THE BOOK OF ESTHER

CHAPTER 3

MORDECAI AND ESTHER

MORDECAI AND ESTHER STUDY ON MORDECAI AND ESTHER STORY WITH MORDECAI AND ESTHER MESSAGE

          Welcome back to Shushan where we’ve just gotten underway in our story about Esther here at Daily Bread. To refresh your memory a bit, king Ahasuerus had a celebration to show the kingdom his riches. Then he had another, smaller celebration for just the people of the palace. When he asked his queen Vashti to make an appearance, she curtly refused, so Ahasuerus divorced her and made a search for a new queen.

          The cousin of Mordecai the Jew won the honor of becoming the new queen because of her loveliness. Shortly thereafter, Mordecai heard that two of the king’s chamberlains were planning to murder the king, so he alerted Esther, who in turn informed the king and the report was written in the king’s book of chronicles, but the king didn’t know that it was Mordecai who saved his life.

          That brings us to where we left off. After that, the king promoted Haman, of the children of Agag as his top prince above all the others. All the servants bowed and respected Haman because the king commanded it. However . . . Mordecai didn’t bow to Haman, or respect him. A Jewish man bows to none but God.

          The servants of the king asked Mordecai, Why do you disobey the king’s commandment? They asked him every day, and Mordecai didn’t listen to them so the servants told Haman, to see if this behavior would be tolerated because Mordecai told them that he was Jewish.

MORDECAI AND ESTHER LESSON WITH MORDECAI AND ESTHER EXPLANATION AND MORDECAI AND ESTHER SUMMARY

          When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow or have any reverence for him, he was infuriated. He refused to harm only Mordecai, because they showed him Mordecai’s people, so Haman planned to destroy all the Jewish people in the entire kingdom of Ahasuerus.

          In the first month, called Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, (Esther had been queen for about five years now) they cast the lot, called Pur, in front of Haman every day until the twelfth month, called Adar.

          Time for a Daily Bread Crumb! We've talked about how the Hebrews cast lots and this was a means by which God revealed things to them. Well, the Persian word for this practice was Pur, though it wasn't divinely inspired like casting lots was for the Hebrews. They did this to find out which of the twelve months would be the "luckiest" for Haman to accomplish his destruction of the Jews. Some also think that in addition this was some kind of game that the people played in front of, or with Haman daily to distract him from his ire until the lucky day arrived or that it was some kind of determination as to who would win the property of the more affluent Jewish families.

          Here’s a little Daily Bread Crumb! In ancient times, the king often gave his ring to someone who he placed in a seat of honor. Joseph was given the ring of Pharaoh when he put him in charge of Egypt as well. Now, about the ring itself. You may have heard of it being called a signet ring. That’s because it was used instead of a signature for decrees and laws and such. The ring usually had a gem or a stone that was engraved with some kind of seal (called an intaglio) that represented official authority or authenticity, so that an impression or engraving could be made with it.

          The king’s secretaries were called on the thirteenth day of the first month and all that Haman suggested was commanded in writing to the king’s lieutenants, governors and rulers of every people of every province, in their own language, throughout the kingdom, and sealed with the king’s ring.

          The letters were sent by messengers ordering to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, to all Jewish people, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey (take all their goods). This was to be done in exactly eleven months.

          A copy of the writing was published for all the people so they would be ready for that day. The messengers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace.