Chapter 5:9 - 14
The book of Esther: A study of God in action when nothing appears
to be happening!
by Patsy Norwood (c) 2023 - 2024. All Rights Reserved.
In our last lesson we left the king and Haman attending a
banquet Queen Esther had invited them too for the sole purpose of hearing Esther’s
request. Esther delayed making known her
request and extended an invitation to a second banquet where she would then make
her request known.
Somewhere between the first banquet and the second banquet, Haman
had another run in with Mordecai. That’s what we’re going to be looking at in
this lesson …
9 So Haman went out that day joyful and with a
glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not
stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.
“Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad
heart” … this is Haman’s hour of glory, he’s glorying in
himself and full of pride. He is on top
of the world … until he sees Mordecai in the king’s gate refusing to bow down
and pay homage to him. Instant anger and
rage brought his joy to a crashing halt.
Here’s an excerpt from the Pulpit Commentary that gives us a
more in-depth look at where Mordecai and Haman’s relationship stands at this
time …
Originally Mordecai had merely declined to
prostrate himself before Haman on religious grounds. Now he looked upon Haman as his personal
enemy, and would not even acknowledge his presence. There is nothing more galling than such utter
contempt shown openly in the presence of others.
Whew! That’s all I can
think to say!
10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went
home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh.
Haman held it together outwardly and didn’t address Mordecai
in any way. (Being chief minister to the
king meant Haman could have done great harm to Mordecai if he had so chosen.) Instead, he went home and called for his friends
and his wife, Zeresh.
Haman might have been holding it together on the outside, but
inside he was fuming. The wonderous joy
he had been experiencing prior to his encounter with Mordecai was now tarnished
and in Haman’s mind it was all Mordecai’s fault.
Do you think one reason Haman might have ‘held it together’
for the time being was that he knew (or he thought) that Mordecai’s time was
almost up and that he soon wouldn’t be a bother anymore?
Do you think there was a part of Haman that was smirking on the inside while he ‘held
it together’ in spite of being filled with raging anger.
Do you think the reason Haman went home and called for his
friends and his wife was that he wanted to blow off steam and have them commiserate
with him?
11 Then Haman told them of his great riches, the
multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and
how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
Well, if we ever doubted that Haman was pompous, a braggard
and full of himself, this verse should remove all doubt! Look at what he’s bragging about:
His great riches …
The multitude of his children …
His promotions and advancements …
His favoritism from the king …
It seems that Haman is very much into promoting himself, “look
at me!” “Look at me!”
Coffman’s commentary says that “He was a coarse,
undisciplined man little better than a savage.”
Hmmmm …. I’ll leave you to ponder on the lessons of Haman’s
attitude.
12 Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther
invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she
prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king.
And here is the crowning exaltation: the queen had invited him and no one else
along with the king to come to a private banquet for just the three of them …
not just once, but twice!
He must really think he is special right about now!
Little did Haman know that all these weeks and months of God
working behind the scenes are about to come together … God’s timing is always
perfect!
13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I
see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
Oh, but wait! Haman is
still stewing over the “fly in the ointment,” the one person who has not bowed
down to him.
He’s accusing Mordecai of stealing his joy and has let himself
become consumed with Mordecai not bowing down to him. In Haman’s mind, everything seems to be all
about himself!
Haman was an egomaniac.
He was the chief minister of the greatest empire in the then known world
and yet it was not enough.
“Yet all this avails me nothing” … what he seems to be saying is
that all his prestige, possessions, power, riches and family is less important
to him at this moment than his tiff with Mordecai.
Haman has allowed himself to become obsessed with Mordecai!
14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said
to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and
in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.
His wife? She was the
mother of 10 sons! Has she no heart!
His friends? They apparently
rallied around Haman, too!
Look at what was suggested:
“Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning
suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it …”
“so he had the gallows made” … I wonder
what answer was given when inquiry among the people was made who saw the very
tall gallows (approximately 75 feet tall) being built? I wonder, did Haman go so far as to brag about
it?
But that’s not all that was suggested … “then go merrily
with the king to the banquet.”
Get permission to have a man hanged … and then go MERRILY with
the king to a banquet!
I don’t know about you, but I’m almost speechless! What a
way to find joy!
Josephus tells us that it was Haman’s wife, Zeresh, who
advised him to have the gallows made, if that’s so then we have to assume that
his friends backed up her suggestion.
These are my thoughts on this week’s lesson, what are yours?
I sincerely hope that as we study this book, you’re gathering
knowledge about God and that you’re seeing how this account of Esther fits in
with His redeeming plan for mankind. The
Bible is about God and the more we learn about Him, the more we fall in love
with Him.
In our next lesson, we’ll do all 14 verses of chapter 6, as
there just didn’t seem to be a natural break in it to do more than one
lesson.
Chapter 6 occurs in between the banquets. While Haman is having the gallows built, God
slips in quietly and continues His work behind the scenes.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today's lesson. Don't forget to leave a comment and if you're
enjoying this class, please share the link with other ladies who you think
might enjoy it as well.
Links to previous lessons can be found HERE.
Until the next class ...
patsy @ From This Heart of Mine; (c) 2023 - 2024 by Patsy
Norwood ~ All Rights Reserved.
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