June 10th
Esther, 8
C.
The Battle is won
The
Jews victorious
1: On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of
Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king;
for Esther had told what he was unto her. 2: And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from
Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of
Haman. 3: And Esther spake yet
again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears
to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had
devised against the Jews. 4:
Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and
stood before the king, 5: And
said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the
thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be
written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's
provinces: 6: For how can I
endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to
see the destruction of my kindred? 7:
Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew,
Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon
the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. 8: Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's
name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the
king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse. 9: Then were the king's scribes
called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three
and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai
commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of
the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven
provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every
people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and
according to their language. 10:
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring,
and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young
dromedaries: 11: Wherein the
king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together,
and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all
the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones
and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, 12: Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely,
upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. 13: The copy of the writing for a
commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and
that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their
enemies. 14: So the posts that
rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the
king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace. 15: And Mordecai went out from the
presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown
of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan
rejoiced and was glad.
D.
The Celebrations begin
The
Feast of Purim instituted
16: The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. 17: And in every province, and in
every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews
had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the
land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
Esther, 9
1: Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on
the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew
near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to
have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had
rule over them that hated them;) 2:
The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the
provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and
no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. 3: And all the rulers of the
provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king,
helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4: For Mordecai was great in the
king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man
Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 5:
Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and
slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
6: And in Shushan the palace
the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 7: And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 8: And Poratha, and Adalia, and
Aridatha, 9: And Parmashta, and
Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, 10:
The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they;
but on the spoil laid they not their hand. 11: On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan
the palace was brought before the king. 12:
And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five
hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they
done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it
shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 13: Then said Esther, If it please
the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow
also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon
the gallows. 14: And the king
commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they
hanged Haman's ten sons. 15:
For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the
fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan;
but on the prey they laid not their hand. 16: But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces
gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from
their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid
not their hands on the prey, 17:
On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same
rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18: But the Jews that were at Shushan
assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof; and on the fourteenth
thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of
feasting and gladness. 19:
Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the
fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good
day, and of sending portions one to another. 20: And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all
the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and
far, 21: To stablish this among
them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the
fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22:
As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was
turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that
they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to
another, and gifts to the poor. 23:
And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written
unto them; 24: Because Haman
the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised
against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to
consume them, and to destroy them; 25:
But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked
device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and
that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26: Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur.
Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen
concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, 27: The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed,
and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail,
that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according
to their appointed time every year; 28:
And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation,
every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim
should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their
seed. 29: Then Esther the
queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority,
to confirm this second letter of Purim. 30:
And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven
provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31: To confirm these days of Purim in
their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had
enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the
matters of the fastings and their cry. 32:
And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written
in the book.
Esther, 10
Mordecai
exalted
1: And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and
upon the isles of the sea. 2:
And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the
greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in
the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3: For Mordecai the Jew was next unto
king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his
brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
And so we come to the end of this fascinating story. It has dealt with issues
of state in the biggest empire that had ever existed up until that time and the
thread of the story had hung on a word and a glance. An overheard plot and the
courage of a young woman and the faithfulness of a mature man. The Jews had
finally won out and the most evil plots of the most wicked of men is discovered
and completely foiled. This story became the focus of great celebrations and in
fact it became a yearly celebration. And the greatest empire in the world had a
Jew next to the king and a faithful Jew as Prime minister. We read that all the
goods of Haman were given as a gift to Esther and Mordecai became the greatest
statesman in the empire. But the battle was not over; Haman had set a train of
events in motion that were difficult to stop. So Esther went and fell at the
king’s feet to beg that he act to stop the bloodshed. So the king gave Esther
and Mordecai permission to write letters to counteract the commands of the evil
letters. The Jews were given permission to defend themselves as a group in every
province and the letters were sent out in every language. Not only was Mordecai
honoured but the Jews were honoured in every city and country. And there was a
great conversion of Gentiles to Judaism. The fear of the LORD fell on the
people and none would raise up their hand against the Jews. The Jews took up
arms against their enemies and Haman’s ten sons were executed. When the king
heard of the executions even 500 in the palace of Shushan. He asked Esther what
else he could give her. Esther asked that Haman’s sons be hanged on the gallows
and the Jews executed 300 who set themselves against the Jews. Then the Jews
made a great celebration and established it as a feast to be remembered
forever. The feast of Purim. It was celebrated on the 14th day of
Adar. This was the time when their sorrow and mourning was turned into joy and
gladness. Mordecai became next only to the King and was like Joseph in his
position and greatness.
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