Esther 4
When Mordecai heard the decree of Haman issued in the kings name that all the jews were to be attacked and murdered on the 13 day of the 12 month (which just happened to be the kings birthday) he was shocked and in grief he went about dressed in sackcloth and ashes.
He was not allowed in the palace dressed like that, but he waited in the public square near the gates.
When his niece, Queen Esther heard about this she sent him out new clothes suitable to be worn inside the palace.
Mordecai refused to change into the new clothes and eventually Esther sent one of her servants to find out what the trouble was.
Mordecai's message was simple - Haman wishes to destroy us and has offered 10,000 talents of silver (This is about 340 tonnes which is not far off the maximum weight of an Airbus A380 (fully loaded but without fuel)) for the king to sign the edict.and even gave her a copy of the edict.
Mordecai instructed Esther that she should lay the case before the king and plead for the lives of her people.
Esther replied that it was forbidden to just pop in on the king unannounced and if he does not recognise and welcome Esther by extending the sceptre to her the punishment is death. Besides the king has not sent for Esther in a month.
Mordecai's response is effectively get a backbone girl, if you don't help us you will not be safe just because you live in the palace. And besides if help comes from another source it would not help Esther or her family.
Esther asked for the Jews in Susa (the capital city) to fast and pray for 3 days and she would do the same.
Then she would go and see the king and if she dies, well she dies.
Esther 5
On the third day Esther went to see the king who was sitting on his throne.
The king is very glad to see her and invites her in, extending the golden sceptre.
Xerxes asked what Esther wanted - even up to half the kingdom.
Esther at this point does something that I would not have expected - she invites the king and Haman to a private banquet today that she has prepared.
"Bring Haman at once" is the response of the king who obviously has a bit of an appetite.
During the meal the king asked again what Esther wanted, and she said please come to dinner with me again tomorrow with Haman and I will tell you.
Haman, at this point was very happy and in high spirits, but when he came to the palace gate, there was Mordecai who refused to show fear or bow in his august presence, at which is bonhomie left him and in a sulk we went home. That evening he boasted about how rich and powerful he had become and how the king and queen ask him to dine with them. He then complained about Mordecai, that the life of this one Jew turned all his greatness into dust and ashes and how unfair it all was.
Haman's wife, a charmer by the name of Zeresh, suggested that Haman should set up a spile 20 metres high (that is about 8 floors of a building) and go and ask the king in the morning if he would impale Mordecai on it, just to cheer him up.
I wonder about the logistics of impaling somebody on a pole that is 20 odd metres above the ground - but that is just morbid curiosity - I dare say they had their methods.
When Mordecai heard the decree of Haman issued in the kings name that all the jews were to be attacked and murdered on the 13 day of the 12 month (which just happened to be the kings birthday) he was shocked and in grief he went about dressed in sackcloth and ashes.
He was not allowed in the palace dressed like that, but he waited in the public square near the gates.
When his niece, Queen Esther heard about this she sent him out new clothes suitable to be worn inside the palace.
Mordecai refused to change into the new clothes and eventually Esther sent one of her servants to find out what the trouble was.
Mordecai's message was simple - Haman wishes to destroy us and has offered 10,000 talents of silver (This is about 340 tonnes which is not far off the maximum weight of an Airbus A380 (fully loaded but without fuel)) for the king to sign the edict.and even gave her a copy of the edict.
Mordecai instructed Esther that she should lay the case before the king and plead for the lives of her people.
Esther replied that it was forbidden to just pop in on the king unannounced and if he does not recognise and welcome Esther by extending the sceptre to her the punishment is death. Besides the king has not sent for Esther in a month.
Mordecai's response is effectively get a backbone girl, if you don't help us you will not be safe just because you live in the palace. And besides if help comes from another source it would not help Esther or her family.
Esther asked for the Jews in Susa (the capital city) to fast and pray for 3 days and she would do the same.
Then she would go and see the king and if she dies, well she dies.
Esther 5
On the third day Esther went to see the king who was sitting on his throne.
The king is very glad to see her and invites her in, extending the golden sceptre.
Xerxes asked what Esther wanted - even up to half the kingdom.
Esther at this point does something that I would not have expected - she invites the king and Haman to a private banquet today that she has prepared.
"Bring Haman at once" is the response of the king who obviously has a bit of an appetite.
During the meal the king asked again what Esther wanted, and she said please come to dinner with me again tomorrow with Haman and I will tell you.
Haman, at this point was very happy and in high spirits, but when he came to the palace gate, there was Mordecai who refused to show fear or bow in his august presence, at which is bonhomie left him and in a sulk we went home. That evening he boasted about how rich and powerful he had become and how the king and queen ask him to dine with them. He then complained about Mordecai, that the life of this one Jew turned all his greatness into dust and ashes and how unfair it all was.
Haman's wife, a charmer by the name of Zeresh, suggested that Haman should set up a spile 20 metres high (that is about 8 floors of a building) and go and ask the king in the morning if he would impale Mordecai on it, just to cheer him up.
I wonder about the logistics of impaling somebody on a pole that is 20 odd metres above the ground - but that is just morbid curiosity - I dare say they had their methods.
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