A Tale of Two Plans

Esther 5

Main Idea: As we act on plans we discern from God’s Word rather than plans we devise from our wills, the Lord will use us for the development of his kingdom and not its detriment.

1. How to Be Used for the Development of the Kingdom
   1. Put feet to faith (5:1).
   2. Experience God’s favor (5:2).
   3. Be selfless (5:3).
   4. Be strategic (5:4-8).
   5. Be obedient to the “whats” of God’s plans without fully knowing the “whys.”
2. How to Be Used for the Detriment of the Kingdom
   1. Fuel idolatry rather than forsake it (5:9).
   2. Be convinced of your own significance (5:10-13).
   3. Surround yourself with voices of compliance rather than conviction (5:14).
   4. Devalue the lives of others and eliminate anyone in the way (5:14).

Of all the subjects I miss from elementary school, recess ranks at the top (nap time is a very close second, especially since I spent two years in kindergarten). I miss the slides and swings to some extent, but I miss the playground sports the most.

At one recess period in third grade when we were playing football, I got as close to the line of scrimmage as possible. The quarterback was in the shotgun, and I was studying his cadence. I timed it so that just as the center snapped the ball, I darted across and caught it before the football reached the quarterback. Technically, I might have been a little offsides when I started, but there is not a lot that’s technical about playground sports.

Once I had the ball, I sprinted with all of my might, which is saying a lot since I was a chunky kid. Somehow, I literally outran everybody and spiked the ball in the endzone for a touchdown. It was only then that I figured out I had just scored a touchdown for the opposing team. Instead of turning toward my opponent’s goal line behind them, I had turned toward the goal line we were defending and then blazed a trail for a touchdown. I had unwittingly been an accomplice to the other team’s victory because at that moment the bell rang for us to return to our classes (probably to read Where the Red Fern Grows).

As I have gotten older, I have come to realize this happens in other places besides the playground. In our daily lives, spiritual warfare rages. The flesh, the world, and the devil do not take holidays. I am afraid most of us tend to be oblivious despite Jesus’s, Paul’s, Peter’s, John’s, and James’s warnings recorded throughout the New Testament exhorting us to be alert. Perhaps without our realizing it, the enemy can use our actions, our conversations, or even our ambitions for the detriment of God’s kingdom rather than its development.

God certainly is not the only one who makes plans, but his plans are the only ones that will ultimately prevail. Esther 5 is a tale of two plans. Esther had a plan, and Haman had a plan. These two plans originated from two different sources, one was birthed from prayer and one was created from rage and hatred. The plans in Esther 5 had two different purposes as well. One plan was drafted as an attempt to save lives, and the other plan was created to take a life. The plans differed in perspective also. One plan was from selflessness, and one was full of selfishness. Ultimately, the plans had two different outcomes (as we will soon see). The outcome of Esther’s plan will be one of incredible deliverance while the outcome of Haman’s will be one of inevitable destruction.

Whose plans are we carrying out? Are the plans we act on for the purpose of making our names or God’s name great? Are they about our kingdoms or his? Are they marked by selfishness or selflessness? Do the plans we carry out involve our living by faith at all? Do they involve our experiencing God’s power as we walk in obedience? Do they result in the advancement of the gospel? In Esther 5 God’s people are beginning to see God’s providence, and they move from asking for to acting on God’s plan to preserve his people. As we act on plans we discern from God’s Word rather than plans we devise from our wills, the Lord will use us for the development of his kingdom and not its detriment.

How to Be Used for the Development of the Kingdom

Put Feet to Faith (5:1)

Having either attended or led youth camps for twenty-eight years, I am well aware that when we say we are going to do something for the Lord, we sometimes do not even make it to the parking lot before breaking our commitments. My youth minister once played Al Denson’s song, “Be the One,” on repeat as we traveled back from camp at Glorieta, New Mexico, because some who had kept their commitment on the ride through the parking lot were in danger of breaking it on the bus! Student ministry is not for the faint hearted. Even for those students who actually make it home with their commitment to the Lord still intact, some begin to waver when the camp “warm fuzzies” and the camp t-shirt both begin to fade. Now before we all move into Debbie Downer’s neighborhood, remember there are countless examples of God, through his Spirit and Word, calling students (and adults) to action, and in his power they have followed through.

After the period of fasting, there was no failure to launch with regard to Esther. What she said she would do, she did. She put on her robes, she squared her shoulders, and she made her way to the throne room. Smith asserts,

People who hope to be used by God must boldly put themselves in a position where God can work through them, rather than sitting back, doing nothing, passively hoping or waiting for God to do something. (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, 260)

We are to make the most of every stewardship the Lord entrusts to us.

How often do we decide to pray about something not because we are still trying to discern the good we should do but because we are delaying? Perhaps we say, “Let me pray about that,” but then we keep praying and keep praying and never arrive at a decision or take action. Or perhaps we know the Lord has said, “Go,” and we say, “No!” Instead of choosing faith in the Lord and walking in obedience, we choose fear and walk in disobedience. Some of us may even be paralyzed by procrastination, but behind procrastination is the dangerous presumption: “I will have more time and opportunity to do this in the future.” James exhorts us,

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. (Jas 4:13-14)

Esther did not postpone following through with her commitment. In her, there was no more reluctance or rationalizing, just resolve.

Esther’s determination is similar to what Christ displayed as he fulfilled the Father’s plans. Luke writes, “When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Jesus was not walking away from the cross but toward it. Mark provides another picture of Christ’s resolve when he records Jesus saying to his sleepy disciples in Gethsemane, “Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near” (Mark 14:42). The time for praying in the garden was finished; the time for propitiation at Golgotha had arrived. In Christ there was no reluctance or rationalizing, just resolve. Esther was uncertain she would live; Christ was certain he would die.

For Esther, asking in prayer led to action in the palace. Her fasting led to faithfulness. God never puts us in positions of opportunity just so we can consider doing something or almost do something or maybe do something. He puts us in positions of opportunity to be obedient and “be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength” (Eph 6:10). In Joshua 1, the Lord commanded Joshua three times to “be strong and courageous” (1:6,7, 9). God was calling Joshua to lead his people into the promised land, but he did not expect Joshua to be faithful based on self-motivated fervor but on some very important facts. God reminded Joshua of his presence and promises. Joshua could choose to be fearful and disbelieve God and ultimately disobey, but that would not stop God’s plan. And Joshua would not be rejecting just an opportunity but a direct command from the Lord.

We have been given a command as well. The one with all authority told us,

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt 28:19-20)

Are we delaying obedience to this command in any way? The date of death was set for the Jews. There was no time for Esther to delay. In our world people perish every day, and some have never heard the gospel a single time. There is, then, no time for our delaying either. Are the people we shepherd paralyzed by fear at either making disciples or going to the nations? How many times have they committed to living these verses but failed to launch? As we consider Christ’s plan, presence, and promises, he will provide all the courage and strength we need to obey his commands.

Every opportunity God puts before us is a call to faith in the promised strength of God (Piper, “Be Strong and Courageous in Jesus”). For Esther, there would have been ample fuel for fear. In particular, she had not been summoned by the king and was about to reveal her ethnicity to him after his ring and name had been used to sign a death decree for all of her people. Each gospel opportunity we are given is a choice between fear and faith. We can do what we committed to do, not because we are strong but because Jesus is. When we do follow through, choosing faith and not fear, something very important occurs. Peter writes, “If anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet 4:11). When we serve in his strength, it will not just be for our good and the good of those around us, but for his glory. We need to be faithful with each opportunity he entrusts to us. Is there anything you have been saying for a while now that you were going to do for the kingdom but still have not gotten around to doing? By his grace and for his glory, hop to it.

Experience God’s Favor (5:2)

The moment of truth arrived. Would Esther be received or rejected? Would she live or die? Gregory writes,

Of course, she does not know—cannot know—what the outcome will be when the king sees her. She does not know whether the king will be in a generous mood or an irritable mood. She does not know whether she will make a good impression on him or not. She does not know whether she will find favor with him or not. Nevertheless, with courage, conviction, and perhaps some faith, she goes. (Inconspicuous Providence, 95)

Esther did everything she could do. She fasted, she put on her royal robes, but whether she lived depended on his look.

Have you ever been there before? You knew you were acting in faith but still you were uncertain of how it would all turn out? I certainly have. One Sunday morning as I was getting ready to lead our congregation, the Holy Spirit brought Abraham and Isaac to my mind (Gen 22). I had been praying through two weighty issues, and I desperately needed the Lord’s direction. When the Spirit brought Abraham to my memory, I realized that Abraham did not know how the Lord would ultimately resolve everything; he was just called to step out in faith. For my two areas of concern, I knew this meant I could not control any outcomes, but I was responsible for my obedience. I chose to trust the Lord and obey, and in both situations the Lord’s grace was apparent. When we put feet to faith we should not be surprised to find God’s favor.

The same was true for Esther. And as soon as the king saw her, he granted her life because in his eyes she “gained favor.” This is now the fourth time the author described the reaction of those around Esther in this way (2:9, 15, 17). Bush notes, “Again the narrator uses the active expression ‘she won his favor’ rather than the more passive expression ‘found favor’” (Ruth/Esther, 404). Certainly, Esther’s strategy and subtlety, which we will discuss in a moment, were helpful aids in acquiring favor, and they continued to be utilized with her next steps. The king extended the scepter, and she at the very least touched it but may have even kissed it. She may have broken protocol by appearing in the court, but she did not want to break it once she was received favorably. Any misstep could jeopardize her audience with the king and his approval of her. As we know, her goal was not just to enter the court, but to end the edict. Objective 1 of gaining access was achieved. Objective 2 of addressing the king was the next phase of her plan.

Be Selfless (5:3)

Now that Esther’s life was spared, would she make an appeal for just herself with regard to the death decree, or would she advocate for others as well? An opportunity was afforded her when Ahasuerus asked for her request and offered up to half of his kingdom if necessary for the answer. This moment is one of the few in the book when the king actually seems perceptive. In most other situations he comes off either drunk, dense, or depraved. In this exchange, however, he sensed something was important enough for Esther to take the actions she had, so he inquired as to what might be the cause.

Was he really willing to give her up to half of his kingdom? Since he ruled almost all the known world at that time (except Greece, which he had failed to conquer), he does not come across as someone willing to divide his power or property easily. Nevertheless, he will repeat the phrase two more times (5:6; 7:2), so it was not just a slip of his tongue. Technically, the offer was a formality indicating his willingness to be generous and not an absolute blank check. Herod once made the same promise to Herodias’s daughter, who dazzled him with her dancing, and she requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod regretted his offer and her request, but he did not refuse her (Mark 6:21-29). According to Herodotus, Ahasuerus himself had a bad experience in extending the same offer to one of his daughters-in-law, who was also his lover and his niece. (And you thought your family was messed up.) The result of her request would ultimately lead to the murders of the king’s brother, sister-in-law (whom he also desired at one time), and nephews (The Histories, 598–600). What a mess.

In Esther’s case, a window was open for her to say she desired not his possessions but her people, but as wisdom was needed in determining what he would see (5:1), it was still needed for determining what she should say. We know she did not enter the throne room just for herself but for all those who had no opportunity or ability to go into the king’s presence. Selflessness is always a mark of those God is using to build his kingdom (Phil 2:3-4). Paul told the Corinthians he would “most gladly spend and be spent” for them (2 Cor 12:15). He told the church at Colossae that he was commissioned as a servant of God’s church and rejoiced in any sufferings required for their sake (Col 1:24-25). Selflessness should be evident in our homes also, as husbands sacrificially love their wives (Eph 5:25). For Esther, though, presenting her request would require not just selflessness but also sanctified shrewdness.

Be Strategic (5:4-8)

After all the anticipation, the moment for petition finally arrived. Esther was alive, she had the king’s attention, and she could plead her case on behalf of her people. But just as we think she will ask for freedom from the edict, she . . . invites him to a feast . . . with Haman! I know. Her people are in peril and she is throwing a party? Well, in her defense, it has often been said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so it does not seem to be the worst idea ever. But is she just delaying? Stalling? Panicking? No, she had a plan.

The fact the meal was already prepared reveals two things: Esther was really hopeful she would live, and Esther had a plan. Her decision not to admit her true request was not just nervous delay but deliberate strategy. Smith notes the clear evidence of Esther’s intentionality:

Esther dressed appropriately by wearing her royal garments, behaved properly when the golden scepter was stretched out to her, and responded to his generous offer by modestly offering to serve the king. She did not act like an emotional basket case who was about to fall apart, like an angry spouse who was jealous because she was ignored, or like someone who was trying to push her agenda on the king. Since her primary goal was to “find favor in the eyes” of the king, she did what she was supposed to do. (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, 260)

I admit that when I asked Tara’s father, who was a major general at the time, for his permission to marry her, I did not do it at the restaurant while we were eating; I did not do it when we initially returned to their house; I finally did it after Tara’s mom left the kitchen where we were visiting, and only after it had been hours since we started talking. Unlike Esther’s, my delay was all panic and zero planning. Fortunately, Tara’s parents were very patient!

Why would Esther need to be strategic? If Ahasuerus already offered her up to half his kingdom, then why not just go for the win? Duguid offers several reasons for Esther’s shrewdness: (1) She was asking for the reversal of an irreversible law, which had been sponsored by the most powerful advisor in the empire and signed with the king’s own signet ring. (2) Granting her request would cost the king ten thousand talents—as much as half the annual tax revenue of his empire, and no small sum. (3) Perhaps even worse, though, it would be hard for the king to accede to her request without losing face, since the edict had been officially authorized by his own royal person. (4) Finally, in order to make her request, she would have to reveal her hidden Jewish identity, risking a potential backlash from the husband she had been deceiving for the past five years (Esther & Ruth 62). The feast would provide an opportunity for some of the formality to be diminished and would eliminate the risk of Esther embarrassing the king while on his throne and in his court. Any of the reasons listed would be sufficient cause for some measure of strategy. When they are considered all together, the feast does not sound foolish after all.

Now the moment we have been waiting for (again). The king is full, the wine has flowed, and he’s ready to fulfill his wife’s request. We are ready for Esther to spring her trap—and possibly admit she’s poisoned Haman’s food, though few of us would blame her if a little spilled in Ahasuerus’s bowl as well. There is no admission of poisoning, however, just an invitation to another party.

Esther! What are you doing? You had the moment and you missed it! But did she? As the great Lee Corso says so often, “Not so fast, my friend!” Look carefully at her wording. She did not just invite the king to another feast; she connected his attendance with his answer to her as-yet-unnamed request. If he really would grant her plea, then his presence the next day would be her assurance. Both the king’s curiosity and his commitment level would be piqued.

Not only would the king be present, but so would Haman. She would be dining with the devil, again. We should give special credit to Esther for having Haman attend these feasts. Few enjoy confrontation. Even fewer handle it in a biblical manner. Talking about people is a lot easier (but not holier) if they are not in the room. What Esther has to say about Haman she will say in his presence. It would have been easy to just invite Ahasuerus and then have him handle Haman. But Esther will confront her enemy (7:6).

For carrying out the plan she discerned through fasting, Esther gets a lot of grief from people sitting somewhere drinking coffee (or better yet, Mountain Dew) and writing books about her. Some believe she should have gone in, guns blazing, and been bold like Vashti. Esther’s use of a plan, though, required no less boldness than Vashti’s refusal. While Vashti faced deposal, Esther risked death.

Others suggest Esther resorted to worldly methods of scheming to get what she wanted. Assuredly, we are called to be in the world but not of it. Subtlety and strategy, however, are not necessarily anti-gospel. Jesus told his disciples, “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). When we consider participating in missions in places where governments are not just opposed but hostile toward the gospel, strategy is not evil or worldly. For example, we could get on a plane bound for North Korea and announce to everyone mid-flight that we are boldly taking the gospel to that communist nation. Upon landing, however, if we were even allowed to deplane, it would only be for one of two destinations: detainment or deportation. I am not advocating lying. I am just saying that since the Lord called us to shrewdness, utilizing strategy does not make us children of the devil or the world.

Knowing when to say what is also important for gospel purposes, but it should not lead to unending silence. Each of Esther’s words that are recorded for us are measured, but she would eventually give Ahasuerus the details of her request. When seeking to see those around us come to Christ, we may be strategic with what, where, and when we share with them the gospel, but we cannot be silent forever. There comes a time when the content of the gospel has to be shared. We cannot hope people will make it to heaven just by observing our lives anymore than Ahasuerus could discern what Esther wanted just by attending her feasts.

Be Obedient to the “Whats” of God’s Plans without Fully Knowing the “Whys”

As we seek to be used by God for the building of his kingdom, we need to follow the Lord’s plan and his timing even if we do not fully understand either of them. Esther did not know how God would use the night between the feasts. She just knew she discerned a two-feast strategy. When an angel of the Lord told Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza,” he did not tell him why (Acts 8:26). Unlike many of us who refuse the “what” until given a “why,” Philip obeyed and would eventually be used to share the gospel with an Ethiopian man (Acts 8:35). Just because we may not understand the Lord’s plan fully does not mean we lack the information we need to act faithfully.

Perhaps God does not give us all the details because he wants us to trust in his presence, his provision, and his promises. As noted previously, our dependence is not just for our good, but for his glory. When the outcome arrives, we can be quick to say, “Look at what God did” instead of “Look at what I did.” Gregory notes the eventual outcome of these feasts was not just a product of Esther’s shrewdness. Even with all her shrewdness, the king did not have to extend the scepter, but he did. The king did not have to invite a request, but he did. The king did not have to come to the banquet, but he did. (Inconspicuous Providence, 100)

While Esther’s planning was important, Someone else was integral in the king’s participation. The author of Proverbs says, “A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses” (Prov 21:1). As Gregory points out, “Persian kings are not exempt” (ibid., 101).

How to Be Used for the Detriment of the Kingdom

The Lord is not the only one who makes plans, but he is the only one whose plans will be fully accomplished. Satan makes plans all the time for the destruction of God’s people and then uses others to carry them out. Haman probably had no clue that Satan was at work in his life to attempt to wipe out the messianic line. He was most likely operating from the desires and evil that were already in his heart. Regardless, we should examine our lives to be sure we are not even unwittingly carrying out Satan’s plans rather than our Savior’s. We tend to be used for the detriment of the kingdom when we fuel idolatry in our lives rather than forsaking it (5:9), are convinced of our own significance (5:10-13), surround ourselves with voices of compliance rather than conviction (5:14), or devalue the lives of others and eliminate anyone standing in our way (5:14).

Fuel Idolatry Rather Than Forsake It (5:9)

What is the fastest you have gone from full joy to explosive rage? If you have never had such a transition, then what is a memory you have of shifting from being joyful to whatever emotion came next? Unfortunately, a lot of my swings from joy to mourning are linked to sports. You think your team is going to win the game only to have victory ripped out of your hands and heart in the last moment.

After being invited to a private feast with the king and queen and then receiving an invitation to do it all again the next day, Haman felt like he was on top of the world . . . until he saw Mordecai. Once again, Mordecai was neither apologetic nor anxious about refusing to show honor, and Haman refused to accept such disrespect.

We need to ask ourselves two important questions: In what or whom do we take joy? What or who kills joy in our lives? In his last lengthy conversation with his disciples on the night before his death, Jesus told them, “You also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you” (John 16:22; emphasis added). Some will argue about whether Jesus meant his resurrection or his second coming (I believe it is the former), but at some point in the future Jesus’s disciples would be reunited with him and have irrevocable joy.

Piper calls the incarnation “the dawning of indestructible joy because the joy Jesus was bringing into the world was like no other kind in history. Once we have it, it cannot be destroyed” (The Dawning of Indestructible Joy, 8). He adds,

The joy that Jesus came to bring is from outside the world. It is the very joy that Jesus himself has in God the Father—which he has had from all eternity and will have forever. There is no greater joy than the joy that God has in God, because God is the greatest object of joy, and God has the greatest powers to enjoy. (Ibid., 8)

On that last night with his disciples, Jesus talked a lot about joy. He said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). Do you have complete and irrevocable joy? The only place you’ll find it is in Christ. Haman’s joy rapidly evaporated because the object of his joy was his experience at the feast and his expectation of another rather than in the Eternal One. Earthly pleasures and possessions lack the weightiness and worthiness to sustain our joy forever. Often, the best the world has to offer cannot fuel our joy minutes after the joy began.

While those who are in Christ can have indestructible joy, the full experience of it will not be realized until heaven. In the intermediary period, our joy will never be fully removed, but it can be diminished. And each time our joy is diminished, the reason is because we have pursued “fool’s joy” (I am playing off the term “fool’s gold” because, like those worthless rocks, earthly joys never provide what they promise). Wilson contends, “All sin is idolatry because every sin is an exercise in trust of something or someone other than the one true God to satisfy, fulfill, or bless” (“The Church and Idolatry”). Nothing, in fact, diminishes our joy faster than our pursuit of sin. Haman’s joy was quickly overcome when he embraced anger fueled by pride and coveting. He was mad because he was not getting what he desired and felt worthy of receiving. Haman could blame Mordecai all he wanted for stealing his joy, but the blame lay solely with Haman. All sin is a choice, and all sin comes with a cost. Because the object of Haman’s joy was too small, it could not sustain the attack cast upon it by the trifecta sins of anger, pride, and coveting.

The battle for our joy is no less vicious, and it rages daily. In whom or what are you taking joy? What or who is currently killing joy in your life? Segal contends,

We can be infinitely and enduringly more happy with Jesus than with anything or even everything in a world without him—even when that world is filled and overflowing with promotions and bonuses at work, on-demand television, all-you-can-eat sushi, grossly accessible pornography, always new and better technology, and countless other goods become gods. (Killjoys, x)

The one thing Haman wanted more than anything else was honor from Mordecai (5:13). (Why do we so often crave what we lack?) We have to guard against making an idol out of what we do not have. Perhaps you think to yourself, If I just had that promotion or new vehicle or a spouse or children or if people recognized how awesome I am, but none of those things can bring lasting satisfaction. Duguid warns,

When we seek to feed our idolatries rather than starving them, we end up emptier than ever, in even greater bondage than before, and it is only a matter of time before something else reignites our negative emotions. (Esther and Ruth, 67)

He goes on to note that the identities of our idols are . . . most easily exposed by analyzing our strongest emotions, both good, and bad. What is it that causes us to be angry out of all proportion to the offense? There is a clue that one of our idols is being threatened. What is it that makes us feel an unusually strong sense of achievement? It may be one of our idols being stroked. Our strong emotions are clues enabling us to read our own hearts better. (Ibid., 67)

Ask God to use his Spirit and his Word to help you identify any idols you may have. Then ask for his grace to help you forsake them immediately rather than continuing to feed them.

Be Convinced of Your Own Significance (5:10-13)

In his book to pastors, H. B. Charles writes about the time one of his pulpit heroes preached at his church. During a conversation following the service, his hero took him to task. Charles says his pride was confronted when the guest pastor said, “I think you want to be somebody. I don’t want to be somebody. I just want to preach. But I think you want to be somebody” (On Pastoring, 46). Charles admits God used that conversation to change his life and the trajectory of his ministry. He notes,

As pastors who preach the gospel to others, we need to constantly preach the gospel to ourselves, as well. We must not forget that our identity rests in the finished work of Christ, not in church size, speaking schedule, or ministry accomplishments. . . . When we are tempted to be somebody, we must refuse to boast in who we are or what we have or what we accomplish. Our boasting should be in Christ alone. (Ibid., 46–47)

Too bad Charles’s hero couldn’t have a conversation with Haman as well.

Haman did not just want to be a somebody: he was convinced he was somebody. Duguid believes what “Haman craved above all things was not simply significance, but rather being seen to be significant” (Esther and Ruth, 64). After failing to receive honor from Mordecai, Haman took a play out of Ahasuerus’s playbook and decided to invite people over so he could recount his glory and greatness to them. If he had a phone, he would have texted them to “Come to my party so I can let you know how awesome I am.” His significance and security were found in accolades, assets, and achievements. He lists what many would consider blessing upon blessing, but he expresses no gratitude to the Lord, just contempt for Mordecai. Prime warns,

Pride is one of the greatest sins because it makes us treat God’s gifts as if they rightfully belonged to us, and were created by us. Our pride robs God of his right to be acknowledged as the source of all the good we know and enjoy. (Unspoken Lessons, 94)

Haman was not interested in acknowledging the Lord as the source of his good because he was too consumed with having his own glory recognized. Prime continues his warning by writing, “Our pride is a form of dishonesty since it gives us false views of our own importance. It is frequently the substitution and exaltation of ourselves in the place of God” (ibid., 95).

If we are substituting and exalting ourselves in the place of God, we will not be doing it for very long. The author of Proverbs says, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). Pharaoh, for instance, thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Exod 7–15). King Sihon thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Num 21:21-30). King Og thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Num 21:31-35). Balak thought he could pay somebody and overcome God’s people; he found out that the somebody he paid was a nobody in comparison to God (Num 22–24). King Herod thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Acts 12). Haman thought he was somebody, and he soon found out he was wrong (Esth 7:10).

While Haman wants all eyes on himself, an important question remains: On whom does the Lord cast his gaze? In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says, “I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.” In James 4:6 we learn that God does not just look favorably on the humble, but he also helps them: “He gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” If you are more convinced of God’s greatness than your own, then you are on solid ground. If you do not just acknowledge you need God’s help but ask for it, then humility will flourish and pride diminish. If you think back through each day and carefully give God glory for each evidence of his grace, then your cultivation of gratitude will help you avoid fueling the foolishness of pride.

One last thought here. How do you think Haman’s sons felt when he included them in the list of things that failed to satisfy him or that were worth nothing to him in comparison to wanting honor from Mordecai? How oblivious we can be to how deeply we wound others around us when we are blinded by pride and driven by idolatry. Father, give us eyes to see you rightly so we will see ourselves rightly and serve others joyfully.

Surround Yourself with Voices of Compliance Rather Than Conviction (5:14)

Instead of encouraging him to mortify his sin, the group gathered in Haman’s home encouraged him to kill Mordecai. Prime declares, “They would have been better friends to him if they had warned him of the danger of his wounded pride and where it would lead him” (ibid.). They contributed to his sin rather than confronting him about it. We do not need nor is it loving to be these kinds of friends. As a faith family, we are called to speak truthfully to one another in love (Eph 4:15). I have asked my congregation, my accountability partner, and my wife not to aid my sin but to address it and help me forsake it.

Tripp says, “My self-perception is as accurate as a carnival mirror” (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, 54). He contends we need to hold the Word in front of each other so we can see ourselves clearly. I have a mark on my face where in sixth grade I sneezed and accidentally jabbed my pencil into my cheek. The only time I remember it is there is when someone points it out or, worse, licks their thumb and tries to wipe it off my face. Because I cannot see it, I am not bothered by it. We need others who can see and are bothered by our sins to lovingly and graciously speak God’s Word into our lives. Mahaney admits, “Without others’ help to see myself clearly, I’ll listen to my own arguments, believe my own lies, and buy into my own delusions” (Humility, 128).

Far different from Esther’s plan discerned through prayer, Haman’s plan was devised by people in a moment of reaction. Their plan would benefit only one person—Haman. He was willing to kill someone just so his ego would no longer be bruised! Sombody needed to tell this brother to get over himself.

Devalue the Lives of Others and Eliminate Anyone in the Way (5:14)

In Proverbs 12:15 we are told, “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” Unless, of course, that group of counselors is comprised of a bunch of fools. In that case, you are no better off than if you had only taken counsel from yourself. Both Ahasuerus and Haman needed new counselors because they were both too easily pleased by the horrific recommendations of the yahoos that surrounded them.

One would be hard pressed to find a more stunning example of the devaluing of human life than the advice from Haman’s friends to have Mordecai killed and then to go enjoy himself at the feast. This is worldly thinking at its prime. Haman’s happiness is more important than Mordecai’s life? Eliminate anything standing in the way of his getting what he wants? Importantly, killing Mordecai would not kill the root of Haman’s issues. Eventually there would be someone else who would not give him the honor he wanted, so would he then have to have that person killed too?

I guess his home owners’ association did not have restrictions against building gallows, which was unfortunate for Haman. As he ordered the gallows to be constructed, he was oblivious to the fact he was building a device for his own doom. Haman’s refusal to see value in Mordecai’s life would lead to the loss of his own.

Is there any way that you are currently elevating your interests above the needs or interests of those around you? Are the people around you only valuable to you when they contribute to your agenda; and should they fail to do so, do you dispose of those relationships? Paul exhorted the church at Philippi,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil 2:3-4)

Selfish ambition and conceit drove Haman, and there is no evidence in the text that he ever considered the interests of others. Do not be Haman. Do not devalue the lives and worth of those around you just because they do not cater to your conceit. I hope that when I give an account to the Lord one day that there will be more evidence of my serving others for their good than of my using them for mine.

Conclusion

What a cliffhanger we have as we come to the end of Esther 5! Esther and Haman both have plans, but neither is fully aware of the other’s. Will Haman’s plan be carried out first? Will he murder Mordecai and then munch on muffins? Reading the text is like watching a baseball player running home and an outfielder throwing the ball to the catcher. The fans wait to see which will arrive to the plate first. Will the runner beat the ball, or will the ball arrive before the runner? Because lives are on the line in Esther 5, the stakes are even higher. Whichever plan gets enacted first will determine who lives and who dies. What neither Haman nor Esther anticipated, though, was that while they slept Ahasuerus would not, and his providential insomnia would have an impact on all their plans.

In light of all we have discussed in Esther 5, let me close by offering one more reminder. The gospel answers the need for true significance. Nothing speaks more to your significance than God the Father caring enough to be involved in your situation and sending God the Son to lay down his life in your place and then to empower you with his Spirit for the purposes of the kingdom. These truths are of utmost and eternal significance. We just fail at times to apply the gospel to our lives. We search for fleeting significance rather than resting in an eternal one. You have been approved by God in Christ. You cannot be more significant, and you cannot be more set free to serve in obscurity because it is about his name and not ours. I hope wherever you are today, the joy in the gospel is fueling your obedience. May you be used for the development of God’s kingdom and not its detriment.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Describe a time when you were used to the detriment of God’s kingdom. How and when did you experience conviction over it? What did you learn from the experience?
2. How can we know we are being used for the development of God’s kingdom rather than its detriment?
3. Describe a time when you followed a plan that was determined by your will rather than God’s Word. How did this turn out for you (and others)?
4. How can we be certain we’re discerning God’s plan for our lives from his Word rather than devising plans from our wills?
5. Have you ever used prayer for delaying rather than obeying? If so, why? How can we minimize this tendency in our lives?
6. Describe a time you walked obediently in faith and experienced the Lord’s favor, provision, and blessing. How do we know he will provide all we need if we obey?
7. In what ways can we feed idolatry in our lives rather than forsaking it?
8. How does the gospel answer our need for true significance?
9. What can we do to surround ourselves with voices of conviction rather than just voices of compliance?
10. In what ways are you hoping the Lord will use you in the development of his kingdom this year?