Sermon: After the Honeymoon (Esther 2:19-3:1)

After the Honeymoon Sunday, January 19th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 2:19–3:1 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate. Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him. In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name. And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king. After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

Prayer

O Father, we thank you for the promise that for those who by patience possess their souls, not a hair of our head shall perish. Please preserve us in such faith, keep as the apple of your eye, that we might attain to such glory where all our troubles are forgotten. We ask for this hope in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

The title of my sermon this morning is After the Honeymoon. And that is because in these six verses in front of us, the first four-five years of Esther’s marriage to Ahasuerus are covered. Just to give you a sense of where we are in this story chronologically:

• The book of Esther opens around the year 519 BC, “In the third year of Ahasuerus’ reign.” And after much feasting and pomp, Vashti was removed for her rebellion, and not long after that the search for a new queen better than Vashti began.
• However, four years would go by before such a woman would be found. After twelve months of purification, we read in Esther 2:16-17, “So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign (515 BC). And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
• Now the next timestamp we are given comes in Esther 3:7, where Haman has lots cast to determine when the Jews should be exterminated. And we are told that that event takes place “in the 12th year of king Ahasuerus.”
• So in the 7th year Esther is married, in the 12th year the lots are cast for the Jews’ destruction, and in the five years between those events, there are just a few details that the author of the book wants to tell us. But they are details that will become pivotal to the Jews salvation. And it is to those details we shall now turn.

Division of the Text

• In verses 19-20 we learn that Mordecai Sits in The King’s Gate.
• In verses 21-23 Mordecai Foils an Assassination Attempt. And yet in spite of this good deed we see…
• In verse 1, Mordecai Is Not Promoted.
  • These are the details that set up the entrance of the great villain Haman. So let us consider these verses in some depth.

Verses 19-20

19And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.

20Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.