Transcript

In the days leading up to the war with Germany, the British government commissioned a series of posters. The idea was to capture encouraging slogans on paper and distribute them about the country.

Capital letters in a distinct typeface were used, and a simple two-color format was selected. The only graphic was the crown of King George VI.

The first poster was distributed in September of 1939. It read, “Your courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution, Will Bring Us Victory.” Soon thereafter a second poster was produced: “Freedom Is in Peril: Defend It with All Your Might.”

These two posters appeared up and down the British countryside, on railroad platforms, and in stores and restaurants. They were everywhere.

A third poster was created yet never distributed. More than 2.5 million copies were printed yet never seen until nearly sixty years later when a bookstore owner in northeast England discovered one in a box of old books he had purchased at an auction.

It read: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” The poster bore the same crown and style of the first two posters. It was never released to the public, however, but was held in reserve for an extreme crisis, such as invasion by Germany.

The bookstore owner framed it and hung it on the wall. It became so popular that the bookstore began producing identical images of the original design on coffee mugs, postcards, and posters. Everyone, it seems, appreciated the reminder from another generation to keep calm and carry on.

Esther provides us with an outstanding example of how to “keep calm and carry on.” Even though she was faced with overwhelming challenges, she resolved to risk her life for her people, and she calmly and methodically worked to expose the wicked plans of Haman.

Esther 5:1-2: “Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

“And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.”

At the end of the last chapter, Esther promised Mordecai that she would intercede for her people, the Jews, telling him, “and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

Esther was not one who resolved and made promises but did not perform and carry them out. Esther promised and she was good to her word.

In Esther 4:16, in preparation to risk her life by going in to speak with the king unsummoned and in seeking God’s favor and protection, Esther requested that Mordecai and all the Jews and Shushan fast for her, and not eat or drink for three days, while she and her maidens did the same.

Thus, between chapters 4 and 5, there is this three-day gap, when the fast took place, and verse 1 begins with “Now it came to pass on the third day.”

Now it was time for Esther to act following the fast. After she had prepared herself spiritually, Esther prepared herself physically to go in to stand before the king.

Verse 1 states that “Esther put on her royal apparel,” as she dressed herself in all her royal splendor and regal robes, in the clothes befitting her dignified, exalted station in life. She dressed like the queen and presented herself as the king’s counterpart.

She then, in an incredible act of faith, after summoning all her courage, went directly to the inner court of the palace, and she entered it.

This is very unlike the believer who can approach the throne of God boldly. As Hebrews 4:16 states, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Esther entered the court next to the throne room of King Ahasuerus and just stood there, standing there poised, confident, and in quiet strength. She did not cringe or cower; she did not come in and start immediately begging for her life. But it was a moment of high drama as she waited to see the king’s response to her unannounced visit.

Verse 1 states that Esther “stood in the inner court of the king’s house [or palace], over against the king’s house [or across from or opposite his throne room]: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house [or facing the entrance].”

She stood in the inner court at the entrance of the throne room, and the king was sitting on his elevated throne which faced the entrance.

Esther came in gracefully and unnoticed at first and she waited. She went far enough to be in the king’s line of sight, but without approaching his throne.

As soon as she entered that inner court in view of the king, Esther was under a death sentence. She would die unless the king pardoned her.

Esther’s approach to King Ahasuerus was fraught with danger for a number of reasons.

First, Esther broke the law by appearing before the king without being called for, and the penalty for doing so was death.

Second, Esther had to admit what her ethnic background was after hiding it from him all the years of their marriage.

Third, Esther had to call into question a decree that the king permitted and attempt to reverse an irreversible law. And fourth, Esther had to oppose the king’s second-in-command and trusted advisor, Haman.

J. Vernon McGee paints the picture well: “The king was sitting on his royal throne opposite the entrance to the palace. Around him were his court attendants dressed in all of their finery. Imagine the color!

“In addition to that were the awnings, the tapestries, the gold and silver and marble of the throne room. The king was probably conducting state business when Esther stepped out from an alcove, or from behind a pillar, and stood there in her royal apparel.”

Verse 2 states “When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court,” which implies that he did not notice her at first. But when he finally did notice her standing there, verse 2 says that “she obtained favor in his sight,” that is, he was immediately pleased to see her. Esther obtained not rebuke or anger but favor and grace in the sight of the king.

Esther obtained favor here and in other places in this book. And these multiple bestowals of favor reflect the providential hand of God working “behind the seen.”

The king, following the protocol and law of the land, and showing his favor, then “held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand,” therefore pardoning and sparing her life. And we can only imagine how great Esther’s relief was at this moment.

As an aside, the fact that this took place on the third day, reminds us how Christ “rose again the third day.” The third day speaks to resurrection and life in the Scriptures.

And here we find that “on the third day” after the fast, after she was under a death sentence, Esther’s life was spared, and she lived. And because of Esther’s courageous act and intercession, the Israelites would eventually be spared and live as well.

After the king extended the golden scepter and pardoned her, Esther approached the king, as this gesture also indicated that she was free to come near his throne.

And as Esther stood in front of King Ahasuerus, she then “touched the top of the sceptre,” a customary act by which the king’s grace was accepted and appropriated, and a sign which expressed her reverence and submission to the king.

Esther 5:3-8: “Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

“And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

“Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

“And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;

“If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.”

The king, knowing Esther had risked her life to come before him without being bidden, deduced that she had some urgent and very important matter to speak with him about.

So the king sought to know why she had come and invited her to share her petition, asking her, “What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request?”

Showing how pleased he was to see her, the king even assured the queen that any request she might make, even to half the kingdom, he would surely grant to her.

Three times in the book, the king promised to give Esther up to half of the kingdom (5:3,6; 7:2). This was a figure of speech, a customary statement of kings wishing to honor someone who had obtained favor with them.

Herod Antipas said the same thing to his step-daughter in Mark 6:23, “And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.”

Telling Esther that he could give her up to half of his kingdom does make clear the king’s sincere desire to please her and that he would be generous in doing what she requested.

The funny thing is after the king asked, “what is your request,” Esther doesn’t answer his question until chapter 7, verses 2 and 3.

You would think that right here would be where Esther would unload the truck and reveal the full story and plead for her people’s lives. But she wisely waits. Esther was patient. She did not rush into the throne room, and she did not rush to tell the king her concern.

So why didn’t she tell the king about Haman’s evil plot? First, it wasn’t the right time. The king would have been unprepared to have shocking news immediately thrust upon him that his second-in-command was a villain and an enemy. He might have considered the accusation treasonous or dismissed it as just rumor or gossip.

Second, it was not the right place. It would not have been right to plead and intercede for her people publicly in the company of the servants, officers, counselors, and chamberlains that were present in the throne room.

It was better to make her request privately and with only Haman present when she disclosed his evil plot to wipe out her people. Esther wisely felt it best that Haman be present when she revealed his scheme to the king so that he might answer for himself.

Thus, Esther calmly requested a private meeting with the king and Haman, telling the king, “If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

Instead of asking a large favor, up to half of the kingdom, Esther merely requested that the king and Haman attend a dinner she had prepared. She knew that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach!

So we learn of something that Esther had been doing during the three days between chapters 3 and 4. While she was fasting, she was also planning and preparing a banquet!

That probably wasn’t an easy thing to do when she was fasting and hungry.

The king immediately granted Esther’s request and ordered that Haman be summoned and “make haste” or be brought quickly to attend Esther’s banquet, which was already prepared.

Haman obeyed the command to come immediately, and the king and Haman then attended Esther’s banquet (v. 5). This likely bolstered Haman’s already large ego to attend a special banquet and to dine with the king and queen of the Persian empire.

Verse 6 tells us that “at the banquet of wine” meaning after the meal and at the time of the banquet when the wine was served, it was at this time that the king asked Esther again what her petition and request was.

King Ahasuerus again promised to grant her request and told of his generous willingness to grant whatever she wished even up to half the kingdom (v. 6).

And verse 7 reads, “Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is.” As you read that verse, it’s almost like Esther began to reveal the request of her heart, but then she decided against sharing at this particular time, and she decided to wait.

For a second time, Esther simply requested that the king and Haman attend a banquet to be held the next day, but she added, “and I will do to morrow as the king hath said,” assuring the king that she would present her petition at that time.

By this, she stirred the king’s curiosity and expectancy, while at the same time, she continued to build up Haman’s ego and bold pride.

And we also see God’s unseen, providential hand in Esther deciding to not inform the king and make her request at the first banquet. It was not the right time, and therefore she was led to put off her disclosure.

The events of chapter 6 that transpired during the night between the banquets furnished the necessary foundation for her accusation at the second banquet and prepared the king to hear Esther’s petition.

Esther 5:9-14: “Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

“Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.

“And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

“Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.

“Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.”

Haman headed home that day “joyful and with a glad heart.”

He was in high spirits, walking on air, bursting with pride, and feeling secure in his position, having been part of a private banquet, dining with the king and queen of Persia. Then on top of all this, he was invited to a second banquet the very next day!

But Haman’s elation was temporary, because as he was leaving the palace and exiting through the king’s gate, he saw Mordecai, the Jew. Mordecai was no longer dressed in sackcloth, so he was permitted to again be in the king’s gate.

Mordecai was not mourning now but was hopeful, knowing that Esther would speak to the king and intercede for her people.

As Haman went by him in the king’s gate, Mordecai just sat there and did not stand up. Earlier in chapter 3, Mordecai would not bow to Haman when he passed by, but after the edict that Haman wrote to destroy the Jews, Mordecai would not even stand up.

Verse 9 says of Mordecai: “he stood not up, nor moved for him.” “Moved” means that Mordecai did not tremble, he did not show fear in his presence.

Haman was second in command of the mightiest empire in the world, and Mordecai refused to stand. When a judge enters a courtroom, all rise and stand as a measure of respect. Mordecai’s message to Haman was clear: he had no respect for him.

He was not intimidated by Haman and was not at all impressed, and as a result of his decree, he now respected him even less than before, and so he refused to stand, he showed not the slightest fear of this enemy of the Jews, and he refused to give any acknowledgment to him or his position of authority whatsoever.

Seeing Mordecai sitting, not standing or bowing, and not showing him any respect, Haman “was full of indignation against Mordecai.” All that joy and gladness of heart dissipated and was immediately replaced by anger and hate. Haman was enraged and furious.

But verse 10 says, “Nevertheless Haman refrained himself…” Haman bit his tongue and kept himself in check. It was all he could do to control himself in the face of this insult, but Haman refrained from taking action against Mordecai at this point.

When Haman got home, however, he found it necessary to gloat and to vent his rage. So he called for his friends and his wife, Zeresh, to come before him.

Haman then bursts into a self-indulgent speech boasting “of the glory of his riches,” or the great wealth he had amassed. He bragged about “the multitude of his children” he had. In chapter 9 we learn that Haman had ten sons (9:10). Having many children was a sign of great prosperity and esteem in Persia.

He proceeded to glory in “all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.”

He gloried in the honor the king had showered upon him, promoting him in rank in Persia’s government so that now he was above all princes and servants of the king and was second-in-command in all of Persia.

Then, in verse 12, he told his wife and friends that, not only this, but the queen also invited him that day to her private banquet with the king. And that tomorrow, he was to be the guest of honor again at another banquet with just the king and queen. The fact that Haman was invited to these private banquets fed his pride and confidence.

Haman boasted in the glory of his wealth, children, power, and privilege. As you read verses 11-12, repeatedly, you see masculine personal pronouns: “HIS riches,” “HIS children,” “the king had promoted HIM,” “how he had advanced HIM,” “the queen let no man come in with the king unto banquet…but MYSELF,” “tomorrow am I invited.”

It’s been said, “Pride is the only known disease that makes everybody sick except the person who has it.” And as you read Haman’s boasting, it makes you sick.

But as Proverbs teaches about the proud man which was surely true of Haman, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18), and “A man’s pride shall bring him low…” (29:23).

Haman was full of pride, and you would think that by having all these things that he boasted about, he would be satisfied. But he wasn’t.

Because of one Jew who would not give reverence to him, Haman said, “Yet all this availeth me nothing.” He found no satisfaction or happiness in his wealth and power as long as he saw Mordecai “sitting at the king’s gate,” sitting and not standing or bowing, continuing to refuse to give him the proper honor he felt he deserved.

This lack of respect by Mordecai was consuming Haman. When he tried to make himself feel better by thinking of all his wealth and power, he found no relief or satisfaction. He needed EVERYONE to bow to him. And because one didn’t, this became his sole concern.

But Haman’s problem wasn’t Mordecai, it was the emptiness and wickedness of his own heart. His pride blinded him to that fact.

Even if Haman had solved the “Mordecai problem,” it would not have filled the void in his heart. Nothing but God and a relationship with Him can fill that void.

After listening to Haman regale his greatness, his wife, Zeresh, and his friends say, “Why don’t you do something about it? Why don’t you just kill him?” After all, he had the power and the pull with the king to make it happen.

Appealing to Haman’s pride, obsessive hatred, and desire for revenge, they recommend that he have “a gallows” built and that it be built “fifty cubits high,” or 75 feet tall!

They then advised him to speak to the king the next day before the banquet so that after Mordecai was hanged and dead, he would enjoy the banquet even more.

For the wife and friends of Haman, it wasn’t enough to merely kill Mordecai. They wanted Haman to ask for a public, humiliating execution of Mordecai on a gallows 75 feet high. That’s seven-and-a-half stories!

The idea pleased and delighted Haman. So blinded was Haman by hate that he listened to the foolish advice of his wife and friends, and he ordered that the gallows be made.

Now a gallow in Persia in that day wasn’t what we picture from the Old West, with someone being hung on it with a noose. This gallow was not for hanging a victim by the neck but for violently killing and displaying the victim.

The word “gallow” means “tree” or “stake.” In Esther chapter 2, when the two men were killed for planning to assassinate the king, we read, “there they were both hanged on a tree.” The word “tree” is translated from the same word translated as “gallows” here.

Gallows and being hanged on a tree refers to torture and execution by impalement.

It’s been graphically described this way: “A pointed stake is set upright in the ground, and the culprit is taken, placed on the sharp point, and then pulled down by his legs till the stake…passes up through the body and comes out through the neck.”

The impaled person was then left hung on the stake for all to see. And Haman wanted all of Shushan to see Mordecai on the stake he would have made for his execution.

Making it 75 feet high, he wanted it seen from a distance and for all to see what happens to those who would not respect him and his authority.

Again, Haman foreshadows the Anti-Christ in the end times, the final enemy of the Jewish people.

We see his great pride and arrogance pictured in this account, and the dramatic and great lengths he will go to destroy those who refuse to worship and give him reverence.

His great and consuming hatred will drive him to desire to persecute, torture, and kill the believing remnant, but in the end, by the working of God, it is he who will be destroyed.