Haman at the Queen’s Banquet

Esther 7:1-6

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

In yesterday’s message we saw that King Ahasuerus raised his golden sceptre for Esther and eagerly enquired of her petition. The King was ready to give even half of the kingdom to Queen Esther because she found favor in his eyes. Esther’s answer was (Esther 5:4): “If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.” She invited the King and Haman to a special banquet. Haman was elated at this special invitation and went home with a joyful heart. But, on the way to his home, he noticed Mordecai at King’s gate and was filled with indignation against Mordecai as it says in Esther 5:9: “Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.” Haman’s joy was short-lived and when he saw Mordecai at the King’s gate making no obeisance to him, he was filled with indignation. When he reached home his wife Zeresh suggested (Esther 5:14): “Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.” Proverbs 27:1 says “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” You can see in this blog how a man who considered himself so high and mighty was pulled down all in a single night.

The same night that Haman’s wife Zeresh suggested the evil plot to prepare gallows and hang Mordecai, King Ahasuerus was restless and he commanded that the book of Chronicles be read for him. Esther 6:2 says, “And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.” Mordecai had done a mighty act and saved the King’s life when Bigthana and Teresh had sought to kill him. He had informed Queen Esther of the evil plot against the King and thus protected him from falling as a prey in the wicked hands. An act so noble and so sincere, will it ever go without being honored?

The King was determined to honor Mordecai for his sincere act as Haman was entering the King’s court to speak to the King to hang Mordecai on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. King sought the advice of Haman as to how a person that King delights to honor should be honored. Haman in his pride and dignity thought that the King was about to honor him and gave an elaborate plan for himself. He did not realize that the King wanted to honor his opponent, the man against whom he was raging in anger and was about to kill. The King ordered that Mordecai be honored per Haman’s plan. Haman had to follow the King’s order and honor Mordecai per his plan in its entirety. He was now humiliated before Mordecai. Not just that, his evil plot against Mordecai was simply thwarted and utterly destroyed. He went home completely disappointed and explained his wife Zeresh and the wise men what befell him and they said (Esther 6:13) “If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him”. Those who plotted against Mordecai were now saying that Haman will not prevail against him. Right then it was time for the banquet hosted by Queen Esther and the King’s chamberlains hasted Haman to the banquet. He who planned to go to the banquet merrily was now in a state of fear and shock. See how quick and fierce the end came to wicked Haman. It all happened so quickly that Haman did not get a chance even to breathe. Psalm 73:19 says, “How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.”

Queen Esther was given the privilege of conveying her petition to the King and she said (Esther 7:3) “If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request”. Furthermore Esther added (Esther 7:4): “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.” The moment came when Esther revealed her true identity as a Jewess. She had already won the King’s favor and he greatly delighted in her. Would he not grant her, her royal petition for her own sake and her people’s sake? The King enquired of who the person was and Esther responded: “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.” The King was filled with wrath against Haman and Haman had to plead the queen for his own life. The King’s wrath was so great that he reacted instantaneously. Esther 7:10 says, “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.” Could anyone withstand the mighty King’s wrath? No, never!

Our heavenly King is ever ready to hear our prayer and supplications and grant us peace that passeth all understanding. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” When an earthly King could grant a petition in a way that is fully in full favor of God’s chosen, how much more should a heavenly King grant our petitions in our favor? He is a God who shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). The wicked Haman was destroyed by King and so will the wicked prince of this world (Satan) be destroyed by our Father in heaven. Haman was subject to pride and what befell him was what he plotted against Mordecai. In the same way Satan today is full of pride and is operating according to his own whims and fancies and what befalls him is what he is plotting against God’s people and even more. Know therefore that His grace is on us His people and while His grace is abounding let us turn from our wicked ways and repent of our sins. Upon seeking His forgiveness and grabbing His forgiveness, let us cry out for all others around us like the way Esther did and plead the King of Glory for these souls. He sure is eagerly waiting to hear our supplications and His saving arms are outstretched for every soul. Let us go with the Great Commission vested on us, completely trusting that He will save those we reach out to and give them eternal life whereby there is no tear, no sorrow, no pain, no fear, no starvation and no trouble. In the heaven we will be free of the enemy and his roars and he cannot devour us like he is doing today. There in the presence of the Father we will rest safe in the arms of our Savior Jesus. Now we just need to hang on to the cross and lead a victorious life with the resurrected Lord! Oh, how I look forward for my homeland, SWEET BEULAH LAND!

Tomorrow: Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon