![]() ![]() ![]() And so they informed Haman to see if he would let Mordecai get away with his stubborn refusal to show respect to the king’s right hand man, in effect, the prime minister of Persia.Īlthough furious, Haman kept his anger concealed. But for the king’s servants, this made no sense at all. For him, that was all that was necessary. When challenged, he excused his actions by simply saying he was a Jew. Although the king commanded all of his citizens to show respect to Haman, Mordecai refused, which caused the king’s servants to rebuke him. The king had elevated him above all the rest and clearly placed complete trust in him, a decision which proved to be foolish. Haman appears as a prince who stands head and shoulders above the rest of his peers, at least in the king’s mind. Suddenly Haman, a new character, is introduced. The king was usually careful to reward acts of loyalty, but for some reason Mordecai was not rewarded, and the matter was forgotten, although it was recorded in the chronicles of the king as he looked on. Further inquiry proved this report to be true, and these two traitors were hung. While sitting at the king’s gate, Mordecai became aware of a plot by Bigthana and Teresh to kill the king, which he made known to Esther, who in turn informed the king in Mordecai’s name. Esther continued to keep her identity from the king. At his instruction, Esther kept her Jewish origins and her relationship to Mordecai a secret.įor whatever reason, there was a second gathering of young women whom the king was busily engaged in trying out (for queen?). The process of selecting a queen resulted in the selection of Esther, a young Jewess who had been raised by her cousin and step-father, Mordecai. For a man like Ahasuerus, this was a great pleasure and kept him from trying to reverse his previous decision. Consequently, they advised the king to remove Vashti as queen and select another better than Vashti they also advised this should be made a matter of law sent to every province in the kingdom so all would learn that such actions would not be tolerated.Īfter some time, the king’s heart was once again inclined toward Vashti, but his valets encouraged him to get on with the process of selecting a new queen. They agreed that Vashti had committed a most serious offense, and that news of her disregard for her husband’s authority would likely have an adverse effect on marriages throughout the kingdom. Although deeply angered by Vashti’s blatant disregard for his authority, the king sought counsel from the wisest of his princes. Now even his wife would not submit to his leadership. The king was humiliated, for he had spent the last six months displaying the glory and sovereignty of his dominion. As a grand finale, the king summons Vashti, the queen, to appear in her regal attire to display her beauty and enhance the king’s glory.įor some unexplained reason, Vashti did the unthinkable-she refused to appear. At the end of this celebration, the king holds a week-long banquet for all of the inhabitants of Susa, the capital city, whether rich or poor. The author begins the book with a six-month long royal celebration which king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) holds for the nobility of his kingdom. In so doing, you will read the text as it is and learn from what is not said as well as from what is. And when the author omits certain crucial elements, do not think he really meant us to assume them rather, the author expects us to note their absence. When the author specifically mentions certain things, take note of them. ![]() As we begin our study of chapter 4, I want to ask you to make a commitment: commit yourself to accept the text just as it is. Sadly, many who read and study Esther (including Bible scholars who write commentaries on the book) “fill in the blanks,” rather than leaving them blank and learning from the silence of the author. ![]() In the Book of Esther, what is not said is vitally important. Think, for instance, of the wife who yearns to hear her husband say, “I love you,” or the young woman who has dated a young man for a long time and has not yet heard the word “marriage” (or today’s word, “commitment”). As we walked to our car after the funeral, Bill commented, “It wasn’t what the preacher said that was the problem it was what he didn’t say.” Often what is not said may be more important than what is said. Years ago, my friend Bill McRae and I attended a funeral in a church which no longer clearly proclaimed the gospel. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |