The
remaining chapters move quite quickly. After three days of fasting, Esther goes
to see the king, knowing that she is quite possibly walking to her death. But
Xerxes is in a joyful mood and accepts her readily. Some would read the first
half of the chapter and think Esther is stalling for time, afraid of what will
happen if she tells the king she is a Jew. But Esther is shrewd and patient,
having thought through how she will reveal her secret to the king; her aim is
to fully win his favour so that he will sympathize with her entirely when she
tells him the truth about herself… and Haman.
Speaking
of Haman, Esther is setting him up for a big fall, inviting him to her banquets
and thus pumping up his pride which oozes out of him in the second half of
chapter 5. He’s almost unbearable to listen to – bragging about his promotion
and position and good fortune to his friends and family. He is painted as a
temperamental child: anger quick to flare and feelings quick to bruise.
Offended by Mordecai’s lack of respect, and fueled by his satanic hatred of the
Jews, Haman orders a 75-foot gallows be built on which he plans to hang
Mordecai on the coming slaughter day. Little does he know, in building the
gallows, Haman is digging his own grave.
Chapter 6
begins to reveal the incredible irony of the story. The king has insomnia and
decides to do some reading in the chronicles of his kingship. He just happens
to come across the account where Mordecai saved his life and is astonished to
learn that Mordecai never received a reward for his service. Just as he is
thinking up a suitable tribute, Haman comes in – he is so excited about his
gallows and his plan to hang Mordecai that he, too, cannot sleep and has come
to tell the king of his plan. What happens next is really hilarious for us to
read. What a blow to Haman’s pride, having to honour Mordecai the way he
himself expected to be honoured! Again, he runs home to whine about his plight,
and his wife and friends finally end up giving him some wise advice: “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.” (6:13) Again, God’s name is not mentioned outright, but His
presence is blaring – it is HE who make the Jewish people indestructible!
Yahweh had a reputation, known even by pagans. God deserves all glory and
honour. He rescued the Israelites time and time again, and continually
fulfilled His promises, for the sake of
His Name (see Ezekiel 20). God’s glory and reputation have always been the
foundation for His grace, His love and His justice.
Chapter
7 brings us to the second banquet where Esther finally reveals that she is a
Jew, and that Haman is behind her destruction and the destruction of her
people. She is shrewd, even in her plea, to play to the king’s self-interest by
pointing out that the destruction of the Jews will be an economical loss to his
empire (v 4). Things could not have gone worse for Haman; his world quickly
falls apart and he is sentenced to be hung on his own gallows.
There
are a number of lessons we learn from this central part of the story. Perhaps
most clearly we see Proverbs 16:18 prove painfully true: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Haman
was so pumped with pride that he was blinded to the truth. He had so elevated
himself above others that he couldn’t imagine ever being dethroned. His
dedication to hatred and refusal to humble himself ultimately caused his
demise. If anything, this should give us incentive to rid our lives of pride as
quick as possible!
We learn
another truth – that God is in full control of who sits where. In Esther 4:14,
Mordecai told her that if she did not step up to her calling, God would use
another; God can easily depose us if we do not obey Him. We see this in the
life of Haman. He had everything going for him – wealth, power, esteem – but
because he sought to destroy God’s people, he was removed. God can do the same
to us if we choose to disobey Him and go our own way.
We also
learn the value of patient wisdom in these chapters, as Esther bides her time,
waiting for the exact moment to reveal her secret. Had she moved in fear or
haste, the story could have ended quite differently. Surely Esther drew on the
Lord for strength and wisdom, which He fully provided, as He promises to do for
those who put their trust in Him.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Haman’s
pride and hatred set him to seek revenge, which ultimately brought him to a
hard fall. Ask God to open your eyes to areas of pride in your life. Some
questions to ask yourself:
a. Do I
put myself above others? Is there anyone who I think of as being below me?
b. When
talking to my friends and family, do I talk more than I listen? Do I ask people
questions about them, or am I talking
about myself most of the time?
c. Are
you easily offended? When people hurt you, do you think things like, “How dare they do that to me!”?
Spend
some time in repentance, saying sorry to God for putting yourself on a throne.
Thank God for revealing areas of pride to you and ask Him to help you to be
humble. Ask Him to make you like Jesus “Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians
2:6-7).
2. These
chapters show us the importance of ACTION. Surely Esther prayed as she fasted,
but there was something for her to DO after those three days. To quote one
study Bible, “We should pray as if it depended on God and act as if it depended
on us.” As Christians, we must rely on God – His power – but we cannot just sit
and let Him do all the work. We are co-workers for the kingdom! Are you a
person of action in God’s kingdom? Do you err on the side of much prayer and
little action, or on the side of quick action with little prayer? Perhaps you
are lazy in both. Ask God to speak to you about this point. What does it mean
for you to be active in your faith?
3. Are
you being obedient to God in the position you are in? Are you spending your
time, your money, your love, etc. the way God has asked you to? Don’t be afraid
to ask God if you are! He is not out to get you or to trick you; He loves you and is for you! Isaiah 48:17 says “I
am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in
the way you should go”. Ask God to teach
you and direct you in your position.
