Esther 5:1-6:9, Height of Arrogance, Depth of Foolishness

·       Esther 5:8:  Why did Esther wait until the second banquet to present her request?  To be honest, I don’t know, other than she thought it wise to do so.  People had been fasting on her behalf, so it makes sense for us to say that the LORD, whose name is absent from the story, was leading her to do this.  She did make sure the king knew that she would make her request the second day, so he would not think she was just playing a game of some sort.  But waiting until the next day allowed for the increase of Haman’s evil cruelty (5:9-14) as well as the king’s discovery that Mordecai had not been duly rewarded (6:1-11).  All this seems to have the hand of God upon it.  You could also say that a second banquet gave her the opportunity to sweeten up the king for a favorable answer to her request.  But at the same time, the king might have grown suspicious or was reluctant to waste any more time on Esther’s midday feasting.  No, it seems most likely that Esther was being led by the LORD. 

·       Esther 6:1: May I just say, sleepless nights should not just be something about which we complain.  They serve a purpose.  If I wake up worrying, it seems to me that is a call to prayer.  Or to Scripture meditation.  Psalm 77 addresses this.

·       Esther 6:4: This is interesting.  If the king would have allowed Haman to present his plan for the hanging of Mordecai then it would all be out in the open and the king could deal with it.  But then, Esther would not have been used of God in making her request for deliverance for her people.  Further, Haman would not have been fully exposed as he was in 6:6.  Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?  All of this is part of God’s plan.  The typical plan of God is to use people in carrying out His will.  And we know as well that God’s will is that the evil heart be exposed.  Paul said this about the “law of Moses,” that the purpose was to bring sin out into the open: the law entered that the offense might abound (Rom. 5:20).  I would not have known sin except through the law (Rom. 7:7).  One important aspect of Jesus’ ministry was to reveal the thoughts of many (Lk. 2:35).  Esther’s delay and the king’s sleepless night revealed the full wickedness of Haman.  There seem to be a lot of people who do not want to admit their need of Christ, their need of a Savior from sin.  It is the gracious work of God, through His Spirit, to convict people of sin (Jn. 16:9-11).

·       Esther 6:6-9: The pride of the fool will be his undoing (Prov. 18:7-13).  Eventually!  Be patient.  Wait on the Lord!