Today’s Reading: Esther 5-7; Hebrews 11

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. 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.

Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” – Esther 5:1-3

That, my friends, is an answer to prayer! Esther dared to believe that the Lord would be with her if she stepped out in faith; she found the courage to put her life at risk in order to have a conversation with the king. Knowing that there were many believers fasting for her during that moment gave her the strength to enter into a space she had not been invited into. And God was faithful to answer those prayers by granting her favor with the one who had the authority to sentence her to death.

Esther had prepared a banquet not only for the king but also for Haman. After dinner, as they were drinking some wine, King Xerxes gave Esther the opportunity to voice her petition so that he could grant her wish up to half the kingdom. Esther requested that both the king and Haman return the next day for a second banquet, at which time she would make her petition known.

Whether Esther’s plan for a second banquet was due to fear or part of a wisely calculated plan, the events that happened between the two banquets played a pivotal role in the outcome of this story. This is a great reminder that God’s timing is always perfect, even when it doesn’t initially make sense to us.

I imagine that Haman left the banquet with a smile on his face and his head held high. He was feeling pretty good about himself, but his pride was soon challenged when he passed by Mordecai at the king’s gate. Mordecai did not stand to honor Haman, nor did he show fear in Haman’s presence like everyone else did. Scripture tells us that Haman’s mood went from joy to rage as he made his way home (5:9).

When he told his family and friends about the honor bestowed on him by Esther’s invitation for not just one but two consecutive banquets, he also told them how Mordecai’s disrespect was clouding this joyous moment for him. In response, his wife suggested Haman erect a pole (75-feet tall) with the plan to ask the king to have Mordecai impaled the next day. But while Haman was carrying out his plan for evil, God was at work in the palace.

King Xerxes was unable to sleep that night so he ordered that the record of his reign be brought in and read to him. Included in this recounting of his time as king was how Mordecai had exposed a plot to assassinate the king. When he realized that Mordecai had never been properly honored for the role he played in saving the king’s life, he decided that oversight would be corrected immediately.

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?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 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. 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!’” – Esther 6:6-9

PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL (Proverbs 16:18).

Imagine the look on Haman’s face when he realized that this honor be bestowed on Mordecai, and that he would be assigned the task of leading the procession. The words he had created to bring himself honor must have stung his ears as he had to declare over and over again, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

When he rushed home in humiliation and grief, his wife and advisors pointed out that he would never be able to successfully stand against Mordecai or the Jewish people. Before he could respond, he was whisked away to the queen’s banquet. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther to make her petition known.

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” – Esther 7:3-4

When the king found out that it was Haman who had put Esther’s life in danger, and that he himself had been tricked into playing a role, he stormed out of the room into the palace garden. Knowing his fate, Haman threw himself down on the couch where Esther was reclining and begged her to spare his life. When the king returned to find Haman in this position, he ordered Haman be impaled on the pole that Haman had set up for Mordecai (7:9).

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

What is the Lord asking you to do that requires courage? At times the Lord strategically positions us to be used by Him in the life of another person or in a situation that would impact many lives. He is calling us to step out in faith, and sometimes faith takes courage. May the Lord give you wisdom, surrounding you with a community of believers who will lift you up in prayer and join you in fasting for the Lord’s provision and protection. Perhaps God has brought you to this moment “for such a time as this”.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – Hebrews 11:1