Below is a sermon manuscript from November 24, 2024. Watch the sermon here.

Esther 7

Introduction

I confess that I get second-hand embarrassment and can’t stand situations that are ripe with it whether it’s a situation happening around me or even a TV show or book. I need to leave the room. This is true even if I know what’s taking place. I’ll try not to leave the room as I am reading the passage this morning because it is so uncomfortable!

The awkwardness here is all the more tense because one person has the courage to unearth what remains hidden. What remains hidden is what eventually leads to downfall. Maybe this is you this morning. You are constantly afraid of being found out. In the recesses of your heart, you know there is ugliness and darkness, but you just hope no one finds out, or maybe you want them to because then you don’t need to run anymore. As ugly as it will be, at least it will be in the open. As we read through this, I hope that you can find places where you relate, but I also hope that you will stick with it until the end because you will see the glorious hope that we can have.

Dinner by design

The time has finally come, and Esther is obedient. We will discuss that in a bit, but first, we need to think about what is left unsaid and how we are aware of things that Esther is not. 

The unseen God is still at work

First, think about this idea – the unseen God in the book of Esther is the same God that we serve today. The King’s insomnia was the perfect precursor to her request being known, but she didn’t plan that. Instead, she walked ahead, trying to be faithful while God was working things together. She likely was aware of Mordecai being paraded in town and Haman chanting his praises, was this why she said it now? Maybe. In that case she is once again using her wisdom to step forward. But in either case, we know that we can’t control what happens behind the scenes, we can control what we do. As we read this book, we can get the whole picture; it is clear to us that the unseen God is at work. 

But we don’t know exactly what’s going through Esther’s mind. Maybe she is very confident. Maybe she sees the tide turning. Or maybe not. I am thankful that we don’t have that insight. To me, that is more helpful when we are going through challenging situations. If the text said, “She stood in confidence because she knew God would rescue her,” that might preach well. I could challenge you to “be strong like Esther,” but we don’t have that. There are certainly virtues we see in Esther, but what’s left unspoken once again is powerful. 

We have a complete story of how God works, which is helpful when we’re in the midst of the story ourselves. We aren’t guaranteed a positive outcome in the situations we find ourselves in. After all, the apostles were faithful but personally suffered greatly. Throughout church history, we see the faithful suffer. We see martyrs. No, we aren’t guaranteed everything will be made right in this life. But what we are guaranteed is that that one who will one day make all things right is right here with us. The same unseen God who is at work in Esther 7 is at work right now – and we can trust Him.

Often, we need to be a step or two removed to have objectivity

When we move from the unseen God to Esther, we can see how she carefully navigates a difficult situation. She needs the King to understand that his closest ally is her enemy. She needs to help him see this without being defensive because of his relationship with Haman or his role in the decree itself. So what does she do? She uses passive language to describe the situation. She doesn’t reveal the actors. If she did, she would have to identify Haman right away, but also the King’s involvement – likely putting him on the defensive. Instead, she takes a sideways approach by describing the situation so the King can properly assess it. This is similar to the approach Nathan takes when he approaches David. 

In both situations the person is approaching someone with power over them and who may not take the news well. This might be instructive for us as well. Communication matters not only for what is said but also for how it is received. Wisdom means that we are attentive to both. I am convinced that wisdom is needed more than ever in conversations with others who don’t accept the Christian understanding of the world. Helping someone understand the stakes and being able to remove them from their current situation to evaluate objectively is difficult. We see these types of conversations take place in homes or private situations. Jesus did something similar with his parable of the money lender while in Simon’s home. Are we building the kinds of relationships that enable these kinds of conversations?

Esther ties her fate to the fate of her people

Esther’s appeal makes clear that her fate is directly related to the fate of her people. She does not ask for a personal exception but desires the good of them all. As the New Covenant people of God, it is easy to distance ourselves from other members of the covenant for our own benefit. This happens time and time again. It is so easy to identify ourselves as “not those kinds of Christians.” Sometimes this is necessary. It is proper to point out excesses and shortcomings. But we need to guard against forming a Christian identity that revolves around differences between us and other Christians instead of having it flow from our allegiance to Jesus. I think this might be especially a temptation within a town like State College. 

Confrontation Takes Courage

Courage is being clear in the face of fear

One thing we should recognize here is the courage of Esther. We have already seen her care and not rushing in. This exemplifies restraint and wisdom, but there are times when we need to speak up. When nuance and carefulness are actually fear and not wisdom, this isn’t easy to know, but as Christians, often the Holy Spirit helps us understand the difference. Maybe you’ve had times in your life where you know you can’t be silent anymore. Maybe it’s sharing your faith with a co-worker or confronting a loved one who is in sin. You know, in that moment, you have to speak up. 

It’s when we know what we need to do that our fear can effect our approach. Have you ever noticed this? 

I remember in high school, I felt convicted to share my faith with a friend and I thought I would simply ask if he went to church. But it came out incredibly awkward – I shouted it at him! Maybe not the best approach, but God can use even our imperfect obedience. Often, though, it’s not shouting at others, but it’s obscuring the content or being incredibly vague. We might say Jesus saves but never indicate that we need to be saved because our sin separates us from a Holy God. 

This is often the case with Christian ethics that are at odds with the world as well. What do Christians believe about hot-button topics? We might say, “We love all people.” Or “We are all sinners.” These things are very true. But there is also charity in clarity. It’s OK to say I believe that God’s good design is best for all people. That means embracing your biological sex and understanding the beauty and good of complementary marriages where a husband and wife cause their union to flourish and benefit their children. We believe that life begins at conception and that life is worthy of dignity, honor, and respect. We believe that all people are made in the image of God, and racial prejudice is sinful. Are we able to speak with clarity? 

There is often an inverse relationship between our fear of God and our fear of people. The bigger the view you have of God and care of his opinion the easier it is to face the opposition of others. We can say with Paul if God is for us, who can be against us?

The work of the enemy must be exposed for the good of the Kingdom

Another aspect that we see is that Esther’s actions expose the enemy who lives within the Kingdom. We have hints of Haman’s lineage, and there may be direct application there. But we can also see a general Biblical theme at play. Throughout Scripture, we see a contrast between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. The seed of the serpent are types of Satan who, as the New Testament tells us, seeks to kill and destroy. But the seed of the woman are types of Christ. Here, we see Esther as a type of Christ in confronting one who is a type of Satan. We have to be careful of reading ourselves into Esther’s shoes and thinking that there is a 1:1 application for us and people who are opposing us. In the New Testament, we are taught that we don’t fight against flesh and blood but principalities and powers.

Right now, Satan has been dealt a death blow by Jesus’ work, but he still prowls around like a lion seeking to devour. But for those who are in Christ, we know that we are secure in Christ’s victory. We can confidently confront sin, knowing there is mercy and forgiveness in Christ. Some of us might be good at spotting this “out there,” and it is true that there is much evil in the world, but do we have the same passion to confront sin in our own hearts? One way that sin is exposed is by confessing it to the Lord. Have you done this? 

Sin is Self-Destructive

Sin Blinds Us To Reality

Haman was too proud to see the potential consequences of his own actions. The gallows he was building was not truly for Mordecai but for himself.  He was enslaved to his hatred for Mordecai and the Jewish people. He was living out Proverbs 27:26, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.^[1]”

We, too, become blind to our own sin and its consequences. Like Haman, with his power and prestige, we think we are invincible. That we will never be found out, but Haman couldn’t account for the King’s insomnia. Haman didn’t plan on Esther being a Jew. In a similar way, we think we are safe pursuing our own sinful desires, but we are one sleepless night type of event away from being found out. 

Over and over I have had conversations and counseled people who have blissfully pursued their sin only to have some situation where it is brought to light. 

Praise God for situations that reveal our sin. That helps us see its destruction. In these cases, we should repent. Repent means to turn from the sin. It means to join forces against the destruction instead of being for destruction. 

Objection: Should we cheer the destruction of Haman?

We might be a little uncomfortable with the death of Haman. While we rightfully recognize the irony of him building the object of his own death, we might still wrestle with actually celebrating this event. This is particularly the case because we may think, “Is the King just?” It’s been mentioned in the series already that we don’t want true and complete justice from the King of Kings. We are all sinners and need his grace. But we should still desire situational or circumstantial justice. 

In this circumstance, we see the accusation against Haman as the reason for his death. But is that accusation of Haman attacking Esther credible? We certainly don’t see the testimony of two or more witnesses. While Haman is guilty of desiring to wipe out a people, the King is also to blame for not checking into the matter, but the reason for the death here is not Haman’s plot against the Jews but an attack on Esther. Some have even criticized Esther for not correcting the King. But according to Persian law when a King has declared something, then it is a done deal. Also there were laws about not approaching one of the King’s harem – even within seven steps – so Haman was guilty by his actions even if not guilty of the exact accusation. It seemed like this instead was a convenient opportunity for the King to seize when he found himself in a compromising situation. 

Why mention all of this? Because when we are personally compromised and complicit in the propagation of evil we are much more likely to look for an easy out – often evil compiles evil. Think about how lies compile one on top of another to cover themselves up. It reminds me of the quote from Sir Walter Scott, “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.” Have you ever found yourself in a never-ending descent of deceit or another sin?

Sin brings a curse

But maybe this episode is once again drawing our attention to the One who is not mentioned. The lesson here is not to hang our enemies! Esther is involved in the truth being revealed but not the King’s actions or interpretation of the events. Maybe this event is showing less the imperfect justice of the earthly King and instead drawing our attention to the justice of the True King. I think the object of death may lend itself that way, allow me to explain.

One person asked a couple of weeks ago: Did you mean to say “stake” when I referred to the gallows? The word could be understood either way. It is likely that it was a stake to be impaled. Many of your translations, when using the word gallows, have a footnote to indicate that it could also refer to a wooden beam or stake. It’s the same word used for the tree in the garden and to trees yielding fruit that God created. The same word used for wood that Noah used to build the ark and sticks gathered in Numbers 15. Context gives us the idea of how to understand the word. We can be sure that it is an instrument of death. That is where “gallows” helps to bring that into focus for us.

Execution by hanging someone by the neck is unattested in ancient sources. More likely, the text refers to the common practice of impaling victims on wooden stakes. The Code of Hammurabi and Assyrian law codes sometimes prescribe impaling as an actual method of execution, and the Assyrian king Assurnasirpal II bragged of how he impaled rebellious vassals. But more often, malefactors were executed by other methods, and their dead bodies were impaled for a public display.¹⁰² Also, it has been demonstrated that the Persians practiced crucifixion, and the punishment spoken of here might refer to that practice: hanging people alive on wooden posts and allowing them to die of exposure.^[2]

This context is helpful for us. Regardless of the human characters’ roles in Haman’s death, the Jews – if they knew the law – would have seen Haman in a particular light. In the law we see that cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree. So Haman would have been seen to be under the curse of God. This would be a fitting end because the law also said that God will bless those who bless his people and curse those who curse them. Here, we have a man of earthly power who is bent on the destruction of the Jews but who is no match for their God. The one who sought to destroy was destroyed. 

What about us?

It might be easy for us to think that the curse of God belongs to those out there or those who attack us. But the New Testament brings this into further clarity. To those who thought they were safe by their mere lineage, Jesus calls them children of Satan. To those who thought they were safe because they had the law, Paul says they are cursed by the law. Or even those of us who think that we can somehow earn God’s favor today by trying to do good things. This won’t save the curse that is on us. The Bible says that all of us are under the curse of the law. The law of God reveals our sin and how we fall short of God’s standard. The law has a way of revealing the sin that we desire to keep hidden. To help us see that we need someone beyond ourselves.

We need to turn to one who can help us with the curse. Esther did not have the power to reverse the curse – even if she wanted – but there was one who walked this earth and could tell people “your sins are forgiven.” Why could he do this? Because he was going to be nailed to wood himself – hung on a cross.

Listen to the words of Galatians 3:10-14

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” ¹² But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.^[3]

In our story the wooden instrument of death tells of victory but final victory is not fully realized for those who are living in Susa. They still live under the decree, feeling its effects. In a similar way, Jesus’ victory in the cross and resurrection give a death blow to Satan but are not fully realized by us in this life. The declaration of the curse still remains. Sin is revealed, and its effects still ravage the land. But one day, Jesus will return to set all things right. One day final victory will be enacted. We have hope for that day because the Son of God conquered the wooden beam and was raised in victory. He is seated at the Father’s right hand, making intercession for you right now. He has given you the Holy Spirit to live faithfully for him. What hope we have even when God seems unseen.

Haman fell at Esther’s feet, and it resulted in the declaration of death. But falling at the feet of Jesus, asking for His forgiveness, results in life – because he took on the curse for us. They hung Jesus on the cross, and the wrath of God due to me was satisfied. Praise God. Is this true of you? Have you trusted in Jesus?

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 26:27.

^[2] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 486.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ga 3:10–14.