What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?" Esther 6:6
Of all the men that perceived him self to be important in his eyes, Haman elevated his stature above other men and made him self to be a known person with power. However he was a man that schemed his way into power through flattery and political favors. Once he gained a place of power he demanded every perk that came with his position and abused the authority and his social rank to achieve his purposes. Most of all he demanded the recognition of his position granted by the king from everyone great or small.
The king gave an edict that everyone must show reverence towards Haman by bowing in his presence. However, one man stood out because he refused to turn from his Jewish beliefs to worship or show reverence to Haman. Mordecai would not give homage and after several warnings the officials at the gate were compelled to informed Haman. This enraged Haman and he began to plot the destruction of every Jew throughout the Empire of Xerxes.
Haman approached King Xerxes with this proposal. If it pleases the king there is a certain race people in your kingdom who will not obey the king's laws. Therefore, it is in the king's best interest not to tolerate them any longer. Haman proposed that a decree be issued to destroy them. The king approved the idea and gave his signet ring to Haman to seal and send the orders to every province.
At Haman’s command, his orders to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews was sent to all the provinces by the king's couriers. On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, Xerxes officials were to kill and to plunder the Jews. Everyone of rank received a copy, the depth of the decree was somewhat confusing especially in the city of Susa.
In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and prayer, every Jew humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Among those weeping in sackcloth was the uncle of Queen Esther, Mordecai who refused to put on clean clothing sent by the Queen.
Esther sent for Hathach who attended the king’s harem and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai. When Hathach returned he had a copy of the edict to annihilate the Jews naming Haman as the perpetrator. Mordecai also urged Esther to seek the king’s presence begging for clemency for the Jews in his kingdom.
Esther knew death awaited those who approached the king without being summoned, the only exception was for the king to extend his gold scepter to her. Esthers plan was simple, she asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa to fast for her. After three days and nights of fasting she determined even she were to die she would approach the king.
When Xerxes saw Queen Esther in the court, he extended the gold scepter allowing Esther to approach and touch the tip of the scepter. Instead of discussing the reason for her coming to the king she invited the king and Haman to a banquet she prepared just for them. Overjoyed the king accepted her invitation and summoned Haman to attend.
Makes you wonder if there was some chemistry between the King and Esther for he was willing to give half his kingdom to her but all she wanted was for him to come to another banquet she would prepare for Xerxes and Haman. Needless to say Haman went home that night estatic that he was invited and couldn’t wait to go to tell his family. However, on the way home he again noticed that Mordecai ignored him as he passed by.
Haman had good news in that he was invited to Esthers banquet and the bad news was that Mordecai was still alive and refusing to worship the ground he walked on. So when he got home his wife, sons and Haman came up with a scheme to hang Mordecai on a gallows higher than most of the surrounding houses. Haman agreed and while the gallows was being built Haman went to Xerxes for permission to hang Mordecai.
Little did Haman know that Xerxes could not sleep and had the chronicles about his reign read to him. That night he learned that Mordecai had informed the king of a plot to assassinate him and nothing had been done to reward him. About the time King Xerxes came to a decision to honor Mordecai, Haman entered the inner court seeking permission to hang him from the gallows he was building for Mordecai.
Haman was about to learn what a bad hair day was. The king told Haman he wanted to highly honor someone and he asked Haman for advice. Thinking it was him that the king was going to honor Haman advised the king what he wanted done for him. The idea of honoring Mordecai as Haman suggested met with Xerxes approval.
Haman about fainted in disbelief when King Xerxes commanded him to honor Mordecai in the same way he advised the king. Haman had no choice but to grit his teeth and humiliate himself by honoring the man he wanted to put to death. Haman was not a happy camper when he entered his house utterly torrmented about what he had done to honor Mordecai.
All day long Haman heard bad news and now it was coming from his circle of friends. He hadn’t time to think when the queen’s servants came to usher him to the second banquet Esther prepared for the king. Maybe something good will come out of this he thought.
The King wanted to know Queen Esther’s petition and question her to reveal it. Her petition was simple, grant the queen and her people their lives for there is a plan ready to be executed to slaughter her people and she was not exempt. Surprised about the matter the king asked who would dare to do such a thing? The King and Haman were unaware that Esther was a Jew by birth.
When this became known, Haman suddenly found himself wanting to be a thousand miles away at that moment. The king left the room to compose himself. Haman’s day had turned from bad to worse and his fate was going through his mind. His elation turned to begging for his life and when the king returned there Haman was attempting to smooth things over with the Queen.
King Xerxes gave orders and as Haman was being taken out the eunuch told the king that he had built a gallows for Mordecai that morning. The king replied hang him on it. Kind of makes you wonder if his wife’s words were going through his mind on the way to the gallows.
His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him — you will surely come to ruin!" Esther 6:13
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