Esther 7
- Summary
This chapter records that King Ahasuerus and Haman came a second time to banquet with Queen Esther, who is asked again by the king for her request. Esther now humbly and simply asks for the life of herself and her people to be spared, explaining that they have been sold to be killed. She justifies her request that she wouldn't have asked if they were being sold as slaves.
King Ahasuerus demands to know who is daring to do such a thing. When Esther replies that it is Haman the king was so angry he got up from the banquet and went into the palace garden. Haman now terrified falls on Esther's couch pleading for his life. On returning from the garden the king sees him and accuses him of trying to assault the Queen before his very eyes.
As the king speaks, his men take Haman, covering his face, and when the chamberlain, Harbonah, informs the king that Haman had made a 50 cubit high gallows to hang Mordecai the king orders Haman to be hung there instead, after which the king's anger was pacified.
- Thoughts
I particularly noticed the king's question in verse 5: "Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?"
King Ahasuerus seems to have forgotten that only recently he gave money to Haman to destroy 'a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy (his) kingdom' . He had believed Haman's claims that their 'laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's law' and that 'it is not for the king's profit to suffer them' (Esther 3: 8). Rather than asking more about these people and looking in to it, the King had readily given Haman money to kill them and then such was his apparent indifference he had 'sat down to drink' with Haman (Esther 3: 15).
And yet now, when he is faced with one of these 'certain' people - his beautiful favoured Queen - and the murderous decision is brought home to him personally he is filled with wrath - and yet didn't seem to put two and two together and realise that he had signed the decree for this to be done. Perhaps when Esther tells him it is Haman that is planing this and he angrily gets up and goes into the palace garden the realisation of how this has all come about is going through his mind. Perhaps he is partly angry with himself for so readily agreeing to Haman without looking into it.
How does this apply to me and to you today? It seems to speak to me of an attitude of examining ourselves and our lives. To be aware of how we are managing our finances, our homes, our families, our lives - all those things which God has given us, to know the state of them all, to be watchful over them, so that we won't suddenly be faced with the results of decisions made without due thought and attention. A sense of, 'Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds' (Proverbs 27: 23).
Jesus (when speaking of forsaking all to follow him) speaks of having natural wisdom in managing important decisions - he uses the example of those who before building a tower sit down to check they have enough money to finish it, and of a king planning a battle, who will first sit down and consult whether he has enough soldiers (Luke 14: 28-31). We have many proverbs counselling us how to conduct our every day lives, for example, Proverbs 11:15 tells us that if we agree to be a surety or guaranty for a stranger we will smart or suffer for it. We need to be wise in what we agree to.
What am I and you committing ourselves to today by the decisions we are making? What consequences might we see?
What about in our spiritual life and as we face eternity? The Lord warns us not to be overcharged -or weighed down- with all the cares of this life, with overindulgence and drunkenness, lest the end of time 'come upon you unawares' (Luke 21: 34). Paul warns us to 'examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves' (1 Corinthians 13:5), and Peter warns us to 'give diligence to make your calling and election sure' (2 Peter 1: 10). As christian believers we are counselled to 'walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5: 15,16).
May the Lord help us to conduct our everyday lives, being diligent with that which he has given us, committing all to him looking to him for wisdom in decision making, not being rash or careless, using his word for guidance; and may he help us to examine our spiritual life for evidences that we are truly born again and are living God glorifying lives.
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