STAND UP AND BE COUNTED (ESTHER 5)
This year (Feb., 2006), PBS aired a documentary on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Episcopal Church in America commemorate him on April 9, the date on which he was hanged in 1945. Who was this man who had inspired Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu and millions of Christians around the world?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945) was the German Lutheran pastor and theologian paid dearly for resisting the Nazis, especially Hitler, before the Second World War. Banned from preaching and teaching, he headed an illegal seminary for pastors of Confessing Church, which opposed the anti-Semitic policies of Adolf Hitler.
In 1939, Bonhoeffer joined a hidden group of high-ranking military officers to overthrow the regime and assassinate Hitler. He was arrested in April 1943 after money used to help Jews escape was traced to him, and was charged with conspiracy and sent to prison for a year and a half. Adolph Hitler’s failed assassination in 1944 led to the execution of more than 200 people. Bonhoeffer’s connections to the conspirators were discovered. He was moved to a series of prisons and concentration camps, ending with his hanging just three weeks before the liberation of the city. Also hanged together with him were his brother and his two brothers-in-law.
In the mid-1990s, the German Government officially absolved him of any “crimes” he might have committed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer
Esther is a compelling story to share but a difficult passage to preach, especially from Esther 5 on. Today we are not in any resistant mood, mode or movement to begin with. We are not a political group; we do not have a social agenda; and we are not in a war, a revolution or an anarchy. So how do we understand this chapter? What are the principles and implications for us today? Christians are agents of change regardless of time, place and event. Rarely can we sit on the sidelines, but how can we change things and not force things?
Be Prudent, Not Pushy
5:1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” 4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” 5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
Many have heard of “The Prayer of Serenity” written by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971). It is one of the most famous prayers written. Alcoholics Anonymous adopted it as its official prayer.
The prayer reads:
“God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.”
The effort of Esther in rescuing the Jews was critical to stopping Haman, but she thought long and hard and decided to do things her way – no more running to Mordecai. Further, had Mordecai know of her plans he would have advised her differently. The thing about Esther was that she used her head more than her heart in her preparation. In contrast to Vashti, who reacted to Xerxes’ demand for her to parade herself, Esther was careful and meticulous in preparation. If her life was at stake, she had better chose the weapons of war. Her weapons of war were calm, patience and wisdom.
Esther, contrary to expectations, did not rush into the inner court, demand to see the king, and threatened, whimpered and cried, “Choose me or Haman.” Instead, she put on her regal best for the occasion and waited till the king was by himself, had time for her and was in a good mood before she went. She understood what hurry, expectations and pressure did to Vashti and Xerxes’ relationship. She knew she was Queen Esther (v 2) on the king’s good day and good side and merely Esther or the former Queen Esther if the king was in a grouchy, gloomy and griping mood.
To readers she might appear to be a fool not to strike while the iron was hot. The king had promised her half his kingdom in vain to the non-taker Esther. She wanted, however, to do two things. First, that she was not motivated by revenge or bloodthirstiness. She was motivated by reason, and not self-serving reasons or selfish reasons. Second, she wanted to gain the king’s trust in her decision-making. She wanted to see if the king was serious about his promise and if the offer was good for another day, or if the king was impulsive and temperamental. If he regretted his decision later, her head was at stake. Yes, she had won his favor or pleasure (v 2), but would she win his trust? She had no intention to be the flavor of the day or his reason for regret tomorrow.
Be Peaceable, Not Passionate
9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
A little boy was bouncing up and down in the back seat of the car. The mother attempted to discipline his son. “Sit down and keep still,” the mother said, but the boy refused to listen or obey, jumping up and down. “I said, ‘Sit down,’” the exasperated mother shouted, but the boy kept bouncing like a ball. The mother went to the boy, grabbed the boy’s shoulders and forcibly put him into the chair, whereupon the feisty and furious lad folded his arms and defiantly said, “I’m sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.”
Thomas a Kempis said, “When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs.”
Haman’s attempt to force change did not last because it was unhealthily motivated. He was motivated by passion and not by peace. Things got worse for Haman’s thin skin. Haman already knew that Mordecai rejected the notion that he was God or had achieved divine status, but the way Haman treated him next made his blood boil, his mood dark and his veins bulge.
Before, Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor (Est 3:5). This time, Mordecai further insulted him by not rising or showing fear in his presence (v 9). The aging Jewish man did not budge or kowtow in his presence. The latter “showed fear” (v 9) occurs only three times in the Bible, the translation for the other two times are “tremble” (Eccl 12:3, Hab 2:7). Mordecai did not break sweat, step back or feel threatened when he saw the butcher Haman.
Haman could bear with Mordecai not treating him as God but this time he had gone to far. Mordecai did not even show him fear and respect deserving of a man his lofty status. Haman was worse than a nobody in Mordecai’s eyes because of the way this madman treated others. He surely did not deserve courtesy, attention or greeting, as far as Mordecai was concerned. In fact, the Jewish man ignored him to his displeasure and disgust.
The Hebrew statement “he was filled with rage” was similar to the first exhibition of his full-blown anger in chapter 3 verse 5, but this time he directed his anger against Mordecai, unlike the former time when there was nobody to direct his anger against. He was hopping mad and beside himself. Restraining oneself, however, did not mean calming down to Hamn; it meant delaying vengeance. Also unlike the king, Haman’s anger and hostility did not subside in time.
The thing about Haman was that he never faced his enemy despite almost blowing his top; he was mad at Mordecai, but he never confronted his problem. He kept it all in and tucked away. They had never talked. They met but they did not talk. Here was a fine chance to get things off his chest but he turned the other cheek for the wrong reason. If he had bothered to find out, he would have discovered that, unlike him, Mordecai’s reasons were not personal. It was not about Haman or Mordecai. It was about the frailty, the insignificance and the unworthiness of man. Why Haman turned the other check was not because it was a small thing, but because he had big plans. He refrained himself because he had worse plans for Mordecai’ death. He wanted Mordecai do to die a certain way, not a general death.
Be Patient, Not Personal
Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.
Gordon MacDonald tells about meeting a man who had been imprisoned with Nelson Mandela, the great South African president and leader, on Robben Island for five years. The man and Mandela had rooms next to each other. Gordon MacDonald eagerly asked the man what the great Nelson Mandela had taught him.
The man answered, “He taught me to forgive. I was a bitter young man and Mandela picked it up immediately when we first met. He said to me, ‘Son, you are no use to our movement until you learn to forgive the white man. You can hate his cause, but you cannot hate him.’” (Gordon MacDonald, “A Resilient Life,” p. 187, Nelson 2004)
The Hebrew phrase for Haman’s “vast wealth” (v 11) is actually “glory of his riches.” More than any other person, Solomon is the one most associated with this Hebrew word “riches” in the Bible (1 Kings 3:10, 3:13, 10:23, 2 Chron 1:12, 9:22), but it did Haman no favor or make him more godly. It did not make him wiser or smarter. It did not humble him that an outsider, an Edomite, had made his way to the top in Babylon. He did not share his wealth, talents or experience with others. Worse, riches made him vain, boastful and arrogant.
Even the honor of a private audience with the queen and the king was spoilt by his nagging displeasure at Mordecai. Everything paled and soured in light of Mordecai making faces at him and his outrageous slight of him. Haman did not want to see Mordecai one more second, day or run-in than he had to. Instead of enjoying the moment, he was bitter to death.
The truth was that Mordecai had little to do with his present state of mind. Mordecai was not playing tricks in his mind, but Haman was his own worse enemy. He had already signed the Jews’ death warrant, so why bother with a minor irritation in the form of Mordecai. Hanging him the next day was bad advice when ethic cleansing awaited the Jews. His wife and friends did not help matters much by catering to his lust to kill. In truth, they could have advised him to look the other way, say, “It won’t be long,” or “Ignore the small stuff.” Instead they advised him to put Mordecai out of his misery, take things into his own hands, and make his death wish come true. He spent the whole night preparing the gallows, not sleeping or paying someone to do the dirty work.
Conclusion: Weight the consequences, circumstances, choices before you fight. Do not get caught up with petty things, trivial pursuit or sneaky motives. 2 Timothy 2:23-24 says, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
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