Emily: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
day 300 and 58.
That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant
to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him.
In those records, he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed
the plot of big thana and tar to of the eunuch who guarded the door
to the king's private quarters.
They had plotted to assassinate King's Xerxes.
What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?
The king asked.
His attendance replied.
Nothing has been done for him.
Who is that?
In the outer court, the king inquired.
As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask
the king to impale Mordecai on the poll.
He had prepared the, so the attendance replied to the king.
Haman is out in the court, bring him in.
The king ordered.
So Haman came in and the king said, what should I do to honor
a man who truly pleases me?
Haman thought to himself, whom would the king wish to honor more than me?
So he replied.
If the king wishes to honor someone, he should bring out one of the king's
own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden
one with a royal emblem on its head.
Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble
officials and let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed
in the king's robes and led through the city square on the king's horse.
Have the official shout as they go.
This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor.
Excellent.
The king said to Haman.
Quick take the robes and my horse and do, just as you have said, for Mordecai, the
Jew who sits at the gate of the palace, leave out nothing you have suggested.
So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai placed him on the King's
own horse and led him through the city square shouting This is what the king
does for someone he wishes to honor.
Afterward, Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home
dejected and completely humiliated.
When Haman told his wife zeroes and all his friends what had happened,
his wise advisors and his wife said, since Mordecai, this man who has
humiliated you is of Jewish birth.
You will never succeed in your plans against him.
It will be fatal to continue opposing him.
While they were still talking, the King's eunuchs arrived and quickly
took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared, so the King and Haman
went to Queen Esther's banquet.
On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again
said to Esther, tell me what you want, queen Esther, what is your request?
I will give it to you even if it is half the kingdom.
Queen Esther replied, if I have found favor with the king and if it pleases
the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my
people will be spared for my people.
And I have been sold to those who would kill slaughter and annihilate us.
If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet
for that would be too trivial.
A matter to warrant disturbing the king.
Who would do such a thing?
King's eRx.
He's demanded Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?
Esther replied, this wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.
Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen.
Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and wed out into the palace garden.
Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen
Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him in despair.
He fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining just as the king
was returning from the palace garden.
The king exclaimed.
Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace before my very eyes, and
as soon as the king spoke, his attendance covered Haman's face signaling his doom.
Then Har, one of the king's eunuchs said, Haman has set up a sharpened pole that
stands 75 feet tall in his own courtyard.
He intended to use it to Impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from
assassination, then impaled Haman on it.
The king ordered, so they impaled Haman on the pole.
He had set up for Mordecai and the King's anger subsided.
On that same day, king Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the
enemy of the Jews to Queen Esther.
Then Mordecai was brought before the king for Esther had told
the king how they were related.
The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman and gave it
to Mordecai, and Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property.
Then Esther went again before the king.
Falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised
by Haman the Aite against the Jews.
Again, the king held out the gold scepter to Esther, so
she rose and stood before him.
Esther said If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him and if he
thinks it is right and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses
the orders of Haman, son of haha, the aite who ordered that Jews throughout all
the king's provinces should be destroyed for how can I endure to see my people
and my family slaughtered and destroyed?
Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew.
I have given Esther the property of Haman and he has been impaled on a pole
because he tried to destroy the Jews.
Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the King's name, telling
them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring.
But remember that whatever has already been written in the King's name and sealed
with his signet ring can never be revoked.
So on June 25th, the king secretaries were summoned and a decree was
written exactly as Mordecai dictated.
It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and
the nobles of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.
The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of
the empire, including that of the Jews.
The decree was written in the name of Kings Xerxes, and sealed
with the king's signet ring.
Mordecai sent the dispatches by Swift messengers who rode fast horses,
especially bred for the King's service.
The King's decree gave the Jews in every city authority to
unite, to defend their lives.
They were allowed to kill slaughter and annihilate anyone of any nationality
or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to
take the property of their enemies.
The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King's Xerxes
was March 7th of the next year.
A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed
to all peoples so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies.
On the appointed day, so urged on by the King's command, the
messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the King's service.
The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Suse.
Then Mordecai left the King's presence wearing the royal robe of blue and white.
The great crown of gold and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple, and the
people of suse celebrated the new decree.
The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere
in every province, in city where wherever the king's decree arrived.
The Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared
a public festival in holiday.
Many of the people of the land became Jews themselves for they feared
what the Jews might do to them.
So on March 7th, the two decrees of the king were put into effect On that day, the
enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened.
It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies.
The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to
attack anyone who tried to harm them.
But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them.
And all the nobles of the provinces, the highest officers, the governors
and the royal officials helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai.
For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame
spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful.
So the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their
enemies with the sword they killed and annihilated their enemies and did as
they pleased with those who hated them.
In the fortress of Suse itself, the Jews killed 500 men.
They also killed Parsha Dolphin aspe po.
A Aha par aai.
Erdi and Vaha, the 10 sons of Haman, son of Haha, the enemy of the Jews.
But they did not take any plunder that very day when the king was
informed of the number of people killed in the fortress of Suse.
He called for Queen Esther.
He said The Jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Suse
alone as well as Haman's 10 sons.
If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces?
But now what more do you want?
It will be granted to you.
Tell me and I will do it.
Esther responded, if it please the king.
Give the Jews in suse permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today.
And let the bodies of Hamans 10 sons be impaled on a poll.
So the king agreed and the decree was announced in suse and they impaled
the bodies of Haman's 10 sons.
Then the Jews at SUSE gathered together on March 8th and killed 300 more men.
And again, they took no plunder.
Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered
together to defend their lives.
They gained relief from all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them,
but they did not take any plunder.
This was done throughout the provinces on March 7th, and on March 8th, they rested.
Celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness.
The Jews at SUSE killed their enemies on March 7th, and again on March 8th,
then rested on March 9th, making that their day of feasting and gladness.
So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual
festival and holiday on the appointed day in late winter when they rejoice
and send gifts of food to each other.
Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far
throughout all the provinces of King's Xerxes, calling on them to celebrate
an annual festival on these two days.
He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness,
and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor.
This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies,
when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.
So the Jews accepted mordecai's proposal and adopted this
annual custom Haman son of Haha.
The Aite.
The enemy of the Jews had plotted to crush and destroy them on the
date determined by casting lots.
The lots were called Purim.
But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing
Haman's evil plot to backfire.
And Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole.
That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the
ancient word for casting lots.
So because of Mordecai's letter and because of what they had experienced,
the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and
to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews.
They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed
days at the appointed time each year.
These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and
celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire.
This festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews,
nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.
Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abigail, along with Mordecai the Jew,
wrote another letter putting the Queen's full authority behind Mordecai's letter
to establish the Festival of Purim.
Letters.
Wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127
provinces of the Empire of Xerxes.
These letters established the Festival of prm, an annual celebration of these
days at the appointed time decreed by both Mordecai, the Jew and Queen Esther.
The people decided to observe this festival just as they had
decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the
times of fasting and mourning.
So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was
all written down in the records.
King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even
to the distant coastlands.
His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai
whom the king had promoted are recorded in the book of the history
of the Kings of Media and Persia.
Mordecai, the Jew, became the prime Minister with authority next
to that of Kings Xerxes himself.
He was very great among the Jews who held him in high esteem because he
continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the
welfare of all their descendants.