Reverse!

May 12, 2024
Brett Hay

hand holding uno reverse cards

Esther 6:1-14

During that night the king’s sleep escaped him, and he gave orders to bring the scroll of records and chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from the keepers of the threshold who had conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus. And the king asked, “What has been done to bestow honor to Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” And the king asked, “Who is in the courtyard?” Haman had just come to the courtyard of the king’s outer palace to tell the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s servants said to him, “Look! Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Let him come.” And Haman came, and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” And Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” So Haman said to the king, “For a man whom the king wishes to honor, let them bring royal clothing with which the king has clothed himself, and a horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal head-dress has been given. And let the clothing and the horse be given to the man by the officials of the king’s nobles; let them clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him ride on his horse through the public square of the city, and let them proclaim before him, ‘Thus, it will be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.’ ” Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the clothing and the horse, just as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the gate of the king; you must not leave out anything from what you have said.” So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai and let him ride through the public square of the city; and he proclaimed before him, “Thus, it is done to the man whom the king wishes to honor.” Then Mordecai returned to the gate of the king, and Haman rushed to his house mournful and with his head covered. And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends all that had happened to him. And his advisers and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is from the descendants of the Jews, you will not prevail against him, but will certainly fall before him.” As they were still speaking with him the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Brett’s Sermon Takeaways

This Sunday we looked at Esther Chapter 6 where we see the king struggling to sleep. Because of the king’s inability to fall asleep, he has a servant of his read him the chronicles of his time as king. Through the reading of the chronicles, he is reminded of the time when Mordecai saved his life by revealing the plans to assassinate the king. When the king discovers that Mordecai has not been honored for what he did, he looks for a way to reward Mordecai.

Insert Haman in the story. Haman is on the way to get the king’s permission to have Mordecai killed. Before he can ask the king to approve the execution of Mordecai, the king asks Haman what the king should do if he wanted to honor someone. Haman, filled with pride, through that the king wanted to honor him, so Haman gave his dream scenario for how he wished to be honored. Haman wanted to wear the king’s robes, wear a royal crown, ride the kings horse, and have a royal official lead him through the streets announcing why he was worthy of such an honor. Bad news for Haman, the king liked his plan. the worse news for Haman, the king was looking to honor Mordecai and not Haman. The worst new for Haman, the king chose Haman to lead Mordecai in the horse through the streets proclaiming why Mordecai, the man who Haman wanted dead, was deserving of such an honor.

What are the results of this chapter? Haman is humiliated and Mordecai is rewarded. What else happens? Haman’s wife warns him that he’s going to fail in his plan to kill Mordecai and the rest of the Jewish people, and Haman’s plan is slowly starting to unravel.

One thing we can learn from this chapter is the danger of falling into the sin of pride. Pride is a destructive sin that leads to major consequences. Below are this weeks sermon points on how pride is destructive and how we can overcome pride.

So why is our pride destructive?

  1. Our pride keeps us from repentance.
  2. Our pride keeps us from surrendering to God’s plan.
  3. Our pride keeps us from loving and serving others.

How can we overcome pride?

  1. Recognize where we are weak.

Knowing our weaknesses keeps us humble. Knowing our weaknesses makes us rely on God who is strong. Knowing our weaknesses helps us have a heart for others who are also weak. Where do we see this? 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

  1. Put others before ourselves.

Changes our focus from self-elevation to serving others. Makes us more like Jesus. Allows for God to be the one who exalts us and not ourselves. ‭Philippians 2:3-11 ESV‬ [3] Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  1. Remember where our salvation comes from.

Our very best isn’t good enough to save ourselves. We could only be saved by the work of Jesus. We can’t boast in something we didn’t do ourselves. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV‬ [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are not the source of our salvation. Jesus is. There is nothing we have done to save ourselves, so we have no ability to boast. Our very best is filthy rags to the Lord.

  1. Remember who’s in control.

God is the One in control. We need to relinquish control of lives to God. It is only through humbly submitting to God that we receive rewards from Him. We see this in 1 Peter 5:5-7 says. [5] Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Church, let us learn from the life of Haman and not give in to pride like Haman did, and let us surrender to the Lord and his will for our lives so that we can live lives that bring God all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise because He alone is worth!

In Christ, Brett Hay

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