Asking your enemy to dinner sounds crazy. Why did Esther delay asking the king for mercy for the Jews? She was a Jew, and Haman had tricked the king into making an irrevocable decree to kill them. Her cousin Mordecai had requested she ask for mercy earlier. Esther had responded by asking him and the other Jews to fast for three days first. She knew that if the king didn’t extend his scepter to her unexpected presence, she would be killed. But she would die when the decree went into effect, so she was willing to take the chance.
A Unusual Request
One would expect Esther to tell the king the whole story as soon as she had his attention, but she doesn’t. Instead, she asks the king and her enemy, Haman, to dinner that evening. I think Esther did this because she knew the king wasn’t ready to hear that his second-in-command was a scoundrel.
The king didn’t know that the decree he had allowed Haman to write would kill Jews. Haman had only referred to them as people who didn’t follow their laws. The king also did not know Esther was a Jew. Mordecai had forbidden Esther to reveal she was a Jew, and she had obeyed him, even as the queen.
The Right Place
Esther made the dinner request in the throne room. Here, other public officials surrounded the king. Esther would have had no way of knowing where these officials stood politically. If they were Haman’s men, there would have been strong opposition to her story.
This also would have been a very emotional time for her. First, she would have been relieved that the king extended his scepter, and she still lived. Then, she would have to give voice to the horrible end planned for her people. Publicly weeping would have been a breach of palace etiquette. It would be safer for her to tell the story in the privacy of their apartment than the throne room.
Wisdom for Patience
Esther, Mordecai, and the other Jews had been fasting for three days before Esther’s audience with the king. The book of Esther doesn’t mention prayer, but fasting is associated with prayer everywhere else in the Bible. I think they all were praying for favor for Esther with the king. Esther needed wisdom to navigate this tricky situation.
Esther is a model for us today. We often need Godly wisdom and patience to deal with life situations. James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. [1] Wisdom can often help us be patient and tune into God’s timing. Proverbs 25:15 Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.[2] Don’t be surprised by God’s surprising guidance in your life.
To learn more about asking your enemy to dinner, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/esthers-request
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.