“Your Sin Will Find Out” God’s Providential Hand: The book of Esther

“Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?’” Esther 7:5 ESV

“……and be sure your sin find you out.” Numbers 32:23b ESV

Last Sunday we left Haman in humiliation after he was blindsided by King Ahasuerus in having to parade Mordecai around the city square in recognition of his favor with the king. Haman’s plan was to get permission from the king to hang Mordecai who was rebelling against Haman’s authority as the king’s highest official. He did not get permission to hang Mordecai, and he found out just how highly King Ahasuerus thought of Mordecai. Haman knew he would soon be found out and his world would come to a crashing end.

Chapter 6 ends with the doomsday call upon Haman. “While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.” (Es.6:14 nlt) Haman’s wife and friends surmised a fatal future for Haman. He would be found out dissolving his plan and his life at the same time. Haman didn’t have enough time to digest all the bad news he was receiving or try to make an escape before the king’s officials came and escorted him to his final meal. Sin has a way of unravelling and exposing itself. You do not always have time to make amends or change your ways before the consequences arrive. It’s too late. Haman’s time had run out.

Once again King Ahasuerus asked Esther what her request was after the meal. This time Queen Esther answered convincedly. “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us.” (Es.7:3-4a nlt) If the king did not know his wife was Jewish, he knew it now, and that she would not escape the annihilation. His immediate reaction was who would do such a thing to his wife, the queen. Esther emboldened even more blurted out, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” (Es7:6a nlt)

Sometimes when sin is found out it comes in like a floodlight shining brightly on you exposing your sin to all in view. A variety of emotions occur, guilt, shame, remorse, anger, fear. Haman’s was fear, he was terrified. He coerced the king into agreeing to the destruction of a people’s group without naming them. The king did not need to ask Esther who was the one who did this. He would have remembered the edit he decreed by Haman’s persuasion and Haman obviously didn’t know Queen Esther was a Jew. God’s providential hand had been making all the moves in Esther being chosen queen. She was now in a position to save her people.

King Ahasuerus was outraged storming out to the palace garden while Haman pleaded for his life to Esther the queen, the only hope he had. In his frantic begging before the queen, Haman ended up falling onto the couch next to Esther at the moment the king walked in. “The king exclaimed, ‘Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?’ And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.” (Es.7:8b nlt) Harbona, one of the king’s officials noted to King Ahasuerus that a gallows was already built by Haman in his own courtyard. Then he added this for the king’s benefit, “He intended to use it to (hang) Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” (Es.7:9b nlt)

Haman was found out. He had conceived a plot for the destruction of the Jews, he was perceived to have assaulted the queen, and he planned to have Mordecai hanged. He paid a price for it as he was hanged on his own gallows in place of Mordecai. The Lord saw to it that Haman’s plans failed. God protected His chosen people and will continue to do so until Jesus’ reign in the millennium kingdom.  

The Jewish people and Christians today are facing continuing threats. There are many Haman’s in the world today who want to wipe out all Christians and Jews. Freedom of religion is slowly being eroded in America and around the world. The most persecuted religious group in the world are Christians. We may suffer, but Jesus said we would. Satan knows he is running out of time and is making every move he can, but as Christ’s church, we do not need to fear. Our Lord God is the master chess player, and His moves are already planned out as with the story of Esther. The Jews were saved by another edit written by Mordecai using the king’s signet ring. Mordecai was now the king’s high official, and he wrote the Jews were to defend themselves against their annihilation by killing those attacking them and to take their property. (Es.8-10) The Jewish festival of ‘Purim’ celebrates the victory the Lord gave them that day, and the Lord will give all Christians the victory we have in Jesus over Satan as He makes His final moves.

Read: Esther 7 ESV – So the king and Haman went in to feast – Bible Gateway