Esther 6 & 7

1-3 4-9 10-14 7:1-6 7-8:2

6:1-3

While Haman is building the gallows to have Mordecai killed upon king Ahasuerus cannot sleep. Guided by God’s providence he sends to get the chronicles of memorable deeds in the kingdom, mentioned back in chapter 2, brought to him and he sees the record that Mordecai discovered a plot by Bigthana and Teresh to have Ahasuerus killed but does not see where Mordecai was rewarded for it. He asks his aides if they know how Mordecai was rewarded and they tell him that nothing has been done for him.

4-9

While Ahasuerus is talking with his aids about Mordecai, Ahasuerus hears someone entering into the outer court and asks his aids who was coming in. They tell him that it is Haman who was coming into the court as he was on his way to tell Ahasuerus to have Mordecai killed on his newly made gallows. Ahasuerus lets Haman come into the court but before Haman can speak about having Mordecai killed Ahasuerus asks him what should be done for the man whom he wants to honor, he does not tell Haman that it is Mordecai because he did not think it was relevant or he thought that Haman had heard them discussing Mordecai, but ultimately it was because that was how God made it happen. Haman being the ever so humble man thought that it had to be himself that the king wanted to honor because who else deserved more honor than he. So Haman told Ahasuerus everything he wanted done for himself, royal robes that the king himself had worn, it was a capital crime in ancient Persia to wear any of the king’s apparel but Haman was so confident that the king wanted to honor him that he requested such an extreme honor, he also requests horses from the kings stables. It was the horse that was to lead the honored person around the city that was to wear the crown not the person riding, having the kings crown placed on anyone but the king was too much to ask even for Haman, but history does say that the horses in ancient Persia were adorned with the royal crown. All of these things should give given to one of the kings most noble officials so he can dress the man and lead him through the city on the kings horse proclaiming loudly as he does that this man he is leading around is honored by the king, of course Haman believed himself to be the most noble official and this would put him in an even higher rank with the king and all of the people.

10-14

Can’t you just picture Haman, asking for the moon thinking all of this honor and delight is for him, smiling and beaming with self worth and importance, and being devastated that all that he himself just suggested be done is not for himself but for Mordecai, the man he was just about to request the king have killed on the gallows he built for this special purpose. Now Haman has to dress Mordecai in the kings own royal robes and lead him around the city telling everyone how honored Mordecai is, to the same people that knew Mordecai did not bow and give honor to Haman.

After dressing and leading Mordecai around the city on the kings horse, Mordecai returns to the kings gate a hero while Haman hides his head and sulks back to his house. He tells his wife and all of his friends that were gathered to see Mordecai killed what has happened. Haman’s wife and friends must have had some knowledge of biblical history because they tell him that if Mordecai is a Jew, one of God’s chosen people, then Haman will not overcome him, or defeat him but just the opposite will happen. While this discussion goes on the king’s eunuchs come to take Haman to the second feast that Esther had prepared for him and Ahasuerus.

7:1-6

Just like the first feast the previous day Ahasuerus is drinking after the meal and asks Esther what her wish is, he will give her anything she desires. Esther finally lets Ahasuerus know what she wants, she wants for herself and her people to be spared. Esther and all the Jew’s have been sold, referring back to the amount of money that Haman was willing to pay to the king’s treasury, to be destroyed, killed, annihilated, wiped out from all of the kingdom. She tells Ahasuerus if they were to be enslaved she would have not said anything, them being put in bondage would not have been enough of a loss to Ahasuerus to bother the him with. Ahasuerus is enraged that someone would dare kill his queen and all of her people, he asks her who and where is the person who is doing this. Esther tells him that a foe and an enemy of the Jews is responsible for this, it is the wicked Haman. While earlier that day Haman was robbed of his honor and the chance to have Mordecai killed, and now he learns that Queen Esther is also a Jew and that at his suggestion the king put out the decree to have the Jews killed. The King James version says that Haman was afraid before the king and the queen and the ESV has that he was terrified, I don’t think that either of those translations probably capture the abject horror that Haman was probably feeling right then.

7-8:2

Ahasuerus storms out of there and into the garden, no doubt to think about what he can do about the law that he allowed Haman to created that condemned all the Jews in his kingdom. Haman does not follow Ahasuerus but decides to stay behind and beg for his life to Esther, and as he was begging he falls on the couch where Esther is sitting right as Ahasuerus comes back. Ahasuerus assumes that Haman is attacking Esther and as the king is questioning what Haman is doing Haman is seized and a sack is put over his head as he is taken away. Then one of the kings eunuchs, Harbona, who knows about the gallows that Haman had built and knew that he had it built for the death of Mordecai, the man who saved the life of the king and whom the king had just honored, tells Ahasuerus about the gallows and how high he had it built, so high that everyone in the city would be able to see Mordecai on it. Ahasuerus commands that Haman is to be hung on the very gallows that he built for Mordecai. After Haman is dead and Ahasuerus’ anger subsides he gives Queen Esther Haman’s house to do with as she pleases as by Persian custom any property of a traitor is returned to the king, there is no mention of what happens to Haman’s wife Zeresh or his wise friends but we see later in chapter 9 what happens to his ten sons. Esther then tells Ahasuerus that Mordecai is her cousin and rased her as his own daughter so Ahasuerus puts Mordecai in his court and puts him second in command like Haman was, entrusting him with his signet ring and all the trust, honor, and authority that comes with it, it being the ring that signed and sealed laws, edicts, letters, and so on. Queen Esther then assigns Mordecai to be the steward over all of the property that was previously Haman’s.