Episode 19, Queen Esther Series –"Change Your Tomorrow Today" "2025 Podcast "Stay in His Presence"

How to humiliate a tyrant could be the subtitle to today's presentation. Haman is forced to honor his enemy, Mordecai, on the king's orders. If Haman had ceased from hating Mordecai, he could have changed his tomorrow, today. In this presentation, we will learn how to change our tomorrow through humility, how honoring others leads to blessings, how to deflect our enemy’s attempts to curse us, and how God’s timing in blessing us is perfect. My name is Stephanie Wright. Thank you for joining us in Episode 6, "Change Your Tomorrow, Today." 

My name is Stephanie Wright. Thank you for joining us today.

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Transcript

Unedited Transcriipt

Speaker 1: 0:00

How to humiliate a tyrant could be the subtitle to today's presentation. Haman is forced to openly honor his enemy Mordecai on the king's orders. If Haman had ceased from hating Mordecai, he could have changed his tomorrow, today. In this presentation, we will learn how to change our tomorrow through humility, understand how honoring others leads to blessings, how to deflect our enemy’s attempt to curse us, and we will discuss how God’s timing in blessing us is perfect. My name is Stephanie Wright. Thank you for joining us in Episode 6, "Change Your Tomorrow, Today." Let's get started. 

 As always, I have a very short, one-minute introduction for those who are just joining us in this study. The Book of Esther takes place about 480 BC, 480 years before Christ was born. The place is the Medo-Persian Empire, one of the most powerful empires of that time. Forty-four percent of the known world's population was controlled by the Medo-Persian Empire. This is the biblical historical account of a Jewish woman named Hadassah. She was given the name Persian name Esther, and she becomes the Queen of Persia and saves her nation from being destroyed by an evil man named Haman. Episode 1, we called “Divine Destiny”, Episode 2, we called "Favor and Grace,"

Speaker 1: 1:38

Episode 3, we called "Obedience or Obeisance," which means bowing down, Episode 4, "For Such a Time As This: Fasting to Deliverance," Episode 5, "One Thing," and we'll touch on that chapter briefly today. Finally, Episode 6, for today is, "Change Your Tomorrow, Today.” Before moving into Episode 6, let's look back at the end of Episode 5, where we left off because it flows right into Episode 6. Episode 5, verse 13, talks about Haman and how his spirit was grieved because Mordecai would not bow down to him. Mordecai would not give him reverence. Haman was the king's highest‑ranking prince and everybody was supposed to stand and give him a honor by bowing down to him. This was ordered by the King. But Mordecai would not bow down. Haman was the only person other than King Ahasuerus who was invited to both banquets that queen Esther had prepared. Haman was bragging about this to his wife and bragging about it to his friends.

Speaker 1: 2:47

We learned in Episode 5, Haman was talking about what a blessed man he is. But nevertheless, he said, one thing is making me miserable. It just bothers me that Mordecai will not give me respect. And that was the one thing that was bothering him so much that he couldn't even enjoy his blessings. Last week - and we're going to get to Episode 6, be patient with me - last week, I asked you, did you find that one thing that is keeping you from your blessing? Did you think about it? I found mine. Well, actually I found mine before the message last week, that's why it was called one thing. I hope you took that to heart and searched yourself and asked God to search you and show you what that one thing may be

Speaker 1: 3:47

that's keeping you from your blessing. In Episode 5, what his wife and what his friends told him after he expressed to them how it bothered him about Mordecai not bowing down to him - and we said he got some bad advice because what his wife and his friends told him - in verse 14 of Chapter 5, "Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits (which is 75 feet high) and tomorrow go to the king that Mordecai can be hung in those gallows.” So, that was their solution to Haman. This guy's bothering you, just go to the king and have him hung. As a matter of fact, build the gallows that he will be hung on and then after you go to the king and get Mordecai hung on the gallows, then you can go to the banquet and you can have a good time.

Speaker 1: 4:47

You can go party. You can rejoice after you have done this horrible thing. So, that's the kind of advice that he got from his wife and from his friends at the end of Episode 5, "And the thing pleased Haman." He liked that and he caused the gallows to be made. So, he took this advice, which we found out later was some very bad advice, we will learn. Let’s begin at verse 1,Chapter 6, "That night the king could not sleep; so, he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him." So, what is “that night”? That night was the same night of the same day that we just talked about in Episode 5, when Zeresh, Haman's wife, and Haman's friends told Haman to build the gallows. Okay. Are you tracking with me? Haman is talking to his wife and his friends,

Speaker 1: 5:54

they tell him to build a gallows and this is in the daytime. Little does he know that, that same night of that day, the king is going to ask for something to read because the king can't sleep. "I need something to read. Bring me the Chronicles (this would be like old newspapers, past history). I just want to read the Chronicles." Verse 2. "It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes." So, this is what the king is reading. Remember, King Ahasuerus is also called King Xerxes. King Xerxes is reading about this attempt to take his life and Mordecai found out about it and told Queen Esther. 

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And Esther certified the events concerning this attempt on the king’s life and Mordecai being the one who exposed the assassination attempt. In other words, she put this in the Chronicles and when it was found out, the would‑be assassins were both hanged on a tree. Mordecai got no credit in Chapter 2, for saving the king’s life, but it comes up again now in Chapter 6, because the king can't sleep and he wants something to read. Verse 3, of Chapter 6. "And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, “There is nothing done for him." Nothing has been done for Mordecai, even though he helped to save your life.

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Nothing was done for him. He wasn't rewarded for helping to save your life king. Mordecai is about to be blessed in Episode 6, for something that happened in Episode 2. So, on that night, the night before the next day, when Haman was about to ask for Mordecai of be hanged, the king asks for the Book of Chronicles to be read to him. He wants to know whether or not anything has been done to reward Mordecai, the man who exposed the chamberlains, who were going to try to kill him. But remember it was Esther who made sure that it was recorded in the Book of Chronicles. A very wise queen. So, this is a message to us to give honor to whom honor is due. When someone should be recognized, no matter how small it may seem, be sure you recognize them. So, it was recorded in the Chronicles and it is no coincidence,

Speaker 1: 9:08

it's no coincidence first of all, that it was recorded in the Chronicles by Esther. But it is also no coincidence that the king decided to read the Chronicles on that very night of the day, that Haman was planning to kill Mordecai. 
 
 Nothing is coincidental with God when it comes to our lives. Nothing, nothing is coincidental when it comes to our lives. Amen. Amen. Don't forget that. Don't forget that God is the master planner. He plans good things for us. Jeremiah 29:11. Amen. Verse 4. "And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the court of the king's house to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him."

Speaker 1: 10:14

So, just as the king has finished reading the Chronicles, then he asks who is in the court. But Haman was there for a different reason. The king is saying, how can I bless Mordecai? And Haman is coming to see the king to say, how can I curse Mordecai? This is why we do not worry about our enemies because the master planner has already overridden whatever plan the enemy has concocted. God's timing is perfect. The blessing for Mordecai came at just the right time. The blessing didn't come in Chapter 2, the blessing came in Chapter 6, right on time. Haman was going to ask for Mordecai to be hanged, but just then the king was ready to bless Mordecai. Right on time.

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God's timing is perfect. Like we said, last week, God is the author of time. He may not come when we want him to, but he will come right on time. King Jesus is saying to you today, how can I bless my servant? How can I preserve my servant today? I'm ready to bless my servant today. Maybe my servant wasn't blessed when he or she thought they should be blessed, but you know what? God knows when it’s time to get our blessings. He knows when the time is right, so don't be impatient when the blessing doesn't come when you think it should come. Verse 5. "And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, “Let him come in." Verse 6. "So, Haman came in. And the king said unto him, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?"

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Oh, I laugh every time I read this, it's funny. It's so sad because Haman's pride is about to be his downfall, Proverbs 6:16-19, because Haman thinks the king is talking about him, right? But Proverbs 6:16-19, reads "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Pride goeth before destruction. Proverbs 16 and 18, go back to Proverbs 6, 16 through 19, the six things that the Lord hates and seven are an abomination. Haman fits into almost all of these. He had a problem.

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First, he was proud because he's thinking that the king is talking about him. Second, he definitely had a lying tongue because we learned back in earlier chapters, he had lied on the Jewish people and told the king that they were against him and you [king] should kill all of them. That was a lied. Third, hands that shed innocent blood. He's getting ready to kill all of the Jewish people in those 127 provinces that were ruled, by King Ahasuerus. And this was going to happen in the month of Adar, the 13th day. It was already planned, but Haman couldn't stand to wait until that day. He wanted to kill Mordecai now. So, now he's planning to shed innocent blood. Fourth, a heart that devises wicked imaginations.

Speaker 1: 14:27

Yes, it is wicked what he's doing, wanting to hang Mordecai just because he doesn't want to bow down to him and because he hates the Jewish people. This is Haman. Fifth, feet that be swift in running to mischief. He's running to the king to ask the king, to kill this man. And then he's planning on going out and partying and going to the banquet afterwards. Sixth, a false witness that speaketh lies. This is Haman again. And, seventh, he that soweth discord among brethren. Haman’s proclamation to kill all the Jews destroyed any chance of harmony between the races in Medo‑Persia. Everything in Proverbs, Chapter 6:16-19 applied to Haman. Well, thank you Jesus for opening my eyes to that. And then Proverbs 16 to 18, “pride goeth before destruction.” If that's not Haman, I don't know what is because his pride is getting ready to go before his destruction. And it also says, a haughty spirit before a fall. He lifted himself up.

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I'm so great. I'm so wonderful. But his fall is about to come. Esther 6, verses 7-9 "And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour." Now, see, he's speaking all this, but he is also speaking of himself, he is speaking of himself because he says in verse 9, "to have one of the king's most noble princes" do all of this.

Speaker 1: 16:25

And Haman is one of the most noble princes. So, he is being prophetic. But the problem is in verse 10. "Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken." The king said to Haman, make haste, hurry up and take the apparel, everything you just said, go get the apparel, go get the clothes, go get the crown, all of it, and the horse, as thou has said and do even so to Mordecai, the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate, let nothing fail of all that you have spoken. Yes, Haman, that's right. This is what I want you to do for that person that needs to be honored. And everything you just said is perfect. And you are one of my most noble princes. So, I want you to go and bless this man of God, the man that you wanted to destroy, the man that you wanted to tear down, the man who was among those people, whom you have planned to kill. The handwriting was on the wall.

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At that point, a light bulb should have gone on in Haman's head and he realized, uh-oh, the king is getting ready to bless this man. Something's not right here. Haman refused to repent from his evil ways. He could have changed the outcome for the Jews and would have thus changed the outcome for himself. As we will see, he could have changed his tomorrow, today. He had the opportunity to change his future at that very moment, on that very day. That's why the message today is, "Change Your Tomorrow, Today." What's going on in your life today that you need to handle. This wasn't in my original notes, but let’s let the Holy Ghost have his way. What's in your life today that you need to change; that you need to fix; that you need to make better. The same questions apply to me. Maybe there's nothing that we need to fix per se, but something can be made better in our lives today that God may have spoken to us about, that God

Speaker 1: 18:35

is speaking to us about. Because if we do that thing today, it's going to change our tomorrow. Somebody made a decision yesterday to change their tomorrow, today. Amen, amen. We cannot be afraid to do what God has called us to do and told us to do. We must listen to the voice of God. If Haman had listened to the voice of God as we will see, he would have clearly changed his tomorrow that very day. And not only his tomorrow, if you read on - and I encourage you to read on - you will find that he would have changed the tomorrow even of his wife, of his children, he would have changed their tomorrow. We affect the lives of our families. The way that we live. Our children are watching us. Our grandchildren are watching us. The world is watching us. Are we careful to do what is right in God's eyes, that lifts up the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Speaker 1: 19:34

The things we do today will affect our tomorrow and the tomorrow of those around us. Haman could have changed his tomorrow. In Haman's case, it's going to mean his very life, but it also means our lives too, our spiritual lives. Maybe not our physical lives, but in some cases, yes, maybe even our physical life, amen. God's telling us not to do certain things and we're still doing them. God tells us not to go certain places, be around certain people, eat certain foods and we’re still not hearing Him or hearing Him and being deliberately disobedient. And then we wonder why we're being affected  physically or mentally or spiritually. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, so we should care about how we treat it. 

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Let’s change our tomorrow, today. Amen. So, let's move on. The handwriting was on the wall. Haman, refused to repent. He could have changed the outcome for the Jews by going to the king and saying, "You know what king, I lied to you. These people are not bad people. We need to somehow get this thing fixed. We need to get it changed." That would have changed the outcome for himself and for all the people. Nevertheless, Mordecai's blessing of being paraded throughout Shushan, the capitol of Medo‑Persia was something I am sure Mordecai never imagined – Haman either. God truly made Mordecai’s enemy his footstool. This is why we should not fret when our blessings don't come when you think they should come.

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Verse 11. "Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour." Not only did he have to walk through the city, he had to also, proclaim this before the city that this was a man whom the king delighted to honor. Verse 12. "And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered." Remember how Mordecai and the Jews mourned and cried and wailed when they learned of the plot to destroy them in Chapter 4? Now the tables are turned. It is now Haman, who is mourning. Last week I said I would find the scripture about trying to curse somebody. It is found in Proverbs 26: 2. "As the bird by wandering as the swallow by flying.

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So, the curse causeless shall not come." Haman tried to curse Mordecai, but the curse that is without justification, without cause, the curse that tries to target the one who is covered under the blood of Jesus, the one who has been prayed for, well, that curse will not fall on that person. Instead, the curse will find someone and most likely it is the one who speaks the curse out of their mouth. This is why we must be very careful with our words. And we must be very careful with what we receive in our spirits. Remember Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." People forget the part about "thou shalt condemn." Okay?

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It is up to you to condemn words spoken, even thoughts, “spoken” in someone’s mind against you. It's not up to somebody else to condemn those attempts to curse you. It’s up to you. However, in cases where, for example, you have a child or someone not able to speak for themselves and somebody tries to speak a curse over them, it is up to us to rebuke that thing. You might not be able to speak it out loud, but you better “speak” it in your spirit. Okay? Amen. Verse 13. "And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him." 

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All of a sudden, the light bulb comes on and they realize, uh-oh, this is not good. He is of the seed of the Jews and you, Mordecai, have begun to fall before him. You are not going to prevail, but you shall surely fall before him. So, now Zeresh, his wife, sees and all of Haman's friends see what bad counsel they gave him. But it is too late because now in verse 14, "And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared." So, now it's time for Haman to be carted off to the banquet. But the question is, is it really too late? Before he got to the banquet or even when he got to the banquet, did he have an opportunity to repent? We will find out next week in Episode 7, “A Defeated Tyrant.” 

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And remember, today is the day to think about how you can change your tomorrow. 

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