Esther 3 & 4

1-6 7-15 4:1-8 9-17

1-6

Several years have passed again in between chapters 2 and 3 as chapter two occurs in the seventh year of Ahasuerus’ reign and these events take place in the 12th year of his reign per verse 7. During this interlude Haman an Agagite, being descended from king Agag the Amalekite, the people descended from Amalek the grandson Esau which God commanded Saul to wipe out, and he disobeyed God, is promoted to the highest position of all the officials in Ahasuerus’ kingdom. With Haman’s new position Ahasuerus also commanded that everyone should bow down before him in respect, in the Persian custom this would not be a simple head nod or bending at the waist, this is a bowing down to the ground as to worship a deity, divine honors as was the custom that was given to the kings, the same type of reverence and worship was bestowed on Haman by Ahasuerus. But Mordecai did not bow down and give Haman this homage. There are two reasons given by scholars for Mordecai’s refusal, one this bowing down as to honor a human as a divine being is a violation of the Mosaic Law that Mordecai refused to break, or that the reason is the family feud between Mordecai who was a Benjamite Jew and Haman who was an Amalekite, it also can be some of both the feud between the two lineages gives Mordecai reason not to give Haman respect in his position that can be interpreted as breaking the first Commandment. When the king’s servants at the gate where Mordecai spends time sees him not bowing down to Haman they question him about it, asking him why he refused the kings command. They question him day after day about it but the only answer Mordecai would give is that he is a Jew. The servants told Haman about Mordecai’s refusal and the reason that Mordecai gave was that he was a Jew to see if Haman would tolerate Mordecai’s refusal to bow. After the servants told Haman the next time he was at the gate he pays attention to Mordecai to see for himself if he bows or not, and when Mordecai does not Haman is filled with rage at this “dishonor” and his anger and rage was so great that he did not want to take it out on Mordecai alone but thought that his damaged honor deserved nothing less that the total extermination of every Jew in Ahasuerus’ kingdom.

7-15

The Jewish month of Nisan which occurs in the March/April time frame and is when the Jewish people should be celebrating the Passover to remind them of when they were delivered from God’s wrath in Egypt, at this same time frame we see Haman and his advisors planning the total destruction of the Jewish people in Persia. Haman and his advisors cast lots, or dice type objects, to determine the best or most lucky month and day that this genocide should take place and the lots do not show a favorable result until the 12 month of Adar. God being sovereign and in control of everything including the dice of Haman does not allow them to fall on a month to near in the future but allows almost an entire year before Haman will enact his plan. Adar being in the February/March time frame and 11 months away from Nisan. When Haman has the date for his plan he goes to Ahasuerus and tells him that there is a people in his kingdom that do not follow the laws passed down from Ahasuerus and that this must not be tolerated, he tells the king that a decree should go out, the same kind that was given concerning Vashti, that these people should be totally destroyed. Haman sweetens the deal he proposes to Ahasuerus by offering 10,000 talents of silver to be put into the kings treasury to offset the loss of tax revenue that would be lost from exterminating these people. The exact dollar amount that this would be is uncertain but some have the estimate at 375 tons of silver which would have been almost 70% of the annual revenue of the king. 375 tons, there is 2000 pounds per ton, 16 ounces per pound, silver today is valued at $25.26 per ounce so $303,120,000 if the estimate is accurate. Ahasuerus agrees that this should be done and gives Haman, the enemy of the Jews his signet ring, which any decree like this would be sealed, thus equating to the kings signature. Ahasuerus does not even accept the offer of the 10,000 talents of silver from Haman and tells him that whatever he needs to get this done he can have. Perhaps the offer Haman made impressed upon Ahasuerus the passion Haman had for this cause or that he himself was very eager to eliminate any resemblance of rebellion in the kingdom and he was not interested in the money, but since Haman did not tell him that these people were the Jews Ahasuerus is unaware that this includes Queen Esther. The decree was made on the thirteenth day of the month of Nisan the first month of the Jewish year, this decree was made in every language and distributed to every province in all of the kingdom, every Jew was to be killed and all of their possessions taken every one of them, young and old, man woman and child, all on the same day, the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, 11 months after the decree was created and signed. As the decree went out Haman sat down to drink and celebrate as the people in the capital city were confused and perplexed as to why this extreme and deadly action is to be done, the genocide of all of the Jews in the kingdom.

4:1-8

When Mordecai learns of the decree and that is contains the authorization for the destruction of all of his people, he puts on sackcloth and covers his head in ashes, the traditional mourning attire an outward sign of his distress. He goes into the city and cries out bitterly, and in every city that the decree is delivered to all of the Jews weep and mourn in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther who apparently did not know of the decree but did hear that Mordecai was in mourning, and being in sackcloth was not allowed to enter the king’s gate had some clothes sent to Mordecai so that he could come in and tell her what was the matter but Mordecai refused to accept the clothes and did not come in to talk to Esther. So Esther sent one of her aides, a eunuch of the king named Hathach to go to Mordecai and learn what was going on. Mordecai tells Hathach all that was in the decree and the amount that Haman was willing to pay to have the Jews destroyed, which was probably not in the decree but Mordecai had learned of it, he also gives Hathach a copy of the decree to take back to Esther. Mordecai wants Esther to go to the king Ahasuerus and ask and beg that Mordecai, Esther and all of their people be spared.

9-17

When Hathach told Esther all of what Mordecai had said about what was to happen, showed her the decree, and that Mordecai wanted her to go to the king to plead for their lives she tells Hathach to go back to Mordecai and tell him that no one can come before the king with out being summoned under penalty of death unless when they come unannounced the king extends he extends his golden sceptre to them and Ahasuerus has not called for Esther to come to him in a month and was probably fearing that she has lost favor with Ahasuerus so if she did go before him he may not welcome her and she would be killed. When Hathach returned to Mordecai with the news from Esther he told Hathach to go back to Esther and tell that if she does not go to the king then they will be delivered from this fate from another some other way, showing his faith that God would keep the promise made to Abraham, but ignoring the needs of her people would surly bring about the wrath of God and her and her family would perish. He also adds that it was surely God’s will and providence that she was where she was, to be able to intercede on behalf of her people. When Esther hears Mordecai’s response she agrees and decides to go into the king on behalf of her people. She sends word back to Mordecai to gather all of the Jews in Susa or Shushan, the capital city, and fast on her behalf for three days and nights and she and her aides will fast as well, although praying for her is not mentioned here it is implied as all throughout the Bible fasting and prayer are linked together, Daniel 9:3 “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” . After the three days of fasting and praying she will go into see Ahasuerus to try and deliver her people from this fate regardless of the law and if she dies then that is God’s will. Mordecai gathers the people and they all fast and pray for three days for Esther success in getting into see the king and for their deliverance from the coming genocide.