May 25 - Esther 1-3

I have to admit, I didn't stop at Ch.3 today.  It was too much of a cliff hanger.  But I will just write about the first 3 chapters.

Today's reading starts off with the pagan King Xerxes.  He was very wealthy and he threw a really big party.  This party was in the garden of the palace and it lasted 7 days.  Wine was poured freely.  On the last day King Xerxes was drunk and he decided he wanted to go get his wife and parade her around.  She was very beautiful.  When she was summoned she refused to come.  She apparently didn't want to parade around with her drunk husband.

King Xerxes was mad.  He discussed it over with the elders and he was advised to send her away.  If she stayed all wives would use her as an example.  The wise men worried women would start rebelling against their husbands b/c of the queen's actions.  She was sent away.  Once the king was done being mad, the search for a new wife began.

There was a young Jewish women named Ester.  She was brought up by by her cousin b/c her parents were dead.  When virgin women were gathered to try to find a wife for King Xerxes, Ester was among those women.  Her cousin Morecai, the one who raised her, told her not to reveal her family background.  Ester obeyed.

Ester was favored among the women.  She got a personal helper and spent a year being pampered before she met the King.  She was able to request whatever her heart desired.  She only requested what she was advised to request.  She became favored among many.  The King favored her also and she became the new queen.

Ester's cousin Mordecai spent every day outside of the royal gate.  While out there he heard about a conspiracy to kill the king.  He immediately reported it to Ester and she told the King.

Soon after Mordecai would not bow to the newly promoted Haman.  Haman was not a godly man.  Mordecai was confronted about not honoring Haman.   When Haman found out that Mordecai did not bow to him he want punishment of not only him, but all Jews.

Haman tells the king that there are people in the kingdom that do not obey the king and it's in his best interest to take care of the situation.  The king agrees to let Haman call the shots and he gives him his ring to sign orders for him.  He had no idea what Haman was up to.  

Notices were distributed all over the kingdom saying that all Jewish women, men, and children were to be killed.  It was signed by the king's ring.  (But not the king himself.)  The King and Haman went about their business while the Jew in the kingdom were shocked.