Okay now, this evening we're
going to take a look at Esther chapter 7. A lot of times I struggle
with the title as to what we're going to call the sermon that
we are going to bring or the study that we're going to bring.
But I'm taking the title for the message from verse 3 in Esther
chapter 7. Then Esther the queen answered
and said, if I found favor in thy sight, O King, and if it
please the King, let my life be given me at my petition and
my people at my request. And here's the title of the message,
Esther's Request for Mercy. Esther's Request for Mercy. Esther's request was not for
riches. She could have asked for half
of all those provinces. Half of the kingdom is what was
offered. But Esther's request was not for riches, fame, or
fortune, but for life, for her life and for the life of her
people. She was interested not only in
being delivered from that decree of destruction that Haman brought
the king to sign, but she was also interested in the deliverance
for her people. And I think this is a good type
and picture we read of in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
about sinners coming before the great King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. And how do we come? We don't
come demanding mercy, do we? We come, Lord, if it would please
you. to show mercy to me. When we
come praying before our King of Kings, our request is not
for riches, fame or fortune, is it? But for life, for mercy. forgiveness of sin and for salvation
in Christ Jesus. Reminds me of Psalm 51 where
David said, Lord, have mercy upon me according to thy loving
kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my sin. He didn't say, Lord, have mercy
upon me because I'm the king. I'm your anointed. The Messiah
will come through my loins. No, He asks for mercy according
to the multitude of the Lord's tender mercy and His kindness. The good news of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ is that our Lord God and Savior delights
to show mercy. He delights to show mercy. He
even commands us to come to Him and find mercy and grace to help
in our time of need. And He shows us mercy. Oh, that
we could learn this. He shows us mercy not because
we're deserving or not even because we necessarily ask Him. He shows
us mercy not because we're deserving but rather because our God is
merciful. Long-suffering. And full of goodness,
he shows mercy unto us for one reason, for Christ's sake, for
Christ's sake. I often quote this scripture
in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16 where the Lord said, Come boldly
unto the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy. Didn't
say earn it. Obtain mercy. Find grace to help
in our time of need. Now one of the great encouragements
as we read through the word of God We never read in the Word
of God, in the Word of the Lord, where our Lord Jesus Christ did
not show mercy to those that asked Him and to those who were
seeking mercy. He healed all those who had need
of healing. We read earlier from Mark chapter
10, the example of blind Bartimaeus. That's a good example, is it
not? Lord, have mercy upon me. Lord, thou son of David, have
mercy upon me. He knew this man, Jesus of Nazareth,
was the Messiah. He knew this one that was sent
of God, the Messiah, the Anointed, had all power to take care of
his need, and he was urgent upon it. Lord, thou son of David,
have mercy upon me. I love what it says there. The
Lord stood still. Think of it. The Lord stopped
in his tracks when a old, dirty, blind, mangy beggar cried for
mercy. That ought to encourage us to
cry for mercy, beg for mercy, to take our place before the
throne of Almighty God as mercy beggars and never graduate, never
graduate above that state. Now, you remember in our story
last time, Haman had requested Haman was requested before the
king. Haman had requested before the
king that all the Jews be destroyed. And the king had agreed to the
plan, not knowing at the time that Esther also was among those
Jews that Haman determined to destroy. Let's go back and read
that in chapter three, just to refresh our mind for a minute.
Because this plays an important part in the story here in Esther
chapter 3. Haman said unto King Ahasuerus
rather there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed
among the people in all provinces of thy kingdom and their laws
are diverse from all people Neither keep they the king's law therefore
it is not for them for the king's prophet to suffer them if it
please the king let it be written that they may be destroyed and
I'll pay ten thousand talents of silver and to the hands of
those that have charge of the business to bring it into the
king's treasury. We can not only destroy all these
people, but you can make a little bit of money on it. And the king
took his ring from his hand, gave it to Haman, and said to
Haman, the son of Amaditha, the Agite, the Jew's enemy, and the
king said to Haman, the silver is given to thee, the people
also, to do with them as it seemeth. Whatever seems good to you, just
do it." Well, Haman's goal in the end was to destroy Mordecai,
but not only Mordecai, but all Mordecai's people. But the king
at the time does not know when he signs that decree of destruction,
he does not know that his queen is a Jew. He just signed the
death warrant on his own wife. Notice also in our story that
Esther does not ask for Haman to be hanged. She does not seek
revenge upon him, but rather her interest, her interest is
in the deliverance and the salvation of her people. She was confident
not in her ability. She was confident in the Lord's
promise that he would be with them and deliver their people,
and she was confident, as Mordecai was, that the Lord would take
care of Haman in due time. And we see in due time, the last
part of chapter 7, that Haman is hanged upon the gallow that
he had prepared for Mordecai. And it all took place according
to the command the king said, hanging thereon. And they didn't waste any time.
They marched Haman right back to his house. and they hanged
Haman upon the gallows that was made for Mordecai. Now we left
our story last week when Haman went home in shame and disgrace
because he was forced to honor the man who would not bow to
him, Mordecai. And when he was made to parade
Mordecai through the street, it just humiliated him. I mean,
he was completely humiliated. And while he's at home, before
his wife and his servants, while he is home, the king's servants
came to his house to bring him and to haste him, in chapter
6 verse 14, while they were yet talking with him, came the king
Chamberlain and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther
had prepared, the banquet of wine, to make her request and
her petitions made known. So, chapter 7 verse 1, so the
king and Haman came to the banquet with Esther, Verse two, and the
king said again to Esther on the second day, the banquet of
wine, you remember that was that initial first banquet, and then
the second banquet, what is thy petition, Queen Esther? And it
shall be granted thee, and what is thy request? And it shall
be performed. It shall be performed. Now that's a key statement. even to the half of my kingdom.
And the queen answered and said, if I found favor in thy sight,
O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me
at my petition and my people at my request." Now, the king,
not forgetting what he had promised to Esther, not once, but twice
before. This is the third time he says
to her, whatever you want, verse 2, and it shall be performed
up to the half of my kingdom. The king, remembering his promise,
was vowed to make good on his word. What is your request? And it shall be performed. It
shall be done, completed. Now, here's a gospel nugget for
us to get a hold of. If this poor pagan king was so
jealous to honor and keep his word to Esther, and to perform
every promise that he had made her. What must be involved in
the honor and glory, majesty, and faithfulness of our great
God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to fulfill his exceeding great and
precious promises to his covenant children, his covenant promises,
they shall be accomplished, right? They shall be. Don't turn, let
me just read these to you. You're most familiar with these.
This is 2 Peter chapter 1. according as His divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
due to the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,
whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises,
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Exceeding
great and precious promises. that He gives unto us in the
Lord Jesus Christ. The other one I'd like to read
in your hearing, don't turn again, let me just read it to you. In
2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2, but as God, excuse me, 2 Corinthians
chapter 1 verse 20, verse 18 rather, but as God is true, our
word toward you was not yea and nay, for the Son of God, Jesus
Christ, who was preached among you by us, Even by me and Silas
and Timothy was not yea and nay, but in him was yes. For all the
promises of God in him are yes, and in him, amen, unto the glory
of God." All the promises of God in him are yes. And they're
amen. And they shall be performed. Of all that God has promised
us in the gospel, talking about gospel promises, not one word
shall fail. The last words of Joshua. Remember
Joshua 23, 14. Behold, this day I'm going the
way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and all
your souls that not one thing has failed. Of all the good things
which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come
to pass unto you. Not one word has failed. God has not changed. Every promise
that God made to Joshua and those people was fulfilled, and every
gospel promise that God has made to us, Every gospel promise God
has spoken shall be performed even to all the kingdom of God
by the Lord Jesus Christ to his own glory and Purpose now I do
want you to turn to this one you remember in Luke chapter
1 Luke chapter 1 concerning the prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Luke chapter 1. And while you are finding that,
let me see if I can find this promise over here in the book
of Isaiah, while you are turning to Luke chapter 1. In Isaiah
chapter 6, Isaiah chapter 9 verse 7, Of
the increase of his government, and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, upon his kingdom, to order it, and
to establish it with judgment, with justice, from henceforth
even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will perform this. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. Now,
if you've got Luke chapter 1, look at verse 68. Zacharias was filled with the
Holy Spirit and he prophesied, saying, Luke 1 verse 68, Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed
His people. For He has raised up the horn
of salvation for us in the house of His servant David." That word
horn there is symbolic of power. as he spake by the mouth of his
holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we
should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that
hate us, to perform mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember
his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham. To perform mercy promised. And that's what he does when
he saves a sinner. He performs mercy that is promised. All the
exceeding great and precious promises of God. I often quote
that scripture over in Psalm 57, where it says, He has performed
all things for us. And then in Philippians chapter
1, God who had begun a good work in you, He will perform it until
the day the Lord comes back. He has performed all things for
us. He's blessed us with all spiritual
blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. And of His fullness have
we all grace for grace. He's made us heirs of God and
joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Has He made good on every
promise? Absolutely so. Now here's the
second thing I want us to look at in verse 3 and verse 4. In
Esther chapter 7, then Esther the queen answered and said,
If I found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it pleased the
king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people
at my request, for we are sold. I, my people, we are sold to
be destroyed, to be slain, to perish. If we had just been sold
into bondage, That may have been okay. If we'd been sold for bondmen
and bondwomen, she said I would have held my peace. Although the enemy could not
equal the king's damage in this killing all the Jewish people. Now notice Esther does not demand
her request to be answered. She didn't say, now I demand
that this be done right now. Look at the language. If I found
favor in thy side, O king, and if it pleased the king. It's
all upon the sovereign will of the king. She asked for mercy
upon the basis if it would please the king to do so. Let my life
and that of my people, let it Our lives be spared if it conserve
your purpose and conserve your glory. If it pleases you, would
you give me life? Isn't that also a picture of
the gospel of Christ? We are sold and given to be destroyed
like Esther and her people. And then she said, the king's
loss shall not equal what our enemy promised to pay the king,
10,000 talents of silver, would be nothing compared to the great
loss of all these thousands and thousands of people, Jewish people. You're going to lose a lot more,
a lot more than that. Now is not this the petition
of mercy? very similar to what every poor
sinner cries before the Sovereign King and Sovereign Lord. We do not demand mercy, do we? We come as mercy beggars before
His throne, and we say similar to what she says here, if we
found favor in your sight, and if it pleased the King, Would
you show mercy to such as we are? Now, I want you to turn
and look at this one with me. Here's another good example of
that. The same way that Esther approached
the king is the same way this leper found in Matthew chapter
8 comes before the Lord Jesus Christ. Not demanding healing,
not demanding healing, but demanding but rather asking for mercy.
Matthew chapter 8 verse 1, when he was come down, Matthew 8,
1, from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there
came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, you
can make me clean. And the Lord put forth his hand
and touched him, saying, I will. I will be thou clean." And immediately
his leprosy was cleansed. You see, this man came to the
Lord and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if it please you, you can
make me whole. If it's your will, you can make
me whole. Another example of that is the
publican in the temple who cried out, Lord, have mercy upon me,
the sinner. Remember what the Lord said?
That man went down to his house justified rather than the other. We're not only sold for bondmen
and bondwomen, we're sold out to sin, transgression, and iniquity,
not worthy of the least of the Lord's mercy. But also we're
under the sentence of death, as Esther and her people were
under the sentence of death because of our many sins against God
for sin is transgression of the law. We know from our study in
Romans, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We
know also that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But think about
this, this statement she makes here in the last part of verse
4, I had held my tongue although the enemy could not equal the
king's damage. Our death and our eternal judgment
could not satisfy or be equal to what we rightfully deserve,
we could not satisfy the demands of God's holy law. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only one that could answer the demands, the demands of the King's
law so as to eternally satisfy it. And that's what we read in
Isaiah. Chapter 53. Don't turn there. You're familiar with this Scripture
too. But remember where it says, "...it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He 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 in
his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall
be..." What's that word? Satisfied. Satisfied. Is God the Father satisfied with
everything the Lord Jesus Christ did on our behalf? Absolutely. How do we know that? He raised
Him from the dead. Seated at the right hand of God.
Satisfied by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many, for he shall bear their iniquities." Thank God the Lord
Jesus Christ satisfied the law of God. We read in Isaiah 42,
21, the Lord is well pleased for His righteousness sake. He
will magnify the law and He will make it honorable for us. Not
only has He delivered us from our sin, but delivered us from
the wrath of His own law. according we have mercy according
to his satisfaction right we have mercy according to the satisfaction
the Lord our God has made for us in Christ crucified we read
in first Thessalonians 5 God has not appointed us to wrath
but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ where did that
wrath of God go there is wrath The wrath of God fell on our
substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on us in Him. He redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Therefore,
we have the forgiveness of sin for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake.
The king's wrath, as it says down in verse 10, the last sentence,
then was the king's wrath pacified. God's holy law and His wrath
is only pacified against us because it fell on our substitute, the
Lord Jesus Christ. and he drank all the wrath of
God for our sin. Therefore in Christ we have forgiveness
of sin, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sin according to the riches of his grace. I love that word according. I read it, I looked it up today
how many times in the New Testament it's used over 200 times. I was
going to bring a message on the word according. It would be a
long message, wouldn't it? If we just read all those 200
times the word is used. According, according, according
to the riches of His grace. Now here's a third thing I want
us to consider. In Esther chapter 7 verse 5 and
6. Then King Ahasuerus answered
and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he? Who is this enemy? Who is he? Where is he that does
presume in his heart to kill my queen? Now, little does he
know, he is the one who signed that decree. But at the time
he signed it, he doesn't know what Haman is up to in destroying
the Jews, and he does not know, that is, the king does not know
that the queen is a Jew. And Esther said, the adversary
and the enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid. Before him and the king were
buddies, they were drinking buddies. I mean, they were buddy buddies.
The king had given him the chief position in the kingdom next
to the king. Haman was afraid. before the
king and the queen. Now Haman is fully exposed before
the king. The king says, who is this man
and where is this man that's the enemy and adversary to my
queen? And the queen, in boldness of
spirit, says it's wicked Haman. Bold like a lion, yet she's humble
of spirit. The king, I thought about this,
the king must have been shocked that Haman was the man who sought
to destroy the queen and her people, but also shocked to the
fact he was the one who signed the decree to destroy them. All
the Jews, including Esther, the queen, who was a Jew. Remember
we read earlier in chapter 3, he told Haman, you just do to
those people what seems good in your sight. If you want to
kill them all, go ahead, they're nothing to me. And he signed
it. And that law of the Medes and
Persians cannot be altered. We're going to see that next
time in chapter 8. There's a law there that has
to be honored. The law that has to be honored.
Now look at verse 7 and verse 8. Here's the fourth thing. The
king, arising from the banquet of wine, in his wrath, in his
wrath, his anger, went into the palace garden, that is, he skedaddled
out, and Hamas stood up to make requests for his life to the
queen. Now he's on his knees before
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 where the banquet of
wine and Haman had fallen upon this bed or this couch whereon
Esther was sitting. And the king said, will he force
the queen also before me in my own house? And as a word went
out of the king's mouth, They, I take that to mean his servants,
put a bag over Haman's face. They covered his face so the
king could not look upon him and Haman could not look upon
the king. The king, realizing that Haman had used him for his
own wicked purpose, arose in his anger and his wrath and went
into the palace garden. Now he's thinking in his mind,
I just, I just, put myself in his place, he's thinking in his
mind, what am I going to do now? How am I going to remedy this
situation? How am I going to undo this terrible
situation? The more he thought of Haman,
the worse he thought of Haman, and the more anger rose up in
his heart. and his wrath kindled within
his heart. And by the good and sovereign
providence of God, when a king walks back into this banquet
of wine, he has the answer to this dilemma. For he finds Haman
laying in terror at the queen's feet begging, but he perceives
Haman is assaulting her to slay the queen in my own house, to
ravish her, and then to murder her. The servants quickly take
a cover and cover Haman's face as a condemned man so the king
could not see him, nor could Haman see the king. I read that
this was a Persian custom in that day. When someone was condemned
to death, they put a bag over their head. Have we seen that
before? Even in this country, we watch
those old western movies that I like to watch. I like to watch
them just because I like to look at the mountains and the scenery,
but when we watch those old western movies, What do they do when
they put those men up on that gallows before they pull the
trap? They put a bag over their head,
don't they? Condemned man, he's in the dark
as good as dead. And that's what this is saying.
This is what the king saying unto Haman. The last thing, verse
9 and 10, Harbonah, one of the Chamberlains, and he must have
been one of those who fetched Haman out of his own house. He
probably said, Haman, what are those gallows for? Oh, we're
going to hang Mordecai here pretty soon. And Harbona, being the
faithful servant to the king, said before the king, Behold
also the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for
Mordecai. Mordecai, remember, is the one
who said good things about you. And he spoke before the king
and standeth in the house of Haman. Let me read this again.
Behold also gallows 50 cubits high, which Haman had made for
Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the
house of Haman, 75 feet high, 75 foot high gallows. And the
king said, hang him. You hang him. So they hanged
Haman on the gallows that he prepared for Mordecai. Then the
king's wrath was satisfied. Satisfied. Satisfied. Now a couple
things in closing I'll let you go. Harbona exposed Haman's plot
to hang Mordecai and the king said now, the king commanded
that Haman be hanged upon those gallows, and his wrath, his anger
was subsided." Now, some lessons here, three or four things. Those that walk in pride, the
Lord is able to abase. You remember how full of pride
Haman was? He was promoted, he went home
and bragged to his family how rich he was, how everything was
good, how the king had exalted him. There was another king named
Nebuchadnezzar, who had the same heart full of pride. And we all
have this problem. But when the Lord taught Nebuchadnezzar,
another king, pagan king, that he indeed is God, here's what
he said. I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and
extol and honor the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and
his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride He's able
to abase. There is no man that is beyond
the reach of God's power to break him and put him in the dust. No man. The very instrument that
Haman had designed to unjustly hang Mordecai is the very instrument
of death that Haman is justly hanged upon. How the tables our
turn against wicked Haman. Mordecai now was honored. Mordecai
we're going to see in the next chapter. The whole estate of
Haman was given to Esther and Esther in turn gave it all to
Mordecai. Mordecai is honored and Haman
is hanged. The enemies of God's church and
His people have often been taken in their own craftiness, but
oftentimes they fall into their own trap. If you want to find
this, you can. Turn to Psalm 7. David had this
occasion. Many enemies sought traps to
trap him, but they fell into their own snare in Psalm 7. Verse 10, my defense is of God
which saves the upright in heart. God judges the righteous and
God is angry with the wicked every day. If he will not turn,
if he turn not, he will wet his sword. He hath bent his bow and
made it ready. He hath also prepared for him
the instruments of death. That's true of Haman. He ordained
his arrows against the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,
and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
He made a pit, and digged it, and he is fallen in the ditch
which he has made. His mischief shall return upon
his own head. His violent deedings shall come
down upon his own path. I will praise the Lord according
to his righteousness. I will sing praise to the name
of the Most High God. The Lord will in his own time
conquer all his enemies and he already has for us in Christ
and given us the victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. Second thing
is this, be sure we get this, none can prevail against the
Lord. Our Lord said this, if God be
for us, who can be against us? Our Lord said to his disciples,
I say unto you, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I'll build
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Psalm 92, 9, for lo, thine enemies,
O Lord, for lo, thine enemies shall perish. All the workers
of iniquity shall be scattered. None can prevail against the
Lord. Thirdly, Esther's request was
obtained Her enemy was destroyed. She had trials. Yes, she did. She had heartaches. Yes, she
did. Was she a believer? Yes, she
was. But the Lord was with her to
bless her and to comfort her all the way. Let us learn from
this to trust the Lord at all times and pour out our heart
before Him. God is a refuge for us. I'm going to close by reading
Psalm. Don't turn because you're familiar
with this. Psalm 62. My soul wait thou only upon God,
for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. In God is my salvation, my glory,
the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. That being
so, Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart
before Him. God is a refuge for us. We do have trials in this life,
just as Mordecai was tried of God, and Esther was tried of
God. Our Lord said, these words have
I spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In this world
you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome. That's our hope.