But we want to look at this awesome subject from the book of Esther. So turn there, if you will, Esther. Esther chapter 3, verse 14. No, I'm sorry, just chapter 4. Just chapter 4. When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her the queen was deeply distressed, she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. And Esther called for Hathak, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him. and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. And Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said, and Esther spoke to Hathak and commanded her to go to Mordecai and say, All the king's servants and all the kings and all the people, the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these 30 days." And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. And Mordecai told him to reply to Esther, Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.' Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, Gather all the Jews to be found in Susa and hold a fast on my behalf. And do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. Now turn to Isaiah chapter 45. The historical context of the book of Esther is that the Babylonians have been recently defeated by the Persians. It was on a night in 539 BC when Cyrus marched into Babylon almost unopposed because Belshazzar and all the rest of his lords were in no condition whatever to fight. They were drunk beyond belief. Plus any valiant spirit left in them had been blown out when they saw a man's handwriting on the wall. God had written there of Belshazzar's death and of the defeat of the empire. And that night, it happened exactly as was written on the wall. Cyrus marches in, captures Babylon, and he's the world ruler. And he, by doing that, he fulfills prophecy. Prophecy of Isaiah chapter 45. Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him, and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed. I will go before you and level the exalted places. I will break in pieces the doors of bronze. cut through the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hordes and secret places that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel, my chosen, I call you by your name. I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord and there is no other. Besides me, there is no God. I equip you, though you do not know me. that people may know from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other." Now Isaiah prophesies this in the 730s BC. Cyrus takes Babylon in 539 BC. This is a hundred and ninety years prior to the account of Cyrus' taking of Babylon, proving what Pastor Rick taught last week, the accuracy of biblical prophecy. Why? Because it comes from an omniscient God, who knows all things past, present, and future. Knows even things that would happen that doesn't, but would have had it happen. He knows all things. And Isaiah says, God has made Cyrus, calls him his anointed one, his Messiah. He was a Messiah of sorts to God's people. And he says, God will hold him by the hand and guide him as he goes. And who is it that Cyrus helps? Verse four, Jacob and Israel, my elect. You see, God's plan was for his people are, at this point, living in exile in Babylon. And it's God's purpose for his people to bring them back to the promised land, to worship him there. And so Cyrus fulfills that prophecy too. Look at verse 13 of Isaiah 45. I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level. He shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward, says the Lord of hosts." And according to Ezra 1, Cyrus, number one, issues a decree that allows the Jews to go back to their homeland. Number two, he orders them to construct the temple. And number three, he gives them all the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out when he sacked Jerusalem. And so they have everything they need to set up worship once again in the temple in Jerusalem. And so they return, the temple is built, and the Jews once again worship God in the land of Israel. But what about the Jews who remained behind in Babylon? Not everybody left to go back to the Promised Land. Well, the Book of Esther gives us a glimpse into their lives. The Jews who remained behind do well for several decades. Many of them become rich and landowners and some are raised to political power. But in 485 BC, a king by the name of Ahasuerus, the biblical name given to him, we know him from secular history as Xerxes. Xerxes ascends the Persian throne, and during his reign, anti-Jewish sentiments begin to creep up. Yet persecution is stayed and divine blessing flows to the Jews at this time because of the faithfulness of a woman and the faithfulness of her God. So you see the theme of the book, though the name of God is not mentioned a single time in the book, You cannot help but see divine providence and supernatural care of his people apparent throughout the book. God promised Abraham that he would bless his descendants, that he would make them great. He promised that he would curse those who curse them and bless those who bless them. And the book of Esther shows us that God meant every word. For against all odds, in a very mysterious way, which no one sees coming, his covenant promises are fulfilled. Now there are four main characters in the book of Esther. There's Esther herself, she's a Jewess. She was orphaned at a young age and was raised by her cousin, her uncle's son, Mordecai. Mordecai loved Esther as his own daughter. He was much older than Esther. And so he raised her as his own. Then there's a man by the name of Haman. He is a politician, very self-absorbed man. And then there is King Xerxes. So those are the four main characters. Now we're gonna take it, and we're gonna look at the entire book this morning. So that's why we're gonna be here till three o'clock. No. But we're gonna take it chapter by chapter. In chapter one, we find a drunken feast. Look at verses one through four. Now in the days of Hashewerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him. while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. Now Xerxes is known in secular history predominantly because of his defeat at Salamis, where the Greeks just completely destroyed the Persian fleet. This feast at Susa here, this 180 day feast, was the great war council for that military campaign. And all of the displayed luxury that he put out here was to show his military commanders that he could pay them for this military campaign. But after that 180 days, then he throws a party for the entire city of Susa. for a week, and the party that transpires there would put any frat party to shame. For look at verse 8. Drinking was according to this edict. There is no compulsion, for the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. And everybody did. It was a drunken orgy that took place in the streets of Susa. Well, at that party, the king, before his lords, is trashed. I mean, he is drunk. And he summons his queen, Vashti. Presumably, and according to rabbinical writings, The text says he wants to display her beauty. The rabbinical writings say it was for her to display her entire physical beauty. She was to come wearing her crown and that's it. Well, Vashti has more character than that and she refuses. And Xerxes is furious. And lest word get out of her actions of disobedience to the king, no less, and it causes all the wives to start disobeying their husbands, Vashti is deposed and banished for her disobedience. And that, in the province of God, is the first step in bringing a deliverance to God's people. That brings us to chapter 2, where we find a beauty pageant taking place. Verse 1, after these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus was abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. And the king's young men who attended him said, let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem and sooths of the citadel under the custody of Haggai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them and let the young women who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And this pleased the king and he did so. Xerxes wanted another king, another queen. And so all the beautiful women of marriageable age, they come parading before the king. And Esther is one of those women who is taken into the harem. But she does not reveal to anyone her nationality, that she is a Jew. Well, several years pass. Xerxes is off warring the Greeks. But upon returning, he seeks comfort in earthly passions. And after one night with Esther, Xerxes orders her to be crowned queen. And that was the second step in God delivering his people. You say, wait a minute. You mean God used the tyrannical power and lusts of a pagan king to bring about his will for his people? Yeah. Romans 8.28 says God uses what kind of things to perform his will? All things. In Genesis 50, those all things included murderous hatred and desires and betrayal. Joseph, the son of Jacob, recognized all the cruelty that his brothers had done against him later on as being all in the providence of God to bring about the salvation of, that is, the physical salvation of his of Jacob and his family. So that he says, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. And here in Esther, lustful passions of a pagan king are used by God to put his plan into motion to bring deliverance to his people. But God also used Mordecai. This righteous Jew had gained political success. The text says of him that he was sitting at the king's gate. That was an idiom meaning that he had raised a political power. He was one of the judges. He was a magistrate. And they did sit literally in the king's gate. And archeology has found that gate of Xerxes. It's a huge place, but there he sits, and while he's there, at one particular time, he happens to hear two eunuchs talking about wanting to get even with King Xerxes, that he had done something to them, and they were going to assassinate the king in his sleep. Well, Mordecai tells Esther, who tells the king, who has them arrested, and they're killed. And all of this is written down in the Chronicles of the King. That brings us to chapter three. And we have Haman coming on the scene and his plot. Haman is, for whatever reason, we're not told, he's promoted to second command below Xerxes. And he is, the king commands that he be treated with respect by everybody else. And everybody does. Everybody bows before Haman when he walks by except for Mordecai. Why? According to verse one, notice his description. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite. Who was Agag? Huh? The king of what country? The Amalekites. You remember the story? The Amalekites attacked Israel. They were the first nation to attack Israel after they left Egypt, and they did it in a terrible way. They attacked the rear guard, which was made up of children and the elderly who couldn't keep up with the rest. Well, God made a promise in Exodus 17 that he would destroy them as a people. And when Israel entered the promised land under Joshua, God instructed them to do away with the Melchizedek. Well, they failed. They didn't do it all. Later, Saul, King Saul the Benjamite, was instructed to utterly destroy them again. And he too failed. He saved King Agag alive in order to gloat of his great power over such a king. According to 1 Samuel 15, Samuel learns of Saul's disobedience. He comes on the scene, takes a sword, and slashes up King Agag. But according to rabbinical writings, Agag, Saul had allowed Agag the night before to go home to his wife, and she had conceived. And one of those descendants was this Haman, who brings havoc. to the Jews in Persia. There's a lesson here. It's always best to obey God, no matter how difficult it might be. Because if you don't, our actions may have serious repercussions in the future. Well evidently, Mordecai's refusal to bow to Haman was prompted by this long-lasting animosity toward Amalek. Plus, don't fail to notice, like Saul, Mordecai was a Benjamite. It's just kind of interesting here where finally a Benjamite, as we'll see as the text continues, fulfills the command that God had given concerning the Amalekites. Well, Haman, of course, is furious with Mordecai for not bowing down to him. And so he vets him. He does an investigation. He finds out he's a Jew. And so out of hatred for Mordecai, his hatred spills out on all the Jews. And he concocts a plan to exterminate them all. In chapter 3, verse 7, he casts a lot. He casts the dice to determine which day it would be for their annihilation. And according to verse 7, it lands on the 12th month, the 13th day of the month. The 12th month is somewhere between our February and March. And this, when he throws the dice, the first month, the 13th day. So there's 11 months to transpire before the dreaded day comes for their annihilation. Plenty of time for Haman to plan it, but also plenty of time for God and his people to thwart it. Well, Haman convinces Xerxes of the plan by accusing the Jews of sedition. And with the promise of money in in Xerxes' coffers from confiscating all the property and money from the Jews that are killed, then Xerxes signs Haman's edict into Persian law. And when it becomes law, it's irrevocable. It must be carried out. Obviously, the king is ignorant still of Esther's nationality. else, because we know of his great love for Esther, he would never have done this. Now I want you to note here, God's people, in every age, has been the recipients of the world's animosity. When did it begin? Genesis 3.15, in the garden. When God said, I'll put enmity between you and the woman, between her seed, between her righteous seed, and all those who follow Satan. And that's been the case with the world throughout history. The very next chapter, wicked Cain in chapter 4 of Genesis kills righteous Abel. We get to the book of Exodus and we have the Egyptians. enslaving Israel with great cruelty, and it goes on and on through the Old Testament, this animosity of the world toward God's people, and then continues into the New Testament with the crucifixion of Jesus, and then the persecution of his church and acts, and it's continued still to this day. When a Christian man or woman takes a stand for Jesus Christ, He or she is targeted by those who want to destroy the work of Christ. This is Peter's point in 1 Peter 4, verses 12-19. Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. In other words, this is the way it's been all the way since back to Genesis 3. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator. You see, as we take our stand for Christ, we may experience suffering, but we must remember that the reason for such righteous suffering is at the same time the only hope for our deliverance. You see, it's because of our association with Christ that we're persecuted, but it's because of our association with Christ we will reap the victory that he reaped for us at the cross, defeating hell, death, the grave, and everything else. Association with Christ always brings both hatred and blessing. Chapter four, we have Mordecai's humility. Mordecai knows that he's the main reason for this bloodthirsty edict coming to pass, and so he humbles himself. tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth, which is a hairy, rough camel hair garment, and then throws ashes on his head. It's the Jewish way of showing mourning, of prayer and mourning. And we read that in chapter four. Esther wants to give him clothes to put on. He refuses and she asks why. And so he tells her of this edict and he wants Esther to intercede to Xerxes on behalf of the Jews. Let's look again at verses 10 through 13 of chapter 4. Then Esther spoke to Hatlack and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these 30 days. And they told Mordecai what Esther had said, and Mordecai told and replied, do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. Mordecai reminds her that she risks death whether she does this or not. She is a Jew, and if it's found out, she'll be killed there just like everybody else, because it's the edict of the king. It's irrevocable. But then he gives evidence of his strong faith in God's providence in verse 14. For if you keep silent this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place. If Esther remains silent, Mordecai is certain that God will act on their behalf because he has made this covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So he's gonna bring deliverance. It's best by you, but if you don't, you may perish, but God will do it from some other source. Well, Esther listens to her cousin. Basically, he says, Esther, listen. God has placed you here in this time, in this city, in Xerxes' good graces. so that he can fulfill his covenant promises. So go to it. And Esther does. She rests faithfully in God's providence as well. Verse 14. Again, for if you keep silent this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And so Esther tells Mordecai, gather the Jews and pray on my behalf. This is the turning point in the book. These words imply that life is not left up to chance, but that everything lies in the hands of a sovereign God who has a plan for every individual to fulfill. And we see this over and over in the Old Testament. Joseph fulfilled his role to be the deliverer of his family. The judges were raised up to bring the people back to God. But it's not just the righteous who have a role to fill by God in God's plan. The unrighteous do as well. Look at Pharaoh's daughter. Why did she come into being? So that she could rescue Israel's deliverer, Moses, when he was just a little baby. Pharaoh himself had a purpose to fulfill, to show God's glory. Nebuchadnezzar had a purpose to fulfill, to judge God's people for their immorality and for their idolatry. And yet Cyrus also had a role to fulfill, and that was to destroy the Babylonians for their cruelty in doing what God asked them to do. And now we see it again in the life of Esther. She had a purpose to fulfill, to be another deliverer of God's people. And so we find Esther's plan. She says in these closing verses of verse 14, she reveals her plan, and then again also in chapter five, but that plan shows her spiritual character and wisdom. For her first response is to pray, to pray. She requests Mordecai to send out to all the Jews to pray on her behalf, and she says, I and my maidens will pray as well. She's following the example of David and other righteous kings and leaders of Israel. Where'd they go first when trouble came? They went to the Lord. And that's what Esther does here. She needed God's help, so she pleads for wisdom and courage. But we not only see prayer, we also see a sacrificial trust in God. What she proposed to do put her life on the line. She knew the rules of the royal court that no one can go in unannounced under the threat of death. But she trusts God with her life and enters the royal hall seeking aid for her people. Chapter five, on the third day, after three days of prayer, She put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace in front of the king's quarters while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. This was a defining moment in Esther's life. The last time a woman took initiative before the king, it ended with banishment. But Esther was subject to a higher king. And though her faith is small, because chapter four, verse 16, she says, if I perish, I perish. But she put her life on the line here, trusting God's will to be done. Now it's unlikely that any of us will ever be in Esther's dire predicament, but we each face defining moments in our lives. Certainly the most important was when we heard the gospel. We had a defining moment. Are we going to continue to live like the world, or are we going to identify ourselves with Christ and his people? Our response in that time defines who we are. But after that, there is a continuous sequence of defining moments in the Christian life. As we are given on a daily basis, we face decisions to either obey God and continue to identify with Christ, or disobey God and live like the world. Well, Esther chose to be obedient. She faithfully trusted God, and thereby she becomes the agent through whom God would bring blessing to others. And this is what all of God's people are to do. We are to trust, we are to obey, and then bring the blessings of God's promises to others. While God answers the Jews' prayers, For Esther receives wisdom on how to act. We see that she throws a feast in verse three. The king said to her, what is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to half my kingdom. Now, that phrase is an idiom. It's not to be taken literally. He wouldn't give her up to half of his kingdom. Rather, it means that the king is disposed on being generous to whatever request she would have. Now, can you think of another occasion in scripture when a king said, I'll give you up to half of my kingdom? King Herod. King Herod to whom? Salome. Salome, Herodias' daughter. And what was her request? John the Baptist. The head of John the Baptist. Well, you know that is exactly what Esther wants here, too, right? But she's more astute than to ask for it right away. God gives her wisdom. Instead, in verse four, she invites Xerxes and Haman to a feast that she had prepared for them. Verse six, and as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, what is your wish? It shall be granted. What is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled. And Esther answered, my wish and my request is, if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said. Now, we don't know why Esther didn't just blurt out her request here. but it was providential that she maybe lost her courage to expose Haman at this banquet because something happens overnight that will make it a whole lot easier for her the next day. Well, in the meantime, Haman returns home in verse nine to tell the family of his promotion, second in command of the Queens honoring him But on the way home, all of that joy evaporates, and he seethes with anger as he passes by Mordecai, who again refuses to bow before him. And he is so angry that it just puts a damper on all of his joyous news to his family. And so his wife asks, what's wrong? And he tells her, well, his wife comes up with a plan. Look at verse 14. Then his wife, Zeresh, and all of his friends said to him, let a gallows 50 cubits high be made, that's 75 feet. And in the morning, tell the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. I mean, you've been raised to this elevation by the king, you've been promoted, you have the queens here, so go ahead, this is the perfect time to ask. and then go joyfully with the king to the feast. The idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made." Well, Haman is thrilled. I mean, it's a very doable solution, seeing that he has both the ear of the king and the queen. But in chapter 6, an event occurs that you don't think is very important, but in God's providence, it has great significance. For in chapter 6, we have Xerxes' insomnia. This is a heaven-sent insomnia. He can't sleep. Well, what's the remedy? He can't count sheep. Counting sheep doesn't work. Maybe he tried drinking a glass of warm milk. That didn't work. So he tried the true, he uses a tried and true method. Listen to a dull history lesson. He calls in the chronicler to read from the chronicles. Chapter six, verse one. On that night, the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold and who had sought to lay hands on King Ohasuerus. And the king said, what honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? The king's young men who attended him said, nothing has been done for him. Now, this was a usual occurrence. When somebody showed extreme loyalty to the king, the king would honor him with some form of honor, riches, or whatever. And this has been found in chronicles. The Chronicles of Xerxes has been found, and this kind of thing happens at a regular basis. But here, the chronicler happens, you know, I don't know what he did, opens it up, And he starts reading, and it happens to be about Mordecai. And the king asks, well, what's been done for him? By the way, in archaeology, they have found court records where Mordecai is mentioned doing an inspection of troops in a particular city in the Medo-Persian Empire. So anyway, that's free, no charge, like David says. So here is the Chronicles read, and just at that point, the king wants to reward Mordecai. So verse four. And the king says, who is in the court? In other words, he wants advice on what to do. And Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. You can't write stuff like this. This is humorous. All right, continuing. And the king's young men told him, Haman is there standing in the court. And the king said, let him come in. So Haman came in, and the king said to him, what should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? And Haman said to himself, whom would the king delight to honor more than me? All right? Verse seven. And Haman said to the king, for the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn. and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on a horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. Now, it seems like this is an odd answer from Haman. Why didn't he ask for more power? Why didn't he ask for more riches? Well, evidently, he's already at the height of power. He can't go any higher. He's second to the king. And evidently, it comes with a substantial salary. But he wants more honor. And he wants it reinforced publicly that he has this favored relationship with the king. And so recompense is paid in verses 10 and 11. Then the king said to Haman, hurry, take the robes and the horse as you have said. And so do to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned. So Haman takes the robes and the horse and he dresses Mordecai and leads him through the square of the city proclaiming before him, thus shall it be done to the man in whom the king delights to honor. Talk about pride going before fall. This is it. What revolting circumstances, coming from Haman's point of view. Here's one of those passages where I think God has a sense of humor, as well as justice. But note how all of this came about. It came about by a series of events totally out of Haman's control. Esther happens to be a very beautiful young woman. And she happens to be out of all of those taken in that beauty pageant, she's the one who happens to be taken to the king. And she happens to then be the one chosen by Xerxes to become queen. instead of Vashti. By the way, Vashti just happens to disobey the king. That's another one of those things. Then, now the king just happens to have a sleepless night, and the scribe happens to read in the Chronicles of Mordecai's loyalty that occurred five years before this. And all of this occurs when Haman just happens to be coming to the palace at this early hour to request that Mordecai be executed in the gallows that he had made for him. But were these really chance events? No. You can see God working behind the scenes, working out his plan for deliverance of his people. And don't you see this in your own lives? Consider the chain of events that led to your conversion to Christ. Most are not converted with thunder and a voice from heaven like Saul of Tarsus. It doesn't happen usually what we thought miraculously, big things like that. Maybe you were randomly changing the channels on the TV or radio and you came across a religious programming that began a transforming work in your life. Maybe it was one time you're You walked into the truck stop, and there in the bathroom is an evangelistic track. And you pick it up, and it starts working at your heart. Or maybe it was a Christian friend who invites you to a Bible study, or to come with him to church. The most significant work of God on our behalf is the salvation of our souls. But it usually happens through normal, unimportant events that we think unimportant at the time. Consider how you came to marry your spouse. Why are you living here? What circumstances led you to your current job? God's care of his children seldom comes by mighty miracles. It's just that he works through ordinary events, each one guiding and directing our steps. Proverbs 37, 23, the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord and he delights in his way. Now, of course, sometimes those steps lead to overwhelming tragedies. Life's events can be ugly, destructive, like the plot to eliminate the Jews in Persia. But just because the circumstances are tragic, don't assume that God is not in charge. He works all things together for good. And that means death, illness, a wayward child, broken relationships, shattered dreams. These are not good in themselves, but they are all part of his goodwill for our lives. And our responsibility in those times is to trust him. To trust him. He is too wise to make a mistake. And he is too good to do us wrong. Even though the path to the joy God promises may wind through swamps of despair and up hills of difficulty. But faith in our sovereign God gives God's people hope. The Persian Jews, they trusted the promises of God's covenant with Abraham. We trust the promises of Christ in the new covenant, which cannot be thwarted. As Paul so succinctly puts it in Romans chapter eight, What shall separate us from the love of God? Tribulation, trials, sword, nakedness, all those things. There's nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Consider how safe the church is. Not from earthly violence, not from physical death. Just ask our brothers and sisters in Pakistan or Korea. No, persecution may come to us, but the church is safe and secure from all spiritual ruin. Nothing and nobody can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And in our darkest hours, we can be assured that our final destiny of glory in Christ is sure. In our darkest hours, we can be assured that the reversal of circumstances we so crave in this life will one day be ours. And by contrast, no matter how prosperous and powerful they become, those who oppose Christ will also suffer a reversal of fortunes, just like Haman. For that brings us to chapter seven and Haman's execution. Notice the startling revelation in verses one through six. So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther, and on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, what is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you, and what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled. Then Queen Esther answered, if I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleased the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent. For our affliction is not to be compared with the loss of the king. Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, who is he and where is he? Who has dared to do this? And Esther said, a foe, an enemy, this wicked Haman. Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen. Imagine Haman's horror. in learning he had instigated the death of the king's queen. He's in a heap of trouble. And this shows how a person's best laid plans can be in an instant reversed, if God so wills. Man makes his plans. but the whole disposing is of the Lord." Xerxes is livid, and he leaves, goes out in the garden to think for a while. In the meantime, Haman, according to protocol, should have left with him. And he remains behind, he's pleading his case to Haman. I mean, you can just see it, he's begging, he's trying to excuse, I didn't know you were a Jew. I would never have done this if you, you can just see him doing all of this. And then he is so distraught, he falls over Esther as she's lying there on the couch. He's pleading, he's crying. And just then, verse eight, Xerxes returns and finds Haman on top of his wife. He's already angry. And he assumes Haman's trying to make sexual advances to his wife. So he has him arrested. And then we have just retribution in verses 9 and 10. Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king. Hold on, let's go back. Verse eight, the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house? As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. In other words, they put that hood over him. He's a goner, but how is it gonna happen? That's what happens next. Verse nine, then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king said, Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing in Haman's house 50 cubits high. And the king said, hang him on it. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai, and the wrath of the king was abated. Now these gallows, when we see the word gallow, we think of the old west. The rope around the neck. It falls, the guy dies of suffocation or broken neck. That's not what this is. This word gallows literally means spike or skewer. In other words, he's built this 75 foot high pointed sharp thingy. And the person, the condemned person is then platformed somehow. strung out over it and made to sit on that sharp point. And the weight of his body drives it through his body. All right. Now think of Psalm 37 that we read earlier. Verses one and two. fret not yourself because of evil doers. Be not envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Verses seven through 11, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not yourself over the one who carries out evil devices. Who's that? Who's that remind you? So, fret not yourself over one who carries out evil devices. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more. Though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall delight themselves in abundant peace. Verse 12 through 15, the wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. That's Haman. But the Lord laughs at the wicked for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked draws the sword and bends their bows to slay those whose way is upright. Their sword shall enter their own heart and their bows shall be broken. Verse 35 to 30 through the end of the chapter. I have seen a wicked, ruthless man spreading himself like a green laurel tree. Again, that's Haman, so self-important. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more. Though I saw him, he could not be found. Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed. The future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him. And that's Esther, that's Mordecai, that's the Jews in Persia. They took refuge in the Lord. They prayed to the Lord. They sought the Lord's help and they found refuge in the Lord while the wicked, they were cut off. So with Haman out of the way, in chapters 8 and 9, Esther and Mordecai accomplished what Saul could not, for this Amalekite, who stood against God's people, is destroyed. And that brings us then to chapters 8 and 9, the Jewish victory. In chapter 8, there's a battle plan. Now remember, Xerxes' edict could not be revoked. It must stand. So Xerxes comes up with a plan. First of all, he makes Mordecai his second command. And then he gives Mordecai his signet ring. That's the sign of authority. And he says, you make a new edict that will counter the first edict. And so Mordecai comes up with the plan Though the first thing that's going to come to pass on the 12th month, the 13th day, people can go kill Jews, but he signs it into law that the Jews can defend themselves. And we all know from history how the Jews fight. And this is no exception. And when the 13th day, the 12th month came, according to chapter 9, instead of the provincial armies marching against the Jews, They march against the Jew haters because they fear Mordecai, who's now the king's counselor. And so in verses 1 through 19 of chapter 9, we find two days of slaughter. We find on the 13th day, Haman's edict comes to pass. But the Jews defend themselves. And on that day, in Susa, the capital, guess who are one of the first to die? the 10 sons of Haman, thus cutting off that branch of the Amalekite line. Along with them, 500 people are killed in Susa, and out in the provincial, in the provinces, 75,000 of God's enemies are killed. Well, Xerxes asked Esther, are you satisfied? Esther says, no. He says, give us another day, the 14th day to fight in Susa, because I know there's still some left. And so they seek, and another 300 are killed in Susa. And then they take the bodies of the 10 sons who are already dead, Haman's 10 sons, and they put them on similar gallows as signs of further disgrace upon the house of Haman and also as a sign of warning to anyone who dares resume hostilities against the Jews. And then there comes this feast of Purim in verses 20 through 32. Mordecai and Esther proclaim a feast. Look at verse 20 of chapter 9. 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 of Adar and also the 15th day of the same 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 into gladness and from mourning into a holiday. and they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. Then in verse 24, this feast was given the name Feast of Purim. Purim means lots. Haman cast the lots to determine the day. that the Jews would be annihilated. But scripture is clear, Proverbs 16, 33, the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. In other words, nothing is left up to chance. Now, we think, cast a dice, it's all luck, it's all, you know, chance. It's not. The Bible says, God says, the lot's cast, But if it turns up sixes, it's God's disposing of it to be so. God here was working behind the scenes to turn tragedy into celebration. There's just nothing in this world that is random. Haman could have wrote first month, day 21, which would have given them only seven days No time to prevent it. But God had everything under control, working it all out for good. It didn't look like it at the time. They were all terrified. Haman made his plans. But again, as Proverbs 19.21 says, many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. What a reversal we find in this book. Mordecai was to be the first one killed. Who was the first one killed? Haman. Haman wanted to confiscate the Jews' property. Guess who ended up with his property according to chapter 8 verse 1? Mordecai. Mordecai took Haman's place of prominence while Haman took Mordecai's place on the gallows. What a reversal. Well, what can we learn? Number one, beware of hatred. Haman is a man sold out to hatred. His grand promotion, all of his riches, by his own admission, meant nothing to him when he thinks about Mordecai, that Jew. Chapter five, verse 13. The only thing that can restore his joy is Mordecai's death. Here is self-love, the heart of all sin, at its social worst. When it is unrestrained, like with Haman, it vows, I will be first, and it desires trouble for, if not the death of anybody who stands in the way of that vow. But Jesus said, the man given over to hatred is considered by God to be a murderer, and he will be judged as one. So beware of hatred. Number two, God uses natural events, good and evil people, to bring about his gracious purposes for his people. I mean, look at this story. How could all of these natural things have such a glorious outcome for God's people. We have a deposed queen, a beauty pageant, an overheard plot, a sleepless king, a sleepy scribe, an egotistical politician, and God's gracious providence at work the whole time is the only answer as to why all of those random things work out the way they do for God's glory and the deliverance of God's people. God is always at work, no matter what kind of event comes into our life, no matter what circumstance we're going through. Yeah, it may be bad in itself, but God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Number three, God gives courage. where it is needed to strengthen our faith. Because God gave wisdom and courage to a timid woman, strengthening her faith in his promises, so much so that the rest of the time after she says, if I perish, I perish. How would you describe Esther after that? She's bold. She's confident, confident in God. And she does what she needs to do to provide for the protection and safety of God's people. Number four, God's goodwill is always accomplished. Always accomplished. So trust him. The book of Esther calls us to trust in the power and presence of God even when, and perhaps especially when, he seems absent and it seems like there's no hope. At those times, we can't imagine how his goodwill could be accomplished. But when we reflect on the events of Esther, we're called to walk by faith and not by sight. However, that faith is grounded in a great God. So faith in God means confidence in an uncertain future. Whether your worries center on your own circumstances or problems, or whether it centers on national or global affairs, the recognition that nothing is left to chance, but that all things work together the way our good God has planned it, enables us to face tomorrow without fear. And if we really believe that, we will never boast as though we were to be credited with our own accomplishments. And we will never chafe under circumstances that seem to be crooked or unjust. And we will never worry over circumstances which are disappointing. Instead, we will reverently and gratefully commit our lives to God's loving care. And fifthly, we must be faithful to do what is right. In other words, there is a place for human responsibility in God's sovereign plan. God worked through Mordecai, who faithfully worked for and protected a heathen king. Mordecai challenged Esther to not sit back, but to act on behalf of the people, and she did. She was willing to sacrifice herself, if need be, for the sake of others. They both were faithful to do what was right. and the Jews themselves. When God in his providence made a way of escape for the Jews, they still had to work. They still had to risk their lives and fight in their defense. Just because God has a sovereign plan and has planned out our history doesn't mean we can sit back and say, thy will be done and do nothing. God's people must act responsibly, wisely, strategically in their own circumstances, knowing that God is in control. We must be always praying, always progressing, always growing in our Christian lives, and always realizing that we are the instruments in God's hands, which he uses to perform his will among men in this world. We have a great God. Let us be faithful like Esther was faithful. Let's pray. Our dear Heavenly Father, we thank you as we look at this great story of Esther and Mordecai and the Jews in Persia. Even though your name is not mentioned in the book, we see your name on every page, guiding, directing, working evil things together into this glorious outcome of deliverance of your people. and glorifying your name. Lord, help us to rest in that same goodwill that brought about the reversal in Esther. Help us to realize that our lives are in your hands and help us to rest our lives in your hands, but then also to be obedient to your commands for we know that we have your blessing if we trust and obey. Help us to be so willing And Lord, we praise you and glorify you that you are so great. In Jesus' name we pray.