Esther 6:4 says, 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. Ahasuerus asked who was in the courtyard to bring Mordecai to him and it was Haman. He was there to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had built specifically to hang Mordecai on. He thought his desire to kill Mordecai was finally going to be fulfilled. People who are trying to destroy God’s people will ultimately see their plans fail, no matter how close they may believe themselves to be to success.
Verse five adds, And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. The king was told that Haman was in the court, and he said have him come in. I am sure Haman really believed his plan was that much closer to success. He had become overconfident, and anyone thinking that they are going to defeat God today is definitely overconfident.
Verse six continues, So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? Ahasuerus asked Haman what he should do to a man that he wanted to honor. Still being self-conceited, Haman thought the king was talking about him. Self-centered people still think everything good should apply to them. They never consider that when someone is to be honored that it would be anyone but themselves, particularly if they are in a position of power.
Verse seven states, And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
Verse eight adds, 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: Haman listed several things that would show the man that the king honored had about as much power as the king himself, still believing that he was the man the king was speaking about. The man should be given royal apparel, the king’s horse, and have a crown set on his head. He had to have thought he was about to be exalted by others. There are still people today who believe that they alone should be exalted, many times even more than those who are actually in power.
Verse nine continues, 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 honour, 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 honour. Haman then said that the man to be honored should be brought to him by one of his most noble princes so that everyone could see how important the man was. He thought he was finally going to be recognized as being more powerful than anyone but the king himself. His plan was about to go off the rails. People who do not acknowledge God as the only source of real power may often believe that they are about to defeat us as His people, but our victory is already assured.
Verse ten says, 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. I am sure that it was to Haman’s surprise that he turned out to be the loyal servant and Mordecai was the man to be honored. Ahasuerus was going to do exactly what Haman had said, but he was doing it to Mordecai instead of Haman. God will one day honor those who are His people, and those who believe themselves to be important in the eyes of the world but who do not put their faith in Him will be cast down. Haman was told to make sure that nothing he had said should be done for this person be left undone. I must believe that Haman was furious by this time, but he could do nothing about it, just as those who believe themselves to be powerful in the world but who do not put their faith in God will one day be surprised by how wrong they were.
Verse eleven adds, 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 honour. Haman then had to bring Mordecai through the streets past the gallows he had built to hang him on and declare that this was what happened to one that the king honored. I believe that Haman was both angry and humiliated by this time. He was having to honor Mordecai whom he intended to hang that day because he wouldn't bow down to Haman.
Verse twelve continues, And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered. After the king honored him, Mordecai didn’t become full of pride but returned to where had been and to doing what he was before. He had never sought his own glory but was praying that Esther would be in a position to get the king’s death sentence lifted from the Jews, and Matthew Henry says he would have seen this as a positive step. Haman then covered his head and returned to his house mourning. As Christians, we should never do anything for God because we believe we will be honored if we do. It all should be done for God’s glory. Also, one day all those who do not put their faith in God will go away in shame to their everlasting punishment, no matter how important they may believe themselves to be.
Verse thirteen says, 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. Haman told his wife and the wise men around him what had happened. They then told him that if Mordecai as a Jew had been honored by the king that his plan to get rid of them would fail. Though they may never acknowledge it in this lifetime, one day all of those who attempt to destroy God's people will fail.
Verse fourteen adds, 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. While he was still talking, Haman was summoned to the banquet that Esther had prepared, though I doubt he really wanted to go by then. He had thought he would be honored at the banquet as well but had discovered that he wasn’t as important as he thought. There is coming a day when all of God’s enemies will come before His judgment seat and then find out how wrong they were, and it won’t matter how important they thought themselves to be.
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