The Hidden Hand of God in Vengeance

Introduction: The Mystery of Esther

Welcome to The Well Community Church. If we have not met yet, my name is Brad, and I get the privilege of hanging out with you here this week. If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, turn to the book of Esther, chapter six. A special welcome to those in person, those joining us at one of our campuses via video, and especially those joining us at home. We are so grateful you’re here.

If you’re joining us for the first time, we’re in the middle of a series that has been surprisingly a bit controversial. It’s controversial because when we come to the Bible, if we’re not honest with the text, we tend to put on rose-colored glasses. We read it assuming it says something that it may not actually be saying. Now, to be fair, we’re not exactly sure if we’re right or wrong in the interpretation of this specific text. What we are sure of is that the Bible doesn’t give us a lot of hints or clues as to the godliness of the main characters in this book.

There’s a chance they are all wonderful people and we’ve been interpreting it correctly for generations—that Esther was raised up by God for such a time as this, she’s a godly woman, and God uses her. All of that could be true. But it’s also possible that because God is never mentioned, nobody ever prays, the Word of God is never quoted, and the book is never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, that it is actually purposely void of any indications of godliness. That could also be true. The reason I say it’s controversial is that when we come to the text with a preconceived notion, it bothers us a little bit to hear it might be something else.

We don’t want to say more than the Bible says, and we don’t want to say less. So, I want to say thank you for all the books, articles, and blog posts you’ve been sending me on Esther. I’ve got piles of them now! Honestly, that doesn’t bother me at all because if the end goal is that we look at our Bibles more intently and study more diligently, that’s a win. We want to be diligent to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen who don’t need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

The Pinnacle of the Story: A Shift in Momentum

As we talk about Esther, it’s important to remember the genre is historical narrative—some call it historical art. It’s built in a mirrored fashion that leads up to a climax. Chapters one and two are similar to chapters nine and ten. Chapter five featured the first banquet where the king asked Esther what her request was, and she essentially choked. She hesitated and said, “Let’s do this again tomorrow night.”

What we’re covering this week is that “tomorrow night.” This is the second banquet. All of this mirrored content builds to the pinnacle of the book in chapter six. In most literature, the climax is the final showdown between the protagonist and the antagonist. But in this book, the pinnacle is a story of the king being unable to sleep. Yet, in that insomnia, you see the hidden hand of God.

Because the king can’t sleep, he asks for the chronicles of the kingdom to be read—which sounds super boring. It just so happens the servant grabs the one scroll out of many that contains the record of Mordecai exposing an assassination attempt. It just so happens the king realizes they never honored Mordecai for it. Meanwhile, Haman shows up, having spent the entire night building a seven-story gallows to impale Mordecai.

The king asks Haman how to honor someone important, and Haman, in his arrogance, thinks the king is talking about him. He suggests a royal parade. The king says, “Great idea. Go do exactly that for Mordecai.”

Suddenly, the momentum shifts. In the previous chapters, Haman couldn’t do anything wrong. He had the king’s signet ring; he was drinking the king’s wine. He was killing it. But in chapter seven, he can’t do anything right. At the end of chapter six, Mordecai returns to the king’s gate after his parade, while Haman hurries home in mourning, humiliated. He recounts what happened to his wife and friends, and they give him a chilling warning: “If Mordecai is a Jew, you are in trouble. You will surely fall before him.”

Why would they say that? Apparently, they knew that if you are opposed to God’s people, you’re on the wrong side of history. In Genesis, God told Abraham that He would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him.

Genesis 12:3 (NASB)

And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’

There is a clear idea here: if you oppose the people of God, you are opposing God, and you’re going to lose that battle. Haman is reeling. He was on his way to ask permission to kill Mordecai, and instead, he had to parade him around like a hero. He is literally upside down. And while he’s still processing this with his friends, the “Uber” shows up. The king’s servants arrive to hastily bring him to the banquet.

Esther 6:14 (NASB)

While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hastily brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

The Second Banquet: Esther’s Brave Petition

The king and Haman arrive to drink wine with Esther. Haman has no idea what’s going on. He doesn’t know if she knows about his plot or if the king is upset. While they are there, the king asks Esther for a third time, “What is your petition? I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom.”

Esther 7:1-2 (NASB)

Now the king and Haman came to drink [wine] with Esther the queen. And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, ‘What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.’

Now, say what you will about Esther—and I’ve said a lot—there is no question that the arc of her life is moving in a positive direction. Early on, she was silent about her identity. Not anymore. She was hesitant to step up for her people. Not anymore. She shows a bravery and courage here that is commendable.

She answers the king, “If I have found favor in your sight, let my life be given as my petition and my people as my request.”

Esther 7:3 (NASB)

Then Queen Esther replied, ’If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request;

She explains that they have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. She uses the exact wording from Haman’s edict. She tells the king that if they were just being sold into slavery, she would have stayed silent and not troubled him, but this is about total annihilation.

Esther 7:4 (NASB)

for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.’

I don’t know if the king is protecting himself or if he has a short memory, but he asks, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do such a thing?” The answer isn’t complicated. She could have said, “It’s you!” But she’s tactful. She knows that calling out a megalomaniac directly usually doesn’t go well. So, she points at the one who initiated the plot.

Esther 7:6 (NASB)

Esther said, ‘A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!’ Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.

The King’s Wrath and Haman’s Fall

Haman is terrified. The night before, he was living his best life; now, everything is falling apart. The king is so angry he excuses himself to the palace garden. He’s in a tough spot. If he pardons Haman, he looks weak. If he executes him, he’s executing the man who carried out his own signed decree. He’s trying to figure out how to handle this.

While the king is outside, Haman stays behind to beg Esther for his life. Culturally, this was a massive blunder. No man was supposed to be alone with a woman from the king’s harem. But Haman is in a panic. He’s stuck between the possibility of being killed in the courtyard or staying in an inappropriate position with the queen.

When the king returns, he finds Haman falling over Esther on her couch. Whether it was an actual assault or just a convenient excuse for the king to vent his rage, the king shouts, “Will you even assault the queen with me in the house?”

Esther 7:8 (NASB)

Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, ‘Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?’ As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Immediately, they cover Haman’s face. Then a eunuch named Harbonah speaks up. We’ve seen this guy before—he was there in chapter one when Queen Vashti was deposed. He’s been there from the beginning. He’s seen Haman’s character for years. He says, “Behold, there are gallows standing at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai.”

Esther 7:9 (NASB)

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who [were] before the king said, ‘Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king!’ And the king said, ‘Hang him on it.’

It’s a brilliant move. He points out that Haman built a seven-story structure to kill the man who actually saved the king’s life. The king gives the order: “Hang him on it.”

Esther 7:10 (NASB)

So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

What a turn of events! Haman is hung on the very gallows he built, and Mordecai, who was marked for death, is honored. This is the hidden hand of God in justice.

Application 1: A Cautionary Tale for the Abuser

I think there are two main takeaways for us today. First, this is a cautionary tale for those who wish to cause harm. There are “Hamans” out there today. Maybe they aren’t seeking genocide, but they are colleagues who undercut you, neighbors who have it out for you, or even loved ones causing abuse or violence.

James tells us that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6 (NASB)

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’

There is a biblical principle that those who dig a pit for others often fall into it themselves. Proverbs says that he who leads the upright astray will fall into his own pit.

Proverbs 28:10 (NASB)

He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good.

If you are on the giving end of harm or abuse, you might ask, “Does God see? Is He involved?” The answer is a profound yes. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power, and He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.

Nahum 1:3 (NASB)

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

You might get away with it for a season, but God does not forget. Surely the evil man will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 11:21 (NASB)

Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

Application 2: Hope for the Afflicted

Secondly, this text brings hope to the afflicted. If you’ve been on the receiving end of harm, it’s easy to wonder where God is. But God does see, and He will act. Psalm 37 tells us to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Psalms 37:7-8 (NASB)

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; [it leads] only to evildoing.

When we are hurt, our flesh wants to retaliate. We want to cut people off in traffic or strike back. But the Bible invites us to trust God with vengeance. Romans 12 tells us never to repay evil for evil. Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.

Romans 12:17-19 (NASB)

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord.

That is unnatural for us. We want justice now. Esther was given a rare gift: she saw justice within fifteen minutes. It doesn’t always work that way for us. But we can pray for justice. Psalm 3 speaks of God smashing the teeth of our enemies—that’s a great prayer! You can say, “God, you are the one who brings justice. I give this to you.”

Psalms 3:7 (NASB)

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

The Final Justice: The Gospel and the Return of the King

We know that ultimate justice is coming. People will not get away with evil forever. Romans tells us that those with unrepentant hearts are storing up wrath for the day of righteous judgment.

Romans 2:5-6 (NASB)

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:

If you struggle with the injustice of the world, read Revelation 19 and 20. You see the return of our King on a white horse. He is coming to judge the living and the dead. In chapter 20, the books are opened, and every abuser and every person who brought harm will answer for their deeds.

Revelation 19:11-16 (NASB)

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’

Revelation 20:11-15 (NASB)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one [of them] according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

You might be thinking, “That’s right! Get those people!” But I have to remind us: we are all “those people.” For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23 (NASB)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

On our best day, our good deeds are like filthy rags. So how do we stand? We stand because of the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the propitiation—the satisfaction—of the wrath of God. Our sin is an offense to a holy God, but God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He took the wrath that should have been ours. When we place our faith in Him, we are fully forgiven and accepted. We get grace (what we don’t deserve) and mercy (not getting what we do deserve).

God is both the just and the justifier. Sin was still paid for, but the wrath was poured out on Jesus instead of us. So, if you are being abused or harmed, know that God sees it, and they will answer to Him. If you are the one causing harm, I plead with you: turn to Christ while you can. He can make old things new. None of us are too far for the hand of the Gospel to save us.

We have a God who is in the midst of it all, and He longs to make all things new. Amen?

Closing Prayer

Father, I’m grateful that You are a God who sees, who is aware, and who is at work. Could we rest at ease knowing that You do not forget? Because of that, Lord, we don’t have to be spiteful or vengeful. Vengeance is Yours. We don’t have to keep a record of wrongs because love covers a multitude of sins. We commit these people and these situations to You.

Lord, if there be any “Hamans” here—any who are bent toward vengeance or causing harm—may they recognize there is a God who loves them and can redeem them by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Thank You for the lessons of Your hidden hand in justice. We pray this in His name. Amen.