BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusનમૂનો

It’s midnight in the Persian royal palace. Haman sulks in the palace courtyard, furious that Mordecai refused to bow before him and fantasizing about impaling Mordecai on a 75-foot stake in his front yard. A guard approaches with a summons from the king.

Xerxes wants to bestow special honor on someone. He consults Haman for ideas about the best way to bring glory to someone who deserves it.

Haman lights up! Finally, the moment he’s been waiting for. “Throw him an elaborate ceremony. Give him an expensive robe and a prize stallion from the royal stables. Also, have a high-ranking herald publicly shout this man’s praises.”

This delights the king: “Sounds great! Now go and do all that for Mordecai!” What? Mordecai, who refused to bow as he should have, is getting this honor? Talk about humiliation for Haman.

Haman’s shift from superiority to shame is just one of several brilliant reversals in today’s reading. First, at the end of Esther’s initial banquet, Haman stormed home with rage against Mordecai. But Esther’s second banquet ends when King Xerxes storms out with rage against Haman. And Haman ends up impaled on the same stake he had hoped to use for murdering Mordecai.

After Haman’s death, Esther approaches the king a second time to plead for grace—the Hebrew word khen, which you’ll learn more about in today’s video. The king extends his gracious favor, this time to Esther and her people. King Xerxes allows Mordecai to issue a counter-decree that protects the people of Israel. Similar to Haman, Mordecai seals his decree with the king’s signet ring and celebrates with a different kind of feast.

Mordecai’s plan works. “On the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to overpower them, the tables were turned and the Jews overpowered those who hated them” (Est. 9:1).

In the overall context of Scripture, victories like this are only possible with God’s help. Remember, we never hear about God in the story. The omission not-so-subtly piques readers’ curiosity: Perhaps God is always working through people to undo evil and rescue life, even when God seems to be absent.

Reflection Questions

• Meditate on Psalm 37:14-15. Where do you see this principle at work in today’s reading? What does this pattern show you about the way God brings justice on human evil?
• The authors of the New Testament describe God’s khen with the Greek word kharis, which means “gracious gift.” Read John 1:14-17. How does Jesus fully embody God’s glorious grace? According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and 1 Peter 5:4-7, with what attitude do people receive God’s gift of kharis?