaz's threshing floor. She just happened to be at the place of her kinsman, Redeemer, Boaz. Joaz. I'm sorry. Joseph just happened to be in the right prison, talking to the right person who happened to be the cup holder for the pharaoh. And he just happened to interpret the right dream that later would be remembered. The Samaritan woman just happened to be at the right place at the right time. As Jesus. There are no coincidences with God. God always wants to work all things together for good. Now, Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her. Though queen, you see, her nature was still yielding. You see, if you cannot be shaped, you will be broken. The Bible says, I am the potter, you are the clay. And the thing about potters is they stick their fingers into your sides. The world spins around. It's like, oh, my God, what's happening? What's happening? What's happening? God, get me out of this thing. Out of this thing, out of this thing. In the midst of all that, all of that, he sticks his finger in there, like, oh, God. The hard thing is sometimes he uses a person. He uses one person for this, another person for that, then another person for that, and in the world keeps spinning, but then when it stops, it takes on a form and a beauty that wouldn't be unless you stayed on the wheel. I just started saying something to you. Stay on the wheel. I know it's confusing. I know it's a little bit painful, it hurts sometime, but stay on the wheel. For Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai, as when she was brought up by him. Theologians call the book of Esther the Book of intrigues. Intrigues, meaning questions and plots and schemes. And what we see here is there were a lot of secrets. God's name was secret. It was providential, meaning he wasn't working out in a way that you could clearly know it was necessarily God. How do you get taken and put in this beauty contest, gawked at by people? And how could God work something like that for good? But just as Esther kept her identity secret, sometimes God hides his identity until just the right moment. And it's only in looking back that you can discover how far God has brought you. Albert Einstein said, coincidence is the way that God remains anonymous. You may be thinking, today I'm just here by coincidence. I just. You know what? I heard a lot about that Grace Church and the funny guy up there that talks. I'm going to tune in. There are no coincidences with God. Out of all the Sundays, you could have been here there are no coincidences with God. But what I want to say to you is, just as Esther's turn came, I'm here to tell you it's your turn. Thank you for joining us. Until next time, remember you have what it takes in Christ to live big. We also invite you to partner with Derek Greer Ministries in bringing the life changing and impactful teachings of God's Word to the world. Get started by visiting Derekreer.com by clicking the link in the description.