And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men…said, “Nothing has been done for him.” And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered…
Esther 6
The night, after Esther’s feast, the king, Ahasuerus, was restless, unable to sleep. So, he requested that the most boring book of the kingdom be brought to him for reading (presumably an aid to going to sleep), the chronicles of the kingdom. Of the entries Ahasuerus read was the entry of Mordecai’s heroic revelation of the plot to kill the king. Ahasuerus queried his aides as to what honor had been bestowed upon Mordecai. They responded, “Nothing has been done for him.” By now, it was early morning and Haman had come to have the king execute Mordecai on the gallows Haman had built. As Haman entered the king’s presence, Ahasuerus asked Haman, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” At this, Haman’s head increased 3 sizes and he thought to himself that Ahasuerus must have thought quite a lot of him to honor him. So, Haman told the king what Haman would want for the king to honor himself. Upon Haman’s recommendations, Ahasuerus ordered Haman to do as Haman had said to honor Mordecai and Haman was to do it personally! Can you imagine!? The man whom Haman hated the most is ordered by his king to personally honor him and go before Mordecai shouting, “Thus, shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!” How demeaning and embarrassing it was to carry out the king’s order honoring the man whom Haman intended to hang but, now, shows Mordecai honor through the streets of Susa! The morning is gone. Haman has not carried out his desire to hang Mordecai and, now, the king’s eunuchs have come to take Haman to the second banquet Esther has prepared for Ahasuerus and Haman. There is a saying today, “The devil is in the details.” It would seem, in Haman’s case, that God was in the details this day. Never, ever underestimate God’s control of His creation. Though humans may decide with their will, it is God who directs all affairs to accomplish what He planned since before He ever created the first element of this universe!
Source: S C Ball September 15, 2023
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