Esther 3:7-15
Relax, Read and Reflect
Prayer- Lord, Open our hearts and open our minds and help us learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.
15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Hamam is being a bad boy. He hates Jews, and wants to wipe them out. Hamam enjoyed his power and prestige, ( he was the second moat powerful man only behind Xerxes-the king.) Most people would consider him a minor god, but not the Jews. Sure, his descendants, (the Amalekites) had been displaced by Saul years before, but actually this brought Saul to a bad place with God.
Not only did this edict go ahead with plans to eradicate the Jews in Susa, it would eradicate the Jews in all lands controlled by Xerxes. This included Israel. If the Jewish genocide were to be successful, maybe Haman's kin-folk could seize the property of the Jews. Revenge is a dish best served cold!
Hamam casts lots to see what day would be best to do the killing, and it fell on the twelfth month. That gave Mordecai a full year to fix things.
Questions:
1. Why would Hamam cast a lot to get his dates?
2. Why did Xerxes go along with this request?
3. What will Esther do?
Prayer- Lord, we know that You are always in control. Help give us the peace to live life with this knowledge. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
Prayer- Lord, Open our hearts and open our minds and help us learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.
15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Hamam is being a bad boy. He hates Jews, and wants to wipe them out. Hamam enjoyed his power and prestige, ( he was the second moat powerful man only behind Xerxes-the king.) Most people would consider him a minor god, but not the Jews. Sure, his descendants, (the Amalekites) had been displaced by Saul years before, but actually this brought Saul to a bad place with God.
Not only did this edict go ahead with plans to eradicate the Jews in Susa, it would eradicate the Jews in all lands controlled by Xerxes. This included Israel. If the Jewish genocide were to be successful, maybe Haman's kin-folk could seize the property of the Jews. Revenge is a dish best served cold!
Hamam casts lots to see what day would be best to do the killing, and it fell on the twelfth month. That gave Mordecai a full year to fix things.
Questions:
1. Why would Hamam cast a lot to get his dates?
2. Why did Xerxes go along with this request?
3. What will Esther do?
Prayer- Lord, we know that You are always in control. Help give us the peace to live life with this knowledge. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
posted by Steve Killam TMTL | 9:30 AM
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