Wisdom: decoying Haman

In the last reflection, the king held out his golden Sceptre to Esther to indicate she was being granted the favour to state her request, even if the kingdom was in it. The kingdom it should be but this wasn’t the pressing issue now: the life of a race was at stake.

One would have expected immediate reportage of why the queen sought the presence of the king. But no, she was, as it were, taken over by the Holy Spirit; it had to be Him. She requested the king to have Haman fetched to the palace for a “banquet of wine” with the king. It’s a strange request but the king obeyed.

Haman is honoured by Esther. When I consider this, I’m also made stupid by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. He writes, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:19-20). This is the just move of the Holy God, to give room for repentance. Haman stands in the place of repentance even at this stage by the act of Esther. The verses above need one or two words of explanation before going on. Heaping coals of fire means re-shaping or reconfiguring a iron-heart by being of help to the need of the enemy. Perhaps, if Haman knows the relationship between Esther and the Jews he has condemned to destruction, his mind will have been softened and may have also come to a place of repentance in sackcloth.

Haman is sent for with all human speed. In the midst of the banquet of wine, the king again wants to know the request of the queen. Esther again calls for another banquet the next day in the palace with only the king and his chief of all the princes of the empire (Haman) present.

I continue to wonder at these seemingly senseless moves of the queen. I’ve no other explanation but to conclude that all these are at the impulses of the Holy Spirit. It’s a wisdom beyond me. And here is where I need to pause in deep meditation. I’m liable to be explosive in handling such issue as this; the flesh, never far away, will have intruded and make me bungle the whole matter. I’m here afraid of myself; I’m afraid that I’m liable to be so self-centered that the noise in me will take things from the hands of God. Years back, as a bitterly wronged teacher in St Louis Grammar School Ondo, I was burning with anger to revenge what was an obvious injustice. However, there were two of my sisters in Christ sisters in the school, Mrs Edo-Olotu and Mrs Ibikunle, all Spirit filled. I knew they would be disappointed with me if they eventually learnt that I fought back like a wounded lion that I was. As I got to the school for my purpose, I remembered…. Ashamed, I went to their offices at different time, and told them my purpose. They didn’t speak much. “I’m not saying,” Mrs Edo-Olotu began softly, “you should not go and do that, but as for me I’ve learnt to allow the Lord to fight for me.” That settled it. I thanked her and turned to leave her office, glad to have come to her; she prevented another self resentment that would have cropped up on me later in hindsight.

At the end of the banquet, Haman marches out light-headed: he’s just exclusively dined with the royal family. No one has ever been so honoured in all the kingdom! He steps out and, at sighting Mordecai at the gate of the palace, all his glory turns to ashes in his mouth.

Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

Nevertheless, Haman refrained himself and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife

He narrates his singular honour with the royalty and tells of his glory and honour. Then he continues, Yet, all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. 

No one counsels caution. Nor does any of the friends ask him exactly why he feels so small and irrelevant at the sighting of Mordecai. But he receives a good piece of advice from Zeresh, his wife, and all the friends.

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallow be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallow to be made (Esther 5).