Verses: Esther 6 : 1 -
14
My thoughts about the verses:
Xerxes is having trouble sleeping. So he asks for his servant to read his history book to him. As the servant reads the story he is reminded of the day that Mordecai saved his life. The plot would have worked if Mordecai had not told Esther. The guards would have killed the King.
The King after being reminded of this event asks his servant what was done to honor this Jewish man. The servant told him that they had done nothing to honor Mordecai. His allegiance to the King had not been rewarded.
At the same time this is happening Haman shows up in the palace. The King tells his servant to bring him in so he can seek his advice on how to reward Mordecai. Now Haman was very arrogant and prideful. When he was told that someone was to be honored for his loyalty of the King he immediately assumes that it is him. So he tells the King that he should dress him in a robe that the King has worn. Then he should be placed on a horse and paraded around the town. The person leading him should say out loud that this is the man that the King wants to honor.
You know Haman had to be shocked when the King says that is great. Do exactly what you have suggested for Mordecai. You can imagine the look on Haman's face. He was there to ask the King to put Mordecai to death. Instead he now has to take and treat him with the utmost dignity. He had to be blushing. You knew he felt like the air had been kicked out of him. His arrogance was now being turned to humility.
Haman goes and does what the King has requested. You can almost see him cringing as he is leading Mordecai through the streets saying this is the man that the King wants to honor. You know he knew his time was limited. His plot was starting to backfire. After he had led Mordecai through the whole town he went home humbled. He went home where he was still the ruler of his own roost. Yet, it wasn't to end there the King sent his servant to bring him for the party that Esther was throwing. He had to go to the palace now in humbleness because he realized that his plot had backfired.
What comes to my mind is the financial fiasco that has happened in America. How a group of a few men planned to change the destiny of the country. How they felt that they and their ideas were more important than the whole rest of the country. They even were able to force the country to shut down. Then after approaching yet another financial disaster they had to put their egos behind. What turned out happening is that they looked like fools at the end. Everything that they desired had been refused. Now their own party does not want to be connected to them.
The King was faced with someone that was just as arrogant. He thought that because Mordecai would not bow to him that he was humiliated. Yet, he humiliated himself. His belief that he was better and more important than everyone else was leading to his own decline in power. It is important to remember that one person or small group of people should not have the power to affect a country. The fact is the people that we put in leadership positions need to be humble because they are trusted to lead the country in such a way that it grows. When the person or group hurts the entire country they need to face hard consequences. We can see that Haman was realizing that he was losing power. Let us see what happens in the United States with the people who put their ways in front of the good of the whole country.
Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for the trust that you have given us. We ask that you make us leaders who are humble. Help take away the arrogance that is in our life. Help us remember that your will is more important than our desires. Help us walk in faith. Dear God we praise you for all that you have done and will do in our life. In your precious name we pray. Amen
Questions:
My thoughts about the verses:
Xerxes is having trouble sleeping. So he asks for his servant to read his history book to him. As the servant reads the story he is reminded of the day that Mordecai saved his life. The plot would have worked if Mordecai had not told Esther. The guards would have killed the King.
The King after being reminded of this event asks his servant what was done to honor this Jewish man. The servant told him that they had done nothing to honor Mordecai. His allegiance to the King had not been rewarded.
At the same time this is happening Haman shows up in the palace. The King tells his servant to bring him in so he can seek his advice on how to reward Mordecai. Now Haman was very arrogant and prideful. When he was told that someone was to be honored for his loyalty of the King he immediately assumes that it is him. So he tells the King that he should dress him in a robe that the King has worn. Then he should be placed on a horse and paraded around the town. The person leading him should say out loud that this is the man that the King wants to honor.
You know Haman had to be shocked when the King says that is great. Do exactly what you have suggested for Mordecai. You can imagine the look on Haman's face. He was there to ask the King to put Mordecai to death. Instead he now has to take and treat him with the utmost dignity. He had to be blushing. You knew he felt like the air had been kicked out of him. His arrogance was now being turned to humility.
Haman goes and does what the King has requested. You can almost see him cringing as he is leading Mordecai through the streets saying this is the man that the King wants to honor. You know he knew his time was limited. His plot was starting to backfire. After he had led Mordecai through the whole town he went home humbled. He went home where he was still the ruler of his own roost. Yet, it wasn't to end there the King sent his servant to bring him for the party that Esther was throwing. He had to go to the palace now in humbleness because he realized that his plot had backfired.
What comes to my mind is the financial fiasco that has happened in America. How a group of a few men planned to change the destiny of the country. How they felt that they and their ideas were more important than the whole rest of the country. They even were able to force the country to shut down. Then after approaching yet another financial disaster they had to put their egos behind. What turned out happening is that they looked like fools at the end. Everything that they desired had been refused. Now their own party does not want to be connected to them.
The King was faced with someone that was just as arrogant. He thought that because Mordecai would not bow to him that he was humiliated. Yet, he humiliated himself. His belief that he was better and more important than everyone else was leading to his own decline in power. It is important to remember that one person or small group of people should not have the power to affect a country. The fact is the people that we put in leadership positions need to be humble because they are trusted to lead the country in such a way that it grows. When the person or group hurts the entire country they need to face hard consequences. We can see that Haman was realizing that he was losing power. Let us see what happens in the United States with the people who put their ways in front of the good of the whole country.
Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for the trust that you have given us. We ask that you make us leaders who are humble. Help take away the arrogance that is in our life. Help us remember that your will is more important than our desires. Help us walk in faith. Dear God we praise you for all that you have done and will do in our life. In your precious name we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you ever been a leader of a group? Have you put your goals in front of the good of the group? Have you ever had a leader that was so arrogant that nothing could be accomplished? What do you need to do to learn to accept responsibility with humbleness? Do you follow
God's will or do you follow your own desires?
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