Like the Queen You Are

Esther 7:1-3

So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me--that is my petition--and the lives of my people--that is my request.

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Well I'm gonna treat you like the queen you are.
Bring you sweet things from my candy jar.
You've got tricks you ain't never used.
Give it, Give it to me, it won't be abused.

"Wrap It Up" recorded by The Fabulous Thunderbirds from "Tuff Enuf" written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter

One of the ways to understand the story of Esther is that is shows how the Lord protects his own people, even without God's name being uttered. It's true, in the entire book of Esther God's name is never uttered, but all of the Jews in the story know that what happens is by the will of God. Folks who read it thousands of years later are to understand that nothing happens except by the hand of God too.

This makes Esther one of the most unique books in the canon of scripture.

The Jews are in danger, Haman wants to kill the Jews because Esther's guardian, her cousin Mordecai, insulted him. To kill the Jews Haman must convince the king to allow him to execute a horrendous plan. In an earlier thrilling turn of events, Esther becomes Queen. Mordecai convinces Esther to save her people, but that's not so easy either. Seeking an audience with the king can be dangerous, even for the queen.

As the old saying goes, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," so Esther takes that route. Her work is met with success and the king asks "What is her petition." She asks the king to save her people from Haman's wrath.

The king grants Esther an audience because she did what she needed to do to get that audience. He grants her wish because her request was just and because she treated her king with honor. Because she treated him with honor, he did the same. He treated her like the queen she is. Because she treated him with honor, her honor was not abused, it was returned in kind.

She and her people were saved.

Showing honor to the honorable brings honor. Giving God the honor brings honor too.