The King Executes Haman

Esther 7 NLT
^7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. ² On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
³ Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. ⁴ For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”
⁵ “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?”
⁶ Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. ⁷ Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.
Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. ⁸ In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden.
The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.
⁹ Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.”
“Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. ¹⁰ So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

Examine the Scriptures

Esther 7 NLT
The King Executes Haman

^7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 

Remember how chapter 6 ended.

^6:14 While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.

• Haman may not have known the connection between Esther and Mordecai.

Esther 5:5-9 NLT
⁵ The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.  ⁶ …
⁹ Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious.

• Haman was a happy man when he left the first banquet. 

² On this second occasion,

• King Xerxes and Haman attend Esther’s second banquet.

Five banquets are mentioned in the book of Esther.

 Two given by King Xerxes.
One given by Queen Vashti.
Two are given by Queen Esther.

while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request?

I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

• Again King Xerxes promised Esther that he would grant her wish.

Note:  Throughout the story King Xerxes treats Esther well.

³ Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request,

Esther was well “coached’.

Esther received lots of good training and council from Mordecai.

Esther received good training from the personnel in the king’s haram.

Esther was a receptive student.

Esther was respectful and her words were well chosen.

• Respectful appeals go a long way.

I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 

This time Esther got right to the point.  She petitioned for her life and for the lives of her people.

Esther was appealing to the king to spare the Jews much like Moses had appealed to Pharaoh.

⁴ For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. 

Esther explained that all her people had been sold into extension.

Esther 3:9 NLT
⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

Esther 4:7 NLT
⁷ Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 

Esther used Haman’s words.

Esther 3:13 NLT
¹³ Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. 

• Esther asks the king to spare her life and the lives of her people.

• It is now clear to King Xerxes that Esther is a Jew.

Esther 2:8-20 NLT
⁸ As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. … ¹⁰ Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. ¹¹…¹⁷ And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ ….
¹⁹ Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, ²⁰ Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.

If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”

• Esther humbly justifies her request because of the severity of the attack on her and her people.

Esther would have known how upset King Xerxes had gotten with Vashti when she was not submissive to the king.

⁵ “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 

• The king appears to be surprised by what he was hearing.

Again King Xerxes did not get upset with Esther.

King Xerxes appeared to want to protect Esther.

He asked for more information about who was doing such a thing to Esther and her people. 

⁶ Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.”

Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 

Haman’s honor had quickly turned to humiliation, and then to horror.

• At this point in time, Haman knew that his fate was sealed.

⁷ Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.

He could have gone into the palace garden for any number of reasons.  Scripture does not go into detail about this action.

The king may have wanted to be alone to process all the information he had just heard.  It appears that he was hearing things for the first time. 

Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him.  

⁸ In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden.

Even under normal circumstances it would be inappropriate to touch a Persian queen, much less be on the same couch with her.

• Haman pleads for his life.

Remember:

Proverbs 16:18 NLT
¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.

Luke 14:11 NLT
¹¹ For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

James 4:6 NLT
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?”

• King Xerxes interpreted Haman’s plea for mercy to be an act of violence against Esther, rather than a plea for mercy.

And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.

Covering the head of a condemned prisoner is a well-known custom. 

⁹ Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs (and no friend of Haman), said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.”

The third of three capitol offenses charged against Haman.

1. 1. He had manipulated the king in planning to kill the queen’s people.
   2. He was perceived to accost the queen.
   3. He planned to execute a man whom the king had just honored for loyalty to the kingdom. 

“Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. ¹⁰ So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

• Haman is impaled on the pole he had set up for Mordecai.

Psalm 9:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
¹⁶ The Lord is known for his justice.
The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. 

The tables have now been turned, but the Jews were still in serious trouble.

The king’s edict to eradicate them was still in effect.

Review:

Esther 3:12 NLT
¹² So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 

• A decree to execute all of the Jews in the Persian Empire was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

• A decree sealed with the king’s signet ring was irrevocable

Per a Persian decree there would still be a great slaughter of many innocent people because of the wicked actions of Haman.

The King Honors Mordecai

Esther 6 NLT
^6:1 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. ² In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.
³ “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.
His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”
⁴ “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared.
⁵ So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.”
“Bring him in,” the king ordered. ⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”
Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” ⁷ So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, ⁸ he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden—one with a royal emblem on its head. ⁹ Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’”
¹⁰ “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!”
¹¹ So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king’s own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” ¹² Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.
¹³ When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai—this man who has humiliated you—is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.”¹⁴ While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Examine the Scriptures

Esther 6 NLT
The King Honors Mordecai

^6:1 That night

The night between the first and second banquet.

the king had trouble sleeping,

• The night between the first and second banquet hosted by Esther, the king had trouble sleeping.

Coincidence?  I don’t think so!

Again, God’s sovereignty is at work.

so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him.  

Ancient kings kept recorded history of their reigns.

Reading can help put a person to sleep.

² In those records

At this point in time there would have been 12 years of recorded history for the reign of King Xerxes.

he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.

• Listening to 12 years of recorded history being read to him, the king discovered the account of how Mordecai exposed a plot to have him (King Xerxes) assassinated.

Esther 2:21-23 NLT
²¹ One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. ²² But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report.  ²³ When an investigation was made and Mordecai’s story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. This was all recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes’ Reign.

This event took place 5 years prior to this part of the story.

What are the odds that this particular event would be read to the king?

³ “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.

His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

Persian kings were known for their generosity to their supporters.  (Some things don’t change.)

King Xerxes was about to make this right and would recognize Mordecai for saving his life.

If the king had already recognized Mordecai, the following events would not have taken place. 

• King Xerxes is reminded of the fact that nothing has been done for Mordecai for saving the king’s life.

The story now shifts to Haman.

The tables are about to be turned. 

⁴ “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. 

As it happened, 

“As it happened” 

Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared.

Haman just arrived to ask King Xerxes to allow him to kill the man who was responsible for saving the King’s life.  This is the man the king was about to reward.

Wrong time with a wrong reason.

⁵ So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.  

• Haman arrives in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. 

⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”

Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” 

The egotistical Haman assumed that King Xerxes wanted to honor him.

Once again Haman would have been filled with joy and enthusiasm.

⁷ So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, ⁸ he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden—one with a royal emblem on its head. ⁹ Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’”

This was a description of a very unique honor.

Haman thought that he was describing the honor he was about to receive.

More than anything, Haman wanted respect from the people of the city.  He delighted in public acclaim and recognition.

Haman already had great wealth. (Esther 3:9)

Haman already had power.  (Esther 3:1)

Be careful what you ask for.

• When Haman responded to the king’s question, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?” he thought that he was describing an honor he was about to receive. 

¹⁰ “Excellent!” the king said to Haman.

The king liked Haman’s suggestions.

“Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew,

Haman must have been in utter shock.

Haman’s heart most likely “skipped a beat”.

Haman would have been completely dejected.

Haman had no choice, but to obey the king.

Haman had to show respect to Mordecai.  This is the exact opposite of what he wanted.

Remember the words of Joseph.

Genesis 50:19-20 NLT
¹⁹ But Joseph replied … ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

• Haman must have been completely shocked when he realized that he had to publicly show respect to Mordecai, a man he hated.

This is the first of 5 times Mordecai is called “the Jew”.

who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!”

A Jew was about to be honored in the Persian Empire.

This is the exact opposite of Haman’s wish:

Esther 3:8-10 NLT
⁸ Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. ⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
¹⁰ The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 

¹¹ So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king’s own horse, and led him through the city square, 

shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” 

Mordecai was being treated like a king.

God is looking out for his people.

• Haman has no choice, but to obey the king. 

¹² Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.

The tables are turned.

• Mordecai reverts back to his normal routine while Haman hurries home dejected and completely humiliated.

¹³ When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened,
his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai—this man who has humiliated you—is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.”

The text does not explain why Zeresh and all his friends said what they said.

But we do know why this would be true.

The Old Testament is full of stories of God protecting and preserving His chosen people.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT
¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

• The Old Testament is full of stories of God protecting and preserving His chosen people. Somehow, Zeresh and Haman’s friends must have known this was happening again at this point in time. 

¹⁴ While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.

An event Haman had once desired he now dreaded, but he most likely had no idea of just how bad things would turn out.

Esther’s Request to the King

Esther 5 NLT
^5:1 On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. ² When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.
³ Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
⁴ And Esther replied, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.”
⁵ The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.
⁶ And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
⁷ Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish. ⁸ If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.”

Haman’s Plan to Kill Mordecai
⁹ Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. ¹⁰ However, he restrained himself and went on home.
Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, ¹¹ and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.
¹² Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” ¹³ Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”
¹⁴ So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.

Examine the Scriptures

Esther 5 NLT
Esther’s Request to the King

^5:1 On the third day of the fast,

Review

Mordecai has asked Esther to go to the king and plead for her people, the Jews.

Esther had been very apprehensive about doing this. (We can relate to this.)

Esther 4:16 NLT
¹³ Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. ¹⁴ If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” ¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. 

• Mordecai and all the Jews of Susa, along with Esther and her maids fasted for three days.

A reminder for us.

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall.

Esther had prepared, by fasting, and was ready to go to the king with her request. 

The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. ² When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her.

A reminder of God’s sovereignty.

Romans 13:1 NLT
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 

Proverbs 21:1 NLT
The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases.

• The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases.

King Xerxes welcomed Esther.

So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. 

³ Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request?

• The king made it easy for Esther to make a request.

I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

This comment should not be taken literally. It simply meant that the king would be generous toward her request.

Mark 6:22-23 NLT
²¹… on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. ²² Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” ²³ He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!” 

⁴ And Esther replied, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.”

It was an unusual honor to be invited to a banquet with the Queen.  Persian officials were protective of their wives.

• Esther shares her real wish in chapter 7.

⁵ The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.

⁶ And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

King Xerxes knew that Esther was not asking for what she really wanted. 

⁷ Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish. ⁸ If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.”

It may seem strange that Esther asked for a second banquet.

We don’t know Esther’s thoughts.

We don’t always know God’s thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Note: Remember, at this point in time King Xerxes had forgotten how Mordecai had heard about a plot, by two of the king’s eunuchs, to kill the king.

Without this information fresh in his mind, King Xerxes may not have looked favorably on Mordecai and the Jews.

God would providentially intervene between the two banquets.

• Remember, at this point in time King Xerxes had forgotten how Mordecai had heard about a plot, by two of the king’s eunuchs, to kill the king.

• God would providentially intervene between the two banquets.

Haman’s Plan to Kill Mordecai

⁹ Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet!

Happy

But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. 

Furious

• Haman was on an emotional roller coaster. He went from feeling happy to becoming furious.

It could be seen as a very special privilege to be the guest of honor at a private banquet with only the king and queen two days in a row.

¹⁰ However, he restrained himself and went on home. 

Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, ¹¹ and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children.

Boasted

He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.

Bragged

Proverbs 16:18 NLT
¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
¹² If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

Galatians 6:3 NLT
³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

• Haman personified sinful pride.

• Pride goes before destruction.

¹² Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” 

It could be seen as a very special privilege to be the guest of honor at a private banquet with only the king and queen two days in a row. 

¹³ Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”

Haman was obsessed with the idea of killing Mordecai.

As long as Mordecai was alive, Haman’s great wealth, his many children, the honors he had received from the king, and his promotions over all the other nobles and officials were worth nothing to him.

Hate destroys:

Proverbs 14:30 NLT
³⁰ A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

Hebrews 12:15 NLT
¹⁵ Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Proverbs 10:12 NLT
¹² Hatred stirs up quarrels, …

1 John 3:15 NLT
¹⁵ Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

• Hate destroys.

• Scripture tells us to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Ephesians 4:31 NLT
³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Proverbs 19:11 NLT
¹¹ Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

1 Corinthians 4:12 NLT
¹² We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT
⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Luke 6:27-28 NLT
²⁷ “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

¹⁴ So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it.

75 feet tall is unusually high.

This is as tall as an eight story building.

This would tower above most, if not all, of the surrounding structures.

• Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it.

When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.

• Haman believed that he could “go on his merry way” if Mordecai was dead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mordecai Requests Esther’s Help

Introduction

Note: Nothing has been said so far in the book of Esther to suggest Esther and Mordecai were people of great faith in Yahweh.

Neither the word for God nor the name Yahweh (Lord), occurs in the book of Esther.

Even though the name of God is nowhere mentioned in the book, His sovereignty, divine guidance, and care are evident throughout the story.

Esther is a story of foreign powers vigorously trying to eliminate the Jewish race and how God sovereignly preserved His people in accordance with His covenant promise to Abraham.

Esther 4 NLT
Mordecai Requests Esther’s Help
^4:1 When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. ² He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. ³ And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.
⁴ When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. ⁵ Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. ⁶ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate.
⁷ Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. ⁹ So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message.
¹⁰ Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” ¹² So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.
¹³ Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. ¹⁴ If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” ¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 4 NLT
Mordecai Requests Esther’s Help

^4:1 When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 

Mordecai’s response was dramatic.

Tearing his clothes, putting on burlap and ashes, and crying publicly signified mourning.

An outward sign of inward distress and humiliation.

Matthew 11:21 NLT
²¹ …clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.

• Mordecai’s feud with Haman had caused a great crisis for his whole nation.

Perhaps Mordecai was remorseful for having revealed his nationality and thus having endangered the lives of thousands of his people.

• Mordecai tearing his clothes, putting on burlap and ashes, and crying publicly signified that he was in mourning.

² He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. 

We know this was where official business took place.  Apparently the king did not want his officials distracted. 

³ And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes. 

• Jews throughout the provinces heard the king’s decree and responded much like Mordecai. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many lay in burlap and ashes.  Note: God’s name is not mentioned.

⁴ When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed.

As the queen of Persia, Esther had many luxuries and was waited on by maids and eunuchs.

• Esther’s unique position in the haram apparently shut her off from normal lines of communication. 

She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. 

Wearing these garments Mordecai could then enter the king’s gate and talk to Esther directly. (See v. 2)

⁵ Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. 

She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 

• Apparently Esther was unaware of the king’s edict to have all of the Jews executed. 

⁶ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate. 

⁷ Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her.

• The fact that Mordecai possessed this specific knowledge and a copy of the edict further shows his prominent position in Persia.

• Esther now knew the details of the King’s edict and how it came about.

• Hathach would now know that Esther was a Jew. 

He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. ⁹ So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message.

Mordecai asked Hathach to direct Esther to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people.

¹⁰ Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter.

• Esther reminded Mordecai that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter.

And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” 

Esther had not been in the presence of the king for a month.

This does not mean that Esther had fallen from the king’s favor.

¹² So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.

¹³ Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 

Esther 3:12-13 NLT
¹² … a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. … The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ … giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. 

• A decree sealed with the king’s signet ring was irrevocable. (Previous chapter.)

• Mordecai planted the idea in Esther’s mind that she would die if she did not act.

If Esther does not exercise her individual responsibility, she and her family will die.

¹⁴ If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, 

• Mordecai knew God’s promises and realized that God would not allow his chosen people to be annihilated.

Genesis 17:1-8 NLT
^17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. ² I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
³ At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, ⁴ “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! ⁵ What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
⁷ “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” 

but you and your relatives will die.

Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

God’s providential timing.

A hint of Mordechai’s belief in God’s providence.

• Esther’s rise to power at this precise time was not just a coincidence. Esther’s position as Xerxes’ favored wife and queen was a role God had given her to influence history for the Jewish people.

The story of Joseph.
Genesis 45:5-7 NLT
⁵ But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. ⁶ This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 

In Joseph’s story, Joseph knew God was using him to preserve Jacob’s family.

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.

• Esther was convinced that she needed to act.

No eating or drinking for three days was a serious fast.

No mention of prayer.

An indication of Esther’s faith in God.

Daniel
Daniel 9:3 NLT
³ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. 

My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” 

• Esther was willing to die for her people.

It was a serious undertaking to go in to see the king without an invitation.

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Most translations say “ordered” or “commanded”.

• Esther and Mordecai are seen as great patriots on behalf of the Jewish nation, but are not presented as righteous people, like others in the Old Testament who fully trusted the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

Esther 3:5-15 NLT
⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. ⁶ He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
⁷ So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.
⁸ Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. ⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
¹⁰ The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”
¹² So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
¹⁴ A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. ¹⁵ At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 3:5-15 NLT

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 

This is the picture of an arrogant, power-hungry, selfish, prideful, sinful man.

Some commentaries, not all commentaries, believe this was a hatred that was passed down through generations that existed between the Jews and the Amalekites.

• When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 

⁶ He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

• Haman wanted to kill all of the Jews living throughout the Persian Empire.

This would include the Jews in Palestine.  The Jews in Palestine were faithful to the Lord, worshipping in the rebuilt temple and living according to the law.

Cyrus was a king of Persia who ruled between 539—530 BC. Though he was a pagan king, he was important to Jewish history because during his reign, the Jews were allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. The Jews had rebuilt temple and were using it as a place of worship.

• Palestine was a province of the Persian Empire. 

⁷ So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.

Haman was extremely superstitious (this was true for many Persians) and was allowing fate, by the casting of the lot, to dictate his move against the Jewish nation.

• Lots were cast to determine the best day and month for the execution of the Jews to take place.

At this point Esther would have been Queen of Persia for five years.

Even here God was working to protect his chosen people.  The Jews would have nearly a year to prepare themselves for this event.

Proverbs 16:33 NLT
³³ We may throw the dice, (cast lots)
but the Lord determines how they fall.

• We see God was working here to protect his chosen people. The Jews would have nearly a year to prepare themselves for this event.

The Hebrews used lots on occasion to determine God’s will in certain circumstances.

Leviticus 16:8-10 NLT
⁸ He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the Lord and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel. ⁹ Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the Lord. ¹⁰ The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.

Nehemiah 10:34 NLT
³⁴ “We have cast sacred lots to determine when—at regular times each year—the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God’s Temple to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as is written in the Law.

⁸ Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king.

“A certain race of people”

Haman does not divulge the identity of this certain race of people.

 “Who keep themselves separate from everyone else.”

Jews basically resisted integration into secular communities, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Their laws are different.”

Jews had unique dietary restrictions and unique religious customs.

• Haman falsely accused all of this certain race of people (the Jews) of refusing to obey the king’s laws. 

So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.  

This is a false conclusion.

The Jews keeping themselves separate from everyone else and laws different from those of any other people was no real threat to the Persian Empire.

The Persians generally allowed for other cultural and religious differences. 

⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

• Haman suggested to the king that he issue a decree that all of this certain race of people (the Jews) would be destroyed.

• Haman said that he himself was willing to bear the costs of carrying out this decree.

Haman’s hatred toward the Jews was irrational.

Haman was bribing the king.

An enormous amount, possible 750,000 pounds, worth millions of dollars in our current currency.

This should have made the king suspicious of Haman’s actions.

Haman must have been a man of immense wealth.

¹⁰ The king agreed,

Again, King Xerxes was easily influenced by his officials.

The king was being manipulated.

• King Xerxes appears to be easily influenced by his officials.

confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.  

• King Xerxes gave Haman complete control over these official policies.

Five times in the book of Esther, Haman is called “the enemy of the Jews”.

¹¹ The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.” 

Haman is clearly calling all the shots at this point in time.

¹² So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 

• A decree to execute all of the Jews in the Persian Empire was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

• A decree sealed with the king’s signet ring was irrevocable. 

¹³ Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day.

• Haman intended to rid the world of God’s covenant people.

This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.

This would serve as incentive for the would-be executioners.

• Haman provided an incentive for the executioners to kill the Jews.

¹⁴ A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 

• This plan to execute all of the Jews in the Persian Empire was fully endorsed by the King.

¹⁵ At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink,

• The foolish king and wicked Haman celebrated this occasion.

but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

• This extreme and deadly racism, ruthless and unjust behavior, was out of character for the Persian population.

 

 

 

Esther 2:19-3:4 NLT
¹⁹ Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, ²⁰ Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.
Mordecai’s Loyalty to the King
²¹ One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. ²² But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report. ²³ When an investigation was made and Mordecai’s story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. This was all recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes’ Reign.
Haman’s Plot against the Jews
3 Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. ² All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.
³ Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” ⁴ They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 2:19-3:4 NLT  

¹⁹ Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official,

Not all translations describe Mordecai as “a palace official”.

Many translations say that “Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.”

Verse 21 states: ²¹ One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate,

Esther 3:3 clearly states that officials of the king sat at the king’s gate.

³ Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?”

Mordecai being at the king’s gate probably meant that Mordecai held an official position in the empire’s judicial system.

Court cases were decided and much official business was conducted at the gate.

• Mordecai is becoming even more assimilated into the Persian culture.

• God’s sovereignty is evident. Putting Mordecai at the right place at the right time.

²⁰ Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. 

This is mentioned twice.

Esther 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so.

• Esther continues to keep her Jewish nationality a secret.

This will be important for the rest of the story.

She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.

 Esther 2:7 NLT
⁷ This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

 Ephesians 6 NLT
Children and Parents (A familiar Biblical principle.)
¹ Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ² “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: ³ If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 

Exodus 20:12 & Deuteronomy 5:16

Mordecai would have been aware of the prejudice many Persians felt toward the Jews.

• Esther still followed Mordecai’s directions even after she was married to the king.

Mordecai’s Loyalty to the King

²¹ One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate,

This was more than a social activity for men from the city. It was an actual job.

Court cases were decided and official business was conducted at the gate.

God’s sovereignty is clearly at work.

two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. 

Guards at the king’s private quarters would have easy access to the king.

²² But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to Queen Esther.

Respect for Authority (Another important Biblical principle.)

Romans 13:1-5
^13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. ³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. ⁴ The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. ⁵ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

If Mordecai had not been “on duty at the King’s gate”, he would not have heard of Bigthana and Teresh’s plan to assassinate the king.

• Mordecai heard two guards plotting to assassinate King Xerxes.

 She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report. 

• Esther gave Mordecai credit for the report about Bigthana and Teresh’s plan to assassinate the king.

Another display of respect from Esther toward Mordecai.

²³ When an investigation was made and Mordecai’s story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. 

Many translations say “they were both hanged on a tree”.

• Being impaled on a sharpened pole was not an unusual method of execution in the Persian Empire.

Darius, Xerxes’ father, was known to have once impaled 3,000 men.

Ezra 6 NLT
¹ So King Darius … ¹¹ “Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be lifted up and impaled on it …

Most translations use “impaled” in this verse.

A different time and place.

The story of Jonah.
Jonah was being sent to Nineveh in Assyria.
Nineveh was a city of violence, known for its brutal treatment of those it conquered. The Assyrians were notorious for impaling their captives.

This was all recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes’ Reign. 

This is significant. It is a good thing that this event was recorded.

At this point in the story Mordecai did not receive any recognition for his actions.

Looking ahead to chapter 6:

Esther 6:1-3
The King Honors Mordecai
6 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. ² In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.

³ “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.
His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

^3:1Some time later

Esther 1:3 NLT
³ In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces.

 Esther 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign.

Esther 3:7 NLT
⁷ So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.

  4-9 years have passed since chapter 1. 

• It is taking years (4-9) for this story to develop.

Practice Patience

Psalm 37:7
⁷ Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.

Psalm 27:14 NLT
¹⁴ Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 40:1 NLT
¹ I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.

 King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite 

A descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. 

over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire.  

• Haman was promoted sometime between the seventh and twelfth year of King Xerxes reign.

This occurred after Mordecai had saved the king from assignation.

Mordecai may have been expecting a reward for saving the king but no reward was given.

² All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded.

• Along with this promotion came the command from the king for the officials to bow down before Haman whenever he passed by.

This would be a show of respect, not a form of worship.

But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.

Pride?

Enmity between the Jews and the Amalekites?

No specific reason for not bowing down is given other than that he was a Jew.

• Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman.

³ Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” ⁴ They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. 

So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. 

• Mordecai revealed his Jewish identity. (Something he had told Esther not to do.)

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 2:1-18 NLT
^2:1 But after Xerxes’ anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. ² So his personal attendants suggested, “Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. ³ Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. ⁴ After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.” This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.
⁵ At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. ⁶ His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. ⁷ This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.
⁸ As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. ⁹ Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.
¹⁰ Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. ¹¹ Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther and what was happening to her.
¹² Before each young woman was taken to the king’s bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. ¹³ When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem. ¹⁴ That evening she was taken to the king’s private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king’s wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would never go to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name.
¹⁵ Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.
¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. ¹⁷ And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 2:1-18 NLT
Esther Becomes Queen

^2:1 But after Xerxes’ anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. 

After Xerxes’ anger had subsided.

What she had done.
.          She had refused to put herself on display for a bunch of drunken men to gawk at.

The decree he had made.
.         He had Queen Vashti permanently banished from his presence.

Xerxes may have had second thoughts.

A lot of time has passed.

The banquet in chapter 1:3 took place in the third year of Xerxes reign.

In chapter 2:16 Esther was taken to King Xerxes in the seventh year of his reign.

• The Greek wars (most likely) took place between chapter 1 and chapter 2 of the book of Esther.

² So his personal attendants suggested,

• Throughout the book of Esther it is obvious that Xerxes’ decisions are strongly influenced by his officials.

Proverbs 15:22 NLT
²² Plans go wrong for lack of advice;
many advisers bring success.

Proverbs 11:14 NLT
¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
there is safety in having many advisers.

Proverbs 24:6 NLT
⁶ So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers. 

He depended on others to help him make decisions and he did not always receive the best advice.

Psalm 1:1 NLT
¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.

Sometimes the advice from others is bad advice.

2 Chronicles 10:8 NLT
⁸ But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.

 Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT
¹⁷ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. 

“Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. 

To add to the king’s harem.

• Xerxes’ personal attendants suggested that they search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king.

³ Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa.

Agents in each of the 127 provinces.

Xerxes already had a harem.

The fact that he had a harem in Susa is known from other sources.

Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. ⁴ After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.”

It would be approximately four years between the banquets in chapter 1 and Vashti’s replacement in chapter 2.

This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.

 If these seven personal attendants were the same “wise advisers” that suggested Vashti be disposed, they certainly did not want Xerxes to be upset because of the fact that Vashti was no longer a part of his life.

Esther 1:13-14 NLT
¹³ He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. ¹⁴ The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

• This advice was very appealing to the king.

• The counsel King Xerxes received from his personal attendants is somewhat questionable. 

⁵ At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair.

• Mordecai was Jewish.

Mordecai is a Babylonian name.

Mordecai most likely had a Hebrew name also.

(Repeat from introductory lesson.)

So it was that a Jewish man named Mordecai had worked his way into a low-level job in the king’s court.

Esther 2:19 NLT … Mordecai had become a palace official.

Esther 2:19 ESV and NIV … Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

Mordecai became assimilated into the Persian culture much like Lot became assimilated into the culture of Sodom.

• Mordecai had worked his way into a low-level job in the king’s court.

He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. 

King Saul’s father was named Kish.

⁶ His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 

597 BC (more than 100 years prior to this time)

His family – his ancestors – had been exiled from Jerusalem.

Mordecai was Jewish. 

⁷ This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther.

Hadassah is a Hebrew name. (Myrtle)

Esther is a Persian name. (Star) 

When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

• Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai after her parents died.

⁸ As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care.  

• Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa.

Without God’s intervention, the odds were very slim that she (or any one individual) would be chosen by the King. 

⁹ Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her

God’s hand was at work.

Unlike Daniel, Esther does not appear to be concerned with Jewish dietary restrictions.

and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

Assigning seven maids to Esther was an indication that Hegai thought Esther was a good prospect.

¹⁰ Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. 

• Esther kept her Jewish nationality a secret because Mordecai had directed her to do so.

Mordecai would have been aware of the prejudice many Persians felt toward the Jews.

Marriages with people of other nations that worshiped false gods were forbidden in the Law of Moses.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NLT
³ You must not intermarry with them (people of other nations that worship false gods). Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴ for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. 

¹¹ Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther and what was happening to her.

It is clear in this story that Mordecai loved Esther.

¹² Before each young woman was taken to the king’s bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. 

• Esther spent 12 months preparing to go to see the king.

Primarily beauty treatments, but also some training in palace customs.

¹³ When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem. ¹⁴ That evening she was taken to the king’s private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king’s wives lived.

• Esther spent a night with King Xerxes

• Esther was transferred to the second harem where the king’s wives lived.

 There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz , the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. 

She would never go to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name. 

Most of the women would live the rest of their lives in the harem of the concubines.

• A concubine might not ever see the king a second time.

(More details) 

¹⁵ Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem.

Hegai would have known the King’s preferences.

• Esther wisely accepted Hegai’s advice.

She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.

• Esther followed Hegai’s suggestions.

¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. 

• Four years had elapsed since Vashti’s fall from favor.

¹⁷ And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. 

• Xerxes was so delighted with Esther that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. 

¹⁸ To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.

It appears that Xerxes likes banquets.

“Holiday” The Hebrew for this word, unique to this verse, may imply

a remission of taxes,

an emancipation of slaves,

a cancellation of debt

or a remission of obligatory military service.

• Esther, a Jew, was placed in a position in which she could help the nation Israel, even before Israel needed help.

Queen Vashti Deposed by King Xerxes.

Esther 1:1-22 NLT
Vashti Deposed by Xerxes
The King’s Banquet
^1:1 These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. ² At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. ³ In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. ⁴ The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.
⁵ When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. ⁶ The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.
⁷ Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. ⁸ By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted.
⁹ At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

Queen Vashti Deposed
¹⁰ On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— ¹¹ to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. ¹² But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.
¹³ He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. ¹⁴ The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.
¹⁵ “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?”
¹⁶ Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. ¹⁷ Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. ¹⁸ Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger.
¹⁹ “So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. ²⁰ When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”
²¹ The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. ²² He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 1:1-22 NLT
The King’s Banquet 

¹ These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, 

Xerxes is the Greek name.  The Hebrew name for Xerxes is Ahasuerus.

Xerxes succeeded his father Darius.

Xerxes ruled the Persian Empire for 21 years from 485 to 465 B.C.

He is mentioned in Ezra 4:6 and Daniel 9:1. 

who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 

² At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 

³ In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. 

• In the third year of his reign, King Xerxes gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. 

He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. ⁴ The celebration lasted 180 days 

• The celebration lasted 180 days

A 6 month long celebration.

The Persian Empire had a large administrative system made up of government leaders including the leaders of the 127 provinces in this vast empire and all of his military officers.

Commentators speculated that the officials took turns attending events so that the military and other government offices could continue to operate. 

—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.

Designed to impress others, including the military leaders, of the king’s greatness.

Illustrates Xerxes pride.

• Though not stated in scripture, this banquet probably corresponds to the great feast Xerxes gave when he was planning to invade Greece.

Military campaigns were common throughout the Old Testament.

2 Samuel 11:1 NLT
David and Bathsheba^11:1 In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah.

Battles were fought to restore the honor of a king or a nation.

Battles were fought to control others and to obtain a source of income from taxes.

Battles for fought for the spoils of war.

Nahum 2:9 ESV
⁹ Plunder the silver,
plunder the gold!
There is no end of the treasure
or of the wealth of all precious things.

Nahum 2:9 ERV
⁹ Take the silver!
Take the gold!
There are many things to take.
There are many treasures.

Secular source of information:

• Herodotus  was a Greek writer, geographer and historian born in the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire. (484 BC – 425 BC)

According to Herodotus it took Xerxes four years to get ready for the invasion he launched in 481. No doubt the 180 days involved planning sessions in which all the provinces’ leaders were being prepared for the war effort, as well as being impressed with Xerxes’ wealth and splendor. The campaign was to be a costly affair.

The Book of Esther says nothing about Xerxes’ invasion of Greece, but other sources state that he wanted to avenge his father’s defeat at Marathon near Athens.

Xerxes engaged in three major battles with the Greeks (480-479 B.C.).

He won the first battle but lost the next two battles.

Defeated, he had to retreat home.

The time line of Esther from our previous lesson corresponds with the facts known from secular sources.

⁵ When it was all over,

The 180 day celebration for Xerxes’ officials.

the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. 

For all the people, from the greatest to the least.

Held outdoors to accommodate large numbers of guests.

⁶ The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

Even the pavement was exquisitely opulent.

“on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.”

The descriptions of the décor of the king’s palace garden add to the feeling that the writer had firsthand knowledge of the setting and the occasion. 

⁷ Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. ⁸ By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted.

In other words the king was liberal with the wine and a lot of people got drunk.

Often the guests could only drink when the king was drinking.

The abundance of wine being served would have resulted in many guests getting drunk. 

⁹ At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

Separate banquets were not unusual in that culture.

Vashti’s Greek name was Amestris .

She was the mother of Xerxes third son, Artaxerxes 483 B.C., who later succeeded his father on the throne.

According to Greek historians – She was known as queen mother during the reign of her son.

Queen Vashti Deposed

¹⁰ On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine,

This order was given on the seventh day, that is, the last day of the feast which had turned into a drunken party. 

he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas—

Castrated because their roles brought them into frequent contact with the women of the royal harem.

Castrated so they would have no illusions of starting their own dynasties. 

 ¹¹ to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. ¹² But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. 

• King Xerxes wanted the nobles and all the other men at the feast to gaze on Queen Vashti’s beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman.

“Vashti was a very beautiful woman.”

• Queen Vashti refused to come to the king’s banquet.

Vashti’s refusal is not explained by the author.

Maybe she simply did not wish to be “gazed at” by all of the men.

Perhaps she did not wish to be in mixed company (of drunkards) at that time.

Perhaps she refused to go to the banquet because she was pregnant with Artaxerxes, who was born in 483.

Regardless of the reason for her refusal, her action was a breach of etiquette. The king was used to getting whatever he desired whenever he desired it. Therefore her response made him furious. 

This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. 

But he first consulted with his advisors.

¹³ He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. ¹⁴ The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

Wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs held the highest positions in the empire.

• Throughout the ancient Near East wise men played important roles in governments.

(e.g., Daniel’s position in the Babylonian and Persian Empires).

¹⁵ “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?”

• The king consulted wise men about what he should do.

These seven men had special access to the king and were the ones who knew the law well.

Herodotus has confirmed the fact that this use of wise men was a feature of ancient Near Eastern courts. 

¹⁶ Memucan answered the king and his nobles,

The counsel King Xerxes received from Memucan is somewhat questionable. 

“Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. ¹⁷ Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 

• The crime the queen had committed was that she disobeyed a command of the king.

Obviously the king and queen did not share an emotionally intimate relationship. This was true of Xerxes and the women in his harem. 

¹⁸ Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger. 

¹⁹ “So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked.

Irrevocable nature of Persian law

Daniel 6:8, 15 NLT
⁸ And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”

¹⁵ In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”

• According to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed. 

It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she.  

• Memucan advised King Xerxes to banish Queen Vashti from his presence forever and choose another queen more worthy than Queen Vashti. 

²⁰ When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”

Memucan suggested that he have the queen deposed so that other women of the empire would not follow Vashti’s example and despise their husbands and the empire be filled with female disrespect and marital discord.

It is difficult to see how this punishment would cause the women of the empire to respect their husbands but that was the idea behind the decree.

This is partially explained by the fact that the men had been drinking heavily. 

²¹ The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. 

• The king followed Memucan’s counsel.

It is possible that the king and his nobles had consumed too much wine during the celebration.

²² He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.

• A vast relay communications system, something like an ancient pony express, made it possible to spread news throughout the empire quickly.

This sets the stage for the rise of Esther.

Introduction to the book of Esther:

The book of Esther is unique in that it is one of the only two books in the Bible named for women (the other, of course, is Ruth).

Author: unknown

The book gives no hint of who wrote it, but whoever it was knew the Persian culture well. The account has all the marks of a person who was there because he described the events as an eyewitness. And he was probably a Jew.

The book could have been written sometime after 465 B.C.

Like Song of Solomon, Obadiah, and Nahum, the New Testament does not make any reference to the book of Esther.

Neither the word for God nor the name Yahweh (Lord), occurs in the book of Esther.

Even though the name of God is nowhere mentioned in the book, His sovereignty, divine guidance, and care are evident throughout the story.

Esther and Exodus both chronicle how vigorously foreign powers tried to eliminate the Jewish race and how God sovereignly preserved His people in accordance with His covenant promise to Abraham.

The book of Esther explains how the festival of Purim originated. Purim was to be an annual remembrance of how God delivered His people from death, similar to their deliverance during the exodus from Egypt.

Esther 1:1-2 NLT
Introduction
¹ These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. ² At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 1:1-2 NLT
Introduction 

¹ These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, 

Xerxes is the Greek name.

The Hebrew name for Xerxes is Ahasuerus.

Xerxes was a cruel king who ruled with tyrannical force.

Xerxes was known for his drinking, lavish banquets, harsh temper, and sexual appetite.

During Xerxes’ reign, the Persian Empire was near its peak.

The empire was very wealthy.

who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 

This included Xerxes’ conquest of Egypt.

² At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa.

Refer to a map of the Persian Empire at the time of Ezra.

Much of the story takes place at Shushan (Susa), the winter capital of Persia.

Other capital cities are Babylon, Ecbatana, and Persepolis.

The events of the book cover a 10-year portion (483-473 B.C.) of the reign of Xerxes I (486 – 465 B.C.).

The events occurred between those recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of Ezra.

Background to this story of Esther.

The Jewish tribes of Benjamin and Judah had been conquered and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Several decades later, the Medo-Persian Empire overwhelmed Babylon and inherited the Jewish captives who had assimilated into their Babylonian (now Persian), homeland.

Jeremiah 29:10 NLT  (approximate dates of Jeremiah’s prophecies are  627–570 B.C.),
¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 

The Persian king allowed a large contingent of Jews to return to Jerusalem

Ezra 1:1-3 NLT
Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Return
¹ In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:
² “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:
“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³ Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

Ezra 2:64-67 NLT
⁶⁴ So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, ⁶⁵ in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. ⁶⁶ They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁷ 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

The Persian king allowed a large contingent of Jews to return to Jerusalem

but many Jews stayed in Persia.

Missed opportunities

Isaiah and Jeremiah had urged the yet to be exiled nation to come out of Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT
¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

It was God’s plan for the Jews to leave Babylon (Persia).

Jeremiah 50:8 NLT
⁸ “But now, flee from Babylon!
Leave the land of the Babylonians.
Like male goats at the head of the flock,
lead my people home again.

Jeremiah 51:6 NLT
⁶ Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves!
Don’t get trapped in her punishment!
It is the Lord’s time for vengeance;
he will repay her in full.

Isaiah 48:20 NLT (approximate dates of Isaiah’s prophecies are  740–681 B.C.),
²⁰ Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.
Sing out this message!
Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants,
the people of Israel.

The Persian king allowed a large contingent of Jews to return to Jerusalem

but many Jews stayed in Persia.

(Mordecai’s parents would have stayed)

This story takes place about 56 years after the first exiles returned to Jerusalem.

So it was that a Jewish man named Mordecai had worked his way into a low-level job in the king’s court.

Esther 2:19 NLT … Mordecai had become a palace official.

Esther 2:19 ESV and NIV … Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

Mordecai became assimilated into the Persian culture much like Lot became assimilated into the culture of Sodom.

Genesis 19:1 NLT
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
^19:1 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.

 

The Return of the Exiles

The return of the exiles is a gradual process spanning the following century. The Jewish exiles from Judah return to Jerusalem in a time span spread over 92 years between 537BC and 445BC.

The return of the exiles to Judah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem were carried out in three waves. The first return was around 538 B.C. under the leadership of a man named Zerubbabel. It was during this period that the people of Israel built the second Temple.

About eighty years later, a second group, under the priestly leadership of Ezra, returned to the land. Spiritual and religious reformation occurred at that time.

Finally, under the leadership of Nehemiah, a king’s cupbearer, many more returned. Nehemiah’s focus was to repair Jerusalem’s walls and gates.

 

This lesson wraps up our study on the book of Ruth

Ruth 4:11-22 NLT
Boaz Marries Ruth
¹¹ Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”
The Descendants of Boaz
¹³ So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. ¹⁵ May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”
¹⁶ Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. ¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.
¹⁸ This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron.
¹⁹ Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
²⁰ Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
²¹ Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
²² Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.

 Examine the Scriptures
Ruth 4:11-22 NLT
Boaz Marries Ruth

¹¹ Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses!

All of the people at the city gate signaled strong approval of Boaz’s actions. 

May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,

From whom all the nation of Israel descended! 

Rachel was the most beloved wife of Jacob.

Rachel had been barren many years before she bore children.

Ruth had been barren in Moab.

Rachel was buried nearby.

Genesis 35:19 NLT
¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

Leah was the mother of Judah, their namesake descendant.  (900 years prior to this time.)

What does it mean to be “like Rachel and Leah”?

It might be something like this: Like Ruth, from whom came all the descendants of David.

• The elders and all the people standing in the gate demonstrated a great deal of respect for Ruth the Moabitess. 

May you (Boaz) prosper in Ephrathah (another name for Bethlehem)

Ephrathites were from the clan of Ephrathah, centered in Bethlehem.

• All of the people at the city gate prayed that Boaz would prosper and be famous. 

and be famous in Bethlehem. 

The birthplace of Jesus.

¹² And may the Lord give you descendants

• The elders and all of the people at the city gate prayed that the Lord would give Boaz descendants.

These descendants would include David and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The elders acknowledged that children are a gift from God.

Psalm 127:3 NLT
³ Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

 by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez (the first born of twins), the son of Tamar and Judah.”

Genesis 38:1-30.

Boaz was a descendant of Perez.

They may have been praying for more descendants like Boaz.

The Descendants of Boaz
¹³ So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 

Ruth was married to Mahlon for ten years without having children.

• The Lord enabled Ruth, who had been barren in Moab for the entire period of her marriage to Mahlon, to become pregnant.

¹⁴ Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family!

Once again Naomi becomes the center of attention.

The women of the town recognized that God had provided a redeemer (Obed) who would care for Naomi in her latter years.

• The Lord had provided a redeemer for Naomi and her family. 

May this child be famous in Israel. 

How was Obed used by God?

¹⁵ May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

Ruth turned out to be better than seven sons.

Seven sons was an ideal for Hebrew families.

¹⁶ Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 

¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” 

“Son” can mean descendant.

This child replaced the family Naomi lost when her two sons died in Moab.

The family line would continue once again. 

And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.

Obed means “worshiper” or “servant”.

• Naomi’s deep sorrow turned to radiant joy; emptiness gave way to fullness.

It appears that the neighbor women named Ruth’s son Obed.

• Obed replaced the family Naomi lost when her two sons died in Moab. The family line would continue. 

• Obed became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. 

¹⁸ This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez: 

Also in:
1 Chronicles 2
Matthew 1
Luke 3

 Perez was the father of Hezron.
¹⁹ Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
²⁰ Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
²¹ Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
²² Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.

Nine centuries / ten generations. (900 years back to Jacob, 100 years before David)

“Son” can mean descendant.

Some generations have been selectively omitted.

The book of Matthew takes this line of ancestors back to Abraham.

1 Chronicles 2 goes back to Israel (Jacob).

Luke 3 goes back to Adam.

 

David was an ancestor of Jesus.

• Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth, was an ancestor of Jesus.
• The genealogical record of Obed is found in Ruth 4, 1 Chronicles 2, Matthew 1, and Luke 3.

The Book of Ruth 

The story of Ruth, a virtuous woman.

The story of Boaz, a kinsman redeemer.

An illustration of God’s redemptive plan extending beyond the Jews.

A picture of God’s sovereignty.

And so much more!