THE CRUCIAL MOMENT
Satan is a subtle and wily foe, but his schemes always fail when Jehovah interferes. To be sure, Satan knew of the unchangeableness of the laws of the Medes and Persians and that the appearance of the queen unbidden in the presence of the king would mean her death if the king did not approve. The king sat upon his royal throne at the entrance of the house. Esther, clothed in her royal apparel and wearing all her charms of beauty, entered and stood in the inner court, where the king could observe her from his position on the throne. The Devil, with all of his officers and angels, was doubtless right there, and in this critical and breathless moment was
trying to induce Ahasuerus the king to become peeved and manifest his displeasure with Esther for thus unceremoniously appearing in his august presence. It was a crucial moment, and the Devil must succeed with his scheme now, if at all. But Jehovah was directing that great drama, and Esther was in his care. He had observed the fasting of Esther and Mordecai and the other Jews, and their entreatment of him for deliverance. God's mighty angels would be there to push back Satan and his wicked crowd and prevent an unfavorable decision by Ahasuerus the king. The angels of the Lord would be there before Esther appeared, to see to it that Ahasuerus the king should not be disturbed or made sour or angry. No doubt the king was feeling at his best on that occasion. With pleasant thoughts in his mind the king looked around and saw his beautiful queen. "And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre." (5: 2) The Devil was dreadfully disappointed and angry just then. But he was powerless. Jehovah by his angels had prevented Satan from carrying out his wicked scheme, and the bride of the king was saved.
This was just as if Jesus Christ were there and drew around his bride "the garments of salvation". Extending to Esther the golden scepter by the king meant her salvation. Upon the coming of the Lord Jesus to build up Zion
the divine favor held out to the prospective bride of Christ meant the salvation of these; therefore the ones forming the bride of Christ were given the "garments of salvation", and by the Lord were brought under "the robe of righteousness". (Isa. 61:10) There must have been rejoicing among the angels of God when Esther was approved. There must have been great rejoicing in heaven when Jesus brought the remnant into the temple and gave to the bride class "the robe of righteousness" and these were safe in the secret place of the Most High.
Seeing the king manifest his favor by holding out to her the golden scepter, Esther drew near and touched it. In like manner Christ the King offers his favor to and shares his kingdom with the faithful bride class. "Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom." (5:3) The charming queen, having prepared a banquet for the king, answered his request by inviting the king to that banquet. "And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." — 5:4.
That would tend to make the king even more desirous to bestow his kindness upon the queen. Furthermore, she showed consideration for the king by inviting his grand vizier to the banquet. She would leave no stone unturned to accomplish the desired end, and would trust in God to guide her in the right way. Esther handled
the matter wisely and found good because she trusted in Jehovah. — Prov. 16:20,21.
The king, accompanied by Haman, went to dine with the queen. At the banquet table, and when the king's heart was made merry with wine and his palate was tickled with the tasty food, he addressed Esther: "And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed." — 5: 6.
Esther was playing her part, and she would proceed with caution and deliberation to reach the climax at the opportune moment. Divine wisdom was guiding her. Without a doubt she had carefully thought out her course and the action she should take and the words she should speak, and this she had done during the three days she was fasting. She had 'studied to show herself approved', by God first, and that she might receive divine guidance and have the favor and approval of her lord and king. This is a lesson to be followed by all those who are in the covenant with the Lord for the kingdom. All such should 'study to show themselves approved unto God' and never try to accomplish something merely for a selfish reason. (2 Tim. 2:15) If there is a selfish motive prompting the course of action of one in matters pertaining to the kingdom, he is almost certain to fail.
The king had enjoyed the feast and was now pleased to have Esther make her further request: "Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; If I have found
favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said." — 5:7, 8.
If Esther had pleased the king up to this point (and she had), then her request was that she be permitted to prepare another feast for him and his favorite officer of state. This would put Haman off his guard and make him feel his own importance and that he was entirely safe in his position and justified in his scheme to kill Mordecai and the other Jews. Esther was following the divine rule by 'being as sagacious as the serpent'. (Matt. 10:16) This same rule the remnant are admonished to observe.
Now the remnant is pleasing to the King, Christ Jesus, by bearing and holding forth his testimony, and at the same time requesting the. enemy's representatives to share in the feast, which shows that there is no secret method necessary in order for the remnant to accomplish God's purposes concerning them. The testimony is given far and wide and with the announcement that it is done for the pleasure of the King and for the good of the people. The representatives of Satan the Devil hear the message and are permitted to partake of the feast if they so desire. To Esther the king Ahasuerus here represented the King Christ Jesus, whom the Esther class now endeavors to please. To Haman, Ahasuerus the king stood for all earthly power; and Haman, being next to the king, and being the honored guest at the banquet, would feel
very much elated because of his favorable position, and would gloat over the fact that he was now in the king's best favor and would be able to destroy all his enemies, the Jews, and particularly Mordecai. Even so now, the Haman class regard their honored positions in the world as proof that, when the due time comes, they can easily cause the extermination of the Mordecai class, and thus make their boast. What immediately follows supports this conclusion.
Haman had dined with the king and his queen, and that honor had swelled his head; and he went forth from the king's presence in a merry attitude. But when he saw Mordecai, that increased his wrath and his desire to shed his blood. "Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai." — 5: 9.
Mordecai was at the palace gate when Haman approached, and he treated Haman with silent contempt. This proves that Mordecai had not cried out and fasted because he regretted the course he had taken toward Haman, but that he was willing to die, if need be, that he might maintain his integrity toward God. His cries unto God had been for his provision for deliverance. Haman had murder in his heart when he saw Mordecai; but the opportune time had not arrived, so he hurried on home and called together his friends and Zeresh his wife for consultation. (5:10) First, Haman would tell his wife and friends about his great favor of
being invited to the banquet. He boasted of his power and influence with the king. "And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared, but myself; and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." (5:11-13) He was a great man in the realm, great in his own estimation, great in the eyes of his own household, and now he had the despicable Jews where he could crush them, as he thought, and his joy would not be complete until this was accomplished.
The circumstances which God had arranged through Esther furnished Haman with a "strong delusion", that he in his self-conceit and vanity "should believe a lie", to wit, that his own high standing with the king fully assured him that he was taking the proper course in destroying the Jews. Even so today, there are those who call themselves God's specially favored ones, and who exalt themselves, and who because of their high position justify themselves in their efforts to destroy the kingdom work and those that are doing it. They, therefore, have a "strong delusion", which the Lord has arranged for them by his circumstances with the queenly class. They are anti-kingdom because they are against God's kingdom and the kingdom work. (2 Thess.
2:4-11) Satan the Devil is the fertile liar and the father of the conspiracy to kill the remnant, and he directs the course of his earthly agents to accomplish that purpose, whether all of them are aware of it or not. These pat themselves on the back, because they are so highly favored by the Lord, as they believe, and yet they say: 'We must get rid of that Mordecai class.' The clergy and the "evil servant" class, the "man of sin", "the son of perdition", all are being directed by Satan, and God is permitting all such to have a free hand to go their limit. These enemies see the remnant enjoying some freedom of speech amongst the people, and some opportunity of carrying on the work of preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and this increases their malice, even as the malice of Haman was increased against Mordecai because he was somewhat in the king's favor.
Esther, by fasting with the other Jews and then appearing unbidden before the king, had burned all bridges behind her, and when these facts were known they would definitely identify her to all as a Jewess. But it seems quite probable that Haman had not yet learned that Esther was a cousin of Mordecai, and a Jewess. Of course, the Devil knew that fact; but the Devil himself cannot accomplish his design when Jehovah interferes therewith. Haman was absorbed with two things principally; namely, (1) his own importance and favorable position with the king, and (2) his design upon the life of Mordecai. The Haman class today are impressed with two things, to wit: (1) their own
importance and their influence with the powers of this world, and they congratulate themselves that they are God's people, favored ones, and about this they boast; and (2), the remnant class being an eyesore to the Haman crowd, their destruction is sought.
The Haman class of this day do not believe that the remnant, now on earth giving the testimony, are in line for membership in the bride of Christ. On the contrary, the Haman class believe the remnant are greatly in God's disfavor. "Organized Christianity" and its clergy, and all who are pursuing a similar course, represent the Haman class, and these believe that "the higher powers" are the worldly governments. Seeing that the remnant class refuse to bow down to "organized Christianity", so called, this is an evidence to the Haman class that the remnant have not the favor of God. They therefore mark the remnant or servant class for destruction, not considering that their design is against the bride of Christ, even as Haman apparently was not plotting for the death of the queen. Satan the Devil conspired to kill Esther; and today Satan has all the remnant marked for slaughter. Haman reasoned that, if he could hang Mordecai on a tree, that would make him an accursed person before his own God. (Deut. 21: 22,23) That, in his opinion, would make him appear in the eyes of the Persians, and also under the law of the Jews, as justified in his action against Mordecai and the other Jews. Counting himself in the special favor of the mighty ruler and his queen, by reason of being the honored
guest at the banquet, Haman listened with tingling ears to the counsel given by his wife and his friends: "Then said Zeresh his wife, and, all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king, that Mordecai may be hanged thereon; then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made." (5:14) He therefore gladly followed their suggestions and proceeded at once to have the gallows built on which to hang Mordecai. He looked forward to the next day, when he would appear before the king and secure the royal approval to kill Mordecai the hated Jew.
