Esther chapter 9 this evening. We're going to be picking up in the first verse of Esther chapter 9. And sitting there this evening, decided that we'll probably make this the last sermon this evening. So, Esther chapter 9. Esther chapter 9, starting in verse number 1. Now in the 12th month, that is the month of Adar, on the 13th day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, and the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them. Now, I know this is just a semi-colon and a parenthesis, but don't you love that lookin' smiley face and a wink at the end of that verse? That's exactly what they thought they was gonna have, power over them. But the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus to lay hand on such as sought their hurt, and no man could withstand them, for the fear of them fell upon all people. And all the rulers of the provinces and the people's lieutenants and the deputies and officers of the king helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces, for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater, Thus, the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword and slaughter and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. And as Shushan the palace, the Jews slew and destroyed 500 men. And in Parsnada, we're going to just go on and have fun. You know, thank the Lord. This is Old Testament now as patha and paratha and Adelia and Ariadne and Paramount par master and Well, we're just gonna skip verse number nine praise the Lord. I Did rehearse those words? Okay now, but you can't remember them in the ten sons of Haman and And Hamadathah and the enemy of the Jews slew they, but on the spoil they laid not their hand. And on that day the number of those were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. And the king said unto Esther the queen, the Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan the palace. and the ten sons of Haman, what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee, or what is thy request further? And it shall be done. Then said Esther, if it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, which are in Shushan, to do tomorrow also according to this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. And the king commanded it to be done, and the decree was given at Shushan, and they hanged Haman's 10 sons. For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the 14th day, also the month of Adar, and slew 300 men at Shushan, but on the prey they laid not their hand. But the other Jews, that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together and stood for their lives and had rest from their enemies and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand but they laid not their hands on the prey and on the 13th day of the month of Adar and on the 14th day of the same rested they and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Let's pray. Our gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for the blessing that we've learned thus far from studying this marvelous book, Lord. Lord, I pray that we'll not only be people who study your word, but we'll be people who apply your word, people of confidence in your word, people of confidence in the God of this very Bible. Lord, I pray that you'll be with us this evening as we Bring this to a close, Lord. Give me the words to speak. In Jesus' name, amen. As we come to our close here in this study in the book of Esther, The chapter nine is really a complete time of celebration. I mean, when we start in verse number one, we are reminded that God can do it. God can do it. He mostly certainly can in his time and for his glory. But the problem for us oftentimes is that we forget that it's God's timing. What we see here in verse number one, I'm calling what we would say is the unraveled plan. Now in the 12th month, that is the month of Adar, on the 13th day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them, that hated them. I mean it's one thing that we've seen so far when when God shows up on the scene and he brings victory over against the enemy but but it always amazes me how God used the day that the enemies plan to destroy his people in return to bring destruction upon them. It was on the day in which Haman had plotted out all those chapters ago to destroy the nation of Israel that God would use this specific day to let His glory shine. the brightest. On this day, Haman planned for a mass execution. He planned to plunder the people. And you're right. And God said, you're right, Haman. We're going to do something on this day. And on the 13th day, we're going to set the record straight that this isn't about Haman's story, but this is about God's story. This is about how God is going to unfold this story here. In Esther chapter three and verse seven, we seen that Haman hatched a plan and all these things that were going to happen on this day, but God unraveled it all in the very same day in which he planned. This is the story that we see pour out throughout the entire Bible. It was the enemies of Daniel who hatched a plan that when they seen Daniel go down there and pray that they went to Darius and said, listen, Darius, if we can just hatch a plan to say if anybody bows and prays before any other God besides you, that on this day, We're going to throw them in the lion's den." And that's what they did. And they had the plan hashed. And as it unfolded, what they would find out, Daniel would go down and pray. And they said, again, we got him. And they would go before the king, and they would drag Daniel up, and they would throw Daniel in the lion's den, and come to find out what would happen. the destruction that they had planned for Daniel would end up being their own destruction. By the way, in that text it says that when they threw the enemies of Daniel into the lion's den, that their bodies didn't even hit the ground before it was devoured. their ultimate plan had turned against them was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Those three Hebrew men, they had planned that if they did not bow, that whoever did not bow, they would heat the fiery furnace seven times hotter. And then whoever didn't bow, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. But what we find out when you read that story, that the people who were in charge of opening up the fiery furnace and heating it up seven times hotter, the Bible says when they opened the doors, they were destroyed. And when they were thrown in, three was thrown in the fire, but we know the story, four was walking in the flame. And what we find here in Esther chapter nine is the reminder that you may go out on the limb and hatch a plan against people who you have deemed to be your enemies, but the record stands straight that we ought to be careful how we plan to lay a demise for other people because ultimately the plan that you have for someone else may in the end be turned upon your own head. Ask Haman, he will tell you all about it. So we see in Esther chapter nine, this unraveled plan. Then we see here in verse number two, this unparalleled power. The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus to lay hand on such as sought their herd. And no man could withstand them for the fear of them fell upon all the people. Did you see that? I don't even understand how this fully happened. How is it that these people who just weeks earlier was planned to be executed on the 13th day of the month of Adar, just to cross references, this is on the 13th day of March. There was a plan to execute these people. And just weeks later, not only are they not going to be executed, but they have so much power that is unparalleled throughout 172 provinces. Just in a few short days, the word had spread what the God of Israel had done for his people, and it had struck fear in all the people. They had never seen this kind of power. Even more, this power that was made manifest, it caused an unbelievable cooperation. Verse three, and all the rulers of the provinces and the lieutenants and the deputies and officers of the king helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. Not only did the tables turn, but do you see what happened? The unbelievable cooperation came when God would instrumentally use the world to defend his people. All of the king's lieutenants and the king's officers and the king's deputies, because of the fear of the Jews, because of the fear of Mordecai, would help execute those who were standing in opposition to them. When God shows up on the scene, it is untelling, unknown what God will do. But we also see this ultra-rapid ascension. For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out through all the provinces. For this man, Mordecai waxed greater and greater. Remember that? The man who couldn't get any credit for even saving the king, the saddest man in all of Shushan, the man who was weeping, the man whose clothes were torn, the man who was in sackcloth and ashes, this man who was weeping, who was the lowest rung of the land. He was so low in the land that the king didn't even care whether or not he was executed. And now this very man, has waxed greater and greater that now all, how do you go from not being cared about in one city to 172 provinces being afraid of you? He waxed greater and greater. I couldn't imagine what it was like in that day in those provinces. Hey, did you hear about Haman? Do you know about Haman? No, I don't know about Haman, but I know about that Mordecai. Every time I hear somebody talking about Mordecai, he gets another promotion. He's moving right up the rung. Before you know it, old Mordecai will be king. This is the emphasis. Every day, Mordecai in the land waxed greater and greater amongst the 17 provinces. Then verses five through 17 brings us this ultimate victory. Some of the enemy, that's not what the text says. The Jews smote some of the enemy. No, look at this, in verse five. The Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword and slaughter and destruction and did what they would unto those that hated them. How many of the enemies did God prevail over? All of them. All of them, all of them in just Shushan the palace, all of them in all 172 provinces, God overthrew in one day. Now there was an unbelievable price for plotting against God's people. Notice this, there is an unbelievable price for plotting against God's people. And that pertains not only to the world plotting against God's people, but that counts against believers who are plotting against other believers. There's an unbelievable price to pay for such an action. It says in verse six, and in Shushan, the palace, the Jews slew and destroyed 500 men in Shushan, the palace, in Shushan, the palace. We haven't even got to the city and what happened in the other 172 provinces. But I'm saying that inside the palace, God has worked in such a way that in the palace, 500 men died there. When you make it out to the 172 provinces, 75,000 people died. Look at verse 16. But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together and stood for their lives and the rest from their enemies and slew of their foes 70 and 5,000 but laid not their hands on the prey. Laid not their hands on the prey. 75,000 died. Now, even more in the midst of all that, there was some unknown consequences. Look at verse 12. And the king said unto Esther, the queen, the Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan the palace. And the 10 sons of Haman, what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now, what is thy petition and what shall be granted thee? Or what is thy request further? And it shall be done. Can we just acknowledge here before we look at the verse following after this, that sometimes your bad decisions don't just affect you. Sometimes your bad decisions will bring down consequences upon those who you love the most. Sometimes your fullest decisions, your evil that you conjure up will end up pouring upon your own children and destroying your own family. Sometimes the hate that we spell out or spill out in times of anger, though we may recover and come back to, though we may get better and say, I've moved on past it, it may end up destroying our own children. He says here in verse number 12, they asked about these Hamans. Okay, verse 12, and the king said unto Esther, The queen, the Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men of Shushan, the palace, and the 10 sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? And now what is thy petition? It shall be granted thee, or what is thy request further? And it shall be done. Verse 13, then said Esther, if it please the king, Let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day's decree and let Haman's 10 sons be hanged where? Upon the gallows that his own father built. And the king commanded it so to be done and the decree was given at Shushan and they hanged Haman's 10 sons. Haman's hatred that he spewed out not only ended up destroying him, but it destroyed his 10 sons. All those chapters earlier, we remember him bragging about the wealth of his home and about how amazing his children were and about this great wealth that he's had and all of that has been brought down by the single gallows he built. They were hanged. Now, again in verse 13, that they were hung upon the gallows. Verse 14, and the king commanded it to be done and the decree was given to Shushan and they hanged Haman's 10 sons. Never in Haman's wild imagination and all that bragging and boasting did he ever imagine that on the 14th day of Adar, on the 13th day of Adar that his 10 sons would be pained. Look at verse 17. And on the 13th day of the month of Adar, on the 14th day, the same rested day and made it a day of feasting and gladness. But you know what? Story's not over. Let's continue on here. Story's not over. Verse 18, but the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the 13th day and the 15th day of the same. They rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore, the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns made the 14th day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting and a good day. and of sending portions one to another. And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, to establish," look at this verse 21, to establish this among them, that they should keep the 14th day of the month of Adar and the 15th day of the same yearly. as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, unto them from sorrow to joy and mourning into a good day. And they should make them days of feasting and joy and sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do so as they had begun and as Mordecai had written unto them, because Haman, the son of Hamathah, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them and to cast purr, that is, the lot to consume them and to destroy them. But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters, that is, wicked device, which he devised against the Jews should return upon his own head. and that he and his son should be hanged on the gallows, wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, the Jews ordained and took upon them and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, according to their appointed time every year, and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, every city, and all these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abahel, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. And he sent the letters unto all the Jews to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with words of peace and truth to confirm these days of Purim in their time appointed. And as Mordecai the Jews and Esther the queen had enjoyed them, And as the decreed for themselves and for their seed the matters of the fasting and their cry and the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim as it was written in the book. Now let me summarize all this. It's real simple. The Jews said it took years to get the chapter done. but we got to chapter nine. God did not fail to deliver us. And because God did not fail to deliver us, we must never forget that God delivered us. Matter of fact, you notice they committed to themselves that from that moment, all the way throughout the rest of history, that they would never forget God's deliverance in their life. Did you know, if you go home and look this up, you can look up at Harvard University, you can look at Princeton University, you can look at Yale University, March 22nd of this year, March 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, at all of the universities, you know what they celebrated? Purim. Matter of fact, I found it interesting, because you can watch it on YouTube, but they all gather together, and they have this thing called a jaybrick grogger. Weird name, right? Well, as they're telling the story of Esther to all those who gather together, they swing this jaybrick in circles, and it goes, chk, chk, chk, chk, chk, chk. And they swing that every time the name of Haman is read in the story. as to drown out the name of the wicked. Listen, what my point is is that for 2,000 to 2,500 years later, after this day in which God has delivered them, the Jews have faithfully came together to celebrate that God mightily delivered them. Where's the application for us in 2024? The application is that church is the place that we come to week after week to gather together to celebrate the glorious deliverance that God did in our lives. Sin had almost consumed us and destroyed us, but he delivered us out of darkness into marvelous light. And you know how he charged us to remind ourselves of that? By not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together. We gather together in church to remind ourselves to sing praise unto God, to study the word of the God who delivered us. He delivered us. God has never Not, God has always came to the aid of his believers, but he's always commanded his believers to never forget the mighty victories that he's wrought in our lives. Remember in Joshua chapter four, when God finally would lead the children into the promised land, and when they would get ready to cross, God would command Joshua, Joshua, get the people together, there's the fourth chapter of Joshua, get the people together, and I need you to build a tower there. The tower to be built there was not for Joshua. It wasn't even for the generation that existed in that day. But God told Joshua, erect this tower so that when your children come along, when the generations ahead of you come along and they say, what is this tower that is erected? You can tell them how your God mightily delivered you. This is why when people say to us, well, you know, I mean, I don't get why you go to church. I mean, I don't get why you do that. I mean, can't you just hang back with us? You know, I can't tell you how many times I've had family in town. Well, we're on live stream, I'll leave it alone. But they said, you know, can't you just hang back? No, because I'm going to the place to worship the God who delivered me from the place that I almost perished in. I almost died in my sins, but God magnificently delivered me. So Esther in the close of this chapter, when you get to the very end of the chapter, Esther and Mordecai say, listen, if God has wrought a mighty victory in your life, how wonderful our God is. But there's even a greater problem here than all the sins of Haman. And that is for you to forget that God delivered you. That is for you to live a life in front of your children. that they don't realize that God delivered you. To live a life that you almost forget the situation that you was in and that you had almost perished, and then God mightily worked in their life. The Jews remember a day, one day. that happened in our lives. There's a song, I'm not challenging you to look it up, but it's like, remember, remember the 8th of November. It's a song about Vietnam. But for me, it's remember, remember the 28th of December. I remember the day God saved me. That's why we're here. It's not that we're checking a box. It's not that we're proving that we're good Christians. It's not that we're proving that we're the best. It's that, in truth, to the same situation I gave you, to the same outline, it's because there was a day in my life where I was in service to the prince and the power of the air and he had a plan for me, but God showed up on the scene of my life and unraveled that plan. And the work that he did in my life, the Bible says that in the same when he, the same power in which he used to raise Jesus from the dead, that same unparalleled power is the same power that he used when he saved me. Unimaginable cooperation that in this day that the Lord would move in my life I would he would move towards me and I would look towards him and in this moment would be Saved and there was this ultimate victory that would happen in my life because because of what Christ has done in my life Sin no longer reigns in our members. God is not mentioned once, so to say, by name in this, but God's name is all over these pages. And when we go out and live in this world this week, we may work all day tomorrow and never get the opportunity to mention the name of our God to someone else. but it does not mean that the existence of God shouldn't be all over our faces, all over our attitudes, all over how we behave. There ought to be something unique about us because we have so much confidence in God. Look at the last three verses of chapter 10, the only three verses of chapter 10. And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land and upon the isles of the sea, and all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai." You see that? And the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, the guy who would not bow when everyone else bow. The guy who would not give respect to the world when the world says, you better respect me. This man right here. The king made a declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced them. Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of the Media and the Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed. What a story. What a way this is all unfolded. God has delivered his people. And you know what? We stand here today as people who can testify that we've experienced the same power. Oftentimes we sit back, I sit back in here and see people fantasize like, oh, wouldn't it be crazy if God did something like that again? God did do something like this again. You say, well, I mean, but you know, but like Haman, I know somebody worse than Haman. I know who Haman worked for. And that's the guy I was in service to before the Lord saved me. This is a story, a statement and a story about how wonderful of a savior God is. The only shame of the story is when you forget. So when we leave here this evening, take a note from Esther, take a note from Mordecai, and every day you wake up, remember, remember, for me it's the 28th of December. I'm striving not to forget what great victory God has done in my life. An amazing victory, unparalleled power, unmatchable grace and ultimate victory has been worked in our lives. And by the way, all of this came years into the beginning of the problem, but God was on time. It's never late. I know that's one of the hardest things in the believer's life is realizing that we're not working on man's timing. We're working on God's timing, that things don't happen in accordance to when we want. It happens in accordance to when he so chooses. But if we would just look at the text, he is most glorified. when the situation is coming to the very end. The fiery furnace, the lion's den, or just days before all of the Jews will be executed. It's amazing. What a deliverer. What a Savior we serve. Let's pray. Our gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, we give thanks to you for the mighty work that you've worked in our life, for the deliverance. Who can deny this amazing power that we've experienced. Lord, may we never take for granted this victory that you've done in our lives. May we never take for granted what you've done in saving us, Lord. Lord, I know that it's easy to be said that at times, the further we get away from that day, the more we seem to make ourselves righteous or not so wicked or not so evil on that day. Lord, help us to never forget who we were. Help us to never forget the day you found us. We give thanks to you for all that you've done in Jesus name. Amen. Him number 1 49.