The Fall of Haman

The Fall of Haman

 

Esther 6:14-7:10

 

The crisis that has befallen the Jewish people has reached its climax through a reversal. Haman, who had been expecting the best of days, has the worst day of his life.

Haman, who returned from the humiliation of serving Mordecai, is hastily taken away by the palace eunuchs. Haman attends Queen Esther's second banquet with the king.

When King Ahasuerus of Persia asks Esther for the third time what her petition is, Esther finally tells him that she and the people of Judah are in danger of being annihilated and asks for the king's mercy. She then says that Haman is the mastermind behind the massacre. Haman's face turns pale as he hears his name from the queen's lips.

While the king is angry and leaves for a moment, Haman tries to save his life by clinging to the queen. However, this action brings about a bigger disaster. He is arrested on the spot with the false accusation of attempting to rape the queen. The king executes Haman by hanging him on the high gallows that Haman had erected to kill Mordecai.

 

God will surely judge the wicked (7:9-10). Haman's act of prostrating himself before Esther and begging for her life instead brought about his death. Fate was reversed, and he received the reward he had done. Before we lose everything, before we become worse, before we are more shameful, before grace is withdrawn, let us go to a lower place, to a place of greater sorrow.

 

The fate of her people was Esther's own fate (7:3-6). The self-consciousness of a community of shared destiny gave Esther the courage to risk her life. Do we regard the community we belong to as a family with whom we share a shared destiny? Do we bear the burden of the members who are going through difficulties together?

 

Dear God, give us the grace and the strength to sholder our neighbors' burdens and the courage to love them well.

사랑하는 하나님, 우리에게 이웃의 짐을 짊어질 수 있는 은혜와 힘을 주시고, 이웃을 사랑할 수 있는 용기를 주소서.

 

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