Esther 5-7

0:18 Good evening. We have some visitors, not that you're all not visitors, but we have some visitors from out of state, from Copperopolis, California. which is on the way to Yosemite, one of my favorite camping spots ever. Jack and Patty Forkner are here. Where are you guys? I met you before. Stand up and say hi.

0:45 There you go. No, would you just stay standing? We like visitors to stand the entire service. It's just a thing we do. Just kidding. Just kidding. It's my antics. Welcome. We're glad you came. We're glad you're here. I came to Albuquerque to be at Calvary tonight, so we're glad that you showed up. Do you have one of these? Come on, put that baby up in the air. Come on, look at that. What a sight. Okay, turn in your Bibles, please, to the Old Testament book of Esther. We are in chapter 5, working our way through the Bible, going through every book of the Bible, every verse, pretty much. We are in Esther chapter 5. You are looking at a picture, not of New Mexico or Arizona, but of Iran. The old ancient capital where these events in the book of Esther literally took place.

1:50 You're looking at the ruins, the remnant of the stone work that is there from centuries ago that have been dug up by archaeologists. It is now a UNESCO protected world heritage site. One day I'd love to be able to go to Iran and see it for myself, but next couple weeks probably wouldn't be a good idea to do that. But trusting the Lord for the future. Let's have a word of prayer. Father, we calm our hearts before you. No matter what we are going through, no matter what we did bring into this place, we place it before you. And we open up our hearts to you because we want to hear from you. And we pray that you might speak just through the verses of scripture, just through the historical narrative that we read, we pray, Lord, that we would see the overarching principles of truth that are never changing of how you work. In Jesus' name we pray.

3:01 Amen. One of the interesting things, of course, about this book, we've already noted it, there is no mention of God even once in this book. There's no mention of prayer per se, though fasting is mentioned. There is no mention of the law of Moses in this book. This book is never quoted by any of the New Testament authors. The early church fathers, none of them wrote a commentary on the book of Esther. Martin Luther wished the book never would have been written. And yet, we see not the name of God, but we see the hand of God. He is in the shadows, and he is working providentially. That's been the big word that we have heralded throughout this book. God's providence.

3:57 Divine coincidence. What you think is just a coincidence or a happenstance or just a circumstantial event, God takes natural events and weaves them together for a supernatural outcome. That's God's providence. So though there is no mention of God, there certainly is the visible, and we're going to get to it tonight, a visible display of the hand of God. The book of Esther is an important book to the Jewish people. It is part of a section of scripture called the five scrolls, short little Old Testament books, the five scrolls, the Megilot in Hebrew. And each of these five books is read at a particular Jewish feast.

4:59 So, for example, the book The Song of Solomon is part of the five scrolls, the Megiloth. And The Song of Solomon, interestingly, is read during Passover. Then there is the book of Ruth, which is read during Pentecost. Then you have the book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah, that is written every year at the commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem. Then you have the book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon. And that book is read every year at the Feast of Tabernacles. Then you have this book. The book of Esher is read every year at the Feast of Purim. In fact, this book is the basis for that annual feast, as you will see next time when we are in this book and we finish out this book, God willing.

6:01 Now, I mentioned a couple weeks ago that this book reads like a movie script. I think I mentioned it a couple weeks ago. If not, I mentioned it on a Sunday morning a few weeks before that when we looked at the figure, the character Mordecai. So it reads like a movie script where you have the setup followed by conflict followed by confrontation followed by resolve. So the setup was the first couple of chapters where the queen is kicked off the throne. A new queen comes on named Nestor. Then you have conflict between Mordecai and this evil man named Haman at which you say boo. and then you have a confrontation which we're going to read about tonight and then finally you have resolve which will be the rest of this book. If you remember and I'm sure you do we left off at a crucial point when Mordecai comes to Esther after the edict had been signed that all the Jews should be destroyed in the land of Persia in all 127 provinces. And Mordecai is parading around the city with sackcloth and ashes, and he is mourning and making a big to-do. And he sends a message to Esther, who is now the queen on the throne, married to King Ahasuerus of Persia.

7:45 and he says, sweetheart, this is your time. You were born for this time. This, such a time as this. If you're silent, you won't escape because you're a Jewish woman, but deliverance will come from somewhere. But who knows if perhaps you haven't been brought to the kingdom for this time. So go to the king, talk him out of this. She says, look, he hasn't called me for 30 days, but I'm willing to go for it. If I perish, I perish. You guys fast for me for three days. And then I'm going to go in and approach the king. So now, since James said, faith without works is dead. She fasted, her uncle Mordecai fasted, the Jews in that area fasted. Now she is going to put works on her faith. She's going to step into the throne room and approach the king. And so we get to chapter 5, verse 1. Notice the first three words. Now it happened now again this is providence but it seems like it just happened in fact it is an amazing thing how God weaves together the things that happen that's providence but it begins by saying now it happened just a circumstance on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes, dressed like the queen, stood in the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house,

9:50 facing the entrance of the house. So it was when the king saw Queen Esther. Now, this is the crucial moment because Esther told her cousin Mordecai, look, the king hasn't called me for 30 days, and if I just show up and he does not extend the golden scepter, I'm dead meat. Of course, that's not the scriptural rendition, but that's the NSV, the new skip version. I'm dead meat. I'm toast. you know the kind of temper this king has he kicks his first wife off the throne and has a beauty pageant and I won but this could be the end of my life but if I perish I perish so she's waiting now to see what he is going to do what the king is going to do and so it was when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight.

10:55 We can breathe a sigh of relief. And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. By touching the top of the scepter, she is acknowledging his rule, his authority. She is basically saying, I am subservient and in submission to your wishes. I recognize that you are the king. You have ultimate authority here. So she touches the top of the scepter, which was protocol. And the queen said to her, what do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you up to half my kingdom. Very generous. A wonderful thing to hear when you think, I might die. If I perish, I perish. What do you want? Up to half my kingdom.

12:07 Do you remember that little proverb that's tucked away in Proverbs 21? It says, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and like the courses of water, he turns it wherever he wishes. No ruler sitting anywhere is out of the control of God. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and like the courses of water, he turns it wherever he wishes. and he turns the king's heart. What is your request? It shall be given to you up to half my kingdom. So Esther answered, if it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

13:03 Then the king said, bring Haman quickly, that he may, this is kind of fun, isn't it? That he may do as Esther has said, so the queen and Haman, the king and Haman, you don't have to repeat that, that was my bad, went to the banquet that Esther had prepared. Persian kings notoriously were protective of their wives.

13:34 And to be invited to a special meal with the king and queen, well, that was a special honor. Now, this guy Haman has already been exalted by the king. He has been given a special place in the cabinet on his staff as sort of second in charge, second in command, prime minister, we would call it. We don't know why he had been promoted, but we know that he was indeed promoted. So now he's thinking, man, I'm really special to be invited to this special banquet. Verse six, at the banquet of wine, which was again protocol, and you remember chapter one, they did that for six months. the king said to Esther what is your petition he's asking again now it shall be granted to you what is your request up to half my kingdom it shall be done now that is a figure of speech it's not like he's thinking his wife is going to take half his kingdom and run off and kind of have her own little kingdom it was a way of saying name name your prize whatever you want I'll do whatever you would like within limits or within whatever is right in my eyes and my sight.

14:59 It's similar. This is exactly what Herod Antipas said when Salome danced sensually before him and it pleased the king. And he said to her, whatever you'd like, up to half my kingdom will be granted to you. And she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. so he said it shall be done then verse 7 Esther answered and said my petition and request is this if I have found favor in the sight of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet, which I will prepare for them. And tomorrow I will do as the king has said. So it's a very interesting approach to the king. She comes in in trepidation.

16:04 she feels at ease when the king extends the scepter sweetheart great to see you I love you come on in what would you like up to half my kingdom want a special banquet for you and the prime minister done now they're at the banquet what can I do for you up to half the kingdom okay let's have another banquet tomorrow now we we have to ask why doesn't she just come right out and say what she wants, which she will. But she's stalling. Why is she stalling? I don't know, but I'm going to guess. There's a few things perhaps going on. Number one, there are other people in the courtroom. He has his entourage. He has his staff. For a queen to bring a personal plea, which it will be a pretty substantial plea, as you will see, to do that with other people around was frowned upon. This was a personal matter as that's how she's going to put it. So because there were other people around and she wanted to just have those two, the king and his prime minister Haman in the same room at the same time, just those three, she waits. Number two, this is a possibility or as well as in installing this, in dragging it out and having a meeting and then a banquet, then another banquet, it builds suspense. It builds suspense and it will heighten Haman's confidence. It's going to grow and grow and it's going to become overconfidence.

18:01 And perhaps she wants to strike a blow to him when he is feeling so confident about who he is and how special he is, as will be the case. There's a third reason. There is an event. She doesn't even know about this event. That has to happen first. there has to be some reading of the documents about what happened five years earlier the king is unaware of she has forgotten about but an event has to happen before the next meeting and this is why i just want to show you in this study tonight just how providential these happenings, these, it just so happened that these divine coincidences is really God's providence.

19:01 So something has to happen, another event. So if I find favor in your sight, let's have another meal. I'll prepare them. And tomorrow I will do as the king has said. In other words, tomorrow, I'll tell you exactly what my petition is. So, Haman went out that day. Boo. Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart.

19:29 He's joyful and he has a glad heart because who else but him? And the queen and the king are in on this special banquet gig. Man, he feels awesome. He feels unique. And he is unique, but for all the wrong reasons, as you'll see. So he went out that day joyful, with a glad heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation or rage, wrath. against Mordecai. So his confidence is growing. He's been invited to a special banquet. He gets invited to another special banquet tomorrow. It's the king and the queen. They're talking about personal natured things, personal matters. I am so awesome. I am so special. And so his confidence grows. He's joyful. He has a glad heart. Nobody in the kingdom is quite like he is.

20:43 He's not just confident, he's becoming overconfident. And it's going to lead to his death. Now, there's somebody else in the Bible whose overconfidence led also to his death. And his name was King Belshazzar of Babylon. One night he was in the palace. He brought out the stuff that had been in the temple, that had been looted, that Nebuchadnezzar had taken years earlier, brought them out, got drunk, partied with them, blasphemed God, until he saw handwriting on the wall. And that night, the Persian Empire took over Babylon, and it led to his death. His overconfidence and blasphemy led to his death. So interesting in verse 9, how you have a guy joyful and with a glad heart.

21:38 And then in the same verse, filled with indignation and wrath and rage. Bitterness will blind you. it will destroy you. When you allow people to live in your head rent-free and you stew over them and their name is mentioned, you hate them or you see a picture of them, it just, it destroys you.

22:12 Nevertheless, verse 10, nevertheless, Haman, go ahead, come on, Nevertheless, Haman. Yeah, it's get it out. Very good. Feels good, doesn't it? Now, again, for those who are here for the first time, you're wondering, what are these people doing? This is the practice in the synagogue when this story is read every year at Purim, every time the 51 times this book mentions Haman. That's what they do. Nevertheless, Haman. restrained himself and went home.

22:51 And he sent and called for his friends and his wife, Zeresh. And Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, all the ways in which the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. Okay, now I'm going to read that again, but I'm going to emphasize the personal pronouns. I want you to understand where his head is at and the ego trip that he is on. He restrained himself, went home. He sent and called for his friends and his wife. And Haman told him of his great riches, the multitude of his children, all the ways in which the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.

23:50 You got it? The book of Proverbs says pride comes before a fall. A haughty spirit before a fall. Pride comes before destruction. A haughty spirit before a fall. He's going to fall and he is filled with pride. moreover Haman said besides Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared and tomorrow I am again invited by her along with the king Thank you. it's been said that pride is the only disease known to mankind who makes everybody sick except the person who has it. Pride makes everybody sick except the one who has it.

24:52 I mean, this is just so full of him, these verses. He is so full of himself. but now he complains in verse 13, yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, Let a gallows be made 50 cubits high, 75 feet high. And in the morning, suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it. And then go merrily with the king to the banquet. And this thing pleased Haman so that he had the gallows made.

25:55 Yeah! this man is filled with himself. His God is himself. He is on an ego trip. He is filled with pride. It's going to be his destruction. And no matter what you have accomplished in life or what accolades are paid to you, Thank you. there's nothing really that great about any of us what's great about any of us is the god that lives inside us that we belong to him it was a william jenkin who was a puritan writer who put it this way. He said, Our father was Adam.

26:50 Our grandfather was dust. Our great-grandfather was nothing. So much for the family tree. Our father was Adam. Adam was made from dust. So our grandfather was dust. What did God make everything from? Nothing. Our great-grandfather was nothing. So much for the family tree.

27:16 The greatness that is in humanity, what great we have is called sin. In Genesis 6, God saw the wickedness of man on the earth that it was great. So none of us have reason to boast, and Paul said that. why would you boast in something that you only received as a gift it doesn't come from you it was whatever you have comes from him but he is not acknowledging God at all he is all about himself and he builds this gallows 75 feet tall now that's pretty tall we don't know if it was actually a structure built 75 feet tall, or it was on top of a building or on top of a mountain. I mean, you're looking at this hill behind me. It could be up on one of these structures. It could be 10 feet, 12, 20 feet high on top of something that from the ground level was 75 feet tall. Also, we told you either last week or the week before, I think it was last week, that we don't know if it was a gallows like we know it like a rope hanging that would hang people or since it was Persian an impaling stick a pole on which people were skewered, basically, and then left out. But the Persians, interestingly enough, to this day, hang dissenters about 75 feet off the ground. I don't know if you've seen any of the pictures from Tehran. You know, they killed 30, 40,000 people a couple months ago who were protesting against the ayatollahs and against the regime in Iran. They just butchered 40,000 of them in the streets. But they had made it their practice in the past that when somebody was an enemy of the

29:21 state or a dissenter or wanted freedom and didn't want to side with the ayatollahs and their extreme Islamic beliefs, that they would be hung on a crane in the middle of the town. And I've seen pictures where you have four, five, six people hung in public so the cars go by and they can see them for days to send a message to people. So when I saw that, I thought, boy, that's right out of the Bible. Gallows are something to hang them 75 feet. And so it pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows made. but behind the scenes the wheels of providence are turning i just want you to see this all the way through the story and i don't think you see it any clearer than these chapters do you remember that saying today is the first day of the rest of your life it's on posters and on bumper stickers etc can you imagine if somebody were to walk up to hayman in the morning and say, today is the first day of the rest of your life. When in reality, today is the last day of your life, Haman. You're going to be dead before the day's over.

30:41 He got up so happy. He made the gallows. He's got a plan. Now we get to chapter six. That night, here's the event that had to happen before the queen could tell the king what's up. that night the king could not sleep. Why couldn't he sleep? We're not told. I can guess. Affairs of state. Wasn't it Shakespeare who said, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown? When you're ruling, when you're in charge, things turn over in your mind. He just had a couple of battles with the Greeks, several of them that didn't go well. In fact, pretty soon the Greeks will, under Alexander, take over the world. So he understands that there's this very strong, powerful fighting force to the west of him that is threatening his kingdom.

31:44 But for whatever reason, that night the king could not sleep. So what do you do when you can't sleep? So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king. When you have insomnia, you read a boring book. You read court briefs, congressional records, stuff from the archives. Now I find it interesting that he did that. he is the king. He could have called for a concubine to come in. He could have called for a musician to come in. He could have demanded a big screen TV. No, they didn't have those. He could have had a game played with one of his staff members. But it just so happened, he thought, I have insomnia. Let's bring a document, a historical document from the archives. Let's have somebody read that.

32:49 make me fall asleep. But of all of the documents and books he could have chosen, a book is selected that documented what happened five years before this night. Something that he was unaware of. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Big Thana. Sounds like a rapper.

33:23 And Teresh. Big Thana and Teresh. Two of the king's eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. You remember that story? Remember Mordecai was in the gate? He overheard this little conspiracy going on to assassinate the king. He informed on them. They were killed. He was never rewarded. Now the king reads about what happened five years prior to this event. on the night he couldn't sleep. It just so happened they pulled out the book from what happened five years ago. And the king said, what honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this and the king's servants who attended him said nothing has been done for him now this is strange because typically the Persians not only kept good records but they kept good records of people who did good deeds and people who did good deeds were famously rewarded for them.

34:35 Persia was all about finding loyal citizens who did good deeds like this, and they were rewarded, and the reward would have been recorded. We don't know why there was oversight. Well, we do know why there was oversight, because of the providence of God. But was it a clerk that didn't write it down? was somebody who worked on staff who didn't like the Jews, especially Mordecai, like Haman. Go ahead. Thank you. We don't know, but there was some oversight. So the king's wondering about this. Wow, this guy was never rewarded.

35:12 And they said nothing has been done for him. And the king said, who was in the court? now Haman had just entered the outer court wheels of providence are turning of all the people to show up at that moment it's this dude

35:41 to suggest this is why he's there he has come to the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. What if Haman had come two hours later? this never would have happened. If he had come two hours later, the king would have found whoever else is in the palace, whoever else would come first.

36:12 I just want you to pick up on this. God is in charge of schedules. now we don't like the schedule God keeps we think God should move quicker than he does move in fact have you ever found yourself suggesting God now is the right time for you to do this thing I've been waiting and praying about this this is perfect what are you waiting for or God you had your chance you blew it Paul said who has known the mind of the Lord that he should be his counselor answer skip has counseled God you have counseled God and that is because we have this idea that God's delays are God's denials God's delays do not necessarily mean God is denying it just means not the right time I'm in charge of the schedule. Joseph found that out, right? Joseph was in prison. He interpreted the butler of Pharaoh's dream. And he said, look, when you get out of here, because I've just given you a good interpretation of your dream, when you get out of here, tell the Pharaoh about me expecting to be sprung from prison that day. And he wasn't. He waited in prison two more years.

37:40 he could have easily said you don't love me God you are denying me what I deserve God isn't denying you he's waiting for the right time and the right time is when Pharaoh has a dream and you are needed to interpret it and then everything will change when the fullness of the time had come Galatians chapter 4 verse 4, God sent forth his son, born of a virgin, born under the law, at just the right time. God is in charge of schedules. So he's going, Mordecai, that guy, he did that? Wow. We had to reward him. How has he been rewarded? Boy, he hasn't been. Really? Well, who's in the court? Haman walks in at that time to suggest that they hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

38:34 The king's servant said to him, Haman is there, standing in the court. And the king said, let him come in. So Haman came in. And the king asked him, what shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor? Very generic question. and when the ears of Haman hear it he goes oh wow it's my lucky day my ship has come in things are bright for me I've been invited to a feast I'm invited to another feast now the king wants to honor me that's how he has no idea about Mordecai whom would the king delight to honor well Haman came in and said what shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor. Now Haman thought in his heart, whom would the king delight to honor more than me?

39:38 Of course, he is so focused on me, me, me, my kids, my this, my that. That's all he's thinking about. And Haman answered the king, for the man whom the king delights to honor, Let a royal robe be brought, which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest or crown placed upon its head.

40:18 I'm just going to suggest something to you. I was reading a commentary by Warren Wiersbe called Be Committed. It's a commentary in this book. It is Wiersbe's belief that the language here suggests that Haman believed he was the successor to the throne. Because he had been invited to the first banquet and to the second banquet. And he suggests, let's wear the king's robe and a king's horse and be paraded around the city. that he believed that he would be the next king, that the king was appointing him as the successor, wanting to honor him. In fact, if you think about it, if Haman would have gotten his wish and been paraded around this capital on the royal horse with the royal robes, the message it would send to all the population is that indeed this is the king's second in command and successor to the throne.

41:22 That would be the message conveyed. Verse 9, Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor, then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. then the king said to Haman, thank you. I want to hear it again. Then the king said to Haman, love it. Hasten or hurry up, take the robe. And he's going, yes, it's going to be put on my back very soon. Take the robe and the horse. Yes, I'm going to ride the king's horse.

42:26 as you have suggested. Yes! and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who sits within the king's gate, leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken. Twist of fate. Wheels of providence are turning. God using the natural to affect a supernatural outcome. The king's insomnia, reading something five years old. the queen happens to be a Jew on the throne, cousin Mordecai, everything is lined up, lined up. Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken. So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him. Can you imagine how hard this was for this guy? Just, he hated him so much.

43:30 led him on horseback through the city square and proclaimed before him, This it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. How ironic. He has to tell everybody in the city of Shushan, Susa the citadel, to bow to the man that never would bow to him. that's what ticked him off. That guy never bows to me. Now he has to tell everybody, bow to him.

44:10 Pay him homage. The one thing he wanted and never got, Mordecai gets. I'm going to read a proverb to you, comparing these two, Haman and Mordecai. this is Proverbs 29 one particular verse verse 23 listen carefully a man's pride will bring him low but the humble in spirit will retain honor I want you to listen to it again. A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. One more time.

45:02 A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Which side of the comma are you living on? Pride, humility. Pride, you'll be brought low.

45:22 If you want to go up, you'll be brought down. If you go down, in due time, God will bring you up. Which side of the comma are you living on? verse 12 of Esther chapter 6 afterward Mordecai went back to the king's gate but Haman hastened or hurried to his house mourning, whining, sniffling, crying and with his head covered when Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends, everything that happened to him, the wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, if Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, then you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him. That's a prophecy.

46:34 and he didn't like hearing it. It is not what he wanted to hear, and let me tell you why they said that. The Persians were very superstitious, and they believed in bad omens. This was a very bad omen. You know, this is the guy that got under your skin, and we gave you a suggestion to make the gallows. Now he is the one who is being honored, and you have had the humiliation of parading him around. Bad omen. It means you're going down. He's on that wrong side of the comma, but you will surely fall before him. They probably said that because of their superstition.

47:16 While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs came and hastened to bring Haman to the banquet which Esther has prepared. So this is banquet number two, right? It's time to be honored once again. So, chapter 7, so the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. And on the second day at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Up to half my kingdom. it shall be done. Now remember the king has been waiting patiently, right? She wasn't even sure if he, she'd be allowed into the courtroom. He raised the scepter. Good. Hey, this is what I want. I want a feast. Okay, we'll have a feast at the feast. What do you want? I'd like another feast. Okay, we'll have another feast. I mean, he's into feasts, so that's kind of a safe bet.

48:24 But now it's day number two. So he asks again, he's been waiting patiently. here's the answer queen esther answered and said if i have found favor in your sight oh king and if it pleases the king let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request i like this i think this is why she leads her petition she leads with begging for her own life. Now she's the queen of Persia and her husband loves her, prefers her, shows her to be his queen in that beauty contest. And she knows he loves her. So I like that she leads with this. My life's in danger, king. Let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request for we have been sold my people and I to be destroyed to be killed and to be annihilated remember that was the language in the edict that the king signed those three words that sort of spelled out legally that all of the Jews in Persia should be completely wiped out like the Holocaust. Killed on one day. We've been sold. And remember, the edict came and said, look, you do this and you can have 10,000 talents of silver.

50:02 We've been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss. It's true.

50:25 Jewish people, wherever they have gone, have done really well, financially speaking. In World War II, in Poland, in Germany, throughout Europe, their holdings were vast. They were very successful, God has gifted them, it seems, in that arena. The Nazis knew it. And the ploy of the Nazis, Hitler's idea, was to take their property, confiscate their wealth, and kill them. And this is the Old Testament version of Hitler. And so she's saying, look, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss. These people are valuable to you. They bring wealth to your kingdom. They bring purpose to your kingdom. Then King Ahasuerus, now he's just like befuddled. King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, who is he and where is he who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?

51:33 Well, the king is the one who signed the edict, right? but he is a king. And as a politician, politicians usually look for scapegoats when they make a decision. Who can I blame for what I just did? They still do it. It's just the way the world tumbles. But especially kings always want to look for a scapegoat to blame bad decisions that have been made on somebody else. So even though he signed it, remember Haman didn't really say it was the Jews. He said, there's this people and they don't really conform to our laws. And, you know, I just think it would be to your benefit financially if you killed them and took their property. Okay, done. He signed the edict. Who is he? Where is he who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing? And Esther said, here it is, here it is, here it is. The adversary and enemy is this wicked, I'm waiting for a big one now, Haman.

52:44 So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. In chess, this is called checkmate. Only this is in chess. These are real queens and real kings on this chess board. Checkmate. the adversary is that guy. Then the king arose in his wrath. Remember he's a short-tempered man. Chapter 1 verse 12 when his wife Vashti didn't come he had a little staff meeting and said what should I do with her? And they said kick her out. So he got rid of her, dumped her in his anger. The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went to the palace garden. But Haman stood before Queen Esther pleading for his life.

53:43 For he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. This arrogant bully is turned into a whining coward. Like that. Please, please. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Imagine what that would look like to the king. And the king said, Will he also assault the queen while I'm in the house? make a sexual advance toward my wife? As the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

54:39 Now Harbona, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, Look, look. Picture it in this picture behind me somewhere up there. The gallows, 75 feet high, which Haman made for Mordecai. who spoke good on the king's behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.

55:06 Then the king said, hang him on it. We got a yay on that thing. A man is dying. Who said yay? Okay. Shame on me for that. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was subdued. Remember what Galatians chapter 6 says, Whatever a man sows, so shall he also reap. He sowed anger against Mordecai. He reaps the anger of the king. He sought the death of Mordecai. The king puts him to death.

56:00 He is reaping what he has sown. Then the king's wrath subsided. I do have to underscore a principle. and that is there is a national principle in redemptive history. God made a promise to Abraham, Abram at the time in Genesis chapter 12, concerning him and his future people. Whoever blesses you, I will bless. Whoever curses you, I will curse. Study your history and find out those countries, those nations, those leaders who have poised themselves against the Jews to annihilate them. Whether it's Haman of Persia, whether it's Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whether it's Sennacherib of Assyria, whether it's Hitler of Germany, whether it's the Ayatollah of modern-day Persia, Iran.

57:10 nations that have gone against the Jewish people have reaped the judgment of God. Now, that doesn't mean that everything geopolitical modern Israel does is always the right move, etc., etc. All the politics aside. It does mean that anybody who turns against or tries to annihilate what God has called his chosen people, God takes personally. You touch the apple of his eye, he is going to react. And you study history and you can see that throughout. Now there's still a problem here. The problem is, and we're going to resolve that. That's where the resolve comes in in the movie script.

58:05 In the next few chapters, next time we're together, we're going to finish this book. The problem is an edict still stands, and the message has already gone out to 127 different provinces very quickly, that the Jews on a certain day are all going to be annihilated. That has to be resolved. But let me close with this thought. the queen could not come into the presence of the king unless the king did what raise the golden scepter do you realize that our king has raised the golden scepter and always raises it to you and to me Jesus said, whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. He will always raise the scepter.

59:00 You have a need, you rush in. Hebrews tells us, come boldly, therefore, before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. If you are a sinner, if you are estranged from Christ, Come to him. He'll hold up the scepter of grace and welcome you in and forgive you of your sin and accept you as you are. If you are an errant, failing child of God, we all are. Come boldly to the throne of grace. Receive his love. Receive his forgiveness. The scepter is raised. Our king says, come. It is finished on the cross. the veil was torn into, we have access. Let's pray. Father, thank you. Thank you for this incredible story. And though nobody is mentioning Yahweh, nobody is overtly praying, we see the hand of God in the wheels of providence turning for you to preserve your people to save them from this annihilation to preserve them because you had a future plan in redemptive history for them.

1:00:32 Lord, I want to pray for anybody who might have come this evening. who is afar off, who's estranged, who doesn't know you personally, who's wandered away from you in his or her life. And they need to come, they need forgiveness, they need a relationship with you. In fact, they've come maybe at the invitation of a friend or out of curiosity in hopes that they might find a particular answer for their need. would you meet them and if you've come and you've never given your life to Christ you've never surrendered your life to him or you're not walking with him and you need to come back to him and return home in that relationship we want to pray for you our heads are bowed our eyes are closed mind will be open if you're here and you are ready to say yes to him to come back to him or to come home to him for the first time.

1:01:41 Either way, raise your hand up in the air. Just raise it up for a moment and keep it up. And by raising your hand, you're saying, see my hand, Skip. It's over here. Pray for me. I see a hand right there. Yes, ma'am. Right in toward the back. Who else? Anyone? Anybody else? Just raise that hand up. God bless you, sir. And to my right, you. Anybody else?

1:02:10 Anyone else? It's just us in the living room. To my left. Yep. God bless you. to my right. Thank you, Father, for these individuals. You know everything about them. you know what they've done you know what they've thought you know how far they have fallen and you are so ready to wipe it all clean to forgive to clean the slate to receive them into your kingdom Thank you. may they be ready to receive you in their hearts in Jesus name amen let's all stand to our feet and we're going to sing a final song and I'm going to ask those of you who raise your hands to do something bold and public because when Jesus in the new testament called people he called them publicly and the reason we ask you to do this is because something happens inside you when you make a decision to say yes to Jesus and do it publicly.

1:03:36 It sort of cements it inside. So if you raise your hand, and I saw a few hands go up, a couple I'm looking at right there, somebody over here and to my right, get up from where you're standing, find the nearest aisle, come and stand right up here in the front. When you're up here, I'm going to lead you in a prayer. I'm going to pray with you to receive Christ into your life just come and stand right up here If you're to the left or to the left. Raise your hand or you didn't But you know you should come up here right now Come up here right now We'll wait for you Come and stand right up here Come and stand in the front Some of you are outside or in the family room.

1:04:37 Make your way up here. We'll wait for you. Come on. That's right. Yeah! You know, we're saying by clapping, we're saying you made the best, smartest decision you could ever make in your whole life. Best thing you could ever do is what you're doing right now.

1:05:13 I'm going to lead those of you who have come in a prayer. I would like you to pray this out loud after me. Say these words from your heart, okay? Say, Lord, I give you my life. I know I'm a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe in Jesus. I believe he died for me I believe he rose again I turn from my sin I turn to Jesus as Savior and I want to follow him as master