Esther Pleads for Her People
“So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen, and as they drank their wine on the second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”
Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request. For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”
Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”
Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!”
And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.
The Hanging of Haman
In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized the king was planning a terrible fate for him. Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high (75 feet) at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.” “Hang him on it!” declared the king. So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.”
It’s the arch-typical story of the triumph of good over evil, and at this point we want to stand up and cheer loudly! Mordecai is saved! Haman is hanged! But wait, because that edict against the Jews is still out there, and the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be changed when once they have been issued. Esther might be all right and Mordecai is safe for now, but if actions are not taken swiftly, the Jews might still be wiped out as a people in all the corners of the empire.
Why is Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, so willing to tell the king about the gallows Haman has already erected? Remember that Haman has been lording it over everyone he meets, forcing them to rise and then to bow in his presence. Harbonah has worked in the palace long enough to know royalty when he sees it and also to recognize a villain when he sees one. It’s likely that Haman has demanding that all the palace servants not merely bow but literally plant their faces on the floor when he walks by. Perhaps Haman is also a mean drunk who has abused the palace servants while Xerxes and he were getting plastered together. Any abuse of a servant would be reported immediately to all the other servants; who knows who might be the next target of Haman’s arrogance? Haman is just that kind of guy. Now the day of pay-backs has come and Harbonah is more than willing to drop a word in the ear of King Xerxes, suggesting Haman be hanged on his own gallows. “Perfect!” thinks Xerxes. “What could be better than hanging Haman on a gallows in front of his own home so everyone can see his downfall?” Remember that Xerxes thinks Haman has attacked Esther, so no punishment is really sufficient for such dastardly behavior.
APPLICATION: Part of the charm and fascination of the Book of Esther is the way in which God turns a dreadful situation into a victorious one. One of my favorite African Gospel songs is entitled “I know that my God will turn it around!” Here are the lyrics: You can listen to the song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM8g78pkEJw
Are you weighed down by battles in life
Are you thinking of quitting the race
There is no need to give up on your journey
Because I know my God will turn it around
I know my God will turn it around
I have seen my God turn it around
There are so many many many times in my life
That I have seen my God turn it around
Have you suffered from disappointment
Have some people turn their backs on you
Just keep holding onto the one who cannot disappoint
I know my God will turn it around
I know my God will turn it around
I have seen my God turn it around
There are so many many many times in my life
That I have seen my God turn it around
Are you thinking that you’re alone
Do you feel God has forsaken you
He has promised to keep you to the end of the journey
I know my God will turn it around
I know my God will turn it around
I have seen my God turn it around
There are so many many many times in my life
That I have seen my God turn it around
I know my God will turn it around
I have seen my God turn it around
There are so many many many times in my life
That I have seen my God turn it around
There are so many many many times in my life
That I have seen my God turn it around.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are many of us caught in terrible situations and we need You to turn things around. Speak to our hearts, calm our minds, and help us to trust that You will help us and deliver us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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