Introduction

Good morning. Let us continue our study of the Book of Esther, Chapter 7. The Jews were once wailing and fasting, praying fervently. Esther, with a "if I perish, I perish" resolve, went to see the King. The outcome was not death, but Haman being hanged on the gallows. This was beyond what Esther and Mordecai could have imagined. As the Bible says, "God accomplishes far more than we can ask or imagine." The theme of this chapter is "Victory Comes So Swiftly."

I believe many of you have felt this way: we often pray fervently, not knowing when the end will come, but suddenly the situation changes, astonishing us with God's perfect preparation. Because the faith of man can move the hand of God, we must not think that God is indifferent.

What we seek is not anything else, but the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. If you are seeking trivial matters, it may not be fulfilled, because our God wants His people to cry out for His Kingdom and His righteousness. Some may question, saying that what they seek is real! But if you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you.

The Enemy Hanged on the Gallows He Prepared

So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half my kingdom, it will be granted.”

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?” Esther said, “An enemy and foe—this vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. (Esther 7:1-6)

The King was furious. He went into the palace garden. When he returned, he saw Haman falling on the couch where Esther was. He was even more enraged and ordered Haman's face to be covered and hanged on the gallows. Only then did the King's anger subside.

The entire event took place in just five days. Five days before, disaster struck, and all the Jews prayed together for their nation. In fact, God directed this play exceptionally well. Before this, some Jews were busy renovating their houses, some were quarreling with their neighbors, entangled in how much they had gained or lost – all trivial matters.

When Haman ordered the extermination of all Jews, they put everything else aside. Mordecai led the Jews in Susa in fervent prayer for three days. Then Queen Esther went to see the King, even though she had not been summoned for a month. This shows that she was not favored in the palace. Perhaps the King had troubling matters, but it shows that she risked her life to see him.

Five days before, the Jews were in dire straits, but now they had finally let go. We, as brothers and sisters, are the same. If God does not give us a little "shock," we wonder what it means to love God. We feel there is no need to pray because we are doing well and our business is fine. People slowly become numb to God.

Therefore, what people need most is to call upon God in times of life and death. What does it mean to be unable to let go? You can let go when you are about to die! When we truly let go and cry out for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness for the sake of God's people, even if our faith is weak, we will see miraculous works.

At that time, Haman's power was at its zenith, and everyone was eager to distance themselves from him. No one dared to oppose him, or they would not know what tomorrow would bring. As the saying "calling a deer a horse" illustrates, when a powerful minister points to a deer and calls it a horse, everyone agrees because what the powerful minister says is the truth.

Just the day before, the Emperor could not sleep and read the story of Mordecai saving his life. At the same time, Haman had prepared a gallows to hang Mordecai. He was in imminent danger. But now, the enemy was hanged on the gallows. This reversal came too quickly. Haman did not expect it to come so soon.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, when you pray and cry out, the first thing is to repent. Five days before, the Jews were entangled in trivial matters, quarreling with their neighbors, and fussing over petty things. Suddenly, the crisis of extermination came. Although it was March, they were to be killed by December 13, leaving them with less than a year.

Brothers and sisters, know that no enemy can stand before God's people. Unless God permits it, these things will not happen. Although these negative things have happened, you will surely see the enemy trampled underfoot.

The Conditions for Victory Prepared So Perfectly

How does God work? Esther did not see visions or dreams, nor did she have goosebumps or feel an electric shock. So, brothers and sisters, we must get rid of pursuing various sensations, such as seeing visions or hearing God's voice. These are all absent in the Book of Esther. But these people knew to trust in God. We must not trust our feelings, which are very corrupt!

I have found that many brothers and sisters rely on feelings when they encounter problems, thinking it is related to goosebumps, electric shocks, dreams, or visions. But these do not determine God's work. Rather, God wants to save His people. So we must believe in God and have sufficient faith in our understanding.

How were the conditions for victory prepared? The last time Esther invited Haman and the King to the banquet, nothing happened. So the King asked the Queen, "What do you want?" The Queen said, "I will tell you tomorrow," because the conditions were not ripe.

As a result, the day before Mordecai was to be hanged on the gallows by the enemy, the King could not sleep and read about Mordecai's saving of the King's life. The King asked, "Has he been rewarded for this?" It was such a coincidence because God was in control!

Then God prepared Haman, who had prepared a gallows at home. He felt that his power was at its zenith and that the King favored him above all others. He wanted to ask the King to hang Mordecai on the fifty-foot-high gallows.

But coincidentally, when Haman came to see the King, the King had just finished reading this history and wanted to reward Mordecai. How coincidental! The King asked Haman, "What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?" Haman came up with an idea, and the King said, "Go and do this for Mordecai." Haman's feelings were indescribable. God's work is always perfectly timed! The conditions for victory were prepared so perfectly, completely beyond your imagination. This is definitely God's doing.

Immediately afterward, Esther said, "The enemy is Haman." As a result, the King was furious and stormed out, leaving only the Queen and Haman at the banquet. Esther turned and leaned on the couch, and Haman knelt beside the couch. Coincidentally, the King returned and saw this scene. The King said, "Will you molest the queen while she is with me in the house?" As soon as these words were spoken, the guards covered Haman's face.

Coincidentally, the eunuch Harbona said, "Your Majesty, Haman has prepared a fifty-foot-high gallows in his house for Mordecai." The King angrily asked Haman, "Who told you to do this? Don't you know Mordecai has done a great service?" As a result, Haman was hanged. How coincidental! How could the eunuch Harbona be so well-informed? These conditions were prepared so coincidentally, definitely not by chance. This is the hand of God!

Brothers and sisters, we must experience several resurrections from the dead. It may seem hopeless, but in reality, God is in control. The situations that some of our brothers and sisters are facing may seem hopeless, but if you truly seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will definitely not ignore you. What God did for Esther and Mordecai, He will also do for us.

Over the past few years, in the process of serving and fighting, I have prayed continuously. In those seemingly hopeless environments, I have watched the entire situation turn around, the enemy being trampled, and the reversal coming so quickly. When we are trapped in a passive environment, we do not know when the reversal will come. But when things turn around, we realize that it comes just in time and so quickly.

During the process of the Jewish people facing extermination, they cried out in prayer. They had never prayed like that before. For the first time, they began to fast and pray fervently. As a result, the reversal came so quickly, and all the conditions were prepared so perfectly. Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not disbelieve in God. Seeking God's righteousness is trusting in God, and seeking God's Kingdom is seeking according to God's will.

Esther Asked With Great Wisdom

Esther asked with great wisdom. She said, "If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king."

That is to say, our loyalty to the King and our service to the King are unmatched. Whether it was King Xerxes' father or his son, they were more inclined towards the Jews. The status and contribution of the Jews in the Persian Empire were quite significant.

If Esther had asked, "King, I just want Haman's head," it would not have sounded right. What our brothers and sisters often lack is this kind of wisdom. This wisdom is not cultivated in a day or two, but through constant practice.

If you seek your own interests, then every move you make is selfish, which is very annoying. If you develop the habit of being wise, you will definitely not seek your own benefit.

Look, Esther said, "Even if we were sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, but now we are about to be exterminated, not because we have offended the King, but because the wicked Haman wants to exterminate us. He secretly issued a decree." Perhaps the King was not even aware of this. How could the King not be angry? These words hit Haman's weakness and also hit the King's point of anger.

The King thought: Why are you killing the Jews who have done meritorious service? Esther's words were excellent. People should often practice not seeking their own benefit, and you will definitely become a wise person.

Victory Comes So Swiftly

When God's people turn to God, no one can resist. But if people's hearts are far from God, many times God sends enemies to attack you. The Bible says very clearly, "If you do not love God when you are rich, and do not serve the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, with joy and gladness, God will let you serve the enemies He sends to attack you."

Why did the Jews lose their country? It was all selfishness! Who sought the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? No one. They were all busy with their own affairs, busy with their own trivial matters. Even after the exile, when Zerubbabel was sent back to rebuild the temple and restore a God-centered life, they still did not center on God. Therefore, the deadly disasters that the Jews brought upon themselves all stemmed from the selfishness in their bones.

In the Persian Empire era, there was Haman. In our era, there was Hitler. Hitler killed six million Jews and hated them to the core. Recently, there has been a wave of "anti-Semitism" in the international situation, behind which God is at work. What God does is beyond our imagination!

Originally, after the end of World War I, God wanted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and the Palestine area to build a nation, but they did not return because that place was really too desolate. Europe was much better. As a result, there was World War II, which killed six million Jews.

When God's people turn to God, they are invincible. Know that God's hand is still in control. The answer lies in trusting God! I hope that brothers and sisters can grasp this spiritual law and not be stubborn in their hearts. It is not that the group leader needs you to take Bible study notes, nor do you need to show them to the group leader, but you should be willing to do them in your heart. Our brothers and sisters must know that in the end, it is all God's work. Why is our situation a bit desolate? It is God's work.

Everyone must not think that life is good now. Just like everyone admires Singapore now, thinking that Singapore is so good. But if you go to Singapore and take a look, the Christians there are living very prosperous lives, but their love for God is really not very strong. Can they pay the price for God? They spend their time on travel, thinking that serving God is secondary, but they are still complacent in their hearts.

When the spiritual situation of a place is declining, that country will definitely decline. When the Christians of a country begin to love God, even though they are experiencing persecution, they love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and strength, they will definitely overcome the enemy, and victory will come very quickly.

How did the reversal come about? Esther and Mordecai discussed it, and Esther said, "Isn't it for this time that I am queen? I will go to see the King with a 'if I perish, I perish' resolve." Did she die? No! If you serve God with a "if I perish, I perish" resolve, you will not die.

Looking at the current situation of the church, we are also worried that people will live good lives and then not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness, and the result will be very miserable. The history of the Jews perfectly confirms this. When people become rich, they do not serve the Lord their God with joy and gladness, and God lets them serve the enemies He sends to attack them.

Where is the answer? It lies in having a "if I perish, I perish" resolve! The days of victory come so quickly. We will share this much this time. May God bless everyone!

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