We are now at Esther chapter five. It is the third day of the Jew's fasting for Esther. Esther puts on her royal robes and goes to seek an audience with the king. The king sees her and extends his royal scepter. Esther goes to him. The king calls her "Queen Esther" and says he will grant her anything, up to half the kingdom. This is also what Herod promises his wife's daughter in Mark 6:23. First, we already know it is highly unlikely Esther was the Queen. Second, I wonder if anyone ever called a king's bluff and asked for half a kingdom. (I'm guessing that is a purely fictional trope.)
Esther chooses to ask the king if he and Haman will come to a banquet she has prepared that day. (Notice the contrast to the fast Esther has just been on)The king sends for Haman and they go to Esther's banquet. The king is pretty sure Esther hasn't actually asked for what she wants yet. While they are drinking wine, he asks her again what he can give her. She asks that the king and Haman come back to another banquet the next day.
Haman was pleased as punch with the mark of the queen's favor. However, when he went out of the king's gate and saw that Mordecai would still not show him physical signs of respect, he was furious. He didn't do anything to Mordecai, but went home and bragged to his wife and friends about his current exalted position and the fact that he got to attend the queen's banquet. Then he complained about Mordecai being the one thing that irritated him. His wife and friends had a solution: build a gallows 75 feet high, then ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on it. Haman gleefully decided to carry out this proposal. Seventy five feet is about as tall as a seven story building. My commentary suggests it is either an exaggeration or the gallows was built on top of the city wall. I vote for exaggeration.
We are now at chapter six. The night after Esther's banquet, the king has insomnia. He orders the book of the record of his reign to be read to him. While the record is read, the king hears the story of how Mordecai foiled the plot of the king's assassination. He asked what had been done to reward Mordecai and the answer is nothing. By that time, Haman had come back to work and was getting ready to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had built. Wow. That was fast. Haman had a 75 foot gallows built over night.
Haman is told to come into the presence of the king. The king asks Haman a hypothetical question, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor." Ooh, boy. Haman is sure the king is talking about him! Who else could it be? Haman proceeds to describe his own fantasy about being honored. He wants to wear a royal robe that the king has worn, and ride on a horse the king has ridden. The horse is to have a royal crest on its head and is to be led through the streets by one of the noble princes who would be proclaiming, "This is what is being done for the man the king delights to honor."
The king loves this idea and tells Haman to do everything single he suggested.....for Mordecai. The tables have turned. So Haman himself had to lead Mordecai through the streets proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor." That must have stung. Afterward, Haman ran home in shame to tell his wife and friends what happened. They tried to console him by reminding him that Mordecai was a Jew and all the Jews were going to be destroyed any way. Then Haman had to hurry off to attend the next banquet being given by Esther for Haman and the king. The
Till next time.
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