Haman was dead, and
Mordecai's enemy was finally gone. But what happened after his death?
What about the law of the Medes and Persians that would not allow
even the king to alter it once it was written? In chapter eight and
verse one we begin to see how King Ahasuerus manages this problem. We
read:
On that day did the
king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther
the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told
what he was unto her.
Our
verse begins, “On that day did the king Ahasuerus give
the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen.” Let's
notice that on the day that Haman was hung, his house was given to
Esther the queen. That means that all the wealth, land, wares and
goods that belonged to Haman were now the queen's. As though it was a
reward for her troubles or compensation for her trial, the enemy's
belongings were now hers. Before she presented herself to the king
she was in great fear for her life, and she was now blessed with the
wealth that Haman gathered in his lifetime.
The
verse goes on to say, “And Mordecai came before the king;
for Esther had told what he was unto her.” When
we last saw Mordecai in our story, he was sitting at the gate in
sackcloth and fasting for Queen Esther. Although he was wearing the
kings robe and crown and was paraded through the streets by Haman
before Haman's death, Mordecai's concern was for Esther. Though he
sat before the gate of the palace in humility, he was brought before
the king and exposed by Esther for who he really was.
Can
we imagine the king's demeanor when Esther told him about Mordecai
raising her after the death of her parents? Can we think about the
exchange and appreciation that King Ahasuerus must have had for him
especially after he already knew of his disruption to the
assassination attempt upon his life? The coast was now clear to
reveal more to the king because Haman was gone and the fact that
Esther was Jewish was known. Where Mordecai wisely told Esther not to
expose her family or heritage when she was being selected as queen,
this was the right timing for full disclosure even of Mordecai's
background.
The
events we have read demonstrate to us over and over again the mighty
hand and involvement of God in Esther and Mordecai's lives. Queen
Esther nor Mordecai could have predicted the events of this verse,
and when they were in despair, nothing at all like this was in their
thoughts. However, these events were in God's thoughts. Little did
they know when their humility before God in prayers and fasting
occurred that they would now be standing before the king blessed,
fully disclosed and in great favor. But God knew. God had a plan all
along, and their part was to simply trust Him in it. If we were to
know what God has in mind for us as we journey through our trials we
would more than likely be as surprised as Esther and Mordecai. As we
ponder these things, let us keep in mind that though we cannot see
what lies ahead, God does, and what He has planned for us is more
than our minds could ever know. We can trust Him.
Next
time we will discover special honors given to Mordecai, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want
to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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