Esther // Chapter Seven
Images by Unsplash.com

Images by Unsplash.com

Esther 7

The Lord wishes to reward each and every one of us. How has He rewarded you today?

Every story, whether it be a novel, a play, a movie, or a TV show, has a “moment of truth,” the part of the story where the character has a make-or-break decision. Does Luke Skywalker kill Darth Vader or show mercy to the villain? Will Frodo throw the ring into Mount Doom or keep the ring for himself?

Queen Esther faces her moment of truth when she has the king and Haman over for dinner a second time. At this point, she has seen evidence that the king has honored Mordecai, so she knows that there’s a chance that the king might listen to her, but Haman was still the king’s Prime Minister and had the king’s trust.

When she finally told the king about her plight and revealed Haman’s plot, there was a moment where the King left as the guards seized Haman. Then the king returned to see Haman throwing himself onto Esther, begging for his life. The king refuses to let Esther be violated, and so Haman was finally taken out of the room and was later sentenced to die in the very gallows that he created for Mordecai.

This was a moment of truth for both Esther and her husband. Esther had to be courageous enough to tell the truth and the King had to prove his loyalty to his wife.

I can’t imagine what was going on in Esther’s head when her husband left the room, leaving her with the man who was plotting the murder of her family and her people. We can only speculate that perhaps the king walked away in anger and disbelief. His trust in his prime minister is completely broken and his wife has revealed herself to be a Jew.

Esther’s courage pays off when the king returns to save her from Haman and his loyalty is shown when he has Haman executed and helps her plan a way for her family and her people to defend themselves.

Reflect: Think of a time when your faith was put to the test. How did you act? What would you have done differently? Many relationships are often put to the test. Reflect on the ones where you and your significant other (you can also think of a family member or a friend) came out stronger and the times where there was a fallout. What were the differences in those situations?

Act: Pray for those whose relationships are being tested or torn apart.