The sermon 'A Total Reversal' by Jason Dohm focuses on Esther Chapter 8, highlighting a dramatic shift of events where Esther and Mordecai rise to prominence following Haman's downfall. Esther's plea to King Ahasuerus leads to the reversal of Haman's plan to annihilate the Jews, with Mordecai being granted the king's signet ring, giving him authority. The sermon emphasizes God's unseen hand in reversing the fate of His people, culminating in a new decree that allows the Jews to defend themselves, thereby counteracting Haman's original genocidal decree. The sermon concludes with a message of God's providence, highlighting how the joy and honor bestowed upon the Jews are reflective of God's eternal justice and mercy. The broader biblical analogy reflects the gospel message of salvation, where an irrevocable death sentence is counteracted by Christ's atoning sacrifice.

So today's text is obviously right in Esther chapter 8. And in 7 you had the most incredible turn of events that history probably could have recorded when the number 2 in the kingdom suddenly has his own plan backfire on him. And Esther, who makes this incredible plea to the king ends up with a double banquet where she serves up the truth at the second banquet. That evil and wicked man is that Haman. The outrage of the king is only met by further outrage when the king walks back in and there's Haman sprawled out on the couch pleading for his life, in which the king says, oh, how dare you, how dare you.

And he gets hung on the gallows that he made for Mordecai. When you mess with the apple of the eye of the Lord, It's only a matter of time before the Lord brings it back on your own head. So you were walking into the story, see part one's already resolved, the instigator of Israel is taken care of. The problem is now, The edict had already gone out, the letter had gone out to all the provinces that the Israelites should be destroyed. So now there's more to deal with and the preaching isn't happening now.

It's going to happen when Jason follows. But I want to give you a little bit of a background or if you haven't seen this in a while, you're walking right into Esther, chapter 8. So here we go. We're going to read this together. And Jason's going to follow.

On that day, King Hashewarus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.

The king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king and said, if it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, Let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hemedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my own countrymen?' And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews? You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews as you please in the king's name and seal it with the king's signet ring.

For whatever is written in the King's name and sealed with the King's signet ring, no one can revoke. So the King's scribes were called at that time in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the 23rd day. And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language and to the Jews in their own script and language. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring and set letters by couriers on horseback riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives to destroy kill and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions.

On one day, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the King's command, and the decree was issued in Shushan, the citadel. So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple. And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. And in every province and city, wherever the King's command and decree came the Jews had joy and gladness a feast and a holiday then many of the people of the land became Jews because fear of the Jews fell upon them." The title of the sermon this morning is a total reversal. We saw a major reversal last week with Haman being hanged on the gallows right over the top of his own house, 75 foot tall gallows that he had intended Mordecai to be hanged on. But the king's fury ends in this reversal where he himself is hanged on it. Last week in chapter 8, the moment of truth came, the moment when Esther forces the king to choose between herself, the favored wife, and his most favored influential friend.

And it's just an amazing choice that she forces. And the king, when he is confronted with this choice, realizes that Haman has exploited his own carelessness. In other words, Haman has taken advantage of the king. And this now is obvious to the king and he is filled with fury. And The chapter ends with Haman being hanged on the gallows, which was intended for Mordecai.

As we go to the text, I'd like to just pray again that the Lord would help us. God, though your name is never invoked in all of the chapters of Esther, you are so obviously on every page of the book. As your people, we rejoice to see your works over the biggest things in an empire and over the smallest details of our lives. You are King And it makes us glad that you're king. To be your people, to be under the shadow of your wing, knowing that you are governing all things for your own glory, to show yourself in all of your own magnificence and also for the good of your people, the eternal good of your people, makes us happy.

Thank you for your word. Teach us today in Jesus' name. Amen. As usual, I'm going to be breaking the chapter into pieces. So the first piece this week will be verses 1 and 2.

So please follow along as I read verses 1 and 2. Esther chapter 8, 1 and 2. On that day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring which he had taken from Haman and gave it to Mordecai.

And Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. In these two verses we have the new status of Esther and Haman. So if you're taking notes on the handout and you're filling in blanks, the blank is status. The new status of Esther and Haman. In this chapter, the circumstances of both Queen Esther and Mordecai changed dramatically.

Verse 1 says that this is the same day. This is a long day. This is sort of the day that will never end. It began back in chapter 6 with the king's sleepless night. Sometime in the middle of that sleepless night.

It becomes the day that we're studying now. Haman is in the courts early at the wrong place at the wrong time, wanting to ask about the wrong thing. He's coming to ask that Mordecai be hanged on the gallows that he's prepared. And he misunderstands when the king asks him what should be done for the man whom the king delights to honor. He thinks that the king wants to honor him, but the king actually wants to honor Mordecai.

So this misunderstanding leads to Haman having to parade Mordecai in the king's robes on the king's horse through the square, declaring, thus shall it be done for the man whom the king delights to honor. This is just Haman's worst nightmare. And so this is, we're on the same day, and Esther has the second banquet. The king is at that banquet, Haman is at that banquet, and it is at that banquet that Esther springs the request on the king. He's already promised three times at this point to answer her request favorably, giving her up to half the kingdom if she should ask for it.

And so then Haman is the subject of the king's wrath and he's hanged. So this is a big day. A lot has happened on this day. And chapter 8 is a continuation of the happenings of this day. The king gives Queen Esther Haman's house.

Herodotus, who is a Greek historian who would write later, and Josephus, who is a Jewish historian who would write later, both record that in the Persian Empire, property of a trader was confiscated by the state. In other words, this is how it is in Persia. If you're a traitor to the empire, once the empire has dealt with you and killed you, all of your belongings revert to the state, become property of the state. This is exactly what we see happening in our text. Our text calls Haman the enemy of the Jews.

Of course, we knew that. But I think the sense is here that the Jews were harmed. And so the king is going about righting the wrongs. It is the Jews who are harmed, and the Jews begin to be recompensed by the giving over of Haman's estate to the Jewish queen, Queen Esther. Remember, Haman is the man with Bill Gates money.

He was the man who offered to put 10, 000 talents of silver, which is just unimaginable wealth, into the King's treasury if he will give the decree to annihilate the Jews. So these are significant, significant, significant resources that are being taken out of the hands of wicked Haman and put into the hands of the Jews by giving his estate to Queen Esther. Another significant thing here is that Mordecai comes before the king because Esther tells that they're related and how they're related. The new King James here renders that Esther had told how he was related to her. Well Frederick Bush, who is the commentator for the World Biblical Commentary, this is the commentary that helps people like me who don't know Hebrew, and like you probably who don't know Hebrew.

Frederick Bush is our Hebrew expert who has been tasked with the job of helping us to understand the nuances of the Hebrew language with respect to this text. And here's what he writes, it is best to keep the literal expression, what he was to her, what Mordecai was to Esther, for it is highly probable that it means more than simply the fact that Esther and Mordecai were related by blood. Here's what he's saying. The New King James renders it, Esther had told how he was related to her, but a more literal translation is Esther had told what he was to her. So that includes that they are related, but that they are related is not all to the story.

Flip back to chapter 2 verse 7. What was Mordecai to Esther? Well, we've already been told that in Esther chapter 2, verse 7. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, For she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful.

When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter." So yes, it's true that they are related, they're cousins, But they're so much more than cousins. Upon the death of Esther's father and mother, Mordecai, her older cousin, had taken her into his own household and raised her as a daughter. So this very literal translation, What Mordecai was to her is a better, more helpful rendering because it really takes the relationship so far beyond the fact that they happen to be related. Verse 2 says that the king gave Mordecai his signet ring. He took it back from Haman, who we see having been given it in chapter 3.

It gives Haman the authority to make the decree to annihilate the Jews and now upon Haman's conviction and execution that ring has been brought back and now it is given to Mordecai and the significance of this is that it gives Mordecai the ability to act on behalf of the king as if he's the king. So that the things he does are done as if it is the king exhibiting his own authority or acting on his own authority. In the modern day this would be a prime minister. In that time the title was probably more like Grand Vizier or something like that. But it's the number two in command who has the authority to act on behalf of the king as if he was the king.

An astounding amount of authority is being represented by the passing of the signet ring to Mordecai. Consider chapter 1 verses 13 and 14. In chapter 1, they are trying to decide what to do about the rebellious queen Vashti. At the end of this six month long feast, he is called Vashti. He wants to show her off and she is having none of it.

She won't come. So now there is a powwow. There is a gathering of the king and his most trusted princes, his most trusted advisors, and they come to consult with him. And here's chapter 1 verses 13 and 14. Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times, for this was the king's manner toward all those who knew law and justice, those closest to him being, and then we have a list of seven names that I can't pronounce and that aren't that significant for our purposes here.

So I'm going to skip them and say the seven princes of Persia and Medea who had access to the King's presence and who ranked highest in the kingdom. As the book unfolds, we learn that not everybody has access to the King. So far from it. If you come and you're not summoned, either you die, that's the normal course of events, or the king can interrupt that normal course of events, you losing your life for coming, not being summoned, by extending his royal scepter. If he does that, the normal course of events are averted, and you get to live.

So Being in the King's presence is a big deal, but these seven Most trusted advisors have been given access to the King that is beyond what others have and undoubtedly Mordecai when He's given the signet ring and brought into the king's presence. That's really, undoubtedly, at least in my mind, that's what this is representing. Mordecai now has free access to the king like these seven men who were listed in chapter 1. Finally, Esther sets Mordecai over Haman's house. It is a good thing that Haman is dead.

He is spinning in his grave now. This is Haman's arch enemy. This is how all this started. Mordecai's hatred in his heart for Mordecai is where all this started. And now Esther has been given Haman's estate And she puts Mordecai, sets him over it.

Consider Proverbs chapter 13 verse 22. Listen to Proverbs 13, 22. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Right here in Esther chapter 8 we see Proverbs 13-22 literally fulfilled. The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Haman was wealthy but Haman was wicked. All of his wealth that he's been amassing over the course of a lifetime has just been set aside to go to the righteous. The status of both Esther and Mordecai has radically changed with what's happening here. And their influence over the entire kingdom has grown dramatically. Now, let's continue.

Our next section will be verses 3-6, Esther 8, 3-6. Follow along as I read. Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king and said, If it pleases the king, And if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hamadoth the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who were in all the king's provinces.

For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen? Here in these verses we have Esther's tearful plea. So if you're taking notes on the handout and filling in blanks, it's tearful. Esther's tearful plea.

Across everything we've studied about Esther in these eight chapters, everything has been very dignified from her, even stately. I think it would be right to characterize the interactions between Esther and the chief of the eunuchs, Esther and Mordecai, Esther and the king have been dignified and stately, but now the emotions overflow. She falls to the king's feet and she implores him with tears. In a sense, this is a continuation of her request for the lives of her people. Remember that has not been settled yet.

Haman is dead but his mischief has outlived him. This is often the case with the wicked. Their mischief outlives them. This is true of Haman in an astonishing sense. Not one Jew has been saved.

Haman is dead. The enemy of the Jews is dead, but the degree against the Jews is very much alive. That decree hasn't been hanged on the gallows. And the day, the appointed day, the 12th month and the 13th day, is still coming where it will be legal to kill the Jews, men, women, and children, and to plunder their goods. There's actually an economic incentive to kill the Jews, men, women, and children.

So this is what Esther is addressing. It is a continuation of her request for the lives of her people. Her appeal is this, to counteract the evil of Haman's scheme. This is a very important word, to counteract. Why is that important?

Because we're dealing with the laws of the Persians and the Medes, which are irrevocable. You cannot revoke it. Once the king says it, once the king's signet ring has sealed a law, it can never be revoked, even if the king wants to revoke it. And so if you're going to do anything about it, you have to counteract it. You have to issue something that counters every action.

And so the king holds out his scepter. He did this in chapter 5 verse 2 when the queen comes without being summoned. She risks her life to come into his presence and he holds out the scepter. Something different is happening here. When the king holds out his golden scepter here, he's bidding Esther to rise to her feet with the assurance that she and her petition has his favor.

This is an indication of favor that she should rise to her feet. She does not need to beg the king. She has his favor. Her petition has his favor. Now Esther gives four conditions.

If, if, if, if. Two are about her request and two are about herself. Let's look at those again briefly. It's in the beginning of 5, verse 5. Esther said, if it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes." So there are four conditions here.

There are two of her requests, if my request pleases the king, if my request seems right to the king. And then there are two conditions about herself, if I have found favor in the sight of the king, if I am pleasing in the eyes of the King. Again, as we've seen repeatedly throughout the book of Esther, we have a righteous appeal which acknowledges the rightful authority of the King. Kids, this is how you do it. Children, you know what, this is not just for children.

Everybody in the room, everybody, me, you, adults, children, we all have authorities in our lives. We are all under authority. We are all in a position to make appeals to the authorities that God has given us in our lives. How do we go about that? Esther is showing us again and again and again in the book of Esther how to go about that.

It is a righteous appeal which asks, but asks in a way that acknowledges the rightful authority of those that God has put over us. Here's what Matthew Henry says, I think it's so helpful. Matthew Henry says, Even when we have the utmost reason and justice on our side, and have the clearest cause to plead, yet it becomes us to speak to our superiors with humility and modesty and all possible expressions of respect, and not to talk like demandants when we are supplicants. As soft answers turn away wrath, so soft askings obtain favor. Dead on!

Dead on! We all have authorities in our lives. How do we deal with those authorities in a way that is godly? Well, Esther is showing us. We don't come as demandants to those who God has put in authority.

We come as supplicants, acknowledging their authority but with requests that we desire to be considered. And Matthew Henry says, it's not enough just to have justice on your side. It's not enough. You have to relate to these authorities in a way that honors them and honors God who has set them in authority. Following these four conditions, Esther makes her request, somehow undo Haman's decree.

Somehow revoke the irrevocable. This is what she is asking for. In verse 6, Esther asks two rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is something that is not really a question. It is phrased as a question, but it is not really asking for an answer because the answer is so obvious that it's meant to actually be a statement.

So in these two questions, they're rhetorical questions that really are meant to be statements. She's not really saying, how can I get in my position where, in a position where I can endure the destruction of my people? That's obviously not what she means. She's making a statement. I can't endure the evil that's going to come upon my people.

I can't endure to see the destruction of my people. Moving on to verses 7-14. This is a long section, but there's no way to break it up. So Esther chapter 8, verses 7-14. Then King Azuwarah said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, Indeed I have given Esther the house of Haman, And they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.

You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the King's name, and seal it with the King's signet ring. For whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring, no one can revoke." So the king's scribes were called at that time. In the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal steeds bred from the swift steeds. By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers who rode on royal horses went out hastened and pressed on by the king's command, and the decree was issued in Shushan, the citadel." Here in these many verses we have Mordecai's decree. So if you're filling in blanks on the handout, it's decree. Mordecai's decree. The king speaks, I gave you Haman's house, and I hanged him for this.

There are two ways to understand what the king is saying here, what he is communicating by saying this. One way is that he is essentially saying, what more do you want? I've done all I can or am willing to do. You do the rest yourselves. You have my signet ring, go to it.

I think the King is actually saying much more than that. I think the King is actually saying this as a demonstration of his kind intentions to help. In other words, I've given you this man's resources. I've hanged him for his crimes. You have no reason to doubt that I will go the rest of the way to the saving of your people." I think he is saying it to give them confidence that they have his full support in this.

It does seem to me like the king is delegating work that He should actually be leading. We saw him do this in chapter 3. Haman comes and says, there's a group of rebels scattered throughout your 127 provinces. We should wipe them out. He says, here's my ring.

What is that? He should have done his homework, but he didn't. It seems sort of like that again. He should do the homework. He should lead this effort, but he's delegating it.

It does seem like he's delegating work that he should be leading to me. But even so, we should be thankful that the king is doing what we're studying him doing here in chapter 8. It can be a very effective leadership strategy to make responsible those who have the most to gain or lose. If you are going to delegate a project, you want to delegate the project to someone who has the most at stake. Because you know what?

You know they will be careful. You know they will be thorough. You know they will have thought through it because if it goes bad they lose. If it goes well they win. The king is definitely doing this here.

Esther and Mordecai have everything at stake to thinking through this and handling it well. The previous decree cannot be revoked, but another decree can be issued which counteracts it and makes the first decree impossible to implement as originally intended. That's what's happening here. He's setting them at liberty to counteract Heyman's scheme and to issue a new decree which makes it impossible to implement the first decree as it was originally intended. Esther and Mordecai are given the ability and the authority to issue such a decree, and Mordecai sets about it.

Now if we just start with this decree, the chapter 8, our chapter's decree in isolation, we might be troubled by the genocidal implications. If you're coming most of the way through Esther and you're just seeing this decree in isolation. The king is authorizing the killing of little children and women. It's legal authorization of genocide. Anybody got a problem with that?

That doesn't sit quite right with me. You might be the same. But you can't start with this decree in isolation. You have to start with Haman's decree to understand what Mordecai is actually doing with the second decree. So let's review.

Go back to chapter 3. Let's look at Haman's decree to annihilate the Jews. I'm going to begin reading in chapter 3 verse 10 and we'll read through 14. Esther chapter 3, 10 through 14. So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman.

Sound familiar? The son of Hamadatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, the money and the people are given to you do with them as seems good to you he says almost the same words to Mordecai and Esther in our chapter verse 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded. These are almost the exact words of chapter 8, only it's Mordecai in chapter 8. To the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all the people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language.

In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king's signet ring. And the letters were sent by the couriers into all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women in one day on the 13th day of the 12th month which is the month of Adar and to plunder their possessions a copy of the document was to be issued as law in every Province being published for all people that they should be ready for that day. Even that language comes over into chapter 8. The purpose of the decree in chapter 8 is stated that the Jews would be ready for that day. So even down to this final detail, Mordecai's decree in chapter 8 is specifically written to be the mirror image of Haman's decree in chapter 3.

You got that? I'm going to say it again because it's the crux of the whole chapter. Mordecai's decree in chapter 8 is written to be a mirror image of Haman's decree in chapter 3. Haman's decree permitted the people of the empire legal authority to kill the Jews. And the Jews would not have been permitted to organize for their defense.

Now understand that about chapter 3's decree, Haman's decree. It would have been legal for members of the empire to kill the Jews, but illegal for the Jews to arm themselves and organize for their self-defense. This is why the decree goes to the satraps and the governors and the rulers in the regions to make sure that if the Jews act unlawfully to gather together and defend themselves, that the empire takes action against that. Mordecai's decree in chapter 8 permits the Jews to organize for defense and legalizes killing in self-defense. Haman's decree permitted the killing of young and old little children and women.

Mordecai's decree in chapter 8 says that if you rise up to kill the Jews, then they are permitted to act in kind. Haman's decree in chapter 3 permits the plundering of the possessions of the Jews. After you kill them, you can have their stuff. Mordecai's decree says that if you rise up to plunder the Jews, they are permitted to act in kind and to plunder you. Mordecai's decree goes to the Jews as well as to the rulers in the region.

So again, the different levels of authority in the regions are called out here. The satraps, the governors, and the princes, just like Haman's decree in chapter 1, but in chapter 8, the Jews are added. The decree is specifically sent to the Jewish communities, to the Jews in each of the 127 provinces, and they're sent on the fastest horses. Time is of the essence, and every additional day that these Jewish communities have makes them more secure, makes them more ready For what could happen on that day. Here's here's the big point.

Okay. Here's the big point About chapter 8 decree What you try you also risk What you try in accordance with the first decree that you can annihilate the Jews, you now also risk. That wasn't true. After chapter 3, you had the government's blessing to kill men, women, and children without the government's blessing on any counteraction. But now what you try, you also risk.

If you try to kill Jews under the first decree, you risk being killed with the government's blessing under the second decree. If you try to kill Jewish women and children under the first decree, you risk, with the blessing of the government, having your own women and children killed. If you try to plunder the Jews under the first decree, you risk having all your possessions taken away from you with the government's blessing under the second decree. And the point is to minimize or eliminate all of that. It's not to increase killing and plundering, it's to minimize or totally eliminate the killing and plundering.

Two final points in this section. First the timing. The timing is in the third month on our calendar, that would be in the kind of late May, early June timeframe. It would be right now in the calendar year when this decree is issued. John MacArthur says it's two months and ten days since Heyman's Decree, so a little longer than two months since that first decree had gone out is the second decree, and eight months and twenty days until the fateful day when both decrees become effective and You can kill or be killed, plunder or be plundered.

So roughly two months after the first decree, roughly nine months until the day when they will both become effective. The second thing is this. We should take note of how foolish it is to have human laws that can never be revoked. You can see where that leads. God's Word is perfect.

And so not one jot or tittle will ever change because it will never need to be changed. It is imperfect wisdom in every age. Man's law will never be like that. We are not God. We cannot determine the end from the beginning.

We cannot see all of the unintended consequences. So it is foolishness for man to have laws that are irrevocable. It leads this kingdom to right a wrong by having a one-day civil war. Can there be a one day civil war? We're going to read in chapter 9 about a great slaughter.

Do you think everything was over after that day and after that slaughter? There were many years and decades. This came out of a thousand year rivalry that starts when the Amalekites attack the Jews coming out of Egypt. This is the significance of Haman being an Agagite, a descendant of King Agag who was an Amalekite, the people that first attacked the Lord's people when they came out of Egypt. So we see the foolishness of laws that can't change playing out before our eyes.

God's Word is perfect, never needs to be changed. Man should never think our laws are like that. The final section, verses 15 through 17. Esther chapter 8, 15 through 17. So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple.

The city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor, and in every province and city where the King's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews because the fear of the Jews fell upon them." In these last verses we have the reception of the decree. So if you're taking notes and filling in blanks on the handouts, it's decree. The reception of the decree.

This is the final total reversal in a chapter full of total reversals. With Haman's decree, Mordecai immediately clothes himself in sackcloth and ashes and goes right up to the king's gate, crying out against his decree. Now he is adorned with royal garments. Yes, he had been honored earlier in the day. He had been paraded through the streets on the king's horse and the king's robe.

But this is not a momentary tribute for a moment of faithful service. This is now a new and ongoing status. In fact, when we get to chapter 10, we're going to see he's been elevated on a permanent basis to the second in command. As permanent as it can be with this king. You might be a little nervous to sit in that seat knowing what you know.

When the Jews received the first decree, they mourned, they fasted, they wept, they wailed, they lay in sackcloth and ashes. Now it's light and gladness, joy and honor. As opposed to the contempt that they would have been under, having been under such a decree, the Jews would have been held in complete contempt in the Empire. Now it's honor. Now they are honored in the Empire.

By the way, when we read light, gladness, joy, and honor, this word that's rendered light here, light is a perfectly good rendering of it. When you look at the lexicon, it means a brightness, the brightness of flowers. You should think bright. If I were to say someone is in a bright mood, you would think a cheerful, happy mood. That is really what is indicated by this word.

And so they feast. Fasting to feasting. That's what we have. First decree, fasting, morning, Wailing, weeping, sackcloth and ashes. Second decree, feasting.

Light, gladness, joy and honor. This is what God does for His people. If we don't take anything else away from this chapter, take this. God gives His people beauty for ashes. God gives His people the oil of joy for mourning.

God gives His people the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Do you recognize this? This is Isaiah chapter 61 verse 3. Jesus quotes this about himself. He says, I'm the fulfillment of Isaiah 61.

This is what Jesus secures for us. This is what the Messiah secures for the people of God. Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. God takes this and gives us that. He takes our ashes and He gives us beauty.

He takes our mourning and He gives us the oil of joy. He takes our spirit of heaviness and He gives us the garment of praise. This is the work of Jesus Christ. And not only the Jews rejoice, the capital city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. Whereas with Haman's decree, it was said that the people were perplexed, meaning they were thrown into confusion, they were thrown into dismay.

Now with Mordecai coming out of the palace in royal robes with a crown upon his head wearing the king's signet ring, The city rejoices and is glad. Listen to Proverbs 11 verses 10 and 11. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked." Just like the writer of Proverbs is meditating on Esther chapter 8.

I'll read that again. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. Isn't that what's happening? It's going well with the righteous.

And the wicked have perished. He's hanging seventy-five foot above his house on the gallows. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted. This is why Shushan is rejoicing. It's rejoicing in the blessing of the upright, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Or consider Proverbs 29 verse 2. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules the people groan." Imagine life in a kingdom where Haman wears the signet ring. Imagine life in Shushan, the capital city, with Haman, this man full of wickedness and pride and unrestrained anger, walking around with the king's signet ring. Now knowing what we know about Mordecai, imagine living in the capital city of Shushan with Mordecai walking around in the king's robe wearing the signet ring. You would rejoice too.

They recognize the great advantages of having men of principle rule. Men of mercy rule. God-fearing men rule. It is to the advantage of the people, and so they rejoice. Finally, look with me at the very last half verse of the chapter.

The last sentence of the chapter. Then many of the people of the land became Jews. Because the fear of the Jews fell upon them. Haman had thought to wipe them out, and now they are growing. He had thought to wipe them off the face of the earth, and now people are fearing the Jews and wanting to be Jews.

Praise the Lord for that. Now he's dead and they increase. Were these real converts becoming authentic worshipers of the true and living God. Probably some yes and probably some no. This is an empire that's 3, 000 miles from east to west.

If you think you don't have both in that, How do you read the modern day church? Probably some really did fear the Lord, not just the Jews, and become worshippers of God. Probably some just wanted the advantage to be part of the people in favor. The motive given in our text is dubious. That they feared the Jews is not enough to make you born again for sure.

But There is no reason to doubt that there were some who really learned to fear the Lord. Here is a cross-reference that I stumbled across and it is beautiful. This is Zechariah chapter 8, verses 23. I think I could write all that I understand about the book of Zechariah on my palm. Meaning I don't understand very much about the book of Zechariah.

You probably will not live to hear me preach through the book of Zechariah. But I do know this. It's predominantly about the Messiah and the days of the Messiah. And I know that because it's quoted so frequently and liberally about the Messiah in the New Testament, so we have inspired commentary on it. I'm always comforted when we have inspired commentary on the Old Testament prophets.

This is Zechariah chapter 8 verse 23. Listen to Zechariah 8 23. Thus says the Lord of hosts, in those days ten men from every language of the nation shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." It's this picture of someone from every tribe, grabbing a Jewish man by the sleeve. Please let us go with you. We hear that God is with you.

Let us be one of you. One of the reasons that God does the things like we see him doing in the book of Esther is to win more people. One of the reasons why we see God bringing together circumstances like this and delivering his people in a spectacular way is to win more people to himself. So we should always be aware of that and speak of God's goodness to us. Speak of it.

God wants us. God is giving us mighty deliverances in our own lives. Well, why is he doing that? Well, one of the reasons is that he's a faithful God who keeps his promises to us. But one of the reasons is he wants to win more and take them out of darkness and into light.

We should speak when God delivers us. We want ten people from every community around here grabbing us by the sleeve and saying, let us go with you. We hear that God is among you. Applications, I have four. Four applications.

Number one, what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world? You know, that was almost literally true of Haman. There's an empire 3, 000 miles from east to west. It has engulfed a vast majority of the known world, and He is number two, and He has riches beyond your imagination at His command.

And he loses his own soul. This is the question that Jesus poses in Matthew 16, 26. Friends, be wise. Study the book of Esther and be wise. Children, be wise.

Many have gone before you spending an entire life piling up things for themselves only to lose their own soul. The Bible says that this life is a breath. It's a vapor that just vanishes. We think, I have time. I have so much time.

It's not true. The Bible says it's not true. The Bible says that looking back, your life will be like a day will have come and gone. You say, I'll pile up things for my pleasures now, and I'll attend to the serious things later. You fool, you fool.

If you were to pile up things and gain the whole world and forfeit your soul, you would have an eternity of sorrow over that. Number two. Number two. Tears for Jesus' people are Christ-like tears. Exertions for the good of Jesus' people are Christ-like exertions.

We have both of these in the book of Esther and right here in this chapter. We have tears for the Lord's people shed by Esther. She will not stop until the Lord's people are free from this edict. Exertions for the good of Jesus' people are Christ-like exertions. Brothers and sisters, let us feel deeply for the people of God.

Let us feel deeply beyond the walls of our house, the walls of our church, the walls of our city, the borders of our country. Let us feel deeply for the people of God as Esther feels for the people of God. Let us exert ourselves for the people of God like Esther exerts herself for the people of God. There will never be one moment of regret for those tears and those exertions. There will be many tears and many exertions in this life that we regret.

Those won't be among them. Number three, 1 Peter 5 verses 6 and 7. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you." I'll read it again. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you." Could that be a summary statement of the whole book of Esther? It's chapter 8.

The people of God have spent the whole book of Esther despised in contempt. In due time, God exalted them. In due time, God exalts Mordecai and sends him out of the palace in royal robes. He cares for us. We may be in contempt today, but tomorrow and forever we'll enjoy his favor.

We'll be exalted, maybe in this life, but at least for eternity. We will wear the royal robes for all of eternity. Having been held in contempt for a little while, we will wear the royal robes for all of eternity. All those who are in Christ, they are co-heirs with Christ. He knows just the right time to exalt us.

He knows that if He exalted us too soon, we'd be a mess. Number four. Finally, most importantly, there is a Gospel analogy to be made here. I'm not saying this is what Esther 8 is teaching, But I'm saying there is a clear gospel analogy here, and it is this. There is an irrevocable death sentence that has been issued by a great king.

The wages of sin is death. And he can't revoke it. Not because he foolishly issued it and now wants to, but because his character would never allow for it. It's irrevocable. The wages of sin must be death until the end of time and beyond.

Because God is who He is, it can never be different than that. But there is a second decree, an eternal decree, that he's willing to accept a substitute. That in the fullness of time that Christ came to die, not for the godly, but for the ungodly. There is a second decree that counteracts the first one and makes a way for people who are deserving of death to be free, to be free. And then we see at the end of the chapter, what results from that?

Joy, light, gladness, joy, honor. You can't minimize what's happening in Esther chapter 8. People's lives were literally on the line. And even so, Esther chapter 8 is such a small thing compared to the implications of the gospel. The New Testament teaches so clearly, if you lose your life on this earth, it's a small thing.

What will happen to your soul? What will happen in your eternity? Yes, there has been an irrevocable death sentence by a great king. It could never be different because His justice can never shift even an inch for you. But there's been a second eternal decree which sets you at liberty.

This King will accept a substitute. This King will send a substitute. His son. His blood can cleanse you and make you as white as snow. Whiter than snow.

Our joy should be unassailable. Who can touch our joy? God, thank you. We do find people in circumstances touching our joy. Oh God forgive us, forgive us for having joy that can be touched when you have sent your own Son to counteract the irrevocable death sentence that is just and perfectly consistent with your holiness.

We thank you for Christ. I just pray that joy would cause it to rise up in our hearts, overflow today among us. Pray in Jesus' name, Amen.