To the Banquet Esther 5:5 - Equipped for Battle

Esther's plan was underway. She appeared before King Ahasuerus and was accepted by his outstretched scepter. She was given an opportunity to ask for anything from the king up to half the kingdom, and her request was that the king and Haman come to a banquet she prepared. In chapter five and verse five we see the king's response. We read:

Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Our verse begins, "Then the king said, "Cause Haman to make haste,..." The king quickly developed a plan after hearing Esther's request, and he immediately acted upon that plan. We can use our imaginations as see the king say to his servants, "Cause Haman to make haste." In other words, tell Haman to hurry, be quick and not to delay. The urgency of King Ahasuerus to follow Esther's words shows his anxious desire to fulfill her request.

The verse goes on to say, "that he may do as Esther has said." If we back up in our story and think about this for a moment, we might have a chuckle. Here is the king ordering Haman to follow the desires of a Jewish woman whom Haman wants to destroy. Although Haman is not aware of this yet, God Almighty is, and it is just like God to use this man's own evil ideas against him. King Ahasuerus told his servants to command Haman to hurry so he would do as Esther desired.

Finally we read, "So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared." Not only was the command given from the king to the servants to call for Haman, but the king's command was obeyed. Both the king and Haman came to the banquet, and let us note once again that Esther "prepared" it. We should note that Esther could have easily just told King Ahasuerus the situation with the order to execute the Jewish people, but she used wisdom and came up with this plan for a banquet.

When we think about this plan of Esther's, we cannot help but remember that God Almighty is governing over this whole situation. The boldness, the appeal, the wisdom, and the planning of Esther is greatly to be admired because she has been given these traits by the Heavenly Father. When we have difficult situations not even close to the one Esther had to endure, do we rely upon Almighty God for the resources and tenacity to endure or repair them? If we do, wonderful, but if we don't, let us use this story of Esther as inspiration the next time we need to "hold a banquet" for the trial we are enduring.

Next time we will see King Ahasuerus ask Esther for her petition once again, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

 

Until tomorrow...there is more...

 

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.