Summary Esther Chapter 6:1-11
MODECAI HONORED,
HAMAN HUMILIATED,
ESTHER SAVES HER NATION
FROM ANNIHILATION
What does a king do when he cannot
sleep? He has the record of his reign read to him, so he can relive his glory days. Even sleeplessness can be due to the divine work of our
Lord. It had been five years since Mordecai reported the plot against the
king’s life, and he had never received a reward for this good deed. The king’s
readers chose the portion of the record that reported that his life was saved
by Mordecai. I believe God directed them there. Having been made aware of this
incident, the king wanted to know if Mordecai received any kind of thank you.
The servants reported that he had not. Maybe
one of the reasons Haman and King Ahasuerus got along pretty well is because
they were both self-absorbed, two peas in a pod. Perhaps they saw their own
reflection, a mirror image when they looked at each other.
The king asked if there was any
official in the outer court. Enter Haman at exactly the wrong time! He was
there because he was going to talk to the king about the plan to impale
Mordecai on a pole. He had no idea what the king had just read! Haman had no clue how
close he was to putting his big foot in his self-promoting mouth.
Since the king had called for him,
Haman chose to let the king be the first to open the conversation. This was
both good and bad for Haman. Good that he didn’t immediately share his plot
against someone the king wished to reward. But bad, as you will see, because
his frustration with the Jew who would not bow down to him was about to be
increased.
The king asked Haman’s advice on how
to reward someone. In his vanity, Haman assumed he was the one to be rewarded. Isn’t it ironic that
the king poses such an interesting question to Haman, and Haman had no thought
of anyone else the king would want to honor other than him. Any official could have been in that outer court, but God
was working toward not only honoring Mordecai and ultimately saving the Jews,
but also putting Haman in his place.
Since Haman is cocky and sure that
he is to be the one honored, he sets forth his own personal wish list. His idea is a lavish,
extravagant plan to display the man’s prominence in the eyes of the king for
all the kingdom to see. Since I know the rest
of the story I almost feel sorry for him, but not quite.
Has the king forgotten he approved
an edict to condemn all Jews to death or did he still not realize it was the
Jews he condemned with one stroke of the quill? Perhaps since he
allowed Haman to actually compose and seal that edict, it had slipped his mind.
Haman now has the “privilege” of being the one to
bestow all these honors on Mordecai. I see Haman going out of the king’s presence
stomping his feet up and down and shouting, “Why!? It’s so unfair!” It
was really a custom at this time in history to put royal crowns on horses, but
to me that sounds like something out of a cartoon. However, this would say to
all who saw this one person parade that he was being treated as if he were the
king himself, wearing the king’s robe, riding his crowned horse, and being led
by one of the king’s favorite nobles.
The Bible does not tell us anything
about Mordecai’s reaction to this turn of events, but I am sure he could see
the irony of being so honored with his enemy having to lead the horse. The Bible does not
describe the crowd’s reaction either, but I would think they would be
absolutely dumbfounded, utterly speechless. The
enmity between these two men was well known, so we can be certain there were probably
two camps – Haman’s Persian friends, and Mordecai’s Jewish friends as well as
Persians who respected him.
Esther 6:12 And
Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning,
and having his head covered. 13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his
friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh
his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou
hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall
before him.
Reformation Study Bible notes:
6:13 you will not overcome him.
Haman’s wife and advisers give voice to the belief that the Jewish people were
indomitable and, perhaps, even to the view that their God was the living God.
See the predictions about the fall of Amalek before Israel (Ex. 17:16; Num.
24:20; Deut. 25:17–19; 1 Sam. 15; 2 Sam. 1:8–16; cf. Dan. 6:26, 27; Josh. 2:11;
9:29; Ezek. 38:23).
Haman
reacts like a wounded dog, hiding his face, with his tail between his legs. His mortification now seems complete. He told his wife and
friends, the same ones who had advised him to have Mordecai executed, what he
had been required
do for Mordecai on behalf of the king. They
now offer him advice that is polar opposite to their previous plot. Now they want him to treat Mordecai with kid gloves. His advisors now tell
him the sad reality of his future. The destruction of the Jews is not eminent
but the destruction of Haman is.
Esther 6:14 And
while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to
bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
All of these events have transpired
between banquet
one and banquet two given by Queen Esther. Whereas
Haman had been looking forward to the second dinner with the royal couple,
there was now a damper on his excitement. Haman had no idea how bad this nightmare was
going to become.
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Esther 7:1 So the king and
Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 And the king said again unto
Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen
Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be
performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
The king and Haman attended a
second banquet hosted by Queen Esther. Once again, she waited until the king
made his offer to give her anything during the after dinner wine. This was the
third time King Ahasuerus had offered to give Esther up to half the kingdom,
but material goods were not her desire.
Esther 7:3 Then Esther the
queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it
please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my
request: 4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and
to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my
tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
Now that she had the king
perfectly primed with two elaborate meals and was assured of his amorous
attention, she answered his question with her heart’s
plea to be spared along with her people. She didn’t initially slam
the king’s favorite official but just said “there are some” who wanted to destroy her
people. In the original Hebrew, Esther quoted the exact murderous words of the
edict that the Jews were to be “destroyed, killed, and annihilated”. Esther was astute in not naming
Haman immediately. She even told him that if he
were just going to sell or trade them to another owner, she would not have bothered
him. Her humility probably touched him since he had gone so overboard in
showing his favor to the point of offering her up to half of his kingdom. Her humble approach
disarmed King Ahasueras.
Esther 7:5 Then the king
Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he,
that durst presume in his heart to do so?
The king was a little dense,
thick-headed. He either had not put two and two together that his beloved queen
was a Jewess, or the edict against the Jews had totally flown out of his
brain. Since Haman actually composed the edict, the king may not have
fully realized what he was approving.
Esther 7:6 And Esther said, The
adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king
and the queen.
Esther finally was able to
express her true feelings about Haman. Surely after observing the animosity
between Haman and her surrogate father, Mordecai, for years, Esther abhorred the king’s
right-hand man. Not only was Haman an enemy to the Jews; but as we have seen,
his nation and the nation of Israel had always been
adversarial. I can almost picture Esther pointing her finger at Haman’s face!
Esther 7:7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went
into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to
Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the
king.
Haman was now shaking in his
sandals. King Ahasuerus fumed that he could be used as puppet by his most
trusted official. Incensed, the king stormed out of the room.
Esther 7:8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of
the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then
said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word
went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
Haman had been reduced to groveling before a Jewish woman, one of
the very people he viewed as despicable! While begging for his life, he threw himself
onto the queen’s couch. Even daring to touch the queen would be considered as
violating her. He was seeking mercy in place of justice. His timing was horribly
unfortunate as the king walked in to see him apparently attacking the
queen! The king was flabbergasted that Haman would take such outlandish
liberties!
Cue the dramatic music…Haman was now completely sure
he was condemned to die.
Esther 7:9 And Harbonah, one of the
chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high,
which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in
the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. 10 So they hanged
Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's
wrath pacified.
The eunuchs must not have
appreciated Haman. Haman was not a kind overseer. Harbonah was quick to offer the king a way to
dispose of the despised Haman. Harbonah made the king aware of Haman’s plot to
kill Mordecai and display him on a 75-foot skewer. The king ordered that
Haman be shish-kebabbed instead. In an ironic twist, Haman became the object of ridicule
instead of Mordecai. His wife’s prediction came true, and biblical prophecy was
fulfilled.
The king was no longer hot with
anger, but this still had not solved the problem of the upcoming annihilation
of the Jews and his queen. Remember, a Persian edict or law cannot be reversed
EVEN BY THE KING!
Ponder This: Haman had immense power and thought he would destroy his enemies,
but God’s power was greater. God’s providence is seen throughout the book of
Esther. We need to remember that we serve the same sovereign Lord who is able
to accomplish all He desires in our lives.
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