以斯帖的第二次筵席
以斯帖记七章1至10节
1王带着哈曼来赴王后以斯帖的筵席。
2这第二次在酒席筵前，王又问以斯帖说：“王后以斯帖啊，你要甚么？我必赐给你；你求甚么？就是国的一半，也必为你成就。”
3王后以斯帖回答说：“我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若以为美，我所愿的，是愿王将我的性命赐给我；我所求的，是求王将我的本族赐给我。
4因我和我的本族被卖了，要剪除杀戮灭绝我们。我们若被卖为奴为婢，我也闭口不言，但王的损失，敌人万不能补足。”
5亚哈随鲁王问王后以斯帖说：“擅敢起意如此行的是谁？这人在哪里呢？”
6以斯帖说：“仇人敌人就是这恶人哈曼！”哈曼在王和王后面前就甚惊惶。
7王便大怒，起来离开酒席往御园去了。哈曼见王定意要加罪与他，就起来，求王后以斯帖救命。
8王从御园回到酒席之处，见哈曼伏在以斯帖所靠的榻上。王说：“他竟敢在宫内、在我面前凌辱王后吗？”这话一出王口，人就蒙了哈曼的脸。
9伺候王的一个太监名叫哈波拿说：“哈曼为那救王有功的末底改做了五丈高的木架，现今立在哈曼家里！”王说：“把哈曼挂在其上！”
10于是，人将哈曼挂在他为末底改所预备的木架上。王的忿怒这才止息。
信息分享
吃得尽兴，亚哈随鲁王再问以斯帖想要甚么，仍许诺无论甚么，连国的一半也愿意给她。于是，以斯帖靠着神赐予的力量，将事情的始末告诉王。王严词追问：「那人是谁？我必处罚他。」以斯帖指着哈曼说：「就是这个恶人。」
王的反应出人意料，王突然起来，走出御园；他也许是太震惊和忿怒了，想不到他一直信任和恩赐的哈曼竟如此欺骗他。过了一会，他从御园回来，却看见哈曼求以斯帖救命。当时的筵席，客人都是半卧在一个长榻上，而不是坐在椅子上。当哈曼求她饶命时，必是已半伏在以斯帖的榻上。
王的话不多，却足以定哈曼死罪。他的一名侍从知道哈曼为末底改造的那个木架，于是便告诉王。王厉言回应说：「把哈曼挂在上面。」
神曾经多次强有力地介入以拯救祂的子民。祂有时会使用人为器皿，例如摩西、士师或先知等。有时，祂又会亲自直接行动。这位全能的神永远如一，祂更是我们的天父，心里只关心我们的福祉。我们可以时刻信靠祂。让我们唱这首诗歌：「救世主凡事引导我，我何需别有所求？」今日更增强我们的信心。
ESTHER’S SECOND BANQUET
Esther 7:1-10
1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther.
2 And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4 For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?”
6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.
8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?”
As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.”
Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.
Message
Having eaten well, Xerxes asked again what favour Esther wanted, still promising anything up to half of his kingdom. Then Esther, in strength given to her by God Himself, told the whole story to the king. He responded with the strong words, “Name the man and I will deal with him.” Esther pointed to Haman, saying, “There is the vile and wicked man himself.”
In a rather unexpected reaction, the King got up and walked out. Perhaps he was shocked and angry to think that he had been taken in by Haman whom he had trusted and honoured. In a few minutes he returned, only to find Haman begging Esther for his life. At banquets such as this, the guests reclined on couches rather than on chairs and Haman must have half-fallen on to Esther’s couch as he pleaded with her.
Xerxes said very little but it was enough to condemn Haman. One of his attendants knew about the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordecai and mentioned this to the king. His reply was abrupt, “Hang Haman on them.”
There are many other occasions when God has powerfully intervened on behalf of His people. He has sometimes used a human vessel, such as Moses or one of the judges or prophets. At other times it has been by His own direct action. He is still the Almighty God and is our Heavenly Father who has only our best interests at heart. We can trust Him now and always. Why not sing a verse of “All the way my Saviour leads me, what have I to ask beside?” It will strengthen your faith for today.