The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He pleases. - Proverbs 21:1
When we finished last Sunday’s sermon, Mordecai and the Jews living in Susa had gathered to fast and pray for Esther. In addition to them, Esther and her attendants were also fasting and praying. They were asking the LORD to give Esther the courage to appear unsummoned before the king, which was a risky proposition. They were praying that she would present her petition convincingly and that the king would grant her request. Finally, they were seeking the LORD’s favor and deliverance from Haman’s sinister plan.
This morning’s sermon covers Esther chapter 5. We will discuss if the Jews’ fasting and prayers were successful and whether or not Esther dared to appear before the king. If so, what happened? Would she be killed for breaking the law? Would King Ahasuerus be searching for yet another queen? Let’s find out together…
I. NOT HERE (v1-4)
On the 3rd day of the fasting and prayers, Esther put on her royal robes and went into the king’s inner court opposite the throne room. When King Ahasuerus saw her, he extended his golden scepter to her signaling that she could approach. Esther came forward and touched the top of his scepter. The king asked Esther what was troubling her and to state her request, to which she responded by inviting him to a feast that she’d prepared especially for him. She told him that he could bring Haman if he wanted to.
Esther touched the king’s scepter to indicate her thankfulness to him for allowing her to address him despite not being summoned. Furthermore, it expressed recognition of and submission to his royal authority. Esther was acting with gentleness, humility, and deference, rather than being brash or presumptuous. Knowing that he enjoyed feasts, Esther invited the king to a feast she’d already prepared for him in advance.
Esther didn’t want to make her petition to the king there in the throne room. Although he had just granted her permission to approach him and was speaking very kindly to her, she didn’t feel like this was the right place to ask. She wanted to ingratiate herself to him a bit more and “move the playing field” so to speak, perhaps to increase her chances of success. Esther had clearly thought this over for the past few days and was acting with cunning and intentionality.
II. NOT NOW (v5-8)
The king sent word to Haman and the 2 men went together to Esther’s feast. As they drank their wine, King Ahasuerus asked Esther again to share her request. He said that it would be given to her, up to half the kingdom. However, Esther still chose not to make her appeal for the deliverance of the Jews. Instead, she invited them to join her for yet another feast that she’d prepare for them the next day.
The Bible does not say why Esther waited to make her request until the 2nd feast. As such, many different theories have been proposed. Here are 3 of the most common I’ve read and 1 that troubles me somewhat.
1. She lost her nerve. Perhaps she was afraid of what the king, Haman, or both of them might do or say. So she put it off until tomorrow to buy a little more time to work up her courage.
2. She wanted to create division between the king and Haman, seeing that this law was Haman’s idea. She had prepared the 1st feast “for the king” and Haman was his guest. She would prepare the 2nd feast “for them both”, suggesting an equal status. Perhaps this was a subtle, but strategic move to foster the king’s jealousy and stoke Haman’s pride. She needed the king to side with her.
3. She sensed God directing her to wait. Although she couldn’t have known what would happen between the 2 feasts, God knew. Perhaps the intervening events (which we will discuss in our next sermon) factored in the outcome.
Some state that the 2nd feast was simply a literary device used to make the story more dramatic and/or engaging. This troubles me because it implies that the author was more concerned about achieving a certain effect than recording a faithful account of what actually happened. I reject this line of thinking as it undermines the truthfulness of scripture. Unless the context gives clear and compelling reason to think otherwise, every word of the Bible should be regarded as factually true. (Yes, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish!)
III. NOT HAPPY (v9-14)
Haman left Esther’s feast feeling upbeat and in good spirits. On his way home, however, he encountered Mordecai who didn’t stand, tremble or pay him any type of tribute. This made Haman furious, but he kept his composure until he got to his house. When he arrived, he sent for his wife Zeresh and his friends. Haman boasted to them of his wealth, his many sons, and how the king had promoted him to a place of prestige and power. He went on to say that no one other than he and the king were invited to Esther’s feasts. Yet, none of these things could pacify his hatred of Mordecai. His wife and friends advised him to have gallows made and to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on it. Haman liked their idea and had the gallows made.
Haman had achieved great success in life. He effectively controlled the affairs of the entire Persian Empire, subject only to the king. He had acquired great riches and had fathered many sons, which was a cultural sign of prosperity. Yet, despite having all these reasons to be cheerful and content, Haman wasn’t happy. He was narrowly focused on the 1 bad thing in his life… his nemesis, Mordecai. Can you identify with this discontent? All too often, rather than counting our abundant blessings and living with joyful satisfaction, we grumble about and fixate on the handful of negatives. This shouldn’t be.
CONCLUSION
The chapter we’ve read this morning provides a stark contrast between Esther and Haman. She was patiently waiting and seeking the opportune moment to make her petition on behalf of the Jews. Not here she thought, not now she thought… I will wait until the time is right. He, on the other hand, was impatiently preparing to kill Mordecai as soon as possible because he simply couldn't stand to wait just a few more months until his murderous law took effect.
In last week’s message, we highlighted God’s sovereignty over time and events. As we close today, let’s consider a different, but related question. Are we patient enough to wait on God’s timing or do we tend to impatiently move forward on our own? Do we tend to get ahead of God, rather than following Him? Beyond that, are we patient with one another? Beloved, aren’t you grateful that Jesus is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9)?
So… when will Esther make her appeal? Will the king permit Haman to hang Mordecai on the gallows? Join us next Sunday as we continue this exciting study.
When we finished last Sunday’s sermon, Mordecai and the Jews living in Susa had gathered to fast and pray for Esther. In addition to them, Esther and her attendants were also fasting and praying. They were asking the LORD to give Esther the courage to appear unsummoned before the king, which was a risky proposition. They were praying that she would present her petition convincingly and that the king would grant her request. Finally, they were seeking the LORD’s favor and deliverance from Haman’s sinister plan.
This morning’s sermon covers Esther chapter 5. We will discuss if the Jews’ fasting and prayers were successful and whether or not Esther dared to appear before the king. If so, what happened? Would she be killed for breaking the law? Would King Ahasuerus be searching for yet another queen? Let’s find out together…
I. NOT HERE (v1-4)
On the 3rd day of the fasting and prayers, Esther put on her royal robes and went into the king’s inner court opposite the throne room. When King Ahasuerus saw her, he extended his golden scepter to her signaling that she could approach. Esther came forward and touched the top of his scepter. The king asked Esther what was troubling her and to state her request, to which she responded by inviting him to a feast that she’d prepared especially for him. She told him that he could bring Haman if he wanted to.
Esther touched the king’s scepter to indicate her thankfulness to him for allowing her to address him despite not being summoned. Furthermore, it expressed recognition of and submission to his royal authority. Esther was acting with gentleness, humility, and deference, rather than being brash or presumptuous. Knowing that he enjoyed feasts, Esther invited the king to a feast she’d already prepared for him in advance.
Esther didn’t want to make her petition to the king there in the throne room. Although he had just granted her permission to approach him and was speaking very kindly to her, she didn’t feel like this was the right place to ask. She wanted to ingratiate herself to him a bit more and “move the playing field” so to speak, perhaps to increase her chances of success. Esther had clearly thought this over for the past few days and was acting with cunning and intentionality.
II. NOT NOW (v5-8)
The king sent word to Haman and the 2 men went together to Esther’s feast. As they drank their wine, King Ahasuerus asked Esther again to share her request. He said that it would be given to her, up to half the kingdom. However, Esther still chose not to make her appeal for the deliverance of the Jews. Instead, she invited them to join her for yet another feast that she’d prepare for them the next day.
The Bible does not say why Esther waited to make her request until the 2nd feast. As such, many different theories have been proposed. Here are 3 of the most common I’ve read and 1 that troubles me somewhat.
1. She lost her nerve. Perhaps she was afraid of what the king, Haman, or both of them might do or say. So she put it off until tomorrow to buy a little more time to work up her courage.
2. She wanted to create division between the king and Haman, seeing that this law was Haman’s idea. She had prepared the 1st feast “for the king” and Haman was his guest. She would prepare the 2nd feast “for them both”, suggesting an equal status. Perhaps this was a subtle, but strategic move to foster the king’s jealousy and stoke Haman’s pride. She needed the king to side with her.
3. She sensed God directing her to wait. Although she couldn’t have known what would happen between the 2 feasts, God knew. Perhaps the intervening events (which we will discuss in our next sermon) factored in the outcome.
Some state that the 2nd feast was simply a literary device used to make the story more dramatic and/or engaging. This troubles me because it implies that the author was more concerned about achieving a certain effect than recording a faithful account of what actually happened. I reject this line of thinking as it undermines the truthfulness of scripture. Unless the context gives clear and compelling reason to think otherwise, every word of the Bible should be regarded as factually true. (Yes, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish!)
III. NOT HAPPY (v9-14)
Haman left Esther’s feast feeling upbeat and in good spirits. On his way home, however, he encountered Mordecai who didn’t stand, tremble or pay him any type of tribute. This made Haman furious, but he kept his composure until he got to his house. When he arrived, he sent for his wife Zeresh and his friends. Haman boasted to them of his wealth, his many sons, and how the king had promoted him to a place of prestige and power. He went on to say that no one other than he and the king were invited to Esther’s feasts. Yet, none of these things could pacify his hatred of Mordecai. His wife and friends advised him to have gallows made and to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on it. Haman liked their idea and had the gallows made.
Haman had achieved great success in life. He effectively controlled the affairs of the entire Persian Empire, subject only to the king. He had acquired great riches and had fathered many sons, which was a cultural sign of prosperity. Yet, despite having all these reasons to be cheerful and content, Haman wasn’t happy. He was narrowly focused on the 1 bad thing in his life… his nemesis, Mordecai. Can you identify with this discontent? All too often, rather than counting our abundant blessings and living with joyful satisfaction, we grumble about and fixate on the handful of negatives. This shouldn’t be.
CONCLUSION
The chapter we’ve read this morning provides a stark contrast between Esther and Haman. She was patiently waiting and seeking the opportune moment to make her petition on behalf of the Jews. Not here she thought, not now she thought… I will wait until the time is right. He, on the other hand, was impatiently preparing to kill Mordecai as soon as possible because he simply couldn't stand to wait just a few more months until his murderous law took effect.
In last week’s message, we highlighted God’s sovereignty over time and events. As we close today, let’s consider a different, but related question. Are we patient enough to wait on God’s timing or do we tend to impatiently move forward on our own? Do we tend to get ahead of God, rather than following Him? Beyond that, are we patient with one another? Beloved, aren’t you grateful that Jesus is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9)?
So… when will Esther make her appeal? Will the king permit Haman to hang Mordecai on the gallows? Join us next Sunday as we continue this exciting study.