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.

    When Mordecai heard the news about Haman’s edict, he immediately went into mourning and penance going so far as to wear sackcloth and ashes. Esther’s initial reaction, on the other hand, was fear. Not so much fear of the consequences of this edict but rather of taking a stand. Mordecai reminded her that God would send rescue for the Jews from another source if she did not act, but cowering would not save her, or her family, from the coming disaster…and if she refused to act when she could she would not be among those saved. There is an important lesson here. If we have been put into a position of privilege it is because God has a purpose for us being there. When the time comes, we must be willing to risk our privilege and our lives in order to serve the purpose for which God granted us that privilege. Esther listened to Mordecai’s message and requested that the Jews of the city fast and pray, saying that she and her servants would do the same. After three days of prayer and fasting, Esther took the risk of approaching the king, but she was not yet ready to broach the subject and merely invited the king and Haman to a banquet.

    At this first banquet, Esther invited the king and Haman to come to a second banquet the following day. Haman was full of himself because he had been invited to a banquet thrown by the Queen attended just by the king and himself. However, even after what he perceived as a great honor he was still unable to deal with the fact that Mordecai was not intimidated by him. Haman was unable to let go of a little thing which he perceived as a slight against himself. As we go through this passage we see Haman being eaten up by his resentment. It was no longer enough that he was going to destroy Mordecai and his people. Mordecai must be made to suffer even more. All for the slight of not worshiping Haman as he thought Mordecai ought.

    Then when the king asked for Haman’s advice about honoring someone deserving of honor, Haman was sure that it must be for himself. He did not recognize that he had done nothing deserving of the additional honors. When those honors were instead bestowed upon Mordecai, Haman was humiliated. Yet he had brought this on himself through his own overweening pride. It still did not occur to him that his enmity with Mordecai, which was purely one-sided, was leading him to his doom. When those closest to him finally pointed it out, it was too late. Haman’s last ditch effort to save himself merely sealed his fate.