We've obviously been away from the Book of Esther for a couple of weeks, and I'm very, very thankful for the preaching ministry of my brothers, Sean and Brian, and glad that Brian could come. Had Brian preached here before that? Had Brian ever preached here, Brian? I think once, maybe once. But I'm really glad that you could get both of their pastors from our sister church, the PCA Church, and really glad that they could come. But again, we've been away from the book of Esther for a couple of weeks. We actually have our opportunity to finish it today to bring it to its conclusion here, the conclusion of the matter in the book of Esther. We've made it through the entire book in six messages. We will have Lord willing made it through. And I know you don't you expect that to be longer for me, but but it's really the nature of the thing. The nature of this book is intended, I think, for a very straightforward kind of singular message, and we'll try to get there as we go on. You'll notice, by the way, we're in chapters nine and ten. We'll try to simply read through the rest of the book and finish it today. But you'll notice that it closes, the whole book closes on a note of great victory for the Jews. A great relief for them, celebration of that great confidence, a place of honor and even a national holiday. The Purim festivals are celebrated yet even today among the Jews. But that's the note upon which this book closes. But as I've said before, it is still hard to calculate and to grapple with the fact that Part of this whole scenario is war. It came to war. Devastating. Very brief. A conflict not isolated to one location, but was happening in location after location in communities across the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. And yet in just two days, no less than 75,000 Maybe 75,810, if you want to add up all the figures that are used here, perished in a war, in a very concentrated conflict. There was a very high death toll. By the way, I don't know at all how much death toll there was among the Jews. It's not even mentioned. The death toll is given for their attackers. But I think about it this way, perhaps even the gravity of this devastating death toll gives us some insight into the depth of their relief. Because if nearly 76,000 attackers across the various cities, villages, across the Persian Empire, if nearly 76,000 attackers perished in the conflict, how many more were involved in the conflict, if that's how it went. And it gives some insight into a people who establish a national holiday for their relief from their enemies. Keep in mind that this was no ordinary war. Isn't it interesting that it would have occurred in pockets and places across 127 provinces And I'm talking about from India all the way over to Egypt. You understand it's that broad of a spectrum where the Jews were scattered in various communities. And it's no ordinary war for this other reason that the attackers are not meaning to limit their engagement to battlefields and only military combatants. This was an attempt at massacre. They were coming after the children. They were coming after the wives, coming after the parents and the grandparents. The intent was to annihilate. And I suppose I have no idea why they went ahead to do that. I really don't. I've tried to look at that. So you've got edict number one and edict number two. And the Jews are allowed to defend themselves and you've got the support of Mordecai who is now in high position. It's been nine months to think about this. Why in the world do they still attack them? I don't know. But they did. And anyway, portraying it like that, understanding that sort of the circumstance of this thing. It is a genocide attempt. It's an attempt to plunder property, to take all property. from these people. Again, I simply talk about it like that to portray somehow the relief and celebration of which you will read. So let's go ahead and read the account here. We've got quite a lot to read. It's been like that with Esther, right? You've had good chunks of Esther to read, so settle in and listen to chapters 9 and 10. On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them because the peoples of all other nationalities were afraid of them. And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king's administrators helped the Jews because fear of Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace. His reputation spread throughout the provinces and he became more and more powerful. The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them. And they did what they pleased to those who hated them. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphan, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisia, or Arasi, excuse me, Aridai, and Vysatha, the ten sons of Haman, son of Hamadathah, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The numbers of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? What is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? it will also be granted. If it please the king, Esther answered, give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on gallows. So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. The Jews in Susa came together on the 14th day of the month of Adar and they put to death in Susa 300 men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed 75,000 of them, but did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened on the 13th day of the month of Adar, and on the 14th day they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the 13th and 14th and then on the 15th day they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. That's why rural Jews, those living in villages, observed the 14th of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes near and far to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies and as the month when their sorrow was turned to joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days, as days of feasting and joy, and giving a presence of food to one another, and gifts to the poor. So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written for them. For Haman, son of Hamadathah the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast the Pur, that is the lot, for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back on his own head and that he and his son should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore, these days were called Purim from the word pure because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them. The Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should, without fail, observe these two days every year in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation, by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants. So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes, words of goodwill and assurance to establish these days of Purim at their designated times as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them. And as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records. King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire to its distant shores, and all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king had raised him, are written in the books of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia. Mordecai, the Jew, was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews." Again, significant reading. As much as I could go into by way of detail here, I could highlight the theme of the day itself, the 12th the month of Adar, the 13th day, the 12th month, because of its distinct relationship to the casting of the lot for that day and the fact that all things, whereas their enemies cast the lot for that day, they had victory on that day. There are a number of things that I could highlight in there, but I want to spend most of our time on it because it seems very important to me to say that the Jews were not given this victory because they were themselves so morally superior and righteous in God's eyes than the rest of the people across this empire. I'm trying to take in kind of a whole Bible context here because I think that's how you have to look at the book of Esther. How can it be that it's the right thing, that this should come to this war? and that there should be this kind of victory and then this kind of celebration thereafter. It's a difficult question but I want to say it seems very important to say that the Jews were not given this victory because they were more righteous than the rest of the Persians. The very nearest biblical parallel, very clear parallel to this whole concept that is portrayed in the book of Esther is recorded in what Moses said to the Israelites about a thousand years prior to this because he had words for them, inspired words for the council just before they entered into the promised land. I say it is parallel because similar things would happen. They would fight wars. They would fight the Canaanites and vast numbers of Canaanites would die in war. many Canaanites would perish. And so it is very much like this. The attackers against the Jews perishing that day. The Canaanites perishing when they went into the Promised Land. But listen to Moses' inspired counsel to the Israelites from Deuteronomy 9, verse 4. He wanted to give them perspective on the whole thing. And I think we've got to take that broader perspective on the entire case study before us. Moses said to them this, after the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourselves, the Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness. No. It is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out. That is the truth that underlies this hard story of Esther. It is on account of the wickedness of these nations. After all, what is it that would prompt a genocide attempt? It is unbelief in the one true God. It is rebellion against God that bears the kind of fruit of these that would attack the Jews under this circumstance. So what happened to these Persians is one example among many. In all the world there is unbelief. In all the world there is rebellion. In all the world there is sin. But it is those basic issues that bring out an instance now of what I have to call the judgment of God. We can't get around it. Why did so many Persians perish? It is the judgment of God. against unbelief and sin. And it has very little to do, I'll say nothing to do, with the merits of Israel personally. You know, the merits of those people. Victory and war on both occasions in Canaan and in this situation across the Persian Empire Those were related to the Jews, obviously. And God was their defender, for He had made covenant with them. He had made promises of protections against such attacks and whatever. But again, it has nothing to do with their merits. And that's a very important point. God can have mercy on a people and give them that protection when it's unrelated to their merits. And what I find is this. that that's like unto the whole story of the Bible so far. Well, and all the way through the Old Testament as it leads up to and communicates to not only us, but the entire world the need that we have for the Lord Jesus Christ. How does this story go after all? It goes like this. The Lord did not set His affection on the person of Abraham in the first place because of Abraham's merits. If you go on ahead to that time during which the descendants of Abraham, as promised, developed into a whole nation-sized group of people over four centuries in Egypt, again, the message is clear. They were not saved from their slavery in Egypt, not given the opportunity to be pulled away from there and go to a land of inheritance because of their merits. As a matter of fact, the Passover event itself says unequivocally that the Israelites were every bit as subject to God's wrath as any Egyptian. The Bible states the reason why wrath came upon the Egyptians. The Lord brought judgment on their gods. That's how it is stated in Scripture. That's why there was devastation in Egypt. But the thing is, the devastation was coming to Israel as well. And it is only Passover that releases them from their own guilt in that. If we wanted to analyze the characteristic performance of these chosen people, these people with whom covenant had been made, if we wanted to analyze their performance on their way down to Mount Sinai and at Mount Sinai and in the wilderness wanderings to follow, and if we wanted to analyze their performance over 350 of their first years in the promised land under the rule of their judges, Or if we wanted to analyze their characteristic performance over the 450 years or so under which when they were under kings and prophets, meritorious is not the word that comes to mind, not for any of their history. And it goes on into the time of the exile, and this is perhaps one of the most poignant examples because of what the prophet Ezekiel said concerning it. If we wanted to examine God's disposition toward the history of the children of Israel, whom he had favored, whom he had given promises, to whom he had given promises, whom he's protecting in Esther and protecting in Canaan and all of that. How does he analyze the time of their exile? And the prophet Ezekiel speaks to that. It was not a noble display of faithfulness that got them there. It was not a noble display of faithfulness during the exile. Ezekiel's prophecy, by the way, was given at the beginning of the exile of Judah. Northern tribes had been gone for a long, long time prior to that. And Judah was just freshly exiled. And Ezekiel is given to declare God's take on all of that. And I think we will learn from it a very crucial point about the way the story is playing out here. By the way, I'm not saying this. I want to be clear. I'm not saying that there's never example of authentic faith among the Jews from Abraham and on. The grace of God is at work, but there is an important lesson in the analysis of the characteristic performance of the nation. The Bible is speaking to us, a message as it rattles through all the history of their demise and their failure and their disobedience. I mean, it's a long story. The whole Old Testament ends on a very negative note, and it's meant to give us a message. But let me let me read from Ezekiel, and I want to give you the context for two verses that come in chapter 36 in Ezekiel, because God is commenting on this and giving us a lesson. Right around that context of chapter 36 in Ezekiel, God speaks of the judgment, His own judgment against the Jews that put them in exile in the first place. But then He went on to describe what effect that would have on the whole rest of the world seeing it happen. Again, the northern 10 tribes had been exiled more than a century earlier, and Judah had just been freshly exiled. So what testimony does that give to the rest of the world? And God speaks to it through Ezekiel in chapter 36, verse 19. God says this. Listen carefully. God says, I dispersed them. I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, For it was said of them, these are the Lord's people, and yet they had to leave His land." So what's sort of the comment about the situation? They had disobeyed, and I exiled them in judgment and discipline. And what does that say to the rest of the world? Well, look. Look what happened to God's people. They profaned His name. So that's the whole context of all of this. Now, the beautiful part of Ezekiel and chapter 36 in Ezekiel, is it has some of the most golden words of mercy in the entire Scriptures. Some of the most heartwarming, encouraging words of the entire Gospel are found in Ezekiel 36 where the Lord says, I'll bring you back. I'll bring you back. Chapter 36, verse 25, I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees." And there's more to the fact. Some of the most beautiful Gospel words in the entire Bible are in Ezekiel 36. But the question is why? Why did God show them this remarkable kindness if the whole context is their failure? And Ezekiel talks about that too. Under the circumstance of this shame in exile, what would prompt God to bring new life and redemption to this stiff-necked clan of people? I use the terminology stiff-necked because Deuteronomy uses the terminology stiff-necked. Earlier in that same passage where I'd quoted the one who says, it's not because of your righteousness. Just a little later, it's because you're a stiff necked people. That's how it comes across. So I asked myself, why did God do this? Was it because he saw a certain kernel of good in the Israelites, the Jews? I see a certain kernel of good. That would be a shame to waste. Therefore, I shall do this good thing. That's not Ezekiel's answer. As a matter of fact, the words given to Ezekiel as the Word of God on this are hard to hear. They are two things. And I want to say this. I want you to listen to the two things they are. They are both harder to hear and more encouraging than to say the reason God did this is because He saw a kernel of good in these people. Listen to what Ezekiel was given to say. On the one hand, it seems like a great blow. It almost seems like cause for despair, but I say it's of more encouragement than the other scenario would be. It was given to Ezekiel to say it in hard words, words you would not expect. God's word to Ezekiel was this, say to the house of Israel, it is not for your sake that I'm doing these things. What things? The things are the very mercies I just mentioned. He was going to cleanse them, redeem them, forgive them, transform them, make them new on the inside, put His Spirit in their heart, give them new hearts. That's what He's going to do. And He says, I'm not doing that for your sake. Study Ezekiel chapter 36. Just go through the whole thing. Look at the context. And what you'll find, I think, is that at least four things come out. What is the purpose then? Why did God extend this mercy to the people? Four things. Number one, in place of the blotch that Israel had put on the good name of God, there would be instead honor then for His good name. By pouring out mercy on the undeserving, that's the nature of the storyline, pouring out mercy on the undeserving, He would show Himself both holy and a very, very great Savior indeed. As for Israel's part, they would not learn some satisfaction that God had found them worth saving after all. What would they learn instead? They would learn instead authentic conviction of their sin. They would come to know their sins. And I think then, then finally really understand their God. to know Him for who He was and for all the hope that's in Him. Because He reached out when there wasn't something deserving of that reaching out. Israel, number three, would at last know their God. Number one, by the way, is the honor and good name of God. Number two, authentic conviction for their sin. Number three, that Israel would know their God, but not only Israel. Chapter 36 in Ezekiel, every onlooker in the nations would see this restoration, this great restoration, and say, that really was God. That really is God doing this. And they too would find out about God. What is salvation about? It's about the greatness of God. It's about holiness. It's about majesty in mercy. When mercy pours forth to the undeserving, God is shown to be deserving. of all of our hope. He's shown to be very full of grace indeed and deserving of our faith. And then the peoples of the earth through the ages will see this and believe. Do you remember how earlier in the book of Esther, a little bit earlier, there was this scenario where you'd see now everything had turned around. There was the genocide edict. Suddenly the new edict goes out and the horsemen, the very fast horses specially bred for the king, take the new edict out And as people discover that news, chapter 8, verse 17 says this, in every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and celebration. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because of that. God's goodness to His people and people seeing that and saying this is the true God, Now, in part, people became Jews because they were just afraid of them. Scripture says that they were afraid of this whole Mordecai thing. He's coming to second in command and all of that. We had better not cross these people. But I think it really does go further than that in its ultimate message. These are foreshadowings. What you see playing itself out in Esther's situation, in Mordecai's situation, the salvation from their situation coming from the threat of death itself to joy, celebration and feasting. It foreshadows what God does and will continue to do as He pours out His mercies on people. Pouring out forgiveness when they don't deserve it. Pouring out transformation on people and that through Christ. The knowledge of salvation for the world And Christ Himself to the world came through the Jews. I mean, Scripture never backs off of that. How do we know about the one true God? Because of God's promises to Abraham. You will be a blessing to all the nations through Genesis 22, 18. Through your offspring, all the nations on the earth will be blessed. And that's how Christ came to us. And so as God blesses people with new hearts and His Spirit with restoration, The words, I think, of the prophet Micah become fulfilled as well. Listen to Micah 4, verses 1 and following. In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains. It will be raised above the hills and people's will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways. so that we may walk in His paths." What, in conclusion, what is this story of Esther about? What is it about? Well, it's about God providentially preserving and defending His people. Not that they deserve it, but that He is, in fact, defending them It's about his sovereignty over the course of things in the life of nations. It's about the fact that all nations should bow before him. When you think of God's sovereignty over the nations, Esther points out, the book points out that he is sovereign right down to the toss of the dice. I don't use dice probably with the little dots that we have, but he is sovereign to every detail. Nations must serve Him. You cannot go against Him and survive. It is about judgment. It's about judgment on unbelief. It's about judgment on wickedness and the wickedness of Haman and company and all those who attacked. It is also about this one very great incident of His setting His people in a place of protection, in a place of high honor and blessing. Why? So they would know that He is God. Other nations would know that He is God, that they would be convicted of their sins and put their hope in Him.