Esther Chapter 5
Please read: Esther 5 –
Queen Esther, a Jew, had spent three days praying and fasting, asking God to give her courage to approach the king who had sent out a decree to the whole Persian Empire that the Jews were to be annihilated. I think one of the ways she prayed was that she asked God for practical ideas on how she could pique the interest of the king so that he would give her an audience. Sometimes when we are in crisis mode it is hard to think about what practical next step we should take. Spending time with our heavenly Father allows us the clarity to see how we need to proceed. For the queen, it was a simple idea really, she invited him to a feast.
Let's Reflect
1. Queen Esther won the first hurdle; she needed to first get permission to come near the king’s throne. What did the king do that indicated she could approach his throne?
2. What did the king offer her?
3. The queen not only invited the king to a feast she would prepare, but what other man was invited?
4. What did Haman think about the invitation he received to dine with the king and the queen?
5. Seeing Mordecai once again, reminded Haman of his hatred for the man, the man who would not bow down to him. Rather than do anything to Mordecai at that moment, he went home. What did he do at home?
6. Haman’s friends and family certainly helped stroke his ego. What suggestion did they make to him regarding Mordecai?
7. Haman of course liked the idea that this wife and friends put together. What could this idea mean for Mordecai on the next day?
