Introduction

Good day to all. Let us continue our study of the Book of Esther, Chapter 8, with the theme "The Rewards of Victory." After three days of fasting and prayer, Esther, with a "if I perish, I perish" conviction, went to see the king. Not only did she not perish, but she was victorious because God was at work. The rewards of that victory were exceedingly abundant, even beyond our imagination.

Haman's Property Given to Esther

On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told him what he was to her. Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. (Esther 8:1-2)

Haman was once richer than many nations, with a vast estate, but now his family had been implicated and his property was given to Esther. Note that Haman's property was not just a farmer's house in Shenzhen, but a collection of such houses; his home was larger than the China Red Sandalwood Museum.

How did Esther obtain these riches? It was because she was victorious; only through victory can one obtain! If a person is financially lacking, the main reason is spiritual "defeat," lacking the "if I perish, I perish" conviction. Today, there are countless Christians who are weak and easily manipulated.

For example, the son of one of our sisters wanted to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills, and his mother was completely controlled! Her son was "skilled" at preventing his mother from praying with us, threatening suicide. At this point, the sister immediately wilted, lacking the "if I perish, I perish" conviction.

If one opens their spiritual eyes, they would see this as the oppression of evil spirits, but she lacks the "if I perish, I perish" conviction. This matter is also evil; her son wants to die, and she is frightened. I told her, "Your son will not die so easily; he is just scaring you."

This is not just being manipulated for a day, but for a lifetime. At the same time, she also suffers financial losses; when a person is controlled, their mind does not function well. But Esther, with the "if I perish, I perish" conviction, not only did not die but was victorious and received many material rewards; Haman's property was given to Esther.

As for what Esther did with this money, we do not know, but it is conceivable that the concubines and queens in the palace were all very wealthy. Just like in "Dream of the Red Chamber," there was a family whose daughter was a concubine in the palace, and as a result, her family was richer than many nations in the Jiangnan area.

But Esther was an exception. When the Jewish nation faced a catastrophic disaster, Esther deeply knew that she had obtained the position of queen for such a time as this. Therefore, she was willing to risk her life and her position as queen to go in to see the king, and nothing happened.

Mordecai Receives the King's Ring

The king's ring was a royal seal; decrees issued with the royal seal were called edicts. Haman was hanged on the gallows, and his ring was recovered and given to Mordecai. Mordecai was a man of unyielding integrity, but he was not stubbornly unwilling to believe in God; rather, he trusted in God.

And Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

So, under Mordecai's encouragement, Esther, with the "if I perish, I perish" conviction, saved the Jews. Shouldn't Mordecai receive even greater rewards? Indeed, he later became the prime minister of the Persian Empire.

It is tragic for a person to have no concept of victory. Why are people controlled? It is for the sake of these worldly things. If a person dedicates even their life to God, how can they not be victorious? If Mordecai had bowed down to Haman, there would have been no story of God's salvation. When the Jews were cornered to death by Haman, it would have been over.

Therefore, God seeks people of faith and character on this earth and then blesses them, not to control them. Such people come into this world with a mission, not living for the things of this world, yet lacking no good thing. This is the theme to be highlighted in this chapter.

Esther Obtains Her People

Esther obtained Haman's property, which was real gold and silver, and real estate like the houses around the Forbidden City in Beijing. So much wealth, but it was meaningless! Esther sought her people. I will read it to you:

Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and his plot that he had devised against the Jews. When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, because he had plotted against the Jews, and he has been hanged on the gallows. You may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.” (Esther 8:3-8)

This problem is serious. The decree of annihilation that Haman had previously sealed with the ring had already been sent to one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. Local officials had received it, and those who disliked the Jews had already organized.

Note that this decree could not be revoked. So what to do? This was a war. So the king ordered Mordecai and Esther to send another decree to the Jews in various places, allowing them to arm themselves to defend themselves.

Esther sought to obtain her nation. Who directed all this? God directed it! This frightened the Jews greatly. In the past, they lived their lives every day, and then disaster struck, and they were about to be annihilated. So they dared not live small lives anymore.

As a result, after receiving the decree, they quickly armed themselves. Could they get up early now? Could they stay up late? They could do it all. How good! Therefore, the hearts of the Jews turned to God, and they spread the story of Haman, Mordecai, and Esther throughout the Persian Empire. The Jews in various places thanked God! People need to be shaken by such things. When they are about to be destroyed, they no longer live small lives.

From Zerubbabel's return to Jerusalem to build the temple, to the time of King Ahasuerus, Esther, and Mordecai, and then to the years of Nehemiah and Ezra, the Jews were quite detestable. Few people were really willing to spend time serving God, feeling that serving God could not be used as money.

By the time of Malachi, God's words were truly heartfelt because the Jews were all concerned with living their own small lives. Later, God was too lazy to pay attention to them, so He simply sent Jesus Christ to be born into the world more than four hundred years later to carry out salvation.

What do we, who have been saved, seek? Do we not seek that God's people can enter God's kingdom? Do we not seek victory? Do we not seek to build a victorious church? How can we be poor or miserable? If people can wake up through the Book of Esther and rely on God to be victorious again, how good that would be.

There is a sister who has received great grace among us. She was initially poor and destitute. After following us to believe in the Lord, her life improved somewhat, but she had no time to spare to serve and seek God's kingdom and righteousness.

It was already good enough that she could barely follow the meetings! As a result, she grew a tumor in her stomach. She did not use Western medicine for surgery but used traditional Chinese medicine to regulate it. I think it is better to use the Holy Spirit to regulate it! But Esther sought to obtain her people.

The King Decrees to Cut Off, Kill, and Annihilate All the Enemies of the Jews

That is to say, the Jews were to arm themselves. Whoever dared to destroy them, they could destroy, and it would not be considered a crime. This decree was copied and sent down in many copies. Thank God, this was not a coincidence, nor was it the king's favor to the Jews, but God's work of saving people never changes! Esther asked the king, and the king gave it to her. Thus:

The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, each province in its own script and each people in its own language and also to the Jews in their script and their language.

And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, conveying to the Jews who were in every city the right to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, plunder, and annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, with their children and women, and to plunder their goods (Esther 8:9-12).

This is explained very clearly: whoever comes to attack you, you gather together and kill them. They come to kill you by edict, and you also kill them by edict. Those who came to kill the Jews by edict were basically the Agagites, the Amalekites. This "counter-kill" edict caused quite a stir. Whoever comes to kill you, you kill them and get their property.

The king issued a decree to cut off, kill, and annihilate all the enemies of the Jews, which was also sent to the provinces, and the provinces then distributed it downward. Then they also copied this decree and promulgated it to the provinces, declaring to all peoples that the Jews were preparing to await the day to take revenge on their enemies.

But these letters had to be spread throughout the country, from India to Ethiopia, Africa, Asia, and Europe, a total of one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. The delivery had to be fast, otherwise, it would be troublesome if it had not been delivered by December! It is possible that some places did not receive it, and the Jews in that place did not know about it, and they might be killed, or they might not even know to repent and still live small lives there.

But those places that received the decree armed themselves and could strike at their enemies. They finally obtained Haman's property, and the king's ring enabled them to obtain their people. They also issued this decree. It was too powerful!

Mordecai Wore Royal Robes and a Large Golden Crown

Mordecai took Haman's position, and there were too many people currying favor with him. I will read it to you:

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews (Esther 8:15-17).

Mordecai became prime minister. How great Haman's power was before, how great Mordecai's power is now. Haman used to be in charge of the government, and now it is Mordecai's turn to be in charge of the government. Then many people curry favor with Mordecai because he was victorious.

Mordecai used to sit at the court gate in ragged clothes, but now he wears a large golden crown and royal robes of blue and white. How good it looks! This is "Egyptian blue," which was used by the royal families of Egypt and Persia, and it is especially noble. Then he covered it with a robe of fine linen and purple. How good it looks!

Then Mordecai looked in the mirror and thought: Wow, I'm so handsome! I actually have this day. I can also wear the prime minister's clothes and be a first-class official in front of the emperor. He never dreamed that the end of resisting Haman would be so beautiful. The rewards of victory are too high!

Brothers and sisters must know that the rewards of winning the battle are extremely rich, and the feeling of losing the battle is completely different! Therefore, I encourage brothers and sisters to have spiritual vision, not to be suppressed by ghosts, and to have the "if I perish, I perish" conviction, so that they cannot be unblessed.

But this is not a rigidity, but it must be according to God's will, seeking God's kingdom and righteousness. It is amazing for a person to be victorious! We will share this study here. May God bless everyone!

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