Chapter Sixteen/She Acted Wisely, Bravely, and Selflessly - She Spoke Up Bravely

Esther dared not test the king's patience any further; at her second banquet, she had to tell al. But how? As it turned out, the king gave her the opportunity, asking again what her petition might be. (Esther 7:2) Esther's "time to speak" had come. 

We may imagine Esther saying a prayer to her God before uttering these words: "If I have favor in your eyes, O king, and if to the king it does seem good, let there be given my own soul at my petition and my people at my request." (Esther 7:3) Notice that she assured the king that she respeted his judgment regarding what seem good. How Esther differed from Vashti, the king's former wife, who purposely humiliated her husband! (Esther 1:10-12) Further, Esther did not criticize her the king for his folly of trusting Haman. Rather, she begged the king to protect her from a danger to her own life.

That request surely moved and amazed the king. Who would dare to endanger his queen? Esther went on: "We have been sold, I and my people, to be annihilated, killed and destroyed. Now if we had been sold for mere men slaves and for mere maid servants, I should have kept silent. But the distress is not appropriate  when with damage to the king." (Esther 7:4) Note that Esther frankly exposed the problem, yet she added that she would have quiet  about it if slavery had been the threat. This genocide, though, would too costly to the king himself to keep quiet about it.

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