Last week we left our story with Queen Esther inviting her husband, the King of Persia, and his second in command, Haman, a descendant of the Amalakites, to a second banquet. Here, Queen Esther would make her request to the king. Haman did not have any idea that the queen was herself Jewish and related to Mordecai, the Jew.

Although the decree to kill all the Jews had been set for a certain date and Haman was invited to a second banquet with the queen and king, he could not be happy because of his hatred towards Mordecai. Haman’s wife and friends suggested he have gallows built specifically to hang Mordecai. They suggested that he ask the king if he could hang Mordecai  the next morning. This would finally make Haman happy and he could enjoy the banquet with the king and queen later that evening.

That night before the day of the second banquet, the king could not sleep. He had one of his servants bring in the book of records and had it read to him aloud. The news that had been recorded gave an account of Mordecai saving the king’s life when he overheard two of the king’s personal servants’ plan to kill him. Mordecai reported what he had heard and after an investigation was done, it was found to be true. The king asked what reward or what honor had been given to Mordecai and the servants reported that nothing had been done.

As the king was thinking, Haman had entered the outer court and had planned to ask the king to hang Mordecai the next morning. When the king heard that Haman was in the outer court, he called for him to come into his chambers. He asked Haman to suggest an appropriate display of honor for someone that the king really wanted to honor. Haman immediately thought, “who else would the king want to honor other than me?”  He proceeded to suggest that a royal robe that the king had worn be put on the person and let that person ride the king’s horse with the king’s royal crest on its head. One of the king’s princes would parade the person through the town square and proclaim to the people that he is the man that the king delights to honor.

The king loved Haman’s suggestion and told him to quickly go do it and be the person that parades Mordecai. What a shock and turn of events for Haman. He did as the king commanded and after he paraded Mordecai, he quickly went home with his head covered. He was humiliated and very upset. As he was discussing the matter at home with his wife and friends, the king’s servants came to take him to the banquet.

After the king had a great time at the banquet he asked Esther for her request. She could ask him for anything up to half of his kingdom. She asked that her life and the lives of her people be spared from being killed and annihilated. She said she would not have said anything if they had been sold as slaves, but being killed and destroyed was different. The king asked who was responsible and the queen said “the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” The king was furious and he went out into the garden while Haman begged Esther to spare his life. When the king came back inside Haman had fallen across the couch where the queen was sitting and the king accused him of assaulting the queen. The guards told the king that Haman had prepared gallows to hand Mordecai who had saved the king’s life. The king ordered that Haman be hung on his own gallows. Mordecai later replaced Haman and became second in command to the King of Persia.

Read the rest at: https://litwithprayer.substack.com/p/facing-imminent-danger-part-4?sd=pf

Queen Esther had a difficult decision to make which was a matter of life and death not only for herself but for her people. She had hidden her identity as a Jew and now a proclamation to kill all Jews had been decreed for a certain date. After fasting for three days and nights she made a decision to go into the inner courts of the king and wait to see  if she would be killed or given permission by the king to approach him. She said in a message to Mordecai, her uncle, “I will go to the king, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”  She went in faith and with courage.

The king raised his golden scepter allowing Queen Esther to come and speak with him.  The Bible says that she found favor with the king and he asked her to give him her request. He said he would give her up to half of his kingdom. Queen Esther came prepared with her request. She didn’t beg the king to save her people at that time. Here is her opportunity to make such a request, but instead she invites the king and Haman to come to a banquet that she has prepared for him. The invitation pleased the king so he quickly called for Haman and invited him as well.  

Haman attended the banquet with the king and again the king asked Queen Esther for her request, up to half of his kingdom. Queen Esther invited the king and Haman back for another private banquet the next day and said she would make her request at that time. Haman was so happy on his way home from the banquet until he saw Mordecai the Jew. Mordecai would not bow to him and tremble before him. Haman was incensed, but restrained himself from doing anything at that moment. He didn’t want to spoil the memory of being with the king and queen at the banquet. 

When Haman got home he gathered his wife and friends and bragged about the banquet, his riches, his blessings, his many children, and how he had been promoted. But he did reveal what was truly in his heart. With all of his great riches, family, and promotions, when he saw Mordecai sitting at the king's gate (the town square where business is conducted), these great things meant  nothing to him. His hatred toward Mordecai was greater than the good fortune he was experiencing.  

The evil heart is never satisfied. Haman could not fully enjoy all of his worldly blessings and his family as long as he saw Mordecai disrespecting him.  You may be wondering, “Why didn’t Mordecai show respect and bow to Haman?” The book of Esther does not give the reason for Mordecai’s refusal, but it does describe Haman as the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. Haman came from the lineage of Agag, former king of Amalek. The Amalekites had been enemies of the Jews for many centuries because they were the first to attack them when they came out of Egypt and continued to have battles with them as recorded in the Old Testament. Some historians believe that Haman may have worn a pagan symbol or idol. Bowing to an idol goes against God’s law which is Jewish law (Exodus 20:2). When Mordecai is referred to as, “the Jew,” it would be customary for a Jew not to bow to an idol or pagan symbol.  

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, sexual immorality,  thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” God does not look at the outward appearance of a person, but what is in a person’s heart (I. Samuel 16:7). What comes out of the mouth, your words, comes from your heart and the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. (I Chronicles 28:9).

Read the rest at: https://litwithprayer.substack.com/p/facing-imminent-danger-part-3?sd=pf

Last week we left the story of Esther with a death sentence over the Jewish people. The wicked Haman had talked the King of Persia into signing a proclamation that on a certain day all the Jewish people would be killed, including women and children, young and old. Haman allowed his hatred for Mordecai, the Jew, to include every person who was of the Jewish race.

Little did Haman know that Queen Esther was also a Jew. She kept her identity a secret because her uncle told her not to reveal it. She was orphaned as a child when both her parents died, and was adopted by her Uncle Mordecai. When the king was looking for a new queen to replace his disobedient wife, he had his men search his kingdom for the most beautiful young virgin women who would be considered as the next queen of Persian. Esther was one of the young women taken for this competition. Although it sounds glamorous the young women taken would all have to sleep with the king and if not chosen to be his queen, they would become a part of his harem and not have their own husbands or families.

Esther was beautiful and lovely and found favor with the servants that helped her and when her turn came to visit the king, he fell in love with her and chose her to be his queen. Queen Esther could only visit the king when he called for her. If she were to go see him without being called, she would be killed unless the king lifted his golden scepter allowing her to visit. When news got back to Esther about the decree to kill all Jews, Mordecai asked her to go to the king and ask him to save her people.

Mordecai made it clear to Esther that God may have chosen her to be in this position for such a time as this. He said if she did not act, God would deliver His people, but she would not be spared. If she kept silent she would not be spared according to Mordecai, but if she went to the king without being called she could be killed. She had to make a difficult decision and called for her people to fast from food and water for 3 days. Esther and all her maidens fasted as well.

Read the rest here: https://litwithprayer.substack.com/p/facing-imminent-danger-part-2?sd=pf