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Part VII – Haman Frustrated, The Sleepless King [Biblical Narrative]

Ham went out [from the banquet] happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. “And that’s not all, “ Haman added. “I’m the only person queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she invited me along with the king tomorrow.  But this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king tomorrow to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.

[Meanwhile] That [same] night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked. “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

[The next morning] The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him. His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.” “Bring him in, “ the king ordered. When Haman entered, the king [without giving Haman a chance to speak] asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.” So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisors and his wife told him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him – you will surely come to ruin!” While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Ester had prepared. (Taken from Esther 6)

Commentary

Do you sense that the timing of these events cannot be coincidental? The same night that Haman decided to hang Mordecai, the king could not sleep, which led to the discovery that Mordecai’s faithfulness had gone unrewarded! The next morning, Haman stops by the palace seeking permission to hang Mordecai while the king is searching for a way to highly honor the same Jew who Haman wants to kill! The king knows nothing about Haman’s plans and Haman knows anything of the king’s desire! What are the odds of this happening? Imagine how Haman must have felt escorting Mordecai on a royal horse around Susa for a couple hours crying out, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” Haman’s country club buddies must have split their sides in laughter when they saw this. How do you think Mordecai must have felt as he watched Haman lead the horse he was sitting on? Do you think a smile crossed his face?

Zeresh, Haman’s wife, was insightful. She saw the fate of her proud husband immediately. Perhaps the Holy Spirit caused an utterance to come out of her mouth similar to the utterance that came out of Balaam’s mouth when he tried to curse Israel. She said, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him – you will surely come to ruin.”

History reveals that the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Grecians, and the Romans all intensely disliked the Jews, as a nation of people. Even though relations between Israel and the Medes and Persians were never good, and even though relations between Israe4l and God were not as good as they should have been, God did not allow the nation of Israel to perish until He had fulfilled His promise to Abraham. After Jesus’ ministry on earth was finished, God permitted the Romans to destroy Jerusalem in A. D. 70.

Part VIII – Esther’s Banquet #2 [Biblical Narrative]

So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life – this is my petition. And spare my people – this is my request. For my people and I have been sold to destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as slaves male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no distress would justify disturbing the king.” King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing? Esther said, “The adversary and enemy [of the Jews] is this vile Haman.” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

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, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house? As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, [fear] covered Haman’s face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king said, “A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman’s house. He made it made for Mordecai [this morning], who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided. That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. (Taken from Esther 7 and 8)

Past IX – Justice Served [Biblical Narrative]

[Later, Esther went again before the king without permission.] Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman [which the force of law]…Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him. “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleases with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman…devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see destruction of my family?”

King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows. Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring – for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.

At once the royal secretaries were summoned – on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan.  They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush [Egypt]. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king. The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies.

The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king’s command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa. Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the [Jews in the] city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.”(Taken from Esther 8)

Part X – Revenge [Biblical Narrative]

In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those that hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because all the other nationalities were afraid of them. And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrator have helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful. The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. They also killed…the ten sons of Haman…. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.” If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also [because revenge has not been fully accomplished], and let [the bodies of] Haman’s ten sons be hanged on gallows. “So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman [in the public square to remind everyone the penalty for mistreating the people of the queen].

The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made a feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. That is why the rural Jews – those living in villages – observe the fourteenth day of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman, the enemy of all the Jews had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when their plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.” (Taken from Esther 9)

Comments

There are a few points in this story that have end time parallels. I would like to share five:

1. First, Esther’s story illustrates how one clever man was able to set up a universal death decree for God’s people. There is a direct end time parallel to this in Revelation 13 and Daniel 12. Revelation 13:15 says, “He [the Antichrist] was given power to give breath to t he image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.” (Insertion mine.) This verse points forward to a time when a universal death decree will be set up for the saints. The death decree will occur during the Great Tribulation because God’s people will refuse to worship the image of the beast (the one-world religion imposed by Lucifer), and they will refuse the mark of the beast (the tattoo required by Lucifer), and they will refuse to submit to the laws of the Antichrist (Lucifer) who will be masquerading as God. Eventually, everyone (the saints) who refuses to obey the Antichrist will be condemned to death at an appointed time. Daniel tells us when the universal death decree occurs: “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” (Daniel 12:11,12) There will be a death decree for the saints! God wants his children to know what is coming so they can stand firm in perilous times and have faith in His mighty arm of salvation. The story of Esther was put in the Bible for the purpose of building our faith. Bible prophecy indicates that the daily intercession of Jesus in Heaven’s temple will come to a close, and a global earthquake will mark this event. (Revelation 8:2-5) When that occurs, the saints are to begin counting because 1,290 days later, a universal death decree will be “set up.” Do not be afraid, because there is good news! The universal death decree will not be implemented because God, as He did in this story of Esther, will overturn the evil scheme of the Antichrist through a mighty display of power and authority.

2. The second end time parallel is this: In the story of Esther, God turned the universal death decree around so that the Jews could destroy their enemies without guilt! King Xerxes did not fret one bit that 75,800 people in his kingdom were killed. How marvelous are the ways of God. God created fear in the hearts of the Jew’s enemies and they became powerless and easily defeated at the appointed time. This “fear element” needs some emphasis because this feature explains a profound point that is often overlooked in the Old Testament. When Israel was doing God’s will, every battle was the Lord’s battle, not theirs. Moses warned, “[If you love the Lord and serve him with all your heart] Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you….No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.” (Deuteronomy 28:10; 11:25, insertion mine) Israel was to be the arms and legs of God, and as long as Israel remained faithful to the Lord, the Bible says, “The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 20:29) When Israel rebelled against the Lord, you guessed it, the enemies of Israel became bold and Israel became weak and afraid. Because a universal death decree was pronounced on Israel in Esther’s day, the Jews became humble and submissive, and God honored their repentance. Did you notice in the story of Esther that many Gentiles became Jews because the fear of Jews was upon them?”…And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.” (Esther 8:17) The same event will happen during the end time. Many people will repent of their sins and become believers in Christ because they will see the power of God resting upon His people!

3. The third end time parallel is this: Mordecai recorded these events. “He wrote them to observe the day [of Purim] as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:22, insertions mine) This text is very interesting in light of the end time. To celebrate overwhelming victory over their enemies, the Jews were to perpetually observe the Feast of Purim with “feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” Now compare Revelation 11:7-10: “Now when they [the Two Witnesses] have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss [Lucifer, the lamb-like beast] will attack them, and overpower and kill them….For three and half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.” Especially notice the last sentence. The parallel between Purim and this event in Revelation is easy to see. A time is coming when the wicked will gloat and rejoice over the death of God’s Two Witnesses because the Two Witnesses will be silenced. Basically, this text points forward to a time when Lucifer and his followers will gloat, rejoice and celebrate over the fact that God’s work on Earth is brought to an end. Of course, this does not mean that God’s plans or purposes have been destroyed. Yes, a time will come when the last of God’s 144,000 messengers will be martyred and salvation is no longer offered. It is at that time when the torment of the Holy Spirit will cease. The wicked gloat and rejoice because they think their torment is over, but that is not the end of the story.

4. The fourth end time parallel centers around the timing of the universal death decree in the Book of Esther. Remember, the date of the death decree in Esther’s day was established by the casting of the pur. “In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nissan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar…Dispatches were sent by couriers to the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews – young and old, women and little children – on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.” (Esther 3:7,13) I believe there is an amazing parallel between the date of the universal death decree in Esther’s day and the date of the universal death decree during the Great Tribulation. In short, these tow events appear to happen on the same day and in the same month, namely on a full moon in the month of Adar (February)!

5. The fifth end time parallel is found in the person of Esther. She represents Jesus, our lovely Savior in whom there is no defeat. When Adam and Eve sinned, a universal death decree was placed upon the human race, but Jesus went before the King of the Universe. Through His intercession, we have been offered an escape from eternal death. Jesus was not only willing to die for His people, Like Esther, but He also did die for you and me. Even thought the Bible predicts a universal death decree will be set up for God’s helpless people, it also says the saints have a Savior who is greater than the forces of evil. He will foil the wicked plans of Lucifer just like He did to Haman. He will turn the circumstances upside down, and God will impose the universal death decree on Satan and the armies of Earth. They will perish by the command (sword) that comes out of the mouth of Jesus at the Second Coming. I hope to see this with my own eyes! No wonder Daniel wrote, “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.”(Daniel 12:12)

The story recorded in Esther tells us that God never sleeps and He always keeps vigil over His people. The story recorded in Esther tells us that God’s timing is always perfect, down to the split-second, when necessary. The story recorded in Esther tells us that God can turn a universal death decree into a glorious victory, if His children are faithful and loyal to Him. The story recorded in Esther points forward to a time when we the last generation, will face the same obstacles that God’s people faced some 2,500 years ago. I pray that each one of us will be as faith-ful as Mordecai and Esther. Their faith and courage show what god can accomplish if we are willing to stand up for what is right!

Quiz:

1. Since you have been taking these Bible studies, do you feel that your faith has increased?  Give an example!

2. What do you do when others seem to hate you or despise you?

3. Do you know what the end –time parallel test will be at the end of time?

4. What has the Holy Spirit shown you that are very valuable in this study?

5. Do you think our country has turned their back on God like the Jews of long ago?

6. Do you think that if we seek the Lord’s face in prayer and fasting, we can get answers to our prayers?

7. Do you think the Bible has many end time parallels in it that we need to know now?

Notes:

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