Esther 6, Honoring a Faithful Citizen

Esther has gotten the king to agree to come to a second banquet, along with Haman. Haman meanwhile makes plan to approach the king in the morning and request Mordecai's immediate execution. As Esther worries about the outcomes of the upcoming dinner, the king has a restless night.

Esther 6: 1-3, Sleepless night

That 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.

For some reason the king cannot sleep and so has the records of his reign read to him.  He discovers that Mordecai has not been rewarded and so, right before Haman's audience, the king sets in motion plans to reward Mordecai. 

We saw the importance of the annals of the Babylonian kingdom in the history of Ezra and Nehemiah. (For example, a search of the annals is request in Ezra 5: 17.)

Throughout this book, the author says nothing about God. But in this silence, the audience is invited to speculate on divine intervention. Here, as Haman plots Mordecai's immediate execution, the king is disturbed enough to read through the dry annals of the palace and stumble on a report of Mordecai's action.

Esther 6: 4-5, Who will the king honor?

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.

In a delightful twist, Haman has shown up early in the outer court to begin his request for Mordecai's execution. The tall gallows are on his mind.

Esther 6: 6-9, Who will the king honor?

When Haman entered, the king 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 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!'"

Part of the intricate and beautiful storytelling here includes the shifts of honor and success, of failure and disaster.  Haman believes he is to be honored and does not see the gallows behind him.

Esther 6: 10-11, A shocking command

"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!"

Haman, excited to be honored, is instead told to provide this high honor to his most hated enemy. The audience to this story enjoy this dramatic turn of events and revel in the humiliation of this enemy of the Jews. Can you hear Haman's pain as he walks through Susa, loudly proclaiming honor to Mordecai?

Esther 6: 12-14, Haman gets a hint

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 advisers and his wife Zeresh said to 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 Esther had prepared.

Haman is devastated by the honor given Mordecai but does not realize the depths of this disaster. While distressed about the honor given to Mordecai -- and warned by friends that one cannot stand against the Jews! -- Haman is called off to Esther's banquet.

Huey claims that many ancient manuscripts (except the Latin Vulgate) add the phrase "for God is with him" at the end of the warning about Mordecai. However attractive that addition is to our text, it conflicts with the author's desire to only hint at the acts of God.