Esther chapter six, Esther chapter
six. We're going to be beginning this
book or this chapter here tonight. And I have to say, as we open
the study, that it is wonderful to see God's activity without
his name even being mentioned. Throughout this book we can see
as even as he works today in the lives of his people that
he is ever present as we've heard attested in lessons brought on
the book of Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. And we know that all
things work together for the good of them that love God to
those who are called according to his purpose And I just believe
that Mordecai and Esther had this understanding that God was
working these things out according to his eternal purpose, that
there was no mistakes being made, that the elevation of Esther
to the position that she was was not a mistake, and that Haman
was going to hate Mordecai so much was not a mistake. It was
God's eternal purpose. And in this tonight, as we look
at this passage of scripture, we find that it begins with an
interesting statement. The king could not sleep. On
that night could not this king sleep. And he commanded to bring
the book of records of the chronicles. And they were read before the
king. We notice here at this time,
as in every place in scripture, that God was overruling in all
things. There is a plan that has been
signed by the king. It has been brought up by the
second in command, and it's been signed by the king that on a
certain day, on a certain month in this year, that they're going
to exterminate the people of God, the Jews, out of this kingdom. And the king has not thought
much about it until now. We're going to see that he's
going to think a lot about what he has signed unwittingly. And
we're going to see that it's going to be carried out for God's
purpose, all things. And here, one person said, how
vain are all the contrivances and endeavors of all this foolish,
impotent man against the wise and omnipotent God. Speaking
of Haman. who has the hearts and hands
of kings and all men at his disposal. Isn't that interesting? That
God would have the hearts and hands of all kings at his disposal. He put them there on purpose
so that he could use them for his glory and in honor and praise.
We're going to see the elevation of Mordecai and we'll see the
disgrace of Haman. In Esther chapter 6 and verse
1, we talk about a king. It shares with us that there's
a king here that could not sleep. You know, the ability of not
sleeping at night is also mentioned with regard to believers. I'd
like to read a couple of verses in the Psalms, if you'd join
them there. Sometimes we might have some trouble going to sleep,
and here we find the reason for that for believers is just this.
In the book of Psalms, the Psalms and in Psalm 63, Psalm 63, would
you join me there as we see these words that there's things that
God brings to pass in our lives in the night seasons. Here in
Psalm 63, there's no wasted time with God. He's not wasting his
time. He's not wasting our time. And
here in Psalm 63 in verse 6, the scriptures share this, when
I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night
watches, What a blessing we have, even at that time, to meditate
upon God, to think upon God, to think upon His purpose, to
think upon His providence, to think upon even I woke up. And
He has brought this to my knowledge, to think about Him, to consider
Him, to meditate upon Him. I remember an old preacher saying
that many people have almost forgot how to meditate. Let's
just think about. We call it ruminate. Ruminate
on God. And sometimes in the night seasons,
that's when we have the greatest privilege. And then if you look
back with me in the book of the Psalms, Psalm 16. In Psalm 16
we have these words recorded again about the things that take
place in the night season. Here's a king that couldn't sleep.
He gets up and he requests the reading of the history of the
kingdom. Here we find in Psalm 16 and verse 7. Psalm 16 and
verse 7. I will bless the Lord who hath
given me counsel. My reigns also instruct me in
the night seasons." And that is, my heart instructs me, yes,
even during the night season. God permits us there to think
upon, to be instructed the word of God to be brought to us, to
think upon these words that God has given us. There's so much
in the book and how blessed it is that he would bring to our
mind one passage of scripture or two or three in the night
seasons. And then we find this out about
God. If you'll turn with me to the book of the Psalms again,
Psalm 121. In Psalm 121, we find out that we're in good company. in Psalm 121 and verse 4. Psalm 121 and verse 4, it says,
Behold, it keepeth he that keepeth Israel. So we're in good company. When we wake up in the middle
of the night, the Lord gives us a passage of scripture or
a thought of His omnipotence or His omniscience or His omnipresence
or His great work of grace in our hearts, how He's led us out
of darkness to His bright light of the Lord Jesus. All of these
things, as we recount, and go over again the rich blessings
of grace. Here we find, he that keepeth
Israel, behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber
nor sleep. So we have someone that's going
to hear us too. God is awake, he never sleeps. We remember when that prophet
said, maybe your God's in a far country. Maybe you should cry
out to him. Maybe he's doing something with
somebody else. Well, we find out that God is
ever-present with all his saints. And you know what? He's ever-present
with all those that he has chosen to be saints that he has not
quickened yet. He's with them all. So even in
the night seasons, and we read here that he that keepeth Israel,
God, neither sleeps nor slumbers. He is not weary. He does not
grow tired of our conversation with him. So God is ever present. And some have written that as
we look here, that Satan had put into the heart of Haman We're
going to have him right back here into this chapter. He's
going to come and see if he can't get Mordecai hanged quicker than
he hoped or thought about. But some have even thought that
it was Satan that put this idea of hanging Mordecai in Haman's
heart. You know, Haman had the capability
of doing that on his own. He didn't need any help. He didn't
need Satan doing that. In fact, we find that it wasn't
Satan. Back up, if you would, into the
book of Esther, chapter 5. In Esther, chapter 5, we find
the answer to this. in Esther chapter 5 and there
in verse 9. Here's the problem that we have.
This is Haman's problem. This is our problem. The heart. The heart is deceitful above
all things. In Esther chapter 5 and verse
9, Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart.
But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood
not up nor move for him, he was full of indignation against him."
This is all his problem. This is all him. So this man
is full of indignation, he was full of hate, and it was his
heart condition. We can clearly see that God put
in the king's heart to deal positively with Mordecai. God dealt with
him. He moved upon him. He's a pagan
king. And he says that Mordecai is,
and we're going to get there, Mordecai is to be given great
honor. Well, God moved upon King Ahasuerus
to honor Mordecai, but it wasn't Satan that moved in the heart
of Haman to be angry with Mordecai. It's him. It's his own problem.
He has this problem. It's a heart problem. And we
find out that Satan does not have the power to stir us, to
move in us. We find that God Almighty is
the only one that can stir us. Satan can't do anything. Satan
can't make a sin. Satan can't do anything without
permission. And we're going to look here
at that in just a moment, but join me if you would over in
the book of Ezra chapter 1. We've read this a number of times,
but it just fills in here so well as we think about what's
taking place here in Esther. There's not the name of God mentioned,
but we can see his footprints. There's not the name of God mentioned,
but we can see his fingerprints all over the book of Esther,
just like we can find it throughout all the scriptures. His footprints
are there. His handprints are there. His
purpose is there. He's carrying it out to the fullest
extent. It tells us in Ezra chapter one,
now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word
of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. Now that's God's activity. And
he stirred up King Ahasuerus. He woke him up by night. He said,
you need to go down and read something. Now we might say,
why didn't he honor Mordecai earlier? Because it wasn't needed
earlier. Now is the time. This is the
time that Mordecai needs to be brought an attention given to
him. So this God that is written in the Bible and this God that
his people worship, he's the God that stirs his people. He's
the God that moves in them. He's the God that moves them
to grace. He's the God that stirs them
up. And we find that this is so carried
out in the scripture, the same word is used. if you would join
me in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. In Deuteronomy chapter
32, we have the same word brought out about being stirred. God
is stirring King Ahasuerus and he stirred him so much he woke
him up and he can't get back to sleep. Now a believer may
lay there and meditate upon the things of God. But God has stirred
him up to get up. I don't believe, at this point
at least, he knows the first thing about God. His wife does. Esther does. She knows a lot
about God. She knows that this God is the
one who saved her by his grace. This is the one who delivered
her. This is the one who brought her out of Jerusalem and Judea
and into the kingdom of King Ahasuerus on purpose. And so
here in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32, we have these words
that mention the same word that it says there, stir, in the book
of Esther. Ezra chapter one, in chapter
32, and there in verse nine, chapter 32 in verse nine says,
for the Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his
inheritance. We've got that still over here
in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. He knows where his people are.
He's put them on purpose. He knows where they all are out
of every kingdom, nation, people, and tongue. He knows where they
are. He found him in a desert land and in a waste howling wilderness.
Where'd the Lord find us? Same place. If we don't recognize
that, we don't know what God's talking about. He led him about. He instructed him. He kept him
as the apple of his eye. That's what the Lord does for
his people. He leads us, he instructs us, and he keeps us close by.
As an eagle stirreth up her nest. That's the same word, stirreth.
An eagle stirring up her nest. fluttereth over her young, spreadeth
abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so
the Lord alone did lead him, and there is no strange God with
him." So, to the people of God, they did not fall into the trap
that we're going to get into in Numbers chapter 25. They didn't
fall into that trap. There's a whole bunch of people
in Israel that didn't know God. They fell into that trap. But
we find some there that understood what was going on here, and it
was absolutely wrong. But God's people don't fall in
that trap. Though they stumble, they'll
not utterly fall down. He keeps them. So as an eagle
stirreth up her nest, that's what God did for King Cyrus in
the book of Ezra. That's what he's done for this
king, King Ahasuerus. He's gone to bed. He's tired,
he goes to sleep, and lo and behold, at the appointed time,
God wakes him up, God stirs him, and brings him into the reading
room, and he wakes some more people up. Need someone to read
this passage there, these chronicles. The Lord continues to stir up
His people. And we're going to follow this. So, going back there to the book
of Esther, we notice there in chapter 6 and verse 1, so the
king, excuse me, I've gone one chapter too far. Chapter 6, verse 1. On that night
could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book
of records of the chronicles." Now, apparently, as some people
who have known more about these countries than I do, apparently
that it was a daily task of someone, a scribe, to write down what
had happened in that day for the King's record. It was a chronicle,
a daily chronicle. And some of those people that
wrote about it said that this was in poetry. They had the best poets in the
land that would write this. So it wasn't as hard and harsh
as we might think about reading history, but it was the record
of the people. Now, we find that this king had
nothing to do with where it started reading. King Ahasuerus didn't say, turn
to chapter 27 of my reign, verse 23, it was left to the reader. Now I find it quite interesting
that again the very fingerprints of God are all over this because
this person that was called on and commanded to read the Chronicles
for a king who was woke up or stirred up by God to have this
read to him turned to the exact place that needed to be turned.
I find that's interesting, that it was at the right place, that
it was here that God moved upon this reader to read. Now, I find another place in
Scripture, and I'm sure there are many more, but there's another
time in Scripture that really touches my heart, and that's
in the book of Acts when Philip was called on to join himself
to a chariot. Now, that man had been down,
the Ethiopian eunuch had been down to Jerusalem to worship.
He had a scroll and he had it opened at the 53rd chapter of
the book of Isaiah. Now, some may say that is just
the way things turned out. But I find out that God left
his fingerprints right there and had it opened at the right
place. And Philip came up and started
asking questions. And they begin at that place
to read. And Philip began at that place
and preached unto him Jesus. The 53rd chapter of the book
of Isaiah. Well, over here in the book of
Esther, we find that the book is open to the place that has
Mordecai mentioned by name. It's in the record. It's in the
Chronicles. It's in the books of the history
of the Persian Empire that Mordecai did something for the king. It
was found, in verse two, it was found written in this. Just look at the fingerprints
of God all over this. His name is not mentioned in
this book, but by His fingerprints we know it's Him. He worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will, and He worketh
all things well. Here In this passage of scripture,
it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bithena and Teresh,
two of the king's chamberlains. Now, they were men of high position
in the kingdom, and they were counseling among themselves how
to get rid of the king. And by God's providence, by God's
purpose, Mordecai overheard this and reported it. And the report
was taken to the king, and it was found out that these men
were actually counseling to overthrow the king, and he had them taken
and removed from the kingdom permanently. the keepers of the
door. They were keepers of the door
who sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus. Now, to me, it's just
God's working. To many people, this would be
just a miracle. It would be a quinky dink that
they opened the page where this incident went on. And we know
over here, because we know the rest of the story, that Mordecai
is in serious, serious danger by Haman. And there has already
been a gallows built to hang him on. And we'll notice here
momentarily that Haman is there to get this taken care of quicker
than he thought, because he could see some handwriting on the wall.
Well, the king said, what honor. What special note has been made
to Mordecai? What honor and dignity have been
done to Mordecai for this? Well, it was also in the record. Nothing. That's how clear these
records were. Now, I ask myself, why wouldn't
that be taken care of when the incident took place? Why wouldn't
the king honor him when the incident took place? What caused him to
forget this? What caused him to set it aside? Oh, he got busy. All these things
could happen. But we know the real reason.
We know that God moved on him to have an absent memory about
this until later. It wasn't the time. It wasn't
needed now. And Mordecai didn't do it for
reward. He did it for his king. And he
did it for the glory of God. So the king asked the question,
what has been given to this man? You know, as we follow this through,
this whole book of Esther is just full of these same kinds
of incidences. You cannot call it a coincidence. It is the very purpose of God,
how he is dealing with his people. Now, it may look like he's not
being very serious about it, but he's being absolutely serious
about it. You know, the same thing happens
to us today. We may not be able to see him. In fact, when you come and tell
me that you've seen God with your physical eyes, we need to
have a conversation. Because God is a spirit, and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. But
to the believer, he is just as if he is before us, leading us. He's a spirit that is leading
his people, and he is spiritual, and his word is spiritual, and
he leads us through the word, and he'll never lead us contrary
to his word. So we find here that this one, Mordecai, what
has happened? Well, nothing has been given
to him. He's not been granted any reward. The king said there, what honor,
what dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said
the king's servants that ministered unto him, they could have just
said, oh, right here, nothing. It's a blank spot in the book. Nothing has happened. And you
know, King Ahasuerus instantly says, we got to take care of
that. We can't have that happen. I'm so seeing Mordecai, when
he did that, it was not for reward. And God's people don't serve
God for reward. They serve God out of love for
God. He is our God, our master, and
we're not expecting a reward. You know, religion has the carrot
and the whip. Religion has the carrot and the
whip. You get this if you're good and
you'll get this if you're bad. And God has every spiritual blessing
for his people. He leads them and directs them
as he has approved in purpose. And here we find that carried
out by King Ahasuerus to Mordecai. Now, as we follow this, We find
that now is the time of need. This is when it needs to take
place. Join me, if you would, over in
the book of Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter one, let's
just read there for a moment. In the book of Galatians chapter
one, we have the apostle Paul is led by the Holy Spirit. Paul
is the secretary. The Holy Spirit, God Almighty,
is the author of the book of Galatians. And in Galatians chapter
one, verse 15. Now, I kind of believe that Paul
at one time wondered why the Lord would let him do all the
things he did. all the people that he witnessed
the death of and called for the death of, all the people he got
letters to bring them back to Jerusalem and be tried, all of
that. Why, Lord, did you allow that
to happen? Why didn't you save me first?
And here we find the same reason that King Ahasuerus didn't reward
Mordecai earlier, but when it pleased God, Now, in Paul's case,
who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me, that's what pleased God. That is at
the right time that God saved Saul of Tarsus, and exactly the
right moment did this council get together at night over the
Book of the Records, the Chronicles, and find out that there was a
man that had reported two men that had intent to kill the king
to dispose of him, that this had never been mentioned except
the record was made, nobody had ever been given anything for
it, and now it comes up. It's at the right time. The Lord
Jesus said, even so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight. All that happened in the Lord's
ministry, it seemed good in thy sight. Here we find during the
times of Esther and Mordecai, when it seemed good in thy sight.
I like what the Lord said to one of the disciples about how
are we going to take care of all these people? Here's a whole
host and they're hungry. How are we going to take care
of them? that he might test him, but the scripture says, and he
said to prove or to test him for he himself knew what he would
do. He always knew what he would
do. That is his, and we thank God
for that. We're not caught short. We're
not caught, wonder what's going to happen next. Well, God has
it all worked out for his glory and his honor and his praise.
We find out that he is the omnipotent one and he's the omniscient one
and he had the power to do and he determined to do and he did
it. So right here at night, candles
burning, it brings up the fact that Mordecai had never been
honored for what he had done for the king, and now is the
appropriate time. And as we go back here to the
book of Esther again, let's go back to the book of Esther chapter
six. In Esther chapter six, we read these words about God's
providence in Esther and the rest of those folks live. In
Esther chapter six, it tells us here in verse five or verse
six, verse six, it says, And the king said, who is in
the court? What had happened earlier this
very day? Well, maybe, maybe it's after midnight right now.
Okay, so the previous day, what had just happened? Queen Esther
had had a banqueting of wine with her husband and with Haman
just hours before this. Now the question comes up, who
is in the court? One more time we find that God
has stirred a man to be at the right place at the right time.
Now this is not going to be for a reward. Mordecai is going to
be given great reward and in fact we find out that he eventually
is going to take Haman's spot. Mordecai will become second in
command. But who is in the court? Who is here? Now Haman was come
into the outward court of the king's house. Now this is his
mission. This is what he's going to request.
To speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that
he had prepared for him. That is in his heart. He came
at night. He hoped he could get an audience
at night. He's out there at night, and he never once gets the opportunity
to open his mouth about Mordecai and hanging. Now he is going
to tell us here, the king's servant said unto him, behold, Haman
standeth in the court. And the king said, let him come
in. So Haman came in, and the king
said unto him, what shall be done unto the man whom the king
delighted to honor? Now notice the rest of that verse.
And Haman thought in his heart. There's only one person that
the king can be thinking about now. And it's me. One person. that the king can
be thinking about. He said in his heart, to whom
would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? So he's going to give, what,
he even answered a king, for the man whom the king delighteth
to honor? Well, since it's me, let me have royal apparel, let
me have The crown, let me have the king's horse. Let me be the
king for a day, an hour. That's what he's really saying.
He says here, let the royal apparel be brought. Well, isn't that
interesting? The royal apparel, hmm. That
the king useth to wear, and the horse the king rideth upon, and
the crown royal which is set upon his head. Now what does
Haman want to be? He wants to be king. He is, in
some ways, he's more of a problem than those two that Mordecai
reported. which is set on his head, and
let his apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one
of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man with
all whom the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback
through the street of the city, and proclaim before him," on
and on and on and on this guy goes because he thinks the honor's
for him. Isn't it interesting that God
moved to honor a man and move to dishonor another man? What
does he say in the ninth chapter of the book of Romans? Doth not
the potter have power over the clay? We have that so demonstrated
right here. We have Jacob's and Esau's mentioned
right here. We have a man that is going to
be given a great honor that he's not looking for. He's not seeking.
How many of us were in that position? We weren't looking for God when
he found us. And on the other side, he says,
what if God willing to show his power in the vessels made for
destruction? And would God do that? That's
what God would do. He is God. Oh, anybody that questions
God's sovereignty, His authority, His omniscience, His omnipotency,
is in serious problems with God because He is the Lord. Let this
apparel and everything be given, thus shall it be done to the
man whom the King delighteth to honor. Then said the King
to Haman, get ready to ride. Oh, no, get ready to walk. The king said to Haman, oh my, this man had every bit of air
let out of his tires. And a man who was not seeking
one thing, he was not seeking an honor,
he was not seeking reward, but he is going to be exalted by
the king. God's great ability to lift his
people out of the dung heap, to establish their goings, to
make them responsible before God, to love God with their being. Here it says, Then the king said,
Haman, make haste, take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said,
and do even so to Mordecai the Jew that sitteth at the king's
gate. Let nothing fail of all that
thou hast spoken. Don't let one word hit the ground. Follow through with every one
of these things. How it is. There's nothing. The king said, who's there? It's Haman. And here it is. The king's heart. I like what
Proverbs 21 says. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. As rivers of water, he turneth
it with us wherever he will. On a night so long ago, a king
woke up, a pagan king, married to a Jewish lady, woke up in
the middle of the night, couldn't sleep, and called on the records
to be read. And the record is read at the
very place where Mordecai had turned in two men that had fought
ill against the king. We could go right over to the
book of Acts chapter 9. Turn over there with me, Acts
chapter 9. And we're going to read here about a man that is
in the same, very same condition that Haman is in. Acts chapter
9, verses 1 and 2. Haman came down to the court
on one purpose. I want that man hung. He recognized, at least on the
outside, that the king had to give him authority to do that. And he came begging that, but
he didn't get his mouth open. He opened it to, well, he distributed
his heart. Here in the book of Acts chapter
nine, we're reading about Haman, only his name is Saul. Saul of
Tarsus. Now Haman has been shared with
us that he hates those Jews and he hates Mordecai the most. Can
you hear what Mordecai is doing in his heart with what we read
here? And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Can you hear
Haman in those words? What's the difference between
Haman and Saul of Tarsus? Capital G. Capital R. Capital A. Capital C. Capital E. Grace. That's the
only difference. They are broken out of the same
mold. Of the same lump. Of the same
lump. Now one God had an eye for. a name written, a savior prescribed,
a lamb slain, all the works of righteousness carried out in
the covenant of grace before the foundation of the world.
And the other one, he did not. They were alike. They had hate
in their hearts. One had hate for Jews. The other
one had hate for Christians. And many of them were Jews. Hate,
I mean, breathing out, threatening to slaughter. Haman comes in
quickly as he can speak. The Lord God Almighty has other
unalterable plans to take care of this situation. And he causes,
like I've been talking about over there in the book of Numbers,
that Balaam, he got his mouth set to say words and God took
over his mouth. It was not his nature to speak
blessings about the children of Israel, nor was it the nature
of a donkey to speak human conversation, but God did it both. Balaam spoke
glory to God. Balaam honored God's people because
God moved in his head and in his mouth. And here we're finding
out that God, Almighty God, has unalterable plans. There is no
shadow of turning with him. The plan and purpose of his Almighty
has been that there will be no mistake The king is a chosen
vessel, Mordecai is a chosen vessel, Haman is a chosen vessel,
and Esther is a chosen vessel. You know what he said about Pharaoh?
He says, for this very reason have I raised thee up. Do you
know what? He could say that about every
believer. He could say that about Mordecai. He could say that about
Haman. He could say that about Esther. He could say that about Ahasuerus.
For this very purpose have I raised thee up, some to mercy and some
to destruction. All right, let's go on and read
here just a little bit. In the book of Esther, as we
close out our thoughts for tonight, in the book of Esther, we find
here in chapter six, God has on purpose had Haman
there in the court. Who's in the court? One man. What do I do to honor a man?
And he thought in his heart, how selfish. This is what he's
going to do for me. And so the king said, do this. Then, verse 11, then took Haman
the apparel and the horse and arrayed Mordecai and brought
him on horseback through the street of the city and proclaimed
before him, thus shall it be done. Everything he's saying,
he wished he could bite his tongue. And God is moving on him. Thus
shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighted to honor. And Mordecai came again to the
king's gate, but Haman hastened to his house, mourning and having
his head covered. He's so ashamed. Now it's interesting that in,
there is, let's go back to chapter four, verse 14. Keep your finger
right there. But in Esther chapter 4 and verse
14, this is what Mordecai said, speaking to Esther, Now he is exhibiting and demonstrating
faith that God gives. This is not his faith. This is
faith that God gives. That's saving faith. We don't
have faith like this. It's God's gift. It says here
in chapter four and verse 14, for if thou altogether holdest
thy peace, he's speaking to his niece, Esther, At this time,
then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the
Jews from another place. He said, if it's not through
you, it will be through someone. If it's not through you, Esther.
Now, I don't think that he's holding her whole or harmless. He just simply saying, if God
doesn't use you, someone else will be used to deliver the Jews.
Now turn with me, if you would, to Esther chapter 6 and verse
13. This is what Haman's wife and
friends say. And Haman told Zarathustra, his
wife, and all his friends, everything that had been following him,
Then said his wise men and Zeres his wife unto him, If Mordecai
be the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall,
thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before
him. Mordecai says, if the Lord doesn't
save us through you, you'll find someone else. And these folks
said, I'm sorry, but you're dead. You're a dead man. They saw something. They saw something. If Mordecai
be the seed of the Jews. You know, at the time of, after
Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, there was one man said, you know,
we've had this guy raise up and take away many, and then he's
dead. And this guy raised up a bunch more, and now he's dead.
And if this is what's happening, we have God, we do not want to
be found guilty of that. The last verse in that chapter,
and while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains
and hastened to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared. Second banquet. It's time. Come. We have a conversation
to make. And then we'll get into the next
chapter and we find out Haman's end is determined. It's always
been determined. Same as the end of every Welcome to the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. Depart from me, ye
workers of iniquity, for I never knew you. We'll stop there for
tonight.