INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN OF THE BIBLE: QUEEN ESTHER PART 3

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

​QUEEN ESTHER

PART three

IN PART Three OF THIS FOUR PART SERIES ON QUEEN ESTHER, WE WILL LOOK AT ESTHER 5-6, DIG INTO THE LIVES OF THE CHARACTERS, AND HAVE REAL TALK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THE BOOK OF ESTHER.

​ESTHER IN THE BIBLE

ESTHER 5

• Esther puts on her royal clothes and approaches Xerxes while he is sitting on his royal throne, risking her life because she is inviting herself to the throne room without his permission [Esther 5:1].
• The King extends his scepter, sparing Esther's life. Xerxes is happy to see Esther and tells her he'll grant whatever request she presents. The king is so taken with Esther that he goes so far to say he will give her up to half of his kingdom [Esther 5:2-3]
  • Xerxes is probably not literally offering Esther half of his kingdom, it's assumed that this is more figurative language to show her how much he likes her.
• Esther asks the king to come to a banquet she's prepared for him and Haman. Xerxes agrees and brings Haman to Esther's dinner [Esther 5:4-5]
• At dinner, the King understands that Esther still hasn't asked what she wants to ask, and confronts her. Again, he offers half of his kingdom. Esther invites Xerxes and Mordecai to come back the next night for another banquet, which he agrees to. 
• On his way out of the palace, Haman sees Mordecai at the gate. Haman is filled with more hate and rage, and goes home to brag to his friends about how he was invited to dinner by the queen. He tells them how much he hates Mordecai, and his friends and wife encourage him to build gallows to hang Mordecai on, which he does. [Esther 5:9-14]
  • The gallows Haman builds are 50 cubits high, which is 75-80 feet. This would have been completely impractical and exaggerated, and was probably much taller than any building in the city.

ESTHER 6

• The king goes to bed that night and can't sleep. He asks for someone to read the records and chronicles of the king which documented everything that happened to Xerxes. He came to the part of the records where Mordecai reported the eunuchs' conspiracy to kill Xerxes. The King asks his servants what was done to honor Mordecai, and they explain nothing [Esther 6:1-3]. 
• Xerxes servants sees Haman in the courtyard and Xerxes calls him up to see him. Little did Xerxes know, Haman was on his way to tell him about the gallows he prepared for Mordecai [Esther 6:4-5]
•  The king asks Haman what he should do for a man he wants to honor [talking about Mordecai]. Haman thinks the king is talking about him, so he tells Xerxes to honor the man with royal clothing, a crown, a horse, and a parade. The King agrees and sends Haman to find Mordecai to honor him. Haman gives Mordecai the gifts and is the one who leads Mordecai's horse through the city, for his parade [Esther 6:6-11].
  • Haman is ashamed of his part in the celebration of Mordecai, due to his racism [Esther 6:12-13]

LET'S TALK ESTHER CHAPTERS 5-6

Esther approaches her husband, the king, knowing fully that he could end her life and decide her fate in one second. Xerxes likes his wife and not only spares her, but offers to grant her request and give her anything she wants. Esther doesn’t straight up ask Xerxes to save the Jews at this moment. It’s unclear and hard to tell what Esther was doing. Maybe she clammed up and was stalling for time. Maybe it was her plan all along to invite Xerxes to dinner two nights in a row. Either way, she takes the plunge and risks it all. He comes to dinner with Haman, knowing she hasn’t asked the real question she came to ask yet, and she invites Xerxes and Haman to dinner one more time.

Here’s where the irony and drama get wild again: this is an incredibly juicy story! Xerxes can’t sleep that night, and based on the text he’s probably not snuggled up to his bae Esther. Xerxes asks someone to read the records to him to help him sleep. Get on the crazy train, because they read the part where Mordecai tells Esther of the assassination plot and saves Xerxes’ life. What’s even crazier is that Haman shows up right then to talk to the King about an early execution for Mordecai on the gallows he just had built!

​ Xerxes asks Haman how he could honor someone. Haman thinks he is the it-boy and gives Xerxes all of his requests to honor himself. The King agrees to Haman’s ideas and, surprise! Xerxes tells Haman to go give Mordecai all the riches, gifts, and the horse Haman suggested! Not only that, Haman is the one who has to lead Mordecai through town for a parade honoring him, and all the while the king is totally clueless that Haman was on his way to talk to Xerxes about executing Mordecai!!! This is WILD. When I was writing this and reading through the story again,  I could not close my mouth, my jaw was on thee floor. Can you imagine Haman’s absolute shock?! You can’t make this stuff up! 

Here’s another lesson we can learn from Haman: sometimes when we are so prideful, selfish, and wrapped up in ourselves and what we want, we miss what’s right in front of our faces. Haman believes the lies of racism with all of his heart and his life has become consumed with it. He is obsessed with defeating Mordecai and everyone that shares his heritage and religion. He is so consumed with himself and has convinced himself to his core that the lies he was told are true. 
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His life is fueled by hate, destruction, and a desire to hurt others. The version of this in our lives is hopefully not this extreme, but the lesson still rings true: pride, selfishness, and lies can derail a person and ultimately destroy them. Haman desperately needs God and his love, but he is too preoccupied with destroying God’s people to look for Him. 

​REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

What are you prideful about? Where do you struggle with selfishness? God is the only true solution to heal our problems and deepest wounds. In what ways do you need God to work on you and your heart?