以斯帖記 第五章 Esther 5
- 馬克牧師
- May 16
- 6 min read
各位平安，今天我們一起來讀《以斯帖記》第五章。
昨天的經文留下了一個懸念——所有的猶太人，和以斯帖自己，都禁食禱告三天。為什麼？因為她準備冒著生命危險進入皇宮，沒有被召見就去見王，這可是違反命令的事，隨時可能會死在那裡。
但以斯帖決定挺身而出。她穿上朝服，盛裝出現在王面前，用她第一次見王時的那份姿態，再次博得王的喜悅。果然，王向她伸出了手中的金杖——這是赦免她冒犯的記號，還對她說：「王后啊，你想要什麼？就算是我國的一半，我也願意給你！」
當然，這話帶有誇張，是皇帝想顯得慷慨。但這也為以斯帖開啟了一條路，而她的做法非常聰明。
她沒有立刻說出她的請求，而是邀請王和哈曼來參加一場由她親自下廚的筵席。你沒聽錯，皇后親自下廚，這在宮中可是極大的榮寵！可奇怪的是，以斯帖在這場盛宴上，並沒有立刻說出她的請求。即使王第二次對她說：「你要什麼都可以說，我一定答應你。」她仍然選擇再等等，只說：「明天你們再來吃一次飯。明天我再講」
我們不知道以斯帖為什麼還要再拖延一天，經文並沒有解釋。但我們可以看到的是，那場宴席對哈曼來說，實在是太風光了。他心中無比快樂——畢竟，能跟皇后還有皇帝一起吃飯，這可是天大的榮耀，滿朝文武誰有這樣的面子？
哈曼帶著滿腔的得意走出皇宮，卻立刻撞見了他的死對頭——末底改。末底改依然連起身都不願意，更別提向他鞠躬了。哈曼氣得腦門都快炸開，這口氣他實在吞不下去。
於是他忍著怒氣回家，把妻子和朋友們找來，細細講述今天是如何在皇宮裡與皇帝、皇后一同赴宴的光榮時刻。但很明顯，他內心最在意的，不是這份榮耀，而是那個唯一不肯低頭的人——末底改。
這種執念有多深？簡直像是他們之間有不共戴天之仇。末底改不死，哈曼就不甘心。
於是他聽從了妻子和朋友的建議——立一根木架，明天就把末底改掛在上面。根據英文本的記載，那根木架高達75英呎，換算過來差不多是22公尺，也就是四、五層樓高！
這不只是要殺他，而是要讓全城的人都看見這個人的下場。從這裡我們可以看出，哈曼和他身邊人的心有多毒。這場報復，不只是私人的仇恨，更是一場公開羞辱。
我們可以感受到，整件事情有點像小說的鋪陳。以斯帖為什麼非得等到第二天才提出請求？經文沒有明講，但我們不禁會想——是不是她有意讓哈曼在極度的驕傲與自滿中，被自己的情緒沖昏頭，判斷也變得模糊？
也許她就是在等待一個時機，讓哈曼一步步走進她所設下的陷阱。
這種安排非常可能是為了讓哈曼沉浸在「我是天下第二人」的幻覺中。他可能真的以為，現在的自己只要想做什麼，就可以做到什麼。他剛從皇后那裡享受了無上的榮耀，馬上就設計了一個木架，要公開處決他的死對頭——末底改。
但誰能想到，這一切的安排，最後竟變成了搬石頭砸自己的腳。
這也許就是以斯帖的智慧——讓仇敵在驕傲中自曝其短，在自信過度的時候做出愚蠢的決定，而這些決定，最終反倒成了審判他們自己的工具。
這樣的安排，其實也構成了一個非常巧妙的對比。
你看——以斯帖和哈曼，正好是整個波斯帝國裡，除了皇帝之外最有影響力的兩個人。一個是皇帝的枕邊人，另一個是皇帝的左右手、最重要的大臣。這兩個權力核心的人物，即將迎來一場正面對決。
這不只是政治角力，更是一場戲劇張力十足的對弈。
所以我常常想，寫《以斯帖記》的這位作者，絕對不只是個歷史學家。他的筆法非常高明，幾乎像個小說家一樣，巧妙地安排角色與情節，把張力拉到極致，讓整個故事懸念叢生，讓人迫不及待想知道接下來會發生什麼。
因此我會說，《以斯帖記》不僅僅是一卷神學上極有深度的經文，它同時也是一本極其精彩的短篇小說。劇情設計得絲絲入扣，節奏掌握得剛剛好，每一章都像是一場戲劇的鋪排。
感謝各位的聆聽，我們明天繼續分享第六章的精彩劇情，願上帝祝福各位。
Peace to you all. Today, we are reading Esther Chapter 5 together.Yesterday’s passage left us with a cliffhanger — all the Jews, including Esther herself, had fasted and prayed for three days. Why? Because she was about to risk her life by entering the king’s court uninvited — a forbidden act that could easily result in death.
But Esther decided to step forward. She put on her royal robes and appeared before the king, presenting herself as she did the first time she met him — with grace and dignity. Sure enough, the king extended his golden scepter toward her — a sign of pardon for her transgression — and said, “Queen Esther, what is it you desire? Even up to half the kingdom, it shall be given to you!”
Of course, this was likely an exaggeration — the king was simply trying to appear generous. But it opened a path for Esther, and her response was very clever.
She didn’t immediately reveal her request. Instead, she invited the king and Haman to a banquet she would prepare herself. That’s right — the queen personally cooking the meal! This was an extraordinary honor in the palace.
Strangely, even during the banquet, Esther didn’t make her request. Even when the king asked her a second time, “What is it that you want? Just say the word and I will grant it,” she chose to wait again. She only said, “Come back tomorrow for another banquet, and then I will tell you.”
We don’t know why Esther delayed again — the text doesn’t explain it. But we can see that the first banquet greatly boosted Haman’s pride. He was elated — after all, dining with the king and queen was a tremendous honor. Who in the entire kingdom had such prestige?
Haman left the palace beaming with pride — until he ran into his sworn enemy, Mordecai. And Mordecai, as usual, didn’t even stand up, let alone bow. Haman was furious — practically exploding with rage. He couldn’t stomach this insult.
So he returned home, fuming, and gathered his wife and friends to tell them all about his glorious moment in the palace with the king and queen. But it was obvious that the one thing he truly cared about wasn’t the honor — it was the fact that one man still refused to bow to him: Mordecai.
His obsession was so intense it bordered on madness. It was as if he wouldn’t be satisfied until Mordecai was dead.
So he took the advice of his wife and friends — to build a gallows. According to the English text, it was 75 feet tall — that’s about 22 meters, or the height of a 4-5 story building!
This wasn’t just about killing Mordecai — it was about making an example of him in front of the entire city.
From this, we see just how cruel Haman and his household were. This wasn’t just personal revenge — it was a public humiliation.
And here, we sense the story unfolding like a well-written novel. Why did Esther wait another day to present her request? The text doesn’t say. But we can’t help but wonder — was she intentionally allowing Haman to become drunk with pride and clouded in judgment?
Perhaps she was waiting for the perfect moment — luring Haman step-by-step into her trap.
It’s very possible she wanted Haman to bask in the illusion of being “the second most powerful man in the empire.” After enjoying the queen’s favor, he immediately set up an execution for his nemesis — thinking he was untouchable.
But little did he know, all his actions would end up backfiring on him.
This might just be Esther’s wisdom — letting the enemy reveal his own weakness through pride, and make foolish decisions in overconfidence, which would then become the very tools of his own downfall.
This narrative also creates a striking contrast.
Look at Esther and Haman — they are the two most influential people in the empire besides the king. One is the queen, the other the king’s right-hand man. And now, they are headed for a direct showdown.
This isn’t just political tension — it’s high-stakes drama.
That’s why I often think: the author of the Book of Esther wasn’t just a historian. Their literary skill is masterful, like that of a novelist — arranging characters and events so precisely, building tension with every turn, keeping readers eager to find out what happens next.
So I would say: Esther is not only a book with deep theological meaning — it is also an incredibly well-crafted short story. Every chapter is paced perfectly, like scenes in a drama.
Thank you for listening. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with the exciting story in Chapter 6. May God bless you all.
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