CHAPEL FOR THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ON
FEBRUARY 5th 2011 – THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUPERBOWL
ROYAL
We often think of “royalty” in terms of Kings, Queens, great palaces, wealth, easy living, independent….in control.
Spiritual “Royalty” looks different.
Esther originally named Hadassah, meaning, the myrtle, a tree whose leaves only release their fragrance when they are crushed. is the heroine of the Biblical book that bears her name. Hadassah received her name of Esther when she entered the royal harem.
Esther’s cousin Mordecai raised her as his own daughter since she had neither father or mother. They were Jews living in exile and she grew to be very beautiful.
King Ahasuerus was looking for young virgins in the land to be in his harem and chose Esther to be Queen.
Not such a Royal path.
Mordecia told Esther to not reveal that she was a jew but
while in the Kings palace King Ahasuerus gave authority to Haman to kill all Jews in the Persian Empire. Haman was King Ahasuerus’ prime minister. Haman called for this ruling to be given because Mordecai refused to bow to Haman. Haman felt ridiculed and stripped of his authority by Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him and so he went to the king to claim that all Jews were the same and should be killed.
Esther is in a place that did not feel so right or “royal” but in a place so such a time as this….
Esther 4:13-15
13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
Can we find ourselves in places that are not comfortable, painful, dark and out of control that are exactly where God wants us to be?
A place of Royalty.
ODDS
We always looking for good odds.
We want to reduce the chances for failure. We want as much control as possible. To control the outcome.
“I will bet my life on that?”
“Doctor what are my odds?”
Gideon is a Godly man that is faced with an enemy, the Medians of 135,000 that God has asked him to conquer. The problem is all he can muster up is 32,000 men of his own to fight. [Judges 7]
Bad odds.
Judges 7:1-2
Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands’
Too many! God wants the credit. No one will be able to steal that from Him. He asks Gideon to ask all those who were afraid to go home.
22,000 leave. 10,000 left to fight.
Horrible odds. You never bet with odds like this.
God then tells Gideon trim the troops even more.
Judges 7:3-8 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there… So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.”
300 left.
Stupid odds. Insane….but ROYAL.
There are times that God places us in the worst of situations that we call terrible, bad odds but God calls…ROYAL ODDS.
Gideon destroys 135,000 man army with 300 men.
God delights in using weak vessels to display His strength and faithfulness.
When you are faced with a situation where the odds do not look good and you have lost control….look to the One who might have placed you in that time and place to display His glory through you and call it …
“ROYAL ODDS”
Troy A Murphy 