There is a repeated phrase, “What is to be done for the man the king delights to honor?” God is a sovereign King who wants to show His love, mercy, and glory. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is long-suffering, willing that all should come to repentance. He is a good King, the Great King. God does not want to punish you like Haman, but He wants to reward you like Mordecai.
God Records
Have you ever had a sleepless night? In verse 1, the King for whatever reason could not sleep. Whatever it was, God had him tossing and turning. Someone said, the king could not sleep for all the construction noise going on at Haman’s house! (Remember, he was having gallows built to use to kill Mordecai.)Whatever the cause of his insomnia, he does a strange thing. He calls for the royal records to be read to him. The servant just happened to get the book that recorded the account of Mordecai saving the King’s life. The King had forgotten all about it. When you can’t sleep, here are some promises you can hold to – Psalm 4:8 says, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” and Psalm 127:2 says, “For He gives His beloved sleep.” Esther and Mordecai knew nothing about the King asking for the records. God is at work behind the scenes even when you don’t see it. God is working while you sleep. “Behold, He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Ps. 121:4).His mercies are new every morning, and just like these royal records were kept, He is keeping accurate records of the words we speak (Mt. 12:36-37) and the deeds we do (Ecc. 12:14, Rev. 20:12).
God Remembers
When the King hears of how Mordecai stopped the assassination plot against him, he asked what had been done to honor him. Nothing had been done. Mordecai had been forgotten. The King never thanked him.You may feel unappreciated, forgotten, overlooked, passed over, or that God is absent, but you can trust God’s will and God’s timing.If the King had rewarded him five years earlier, the story would not have ended this way. God is an on-time God. He is never in a hurry, never early, and never late. His timing is perfect. The Bible says, “In the fullness of time Jesus came” (Gal. 4:4). Our times are in His hand (Ps. 31:15). Let God fight your battles. He can make even your enemies be at peace with you. God remembers and rewards faithfulness.
God Rewards
Haman goes to ask the King for permission to kill Mordecai and before he can say a word, the King asks hima question. He said to Haman, “What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?” (v. 6). Haman loved himself so much that he could not imagine the King honoring anyone but him. In his mind, the response he gave would be done for him. As humans, we need someone important loving us. We want someone we love to love us. We want someone we think the world of to think the world of us. It shows our worth. It shows our value. Haman did not necessarily ask/think the wrong thing, but He asked the wrong King. You are loved by the King of the Universe! Jesus took our sin and disgrace and gave us His robe of righteousness. Jesus was stripped naked because of our sin so we can be clothed in righteousness. It is all about glory. What will bring God the most glory? Ultimately, the King tells Haman to do all of the things he mentioned for Mordecai. It is a stroke of irony, a total reversal. If you humble yourself, you will be exalted. If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled. Mordecai was the person most surprised. Let God promote you! God knows your address. Our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6, Mt. 5:12, 10:41-42, 16:27, Rev. 22:12).
As God records, remembers, and rewards, He is not impressed with position, wealth, titles, banquets, or anything that you have accomplished. The only thing that will get you to heaven is the finished work of His son on the cross. Come to the end of yourself and trust in Jesus for all you need.
