Book of Esther👸1

I just got to learn more on the book of Esther lately and it felt like I've not read it before and I will be like to share my knowledge with others.

This is the story of something that happened in the time of Xerxes. King Xerxes ruled from his royal throne in the palace. In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials, ministers along with the princes and governors of the provinces.

At the conclusion of the exhibit, the king threw a weeklong party for everyone living in Susa. The party was in the garden courtyard of the king's summer house. The guests could drink as much as they liked—king's orders!—with waiters at their elbows to refill the drinks. 

Meanwhile, Queen Vashti was throwing a separate party for women inside King Xerxes' royal palace. Mind you Queen Vashiti is the wife of the King.

 On the seventh day of the party, the king, high on the wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants to bring him Queen Vashti resplendent in her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the guests and officials.

But Queen Vashti refused to come, refused the summons delivered by the eunuchs. The king lost his temper. Seething with anger over her insolence, the king called in his counselors, all experts in legal matters. It was the king's practice to consult his expert advisors.

The council of the king and princes spoke: "It's not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it's all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes' provinces. 'Did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn't do it!' When the women hear it, they'll start treating their husbands with contempt.

 "So, if the king agrees, that Vashti is permanently banned from King Xerxes' presence. And then let the king give her royal position to a woman who knows her place.

 The king and the princes liked this. The king did what was proposed. He sent bulletins to every part of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, to each people in their own language: "Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes."

Later, when King Xerxes' anger had cooled and he was having second thoughts about what Vashti had done and what he had ordered against her, the king's young attendants stepped in and got the ball rolling: "Let's begin a search for beautiful young virgins for the king.

To me the King acted like a baby, he didn't even know the reason why his wife refused to go to him. Maybe she wasn't feeling too well...he just took the rash decision to ban her out of his kingdom. Just like that ....they want to find the king a new and beautiful wife just immediately Asif they were expecting Queen Vashti's disobedience before.

Let the king appoint officials in every province of his kingdom to bring every beautiful young virgin to the palace the king's eunuch who oversees the women; he will put them through their beauty treatments

Then let the girl who best pleases the king be made queen in place of Vashti."

The king liked this advice and took it.

 Now there was a Jew who lived in the palace complex in Susa. His name was Mordecai, he had reared his cousin Hadassah, otherwise known as Esther, since she had no father or mother. The girl had a good figure and a beautiful face. After her parents died, Mordecai had adopted her.

When the king's order had been publicly posted, many young girls were brought to the palace complex of Susa. Hegai ( was in charge of the contest) liked Esther and took a special interest in her. Right off he started her beauty treatments, ordered special food for her.

I said it before that the King behaves like a baby ...every advise that was brought to he would just accept without having to think it through all by himself. He's quick in making decisions and couldn't say no to irrational suggestions.

King Xerxes promoted Haman making him the highest-ranking official in the government. All the king's servants at the King's Gate used to honor him by bowing down and kneeling before Haman—that's what the king had commanded.

Except Mordecai. Mordecai wouldn't do it, wouldn't bow down and kneel.

The king's servants at the King's Gate asked Mordecai about it: "Why do you cross the king's command?"

Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

When Haman saw for himself that Mordecai didn't bow down and kneel before him, he was outraged. Meanwhile, having learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew; he looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordecai but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

 Haman then spoke with King Xerxes: "There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don't fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king's laws. They're an affront; the king shouldn't put up with them.

 If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed. The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman.  "Go ahead," the king said to Haman "do whatever you want with those people."

Imagine this king o....Haman knew the King does not have the sense to reject suggestions. The king just accepted his offer to destroy all the Jews.

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he ripped his clothes to shreds and put on sackcloth and ashes. Then he went out in the streets of the city crying out in loud and bitter cries.  He came only as far as the King's Gate, for no one dressed in sackcloth was allowed to enter the King's Gate.

 As the king's order was posted in every province, there was loud lament among the Jews—fasting, weeping, wailing. And most of them stretched out on sackcloth and ashes.

Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her. The queen was stunned. She sent fresh clothes to Mordecai so he could take off his sackcloth but he wouldn't accept them.

 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the bulletin that had been posted in Susa ordering the massacre so he could show it to Esther when he reported back with instructions to go to the king and intercede and plead with him for her people.

Meanwhile even the Queen Esther is a Jew. I don't even think the King knew his wife is also part of the people Haman wanted to kill.

Esther sent her messenger to Mordecai to know what was happening exactly. Mordecai explained everything to the messenger.

Then Esther sent to Mordecai that everyone who works for the King can't approach the king without being invited and it's being 30 days since she last visited the King.

What's your view about this King Xerxes?

To be continued!!!

This is a story that interests me in the Bible.

Thank you for reading!!!

Watch out for part 2😊😊😊