Plead With the King

Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

Esther 8:3

Esther’s safety is beyond question at this point. King Xerxes has already put his second in command to death in order to protect her, so she isn’t in danger. And now that Xerxes has made Mordecai his new second in command, I think Mordecai’s safety is certain too. Which raises an interesting question. Will that be enough for Esther? Will she be satisfied with having secured safety for herself and her adoptive father? Is Esther going to forget that her people still have a death sentence hanging over their heads? Or is she going to see this thing through and save the Jews in Persia from the evil plan Haman put in place to kill them all?

Thankfully, Esther saw it through. Notice how strong the language of Esther 8:3 is. Esther “pleaded.” She “fell at the king’s feet.” She “wept!” And she “begged him” to put an end to Haman’s plan. 

In other words, Esther interceded on behalf of her people. Before, Haman had died there was at least some chance that Esther would share in their fate. But now, Esther is certainly free from that danger. Yet, she still selflessly intercedes on their behalf before the king.

How often do you do the same? When was the last time you shed tears over someone else’s plight, their pain, their danger? When was the last time you wept for your brother or sister in Christ? When was the last time you interceded (prayed) on their behalf? When was the last time you fell at the feet of the king and pleaded with Him and begged Him to meet the needs of your brothers and sisters in Christ?

I want to encourage you to think of someone right now who is carrying a burden and commit to pray for them this week.

A Gentle Answer

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. 2 When he 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...

Esther 5:1-2

Esther's people are facing genocide. She herself is having to risk her life to try to save them. And her husband, King Xerxes, has been so negligent in his duties that he has unwittingly approved the plot.

I think Esther has every reason to be angry. She has every reason to be scared. And, since she hasn’t eaten in three days, she has every reason to be in a bad mood. But in the midst of all these valid emotions, Esther has to successfully navigate a dangerous situation full of political intrigue to try to save the lives of her people. Literally, tens of thousands of lives (if not more) will be affected by how Esther handles this situation.

So, how does Esther handle this volatile situation? Did she waltz right up to the king and gave him a piece of her mind? No. She didn’t do that. In fact, Esther didn’t approach the king at all at first. She didn’t even enter into the King’s Hall. Verse 1 says that she stood in the inner court where the king could see her from his throne. And apparently she waited (patiently and humbly) for the king to notice her and hold out his scepter to invite her to come forward and have an audience with him.

And if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that Esther defers making her request until the King has come to two separate banquets that she prepares for him. Why? Why doesn’t she just come right out and ask King Xerxes to save her people?

As I was thinking about this question a certain proverb came to mind. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Esther could have marched up to the King and given him a piece of her mind. She could have approached King Xerxes with harsh words and she probably wouldn’t have gotten very far. But instead, she was wise. Esther and her people were under Haman’s wrath. Now, it wasn’t going to do her much good to appeal to Haman, but if she played her cards right, a gentle answer to the king, just might turn away Haman’s wrath. So, that is what Esther set out to do.

Esther fought genocide with patience, gentleness, shrewdness, and meekness. There is a lesson here for us. So often we make the difficulties and conflicts in our lives worse by how we respond to them. Very rarely do we respond to wrath with a gentle answer. Very rarely are we patient or gentle when we feel that we (or the people we love) have been attacked. But responding with harsh words and impatience and anger… only makes the situation worse. It only pours gasoline on the fire.

Strive to be more like Esther. Strive to have enough faith that God is at work that you don’t have to go off half-cocked. You don’t have to be harsh in your response. Instead, if you will be gentle, wise, shrewd, and patient… more often than not, it will lead to a better outcome.

Unaware

Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

Esther 4:5

If you are familiar with the story of Esther, then you know that wicked Haman went to King Xerxes and put a plan in motion to produce an edict that declared that all the Jews in Persia—young and old, women and children were to be destroyed, killed and annihilated and their goods were to be plundered. (Esther 3:13) A literal genocide had been planned against the Jews in Persia.

But apparently, as queen, Esther was insulated from a lot that went on in the kingdom because it does not appear that she knew about this edict. Mordecai had to tell her. Think about that! Esther’s people are in grave danger. They are about to be wiped out… and Esther is completely unaware. She is so insulated that she isn’t aware of the suffering of her own people.

Is that true of you? I would argue that American Christians are pretty insulated from the persecution and danger that Christians face in other parts of the world. It would be pretty easy for us to be unaware of that or even to ignore it. Do you?

When was the last time you prayed for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith… who are in danger of being martyred for their faith? How often do you think about the plight of Christians in Iran, in North Korea, in China, or in Nigeria?

Honestly, I don’t think about them nearly enough. I doubt you do either. So, I want to encourage you to make a point to pray for persecuted believers this week. Pray for the Christians who live in these hostile places to be bold in their witness and wise in how they conduct themselves. Pray for the orphans and widows of Christian martyrs. And consider giving to an organization like Voice of the Martyrs that ministers to persecuted believers and their families. Let’s not be unaware.

Submit When You Don't Have To

But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

Esther 2:20

Esther is now the queen of Persia! She has wealth and power at her disposal. As Esther's adoptive father, Mordecai has no authority over her anymore! But Esther didn’t allow the power and the money and the position to harden her heart or turn her rebellious. Instead, she remembered the man who took her in as his own daughter when she was orphaned. And Esther chose to continue to honor her adoptive father and submit to his advice… even when she didn’t have to anymore.

In this way, Esther sets an example for us to follow. Many of us chafe under authority. I mean who likes having someone tell you what to do? No one! And oftentimes we are far too eager to break free from and get out from under the godly, loving authorities that God has placed in our lives... like our parents.

Let Esther be a reminder to you that even as adults we can honor our parents and submit to their instruction. If you are blessed enough to have godly people like that in your life, then avoid the temptation to be proud and rebellious. Choose to submit yourself to the advice of the godly even when you don't have to. Often, that's the wisest course. Because often… they actually know what they are talking about.