“Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” Esther 5:13 NLT
Hatred is a powerful force and if not dealt with will eventually destroy you as we will begin to see in chapter 5 of Esther. In chapter 4 Queen Esther learns of the official decree to destroy all the Jews. After being persuaded by her cousin Mordecai she agrees to approach the king uninvited to inform him of the innocence of the Jews and Haman’s hatred of them which precipitated the decree he agreed to. King Ahasuerus indifference to the people under his rule in the Persian Empire made it easy for Haman to sell his plan to him. The king obviously failed to notice Haman’s cunningness or any alternative motives on Haman’s part but rushed through without checking the facts. Leaders today have the same blind spots as they sign legislation and executive orders on the advice of those who are only there to serve themselves. And you can be sure there is also some hatred involved.
After three days of fasting and praying, Esther prepares to visit the king by putting on her Royal robes. She made her way into the king’s inner court and stood there waiting. The king noticed her and granted her favor by holding out the golden scepter. Esther may have found favor with King Ahasuerus, but she first found favor with God for her fasting and prayer. “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.” (Pr.21:1 nlt) The Lord directed the king to do what He wanted for Esther, hold out the golden scepter. Christians sometimes hesitate to call on the Lord in prayer for leaders in government not recognizing every leader’s heart is a stream of water God directs. Esther was a recipient of God’s guiding the king’s heart. The Lord did it then, He can do it again.
The king knew his queen enough to understand something was troubling her to approach him unannounced. “Then the king asked her, ‘What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!’” (Es.5:3 nlt) ‘Half the kingdom’ is hyperbole to make the point that the king took it seriously. It is interesting Esther would request a dinner invitation for him and Haman to be accepted. It is more interesting Esther did not confront Haman or tell the king of Haman’s real plan but invited them both to another dinner the next day. This could be answered by attributing this to the God’s providential hand. Haman became more full of himself by Queen Esther’s recognition of him and his high rank in the King Ahasuerus’ court. As Haman exited the palace gates there was Mordecai who again refused to bow to him. “Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious.” (Es.5:9 nlt)
Haman returned home and gathered his friends and Zeresh his wife to boast of his great day. He proceeded to brag about all his accomplishments, his wealth, his ten sons, and that Queen Esther herself invited only him to dinner with her and the king. For one who had it all, he was not very happy with his life. In fact, he was miserable. His hatred blinded him to all that he had, nothing satisfied him if Mordecai, the, Jew was alive. In Haman’s own words, “Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” (Es.5:13 nlt) Haman exemplifies true hatred. Nothing else was important to him than to do away with his so-called enemy. The evil of hatred is alive and well in our day. We have many Haman look-a-likes from personal resentment, political opponents, religious extremists, to prejudice and racism, and the hatred of Christians worldwide fueling the attempted destructions of innocent people.
Haman didn’t need a lot of encouragement when his wife and friends came up with the solution to his problem. “Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.’ This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.” (Es.5:14 nlt) Satan has made his move by enticing Haman through his wife and friends to build a gallows fifty cubits (75 ft) high. The gallows would have been as high as the city wall for all the people Susa to see Mordecai hanging in death. The king would also have a good view from the palace which pleased Haman as he was sure the king would give the order to execute Mordecai for his failure to honor the king’s top official. Haman’s problem seems to be rectified for the moment, by God is about to make the next move in this chess match. To be continued…………
Read: Esther 5 ESV – Esther Prepares a Banquet – On the – Bible Gateway
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