Good morning,
The festival of Purim celebrates God’s deliverance from a plot to destroy all the Jews. This year the celebration begins on the evening of 16 March and ends on the evening of 17 March.
Today we will look at Chapter 6 Mordecai rewarded and Haman shamed.
Chapter 6
King’s Insomnia (1)
On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Mordecai Saves the King’s Life (2-3)
2 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. 3 And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
Haman’s Pride Turned to Mourning (4-10)
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in .6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? 7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor, 8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: 9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor. 10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. 11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor.
Haman’s Shame and Wife’s Prophetic Proclamation (12-14)
12 And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered. 13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, 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. 14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
The king could not sleep. They brought the book of records of the chronicles and they were read to him. They read the entry about how Mordecai saved the king’s life. The king asks, “What honor and dignity hath been done to honor Mordecai?” the answer was that nothing had been done for him.
Mordecai has come to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows.
The king asks Haman, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor?” Haman’s pride kicks in and he describes what he would like the king to do for him. When he gets finished, the king tells him to all these things for Mordecai. The irony is that Haman had to honor Mordecai. Haman was utterly shamed. It gets worse for Haman.
Next week the story concludes. Will the Jews be saved? Does Haman’s plot come to fruition? What happens to Esther and Mordecai? How is Purim initiated?
Come back next week and find out!
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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