Esther Reading Plan – W9D2
Esther Reading Plan | Week 9 | Day 2
Prayer
Take thirty seconds to be silent. Be still and listen to yourself breathing. This will help you to be present to hear from God. As you listen to your breathing, thank God for your breath and thank Him for his Words that they might breathe life into you today.
Bible Reading: Esther 7:5-10
Read these verses three times slowly.
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”
The king said, “Impale him on it!” So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
Reflection & Questions
Yesterday, Esther made her petition to the king. “Spare my people,” she said. She had no idea how the king would respond. In today’s reading, we see that the king listens and wants to help. He is furious and is very much protective of Esther and her people. He wants the man who was up to this act punished. Esther names Haman, and Haman’s demise is sealed. They impaled him on the pole that Haman had set up for Mordecai. It doesn’t get more ironic than this! It’s been said you reap what you sow. Haman certainly reaped from the hate and murderous plotting he was doing. Justice was done.
Our God is a God of justice. He does not let things simply go. When we do wrong, things must be made right. This is why our sin is such a big problem. Our ignorant and rebellious ways deserve separation from God. He can’t be in the presence of sin. Yet He loves us and wants us with Him. How does He reconcile His love and justice? Through Jesus. Jesus pays the price for the debt we owe. He takes our place, so that we can be set free. The perfect for the imperfect. God’s justice, mercy and grace all meet together in the sacrifice of His son on our behalf.
- What differences does it make in our lives that God is a God of justice?
- What differences does it make in our lives that God is a God of mercy and grace?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Prepare to Meet with Jesus
Find a quiet place to read and pray. Make sure there are no devices around that will distract you. Pray and ask God to help you concentrate. Ask Him to help you understand what you read.
Bible Reading: Esther 7:3-4
Read these verses three times slowly.
Then Queen Esther answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you will be pleased to let me live. That’s what I want. Please spare my people. That’s my appeal to you. My people and I have been sold to be destroyed. We’ve been sold to be killed and wiped out. Suppose we had only been sold as male and female slaves. Then I wouldn’t have said anything. That kind of suffering wouldn’t be a good enough reason to bother you.”
Reflection & Questions
At any moment, King Xerxes could have ordered Queen Esther to be put to death. If he wasn’t happy with what she was asking of him, he could have just pointed at her and she would have been killed. She wasn’t just asking for her life to be spared, but also for the lives of all her people who he had already sentenced to die. She must have been so scared!
But she did it! She summoned up all of her courage and asked him not to kill her people AND to let her live as well. She probably sat there with her knees knocking while she waited for him to respond!
Think about a time when you have had to do something that made you really nervous. Maybe raising your hand in class to answer a question. Or going in front of a crowd to play a sport. Perhaps talking to your parents or teacher about something bad that a classmate did at school made you really anxious.
You and Queen Esther both have access to a great source of help and strength. When you have to summon all of your courage, remember that God can help you find it! You are never alone when you have to do difficult things. Just ask God to be there with you!
- Have you ever been super nervous about something you had to do? What did you do to calm yourself down?
- What are some situations that God has helped you through in the past? Remember that He will be there to help you through tough stuff in the future too.
Pray
Thank God for always being with you, even during the most difficult times. Ask for him to give you courage when you need it and to help you choose to do the right thing.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
