How Courage Triumphs - Esther 5 to 8

It is necessary for us to understand the position of low esteem held by women all through the Old Testament, especially under the reigns of wicked kings. They were barely above slaves held from a conquered country; their primary purpose was to serve the sexual pleasure of men and care for their children. To be in the king’s harem did not change their purpose on earth, but it did provide them beauty care and freedom from laborious work in the gardens, on the farms and in the house. Women were forbid to speak to any man in the King’s court that ranked above the eunuchs that were assigned to them. If the king or any of his royal court wanted to be with a woman, he beckoned her and she did not dare approach the king without his beckon or call.

The fifth chapter starts with the beginning of the third day. It does not make clear in these verses what happened three days ago. Think back to past lessons and you will remember that Mordecai told Esther about the plot to kill all Jews. At that time Esther told Mordecai to gather all the believers in the town and fast and pray for three days. She and her maids also fasted. So the third day mentioned here means that the three-day fast has been completed and it was now the time for her to act. Remember that King Xerxes has not seen her for about a month, and has not called for her to return to his palace. Our lesson today is on triumphant courage…and you can be assured that it took a great measure of courage on the queen’s part to approach the king without his beckon.

Do not become confused as you start this lesson. We have been studying the king under the name of Xerxes; and some of the Baptist literature says that Esther dressed in her royal robe and stood in front of AHASUERUS the king. In the local Persian language, Ahasuerus is pronounced—[Uh haz yoo HER uhs]. This is the title of the Persian king, and it means “Lion King” and refers to the husband of Vashti and Esther the same man called Xerxes by the Greek in their language. The name used depends upon which version of the Holy Bible you read are using.

When Esther appeared in the outer court, Xerxes beckoned her with his gold scepter; she approached him and touched the scepter with growing courage. When he asked what her mission was—she invited him to bring Haman and attend a banquet that she had prepared for them. They attended, and when feeling good on wine, Xerxes asked her again what she desired him to do for her. She simply asked that he and Haman attend another banquet that she would prepare in their honor.

[Note: The bible does not relate why the second banquet was necessary. Why did Esther not make her request at this first banquet and get it over with? If any of you know the answer, please tell me. Here are some ‘may-bees.’ It may be that she got cold feet at the first banquet and just could not go through with her plan. May-be she needed to build up her courage which had to be great. She may have known the men well enough to know that the king was not ready to grant her request at the first banquet and she decided to plan on a later date. May-be Mordecai needed more time to gather the evidence against Haman and get it to Esther. Or, it just may-be that God led her to make that decision because he knew it to be the right thing to do. Any-way, the second banquet was planned and prepared and both King Xerxes and Haman attended.]

There seems to be little or no difference in the second banquet than the first. In both cases, Esther was honoring King Xerxes…with an ulterior motive. Esther asked the king to invite Haman in both cases, because she knew that Haman could not refuse to come if the King gave him the order. On his way out the gate, as Haman departed from the first banquet, Mordecai was there and refused again to bow down to Haman. The fire was already in the heart of Haman—burning in hatred against Mordecai—and this last time out the gate there must have been a crowd around to watch as Mordecai dishonored this important figure in the king’s court. Haman went home shouting and raving to his wife about his hatred for Mordecai. It was her suggestion that Haman have his men construct a scaffold and hang Mordecai for his insubordination. This pleased Haman and he ordered his escorts to build a forty-five foot scaffold on main-street…down town, where everybody could witness the hanging of Mordecai.

Let us take a good look at this despot, Haman. He was really no different from the despots of our lifetime. He measured his self-worth or importance by the power and control that he had over others. He could order that Mordecai be hanged, and carry it out on main street with the public watching even though Mordecai was innocent of any crime. Haman was so arrogant that he accepted Xerxes politically as his superior officer but deep down he accepted no man as being his equal. He was number one…in his eyes.

We must remember that there has been a long standing hatred between his ancestors and the Jews. He knew that Mordecai was a Jew. Evidently at the time even of the second banquet, neither Haman nor Xerxes knew that Esther was a Jew. Haman considered the Jews as life long enemies…therefore he decided to use his authority to trick the king into approving the annihilation of all Jews that were still living in Persia. He planned the execution and put the plan in writing, and signed it with the king’s name and used the king’s signet ring to seal the document. Some would ask why the king would allow this…and the answer is clear. Xerxes was just as crewel, and he thought nothing of killing many for his own need, or even fun. [He was similar to Nero in Italy who made sport of the Christians being eaten by lions.] {I am just guessing}…he may have been drunk on wine at the time he let Haman have his ring to use, and may not even remember what Haman said he would do with it.

The writer of Esther did not mention God…but I contend that God is tucked away between every line in the book. God knew what was being planned…before Haman knew, and he was the instigator; and God had a complicated plan in place and the right people there to carry it to completion. It is not “Happen-stance” that Esther was a orphan girl…that she was very beautiful…that Mordecai adopted her…that Mordecai had managed to be assigned a job that would keep him near the gate of the king’s palace…It is not “Happen-stance” that Mordecai was in the right place at the right time to hear the two men plotting to kill the king…No—it was God and not happen-stance all along and especially that Esther would be chosen queen and would be available for Mordecai to report the murder plot through her. God made sure that Xerxes had a strong sense of obligation to honor and protect Mordecai because Mordecai had saved the king’s life.

God made sure that the king reviewed the official records praising Mordecai and even made it possible for Haman to be the one to honor Mordecai…with high honors that Haman really had planned for himself. The hand of God was involved with the building of the scaffold on which Mordecai was to hang. And God caused the timing to be just right for the scaffold to be there brand new and unused…when it was needed to hang Haman.

We are pretty far down on Haman by this time in our study. Don’t you think that he got about what he deserved? Folks, we are prone to draw our own conclusions about what is right and what is wrong when someone else is involved. The bible teaches that we are not to judge others…but we still do. Before you make your final decision regarding Haman and what he deserved—the bible leads us to ask some deeper questions…some that may hurt down deep. How much of the Haman nature do I have? How much and how often do I attempt to control others? Do I let it bother me when others don’t seem to appreciate me for all the work I do [for them] or [in the church] or for the community? Do I ever seek revenge? We must have the kind of spirit in our hearts that will request God to replace any of these bad attitudes with forgiveness for others. We have a choice, we can repent and call on God now; or, his perfect justice will settle the matter for us.

In the last part of chapter six, it is recorded that the timing and setting for honoring Mordecai came just prior to the second banquet. Haman had been directed to administer the honors to Mordecai and was devastated. He had planned to be the one wearing the King’s robe and riding a favorite horse that the king had been riding. In his mind’s cruel eye, he had already heard the cheering and observed the people’s love for him—and now instead the honor was going to a Jew…Mordecai.

In 6:12-13—it is recorded that after Mordecai was honored…he went back to the gate of the king. To me this simply means that he continued to live, and act as he had in the past. He did not assume that all his problems were solved, because he knew how fickle the life of a king could be. However, Haman rushed home, with his head covered, and in grief he told his wife and friends all that had happened.

His wife, friends and advisers had been conferring and had already made the decision that Haman could not be successful in his plan to destroy the Jews. The word was out, and they knew that the Jews had maneuvered themselves into a position of strength. The last words Haman heard before he went to the second banquet was—“You can not stand against the Jews…you will surely come to ruin.” Before they could finish their discussion and advice, the king drove up ‘And hurried Haman away to the second banquet Esther had prepared. I have just now used my mind’s eye to picture myself at this banquet where I am not wanted…watching every move being made to see who is going to lower the hammer on me…and worst of all; I am hating my King and Queen…and trusting them the least of all others at the banquet.

The seventh chapter opens with the king and Haman at the banquet table with Esther. The wine had been pored and Xerxes was already feeling good and wanting to know what the queen desired from him so badly that she would throw two big parties for him and Haman. So, the king asked what the queen wanted…and he let her know that it would be honored, even up to one half of his kingdom. [Personally, I think he was lying.] All ears at the table were waiting to hear the queen’s request…and all of these people would be witnesses against him if he did not grant her request.

You must read verses 3 through 6. She answered: Just let me and my people live.

I have often wondered why people think they can break the law, commit crime, displease man and God in any way and continue to get by with it. God’s word teaches us that we can be sure that our sins will find us out. Many wait until it is dark to sow their evil seed hoping that no one will see…and this may last a few days—until the seed germinate. On this the bible says that what ever you sow will come up and bear fruit according to the type of seed sown in the dark…Sin always comes to light. Pay-day will come!

There may not be another example anywhere in the bible that shows how a man can self-destruct as fast as Haman did. He was doomed by two of the most destructive forces that deal with man’s life. The first was his hatred for the Jewish people—and this was based on conflicts of his ancestors years in the past. The second devastating force in his life was vain pride. He was number two in power and prestige and he wanted the number one position, and was willing to do anything necessary to get to the top.

In just three days, Haman went from the top to the bottom of a forty-five foot gallows with Mordecai’s noose around his own neck. Let’s follow him…He passed through the gate and Mordecai did not salute him…His wife and friends suggested that he build the gallows and hang Mordecai…When it was finished, the king ordered Haman to honor Mordecai by organizing a parade with Mordecai leading the parade, wearing one of the king’s robes and riding the kings horse…Haman had just arrived home and was discussing what to do, when the king came by and ordered him to go to the second banquet…The queen identified him as the one planning to kill her and her people…The king ordered him to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai…his pay-day.

Some have wondered how he built a 45ft scaffold in one day and two suggestions were made. It could have been built on the front edge of a flat roof building or on the corner of a city wall.

Persian Kings refused to look at criminals condemned to die so a cover was placed over Haman’s head before he was led away from the banquet. The custom lived down through time, the Greeks and Romans practiced covering heads before hangings and it was used at early hangings in America.
There will be one more lesson in Esther dealing with celebrations. Sometimes it is difficult to understand just how God operates. Study the last three chapters. THEN
On March 4th we will start a new study on First and Second Peter…get ready!