Esther 5 Devotional
By Pastor Lawrence

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom but the fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” That is the substance of all the wisdom literature found in the Bible, as it is quoted in various forms in the books of Job, Psalms and Proverbs. It also sums up the greatest difference in our passage this morning between Esther and her antagonist Haman. Haman is an Amalekite, a member of that ancient tribe who first attacked the women and children of Israel after their escape from Egypt when they were still faint and weary from their journey. Moses tells us in Deuteronomy 25:18 that they carried out this wicked scheme against these innocents because they did not fear God, and as a result the Lord promised to blot out of the memory of all the Amalekites from under heaven.

And here in the book of Esther, we see that Haman is no different than his depraved ancestors, that he too has no fear of God and therefore has concocted another wicked scheme to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children. And because he has no fear of God, he is the very personification of folly in our text. Esther, on the other hand, is forced to make a choice at this time: will she merely fear those who can kill the body, or rather, will she fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell? And when she makes her decision and chooses the fear of the Lord, we see something of the beginning of wisdom in her life.

Pay careful attention to the role of prayer and wise counsel in this passage. When Esther is facing the greatest dilemma in her life thus far, she is in great need of wisdom. Thankfully she has a wise counselor in her older cousin Mordecai who is willing to speak hard truths to her and even to rebuke her for living in fear rather than living for God. She also has the family of God who are willing to pray and fast with her as she stands up to her fears. Surely Esther is afraid, but she knows where her help comes from, and in her lack of wisdom, she cries out for wisdom to the God who gives it generously to all who ask, as it says in James 1:5.

Haman, on the other hand, has no desire for wisdom. He is ruled instead by his own vanity and pride. He had been elevated in the kingdom to serve as the king’s right-hand man with glory and honor, but a small sleight by the lowly Mordecai so enrages him that he throws it all away in his lust for revenge. Haman also has enough sense to surround himself with counselors but not sense enough to choose good ones who will speak to him the truth in love. Instead, he is surrounded by fearful fools who merely feed his lusts and help him along the path to destruction. Their counsel to him to build a forty-five-foot gallows to hang his enemy upon seemed good to him. So, he began to put that plan into action as he excitedly prepared to join the king and queen at a private dinner party not knowing that he was attending a banquet in the grave. As Solomon said in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to man but its end is the way to death.

On the other hand, Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” thus the truly wise man will to look to him for wisdom and guidance, for courage and strength, surrounding himself with others who also follow the way of the master, for in this path alone is there life, peace and joy forevermore.