- That night the king could not sleep, and he had a servant read him the records of what had happened since he had been king.
- When the servant read how Mordecai had kept Bigthana and Teresh from killing the king,
- the king asked, "What has been done to reward Mordecai for this?" "Nothing, Your Majesty!" the king's servants replied.
- About this time, Haman came in to ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on the tower he had built. The king saw him and asked, "Who is that man waiting in front of the throne room?"
- The king's servants answered, "Your Majesty, it is Haman." "Have him come in," the king commanded.
- When Haman entered the room, the king asked him, "What should I do for a man I want to honor?" Haman was sure that he was the one the king wanted to honor.
- So he replied, "Your Majesty, if you wish to honor a man,
- have someone bring him one of your own robes and one of your own horses with a fancy headdress.
- Have one of your highest officials place your robe on this man and lead him through the streets on your horse, while someone shouts, 'This is how the king honors a man!' "
- The king replied, "Hurry and do just what you have said! Don't forget a thing. Get the robe and the horse for Mordecai the Jew, who is on duty at the palace gate!"
- Haman got the king's robe and put it on Mordecai. He led him through the city on the horse and shouted as he went, "This is how the king honors a man!"
- Afterwards, Mordecai returned to his duties at the palace gate, and Haman hurried home, hiding his face in shame.
- Haman told his wife and friends what had happened. Then his wife and his advisors said, "If Mordecai is a Jew, this is just the beginning of your troubles! You will end up a ruined man."
- They were still talking, when the king's servants came and quickly took Haman to the dinner that Esther had prepared.
In this story of Esther we see a negative correlation taking place in God's plan. As He works to raise up those He will use to carry out His plan He is also working to bring down those who work to thwart his plan. Therefore, as God raised up Mordecai and Esther to be His instruments for saving the Jewish people from annihilation, He was using Haman's plan to destroy them to bring destruction on himself instead. It is so amazing, too, to see how God works through what seems to be the most insignificant events as can be observed in the account of chapter 6.
To this point in the story of Esther we have seen how God put in place events that brought Esther to the throne and allowed Mordecai to save the king's life. All of this before Haman had even plotted to kill the Jews and the need existed to save them. We have also seen to this point Esther, through Mordecai's prompting, begin to act on a plan to plead with the king for the life of her people and we have seen Haman develop a plan to hang Mordecai. As these two opposing plans are acted out we see the negative correlation take place. Part of it takes place in this chapter and more comes later.
Following Esther's first banquet for Haman and the king in her plan to plead for her people, the king had a sleepless night. To pass the sleepless hours he had an attendant bring the book recording court events and read from it. Obviously, it was no accident that the king could not sleep on this particular night, nor was it an accident that the attendant read to him events that occurred 12 years earlier when Mordecai reported the assassination plot and saved the king's life. Neither was it mere curiosity that moved the king to inquire as to whether Mordecai had been honored for his actions. The irony that takes place from this point in the story becomes almost comical, for providence brought Haman to the king's courtyard to ask the king to hang Mordecai just when the king was searching for a way to honor Mordecai, and it was Haman the king asked, "What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?" (6:6) Making it even more comical, the egotistical Haman assumed it was he whom the king wanted to honor and suggested the way in which he would want to be honored.
It was at this point the negative correlation takes place. Having suggested what should be done for the one the king wanted to honor, Haman was then appointed to carry out the plan. The lowly Mordecai was lifted up as the mighty Haman was brought down. Following the parade through the city when the one who would not honor Haman was honored at the hand of Haman, Haman went home in shame and dejection. When he shared what had happened with his wife and friends they could see the handwriting on the wall. They said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is Jewish, you won't overcome him, because your downfall is certain." (6:13) This statement raises several questions. Did Haman's wife and friends realize that God's hand was upon the Jews and did Haman not know it? Did Haman not know Mordecai was a Jew? Did Haman realize both God's hand on the Jews and that Mordecai was a Jew but his pride led him to believe he was above all this?
Haman's wife and friends proved to be prophetic. Haman's downfall, by this time, was certain.
No comments:
Post a Comment