Esther Explained | Salvation Will Ariseনমুনা

Day 6 | Esther 6

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Welcome back to Through the Word, pastor Jonathan here, and Esther 6 is where we are today.

Now we left off yesterday with a dark scene. Haman had just been invited to a feast with the queen, but the queen had simply asked the king and Haman to return the next day for another feast. Haman and his men have set up a monstrosity of terror to kill his enemy, Mordecai. A 75-foot pole has been raised, with the single purpose of impaling a man, simply for not bowing down to Haman. As early in the morning as he can, Haman sets off for the palace, seeking to ask the king for permission to arrest and kill Mordecai. But God is still working behind the scenes here, and he has a different plan. Verse 1:

"That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes" (Esther 6:1-2).

King over 127 provinces, Xerxes couldn’t get 10 minutes of sleep. So, he does what many of us do in a similar situation. He grabs a book. Actually, he grabs a servant and orders him to grab a book and read, hoping to lull himself into sleep again. Because let me tell you, these chronicles are boring. They are basically a list of dates, and names, and events. More like a giant spreadsheet barely clothed in narrative form. And as the servant was reading, he came to the passage where Mordecai had saved the king’s life. Now back in chapter 2, two of Xerxes guards had conspired to kill him, and Mordecai had reported it to Esther, who warned the king. The men were arrested and executed, but Mordecai, well remember he was never rewarded. Verse 3:

"'What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?' the king asked.

'Nothing has been done for him,' his attendants answered" (Esther 6:3).

This would have shocked the king. Persian kings were famous for their lavish rewards for service and loyalty. In an empire as big as Persia, it was important to encourage loyalty among such large numbers of people. One Persian king even gave the governorship of an entire province to someone who saved the life of the king’s brother. To find out that Mordecai had been given nothing for his service, well, Xerxes will not stand for that. He’s not sure what should be done to honor such an important event, so he asks his servant to bring him one of his counselors. Verse 4:

"The king said, 'Who is in the court?' Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

His attendants answered, 'Haman is standing in the court.'

'Bring him in,' the king ordered" (Esther 6:4-5).

Now as readers, we can already see the irony of this situation. The king is about to ask Haman what should be done to Mordecai, just as Haman is in a rush to get permission to kill Mordecai. Verse 6:

"When Haman entered, the king asked him, 'What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?'

Now Haman thought to himself, 'Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?' So he answered the king, 'For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’'” (Esther 6:6-9).

Haman is so single-minded, focused on himself that he doesn’t even wait to ask who the man is that needs to be honored. He is immediately convinced that the king is talking about him, so he tells the King what he wants done, for himself. Haman is so sure he is the favored one, he keeps repeating the phrase “The man the king delights to honor”. This is the very thing he wants, for everyone to see him honored by the king. Since he’s already is one of the most powerful men in all of Persia, what is left but to dress up like the king, and be paraded around the city like a conquering hero?

Now, God often allows us to set our own trap. Here, Haman’s pride and arrogance are going to cause his ultimate downfall. Verse 10: 

“'Go at once,' the king commanded Haman. 'Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended'” (Esther 6:10).

Haman was swelling up with pride until he found out he was supposed to honor Mordecai in such a way. This was his big day, his dream. He walked in to ask for Mordecai to be killed, and then he thinks the king is going to honor him. Instead, the tables have completely turned, and now he must honor the very man he sought to destroy.

And so Haman leads Mordecai around the city, proclaiming that the king has favor for Mordecai. He is crushed, dashed to pieces. Verse 12:

"Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him" (Esther 6:12-13a).

And his wife and friends give him some, rather strange advice, given what they had just told him the day before. Verse 13:

"His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, 'Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!'" (Esther 6:13b).

You see, the Persians were very superstitious people, and so it must have really scared them all that Mordecai, who should have been dead by now, was honored instead. They try to warn Haman, this anger at Mordecai is going to be your ruin. They see Haman falling from his position of power, and know nothing good was about to come.

And while Haman was discussing matters with his wife, the king’s servant came to usher Haman off to the banquet. He had planned on going in peace with a dead Mordecai, but now, he goes with a worried and heavy heart to hear the queen’s request. And tomorrow, we’ll find out if Esther is able to save her people, in Esther chapter 7, on Through the Word.

Read Esther 6

All verses are quoted from the NIV unless otherwise noted.