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Chinese3/8/2006English
經文:以斯帖記七至八章
鑰節:「我何忍見我本族的人受害,何忍見我同宗的人被滅呢?」(8:6)
提要

        在以斯帖第二次為國王和哈曼預備的宴會中,國王第三次問以斯帖,她有什麼請求(參5:3、6)。這時,主已經在國王心裡完成必要的準備工作。以斯帖告訴王有人要謀害她和她的同胞,這話打動了王的心。她強調那冷血的,可怕的計謀時說,她的同胞已經被「賣……殺戮……滅絕」。當哈曼首次提出滅族計畫時,答允要捐錢給王(3:9)。她表示,假如王讓這事發生,那將是他自己的損失,而「敵人」(哈曼)對這損失,「萬不能補足」(7:4)。國中的許多猶太人都是極興隆的生意人,而亞哈隨魯王將會損失經濟上的金錢,以及他們該付的捐稅。

        亞哈隨魯王知道有人想殺皇后和她的同胞,便感到膽寒。直到此時,他還沒有察覺以斯帖的猶太國籍。哈曼聽到王與后之間的這些談話,是多麼的震驚呢!因為如果任何人想要不利王后,那就等於企圖謀害王自己!王對以斯帖的反應,正是猶太人所迫切禱告的。當以斯帖看見王對「擅敢起意如此行」的(7:5)那人,心懷敵對時,她獲得了信心,並且控告哈曼這個壞蛋。當國王成為他的判官,以斯帖成為起訴人時,哈曼自然怕得不得了。

        此時憤怒的國王走到外面,想消消氣,並理理自己的思想,也可能去找劊子手;哈曼卻求王后饒恕他的性命。但除了王自己以外,任何人都不可以碰觸或接近王后;所以當王回到屋中,看見哈曼靠在以斯帖身上求告,他那尖利的話並非控告哈曼不道德,而是顯出他對這個一度寵信的資政和左右手,極端的厭惡。如果哈曼能夠陰謀做此惡事,他也有能力做其他該死的壞事。死刑執行者在王旁邊,一聲令下,便把他逮捕。把定罪的人蒙著臉,是很普通的手續(7:8)。

        哈曼的惡行,報應到他自己頭上。他下令在他家庭外豎立的絞刑架,原想處死末底改的,自己竟然被下令掛在上面(7:10;加6:7;詩7:14~17)。主終於從壞人、敵人的手中救了正義的末底改(箴11:8)。那位高尊貴的哈曼失敗慘重,以至滅亡,但是主卻歡喜讓末底改得榮,並賜他平安(詩37:35~40;賽41:11)。

        到這時,以斯帖才洩露自己的國籍,她也驕傲地介紹末底改是她的親戚──她的堂兄和養父。哈曼死了,可是麻煩並沒有完。屠殺猶太人的法令仍然存在,而且這法令的特質是不能更改的(參但6:8)。以斯帖於是哀求國王,為她所愛的人民請命。她的話很聰明,又沒有責備國王,只是求他撤回哈曼設計的,對付猶太人的字據。這顯示哈曼從未告訴國王他想滅絕的是那一國人。但是從前亞哈隨魯很信任哈曼,曾讓哈曼用他的印信亂傳聖旨(3:8~10)。

        女人的眼淚,有時比堂皇的話語更有影響力,它打動了亞哈隨魯的心。哈曼利用王的名義所發布的法令,不能如以斯帖所求的予以更改;但卻可以用另一個法令予以抵銷。當王的宰輔末底改,發佈了另一法令,規定猶太人可以保護他們自己;同時所有的人民,也知道王的真正意向之後,死亡的信成了救命的信。歡樂的消息遍傳整個王國,甚至那些在耶路撒冷的人,也知道了。

        外邦人看見了這事神奇的轉變,又看見猶太人末底改被昇到王國的第二高位(代替哈曼),他們便知道猶太人全能的上帝是萬事萬物明顯的主宰者。許多人放棄了拜偶像,轉而事奉以色列的主上帝。因為他們都相信,祂是獨一的真神。

禱告

        主,您是全能的一位。幫助我們,為您建立一些生活中的美事;不要像哈曼,他建立了絞架,結果自己卻被掛了上去。奉耶穌基督的名禱告,阿們。

English

Scriptures:Read Esther 7&8
Key Verse:"For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people?..."(Esther 8:6)
Overview

        At Esther's second banquet for the king and Haman, the king asked Esther for the third time to tell him of her request (cf. 5:3,6). Now the Lord had prepared her, as well as the king, for the surprising news. Esther touched his heart by telling him that someone sought to harm her, as well as her people. Esther emphasized the coldblooded, evil scheme in saying that her people had been "sold... to be destroyed... killed... and... annihilated." When Haman first proposed this extermination, he offered to pay the king (3:9). She expressed that if the king allowed this to happen, it would be for his own loss and "the enemy" (Haman) could never pay him enough to compensate (7:4). Many Jews of his kingdom were prosperous business people and Ahasuerus would lose money in the economy, as well as the taxes they paid him.

        King Ahasuerus was appalled that anyone would seek to kill his queen and her people. Until this time, he was not aware of Esther's Jewish heritage. How shocked Hainan must have been to overhear this conversation between the king and queen! For if anyone attempted an attack upon the queen, it was equal to attacking the king himself. The king's response to Esther came in answer to the desperate prayers of the Jews. When Esther saw he was against the man who would "dare...to do such a thing" (7:5), she gained confidence and accused Haman of this wickedness. Haman was naturally struck with terror as the king became his judge and Esther his prosecutor.

        While the furious king went out to cool his temper and gather his thoughts, and possibly to call for the executioners, Haman pleaded with Esther to spare his life. No man, other than the king himself, was to touch or go close to the queen; so when the king returned to the room and saw Haman leaning over Esther and begging, his cutting words were not an accusation of Haman's immorality, but they showed his contempt for the one who had once been his trusted advisor and right-hand man. If he was capable of plotting this evil, he was capable of other evils as well and was deserving of death. The executioners were at the king's side when he gave the word to seize him. It was a common practice for the condemned man to have his face covered (7:8).

        Haman's evil deeds came back on his own head. The very gallows he had ordered to be constructed in the courtyard of his own home for Mordecai's death was where Haman himself was hanged (7:10; Galatians 6:7; Psalm 7:14-17). The Lord delivered righteous Mordecai from the hand of the wicked enemy (Proverbs 11:8). The high and mighty Haman had a great fall and perished, but the Lord delighted to honour Mordecai and give him peace (Psalm 37:35-40; Isaiah 41:11).

        Now that Esther had revealed her nationality, she was proud to introduce Mordecai as a relative — her cousin and adopted father. The trouble, however, did not end with Haman's death. The decree was still existent for the Jews to be massacred, and it was of such a nature that it could not be altered (cf. Daniel 6:8). With desperate cries, Esther pleaded for the life of her people whom she loved. She spoke wisely by not blaming the king, but asking him to revoke the words of the letter that Haman devised against the Jews. It appears that Haman never told the king which nationality he desired to anni-nilate, but since Ahasuerus trusted his judgment, he gave his signet ring to Haman (3:8-10).

        The tears of a woman are often more influential than eloquent words, and they touched Ahasueres' heart. The decree Haman wrote in the king's name could not be revoked as Esther had pleaded, but it could, however, be counteracted by another decree. The letter of death became a letter of life when, with the king's authority, Mordecai issued the new decree stating that the Jews could protect themselves, and thus all the people knew the true desire of the king. The joyful news spread throughout the whole kingdom, even to those in Jerusalem.

        When the heathen saw this miraculous change of events, including the exaltation of Mordecai the Jew to the second highest position in the kingdom (replacing Haman), they knew that the almighty God of the Jews was the obvious power behind it all. Many abandoned idolatry and turned to serve the Lord God of Israel, for they were convinced that He was the only true God.

Prayer

        Lord, You are the Almighty One. Help us to build with our lives something beautiful for You, not as Haman who built the gallows on which he was hung.


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