The same day king Assuerus raised Mardochai to the high dignity which Aman had held, and the edict against the Jews was immediately revoked. The Jews rejoiced[1] beyond measure at their unexpected deliverance, and many of the Gentiles, seeing how wonderfully God protected them, embraced their religion.
COMMENTARY.
The Goodness and Providence of God extended itself not only to the Jews who returned to Judaea, but also to those who remained behind in the pagan country. He protected them, and rescued them completely from the destruction planned against them by Aman. Their deliverance was really wonderful; for Divine Providence so adapted circumstances that the projected plan of massacre was simply brought to nought. By God’s Providence Esther was raised to be queen. Again, it was by His Providence that Mardochai discovered the conspirators’ plot; and also that the annals of the reign wfere read to the king that night when he could not sleep, the name of Mardochai being thus recalled to him. By His grace God changed the anger of the king to gentleness, and moved him to grant Esther’s petition. So also it was God who turned the plans of wicked Aman to his own shame, saved His people from destruction, and made His name glorious among the Gentiles.
Pride is, firstly, a capital sin which leads to many other sins. See what a number of sins Aman’s pride led him to commit. It made him hate Mardochai, and extend his hatred to all the Jews. He calumniated them to the king, and obtained thereby an unjust edict for their massacre. His blind hatred grew to such an extent that he could not even wait for the day of the general massacre of the Jews, but wished to have Mardochai hanged at once.
Pride, moreover, makes men unhappy and discontented. Aman possessed riches, power and honours, and was held to be the most fortunate of men. But this highly-favoured man was discontented, and thought himself ill-used, because one individual Jew refused to pay him the homage that was paid to him by others. His injured pride embittered his life, and gave him sleepless nights.
Pride, thirdly, leads to humiliation and downfall. In Aman were fulfilled the words of Scripture: “Pride goeth before destruction, and the spirit is lifted up before a fall” (Prov. 16, 1 8). His pride paved the way to his utter abasement. Imagining that he himself must be the man whom the king wished most to honour, he obtained really royal honours for his enemy, and had to pay this honour himself to the hated Mardochai, and proclaim his glory to the whole city. His
- ↑ Rejoiced. The Jews celebrated a great feast in honour of their deliverance, the anniversary of which has been kept ever since. It is called the feast of Purim.
