Esther Chapter 8 Verses 1 – 2

 What’s happened to Haman is intriguing, a teachable lesson, but also just

so entirely sad what became of him. He was second in the greatest empire

the world had ever seen. He had the authority of the king. Wore the king’s

signet ring and essentially controlled the operations of a great empire.

(One could draw a parallel to a description ascribed to Lucifer in the Bile

given to us in Ezekiel 28:12 where he is described as beginning as, “The

seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”)

 At its peak around 500 BC, which was right around the time of Esther, the

Persian Empire is estimated to have had a population of around 50 million

people. Except one. All of them except one liked and honored

him/Haman. And for that one, his whole life was wasted. Not just him

losing his life, he loses his household which means everything he had

amassed and owned doesn’t go to his wife and children, it all goes to

someone else.

 Haman lives his life of extreme accomplishment and for the sake of one

person, one problem, one man that doesn’t honor him, in the end, he

accomplishes less than nothing. It would have been far better even for

Zeresh to have married a doorkeeper in the king’s house… He has wasted

her life and left his children helpless. Intriguing, teachable…, but just so

sad…

 We can talk about the dangers of people pleasing with this example. We

can talk about the bottomless pit of pride with this example. We can talk

about how the material things of this world ultimately don’t satisfy a

soul… All of these points are pertinent to this story… But the greatest

point to make is that this wasn’t God’s plan for Haman.

 God has a purpose for me. He has a purpose for you. And that purpose is

immersed in joy. In contentment. Baptized in optimism, peace,

exhilaration, satisfaction and even prosperity. And, we can go our own

way if we wish… At the end of Haman’s story stands a broken family, a

devastated home and a defeated man. May I plead with you just for one

moment to walk with the Lord for the sake of His glory, for the sake of

your life, and for the sake of your family?

 Esther appoints Mordecai over the house of Haman. It is good and noble

to return honor to someone who has helped you along your own journey.

Esther was orphaned and it was Mordecai that took her in and loved her,

protected and provided for her as his own daughter. It was Mordecai that

strengthened Esther to do what was right in a very dark situation. And now

it is Esther that exercises her own authority over Mordecai and honors him

with audience in the palace and authority over his enemy’s house.

Esther Chapter 8 Verses 3 – 5a

 I’m just going to point something out, do with it what you will. Esther’s

approach to her husband, we read what she said and eyes roll and I get it,

she’s laying it on pretty thick, but let me tell you what her approach

messages to her husband. “If it pleases the king,” messages, “I respect

your responsibility.” “If I have found favor in his sight,” messages, “It

matters to me how I make you feel.” “And the thing seems right to the

king,” messages, “I respect your thinking/judgement.” “If I am pleasing

in his eyes,” messages, “It matters to me that you like me.”

 So, in summary, I respect you, I respect you, I respect you, I respect

you… This Esther will without any shadow of any echo of a doubt get the

absolute BEST version of her husband. Just throwing that out there…

This is also quite applicable in the reverse. In a husband’s approach to his

wife…, the messaging should be, you are loved, you are loved, you are

loved, you are loved… and he will get the absolute best version of his

wife…

 One difference…, typically with the wife, over time… with the

husband…, immediate in that moment. HA! Tell me if I’m wrong!!!

Esther Chapter 8 Verses 5 – 14

 The decree of the king was irrevocable. And so, the king gives them an

opportunity, a contingent, an alternate path to the destruction that had

been decreed upon them, and this time, it’s written by Mordecai. A decree

of the king that as they are pressed, threatened and attacked, they are

permitted to protect themselves and to destroy, kill and annihilate all

forces of any people or province that would assault them.

 This was the exact ability given to Haman in Esther Chapter 3 verse 13.

For him to be permitted to command the empire to destroy, kill and to

annihilate all of the people of God wherever they are found…

 I think this is so awesome. Because there’s another King whose decrees

cannot be revoked. Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of

God are irrevocable.” Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall My word be that goes

forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void.” Matthew 24:35,

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no

means pass away.”

 And, God has decreed through His perfect righteousness and pristine

judgment that the entirety of creation lies under a curse of death because

of sin. Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you

return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to

dust you shall return.” 1 John 5:19 says, “We know that we are of God,

and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

 The wicked one, the father of sin, comes only to (John 10:10) steal and to

kill and to destroy. To destroy, kill and to annihilate… And that decree is

in place and cannot be revoked…, and yet God has handed His signet

ring back to us in the Person of Jesus Christ…, that through Him we may

have an opportunity, a contingent, an alternate path to the destruction

that has been decreed upon us! And it’s through trusting in Jesus that WE

are not overcome but rather we become the overcomers…

 1 John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is

the victory that has overcome the world, our faith! Who is he who

overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God!?”

Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31-32, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has

asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you,

that your faith should not fail…” THERE are so many that I can pull from

but just one more… Genesis 4:7, “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for

you, but you should rule over it!”

 There is an ultimate parallel here that because of sin a decree of

destruction rightly hangs over and works into each of our lives but through

the faithful following of Jesus, believing in Him and trusting in Him, we

can protect ourselves! Defend ourselves! Even steal, kill and destroy the

enemy himself! Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

 Haman has been hung on the gallows! Jesus put the enemy to an open

shame when He hung up on the cross. That’s what Hebrews 6:6 tells us.

Defeating once and for all the decree of death and perfect/pristine

judgement of God by ushering in grace and eternal life! Haman is dead

and now Mordecai writes that the people of God can AVENGE themselves

on their enemies! We, through Christ, are called essentially to be

AVENGERS! YES!! Avenging God’s heart, putting on display His grace

and His love and His provision, as was in the first day…

Esther Chapter 8 Verse 15

 Messiah and or church/bride type alert! Blue is the color of heaven. White

is the color of cleanliness/perfection. A great crown of gold and a garment

of purple which is royalty. And who penned the decree? According to

verse 10, Mordecai! This is the scene in Revelation when Jesus

approaches the throne of the Father and takes out of His hand the scroll

that only He is worthy to open. Why? Because the seals that its sealed

with are HIS! He is both the king and the Savior!

Esther Chapter 8 Verses 16 – 17

 It’s so good. This is so good. The result of Mordecai trusting and doing

what was right even through intense difficulty pays off in a tangible

substantive way. Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the

evidence of things not YET seen.

 AND, notice, because of him, because of the decree given by the authority

of the king (Jesus said ALL authority has been given Me), the people lived

filled with hope, joy, gladness, dignity, honor and even feasting…

 Jesus said the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come that

you may avenge the Father and yourselves born and built in the image of

God Himself that you might have life and life abundant! And it was

their joy, their honor that caused the people around them to revere them,

and the highest form of honor, to join them!