Immerse Chronicles Day 357 Year 2 Bible Reading

Day 357: The Rise of Haman and Esther's Courage

In Day 357 of Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience, the narrative focuses on the events in the Book of Esther where King Xerxes promotes Haman to the highest office, leading all officials to bow before him—except Mordecai, a Jew, who refuses to comply. Haman's rage grows, and he devises a plan to annihilate all Jews in the empire, setting the date for their destruction. Queen Esther's intervention becomes her destiny as she risks her life to plead with the king for her people’s salvation. After fasting and prayer, Esther invites King Xerxes and Haman to banquets, creating an opportunity to reveal Haman's wicked plot. Despite Haman's pride and plans to execute Mordecai on a 75-foot tall pole, Esther's wisdom and bravery set the stage for a turning point in the narrative.

00:00 Introduction and Context
00:04 Haman's Rise to Power
00:16 Mordecai's Defiance
01:02 Haman's Plot Against the Jews
02:20 The King's Decree
03:25 Mordecai's Mourning
04:05 Esther's Intervention
06:05 Esther's Plan
07:03 The Banquet and Haman's Pride
07:54 Haman's Plot Against Mordecai

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Volume 6 — Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel

Chronicles

Immerse: Chronicles is the sixth and final installment in Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience. Chronicles contains the remaining First Testament Books: Chronicles–Ezra–Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. These works were all written after the Jewish people fell under the control of foreign empires and were scattered among the nations. They remind God’s chastened people of their identity and calling to faithfully represent God to the nations and that there is still hope for the struggling dynasty of David.

4 Questions to get your conversations started:
1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

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Emily: welcome to immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

day 300 and 57

Sometime later, king Xerxes promoted
Haman son of Hamaha, the Aite over

all the other nobles, making him the
most powerful official in the empire.

All the King's officials would bow
down before Haman to show him respect

whenever he passed by for, so the King
had commanded, but Mordecai refused

to bow down or show him respect.

Then the palace officials at the
King's Gate asked Mordecai, why are

you disobeying the King's command?

They spoke to him day after day, but
still he refused to comply with the order.

So they spoke to Haman about this to see
if he would tolerate Mordecai's conduct

since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.

When Haman saw that Mordecai
would not bow down or show him

respect, he was filled with rage.

He had learned of Mordecai's
nationality, so he decided it was not

enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone.

Instead, he looked for a way to
destroy all the Jews throughout

the entire empire of Xerxes.

So in the month of April during the
12th year of Kings Xerxes reign,

lots were cast in Haman's presence.

The lots were called Purim to determine
the best day and month to take action.

And the day selected was March
7th, nearly a year later.

Then Haman approached King Xerxes
and said, there is a certain race

of people scattered through all the
provinces of your empire, who keep

themselves separate from everyone else.

Their laws are different from those of
any other people, and they refuse to

obey the laws of the king, so it is not
in the king's interest to let them live.

If it please the king issue, a decree
that they be destroyed and I will

give 10,000 large sacks of silver
to the government administrators to

be deposited in the Royal Treasury.

The king agreed confirming his decision
by removing his signe ring from his

finger and giving it to Haman son of hemo
Deha, the Aite, the enemy of the Jews.

The king said the money and the people
are both yours to do with as you see fit.

So on April 17th, the King's secretaries
were summoned and a decree was

written exactly as Haman dictated.

It was sent to the king's highest
officers, the governors of the respective

provinces and the nobles of each province
in their own scripts and languages.

The decree was written in the
name of King's Xerxes, and sealed

with the king's signet ring.

Dispatches were sent by swift messengers
into all the provinces of the empire,

giving the order that all Jews,
young and old, including women and

children, must be killed, slaughtered,
and annihilated on a single day.

This was scheduled to happen
on March 7th of the next year.

The property of the Jews would be
given to those who killed them.

A copy of this decree was to be
issued as law in every province and

proclaimed to all peoples so that
they would be ready to do their duty.

On the appointed day at the King's
Command, the decree went out by

swift Messengers, and it was also
proclaimed in the fortress of Suse.

Then the king and Haman sat down
to drink, but the city of Suse

fell into confusion when Mordecai
learned about all that had been done.

He tore his clothes, put on burlap
and ashes, and went out into the city

crying with a loud and bitter whale.

He went as far as the gate of the
palace for no one was allowed to enter

the palace gate while wearing clothes
of mourning, and as news of the king's

decree reached all the provinces, there
was great mourning among the Jews.

They fasted, wept and wailed, and
many people lay in burlap and ashes.

When Queen Esther's maids and
Eunuch came and told her about

Mordecai, she was deeply distressed.

She sent clothing to him to replace
the burlap, but he refused it.

Then Esther sent for Hayek,
one of the King's Unix, who had

been appointed as her attendant.

She ordered him to go to Mordecai
and find out what was troubling

him and why he was in mourning.

So Hayak went out to Mordecai in the
square in front of the Palace Gate.

Mordecai told him the whole story
including the exact amount of money

Haman had promised to pay into the Royal
Treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

Mordecai gave Haac a copy of
the decree issued in Suse that

called for the death of all Jews.

He asked Haac to show it to Esther
and explain the situation to her.

He also asked Hayak to direct
her to go to the King to beg for

mercy and plead for her people.

So Hayak returned to Esther
with Mordecai's message.

Then Esther told Hayak to go back
and relay this message to Mordecai.

All the king's officials and even
the people in the provinces know

that anyone who appears before the
king in his inner court without being

invited, is doomed to die unless
the king holds out his gold scepter.

And the king has not called for
me to come to him for 30 days.

So Ack gave Esther's message to Mordecai.

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther.

Don't think for a moment that because
you are in the palace, you will

escape when all other Jews are killed.

If you keep quiet at a time like this,
deliverance and relief for the Jews

will arise from some other place,
but you and your relatives will die.

Who knows if perhaps you were made
queen for just such a time as this,

then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai.

Go and gather together all the
Jews of SUSE and fast for me.

Do not eat or drink for
three days, night or day.

My maids and I will do the same,
and then though it is against the

law, I will go in to see the king.

If I must die, I must die.

So Mordecai went away and did
everything as Esther had ordered him.

On the third day of the fast, Esther
put on her royal robes and entered

the inner court of the palace
just across from the King's Hall.

The king was sitting on his royal throne
facing the entrance when he saw Queen

Esther standing there in the inner court.

He welcomed her and held
out the gold scepter to her.

So Esther approached and
touched the end of the scepter.

Then the king asked her, what
do you want, queen Esther?

What is your request?

I will give it to you even
if it is half the kingdom.

And Esther replied, if it please the king,
let the king and Haman come today to a

banquet I have prepared for the king.

The king turned to his attendance and
said, tell Haman to come quickly to

a banquet as Esther has requested.

So the King and Haman
went to Esther's banquet.

And while they were drinking
wine, the king said to Esther,

now tell me what you really want.

What is your request?

I will give it to you even
if it is half the kingdom.

Esther replied, this is my request and
deepest wish if I have found favor with

the king and if it pleases the king to
grant my request and do what I ask, please

come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet.

I will prepare for you.

Then I will explain
what this is all about.

Haman was a happy man as he left the
banquet, but when he saw Mordecai

sitting at the palace gate, not
standing up or trembling nervously

before him, Haman became furious.

However, he restrained
himself and went on home.

Then Haman gathered together his
friends and zeroes his wife and boasted

to them about his great wealth and
as many children he bragged about

the honors the king had given him
and how he had been promoted over

all the other nobles and officials.

Then Haman added, and that's not
all Queen Esther invited only me

and the king himself to the banquet.

She prepared for us, and she
has invited me to dine with her

and the king again tomorrow.

Then he added.

This is all worth nothing as long
as I see Mordecai the Jew just

sitting there at the Palace Gate.

So Haman's wife, Xes, and all his friends
suggested set up a sharpened pole that

stands 75 feet tall, and in the morning,
ask the king to impale Mordecai on it.

When this is done, you can go on your
merry way to the banquet with the king.

This pleased Haman and he
ordered the poll set up.