The story of Queen Esther in the Bible is a reminder that favour can open doors that are closed. Esther, also known as Hadassah, arose to the position of a queen spearheaded by favour from multiple directions. As a Queen, she was faced with a life-threatening demand that put her life and that of her people in jeopardy. This desire of Haman to kill all the Jews caused fear and panic among the Jews all over the provinces of King Xerxes. Esther, being a queen and a Jew was called upon to save her people. However, Esther was in a delima; “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” (Esther 4:11). Esther needed access to the king to present her petition. How did Esther navigate this and what lessons can we learn from this story?
Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
(Esther 5:3)
Trust in God: Although the book of Esther does not explicitly mention the name of God, we see the hand of God at work in different ways to bring deliverance. Esther’s approach to going before the king without a summons was to declare a fast; “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16). This spiritual exercise declared their faith in the Supreme God to help Esther receive positive feedback from the king. Esther and the Jews understood that “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” (Proverbs 21:1). By trusting in God, Esther and the Jews declared God as their ultimate source of help.
Present yourself appropriately before the king: After Esther and the Jews had spent three days interceding for Esther to have favour before the king, she went to the king to present her case. Esther 5:1 states that “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.” Remember, Esther did not change the dress code because they had fasted. She was in her royal robes and was dressed for the occasion. She wasn’t in sack clothes demonstrating her sadness. She was ready to catch the attention of the king. When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. (Esther 5:2). Irrespective of the challenges we face in life, our self presentation should not be affected. One of the things I learnt from Jesus’ teaching on fasting is our physical outlook when we are waiting upon the Lord. In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” God is not interested in seeing us look decrepit. We should not look like our painful circumstance, we should present ourselves to confuse the situation.
Present your case in the most appropriate manner: How we present our petition can make or unmake our needs. Esther was approved by the king. In Esther 5:2, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Right after, the king asked Esther for her request. It was obvious that Esther risked her life for something important. You would have expected Esther to tell the king her request but no. She did something different.
“Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” (Esther 5:3-4).
A banquet with the king was Esther’s request. Even after the first banquet, Esther still knew the time was not yet ready so she invited the king and Haman to another banquet the next day. What happened between the first and second banquet was that Mordecai was delivered and exonerated from a wicked death plot. On the night of the second day of the banquet when the king was drinking wine, he asked again; “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” (Esther 7:2). Esther knew that it was time and she carefully presented her petition;
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” (Esther 7:3-4).
Boldness: Esther had built up her petition from a lowly non-presumptive manner. First, she went to the king in all her glory. Second she invited the king and the man who had plotted the death of the Jews for a 2-day feast. Third she mentioned her request that her life and that of her people were in danger. At this point, after being treated to these amazing dinners and drinks, the king was furious that anybody could even think of hurting his beautiful queen. King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” (Esther 7:5). Esther did not mince words. She came out boldly and declared: “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” (Esther 7:6). At this, Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Esther was not given to fear, she knew that if she misses the opportunity to make things right, her people will be in trouble and she might likely not be spared. She knew that per the message of Mordecai to her, if she remained silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but she and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that God favoured Esther above all other maidens to this royal position for such a time as this to rescue the Jews (Esther 4:14).
At that moment, the petition was overturned and the Jews were empowered to defend themselves against their enemies. Haman and his entire family faced a bitter judgement: they perished in place of the Jews. Esther was favoured by the king but the deliverance of the Jews demanded that Esther and the Jews work together to overthrow the wicked plans of Haman. Favour took Esther to the palace but to succeed, she needed great grace and the wisdom of God.
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