Pam Padgett ... teacher
Mordecai, a Jew, raised his uncle's daughter, Esther, after her parents died. When grown, Esther became queen to king Ahasuerus. Mordecai warned king Ahasuerus of those who planned to kill him. However, Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman, who was over the princes of king Ahasuerus. Because of this, Haman sought to destroy Mordecai and all Jews in the kingdom ... but God delivered them from the snares Haman planned in a wonderful way.
Haman had given a decree in the king's name for the Jews in the kingdom to be destroyed on a given day. When Mordecai knew the evil Haman planned against them, he and other Jews humbled themselves before God, putting on sackcloth
and ashes. Mordecai also told Esther to go to the king and plead for them.
Esther 4:7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. 8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
Although
Esther was queen, she could be put to death for going to the king without being called. Mordecai warned her that if she failed to go to the king with this matter, the Jews would be delivered another way, but she and her father's house would be destroyed. She asked that all the Jews in the palace and her own maids fast for three
days before she went to the king.
Esther 4:11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. 13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
When Esther went to the king, and he held out
the golden septre to her and asked Esther what she
requested. She asked that the king and Haman come to a banquet she had
prepared. At the banquet of wine, the king again asked Esther what she
requested. She asked that he and Haman come to a banquet the following
day and said she would then make her request known to the king.
Although Haman had great riches and honor,
he counted them as nothing because of Mordecai. His wife and friends
counseled him to build a gallows and request that Mordecai be hanged.
Esther 5:11 And Haman told them of
the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the
things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him
above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman said moreover, Yea,
Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet
that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her
also with the king. 13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I
see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. 14 Then said Zeresh his
wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty
cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be
hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet.
And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
But that night the
king could not sleep and had the book of records read to him. The
book recorded how Mordecai had warned the king of plans to kill the king. Since Mordecai had not yet
been rewarded for doing this, the king sought to do so now.
Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he
commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were
read before the king. 2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told
of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of
the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. 3 And the king
said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then
said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done
for him.
As Haman
came to the king to request Mordecai to be hanged, the king ordered
Haman to do unto Mordecai what Haman had said should be done to someone
who the king delighted to honor, things Haman desired for himself.
Esther 6:4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come
into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to
hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 And the
king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And
the king said, Let him come in. 6 So Haman came in. And the king said
unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to
honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight
to do honour more than to myself? 7 And Haman answered the king, For the
man whom the king delighteth to honour, 8 Let the royal apparel be
brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth
upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: 9 And let this
apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most
noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king
delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of
the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom
the king delighteth to honour. 10 Then the king said to Haman, Make
haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do
even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let
nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. 11 Then took Haman the
apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on
horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him,
Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
When the king and Haman came to the banquet, Esther asked the king to
save her life and the life of her people from their enemy and disclosed
that the enemy seeking to destroy them was Haman. The king ordered
Haman to be hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
Esther 7:1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with
Esther the queen. 2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second
day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it
shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be
performed, even to the half of the kingdom. 3 Then Esther the queen
answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if
it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my
people at my request: 4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be
destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for
bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could
not countervail the king's damage. 5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered
and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst
presume in his heart to do so? 6 And Esther said, The adversary and
enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and
the queen. 7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath
went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his
life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined
against him by the king. 8 Then the king returned out of the palace
garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon
the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen
also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth,
they covered Haman's face. 9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said
before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which
Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth
in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. 10 So they
hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was
the king's wrath pacified.
Esther was given Haman's house and set Mordecai over it. The king also gave Mordecai his ring with authority given to Mordecai and Esther to write a decree to deal with the
decree Haman had previously sent to destroy the Jews.
Esther 8:1 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of
Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before
the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. 2 And the king took
off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai.
And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 And Esther spake yet
again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with
tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that
he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king held out the golden
sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, 5 And
said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight,
and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes,
let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in
all the king's provinces: 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that
shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of
my kindred? 7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to
Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and
him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the
Jews. 8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's
name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written
in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man
reverse.
A decree was sent throughout the kingdom which
granted the Jews to destroy all those who came to assault them on the day Haman had set to destroy the Jews.
Esther 8:10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name,
and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on
horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries: 11
Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather
themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay,
and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that
would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of
them for a prey, 12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king
Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which
is the month Adar.
When the day came on which Haman's decree had set for the Jews to be
destroyed, the Jews rose up against those who would destroy them both in
the Sushan palace and in all the kingdom. Mordecai had become very
great in the king's house, and those in authority helped the Jews
destroy their adversaries. When the king asked Esther what else she
desired, she asked that the Jews be allowed to destroy their adversaries
in the Sushan palace a second day as well.
Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month
Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and
his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the
enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned
to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) 2
The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the
provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their
hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon
all people. 3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants,
and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the
fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's
house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man
Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 5 Thus the Jews smote all their
enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction,
and did what they would unto those that hated them. 6 And in Shushan the
palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
God caused not only Mordecai to be delivered from the hand of Haman, but all the Jews throughout the kingdom were delivered from those who sought to destroy them. The snares set to try to destroy the Jews, were used to destroy their enemies.
This account reminds me of what we're told in the following ...
Psalm 57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my
soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst
whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. 7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.