Esther Lesson 6: A Call to Good Men :: By Sean Gooding

Published on: February 16, 2021 by RR7

Chapter 3:1-7

“After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you transgress the king’s command?’ 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

“5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.“

Last week we talked about being in the right place at the right time to be used by the Lord. This is very important for us to make ourselves available for His use when He is ready to use us. Making ourselves available for the Lord and His work is scary at times; God may call you to step out of your comfort zone and actually talk to someone or serve someone, and that scares most of us. Most of us would rather give money or stuff as long as we don’t have to talk to someone. We are afraid that we will say the wrong thing, and that is a legitimate fear as we are dealing with eternal things. It is better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing and hinder someone from making the right choice for the Lord. Thus, it is imperative that we be ready.

It is important that we know how to show someone how to be saved, be able to show someone godly comfort from the Bible, be able to help someone understand the security that they have in Jesus and these fundamental things.

Today we will get into the meat of this story. Most of the main characters have been introduced, and like any good story, we must have an antagonist. We need someone to dislike.

We like Mordecai the doting uncle, we like Esther the lovely young lady, and we like the king, but we needed a bad guy; and here he is, Haman. From here on in, the story will deal a lot with the human condition, and it will deal with the history of Israel and her enemies, the ultimate enemy being Satan himself. He, Satan, has done all he can to eradicate the line that would bring Jesus. He tried to pollute the bloodline of man in Genesis 6 and then since Genesis 11 when God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans. Satan has been trying to eradicate the Jewish people, hoping to thwart the salvation that God was bringing in Jesus.

I know that many people have a hard time appreciating this and the deliberateness of the work that Satan does, but make no mistake; he is as focused on his plans as God is on the eternal one. Satan tries to destroy the Israelite people, and God finds creative ways to preserve them. Satan probably did not see the event with Vashti coming, setting Esther to be the queen, and God making it so that Ahasuerus actually loved her.

Good things happen to bad people, verse 1

Haman was not a nice man. He was a descendant of the Agagites, and in particular, King Agag. The Jews and the Amalekites had been enemies for generations, according to Exodus 17: 14-16.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

This animosity had been alive and well on both sides for centuries, and as far as I can do that math, well over 1,000 years. If you recall in our last lesson, the first point was that power does not have to make you bad. Rather, power often brings out the person that you truly are. Well, Haman was not a good man. He was filled with pride and filled with hatred. But somehow, he had won the king’s favor and was promoted. We all know people like this, and we wonder how they got into the position that they are in, but it happens. This is life.

Haman found out that Mordecai was not paying him the ‘respect’ that he was due for his position. And knowing that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman set about to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. You will recall that this empire stretched from Northern Africa well into the Middle East. This was a lot of people. There is another aspect that we need to consider. I want to draw your attention to a command from God to Saul, the first king of the Jews. In 1 Samuel 15: 1-3, God gives this command to Saul:

“Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'”

God never intended for the Jews to be in this position under Haman. He sent Saul to kill ALL of the Amalekite people; yes, even the babies. But Saul allowed some of the men to get away; we know this because, in 1 Samuel 30: 17, David has to fight an Amalekite army many years after Saul is dead. So not only did Saul not kill all the animals as was commanded by the Lord, he did not kill off all the men either. From this remnant we get the man Haman, whose ancestors had not let him forget what the Jews did to them. And now, here was his chance to avenge his people and do to them what they had intended to do to the Amalekites; he was going to kill them all.

What we do not realize is that our disobedience in this generation will bring hard and even dangerous times to our kids, maybe not immediately, but eventually. It took hundreds of years for this disobedience to come back to haunt the Jews, but it did come back. Our actions have ramifications, both good and evil. I have said this before: obedience is the highest form of worship.

Good men don’t honor bad men, verse 2-5

Mordecai refused to pay homage to Haman. He knew Haman was an evil man, he knew Haman’s heritage, and maybe he has spent enough time with Haman to know the real man. Even though he had been promoted and there was an unwritten rule to pay homage to him, to bow to him, Mordecai would not do it.

We find ourselves in a similar situation both in the US and Canada; we are ruled by ungodly men who promote killing babies, are in open hatred to God’s people, hate the Jews, and are destroying the very freedoms that are given to man by God. While we are to be under the law and respect the system of law, we are not to honor these evil men. We are to speak out and stand up. Recall John the Baptist; he told Herod that he could not have his brother’s wife, and it cost him his freedom and eventually his life. Elijah stood up to Ahab and Jezebel and had a hard life because of it.

Make no mistake; Haman was placed where he was by God. Romans 13 makes that clear. In the same way, the President of the US and the PM of Canada are placed in power by God. But that does not mean we have to agree to their evil ways. God has a plan that overshadows the immediate, and He sees the big picture of what He is accomplishing. But you and I will have to stand for what is right. No amount of prompting or pleading from the others would change Mordecai’s ways and mind, and eventually, someone told Haman.

If you make a stand for what is right, someone will eventually report you to the authorities. We see that happening here in our time of the COVID shutdown — people reporting each other for not following the rules. Just over the weekend, I saw where a church was having division over the maskers and non-maskers, and on we can go. There will always be people who just get along to get along, and there will be people like Mordecai. They base their life on peace, not principles. If you sacrifice principles for peace, you will eventually lose both. Which one will you be? Which one will I be?

Good men will be called to stand up to bad men, verse 5-6

Haman is livid that Mordecai does not pay him homage, and so, rather than take it up with Mordecai, he plots a way to kill All of the Jews. In verse 7, he casts a lot, and it falls on a particular day that Haman will convince the king to use as a day to eliminate all of his enemies, namely the Jews.

Sooner or later, you and I will be called to make a stand. Edmunds has a great quote that goes something to the effect that ‘all it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.’ Sadly, for the local churches in much of the world, we have done just that. We have made it hard for saved men to be involved in politics, we have allowed evil men to run the government unabated for decades, and we wonder why we have such evil laws. Most of the countries in the free world, particularly the USA, were founded on the idea that God was and is real and that we have to answer to Him. But we have stood by and allowed the idea that there is no God, no right and wrong, and no boundaries to which we must adhere.

But the day is coming when we have to stand, and that stand will be costly. We may have to risk life and limb, just like Mordecai is going to be called to do, to rescue our people. Too many good men have become complaining spectators, and I must say that I am guilty as well. We have walked away from making a difference in the future of our lives and our kids’ lives by being more afraid of losing our tax-exempt status than losing our freedom to preach the Gospel, our freedom to assemble, and our freedom to speak the uncomfortable truths that have invaded our churches and lives.

All too many of us have just given up, given in, and we just want to have peace over principle. Sadly, we are about to lose both. Good men must be ready and willing to take a stand, even at the cost of their lives, for what is right. I do not know how many of us are willing. Make no mistake; the enemy is ready and willing.

Haman was the one who set the time for the fight. It was coming whether or not Mordecai and Esther wanted it. Sometimes you don’t get to pick the terms, the time, or the place, but you must show up to the fight. I fear that pastors like myself may not have equipped our people to fight. We can pray, we can do all kinds of things, there is nothing wrong with that, but sometimes the answer to prayer is to stand and fight. Men of God, there has never been a time like now where we have needed to stand; let us stand together on the truth of God. If not for ourselves, for our kids and the saved people that come after us. Jesus gave His life to give us the Gospel; we have to give our lives to further it.

God bless you,

Dr. Sean Gooding

Pastor of Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church

How to Connect with Us

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Esther Lesson 5: The Right Place at the Right Time :: By Sean Gooding

Published on: February 12, 2021 by RR7

Chapter 2:19-23

“When virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within the king’s gate. 20 Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. ²¹ In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ²² So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. ²³ And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.”

For the past few weeks, we have focused on Esther and the events that led to her becoming the queen. But there is another character in this account, Mordecai. He is a Jew that has lived the majority of his life in Babylon. He is a Godly man who, in spite of living in Babylon, has not forgotten his Jewish heritage; and he has certainly not abandoned his God, the God of Israel. Mordecai obviously was a man of importance, and we are told that he sat within the king’s gate. It would appear that he was an advisor to the king with regard to the Jewish people. He also was able to keep tabs on Esther as she began to take ownership of her role as the new queen. Esther was blessed in that she was loved, and as such, knew what true love was. But she did not forget who she was and the investment that was put into her by Mordecai.

Often, when I have read this wonderful book, it is easy to miss the wonderful nuances that resonate in the story. We get the highlights; we want to get to the plot twists, and we often miss the wonderful lessons to be learned.

Power Does not have to change you, verse 20

This young lady was raised as a slave/captive in a foreign land. She would most likely have been poorer, maybe not destitute; God takes care of his own. She was unknown to most of the people of the land, and she was humble. Now, even as the queen, having been elevated from poverty to riches, from in need to excess, from slave to being waited on hand and foot, she had not lost her humility. She was still obedient to Mordecai.

Sadly, what happens to many people is that power actually brings out the real person. You begin to see how selfish or how not very nice people are once they have power. But it can also be the opposite in this case with Esther; power revealed more of her character. She was a truly lovely person, even when rich and powerful. She still had regard for Mordecai, still had regard for his instruction, and she respected his authority over her.

All too often in our North American world, we have this idea that once a child has moved out, they do not have to maintain the same regard for their parents as they have before. It is true that when a young woman is married, she is under the leadership of her husband. But there needs to be regard for the elder parents, their wisdom and the sacrifices that were made to get that kid to where they are. There needs to be an acknowledgement that they did not get to where they are on their own.

Plotting to Kill the King, verse 21

Mordecai sat within the King’s gate and overheard a plot by two men to kill the king. Two men, Bigthan and Teresh, were mad with the king and plotted out loud to kill the king. There are a couple of lessons to be learned here, and we would be wise to heed them. First, anger is a dangerous emotion. In the book of Proverbs, there are dozens of verses warning about angry men. Anger clouds your judgment, and it leads you to say things that you may not have meant but cannot take back. Anger can be good sometimes, but rarely when we are the offended ones. If you are angry at the treatment of another or the injustice done to another, that is okay. Proverbs 15:8; 16:32; 19:11, 19 and others warn us that anger is not becoming of a Godly man.

In this case, these two men plotted against the king and wanted to kill him. Mordecai overheard them and told Esther about it. These two men, we are told, were executed for this outburst. We don’t understand that here in North America and most of the free world. We have people make death threats against our leaders all the time, some very publicly, and yet they live. This is a breakdown of the chain of authority. Over the past few years, we have seen celebrities and others do things such as hold up the blood-covered head of the President, and yet they are not even arrested, furthermore executed. But in the days of Esther and Mordecai, respect for the political leadership was very, very important.

This kind of public respect for authority secures the authority in the home. If one can disrespect the king, the President, or in our case here in Canada, the Prime Minister, then it filters down to the home, the office, and the public in general. This explains the issues we are having with the police and the public in North America. Where I grew up, the police did not try to be your friend; they needed a healthy distance to be able to do their jobs. My father may not have agreed with the politics of the Prime Minister, but he never disrespected him. One is free to disagree, but not free to disrespect.

That leads to another problem that we have here in North America and maybe around the world; the idea that rats (people who tell about crimes) are bad. This gang garbage has permeated into our Christian homes and lives. In Leviticus 5:1, we are told that if someone is called to testify about something they have seen or heard and don’t, they are to be held responsible. It is our duty to reveal if a crime is about to or has been committed. This is not ratting out in the negative sense as far as God is concerned, but this is the duty of all Godly men and women.

Mordecai told Esther of the plot, there was an investigation, and they were executed. Then there was a record made of the people involved in the matter and its resolution, much like we make a recording of all that happens in the parliament here in Canada and the different stations of government in the USA.

Placement and Plans, verse 22-23

We do not always know why certain things happen, but what we do know is that God oversees everything in our lives and has a plan. Those of us who have read the book of Esther know that God is going to cause the king to have a sleepless night, he will call for the records to be read, and this will lead to Mordecai being celebrated and blessed by the king. But for right now, it was important that the pieces be put in place just like a jigsaw puzzle. God knows the picture on the box, but all we see are the pieces. God has Esther in place, then He allowed Mordecai to overhear a plot to kill the king. He then had the events of the plot, its subsequent events and the persons involved recorded. He planned a sleepless night for the king, and on and on. God is in complete charge of all that happens.

Our job is to be obedient; our job is to be available to God for His purposes, and our job is to do what is right when we are called to act. God will handle the rest. God will take charge of the then; you and I need to be obedient and submissive in the now. God allows us to be in place to be obedient and where He can bless us and use us for His glory. God has you where you are to be, to be of use to Him. Too many of us are so busy wanting to be elsewhere that we do not take advantage of where God has us, and we do not throw our all into it. We serve God half-heartedly expecting to be ‘promoted’ elsewhere. Be faithful where you are; serve the Lord where you are, and give Him all you have where you are and expect nothing.

I have also come to understand that there are no coincidences in the life of a saved person. God places people in your life, and you into people’s lives to reveal Himself to us and them. We often miss the opportunities because we do not live in obedience and do not live expecting to make a difference; thus, we are not prepared to act when called upon. One of the other things that holds us back is that we live by the world’s standards and not the Lord’s. Thus, we do not make decisions based on what is right but on what feels good.

God did not call you and me to be happy; He calls us to be righteous. The two do not always go hand in hand, and there is rarely instant gratification. So be in the place God has put you, be there wholeheartedly, and let God work His plan.