“6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, ‘Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.’7 Esther replied, ‘My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favour and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.’”NIV

Even when wicked people seem to prosper, the rug can be pulled from under them at any moment (see Ps.37).

We don’t know why Esther didn’t make her request at the first banquet, but we can see that God must have been guiding her. The story is full of dramatic effect, and the set up for Haman’s fall is even greater. He must have been revelling in being the king’s right hand buddy, and getting to go to all these parties with him (see verse 12). But he was reading things all wrong. His ‘come-uppance’ was awaiting, just around the corner.

‘’Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall’’ (Proverbs 16:18).

‘Poor Haman was basking in false glory, boasting about false wealth, enjoying false happiness, and resting on false confidence. He did not realise that the shadow of death was over him. But is he much different from the proud unbelievers of this day who build their lives on illusions?’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.275.