ESTHER CHAPTER 6

Esther Chapter 6

Esther 6:1 That same night the king was unable to sleep, so he ordered the official records of his reign to be brought and read before him.

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.

Q – What do you do when you absolutely cannot go to sleep? Have you ever thought that the Lord might have you awake for a purpose? To pray? To study?

Esther 6:2 As the record was read, the king was reminded of the time when Mordecai saved his life. Mordecai had been the one who reported that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the doors, were plotting to assassinate the king.

King Ahasuerus (to his servants): 3 Did Mordecai receive any recognition for this action? Was he honored in any way?

Servants: He received no recognition for this.

It had been five years since Mordecai reported the plot against the king’s life, and he had never received a reward to 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.

Esther 6:4 King Ahasuerus: Is anyone out in the court now?

Haman had just arrived at the outer court of King Ahasuerus’ palace. He hoped to speak with the king about executing Mordecai and hanging him on the pole he had prepared.

Servants: 5 Haman is here waiting in the court to see you.

King Ahasuerus: Allow him to come in.

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.

Esther 6:6 So Haman entered the king’s chambers. He waited for the king to speak first.

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.

Esther 6:6b King Ahasuerus: Haman, I want to ask you something. What do you believe is the proper manner in which to honor a man who has pleased me?

Then Haman thought to himself, “There is no one the king wishes to honor more than me.”

Big mistake, Haman! 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 reward 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.

Esther 6:7 Haman: If you desire to honor a man, I believe you should do this: 8 First, have your servants bring one of the robes you have worn and one of the horses you have ridden that has worn the royal crown on its head. 9 Then, you should give the robe and horse to one of your most noble officials. Have him robe the man whom you want to honor and then lead the man on horseback throughout the center of the city. It should be announced that this is what happens for the man whom the king wants to honor.

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 honor for all the kingdom to see. Since I know the rest of the story I almost feel sorry for him, but not quite.

King Ahasuerus: 10 Your idea is perfect, Haman. I want you to go and do this immediately. Take one of my robes and one of my horses and do exactly what you have suggested to Mordecai, the Jewish man who sits at my gate. Do everything you have said, and don’t leave out one single detail. Not one!

The situation is now reversed, and Haman is forced to honor the man he has sought to kill.

Has the king forgotten he approved an edict to condemn all Jews to death? Perhaps since he allowed Haman to actually compose and seal that edict, it has 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.

Esther 6:11 Haman was mortified. He took the robe and horse; he dressed Mordecai in the king’s robe and led him throughout the square of the city.

Haman (shouting): This is what happens for the man whom the king desires to honor!

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.

Q – Read Luke 14:8-12. Do you think this would have been good advice for Haman? Do you think he would have had the wisdom to heed this advice?

Esther 6:12 When it was done, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman fled to his home, mourning and covering his head in humiliation. 13 He told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends everything that had happened to him. They offered him a bit of wise advice.

Zeresh and His Friends: You must be very careful with how you handle Mordecai! If he really is a Jew, a descendant of the nation that defeated your ancestors, then you won’t be able to succeed. In fact, you will most certainly be destroyed! Look, you’ve already begun to bow to 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 by the king to 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.

Esther 6:14 In the middle of their conversation, the king’s eunuchs arrived at Haman’s house and rushed him off to have dinner with Esther and the king.

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.

APPLY THIS TO YOUR LIFE:

1.      Mordecai did not seek reward for his saving the king’s life, but the Lord caused the king a sleepless night to remind him to take care of this slight. Patiently await the Lord’s timing rather than demanding what you think you are due.

2.      Likewise, do not assume you deserve the greatest honor and recognition. Better to behave humbly and be raised up than to elevate yourself only to be brought down. Proverbs 16:18 (VOICE) “Pride precedes destruction; an arrogant spirit gives way to a nasty fall.”