Day 140: Esther 7, 8, 9 and 10

They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (NIV 1984, Esther 7:10).

Haman’s plot to wipe out the Jews had been announced. What Haman didn’t know was that Persia’s new queen was a Jew, and that the target of his anger, Mordecai, was in fact Esther’s cousin who had raised her after her parents died.

At the risk of her life, Esther appeared unbidden before the king. He received her with pleasure and offered her anything. She asked that the king and Haman come to a private banquet with her that day. At lunch, the king again offered her anything she wanted, and Esther simply asked him to bring Haman for another meal the next day.

In the next 24 hours, Haman, carried away with his own importance, contracted the construction of a special gallows on which to hang Mordecai. Then to his great distress, the next morning he was ordered to honor the very man he despised. Upon his return to Esther’s quarters for lunch later that day, Esther announced to the king that she was a Jew and that Haman had plotted the genocide of the Jewish people.

In a rage, the king decreed that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. The edict to kill the Jews was reversed, and a day of mourning turned to celebration.

If a man digs a put, he will fall into it (Proverbs 26:27).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Ever have anger or bitter words come back to haunt you? Does the lust for revenge ever make you lose your head? What is God speaking to you?

Day 139: Esther 4, 5 and 6

What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? (Esther 6:6).

In the dictionary next to the word hubris should be a picture of Haman the Agagite.

Because of insomnia, the king was listening as his attendant read to him from the chronicles of his reign. He was reminded that years earlier two of his trusted advisors had plotted his assassination. Mordecai had uncovered the conspiracy, warned him in time to save his life and execute the would-be assassins. He also found that Mordecai had never been thanked for his intervention.

Coincidentally Haman had just arrived to speak with him about hanging Mordecai on a gallows he’d built especially for that purpose. The king was happy to welcome his friend and immediately asked: What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? Of course, Haman thought he was the one the king wanted to honor, so he came up with an elaborate reward. The king was pleased with Haman’s plan and told him: Go . . . do just as you have suggested for Mordecai (6:10). Now what did you want to ask me?

Gulp!

Reminds me of the words of Jesus: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited (Luke 14:8).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Have you ever made a similar misjudgment? How long before you crawled out of that hole? Take heart: The King does delight to honor you. Consider what this truth means for your life.

Day 138: Esther 1, 2 and 3

The city of Susa was bewildered (Esther 3:15).

The first Jews were exiled to Babylon in 605 BC. After things settled down, life was actually pretty good. They bought property, raised families, and when allowed to return to Jerusalem 70 years later, many elected to stay in their new home.

The story of Esther falls many years after the return to Jerusalem among Jewish people remaining in Persia. Susa, the empire’s winter capital, has a large and prosperous Jewish population, well thought of by their non-Jewish neighbors. In an ancient Persian version of The Bachelor, Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, is selected from all the young ladies of the empire to be the new queen.

When Mordecai offends Haman, a rising star in Persian society, he makes an arch-enemy of comic book proportions. Haman is a descendant of Agag – King of the Amalekites – killed by the prophet Samuel in the days of King Saul. Agag’s descendants have nursed a grudge against Israel for 600 years.

Haman sees his favor with the king as an opportunity to wreak vengeance on not only Mordecai, but on the entire Jewish people. He convinces the king to have the Jews killed (genocide). The day, chosen by chance, is eleven months away. As the news spreads throughout the empire, the Jews are in disbelief and their neighbors scratch their heads at this order, of which they cannot make sense.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

What do you do when life doesn’t make sense? Reflect on Isaiah 40:31.

Day 140: Esther 7, 8, 9 and 10

They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. (Esther 7:10)

Haman’s plot to wipe out the Jews had been announced. What Haman didn’t know was that Persia’s new queen was a Jew, and that the target of his anger, Mordecai, was in fact Esther’s cousin who had raised her after her parents died.

At the risk of her life, Esther appeared unbidden before the king. He received her with pleasure and offered her anything. She asked that the king and Haman come to a private banquet with her that day. At lunch, the king again offered her anything she wanted, and Esther simply asked him to bring Haman for another meal the next day.

In the next 24 hours, Haman, carried away with his own importance, contracted the construction of a special gallows on which to hang Mordecai. Then to his great distress, the next morning he was ordered to honor the very man he despised. Upon his return to Esther’s quarters for lunch later that day, Esther announced to the king that she was a Jew and that Haman had plotted the genocide of the Jewish people.

In a rage, the king decreed that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. The edict to kill the Jews was reversed, and a day of mourning turned to celebration.

If a man digs a put, he will fall into it (Proverbs 26:27).

Ever have anger or bitter words come back to haunt you?

Day 139: Esther 4, 5 and 6

What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? (Esther 6:6)

In the dictionary next to the definition of the word hubris should be a picture of Haman the Agagite.

Because of insomnia, the king was listening as his attendant read to him from the chronicles of his reign. He was reminded that years earlier two of his trusted advisors had plotted his assassination and that Mordecai had uncovered the conspiracy and warned him in time to save his life and execute the would-be assassins. He also found that Mordecai had never been thanked for his intervention.

Coincidentally Haman had just arrived to speak with him about hanging Mordecai on a gallows he’d built especially for that purpose. The king was happy to welcome his friend and immediately asked: What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? Of course, Haman thought he was the one the king wanted to honor, so he came up with an elaborate reward. The king was pleased with Haman’s plan and told him: Go . . . do just as you have suggested… for Mordecai (6:10). Now what did you want to ask me?

Gulp!

Reminds me of the words of Jesus: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited (Luke 14:8).

Have you ever made a similar misjudgment? How long before you crawled out of that hole?

Day 138: Esther 1, 2 and 3

The city of Susa was bewildered. (Esther 3:15)

The first Jews were exiled to Babylon in 605 BC. After things settled down, life was actually pretty good. They bought property, raised families, and when allowed to return to Jerusalem 70 years later, many elected to stay in their new home.

The story of Esther falls many years after the return to Jerusalem among Jewish people remaining in Persia. Susa, the empire’s winter capital, has a large and prosperous Jewish population, well thought of by their non-Jewish neighbors.

In an ancient Persian version of The Bachelor, Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, is selected from all the young ladies of the empire to be the new queen. When Mordecai offends Haman, a rising star in Persian society, he makes an arch-enemy of comic book proportions. Haman is a descendant of Agag – King of the Amalekites – killed by the prophet Samuel in the days of King Saul. Agag’s descendants have nursed a grudge against Israel for 600 years.

Haman sees his favor with the king as an opportunity to wreak vengeance on not only Mordecai, but on the entire Jewish people. He convinces the king to have the Jews killed (genocide). The day, chosen by chance, is eleven months away. As the news spreads throughout the empire, the Jews are in disbelief and their neighbors scratch their heads at this order, of which they cannot make sense.

How does faith help when you don’t understand the circumstances of life?

Day 140: Esther 7, 8, 9 and 10

They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. (Esther 7:10)

Haman's plot to wipe out the Jews had been announced. What Haman didn't know was that Persia's new queen was a Jew, and that the target of his anger, Mordecai, was in fact Esther's cousin who had raised her after her parents died.

At the risk of her life, Esther appeared unbidden before the king. He received her with pleasure and offered her anything. She asked that the king and Haman come to a private banquet with her that day. At lunch, the king again offered her anything she wanted, and Esther simply asked him to bring Haman for another meal the next day.

In the next 24 hours, Haman, carried away with his own importance, contracted the construction of a special gallows on which to hang Mordecai. Then to his great distress, the next morning he was ordered to honor the very man he despised. Upon his return to Esther's quarters for lunch later that day, Esther announced to the king that she was a Jew and that Haman had plotted the genocide of the Jewish people.

In a rage, the king decreed that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. The edict to kill the Jews was reversed, and a day of mourning turned to celebration.

If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it (Proverbs 26:27).

Ever have anger or bitter words come back to haunt you?

Day 139: Esther 4, 5 and 6

What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? (Esther 6:6)

In the dictionary next to the definition of the word hubris should be a picture of Haman the Agagite.

Because of insomnia, the king was listening as his attendant read to him from the chronicles of his reign. He was reminded that years earlier two of his trusted advisors had plotted his assassination and that Mordecai had uncovered the conspiracy and warned him in time to save his life and execute the would-be assassins. He also found that Mordecai had never been thanked for his intervention.

Coincidentally Haman had just arrived to speak with him about hanging Mordecai on a gallows he'd built especially for for that purpose. The king was happy to welcome his friend and immediately asked: What should be done for the man the king delights to honor? Of course, Haman thought he was the one the king wanted to honor, so he came up with an elaborate reward. The king was pleased with Haman's plan and told him: Go . . . do just as you have suggested... for Mordecai (6:10). Now what did you want to ask me?

Gulp!

Reminds me of the words of Jesus: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited (Luke 14:8).

Have you ever made a similar misjudgment? How long before you crawled out of that hole?

Day 138: Esther 1, 2 and 3

The city of Susa was bewildered. (Esther 3:15)

The first Jews were exiled to Babylon in 605 BC. After things settled down, life was actually pretty good. They bought property, raised families, and when allowed to return to Jerusalem 70 years later, many elected to stay in their new home.

The story of Esther falls many years after the return to Jerusalem among Jewish people remaining in Persia. Susa, the empire's winter capital, has a large and prosperous Jewish population, well thought of by their non-Jewish neighbors.

In an ancient Persian version of The Bachelor, Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, is selected from all the young ladies of the empire to be the new queen. When Mordecai offends Haman, a rising star in Persian society, he makes an arch-enemy of comic book proportions. Haman is a descendant of Agag - King of the Amalekites - killed by the prophet Samuel in the days of King Saul. Agag's descendants have held a grudge for 600 years.

Haman sees his favor with the king as an opportunity to wreak vengeance on not only Mordecai, but on the entire Jewish people. He convinces the king to have the Jews killed (genocide). The day, chosen by chance, is eleven months away. As the news spreads throughout the empire, the Jews are in disbelief and their neighbors scratch their heads at this order, of which they cannot make sense.

How does your faith help when you don't understand the circumstances of life?