Esther 8:3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.
It is hard to know with confidence whether or not this plea from Queen Esther took place on the same day as the second feast [though that is the most likely scenario]. Haman did go to see the king early in the morning (cf. 5:14; 6:4) and it is likely that his honoring Mordecai would not have gone past noon which then would suggest that Esther’s feast was prepared for lunch (cf. 6:14). Nevertheless, the point that must be remembered is the fact that the Jews were literally in danger of losing their lives and they knew that time was not their friend. Thus, one can safely assume that the clock had not spun very far before begging the king to rescue them from their coming destruction.
The following list is the chronological order of events:
- The king and Haman came to the feast (7:1).
- After the meal, the king asked Esther what she wanted (7:2).
- Esther appealed to the king and accused Haman (7:3-6).
- The king then stood up and left the room (7:7a).
- Haman stayed and begged Queen Esther to spare his life (7:7b).
- When the king returned, he had Haman arrested and taken to the gallows (7:8-10).
- But just before he was taken away, the king took back his signet ring (cf. 8:2).
- The king gave Haman’s house to Esther (8:1a).
- Esther told the king more about Mordecai (8:1b).
- Mordecai was sent for and brought before the king (8:1b).
- The king gave his signet ring to Mordecai (8:2).
- Esther pleaded for the Jews (8:3-8).
If the beginning of chapter eight did indeed happen the very same night, then Esther 6:1 – 8:8 all took place within one twenty-four-hour period.
However, do not miss the emotion of this verse. The text says that Esther wept before the king. All the tears she had held back through the past two evening feasts and in the presence of the king had finally broken through the dam and were running down her face. Now, if you remember from both Nehemiah (Neh. 2:1-2) and Mordecai (Est. 4:2), it was illegal to show grief and distress in the king’s presence. Yet, what is seen was that the king extended both a listening ear and full protection on behalf of his wife.
Spiritual Truth
Esther bowed down and pleaded her case before the only one who could really make a difference in the world. We should have this same response. After all, we have also been granted free access by our King (Est. 5:2; Rom. 5:2).
