Introduction
Esther 6:14—7:10: Today’s reading describes the second banquet Queen Esther hosts for King Xerxes and Haman (see Esther 5:7). She now reveals her Jewish identity to the king and begs him to save her people from their persecutor, Haman. The king is outraged and has Haman executed on his own gallows.
Today’s Key Verse: Esther 7:3 GNT
Queen Esther answered, “If it please Your Majesty to grant my humble request, my wish is that I may live and that my people may live.”
Read
14 While they were still talking, the palace eunuchs arrived in a hurry to take Haman to Esther’s banquet.
7 And so the king and Haman went to eat with Esther 2 for a second time. Over the wine the king asked her again, “Now, Queen Esther, what do you want? Tell me and you shall have it. I’ll even give you half the empire.”
3 Queen Esther answered, “If it please Your Majesty to grant my humble request, my wish is that I may live and that my people may live. 4 My people and I have been sold for slaughter. If it were nothing more serious than being sold into slavery, I would have kept quiet and not bothered you about it; but we are about to be destroyed—exterminated!”
5 Then King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who dares to do such a thing? Where is this man?”
6 Esther answered, “Our enemy, our persecutor, is this evil man Haman!”
Haman faced the king and queen with terror. 7 The king got up in a fury, left the room, and went outside to the palace gardens. Haman could see that the king was determined to punish him for this, so he stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. 8 He had just thrown himself down on Esther’s couch to beg for mercy, when the king came back into the room from the gardens. Seeing this, the king cried out, “Is this man going to rape the queen right here in front of me, in my own palace?”
The king had no sooner said this than the eunuchs covered Haman’s head. 9 Then one of them, who was named Harbonah, said, “Haman even went so far as to build a gallows at his house so that he could hang Mordecai, who saved Your Majesty’s life. And it’s seventy-five feet tall!”
“Hang Haman on it!” the king commanded.
10 So Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger cooled down.
Reflect
As he had done at the previous banquet (see Esther 5:6), Xerxes asks Esther what she wants from him. What is her request (verses 3–4)? How does Haman react to the accusation (verses 7–8)? How is Haman’s own plan used against him? Have you faced situations where bad leaders have been exposed? What might this teach us about humility?
Pray
Lord God, you bring everything into the light. Rescue us in times of darkness; let us see your works and know that you are always with us. Give us courage to face dangers and stand boldly by all who suffer in your name. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
Esther 8:1–17: With approval from King Xerxes, Mordecai encourages the Jews to fight back against their enemies.
