Est 7:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | The hour of truth has come. Haman’s role is over. The diabolical plan he devised to kill Mordecai has been thwarted. Now Haman’s devilish plan for the annihilation of Mordecai’s people has yet to be undone. It will be done by a supplication of Esther. Before us here is the lesson that God would like to save by the prayer of His people. This applies to us and it also applies to the faithful remnant in the end times. It is a tremendous exhortation for us to pray more for God’s people! Ahasuerus comes with Haman to Queen Esther to drink with her ( ). It reads as if the king takes Haman by the hand. Haman has nothing to say, but only to do what the king wants. It is the same in the relationship between God and satan. Satan is not an equal match for God, but only a creature that is completely subject to God. As they drink the wine, the king also asks Esther on the second day, that is, the day of the second banquet, what her petition is and what her request is ( ). His offer remains valid. He has not changed his mind and has not forgotten that Esther has a petition and what he has promised her in connection with it. In her answer Esther first appeals to her personal relationship with the king that is based on grace ( ). Then she appeals to the king on his mind of favor. Then she first asks for her own life; then she asks for the life of her people. She does not yet say which people are involved. She does, however, speak of “my people”. In doing so, she presents the people as her own endangered possessions. The way she expresses herself shows that she presupposes that the king’s kind offer testifies to his concern for her and her people, a concern that is greater than for anyone and any other people. She cautiously motivates her petition and her request. She talks about the fact that she and her people have been sold ( ), without speaking of a seller. The ‘seller’ is in fact the king himself! But she avoids any suggestion in that direction. She does say that the sale means that she and her people are sold “to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated”. That goes much further than selling them as slaves, men and women. How sad that might be, in that case she would have remained silent, because that would not have been an exceptional fate. History has shown this in what happened to the people in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. Now, however, they have been sold to be annihilated. The meaning of the last part of is probably that in case of sale as slaves, men and women, the need of slavery would not outweigh the burden the king would have. Esther says slavery alone isn’t enough to bother the king. The fact that she is now bothering the king means that the situation is much more serious than that it would ‘merely’ be slavery. It’s about life and death. God wants to work through the prayer of His own. God puts us in trouble, so that we can learn to intercede for His whole people with an appeal to His grace. Esther has no sword to defend herself, but a much more effective weapon: a supplication. If we were to use it more and more intently, how much it would benefit the people of God. God could give more blessing.

‏ Esther 7:1-2

Introduction

The hour of truth has come. Haman’s role is over. The diabolical plan he devised to kill Mordecai has been thwarted. Now Haman’s devilish plan for the annihilation of Mordecai’s people has yet to be undone. It will be done by a supplication of Esther. Before us here is the lesson that God would like to save by the prayer of His people. This applies to us and it also applies to the faithful remnant in the end times. It is a tremendous exhortation for us to pray more for God’s people!

Esther’s Request

Ahasuerus comes with Haman to Queen Esther to drink with her (Est 7:1). It reads as if the king takes Haman by the hand. Haman has nothing to say, but only to do what the king wants. It is the same in the relationship between God and satan. Satan is not an equal match for God, but only a creature that is completely subject to God.

As they drink the wine, the king also asks Esther on the second day, that is, the day of the second banquet, what her petition is and what her request is (Est 7:2). His offer remains valid. He has not changed his mind and has not forgotten that Esther has a petition and what he has promised her in connection with it.

In her answer Esther first appeals to her personal relationship with the king that is based on grace (Est 7:3). Then she appeals to the king on his mind of favor. Then she first asks for her own life; then she asks for the life of her people. She does not yet say which people are involved. She does, however, speak of “my people”. In doing so, she presents the people as her own endangered possessions. The way she expresses herself shows that she presupposes that the king’s kind offer testifies to his concern for her and her people, a concern that is greater than for anyone and any other people.

She cautiously motivates her petition and her request. She talks about the fact that she and her people have been sold (Est 7:4), without speaking of a seller. The ‘seller’ is in fact the king himself! But she avoids any suggestion in that direction. She does say that the sale means that she and her people are sold “to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated”. That goes much further than selling them as slaves, men and women. How sad that might be, in that case she would have remained silent, because that would not have been an exceptional fate. History has shown this in what happened to the people in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. Now, however, they have been sold to be annihilated.

The meaning of the last part of Est 7:4 is probably that in case of sale as slaves, men and women, the need of slavery would not outweigh the burden the king would have. Esther says slavery alone isn’t enough to bother the king. The fact that she is now bothering the king means that the situation is much more serious than that it would ‘merely’ be slavery. It’s about life and death.

God wants to work through the prayer of His own. God puts us in trouble, so that we can learn to intercede for His whole people with an appeal to His grace. Esther has no sword to defend herself, but a much more effective weapon: a supplication. If we were to use it more and more intently, how much it would benefit the people of God. God could give more blessing.