Read the passage: Esther 7
vs. 6 1) Evil does not care for the gain of authority.
(adversary and enemy) (wicked)
Evil cares only for its own gain. Haman didn't care for the gain of the King or of Esther.
Evil is in an adversarial role to true authority, because evil wants its own way.
God in His sovereign display established a very orderly system whereby life exists and continues.
God designed life to continue and made provision for life's sustenance. From the beginning this is
evidenced in the Word.
The enemy on the other hand has continuously rebelled against God's order (likes disarray,
confusion and chaos). The enemy wants to destroy life and disrupt God's sustaining influence.
Because of the enemy's rebellion against God's authority the enemy challenges and attempts to
hinder all authority under God.
The enemy's ways, all of them, are in direct opposition to God's ways. The enemy never agrees
with nor complies with truth.
Evil does not care for the gain of truth.
Truth is as unchanging as God is and possesses final authority. The gain of truth is most assured.
vs. 6 2) Evil fears true authority.
(then Haman was afraid)
of course, true authority is God's authority.
Evil fears God's authority.
That is why the mighty Name of Jesus is so powerful. (Rev. 12:11)
The enemy tries to interfere with God's people using that mighty name--Jesus, for the
commitment and the accomplishment is so great. (John 14:13, 14) The enemy wants believer’s
conversations to exclude Christ.
The believer is so secure in Christ. (John 17:3,11-12,26)
The devil cannot fight Christ. He knows he tried. So the devil attacks God's children with deceit
and untruth to keep them from abiding in and depending upon the mighty Christ.
The enemy is not afraid of man, but he is afraid of Christ.
Where God's authority is manifested, the enemy is afraid.
Where God's authority is the enemy cannot remain.
(Mark 9:25-29). God's people need submit to this authority of God. God's people need to be
certain they are following God for God will be the defender. To follow man's ways or tradition is
to have only man to defend when in trouble.
That which is ordered by God's authority shall prevail.
The enemy knows that. God's children need to be firm in this truth. God's authority shall never
diminish.
v.7 3) Evil attempts to get authority to compromise its position.
(and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther, ... )
The enemy is always trying to draw a believer into a place of compromise. Haman saw he was
doomed. Haman was appealing to the place of accountability. Esther (representing truth)
identified Haman as wicked and evil. Haman immediately moved to try to get her to compromise
her position.
Believers possess truth which exposes evil. Evil quickly moves to get a believer to compromise.
(modern examples-compromises in morality, dress, pleasure, materialism, attitudes, education,
television, marriage, work performance, family, integrity, and on and on.) Parents turning loose
of parental authority- transference to child care centers.
When a compromise is made the strength of conviction and commitment of a believer is diluted.
He does not take the same stand but backs off a little. Then he backs off a little more until there
no longer is a Godly standard that is uncompromising. This Christian loses an effective witness.
The enemy has encouraged compromise.
The need is to quickly repent and turn back to the sure ways of God, the uncompromising source
of truth.
vs. 7 4) Evil attempts to pit authority against itself or other authority.
(for he saw ... evil determined against him by the king)
Haman would have loved to pit Esther against the king.
The last ditch effort of evil is subterfuge, deceiving to the very last moment.
The enemy often works within an organization to sow seeds of disintegration which later grow up
into divisions. The enemy loves to do this in a church or a denomination.
It pleases the devil for a group to argue over whether the Bible is literally true, pitting authority
against authority, causing confusion in the process . Then the enemy can blame and direct man's
attention off of the real issues.
It is so essential in a church that leadership and believers be drawn to the same message--the
truth of scriptures of Jesus Christ, that they be like minded, (Phil 2:2) single minded toward God.
Otherwise the devil will pit what one leader or believer says and practices against what another
believer says and practices. This weakens the whole body and causes instability. If the enemy
can he will encourage ill will and bitterness to spring up and defile many. Men are then drawn to
their own beliefs and to others who share those same beliefs rather than being reconciled to
Christ.
vs. 8 5) Evil's appeal to authority is a false appeal.
(Haman was fallen upon the couch ... )
The intent of Haman was not to repent but to protect his interests--to be able to continue his
way of evil.
The devil is never repentant. A man can be if he chooses.
Believers need to be discerning of true repentance. The devil may imitate repentance to get his
way but is unchanged.
Man is capable of true repentance. God must so move in and rest upon a human heart so as to
encourage repentance-¬where God has not had opportunity to so move in upon a man and that
man appears repentant, then his appeal is a false one. A believer need be very cautious and alert
under such circumstances. 2 Peter 2: 17-19
Many people never intend to repent but are willing to do whatever they have to—to get their
way. Such people are hazardous to the cause of Christ. John 21: 28-31
Others desire to repent but fall short whenever the cost becomes too great and thus continue on
in their sin. Such people, likewise, are hurtful to the work of Christ . pictured putting hands to
plow and not looking back.
Repentance is such an essential part of salvation.
Repentance is such an essential part of maintaining fellowship with Christ in the life of a believer
who transgresses.
Christian beware of fake repentance in others for that is the pattern of evil.
V5. 8 6) True authority will not permit evil to usurp its authority. (Then said the king, ... )
Here finally, the king was most certain as to what was right and most definite in his action.
God is always most sure of His ways. (Ps. 33: 4, 11) God's word accepts no alternatives to truth.
God’s word is changeless, will not bend or compromise.
Believer's are to guard the integrity of the word in their lives and ministry. They are not to permit
evil to usurp the authority of God over their lives--not to give preference to the deceit of the
enemy or of worldliness.
A believer should not be deceived by the enemy. Walking in truth provides no tolerance for the
ways of evil, no considerations of enticement.
It is only when believer's quit believing the word and quit living by its truth that problems of
integrity come.
The preferences and plans of evil then are permitted to give influence to the believer, thus
usurping the authority of the word as applying to his life.
Whenever a believer gets out from under the authority of God's word he is vulnerable to all kinds
of deception and his decisions will likely be unsound and will lead to trouble.
Protection comes from submission and obedience to the word of God and from unwavering faith
toward the message of truth.
vs. 8
7) God's true authority remains unchallengeable.
(as the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face)
Ultimately every challenger will be reconciled to truth, either through true repentance or through
judgment.
God's way is the only way. His mercy and grace is the only provision for man's sin to spare man
from judgment.
Many leaders of man have come and gone but God remains the same. Many philosophies and
vanities of man have arisen and still are, but only God's truth endures without need for change.
Many men rise and fall to power but only God's power is everlasting.
Many ways are tried by man to gain purpose and value to life that is lasting but only God gives
eternal substance to life.
All of men's efforts and plans have never altered God's plans or tempted God to change his mind.
All the vain pleas of man have been to no avail to God. God's truth is not in need of any
improvement, for it is perfect.
Such peace comes to a believer when he follows God's ways and ceases challenging God's
authority.
God's ways shall stand. (Is. 46.:l0; Prov.21: 30)
