The king was happy to see Esther, and he held out the gold scepter to her. When Esther came up and touched the tip of the scepter, the king said, "Esther, what brings you here? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom." Esther answered, "Your Majesty, please come with Haman to a dinner I will prepare for you ." Haman was feeling great as he left. But when he saw Mordecai at the palace gate, he noticed that Mordecai did not stand up or show him any respect. This made Haman really angry. Haman's wife and friends said to him, "Have a tower built about seventy-five feet high, and tomorrow morning ask the king to hang Mordecai there. Then later, you can have dinner with the king and enjoy yourself." This seemed like a good idea to Haman, and he had the tower built.
The key to the passage lies in the fact that God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness. This intervention by God is clearly an answer to Esther's situation. We see that when motivations are rooted in selfishness, the petition comes to nothing. Esther came into the presence of the king unexpectedly; but instead of becoming enraged the Lord changed him, converting kingly wrath to gentleness. This intimacy with the queen sets the stage for God's deliverance of her uncle Mordecai.
Daily Prayer: Father, you are a god who changes the heart of men. Jesus says that unless a person is born again or changed, he by no means will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. For by grace we are saved through faith. It is a gift of God and not from man so that nobody will boast.
Amen.
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