So, you think you are having a bad day?  A rough period of time in your life where things are not going well?  Consider the turn of events that were happening for Haman — having recently had the indignity of having to lead Mordecai through the streets in honor — now the wheels of his life are going to come off completely …

7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”

As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

Has it struck you in our reading through Esther as to how out of touch King Xerxes is with the world around him? He’s the most powerful man in the world at this time, but he seems to be lacking in some basic information. One would think that his Secret Service / CIA would have kept him a bit more informed!

Consider the things he did not know…

• The ethnicity or family background of his own queen!
• Until hearing it in the annals of his kingdom, that Mordecai had saved his life.
• Exactly what people group he had allowed Haman to plan to have eradicated.
• The nature of Haman’s character … or that of so many others around him (and he would later be assassinated in 465 BC at the hands of Artabanus, the commander of the royal bodyguard).

You have heard it said that when there are lies and deceit that “the truth will rise to the surface,” or that “eventually the whole story will all come out.” This does have a way of happening, though perfect justice does not always eventuate in every situation.

Justice — God is indeed behind all the scenes of this story of Esther, working together an incredible array of circumstances. And that is the only way it was going to happen with such a daffy monarch who seems to always be locked away in his throne room drinking wine.

But here is the great thing: We have a King who is not like Xerxes, but is rather fully informed about everything that is happening, that has happened, AND, that will happen! And knowing him as our Heavenly Father, we know that his heart is warmly disposed toward us for our good. And as we’ve written before, we don’t have to fear coming before him; we are always welcomed. Beyond that, we don’t have to worry that he is ill-informed or out of touch with what is really happening.

In Psalm 33, it says of God … “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.”

His promises to his people are written in Deuteronomy … “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them. The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone…”

Hey, I don’t understand a lot that goes on, nor why justice does not often prevail more expeditiously; but I know I can trust the God who knows and sees all, and who is just. But I might need you to remind of this the next time I complain that something unjust is happening!