Dei Break
Esther 4:1 – 10:3
Haman's lies and bribery were discovered and exposed by Esther. His end was strikingly ironic. The Jews, whose property he hoped to attain, received his property instead. The queen whose support he hoped to obtain turned out to be the niece of his greatest enemy. She was even a Jew, one of the proposed victims of his scheme. Haman died on the gallows meant for Mordecai (5:14) and (7:9-10). The king's signet ring was jerked from his finger and given to his old enemy (8:2). Instead of the Jews, his own sons were wiped out (9:14). Mordecai not only won the battle, he took Haman's place at the king's side.
Esther countered Haman's plan by arranging a special banquet for him and the king. Haman, unsuspecting and arrogant, could hardly wait. At the banquet, Esther exposed the greedy and hateful favorite of the king (chapter 7). Haman was terrified.
After Haman's exposure and arrest, a problem still remained. Any order made in the king's name and authorized by his ring-seal impression could not be revoked, even by him. Mordecai and Esther asked Xerxes to give the Jews authority to defend themselves when the day of extermination arrived (8:11). Xerxes agreed and the Jews' victory over their enemies was overwhelming.
One more irony in Haman's story remained. Instead of being destroyed, the Jews came to greater prominence through the positions of Mordecai and Esther, and due to their restraint in defending themselves (see 9:15,16) probably gained more respect as a people than they had previously enjoyed among the Persians.
This is a great story to take the time to read. In this account of Esther, Mordecai, Haman, and Xerxes, how many "coincidences" do you note? Although God is not mentioned in Esther, do you think that He was active in this small part of Israel's history? As Christians we have the joy of knowing that no matter what is taking place in our lives, whether good or bad, God is working in it for our good.
Next time: Job, an Ancient Story of Perseverance
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