The Christ Quarter

How One Queen’s Courage Exposed Evil And Saved A People

• Boris Kirk • Season 6 • Episode 83

Share episode

A quiet banquet turns into a reckoning. We open Esther 7 and follow the swift arc from hidden identity to bold petition, from a trusted official’s exposure to a chilling moment of justice on the very gallows he built. Along the way, we unpack how courage pairs with timing, how clear language can disarm deceit, and why faith often moves through ordinary rooms and imperfect people.

We start with the stakes inside the Persian court: a coerced “pageant” that placed Esther in power without freedom, a lethal decree engineered by pride, and a king unaware of the trap set in his name. Esther moves with patience - two banquets, careful words, and a decision to risk herself in the danger.

When the moment arrives, she names the harm plainly and points to Haman without rhetoric. The mask slips; panic accelerates his downfall and the king sees betrayal and impropriety in one single dramatic scene. The reversal is sharp, but the text’s deeper current is steadier - justice has a long memory, and humility outlasts vanity.

We draw out practical wisdom for everyday courage. Preparation matters; prayer steadies the hand and truth told simply can carry its own weight. Esther models how to confront harm without spectacle, to honor authority without surrendering conscience, and to act for the common good with the cost in view.

For anyone facing a hard conversation at work, at home, or in their own community, this story offers a framework. Wait well, speak clearly, and anchor your goals & plans with faith & prayer.

Listen for insights on spiritual discernment, power & responsibility, and the faith that God is already at work.

If this reflection strengthens your faith or equips your voice, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it. Your thoughts and stories help us grow.

What truth do you feel called to say today?

===

Esther 7:1 - 10

1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he ha

Send us a text

Support the show

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Christ Quarter. I'm so glad you're here with me to take 15 minutes of this day to enjoy the presence of Christ and the words of Christ. Today we will read a section of Scripture and discuss what it means and how it applies to our lives. It is my hope that God will speak to you through these words and bring you closer to Him. I am blessed to have this opportunity to speak with you, and I thank you so much for being with me here today. Today's scriptur selection is Esther chapter 7, verses 1 through 10. And today we have a special guest who will read the King James Version for us.

SPEAKER_00:

So the king and Hammond came to the banquet with Esther the Queen. And the king said again unto Esther, on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther the Queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please thee, King, let my life be given to me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we have been sold for the bondmen and the bond women, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. Then the king Asherus answered and said unto Esther, the queen, Who is he? Where is he? That durst presume in his heart to do so. And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Hammond. Then Hammond was afraid before the king and queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden, and Hammond stood up to make request for his life to Esther the Queen. And he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the palace of the banquet of wine, and Hammond was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then he said to the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Hammond's face. And Harbonna, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also the gallows fifty cubits high, which Hannon had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Hammond. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Hannon on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

SPEAKER_01:

Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the freedom and the ability to discuss your word and enjoy your presence. Help us to understand your word and your will for our daily lives more fully. We ask that you bless this discussion of your word that it will speak to someone who needs to hear from you. We ask that you will use these words to bring someone closer to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The verses for today are dramatic. We find the Jews of Susa during the reign of Ahazu Eres in danger due to a command to kill all Jews in Persia. It is somewhat ironic that these particular Jews are in danger because they chose to remain in Persia even after they have been given the opportunity to return to their homes. Our main subject today, Esther, was an orphan whose uncle Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter. She caught the eye of the king during a beauty pageant. Mordecai had told Esther not to reveal her Jewish heritage during the beauty pageant, presumably out of a fear that the king might have a bias against Jews. Today we think of beauty pageants as a celebration, and many ladies worked very hard to do well in them. In Esther's time, this was not the case. Participation in the beauty pageant was not voluntary, and the winner became the queen, which also sounds nice, but in actuality, the queen was not much more than a well cared for slave to the king. The king's previous queen had been dismissed for not hurrying to the king's side when called for. The fact that winning the pageant was not desirable along with the fact that there was a command in place to kill all the Jews, of which Esther was one, shows the danger she was walking into. Esther was very purposefully using her courage and her love of her people to save her people. The scriptures for today paint a powerful and dramatic scene. Let's get right to it. The first section of today's text, verses one through four, reads So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the Queen, and the king said again unto Esther on the second day of the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee, and what is thy request, and it shall be performed, even up to half the kingdom. Then Esther the Queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we have been sold for bond men and bond women, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. In these scriptures we find Esther speaking with the king on the second day of this banquet. Esther had requested the banquet due to her uncle Mordecai having warned her that Hamad is taking action to destroy all the Jews in Persia. On this second day, by having made the king wait, she has his full attention. Then she makes her petition known. Esther intentionally includes herself in her petition. She's not only asking for the lives of people in danger, she's asking for her own life as well. She also stresses the danger that she and her people face by describing Haman's intentions in three different ways. They are to be destroyed, they are to be slain, and they are to perish. Esther ends her request with diplomacy, saying that she's only speaking of this situation due to the extreme danger she and her people are in. The second section of today's text, verses five through eight, reads, Then the king, Ahazureus, answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he? And where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen, and the king arising from the banquet of wine and his wrath, went into the palace garden. And Hamelan stood up to make request for his life to Esther the Queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine, and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. The king is apparently unaware of this plan to kill the Jews, and is likely just learning that Esther is a Jew. Prior to this, Esther may have been worried that the king may have been aware of Haman's plan and supported it. She must have been relieved to find out that this was not the case. She then points out Haman as not only her adversary and a wicked man, but also as the enemy. Haman has likely been listening to this conversation, unable to stop it or to leave. Now he knows the full extent of the danger he faces. The king is now aware of Haman's misuse of power and disloyalty. Haman can only wait for the king's reaction. King Ahazu Eres is very angry. He walks into the garden, fuming. He is likely also in shock, realizing who his trusted official and likely his friend truly is. Haman takes this opportunity of the king's momentary absence to approach Esther and beg her help in saving his life. During these banquets, the participants usually lounge on bed-like sofas. Esther is reclining on one of these as Haman approaches her and falls down next to her. Just as he does so, the king returns. We do not know exactly what the king had planned to say because his first statement is one of anger that Haman has broken royal protocol and approached the king's queen, and not only approached her, but is lain down next to her. Haman appears to be about to force himself on the queen. At this point his fate is sealed. The last section of today's text, verses nine and ten, reads, And Harboron, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also the gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified. At this point, Harborno speaks up, likely at some risk of his own life, to point out that Haman has recently erected a high gallows about seventy-five feet high. The irony of this is that Haman has had this gallows built extra high to execute Mordecai in as humiliating a fashion as possible. He plans to execute Mordecai by hanging him high enough for everyone to see his death. Unfortunately for Haman, Mordecai had previously saved the king's life. If the king had any hesitation in executing Haman, this fact put that totally away. The king then ordered that Haman be executed on the gallow. Haman himself had just had built. That concludes our scripture discussion for today. Thank you for spending this time with me talking about, learning about, and enjoying Christ. It is my hope that God has used my words to touch you today and has brought you closer to Him. Please contact me if you wish to have further information about Christ. Let us pray. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.