A Tale of Two Plans

Knowing when to say what is also important for gospel purposes, but it should not lead to unending silence. Each of Esther’s words that are recorded for us are measured, but she would eventually give Ahasuerus the details of her request. When seeking to see those around us come to Christ, we may be strategic with what, where, and when we share with them the gospel, but we cannot be silent forever. There comes a time when the content of the gospel has to be shared. We cannot hope people will make it to heaven just by observing our lives anymore than Ahasuerus could discern what Esther wanted just by attending her feasts.

As we seek to be used by God for the building of his kingdom, we need to follow the Lord’s plan and his timing even if we do not fully understand either of them. Esther did not know how God would use the night between the feasts. She just knew she discerned a two-feast strategy. When an angel of the Lord told Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza,” he did not tell him why (Acts 8:26). Unlike many of us who refuse the “what” until given a “why,” Philip obeyed and would eventually be used to share the gospel with an Ethiopian man (Acts 8:35). Just because we may not understand the Lord’s plan fully does not mean we lack the information we need to act faithfully.

Perhaps God does not give us all the details because he wants us to trust in his presence, his provision, and his promises. As noted previously, our dependence is not just for our good, but for his glory. When the outcome arrives, we can be quick to say, “Look at what God did” instead of “Look at what I did.” Gregory notes the eventual outcome of these feasts was not just a product of Esther’s shrewdness. Even with all her shrewdness, the king did not have to extend the scepter, but he did. The king did not have to invite a request, but he did. The king did not have to come to the banquet, but he did. (Inconspicuous Providence, 100)

While Esther’s planning was important, Someone else was integral in the king’s participation. The author of Proverbs says, “A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses” (Prov 21:1). As Gregory points out, “Persian kings are not exempt” (ibid., 101).

The Lord is not the only one who makes plans, but he is the only one whose plans will be fully accomplished. Satan makes plans all the time for the destruction of God’s people and then uses others to carry them out. Haman probably had no clue that Satan was at work in his life to attempt to wipe out the messianic line. He was most likely operating from the desires and evil that were already in his heart. Regardless, we should examine our lives to be sure we are not even unwittingly carrying out Satan’s plans rather than our Savior’s. We tend to be used for the detriment of the kingdom when we fuel idolatry in our lives rather than forsaking it (5:9), are convinced of our own significance (5:10-13), surround ourselves with voices of compliance rather than conviction (5:14), or devalue the lives of others and eliminate anyone standing in our way (5:14).

What is the fastest you have gone from full joy to explosive rage? If you have never had such a transition, then what is a memory you have of shifting from being joyful to whatever emotion came next? Unfortunately, a lot of my swings from joy to mourning are linked to sports. You think your team is going to win the game only to have victory ripped out of your hands and heart in the last moment.

After being invited to a private feast with the king and queen and then receiving an invitation to do it all again the next day, Haman felt like he was on top of the world . . . until he saw Mordecai. Once again, Mordecai was neither apologetic nor anxious about refusing to show honor, and Haman refused to accept such disrespect.

We need to ask ourselves two important questions: In what or whom do we take joy? What or who kills joy in our lives? In his last lengthy conversation with his disciples on the night before his death, Jesus told them, “You also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you” (John 16:22; emphasis added). Some will argue about whether Jesus meant his resurrection or his second coming (I believe it is the former), but at some point in the future Jesus’s disciples would be reunited with him and have irrevocable joy.

Piper calls the incarnation “the dawning of indestructible joy because the joy Jesus was bringing into the world was like no other kind in history. Once we have it, it cannot be destroyed” (The Dawning of Indestructible Joy, 8). He adds,

The joy that Jesus came to bring is from outside the world. It is the very joy that Jesus himself has in God the Father—which he has had from all eternity and will have forever. There is no greater joy than the joy that God has in God, because God is the greatest object of joy, and God has the greatest powers to enjoy. (Ibid., 8)

On that last night with his disciples, Jesus talked a lot about joy. He said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). Do you have complete and irrevocable joy? The only place you’ll find it is in Christ. Haman’s joy rapidly evaporated because the object of his joy was his experience at the feast and his expectation of another rather than in the Eternal One. Earthly pleasures and possessions lack the weightiness and worthiness to sustain our joy forever. Often, the best the world has to offer cannot fuel our joy minutes after the joy began.

While those who are in Christ can have indestructible joy, the full experience of it will not be realized until heaven. In the intermediary period, our joy will never be fully removed, but it can be diminished. And each time our joy is diminished, the reason is because we have pursued “fool’s joy” (I am playing off the term “fool’s gold” because, like those worthless rocks, earthly joys never provide what they promise). Wilson contends, “All sin is idolatry because every sin is an exercise in trust of something or someone other than the one true God to satisfy, fulfill, or bless” (“The Church and Idolatry”). Nothing, in fact, diminishes our joy faster than our pursuit of sin. Haman’s joy was quickly overcome when he embraced anger fueled by pride and coveting. He was mad because he was not getting what he desired and felt worthy of receiving. Haman could blame Mordecai all he wanted for stealing his joy, but the blame lay solely with Haman. All sin is a choice, and all sin comes with a cost. Because the object of Haman’s joy was too small, it could not sustain the attack cast upon it by the trifecta sins of anger, pride, and coveting.

The battle for our joy is no less vicious, and it rages daily. In whom or what are you taking joy? What or who is currently killing joy in your life? Segal contends,

We can be infinitely and enduringly more happy with Jesus than with anything or even everything in a world without him—even when that world is filled and overflowing with promotions and bonuses at work, on-demand television, all-you-can-eat sushi, grossly accessible pornography, always new and better technology, and countless other goods become gods. (Killjoys, x)

The one thing Haman wanted more than anything else was honor from Mordecai (5:13). (Why do we so often crave what we lack?) We have to guard against making an idol out of what we do not have. Perhaps you think to yourself, If I just had that promotion or new vehicle or a spouse or children or if people recognized how awesome I am, but none of those things can bring lasting satisfaction. Duguid warns,

When we seek to feed our idolatries rather than starving them, we end up emptier than ever, in even greater bondage than before, and it is only a matter of time before something else reignites our negative emotions. (Esther and Ruth, 67)

He goes on to note that the identities of our idols are . . . most easily exposed by analyzing our strongest emotions, both good, and bad. What is it that causes us to be angry out of all proportion to the offense? There is a clue that one of our idols is being threatened. What is it that makes us feel an unusually strong sense of achievement? It may be one of our idols being stroked. Our strong emotions are clues enabling us to read our own hearts better. (Ibid., 67)

Ask God to use his Spirit and his Word to help you identify any idols you may have. Then ask for his grace to help you forsake them immediately rather than continuing to feed them.

In his book to pastors, H. B. Charles writes about the time one of his pulpit heroes preached at his church. During a conversation following the service, his hero took him to task. Charles says his pride was confronted when the guest pastor said, “I think you want to be somebody. I don’t want to be somebody. I just want to preach. But I think you want to be somebody” (On Pastoring, 46). Charles admits God used that conversation to change his life and the trajectory of his ministry. He notes,

As pastors who preach the gospel to others, we need to constantly preach the gospel to ourselves, as well. We must not forget that our identity rests in the finished work of Christ, not in church size, speaking schedule, or ministry accomplishments. . . . When we are tempted to be somebody, we must refuse to boast in who we are or what we have or what we accomplish. Our boasting should be in Christ alone. (Ibid., 46–47)

Too bad Charles’s hero couldn’t have a conversation with Haman as well.

Haman did not just want to be a somebody: he was convinced he was somebody. Duguid believes what “Haman craved above all things was not simply significance, but rather being seen to be significant” (Esther and Ruth, 64). After failing to receive honor from Mordecai, Haman took a play out of Ahasuerus’s playbook and decided to invite people over so he could recount his glory and greatness to them. If he had a phone, he would have texted them to “Come to my party so I can let you know how awesome I am.” His significance and security were found in accolades, assets, and achievements. He lists what many would consider blessing upon blessing, but he expresses no gratitude to the Lord, just contempt for Mordecai. Prime warns,

Pride is one of the greatest sins because it makes us treat God’s gifts as if they rightfully belonged to us, and were created by us. Our pride robs God of his right to be acknowledged as the source of all the good we know and enjoy. (Unspoken Lessons, 94)

Haman was not interested in acknowledging the Lord as the source of his good because he was too consumed with having his own glory recognized. Prime continues his warning by writing, “Our pride is a form of dishonesty since it gives us false views of our own importance. It is frequently the substitution and exaltation of ourselves in the place of God” (ibid., 95).

If we are substituting and exalting ourselves in the place of God, we will not be doing it for very long. The author of Proverbs says, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). Pharaoh, for instance, thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Exod 7–15). King Sihon thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Num 21:21-30). King Og thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Num 21:31-35). Balak thought he could pay somebody and overcome God’s people; he found out that the somebody he paid was a nobody in comparison to God (Num 22–24). King Herod thought he was somebody; he found out he was not (Acts 12). Haman thought he was somebody, and he soon found out he was wrong (Esth 7:10).

While Haman wants all eyes on himself, an important question remains: On whom does the Lord cast his gaze? In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says, “I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.” In James 4:6 we learn that God does not just look favorably on the humble, but he also helps them: “He gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” If you are more convinced of God’s greatness than your own, then you are on solid ground. If you do not just acknowledge you need God’s help but ask for it, then humility will flourish and pride diminish. If you think back through each day and carefully give God glory for each evidence of his grace, then your cultivation of gratitude will help you avoid fueling the foolishness of pride.

One last thought here. How do you think Haman’s sons felt when he included them in the list of things that failed to satisfy him or that were worth nothing to him in comparison to wanting honor from Mordecai? How oblivious we can be to how deeply we wound others around us when we are blinded by pride and driven by idolatry. Father, give us eyes to see you rightly so we will see ourselves rightly and serve others joyfully.

Instead of encouraging him to mortify his sin, the group gathered in Haman’s home encouraged him to kill Mordecai. Prime declares, “They would have been better friends to him if they had warned him of the danger of his wounded pride and where it would lead him” (ibid.). They contributed to his sin rather than confronting him about it. We do not need nor is it loving to be these kinds of friends. As a faith family, we are called to speak truthfully to one another in love (Eph 4:15). I have asked my congregation, my accountability partner, and my wife not to aid my sin but to address it and help me forsake it.

Tripp says, “My self-perception is as accurate as a carnival mirror” (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, 54). He contends we need to hold the Word in front of each other so we can see ourselves clearly. I have a mark on my face where in sixth grade I sneezed and accidentally jabbed my pencil into my cheek. The only time I remember it is there is when someone points it out or, worse, licks their thumb and tries to wipe it off my face. Because I cannot see it, I am not bothered by it. We need others who can see and are bothered by our sins to lovingly and graciously speak God’s Word into our lives. Mahaney admits, “Without others’ help to see myself clearly, I’ll listen to my own arguments, believe my own lies, and buy into my own delusions” (Humility, 128).

Far different from Esther’s plan discerned through prayer, Haman’s plan was devised by people in a moment of reaction. Their plan would benefit only one person—Haman. He was willing to kill someone just so his ego would no longer be bruised! Sombody needed to tell this brother to get over himself.

In Proverbs 12:15 we are told, “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” Unless, of course, that group of counselors is comprised of a bunch of fools. In that case, you are no better off than if you had only taken counsel from yourself. Both Ahasuerus and Haman needed new counselors because they were both too easily pleased by the horrific recommendations of the yahoos that surrounded them.

One would be hard pressed to find a more stunning example of the devaluing of human life than the advice from Haman’s friends to have Mordecai killed and then to go enjoy himself at the feast. This is worldly thinking at its prime. Haman’s happiness is more important than Mordecai’s life? Eliminate anything standing in the way of his getting what he wants? Importantly, killing Mordecai would not kill the root of Haman’s issues. Eventually there would be someone else who would not give him the honor he wanted, so would he then have to have that person killed too?

I guess his home owners’ association did not have restrictions against building gallows, which was unfortunate for Haman. As he ordered the gallows to be constructed, he was oblivious to the fact he was building a device for his own doom. Haman’s refusal to see value in Mordecai’s life would lead to the loss of his own.

Is there any way that you are currently elevating your interests above the needs or interests of those around you? Are the people around you only valuable to you when they contribute to your agenda; and should they fail to do so, do you dispose of those relationships? Paul exhorted the church at Philippi,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil 2:3-4)

Selfish ambition and conceit drove Haman, and there is no evidence in the text that he ever considered the interests of others. Do not be Haman. Do not devalue the lives and worth of those around you just because they do not cater to your conceit. I hope that when I give an account to the Lord one day that there will be more evidence of my serving others for their good than of my using them for mine.

What a cliffhanger we have as we come to the end of Esther 5! Esther and Haman both have plans, but neither is fully aware of the other’s. Will Haman’s plan be carried out first? Will he murder Mordecai and then munch on muffins? Reading the text is like watching a baseball player running home and an outfielder throwing the ball to the catcher. The fans wait to see which will arrive to the plate first. Will the runner beat the ball, or will the ball arrive before the runner? Because lives are on the line in Esther 5, the stakes are even higher. Whichever plan gets enacted first will determine who lives and who dies. What neither Haman nor Esther anticipated, though, was that while they slept Ahasuerus would not, and his providential insomnia would have an impact on all their plans.

In light of all we have discussed in Esther 5, let me close by offering one more reminder. The gospel answers the need for true significance. Nothing speaks more to your significance than God the Father caring enough to be involved in your situation and sending God the Son to lay down his life in your place and then to empower you with his Spirit for the purposes of the kingdom. These truths are of utmost and eternal significance. We just fail at times to apply the gospel to our lives. We search for fleeting significance rather than resting in an eternal one. You have been approved by God in Christ. You cannot be more significant, and you cannot be more set free to serve in obscurity because it is about his name and not ours. I hope wherever you are today, the joy in the gospel is fueling your obedience. May you be used for the development of God’s kingdom and not its detriment.