Esther 7:1 (KJV)
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

There is in this passage a portrait of immense proportions. Of course, as with any metaphor drawn from the Bible, one must take care what authority he gives his imagination.

Picture this:

Esther faces a huge burden.
In an effort to address the burden she prepares a banquet.

• She does not drown herself in pity
• She does not seclude herself in privacy 
• She does not demand others to care for her
• She faces her trouble with service. 

Esther invites both the source of the trouble and the one who is able to resolve her trouble to her banquet
The king and Haman are both invited and both attend. It is then she presents her trouble to the king and identifies its source. From there she is quiet and leaves the rest of the matter to the king.

I think I can see many ways to apply this image.

• In family
• In times of financial trouble 
• At work

I leave it to the reader to apply it to whatever are their circumstances.

I see an application at church.
Church is, in many respects, a banquet set to resolve trouble. We are strangers and pilgrims in this world. We come to church to serve the Lord and face our troubles. We invite all who share our trouble. Our enemy, Satan, comes too. Every Sunday we present our trouble to the Lord, we identify our enemy and we leave it to God to address him.

I picture our enemy, Sunday after Sunday pleading, not with God but with us, to have mercy upon him. Some give it to him.

• They do not bring their trouble to the altar 
• They do not come to be saved
• They do not present themselves for baptism
• They do not unite with the local church 
• They do not get right with God

Those who refuse mercy on this enemy find the promise of God’s Word is true; submit to God, draw nigh to Him, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

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Esther 7:1 (KJV) Refuse Mercy To This Enemy

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