ESTHER 6-10 Observations

CHAPTER 6

The King Honors Mordecai

· Meanwhile, God is at work in the king’s heart.

o The way He chooses is to make the king sleepless

o The king having a hard time sleeping, asks for the history books to be brought and read to him so he would get bored and fall to sleep.

o As a result he hears where Mordecai had saved his life.

o He then asks, “Has Mordecai been honored for this brave deed?”

o The answer comes back, “No”

· King asks who is in the court?

o Answer: Haman

· Bring him in

o Haman thinks this is just another of his privileges

· King asks him how should he honor someone the kings wants to honor

o Haman thinks the king wants to honor him

o So he says, dress him in the finest robes, put him on the king’s horse, have someone lead him on this horse through the city saying this is how the king honors those whom he wants to honor.

o Haman thinks he’s going to be the person sitting on the horse.

· Meanwhile, the king says, “great plan”

o He then commands Mordecai to be put on the horse and Haman to lead him through the streets.

· When finished,

o Mordecai went back to the gate as normal

o Haman went home humiliated.

§ His wife tells him he is beginning to fall before Mordecai

§ If he had listened to reason instead of being hostile against God’s people, there may have been hope for him…but his heart was hardened against God’s people and so any hope was gone…and his life now heads to the end.

CHAPTER 7

Haman Hanged Instead of Mordecai

· On the second day, Haman attended the feast Esther had prepared for him and the king.

· The king then asks her what she wants.

· She then starts into her speech with Haman sitting there.

o My people have been sold into death by a man

· The king asks who is that man? And where is the man who would do such a thing as this?

o Esther answers: That man is this wicked Haman!!

· At this Haman became terrified and begs for his life. And falls across Esther’s couch.

· The king becomes angrier thinking Haman is attacking her, and asks what to do with him.

· The king’s servant says, Look here is the gallows he had prepared to hang Mordecai on.

· The king says hang him on it.

· To which the servants take Haman out and hang him

CHAPTER 8

Esther Saves the Jews

· Esther then went into the king once more told the king how Mordecai was related to her, and to beg him to save her people.

· The king asked her what to do.

· She conferred with Mordecai who counseled her to ask the king to write a decree that the Jews could protect themselves.

· The king did, and gave Mordecai charge of all Haman’s house and gave Mordecai the signet ring.

· Result was joy in Shushan

· Many people became Jews because the fear of God fell upon them.

CHAPTER 9

The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors

· On the day when the enemies of the Jews were to overpower them, the Jews overpowered their enemies.
Esther 9:1 - 2 (NASB) ¹Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. ²The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples.

· Mordecai became powerful and Jews overcame all their enemies.
Esther 9:4 - 6 (NASB) ⁴Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. ⁵Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men,

· Then Esther asked the king of the same thing could be done the next day, which the king granted.

o Next day the Jews hanged Haman’s 10 sons on the same gallows as Haman was hanged.

The Feast of Purim

· Jews gathered on the 13^th and 14^th of Adar, and feasted and on the 15^th day rested.

· The Jews called this Purim and it has become a perpetual feast usually around the end of February or early March.

CHAPTER 10

Mordecai’s Advancement

· Mordecai was advanced to 2^nd in the kingdom.
Esther 10:3 - Job 1:1 (NASB) ³For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation. ¹There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.