Saturday, December 24, 2016

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - ESTHER - MORDECAI HONORED, HAMAN HUMILIATED, ESTHER SAVES HER NATION FROM ANNIHILATION

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.




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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