Esther 7:1-10
Hang Him High
The day I typed this sermon, I was actually giddy with anticipation. I was just five days away from the return of my cherished friends Sergio and Rhoda. It was a year before that they had departed my house for the last time and returned to Israel. My heart was broken, and there was a void in my life.
I’ve spoken with them almost daily, sometimes more often than that, as I pester them with questions that only they can answer concerning Hebrew, or problems that only Sergio can fix as I botch up something in my computer. But there I sat on Monday, typing the sermon and waiting for Friday when they would arrive once again to ease my longing for their company.
But I was also in high anticipation for another reason. Outside of an extremely limited number of people, and those only because it was absolutely necessary that they needed to know, or because they couldn’t interfere with what was coming, nobody knew that they were headed to the US. I would depart just two days later to see a friend, Jon, in Washington state, and they would head to church, that same day, to take over for you all in my absence.
It was planned months in advance, and yet even my mother was not allowed in on it. Ha! As the military says, “There must be a need to know, and she didn’t have one.” Ha again! But the fact that nobody, except those who needed to know, had any idea that they were coming didn’t change the fact that… they were coming.
Text Verse: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.”Daniel 2:20-22
Some things exist that we simply have no idea about. How many of you have read the book of Esther before? We’re now in Chapter 7. Until going through these past Esther sermons, were you aware of all of the interesting hidden patterns and parallels that we’ve seen? Surely not. But they have been there all along. And the frustrating thing for me is that there are countless others that I am (we are) still unaware of.
But it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. And it follows along exactly with the constant theme which I have talked about in each Esther sermon so far. We act in the same manner about the Lord. He is, as we say, out of sight, and thus out of mind. Problems creep up, and we get overwhelmed – “How will I ever get out of this?” Tragedy occurs, and we say, “Now where will things end up?” We fail to direct our words to Him, and we are tossed upon a sea of confusion when it is so.
But Sergio and Rhoda were on their way from Israel to America, to tend to you with their help, love, and instruction, and to help out the church with new equipment, even though you didn’t know it was coming. And they came, and you all benefited from it. Your not knowing didn’t stop what was known.
How much more true is that with the Lord. The Lord is both here now, and He is also coming. He IS. When The Lord said, I AM THAT I AM, He was telling us that He IS. No place is out of reach, no thing is unknown, and nothing can thwart what He wills. We walk blindly in our knowledge and uncaring about events as they unfold. But it doesn’t mean He isn’t there through the process.
Esther shows us this. The Lord, unacknowledged and unseen, is still there. Understanding this in Esther a little more with each sermon, let us then apply this truth to our lives concerning the Lord in our midst. The great I AM is. Let us remember this. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. The Adversary and Enemy (verses 1-6)
So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther.
v’yabo ha’melekh v’haman lishtot im esther ha’malkah. Being such a simple verse for us to start with, it seems as if there would be nothing difficult for the translators. But for the sake of it, less look at the variety of translations of these few words –
So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. NIV
So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. ESV
So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. NKJV
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. KJV
So the king and Haman came to the banquet with Esther, the queen. Jubilee
So the king and Haman came to have dinner with Queen Esther. God’s Word
So the king and Haman came to dine with Queen Esther. NET
So the king and Aman went in, to drink with the queen. Douay-Rheims (where is “Esther”?)
Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. NASB
Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. NAS
The king and Haman came to feast with Esther the queen. CSB
The king and Haman were dining with Esther. CEV (where is “queen”?)
The king and Haman went in to have a drink with Queen Esther. ISV
And so the king and Haman went to eat with Esther. GNT (where is “queen”?)
And the king and Haman came to drink with Esther the queen. Darby
And the king cometh in, and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen. Young’s
And came the king, and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen. Charlie’s LT And came the king and Haman, to drink with Esther the queen. Sergio’s LT
As you can see, some leave out important words, some add in words not in the text. Some interpret for us what a word means rather than literally translating it. And so on. If there is this much variance in a single, simple verse, just imagine how much variation there will be in much more complicated verses. This may seem like an unimportant exercise in nitpickatory nitpicking, but it isn’t.
Translators are generally not scholars. They simply translate. However, unless they refer to scholars, or unless they have an exceptionally well-grounded understanding of context, they are bound to make errors in their translations. And so, this verse shows us how important a line by line, and even word by word study of the text really is. If we have such erroneous translations of this verse, we truly must study to show ourselves approved in all verses we come across.
For one small example, as far as the words, “to drink,” some added in the word “wine,” even though it isn’t in the verse, but it is stated explicitly in verse 2. Is it wrong to add it in here? No, but it should be italicized or bracketed if it is. Some, such as the KJV, used the word “banquet” rather than to drink, and they are using it as a verb. That would be fine, because it is a banqueting, but that causes confusion because they use the same word, in the same context, elsewhere as “to drink.” And a different word is used in verse 2 where they also say “banquet,” but which they then call a “feast” elsewhere, such as in chapter 1.
There is a lack of consistency in their translation. It should simply say here, “to drink.” The amount of care of translation shows the amount of respect for God’s word. It is a long, arduous task, which really necessitates us reading multiple translations in order to get a better perspective of actual intent.
The words here seem superfluous, but they are to remind us that there has already been one banquet, and that the extraordinary events which occurred after it came about. For whatever reason, the queen withheld her request at that time, and had asked for the king’s attendance of a second banquet when she would make her request known.
2 (con’t) at the banquet of wine,
This explains the “to drink” of the previous verse. It isn’t just for them to come over and have a coke and some snacks. Instead, it is a mishteh, a banquet which consists of yayin, or wine – specifically fermented wine. Any food is secondary to the wine. Esther is the queen, she knows the king’s proclivities, and she has known how he has reacted with wine in the past.
It brings a passion on him which can be directed based on her submission, or lack of submission, to his will once he was under its influence. It happened with Vashti. As noted in the first Esther sermon, wine symbolizes the merging together of expressions into a result. The thing that ought to happen can happen, symbolized by wine. Whether she learned this through observation, or some other way, she is applying the truth to the situation.
Further, there was one banquet on the first day, and that is followed up by a second banquet the next day. Everything that happened between the two must be weighing very heavily on the mind of Haman as they sit there drinking.
2 (con’t) the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
The words here are very similar to those of verse 5:6 –
At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!” Esther 5:6
The only substantial difference between the two is that the king adds in the words esther ha’malkah, or “Esther, the Queen.” It shows us something important. He could not sleep the night before. The reason was because Esther had come before him, chancing her own life, in order to petition the king for something. He extended the scepter to her, and then asked in verse 5:3, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
There he also called her Queen Esther, obviously indicating that she was accepted to come into his presence because she was queen. Her request seemed almost trivial for such a chance. She simply asked him and Haman to come to the banquet she had prepared. At that feast, he asked her again what she wanted, but didn’t call her Queen Esther in front of Haman. However, she delayed her request for a second day. It was a request which would deprive him of sleep as the thoughts of what she desired spun through his head on a continuous loop.
Eventually, he rose and had the book of the records of the chronicles read to him. He knew that whatever she wished must be so important that she was willing to go through these events in order to come to stating her petition. She has proven herself not just a beauty, but a woman of perseverance and patience. Thus, he acknowledges her now, in Haman’s presence, as Queen Esther; a title she has earned in her dealings of these two days.
3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
Esther employs a rather amazing use of linguistics. First, there is an abruptness in her words which reflect the emotions she is relaying. Secondly, the king had asked, 1) What is your petition?, and, 2) What is your request? She accepts both separately. And so she divides her words into answering both separately.
When she answers, first her petition is made for herself – “my life.” And then her request is made for another – “my people.” One would assume the king was simply being verbose and offering the granting of one thing, not two. It would be like someone today saying, “What do you need? How can I help you?” They are uniting the two thoughts into one gracious offering.
Any normal answer would be, “I need fifty bucks.” But a person who was linguistically skilled might say, “Well, I need fifty dollars, and you can help by waxing my car.” How do you turn down two requests when you made two offers? This is what Esther has done. And thirdly, she has done it in a marvelous way by first saying, “If I have found favor in your sight.”
Up until this point when speaking to him, the last time being in Chapter 5, she had spoken in the third person to the king – “If I have found favor in the sight of the king.” / “If it pleases the king.” Now, her first words in Chapter 7 to him are in the second person. Instead of “the king,” she says, “your sight.” She has worked her way up to meet him on a personal level.
These first words to him must have been as surprising to the king as if she had said, “I want to go on an elephant ride to India and back.” What she has spoken is probably so far from what he could have imagined that he must think she is making a joke. But, yet, she had come into his presence unannounced, and at the risk of her life. It could be no joke. Esther then continues…
4 For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.
Esther uses the same words found in the royal edict dispatched by Haman, which said, “And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews.” She has identified with her people and their plight. They are united, and she has admitted that she cannot be exempted from what will come upon them. From this, she then follows up not with words which she would do, but what she would have done…
4 (con’t) Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue,
The people, her people and herself, have been sold to destruction. Any person, be it a criminal or a foreigner, is normally allowed to petition for their life. She is exercising that right now, especially because she has been tied into an edict by default, being Jewish herself. They have had no chance to petition for their lives, but now she stands as their representative to do just that.
Had it been any other edict, such as being returned to the slavery they had lived under in Egypt, she would not feel it worthy of even speaking out, but the sentence of death necessitates that she cannot hold her tongue. It is too great of a thing to remain silent over.
4 (con’t) although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
The words of this clause are most obscure, and translations vary widely. It is so difficult that scholars say that even the ancient translators are not much help in understanding the meaning. This is exacerbated by the fact that she uses two extremely rare words. The first is v’ilu, or “and though.” Ilu is found only here and in Ecclesiastes 6 –
“Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?” Ecclesiastes 6:5, 6
The second is a word found only here in the Bible, nezeq, meaning injury or damage. Further, with the word translated as “the enemy,” it makes the entire clause literally read something like “even though the enemy is not equal to the king’s hurt.” One must then try to figure out what she is saying, and then paraphrase it into understandable words. Robert Young takes the word “enemy” and converts it to “adversity.” It is used in a similar manner elsewhere, and so what may be the true meaning would be, “even though the adversity is not equal to the loss of the king.
In other words, if the Jews were simply sold into slavery, she would have kept quiet, even though what they would have to endure would not be equal to what the king, and his realm would suffer in loss. She is saying that as a people, their value as free citizens was worth much more to the empire than it would be if they were in bondage. And yet, it would not be worth bothering the king over. How much more then would the loss be to the empire when they were all destroyed! Her words, may be obscure to us, but they were not so to the king. His anger boils over them…
5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther,
va’yomer ha’melekh akhasverosh va’yomer la’esther ha’malkah – “And said the King Ahasuerus, and said to Esther the Queen.” The words are to be taken as intended. The doubling of “said,” is its own stress. One might paraphrase it, “And the king said in a stunned manner to the queen.” He is the king; she is the queen – his queen. The unity of the bond is highlighted. The words are a foretaste of his allegiance to her throughout this ordeal.
5 (con’t) “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?”
The Hebrew words here are short, abrupt, doubled, and even confused. Most are just two or three letters long, like someone stammering. They are a perfect example of what one would expect of a person who has been waylaid completely, and then who can hardly speak words at all, much less sufficient to convey all the thoughts which have flooded the mind. He says mi hu zeh, v’ey zeh hu asher melato libo laasowt ken – “Who he this? And where this he, that filled his heart to accomplish thus?”
These words, despite being broken and confused from a human standpoint, are intricately woven together and marvelous from a divine outlook. They bring in the only acrostic of the divine name ehyeh, or IAM, in the book of Esther.
Remarkably, it can be spelled either backwards or forwards using three of the same four words. First, it is spelled forward from the final letters of the words hu zeh v’ey zeh, or “he this, and where this.” Or, it can be spelled backwards from the final letters of zeh v’ey ze hu, or “this and where this he.” In both acrostics, only the first or last word is changed. However, all five words are palindromic. They read the same forward or backward – hu zeh v’ey zeh hu – “he this and where this he.” It really is remarkable.
Going forward, it signifies that the Lord, I AM, had determined the end which will occur, and He is bringing it about now. Going backward, it signifies that the end is approaching for the matter, but that IAM is overruling what had previously been determined. Both are occurring at the same time, as if a pivot in redemptive history has been met in the words “he this and where this he.”
The king has asked the question, but the answer to the enigmas is actually hidden in the short, broken words that he stutters out. There is a human agency which has determined evil for the people of God, intending to destroy them as they lead to the Messiah. But there is the divine wisdom of God, working out His plans, thwarting others plans, and effecting His purposes in a people who don’t even know He is there. I AM THAT I AM delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt and the rule of Pharaoh, and that same I AM is there to deliver his people from the one determined to destroy that same group of people a thousand years later.
For the story itself, it is obvious at this point that the king knows the answer. He could not help but to have realized it with Esther’s repeating the words of the very edict which Haman had authorized. He now realized why she appeared before his throne, even at the possibility of death. Also why she had invited Haman to a personal banquet, and even why she had delayed the matter for a second banquet.
But because it was his signet which sealed the matter, he was just as at fault as Haman. She could just as easily point her slender finger at him and say, “You are the man!” But he knew this wouldn’t happen. The invitation of Haman to the banquet brought out the inevitable answer to the enraged question…
6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”
Ish tsar v’oyev haman ha’ra ha’zeh – “Man adversary and enemy, Haman the wicked the this. As confused and abrupt as the king’s words were, such is the exact opposite with the words of Esther. They are direct, purposeful, and pointed. In them, she leaves off any definite article concerning Haman in order to align him with what he is. Instead of “the adversary” and “the enemy,” she says, “adversary and enemy.” It is his nature; it is his filling.
There could be no mistaking her meaning, or the nature of her intended target. He was a diabolical schemer, and he was the enemy of her people and of his king and kingdom. She could not highlight the nature of Satan himself any better than she had highlighted that of Haman.
6 (con’t) So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
Ya think?
We have been sold, my people and I
To be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated
We don’t even truly know the reason why
But so has the decree been dictated
Were we merely sold as male and female slaves
We would not fight the decree or question the law
But we are destined for death and then to our graves
In this there is no logic, only fatal flaw
And so we petition You, our great King
To consider this thing, and then act against it
Tell us that mercy to us You will bring
And to Your will, we will humbly submit
II. Haman’s Ballet (verses 7-10)
7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden;
Scholars have universally missed the meaning of these words. Almost without exception, they say that he rose in his anger to go blow off steam in the palace garden, or thoughts similar to this. What is happening here is that Esther is having a banquet with the king and his first official. The three of them would be alone. There would be no need for royal guards, nor would their presence be welcome. Rather, his rising isn’t to blow off steam, but to go get those same guards who are missing from the scene in order to resolve the matter which the king has already determined to correct. This is evident from the next words…
7 (con’t) but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life,
Haman knew what the departure of the king meant, and there was only one place that he could hope to receive mercy. From… the queen. Women are generally considered to be more tender of heart over such things, and so she was his only chance of hope. Unfortunately for him, he failed to realize that a woman’s heart is as unforgiving as any man when a matter such as this is involved. He had brought misery to her family, to her people, and to her personally. But despite this, he still was hoping for mercy…
7 (con’t) for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.
There is an article in front of evil. It says, “the evil.” Thus it signifies doom. It isn’t just to be a bad day at the office, but the Day of disaster. Unless the queen intercedes, he has met his end.
This verse closes out a set of two’s. In verse 1:12, the anger of the king burned against Vashti. Here it is said to burn against Haman. The two contrast, one was because of an offense by the queen. The second is because of an offense against the queen. One is towards a woman, the other is towards a man. One led to a new wife for the king, a Jewess; the other will lead to a new second-ruler for the kingdom, a Jew. Both, however, confirm royal authority.
This verse also brings in the fourth acrostic of the divine name, Yehovah. It is formed, just as the third was, from the final letters of the words ki kaletah elav ha’raah, or “for determined against the evil.” Those final letters – Yod, He, Vav, He – spell out Yehovah. They are the final letters, signifying the finality of the matter. Haman’s end has come. However, they are spelled forward in the text like the first acrostic. This signifies that the Lord is sovereignly ruling, and bringing about the end which He alone has determined.
While it seems as only two are in the room alone, a third – unseen and unacknowledged – is there as well. He is guiding His creation, revealing to them their destiny in short – second by second – intervals, and yet He already is where they are heading. How great and how remarkable is the scene for us to gaze upon and ponder. The unseen Lord is there, directing history to Himself.
8 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.
Reclining on a sofa, or on the floor, was not an uncommon thing during a banquet or meal in the Middle East at this time. In Amos 6:7, this is noted –
“Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.” Amos 6:7
Even at the time when Christ came, it was the customary way of dining. This is seen, for example, in Matthew 26 –
“Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.” Matthew 26:6, 7
If you come to Charlie’s house for dinner, you will find the same setup, because we eat on the floor at a low table. While the queen of our house would never think to recline, her lazy husband usually ends up doing so to her constant and continued dismay. Anyway, the point is that Haman got up from his seat or couch and went forward to Esther. This act was one of submission to the one and only person that could save him from certain doom. However, the king used it as a final excuse to both embarrass and condemn him for his wickedness, and now also his irreverence – not just to the queen – but to him. For your notes, if you keep such things, this is the last use of the word bitan, or palace in the Bible. It was introduced in Esther 1:5, and it is now used up. We can say hasta la vista to it.
8 (con’t) Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?”
It is likely not the case that he thought this is what was happening, but it probably brought him the greatest joy to say the words anyway, and he certainly would score points with his lovely wife in the process. It was evident that she detested Haman, and so in defending her honor, even as a show, it was a nice touch…
8 (con’t) As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
The act here is one of disgraceful excommunication. He was to never see the light of day, or the favor of the king, again. Further, neither king, nor queen, nor subject, would see the face of Haman again. He was cut off from the land of the living, even if he had not yet arrived at the land of death and decay.
This verse closes another set of two’s. The first was in 6:12, where Haman covered his own face at the initiation of his downfall. There he was heading to his house looking for comfort. Here, his face is covered by others at the completion of it as he is led off to the gallows at his house in disgrace. They contrast in detail, but they confirm the full and final downfall of wicked Haman.
9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king,
Harbonah is the only one of the seven eunuchs mentioned in Esther 1:10 who is mentioned again in a later verse. This is his second and final appearance in the book. He has an idea, a great one in fact, as can be seen in his expressive words…
9 (con’t) “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.”
There is almost a resounding joy in his words, hinneh – behold! Two things are apparent from what he says, Harbonah did not like Haman, and Harbonah did like Mordecai. He was aware of what Haman had purposed concerning the gallows for Mordecai, maybe even from Mordecai. He certainly didn’t hear it from Haman. And he also knew of what Mordecai had done for the king and compliments him on it now in the presence of the king. Harbonah is a helpful soul for the Jewish cause which is looking a bit better, moment by moment. He obviously knew Mordecai’s character, and he felt it was an excellent reflection on him and his people. Haman on the other hand, had fallen out of pretty much everyone’s favor…
9 (con’t) Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”
Ha!
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.
Haman did his final ballet as his legs twitched upon the pole he had erected for another. The evil that he intended for Mordecai was turned back upon himself, and he died in his own sin and wickedness. If the number of ironies in the Bible were recorded and then read out, it would be a long, long sermon. If they were placed in ascending order, this would be towards the top of them. God turns what is intended for evil into good, and He does it in a way that is astonishing. For now, the hanging of Haman had a rather calming effect on at least one weary soul. Unlike the previous night, his sleep would probably be sweet when the day closed out, because…
*10 (fin) Then the king’s wrath subsided.
The wrath of the king was appeased through the death of the wicked. This closes out another set of twos. In verse 2:1, the king’s wrath subsided against a woman, his queen, leading to his looking for a new wife. He found one, a Jewess to fit the role as his mate. After his wrath here in chapter 7 subsides against a man, his number 1, it will lead to looking for a new man to promote in Haman’s place. He will find a Jew to fit the role. The two accounts contrast, and yet they confirm the hand of God in the appointment of two of His chosen people to fill the highest roles of the king’s life and government.
Something I alluded to in a previous sermon, and that should be repeated now, is that Haman was a wicked man who died, thus ending the wrath of the king. But it is more than just a note to be inscribed in an old book and forgotten. It points to Christ Himself. We keep seeing two’s, contrasting and confirming things. Here we have one in Haman and in Christ. Haman, the enemy of God’s people, raised an ets, a tree, to hang Mordecai on. And yet he, the wicked one, was hanged on it instead. In that act, the wrath of the king subsided.
In Christ, we see that He, the Savior of God’s people, allowed the raising of another ets, a tree, which rightfully belongs to us, God’s enemy. And yet He, the Righteous One, was hanged on it instead. In that act, the wrath of God subsided. We cannot read the Bible and come to any other conclusion. God promised it in Genesis. In Revelation it says it was from the foundation of the world. In Numbers, the bronze serpent was placed on a pole, for the people to look at it and be saved. In John 3, Jesus said that He, like that serpent, would be lifted up. The theme keeps repeating. There is good, and there is evil, but the good assumes the place of the evil in order to restore the good. Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians –
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Christ was made sin for us. He became the serpent on the pole. He became the Haman on the tree. The pictures keep repeating to show us the undeniable truth that God is angry at sin, but He loves us enough to remove that sin, by judging it in His own dearly Beloved.
The question in which ehyeh, or I AM, is hidden asks, “Who is he, and where is he?” The king was looking for an answer to who it was that would dare to destroy God’s people. The answer was revealed in Haman, but the answer as to who would save God’s people was right there in his own question. “Who is He, and where is He?” The answer is, “I AM THAT I AM.” I AM will save My people – I AM the Bread of life: I AM the Light of the world; I AM the Door; I AM the Good Shepherd; I AM the Resurrection and the Life; I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and I AM the Vine. I AM THAT I AM. I AM Jesus, the incarnate Word of God.
Haman was hung upon a tree, and salvation came to the Jews. Jesus was hung upon a tree, and salvation came to the world. Haman died in sin; Christ died for sin. It is the word of God, and it is astonishing.
Closing Verse: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:31, 32
Next Week: Esther 8:1-17 From dreariness in mourning, to joy in garments with lovely sashes… (Beauty for Ashes) (10th Esther Sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. At times, you might feel as if he has no great design for you in life, but he has brought you to this moment to reveal His glory in and through you. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.
Hang Him High
So the king and Haman went to dine
With Queen Esther
And on the second day, at the banquet of wine
The king again to Esther, said to her
“What is your petition, Queen Esther?
It shall be granted you
And what is your request, up to half the kingdom?
It shall be done!” My word is true
Then Queen Esther answered and said
“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, I speak at your behest
And if it pleases the 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
Had we been sold as male and female slaves
I would have held my tongue, leaving my pain unstated
Although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss
The difference is that of gold, compared to mere dross
So 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?”
And Esther said, “This wicked Haman is the adversary and enemy
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen
Looks likely that his last day has been seen
Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine
And went into the palace garden, his head it did ring
But Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life
For he saw that evil was determined against him by the king
When the king returned from the palace garden
To the place of the banquet of wine given by his spouse
Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was
Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen
———-while I am in the house?”
As the word left the king’s mouth, over this disgrace
They covered Haman’s face
Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king
“Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high
———-which Haman made for Mordecai
Who spoke good on the king’s behalf
Is standing at the house of Haman. Let’s use Haman to give it a try
Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”
So they hanged Haman on the gallows as the king decided
Those that he had prepared for Mordecai
Then the king’s wrath subsided
Lord God, thank You for Your presence that is with us
Even when we don’t realize that You are there
Because You sent Your own Son Jesus
We can know that You truly do care
And so Lord, be real to us in a wonderful new way
Open our minds and our hearts to seeing You always
Through every step we take, and throughout every day
Be real to us, O God, and to You will shall give all of our praise
Hallelujah and Amen…