Ester 5
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Ester 5
Wiersbe comments: In writing "my times are in Your hand," David teaches us several lessons. First, time is important. If you waste time, you're wasting eternity. If you waste time, you're wasting opportunity. All I can give to God is my body, my ability and my time. And if I don't give Him my time, He can't use my body or my ability. Time is valuable--don't waste it. Invest it. Second, David reminds us how important surrender is. Who controls the available time we have when we're not working or doing the things that must be done to maintain life--that unregistered, undirected time? If we surrender to the Lord, He can control that time. I learned many years ago to turn my entire day over to Him at the beginning of every day. If I have interruptions, He's in control. If my plans are changed, He's in control. Third, this leads to God's blessings for us. When our times are in His hand, we can trust Him; He has blessings especially prepared for us. "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You" (Psalm 31:19). God has some wonderful blessings prepared for you today. But you are not going to enjoy them unless you truly say, "Lord, my times are in Your hand." Time is perhaps your most basic resource. How you use God's gift of time has a profound effect not only on your life but on the lives of others. It's important that you surrender your time to His care. When you give God your time, you surrender it to His control. He will bless you for it (Prayer, Praise and Promises) From Hints for Pastors regarding Ps 31:15... 1. The character of the earthly experience of the saints, "My times," that is, the changes I shall pass through, etc. 2. The advantage of this variety. a. Changes reveal the various aspects of the Christian character. b. Changes strengthen the Christian character. c. Changes lead us to admire an unchanging God. 3. Comfort for all seasons. a. This implies the changes of life are subject to the divine control. b. That God will support his people under them. c. And, consequently, they shall result in our being abundantly profited. 4. The deportment which should characterize us. Courageous devotion to God in times of persecution; resignation and contentment in times of poverty and suffering; zeal and hope in times of labour. (6) Haman just happens to enter the outer court - Haman was there to seek permission to hang Mordecai, not knowing he would soon be forced to honor him. Illustration of Providence - In 1937 Walt Disney released the first full-length animated movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Producing an animated movie was a gargantuan task. Disney artists drew over one million pictures. Each picture flashed onto the screen for a mere one-twenty-fourth of a second. As we watch the movie run at regular speed, it seems so simple. We have no idea all that goes into it. Our lives are like that movie. God puts infinite thought, skill, and careful attention into every detail. Yet as our lives run at “regular speed,” we have no idea how much God’s providence fills every single second. (750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers) The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) states God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. Benjamin Franklin... The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of man; and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? Solomon writes that... There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. (Pr 21:30). Esther 6:3 The king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him.": Nothing has been done for him - As noted above, to not bestow a reward or honor was distinctly unusual and undoubtedly reflects the hand of God in the affairs of men, including kings (Pr 21:1). Esther 6:4 So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him.: Guzik... If this Book of Esther shows us anything, it shows us that God manages the affairs of men, even without their knowledge. God knows what He is doing and in the courts of heaven there are no coincidences or surprises. Esther wasn’t lucky to be queen; Mordecai wasn’t lucky to have overheard the assassination plot; it wasn’t luck or chance that made Haman enter the royal courts at this time with this heart. All of these events were orchestrated by God and not by luck. This becomes difficult, of course, when bad things happen to us. It is easy to see God’s management of all things when we see good things happen. But what about the bad? Even then, we must trust God’s total plan, realizing that all things work together for god to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We understand that Paul says all things work together; any one event, taken in isolation may seem to make no sense, but when we see all things working together we then see the ultimate wisdom of God’s plan. So the king said, "Who is in the court?" - Why was Haman at the King's court so early in the morning? Because he was enraged at Mordecai, had constructed a gallows and wanted to speak to the king about hanging him. But he was too late! God's timing had been perfect as it always is! The King's restless night and record reading re Mordecai's saving his life and not being yet rewarded had been orchestrated by the hand of God. Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace - Why was Haman there? Because he wanted to hang Mordecai. Haman was in a hurry to carry out his evil plan, which reminds us of the proverb... A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil (Proverbs 6:18) In order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows - Haman is a few minutes too late. God beat him to the punch! God always does! Esther 6:5 The king's servants said to him, "Behold, Haman is standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in.": Let him come in - Presumably now he has been allowed into the king's bed chamber. Swindoll sets the scene... Is this a great moment or what? The sun is barely over the horizon, and here comes Haman, rushing to the palace as early as he can so he will be the first to have an audience with the king and finish off his hated enemy. Suddenly, out of the inner court, comes the voice of the king, “Call him in. Call Haman in.” The king is calling for him. This will be even easier than he anticipated. Now is my chance, he thinks. He glances out the window with a sinister sneer, Just a minute, gallows, somebody will be on you. And with the stride of a peacock he struts into the court of the king. Esther 6:6 So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?": What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor? - Who is Haman going to immediately think of but himself! Haman said to himself (Hebrew = "said to his heart") - Haman was deluded. He was deceived by his own pride and sense of self worth and thought that surely the king was describing him. In God's ironic providence, He ordains that Haman would actually specify the manner in which Mordecai would be honored and Haman who would be hanged! Solomon was right... The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place. (Proverbs 11:8) In another set of Proverbs Solomon describes first Haman, then Mordecai... Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor. (Pr 18:12) A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. (Pr 29:23) To paraphrase Warren Wiersbe... "On which side of the commas do you live?" Whom would the king desire to honor more than me? - "God often allows fallen man to set his own trap; allowing Haman to make his pride and arrogance be the cause of his ultimate humiliation." (Guzik) Esther 6:7 Then Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king desires to honor,: Ferguson comments... Invited to advise the king in such an intimate setting could only have stoked the inflated ego of Haman. Doubtless he strutted in like a peacock. Haman was intoxicated with vanity and blinded by pride. It seemed a day of double blessing Mordecai dead and he honored. Ahasuerus hid the identity of Mordecai in just the same way Haman had done so to the king over the Jews. Haman is beginning to reap what he sowed. For the man whom the king desires to honor - This is fascinating. Clearly Haman thinks he is getting to describe his own reward. Clearly he is going to go for the proverbial "gusto" and get all he can get! What if the kill had ask what is to be done for Mordecai the Jew? Surely Haman's suggestions would have been toned down substantially! Is this too not Divine providence, for the king now knew Mordecai's name? The more we observe these details, the more we see God's hand behind the seen (scene)! Esther 6:8 let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed;: On whose head a royal crown has been placed - This is not referring to a crown on the honoree's head but on the horse's head. Thus the NET Bible refers to a royal horse "one bearing the royal insignia!" NIV renders it "a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head." New Jerusalem Bible "a horse from the king's stable, sporting a royal diadem on its head." Ferguson comments... Haman could not have thought of anything more imaginative to promote self. It was said that the Persians regarded the royal robe as having magical properties. Haman had money and power so what he craved was to be honored like the king. Maybe he thought it would allow him to be Ahasuerus s successor. We are never satisfied with the things of this world. Without God s peace it is all ultimately vanity. Esther 6:9 and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, 'Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.'": To one of the king's most noble princes - Little did Haman know he was guaranteeing that he would be the one to carry out these honors. Esther 6:10 Then the king said to Haman, "Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.": As you have said...do so - The king could have sent one of his eunuchs. Instead he chooses to send his second in command to carry this out. Is God in control or what? The one who virtually cursed Mordecai's name must now proclaim it as he leads him through the city! Mordecai the Jew - Second use of this specific phrase (6x - Esther 5:13, 6:10, 8:7, 9:29, 9:31, 10:3). King Ashasuerus clearly knows Mordecai's ethnicity! Does he not know that Haman's decree would include Mordecai? Sitting at the king's gate - King repeats Mordecai's location. It is as if the king is accentuating Mordecai's loyalty by repeating the phrase "king's gate" (Found 12x in 11v in Esther 2:19, 21; 3:2, 3:3; 4:2, 4:6; 5:9, 5:13; 6:10, 6:12). Does this not give us a picture of a man who is loyal to the king? Do not fall short in anything of all that you have said - God so ordains these events that Haman the one who sought to curse Mordecai and his people would end up blessing Mordecai with his words and deeds! This reminds me of Romans 12 where we read God's charge to believers to... 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave (aorist imperative) room for the wrath of God, for (term of explanation) it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome (present imperative with a negative) by evil, but overcome (present imperative) evil with good. (Ro 12:17-note, Ro 12:18-note) Esther 6:11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.": WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND! So - A term of conclusion- What is being concluded? Haman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai - Note the striking irony of this picture. Haman the enemy of the Jews being forced to royally robe and honor Mordecai the Jew! Led him on horseback through the city square - As Haman leads Mordecai through the streets the people honor the very one who refused to honor Haman! Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor - The very thing Mordecai would not do for Haman (bow down), evil Haman was now forced to tell others to do for Mordecai! One can only imagine what went through Haman's mind as he was forced to reap the bitter fruit of the evil seeds he had sown! Guzik... The ultimate humiliation was for Haman to honor Mordecai in such a public way; humiliation is only really humiliation when it is public. Notice how Haman's fate parallels the NT teaching that all who reject Christ will one day be forced to honor Him, even as Haman was forced to honor Mordecai! Paul writes... Therefore (term of conclusion = the conclusion is based on the truths in Php 2:5-8-note) also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11-note, cf Rev 1:7-note) Esther 6:12 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried home, mourning, with his head covered.: MOURNING, WARNING AND HASTY DEPARTURE TO ESTHER'S BANQUET Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate - How did the pomp and circumstance impact Mordecai? Did it go to his head? In fact Scripture does not record that Mordecai uttered a word regarding this great honor. And so it does not surprise us that he returned to his place at the king's gate! He continued in the role he had before he was honored. Why was Mordecai not ecstatic? He was still a Jew. He was still under sentence of a Persian law that could not be repealed! Wiersbe rightly observes that... Applause doesn’t change truly humble people, for their values are far deeper. God can trust His blessings with the humble because they seek to honor only the Lord. (Ibid) Alexander Raleigh How clearly the character of the man comes out in that single touch of description--that one item of information given us, that he came again to the king's gate. A proud ambitious man would have said to himself, “No more of the king’s gate for me! I shall direct my steps now to the king’s palace, and hold myself ready for honour, office, emolument (compensation), which surely must now be at hand.” Mordecai seems to have said with himself, “If these things are designed for me in God’s good providence, they will find me. But they must seek me, for I shall not seek them. Those who confer them know my address: ‘Mordecai, at the king’s gate,’ will still find me. Let the crowd wonder and disperse. I have had enough of their incense. Let Haman go whither he will, he is in the hands of the Lord. Let my friends at home wait; they will all hear all in time . . . I can wait best at the old place and in the accustomed way—at the king's gate.’” (The book of Esther, its practical lessons) Chuck Swindoll applies this to our lives asking... Have you recently been promoted? Has God’s providence smiled on you so that your name is now honored in circles where you were once not even known? Have you come to a place of popularity and prosperity? Are you now esteemed in the eyes of others? If so, the real question is: Are you still comfortable at the king’s gate, or must you now live at the palace? Must you now be treated with special care and be given kid-glove treatment and not bothered with everyday problems? Haman hurried home, mourning, with his head covered (cf 2Sa 17:23 1Ki 20:43 21:4 2Ch 26:20 Job 20:5) - Covering one's head was an expression of deepest grief and trouble, a way of expressing mourning (2Sa 15:30; Jer 14:3-4). And so we see a reversal of destinies in only 3 days! Mordecai the Jew was mourning in Esther 4:1-3 and now Haman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews is mourning! Guzik on meaning of Haman mourning... This means that Haman acted as if someone dear to him had died. In fact, his pride had been dealt a death-blow. Wiersbe observes that the contrast between Mordecai's reaction and Haman's reaction demonstrates... the difference between reputation and character. Haman was a famous man, a man of reputation, only because the king had made him so; but he was not a man of character. His reputation depended on his office, his wealth, and his authority, all of which could easily be taken from him. (Ibid) Comment: Indeed, reputation is what others think you are while character is what God knows you are! Esther 6:13 Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.": INVINCIBILITY OF THE JEWS Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends - In only 24 hours, God has turned Haman's world upside down. Recall his boastful words in Esther 5:11 "Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches..." Ferguson comments... No word of repentance or acknowledgement by this proud man that he had brought this on himself. If God humbles you, pay attention. You will not overcome him...Surely fall before him - How quickly his own wife changed her tune from "Kill Mordecai" to "Mordecai will kill you!" While these Persian pagans likely did not know Genesis 12:3 ("The one who curses you, I will curse!"), the truth of that passage was like Persian law...irrevocable! And his wise men and wife proved to be prophetic! Ferguson reminds us that... God is always faithful to His covenantal promises. The eighteenth century German emperor, Frederick the Great asked his personal physician, Zimmermann: Zimmermann, can you name me a single proof of the existence of God? Zimmermann succinctly replied, Your Majesty, the Jews! Throughout the centuries of persecution, discrimination, and genocide, God has preserved His people. God on His saints looks watchful down His ear attends their cry The wicked sink beneath His frown Their very name shall die But He, at length, the just will crown With victory and joy! Esther 6:14 While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hastily brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.: While they were still talking with him - Can you envision this scene? Haman does not even have time to reply nor contrive a counter plan. The king's eunuchs arrived and hastily brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared - Only 24 hours earlier, Haman's wife had encouraged him to "go joyfully with the king to the banquet." (Esther 5:14) As the saying goes "What a difference a day makes!" ESTHER 7 Esther 7:1 Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen.: Came to drink - Wine is not in the original Hebrew text. The NET Note writes that "The expression is a metaphor for lavish feasting" which explains some of the other translations - "Came in to feast" (HCSB), " went in to feast" (ESV), "went to dine" (NIV) Remember that neither the king nor Haman knew yet that Esther was a Jewess. Now can you better understand the significance of the repeated detail that she was not to make known her people (Esther 2:10, 20)? And so while Haman was undoubtedly disturbed by the previous events, he most likely thought that he was safe from any serious sequelae. After all he been restrained from asking the king for permission to hang Mordecai, and risk invoking the king's anger. He had to undergo the humiliation of honoring Mordecai, but after all he was a Jew and his death sentence was recorded by royal edict which could not be repealed. Haman would simply have to wait for his revenge. Solomon's description of the evil man in Ecclesiastes would have been fitting for Haman who thought he had escaped danger... Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore (term of conclusion) the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Ferguson notes that... We now find the drama heightened at this point in the narrative. The plot is filled with danger, hesitation, courage, and deliverance. Esther is now having to stand in the gap for her people (Eze. 22:30). If she had refused this calling, she would have missed out on the blessing of being an integral part of redemptive history, but God would have found another way to complete His plan. There is an obvious parallel here between the life of Ruth and Esther. Both women yielded to God to work through them and both played a significant role in redemptive history.... Solomon tells us in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes that there is a time to keep silent but there is also the right time to speak. Somehow Esther discerned that this was the time. Did she sense the Hand of providence in the events of that day with the elevation of Mordecai? Now is that moment with Haman unnerved, Ahasuerus curious and charmed, and after God had providentially reminded the king of the faithfulness and loyalty of his Jewish subjects. Also Ahasuerus had promised three times his help to Esther so it would not be easy for him to back out of this commitment. Esther 7:2 And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.": And the king said to Esther - Obviously the king had been waiting to hear Esther's petition since the previous evening's banquet. Second day - The day after Esther's first banquet. What is your petition - This is the third time the king has asked Esther this question. I think Chuck Swindoll is accurate in his assessment of "why three times?" and why he is asking again... He’s already asked that two other times: when she first approached him and he held out his scepter, and then at the first banquet, but Esther never answered him, because the time wasn’t right. Esther had a sensitive ear, a wise heart; she sensed something wasn’t quite right. So, she didn’t push it. She knew when to act—and she knew when to wait. Are you as sensitive as that? Do you know when to listen? Do you know when to speak up—and when to keep quiet? Do you know how much to say as well as when to say it? Do you have the wisdom to hold back until the right moment? At the banquet - This is the sixth banquet in Esther! Esther 7:3 Then Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request;: ESTHER'S BRAVE INTERCESSION FOR HER PEOPLE If I have found favor in your sight - Favor is shown repeatedly to Esther 2:9, 15, 17, 5:8, 7:3, 8:5. Notice her words - "favor in your sight...pleases the king" - she was surely aware that the king might refuse her request and so she was duly cautious, submissive and humble. The word "favor" is translated by the Greek word charis which is grace and speaks of unmerited favor. Let my life be given...my people - This parallels Moses' words to Pharaoh in Exodus 7:16. My life - Esther's wisdom is shown in the way in which she presents her petition. Notice how she first focuses the king's attention on the fact that her life was in danger, a tact that surely would appeal to the king's feelings for her. In other words she did not just blurt out that "There is a man in your kingdom who plans to destroy all the Jews!" In fact, in the entire petition (vv 3-4) she does not implicate an single individual as responsible for the evil plan. My people as my request - Some feel that Esther now reveals her people. However the text does not state clearly that she says she is Jewish, even as Haman had hidden the identity of the people when he made his request of the king (Esther 3:8). Esther 7:4 for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.": We have been sold - What did Esther mean by this statement? Recall that Haman had in essence "bought off" the king by offering to pay him a huge sum in Esther 3:9, a fact which was specifically relayed to Esther in Esther 4:7. It is interesting that Esther wisely avoids the detail that this was "written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring." (Esther 3:12) NET Note adds that... The passive verb (“have been sold”) is noncommittal and non-accusatory with regard to the king’s role in the decision to annihilate the Jews. Destroyed...killed...annihilated - The same phrase that is found in Esther 3:13 (cp Esther 8:11). We see Mordecai's wisdom in sending her a copy of the actual decree. Here she recounts the words of that decree. Esther 7:5 Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do thus?": Who is he and where is he? - As noted above, Esther never implicated a single individual (certainly not the king), but the king comes to that conclusion on his own. Who would presume to do thus - Hebrew reads = “has so filled his heart”; NAB paraphrases it “who has dared to do this.” So the king still does not connect the dots and associate Haman with this plot, nor does he see his role in this drama. Esther 7:6 Esther said, "A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!" Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.: HAMAN COMES TO THE END OF HIS ROPE A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman - Haman had been referred to as the enemy of the Jews. And he now knows that Esther is a Jew - she had not used the name Jew, but Haman knew who was to be destroyed, killed and annihilated! One can only imagine his horror at this realization. Then Haman became terrified (afraid, overwhelmed) - Haman's life progressed from honor (Esther 5:9) to humiliation (Esther 6:18) to horror (Esther 7:6) in less than 24 hours! The psalmist was right when he recorded that "Behold, He who keeps (guards, protects) Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121:4). Solomon rightly said that... Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5) Esther 7:7 The king arose in his anger from drinking wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king.: Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther - The boastful bully is now reduced to a whimpering coward! Can you see the incredible irony brought about by the "behind the scenes" work of God? Haman had been filled with rage toward a Jew who had refused to bow and now he is bowing before a Jewish woman begging for his life! For - A term of explanation. In this case it explains Haman's groveling for his life. Ferguson observes... The irony here is that the man who was so angry because one Jew refused to bow to him has in the space of a few days prostrated himself before Mordecai and Esther. Haman s wife s prediction is being realized (Esther 6:13). From being a proud peacock he shows himself a whimpering coward. Esther 7:8 Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?" As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.: Now when the king returned - Do not miss this "time phrase," because it is significant and once again shows God providentially in control of this scene. When does the king just happen to return? It is when Haman is "falling on the couch where Esther was" and that was the final straw for the king! Haman's fate was sealed. Had Haman gone out with the king instead of staying to beg the queen, this scene would not have occurred. Even if he had not fallen on the queen's couch, he would not have been accused of trying to sexually assault her. And yet Haman did and he did it at the wrong time - just as the king entered the room! God's providence is moving to avenge His people the Jews and His timing is always perfect! A clearly non-inspired Jewish writing says that the angel Gabriel pushed Haman so he fell on Esther’s couch just as king Ahasuerus was coming back into the room. Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was (NET = "Haman was throwing himself down on the couch where Esther was lying") The Greek verb used here is epipipto which means literally to fall on someone or throw one's self on someone (Acts 20:10 - Eutychus who had fallen 3 floors and was dead until revived by Paul), even to embrace (Lk 15:20, Acts 20:37, Ge 45:14). Epipipto means to cause pressure by pushing against or falling on. To make contact, to approach impetuously. They covered Haman's face - In Esther 6:12 Haman covered his head in humiliation, but now others cover his head to prepare for execution! Covering one's head of a condemned prisoner was a custom in ancient times. Women's Study Bible... It was a Persian custom to recline during a meal. Had Haman followed harem protocol, he would have left Esther’s presence with the king. Although it was a common Near Eastern gesture of contrition to seize the feet or even kiss them, such behavior was completely inappropriate with a woman of the harem, much less the queen herself! So strict was harem protocol that the king’s interpretation of Haman’s behavior would have probably been the same even if Haman had merely knelt before Esther with no physical contact. (Thomas Nelson Publishing) Esther 7:9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king said, "Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman's house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king!" And the king said, "Hang him on it.": Harbonah (See Esther 1:10 presumably the same individual) - Somehow in the previous 24 hours it had become known to this eunuch that Haman had made gallows to kill Mordecai. Obviously Haman had made this known. It reminds me of a saying during World War II that "Loose lips sink ships!" Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king - This is the king's first knowledge of Haman's plan to kill Mordecai and was the proverbial final straw. Hang him on it - While on numerous previous occasions in the book of Esther the king had sought and followed the advice of advisers, on this occasion (surely now with even greater anger) decreed Haman's death sentence without hesitation. How wealthy was Haman? What relief could his wealth provide now? (See Ps. 49:6-8, 16-17-note) Note the progression produced by providence... Haman > Honored > Humiliated > Horrified > Hanged In Psalm 73 Asaph addresses the truth that the wicked may prosper for a moment, but just as quickly will swept away in judgment, even as came to pass in the life of wealthy but anti-Semitic Haman (Read Ps 73:10-20-note). THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING AND REAPING Haman had sown anger against Mordecai, but now reaped anger from the king. The principle of sowing and reaping is timeless and obviously applies not just to unbelievers like Haman but also to believers... Do not be deceived (present imperative with a negative), God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7-note, Gal 6:8-note, cp Hos 8:7-Chuck Smith; Smith -2; Smith 3;Calvin, Illustration, Picture of Ungodly Life; Charles Simeon-Consequences of Sin) Job echoes this principle... According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it. (Job 4:8) Obadiah writes... For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head. (Ob 1:15) Solomon also records that... He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. (Pr 22:8). Warren Wiersbe summarizes several Biblical examples of the law of sowing and reaping... Jacob killed an animal and lied to his father, pretending to be Esau (Ge 27:1-29); and years later Jacob’s sons killed an animal and lied to him, pretending that Joseph was dead (Ge 37:31-35). Pharaoh gave orders to drown the Jewish baby boys (Ex 1:22), and one day his army was drowned in the Red Sea (Ex. 14:26-28). David secretly took his neighbor’s wife and committed adultery (2Sa 11:2-17), and David’s own son Absalom took his father’s concubines and openly committed adultery with them (2Sa 16:20-23). Furthermore, David’s daughter Tamar was raped by her half brother Amnon (2Sa 13:7-17). David killed Bathsheba’s husband (2Sa 11:14-25), and three of David’s own sons were slain: Absalom (2Sa 18:32-33), Amnon (2Sa 13:23-36), and Adonijah (1Ki 2:13-25). Saul of Tarsus encouraged the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1); and when he became Paul the missionary, he was stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). Comment: While the preceding is all "bad news", the truth is that sowing good seeds will also be fully recompensed in this life and/or the life to come! (Mt 10:42, Mt 25:31-46, 2Cor 5:10-note) Esther 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided.: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES IN THE HAND OF GOD So - A term of conclusion They hanged Haman - Another strikingly ironic reversal, one that Solomon alluded to when he wrote that... The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place. (Proverbs 11:8) Haman is also a fitting illustration of the truth of the wise saying of Solomon... My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the net In the eyes of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. (Proverbs 1:15-19) AN IMMUTABLE PRINCIPLE Beloved, you can mark it down that every enemy that has ever tried to destroy Israel has been destroyed. This Genesis 12:3 principle applies to individuals (like Haman, like Hitler, etc) and also to nations. God always keeps His Word. Woe to the nation that begins to "curse" Israel, and that warning even applies to America who has been such a friend for so long to Israel. Should America ever become Israel's enemy, she has just made herself God's enemy! Woe! Pray for America's leaders to always seek to bless Israel (1Ti 2:1-2). Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6). Bob Deffinbaugh writes that... Many people object to divine judgment as though it were unjust. Retribution is entirely just. Retribution sees to it that people get what they deserve, no more and no less. Justice and retribution are in perfect harmony; they are nearly synonymous. God is just, and so He judges men according to their deeds (John 5:28-29; Romans 2:5-10; Revelation 20:12-13). This means that some will suffer more in eternity than others (Luke 12:42-48). It also means that Christians will be rewarded individually, according to what they have done. When men are punished by God, God is praised for giving them what they deserve (Revelation 16:4-7). God is a God of retribution (Jeremiah 51:56), and He deals with men so that they receive what they deserve (Proverbs 1:24-33; 5:21-23; 14:14). In biblical terminology, men reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7; see also 2 Corinthians 9:6). Haman reaped what he had sown, and so shall we. (Sleepless in Susa) The king's anger subsided (abated, pacified) - The Hebrew verb for subsided is shalak (07918) which is used only 5 times in the OT (Ge 8:1; Nu 17:5; Esther 2:1; Esther 7:10; Jer 5:26). Shalak is used twice to describe King Ashasuerus' anger (Esther 2:1, 7:10). The first use describes the flood waters that covering the earth as "subsided."
Ester 5
Wiersbe - Someone has said that pride is the only known disease that makes everybody sick except the person who has it. Unless cured, pride is a sickness unto death. His sons - Ten sons (Esther 9:13) Esther 5:12 Haman also said, "Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.: Tomorrow - Job 8:12,13 20:5-8 Ps 37:35,36 Pr 7:22,23 27:1 Lk 21:34,35 1Th 5:3 Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet - Haman is confident he is in good graces with the king and queen. Paul Ferguson writes that... The fact that Haman was invited to this private banquet fed his pride and confidence. To his mind both the king and queen regarded him higher than the rest. Seemingly he was now set for life. Other than the king and servants, it was unusual for any man to be in the presence of the queen. What Haman does not know is that this banquet will be the means of his death. One of life's paradoxes is that the way up is often the way down. He will learn the truth of Psalm 7 concerning the wicked man He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate. (Psalm 7:15-16-note) Haman was stepping ever closer to the edge of the precipice for Solomon writes... He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. (Pr 28:26, read Jesus' parable of the rich man = Lk 12:16-21) As Warren Wiersbe puts it... Haman was confident that he was set for life, when in reality he was just a few hours away from death. Two other men come to mind whose false confidence led to their death: King Belshazzar and Judas Iscariot. King Belshazzar held a great feast during which he blasphemed the God of Israel; and by sending handwriting on the wall, God announced his doom. That very night Babylon was conquered and Belshazzar was slain (Da 5). Judas, an apostle of the Lord, was not a true believer (John 6:70-71) but a traitor and a thief (Jn 12:6). In the Upper Room, he sat in the place of honor at the table, and none of the other disciples knew what was in his heart. But Jesus knew what Judas was and what Judas would do, and He hid this knowledge from the disciples. In fact, Jesus even washed Judas’ feet! Confident that he had everything under control, Judas betrayed Jesus to the enemy and ended up committing suicide (Mt 27:1-10). The only safe place to put your confidence is in the Lord. (Ibid) AMEN! Esther 5:13 "Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.": HAMAN GOES FROM "WALKING ON AIR" TO BEING BROUGHT DOWN TO EARTH! NLT - Then he added, "But all this is meaningless as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate." Yet - term of contrast (remember that terms of contrast like but, yet always signal a "change of direction" so be sure and examine the context for added insight on the passage) contrasts all the world has to offer with Haman's anger against Mordecai. The point is clearly that the things of this world cannot satisfy our soul. Guzik... Haman’s problem wasn’t Mordecai, it was the emptiness in his own heart. Even if he solved the “Mordecai problem,” it would not fill the emptiness in his heart. i. “The soul was made for God, and nothing but God can fill it and make it happy.” (Clarke) Wiersbe sees Haman's heart attitude as harboring malice toward Mordecai... Malice is that deep-seated hatred that brings delight if our enemy suffers and pain if our enemy succeeds. Malice can never forgive; it must always take revenge. Malice has a good memory for hurts and a bad memory for kindnesses. In 1Corinthians 5:8, Paul compared malice to yeast, because, like yeast, malice begins very small but gradually grows and finally permeates the whole of life. Malice in the Christian’s heart grieves the Holy Spirit and must be put out of our lives (Eph 4:30–32; Col 3:8). The insidious thing about malice is that it has to act; eventually it must express itself. But when you shoot at your enemy, beware! For the ammunition usually ricochets off the target and comes back to wound the shooter! If a person wants to self-destruct, the fastest way to do it is to be like Haman and cultivate a malicious spirit. All of this does not satisfy me (For "satisfy" Lxx has aresko = to please, give pleasure) - Haman cannot even enjoy his time of boasting and glorying in his presumed prestige and position! Haman's deep discontent even in face of worldly prestige and wealth (at least that is what he thought) reminds us of Solomon's wise words (learned from his experience of "having it all"!)... Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity....I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. (Eccl 1:2, 14) Paul Ferguson writes that... This is a profound illustration of the dissatisfaction of the things of this world. There is always a fly in the ointment. We may think such people have everything from our outward observation, but they are often the most miserable people on the earth. One of our great problems is we weigh things with the wrong scales. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge note... Pride will ever render its possessor unhappy. Haman, though possessed of immense riches, glory, and honour, and the prime favorite of his king, is wretched, because he could not have the homage of that man whom his heart even despised! Oh, how distressing are the inquietudes of pride and vanity. Mordecai the Jew - First time this specific phrase is encountered (6x - Esther 5:13, 6:10, 8:7, 9:29, 9:31, 10:3) Sitting at the king's gate - How did the king know? It does not say. The implication is that the king knew about Mordecai and/or that Mordecai had some official capacity in Xerxes' administration. Alternatively the kings chronicles could have recorded this detail (Esther 2:21-23). Esther 5:14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet." And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.: BEWARE OF ADVICE FROM UNGODLY FRIENDS & WIFE His wife - Ferguson observes that "This shows the dangers of having ungodly friends and an ungodly wife e.g. Solomon s wives, Jezebel, Job s wife. Two wives are working at either end of this drama Esther and Zeresh. Only one of them has God on her side." He had the gallows made - Little did Haman know, he was making the very gallows on which he would hang, preparing his own execution! Gallows (cp Esther 2:23) - This was not like we normally picture gallows, but was a stake on which the victim would be impaled unto death! Adam Clarke describes the "hanging"... A pointed stake is set upright in the ground, and the culprit is taken, placed on the sharp point, and then pulled down by his legs till the stake that went in at the fundament passes up through the body and comes out through the neck. A most dreadful species of punishment, in which revenge and cruelty may glut the utmost of their malice. The culprit lives a considerable time in excruciating agonies. The ESV Study Bible notes that this is "a dangerous development. Events may be moving too swiftly for Mordecai to be saved." Fifty cubits high - This is about 75 feet high which equates with a building 8 stories high! Woe! How they could have built this structure so quickly is amazing. Perhaps it was a building that already existed on top of which was placed a stake to impale Mordecai. A towering gallows matches Haman's "towering" rage! In the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it - Here is the most important line - "ask the king" which prepares us for God's moving the heart of the king like channels of water in Esther 6:1ff. This new development helps us understand the providential importance of Esther’s delay in offering her petition to the king, because after the events described in Esther 6:1-10, it would obviously be impossible for Haman to get permission to kill Mordecai! In First Kings, King Ahab became sullen (1Ki 21:5) because Naboth would not sell him his vineyard (1Ki 21:6). Ahab's wife Jezebel gave him advice similar to Haman's wife -- to kill the one who was making them discontent and sullen. (1Ki 21:8-16). Guzik... The same irrational, violent hatred that made Haman want to see Mordecai hang to his death is the same irrational, violent hatred that made man want to hang Jesus on a cross. God's Word in proverbs speaks about evil, conniving men like Haman... For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths. 22 His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin. 23 He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray. (Pr 5:21-23) Ferguson comments... Never had things looked so dark for the children of God outwardly. Suspense is heightened, as the curtain closes upon yet another scene. Will evil prevail? However, the greater the evil the greater will be the effect of the deliverance. The greater glory also will be reflected on God. The message from Esther is that the plan of God always succeeds, even without thunder and lightning. The seemingly invisible God is always invincible. If God be for us then no one can stand against us. John Newton said well so long ago in his hymn, Fading is the worldling’s pleasure, All his boasted pomp and show; Solid joys and lasting treasure None but Zion’s children know. Esther 6:1 During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.: DIVINELY INDUCED INSOMNIA During that night - Which night? The same night that Haman was having a gallows constructed for Mordecai's death! This was 5 years after Mordecai had uncovered the plot to king the king (compare Esther 2:16 and Esther 3:7) in Esther 2:21-23. The king could not sleep - Literally the Hebrew reads "the king's sleep fled away." This is the night before Esther's banquet (Esther 5:8). So here we see once again God overruling and bringing about a remarkable instance of the veiled providential control of God over circumstances of human history. From a human standpoint, on a king's insomnia lay the fate of the Jewish race, the coming of the Redeemer, and the entire work of redemption of mankind. And yet the outcome was never in doubt, for God was in control of the details, making the most trivial of events work together for Haman's defeat and Israel's preservation.
Ester 5
Wiersbe comments: Can God direct in the books that people pick up and read? Yes, He can. Late in February 1916, a British student bought a book at a used-book stall in a railway station. He had looked at that book and rejected it at least a dozen times before, but that day he purchased it. It was Phantastes by George MacDonald, and the reading of that book eventually led to that young man’s conversion. Who was he? C. S. Lewis, perhaps the greatest and most popular apologist for the Christian faith of the middle-twentieth century. He wrote to a friend that he had picked up the book “by hazard,” but I believe God had directed his choice. God can even direct what we read in a book. A young man in North Africa sought peace, first in sensual pleasures and then in philosophy, but only became more miserable. One day he heard a neighbor child playing a game and saying, “Take it and read! Take it and read!” The young man immediately picked up the Scriptures and “happened” to open to Romans 13:13-14; and those verses brought him to faith in Christ. We know that young man today as Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and author of numerous Christian classics. (Be Committed) (4) The King's reader turned to the specific page which recorded Mordecai's role in saving the king's life about 5 years earlier. (5) The King's delay in honoring Mordecai - "God's delays are not denials!" Even the King's question in Esther 6:3 emphasizes that it was the practice to bestow honor for favors done on the king's behalf! And yet it had not occurred in Mordecai's case. What if Mordecai had already been rewarded 5 years earlier? It is distinctly unusual that Mordecai had not been rewarded five years earlier as was the usual practice in among the Persians as it was a way to maintain loyalty. This reminds us of Joseph's life when after befriending the Pharaoh's butler, he assumed he would be released from prison, but instead had to wait 2 more years for God's perfect timing (Ge 40:23, Ge 41:1, 9-25). In Exodus we see that God had ordained a specific day for the Jews to leave Egypt (Ex 12:40-42). David had come to understand God's providential control of the days of our life writing... My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. (Ps 31:15, see context Ps 31:1-14-note)