Well, from our last study in Esther, which was in chapter eight, we're gonna be looking at chapter nine, 10, and then just kind of wrapping things up. We see that Haman was dead in chapter eight. King Ahasuerus had reassigned to Esther and given his signet ring to Mordecai. Amazing things have happened in chapter eight. There was also an edict written. And this edict was sent to all 127 provinces throughout the land. The edict stated that the Jews could gather together and they could defend themselves. And it used the same language of the edict that was to annihilate them. It says that they can assemble themselves and kill and annihilate any armed force. Once again, I've lost count now. But once again, God has turned the tables. This prompted, as you can well imagine. So we pick up now in chapter 9 and chapter 10, and we're going to look at this passage, God's plan providentially accomplished. And we're going to look at it through three different The first is the Jews attackers are executed and that's in the beginning of chapter 19 Then I'm sorry chapter 9 then Esther's law is enacted. That'll be the end of Mordecai's legacy is established. We'll look at that in the three verses of chapter 10 so The Jews attackers are executed. The Jewish men were now organized and armed and ready to meet any foe, anyone that would come to attack them and their families and be trying to take their possessions. If you'll remember, the Lord had been with them and had been providing for them and had been turning things around time and time again. But in addition to their weaponry that they were going to defend themselves with, provided a greater weapon, greater than their swords. Because the fear of the Lord, the fear of the Jews fell upon them. In the passage that we just read in verse two, chapter nine, the Jews gathered in their... provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm and no one could stand against them for the fear of them had fallen on the peoples. There was a fear that God had sent into the heart of the Gentiles to keep them either fighting his people or to significantly influence their fighting of his people. This fear that God sent reminds us of several different passages in scripture. One of which is Jacob as he traveled from Shechem to Bethel in Genesis chapter. Sorry, Chapter 35 verse 5. It says and he journeyed. A terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. What an amazing thing. This same fear. went before Israel, promised land in Deuteronomy 2, verse 25. It says, this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heavens, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble in anguish because of you. One other passage comes to mind. Rahab and the two Jewish spies in Joshua 2, verse 9. and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land. The fear of you has fallen upon us and all the inhabitants of the land, and the land melt away before you. There was a man that was given by God that was much more than their swords. The fear that we're seeing here against the enemies, this fear of God, it also protects those who fear God and believe His promises. Because the Jews... decree, they had a renewed courage. They had a new courage. They were not afraid of the enemy. and their courage actually put fear in the enemy. God works these things. But there was another aspect to this fear that helped them in their victory. That was the fear that they had of Mordecai. We read in chapter 9, verse 3, all the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal also helped the Jews for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. Can you believe this? The princes, the deputies, the governors, the officers of the king's court are now helping the Jews to defend themselves. I don't know. I mean, it seems like at least in some places, their own people. And that's what God brought about. God had given Mordecai this high and great position, this good reputation. Mordecai used his authority to do the will of God. Mordecai was the prime minister of this government and meant what he said went. What he said was law. Just as a side note, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 10, verses 3 and 4. "...in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of flesh, but have divine power and destroy strongholds." Boy, whenever the church has tried to use the weapons of this world to fight its battles, The consequences have sometimes been disastrous and sometimes embarrassing. We are not fighting against flesh and blood. But by wearing the whole armor of God, prayer and the Word of God, the Christian can move forward with courage and faith. In chapter 9, verse 5 of Esther, it says, the Jews struck down all of their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them. They did as they pleased to those who hated them. This Holocaust that was planned did not come to fruition. If we look at this section in verses five to 15, we're given a report from Shushan, an additional news was given about what happened to the other parts of the empire. So during the days of conflict, the Jews killed 500 of their enemy in the city capital alone. It's remarkable that so many Persians were desiring to see this whole group of people annihilated. It's remarkable that so many of them in the city of the king, where Esther and Zechariah were both living, were that determined to get rid of them. In verses 12 and 13, we see the king said to Queen Esther and Susa the citadel, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the 10 sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now, what is your wish? It shall be granted you. Further do you request? It shall be fulfilled. And Esther said, if it pleased the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict and let the 10 sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows. Sometimes in this passage, you'll see the word Susa and that's just the difference between the Greek and the Hebrew names for this city. And some commentators, when looking at this passage, they've kind of suggested that there seemed to be some evidence of a vindictive spirit with Esther. I mean, why else would you want these to be impaled on poles? But we certainly don't see that as a characteristic of her in previous passages, and we don't see it here really either, I don't believe. Haman's strongest support was in the capital city, where the people had bowed down for him, they'd worked for him, they'd received money from him. Since it would be easy for them to get together and plan a strategy, Esther wanted to be sure that none of them would survive to cause further trouble. And the crazy part about all of this, the Jews in the other parts of the empire, 5,000 people in one day. That's how many people were against them and hated them and wanted them destroyed. Since the Jews were greatly outnumbered, their victory was certainly a tribute to God. Three times it stated that the Jews did not take any spoils. They weren't there after wealth. They wanted only to protect themselves and vindicate their right to live safely in the empire. And remember, the Jews killed only those who killed them. They didn't make an effort to go and just clean everyone out. They were responding when they were attacked. They were not the aggressors. Let's take a look at this second point, Esther's law enacted. And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the 14th day of the month, a month of Deir, and also the 15th day year by year as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow to gladness, from mourning to holiday, that they should make them days of fasting and gladness, days for sending food to one another and gifts to the poor." So we're told in this passage that The Jews in the provinces finished their fighting on the 13th day, which would be roughly our month of March, and spent the next day celebrating. Jews that were in the capital city were still defending themselves on the 14th day. They didn't begin the celebration. So Mordecai issues a letter that instructed all of the Jews to celebrate the 14th and 15th of the month to honor this unbelievable, miraculous change of events. Declared a day of celebration, and Appropriate called it the Feast of Purim. It is still celebrated by Jews today. Amazing. What was going to be their death now becomes their hope, and not only just their hope, but their hope for life and the future. They're a cause for celebration. It's interesting in this case that their past is now causing them to celebrate, not grieve. This is a book of great celebration, not tragedy. There was no Holocaust. One had been planned, certainly. The edict was sent out. But the Holocaust never happens. There's certainly nothing wrong with meaningful traditions. The church seems to just always be one generation away from extinction. And if we don't pass on to our children and our grandchildren and other children, if we don't pass on what God has done for us and share the stories of how God has been faithful and miraculously delivered, the church may die of apathy and ignorance. When we begin to believe or behave like all moral and religion comes from divine revelation passed by tradition, we've just made ourselves the curators of divine truth. We have to, we do have to watch ourselves. We have to be careful. That would ultimately put us in the place of God. when we look at Matthew 6 through 28. Therefore, they called these days Purim after the term Purim. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter and what they had faced in this matter and what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring that without fail, they would keep the two days according to what was written at the time appointed every year. that these days would be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, that none of these days of Purim would ever be disused among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants." This word that they selected, to help them remember Purim originates from Haman's casting of lots earlier in this book to determine what day they would be annihilated. And yet God has come in and so turned the tables in all of this that this is now the day that they're going to celebrate. This is the day they're going to rejoice. they're going to feast. This is the day they're going to share gifts with one another and make sure that the poor have food. Why? Because it's not the day of their annihilation. Note the emphasis too on teaching the children the meaning of Purim so that the message would not be lost in future generations. You know the interesting point here? Esther continues to shine and her character continues to be put on display. You know what could have happened here? Let's have a feast. Let's have two days of feasting. But let's celebrate Esther. Let's celebrate what she has accomplished. Let's remember what she has done. But that's not Esther. She gave the people a lasting reminder that God is faithful, that He keeps His promises, that He preserves His people. ...character on display yet again. Don't look at me, Esther says. Worship God, praise Him. To see the hand of God in history and praise God for His mercy. To ask Him to forgive us our sins. This is perhaps the best way for Christians to celebrate. Boy, we should be about this celebration all throughout every day, right? Let's look at verse 29. Not only did Mordecai, the prime minister, send a letter of instruction to the Jews in the empire, but Esther, the queen, also joined Mordecai in sending a second letter. That's interesting why this happened. So in verse 29, Queen Esther, the daughter of Abahel, and Mordecai, the Jew, gave full written authority confirming this second letter about Purim. It seems as if some of the Jews in the province didn't want to change their original date of their celebration. So it becomes necessary, evidently, for both the queen and the prime minister to issue a second letter to try to kind of provide direction, instruction, maybe to keep peace in the nation. Why? Well, they'd kind of gotten at odds over what day we're gonna celebrate. Too often God's people defeat the enemy and then celebrate the victory by fighting amongst themselves. If you've been in church life very much, you've... A day of celebration turned into a day of infighting. So this second letter is described as words of peace and truth, suggested there was some kind of division among the Jewish people and it needed to be addressed to be healed. So not only did they send letters, but they also had this matter recorded in writing. In chapter nine, verse 32, the command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim and it was recorded. So when you think about it, this story of victory of the Jews over their enemies was celebrated in an annual feast. It was recorded in two official letters. It was written in a journal and ultimately testament scriptures. What an amazing God to not allow us to forget His glorious provisions. But when at the same time, for our culture today, in this kind of throw-it-away society that has either forgotten history or tried to rewrite it, and like the Athenians of old, spend its time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear something new. The old century, that's not worth it. We need something new. Boy, remember the statement, those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it. Well, moving on to chapter 10, verses one through three. King Ahasuerus imposed a tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea, and all of the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, written in the book of Chronicles, in the kings of Media and Persia. For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular among the multitude of his brothers. for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to them." So now we see there is peace in the kingdom. The Jews were able to work, to earn money, to prosper. The land, again, was to prosper. Mordecai reminded the king that the throne itself had some share in this prosper. After all, it was the king who had chosen Esther, a Jew. It was the king who promoted Mordecai, the Jew. Three of them together had worked to save the Jews from this destruction. Granted, it was from a very poor decision by the king. Didn't the people of the empire, Jews and Gentiles alike, have some obligation to? And we certainly do not have the time here to fully explore this principle, but the New Testament is clear about a couple of things. One is we are to be subject to governing authorities over us. Romans chapter 13 verse 1, let us be subject to governing authorities for there is no authority except from God and those that exist have been instituted by God. We're also reminded in Matthew chapter 22 verse 21 of a couple of things. In verse, they said Caesar's and he said to them, render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. So from just these two passages, we see that we are to submit to authorities, we're to pay our taxes and we're to give tithes. Again, we don't have time to explore those principles, but we certainly see them here. One of the important messages in this chapter is God is committing to use Mordecai to help the Jewish people. The Jews were aliens in a form to all kinds of harassment and abuse. Mordecai saw to it that they were treated with fairness. If you look in this book, the last words of the book, they're translated a little bit differently. The King James says, and speaking peace to all his seed, that he encouraged the Jews to keep them at peace with one another. If you look at the NIV, it reads, and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. This kind of implies that there were still forces at work in the empire, trying to oppose or threaten represented them, perhaps even in court to protect them. So the question kind of comes up, why was Mordecai so highly esteemed? Well, we're told in verse 3. There's two reasons. Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King David, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers. Here we are. For he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. Why had his fame grown? He worked for the good of his people. He didn't think only of himself or his own advancements or giving of his own family. Second, he spoke up for the welfare of the Jews. Many times it's dangerous to speak up in a situation. Some of you have faced that, perhaps at work or at school or maybe over the holidays with family. The need for servants today who speak up when people are in danger or when injustice rampant in society even more so today. Mordecai, unlike his predecessor Haman, used the office to serve the king and help the Jews. You know, sometimes when people are elevated to a high position, they kind of, we would say, they forget where they came from, right? They forget their roots. They forget the needs of the common people. We saw this when we were in Haiti. We had gone for several years, and we'd kind of gotten this thing down to where we knew what to expect there. We knew what to expect when we landed. We knew how to get through customs. We'd done this enough that we were prepared. Well, one year, we get to go through customs, and they say, well, you have to pay a $10 fee to enter the country. Well, if you've traveled very much, you know, That's not the time to worry about anything. If you're in a different country, and they say, you can't bring this into the country, or you have to pay this, then you do that. So we paid. It was $10 per person. Not really that big of a deal. I think we had six or eight people with us that year. So after we paid that, they gave us the money. And so I asked, just out of curiosity, previous years, we haven't paid this tax. Why is it that we have to pay this tax this year? She said, well, this is the president's last year in office, and he has required everyone entering the country that's not in the country to pay this $10 tax. We see that all over the place, but not with Esther and not with Mordecai. These people were using their positions to influence to the Lord. To write in the annals and in the chronicles. There's a feast to be given here. Why? To celebrate Esther and Mordecai? No. To celebrate the God who protects and provides. He's the one who needs it. Mordecai wasn't that kind of man to put himself on display. This book closes with a picture of peace and prosperity for the Jews. The author mentioned God even one time. But it is evident that he wanted his readers to see the hand of God in preserving the Jews and delivering them. It's written on every page. There are few books of the Old Testament that are relevant to life in society that's hostile to the gospel. Believers are scattered throughout the world, awaiting the Lord's return. And although He is present and active now as much as ever, many of the times we see Him hidden. It's behind the scenes. Behind the scenes of our everyday life. But he, make no mistake, he is directing for his own glory and the benefit of his children. And refuse to acknowledge him, those who have eyes to see are able to recognize his hand at work. Every once in a while, somebody in our Sunday school class will just need to share a God moment. Well, what is a God moment? Well, the God moment is when we have come with some way that God has provided or protected. Something that He has done. So we have a brag on God moment. Just to share that. To rejoice over that. To praise Him over that. Doing that just out, just habitually, day to day. especially for our children to see. In a world which is hostile to the household of faith seems flourishing, we must hold fast to our hope, our hope in Christ, for He is the one who has promised that He is faithful. Hebrews 10, verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." The exciting drama of Esther is over. And if you've been with us through this study, it has been unbelievable. The blessings go on. God preserves and used the foundation Now it's our job to tell the world about this Savior. It's our job to go and make disciples of all nations. We are the King's carriers, and we dare not disobey our mission. As we conclude our study of Esther, there's a host of things that come to mind to remember. Some things that we need to make sure we think about, and I'm just going to kind of list these one after another, for us to think about. Still with no mention of the Jews through his divine providence and even uses the enemy's work against them. What an amazing thing. Queen Esther's bravery in the Jews willingness to submit themselves before God, all a part of God's providence to do so. He had planned this out. Nothing ever occurred to God during any of these events. God is the master of twisting the plot in a story. Just when you think you know where things are going, suddenly they're turned around. This is just... Do you think that the odds are against you? Maybe even perhaps that God is against you. If so, look at the plight of Haman and the outcome of Mordecai in this book. God completely flips their stories. He began, and I mean he was large and in charge, commanding people to bow before him, and if not, they would pay a price. Mordecai began the day praying in the shadows of a gallows. bore his name yet from one moment to the next Haman was humiliated and Mordecai received favor another thing the next time you hear some way that's here someone say that the devil's in the details correct them God is in the details great remembrance for us Also, the insignificant becomes significant because God is ever orchestrating the day-to-day details of a new, throughout all of time, to do what he has foreordained to do. Great things to remember. To be a little more specific, from this book, Acting foolishly has its consequences and we see that in spades here. Some of the decisions that King Ahasuerus made were deplorable. Men, your wife is not your property for your pleasure. We see that in this book. Your wife is your helper suitable designed specifically for you as a gift from God. Your wife is to be loved, honored, and treasured. Men, you will gain much more in earning rather than demanding it. We see that in several places, several people. Ladies, the world will tell you that it's your body and your choice. The world will tell you, you can have it all. I've heard from several times from a lady that's in her late 50s now, she was told this very lie, you can have it all. And she spent 50 years of her life pursuing having it all. Now to realize it's a lie. The world will tell you that you must be equal. The world will tell you that your worth and value is determined by its people and culture. The world will tell you your influence over men is a pleasure. What we see here in this book The Bible tells you that God is the giver of life. Life is sacred. The Bible tells you that you have a specific place in life. God tells you that you are special, honored, and loved. The Bible tells you that your worth and value are established by God alone, not the whimsical details of a culture. how many followers you have, or how many likes you get. The Bible tells you that your influence over men is for godly purposes. And boy, if women live by these values, sometimes there will be a price to be paid. We saw that in this book of Esther. The world got designed on purpose, and he has certain things in mind. We are not exactly alike, but we all can grow in grace and in truth. So let's take away these things from our study and also remember ordinary people to do extraordinary things. What a message from this book. Beauty should not make us boastful. Also remember with God's help, we can step out in faith and fight our fears, not because it's us. Remember our past doesn't dictate our future. Remember our strength does not come from us. Also remember patience really is a virtue. By remembering these and impact for generations to come, But perhaps most of all, we must remember these three things. God is sovereign. No questions, no proof, it's all in the scriptures, period. Also, we must remember that God is at work around us. Popular study several years back encouraged us, find where God is working and get there. As soon as you can. So where's God working around you? If we're not careful, we'll have our eyes set on things below, and we'll miss some of those things. But one always remember, God has placed you where you are for a reason. You may at some point in your life find that out as to why, and you may never know, not this side of heaven. But trust in the fact and remember the fact that God is in control, and he has placed you for a purpose. Wonderful thing. Review all of the great things that have happened in this book. Renew our minds to that God's working behind all of the details of life. That he is in charge. Remind us that here specifically he set out to save his people and he accomplished that task. Let's. These things and to rehearse these things were frail creatures of dust. We need to be reminded regularly. Let's pray. Father, again we are grateful to be able to. Look into your word to be taught by you to be. Father, I pray that the truths of. of this book and these passages that we've looked at. I pray that you would burn them into our conscience. Help us to be in the world, but not of the world. Committed to your word, to prayer, to worship, to obeying you. Father, help us to resist the temptation and the lures that our society throws out for us. Help us to keep our gaze set on the things above. And as we sang before, for our good and ultimately for your glory, most of all, in Jesus' name, amen. Let's stand as we sing.