So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor."
--Esther 6:11 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on August 20, 2013 of Psalm 143; Luke 18:15-43; Esther 6-8.
Haman was made a very powerful man in the realm of King Ahasuerus (more commonly identified as Xerxes) by the king himself. Everywhere he went, the people all deferred to him and bowed down before him. Everyone but Mordecai, that is, who refused to pay such homage to a man. Mordecai was the older first cousin of Esther, who pleased the king and was chosen by him to be his queen. Mordecai had raised Esther from her childhood as she had lost both her parents, so she followed his command when he told her not to disclose their relationship to the king. So Haman was unaware of exactly who Mordecai was, only that he was likely a Jew and that he showed disrespect to Haman in front of others. In his rage and rather than single out Mordecai alone, Haman talked the king into ordering the killing of all Jews throughout the kingdom. Mordecai managed to get word to Esther of Haman's plot and encouraged her to approach the king, for the sake of her people and as her duty to God, even if the king did not call for her and she could be put to death as a result. She needed to convince the king to countermand his order.
In the meantime, Haman had an excessively tall gallows built on which to hang Mordecai, nearly reaching the top of the wall, high enough for all the city to see. But much earlier, before Haman rose to such prominence, Mordecai had warned the king of a plot against his life, thus averting the plan and saving the king. The king realized nothing had been done to reward Mordecai, so he asked Haman, who just happened to enter the king's courtyard at that exact time, what should be done to honor a man who delighted the king. Haman assumed the king was talking about him, thinking no one else was deserving of an honor like this, so he answered that such a man should be given one of the king's robes and set upon one of the king's horses and paraded and proclaimed through the city square for all to see. Of course the king was thinking of Mordecai, so Haman was forced to honor the man he hated and would have hung and killed. In the end, Haman's plot was made clear to the king by Esther and he was executed on the very gallows he had erected for Mordecai.
Mordecai and Esther were faithful to God, even in all that had befallen them and the children of Israel. In turn, God favored them and used them to foil the plans of a very powerful yet vain and sinful man, and to save His chosen people in exile. In the same manner, if we remain faithful and true to Jesus, He will use us to help save His church, to find and return His sheep lost and exiled in sin, to further the kingdom of God. And our reward in heaven will be far greater than Mordecai received on earth. The King of kings will delight to honor us. Amen.
Savior Jesus, we thank You for being ever faithful to us and for allowing us to serve You by serving others. Thank You for providing us with the way to salvation, for only through You can we come to our Father in heaven. We want to faithfully serve You, Lord, so that You will delight in honoring us before God. In Your wonderful and holy name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
In the meantime, Haman had an excessively tall gallows built on which to hang Mordecai, nearly reaching the top of the wall, high enough for all the city to see. But much earlier, before Haman rose to such prominence, Mordecai had warned the king of a plot against his life, thus averting the plan and saving the king. The king realized nothing had been done to reward Mordecai, so he asked Haman, who just happened to enter the king's courtyard at that exact time, what should be done to honor a man who delighted the king. Haman assumed the king was talking about him, thinking no one else was deserving of an honor like this, so he answered that such a man should be given one of the king's robes and set upon one of the king's horses and paraded and proclaimed through the city square for all to see. Of course the king was thinking of Mordecai, so Haman was forced to honor the man he hated and would have hung and killed. In the end, Haman's plot was made clear to the king by Esther and he was executed on the very gallows he had erected for Mordecai.
Mordecai and Esther were faithful to God, even in all that had befallen them and the children of Israel. In turn, God favored them and used them to foil the plans of a very powerful yet vain and sinful man, and to save His chosen people in exile. In the same manner, if we remain faithful and true to Jesus, He will use us to help save His church, to find and return His sheep lost and exiled in sin, to further the kingdom of God. And our reward in heaven will be far greater than Mordecai received on earth. The King of kings will delight to honor us. Amen.
Savior Jesus, we thank You for being ever faithful to us and for allowing us to serve You by serving others. Thank You for providing us with the way to salvation, for only through You can we come to our Father in heaven. We want to faithfully serve You, Lord, so that You will delight in honoring us before God. In Your wonderful and holy name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
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