Esther 5:1-8--Esther Prepares a Banquet

Esther 5:1-8
English Standard Version

Esther Prepares a Banquet
5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” 5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. 6 And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 7 Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

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After Esther and her attendants and Mordecai and all the Jews in Susa had fasted and prayed for three days, Esther put on her royal robes and went to go meet the king.  She went to the inner court of the king's palace in front of the king's quarters.  I think she was hoping that she could catch him coming or going, but instead he was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace.  This was the very situation that she had feared because she could not approach him without an invitation.  Whether by any actions of her own or just because his eyes were attuned to look for her, he saw her standing outside in her royal robes.  She won favor in his sight, and he extended the golden scepter to her so that she could touch the end of it and be safe.

He knew that she would not risk coming to him like this under penalty of death if it wasn't important, so he immediately sets aside all other business to ask her what is troubling her.  He said anything that she wanted, he would give her, even up to half of his kingdom.  While it seems like an opportune moment to blurt everything out and maybe start crying, she holds herself together and says that she has prepared a special feast that very day for the king and Haman (his highest official).  It would not be surprising for Haman to get invited to go wherever the king was going.  Esther wined and dined them.  Once again, the king knew something was troubling her and asked her what she wanted, up to half of the kingdom.  She replied that she wanted the two of them to come back for another feast the next day, and then she should tell the king what was on her mind.  What did Haman think of all this?  We'll see that and more next time.