Esther 5:1-14
Esther’s Banquet
1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. 2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
3 And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
4 So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
7 Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request is this: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
Haman’s Plot Against Mordecai
9 So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
12 Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. 13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.”
And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.
The day of reckoning arrived and Esther stood in the court before the king, boldly uninvited, and she found favor in his sight as the king held out his golden scepter to allow her approach without the penalty of death as the law (Esther 4:11) dictated. The king loved her so much that he not only instantly let her approach the throne of that grace (as we do now to the King of kings in Hebrews 4:16) and offered anything she desired, even up to half of his kingdom! He listened to the request to attend a banquet she prepared and had the traitor adversary Haman invited also as part of the request. While the two of them enjoyed her banquet, the king once more asked what she wanted and the answer was the same, to attend yet another banquet together. Haman the adversary left with a light step and joy in his heart, supposing to gain something from this, yet was indignant when seeing Mordecai refuse to bow to him of tremble in fear when he passed him in the gate of the king. He restrained himself in the face of his promotion by the king and the honor of being invited twice to a banquet with him and the queen. Yet even these things barely made his joy return knowing that the Jew at the gate did not bow or honor him. He listened to the bad advice of his wife and friends to build a gallows and suggest to the king to hang Mordecai on it at the next banquet, going joyfully to the meeting with this purpose to end the issue of disrespect once and for all. The best laid plans of men are like tiny mice in God’s sight as Haman was about to find out how the grace of the LORD to Esther by the king would lead to his accountability to the King of the Jews at the end of a rope he intended for a righteous man. We think then of the adversary trying to end the life of God’s Son on a cross that ended our curse of sin (Galatians 3:13) we are accused of by him, and how the grace to boldly approach the King of kings (Hebrews 4:16) continues now in Him as we await the noose of the lake of fire for the devil and his angels who constantly accuses us (Revelation 12:10, 17, Romans 16:20, Genesis 3:15) now with plans to end us as His people. He will be cast down in defeat as certainly as Haman for attempting to destroy God’s people. We will attend the banquet of the Lord (Luke 14:15, Revelation 19:7-8) and he will be held to account in the end.
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