Sermon Tone Analysis

Chapter 8 People in a Chapter 3 World

Haman has been hanged, in the middle of the day, on the gallows he had made, in his own backyard.

75 feet high.

It was a whole new line of patio furniture.

I’ve heard of hanging baskets, but this ...

Chapter 7 ends with great relief and delight.

Mordecai, who was supposed to be hanging on the gallows Haman made … is alive … while Haman - who seemed to make happen everything that he wanted - he is dead.

Esther, who was terrified to enter the king’s presence, uninvited, is fine …

A crystal clear example of God at work, when nobody else can be.

God who is behind the scenes, sovereignly steering the world to best take care of His people.

The Almighty power of God … in justice, in split-second timing … in all of the millions of things we see that we attribute to

How ‘ironic’ - that Haman, for all of his scheming, all of his self-promotion, all of his pushing to get himself in the best place, with the most influence … and surely, the most wealth, as well … that Haman is no more … and the king, whom he offered to pay 10 thousand talents for the sick pleasure of exterminating the Jewish race, has taken Haman’s own home and given it to his Jewish wife, Queen Esther.

How ‘ironic’, that Haman who was given the king’s signet ring, by the king himself, so that he could make an official, evil decree - that all the Jews should be killed, annihilated and destroyed … and then sign it with the king’s own ring on his finger.

And just as the guards pulled Haman’s arms behind his back and put the cloth over his head, to lead him to his own execution .... before they marched the condemned man out of the king’s presence, the king said, ‘Wait a minute’ … you have something that belongs to me … had one of the guards yank the signet ring from Haman’s finger - his pride and joy, the ring that carried with it the royal authority of the king himself, is pulled from his hand and handed back to the king.

And now the king, according to v. 2, ‘… took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman and gave it to Mordecai.’

But as chapter 8 begins, the story isn’t finished.

The threat of Haman is gone … but while he was alive, the evil enemy of God’s people, out of spite, had set into motion a threat that still hangs over the heads of God’s people as our chapter begins.

Remember, back in chapter 5, when the king and Haman are feasting at the banquet Esther prepared, after she first dared to walk into the king’s presence, following 3 days of fasting and prayer -

the king had already offered her so much: “Up to half of my kingdom”.

So he asks, : “What is your wish, Queen Esther?

It shall be granted you.

And what is your request?” things: What is your wish and what is your request?

He asks the same thing in chapter 7:2:

“What is your ‘wish’ and what is your ‘request’.”

In , Esther gives her trembling answer … PART of her answer: “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my WISH and my people for MY REQUEST.”

Well, here we are in chapter 8 - the king has granted Esther her WISH - her life is secure.

He now knows that she is a Jew and so is her cousin - and they are safe - they are blessed ...”

But what about Esther’s people?