I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and Memorial Day!
In this chapter, Queen Esther finally reveals her request to the king and the purpose of her banquet. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. And while they were drinking wine that day, the king again asked her, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
And so Queen Esther replied, “If Your Majesty is pleased with me and wants to grant my request, my petition is that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had only been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would have been a matter too trivial to warrant disturbing the king.”
“Whom are you talking about?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would dare touch you?”
Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.
But Haman stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that he was doomed. In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king returned from the palace garden. “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” the king roared. And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.
Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a gallows that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.”
“Then hang Haman on it!” the king ordered. So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger was pacified.” (Esther 7) (Wow! Haman dug his own grave! Lord, you are so good!)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for your loyalty to us, for consistently standing in the gap for us. And thank you, Lord, for always protecting us from the wicked. David said in Psalm, “The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a pit to trap others and then fall into it themselves.” (Psalm 7:14-15) Lord, you are an awesome God! We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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