Esther: Silent but Sovereignনমুনা

‘In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels towards all who please him’ (Prov. 21:1). 

The night before Esther was to make her request, King Xerxes couldn’t sleep. Instead of asking for food, wine, entertainment, or even for a woman from his harem, he asked for the record of his reign to be brought in and read to him (v. 1) – perhaps he thought the historical account would send him to sleep! 

Part of the history read to Xerxes was the account of the assassination plot by Bigthana and Teresh that Mordecai had saved him from (v. 2). Suddenly the king was wide awake! God had the king’s heart in his hands, and at just the right time He prompted Xerxes to notice and honor Mordecai (v. 3). 

On hearing that nothing had been done to honor the man who had saved his life five years earlier, Xerxes needed help in planning and carrying out an appropriate reward. Haman had just entered the court, having rushed to the palace at the crack of dawn desperate to petition the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole he’d had built (v. 4). So the king called him in; who better to help him formulate and execute his plan than his best friend and wise advisor, Haman? 

In his pride Haman assumed that the person the king would most like to honor would be him, so he listed every honor he could imagine for himself (vv. 6–9). Imagine his humiliation when King Xerxes instructed him to bestow this list of honors upon his hated enemy, Mordecai (v. 10)! Imagine his rage and disbelief that his enemy, the one he’d planned to have killed that morning, would receive the honor that he thought was due to him! That Haman himself had to publicly bestow this honor on the king’s behalf (v. 11) would have been doubly mortifying! 

Haman illustrates the depravity of the human heart. It’s easy to stand in judgment over him but we need to understand that without God’s mercy we would be just like him. His pride dominates the middle chapters of the book of Esther. He craved public honor and recognition. He was desperate to wear the king’s robes and crown. He was unforgiving and unrelenting in his pursuit of privilege and respect. He became increasingly proud, emulating the king he served, Xerxes. 

The King we serve and are called to emulate is the complete opposite. Jesus stripped himself of honor and recognition. He gave up His royal robes and crown and instead wore a crown of thorns. He is full of forgiveness and unrelenting in His pursuit of lost people who need a savior.

Reflection

In what ways are you more like Haman than Jesus? How does pride impact your gospel ministries?