Esth 7:1-10 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
Right after the end of Lesson 1, two eunuchs sought to lay hands on the king. “This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esth 2:22). It was written down “in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence” (Esth 2:23).
In the last lesson, Haman had a gallows made, meaning to ask the king to hang Mordecai on it (Esth 5:14). The passage goes on: “On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king” (Esth 6:1). What was read was the very record of Mordecai saving the king (Esth 6:2). The king asked, “What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” (Esth 6:3). In the end, Haman “took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square” (Esth 6:11).
This lesson is Esther’s second banquet.
1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
3Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”
5Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?”
6Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king, said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.” The king said, “Hang him on it!”
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.
On the second day at the banquet of wine. “So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen” (v. 1). For the third time the king asked her: “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed” (v. 2).
Let my life be given me. This time Esther said it: “let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request” (v. 3). She spoke the words of Haman’s decree aloud: “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish” (v. 4). She also said, “But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace” (v. 4).
Where is he? The king asked, “Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?” (v. 5). Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!” (v. 6). “Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen” (v. 6).
To make request for his life. “The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden” (v. 7). Haman “stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen” (v. 7). When the king came back, “Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was” (v. 8), and the king said one sentence; “As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face” (v. 8).
The gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Harbonah the eunuch said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house” (v. 9). The king said, “Hang him on it!” (v. 9). “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified” (v. 10).
In Lesson 2, Mordecai said to Esther, “if you remain silent now” (Esth 4:14). In this lesson, Esther says, “if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace” (v. 4) — but what they had been sold to lose was their lives, so she could not keep silent. Israel’s proverbs have this line: “Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate” (Prov 31:8).
Readers can see this: speaking up for those who cannot speak is something Israel’s wisdom books said long ago. Esther spoke up for her people.
Perhaps there are people near you, too, who cannot speak for themselves: a classmate who is bullied, a coworker who is pushed out, or a group of people no one speaks up for.
This lesson does not say that if only you speak up, things will surely turn around as they did for Esther. What it shows you is this: Esther waited until the second banquet, put her own life and her people together, and said it before the king.
This week: Think of someone near you who cannot speak for themselves, or has no one to speak for them. This week do one real thing for them — go with them to speak, say a fair word on their behalf, or first simply listen to what they are facing.
Scripture: World English Bible.