Esther Chapter 7

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Esther reveals her heritage; Haman is hanged.

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Outline

1-6. At the second banquet, Esther reveals her heritage and asks for Ahasuerus’s help.
7-8. Ahasuerus turns against Haman.
9-10. Haman is hanged.

Reflection

Do you objectify people?

Lesson

People Are People

The events in Esther turn for the good when Ahasuerus began to value people. First, he realized Mordecai’s loyalty. Second, he connected his decree with the death of innocent people. When Ahasuerus learned about the people he condemned to death, he realized his error.

Cruelty occurs when we fail to value the lives of those around us. Whenever murders, rape, slavery, human trafficking, or other such crimes abound, the perpetrators never view the victims as human; the victims are objectified as means to an end. For most of us, this might be as simple as getting frustrated at a cashier for going too slow—we view the cashier as an object to meet our desire instead of a person with feelings who is probably trying his best to do his job.

Only when we forget that even our worst enemy is a precious human being can our conscience justify any cruelty towards them. Even the vilest person is still somebody’s son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, or father. Above all, they are beloved by God. Keep that in mind, and your compassion and forgiveness will flow.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

1-2. Similar to the first banquet, Ahasuerus promised to fulfill Esther’s request. See Esther 5:6.

3-4. Esther chose her words well. Since the commandment to kill the Jews was signed with the king’s ring, she could easily charge Ahasuerus. Yet, her words imply no such accusation. She humbly stated that if it had been any other need than sparing life, she would never have bothered the king with her problems. Notice that to sway the king, Esther began with a plea for her life. She knew Ahasuerus needed to see how the decree brought him personal harm.

5. In Ahasuerus’s mind, someone desired to murder the queen. Whether this was Esther’s intent or Ahsuerus inferred the wrong conclusion, the king instantly sought vengeance on anyone who dared touch what was his. His word choice of “durst presume” states clearly that whoever was to blame had overstepped his authority. Haman had, most assuredly, abused the power of his office to commit genocide.

Esther’s actions revealed she was a Jew. Ahasuerus had never asked Haman who was to be eradicated. He blindly trusted Haman when, if he had asked, he would never have allowed harm to the Jews. Not only were they a large population but they were also peaceful, productive citizens. Although Esther’s words should have let Ahasuerus infer she was to be killed as a result of Haman’s decree, she had to bluntly state that Haman was to blame. Despite Hollywood portrayals, Ahasuerus was an impulsive, irrational king who threw a fit at Esther’s banquet.

6-7. Esther seized the opportunity, laying the blame solely on Haman. In rage, the king stormed off, and Haman assumed it was to fetch chamberlains to imprison Haman (v. 8). For the first time, Ahasuerus recognized he should not have trusted Haman. He probably felt betrayed by his closest advisor, or perhaps he was angry with himself that he did not question Haman’s suggestion to kill an entire people. Whatever the internal motivation, Ahasuerus turned against Haman the moment he had to choose between Haman and Esther, a testament to Esther’s character.

8. Haman feared for his life. In poetic justice, the man who demanded all others bow to him and reverence him begged for his life at the foot of a woman.

Ahasuerus’s accusation against Haman seems odd. Surely, he could see Haman begged, not assaulted, yet perhaps he was so enraged that he could reach no other conclusion. Whatever the reason, Haman signed his death warrant by approaching Esther.

9. Haman’s desire to kill Mordecai implicated him further. Blinded by pride, Haman had decided Mordecai was wicked because he had failed to reverence him, so he never learned about the man he wanted to kill. If he had, he would have realized Mordecai’s loyalty to the king and the folly of desiring his death. For the first time, Ahasuerus decided matters on his own.

10. God’s judgment surfaced; the device Haman had built for murder was the source of his death. Compare with Psalm 7:15, 9:15, Habakkuk 2:15-17.

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