Bible with Brandi – Week 3 – Esther Chapters 5-7

Esther chapters 5-7 invite us into a scene that feels strikingly familiar within Scripture. For the second and third time in the book (the first occurring in chapter 1, when Queen Vashti is summoned before the king’s feast), we encounter language and atmosphere that echo another well-known moment found later in the Gospels, in the court of King Herod.

In both settings, a woman stands before a powerful ruler and is offered extraordinary favor: “Ask what you wish, and it will be given to you—up to half the kingdom.” The similarity in wording is unmistakable (see Mark 6). These parallel scenes invite us to slow down and consider not only purity of heart and purpose, but also discernment, timing, and the gravity of a request made in the presence of a king.

In one account, a young girl, shaped by the influence of her mother, makes a request that reflects vengeance and personal grievance, resulting in the death of a prophet of God. In the other, a young woman, formed by the faithful guidance of her guardian, approaches the king with humility and restraint, seeking deliverance for her people who have been marked for destruction.

Both requests are made in moments of heightened emotion. Both are framed as appeals for justice. Yet as the narratives unfold, Scripture gently reveals how the source of our counsel, the posture of our hearts, and the purposes we seek to advance all matter deeply. One request flows from manipulation and fear; the other from trust, courage, and surrender to the unseen hand of God.

As the book of Esther continues, we witness the quiet but unmistakable judgment of God through a great reversal. Mordecai, who has faithfully and quietly served in the king’s court for years, is finally seen and honored. His loyalty, integrity, and patience—long overlooked—are brought into the light at precisely the appointed time. Haman, by contrast, who sought his own elevation and the destruction of the righteous, is hanged on the very gallows he prepared for another.

This reversal is not born of human revenge, but of divine justice. God exalts the humble, humbles the proud, and reminds us that faithfulness practiced in obscurity is never forgotten. Even when His name is unspoken, His righteous governance is steadily, sovereignly at work.

Reflection Questions:

• Who or what most shapes your counsel when you are facing a difficult decision?

• When you bring a request before the Lord, what posture does your heart most often take—haste, fear, control, trust?

• Are there areas of quiet faithfulness in your life that feel unseen or overlooked right now?

• How might God be inviting you to wait, trust, or act with courage rather than urgency?

• What would it look like to entrust both justice and timing fully into God’s hands?

Take a moment to sit with these questions in prayer, asking the Lord to gently reveal where He is at work—even in the hidden places.