Bible in one year 7/21/2022 Esther Chapter 1-3
By Rev.Katherine Liu
Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
Chapter 1 King Xerxes
displeased Queen Vashti, and removed her royal position
This is what
happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces
stretching from India to Cush. At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal
throne in the citadel of Susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a
banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and
Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. (vv.1-3).
For six months (in the year 482 B.C.) the king exhibited the grandeur of his
court, during which time he probably planned with the military and civil
leaders his proposed invasion of Greece (which occurred in 480 B.C.). At the
conclusion, a seven –day drinking feast was held (vv.3,5; though no one was
compelled to drink, v.8), the queen holding a separate feast for the women
guests (v.9). On the last day of the feast, the drunken king summoned his
queen, presumably to make a lewd display of her before his guests, but she
refused to obey and refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned
with anger. (v.12). The counselors turned the matter into a national crisis
threatening male supremacy! For the queen’s conduct will become known to all
the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, “ King Xerxes
commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.” This
very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the
queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will
be no end of disrespect and discord. (vv.17-18). Therefore, If it pleases the
king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia
and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the
presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone
else who is better than she. (v.19). Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed
throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from
the least to the greatest.” (v.20). The king solemnly decreed (how could it eve
have been enforced!) that every man was to rule his own household and that his
native language was to be spoken in that home.
After Xerxes’ defeat at Plataea in 479, he probably began to long
for his queen again. Later when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he
remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Then
the king’s personal attendants proposed, “ Let a search be made for beautiful
young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province
of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel
of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is
in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let
the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed
to the king, and he followed it. (vv.10 ).
Esther was taken into the king’s harem and
instructed by Mordecai (her cousin who reared her) not to reveal her nationality
. Perhaps he feared for her life (v.11), or for his own position(v.19). Each
concubine waited to be summoned by the king. Esther’s turn came in the month of
Tebeth (the Babylonian name for Dec-Jan.), 479 B.C. She was crowned queen four
years after Vashti’s divorce and after Xerxes had suffered crushing defeat at
the hands of the Greeks. Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was
taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. (vv.15-16).
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to
any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the
other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead
of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquets, Esther’s banquet, for all his
nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and
distributed gifts with royal liberality.(vv.17-18). During the time Mordecai
was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers
who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinated King
Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in
turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mortdecai.(vv.21-22).
Chapter 3 the Decree of
Haman
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha,
the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of
all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and
paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But
Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.(vv.1-2). The Agagite. Possibly
related to the Amalekites (1Sam.15:8,33). If so, Haman was a descendant of
Esau, an enemy of the descendants of Isaac (Ex.17:8). Mordecai did not bow to
Haman because Haman claimed some sort of divine honors, as did the Persian
kings. As a faithful Jew, Morsdecai could not give such honor (Deut.6:13-14).
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel
down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people
were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai instead Haman looked for a
way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of
Xerxes. (vv.5-6). Twelfth year (v.7) first
month Mar.-Apr.,474, more than four years after Esther had become queen. Pur.
An Assyrian word meaning “lot” the plural, Purim, gives its name to the feast
commemorating the Jews’ deliverance from Haman. Haman, being very
superstitious, cast the lot in order to determine the most propitious time for
carrying out his plot against the Jews. The lot fell on the twelfth month
(Feb.-Mar.), which not only gave Haman time to prepare but also, in the
overruling providence of God, gave the Jews time to thwart his plan.
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “ There is a certain people dispersed and
scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs
are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s
law; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. if it pleases the
king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand
talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this
business.” (vv.8-9). In reality Haman offered a bribe to the king, the
amount of which he expected to cover by confiscating the property of the Jews.
Ten thousand talents of silver. A talent weighed from 58-80 pounds(Matt.18:24).
Using an average figure of seventy-five pounds, this would amount to twelve million
ounces of silver. 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. “keep the money,” the king said to
Haman, and “do with the people as you
please.” (v.10-11). the king, not even interested enough to inquire who the
people were, gave Haman his signet ring (on which was the official seal, the
equivalent of the king’s signature) and permission to do whatever he wished
with the people and their money.(vv.10-11). The edict was drawn up and letters
were sent immediately by a postal system employing riders stationed at various
intervals who passed messages along to each other, thus allowing the letters to
reach the remotest part of the empire in time to prepare for the execution of
the Jews.(v.12-13).
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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