A. Epilogue.

1. (1-2) The glory of the reign of King Ahasuerus.

And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

2. (3) Mordecai is promoted to the position of second in the kingdom.

For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

B. Observations on the Book of Esther.

1. The Book of Esther shows how the hand of God can move in a supernaturally-natural way.

a. “It has been well said that the Book of Esther is a record of wonders without a miracle, and therefore, though equally revealing the glory of the Lord, it sets it forth in another fashion from that which is displayed in the overthrow of Pharaoh by miraculous power.” (Spurgeon)

b. Think of all that God arranged in the story of Esther:

· God arranged for the noble Queen Vashti to lose her place.

· God arranged for a competition to replace Queen Vashti.

· God arranged for Esther to enter the competition.

· God arranged special favor for Esther among the other women.

· God arranged for Mordecai to have access to both Esther and the affairs of the kingdom.

· God arranged the lot that was cast to give 11 months warning before the evil event (Esther 3:12-13).

· God arranged that the decree command that the Jews be killed by private hands, instead of by the army of Persia – which would have been much more difficult to stop.

· God arranged that Haman restrain his anger and not kill Mordecai immediately (Esther 5:10).

· God arranged for Esther to delay her request; first asking for a banquet with the king and then another banquet.

· God arranged for Haman’s anger to come to a peak on one particular day.

· God arranged for Ahasuerus to have a sleepless night.

· God arranged for Ahasuerus to pick up a certain book in his sleepless night.

· God arranged for Ahasuerus to read the passage about Mordecai in that particular book.

2. God’s hand in history never rules out our actions. The actions of Esther and Mordecai were critical to the preservation of the people of God.

a. God’s will is accomplished, and yet men are perfectly free agents; Haman did as he pleased, Ahasuerus did what he wanted, so did Mordecai and Esther. We see no interference, no coercion – they all do their will, and bear full responsibility, yet God works out His eternal plan for the ages through it all.

b. “There it is; man is a free agent in what he does, responsible for his actions, and verily guilty when he does wrong, and he will be justly punished too, and if he be lost the blame will rest with himself alone: but yet there is One who ruleth over all, who, without complicity in their sin, makes even the actions of wicked men to subserve his holy and righteous purposes. Believe these two truths and you will see them in practical agreement in daily life, though you will not be able to devise a theory for harmonizing them on paper.” (Spurgeon)

3. God, in His wise and Providential plan, allows His people to be tested – sometimes severely so. We must not suppose that the servants of God will be protected from every trial, because the trials are part of God’s design.

· It was a great trial for Mordecai; he refused to bow to Haman and others would suffer for his refusal to pay homage to Haman.

· It was a great trial for Esther; she heard the news of the coming slaughter of her people and had to boldly approach the king to make an appeal.

4. “Last of all, let each child of God rejoice that we have a guardian so near the throne. Every Jew in Shushan must have felt hope when he remembered that the queen was a Jewess. To-day let us be glad that Jesus is exalted.” (Spurgeon)

Esther Chapter 10