Go with me back to Esther chapter
9. This really has been an amazing
study for me. I've enjoyed this so much. Every now and then, you really
feel like the Lord blesses the study of a book. Many years ago,
I felt like he did that for us with the book of Joshua. You
probably don't even remember going through Joshua. But for
me, it was just, you know, just really coming alive. Then Ezra,
you know, our Lord can do that with any book if he'll just send
his spirit. And I pray he'll continue to
do that. But this has been so amazing. I didn't really realize
just how full the whole picture is. I did know that the whole
book of Esther is a picture of the gospel, and I did know that
the gospel was in each one. all the way to the end, I mean,
I mean all the way to in glory with Christ, the fall to redemption to, you know, the
cross to, I mean, this is the final judgment and this is just
such an amazing story. We have two more chapters to
go But chapter nine is an extra long chapter, and I feel led
to divide it into two messages, so we have three messages to
go. Two chapters, but should be three messages here. I'll give us a quick recap, just
in case anybody doesn't remember. Haman wanted to destroy Mordecai
and his people. All right, Haman is the adversary,
Mordecai is the spirit, the spirit of God, and then God's spiritual
people. Esther interceded, but Esther. Esther interceded and ended up
destroying Haman on the very tree that he intended to destroy
Mordecai on. Same tree, that's the cross. That's the cross that, you know,
here it is. We finally, we have him, okay? We're gonna kill him. No, that
was the victory. The battle was won right there
and sin and hell and death and everything was defeated on that
tree, that same tree. With an end being put to Haman, A writing of deliverance went
out to all of Esther's people. What do you want, Esther? I'll
give you whatever you want. I want a new, a writing was made
with Haman that everyone was to be destroyed on this given
day. And she said, I want a new writing to be made that not only
are the Jews not going to be destroyed, but they are going
to destroy. So a writing of deliverance went
out to all of Esther's people. It was a decree. It was an announcement
of victory over all of their enemies. And that's what this
Bible is. That's what this is. That's what it says. It's
all done. It doesn't say it's about to
be done. It's all ended, it's all finished,
it's all taken care of. You were slated to be destroyed. All that has been changed. All that's been changed. That's
the gospel. With all of it, it is finished.
Okay, now let's send the gospel out. Send the good news out. That decree of victory, that
decree of deliverance, that good news went out, and we read it
last time. It was posted for all to see,
every city in the province. When they read it, they were
glad, they were so glad. They were so glad. It was such
good news to them, they were so happy. Look at chapter eight,
verse 15, it says, And Mordecai went out from the
presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white. Don't you just love the vision
of this? And with a crown of gold and
with a garment of fine linen and purple. And the city of Shushan
rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness
and joy and honor. And in every province and in
every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree
came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. Don't you pray that God would
let the king's commandment and decree go out, go out. to as many cities as he'll send
it to, as many hearts, as many souls as he'll send it to. If
he would, they would have joy, gladness, a feast, and a good
day. Verse 17 goes on to say, and
many of the people of the land became Jews. That's what happened
to us. We were Gentiles. Now we're Jews. He's not a Jew which is one outwardly,
he's a Jew which is one inwardly. Circumcisions of the heart. The end of verse 17 says, For
the fear of the Jews fell upon them. The day of their deliverance
was set in stone. It was written with a permanent
pen by the command of the king himself.
And they were glad, so glad. Chapter 9 says, now in the 12th
month, that is the month Adar, on the 13th day of the same,
when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put
in execution in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped
to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary
that the Jews had rule over them that hated them. There was a
day given. that the Jews were gonna be destroyed and it was
turned, they now had rule over them that hated them. Verse two,
on that 12th month, that 13th day, verse two, the Jews gathered
themselves together in the 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. 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, this final judgment, the law was in agreement with
it. The law was in agreement with it. In this spiritual picture,
the law will be in agreement with the final destruction of
all of our enemies. All of our enemies, we say so
often that we are our own enemies, meaning our sin is our enemy,
and our pride is our enemy, and our wickedness is our enemy.
Our brother pointed out recently, false religion is our enemy. It's our enemy. The lies on God,
that's our enemy. In this final judgment, the law
is going to be in agreement with all of our enemies being destroyed,
the final destruction of all of them. On the cross of Calvary,
we were delivered from the power of sin and the penalty of sin. That's
what happened on the cross. We were delivered from the power
and the penalty of sin. But we're still waiting for the
final judgment when we're gonna be delivered from the presence
of sin. We're still carrying it around. And one day, we're gonna be delivered
from the presence of sin. And on that day, everything is
gonna be in agreement with the destruction of our enemies. The law's gonna be in agreement
with that, because even the law fears and reverences and bows
to the spirit of God Almighty, because the spirit is good and
just and holy and right. And the law says, amen. Verse three, 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. 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. Who does that sound like? Mordecai
representing the spirit. We've already seen him representing
Christ and he does. You can't separate God. All the
Godhead is seen in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and
he will again. But Mordecai representing the
spirit. The scripture says that Christ
has the spirit without measure. All right, now, we receive the
spirit by measure. In the scripture, he's called
the spirit of grace. Well, he giveth more grace. The
spirit of faith. Lord, increase our faith. The more that we see of Christ,
His spirit in us waxes greater and greater. Some of you say
from time to time, it just keeps getting better and better. And
it does, and I'm gonna tell you, one day, it's gonna be a good
day. It's gonna be a good day. It's
gonna get so good. And I would say, you know, on
the day we step into glory, that's as good as it's gonna get, but
here's what the scripture says. All right, this is what the scripture
says. concerning Christ, Mordecai being
a picture of Christ. It says, and man I love this,
it says, unto us a child is born, this is Isaiah 9, unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,
and of the increase of His government
and peace, there shall be no end." That means when we've been
there 10,000 years, it won't be like day one. It will be infinitely
greater. It's just going to be greater
and greater. And you know, we say, my cup's
running over down here. You haven't seen running over
yet. It's going to keep running and running and running. It's
gonna wax, he is gonna wax greater and greater and greater. You know, down here, because
of our sin, the more familiar something becomes, it's almost
like it gets smaller, in our eyes, smaller. You finally get
something and you love it and it's fine and then I don't really
care for that much anymore. It's not how it is up there.
That's not how it is with him. Verse three says, 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. 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. Thus the Jews smoked
all their enemies with the stroke of the sword. What is the sword?
First, we can say it's the Word. Hebrews 4 said this Word is quick
and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It's the Word. All right, what's
the Word? Christ. Christ is the Word. In the beginning
was the Word. His name is called the Word of
God with one stroke of God's sword. by the one sacrifice of
himself. Verse five says, 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. And in Shushan the palace, the
Jews slew and destroyed 500 men and Parshindatha, and Dauphin,
and Aspatha, and Poratha, and Adaliah, and Aradatha, and Parmashta,
and Arissa, and Arida, and Vagesatha, the ten sons of Haman, the sons
of Hamadatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they, But on the spoil
laid they not their hand. The spoil of the enemy, the riches
of the enemy, they didn't touch it. They didn't touch it. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 says,
see if some of you don't really relate to this. 2 Corinthians
6 verse 17 says, come out from among them and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will
receive you. That is the heart that God gives
to his people. What once was so desirable to
them, Christ overshadows it. And this is what I'm talking
about. Okay, this is what I'm talking about. See if you can
relate to this. I'm talking about in a religious
sense. What once was so desirable to
man in his false religion, in his false religion, now he doesn't
want anything to do with it. You know, I had the benefit of
growing up, I told somebody recently, I do remember, I have one brief
small moment of my dad being a Southern Baptist pastor. And
he was lost and he admits it. He was a false preacher. And
he'd be the first one to tell you that. But the Lord opened
his eyes when I was very, very young. And so all of my days
of really hearing anything were under the truth of the word. And I grew up under the truth
of the word. Now, I developed my own false
religion. I learned that, I did, I developed
a lot of my own, I had a lot of my own opinions that I was
dead set on and then come to find out that's not what God's
word says. I was just as lost in false religion as anybody
else because I made up my own ideas on things. And I'm sure
I still have plenty to learn. But some spent most of their
life in false religion. There are some people in this
room who grew up in false religion. Do any of you want to go back
to it? Do you want to? All that's dead to you. Do any
of you want to pick up what used to seem like such riches? That
stuff? Do you want to have anything
to do with that? Well, we'll take a little bit of that with
us. I don't want anything to do with
it. Nothing to do with it. Hebrews 11 says, Moses chose to suffer affliction
with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches
than all the treasures in Egypt. Think about that in a religious
sense. All the worldly spoil of false
religion. We ended up with a really nice
building. But normally, false religion gets the big buildings,
and they get the big bank accounts, and they get the big this and
the big that. You want any of that? Are you
willing? Does any of that outshine Christ? No. Oh, the unsearchable
riches of Christ, precious, more precious than anything this world
has to offer. Paul said, I'm so blessed, it
just, that I would be able to declare the unsearchable riches
of Christ. Verse 10 says, the 10 sons of
Haman, the sons of Hamadathah, the enemy of the Jews, slew they,
but on the spoil laid they not their hand. On that day, the
number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought
before the king. And the king said unto Esther
the queen, the Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan
the palace, and the 10 sons of Haman, what have they done in
the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is thy petition, and
it shall be granted thee? Or what is thy request further,
and it shall be done? Then said Esther, if it pleased
the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan
to do tomorrow also according unto this day's decree and let
Haman's 10 sons be hanged upon the gallows. The victory has
been gotten. Let that victory be remembered.
Let this victory be put on display for all to see. And let this
judgment be carried out to the fullest degree. Let no stone
be unturned. Let nothing slip through the
cracks. Verse 14, And the king commanded
it so to be done, and the decree was given at Shushan, and they
hanged Haman's ten sons. For the Jews that were in Shushan
gathered themselves together on the 14th day also of the month
Adar and slew 300 men at Shushan. But on the prey they laid not
their hand." Not interested. There's nothing
there for me. That's just the remnants of death.
That's all it is. Verse 15, the Jews that were
in Shushan gathered themselves together on the 14th day also
of the month Adar and slew 300 men at Shushan. But on the prey,
they laid not their hand, but the other Jews that were in the
king's provinces gathered themselves together and stood for their
lives. That means they delivered the
vengeance that was commanded and given to them. And then they
had rest from their enemies and slew of their foes seventy and
five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey. After all their enemies were
slain, all of them, all of them, they had rest. They had rest. Verse 17, on the 13th day of
the month Adar and on the 14th day of the same they rested.
They slew them all on the 13th day and on the 14th day of the
same rested they and made it a day of feasting and gladness. But the Jews that were at Shushan
assembled together on the 13th day thereof and on the 14th thereof They slew two days in a row,
and on the 15th day of the same, they rested and made it a day
of feasting and gladness. Hebrews 4 says, there remaineth
therefore a rest to the people of God. There is a rest to the
people of God. For he that is entered into his
rest He also hath ceased from his own works as God did from
his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest. In glory, it's going to be rest. That's what it's gonna be. In
glory, you're gonna feel rested. It's gonna be rest on all sides. And what will bring rest to a
child of God right now, down here on this earth? Here it is.
It's knowing that no stone has been left unturned. No sin has slipped through the
cracks. You really think about this. Are you okay with one of
your sins going unpunished? Are you okay with one of your
sins being undealt with? Turn over, hold your place right
here, and just go over to Jeremiah 50. This is just such a comfort to me. Everywhere in King Ahasuerus'
province, everywhere, they had a day of judgment, and on the
next day they rested. But in Shushan, the palace, where
the king's palace is, they had one more day to just make sure
you just have one more day You get them all, make sure they're
all gotten. Verse 20, Jeremiah 50 verse 20. In those days and
in that time, saith the Lord, this is gonna be that final day
of judgment, that day of entering into the kingdom. In those days
and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall
be sought for and there shall be none. in the sins of Judah,
and they shall not be found. For I will pardon them whom I
reserve. Go looking for them, you're not
gonna find any. Not one slip through the cracks. Go back to Esther nine. Verse 17 says, On the thirteenth
day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the same,
they rested there, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. But the Jews that were at Shushan
assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth
day thereof, and on the fifteenth day of the same, they rested,
and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore the Jews
of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns made the 14th
day of the month, Adar, a day of gladness and feasting and
a good day and of sending portions one to another. had rest and
they feasted and they were glad and they were so glad they sent
portions to each other. And we do that when we love each
other. Somebody will smoke a brisket
and then say, here, send some of that over there. They'll send
portions to each other. That reminds me, I've got enough
time. Go with me. I'll close with this. Go to Nehemiah
8. It's just back a couple of pages. One book. in front. Nehemiah chapter 8, this is just
the sweetest story. This is the result of the gospel
declaration every time. This joy, this gladness, this
fellowship, this feasting, this is the result of it every time.
Nehemiah 8, we'll close with this. Verse 1 says, And all the people gathered themselves
together as one man into the street that was before the water
gate, and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book
of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation,
both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding
upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before
the street that was before the water gate, from the morning
until midday, before the men and the women and those that
could understand. And the ears of all the people
were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe
stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose.
And beside him stood Mattathiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Uriah,
and Hilkiah, and Maasaiah on his right hand, and on his left
hand, Paddaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashem, and
Haspadena, Zechariah, and Meshulam. And Ezra opened the book in the
sight of all the people, for he was above the people, And
when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the
Lord, the great God. And all the people answered,
Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads
and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Yeshua,
and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Acob, Shabbatai, Hodiah, Messiah,
Kalita, Azariah, Josabath, Hanan, Peliah, and the Levites caused
the people to understand the law, and the people stood in
their place. They're reading the law of Moses,
and they're just standing there in their place. So they read
in the book and the law of God distinctly and gave the sense
and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which
is the governor, the Tershithah, and Ezra, the priest, the scribe,
and the Levites that taught the people said unto all the people,
this day is holy unto the Lord your God. Mourn not, nor weep,
for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
That's what happens when you hear the words of the law. Something
else happens when you hear the words of the gospel. Something
else happens. Verse 10, then he said unto them,
go your way. What that means is you're free.
Free from the law, oh happy condition. Eat the fat, drink the sweet,
send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared. For this
day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry for the joy
of the Lord is your strength. What is the joy of the Lord?
People talk about the joy of the Lord. What is the joy of
the Lord? The cross of Calvary. That's what he endured for the
joy that was set before him. The joy of the Lord is your strength,
verse 11. So the Levites stilled all the
people, saying, hold your peace, for the day is holy, neither
be ye grieved. And all the people went their
way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great
mirth, great happiness, because they had understood the words
that were declared unto them. That's the result every time.
Every time, when God opens the eyes and the ears and the heart
to the deliverance and the victory that Christ has secured for his
sin-ruined people, that's the result. Every time. The gospel
makes people glad. It makes sinners glad. The gospel
makes sinners glad. And it gives God's people rest.
So much rest. That's what we're going to have
for all of eternity with Christ. Rest. One eternal day of rest. No night there, one day. Feasting,
gladness, rest. Amen.