Esther 6:14

_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._ Came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet. Besides the invitation given to an entertainment. a message is always sent to the guests, immediately at the day and hour appointed, to announce that all things are ready....

12-14 Mordecai was not puffed up with his honours, he returned to his place and the duty of it. Honour is well bestowed on those that do not think themselves above their business. But Haman could not bear it. What harm had it done him? But that will break a proud man's heart, which will not break a humble man's sleep. His doom was, out of this event, read to him by his wife and his friends. They plainly confessed that the Jews, though scattered through the nations, were special objects of Divine care. Miserable comforters are they all; they did not advise Haman to repent, but foretold his fate as unavoidable. The wisdom of God is seen, in timing the means of his church's deliverance, so as to manifest his own glory...

Verse Esther 6:14. _HASTED TO BRING HAMAN_] There was a dreadful banquet before him, of which he knew nothing: and he could have little appetite to enjoy that which he knew was prepared at the palace of Esther. ONE grand design of this history is, to show that he who lays a snare for the life of his neighbour, is most likely to fall into it himself: for, in the course of the Divine providence, men generally meet with those evils in life which they have been the means of inflicting on others: and this is exactly agreeable to the saying of our Lord: "With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you withal....

EXPOSITION AHASUERUS, BEING WAKEFUL DURING THE NIGHT, HAS THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES READ TO HIM, AND FINDS THAT MORDECAI HAS RECEIVED NO REWARD. HE MAKES HAMAN NAME A FITTING REWARD, AND THEN DEPUTES HIM TO CONFER IT ON MORDECAI (Esther 6:1). I

AND WHILE THEY WERE YET TALKING WITH HIM,.... About these things, and giving their opinion of the issue of them, upon the present appearance of them: CAME THE KING'S CHAMBERLAINS, AND HASTED TO BRING HAMAN UNTO THE BANQUET THAT ESTHER HAD PREPARED; the time appointed for it being very near, or quite up, and Haman being backward and dilatory, having no stomach to go to it, and perhaps fearing worse things were coming upon him he should hear of there....

THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT AND MORDECAI'S EXALTATION CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The sleepless night (Esther 6:1)_ 2. The exaltation of Mordecai (Esther 6:4) 3. Haman anticipates his doom (Esther 6:12) Esther 6:1. A sleepless night is the next event. The king wanted to sleep but sleep refused to come. What was the cause of his insomnia? Some say too much excitement and anxiety in connection with his kingdom; others that he was speculating on the petition the queen would make on the morrow. The ancient Jewish expositors say that God took his sleep away from him. And this is the correct answer. His wakefulness was ordered by God. Next

ESTHER 6. HAMAN IS COMPELLED TO DO PUBLIC HONOUR TO MORDEEAI. Now comes a dramatic scene. Providence is at work, and the clouds are opening. In the night between Esther's two drinking-feasts, the king cannot get sleep (Esther 6:1). Evidently the story-writer means to point thus to the care of the ever-watchful Yahweh, and His management of all things. The court annalist is brought with his records, to read the royal soul to slumber. Why did this reader choose the record about the regicides? Did he sympathise with the Jews, for some hidden reason? The king listens: he is startled and cries, What reward did we give to Mordecai? Naught, is the reply. Then do it now! What officer is near? says the king. With that, lo! in the dim hour of dawn the hungry hyena Haman, is prowling at the gates, awaiting admissior to get his death-warrant for Mordecai. Entering, he is commanded to perform the hig...

WHILE. Everything was hastening to the approaching crisis....

C. Abasement TEXT: Esther 6:10-14 10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. 11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. 12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered. 13 And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him,

MORDECAI IS HONOURED An account of how the king being reminded of Mordecai's services, and wishing to reward him, consulted Haman, and how Haman, thinking himself the object of the king's interest, counselled him, and was directed to render to Mordecai the honours he had advised....