Haman Impaled.
7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted. (NIV)
At the second day banquet dinner at Queen Esther's, after several drinks, King Xerxes asked Esther the third time: what was her request/petition. King expressed his willingness to grant her whatever she wanted provided the request is reasonable and he could afford it (even up to half the kingdom).
In his mind, King Xerxes was probably thinking that Esther might be wanting money, jewellery, honour, or appeal for promotion for somebody.
3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” (NIV)
3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. 4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” (RSV)
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. (KJV)
At the King's third asking, Esther finally said out her petition and request in a very humble manner (if i have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if pleases the king, ...). She made her appeal and request in soft way and humbly, despite she is the beloved wife of the King.
Management concept: When we have a petition, appeal or request, we should raise the issue in amicable, humble manner. Decision maker may or may not grant our request/appeal. Do not pressure the Decision Maker. Make the Decision Maker feel at ease, for a better chance for the request/appeal to be granted.
Esther asked for:
1) Petition for her own life.
2) Request for the lives of her people.
The appeal and request was made short and simple. Easy to understand.
Next, she explained the justification of her petition and request.
1) She (the beloved wife of King, and the Queen) and her people will all be destroyed, killed and annihilated.
2) She and her people were NOT merely sold into slavery.
3) If her people were merely sold into slavery, she would not dare to bother the King (with such expression of humility).
Her tactic was:
1) Firstly, an expression of humility.
2) Secondly, statement of her petition (the first priority) and her request (the second priority) in short and simple sentence. No beating around the push. Straight to the point. Clear in meaning.
3) Lastly, explain the justifications of her petition and request, in humility. She stated two reasons for her petition/request.
5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. (NIV)
5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. (KJV)
In surprise, King Xerxes asked Esther who was the one who wanted to destroy, kill and annihilate her people.
Did the King remember that he had also consented to destruction of the Jews, and that he had signed the edict/decree?
Esther sharply pointed out the enemy being Haman. Three key words were used to express the originator of the plan to destroy the Jews: Adversary, Enemy, Wicked.
Haman's reaction was Fear.
Haman did not know that Queen Esther was a Jew. Killing Jews was not a big concern for the King. But killing Queen Esther who is much loved by the King was a definitely a No-No.
If Haman had earlier known that Esther was a Jew, he would not have gotten the King to consent for the destruction and annihilation of all the Jews throughout the kingdom/empire. Haman only knew about Mordecai was a Jew, Mordecai did not kneel/bow and pay reverence to Haman because of Mordecai's Jewish religion.
7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden.But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate,stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona,one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”
The king said, “Impale him on it!”10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai.Then the king’s fury subsided. (NIV)
8 And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was; and the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face. (RSV)
8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. (KJV)
King Xerxes had become very angry and went out into the palace garden, to ponder about the issue and consider what action to be taken. The King was not too hasty to make an immediate decision on Esther's petition and request.
His beloved wife, Esther, would be killed, and appealed for her life to be preserved. She also requested for the lives of her countrymen. The mastermind of this destruction of Jews was his most trusted noble, his right-hand man, his favorite assistant. King Xerxes had mixed feelings and thoughts. He was in dilemma. So, he needed to relax his mind in the palace garden to organize his thoughts and decision on this matter.
He had consented to Haman's proposal to destroy the Jews. He had thus collaborated with Haman. He felt uneasy. He felt cheated by Haman. How could Haman ever think of killing his beloved Queen? How could he the King so easily been convinced by Haman to destroy and annihilate an entire race (the Jews)?
He probably had made certain decision, and went back to the banquet dinner. When he saw Haman falling on Esther on the couch, he was having the impression that Haman was molesting and sexually assaulting his Queen. His anger turned to wrath.
When the King's shouted “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”, the palace guards immediately caught Haman and cover up Haman's face, ready to execute Haman.
Eunuchs were already fed up with the excessive pride and snobbishness of Haman. They knew the King had honoured Mordecai the Jew for saving the King's life. When they saw that the King was extremely angry with Haman, they were more than ready to suggest the method of execution: hanging at the gallows in Haman's house.
King Xerxes was so angry and wrathful that he hastily and immediately agreed on the punishment: execute Haman by hanging to death on the gallows which Haman had built to kill Mordecai.
Management concept: Anger and wrath makes a person make hasty decision. So, avoid making the Decision Maker angry. When the Decision Maker is very angry, result will be bad consequences for the persons who offended him.
Management concept: Avoid criticism. Avoid argument and quarrel. This will make the other party angry. This is not good for healthy relations. Not good for the future.
Management concept: If we need to do construction criticism, do it with tact and finesse. Do it in a more suggestive manner that the other party thinks that it is his idea, instead.
Although our God is a kind and merciful God, He also displays wrath. When God is wrathful, the punishment could be heavy. Look at what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah; only Lot and his daughters survived, there was total destruction. Look at God's wrath with David who stole Uriah's wife and murdered Uriah; God punished David by death of his child with Uriah's wife. Look at God's wrath with David for carrying out the census of fighting men; God punished by plague that caused the death of seventy thousand. Look at God's wrath with Babylon, and the destruction of this great historic city. Look at God's wrath with the people, and the Flood that killed countless people, animals and destroyed vegetation; only Noah and those in his ark survived the flood.
I suddenly think of an interesting topical bible study to be done: Anger / Wrath.
Monday, Dec 30, 2013.
Michael Yeap.
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=esther%207&version=NIV
RSV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=esther%207&version=RSV
KJV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=esther%207&version=KJV
Commentaries:
1) verse 1-6 : http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Esth.7.1-Esth.7.6
2) berse 7-10 " http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Esth.7.7-Esth.7.10
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