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Class Nine- 10.24.18
~Discussion
Esther 7-8 Discussion Notes
When we left our story last week. At the end of Chapter 6, Haman had slunk back to his estate and was describing to his wife Zeresh and all his friends and family gathered, the humiliation he suffered being forced to publicly honor Mordecai, at the King’s command. In fact he was so ashamed he had covered his head (2 Samuel 15:30). After recounting his tale of woe, his wife and advisers told him “If this Mordercai is in fact a Jew, your bad luck has only begun. You don’t stand a chance against him – you’re as good as ruined” (6:13). Feeling as low as he possibly could, at that moment the King’s eunuchs arrived and whisked Haman away to Queen Esther’s chambers in the Palace Harem. Can you imagine Haman’s state of mind? He had to be at his wits end. He is no longer in control of the situation. How will he regain the upper hand with Mordecai without incurring the King’s anger? How can he manipulate the crowds in Susa to side with him when the man he has honored is impaled on his personal gallows? He mind is spinning and now he has to put his game face on and make nice with the King and Queen. I’m sure he is plotting and planning on how he can use this dinner party to his advantage.
Chapter 7 opens with the King and Haman at Queen Esther’s second dinner party, leisurely drinking wine. Remember, at this point, Xerxes is still unaware that Esther is a Jew. King Xerxes once again, using the magnanimous idiom “Esther, what is it that you want from me – I’ll give you anything, even half my kingdom.” This is the third time he has asked and made the same grandiose gesture. He is in effect telling her “I’m all ears. I will give you anything you want.”
Verse 3: Esther very carefully chooses her words. Her request is couched in humility -“If it pleases the King”. Remember she, her maid servants, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews had been fasting (praying) for the days prior and obviously God had been giving Esther wisdom, guiding her to say the perfect words in the perfect way at the perfect time, so they would be well received. Spare “my people” – she reveals her Jewishness to Xerxes – and Haman.
Verse 4: My people have been SOLD. By focusing on the bribe money Haman had offered Xerxes, she is placing the blame on Haman and giving Xerxes a way out of taking responsibility for the evil act. She projects humility to Xerxes, telling him she wouldn’t even bother him if she and her people were just doomed to slavery, but she uses the same ugly verbs found in the decree. The Jews are going to be exterminated. These words are similar to Satan’s intentions in John 10:10 – steal, kill and destroy.
Verse 5: Xerxes is livid: “Who is this man? Where is he?” As usual, he is clueless. The decree he signed ordering the elimination of the Jews was of little consequence to him. He doesn’t recall it nor does he put two and two together to realize “certain people” (3:8) are the Jews.
Verse 6: Haman’s terrible, awful, ugly day is going to go from bad to worse. Esther replies: It is our adversary & enemy, the wicked Haman! The tables have been turned! Haman is caught in his own trap! This entire episode has been perfectly orchestrated by God in His timing.
Verse 7: Xerxes is enraged (his usual response) and storms into the garden. Why? Perhaps he is stunned to learn his queen is Jewish. Maybe he realizes he is actually at fault for the evil edict and wonders how he can punish Haman without implicating himself in the process? Is he considering how to rescind an irrevocable edict? Maybe he realizes Haman has played him for a fool and he is plotting his own revenge against Haman who violates palace protocol and stays behind, begging Esther to spare his life. (Ecc 7:9-Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools)
Verse 8: Xerxes reenters the chamber, see that Haman has fallen on top of Esther, and seizes upon the opportunity to accuse him of rape, condemning him to certain death. Haman is a dead man walking.. Haman’s day has gone from bad to worse in a hurry. First King Xerxes wants to honor Mordecai, not him. Then Zeresh tells him he is doomed. Esther reveals herself to be a Jewess and reveals his evil plot. Then in the process of begging for his life (from the one whose life he had plotted to take) he falls onto Esther’s couch. In another of God’s perfectly timed divine appointments, Xerxes comes back into the room and is enraged to see Haman on top of the Queen’s sofa. He is furious that Haman has dared to touch the Queen while he is present. As Xerxes is yelling, his bodyguards grab Haman, cover his face, thereby condemning Haman to death as a traitor for trying to rape the Queen. Haman has lost all. Galatians 6:7-Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Haman cooked up this evil plot against the Jews because Mordecai wouldn’t fall before him. Now in falling onto Esther’s sofa, Haman has fallen from his exalted position as 2nd in command in Persia to a condemned traitor. PRIDE comes before a fall.
Verse 9-10: Harbona the Eunuch, quickly speaks up to inform the King that Mordecai has constructed a 75’ high gallows in order to execute Mordecai, the man who saved your life. Once again Xerxes is uninformed about palace intrigue and acts on other’s suggestions. Harbona wants Haman to get what he deserves. Xerxes commands “Hang him on it!”. Haman is impaled on his own gallows, the same fate he had intended for Mordecai. Genesis 50:20-You planned evil against me, God planned it for good to bring about the present result-the survival of many people.
Chapter 8:1-2: As customary in Persia, the estate of a traitor is confiscated by the King. Xerxes gives Esther Haman’s estate and she puts Mordecai in charge of it, telling Xerxes that he is her close relative. Part of Haman’s plan had been to “plunder” the Jews of their wealth. Now the same is done to Haman. (1 Kings 21:7-16) Xerxes, takes the symbol of authority, the signet ring, and gives it to Mordercai, granting him position and power in his Kingdom. We do not know the fate of Zeresh, but are told in Chapter 9 that Haman’s sons are killed. (Proverbs 11:6-The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires”)(Proverbs 29:23-Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.)
Verse 3-4:The reversal of power and fortune from Haman to Esther and Mordecai was complete, but Haman’s evil plot remained in effect, so once again Esther risks her safety and goes uninvited before the King to beg for his help in averting the massacre of her people. She was now fulfilling her role as queen “for such a time as this”.
Verse 5-8: Exhibiting her usual humility and wisdom, Esther asks Xerxes to write another edict to overrule those authored by Haman which allowed the destruction of the all the Jews in the entire Kingdom. She tells him she cannot bear to see the destruction of her family. Xerxes regrets allowing Haman to write the royal decree, but even he cannot overturn it. He tries to mollify her by reminding her that he hanged Haman and gave her his estate. Then he gives her permission to write another decree in his name, sealed with his ring, doing whatever she deemed best in order to rescue the Jews. He was giving her carte blanche. (Phil 2:3-4- Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.)
Verses 9-14: Mordecai, using all the royal resources Haman had previously deployed against the Jews, composes a new edict giving the Jews the right to defend themselves. The royal secretaries are summoned, the edict is copied, couriers mounted on fast horses are sent to each of the far flung corners of the kingdom authorizing the Jews to destroy, kill, annihilate and plunder their enemies, those who sought the do the same to the Jews. (8:1). Mordecai was authorizing self defense, not aggression, giving them 9 months to prepare.
Verses 15-17: Fortunes had changed for the Jews. One of their own people had been promoted to Haman’s position as 2nd only to the King and he was dressed in the colors of the Kingdom, wearing a crown. One of their own was the beautiful and lovely Queen. The reversal of Haman’s evil edict resulted in in a reversal of the dire, bewildered mood in Susa and a celebration erupted. Feasts were held. There was joy and happiness in the streets. Everyone sensed that a wrong had been righted and because of the testimony of Jews about God’s goodness and faithfulness, many people began to worship the one true God – Yahweh Jehovah.
Lessons we learned today
- But God…only God can orchestrate these turn of events! Nothing is too hard for him.Who would have every imagined the final outcome. (Eph 3:20:Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, ). His thoughts are higher than ours. (Isa 55:8: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the )
- God’s timing is always perfect. (Ecc 3:1:There is a time for everything). The events of Haman’s downfall were in the exact order necessary to convince the King to allow Esther & Mordecai to rescue the Jews.
- God allows trials & battles in our lives, but we can still have joy in the midst (James 1:2-4:Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.)
- God will avenge all wrongs on our behalf, in HIS perfect time. (Deut 32:35:It is mine to avenge; I will repay.) Ps 9:16”The Lordis known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. (Ps 37:1-2:Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away)
~Class Nine Homework
Read Chapter 9 of “For Such a Time as This” and answer workbook’s questions.
*if you need to purchase a book for this study and you are local you can purchase a book at the Women’s Ministry at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. If you want to purchase the book online click here.
