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RUSSELL SANDERS
3-9-2023
FEAST OF PURIM – PART 4
Haman desired to kill Mordecai for his insubordination. Upon learning that he was a Jew, he decided that all Jews in the whole empire should be killed. Haman began to cast lots to determine when that should be done. The lot was called a “Pur.” For a whole year (Jewish months Nisan to Adar) this was done daily, thus the “Purim,” the plural form of Pur.
Haman told King Ahasuerus that the Jews were rebelling against the king’s laws and should be destroyed. He offered a bribe of ten thousand talents of silver to get this done. The king gave Haman his signet ring to put forth the decree which was then sent to all 127 provinces. The decree authorized all people to kill Jews on a specific day, the 13th of Adar (the 12th month of the Jewish religious calendar).
Mordecai learned of Haman’s plan and tore off his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes and was in extreme mourning before God. He communicated Haman’s plot to Esther through an intermediary and asked her to intervene on behalf of her people. She was initially hesitant, fearing for her life upon approaching the king uninvited.
Mordecai let her know that she would not escape death from the decree because she was also a Jew. He told her she should act on this because as Esther 4:14 says in the NKJV, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” He rightly believed that God had caused Esther to become queen in order to intervene on behalf of God’s people.
Esther consented to do this if all the Jews living in the capitol of Shushan would fast for her for three days and three nights, neither eating or drinking anything.
Esther implemented a plan of two feasts for just herself, the king, and Haman. The king received her and accepted. The prideful Haman thought the feast was to honor him. He built a gallows at his house for the hanging of Mordecai.
Tomorrow we shall see how that plan worked out.
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