Episode 21, Queen Esther Series – “The War, The Victory, The Man” Subtitle: "The Wealth of the Wicked"

Queen Esther Series, Episode 21, “The War, The Victory, The Man” Subtitle: "The Wealth of the Wicked"

Hello and thank you for joining us for the conclusion of our series on Queen Esther.  We end this series the way we began, expounding on God’s favor and grace to Esther and Mordecai and to us. The title of today’s episode, is, “The War, The Victory, and The Man." We will see God’s display of grace and favor as he blesses Esther and Mordecai with the wealth of the wicked, victory in warfare, and as he bestows honor and regal power on Mordecai. We will see that this same favor and grace are bestowed on us as we continue to trust, obey, and follow Him. 

My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s get started. 

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Transcript

Queen Esther, Episode 8, “The War, The Victory, The Man” Subtitle: The Wealth of the Wicked

Hello and thank you for joining us for the conclusion of our series on Queen Esther.  We end this series the way we began, expounding on God’s favor and grace to Esther and Mordecai and to us. The title of today’s Episode 8, is, “The War, The Victory, and The Man. We will see God’s display of grace and favor as he blesses Esther and Mordecai with the wealth of the wicked, victory in warfare, and as he bestows honor and regal power on Mordecai. We will see that this same favor and grace are bestowed on us as we continue to trust, obey, and follow Him. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s get started. 

Thank you for joining us for Queen Esther, Episode 8, “The War, the Victory, and The Man.” We will cover Chapters 8, 9, and 10 today because Chapters 9 and 10, both overlap in their content with Chapter 8. First, here is a brief background to last week’s episode, but we encourage you to listen to previous episodes to get a better understanding of this series.

Haman was the chief prince to King Ahasuerus, the most powerful man in the world in 480 BC. Haman was enemy to the Jewish people who lived in Medo-Persia and he had put in place a plan to kill all the Jews on the 13th day of the month of Adar. He hated Mordecai, a Jew, but Haman did not realize Mordecai was Queen Esther’s cousin and thus she was also a Jew. Queen Esther risked her life to save her people from this almost certain annihilation when she appeared before the king without first being summoned. But when she appeared before the king, he not only received her but offered her up to half his kingdom. The queen however only asked the king to attend two banquets and to bring Haman to the banquets. At the second banquet, the queen exposed Haman’s evil plan to destroy the Jews living in the kingdom. Upon hearing this, the king abruptly left the banquet hall.Haman, in an attempt to beg Queen Esther for his life, mistakenly falls on the queen just as the king returns to the hall. The kingperceives this as Haman trying to seduce the queen and immediately orders Haman hanged on the same gallows Haman built to hang Mordecai. So, Haman is dead, what now? Will the edict to kill the Jews be reversed? What happens to Haman’s wealth? Starting with Chapter 8, verses 1-2.

“On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.”

2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Okay, so all I could say is, “Wow!” When I read how the king gave Haman’s house to Esther, it reminded me that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just. Proverbs 13:22 (ISV).  Haman was a wicked man, he exemplified everything that God hates as we pointed out in Episode 6, Proverbs 6:16-19: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devisethwicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Nevertheless, the just prevailed, the Jewish people prevailed through fasting, praying, mourning, wailing, afflicting their bodies and souls when they found out a death sentence had been issued by Haman. Read Esther Chapter 4, verses 1-3 and 16. It pays to pray, fast and cry out to God when we see trouble on the horizon. It’s better if we are prayed up and fasted up before the trouble comes, but in event, God will not turn away from a sincere heart that seeks him in times of trouble. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. And Psalm 50:15 says, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Verses 3 through 6. And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 

4 Then the king held out the golden sceptretoward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

Verse 3, points out that Haman was an Agagite. To get a good understanding of the significance of this statement, you should listen to Episode 3, “Obedience or Obeisance” which details why Haman had so much hatred which eventually led to his demise. But, let’s look at what Esther is doing in these verses. It seems that Esther appearsbefore the king again without being summoned because he had to extend the golden sceptre like he did in Chapter 5, verse 2. But as he did before, he immediately receives her and she turns on the tears this time. Now, most men cannot stand it when the woman they love sheds tears. Esther probably did not even need to go there, but she was about to ask the king to do something that he really should not do, that is, reverse his edict for the Jews to be killed. Remember, the money had already been paid out to assassins throughout the kingdom to carry out the treacherous act. (Esther 3:9). This was a big deal because as far as I know, once the king makes a rule, he cannot reverse it. So, she turns the tears on perhaps to convince him to do exactly what he knew he should not do. But, ahhh, he’s the king. He knows how to get around this. Verse 5.

5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

I said it before and I will say it again. I get tickled when Queen Esther says, “if I have favour.” She knows this man loves her and she has found favour and is pleasing in his eyes, no “ifs” “ands” or “buts” about it. Then she asks him to reverse the orders sent out to kill the Jews throughout the 127 provinces. And to add icing to the cake she says, there is no way I can endure this evil. So, in other words “honey” if I am miserable, you’re probably going to be miserable too. You get what I am saying here. If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. So, what is a king to do? Verses 7-8. 

7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

8 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 sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.

So, the king says, “Esther, I have already given you Haman’s house; Esther, I already had the man hanged on the gallows because of what he was going to do to the Jews (and to you), nevertheless, I am going to let YOU, decide how to deal with this matter, you just seal it with my ring, baby. Whatever, you say is fine with me and nobody can reverse what you write. Well, okay, that’s like a man turning over his credit cards, check books, everything and saying, “Here honey, go shopping and spend as much as you want.” But, as my husband pointed out when I shared this with him, the king did say on at least three occasions, he would give her up to half his kingdom. Esther 5:3, 6; 7:2. He was doing just that – making her his equal. This was empowerment of the highest order as we shall see.

Verse 9.  “Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

Again, as in past chapters, Esther gives honor to her foster father, Mordecai. She relinquishes the power given to her by King Ahasuerus to Mordecai. Mordecai continues to be rewarded as a leader of his people and for raising Esther to be a woman who respects her God and her foster father. Verse 11. Mordecai is given the same or greater power Haman had been given when he sent the edict to have the people murdered (the wealth of the wicked is given to the just). Now, the tables have turned and Mordecai sends instructions post-haste to Jews throughout the 127 provinces of MedoPersiaand he seals it with the king’s seal. Verses 11-14.

“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 and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

So, the letters sent out across the 127 provinces did not reverse the king’s original edict for the Jews to be killed, instead Mordecai’s edict (on the king’s behalf) ordered the Jews to defend themselves against any attack. The attack was to come on the thirteenth day in the month Adar(8:12).

Here we are going to look at “The War” in our threepart presentation. Let’s move to Chapter 9 and see how the Jews defended themselves against their enemy as referenced in Chapter 8, verse 13, “and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.”

In chapter 9, verse 5, it says the Jews smote all their enemies. It further states two groups of men 500 and 300 (verses 6 and 15) were killed in Shushan the palace and 75,000 were killed presumably in the other provinces (verse 16). Also, Haman’s ten sons were killed in the battle (verses 7-10) naming each of them one by one. In verse 25 of chapter 9, Esther asks that Haman’s sons’ bodies be hanged which some believe means she wanted them impaled. We see Queen Esther is no longer the little girl, Hadassah, but a queen with power and she is not afraid to use it.

Right here, let’s pause and take a deep breath. Let’s look at this from a different perspective. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12, reminds us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Further, God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:4, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds . . . “ So, while we are glad for the victory of the Jews in the Book of Esther, we should not forget that the real enemy is not man but our adversary, the devil, God’s adversary. We fight him in spiritual warfare. 

Let’s look at the “The Victory” part of our presentation. In verses 16 and 17, it reads:

16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Let’s compare these verses in Esther 8, with Esther 9:17-19. The Jews in Shushan celebrated their victory over the enemy on the 15th of Adar (Esther 9:18) while the Jews in other provinces celebrated on the 14th of Adar (Esther 9:17).  In other words, the day after their battles ceased. These feasts were established to remember the victory over “Haman . . . the enemy of all the Jews [who]had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them.” And to remember that “Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.” The feast days were called Purim after Pur referencing the lots which Haman cast (throwing the dice) to decide on which day to slaughter the Jewish people in MedoPersia. They were to keep these two days without fail, remembering throughout “every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.” This was written in the books and confirmed by Queen Esther. Esther 9:24—32.

The people who had been intimated by and afraid of a tyrant, were redeemed by God who gave for their darkness, light, for their sorrow, gladness and joy, and for their shame, honour.  And instead of fear throughout the 127 provinces, there was rejoicing, feasting and respect from nonJews who wanted to convert and did convert to Judaism. 

Now, let’s look at “The Man” in our threepart presentation. 

Esther carried the baton across the finish line but Mordecai put the baton in her hand and gave her instructions on how to finish the race. Mordecai was favored and blessed by God because he loved God and God’s people; he was not afraid to stand up to a tyrant and stand against tyranny; he turned to God in prayer and fasting; and he spoke the truth even to a queen. 

How did God favor Mordecai? God made Mordecai’s enemy his footstool Chapter 6:11).  Haman, Mordecai’s chief enemy, was forced to dress Mordecai in the royal apparel and parade him through the streets.  We have said repeatedly that God may not reward us, or, show us favor when we think he should, but he is right on time with his favor.  GOD FAVORS YOU!

God favored Mordecai when He spared Mordecai’s life and took Mordecai’s enemy’s life (Haman’s life) instead. Not only was Haman’s life taken but he was hanged on the same gallows he was going to use on Mordecai.  Esther 7:9-10.

God turns situations around for his servants, for those who love him.  This is another reason we put all our trust in God and do not fear man.  GOD FAVORS YOU!

God favored Mordecai when he took what once belonged to Haman and gave it to Mordecai. The king gave Mordecai his ring and Esther gave Mordecai the house that once belonged to Haman. Esther 8:2. The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just.Proverbs 13:22  GOD FAVORS HIS PEOPLE!

God favored Mordecai when he gave him authority and power to write decrees in the Persia. Referenced above, Esther 8:9. God uses people who may not want to be used, in Mordecai’s case, King Ahasuerus, to grant his favor to us.

God even showed favor in how he dressed Mordecai! Esther 8:15  

 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, 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.

Mordecai traded the sackcloth and ashes he wore for a garment of fine linen and purple and a great crown of gold. That is how good God is.  We will have our night of tears but God will give us beauty for ashes.  

God showed Mordecai favor by exalting him with fame in the land and throughout the land:

Esther 9:4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
The house where he could only stay on the outside, he now was great in that house.  God favored Moredecai and God favors us.  Matthew 23:12 reminds us, And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.   God favors us when we are humble!

Esther 10:1-3

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.

2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

Mordecai endured a great deal of suffering before he received his reward, but his favor showed up in a great and mighty way.  He held out as we all have to hold out.  We have to keep our eyes on the calling, on the purpose, and realize that even though we will sometimes suffer like Mordecai did; even if we don’t end up in an earthly king’s palace, we are already seated in heavenly places: Ephesians 2:6 says, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

We are the warriors! We are the Victors! and it is because of The GodMan, Jesus!