When you read through the book of Esther you see a development in the life of Esther. After she receives the news that the wicked Haman had plotted against the Jews she is nervous and afraid. As she develops she moves to prayer, steps out of faith in appearing before the king and now in this chapter the time has finally arrived when she must make her voice heard. God has set the stage for what we see in chapter seven.
Throughout the pages of the Bible God’s people are told to make their voices heard. We are told to make our voice heard in praise. During the triumphant entry of Christ, we are told that the people cried “Hosanna” “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The disciples wanted to quite the crowd. Jesus told them that if they were to be quite the rocks would cry out.
We are told to make our voice heard in witnessing. Jesus gave the example of the man who made a wedding celebration for his son. Once the wedding was prepared he called for the guests. One by one the guests declined to come. Because of this, the man told his servant to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that his house would be full. What a great example of the witness we should be.
We are told to cry out against sin and the list goes on. The church has been silent too long. It is time make our voices heard.
Speak up before the king
In chapter seven we see the seventh banquet mentioned in the book of Esther. The three main guests at this banquet are the king, Esther, the queen, and Haman. I’m sure that when Haman goes to this banquet he does so with mixed feelings. He is happy to be the invited guest of the queen, but at the same time his pride is hurt because the honor he just had to give to Mordecai in chapter six.
As the king did on two other occasions he asks what the petition of the queen is. Once again he offers her up to half of the kingdom. (This did not mean he would really give her half of the kingdom. This was an expression used to demonstrate that the kingdom was willing to be generous.) It seems that this petition of Esther is something that has been weighing heavy on the kings mind. He does not waste any time in asking Esther about it. I’m sure this has been heavy on Esther’s mind as well. No doubt she has rehearsed this speech many times.
Her request was that her and her people be spared from certain doom. You will remember way back in chapter two that Mordecai had instructed Esther not to reveal her nationality when she entered the contest for queen. She has kept that secret this whole time. I’m sure this statement perplexed the king. I can see the shock in his face. “What does she mean her people?” “Is she not Persian?” “Has a secret been kept from me?”
It is now time for Esther to take her place with her people. For her to do this was to not only identify her nationality, but to reveal her religion as well. In this day to be identified as a Jew was much more than nationality. Having made her request it is now in the hands of the Lord.
Startled the king asked who the person was that would do such a thing. Either the king is looking for someone to blame or he does not even realize yet that Esther is a Jew. The king was already hit with one surprise when he found out that his queen was a Jew. He is going to be hit with another. He is about to learn that his number one man is the one responsible for this problem.
Speak up before it’s too late
I can see Haman’s mouth fall open. He has no words. He does not know what to do. Haman may not have known, but God has promised that no weapon formed against His people will prosper. God promised Abraham that he would bless those that blessed him, and curse those that cursed him.
The king is so shocked and enraged that he storms off from the table into the garden. We don’t know what was going on in the king’s mind. It may have been anger. It may have been embarrassment. It could be far more than these two things. Did Haman really want to slay the queen? If Haman wanted to kill the queen could it be that he was involved in the crime of Bigthan and Teresh? Could he want to kill the king as well?
I don’t know what the king thought but I know that it was not by chance that the king was just reminded that a Jew named Mordecai saved his life. If Esther was a Jew, and Mordecai, the man that saved his life was a Jew, then why would he want to kill the Jews? The king walks up and down in the garden trying to control his anger.
When the king returns to the room he sees Haman pawing at the couch of Esther. Haman knows that his last resort is to beg the queen for forgiveness. Seeing this, the king immediately accuses Haman of trying to molest the queen. This crime is punishable by death. The gallows that Haman constructed for Mordecai were convenient, so they take Haman and hang him on his own gallows. Apparently Haman had let it be known that he intended to hang Mordecai, because the people of the palace knew about the gallows he built.
The day before Haman led Mordecai around the city with royal apparel on. Now he is being led through the city with his head covered. No doubt Haman’s wife and his ten sons witness his execution.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7
Haman sowed hatred against the people of God. Haman attempted to kill Mordecai by hanging him on the gallows. Now Haman is hanging 75 feet off the ground with a rope around his neck.
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