When What Was Concealed Is Revealed

Esther 7

Main Idea: May we be like Esther, confronting sin and calling for justice, rather than like Haman, who continued in sin and got caught in the consequences.

1. Esther’s Revelation and Her Courageous Confrontation (7:1-6)
   1. In her confrontation she displayed great courage (7:1-2).
   2. In her communication she used great cunning (7:3-4).
   3. In her comparison she counted the cost (7:5-6).
2. Ahasuerus’s Realization and His Confusion (7:5, 7-8)
   1. He was still easily swayed by others (7:5).
   2. He was baffled by the betrayal (7:7).
   3. He was perplexed about the punishment (7:8).
3. Haman’s Ruin and the Consequences (7:6-10)
   1. He was surprised by the consequences of sin (7:6).
   2. We too want to avoid the consequences rather than offer a confession (7:7-8).
   3. As he planned to do to another, it was done to him (7:9-10).
4. What Can We Learn from This Passage?
   1. Risk much for the gospel.
   2. Confront evil rather than cooperating with it.
   3. Identify with and intercede for God’s people.
   4. Live so that when what is concealed is revealed, it will be for your reward and not ruin.
   5. Speak and work only for the good of others.
5. What Can We Learn about God from This Passage?
   1. God needs no counselors, and he always does what is right.
   2. God will defeat all his enemies.
   3. God’s wrath has been satisfied in Christ.

Poor Wile E. Coyote. In so many Saturday mornings of cartoon watching, I witnessed his incessant and insane attempts to capture or kill the Roadrunner. He, however, was never able to dine on what he desired. Unbeknown to him, Wile E. would never be allowed to achieve his aim. The cartoon’s creator, Chuck Jones, had a list of nine rules to be applied to every episode. Among those rules were these: (1) The Roadrunner cannot harm the coyote except by going “beep-beep!” (And who did not go around the rest of the day making this sound to the annoyance of his or her parents?) (2) No outside force can harm the coyote—only his own ineptitude or the failure of the Acme products. (3) The coyote could stop anytime—if he were not a fanatic. (4) The coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures (“The 9 Rules”).

I find the similarities between Wile E. Coyote and Haman amazing. Since Mordecai only refused to bow to him, he posed no physical threat to Haman. But to Haman, Mordecai’s refusal to honor him was like the Roadrunner’s piercing “beep-beep” in Wile E.’s ears. Another similarity is that no outside force caused Haman more harm than himself. We are given no evidence that God was forcing Haman to act in the ways he did. Though, of course, the possibility exists that God delivered Haman “over to a corrupt mind so that” he did what was not right (Rom 1:28), the author does not tell us this. Haman was most responsible for his actions and their consequences. A third similarity is that neither Wile E. Coyote nor Haman chose to stop pursuing what they lacked. Day after day, Haman chose the temptations of pride and anger, ultimately to his own peril, which leads us to one difference between the coyote and the creep. In the cartoon Wile E. Coyote was more humiliated than harmed, but in Haman’s case he would be humiliated and then hanged. The trap he had constructed for Mordecai was sprung on him. Apparently, art and life really do imitate each other.

Just as Wile E. Coyote could never eliminate the Roadrunner, God would never allow Haman (or anyone else) to eradicate his people. As Duguid notes,

It was possible to be certain all along that Haman would never ultimately triumph, not because we have confidence in the greater cunning of Esther, but because we have confidence in God’s covenant promise to Abraham and his seed. (Esther and Ruth, 92–93)

We only panic, in fact, when we forget God’s promises, presence, and power. When the world around us seems to rage and evil seems triumphant, we need reminders like Esther 7:1-10 that in the end the wicked will not win. Even one of Israel’s worship leaders had a crisis of faith and had to be reminded of this:

Indeed, you put them in slippery places;

you make them fall into ruin.

How suddenly they become a desolation!

They come to an end, swept away by terrors.

Like one waking from a dream,

Lord, when arising, you will despise their image.

. . .

Those far from you will certainly perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. (Ps 73:18-20, 27)

Moses once asked the Israelites, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” and all the sons of Levi gathered around him (Exod 32:26 KJV). Esther 7:1-10 is a great exhortation not to be on the side of the wicked, for their doom is as certain as gravity’s constant victory over Wile E. Coyote.

In one twenty-four-hour period, Haman was feasting with the king and queen, bragging about his wealth and his sons and his power, and making plans to get rid of the one source of constant frustration in his life. Then, without warning, he was honoring the one from whom he wanted honor and his life was taken on the very device he hoped would kill Mordecai. What a turnaround. Haman had no idea when he was taken to the second feast that he would only return home to be hanged. Prime notes,

Every day is like a fresh blank sheet of paper given us by God, and we can never tell what wonderful surprises he may choose to write upon it. So much can happen in just a few hours. Our lives may proceed at an ordinary pace, with nothing of great importance appearing to happen. Then, suddenly, without warning, dramatic and amazing events may crowd into the space of a single day. . . . On any particular day remarkable developments and answers to our prayers may take place as God chooses to unfold his will, and demonstrate his care. On any day God may be at work in ways that we are not in a position to perceive. He weaves into the pattern of his will the actions of all his creatures, whether wise or foolish. (Unspoken Lessons, 107–8)

With each day given to us, may we live for the Lord and, like Esther, confront sin and call for justice rather than being like Haman, continuing in sin until caught in its consequences.

Esther’s Revelation and Her Courageous Confrontation

Esther 7:1-6

The moment of truth finally arrived (again, but for real this time). Esther would identify with and intercede for her people. We thought she was going to intercede on behalf of the Jews in the throne room or at the first feast, but instead she invited the king and Haman to this second feast. Of course, the Lord did some things during the night for which Esther had not planned and of which she may have been unaware. Regardless, Mordecai’s one-man parade had not eliminated the Jews’ problem. It was good for him to receive recognition, but God’s people still needed to be released from the death edict. At the second feast Esther’s fortitude was revealed as she confronted her enemy.

In Her Confrontation She Displayed Great Courage (7:1-2)

God never calls us to be courageous as an end in itself. Courage is always for believing or doing something for his kingdom. God is not asking any of us to walk around feeling courageous and fierce in ourselves but to take courage in him so that we may serve his purposes.

As a side note, I always need courage during confrontation, especially when I am confronting snakes. Two confessions: I hate snakes, and I am afraid of them. I always walk around “snake aware,” scanning our yard and scanning piles of sticks and leaves. I am not sure when my apprehension started regarding these legless evils, but I have had it since my childhood of taking canoe trips with my family and seeing water moccasins sunning on logs. Earlier this week I decided to mow our grass. When I got to the end of the stone path that leads to our backyard, I stopped to get everything set for the mower. In the next second, however, I became very snake aware. Just off to my right was a big black snake. In the next moments my thought pattern went something like this:

• That’s a snake.
• That’s a really big snake.
• Is it poisonous? Look at its head.
• Does it really matter?
• Is there a chance it could bite the kids or our dogs?
• OK. I’m going to kill it.
• How am I going to kill it?
• I’ve got the push mower.
• Is using it on the snake going to turn out well?
• Do it—do it—your kids are counting on you.
• Go fast.

Next I turned the push mower, aimed, and went for it. I did not want to step too close to the creature so, as I maxed out my reach, the mower kind of came up a little and half the snake went flying off to the side. I pulled the mower back and then ran over that piece and then ran over all the grass around there in case I missed and the snake was on the run. I probably looked like I was doing the old dance move “The Cabbage Patch” but with a lawn mower.

This is where I should also say I had the bag connected to my mower; therefore, all I could think of in the next moments was that when I disconnected the bag, the snake’s head would be waiting for me right at the top. I decided to delay dealing with it and cut the grass around there until the bag could not hold any more. Later, as I lifted the cover to unhook the bag, I was certain the snake was going to leap either out of the bag or out of the chute and get me. I prayed and asked God for courage and went for it. And when I did, there was no sign of the snake anywhere. I dumped the grass and reconnected the bag and continued to mow.

It wasn’t long before I noticed, however, that no grass was going into the bag, which meant something was clogging the chute. So, I stopped the mower, slowly unhooked the bag, grabbed a stick, and started pulling what was in the chute toward the bag. And you won’t believe what happened. Out shot the snake, striking at me! Thankfully, I knew what is recorded in Mark 16:18, so I knew I would be OK! Just kidding. The snake did come out of the chute but in pieces, for he had been vanquished.

I share this long story because I do not want you to miss that I am afraid of snakes, but in the moment of decision my sense of responsibility fueled my actions to take on the snake. There was something to be courageous for (my family, our pets), which fueled me in overcoming my fear. Above all, the Lord granted my prayer request and gave me courage. He can do that in whatever confrontation we face in which courage is required.

Speaking of snakes, Esther had her own to deal with, and her courage would be a means to an important end.

The real hero of the book of Esther is God, but that does not take away from Esther’s role in the deliverance of her people. The second feast would mark the second time Esther risked her life. The first was entering the king’s presence unsummoned (5:1). This later event would involve identifying with her people who had been sold to destruction, death, and extermination (7:4). Risking one’s life requires courage (and selflessness). Esther also demonstrated courage not just by being around Haman but in calling him out to his face.

Did you know that with one exception every time the phrase “have courage” is used in the New Testament it is said by Jesus? In Matthew 9:2 he told a paralytic to have courage because his sins were forgiven. In Matthew 9:22 Jesus told a suffering woman, who had touched the hem of his garment, to have courage because her faith had made her well. In Matthew 14:27 he told his disciples in the boat to have courage because it was him walking on the water next to them. And in Acts 23:11 Jesus told Paul to have courage as he testified for the sake of the gospel in Rome. As Steven Cole notes, “We could sum up these instances by saying that we can be encouraged by our Lord’s pardon (Matt. 9:2); His power (Matt. 9:22); His presence (Matt. 14:27); and His purpose (Acts 23:11)” (“Overcoming Spiritual Failure”). Courage is always fueled by something and for something. Esther’s courage was fueled by her fasting (and faith) and for her people’s freedom.

In Her Communication She Used Great Cunning (7:3-4)

As has been demonstrated numerous times in the history of the world, it is not just what we say that is important but how we say it. One famous example is Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Utilizing 272 words and the length of three minutes, President Lincoln shared a message the world has not forgotten. The speech is remembered both for its content and for how its message was communicated. Another example is President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech, which was delivered the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He began by saying, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy” (“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”). He could have chosen to say, “We will never forget what happened yesterday,” but probably no one would have remembered his speech. What is significant about Esther’s conversation with Ahasuerus is not just its substance but also its style.

With her request Esther was not presumptuous, but she was personal. She never took the king’s favor for granted or expected it to be guaranteed. She carefully petitioned for his grace. At the same time, she transitioned slightly from more formal to more familiar phraseology as she hoped to find favor in Ahasuerus’s eyes specifically. After the preliminaries she finally revealed what she desired. She wanted to live and wanted life for her people as well. She used the exact wording from the edict: “destruction, death, and extermination” (7:4). The phrase, though, rang no bell with Ahasuerus—he had to ask Esther who was behind the threat against her. Whether what she was talking about registered with Haman at that exact moment is unknown, but how could it not, since he had so carefully drafted the decree of doom? Just when he thought things could not get worse than having to honor Mordecai, Haman was about to learn he was wrong about a lot.

Esther continued her request, carefully avoiding placing any blame on the king for the situation in which she and her people found themselves. Though Ahasuerus was responsible too, Esther knew Haman was the real culprit. If she had come in with communication guns blazing with blame, Ahasuerus would have immediately been defensive and may have denied her the opportunity to continue her request. After all, we tend to listen more when we think others are at fault than when we ourselves are accused.

In another strategic move, Esther noted she would not have burdened the king with the matter if her people had merely been sold to slavery. Her words express her acknowledgment that the king’s time was valuable and her problem was not with suffering but with genocide. She masterfully framed her argument so that the king saw that what was threatened against Esther and her people would ultimately be detrimental to him. She communicated to Ahasuerus in a way that would bring him to a place similar to that in which David found himself during Nathan’s visit (2 Sam 12:1-7): a place where he was moved to action and would seek to do the right thing before realizing the wrong he himself had committed. Duguid notes, “Esther’s intricate plan was a necessary part of the process of bringing Haman to justice, a plan that required a combination of subtlety, boldness, and strength to carry it through” (Esther and Ruth, 91). One can be shrewd without being sinful, and Esther carefully walked that line.

In Her Comparison She Counted the Cost (7:5-6)

The author of Ecclesiastes contends there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl 3:7). At this point Esther was all in. For her (and her people), it was time for specificity rather than beating around the bush. The king listened to her situation and was sympathetic to her cause; he just needed to know on whom to exert his wrath. Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Esther called out Haman directly.

As I write this chapter, the #metoo movement is gaining a lot of traction in our culture. Those participating in the effort are seeking to take a stand against sexual harassment and assault. Survivors are finally bringing their pain to light and seeking to hold those who wronged them accountable. Opportunities are being given in court for those who have been wounded to confront and pursue the conviction of those who sought to take advantage of them. Like Esther they are getting to address their transgressors to their faces.

One of the most publicized examples of this involves a former USA gymnastics team doctor. Rachael Denhollander was the first to publicly make allegations against Larry Nassar. She and more than 150 other survivors of his abuse were given the opportunity to share impact statements in court. Denhollander not only used the opportunity to pursue justice but also to present the gospel. She courageously recounted to the court how, when she was fifteen, Nassar sexually assaulted her . . . under the guise of medical treatment for nearly a year, [and how] Larry’s the most dangerous type of abuser. One who is capable of manipulating his victims through coldly calculated grooming methodologies, presenting the most wholesome, caring external persona as a deliberate means to insure a steady stream of children to assault. (Denhollander, “Read Rachael Denhollander’s Full Victim Impact Statement about Larry Nassar”)

With both conviction and compassion, Rachael would go on to speak these words directly to Nassar:

Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you. I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me—though I extend that to you as well. (Ibid.)

Confrontation is never easy, especially when the one we are facing has harmed us or, as in Esther’s case, threatens our harm. I am thankful Denhollander chose to pursue both Nassar’s conviction and his conversion. The courage it took to do so was tremendous. No less courage was needed when Esther broke her silence about Haman. She had no idea what the outcome would be, but she was obedient to seize the opportunity.

Ahasuerus’s Realization and His Confusion

Esther 7:5, 7-8

He Was Still Easily Swayed by Others (7:5)

Few of Ahasuerus’s decisions presented in this book come without someone counseling him toward a specific action. He was convinced by others to banish Vashti, to gather virgins and find a new queen, and to help issue an edict that called for the annihilation of the Jews everywhere in his empire. Esther’s opportunity to present her request is one more attempt to persuade the king to act. And again the author portrays Ahasuerus as tossed about by the whims of whoever has his attention.

One of the reasons God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to his church is to equip the saints, through his Spirit and Word, for ministry and maturity (Eph 4:11-13). When believers are equipped in the gospel, Paul contends they “will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit” (Eph 4:14). Ahasuerus was easily swayed by others because he lacked discernment and often lacked a desire for details. For those entrusted to our care, however, we must continually proclaim Christ, “warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28). Thankfully the Lord provides his strength for this task (Col 1:29). Nothing is better for God’s people than God’s Word, and nothing will better protect them from being manipulated by the whims of the world more than their maturing in Christ.

He Was Baffled by the Betrayal (7:7)

Being betrayed by those we have trusted can be deeply wounding and confusing. My wife and I have experienced it in ministry, and I know firsthand that it can tempt you to be jaded and make you hesitant to trust anyone again. Prior to the revelation from Esther, Ahasuerus had trusted Haman. He even gave Haman his signet ring to put his stamp of approval on whatever Haman thought was best (3:10-11). As readers we have been aware for some time that this was a foolish and regrettable action: Haman was not acting in the best interests of the king but in accordance with his own desires for honor and vengeance. Nevertheless, Ahasuerus considered Haman a trusted deputy. And of all the names Ahasuerus might have expected Esther to mention, it is doubtful Haman’s was on that list.

Gregory proposes one theory regarding why Ahasuerus was so confused and would have been enraged at Haman’s betrayal. He contends that because the Hebrew word for “destroy” is a homophone for “enslave” that

Haman solicited the king’s permission to kill the Jews, but did so with an ambiguous word, such that when he followed the request with a payment of money, the king would naturally but mistakenly think that Haman was requesting merely to enslave a group of people. (Inconspicuous Providence, 132)

If this is indeed what happened, then at least the king was not guilty of genocide. Enslaving an entire ethnic group, though, is only slightly less repulsive than murdering them.

When I worked in the chancellor’s office at LSU as a student, I saw firsthand how one man’s actions could lead to the downfall of another. David “Sonny” DeVillier was an assistant to William “Bud” Davis, who was chancellor when I started at LSU. Through an audit it was brought to light that DeVillier had given white students 49 of 54 scholarships intended to help minority students. Chancellor Davis was never accused of wrongdoing in the matter, but he still resigned because of the scandal. As a student majoring in management, I learned a lot from that experience about leadership, responsibility, trust, and consequences. Ahasuerus was apparently learning as well.

He Was Perplexed about the Punishment (7:8)

Why did the king storm out of the room and head toward the garden? Perhaps he was processing everything he’d learned at Esther’s second feast. When he offered to grant her request, he had no idea her life was in danger and that his closest counselor was to blame. Maybe there was no mistake with Hebrew homophones, and he had known that Haman wanted to annihilate an entire people group. If so, how could he punish Haman for something he’d signed off on? And how would he save face when the palace press crew caught wind of such a scandal? Ordinarily, at just this point he would ask Haman or another advisor what he should do.

We do not know why he went outside—about that we can only speculate—but what is clear is what happened when he reentered the room. When the king saw Haman falling on Esther’s couch, he knew just what to do. If he thought Haman was begging for his life, then he did not reveal it. Perhaps Ahasuerus really believed Haman had decided to enact his plans against Esther, even in the palace. Regardless, the king saw what he wanted (or needed) to see when Haman was on the couch with Esther, and it provided just the excuse he needed to have Haman killed.

Haman’s Ruin and the Consequences

Esther 7:6-10

He Was Surprised by the Consequences of Sin (7:6)

If Esther’s use of the words “destruction, death, and extermination” were the dawn of concern for Haman, then Esther’s naming him specifically would have been high noon. As surprised as Ahasuerus was about everything, Haman was certainly no less surprised. He had no idea Esther was a Jew. Sin often has surprising and unintended consequences. Would he have pursued the edict had he known of the queen’s ethnicity? He was so self-absorbed that perhaps he would have, and conceivably he would have devised an assassination attempt on her life. Regardless, his pursuit of self-honor would be his undoing in the end. Like good ol’ Wile E. Coyote, he was undone by his own fanaticism.

Sin never lets you know that it is leading you into a life-ending trap. Scripture, however, never ceases to sound the alarm. The father in Proverbs 5 informs his son, “A wicked man’s iniquities will trap him; he will become tangled in the ropes of his own sin. He will die because there is no discipline, and be lost because of his great stupidity” (Prov 5:22-23). Haman was definitely tangled in the ropes of his own sin and was lost because of his stupidity! In Proverbs 6 the father asks, “Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?” (Prov 6:27-28). The obvious answer to both questions is no.

Sin compels us to think only of ourselves and what we want, while sanctification compels us to think of others and what they need. As I have mentioned, we know it is “my sin but our consequences,” but sometimes we have no idea how far reaching the “our” is in consequences. With my sin, for example, it is not just my family and immediate faith family that are impacted. Repercussions for it spill onto countless others who hear of my sin, both Christians and non-Christians alike. And the reality is that I may never know the full extent of what burdens others have borne because I chose sin. I may never know of the tears they shed, the questions they fielded, or other sacrifices made because I chose disobedience. Let us always remember that sin never leads anywhere good, beneficial, or holy. If we are to be surprised, let it be from the multiplied blessings of obedience rather than the multiplied burdens of disobedience. Haman was definitely experiencing the multiplied burdens of sin.

We Too Want to Avoid the Consequences Rather Than Offering a Confession (7:7-8)

I am not sure what I did to initiate the scene, but I can remember my mother dragging me out of one morning service at the church we attended when I was a child. As loudly as I could, I pleaded for my life and begged everyone near us to help me! Fortunately for my mother, we only sat four pews away from the back door. That’s usually prime real estate for most Sunday morning gatherings, but as packed as the pews were that day, no help for me arose. I am sure the people who sat above us in the balcony wondered what in the world was going on below since they could hear the chaos but not see it. To his credit our pastor kept preaching.

Once confronted about his actions, Haman was terrified and in full-on survival mode (and I know all about that). He should have followed the king out of the room, but he already knew that would be useless. While he shouldn’t have gotten so close to the queen (no one was allowed to be within a few steps of her), he was out of control and taking a risk—a risk that ultimately cost him his life.

Here’s some wisdom for you: (1) We experience the consequences of sin because we get caught in sin. (2) We get caught in sin because we do not confess our sin. (3) We do not confess our sin because we think we can conceal our sin. (4) We conceal our sin because we do not want to confess our struggle to someone who cares for us. For some reason we always want people to think we are better than we really are, but in fact we are worse than they could ever think. Amazingly, God knows our absolute worst and still loves us and has atoned for our sins. So we are free to confess our struggles because our identity is not found in what anyone thinks of us but in what God says about us in Christ. So confess your struggles to someone who loves Jesus and you so you will not try to conceal something you will eventually get caught in anyway. Then you would end up having to confess and deal with the escalating consequences. Haman was caught and deeply concerned about the consequences speeding his way.

I see several ironies in what happened in the room after Ahasuerus stormed out. First, Haman was pleading for mercy, though he had been unwilling to extend any. Apparently he agreed that lives matter when his own was on the line. In all of his revealed thoughts and conversations about Mordecai, not a single syllable was shaded with mercy. Second, Haman was requesting help, but there was no evidence he was repenting. Regret for being caught is not the same as repenting from sin. You can know that you only regret sin (or maybe just getting caught in it) when you often repeat that sin. Repenting from a sin means doing all you can in the Lord’s power not to return to it, and it means removing from your life anything that pushes you toward that sin rather than toward obedience. Third, he ultimately fell on one Jew (Esther) because another Jew (Mordecai) would not fall before him. His counselors’ words to him thus proved to be prophetic. (6:13). If only they’d had such helpful foresight a little sooner!

As He Planned to Do to Another, It Was Done to Him (7:9-10)

Haman was hanged on the gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. This could have been a large stake that he was impaled by or a device he was suspended on. Either way, what he devised led to his own demise. Duguid notes,

Haman’s life was built around the pursuit of power and achievement, and he achieved both to the full extent that this was possible within the bounds of the empire. He had reached the top of his career path. No one apart from the emperor himself matched Haman’s glory and status. Yet all that he had gained disappeared completely in the space of a few minutes, along with his life itself. At the end of his life, what did he have to show for all his striving after wealth and recognition? (Esther and Ruth, 95)

When the queen of England passes away, her nation will see that everything that happens thereafter has been planned down to the minutest detail. The communication provided to those in her circle will be that “London Bridge has fallen” (Wallace, “This Is the Plan”). The mourning process has already been prescribed, covering everything from colors to candles. I am not hoping this occurs anytime soon, but it will be something to see. Just a short time ago, at former First Lady Barbara Bush’s funeral, hundreds of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University lined the road. They stood at attention and saluted as the vehicle carrying her casket passed in front of them on its way to her final resting place near her husband’s presidential library. There was, however, no fanfare for Haman at the end of his life in spite of his craving for it. There was no hero’s send-off, no national mourning. When he’d boasted about being the only guest with the king and queen at the feasts, he certainly hadn’t seen his own demise coming.

What Can We Learn from This Passage?

Risk Much for the Gospel

As we have noted, Esther courageously put her life on the line twice. Esther 6 is evidence that God can accomplish his plans without us, but chapters 5 and 7 are evidence that he chooses not to. God has placed us where we are for his purposes and not just for our worldly progress. Not a single risk of sin is worth what sin costs, but responding to and sharing the gospel are worth risking our all.

As you consider your life right now, what risks are you taking for the sake of the gospel? What actions are you taking because Jesus is your greatest treasure? Is there anything about your life that causes others to ask questions to which the only answer is Jesus?

What about gospel goals? Do you have any? Is there something you are praying God allows you to accomplish before coming to the end of your journey? Paul was always willing to endure and risk much for the sake of the gospel. He told the elders from Ephesus, “I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). And ever planning, praying, and hoping, he told the church at Rome, “So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain” (Rom 15:28). Esther too risked her life for the sake of others. Jesus is worthy of whatever following him costs.

Confront Evil Rather Than Cooperating with It

Esther could have remained silent, but the problem for her people would not go away. Sin that is not confronted usually escalates rather than dissipates. The multiplication of sin, in fact, was one of Paul’s concerns in 1 Corinthians 5. First of all, he could not believe that a brother was involved in blatant sin—the kind that not even the pagans put up with—and no one in the church was confronting him. He thus asked the congregation, “Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?” (1 Cor 5:6). In the strongest of terms, Paul then advocated for the church to be the church and exercise care for the sinning brother’s soul.

Are you currently ignoring sin in someone’s life? Are you ignoring sin in your life? We do not want to be better at dealing with the sins of others than we are at dealing with our own.

Are there injustices in your town about which you remain silent? Prime suggests, “Perhaps today may be a day for action. There may be key initiatives or actions we are to take today for the good of others, and for God’s praise” (Unspoken Lessons, 115). We tend not to confront that with which we are comfortable. We also tend not to confront others if we lack courage or conviction. May the Lord grant us both.

Identify with and Intercede for God’s People

In my senior year of college, I was the president of the Rotaract club, which is the college version of Rotary International. When I initially joined the club, I was interviewed by a former governor of Louisiana (not all of them are in prison). He asked where I saw myself in five years. I responded, “Hopefully, living in the center of God’s will.” Somehow, they still let me in, and I eventually was elected president.

At the beginning of each meeting, offering a prayer was customary. Often I would be the only one willing to do so. Without fail I would close each prayer in the name of Christ. After one meeting some of the members said they did not mind the prayers, but I should not mention Jesus because not everyone believed the same as I did. I responded by telling them that I saw everything the Lord entrusted to me as a stewardship and that one day I would give an account for my time as president of that organization. I then told them they were welcome to impeach me, but as long as I was president, we would be praying in Christ’s name. If there were any lingering issues about the topic, I never heard of them.

Who in our spheres of influence have no clue that we are Christ followers? Is there anyone from whom we are hiding aspects of our Christianity intentionally? How long had Esther and Mordecai concealed their ethnicity? If it were not for the decree, would Mordecai have encouraged Esther to keep her identity as one of God’s chosen people hidden the rest of her days?

If we deny Christ in front of others, he will deny us in front of his Father (Matt 10:33). Let us, then, stand and be counted among those who name Jesus as Lord. I hope if someone is taking a bold stand for Christ, we will never shrink back from and be embarrassed by them. May we instead strive to see how we can support them. Who knows how God may use your boldness to encourage other brothers and sisters in Christ?

Live so that When What Is Concealed Is Revealed, It Will Be for Your Reward and Not Ruin

Three weeks ago I received a text on a Saturday night from a friend in ministry who said his lead pastor had just been removed for sexual sin and their church would find out the next morning. He asked me to pray for him as a pastoral staff member and for their church. Two weeks ago on a Sunday morning, the largest congregation in my denomination found out its pastor had been removed from his position because of alcohol abuse. Last week I learned through social media that one of my pastor friends had been removed from his church because of confessing to some sexual sin he had hidden for many years, throughout the length of his marriage.

Hiding sin is exhausting physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Let David tell you about it: “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat” (Ps 32:3-4). But if we like to keep our flaws hidden from one another, how much more do we desire to cover our failings?

One day we will be exposed for who we really are. The author of Ecclesiastes warns, “God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl 12:14). That is why Paul warns,

So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. (1 Cor 4:5)

Prime warns, “There may be evil schemes that God is going to bring out into the open today. Let us so live that we may have nothing secret of which to be ashamed” (Unspoken Lessons, 115). I hope we are living so that we will receive the Lord’s commendation rather than his correction.

Haman would have never gotten so close to Esther had the king been in the room. He would have never acted the way he did if the king were present. Let us always remember our King is in the room. Let us also remember that our King not only expects our obedience but empowers it by his grace! The days God grants us will never be repeated. Let us waste none of them. Let us live each day for God’s glory.

Speak and Work Only for the Good of Others

In almost every prayer time our elders have at Trace Crossing and in almost every service, we pray for the good of our sister churches in our city. We often specifically mention their pastors and congregations by name. No matter how they may treat us, we want to work, speak, pray, and serve for their good. I am thankful to share that the cooperative spirit for the sake of the gospel among many churches in our city has never been as evident as it is now. I believe the Lord has answered and continues answering the prayers we have been praying for these faith families and their prayers for us.

By contrast, Haman wanted nothing more for Mordecai than humiliation and death.

What do we typically want for others? What do we want more than anything else for those who wound us? What are we actually doing to and for others? Are we praying for them? Are we speaking well of them? Are we finding ways to serve them? Are we extending kindnesses to them that they do not deserve as a reflection of the grace we receive from the Lord?

Having grown up in an abusive home, I did not want to forgive my father. But the Holy Spirit would empower me not only to forgive him but also to lead him to Christ. As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone because the gospel is fueling our concern for them.

What Can We Learn about God from This Passage?

God Needs No Counselors, and He Always Does What Is Right

Time after time we have seen Ahasuerus’s need for the counsel of others. God, however, needs no counselors. As he asks,

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave him counsel? Who did he consult? Who gave him understanding and taught him the paths of justice? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding? (Isa 40:13-14)

God is not only capable of making a decision, but he always makes the right one. As Duguid affirms, “Our King does what is right because he himself is righteous—he cannot do anything other than the right” (Esther and Ruth, 95).

God Will Defeat All His Enemies.

God is not just aware that all of his enemies will be defeated, but through the work of Christ, he is accomplishing their defeat. Paul says that in Christ, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him” (Col 2:15). The humiliating turn of events in Haman’s being hanged on his own gallows was just a foretaste of God’s publicly disgracing his enemies. Haman’s death is a reminder that one day all of God’s enemies will be fully vanquished. John writes, “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10).

Importantly, death was no escape for Haman. In Revelation 6:15-17 John writes,

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?”

For Haman, Ahasuerus’s wrath was satisfied toward him when he was hanged, but there will never be a moment in which God’s wrath against Haman is satisfied. No, death is no escape for God’s enemies. It only begins what will never end. As Paul exhorts us, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom 12:19).

When giving place to God’s wrath, we need to remember one more truth. John says, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). Not all those who are still under God’s wrath are building gallows or plotting for total people groups to be destroyed. Some coach your children’s sports teams or teach them ballet or how to play musical instruments. Some who are still under God’s wrath say hello and wave to us when they see us checking our mailboxes. Though the evil inside them may not be as evident as Haman’s, it is just as wretched and just as deserving of wrath. And you have the only answer to that bleak outlook that will suffice to save them. Do for them what you would want done for you: tell them about Jesus.

God’s Wrath Has Been Satisfied in Christ

As noted, Ahasuerus’s wrath toward Haman was satisfied when he was hanged. God’s wrath toward individuals is only satisfied when they place faith in Christ. Duguid notes, “Our King’s wrath was poured out in full upon his own Son on the cross. And if God’s fury has been poured out in full upon Christ, now there is none left for us (see Gal 3:13)” (Esther and Ruth, 96). Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). At great cost to himself, God covered all of our sin. He will not forsake believers because he has forsaken Christ in our place. Commenting on David’s and Nathan’s interaction in 2 Samuel 12, Jon Bloom exhorts,

On this side of the cross we now know fully what David didn’t: God put away our sin by placing them on himself. Only at the cross will we hear, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Ever. (“Success Can Be Perilous”)

Is there any greater news? Who needs to hear this news from you today?

Conclusion

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that God will ultimately defeat all his enemies. We also need to be sure we are not among them any longer. As we have seen in Esther 7, God works out his plans, but he uses us in the process. I hope that we, like Esther, will be those who confront sin and call for justice rather than being like Haman, who continued in sin and got caught in its consequences.

If you are having problems confessing that you are a believer to someone, will you pray for the Lord to strengthen you? If you are avoiding confronting sin in your life or in the lives of others, will you pray for courage today? If you are concealing sin, will you repent from it right now? If you are not speaking and striving for the good of all others, will you ask the Lord to help you do so starting now? If you do not consider on a daily basis that God’s wrath has been satisfied on your behalf in Christ, would you ask him to help you think on this often and move you to action with gospel gratitude and urgency?

Reflect and Discuss

1. What, if any, risks are you currently taking for the sake of the gospel? Is there anything that prevents you from risking much for Christ’s sake? If so, explain.
2. Describe a time you had to confront evil or injustice. How did God sustain you through the process? What was the result? Is the Lord currently prompting you to confront evil or injustice, whether in your own life or in the life of someone else? If so, explain.
3. Why is it important to identify with and intercede for God’s people? In what practical ways can we do this?
4. Is anything concealed in your life today that would bring shame or reproach on Christ if it were revealed? To whom can you confess this today and find accountability?
5. How have you seen the Lord reward obedience in your life?
6. Have you ever wanted “bad” for someone else, only to experience it yourself? Why is it important to continually speak and work for the good of others?
7. Why do we tend to forget that sin leads nowhere good, beneficial, or holy?
8. When, if ever, have the consequences of your sin impacted more people than you ever imagined possible? How can we consistently remember that it might be “my sin” but “our consequences”?
9. Why do we constantly need to be reminded that God will ultimately defeat all his enemies?
10. How often do you consider that God’s wrath against your sin has been satisfied by Christ on the cross? Why should we ponder this truth more often?