Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 4-7.

Usually when I read this passage I like to focus either on the fact that Esther had been put in her position in order to bring about salvation for the Jews from Haman’s plot, or about how the Jews of Susa prayed and fasted for Esther before she approached the king.  However, today I want to look at how Haman’s lack of humility led to his evil behavior and downfall.  Until today I only ever really saw part of what the story about Mordecai being honored had to do with the overall story.  Previously, I had seen how Haman’s arrogance led to him being humiliated, in his own perception if in no one else’s, when the king chose to honor Mordecai.  However, I had not realized how the writer included it to show us how Haman’s lack of humility led to all of his evil.  It was arrogance and lack of humility which led Haman to become so angry at Mordecai’s failure to bow before him that Haman decided it was insufficient to punish Mordecai, but it was necessary to kill him and all of his people.  It was Haman’s arrogance and lack of humility which led him to become so angry when he once again saw that Mordecai would not honor him that he decided to build the pole upon which he would himself be impaled.  It was Haman’s arrogance and lack of humility which led him to propose honoring Mordecai in a manner which led to his own humiliation.   So, let us learn the lesson that arrogance and a lack of humility will lead to our own humiliation and downfall.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 4-7.

When the Jews in Susa, and then later in other parts of the Persian Empire, learned of the edict against them they went into mourning by fasting, weeping, and wailing.  Then, before Esther takes the risk of going before the king without being summoned, she asks Mordecai to have all of the Jews in Susa fast for her.  Nowhere in the Book of Esther does the writer mention God, or prayer.  Yet, I find it hard to believe that the writer did not mean to imply that the Jews were praying to God for deliverance when they mourned and fasted.  I am also convinced that when Mordecai told Esther that deliverance would come from somewhere else if she did not act that the writer meant us to understand that Mordecai was expressing his faith in God.  My main point is that deliverance came to the Jews because they fasted and prayed.  We live in a nation facing great problems brought upon us by those who rule over us.  As Christians within this nation, we need to fast, pray, and pour out our hearts in mourning before God for the wickedness around us and ask for His deliverance.  There is much more to this passage than this, but this is what calls out to me.  I fail to pray as I ought and fasting has rarely been part of my spiritual discipline.  I feel called out by this passage today to change that.  Perhaps it is time for Christians to fast before God in prayer, seeking His guidance in the face of the terrible violence which occurs around us.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 4-7. When Mordecai sent word through Esther’s emissary about what Haman had initiated, she replied with her concern about approaching the king.  Mordecai’s response is perhaps one of the most important lessons any one of us can learn.  Mordecai told Esther that “keeping her head down” would not save her from the coming genocide.  More importantly, the reason she had been blessed with her position was likely just so that she could act against this coming atrocity.  When we see something happening, or about to happen, that we are uniquely positioned to be able to stop, we should consider that God likely put us into that position in order to do so.  Actually, it is not just atrocities which we should see this way.  When we find ourselves in a position to help someone, we should consider that God likely put us in that position for a reason.  This entire passage shows us how God’s providence works.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 4-7.

It seems like everyone recognizes that the Book of Esther makes the point that God has put us into the situation we are in in order to fulfill His purpose.  And further that if we decline to take the risks which allow us to fulfill the role God has given us, He will accomplish those purposes in another way, but we will not benefit from His purpose.

However, I found another lesson in today’s passage which I have never heard anyone comment on.  Haman brought his fate upon himself because of his arrogance and pride.  We see how Haman started down a road to humiliation and death because he was unwilling to accept that others did not honor him.  Rather than doing things worthy of being honored because they should be done, he assumed that he was deserving of honor and sought ways to receive even greater honor.  I noted on this read through that we have not only the evidence of what Haman did, but how others reacted to him.  In yesterday’s passage, Haman became aware that Mordecai did not bow to him because other members of the court brought it to his attention.  Today, when the king turned on Haman, members of the court quickly pointed out the pole he had constructed intending to impale Mordecai upon it.