Esther Chapter 5
This chapter is the turning point in our story.
Chapter 4 ended grimly....Esther is ready to risk her life, going unannounced into the presence of the king, to plead the king to help save her people.
And that is where we pick up our story - in verse one chapter 5 - we see Esther bravely and courageously approach the king:
"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. 2 When he 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.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
AH!! We can all take a deep breath - she has been received with pleasure. If we are honest with ourselves, I believe that many of our greatest fears are never realized. We cannot allow fear to grip and disable us, and the Bible warns us about worry (Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus). Esther acted bravely and did not dwell in her fear.
Not only has the king received her graciously, but beyond that, he offers to give her almost anything she requests!!
Will she immediately demand that Haman be punished and that the decree he established be overturned?? Read on:
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 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.”
No, Esther does not make a hasty request, in fact, to our surprise she doesn't make her request AT ALL. Do we too often rush into things, especially when things are tough or we are frustrated or upset? I know that I certainly do. I immediately want to complain. Often times it is my own family who receives my complaints and nagging. Perhaps I can learn from Esther, and offer my children a snack before I proceed to kindly ask them to focus on their homework, clean up their rooms, do their chores, etc.
But why does Esther delay her request until the next day? I believe when we read chapter 6, we will see it is all part of God's plan.
And why does she invite Haman to her banquet? Isn't he the enemy?!
Let's see, in these next verses, how he responds to Esther's actions:
9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
Haman, the evil character in this story, can easily be the target of our greatest disgust. And yet, if I am honest with myself, do I also not seek man's approval, instead of Gods? Do I not find it easy to see my pride grow when things are going well? Do I sometimes allow something simple, which I am unpleased with, to wreck what would have been a perfectly lovely day? HMMMM....if I am truly honest with myself, yikes, I am much like Haman myself. It is an ugly admission. One that I would prefer not to face. Yet so true, and what a warning here.
Some extra optional questions to consider regarding chapter 5:
Why do you think Esther delays her request to the king?
What might be the benefits of delaying an important decision or pausing during a critical moment?
Why do you think Haman's bitterness towards one person prevents him from enjoying all his blessings?
Why do you think Haman's bitterness towards one person prevents him from enjoying all his blessings?
If you reflect back on your life to times when you struggled, faced hardship or very difficult times, can you see in hindsight that God was indeed at work? What lessons of God's faithfulness did you experience in emerging from those hard times? How can those times encourage you to face difficulties which may be in your future?
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