Esther was so wise in her approach to the king. The two-day banquet certainly warmed the king to her. Her gentle come back tomorrow after the first banquet must have aroused his curiosity. Providing fine wine, which would be normal, certainly eased the king into good spirits. On day two when his curiosity couldn’t handle it any more the king asked Esther her request. Then, and only then, in the strongest of terms she blurts out her predicament.
[T]he king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” … (2-6).
Oh, the tact and power in her approach. Haman was caught in a vice of his own making. His disgust at the Jews as a people and his drive for power signed his death warrant.
But back to Esther, her tact in creating the context coupled with the fierceness of her request, proved brilliant in winning the king to her side with no option for rebuttal by Haman.
If only we, God’s people today, would use such wisdom and tact in our world to make strides for God’s reign and the advance of the Gospel around the world.
During the summer I studied Luke 16 and the parable of the dishonest, yet shrewd, steward (Luke 16:1-8). Jesus sums up His point from the parable with verse 8, “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
Jesus made the point that His followers needed to be as shrewd advancing Jesus’ agenda as this worldly steward was advancing his agenda.
Tact, wisdom, and cunning should be some of our weapons, supported of course by prayer, as we labor for Jesus the king.
What do you think and what do you see in this chapter of God’s Word?
Lord, give me tact and winsomeness as I speak of You. Today, in particular, I have an appointment where these gifts of tact and wisdom will be highly helpful. Please send these gifts as I speak of You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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