Litwithprayer Podcast

Facing Imminent Danger Part 4: Esther Chapters 6-10

December 19, 2022 Litwithprayer Podcast
Litwithprayer Podcast
Facing Imminent Danger Part 4: Esther Chapters 6-10
Show Notes

Last week we left our story with Queen Esther inviting her husband, the King of Persia, and his second in command, Haman, a descendant of the Amalakites, to a second banquet. Here, Queen Esther would make her request to the king. Haman did not have any idea that the queen was herself Jewish and related to Mordecai, the Jew.

Although the decree to kill all the Jews had been set for a certain date and Haman was invited to a second banquet with the queen and king, he could not be happy because of his hatred towards Mordecai. Haman’s wife and friends suggested he have gallows built specifically to hang Mordecai. They suggested that he ask the king if he could hang Mordecai  the next morning. This would finally make Haman happy and he could enjoy the banquet with the king and queen later that evening.

That night before the day of the second banquet, the king could not sleep. He had one of his servants bring in the book of records and had it read to him aloud. The news that had been recorded gave an account of Mordecai saving the king’s life when he overheard two of the king’s personal servants’ plan to kill him. Mordecai reported what he had heard and after an investigation was done, it was found to be true. The king asked what reward or what honor had been given to Mordecai and the servants reported that nothing had been done.

As the king was thinking, Haman had entered the outer court and had planned to ask the king to hang Mordecai the next morning. When the king heard that Haman was in the outer court, he called for him to come into his chambers. He asked Haman to suggest an appropriate display of honor for someone that the king really wanted to honor. Haman immediately thought, “who else would the king want to honor other than me?”  He proceeded to suggest that a royal robe that the king had worn be put on the person and let that person ride the king’s horse with the king’s royal crest on its head. One of the king’s princes would parade the person through the town square and proclaim to the people that he is the man that the king delights to honor.

The king loved Haman’s suggestion and told him to quickly go do it and be the person that parades Mordecai. What a shock and turn of events for Haman. He did as the king commanded and after he paraded Mordecai, he quickly went home with his head covered. He was humiliated and very upset. As he was discussing the matter at home with his wife and friends, the king’s servants came to take him to the banquet.

After the king had a great time at the banquet he asked Esther for her request. She could ask him for anything up to half of his kingdom. She asked that her life and the lives of her people be spared from being killed and annihilated. She said she would not have said anything if they had been sold as slaves, but being killed and destroyed was different. The king asked who was responsible and the queen said “the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” The king was furious and he went out into the garden while Haman begged Esther to spare his life. When the king came back inside Haman had fallen across the couch where the queen was sitting and the king accused him of assaulting the queen. The guards told the king that Haman had prepared gallows to hand Mordecai who had saved the king’s life. The king ordered that Haman be hung on his own gallows. Mordecai later replaced Haman and became second in command to the King of Persia.

Read the rest at: https://litwithprayer.substack.com/p/facing-imminent-danger-part-4?sd=pf