以斯帖記6:1-14

 

6:1 那夜王睡不著覺，就吩咐人取歷史來，念給他聽。
6:2 正遇見書上寫著說：王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，想要下手害亞哈隨魯王，末底改將這事告訴王后。
6:3 王說：「末底改行了這事，賜他甚麼尊榮爵位沒有？」伺候王的臣僕回答說：「沒有賜他甚麼。」
6:4 王說：「誰在院子裡？」（那時哈曼正進王宮的外院，要求王將末底改掛在他所預備的木架上。）
6:5 臣僕說：「哈曼站在院內。」王說：「叫他進來。」
6:6 哈曼就進去。王問他說：「王所喜悅尊榮的人，當如何待他呢？」哈曼心裡說：「王所喜悅尊榮的，不是我是誰呢？」
6:7 哈曼就回答說：「王所喜悅尊榮的，
6:8 當將王常穿的朝服和戴冠的御馬，
6:9 都交給王極尊貴的一個大臣，命他將衣服給王所喜悅尊榮的人穿上，使他騎上馬，走遍城裡的街市，在他面前宣告說：王所喜悅尊榮的人，就如此待他。」
6:10 王對哈曼說：「你速速將這衣服和馬，照你所說的，向坐在朝門的猶大人末底改去行。凡你所說的，一樣不可缺。」
6:11 於是哈曼將朝服給末底改穿上，使他騎上馬，走遍城裡的街市，在他面前宣告說：「王所喜悅尊榮的人，就如此待他。」
6:12 末底改仍回到朝門，哈曼卻憂憂悶悶地蒙著頭，急忙回家去了，
6:13 將所遇的一切事詳細說給他的妻細利斯和他的眾朋友聽。他的智慧人和他的妻細利斯對他說：「你在末底改面前始而敗落，他如果是猶大人，你必不能勝他，終必在他面前敗落。」
6:14 他們還與哈曼說話的時候，王的太監來催哈曼快去赴以斯帖所預備的筵席。

 

  That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. ² It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

³ “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

⁴ The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

⁵ His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.

⁶ When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” ⁷ So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, ⁸ have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹ Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

¹⁰ “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

¹¹ So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

¹² Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, ¹³ and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” ¹⁴ While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

 

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    雖然這裡沒有提到「上帝」，卻處處看見上帝的作為，正如我們無法用眼睛看見上帝，卻感受到上帝的作為充滿在我們的生活還經之中！怪不得加爾文說：「最高的苦難就是對上帝護理的無知；最大的幸福在於明白上帝的護理！」

 

    就像末底改和哈曼之差別：末底改雖然為著猶太族遭受滅族的事感到難過，但是他相信上帝的作為；哈曼雖然為自己受到王的尊榮而高興，但是他不知道上帝恨惡心中詭詐的人！

 

    王因為睡不著而得知末底改的救命之恩，完全是出於上帝的作為；而哈漫不知也不會注意這事，只是汲汲營營為自己的尊榮！然而上帝卻讓王的心感受到末底改的好，為此想尊榮末底改！也因為這樣，哈曼自取其辱！

 

    而這一切的敘述，讓基督徒在一次肯定上帝攝理(護理)的奇妙，也讓我們知道上帝對屬於祂的人，雖然允許各樣的苦難臨到，卻讓人透過苦難而更堅強、更感受上帝作為的奇妙！人生雖有許多事不明白，但是上帝允許的，都是對我們有益且能造就我們，越來越有上帝兒女的樣式！