Sermon Tone Analysis

A Sovereign Plot Twist

The chapter begins with another party scene.

A small party - only 3 people present for it: The King of Persia, his queen and his right hand man, Haman.

Now this day has been one of ups and downs for Haman.

Actually its been a long, long day for Haman.

He didn’t really sleep last night, since he was up and overseeing a construction project - a gallows, or stake, 75 feet high, specially built for his most hated enemy, Mordecai the Jew, who has the nerve to stubbornly refuse to bow and pay homage when he walks by - it’s the law, you know.

Haman has already succeeded in whispering into the king’s ear and getting a law passed for the end of the year - an edict, decreeing a holocaust for the Jewish race in the kingdom - - the decree has gone out by royal courier to every corner of the empire and everyone is waiting for the calendar to flip to that date and for all of the Jews to be destroyed.

The king even gave Haman the signet ring to seal the decree with his own imprint.

But that’s not enough for Haman.

So filled with hatred for Mordecai is he, that he can’t wait to extinguish him with the rest of his race - he needs to do it now.

So he’s had the giant stake built and arrived at the palace early this morning to beat the crowds and get an audience with the king, in order to get approval for his execution this day.

When he arrives at the palace, expecting to wander the courtyard for hours until the king wakes up and office hours begin … he gets a stroke of great luck - the king hadn’t been able to sleep and actually called him into his presence.

What a great start to the day!

On top of it all, when he arrived in the throne room, the king wanted his advice: “What should be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”

“Well, this day just keeps getting better and better!

Who could the king possibly delight to honor more than me?!” He’s already promoted me to second most powerful person in the kingdom … I’ve just been invited to an exclusive party the night before - just the king the queen and little old me … and I’ve been asked to do the same thing again tonight!

It is so obviously me that the king is asking about ...

… and it just so happens that I have a list of things I would love to have done for me ...

And Haman recites his list - carefully, so as not to come across too eager, of course.

But he gives an itemized list that basically shows that he wants to be seen as the king himself.

Of course, as we saw last week - the king was actually not thinking about Haman at all, but, of all people, he was thinking about that blasted Mordecai.

Mordecai had been responsible for saving the king’s life from an assassination attempt several years ago, and only now, because of a sleepless night for the king … and because of the material he chose to use to try to get back to sleep - - and because the scribe reading to him just happened to read the very volume of the king’s boring records that happened to mention Mordecai’s heroic deed … and just because the king happened to still be awake, and just happened to ask about the reward that had been given to Mordecai … and just because there hadn’t been anything done yet - which was hugely unlike the king .... just because of all of these ‘coincidences’ - Mordecai was now going to get his reward.

Boy, that sure is a great number of coincidences, isn’t it?

And to rub salt even more deeply into the open wound of his hurt pride … Haman had the job of being Mordecai’s chauffer for the day … Shouting for all to hear, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

Haman is barely able to spit the words out of his mouth.

He went home covered in mourning … day was ruined ...

.... but not quite .... no sooner does he get home that Haman needs to leave to go for another banquet.

Again, it’s just the king, the queen and him.

How bad can things really be, if you’re feasting at an exclusive party with the royal couple as the only other people there.

They’ve invited you and you alone!

So Haman must be in better spirits when we join the feast in progress at the beginning of chapter 7.

The heaping trays of the king’s favorite roasted meats, prepared just the way he likes them, have been carried in, by silent servants - venison and beef and pork, surrounded with heaps of figs and dates, plums and apples, pears and walnuts and pistachios … tray after tray has come, been eaten to the full and then carried away when the feasters show their boredom …

… at the end of the meal, the finest of wines are brought and golden goblets are filled … the three party-goers all reclining on their couches.

Finally, the king’s curiosity takes over and he sits up straight, looks straight into the Esther’s eyes and asks the same question that he asked days ago, before any of this feasting began:

Verse 2, “What is your wish, Queen Esther?

It shall be granted you.

And what is your request?

Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”

It’s the very same question he asked, after Esther had risked her very life, daring to approach the throne of her unpredictable husband, uninvited, yesterday.

Instead of ignoring her and leaving her to be carried away by his bodyguards for execution, which was the penalty suffered by any who would bother the busy king … he reached out the golden sceptre in his hands, a sign of invitation … to which the grateful queen approached and touched for refuge.

He asked right then:

, “What is it Queen Esther?

What is your request?

It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Not just did he welcome her into his presence - but he offered her a present, just for showing up - a present of whatever she wanted - up to half of his kingdom.

“Dream big and ask big” - that was his message to her.

But Esther wasn’t ready.

She and all of the Jews in the kingdom had fasted and prayed for 3 days … and she is following the Lord’s lead now - and the time just wasn’t right when the king first asked.

So she asked him to bring Haman and come to a feast she’d already prepared.

He did.

He was only too glad to come.

And while they reclined on couches around the dinner feast - he asks again, in chapter 5:6, ‘What is your wish?

… What is your request?

Even up to half of the kingdom.”

But still - the time wasn’t right.

When you are following the Lord’s lead, there is no need to rush.

No need for panic.

Just follow … just trust and obey.

But now, when the king asks again, for the third time - Esther can’t postpone any longer.

This is where it’s going to get real.

First of all, Esther may be the queen - but she’s already heard of the queen who preceded her, deposed because she insulted the king - and his advisors told him to throw her to the curb.

Now here she is, one woman, in the presence of two men - the king and not just any advisor - but Haman,, the second in command.

Who will the king side with?

Not to mention - this genocide that she is going to complain about and try to stop - sure it may have been Haman’s idea, but the king is the one who gave the go ahead and handed over his signet ring.

Is the king going to feel threatened when Esther complains about the law he gave the thumbs up to?

How does she accuse Haman without incriminating the king, at the same time?

There is the king - the life of everyone in the entire empire is in his hands.

There is Haman, second in power over the entire kingdom, who clearly has the ear of the king and has already whispered dastardly plans into his ears.

This evening, he is asking for nothing.

Only Esther has a request.

And on top of all of that - the king still doesn’t know that his queen, herself, is a Jew.

Esther has been obedient to Mordecai and kept her Jewishness from everyone, including her husband, for all of this time.

She has no idea how he’s going to feel about finding out now.

Will he hate her for keeping a secret for all these years?

Will he hate Jews more than he loves her?

She can’t have any idea right now.

Put yourself in Esther’s place.

Imagine the heart palpitations - this is it.

All of the praying and fasting, all of the planning - - the fate of an entire race of people - GOD’S PEOPLE - rests on how the king responds to the very next words that are going to come out of your mouth ...

.... It’s ‘go-time’.

Deep breath - trying to speak without shaky voice ...

, “Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request.

(4) For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.

If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.”

Whoa! Wait a minute!

“I’ve given you a blank cheque - ask whatever you want … and you aren’t asking for any THING for yourself … you are asking for your life to be spared!

You and your people.”

The king is in shock at Esther’s answer.

But it’s a brilliant answer.

See how Esther has chosen her words so carefully.

She starts in absolute humility … “If I have found favor in your sight, and if it please the king ...”.

And then she quotes the king’s offer back to him: look back at v. 2, the king asks her: “What is your wish … it will be granted you.

And what is your REQUEST … it shall be fulfilled.”

And in Esther’s reply, v 3, “You want to know my WISH and my REQUEST?

My wish .... let my life be granted me for my wish.

My REQUEST - my people for my request.”

And why do I need to ask for that?

Because, , “For we have been sold, I AND MY PEOPLE, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.”

Do those words ring a bell to you, by any chance?

They aren’t original to Esther - she’s quoting directly from the edict that Haman was responsible for … letter sent to every province in the empire.