What happensPermalink
Unable to sleep, the king has his chronicles read and discovers that Mordecai was never rewarded for exposing the assassination plot. When Haman arrives to request Mordecai’s execution, the king asks how to honor a worthy servant. Assuming the honor is intended for himself, Haman proposes an elaborate celebration and is then ordered to bestow it upon Mordecai instead.
Why it mattersPermalink
The king’s insomnia, the forgotten record of Mordecai’s service, and Haman’s arrival at precisely the right moment reveal God’s hidden providence at work. Here, the book’s great reversal begins: the honor Haman desires for himself is given to Mordecai, and his downfall accelerates.
Key versePermalink
Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”