A Study of the Book of Esther
“Esther’s Finest Hour”
Esther 5:1-6:14
In the last chapter a previously unknown man named Haman was elevated by the king to a position second only to himself. Part of that posi-tion was that everyone was to bow and pay hom-age to him. Mordecai refuses to show Haman the respect that had been commanded. Haman was so incensed that he was able to deceive the king into passing a law that would not only kill Mordecai and all the Jews in the Persian Empire and seize their properties.
Mordecai becomes aware of this and he and the other Jews begin to publicly mourn in sack cloth and ashes. Mordecai makes Esther aware of the situation and instructs her that she must intercede with the king for her people.
The chapter ends with several serious obstacles in carrying out this task. Not the least of which is that she has not been called into the king’s presence in more than 30 days.
1. To speak to the king, Esther has to break the law for which the penalty is death.
There is a certain irony in the fact that in Chapter one, Vashti the queen risked her life by refusing to appear when summoned by the king and in now in Chapter 4 Esther the new queen risks her life by appearing before the king unsummoned.
“Those who appeared before the king without invitation were liable to immediate executi0n. This was no empty threat. Contemporary depictions of the Persian king excavated at Persepolis show him seated on his throne holding a scepter, flanked by various officials, including a soldier with an axe.” [Edwin Yamauchi. “Persia and the Bible” (Grand Rapids; Baker, 1990. P.360]
2. To make her appeal to the king, Esther has to confess she has deceived the king.
Esther will attempt to persuade the king to spare her life and the lives of her fellow - Jews. But to do so she has to admit that she, has deceived the king -by keeping the fact that she is a Jew a secret.
3. Esther is attempting to convince the king to reverse an irreversible law. The decree which permitted the enemies of the Jews to kill them and confiscate their property was executed as a law of the Persians and the Medes, an irrever-sible law (see 1:19; 3:10-11; 8:8). It does not look as though the king will or can undo the law he has allowed to be decreed in his name.
4. Esther sets out to oppose Haman, one of the most powerful persons on Earth at that moment in time. The king has handed over a great portion of his power to Haman, which enables him to pass laws the king has not even read. To appeal to the king is to go against Haman, a wealthy power-broker who has the king’s ear, not to mention the king’s signet ring.
5. Esther is pursuing a plan which will strike a serious blow to the king’s pride.
For the king to deal with Haman as the situation requires, the king will have to admit he has not been wise in exalting Haman to power and position of second in power only to himself.
The ultimate encouragement to the children of God is the assurance “that the king’s heart is like channels of water in the Lord’s hands.” (Prov. 21:1)
Between chapters 4 and 5 there is a dramatic pause. We are left in suspense as we are not told anything that happened during the three day fast. This pause represents a silent, yet powerful interlude during which Esther seeks wisdom and strength to do what she needs to do. Even though God was silent during those three days, we can trust that He was at work, nonetheless. During a waiting period, God is not only working in our hearts, He is working in others’ hearts.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:31). When we find ourselves in one of those interlude periods of our lives, when we need to wait upon the Lord for wisdom, strength and direction, we too should ask for others to pray with us, and then we should give it over to God, and wait with a listening ear and a watchful eye. That’s exactly what Esther did – she waited, fasted, prayed, and listened in her heart and soul. Because of this interlude with God, Esther was able to approach the moment of truth – to step into the presence of the king, calmly and wisely and confidently.
First, The Plan of Esther. (5:1-4)
• The Appearance of Esther Before the King. (5:1-8)
? The Reception of the Queen (vv. 1-2)
“Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. 2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was
in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.”
What an incredible privilege we enjoy with our King – who has an open door policy. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16-ESV) He even invites us to bring our needs to Him. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by pray-er and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4:6-ESV) And even though we have such a glorious privilege if we are honest we have done precious little with it.
• The Request of the Queen. (vv.3-5)
“And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
Even though the expression “up to half the kingdom” (v. 3) was an intentional exaggeration it was never thought to be purely frivolous, but meant the king was disposed to be generous in granting a request. We also witness such a promise made to Salmone after a salacious dance before her step-father Herod at another banquet. Herod pro-mises her “Ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you…Whatever you ask of me , I will give you; up to half of my kingdom” (Mark 6:22-23) she asked for the head of John the Baptist.
In verse four, “So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.” 5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.”
Obviously the King would know that Esther was not willing to risk her life to come into his presence to ask him to a banquet. But he also knew that she was not yet ready to make her request. Esther also showed tact by not blurting out her ultimate request right away. The wait would have only made him more eager to know what she wants. She wanted to first win the king’s confid-ence in her – and she also wanted Haman at the banquet to ultimately expose his wickedness.
In verse six we are told, “At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther,“What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is
your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
King Ahasuerus repeated this offer to Queen Esther. It was more of a proverbial expression than a literal offer for anything up to “half of the king-dom.”
? The Reluctance of the Queen. (vv. 7-8)
“Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request is this: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
Esther put off the request for one more day, promising to reveal her petition at a second ban-quet on the next day. Why does Esther not present her request immediately?
? Perhaps she did not feel the time was right.
? Perhaps she felt the Lord need to work in the king’s heart one more day.
“The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
(Proverbs 21:1)
? Perhaps she felt the Jews needed to pray one more day. (they had already spent three days and night fasting and I think praying).
? Perhaps she wanted to pray about exactly what to say.
? At any rate I believe she was being led by the Spirit of God to wait.
• The Arrogance of Haman. (vv. 9-13)
? Haman’s highs and Lows (9-13)
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.
Just how fragile Haman ego is seen in the fact that his ego was stroked when he was invited to the dinner with the king and queen, although his position and power were not really changed, and how his ego was quashed when on leaving the meal Mordecai refused to bow, although again his posi-tion and power had not be diminished. How in-secure Haman must have been for the lack of appr-oval of one man to matter so much to him! Yet are we not like him at some points. When are downcast because of some minor earthly setback we have lost sight of the incredible glories of our heavenly inheritance.
Why is that we as believers can be in a place where God is working and doing great things all around you – all you see all you can think of is one or two things – that are seeming-ly out of place.
We see a wonderful contrast between Haman led by his flesh and Esther – following the leading of the Holy Spirit. So to boaster his fragile ego Haman went home and called for his friends and his wife and boasted of his successes (riches, num-ber of sons and his promotions). Verse ten, “Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh.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. 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. 13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
“Ya-da, ya-da, ya-da, me, me, me, brag, brag, brag…let me remind you of how great I am!”
Haman’s self-esteem and self-worth were bun-dled in his accomplishments. However, his heart reflected a more serious spiritual condition. It seems to me that there was a void at the center of Haman’s life that no amount of success could fill. But to apply this personally what is it that causes us to be angry out of all proportion to the offense?
? The Counsel Offered Haman (v. 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.”
Haman’s wife and friends encourage him to that if this man was such a problem for him he should make a gallows and find a way to cause Mordecai to be falsely accused and hanged. Con-sumed with anger and enraged pride he makes this gallows 80 feet tall. The gallows were so big that the next day even the king in his palace knew about this gallows that was built by Haman’s house.
Second, The Providence of God. (6:1-14)
• The Providence Of God in Remembering Mordecai. (vv.1-3)
In an earlier message on chapter three we defined the providence of God as “God is behind the scenes directing the ordinary events of life to bring about His predetermined plan.”
Chapter six begins with the King’s Insomnia and in verse one we read, “That night (or that very night) the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2And it was found written that Mordecai had told of ….two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.”
We see the providence of God at work in that is “that very” night (6:1) (the night when Haman made his plans to have Mordecai killed) that God moves the heart of the King. Isn’t it true that God accomplishes some of his deepest work in the hearts of men as they lay awake in their beds at night (Job 4:12-16, Psalm 4:4, Acts 18:9, 23:11). But God’s sovereignty did not end with keeping the king awake, but also by directing his choice of alterna-tive activities for the night. He requested the Chro-nicles of his reign be read. The modern equivalent for us might be “The Congressional Record,” either would be an antidote to sleeplessness. But not just reading the Chronicles but the exact portion relating how Mordecai had saved the king’s life (v.2).
The king asks, verse three, “Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” The king is horrified to learn that somehow this man who had saved his life had slipped the cracks of bureaucracy and not been reward. This in the king’s eyes was a situation that must be recti-fied immediately.
• The Providence Of God in Reducing Haman. (6:4-14)
? Poetic Justice (vv.4-5)
“So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mord-ecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 The king’s servants said to him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”
Another instance of divine providence at work God is putting the other pieces in place. At the very moment that King is search for one of advis-ers, Haman enters the outer court of the king’s place. Of course Haman came early to the court to ask the king to allow him to put Mordecai to death on the gallows he has built.
? Portrait of Ego. (vv. 6-9)
“So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7
And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal
crest placed on its head. 9 Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and pro-claim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
We see Haman’s ego when the king asks him what should be done for the man whom the king seeks to honor, and in his proud mind he thinks, ‘Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?.’ (v. 7) Haman was convinced that the king wanted to honor him, and he has obviously given this a great deal of thought. Since he thinks it was for himself he really exaggerates the honor that he thought he was due. Little did Haman realize how wicked his thoughts were and how dangerous his fate was at this very moment.
? Pride and Humiliation. (vv.10-14)
It could be said that this was Haman’s
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (6:10-14) “Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
Haman to his horror, has to honor Mordecai, his arch enemy, in all of the ways that he thought he was telling the king that he (Haman) should be honored. Haman unwilling had to declare the honor of Mordecai and like fashion one day every-one will be forced to declare the honor due Christ “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in Heaven and of those on Earth and those under the Earth 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11)
In verse twelve we read, “Afterward Mord-ecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hur-
ried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.”
It is certainly interesting how the two men respond to the honor given to Mordecai. Haman went home “mourning with his head covered” and Mordecai went back to life as normal back to place he was before (v.12).
How different the counsel is now than they had given previously for in verse thirteen we read,
“When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him.”
Apparently God’s work of providence is so clearly at work in this situation that even pagans can see its significance. It seems that unbelievers were quicker to believe that Israel’s God would act then His own people were (compare 1 Sam 4.)
Then in verse fourteen, “While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hastened to bring Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.”
The change in the circumstances of God’s people was not because of their bold and fearless action. It is God’s invisible hand turning things around and restoring His people.
In Genesis 12:3 God stated “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse.” God made that promise the descendants of Abraham, the nation of Israel. And it has never been rescinded! I do not approve of everything that President Trump has done and wish he was more circumspect with what he says, but I agree with his decision to move the U.S Embassy to Jerusalem. The reversal we see in the circumstances of the Jews reveals that “beneath the surface of human decisions and actions is an unseen and uncontroll-able power at work, which can neither be explained nor thwarted….(in the book of Esther there is)… a consistency in God’s rule of human history that is based on His word, not on circumstances.” [Karen H. Jobes. “Esther” The New NIV Application Commentary. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999) pp. 158-159]
Closing Illustration.
“The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed fever-ishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happen-ed; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger." God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awaken-ed by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burn-ing to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.” [Author Unknown [“The Burning Hut – The Epistle http://epistle.us/inspiration/burninghut.html]
“Esther’s Finest Hour”
Esther 5:1- 6:14
First, The Plan of Esther. (5:1-4) (Heb. 4:16 Phil 4:6-7)
? The Appearance of Esther Before the King. (vv.1-8)
? The Reception of the Queen. (1-2)
? The Request of the Queen. (3-5)
? The Reluctance of the Queen. (7-8)
• The Arrogance of Haman. (vv.9-14)
? Haman’s highs and Lows (vv. 9-13)
? The Counsel Offered Haman (v. 14)
Second, The Providence of God. (6:1-14)
• The Providence Of God in Remembering Mordecai. (6:1-4) - The Kings Insomnia.
(Job 4:12-16, Psalm 4:4, Acts 18:9, 23:11).
• The Providence Of God in Reducing Haman. (6:4-14)
? Poetic Justice (vv.4-5)
? Portrait of Ego. (vv. 6-9)
? Pride and Humiliation. (vv.10-14)
“Esther’s Finest Hour”
Esther 5:1- 6:14
First, The Plan of Esther. (5:1-4) (Heb. 4:16 Phil 4:6-7)
? The __________ of Esther Before the King. (vv.1-8)
? The Reception of the Queen. (1-2)
? The Request of the Queen. (3-5)
? The Reluctance of the Queen. (7-8)
• The _____________ of Haman. (vv.9-14)
? Haman’s highs and Lows (vv. 9-13)
? The Counsel Offered Haman (v. 14)
Second, The Providence of God. (6:1-14)
• The Providence Of God in ___________ Mordecai. (6:1-4) - The Kings Insomnia.
(Job 4:12-16, Psalm 4:4, Acts 18:9, 23:11).
• The Providence Of God in ___________ Haman. (6:4-14)
? Poetic Justice (vv.4-5)
? Portrait of Ego. (vv. 6-9)
? Pride and Humiliation. (vv.10-14)
