Scripture Thought (What I Learned):
Chapter 3: Haman Arranges to Kill the Jews
King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the
son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the
princes who were with him.
All
the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid
homage to Haman. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Then the king’s
servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do
you transgress the king’s command?”
They
spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to
Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told
them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay
him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on
Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman
sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom
of Ahasuerus; the people of Mordecai.
In
the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King
Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to
determine the day and the month, untilit fell on the twelfth month, which is the
month of Adar.
Haman said to King Ahasuerus,
“There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the
provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people,
and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for
the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be
written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver
into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s
treasuries.”
So the king took his signet ring
from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the
enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given
to you, to do
The King’s scribes were called on
the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written
according to all that Haman commanded; to the king’s satraps, to the governors
who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every
province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the
name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring.
And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy,
to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children
and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the
month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to
be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they
should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s
command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and
Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
Chapter 4: Mordecai and the Jews mourn + Fast
When Mordecai learned all that had
happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into
the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went as far
as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s
gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province where the king’s command and
decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with
fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and
told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe
Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. Then
Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had
appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to
learn what and why this was. So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the
city square that was in front of the king’s gate. And Mordecai told
him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised
to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews.
He also gave him a copy of the
written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might
show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in
to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. So
Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Then Esther spoke to
Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the
people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the
inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law:
put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the
golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to
the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
Mordecai
told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will
escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain
completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews
from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows
whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther
told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are
present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days,
night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against
the law; and if I perish, I perish!” So Mordecai went his way and did according
to all that Esther commanded him.
No comments:
Post a Comment