God's Rewarding Timing

Have we ever felt that we were not rewarded for our efforts and good work?
Have we felt that our boss or even God had not rewarded us for our good work?

I was meditating over the book of Esther and I thought about Mordecai.

Mordecai discovered a plot to assassinate the king (Esther 2:21).
He told this to Queen Esther, his cousin (Est 2:7) whom he was like a foster father to when she became an orphan (Est 2:7).
Esther in turn revealed the plot to the king and Mordecai saved the king's life.
This incident was recorded in the country's archives.
But Mordecai did not receive a reward.

How would Mordecai have felt?
Mordecai must have felt unappreciated at best and at worst greatly frustrated.

Instead of being rewarded, he, a Jew and all the other Jews received a death warrant sealed with the king's signet ring and with the king's approval (Est 3:10, 12,15). Irony here.

No doubt Mordecai did provoke Haman, the highest ranked noble, by not kneeling down to him or giving him honor. Mordecai probably stood by his principle of not kneeling down to anyone except God. This made Haman so mad as to want to destroy all the Jews - not just Mordecai.

The pur or the lot was cast and the date for the complete destruction of all Jews was set for the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar (i.e. 13 Feb or 13 Mar 473BC).

When this edict was issued, the king and Haman sat down to drink but the city of Susa was bewildered (Est 3:15).

Not only was Mordecai puzzled - but the whole city was bewildered by this order of an "ethnic cleansing."

Its quite an irony that Mordecai who saved the king's life is now ordered to be killed soon - and the king is drinking away with Haman, who is the enemy of Mordecai and his Jewish race.

Now Mordecai has every reason to be upset and bitter.
He may well ask - Where is God and His justice?
But he nevertheless sought to do something about the situation.

He made a daring and painful suggestion to his foster daughter, Esther, to go uninvited into the king's presence - which may potentially send Esther to her death if the king did not hold out his scepter towards her (Est 4:11).
And the king had not invited Esther into his presence for 30 days.

But the Jews would all die within a year - including Esther herself ultimately if she was discovered to be a Jewess, a fact that was hidden from all including the king until later.
So after three days of fasting (although not mentioned, much prayer must have accompanied the fasting), Esther approached the king uninvited.

And the king was pleased with Esther and he extended the scepter to her.
The king wanted to find out what was bothering her and what her request was.
The king was so pleased with her that he would even give half of his kingdom to her (Est 5:3).
The queen didn't reveal her precarious situation to the king but instead invited the king and Haman to a banquet that night.

Why didn't the queen tell the king of her dreadful situation that very moment when the king seemed so in favor of her?
She somehow sensed that it wasn't God's timing.
In any case, it may be better to have a chat with the king in a more informal setting at a banquet where they are husband and wife rather than when the king is sitting at his throne handling his official kingdom business.

Now at the banquet, the king again wanted to find out what was on Esther's heart and repeated his generosity to her that even half of the kingdom could be hers (Est 5:3,6).

Again Esther didn't disclose what was on her heart but invited both the king and Haman to another banquet the next day / "tomorrow" (Est 5:8).

Now this really got me thinking.
Why have another banquet?
What difference would one day make?

It is all about God's wonderful and perfect timing.

Only God knows what was about to happen in between the two banquets that will make all the difference in His perfect timing.

What happened in the in between times?

Haman built a 75 feet high gallows for Mordecai (Est 5:14).
It was so high - taller than the tallest trees - that everyone in Susa would be able to see it.
It served as a warning for all who dared disrespect Haman.

Another important thing happened the night before the second banquet.

The king couldn't sleep that night (Est 6:1-5).
What do kings do when they cannot sleep at night?
Most of them would call out for some entertainment - food, women, wine and song.
But no not King Xerxes!
He asked for the country's records to be read to him.
Imagine the amount of archive records we keep just for ourselves and compare it with the country's records over the 12 year rule of King Xerxes.
Of all the records the country had, he asked his officials to read a record of 5 years ago about how Mordecai saved him.

Was this a coincidence?
There is a string of "coincidences" that although "God" is not mentioned in the book of Esther, the reader can immediately see the hand of God working in all the events in this book of Esther.

Now the king realized that he had not rewarded Mordecai for what he did five years ago.
It was dawn and the start of a brand new day and the king asked who was in court that morning.

Coincidence! Coincidence?
Haman happened to be in court right at that moment when the king asked for an official.
Haman was actually in court to ask for the king's permission to hang Mordecai (Est 6:4).
And Haman had felt very honored by the king so far with the receipt of the king's signet ring and an invitation to the queen's banquet - not once but twice.

When asked "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" he was sure the king would honor him (Est 6:6).

So Haman suggested the greatest of honor possible - royal robes and horse - to reward the man thinking it would be him - but it turns out that the honor will be given to his archenemy, Mordecai.

As we read the book of Esther, take note the "coincidences" and ironies.

e.g. Irony - Haman thought he would be honored but instead he had to honor Mordecai whom he hated.

If some other court official had been in court then, the honor given to Mordecai would not be as prestigious.

At last Mordecai was rewarded for his good work.
Five years later.

Then it was time for the second banquet.
At the banquet, the king asked Esther the third time (Est 7:2) what her request was and that he would even grant half of his kingdom to her.

This time she sensed the release to disclose her real concerns and her Jewish identity. The king had just rewarded a good Jew, Mordecai, who saved his life.
And now he hears of an evil scheme to annihilate the Jews - which includes Esther and Mordecai.

And who was the man who dared to plan such an evil scheme?
Esther presses in - it was Haman.
The king was in rage and went to his palace garden to let off steam.

Haman knows he has no way out and he has no choice but to plead for his dear life from Queen Esther.
Irony - Haman sought to kill the Jews, but he now pleads for his life from a Jewess.

Coincidence?
The king returned to the banquet hall just as Haman was falling on the couch Esther was reclining on - giving the impression Haman was molesting the queen (Est 7:8).
The court officials seized Haman.

Coincidence?
Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs in attendance, mentioned that Haman had built the 75 feet gallows to hang Mordecai - the very person who spoke up to save the king (Est 7:9)

Irony: The king ordered Haman to be hung on the gallows he made for Mordecai.

See the twist and turns in God's timing and justice and deliverance.

There are more to be said but let me return to Mordecai.
At last he was rewarded.
But in the delay of his reward and Esther's courageous intervention, the Jewish race was saved.

God rewards us in His timing.
And his timing is perfect to accomplish His purposes which at times goes beyond just about ourselves.
Esther's timing in disclosing the Jewish situation at the second banquet and not the first proved to be a God-led timing.

Was this the end of Mordecai's reward? No.
The king reclaimed his signet ring from Haman and gave it to Mordecai (Est 8:2).

Irony: The king's signet ring previously given to Haman was now being given to his enemy, Mordecai.

Irony: Haman wanted to kill all Jews and seize their estate.
But now Haman's estate was given to Queen Esther, a Jew, and Esther appointed Mordecai, a Jew, over Haman's estate (Est 8:1-2).

Mordecai was further rewarded with a promotion to be the prime minister - second in rank only to the king (Est 10:3).

Some lessons learnt:
1. Be patient for God's reward. God will reward us in His timing.
2. His timing is perfect when all the other circumstances - even though they may beyond our control but in God's control - fall in place.
3. Wait for God's timing - the second banquet timing - as in Esther's situation.
4. When the timing is right - press in like Esther did.
5. Reward and appreciate people for their good work.

Reflect on:
1. How does the narrative of Mordecai and Esther encourage us to wait for God's timing of His reward?

2. What is God's second banquet timing for some of our decisions?

3. What are some "coincidences" that happened in our lives - which on hindsight is the hand of God guiding our lives?

May you be blessed with His rewarding timing.