Esther Chapter 5

Waiting on the Lord

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Esther prepares a banquet for King Ahasuerus; Haman plots to kill Mordecai.

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Outline

1-5. Esther invites King Ahasuerus and Haman to a private banquet.
6-8. Esther’s first banquet.
7-14. Haman determines to hang Mordecai.

Reflection

If your life were on the line, would you be as patient as Esther?

Lesson

Esther exercised remarkable patience and wisdom. Before seeing the king, she prepared by fasting and seeking God’s aid. She then appealed to her husband’s tastes by putting on her best appearance and enticing him with a banquet. Esther clearly understood what mattered to Ahasuerus and acted accordingly, demonstrating wisdom.

In all of this, Esther withheld her request; she did not rush into the king begging for the Jews’ deliverance. Instead, with poise and gentleness, she let her husband know she wanted something. Whatever anxiety Esther may have felt, she never showed it. She simply did what she could and waited.

In today’s society of instant gratification, Esther reminds us of the rewards of patience; instead of demanding our needs be met, we can take time to prepare and move through our trials with grace and patience. We do not have to be on pins and needles wondering how everything will turn out. Instead, we can take our needs to the Lord in prayer and calmly do our part to improve the situation.

Verse-by-Verse Study

1. Armed with prayer and her royal apparel, Esther broke the law by entering the king’s court. Notice she humbly waited in the back; she did not make a scene.

2-3. In time, Ahasuerus noticed Esther and pardoned her. God prepared the king’s heart to receive Esther, evident in his elaborate oath to grant her request. This phrase was common among rulers and not to be taken literally. See Mark 6:23.

4-5. Esther appealed to Ahasuerus’ delight in parties. Additionally, since the king was easily persuaded by his advisors (consider the incident with Vashti), Esther probably believed her request was more likely to be granted if asked in private.

There is considerable speculation among scholars as to why Esther chose to invite Haman; she could have been appealing to his ego so he would not suspect her motive, she could have wanted to confront him, or she could have wanted to allow him to defend himself before the king. Whatever the reason, she felt it necessary to invite her adversary to the banquet.

6-8. At the banquet, Ahasuerus repeated his oath to grant Esther’s request, but she again exercised patience. Perhaps she felt from the Lord that the timing was not right. Whatever her reason, Esther chose to delay the request. Certainly, this surprised Ahasuerus; he had twice sworn to do as she asked, yet she would not make her petition known. This was drastically opposed to Vashti’s boldness.

9. Haman felt ecstatic that he attended the banquet. As Esther was humble, Haman was prideful. All his joy turned to sorrow because Mordecai refused to reverence him. Despite his pomp, Haman lacked confidence in himself (he was disturbed that one person did not respect him). Only those who lack true authority and power demand it of everyone around them. A genuine leader does not possess a need to prove himself to others.

10-14. Haman acted petty; he returned home and pouted to his family and friends. He went down the list of why he should be happy, naming all the things that, by worldly standards, bring joy, and found himself empty. True happiness is peace with oneself and God, both of which Haman clearly lacked.

Notice Haman’s response to his problem: eliminate Mordecai. Rather than address the spiritual issues that upset Haman, his friends and family chose to remove the trigger instead of learning how to cope with an adversary. Satan tends to distract people from the real issues of their hearts by focusing their attention on external triggers; he convinces people they will be happy if only this or that circumstance were different, when, in fact, circumstances have little to do with happiness. See Philippians 4:11-13.

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