Esther 5
I. \\#Esther 1:1-22\\ The Wife Who Refused to Obey
II. \\#Esther 2:1-23\\ Choosing a New Queen
III. \\#Esther 3:1-15\\ Haman Forms A Plot
IV. \\#Esther 4:1-17\\ For Such A Time As This
V. \\#Esther 5:1-14\\ The Courage and Wisdom of Esther
V. \\#Esther 5:1-14\\ The Courage and Wisdom of Esther
A. \\#Esther 5:1-5\\ Esther in the King’s Court
1. \\#1\\ "on the third day" - This would be the third day of Esther
and Mordecai’s fast.
2. \\#1-2\\ Esther went in to see the king uninvited, but is granted
the king’s favor by the outstretched scepter.
3. \\#3-4\\ "What wilt thou, queen Esther" - Since Esther had risked her
life to come to the king, he knew that she had something important
to say. However, when asked, Esther’s only request was that the
king and Haman come to a feast that she had prepared.
4. \\#5\\ "Cause Haman to make haste" - The king immediately agreed, no
doubt understanding that Esther wanted something of much greater
importance.
a. It can only be assumed that Esther’s purpose in inviting the king
to a banquet was to re-kindle the king’s delight in her before
asking for his help. Yet, it was God who put this thought into her
heart, for God had more that He desired to accomplish with Haman
than to simply bring him down.
b. \\#4\\ "let… Haman come this day" - Esther knew she wanted to
make her request in a place more familiar than the king’s court.
She also knew she wanted Haman there when she made the request,
probably so that she could answer any excuse he might offer.
B. \\#Esther 5:6-8\\ The King and Haman at Esther’s Banquet
1. \\#6\\ "at the banquet of wine" - Probably to mean the time in the
banquet when wine was served. Some have observed that wine and fruit
were often served after the meal, while the guests relaxed and
conversed.
2. "What is thy petition" - Again the king asked for Esther’s request,
knowing she had not revealed the true reason for risking her life to
come see him.
3. \\#8\\ "come to the banquet that I shall prepare… tomorrow" - And
again, Esther requested their attendance at another banquet, with the
promise of revealing her desire then.
a. One would think that something like this could irritate a king who
seldom had to wait for anything.
b. Certainly God must have been working in the hearts of all those
involved.
(1) God gave Esther courage and wisdom to use the feasts.
(2) God gave King Ahasuerus patience and kindness toward Esther.
(3) And God gave Haman more pride and arrogance so that he might
seal his own fate.
c. So it was decided that the king and Haman would return for a
second feast.
C. \\#Esther 5:9-14\\ Haman’s heart is lifted up
1. \\#9\\ "Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart"
It is obvious that Haman delighted in the fact that the queen had
requested his presence at two private and personal feasts. Only
Haman’s arrogance could have kept him from asking why the queen
would be inviting him to such an event!
2. "but when Haman saw Mordecai… stood not up… he was full of
indignation" - It is strange how human nature can notice the one
flaw among a cluster of good tidings. Now that Haman had been made
aware of Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him, his eyes no doubt looked
for him whenever he passed through the king’s court.
3. \\#10\\ "Nevertheless Haman refrained himself" - Haman attempted to
control his anger, knowing in ten months he would have his revenge
upon all of the Jews.
4. \\#10-12\\ "he… called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife" - Not
only did Haman want to be certain everyone knew how important he was,
but this group seemed to serve as a council of advisors to him. Haman
summoned his friends to brag about his riches, his children, his
promotion, and especially his invitations to Queen Esther’s banquets.
5. \\#13\\ "Yet all this availeth me nothing" - Even though Haman had
opted for the long range extermination of all the Jews, waiting ten
more months to deal with Mordecai was becoming increasingly more
difficult.
6. \\#14\\ "Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high… that Mordecai
may be hanged thereon" - Mordecai’s friends and family gave him the
council to build a gallows and request of the king permission to hang
Mordecai upon it.
a. Many believe the hangings mentioned in this book \\#Esther 2:13\\
are actually crucifixions. This belief comes less from the text
and more from the historical knowledge that Persia used, and by
some accounts, invented crucifixion as a means to execute their
criminals. It is known that Persia used crucifixion on the
Greeks during the Greco-Persian Wars (499-479 BC), the last
battles being fought by King Ahasuerus.
http://www.freeminds.org/doctrine/jesus/the-facts-on-crucifixion-stauros-and-the
-torture-stake.html
b. The gallows was to be built 50 cubits (75 feet) high. This
impractical height was to soothe Haman’s pride. His friends and
family knew that Haman would want everyone to see clearly what
happens to those who do not respect and fear him.
c. "speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged" - Mordecai
was powerful, but he still needed the king’s permission to
execute Mordecai. Perhaps that was due to the fact that Mordecai
was a part of the royal court or perhaps because it was the
"king’s commandment" \\#Esther 3:2\\ that Mordecai had violated
or perhaps Mordecai just didn’t have the authority to execute
a person.
d. "And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made"
Certain that the king would grant him permission, Haman
commissioned the gallows to be built.
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