Queen Esther stood before
King Ahasuerus after being accepted into his presence by his signal
of the extended scepter. As they gazed into one another's eyes, the
king asked Esther what she desired up to half of his kingdom. In
chapter five and verse four we read Queen Esther's answer:
And Esther answered, If
it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this
day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.
Our
verse begins, “And Esther answered, If it seem
good unto the king,..” Esther very wisely entreated the king
rather than directly make a request to him. She employed the word
“if” which meant that he should have a choice in the
matter she would present. The king could say “yes” or the king
could say “no” because Esther deferred the answer to him - “If
it seem good to the king”. In doing so she gave him respect and
honor required of a king, and she more than likely influenced the
answer he would make.
Next we
see her request, “let the king and Haman come this day unto the
banquet that I have prepared for him.” There are several things
to look at in Esther's request. First, she used the word “let”
which means allow, cause, certify or commission, and it once again
gives the power of choice to King Ahasuerus. Secondly, she included
“the king and Haman” in her invitation. She could have
easily just invited the king, and it would have been quite suspicious
to simply invite Haman alone. Rather than invite one of them, she
invited them both. Finally Esther gave the time and purpose of the
invitation - “come this day unto the banquet that I have
prepared for him.” She let the king know that there was a
banquet already prepared, and now all it needed was their attendance.
Esther's
request was well thought out and wisely given. Although the answer
she gave the king may not have been what we would have requested,
it is interesting to note Esther's answer in light of what she
could have said rather than the words she used. She could have easily
disregarded the king's authority and not employed the words “if”,
“let”, or “come” which all denoted choice. She
could have implicated Haman directly and given the real reason for
her appearance straight away. No, rather, she entreated, respected,
and patiently developed the beginning of her plan. Her ways were wise
and without anxiousness, and because she had immersed herself in
fasting before she made her appearance, her ways were no doubt
directed by God Himself.
When we
are before authorities, do we have the wisdom to entreat them and
defer choice to them? Do we prepare in advance spiritually so that
our answers are not anxious and ill-given? Are we wise enough to make
preparations ahead of time to fulfill any request that we make? As we
ponder this verse, perhaps our thoughts and prayers should be that
the Lord Jesus will make us as wise as Esther was in this part of our
story, and the next time we are before those who make decisions over
us, our answers will be governed by God in the same manner as it was
for her.
Next
time we will see King Ahasuerus' quick response to Esther's request,
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.
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