So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “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.” 3 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.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” 6 And Esther said, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Esther 7:1-6 ESV
Esther was a courageous woman. She would risk her life to save her people by approaching the king without being summoned. However, Esther also showed that a brave response does not mean a loud and hasty reaction. A brave response also needs to be well-planned and waits for God’s timing and wisdom.
Esther had prepared for this day through prayer and fasting. In this second feast Esther hosted for the king and Haman, the king asked Esther what he could do for her for the third time. Finally, this was the right moment for her to present her request. Instead of bursting into tears and pleading for her people, Esther carefully framed her request. She appealed on a personal basis. She pleaded with the king to save her and her people. And then she pointed to Haman as the mastermind behind the scheme to destroy every Jew in Persia. She had chosen her moment and words carefully. The appeal of Esther was courageous and wise.
God did not intervene in Esther’s life in a burning bush or parting of a sea. But we can see Him at work through Esther’s obedience. At times when she had to wait, she prayed and waited. Then, when it was time to act, she acted with courage and wisdom despite not knowing what would happen next. When she obeyed the sovereign God and His timing, God equipped her and made all things work together perfectly.
I’ve never seen God showing up in lightning and thunder in my life. But time after time, I can see Him at work through our obedience. He will provide us when we choose to be His vessel and work according to His time and calling. May God give us the courage and wisdom like Esther to do the good work with Him and for Him.
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