Bridge to Esther

Esther 6:12-14

Don’t Touch My Eye!

12. And after the honorable ride on the king’s horse, Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, or crying, and having his head covered, maybe with his hands, because he felt so humiliated.

13. And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen, or happened to him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. In other words: Haman, you will not be successful in your fight against Mordecai, because your chief enemy has now been promoted above you.

14. And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Something to think about:

Did Haman glance back at the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai when he was driven to the banquet? Did he now regret his horrible plans? Did he take the blame for the troubles which were now surrounding him? We don’t know; but we do know that when he walked into his house, he didn’t cry about his sins. He cried because he felt horrible, ashamed, humiliated, offended and angry. He must have felt like all his clothes had been taken off before all the people. He probably never liked the king, but now, no doubt, he hated him!

But people weren’t causing Haman’s downfall. It was God’s hand. Everything in this history is His Story! Why was God laying His hand of judgment on Haman? It was because Haman was determined to destroy the LORD’s people.

Think about the soft spot of your eye. The moment someone’s finger gets too close to the tender part of your eye, you jerk your head away. When Haman was planning to hurt God’s people Israel, it was as though he was touching the soft spot of God’s eye. God is still the same today. He won’t tolerate it when people mock Him, His people or His kingdom.

Perhaps you question God when you see how well it sometimes goes for ungodly people. Movie stars and rock singers are earning millions of dollars and getting top awards, even though they disobey and even mock with God and His Word. If He exists, why doesn’t He stop these modern day mockers? Or why doesn’t He stop men from murdering or imprisoning His people? Every year, thousands of Christians are killed simply because they serve the Lord. Or why does the Lord allow other forms of injustice or cruelty?

Be assured, the reasons that the Lord doesn’t stop the devil and his workers from doing evil are always good reasons. God is wise, good and perfect in all that He does or allows.

Suffering is one of God’s tools to change us. He may use it as a megaphone to wake sinners up. At other times He uses it like a bitter medicine to make us better. Though we don’t read about what Haman’s threats did to the Jews themselves, you can be sure it did them good. Did it make them bow their knees in prayer more? Did it turn them back from paths of personal or family sin? Did it make them more thankful for the peace they had enjoyed? Did some even decide to move back to their homeland Israel?

God never does anything without a good purpose. Even when He allows the world to hurt His people, in the end we will see that “He hath done all things well.”