ESTHER – A Deeply Difficult Time… A Compellingly Courageous Woman… A Thrilling Picture of God’s Providence…  (5 of 8)

Irony!

Text: Esther 5:9-7:10

This is the story of how Esther became Queen Esther and courageously saved her people but it’s about much more – Esther paints a powerful picture showing the truth that God is always in control.  God is ALWAYS working out His plan even when it FEELS like He is absent.

Esther was certainly an incredibly brave heroine but more importantly this is the story of God providentially preserving His people – God providentially placed Esther in the (extremely unlikely) position of none other than the Queen of Persia (4:14, ESV) –…for such a time as this…

Esther 5:9-14 (ESV) –
^“And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.  Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh.  And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.  Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.  Yet all this is worth nothing to me, 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 fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

1. Haman’s evil actions picture the poison of pride…  (Esther 5:9-14)

Haman was overflowing with pride. He was so full of himself that he boasted about being the only person along with the King to be invited to Esther’s banquet and he proceeded to gather together his wife and his friends and boast to them shamelessly – bragging about his vast wealth, his many sons and his elevated position before the King.

Esther 5:9 (ESV) –

“And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.”

Esther 5:13 (ESV) –

“Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.”

Esther 3:5-6 (ESV) –

“And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.  But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews...”

Haman’s wife and friends suggest a creepy plan – that he set up a pole (or gallows) that is 50 cubits (75 feet) high and in the morning go to the King and obtain permission to impale Mordecai.  Such an execution is mind-blowing and the message would be clear to for everyone see – This is what happens if you cross Haman, you end up impaled on a pole! 

And after impaling Mordecai he could then go happily to the banquet with the King and Queen.  All I can say is – YIKES!  And notice that Haman loved this barbaric suggestion!

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) –

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 29:23 (ESV) –

“One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” 

Luke 14:11 (ESV) –

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Haman was about to find out that – Pride goes before destruction… and let’s admit that pride is deadly poison and it is never far from any of us.

Pride is absolutely toxic in our relationship with God because it leads to a denial of our need for the Savior (for the Lord Jesus Christ).   Pride is anti-gospel because it says – I’ve got this… and the Gospel says – I don’t… but Jesus has made a way, it’s through His work on the cross.

I’d imagine that some of us are struggling with Haman’s success and prosperity.  It looks like a murderously wicked man is winning – What do we do with this?

Proverbs 29:16 (ESV) –

“When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.”

Proverbs 26:27 (ESV) –

“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.”

Psalm 37:1-2 (ESV) –
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!  For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” 

Psalm 37:12-15 –

“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,  but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;  their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

Are you struggling with the relative prosperity of the wicked? Study Psalm 37. The story continues and brace yourself for the ironic side of God’s Providence.

Esther 6:1-14 (ESV) –

“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 Ahasuerus.  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.”  And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now 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.  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?”  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 the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”  Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”   So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.  And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”  While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.”

2. Haman humbled, Mordecai honored…  (Esther 6:1-14)

That night before Haman was going to execute Mordecai, the King couldn’t sleep.  You might want to underlie that phrase (6:1, ESV) – On that night the king could not sleep. And being unable to sleep the King called for the record of his reign to be brought in and read and based on this on seemingly insignificant detail the entire story pivots and everything changes.

They opened the record of Ahasuerus’ (or Xerxes’) reign to the section chronicling on how Mordecai had foiled a conspiracy to assassinate the King by quietly reporting it to Esther  And this turn of events is quite surprising – I say that because the conspiracy they read about had happened about 5 years before in the 7^th year of the King but now it was the 12^th year.

The night before Haman was going to request Mordecai’s execution they ‘just happen’ to be reading this section of the annals of Ahasuerus’ reign.  Coincidence, luck?  NO!  God has been working in and through the circumstances – the details in the story to this point are not coincidences and we’re beginning to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

The night before Haman was going to kill Mordecai the King could not sleep and he ‘just happened’ to ask for the records of his reign to be read to him and they happen to open the official record to the place that records Mordecai’s loyal actions years before.  These things didn’t ‘just happen’, all of this reveals God at work – It goes without saying…

Haman arrived and was brought in and the King asked him before he is able to say anything (6:6, NIV) – What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?

The irony and comedy here is amazing and these circumstances are not merely coincidental – remember Haman’s arrogance, it takes over and he assumes that this is all about him and based on this bad assumption he describes an elaborate personal dream.

Esther 6:10 (ESV) –

“Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”

Can you imagine what would have been going through Haman’s head?  There was no way out so he fulfilled the Kings order and lead Mordecai through the streets on the King’s horse proclaiming (6:9, ESV) – “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

This is Divine comedy and its finest, this is irony, this is a total reversal.

Esther 6:13 (ESV) –

“If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Remember Mordecai’s grief and sackcloth at the news of Haman’s genocidal decree.  Now Haman’s head covered in grief.

A common question that we ask in one way or another when facing difficulty is – God, are you in control?  Do you know what’s happening?  Do you understand?  Do you care? And the answer to these questions is – YES! God knows, understands and cares!

Isaiah 46:9-10 (ESV) –  

“…remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,  declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose,’”

Throughout Esther God has been arranging the circumstances – It goes without saying…  He is absolutely in control, even when He appears silent!  And we should take deep comfort in this glorious truth even in the midst of incredibly deep difficulty.

Esther 7:1-10 (ESV) –

“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 please 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 to 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 and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

 ^“And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.  And 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.  Then Harbona, 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 at Haman's house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.”  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.”

3. Haman’s doom is sealed…  (Esther 7:1-10)

The setting is Esther’s second banquet for the King and Haman.  Obviously, Xerxes liked to party and at this second banquet the King asks – What is your request?  This time Esther answers, the previous times the King had asked she had postponed answering.

Now she courageously and wisely responds and her request is for her and her people to be spared from certain annihilation she asks for her life and the life of her people. 

Esther 7:3 (ESV) –

“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request…”

The King followed up Esther’s request by asking who is responsible for this plan and Esther responds (7:6, ESV) – “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!”

The King got up in a rage and went out to the palace garden but Haman stayed behind to plead for his life from the Queen.  Ironically, Haman falls at the feet of a Jewish woman (Queen Esther) when what started all of this was Mordecai (a Jew) refusing to fall at the feet of Haman.

Harbona suggested hanging Haman on the pole that he prepared for Mordecai.  The King liked the idea and commanded that Haman to be executed using the instrument he had prepared for Mordecai and the King’s fury subsided.

Are you finding yourself thrilled by God’s Providence? I’ve heard this whole episode described before as ‘surprise sovereignty’ – you might call it the ironic side of God’s sovereignty.

Pride is deadly poison and it will lead us to deny our need for the Gospel – to deny our need for Christ!  Pride will destroy each and every one of us if we allow it to! 

The bigger story here is a thrilling account of God’s Providence! This paints a picture showing us that God knows, understands and cares – He is in control, even when He appears silent.

God is never caught off guard! It is impossible for Him to be surprised – IMPOSSIBLE!   Embracing God’s Providence changes our perspective on everything!