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ESTHER

CHAPTER 7

1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. 2 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. 3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour 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: 4 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. 5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? 6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

At the end of chapter 6, we saw Haman hurriedly preparing to meet the king and queen at this special supper. He had been very full of himself, and had his "props cut out from under him," when he had to lead Mordecai in a small parade. No doubt now, Haman is looking for more reward.
King Ahasueras repeated his promise to Esther. And she began to tell him her request. She asked for her life to be granted, and the lives of her "people."
He doesn't quite get it yet. Ahasueras wanted to know HOW Esther and her people were threatened with death. And she told him the "enemy" was Haman. Notice that Esther not only said the "enemy" was Haman, but that the "enemy" was "wicked!"
ANY man is wicked who would intentionally devise harm to another in prejudicial thought!
THAT did it! NOW Ahasueras understood that Esther was a Jew! By listening to a man whom he had trusted, Ahasueras had placed his OWN family in danger!
It also came as a total surprise to Haman. I can only imagine his fear!

7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. 8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther 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. 9 And Harbonah, 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. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

The king was so angry, he needed a moment to think. He abruptly left the table and went into the garden to meditate on the situation.
When he returned, the scene he saw further infuriated him. Haman had been pleading with Esther for his life, and somehow he had fallen upon the couch upon which Esther was seated. To the king, it looked as though Haman was attacking Esther.
Guards were obviously in the room. As Ahasueras spoke about what he saw, the guards were taking Haman and placing a cloth over his head.
He who had been basking in the applause of the king, was now shamed and brought down.
One of the men there, remembered what Mordecai had done. He reminded the king that Haman had devised harm for a man who had saved the king's life. He also told Ahasueras that Haman had built a special gallows on which to hang the Jews.
The king's quick answer was Haman's demise. "Hang HIM thereon!"

CHAPER 8

1 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. 3 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 sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, 5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found 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?

Esther had planned that Mordecai would come in when she made her plea before the king. She told Ahasueras that this was the man who raised her from a child, and stood in as her parents.
He also remembered that Mordecai had saved his life.
Then Ahasueras gave Mordecai his signet ring with which he signed papers. With the ring, he gave Mordecai "authority" over the house of Haman. This meant Mordecai had authority to kill all of Haman's family, and that Mordecai now had the same authority that Haman had once held.
He who had once been accosted for righteousness now was absolved and stood in power! So shall it be for all those who live for Jesus! Our "accuser," the ole devil, will be cast down before us, and we shall be absolved of all sin and stand in the presence and power of God.
Esther was not finished with her plea to the king. She desired yet more to be done. The king offered the sceptre yet again, and allowed her to speak.
Then she begged for her people. As Christ shall make his plea based on His perfect relationship with the Father, so she begged. She was in perfect relationship with the king, and desired that those who belonged to her would be saved.
Her desire, according to verse 6, was so great that she was willing to give her own life for her people.

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.

Now this is truly amazing! The king told Mordecai to write WHATEVER he desired concerning the salvation of the Jews from Haman's death sentence!
The king knew that he could NOT write total reversal of his former statement. That would be against the "law of the Medes and Persians," for whatever law a king made could not be totally changed. Yet Ahasueras trusted Mordecai and Esther to write it FOR him, and still comply with the laws of the land.
Mordecai still had the ring, and whatever he did would be done in the king's name.

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: 11 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.

In perfect obedience, Mordecai sat down with the scribes (lawyers) of the land. He devised a law which would not totally change the king's previous command, but would grant every Jew the authority to defend himself against anyone trying to carry out the murderous command.
Now LISTEN!! Jesus died on the cross for you and me. In His death he atoned for our sins, and allowed us the privilege of being forgiven and brought into a perfect relationship with God.
But that is not ALL Jesus did! He also allowed us the AUTHORITY through submission to Him, to "beat the devil off ourselves!"
This story of Esther, Mordecai, Haman and King Ahasueras is a prophetic story. It prophecies that those who have truly surrendered to the truth of the Saviour, Jesus, have received power to defeat the "enemy."

"7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." (James 4:7-10)