The Banquet & The Stake
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Esther’s Permission & Power
Esther’s Permission & Power
Our story begins today with Esther permission to approach the king, using her hospitality and power to host a banquet
Our story ends with Haman becoming bitter & being the face of evil
These next few messages starting with today we see “God’s Providential Poetic Justice” begin to form & take place
Poetic Justice happens in literature when good wins and/or evil is punished
Let’s begin in Esther 5:1
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
Esther approaches the King.
Apparently the fast has happened and its over
Esther put on her best, her royal robes, dresses up to look good for the King
She positions herself that the King would see from his throne
In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.
As Esther is granted access to the King, we see that God is working behind the scenes setting things up, working things out
When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
This was really a life and death situation
Remember from last week Esther said to approach the King without being called, there’s only 1 rule, death
Esther was noticeable and favorable
Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
The King really likes his queen and he literally offers 1/2 the kingdom to her in verse 3
He is ready to do what she asks
Banquets in the Persian world were very popular among royalty and were sumptuous affairs
They were especially fond of desserts and large quantities of wine
Banquets were very detailed and thought out
They tended to be dignified rather than disorderly; did not honor gluttony and disgorging
Esther has the gift of hospitality
Esther knew that the king loved banquets
She prepared one for him and knew that would make him happy
Esther begins to show her power by lavishing on the king and getting to him to a happy place
How do we approach our King?
Do we blurt out our requests
Or do we love on him with worship, prayer, blessing him, loving those around us
Do we give to our King with what we know he wants?
Esther also risked her life to invite the king to the banquet. Our King, on the other hand, laid down his life so that we might dine with Him forever
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
Esther begins to set the table for Haman’s downfall
The King asks her again what is it you want? I will give you 1/2 the kingdom
My guess the suspense is getting to the King
He is anxious, wanting to know what his queen wants
Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
With the request of the 2nd banquet, God is continuing to work behind the scene for the freedom of his people
Next week Pastor Charlie will focus why the King couldn’t sleep one night
To us reading this story, it seems that Esther hedges and just can’t share whats on her heart
I believe that God perhaps didn’t let her share because the timing wasn’t right yet
I can tell you from experience that this has happened to me many times
I need to make a decision or I need to talk with someone and it just doesn’t feel right
To me that’s telling me that God’s timing isn’t right, that I need to be patient
That my choices work with God’s providence
I found something interesting in a commentary I was reading about Esther
Twice Esther is given the opportunity to say what’s on her heart, but it seems as if she hedges both times. More than likely, however, Esther sensed the timing to make her request was not right. There is a moment of the miraculous, a moment when the time right to move in the authority and power of God. The power has been given to us, but we have to wait until the authority is also present. In other words, 2 components need to come together: power and permission.
This commentator went on to say that many times we, as believers, mistakenly think we can randomly move in the arena of the miraculous. We have been give the power, yes, but we must wait for the authority, the timing that’s right.
Esther seemed to understand this concept
Do we understand this concept?
Power and Permission have to work together to equal God’s Timing
The Beginning of Haman’s Downfall
The Beginning of Haman’s Downfall
How many of us know that Haman is the face of evil
The enemy seeks to destroy us
Haman was about himself and how he could promote himself
Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,
Haman thought he hit the jackpot
He was on cloud nine
He just came from the banquet that was invitation only for him and the King
And to make things even better, another banquet tomorrow for just him and the King again
But then he see’s Mordecai
Mordecai doesn’t give him the time of day
He doesn’t acknowledge him, shows no fear
The end of verse 9 it says Haman was filled with rage
Anger is one thing but rage is another level that’s from the enemy
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
You might ask the question, how can you be angry and not sin
Jesus shows how to do it
When he overturned the tables in the temple, He wasn’t angry because of his feeling being hurt or feeling like He was ignored. He was angry because people were being hindered from from worshiping the Lord freely.
If we go to bed angry, were in danger
This is what a commentator said
Satan can work even while your asleep. If you’re angry with your husband or your neighbor when you go to sleep, you give the enemy the opportunity to plant a root of bitterness within you and you’ll wake up the next day feeling angry. While there’s a place for righteous indignation that leads us to pray about an unfair situation or an injustice, and to seek the Lord for its resolution - there is simply no place for the devil in our lives.
You can see the Satan working in Haman
He was filled with rage that Mordecai didn’t show him respect/time of day
He went to the king to have the Jews annilated
My guess he went to bed angry and the devil planted this seed, right
Can I submit to you today, never go to bed angry over someone or something
Unless we repent, we will be on a downfall spiral
So what does Haman do?
He consoles himself by going home, calling together his wife and friends together and then boast and brags
Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.
Haman does his best to trying to console himself because Mordecai disrespected him
He tries to build himself up not only in his own eyes but in the eyes of those closest to him, his wife and friends
Haman boasts about his wealth and how many sons he has
He boasts about his promotion from the king
And then he boast about how he’s the only one invited by the queen to a VIP banquet with the king, and there’s another banquet tomorrow
His boasting only lasted for a short time
Because this thoughts went back to Mordecai and his disrespect
But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”
Back to being angry and then he pouts to his wife and friends
And then Haman gets some terrible advice from his wife and friends
His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
This verse brought all sorts of questions in my mind
Fifty cubits tall is 75 feet
Why that tall
How do you build something that big in a day or even just a few short hours
And then how do you get this person you want to impale up to the very top of the pole that’s 75 feet in the air
Sinful human wrath and vengeance can/will get out of control
Haman wants an extreme end to Mordecai who refuses to bow to him
Rather than wait until the appointed time to kill the Jews, Haman has a plan to kill Mordecai prematurely
In his mind, there’s no reason he’s going to fail
Haman has the Kings’ ear and respect
From a commentator
How sad is it that we cannot be happy when things are going well in our lives but there is this one little problem that ruins everything? We cannot see all our blessings and all our good in our lives because we are focused on this one thing that is not going the way that we want. How sad that we do this! Look at what you have! Stop looking at what you do not have. But Haman cannot and so another evil plan is hatched. Not only does Haman desire the extermination of all the Jews but he is going to get Haman killed tomorrow. A hopeless situation appears to be even more hopeless.
To wrap this up today
Esther is a living example Matthew 10:16
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Esther was fasted up, prayed up, and dressed up to approach the King on behalf of her people
Esther knows what will please the King and acts accordingly
She is making decisions, and in partnership with God’s providence, redemption for her people will happen
Are we fasted up, prayed up, and dressed up to approach our King Jesus
Do we know what pleases our King and do we act accordingly
Are we in connection with God’s providence
Haman, and his furious plan to destroy Haman on that massive stake, has a very strong similarity to our enemy, the devil, and his hatred of Jesus
Satan and his army of advisors also planned to hang Jesus on a stake
But little do they realize that by Jesus’ sacrifice, the tables will be turned and death, including Satan and all his demons, they will be swallowed up in Christ’s victory
Final thought to leave with you today
Esther risked her life, seeking redemption for her people, by asking the King to a banquet
Jesus, has indeed sacrificed his life, redeeming all creation, inviting us to the great wedding feast of the Lamb
