Esther: When God Seems Absent (7)

Esther 7:1-10 A Dead End for Haman the Agagite...

Donerail was a bay colt sired by McGee and foaled by Algie M. He was owned, bred, and trained by Thomas P. Hayes near Lexington, Kentucky. His jockey was Roscoe Goose. He won the 1913 Kentucky Derby, beating the greatest odds against him in history.

Due to growing popularity, Churchill Downs underwent major renovations in preparation for the 1913 derby, the record 30,000 spectators and the $6,600 purse. As a Louisville native, Thomas Hayes was unsure about Donerail's ability to win, regardless of its promise, so decided that the expense and potential loss would not be worth it.

Because of the overcrowding at the 1913 Kentucky Derby, there were not enough stables, so Donerail was housed at Douglass Park, about three miles away from Churchill Downs, and would have to walk that distance before the start of the race. This circumstance only added to Hayes’ hesitation about the race. But his jockey Roscoe Goose convinced Hayes to race Donerail. During the race, various horses had the lead, and for a time it was Ten Point first, Foundation in second, and Yankee Notions third. Roscoe Goose kept Donerail away from the pacesetters but within striking distance. As the horses turned into the stretch, Ten Point was still leading, but Donerail closed to gain the lead. He crossed the wire half a length ahead of Ten Point. Donerail was drawing away at the finish and set a track record with a time of 2:04 4/5. Donerail's victory was the largest upset of Kentucky Derby history, a record still held to this day, with odds of 91–1 against him.

Today, in chapter 7, we will feel the tempo, the pace, of the story quicken— like we felt at the end of the passage last week— Haman runs home in shame and grief over what the king did in honoring Mordecai— and his wife and friends basically say- “you’re done Haman, this guy will be your ruin”— you will not beat the Jewish people and their God.

You’ll remember that at that point in the story— the kings attendants came pretty quickly and demanded that Haman make his way back to the palace for the second banquet Esther was hosting.

Let’s read this chapter now— Turn in your bibles to chapter 7, that’s on page 343 in the pew bibles there.

Esther 7:1–10 NIV

1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” 6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

There are lots of ways that we can look at this, but basically it follows a real simple outline— let’s look at this with four basic points:

Outline of chapter 7:

1. Esther’s request to the King

2. The King’s response to Esther

3. Haman’s request to Esther and the King

4. The King’s response to Haman.

Two requests, two responses. Simple enough.

The First Request:

Esther asks that her life, and her people’s lives be spared.

Esther really has thought this out. It just jumps off the page that she is very deliberate about this. First off, don’t forget that she risked her life once— just by approaching the King to even ask anything. Once again, she has hosted two banquets— she made sure Haman was present at both— she has even postponed telling the king what her actual request is, at least two times—

She uses honoring language— “if it pleases you majesty--” “if I have found favor with you”. She’s created this anticipation for what she’s going to ask— and it seems like the king is eager to not only know what she wants, but is eager to give it to her.

Esther reveals her Jewish heritage.

So finally she comes out with the request:

Esther 7:3 NIV

3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.

“My life is in danger— my people are in peril.” This appeals to his emotions. But she isn’t manipulating him— that’s not it. She’s not deceiving him, not trying to trick him. She’s not seeking an outcome only for herself, but for a whole bunch of other people. “My life is in danger, and the lives of all my people, unless you intervene, king!”She is wise— and strategic, and careful.

You know why she needs to be so careful? She is about to accuse Haman of a very terrible thing— WITHOUT offending the King— who approved it all! Can you feel the tension in that?

This is one courageous woman. The king responds with that same emotionalism:

The First Response:

“Who would do such a terrible thing?”

Esther 7:5 NIV

5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

The act itself takes on a totally different tone and perspective now doesn’t it? You see, when it was just Haman and Mordecai— the descendant of Agag, and the descendant of Saul— All the Jewish people lumped into one big faceless group— it’s bad, but it’s not like it is now:

Esther is the beloved Queen. She beautiful, graceful, kind, hospitable— and someone has conspired to KILL HER>? AND not only that, someone has conspired to kill all of a whole people group that Esther is a part of? She represents a real person.

I think there is a lesson baked in there for us: We often observe in our world that people “generalize” or make these over-arching assumptions about huge groups of people.. We do it with ethnicity, or a certain type of work you do, or a certain way you think about the environment--or a whole nation of people. That’s what Haman did. But when we put an actual face on the person— a soul, a heart, a mind, an individual person that God loves and we can see His life in them— That changes things.

That’s why we have stepped forward as a church to make ourselves available to be a welcome host to Ukrainian families that are displaced because of the war in their homeland. Yes, regardless of what we hear that we are supposed to believe about the Russian invasion, or the Ukrainian government, NATO, defense weapons sent, yes, all these things are VERY critical and important— but there is a “face” to this for real people. People just like you and me in almost every way.

That’s why we often will look for opportunities to serve first hand— to go to Save and Serve, to pack meals this fall for real people who are hungry. We go roll our sleeves up, put our hands in the dirt, or whatever— and we see the faces.

Killing Queen Esther and all her people is a pretty big deal… and so Esther (the face of the Jewish people now) lets the king know exactly who is responsible. Who is the face of this evil hatred?

Esther 7:6 NIV

6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

Esther 7:7 (NIV)

7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden.

Why did the king get up and take a walk? That’s interesting. This King seems to be pretty impulsive in several other situations. But not this one— he removes himself from the immediate conflict. Why?

I’ll tell you why I think? He has a big problem. Like a serious, life altering problem. I think he’s starting to put the pieces together here on the decrees and decisions that he’s made. He has failed to realize the ramifications of the decree to annihilate the Jews, to blindly trust Haman and his evil plans.

We are not told why he does leave the room, but we can grasp the quandary he faces. Can he punish Haman for a plot he himself approved? If he does so, won’t he have to admit his own role in the fiasco? Moreover, he has issued an unchangeable law; how then can he rescind his own decree?

But fortunately for Xerxes, Haman gives him a way out.

The Second Request:

Haman begs Esther for his life.

Esther 7:7 NIV

7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

Haman is terrified. Like peeing in his pants scared. So he makes his way to Esther, reclining on a couch and basically falls on her to beg for HIS life. TO make his request!

God behind the Scenes: The Book of Esther (Haman Begs Esther to Save His Life (Esther 7:7–8a))

“A switch of fortunes has occurred: At first it was Queen Esther trying to preserve her life; now Haman is scrambling to get out from under the wrath of the king.How ironic that he who hates the Jews so intensely is now groveling before a Jewish woman—The tide has turned, and definitively so. God has so orchestrated these events that this development will simultaneously lead to the saving of the Jews and the demise of the once-powerful Haman.”

“God behind the scenes”- Commentary on the book of Esther by WAYNE K. BARKHUIZEN

Esther 7:8 NIV

8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Now we need to understand a little more about Persian customs— What Haman does here isn’t actually what you might think it is— Persian royal law prohibited any man to be even in the presence of anyone of the Kings’ wives, or harem, with out the king being there. So when the King walked out— Haman should have left, or walked out with the King— he would have known that… but that’s not what he does. Like you can read other places in history about Persia, that even when the king was present, another man couldn’t be within 7 “Steps” of any of these ladies. Haman is found to be on or basically at the foot of the same couch as the Queen.

The king comes back in— sees Haman that close to the Queen, perhaps even touching here, and his problem is solved. Done deal Haman.

The Second Response:

“Impale him on it.”

Esther 7:10 NIV

10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

And so we come to the end of Haman. A grizzly picture of an ironic reversal.

Now— as we close this chapter out— I want you to try to answer me this question:

Who is responsible for all this? Like Mordecai and Esther are living— Haman is dead, the truth is revealed about all the evil things - Who is responsible for this? Was it Haman? Was it Mordecai, and his compelling question to Esther, “who knows?”— Was it Esther and her two banquets? Was it the King who couldn't sleep- or maybe it was the attendant that read the record to Xerxes when he couldn’t sleep. Was it actually Vashti, who refused the king, creating a vacancy for Esther to become queen?

Maybe you think it was all God? Right? That’s possible.

It’s BOTH— yes, it’s God’s providence— His work and his Will- AND our Faith. The faith and active obedience of his people.

Who is responsible for all this?

God’s invisible providence made visible through the visible faith of his people.

Get a load of this: Esther can’t see what God is doing. She doesn’t realize the results of her courage and faith. Mordecai didn’t know that his decisions would have these huge implications, especially taking in his orphaned relative to be like his own daughter. Both of these people don’t realize that they are active participants in the God of the Universe’s extraordinary plan to rescue and redeem his people!

Esther is simply an ordinary person, who finds herself in a difficult circumstance, and takes a bold step of faith. Sometimes we want to put these people up on some pedestal— like they are extraordinary— but they aren’t. Esther isn’t some perfect Christian person. She’s a believer— she get’s good counsel, she loves her people - leads everyone to fast and pray— and then acts accordingly.

How about us? Do we believe that God has a plan for our lives as well? Like not in this big, anonymous, vague way— like way out there. No, I mean, right here, right now— right where you are. No matter what your circumstances are.

Remember Jonah— he decides to finally go to Nineveh, and speaks that little eight word message— and the whole city repents. God is working, even when we can’t see it, or feel it.

What is our part? You might not realize it, but you are a part of the story. God invites us into His story.

We are going to move to the communion portion of our service now— the ushers will help us with that. Thank-you.