A Picture of Reaping What You Sow

Introduction

Sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow. It is a principle that most are familiar with. For example:

Generally speaking, if you sow friendship and love…you’ll reap friendship and love. If you are a committed hard worker…you’ll reap materially. If you are lazy…you’ll reap unemployment. In our marriages, if you sow into your marriages the Godly principles of a marriage relationship…you’ll reap a beautiful marriage. As a society, if we sow justice and peace, we reap justice and peace. Generally speaking, these statements are true.

Review: The King now favors Mordecai, a Jew. Haman has been publicly humiliated by Mordecai’s honor. Haman had been warned by his family and friends to back off his plans to exterminate the Jews. Let’s pick up where we left off last week.

While his family and friends are warning him to back off, the king’s attendants showed up to take him to the 2nd banquet prepared for him and the king by Queen Esther. He has absolutely no idea what was to come.

I. Exposure of Haman’s Evil

Okay, so the stage is set. Haman is about to be exposed…an he has no idea. Think of this. While the king is dining with Esther and Haman, he is about to receive the biggest shock of his life. He would learn of Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jews. Of course this wuld also mean killing the queen. Let’s look at how this picture is painted for us.

Esther 7:1-6 1  So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. 2  And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. 3  Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour 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: 4  For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

Let’s remember, the queen had stated she had a request for the king. but she kept putting him off. First, come to a banquet, then at the end of the banquet she said come to another banquet and I will tell you what my request is. What could it be. The king was probably thinking of something materially. Can you imagine his shock when she stated that there was someone who was seeking to take her life!

5  Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

The king is outraged! Who would dare endanger the life of his queen, who would do this to an entire group of people?

6  And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

Thought

Sin has a way of being exposed. That is a truth. We tell ourselves it won’t. We tell ourselves that it is private, but its not. God see’s all.

- Sowing and reaping

Matthew 7:2 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

This means that the way you judge others, you will reap the same judgment. The lack of mercy you show, that’s what you will get. You jump to quick conclusions about others…they will you. You gossip about others, they will you. I have said this before…If someone will talk to you about others…they will talk to others about you…be careful who your friends are.

Galatians 6:7-8 7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Verse 8 highlights that if we don’t focus on the spiritual aspect of life, we won’t reap life everlasting. Focusing on the flesh, doing good things, being a good person…if that is what we sow, if that is what we focus on, we will reap corruption. Because, Romans 6:23 doesn’t tell us that the wages of sin, the penalty of sin can be paid for by enough good works. It says that what we sow from all our good works is eternal separation from God. It says, but…the gift of God, the gift from God, focusing on the spiritual, is...eternal life.

II. Sins Harvest

Lets read the rest of this chapter

Esther 7:7-10 7  And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. 8  Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. 9  And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. 10  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

As soon as the king heard what Haman had done, the king jumped to his feet in rage and abruptly walked into the palace garden to get alone. He had to think through his thoughts:

Haman had been deceptive, haman had misled him into issuing the decree of extermination. Haman’s deception meant that the Kings wife and her uncle, the man who had saved his life would be killed. Haman had betrayed the trust that had been put in him.

When the king left, Haman went to Esther to beg for his life, falling on the couch where she was reclined. The king reenters and find him there and thinks that he is making advances on his wife. The king ordered his immediate execution.

Thought:

Haman reaped what he had sown. THe principle of sowing and reaping is a strong teaching in God’s Word. God’s justice will be exact. We will bear exactly what we have sown. Nothing more, nothing less. Whatever we dish out will be dished back.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

The justice of God will be perfectly executed by God.

Romans 2:5-11 5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

There will be no opportunity in the day of judgment to accuse God of judging too harshly or unfairly and there will be no escape.

2 Corinthians 5:10 10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Revelation 20:11-15 11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

But God is a God mercy

Psalm 62:12 12  Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

and forgiveness...