Esther—Woman of Courage

And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Esther 7:6 (NKJV)

INTRODUCTION: Christian courage is a most admirable quality. In view of Satan’s dogged opposition to the Lord’s work and His people, Christian courage is a sorely needed trait. The kind of fortitude that enables us to withstand trails springs from strong convictions, convictions founded upon Godly principles. May Esther’s example encourage us accordingly.

The same evil that Haman had planned for Mordecai was turned against him. Haman reaped what he had sown. The principle of sowing and reaping is one of the great principles of life, a strong teaching of God’s Holy Word. Whatever a person sows, he will reap, and whatever a person measures, it will be measured back to him. God’s justice will be exact. We will bear exactly what we have sown, nothing more and nothing less. Whatever we dish out and measure in life, the same portion will be doled out and measured to us. Nothing more and nothing less. Justice will be perfectly executed by God. There will be no opportunity in the day of judgment to accuse God of judging someone unfairly, too lightly or too severely. Judgment will be completely accurate and precise. And there will be no escape from God’s judgment. The surety of judgment is guaranteed by God.

HER DESCRIPTION (Esther 2:5-7, 17).
She was a captive Jewess (she lived under Persian rule).
She was a Benjaminite (this tribe provided many courageous people, such as Saul, Jonathan, Abner, Paul, etc.).
She was an orphan.
She was very beautiful.
She was reared by a cousin (Mordecai, who was an officer at the king’s court).
She was selected to be queen of Persia (because of her beauty).
She was responsible for saving her people.

HER COURAGE.
The occasion for it: a conspiracy against her people (Esther 3:1-13).
The manifestation of it.
She entered the king’s presence (Esther 5:2; cf. 4:11).
She identified the Jew’s enemy (Esther 7:6).
She pleaded the Jews’ case (Esther 8:3).
The result of it.
Haman was hanged (Esther 7:10).
The Jews were spared (Esther 8:8-13, they were permitted to defend themselves).
Mordecai was exalted (he became prime minister, Esther 10:3).

HER IMPORTANCE.
Her experience became the subject of a portion of the inspired Scriptures (the book of Esther).
Her experience emphasized the constant watch-care of God over His people.
God has protected His saints in all dispensations (cf. Romans 8:35-39).
God has protected the Jews in a special way (cf. Romans 11:1-5).
Her experience encouraged others to accept the God of Israel (many people “became Jews,” Esther 8:17).

CONCLUSION:
Haman’s execution is a clear picture of the surety of judgment. No matter who the person is, even if he is the prime minister of a nation, he will face the judgment of God for the deeds he has done. Note the downfall of this prime minister, the highest-ranking official of Persia whose power was superceded only by that of the king. As soon as Xerxes heard Esther’s identification of Haman as the culprit, the king jumped to his feet in a rage and abruptly walked into the palace garden to get alone (v. 7). No doubt he needed time to collect his thoughts, time to think through the conspiracy. Esther had just exposed Haman’s deception in leading him to issue the Decree of Extermination.

Listen to what God’s Holy Word says about sowing and reaping:
“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Mt. 7:2).

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