Good evening again and would
you tonight join me in turning to the book of Esther. the book
of Esther, and we're gonna be in chapter seven again. We're
gonna be in the last very few verses of the scripture and see
some of the things that the Lord has given to us in this great
and glorious book of Esther. We've mentioned a number of times
that many people found fault with this book, wondering whether
it was actually in the canon or not, because we do not find
one name of God. But we have noticed as we've
studied that there is the very fingerprints of God all over
this book. We see him through the lattice
as we read there in the Song of Solomon. And as we come to
the conclusion of this chapter, we are reminded again and again
and again of God's oversight, of God's plans and God's purpose
in all things, even in the rise and the fall of Haman. He was
second in the kingdom. and he's cast into eternal misery. Esther chapter 7, verse 7, 8,
9, and 10. And the king arising from the
banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden And
Haman stood to make request of his life to Esther the queen. For he saw that there was evil
determined against him by the king. Then the king returned
out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine.
And Haman was fallen upon the bed whereupon Esther was. That then said the king, Will
you force the queen also before me in the house? As the word
went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains,
said before the king, Behold also the gallows fifty cubits
high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who hath spoken good
for the king, standeth in the house of Haman, Then the king
said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows,
that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified. The king's wrath was pacified.
Now, I mentioned last week as we looked at verse seven, that
the king went out into the garden and he counted to 10. but he came back and he was still
full of wrath. You know, as we look at this,
we find once again, the fulfillment of that passage of scripture
over the book of Romans chapter nine. So would you join me there
again in the book of Romans chapter nine? Romans chapter nine, what
a wonderful passage of scripture this is. For if it were not for,
as we read here in Romans chapter nine, and beginning with verse
21, if it were not for God having vessels made unto honor, all
would have been made to dishonor. As it tells us here, hath not
the potter power over the clay? Now the Apostle Paul is making
reference to the Old Testament passage of Scripture here. Let's
go down to the potter's house. Let's see what's going on there.
An illustration, a metaphor is going on there. Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor? Now the Lord is sharing with
us there through the Apostle Paul that what he does with people
is out of the same lump of people. He doesn't have a special creation
over here from the beginning. And then one lesser creation
over here, it's out of the same lump, out of the lump of Adam,
out of the lump of Adam's fall, out of the lump that has come
down to this time, but God had ever a purpose in them to have
a sum of this lump, out of the very same lump, vessel unto honor
and another unto dishonor. Now God did not make up his mind
about that when people said, I don't want God. Because if
he had, nobody would have God, if that's what they chose. I'm
reminded of a conversation that was last week about, just suppose
God called everybody out of the world up to his presence and
said, who among you would want to come to me as your savior? And everybody in the crowd would
say, why did you call us here? We don't want to be here. Well,
that's the attitude of natural man. So we appreciate the very
pulse of God on his people. So it tells us going on here,
what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known? Now, I see that here with the
rise and fall of Haman. What if God willing to show his
wrath? What if God willing to show that
he is in charge of all things, even to the man that collected
the position of second in command? Now, we don't know much about
him prior to that time, but we find out that he is a vessel
made of God. God ordained that he be there
in that kingdom. What if God willing, verse 22,
to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with
much long suffering? Now how long he let Haman live
is much long-suffering. Haman was a nincompoop from the
very beginning, and God performed much long-suffering here until
the appointed time. But they are vessels fitted,
vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction, or prepared for that purpose,
that he might make known the riches of his glory in the vessels
of mercy." Now we've looked at Haman and the Apostle Paul, or
Haman and Saul, and we find out that there's not a nickel's worth
of difference between them. Just years have passed. They
are made out of the same lump. They have the same attitude towards
God. They have the same attitude towards God's people. I don't
know if Haman actually killed any of God's people, but we do
find that Saul of Tarsus was very participatory in the murder
or the killing of some of God's people, Stephen being one of
them. You know, from our viewpoint, if reading it in the newspaper,
we'd probably find that there were more charges against Saul
of Tarsus than there were of Haman, because he wasn't permitted
to do anything yet. But we find with Saul, he was
one that had a number of people stoned to death. So when it comes
to their position before God in a natural state, there's no
difference. But when it comes together with
a position before God in a spiritual state, there's altogether difference,
because God aforetime had chosen Saul unto salvation, and God
aforetime chose not to save Haman, and it's all for God's glory. So Haman is a vessel of honor
fitted, prepared, made known before the foundation of the
world for destruction. And even the lost, even the heathen,
even those without Christ shall honor God. You know what it says
in the New Testament? Every knee shall bow. They will honor God. They will
be cast into everlasting darkness and continue to raise their fist
against God and say, I would not and will not and will never
have this man rule over me. So sin will continue. The vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction that were made and the vessels
of mercy that we find here, how glorious it is to read about
God's mercy, that he would be merciful to any. but he had a
fore time before the world began, before the foundation of the
world, determined purpose to have mercy on his people, those
chosen in Christ. by the Father before the foundation
of the world. There are vessels of honor which
he had prepared. You know, this fits right along
with that passage of scripture over in the book of Ephesians.
So would you join me there in Ephesians chapter two? In Ephesians
chapter two, verse 10, we find this, that Mordecai could honestly
say, the apostle Paul could honestly say, that you and I that know
the Lord could honestly say, That whatever we have done that
has been an honor to God, has demonstrated our love for God,
has been prompted by God. For we are His workmanship. We're not just out here honoring
God because it feels good. We're His workmanship created. in Christ Jesus. This is that
new creation. This has made the difference
between Saul of Tarsus and Amon, that God would grant Saul of
Tarsus the new creation, the new birth. And without it, nobody
could see anything and nobody would be anywhere in the presence
of God. So, for we are his workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained. that we should walk in there.
That's the only reason those on the right hand side were said,
welcome to the kingdom. And they said, when did we do
that? Well, you didn't, but I did. You are my workmanship. You were
created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And I before ordained
that you would do that. So we say, hallelujah. Thank
you for all your work on our behalf. Well, as we follow this
through, we find in going back to the book of Esther, Back to
the book of Esther, if you would, there in chapter 7 and verse
9. Esther chapter 7, verse 9, we
find these words that the Lord gives us. Esther chapter 7 and
verse 9. I asked what evidence is left
us in these words and the words of Harbona of Haman's character. You know, we don't know this
man very well. We were just introduced to him
and we find out that the influence that Haman must have had on all
the servants and staff of the king What did this man say? Hang him on his own gallows. He had not made much of an impression
anywhere. And even the servants are saying,
you know, this guy is just a rotten guy. There is no support for
this man. What can we see of this biblical
illustration? It's sure for all the ungodly. Hang him. That's what God will
say, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. In the book of the Psalms, Psalm
105, would you join me there in Psalm 105? Psalm 105. It tells us in those same words
there in the book of Esther, chapter 7, verse 9, some words
about Mordecai. It tells us about Mordecai. He
had done good for the king. He had noticed these two men
talking. He reported their conversation. Later he is rewarded for it,
but he is a friend of the king, and Haman is not a friend of
the king. He's looking for promotion and
more promotion. Here in the book of the Psalms
105 verse 14, notice this with me if you would. He suffered no man to do them
wrong. Yea, he reproved kings for their
sake. saying, touch not mine anointed
and do my profits no harm. What a statement about payment. For us, Mordecai is a preacher
of righteousness. For us, if we were there in the
capital city of this Persian empire, and we had the opportunity,
I'd want to be around this man, because he knows something about
the gospel. He knows something about Christ.
He knows something about the Messiah. He knows where salvation
is. And here we find that there's
been one man that has his eyes set on putting this man to death. And yet the scripture share with
us time and time again, that don't you dare touch mine anointed. You know, the Lord has, it has
pleased the Lord from time to time to let his people be promoted
through the most horrific circumstances. Many of God's people have died
terrible deaths But the end of those who did that, unless they
were as Saul of Tarsus, how many were like him? who were breeding
out threatenings and slaughter against the people of God, that
God intervened in their lives and saved them by His grace,
and they became preachers of righteousness. How many there
are, I don't know. There are some. But by and large,
those who have touched the Lord's anointed have been dealt with
in the most severe manner. We find that this is a ordination
of God. It is, touch not my anointed. We find people throughout the
times of the Jews there in Numbers, in Leviticus, in Genesis, Exodus,
that made an attempt to do that. God came and intervened in their
behalf. Touch not my anointed. Well,
we read, read with me over here in the book of Hebrews, that
some of God's people have been promoted to glory through violent
means, yet those that touched his anointed, most were before
prepared to wrath. That's God's judgment. Here in
the book of Hebrews chapter 11. So much of this book of Hebrews
chapter 11, this chapter that's given to us, is such pleasantry
to read. I love reading about my faith,
Abel, my faith, Abraham by faith, Moses by faith, David by faith,
Solomon by faith, by faith. But you get down to verse 33
of the book of Hebrews chapter 11. Who through faith subdued kingdoms,
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, and stopped the mouths
of lions. I love it. That's what we read
prior. And then the apostle was led
to write by the Holy Spirit that there were many of God's people
throughout the history of this world that were promoted to glory
by great conflict. Our brother Abel was promoted
to glory. First person, first individual
ever created by God, saved by the grace of God to be promoted
to heaven. He's in heaven alone with the
Lord. till the next person died. Well, he got to see things that
he'd never seen before. And he was alone to visit it
with the Lord. Well, here it says in Hebrews 11, verse 34,
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned
the fight of the armies of the aliens. Women received their
dead, raised to life again, and others were, uh-oh. We've read all of that. It's
so good. It's so enjoyable to read. Oh,
how God would do all of this. And then he says, and others
were tortured, not accepting deliverance. What does that mean? They did not deny the faith,
even under great stress. Someone asked me one time, they
didn't know whether they had dying grace. And I simply said,
are you dying? And they said, no. And I said,
you don't need it right now. Now, Diane Grace, some were tortured,
not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others, not by reward, my
goodness, that they'd have a resurrection from spiritual sin. Others had
trial of cruel mocking and scourging, ye moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered
about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and
tormented. Of whom the world was not worthy,
they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and
caves of the earth. And yet they all could have this
word said about them, By faith, by faith. What glorious thing. Now Haman was very set on destroying
Mordecai on in one day and all the rest of God's people in a
short time. And he was rewarded for his efforts.
hanging on his own dowels. Now, going back to the book of
Esther, chapter seven, verse 10. Would you notice that with
me? This is so pictorial. The book of Esther, chapter seven,
verse 10. There's something that took place
here when Haman was taken care of. You notice what that says?
It says there in the last verse, So they hanged Haman on the gallows
that he had prepared for Mordecai. Now notice this. Then was the
king's wrath pacified. Now that's a good thing to have
the king's wrath pacified. But when we begin to think about
that, we find that that is exactly what the king of heaven had happened
to him in the death of his son, the Lord Jesus. His wrath was
pacified. Now this Sunday, we're gonna
be in the 25th chapter of the book of Numbers. There's some
wonderful things in that chapter about a covenant of peace. God's
gonna grant a covenant of peace. But would you look with me in
the book of Numbers chapter 25? There is some things going on
among the children of Israel. Remember for those three or four
chapters, we were out there away from the children of Israel,
and we were dealing with Balaam and Balak and all of that stuff
that was going on, and the Lord prevented Balaam from cursing. Those blessings, I was looking
at that, I said, there's some messages right there. Just in
the blessings that God caused Balaam to give, there's a star
recognized there. That's Jesus Christ. How glorious
is that? And then we get right back over
there to the children of Israel in the book of Numbers chapter
25, and they're just lunatics. My goodness. How could they do
that? We know ourselves, don't we?
Except for the grace of God, there go I. Here is a whole bunch
of people that have been influenced by Balak and his mercenaries
to invite these strange women into their camp, and they brought
along with them their strange religion. And they're having
the same kind of worship that we find 40 years earlier when
they're dancing around a golden calf. It's almost identical religion
that they are there. And we know that a lot of false
religions get hung up on that other side of God's great blessing. They're having all kinds of nonsense
going on there sexually. Well, look here in Numbers chapter
25 and verse 10. Chapter 25 and verse 10, it says,
and the Lord spake unto Moses saying, this is red letters. This is red. He said, Phinehas, the son of
Eliezer, the son of Aaron, the priest, hath turned my wrath
away from the children of Israel. God Almighty, Jehovah God has
had his wrath turned away from the children of Israel. There's
gonna be thousands of people that are gonna die as a result
of God's wrath right there. While he was zealous for my sake
among them that I consume not the children of Israel in my
jealousy. Now that's God speaking. I'm
not gonna tone it down. This one person stepped in and
took care of the wrath of God. Now what a picture we have here. The king's wrath was pacified. The wrath of God was pacified. It tells us that in verse 12,
wherefore say, behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace. Now we're still looking into
that and we hope Sunday we can say a few words about that. But
there is wrath going on and it has been stayed. It has been
stopped by something taking place. There has been something take
place. All right, turn with me if you
would to the book of Joshua along the same lines. Joshua chapter
seven. In Joshua 7, verse 24, we have
here these words, the wrath again of God. How terrible is the wrath
of God? How terrible is the wrath of
God? It is so serious. It's unquenchable
unless something is done and taken care of. There must be
someone that this wrath falls out on. Well, here we find Joshua
and all the children of Israel with him took Achan, the son
of Zerub and the silver and the garment and the wedge of gold
and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and
his sheep. Does that mean all? Everything
that belonged to this guy and all that he had and they brought
him into the valley of Achor and Joshua said, why hast thou
troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this
day. And all Israel stoned him with
stones. Now we know the account of Achan.
They went in and he took this stuff and most of it has application
to some religious paraphernalia that he had fallen into. He was
not one of the Jews. He was not a believer. He'd fallen
into some religious stuff. "'and they stoned him with stones,
"'and they raised over him a great heap of stones, "'and to this
day, so the Lord turned "'from the fierceness of his anger. "'Wherefore, the name of that
place "'is called the Valley of Acre unto this day.'" Now,
something took place here that turned the fierceness of God's
anger, fierceness of God's jealous God, Keep this thought in mind
and turn with me to the book of Psalms. Think about that King
Ahasuerus. His wrath was pacified. He became peaceful again. There
was peace with him again. Something took place and now
there's peace. It was pacified. His wrath was
pacified. And here in the book of the Psalms,
Psalm 106, Oh, excuse me. No, yeah, Psalm 106. Psalm 106. I thought I was gonna have to
ask Mike to find it for me. Psalm 106 in verse 23. Now at another time we find that
Moses, it says here, therefore he said that he would destroy
them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach
to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them. Something
happened. Someone stood in the breach.
Someone became the object here that took care of the problem.
And we find here it was Moses. He stood in the breach to turn
away his wrath. God is a God of wrath. And we find that he is going
to be wrathful unless something is taken care of. All right,
as we follow this down in John 3, verse 36. John 3, verse 36. The king's wrath was pacified. Here in John 3, verse 36, we
find there is, the Lord speaks about a group of people that
God's wrath abides on. Here it says, he that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life, John 3, 36. And he that believeth
not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God
abideth on him. You know, in our salvation, we
realize that God was right if he should choose to, to pour
out his wrath on us. But we find out that in the covenant
of grace, God never had his wrath towards his elect. He never was
wrathful towards them. I have loved you with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
I have drawn you. There has never been a wrathful
intent towards the people of God because God knew who he was
going to pour his wrath on. In the covenant of grace, the
sun would stand in the gate. The son would be in the place
and take the wrath. It was that that kept God pacified. And he never had wrath towards
his people. So those that the wrath of God abideth on, it has
ever been abiding on them. He is waiting for the time that
that wrath will be fulfilled, but from the council halls of
eternity there has been God's wrath ready to be poured out
upon those that are not His, those who will never believe,
and we find throughout eternity that will be done. All right? Let's follow this just a little
further. The wrath of God would have been on all of the church
except for His surety. Someone had to pay the bill.
Someone's going to pay the bill. Someone's gonna stand in the
position of surety and redeemer. Someone who would step in and
take all of God's wrath. And that we find is our Lord
Jesus Christ. There's only one way that the
wrath of the King, the wrath of God can be pacified. Judgment must fall. We find judgment
fell on Haman and his wrath was pacified. Well, that's going
to take care of a whole bunch of people. But what about the
rest that have gone free? The rest that are left alive? The rest? Well, God poured out
his wrath against our sin in the person of Jesus Christ. And
the death of Christ appeased God. We don't understand all
that is, but it did appease God, satisfied God, put him in a position
that he could say, I am pacified. I no longer have that. All right? His holy, righteous
demands against us, God took out his wrath on Christ had purposed that from everlasting,
that he would take out his wrath on his darling, his son. We never want to have the thought
that God loves us because Christ died for us. That is a misnomer. You know what we have? Christ
died for us because God loved us. He didn't love us and then
he died for us. Christ died for us because God
loved us. Even when we were sinners. Turn
with me to the book of Romans, chapter five, if you would. Romans,
chapter five. Just think about the events that
took place in the book of Esther. Here is a king that demonstrates
being pacified. Wrath was poured out. Hang him. And here in Romans, Chapter five
and verse eight, we read this. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Even while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Now, we have a solution. Psalm
34. Jump back there to the Old Testament
with me, if you would, to the book of the Psalms. Psalm 34. Psalm 34, verse 15. Psalm 34,
verse 15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. And his ears are open unto their
cry. I just listened to a message
by Brother Henry and he talked about blind Bartimaeus. And he
just brought out a very, I should have known this, I should have
assumed to know this, that in that crowd, how many people were
talking? Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter,
chatter, heal me, do this, my daughter that, he's just going
on and on. And one man cried out. Jesus, son of David, have mercy
on me. And you know what? Jesus heard
that man. Out of all of that what's going
on in here, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his
ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against
them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from
the earth. I have my righteous. those that
I made righteous, I have the evil. And you know the people
that are righteous say. I am no better than they are.
And the Lord said, I have loved you with an everlasting love. All right, the book of Ezekiel
chapter seven, the book of Ezekiel chapter seven, as we think about
the pacification of the king, the king was pacified, the wrath
of the king was pacified. We have the Lord Jesus that pacified
the wrath of the father and here in the book of Ezekiel chapter
7, verse 1. It says, moreover the word of
the Lord came unto me saying unto Ezekiel, also thou son of
man, Ezekiel chapter 7, verse 2, also thou son of man, thus
saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel, and in, the in is
come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come
upon thee. I will send mine anger upon thee,
and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense
upon thee all thy abominations. And you know what the children
of God said? If God should count sin, who
shall stand? If God shouldn't... And over here he says, the end
is coming because I will recompense upon thee all thy abominations. The church says, Lord, you could
have, but thank you for not. Lord, you're going to there,
but here. And mine eye shall not spare
thee, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense thy ways
upon thee, and thine abomination shall be in the midst of thee,
and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God,
and evil, and only evil, behold, is come and the an end is come
the end is come it what's for thee behold it is come the morning
is come upon thee oh thou that dwellest in the land the time
has come the day of trouble is near not the sounding again of
the mountains Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and
accomplish mine anger upon thee, and I will judge thee according
to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations,
and my eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity. I will
recompense thee according to the ways of thy abominations
that are in the midst of thee, and ye shall know that I am the
Lord that smiteth." You know, from one side of this, we see
God in His wrath. And on the other side, we see
the Lord Jesus taking every one of these words upon him. I will
punish. Well, we find that so clearly
stated in our final verse of scripture in the book of Isaiah
chapter 53. Isaiah 53, I will not pass over anything. I will
cover everything. I will judge everything. I will
judge. I will pour out my wrath. I will
do this. And those without Christ, it
shall be done. And those that are in Christ,
it shall be done. But here we read in the book
of Isaiah chapter 53, how glorious it is where the wrath of God
fell. on his son. And you know what? As we read here, Isaiah 53 verse
10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief. when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper. Backing up there to verse five.
But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. And so the wrath
of the king is pacified. He poured it all out on our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He became sin for us. Our sin was imputed to him, placed
upon him. And everything that we read there
in Ezekiel chapter seven was placed upon him and he was judged. And you know, at the end of that
great judgment, Jesus Christ said with a loud voice, It is
finished. It's paid for. It's done. The wrath of God is appeased. And the king, it could be said,
was his wrath was pacified. And we are witnesses of that
and of his great grace.