Esther 10 English Standard Version The Greatness of Mordecai 10 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. It's possible this short section of text was written as an epitaph or a memorial to Mordecai after his death and included at the end of the story to remind everyone of all the great things that the LORD allowed Mordecai to do that blessed not only the Jews, but also the God-fearing Gentiles.
King Ahasuerus taxed all the land. Why would this be important and something to be shared in Mordecai's accomplishments? My guess is that somehow Mordecai served as an advisor to the king in this matter and that this was considered one of Mordecai's great accomplishments. Mordecai was the second-highest ruler in the kingdom second only to the king himself (he reminds me a lot of Joseph in the book of Genesis). God took Mordecai from a place of slavery and sitting outside the palace gates for years to wearing royal robes and a crown and having the signet ring of the king and acting with full power and authority to make and enforce law for the Medo-Persian Empire (which covered most of the known world at that time). Because of God's blessings on Mordecai, all the people of the empire were blessed (again, much like Joseph). Mordecai gained favor among the Jewish people, and it was great for them to say that someone like them represented them to the king. Someone who understood them was there making policy to help them. Also, if they ever forgot that the LORD was with them everywhere they went, and that He was powerful no matter if they were in Jerusalem or in Exile, they only needed to look to Mordecai in the palace and remember the story of Mordecai, Esther, and Purim to recall that the LORD saved them from Pharoah in Egypt and from Haman in Persia. Just like Joesph, the Jews got special benefits under Mordecai's rule. Genesis tells us that Joseph used his power to treat all his family like they were members of the royal family, and they were all tax-exempt. Perhaps the same was true here and maybe that is why the tax was mentioned earlier. Whatever the reason, the people flourished while Mordecai ruled in Susa, but no man other than Jesus can have an eternal kingdom, so there will come a time where there will be a new king, and the people will long to go home and live in the Promised Land and worship at the Temple once again, for the LORD has put the Land in the hearts of the people of Israel. That's it for the book of Esther. We've already covered the book of Job, so we'll return to the book of Psalms next and cover the last half of the Psalms (we paused after Psalm 72--the end of Book 2). Those Psalms will be written over a long period of time--some of them even being written while the people were in Exile. With these stories as a backdrop, perhaps you will better hear the sadness of the Psalmists when they see the way in which the LORD's people turned to idols and were acting wickedly and abandoned His covenant. They knew the LORD would punish and exile them, and yet, they also knew the LORD would be with them and keep them and bring them back into the Land. That's what we've seen through Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The LORD saves and restores His people for His Name's sake. Esther 9:20-32 English Standard Version The Feast of Purim Inaugurated 20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. I've been talking about Purim for nearly the entire book of Esther. This passage is the one that firmly establishes the dates of Purim, the reason for celebration, and how the Jews should celebrate this holy day (holiday). It is to be celebrated the 14th and 15th of Adar (the last month on the Jewish calendar, so about the time of the half-moon that month). Note that it's also approximately one month before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach), so this feast gets the people's minds set on the LORD's salvation of His people before they celebrate the story of the Exodus from Egypt and how the LORD saved them "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm." On Purim though they celebrate the "reversal" that the LORD gave them, how he made them the head, and not the tail. He turned their mourning into gladness, just as He said He would. Therefore, it is a time of celebration, and even a time for the exchanging of gifts (much like Christians do at Christmas).
While the Jews had already celebrated this way the first time around, Mordecai made sure that the celebration of Purim was written into the laws of the Medes and the Persians so that it was irrevocable. It would always be celebrated and the events that happened here would always be told from generation to generation. The evil that Haman and his family planned against the LORD's people returned on their own heads, and the same goes for all that allied themselves with him against the LORD and His people. This would be a day of remembrance, and while the LORD's name was never mentioned in this book, His fingerprints are all over this book as He is clearly directing events. Even when we can't see the LORD, trust that He is working all things together for the good of His people and for His glory. Also, the LORD is a covenant-keeping God. He made eternal covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David that He would not break. The same God who did not break His covenant with the people of Israel and Judah will not break His covenant with those who are part of His family by Adoption (the New Testament saints). Last, but not least, these days were also days of fasting and lamenting for the descendants of Esther and Mordecai. Remember how the Jewish people fasted when they received the word of Haman's edict and they fasted and prayed for Queen Esther before she went before the king so that she would be granted favor in his sight so that she would not be executed for entering his presence uninvited. The descendants of Esther and Mordecai continued this tradition of fasting and prayer in remembrance of these events. If it wasn't obvious without this remembrance, this puts the focus clearly on the LORD that this was a miracle that He had to perform. All they could do was fast and pray and make themselves available "for such a time as this." With this proclamation, Esther added her authority to that of Mordecai and this feast became a feast that the descendants of the Jews that were in the provinces ruled by King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther (and governed by Mordecai) were obligated to keep. So it was that the Purim was established. I hope this explains how this is still a "biblical feast" but not one of the feasts described in the book of Leviticus or Deuteronomy (The Sabbath, Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Firstfruits, The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, The Feast of Tabernacles, and the Year of Jubilee). Purim now takes its place among these holy days as another salvation story much like that of the Exodus and Passover (though Passover will continue to be the holy day of obligation for the Jews as the LORD wants all of His people in Jerusalem there to see Jesus, the Passover Lamb, fulfill that Feast on the day of His crucifixion We have just one short passage left which will tell us a little more about Mordecai's time in government (since he's probably the one writing the book, he closes with a few notes about himself). We'll talk about that next time. Esther 9:1-19 English Standard Version The Jews Destroy Their Enemies 9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder. 11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another. We're going to skip ahead now nine months as from when Mordecai wrote his edict to the Jewish people to defend themselves to the twelfth month when the date had been set and written in Haman's edict for the destruction of the Jews. This is not just a battle of man against man and nation against nation, but there is a spiritual battle going on here between the people of God and the enemies of God. Even after the king appointed Mordecai in Haman's place and gave Haman's house to Queen Esther, there were still people in the empire who thought they had a chance to fight against the LORD and His people and win, but it was that very day in which the LORD reversed things for the Jews, and they gained mastery over all those who hated them. The Jews gathered together in their cities to defend themselves with whatever weapons they had available, and the governors and satraps and other royal officials all helped to defend and protect them as well because they loved the Jews for the sake of Esther and Mordecai.
In the citadel alone, 500 people were killed the first day who had come against the Jews in the city. This was also the day that Mordecai cleaned up Haman's house and killed all ten of Haman's sons so that he had no living heir. Even though the number of men killed in Susa that day was so great, Esther and Mordecai knew that there were many more men just waiting for the next day when the Jews did not have permission to defend themselves in order to attack. For this reason, they asked the king permission to defend themselves one additional day in the city of Susa, and he granted their request, and this is why Purim is a two-day feast. Another 300 men were killed in Susa on the second day that the king gave the Jews permission to defend themselves in Susa. Mordecai would then write instructions to all the Jews everywhere that these days would be days that would be celebrated in perpetuity to remember how the LORD took the day that was meant for their destruction and turned it into the day of their salvation (we're going to see this again at the Second Coming of Christ when all the nations of the world will gather together to try to kill the Jews and in that very moment, Jesus will show up to kill all of the enemies of God and take His seat on the throne of David in Jerusalem). Perhaps now you have a better understanding of the Feast of Purim and why the Jews exchange gifts and read this book and why the Pur is such an important part of the feast--because the LORD controlled the events of the "random" throw of the die to set the date for when He planned to save His people. I continue to pray today for a similar salvation for the LORD's people once again as they are surrounded by enemies that want to attack and kill them, but I also pray not just for their physical salvation but for their spiritual salvation and that they would recognize the salivation that only Jesus (His name means "The LORD Saves" or "The LORD is My/Our Salvation" can provide through His substitutionary atonement and through His office as our Great High Priest. The story isn't quite over yet as we'll come back next time and talk a little bit more about the feast of Purim and then there will be one more passage at the end of the book about Mordecai before we wrap things up. Esther 8 English Standard Version Esther Saves the Jews 8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.” 9 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, 12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. 15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. Haman has been killed on his own gallows, and for many playwrights, that would be the end of the story, but the LORD has a much bigger story of salvation that He has written and is directing (and it's a true story). The king gives Esther the house of Haman and sets her uncle Mordecai over it, and even gives Mordecai the signet ring off of Haman's finger that the king had given to him, making Mordecai the highest official in the land who had full authority to act in the name of the king, like Haman did.
Since the king could not take back or reverse the edict that Haman had written, Mordecai writes new orders that please the king that command the Jews to take up arms and fight--whether they are in the cities or in the country, they are given immunity by the king for one day for any deaths that happen by their hands in the actions of saving their own lives from those that would try to kill them that day. The enemies of the Jews have had several months of planning and preparation already, so these letters written by Mordecai must be sent out using the king's fastest horses to the ends of the empire which stretched all the way from India to Ethiopia. The letters were written in the local languages and also in Hebrew so that the Jewish people could clearly understand them too. Mordecai was then dressed in royal garments and had a crown put upon his head (similar to what Haman was forced to do the morning that Haman had planned to kill Mordecai, but that Haman ended up dying on his own gallows, but this time the king was the one who dressed Mordecai in the royal robes and put the crown on his head). All the people in the citadel of Susa rejoiced and it pleased them to give grace and favor to the Jewish people because of their love for Mordecai and Queen Esther. Everywhere where the new instructions reached the Jews, the Jews threw a party to celebrate the salvation that they knew the LORD was bringing--they didn't have to wait and see it to know that it was sure. The most amazing part of all this is in the last verse. Even knowing that the threat of death was coming, many of the people of the empire truly converted to Judaism (and others called themselves Jews just so they could participate in the day of fighting off those who were going to attack the Jewish people) because they loved the Jewish people--especially Esther and Mordecai, and the fear of the Jews (read that as the fear of the LORD whom the Jews worshiped and who had already worked in a mighty way to save them) had fallen upon all their enemies. Even more shocking though is that even after all of this, there would still be people so evil that they would want to go through with Haman's plan even after Haman had been killed, the king had switched sides, the identity of the queen had been revealed and Mordecai had been put over all the royal officials in the place of Haman. They too had read and heard the new edict, yet they imagined that somehow they would still be able to rise up and be victorious against the LORD and His people. That's a very foolish idea, but we see from Romans 1 and the book of Proverbs (as well as many other places in the Bible) that the LORD allows the wicked to believer foolishness that will lead to their own destruction. We'll see that next time when we see exactly what it is that Jews celebrate with the feast of Purim (this year it happened on March 23rd and March 24th...we'll see why it is a two-day feast in the upcoming passages as well). Esther 7:7-10 English Standard Version Haman Is Hanged 7 And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. 8 And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated. Recall the Queen Esther has just revealed Haman's plot to the king and revealed that this means that she and her family will be killed by the end of the year according to the law made in the king's name by Haman. Since the law was written in the king's name and signed with the king's signet ring, the law irrevocable according to the law of the Medes and the Persians. The king is angry when he hears that Esther's life is in danger (along with her family) and that there is seemingly nothing he can do to save here. He leaves the party to go out to the royal gardens to think, and Haman spends the whole time the king is gone pleading with Queen Esther for his life, for he realizes now that his life is forfeit.
The king comes back to see Haman falling on the queen to beg for mercy, but to him, it looks like Haman is trying to sexually assault the queen. The king was already enraged and in the heat of the moment, he didn't need to see anything else. He pronounced summary judgment that Haman must die for the way he was acting towards the queen in the king's house and in the king's presence. One of the king's eunuchs remembers the 50-cubit gallows that Haman had built--likely because he had just seen them when he went to retrieve Haman so he wouldn't be late for Esther's party. Seventy-five feet tall structures may not seem very impressive to us today, but I'd imagine that Haman meant it to be the tallest thing around so that everyone could see it and watch him hang Mordecai. Now the king will order Haman to be hung on his own gallows. While this is the point in the play where the Jewish children usually start cheering because Haman has gotten what's coming to him, the good news is not over yet. The king's answer has abated, but Esther is not done asking for the king to grant her and her people relief from what Haman plotted. The date is still set on the calendar for the extermination of the Jewish people and something must be done to save them! We'll talk about that next time! Esther 7:1-6 English Standard Version Esther Reveals Haman's Plot 14 While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared. 7 So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” 6 And Esther said, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen. I went back and included Esther 6:14 today (the last verse of chapter 6) as it ties in directly with today's passage of Esther 7:1-6. Haman had forgotten all about the second feast that Esther was throwing for him and the king, and the king's eunuchs had to come and hurry to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared (you're not supposed to keep the king or queen waiting).
Haman went to the feast hoping that it would lift his spirits. There was much drinking of wine again, especially be the king, and we get the impression that the king is drunk during this passion (perhaps part of Esther's plan in throwing this feast, because maybe she figured she would have an easier time talking to him and getting him to do what was needed if he was a little drunk). He once again offers Esther whatever she would ask for, even up to half of his kingdom. She asks that her life and the life of her people be granted to her. This would have taken the king by surprise because up to this point, he had no idea that Esther was Jewish. He wonders who it is who has threatened the queen and her family with death, for Esther makes it clear that she would not have bothered the king with this if it were simply that her people were being sold into slavery. No, her people have been marked for destruction--to be killed and annihilated. Worse yet, the person that did this thing did so by putting a bounty on their heads so that they have been "sold" for this purpose. The king asks Esther to identify the person responsible. "Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?" Esther has given the perfect setup for the reveal, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!" All she has to do is look at him and maybe gesture at him or point to him so there is no doubt that she means this one and not some other by the same name. Haman then realizes the words of his wife and the wise men are coming true and he is terrified before the king and queen. The one who wanted others to bow and tremble before him is now the one that will be on his knees pleading and trembling as he prays for his life to be spared. The LORD really has turned the tables on him. The king is going to leave the room to deliberate and because he is so angry. We'll talk about this next time, but he realizes he cannot break the law that was written in his name and signed with his signet right by Haman. However, he can use his authority as king to right some of the wrong that has been done, and he will do that next time when we talk about verses 7-10. Esther 6 English Standard Version The King Honors Mordecai 6 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.” 12 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. 13 And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.” Esther Reveals Haman's Plot 14 While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared. Let's review that Esther is aware of Haman's plot to exterminate the Jews by the end of the year. She has gone to see the king without an invitation (something that could have gotten her killed) and invited the king and Haman to a banquet that she prepared in their honor, but she did not bring up the issue with them there but asked them to return the next day for another banquet that she would throw in their honor. We already know from the beginning of this book that the king loved to party, and he loved to party with his close associates, and there was no one closer to him right now than Haman. Haman left puffed up because he was the only one of the king's officials invited to the banquet that Queen Esther threw for the king, and she invited both of them back again. Also, Haman was pleased with himself that people bowed down to him (or at least trembled in fear) when they saw him. However, Mordecai neither bowed nor trembled, and he was right there, standing tall at the king's gate, to deflate Haman's big ego as Haman was leaving the banquet the first day.
Haman goes home and tells all these things to his wife, and she tells him that the only solution is for him to use his power and position to order the execution of Mordecai ahead of schedule. He built huge gallows that night and planned for the death penalty to be issued against Mordecai the next morning and for his execution to take place immediately. Haman is on his way to see the king now, but what he doesn't know is that the king has been awake most of the king, and because he couldn't sleep, he's been reading the official chronicles. He found the part in there where Mordecai had overheard the plot to assassinate the king and saved his life and realized nothing had been done for him, so when Haman arrives, the king and Haman have a discussion about how such a man should be honored and celebrated. Haman, because of his inflated ego, thinks that the king must be wanting to celebrate and honor him, so he gives all kinds of answers about being treated like the king (this reveals what is in Haman's heart that he covets the one thing that he doesn't have, for a covetous heart is never satisfied. It's like trying to quench your thirst by drinking salt water. The more you drink, the thirstier you actually are, and it will slowly kill you). Haman says that such a man that the king wants to honor should be dressed in the king's royal robes, ride on the king's horse and be escorted and paraded about by the king's nobles who would declare loudly to all the people, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor." The king loves the idea, and since Haman is his highest official, he tells Haman to immediately make this happen for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. The king says, "Leave out nothing that you have mentioned." Oh, how this heaped hot coals upon Haman's head. He had come to see the king to try to kill Mordecai because he hated him, and now he leaves the king having to parade about, celebrate, honor, and herald the very one he hates, but whom the king now loves. I'm sure he feels personally attacked by this that the king loves someone else more than him. I think it's fair to say that Haman is devastated by this as all of his entire agenda for that day went up in proverbial flames before the day even had a chance to get started. After all this happens for Mordecai, he simply returns to his place at the king's gate. It is the picture of true humility. Haman on the other hand goes home and once again complains about how terrible his day was to his wife. He also apparently talked to all the "wise men" of the nation as well to see what they would tell him to. They all spoke with one voice that the LORD was with Mordecai because he was a Jew, one of the LORD's people, and that to be against Mordecai was to go against the LORD, and that was a battle that Haman was going to lose. The name of the LORD is not used directly, but it is implied for sure. Remember, one of the key points of this book is to make the reader (or audience, as this is often acted out as a play) perceive the sovereignty of God at work, even without words of prophecy to spell everything out for us. The LORD's presence and His work should be self-evident as Romans 1 tells us, "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20). That is to say it should be impossible to see and hear a story like this and walk away and proclaim that you are an Agnostic or an Atheist. There is surely a God who defends His people, and His name is the LORD (even though it's not mentioned at all in the book, we know who He is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel) and He is mighty to save His people. We can certainly know there is a God and who He is, and we can know of His character and nature. Even these pagan "wise men" and Haman's wife could figure that out. Just then, the king's officials come to take Haman to the feast that Queen Esther had prepared for him that day. My guess is that he had completely forgotten about it and was unprepared. That's where we're going to pick up next time when Esther reveals Haman's plot to the king. (Remember that Haman had issued all the orders in the king's name and with the king's royal signet ring, but the king did not directly issue any of these orders). |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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