Today's Reading:

Esther 6
Esther 7
Esther 8
Esther 9
Esther 10

Haman was the villain in Esther’s story. He built a 75-foot pole for Mordecai and ended up on it himself. His own pride, bad timing, and a couch got in his way. He fell on the queen, begging for his life, and the king read it as one more grab for what was not his. God had already aligned the night: the king could not sleep, the exact page about Mordecai was read, and Haman walked in at dawn to ask for the gallows (a wooden pole for hanging or impaling someone), only to be told to honor the man he came to kill.

That is how pride works. Haman did not need a smarter enemy. He needed to humble himself. 

Grace is the warning in his fall. God can save His people while a proud man hangs on his own pole. How often do we get in our own way and “hang ourselves” by pride, reaching for a seat God never gave us? 

Where are you letting pride write an ending for you that God never assigned, and what would it look like to get out of your own way before you hang yourself on it?

King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) could not sleep. Instead of counting sheep, he wanted a bedtime story read of the royal chronicles (it would have been a snoozer). Except this night, the exact page was read about when Mordecai alerted Esther to the assassination plot by the king’s gatekeepers. The king asked what reward had been given to Mordecai, and the answer was nothing. At that exact moment, Haman, the king’s top advisor, walked in. The king asked Haman what honor should be given to a faithful man. Haman, being smug, thought the king was talking about him. So, Haman described a lavish parade with the highest honors: wear one of the king’s royal robes, ride the king’s horse, put a crown on the horse’s head, and have a noble official parade him in the streets for everyone to see. Oops, this was not for Haman. The king told Haman to do all of those things, but do it for Mordecai, the Jew at the gate. Haman had to dress Mordecai, his enemy, in royal clothes and shout praises of him as he paraded him through town. This was humiliating for Haman.

Esther had requested that the king and Haman attend a second banquet. There, the king and Haman were drinking wine, and Esther finally told the king what she wanted: “Spare my people” (Esther 7:3). She told the king the truth of who she was and pointed to Haman as the wicked man who set out to destroy the Jews. After cooling off from his anger, the king came back inside just as Haman had fallen on Esther, begging for his life to be spared. He already knew what the king’s punishment would be. Xerxes misunderstood the fall and thought Haman was assaulting the queen. Again, perfect timing. A eunuch helpfully mentioned that Haman already had a 75-foot pole in his yard ready to kill Mordecai, who had saved the king’s life, so the king might as well just use it for Haman. Xerxes said to hang Haman on the pole. The irony was that Haman was killed by the very spike he made to kill Mordecai.

Xerxes gave Mordecai the royal signet ring, which allowed Mordecai and Esther to create a new decree that would counteract the first, since Persian law stated that a decree sealed with the ring could not be revoked. Haman’s decree to kill the Jews on the 13^th of Adar was not dissolved. Mordecai’s decree allowed the Jews to defend themselves and treat any attacker the same as they had been treated. Across the empire, the Jews celebrated and prepared. Even some non-Jewish people started to become Jews and follow God’s laws because they had a new fear of the people. While God was not mentioned, throughout we can see His hand at work in all of the “coincidences” of a sleepless night, the perfect page to read, Haman’s timing, and Esther’s timing. Note that Mordecai later went out in a blue and white outfit, the colors that have become a symbol for the Jewish people.

Months later, the 13^th of Adar came, the date of the first decree. The enemies expected an easy fight, but the Jewish people fought back. Esther asked for an extra day in the capital after they had killed 500 men and Haman’s ten sons. About 75,000 died across all provinces in total. The Jewish people did not take the plunder, which they were allowed to do. Haman’s scheme started with bribes, money, and pride. The Jews “left the silver on the table,” which showed the fight was defensive. They just wanted to live. This also echoes when Saul was told to destroy the Amalekites but take no plunder (1 Samuel 15). Mordecai’s generation did not take the plunder, finally doing what Saul’s generation was supposed to do. Haman, called an Agagite, was tied to Agag, who was an Amalekite king. 

The Jewish people held a two-day celebration on the 14th and 15th in Susa, where most of the war took place, with the fighting lasting an extra day. This became an annual holiday. The king raised the taxes; it was still an empire after all, and the official records recorded Mordecai’s greatness. Be smart, be brave, and use the system for good.

Today's Discussion question:

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