Providential Protection
Book of Esther
Chapters 8-9
We as Christians
know that God is involved in our world.
God is not a
"watchmaker" (Creator) who just wound this world up as a
watch and just allowing it to run down.
God is involved in
our world daily.
God is looking after
His people daily, the Jews and the Church.
God will keep His
plan moving along just as He has since His first written words in the
Book of the beginnings, the Book of Genesis.
No one can change
the Word of to their benefit nor can the plan of God be changed or
altered in any way.
God will keep every
promise He has made to the Jews.
God will keep every
promise He has made to the Church.
God will keep His
covenant of "wrath" with every non-believer, these are
facts in the Word of God which does not change!
God would never
allow the Jews, the Hebrew people, to be wiped out of this world!
*****Est 8:3 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.
As we have seen in
this passage, this King of Persia was weak in his ruling ability and
evil Haman had put things in place that this king did not know how to
stop.
A written law of
Persia that was stamped by the king could not be changed.
Est 7:4 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.
This king gave his
power to rule for the moment over to Queen Esther.
*****Est 8:4 Then
the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose,
and stood before the king,
Est 8:5 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:
If we do not know by
now, we live in a cruel world!
In many cases it is
because politics have entered into people's lives and politicians
never have the right answers for the good of all people, as we see
daily here in America, and I am not talking about our President.
Haman may have
vanished off the scene, but some of his evil was still in force.
Haman was an Agagite
a descendant of the Amelikite who were the people that King Saul was
to eliminate because they were so evil, but he did not because of
covetousness.
The Amelikite hated
the nation of Israel, and right now the law was on their side to
destroy all the Jews in Persia and it would not have stopped there.
Things such as this
seem to make their way into other nations, who think they are doing
some kind of good.
Queen Esther was
given the estate of Haman who we have already seen was very, very
rich.
Queen Esther made
Mordecai the overseer of this estate.
We should always
remember those who have helped us through the years.
Queen Esther would
have been a child of the state had not Mordecai took her in as his
own child.
This king loved
Queen Esther with all his heart and already said he would give her
half his kingdom if she asked.
This precious child
of God loved her people much more than she loved riches.
*****Est 8:6 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?
Est 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.
Est 8:8 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.
Again we see that
this king did not know what to do, but Mordecai knew exactly what to
do without, breaking any Persian law.
This is what
patriotism is all about. Citizens of a nation protecting citizens of
that nation!
All citizens should
want freedom.
All citizens should
want the freedom to worship Jehovah God without reprisal.
All citizens should
want their people to work toward these goals.
God tells us to pray
for the peace of Jerusalem, because most of our world still wants to
destroy them, as did Haman.
This king gave
Esther and Mordecai the ability to write whatever law would protect
the Jews.
Queen Esther made
intercession for her people.
You see this is what
the Lord Jesus Christ did for us, He made intercession for all,
"whosoever" would believe that He did.
The Lord saved us
from eternal death! Separation from our God forever.
This body may pass
away one day, but we will never see that death, because we will step
into the throne room of God before that body of flesh takes its last
breath.
2Co_5:8 We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and
to be present with the Lord.
These Jews would not
see death, and many of them would return to the Holy Land with Ezra!
*****Est 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.
Est 8:8 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.
Not many kings, not
many leaders, and not many politicians, will ever admit their error,
they will commit the repair of the error to someone else.
The house of Haman,
did not costs the king anything at all.
He does never plead
for forgiveness for this mess he had allowed to take place.
He does allow Queen
Esther and Mordecai to do what they could, to stop the massacre
before it took place without breaking the law of Haman.
The king did not
ever take responsibility for this mess he had allowed to happen.
Mordecai knew
exactly what to do!
We must understand
as Christians, that words once spoken cannot be recalled! A deed once
done cannot be undone!
That one with a
hasty temper, who drove a spike into the heart of a friend cannot
undo what he has done.
This why forgiveness
is so important in the family of God.
We cannot erase the
things we do contrary to the Word of God, but we can certainly
forgive others like the Lord has forgiven us all our sin.
Again Mordecai knew
exactly what to do!
*****Est 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.
Est 8:16 The Jews
had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
What is the proper
use of power? Power must be used for the betterment of people,
especially between God's people!
Mordecai went out
dressed as the Prime Minister of Persia, with crown to prove it, and
all people were aware that Haman was gone, and Mordecai was in charge
now.
Not just the Jews
but the entire city was glad that Haman was just a bad memory of the
past, and should be forgotten!
Haman had made many
enemies!
I say all people but
the Amalekite, who history says were the only people who rose up to
kill all the Jews.
We should understand
every Word of God is important for our survival!
Deu 25:18 How he
met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that
were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he
feared not God.
Deu 25:19 Therefore
it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all
thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth
thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
Because this did not
take place as commanded by the Lord, these people would haunt Israel
all their days.
God knows what He is
doing, and He has used Israel to do these things, and He will
continue to use Israel to do many things, until the peace that will
come when the Lord returns, of course after the Lord straightens out
some things, again according to the Word of God.
Even the Babylonians
called the Amalekite "Khabbati" which means "plunderers"
and recorded the things they had done
So what Iran says,
and the enemies of Israel say, they know all these things. The
Persians and they Babylonians were some of the best record keepers in
history, yet the deny that Israel is a legitimate nation.
We should be able to
see that Satan still has his hands in these enemies!
What was Mordecai's
plan?
*****Est 9:2 The
Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the
provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their
hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon
all people.
Est 9:3 And all the
rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and
officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai
fell upon them.
We should understand
that the best way to survive this world is to be prepared for an
attack, because an attack is coming from somewhere at some time!
Persecution will not cease until the Church is in Heaven and the Lord
returns to set up His 1000-year rule from Jerusalem.
Why? Because these
people hate God and deny the Lord Jesus is our Savior. They had
rather perish than give in to the truth, just like atheist!
The date of the
attack had been written into law by Haman.
The government and
the military would now help the Jews, because they were appointees
just like Nehemiah, and they knew they would lose their positions if
they went against the king. There is a little typology written here.
These Jews acted
properly, and they acted in unison, because they took a stand for
their lives.
What does God say?
Eph 6:11 Put on the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For 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.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
They could do these
things because God had a plan before Genesis 1:1, that Mordecai would
be in this particular place at this particular time.
Jer 1:4 Then the
word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth
out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto
the nations.
God does these
things to every one of us. He places us in places to be available
when danger seeks out God's people.
This does not mean
God will stop persecution, because only death can take away the
persecutors, and God will give them every chance to repent but we
must remember these words.
Rev 6:9 And when he
had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them
that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they
held:
Rev 6:10 And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth?
Rev 6:11 And white
robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them,
that they should rest yet for a little season, until their
fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they
were, should be fulfilled.
Why would God wait
at all? Why does God not bring vengeance when God's people are
murdered?
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
*****Est 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.
Est 9:5 Thus the
Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and
slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that
hated them.
Mordecai was not
only Prime Minister, but he had great favor with the King, and it
became known that he was also uncle to the Queen.
Mordecai was well
received of all the people, maybe because they could see that a
captive could go far in the government of Persia and he may better
understand their needs.
Est 10:3 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.
This is why it would
always be better if we voted only for Christians to be in our
government!!!
*****Est 9:26
Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur.
Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they
had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
Est 9:27 The Jews
ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such
as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they
would keep these two days according to their writing, and according
to their appointed time every year;
Est 9:28 And that
these days should be remembered and kept 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.
Why was the
government of Persia so bad at this time?
There were over 500
of Haman's kindred involved in the work in the Palace and not as
slaves.
Est 9:6 And in
Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
It is from these
things that actually happened, that the Jews set up a new feast and
festival called the days of Purim, which is still celebrated today!
The word Purim comes
a Persian word "lots",because Haman had cast lots to find a
day, he would see all the Jews in Persia destroyed.
On the first day of
the new celebration the name of Haman and his 10 sons are read out
because they were all hanged at once.
These Jews read the
entire Book of Esther, and at the end they cry our "cursed be
Haman", blessed be Mordecai, "cursed be Zeresh (Haman's
wife) and blessed be Esther.
You see, the Jews do
not ever forget these things and these things have to eat at the
leaders of Iran who are the leftovers of Persia.
Just another reason
that Iran hates Israel.
*****Est 9:29 Then
Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew,
wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
We also see what
happens when you try to abuse God's people, when they are trying
their best to be obedient to Him.
The King of Persia
even allowed Queen Esther to write these things into the law of
Persia.
Queen Esther became
one of the greatest heroes in the History of the Jews, and we already
know the rest of the story, as we have seen Ezra return to begin
again the worship in the second Temple and Nehemiah allowed to go
back and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Neh_2:6 And the
king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long
shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the
king to send me; and I set him a time.
The next King of
Persia was the son of Esther. God does work in mysterious ways!
Amen
Let's Pray!
