Esther 7 - Necessary Endings In Necessary Endings, by Henry Cloud, he describes three kinds of people and three ways to deal with them, “With wise people, talk to them, give them resources, and you will get a return. With foolish people, stop talking to them about problems; they are not listening. And stop supplying resources; they squander them. Instead, give them limits and consequences. With evil people, to quote a Warren Zevon song, the strategy is ‘Lawyers, Guns (law enforcement) and Money.’ The reason? You have to go into protection mode, not helping mode, when dealing with evil people.” In Esther 7, all three types of people converge at Happy Hour together: The King, The Queen, and Haman. One person is wise, another is a fool, and the other is evil. Esther 7:1 (NLT), So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” 3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” The Queen’s Request (7:1-4) • As someone said, “Nothing becomes important until it becomes personal.” The king is awake now. He is taking this personally. His queen (and wife) is in trouble. • Esther is the voice of wisdom for the king. She speaks truth to power with a simple message, “Save me.” That got his attention without making him defensive. Esther 7:5 (NLT), “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. The King’s Alliance (7:5-7) • Esther does NOT say, “You are the man,” as Nathan the prophet said to King David. She carefully aligns herself with the King. The king and queen have a problem – it’s Haman. • V. 6, “Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman has threatened both of them! Esther 7:8 (NLT), In despair he [Haman] fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom. 9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” “Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided. Haman’s Ending (7:8-10) • Haman’s last act of desperation is falling at Esther’s feet. Five minutes ago, Esther was begging for her life, now Haman is begging for his life. The king could and would accuse Haman of assaulting the queen. I imagine the morning paper, the Persian Bee said, “Haman Executed for Assaulting the Queen.” • Karen Jobes, “In his final scene, Haman falls before a Jew (and a Jewish woman at that!), whom he has unknowingly condemned to death, to plead with her for his life! On the couch of this Jewish queen he “falls” all the way from his exalted position as second over the empire to an ignominious death as a traitor. The enemy of the Jews is executed for being an enemy of the king.” APPLICATION: God instituted human authority to punish those who do wrong and honor those who do right. • 1 Peter 2:13-15, For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. Believers are to be sober-minded about the reality of evil. • 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” • William Penn, “If we are not governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants.” • There is a Haman in every age, who seeks to harm God’s people. One battle, one turning point, does not win the war. • Esther and Mordecai are saved! The tide has turned! But the Jewish people are still scheduled for genocide on the 13th day of the 12th month – that is a few months away. One victory will not win the war. There is more to do, and more for God to do as we finish the book of Esther. • Hebrews 12:1b, “…and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”