[0:00] Last week when we finished Ahaz Ahaz Ahazerahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah And for the third time, King Ahasuerus asked Esther a question.
[0:38] What do you want? I will give you anything you want, up to half the kingdom. What would you like to have? And she hadn't said anything.
[0:50] But this time, in chapter 7, verse 3, Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.
[1:14] For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, to perish. She's letting the king know. She understands the decree that had been given.
[1:26] The one that Haman had been involved with. That it meant that the Jews were going to be killed. Thirteenth day of the twelfth month. And they were going to be killed. And she lets him know that she's a Jew.
[1:41] Mordecai, who had just been honored by the king, was a Jew. You're talking about having her and Mordecai, as well as all the other Jews, killed. And the king finally realizes that Haman has manipulated him.
[1:56] Has used him. And he sees what Haman has done. And he's now so upset. In verse 7, it said, And the king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace and garden.
[2:15] He had to get out of the room before he did something he would regret. He probably would have killed Haman right there on the spot, by himself. He is so upset what has gone on, what has happened.
[2:30] Haman knows that he's in trouble. He knows he's about to face the wrath of the king. And he's kind of wondering what's going to happen. Let's have a word of prayer and we'll continue on.
[2:43] Father, thank you for this series we've been doing on the life of Esther. And Mordecai. And the others. And Lord, I pray that you would help us to learn the lessons we need to learn.
[2:57] Lord, today we're going to learn some more lessons from what takes place here. Lord, help us to take them in. Take them and make them a part of our life. Use them so that we can be the testimony for you that we need to be.
[3:09] Lord, minister to our hearts this morning. Help us to learn to go out and serve you with full hearts.
[3:21] With our whole heart. Our whole spirit. Lord, help us to be used of you. To bring honor and glory to you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. So, verse 8 of chapter 7.
[3:34] Then the king returned again out of the palace garden. Into the place of the banquet of wine. And Haman hath fallen upon the bed where upon Esther was.
[3:45] Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. We don't know exactly what all happened, but the king goes out in the garden to calm himself down.
[4:01] He comes back in. And we don't know if Haman tripped. Or if Haman was begging for his life and had fallen prostrate. But you remember at those times they had kind of like couches.
[4:12] They would lay on their side on the couches while they ate. And so, the king goes out. He comes back in. And he finds Haman laying across Esther's couch.
[4:25] And you know the old saying about, or the Bible verse. About the appearance of evil. It doesn't look like where Haman is.
[4:37] And the king, again, now is upset again. He kind of calmed himself down, but now he's upset again about what else is going on. He finds him laying across Esther's bed there. And what the king thinks he's been doing is a capital crime.
[4:55] He can be killed. And so, Haman has been sinking lower and lower. He's just, you know the old saying about digging a pit and somewhere along the way you need to stop digging?
[5:07] Well, Haman hadn't learned that yet. And so, here he is. Picking up where we left off last week. We're seeing our ally, Haman is about to be punished.
[5:18] You know, once God, again, it's the things that God does sometimes. One of the chamberlains who's been working with the king, he comes along and he informs the king.
[5:29] He says, oh, you know, you're trying to figure out what to do with Haman. Haman has built a gallows not far from his house. It's 50 cubits high, 75 feet high.
[5:41] And he was thinking about using it for Mordecai. Look at verse 9 and 10. And Harvana, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also, the gallows 50 cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman.
[6:01] Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
[6:12] What he had prepared for Mordecai. Now Mordecai has been exalted. Haman has been taken down. And Haman's going to be winding up on his gallows.
[6:24] He's, God had planned all this out. He knew exactly what was going on. And in his sovereignty, his knowing what things are going to take place, he's going to right some wrongs.
[6:36] He's going to take care of some things. You know, we need to learn to trust God. How many times have you heard me say that in the last six months? We need to learn to trust God.
[6:51] Romans chapter 12, verses 17 through 19. Look at what it says. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
[7:03] Don't pay back. Somebody does something to you, don't pay back. He says, be honest. Do things right. Verse 18. If it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men.
[7:18] Trying to live peaceably. Trying not to go after people. Trying not to get even or whatever. Verse 19. Daily blow. Avenge not yourselves.
[7:31] But rather give place under wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay. Sayeth the Lord. Trust God. Leave it in his hands.
[7:43] See what he's going to do. Esther was the queen. She could have had more input maybe. But Mordecai, he wasn't.
[7:53] He was a servant out there at the king's gate. He had no power over what was going to happen and what was going to take place. But he knew how to trust God. He knew how to leave it in God's hands and see what God was going to do.
[8:04] He knew how to pray. You know, one of the greatest things in the Bible for me is when Esther, they're going through all these things with Haman. And what was Esther's solution? We're going to spend the next three days praying and fasting.
[8:16] That's one of the greatest things in the Bible. It shows us exactly how we're going to handle things. We're not facing being killed and being taken out as an entire group or anything like that.
[8:28] But there's things that come into our lives. And he says, pray and fast. Give yourself to God. Trust him. So how is the king going to handle this?
[8:41] What's the king going to do? I think I forgot to give you something. Yeah. The third thing. The relief of the Jews. The relief of the Jews.
[8:51] How is the Jews going to find relief? You know, when the king sentences Haman to the gallows and gets him taken care of, gets him taken out of the way, but we still have a problem.
[9:06] Remember the laws of the Medes and the Persians cannot be revoked. And there's already a law in place that says on the 13th day of the 12th month, all the Jews are going to be killed.
[9:18] And it's already there. It can't be revoked. So how are we going to take care of this? What is God going to do about this? Excuse me.
[9:32] Well, the first thing he's going to do is he's going to use Mordecai. Look at Mordecai's destiny. Mordecai has been a servant. He has been working at the palace for a long time. He's raised Esther as his own daughter.
[9:44] And now what's the destiny of Mordecai? She reveals that Mordecai is her relative, cousin, uncle. I can't remember who was born now. But he's one of those.
[9:56] He's raised her from a child. Look at chapter 8, verse 1. On that day did King Hazard give the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, unto Esther the queen.
[10:09] And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai.
[10:21] And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. Think about this for a second. Everything that Haman had planned that he was going to do is now being given to Mordecai, the one he wanted to kill.
[10:39] Mordecai is on top now. Mordecai is given the ring. You know, I think the king would have been a little more hesitant about that. He gave Haman the ring, which would have put Haman second in command. And Haman used it, remember, to come up with this decree.
[10:52] All the Jews are going to be killed. I would have been hanging on to that thing a little longer, I think, before I handed it off to somebody else. But Mordecai, remember, saved the king from being assassinated.
[11:06] The king takes the ring off with his finger, gives it to Mordecai. He said, you're second in command now. I trust you. I'm going to give everything I can. He trusted Haman.
[11:17] Haman betrayed him. But he's already seen what Mordecai can do. And then Mordecai cares about him. And Mordecai saved his life. Here's the ring. Okay. If somebody mistreats you, slanders you, works against you, one day, all that will be forgotten.
[11:38] They hanged. Haman. Haman's gone. Well, Mordecai, you're being lifted up. Mordecai, we're going to give you honor that you should have because of the things that you have done.
[11:53] You know, sometimes we go through things. Sometimes we face things. And we wonder, why? Why am I going through this?
[12:03] Why am I doing this? 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 17 and 18. Verse 17 says, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen.
[12:25] For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. He says, it's a light affliction you're going through now. The things you're going to face in eternity, God has got you.
[12:38] God's going to take care of you. God's going to bless you. God's going to hold you up. God's going to take care of you. So the things you're going through now, he said, they're a light affliction. He says, but the things that you cannot see, they work that God is doing behind the scenes.
[12:53] He said, oh, God has got it all taken care of. Romans chapter 8, verse 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
[13:09] You know, look at that verse. He says, your suffering is raised out. But they're not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
[13:26] Not to us. In us. God is at work. God is doing things. God is going to show us things. He's going to show us ways that we've been used. You know, there are times you wonder, am I accomplishing anything?
[13:40] Am I doing anything? What about the people who are watching you day by day? You all raised children. Children watched you. What did they learn from you?
[13:53] People watch you at your job. What are they learning from you? People watch you in your neighborhood. What are they learning?
[14:04] Mordecai has now been placed in a place that Haman had previously had. He has the ring. The king has given it to him. He now has that. He's second in command only to the king.
[14:17] Kind of reminds you of Joseph, doesn't it? Joseph, all the things that he went through, wanted to be second in command to Pharaoh. God has a plan. Do you trust him?
[14:31] Men try to manipulate. That's what Haman was trying to do, wasn't he? He was trying to manipulate where he was going to be in the kingdom. Psalm 75, 6 and 7.
[14:42] For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the judge. He putteth down one and set up another.
[14:56] Amen. Time to go down. Mordecai. Time to come up. God is in control. That's why we've been singing that song. His way is perfect.
[15:08] God knows exactly what he's doing. God is taking care of things. There's a man by the name of John Butler. He is a pastor, commentator. He puts this this way.
[15:20] God will provide promotions if they are necessary to do his work. Gotcha? He'll give promotions if they're necessary to do his work.
[15:32] You do not need to pull strings, know the right people, bribe powers that be, or manipulate people to obtain high position. If you need promotion, do God's work.
[15:44] God will see to it that you get it, and you will obtain it in an honorable way. You don't have to manipulate people. You don't have to bribe people.
[15:55] You don't have to, he says, trust God. God will put you where he needs you to be. Mordecai was a servant at the king's gate.
[16:06] What good is that? But yet he heard about the assassination attempt. He knew the things that were going to happen. He was able to inform the king about what was going on through Esther.
[16:18] And now he's up where God wants him to be because he's going to become very important here in a minute about the Jews and their deliverance. Which is the next point, the Jews' deliverance.
[16:31] God had a plan for them too. Here's this decree. They're all supposed to be killed. What are we going to do? How are we going to fix this? What's going to happen? Look at verse 3 of chapter 8. And Esther spake again, yet again, before the king.
[16:46] And fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to put away the mischief that Haman, the Akagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
[16:57] King? Husband? There's still this decree out there. What are we going to do? How are we going to fix this? Look at verse 6. How, for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people?
[17:13] And how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? I might be saved because I'm the queen. I'm here with you. But the rest of the Jews out there, they've got a problem. It's still a decree that you cannot change.
[17:28] I cannot change. How are we going to fix this? It says she besought him. She's imploring. She's begging for him to do something. So, what does the king do?
[17:41] Number one, he gives freedom to the Jews. He gives freedom to them. I don't mean by that. Look at verse 7 and 8. Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him that hath hanged upon the gallows, because he laid hands upon the Jews.
[18:02] Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring. For the writing which is written in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring, may no man reverse.
[18:17] What's he saying? He says, okay, here's what's going to happen about the Jews here. Esther, you and Mordecai come up with a plan. You guys come up with a plan, and whatever plan you come up with, I will endorse it.
[18:31] Whatever plan you come up with, Mordecai, you have the king's ring. You write it up, you get the people to write it up and everything, you seal it with my ring. It will be irrevocable.
[18:42] It can be done. So what are we going to do? How are we going to take care of this? Mordecai's about to use the authority he has to fix this. Verse 9. Then, where the king's scribes called in that time, in the third month, that is in month 7, in the three-and-twentieth day thereof, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and to the deputies, and to the rulers of the provinces, which were in India, and in Ethiopia, and the 127 provinces, unto every province, according to the writing thereof, and unto the people, and to their language, and to the Jews, according to their writing, and according to their language.
[19:28] And he wrote in the king's name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters of posts on horseback, and riders on mules, and camels, and young dromedaries, wherein the king granted the Jews, which were in every city, to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, to cause, to perish, all the power of the people and province, that would assault them, both young ones and women, and to take spoil of them and pray.
[20:00] And he sends it up. So what did he do? Okay, on this 13th day of the 12th month, all the Jews are going to be killed. Except, we're now going to let the Jews, gather together, have assembly together.
[20:17] We're going to let them arm themselves. We're going to let them defend themselves, so that when people attack, they, can defend themselves. Okay, that's one way to, to take care of the problem.
[20:31] And so that's what they're doing. He couldn't reverse what Haman had already done, because it's an irrevocable creed, laws of the Medes and the Persians. But I can put another law in that says, when that happens, the Jews can defend themselves.
[20:45] And you think about it. They can gather together. You've put, you know, some Jewish family over in this neighborhood, a Jewish family in this neighborhood, you know, they don't have a lot of defense.
[20:56] But he says, on that day, they can all assemble together, in one place. They can form an army, in the city. And they can defend themselves, from what's about to take place.
[21:08] And that decree, goes out to all 127 provinces. Remember, all the way from India to Ethiopia. What was the result, of that?
[21:21] Jews, you can defend yourself. Well, the Jews, are delighted. Jews delight, letter C. Mordecai has, been honored.
[21:34] He's been uplifted, by the king. And now, he's been put in charge. And the Jews, are thrilled. Look at verse 15. And Mordecai went out, from the presence of the king, in a royal apparel, of blue and white.
[21:49] And with a great crown of gold, and with a garment, of fine linen, and purple. And the city of Shushan, rejoiced, and was glad. The Jews, had light, and gladness.
[22:00] Gladness, and joy, and honor, in every province, in every city. And it goes on there, in verse 17. And Jews, had joy, and gladness, and a feast, and a good day.
[22:16] That's an understatement. When the day you're supposed to be killed, comes along, you've got a way, to challenge it, and take defense for yourself, and arm yourself, and get ready for it.
[22:29] And as you said, today is a good day. You know, when we realize, that we have God, on our side. When we realize, that we have God's protection, around us.
[22:42] When we realize, that no matter, what the devil may throw at us, we have God, here, within us. We have his protection, around us.
[22:54] We have his presence, with us. It's a good day. You have times, when you're just like, oh, life is terrible, life is awful, things are going so bad.
[23:07] Do you ever stop, and think, God is with me. God is protecting me. God is watching over me. I have him, living within me.
[23:22] You know what? It's a good day. It's not as bad as I thought. It's a good day. There was such a turnaround, from being in sackcloth, and ashes, weeping, and wailing, and praying, and everything, that they had, when that first decree came out, to now, where they're rejoicing, in the streets, and they're so thrilled, at what they have been told, look at verse 17, of chapter 8.
[23:47] Verse 17, of chapter 8, the end of the verse. And many of the people, of the land, became Jews, for the fear, the Jews, fell upon them.
[23:59] They had seen, what had happened. They had heard, what the people, had prayed. They had seen, the weeping, and the wailing. Now they're seeing, the rejoicing.
[24:11] And they're going, their God, took care of them. Their God, knows how to get things done. Their God, is something special.
[24:24] We need to be following, their God. And it says, many Jews, Jews, because, of everything, that had happened. Wow, their God, really came through for them.
[24:37] That's just amazing. You know, people are watching you, all the time. And they see, how you react, to things.
[24:47] When they see, how you handle, the trials, in your life. when they see, how you, go to God, and ask him.
[25:00] All of us here, face different things. Some are facing cancer, right now. Some are facing kidney things. Some are facing, work problems. Some are facing, marital problems.
[25:10] Some are facing, whatever. It says, do we understand, that God, can, take, care, of, you.
[25:25] Do, you, trust, him? How do you, handle the trials, that come into your life? Let's put it on a larger scale.
[25:40] Esther, as I said earlier, she got people, to pray, and fast, for three days. Before she went in, before the king, to ask for his help. What if we did it, on a scale like that, in our country?
[25:55] We just had an election. That's done and passed. There's another one, coming up next year. Midterm elections, coming up next year. What would our country, be like, if Christians, spend time, fasting and praying, on the days before, those elections take place?
[26:12] We do a lot of time, complaining. I get so tired, that the commercials, on TV. I get so tired, of the news reports.
[26:25] Don't you just get, it, and the thing about it is, next November's election, there's things on TV already. Really? I got to listen to this, for the next 11 months?
[26:38] 12 months? What if we spent time praying, instead of complaining, about what's going on? God delivered the Jews, from the wrath of Haman, because his people, knew how to get down, on their knees, and pray.
[26:55] And he gave, and delivered. God can deliver you, from whatever you're facing today. God can give you, what you need. We just need to take time, to stop, and pray, and fast, and wait for him, to do his work.
[27:13] Sometimes we're not patient. But when God works, great things happen. You know, whatever you're facing, what's kind of the theme, we've been using for this?
[27:24] God's got this. God's got this. You know, as Christians today, we stop and we look, and we see what Jesus Christ, has done for us.
[27:40] God's got this, not just in the fact, that he's got what's going on now, he already got things for us, because Jesus Christ came, and died on the cross, for our sins. If you're here this morning, and you do not know, the Lord Jesus Christ, is your savior.
[27:54] If you've never asked him, to come into your life, you do not know, what you're missing. And you're missing something, that will affect, your entire eternity. Jesus Christ, came and died, so that we can have, eternal life.
[28:07] He came and died, so that we can have, a home in heaven. He came and died, so that we can have, a relationship with him, right here and now. He came, to provide everything, we need.
[28:21] Do we trust him? Do we remember, that he did that? Do we remember, that Jesus Christ, is the answer, to everything we need?
[28:35] And do we trust him for it? We're going to take time, this morning, to have communion, the Lord's table. We're going to remember, what Jesus Christ, did for us this morning.
[28:46] We're going to remember, how he took care of us, and what he did. So, the Bible tells us, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, that, one of the first things, that they did, was they took time, to examine themselves.
[29:01] So, for right now, I'm going to ask you, if you would examine yourself, if you would just, take time to pray, Lord, is there any sin, in my life, that needs to be taken care of? Lord, am I walking with you, the way I should?
[29:13] And if not, confess it, right then and there. Say, God forgive me, help my heart, to be right, as I remember, what you have done for us. So, take a few moments, to pray, and examine yourself.
[29:27] Amen. Amen.
[30:25] Amen. Amen.
[30:35] Amen, Father, we thank you, that we can come, before you, in the name of God. Lord, we can come, before you, asking forgiveness. We can come, knowing that, because of what, Jesus Christ did, on the cross, because of the blood, that was shed, because of the body, that was broken, because of the gift, of his life, in place of ours, to pay the price, of our sin.
[31:03] Lord, thank you, that we can come, and say, God, forgive me, cleanse me, make me whole, in your sight. Lord, I thank you, that as we, partake, of the, bread, Lord, that we're reminded, of everything, you went through for us.
[31:24] That body, that was broken, so badly. Isaiah 53 says, it was hard of you, recognized. Lord, thank you, for all you, thank you for us.
[31:37] Bless this time, now, as we begin, this communion, through Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. piano plays softly piano plays softly piano plays softly