Purim 2024 Sermon: Dealing with Fear

 The Masoretic Text of the book of Esther does not tell us much about what Esther was thinking as she considered what to do about the dire threat faced by her people.  She sounds brave in Esther 4:16, when she says, "Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."

However, the expanded version of the book of Esther that was part of the Septuagint gives more details about Esther's inner turmoil at the time.  This version of Esther, which was read by many Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians, includes a heartfelt prayer of Esther in which she admits her fears.  She prays for deliverance for her people and deliverance from her fears.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on March 23, 2024, Kyle Kettering read Esther's prayer from Greek Esther and made several points:

• Esther had a good counselor in Mordechai--see Esther 4:13-15.
• Esther took time to seek God's direction, praying and fasting.
• She assessed the risk that she faced.
• She took timely action despite her fears.

Kyle observed that knowing and doing what must be done at the right time are the things that tends to cause us the most anxiety.  He reminded us that, as 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."