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THE LOTTERY QUEEN #7

“THINGS ARE 99% PERFECT AND IT’S KILLING ME!”

In the wonderful book The Ten Challenges, psychologist Leonard Felder explores a myriad of ways that the Ten Commandments can be powerful pillars of wellness in the lives of the average person — religious or not.  All through the book he looks at the commandment on taking God’s name in vain, keeping the Sabbath, adultery, dishonesty, and so on . . . and from his vantage point as a clinical psychologist, shows how these old, old rules from Exodus chapter 20 are a blueprint for emotional strength here in the year 2000.

The chapter on the Tenth Commandment, which is about the sin of covetousness, of course, has this interesting subheading: “The Way to Feel Good About What You Have.”  And Dr. Felder describes, without betraying any doctor-patient confidences, how he used to be visited regularly by a famous film director.  This man had made some outstanding motion pictures; he was well-known and admired.  He’d won big awards.  And yet he was depressed a lot of the time.  He was very critical, according to Dr. Felder, and that was good when it came to making successful films, but it was a devastating character trait when he turned it on himself.

And then the author adds this:

“Most of the time his feeling of dissatisfaction came from looking around at his peers and wishing his films were a little more artistic or a little more financially successful.”

So there was a streak of real intense envy running right down the middle of this man’s soul as he lay there on the couch.  And he made an incredible statement to his therapist — incredible considering all the successes he himself had enjoyed in life.  But he admitted this:

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.”

Well, you can see where the Tenth Commandment and the temptation to covet something would fit right in here.  But what does this have to do with the story of Esther — especially right here at the critical moment where her life is on the line?  Well, let’s get back to our story.

Yesterday we came right to the point where our brave young Queen Esther said to her people: “All right, I’ll go in to see the king.  Even though I’m not invited.  Even though it means I could be executed on the spot.  Everyone fast and pray for three days, and then I’ll go in.”  And we all remember that wonderful King James sound bite: “And if I perish, I perish.”

I recall how the late, great Arthur Maxwell, “Uncle Arthur,” described for kids how Queen Esther got dressed up for that royal encounter.  She wore her prettiest gown, put on her best-smelling perfume, did her hair up in Xerxes’ favorite style, and used Ultra-Brite toothpaste.  One thing you could say about Persian queens: they knew how to dress up.  One commentator shared this inside detail:

“It was a royal custom in Persia to give the queen a tenth of all fines paid to the king.  With this, the queen provided her wardrobe and other wants.”

And here’s how it all turned out, as recorded in chapter five:

“On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall.  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.”

Last week we shared some of the facts and figures from secular archeologists, which describe this great hall as being something like 330 feet long.  So the king must have looked down from his throne and seen a familiar figure way out by the doorway.  And there’s a drum roll of anticipation; is this uninvited visitor going to lose her head to the executioner’s blade?  Verse two:

“When [King Xerxes] saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand.  So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.”

Well, we can heave a sigh of relief right here.  Good — she got in okay, and caught His Majesty in a happy mood.  So what’s next?

The king, who’s kind of grinning to himself about this vision of beauty standing there in front of him, says something I wish more millionaires would say to me when I send out ministry appeal letters.  Here’s verse three:

“Then the king asked, ‘What is it, Queen Esther?  What is your request?  Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

You might remember that same offer, virtually word for word, coming out of the lips of King Herod after he watched Salome do her dance of the seven veils.  “Anything you want, sweetheart, up to half my kingdom.”  This was probably just an Oriental courtesy, but it still sounded nice.

And commentators have observed that even King Xerxes must have sensed that Esther wanted something big.  I mean, she knew the rules about coming into the throne room unannounced.  She knew the rules and he knew the rules.  So something must have told him that this was an important moment.

The secular writer Herodotus shares in the history books from this era that it was common for the king, just one day a year, to grant any request made by a guest at his table.  Now, we don’t know if this was that day, but it reminds us of the old line from The Godfather: “No Sicilian can refuse any request made on his daughter’s wedding day.”  And what a long line of people there were waiting to see Don Vito Corleone with their many favors to ask.  Apparently, Esther has this very same golden opportunity . . . and what perfect timing, because she’s got a life-and-death favor to ask! 

But surprise of all surprises — she doesn’t take advantage.  He offers her anything she wants, up to half of the whole kingdom, but instead of asking him to spare her people, she just invites him over to her place for a sandwich.  Actually, a little more than a sandwich; here’s her request in verse four:

“‘If it pleases the king,’ replied Esther, ‘let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.’”

Well, Haman was as happy as happy could be, which in a minute will take us back to our opening story.  A personal banquet just with the king and queen!  Oh boy!  And when they went to the cozy little dinner that same afternoon, the king asked Esther a second time: “Honey, what can I do for you?  Anything you want, up to half my kingdom.  I really mean it.”  And would you believe it, she still didn’t come out with The Request.  No, she held back and let the string run a little bit more.  Now, maybe she just knew men, and knew that letting the king’s curiosity build for an extra day was a good idea.  Maybe she needed more time to think and pray.  Or maybe God simply impressed this young queen’s mind that heaven needed one more day to get a few more of God’s own variables in place.  The next 24 hours are kind of action-packed, as we’ll discover.  In any event, here’s how she answered the second half-my-kingdom offer:

“My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them.  Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Well, one thing was for sure.  Prime Minister Haman, son of Hammedatha, was one happy camper.  He floated out of the palace full of wine and good cheer.  Dinner with the king and queen tonight.  Dinner with the king and queen tomorrow night.  And remember, Esther was the prettiest girl in the whole kingdom; she had to have had an intoxicating effect on every man in the room.  Was he imagining it, or was she kind of flirting with him a little bit?  And Haman went out the front door humming a happy Hammedatha tune and clicking his heels together.  Could life be any sweeter?

And then, right there at the king’s gate, was the spoiler.  Mordecai was still sitting there, just waiting to NOT bow.  This . . . this . . . JEW, who had probably changed out of his sackcloth and ashes by now.  But despite the death sentence hanging over his head, Mordecai still wasn’t about to prostrate himself, or even bow down a little bit for Haman.  Not even a nod.  NOTHING!

And Haman just turned purple.  He managed to get home without exploding, but in his own living room he absolutely went ballistic.  Mrs. Haman was there — Zeresh, her name was —  his ten sons, his friends.  And he just cut loose with rage.  Everything was so perfect except for this one stupid, smart-aleck Jew.  I mean, he’d just had dinner with the king and queen!  He was prime minister!  He was the number two guy in the entire empire.  He had everything in the world except for a bow of submission from this nose-in-the-air Jew, Mordecai.

Even after listing all of the happy-face good things that were happening to him, he adds this in verse 13:

“But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

“All this availeth me nothing,” is the pouting King James lament.  Just like that Hollywood film director on the psychiatric couch: “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.”

Well, Mama Zaresh and friends had a good suggestion. 

“Why don’t you build a seventy-five foot gallows near your house.  Tomorrow morning go in and ask the king for permission to have this Jew arrested and hanged for disobeying the king.  Then everyone can see what will happen to them if they don’t bow down to you as the king ordered.  Don’t worry now.  Just think about the banquet you and the king will be attending tomorrow evening.”

And Haman said, “You know, that’s the smartest thing anybody’s said to me all day!”  He picked up the phone and called the workmen that very minute, told them to get started building those gallows.  And very shortly in this story, we’re going to discover new meaning to the old expression: “Hoist by my own petard.”