Bible Commentaries
Esther 7

Verses 1-9

1. Intro:
   1. Poetic Justice - a fitting retribution for one's actions.
      1. Like the small time bomb maker in our town I met while on a ride along. He blew off a few fingers trying to make a bomb in his garage.
      2. Surprised while burglarizing a house in Antwerp, Belgium, the thief fled out the back door, clambered over a nine-foot wall, dropped down the other side, and found himself in the city prison. Oops!
      3. 2009 flight NW#253 The underwear bomber. Who sewed 80oz of a highly explosive chemical PETN, inside his unde’s. Then had acid in a syringe as the detonator. "The explosive device went off, but it became an incendiary device instead of an explosive device”.
   2. One day there will be Perfect Poetic Justice for all. In the meanwhile, God in His patience & longsuffering is holding His gavel from crashing down.
      1. Until that time, we must learn to live with injustice, & the silence of heavens gavel.
   3. Common Frustrations w/seemingly injustice:
      1. Since God doesn’t deal speedily in His judgement on man, how does the world interpret this?
         1. There must not be a God then. Or if there is, He won’t or can’t deal w/it.
      2. Are they getting away w/murder?
         1. Read - Eccl. 8:11-13
      3. Why isn’t judgment executed speedily?
         1. Because, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet.3:9
      4. Why are we glad God doesn’t execute judgment speedily?
         1. Because we’d be dust ourselves.
   4. Outline: Esther at the end of her Hope & Haman at the end of his Rope.
      1. Read chapter.
2. ESTHER AT THE END OF HER HOPE (1-6)
   1. ​​​​​​​Walking with the king.
      1. Was Haman’s chest sticking out? Was he strutting?
      2. Haman’s chickens are ready to come home to roost….and he didn't even know it.
   2. (2) Whetted Curiosity.
      1. This is the 3rd time the king has asked.
      2. ½ the kingdom – I just once want to hear them ask, “Ok, I want half the kingdom!”?
         1. ​​​​​​​This royal promise was not made to be taken literally. Simply meant “he’d be generous”!
   3. (3) You go girl.
      1. It wasn’t the right time earlier – now it’s the right moment!
         1. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “God has no Problems only Plans!”
            1. ​​​​​​​Wait upon those plans!
      2. Her 1st point to her husband - Her life was in danger & the king ought to do something about it!
      3. Her 2nd point - Her people’s lives were in danger.
         1. Can you picture Haman shrinking in his chair?
   4. (5) Haman inadvertently had the King sign his wife’s death warrant!
   5. How blind the king was to have Mordecai outside the gate, but he allowed Haman the run of the palace.
      1. No wonder this king was assassinated later on. No discernment.
   6. (6) Don’t ever think anything in this world is permanent. [irreparable, irreversible]
      1. e.g. The Berlin wall crumbling(1989). Russia’s Iron Curtain being torn(1989). Who would have thought…even moments before they happened?
      2. Do you ever pray for China’s Bamboo Curtain to decay?
      3. Do you ever pray for Haiti’s Voodooism to halt?
      4. God can move in the life of a king to stay awake all night.
         1. He can also move in your husband or wife, your child or grandchild, your employer, etc. “Don’t ever think anything in this world is permanent or unchangeable.”
3. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​HAMAN AT THE END OF HIS ROPE (7-10)
   1. ​​​​​​​Slide#7 “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” Oscar Wilde (7)
      1. Haman found “you cannot unscramble eggs”.
   2. (8) So zealous was Haman to plead for his life he fell on the Queen’s couch. Uhhh, wrong move!
      1. What a paradox: Haman was furious because a Jewish man wouldn’t bow to him, & now he finds himself bowing before a Jewish woman, beginning for his life!
      2. Oh by the way Molesting the Queen was a capital crime! – “See ya Haman, wouldn’t want to be ya!”
   3. They covered Haman’s face – Haman first covered his face in humiliation after he led Mordecai’s parade(6:12) – but now others cover his face, this time in preparation for his death.
      1. Had he originally covered his face in true humility, the story would be different. Yet he was so controlled w/pride, he was blind to the dangers ahead.
   4. (10) As William Shakespeare said, “The wheel is come full circle.”
   5. A Suitable Punishment.
      1. Beware all Pit Diggers, you may fall into it yourself.
         1. Read Ps.7:11-16 (sure sounds like Haman)
      2. “An enemy is a costly thing, a luxury that is too expensive to maintain.”
      3. Haman also reaped the Lex Talionis(L) The Law of Retaliation [the law of like for like]
         1. This is what God placed in Exodus 21:23-25 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
         2. This rule was a guide for judges to rule by. He wanted the punishment to fit the crime.
         3. This is more difficult when you move from one culture to another. Remember the young American man they wanted to “cane” in Singapore back in ‘94? People protested that his punishment didn’t fit the crime. [got 4 across bare-butt] [Michael Peter Fay should have received a lot more for all the theft & vandalism he & his friends admitted to]
         4. A punishment too harsh is unfair, too lenient is powerless to teach!
   6. We have many examples of this in scripture:
      1. The principle still stands what you sow you reap.
      2. See Judges 1:4-6,7 (truly a toe for a toe, & a thumb for a thumb!)
      3. Daniel was delivered from the lion’s den – What happened to his accusers? Dan6:24 …cast them into the den of lions; them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
      4. Jacob killed an animal to deceive his dad, pretending to be Esau. Years later, his sons killed an animal & lied to him about the death of Joseph.
      5. David secretly took another mans wife. His son Absalom took his fathers concubines & openly committed adulatory w/them.
   7. Remember the law of sowing & reaping goes positive also.
      1. Gal.6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
      2. No good deed, no loving word spoken, not even a cold cup of water given in the name of Christ...will go un-rewarded!
   8. So what did you sow today? - Every thought & action we had or did today planted a seed!
   9. It will grow a burst forth a beautiful flower or an ugly weed, it all depends on the seed. – What did you plant today?
   10. This is Poetic Justice - Humans call this Irony, God calls it Sovereignty!
       1. Prov.11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, & it comes to the wicked instead.
       2. Haman learned: Sow a thought and you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny. (Samuel Smiles)
   11. Haman had 3 main problems: (you might not want everything you ask for)
       1. Ambition – Haman wanted to be led by the kings men around the town…he was in the end...right to his gallows.
       2. Pride – Haman wanted to “rise to the top”…he did! (75’ high, higher than anyone in town)
       3. Cruelty – Haman desired to see a man destroyed, killed, & annihilated…& he would…himself!
   12. The kings wrath subsided – the same word used regarding the water after the flood.
   13. End:
   14. Well, the adversary is out of the way but still 1 problem remains: What will happen to the unchangeable edict of the King?
   15. How will Esther & Mordecai solve this problem? (Stay tuned till next chapter…)
   16. John Smith was a loyal carpenter, working for a very successful building contractor who called him into his office one day and said, "John, I'm putting you in charge of the next house we build. I want you to order all the materials and oversee the whole job from the ground up."
       
       John accepted the assignment with great enthusiasm and excitement. For ten days before ground was broken at the building site, John studied the blueprints. He checked every measurement, every specification. Suddenly he had a thought. "If I am really in charge," he said to himself, "why couldn't I cut a few corners, use less expensive materials, and put the extra money in my pocket? Who would know the difference? Once the house is painted, it will look just great."
       
       So John set about his scheme. He ordered second-grade lumber, but his reports indicated that it was top-grade. He ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation, put in cheap wiring, and cut every corner he could, yet he reported the purchase of much better materials. - When the home was completed and fully painted, he asked the contractor to come and see it. "John," said the contractor, "what a magnificent job you have done! You have been such a good and faithful carpenter all these years that I have decided to show my gratitude by giving you this house you have built, as a gift!"