Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. And all that we do and all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. I'm Darrell Bay, thank you for tuning in. Servants for Christ, amen. As we continue on in our study of the book of Esther, take your Bibles to the 17th book, the book of Esther, Esther chapter seven. I'll be talking to you about when evil meets its end. when evil meets its end. Here we'll be talking about God's justice that prevails, bringing deliverance for his people and the judgment for the wicked. And so as we open up with us, read along with us in Esther chapter seven, verses one through 10. So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther, the queen, in verse two, and the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, what is thy petition, queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee, and what is thy request? And it shall be performed even to the half of the kingdom. In verse three, then Esther, the queen, answered and said, if I have found favor in thy sight, O king, And if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request. And verse four, for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. And verse five, then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther, the queen, Who is he and where is he that is pursued in his heart to do so? And Esther said, the adversary and the enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen, and the king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into his palace garden. And Haman stood up to make requests for his life to Esther, the queen, for he saw that there was evil determination against him by the king. verse 8 then the king returned out of the palace garden into the palace of the banquet of wine and Haman was fallen upon the bed where an ester was then said the king will he force the queen also before me in the house as the word went out of the king's mouth they covered Haman's face in verse 9 and Harbona, one of the Chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And then the king said, Hang him thereon, in verse 10. So they hang Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. And then was the king's wrath pacified. Let's pray. Father, we come before you with humble hearts, acknowledging that we fall short of your glory each and every day. You said that if we confess our sins, you're faithful just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so Lord, We pray that you would forgive us and you would cleanse us anew and equip us with the armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil in faith equipped and shielded by your truth and love. And as we open your word, reveal to us the beauty of your justice, the power of your deliverance and the assurance of your sovereignty in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. You know, have you ever heard the story of the man that tried to rob a bank, but he ended up locked in the vault and he couldn't open? You see, It recounts a thief who thought that he had the perfect plan until he found himself trapped with no escape. His brilliant scheme became his undoing. You see, in Esther chapter seven, we see Haman, like that thief, trapped by his own schemes. Haman's plans to destroy God's people were elaborate, yet his own evil intentions led to his own downfall. This chapter reminds us that God's justice is unshakable, His timing is perfect, and His deliverance is sure. And as we look at this story, we see the truth of Proverbs 26, verse 27, Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein. You see, we've got to discover how God's sovereign hand worked through Queen Esther to bring justice and deliverance. And so, I'm glad that when we look around, a person reaps exactly what they have sown. If we sow friendship and love in this life, we're gonna reap friendship and love. If we sow a life of commitment, hard work, and diligence, we're gonna reap some material rewards. But if we sow laziness and slothfulness, we're gonna reap unemployment and little material provision. Within a marriage, if we sow true love, care, tenderness, and morality, we're gonna reap faithfulness and a growing love and commitment. But if we sow immorality, we will reap hurt, pain, and divorce. And if we sow lawlessness and violence, we will reap due punishment. As a society, if we sow justice, if we sow peace, we will reap that justice and peace throughout our nation. Sowing and reaping is a theme and a lesson of this scripture of Esther chapter seven. The king now favored the Jew Mordecai because Mordecai had saved the king's life. And in addition, Haman had just been utterly humiliated and publicly shamed by this unexpected honor bestowed upon Mordecai, his vowed enemy. After the unsettling incident, Haman was warned by his wife and friends to turn away from this enmity against the Jews and stop his plot to exterminate them. They warned him that his downfall had already started. In fact, while Haman's friends were still talking with him, the king's attendants arrived to rush him to the banquet of Queen Esther that she had prepared for the king and the prime minister. And rushing to the banquet with a heavy heart and broken spirit, Haman had absolutely no idea what was to come. And so, In verses one through six, there's a certainty that God will ultimately uncover all sin. Esther's revelation of Haman's wickedness. And I'm glad that when evil meets its end. The first thing we see is the Queen's courageous plea. Because in Esther chapter 7 verse 3, then Esther, the Queen, answered and said, if I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it pleased the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request. Esther boldly stood before the king to intercede for her people, risking her own life. And so, The Queen's courage, courageous plea. It was courage in the face of danger. Esther approached the king, knowing the risk. Her faith mirrors Psalms 56 verse 11, where the Bible says, in God have I put my trust. I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. And so the courage in the face of danger, when we see the Queen's courageous plea, when evil meets its end. But secondly, compassion for her people. because her plea wasn't for herself alone, but for her people. This reflects Christ's intercession for us in John chapter 17, verse nine, where the Bible says, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me. And so when evil meets its end, The Queen's courageous plea, we see courage in the face of danger, compassion for her people, and thirdly, confidence in God's providence. Esther's confidence wasn't in the king, but in God's plan. As Cory 10 Boone said, never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God, unquote. And so, when we look and realize that when evil meets its end, I'm glad. Secondly, we see the king's wrath because in verse 5 of Esther chapter 7, then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, who is he and where is he that doest pursue in his heart to do so? The king's anger against Haman was stirred when he realized the danger to Esther and her people. And so, the unmasking of evil. Haman's schemes were exposed, just as Luke chapter 12 verse 2 says, for there's nothing covered that shall not be revealed. And so, the indignation of justice, the king's wrath, symbolizing God's righteous anger against sin, Nahum chapter 1 verse 3 reminds us, the Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked. And so, I'm glad that we see the king's righteous wrath, the unmasking of evil, the indignation of justice, and the turning of the tables. Haman, who sought to destroy Mordecai, now face the consequences of his own actions. The wisdom of Proverbs chapter 11 verse eight declares, the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead. And so, when we look, as Haman arrives to dine with the royal couple. Confusion may still be plaguing his mind. He may be wondering still why Mordecai was honored by the king. And the curiosity of the king seems to have reached its peak, as the king wants to know what Esther wants. And for the third time, he proposes to give Esther up to the half of his kingdom. The number three is the number of resurrection and renewal. And so, this is what Esther desires from the king. Not riches, not resources, nor rank or reputation. Resurrection from the jaws of the law is what the Jews will get. Esther does not plan for wealth or power, but for life. She believes her request will please the king because it involves his wife and the people that contribute to the empire. Esther was the first time identified herself with her people and her God, and like Moses, she chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. The king's not only shocked, but Haman is too. She has placed her life in the Lord's hands. And so, human life was cheap in that day. The king was very concerned about who was trying to harm his wife. Little does the king realize that he's a part of the problem. He signed the death warrant for his wife. What is Haman thinking? Does he realize what is actually taking place? Does he see that he's about to be exposed? It's interesting to note, that the phrase, who is he and where is the man forms the acrostic for the name I am in the Hebrew language. And so Haman is exposed for what he is, a bandit, a robber. He's trying to rob Esther and her people of their lives, their possession. And God was trying to warn Haman through his advisors and why, but he would not heed the warning. You know, God has been patient and long suffering with Haman. Wicked people have a tendency to think that they're secure And they're safe when they're not punished. Haman was cocky in his corruption. Esther nails Haman right between the eyes. The enemy, O king, is Haman. Heyman is like a kid who has just been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. The bandit has been caught and exposed. Heyman has no answer. He's speechless. And with the queen as his prosecutor and the king as his judge and jury, his conscience is his witness against him. Heyman is utterly terrified and his true colors show through. You could say that he's in a very bad predicament. Life can be difficult sometimes. and there's also times that it can be treacherous where we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place and our predicament. can be dangerous when we look. Living for the Lord can get you into difficult situations with Satan's crown, but thank God the Lord is with us and is in control of the situation. His plan for our life will be done. And as you look through scripture, you'll find a number of reasons why people get in all kinds of predicament. Joseph, his brothers hated him and they sold him into slavery. Potiphar's wife resented his refusals of her advances. Her lies put him into prison. Haman, his resentment toward Mordecai and the Jews put him into a situation where he would be destroyed by his own device. And so, Jonah's rebellion toward God command him to go to Nineveh ended in a stay in the whale motel. Absalom's rebellion toward his father led to a battle in which his hair was caught in a tree while fleeing and as he helplessly struggled he was killed. The prodigal son The attitude of this young man toward his father and his wild livestock led to the hogpen trail. Perhaps wading in a pigsty and eating pig slop would wake up anyone. It woke up this young man. Listen, how many people have rebellion in their heart? Jacob, the deception of his father, the theft of Esau's blessing, forced him to leave his home and family because of Esau's desire for revenge. Jacob never saw his mother again. Achan took that which belonged to the Lord in Jericho. It brought judgment to Israel. And as they were defeated at the battle of Ai, it brought judgment to himself and his family. And when you steal from others, you end up robbing yourself of blessings, peace, joy, and life. Sodom and Gomorrah, the weakness of the city, led to its annihilation by the Lord. The adulterous woman would have led to her execution if the Lord had not intervened. Immorality leads to very difficult situations, such as diseases, unwanted pregnancies, jealousy, revenge, and death. Stephen preached the truth and was executed for it. God was glorified in his death. Daniel prayed to the Lord, as he always did, and he was punished for doing so. But in his case, God miraculously protected him from the lions and was glorified. The three Hebrew men refused to bow to an idol, even though their lives were on the line. And again, God protected them in the fiery furnace and was glorified. And there was a fourth man walking around with them. Paul faithfully served the Lord, preached the gospel, and yet through one trial after another, He was greatly used and blessed in spite of the predicaments that he faced. Peter preached the word, was thrown into prison. He was on the verge of execution when God delivered him. And in each case, God was with these people. He was glorified by their lives. His will was done, whether they were delivered or allowed to die. Listen, Esther's exposure of Haman's evil plot against the Jews was about to take place. And so, as she exposed the evil conspiracy of the prime minister that was involved in the killing of Queen Esther, as well as all of the Jewish people, we see what it paints. After eating their meal, the king and Haman, as they were sitting around drinking wine, just as they had done at the banquet the evenings before, risking her life, Queen Esther made a stunning yet perplexing request of the king that her life be spared as well as the lives of the people. And so, In verse 4, shocked by Esther's petition, the king was unable to say anything before Esther continued speaking to explain what she meant. She reminded the king of the decree of extermination and then charged that a man had committed a conspiracy against her and her people. this man had sold them for extermination. And so, as she would have kept quiet for being enslaved, was a manner too tribal to justify the disturbance that the king had. Stunned and outraged that any man would attempt to kill the queen The king managed to calm himself enough to ask a multi-faceted question. Who is this man? Where is he who would dare touch the queen? Who would dare injure the king by killing his queen? These were the very questions Esther needed the king to ask. In a brief but pointed statement, Queen Esther exposed the evil man in verse 6. and just as Haman's evil was exposed, so all sin will be exposed by God. We may attempt to hide our drugs, our alcohol from our family, our adulterous things, our evil stuff that we do behind the scenes, but it will eventually be exposed. We may have premarital sex or adultery behind closed doors, but our immorality will be exposed. We may steal when no one else is looking, but our theft will eventually be known. We may lie and deceive, but the truth will eventually come out. We may abuse, assault, commit lawless or criminal acts, and even escape punishment for a while, but eventually we'll be caught and suffer just punishment for our illegal behavior. All acts of sin and wickedness and evil will be exposed and brought out into the light. And so certainly God will ultimately uncover all sin in verses one through six of Esther chapter seven. And so, We see that when evil meets its end, the Queen's courageous plea, secondly, the King's righteous wrath, because in verse five, then the King Hosiris answered and said unto Esther, the Queen, who is he, where is he that dares pursue in his heart to do so? And the King's anger as the unmasking of evil, the schemes that were exposed. the indignation of justice and the turning of the tables that took place. And so when evil meets its end, the queen's courageous plea and the king's righteous wrath, we come to our closing point, our third point, and that is the execution of justice. And so in verse 10 of Esther chapter seven, so they hang Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified. Haman's demise came swiftly, fulfilling the justice of God. And so doing, that as we see that this took place, that Haman's demise as it came swiftly, fulfilling the justice of God, we see the end of those evil plans, the very gallows that Haman built 75 feet high for everybody to observe for Mordecai became his downfall. Psalms chapter 7 verse 15 warns, he made a pit, digged it, and it's fallen into the ditch which he made. And so, the execution of justice, the end of evil plans, but the vindication of the righteous. Mordecai's life was spared, proving that God is a shield for the faithful. The psalmist in Psalms 37 verses 39 through 40 says, but the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. He is their strength in the time of trouble. And then thirdly, we see the peace that follows justice. With Haman gone, the king's wrath was satisfied. Likewise, God's justice brings peace to his people. Isaiah chapter 32 verse 17 declares, and the work of the righteous shall be peace. And so, as we saw the certainty of God's will, ultimately that it overcovers all sin, Esther's revelation of Haman's wickedness in verses one through six, and verses seven through 10, Haman's punishment. No one can escape the judgment of God. As the king is furious and to think through the problem and the solution, what is the real problem? The law says the Jews must die. What is the solution that he needs? He needs a solution that will save the Jews. What to do with Haman? When an Oriental king arises angry from their own table, there is no mercy for him that caused it. Why did the king not issue Haman's execution immediately? The answer may be because he was particularly responsible. He signed the law. He may have been mad at himself, and the king may have pondered thoughts such as, was Haman trying to kill his queen by killing all of the Jews? Was Haman a part of the conspiracy against the two Chamberlains? Was he trying to shut up Mordecai? All of this as he stormed down that he looked at. And so, you know, he knows that the king was angry. This same king that scourged the sea after 400 of his ships sank in a storm. Haman pleads for mercy from the queen, who is his only hope. He's in a panic and presses upon Esther on the couch when she was eating. This is so ionic because Haman was furious with one Jewish man, would not bow down to him, and now he's bowing before a Jewish woman. And as he presses upon Esther, begging for his life, the king walks back into the room, finds Haman on Esther's couch or bed, and Esther has accused the bandit of trying to rob her of her life. And now the king accuses the bandit of trying to rob him of his wife. And so when we look at this, we see that out of all of this deception, no doubt, As the king collects his thoughts through this conspiracy, Esther had just exposed Haman's deception in leading him into issue of a decree of extermination. And so out of all of this, the same evil that Haman had planned for Mordecai was turned against him. Haman reaped what he had sown, and the principle of sowing and reaping is one of the great principles of life, a strong teaching of God's holy word. Whatever a person sows, they will reap, and whatever a person measures, it will be measured back to him. God's justice will be exact. We're going to bear exactly what we've sown, nothing more and nothing less. And whatever we dish out and measure in life, the same portion will be doled out and measured to us. Nothing more and nothing less. Justice will be perfectly executed by God. There'll be no opportunity in the day of judgment to accuse God of judging someone unfairly too lightly or too severely, judgment will be completely accurate and precise, and there'll be no escape from God's judgment. And so the surety of judgment is guaranteed by God. How should Haman be executed? The Persians had a number of ways of tormenting criminals. Gouge out their eyes, cut their tongues out, or pierce the tongue or nose with rings, and then pull the person behind a chariot, skin the people alive, impel them on a stake, All of this, a 75-foot gallows that Haman built for Mordecai. The king orders Haman to be hung on it, and the king is pacified. God's people have been delivered from one enemy, and these events are the stepping stones for a future deliverance in the coming days, amen. Thank God other men in the Bible had learned this lesson. Jacob deceived his father with a goat, and he too was deceived with goat's blood. He was deceived by Laban with his wives. Saul, Paul stoned Stephen. Paul was stoned in Lystra on his first journey. Pharaoh drowned the baby sons of the Jews in Egypt. The Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the Red Sea. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and Absalom took his father's concubines. Lot lived in the corruption of Sodom and reaped it in his children. We do reap what we sow. But the day of Esther's feast, the wonderful truth that is hidden here, is seen in the date. The day of Esther's feast was on the 17th of Nisan. The day was seen as a day of turning of events in Persia. a day of beginning of hope, a day of where the sentence of death was accompanied with life and hope, a day of renewal and resurrection. And I'm glad as it's carried all throughout history. For example, Noah's Ark rested upon Mount Aria on this same day. In Genesis chapter eight, verse four, the seventh month was changed to the first month in Exodus chapter 12. and Exodus chapter 13, the month of Abib or Nisan falls during March and April. And when Noah's family deported from the ark, they were entering a new world and a life and the resurrection of a destroyed world. Israel crossed the Red Sea on this day and was spared from the jaws of death. They had a new life of freedom. Israel eats the first fruit of the promised land after crossing the Jordan River in Joshua chapter five. And it was called the Feast of First Fruit. It was the third of the seven feasts. And number three is the number of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was on this day. The Old Testament saints were resurrected too. And upon this day, Hezekiah resurrected the temple worship after years of oppression and neglect. And so the deliverance and the resurrection in our Lord reminds us of Christ our Savior, that reminds us that the fall of the Antichrist will be swift like Haman. The deliverance of God's people is at the hand as one enemy is gone and yet they're still under the sentence of death with nine months to go. I'm glad every enemy that has ever tried to destroy Israel has been destroyed. And so it will be in the future. And so I'm glad that when we look and realize out of all of this, Esther chapter seven is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and justice. Evil may seem to prevail for a time, but God's timing ensures that justice will come. Haman's story reminds us to trust in God's plan, remain faithful, and believe in his ultimate deliverance. Are you trusting God's justice in your life? You need to reflect on the areas where you feel wronged or anxious and entrust them to God, knowing that he's just and faithful. Are you willing to stand for others in need as Esther did? We all need to seek opportunities to intercede for our brothers and sisters. and our co-workers and act on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. Are there areas of pride or hidden sin in your life that need surrendering? Right now, you need to ask God to search your heart and to remove anything that hinders your walk. with him. Imagine Heyman at the dinner table, nervously wiping sweat off his brow, while Esther dropped truth bombs like a spiritual ninja. I bet Heyman thought, well, this escalated so quickly. I hope and pray that when evil meets its end, that we see the Queen's courageous plea, courage in the face of danger, compassion for her people, confidence in God's providence. And when evil meets its end, not only the Queen's courageous plea, the King's righteous wrath, the unmasking of evil, the indignation of justice, and the turning of the tables. And finally, the execution of justice, the end of evil plans, the vindication of the righteous and the peace that follows justice. Father, Lord, as we close out of Esther chapter 7, we thank you for the lessons that you, as a God of justice, truth, and mercy, forgive us for our pride, our doubts, and our failures to trust you. Save those who are far from you. Draw them into your grace. Help us to stand boldly like Esther for what is right. And may we rest in the assurance that you will bring justice in your perfect time, that we live together in a renewed faith and confidence in your sovereign plan. In the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. you