Bridge to Esther

Esther 7:7

Sowers Will Be Reapers

7. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden, struggling with his feelings, because he must have realized that he himself was partly to blame for this terrible plan. Perhaps he needed a few minutes to think about what he should do next: and Haman, thinking that the king’s anger was directed at him, stood up to make request, or beg for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king, that the king was thinking about how to punish Haman.

Something to think about:

Not only Haman was reaping the bitter fruit of his wrongdoing; the king was also harvesting a crop of thorns. Clenching his fists in anger, he walked out into the garden. He was furious, because he had brought himself into this very tight corner. Not only had he approved Haman’s plan, but it had also become an unchangeable law! Even though his wife mentioned only Haman, he knew very well that he had given his approval to the evil action. “I was so foolish! How could I have done this! What should I do now?” With questions like these, he stepped back towards the dinner room.

How often doesn’t this happen to people? Eve thought she would find pleasure when she tasted the forbidden fruit. Instead, she lost all real pleasure and tasted only bitterness! Foolish choices that at first seem good and exciting have consequences that feel like nasty thorns. Just as Adam’s fields produced thorns, so sinful actions produce thorny outcomes. Haman and the king had partied after their evil law was published. The king thought that he would get richer and his kingdom better by removing an unprofitable people. But now all the gold and silver in his empire couldn’t turn back the tide of evil. He would reap the bitter fruit of what he had sown.

How can you keep from making wrong choices? First, never make important decisions in a hurry. Haste makes waste! Take time to ask God in prayer and seek guidance in His Word. Beg Him to help you make good decisions. Ask Him for wisdom to see how your choice will influence your future. Ask yourself, “Will it help me to live my life according to God’s will? Will this bring me farther from God and His Kingdom? Am I going to bring myself into situations that are sinful when I make this choice?”

Second, keep asking yourself the question, “Is what I am doing right? Or, is where I am going something I want to hide from my parents and other family and friends?” If you prefer the ‘darkness,’ you have a good clue that you are sowing the wrong seeds. One day, you will eat the sour fruits of your foolish choices. It is possible to escape God’s justice in this life, but then you will have to face it after you die.

Third, don’t make decisions based on your feelings. The king was feeling great when he thought about all the money he was going to gain. He didn’t want to think about the fact that every piece of money would be stained with blood! Haman’s exaggerated response to kill all the Jews because one Jew, Mordecai, didn’t bow was also feeling-based. Swept up by sinful feelings of pride, covetousness, anger and revenge, Ahasuerus and Haman signed a mass murder into law. But both of them ended up reaping a harvest of thorns instead of their hands being filled with riches as they had expected. They reaped what they sowed.