Celebrate: Come On! — Dr Liam Goligher’s final sermon on the book of Esther
Celebrate: Come On!
Esther 9:20-10:3
Dr. Goligher finishes his series on Esther by looking at the aftermath of the great deliverance of the Jewish people by the unseen hand of God. The Festival of Purim was instituted as a community celebration to be a “standing reminder of this remarkable victory.” Dr. Goligher points out and expands upon three aspects of the festival: it was a time of rest from their enemies, a time for remembering, and a time for rejoicing.
Dr. Goligher then directs us to the words of Isaiah 57:19
“Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
He points out that although God had given the Jewish people a measure of rest – of peace from the wicked that that peace was not…
the final peace; it was not the final rest. The wicked will stir up the sea again against the people of God, again and again and again and again they will do this in the history of the world to this very day.”
But we are encouraged that while there is no peace for the wicked the believer will indeed experience eternal peace. As a result of his work on the cross, Jesus Christ is every believer’s peace. And that day — the day of eternal peace — is coming!
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Posts in this series
Part 1: Liam Goligher’s sermons on the book of Esther (pt 1)
Part 2: Beauty and the Beast — Liam Goligher’s 2nd sermon on the book of Esther
Part 3: Of Plots and Kings — Liam Goligher’s 3rd sermon on the book of Esther
Part 4: If I Perish, I Perish — Liam Goligher’s 4th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 5: Battle Plans — Liam Goligher’s 5th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 6: Sleepless in Susa — Liam Goligher’s 6th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 7: Mission Impossible — Liam Goligher’s 7th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 8: Binding the Strong Man — Dr Liam Goligher’s 8th sermon on the book of Esther.
Part 9: Holy War — Dr Liam Goligher’s 9th sermon on the book of Esther
Part 10: Is this post.
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- Posted in: Christianity
- Tagged: Esther, Liam Goligher, sermons
A Cry For Justice 
The book of Esther has brought me in to a deeper relationship with the Lord and is a much needed reminder that the ways of God are always good and purposeful, even though I cannot always see it in the here and now.
Those of us who have come face-to-face with evil get weighed down in the fog of abuse to the point it is hard to do anything at all, other than just try to get through and survive another day. And I recall at times not caring if I did get through another day in fact, I prayed the Lord would take me out of my anguish and take me home.
I must say within the horror of my abusive marriage, what takes a front row seat above all else is the “deep down in my gut disturbing sense” that I could never relax for a moment, be vulnerable and feel safe with my ‘husband.’ Survival meant to ALWAYS be ‘on guard’ in fear of what lurked around the next corner; what does he have planned this time!?! The ‘calm’ times were actually the worst, because for me this was the calm before the storm. Never knowing how devastating the storm was going to be, left me unprepared and unnerved while stumbling around in uncharted waters. Many, many times I did throw all my fears overboard and say I am going to trust my husband (what woman doesn’t yearn for this) allowing myself to say, surely, this time it will be different. And sure enough, ‘this time’ would leave me gasping in sheer horror that anyone could be so demonic and deceitful.
So beautiful is Esther’s story! It helps me to rise above my limited view to see a panoramic view of God and his faithfulness and his purposes. And He really does heal our wounds: ‘For I will restore health to you and I will heal your wounds,’ says the Lord (Jeremiah 30:17).
Thank you, Dr. Goligher, for shedding light on the book of Esther and helping me to never forget, God is ALWAYS at work, always in control, and always has a magnificent plan. And I can trust His ‘calm’ without fear and trembling and put away any notion that he has forgotten me. I can trust what lies ahead. And it WILL be good!
From the original post:
^That.