Imagine a young orphan girl torn from everything she knew, forced into a king’s harem in the most powerful empire on earth. Now imagine that same girl years later standing before a throne where one wrong move means instant death, holding the fate of an entire nation in her hands. This is not a fairy tale. This is the book of Esther. And it’s far more dangerous, political, and breathtaking than you’ve ever been told. In the shadows of the Persian Empire, a genocide was being planned. A decree sealed with the king’s ring. Irreversible, unstoppable, final. An entire people marked for extermination on a single day. The Jews had no army, no homeland, no leverage. They had only one hope. A hidden queen who hadn’t revealed her true identity. A woman who hadn’t been summoned by the king in 30 days. standing at the edge of a decision that would either save millions or cost her everything. This is a story of impossible odds, of ancient hatred, of a cosmic reversal so dramatic it defies belief. No miracles, no profits, just courage, timing, and a question that echoes through history. Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? The story begins in the third year of King Xerxes reign when he sat on his throne in the citadel of Susa. This wasn’t just any kingdom. It stretched across 127 provinces from India all the way to Ethiopia. Xerxes was one of the most powerful men alive and he wanted everyone to know it. In chapter 1:3 we read that the king gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there along with the princes and nobles of the provinces. But this wasn’t a simple dinner party. Verse four tells us, “The display of wealth and splendor lasted for 180 days, a full 6 months. Xerxes showed off the riches of his royal glory and the magnificence of his majesty day after day. When those six months ended, the king threw another feast.” Verse 5 says, “This one lasted 7 days and was held in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace. This time everyone in the citadel of Souza was invited from the greatest to the least. The garden was decorated with white and blue linen hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of different colored stones. Verse 7 describes how wine was served in golden goblets, each one different from the other, and the royal wine flowed freely because of the king’s generosity. The rule for drinking was simple. As verse 8 explains, no one was compelled to drink. Each guest could have as much or as little as they wanted. While the king feasted with the men, verse 9 tells us that Queen Vashi gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace. Everything seemed perfect. The empire was celebrating its power and wealth. But then something happened that no one expected. On the seventh day of the feast when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, verse 10 says he commanded seven unuks who served him, Mahuman, Bizaar, Harbona, Btha, Abaga, Zithar, and Carcus to bring Queen Vashti before him. Verse 11 explains why he wanted to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. She was supposed to come wearing her royal crown so everyone could see how beautiful his queen was. But verse 12 delivers the shock. When the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashi refused to come. She simply said no. The text doesn’t tell us why she refused, but the result was clear. The king became furious. His anger burned within him. The king needed advice. Verse 13 tells us it was his custom to consult experts in matters of law and justice. So he spoke with the wise men who understood the times. Verse 14 names them. Kasha, Shethar, Admatha, Tarsish, Meis, Marina, and Meimukan. These seven nobles had special access to the king and held the highest positions in the kingdom. Verse 15 records the king’s question. According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti? She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the Unix have taken to her. Mimukan spoke up. His answer in verses 16- 18 reveals something important. This wasn’t just about the king’s wounded pride. Mimukin said that Queen Vashi had wronged not only the king but all the nobles and peoples in all the provinces. He explained that when women throughout the empire heard what the queen had done, they would start despising their husbands. The noble women of Persia and Media who heard about the queen’s conduct would respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way and there would be no end of disrespect and discord. Mimukan’s solution was extreme. In verses 19 and 20, he proposed that if it pleased the king, a royal decree should be issued and written in the laws of Persia and Media so it couldn’t be repealed. Vashi was never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. The king should give her royal position to someone better than her. When this decree was proclaimed throughout the vast realm, all women would respect their husbands from the least to the greatest. Verse 21 says, “The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice.” Verse 22 tells us, “He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household.” The queen’s refusal had cost her everything. The position beside the most powerful man in the empire was now vacant, and that empty throne would soon be filled by someone no one expected, a Jewish orphan girl hiding in plain sight. Time passed and the king’s anger cooled. Chapter 2:1 says that later, when King Xerxes fury had subsided, he remembered Vashi and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Perhaps he regretted his harsh decision, but the law couldn’t be changed. What was done was done. The king’s personal attendants saw an opportunity. Verse two records their suggestion. Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. They had a plan. Verse three explains that the king should appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women to the Haram at the citadel of Susa. They would be placed under the care of Hegi, the king’s unic, who was in charge of the women, and beauty treatments would be given to them. Verse four completes their proposal. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashi. The suggestion pleased the king, and he did as they advised. This was how the search began. But make no mistake, this wasn’t a romantic fairy tale. These were young virgins being taken from their homes and families across the empire. Each would receive 12 months of beauty treatments and then spend one night with the king. Most would never see him again. They would spend the rest of their lives in a second haram. Neither wife nor free woman. Only one would become queen. The machinery of the empire turned and commissioners went throughout the 127 provinces looking for beautiful young women. They weren’t asking permission from families. They were taking these girls by the authority of the king. Each young woman brought to Souza faced the same uncertain future. A year of preparation, one night with the king and then a lifetime of waiting. The palace haram began to fill with young women from across the empire. Some came from wealthy families, others from poor ones. Some were Persian, others were from the far reaches of the kingdom. Each had been chosen for her appearance, not her character or her dreams. They were being prepared like offerings, groomed and perfected according to Persian standards of beauty. Among all these young women brought to Souza, one would change the course of history. But she hadn’t volunteered for this. She hadn’t asked for any of it. She was simply swept up in the king’s search. One more beautiful young virgin taken to the citadel to join the others in the haram. Her name was Hadassa, though soon everyone would know her by a different name. Chapter 2:5 introduces us to a man living in the citadel of Susa. His name was Mordei, son of Jaier, the son of Shime, the son of Kish. He was a Benjamite and his family history mattered. Verse 6 explains that Kish had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoyakin, king of Judah. Mordeai’s family had been in Persia for generations, exiles far from their homeland. But Mordei wasn’t alone. Verse 7 tells us he had a cousin named Hadassa whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. The text describes her. She was also known as Esther and she had a lovely figure and was beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordei had taken her as his own daughter. Here we meet the girl who would become queen. She was an orphan raised by her older cousin in a foreign land. Her Hebrew name was Hadassa, which meant Myrtle, a tree native to Israel that her ancestors would have known. But she also had a Persian name, Esther. This dual identity would prove crucial. Verse 8 tells us what happened next. When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegi. Esther was one of them. She was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegi who had charge of the haram. Esther hadn’t chosen this. She was taken from Mordeai’s home, swept up in the king’s search like all the other beautiful young women. The cousin who had raised her, who had given her a home when her parents died, could only watch as she disappeared into the royal palace. All he could do was give her one crucial instruction, and he made sure she understood it completely. Verse 10 records this vital detail. Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background because Mordei had forbidden her to do so. This wasn’t a casual suggestion. This was a direct command from the man who had raised her, the man who understood what it meant to be Jewish in the Persian Empire. Whatever his reasons, whether he feared prejudice, danger, or simply wanted to protect her, Morai made it clear. No one in the palace could know Esther was a Jew. So Hadassa became Esther completely. The Jewish orphan girl hid her identity behind her Persian name. In the haram, surrounded by women from across the empire, no one knew who she really was or where she truly came from. She was just another beautiful face, another young woman waiting for her turn with the king. Verse 11 shows us that Morai didn’t abandon her just because she’d been taken into the palace. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the Haram to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. He couldn’t see her or speak to her, but he stayed close. He watched. He waited. He kept his connection to her alive the only way he could. Inside the palace walls, Esther was alone with her secret. She couldn’t talk about her family, her faith, or her people. She couldn’t mention Morai or explain who had raised her. She carried her true identity silently, hidden beneath her Persian name and her beautiful face. The girl who had lost her parents was now losing her past as well, burying it deep where no one in the palace could find it. Something unexpected happened to Esther in the haram. Chapter 2:9 tells us that she pleased Hegi and won his favor. This was significant because he was the king’s unic in charge of the haram. The man who controlled access to the women who decided which received the best treatment, who understood what the king liked. His favor could make all the difference. Immediately, Hegi provided Esther with beauty treatments and special food. He assigned her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and he moved her and her attendants into the best place in the haram. In the palace full of beautiful women all competing for the same prize, Esther had just been given every advantage. But why? The text doesn’t say Esther asked for special treatment or manipulated Hegi. It simply says she pleased him and won his favor. Perhaps it was her character, the way she treated others, or something genuine in her that stood out among all the calculated ambition around her. Whatever the reason, Hegi saw something in this young woman that made him want to help her. Verse 10 reminds us again, Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background because Mordei had forbidden her to do so. Even as she received preferential treatment, even as she was moved to the best place in the haram, she kept silent about who she really was. The secret held. The beauty treatments were elaborate and lengthy. Verse 12 explains the process that every young woman had to complete before her turn to go to King Xerxes. 12 months had to pass. 6 months with oil of myrr and 6 months with perfumes and cosmetics. This wasn’t just about looking beautiful. This was about transformation, about being prepared according to Persian standards until every trace of the girl’s former life was polished away. Verse 13 describes what happened when the time came for a young woman to go to the king. Anything she wanted was given to her to take with her from the Haram to the king’s palace. The women could request jewelry, special clothing, or anything else they thought might catch the king’s attention. It was their one chance to make an impression, so most took everything they could get. But verse 14 reveals the hard truth. In the evening, each young woman would go to the king, and in the morning, she would return to another part of the haram to the care of Shashgaz, the king’s unic, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her, and summoned her by name. One night, and then a lifetime of waiting in the second haram, hoping to hear your name called again, but knowing you probably never would. This was the reality Esther faced. This was what awaited her after her 12 months of preparation ended. One evening with a man she’d never met, and then the rest of her life as a concubine in the second harum, unless she became queen, but only one woman would wear that crown. While Esther received her beauty treatments in the best place in the haram, while she learned the ways of the Persian court with her seven attendants, she watched and listened. She saw how the other women prepared, what they requested to take with them, how they tried to stand out. And she learned something valuable from Hagi, the man who knew the king better than anyone else in the haram, the man who had seen countless women go to the king and return forgotten. Esther’s silence about her identity had become her strategy. She didn’t draw attention to herself. She didn’t boast or scheme loudly like some of the others might have. She listened more than she spoke. She paid attention to Hegi’s advice, and she waited for her turn, carrying her secret identity quietly through the months of preparation, never revealing that beneath the Persian name and the beauty treatments was a Jewish orphan girl who should never have been in the palace at all. The 12 months passed. Verse 15 tells us that when the turn came for Esther, the young woman Mordei had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihale, to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Haggi, the king’s unic, who was in charge of the haram, suggested. This was remarkable. Every other young woman had taken whatever she wanted, loading herself with jewelry and fine things to catch the king’s eye. Esther took only what Hegi advised. She trusted the man who knew the king’s preferences better than anyone. The verse continues, “And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.” There was something about her that people responded to, something that went beyond the beauty treatments and the fine clothes. She had won Hegi’s favor months ago, and now she was winning the favor of everyone she encountered. Verse 16 gives us the timing. Esther was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the 10th month, the month of TBT, in the seventh year of his reign. Four years had passed since Vashi had been deposed. 4 years since the throne beside the king had sat empty. Now this Jewish orphan girl hiding her identity was walking into the king’s presence. The text doesn’t describe that night in detail. It doesn’t tell us what they talked about or what happened. Instead, verse 17 simply states the result. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. The king loved her. Out of all the beautiful women brought from across the empire, out of all those who had spent a year in beauty treatments and taken everything they could to impress him, Esther was the one who captured his heart. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashi. The orphan was now royalty. The exile was now the queen of the Persian Empire. The girl who had been taken from Mordei’s house against her will now sat on a throne beside the most powerful man in the known world. Verse 18 tells us, “The king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal generosity. The empire celebrated its new queen. There were festivities, feasting, and joy throughout the land. Everyone knew the king had found his queen, but no one knew who she really was. Verse 19 mentions that when the virgins were assembled a second time, Morai was sitting at the king’s gate. This detail matters. The king’s gate was where officials and important people gathered, where business was conducted, where those with some standing in the city would sit. Morai had positioned himself there, perhaps to stay as close to news of Esther as possible, perhaps because he had some position or role that allowed him access. But verse 20 reminds us once more of the secret that defined everything. Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordei had told her to do. For she continued to follow Mordeai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up, even as queen, even wearing the royal crown, even living in the palace and married to the king. Esther still obeyed the man who had raised her. The secret held. No one knew Queen Esther was Jewish. The girl who had lost everything, her parents, her freedom, her Jewish name, had gained everything the world could offer. But she remained obedient to Morai’s command. She kept silent about who she truly was. And that silence, that hidden identity, would soon become the hinge on which the fate of an entire nation would turn. Morai continued sitting at the king’s gate, that place where officials gathered and palace business was conducted. He was there so often, in fact, that he heard things most people wouldn’t. And one day, he heard something that would prove his loyalty to the crown and save the king’s life. Verse 21 sets the scene. During the time Morai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Tes, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. These weren’t random servants. These were men trusted with the king’s safety, men who guarded the threshold and had access to him. Their position gave them the perfect opportunity to kill him. But verse 22 tells us their plot didn’t stay secret. Mordeai found out about the conspiracy and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Morai. This was how the information traveled from Mordei to Esther to the king. Mordeai couldn’t approach the king directly, but he could reach Esther, and Esther could reach her husband. The connection between the orphan queen and her cousin who had raised her was still alive, still functioning, even though it had to remain hidden. The king took the report seriously. Verse 23 tells us what happened next. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. There was no mercy for traitors who tried to kill the king. The punishment was swift and public. The men who had been trusted to guard the king died on poles for everyone to see. The verse ends with an important detail. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. Official records were kept of everything important that happened in the kingdom. Court historians wrote down the names, the events, the outcomes. And somewhere in those royal chronicles was now an entry about Morai the Jew who had uncovered an assassination plot and saved the king’s life. Morai had proven his loyalty to King Xerxes. He had protected the throne. He had done exactly what any faithful subject should do when they discovered a conspiracy against their king. But strangely, the text doesn’t mention any reward. There’s no record of the king thanking Mordei or honoring him or giving him a position or wealth. The entry was simply written in the book of Chronicles, and life went on. Morai kept sitting at the king’s gate. Esther kept her identity hidden in the palace. The record of Morai’s good deed sat in the royal archives waiting. No one realized that this moment, this unceelebrated act of loyalty, this entry in a book that no one thought about would become crucial at exactly the right time. The king didn’t know it yet. Morai didn’t know it yet. But that record was waiting like a seed planted in the ground, ready to sprout when the time came. After these events, something shifted in the kingdom. Chapter 3:1 introduces us to a new player. After these events, King Xerxes honored Hmon’s son of Hammedatha, the Agajite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. This wasn’t a small promotion. Hmon was lifted above everyone else in the kingdom. Only the king himself ranked higher. The text specifically calls Hmon the Agagite. This detail matters. The Agagites were descendants of Aag, the Amalekite king. The Amalekites had been enemies of Israel for centuries going back to the time when the Israelites left Egypt. King Saul had been commanded to destroy the Amalekites completely, but he had spared King Aag and lost his kingdom because of it. Now, generations later, a descendant of those ancient enemies held the highest position in the Persian Empire. Verse two tells us what the king commanded. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Hmon, for the king had commanded this concerning him. Everyone was expected to bow. This wasn’t just respect. This was worship-like honor given to Hmon whenever he passed. The king had ordered it and everyone obeyed. Everyone except one man. The verse continues. But Mordei would not kneel down or pay him honor. Day after day, Mordei sat at the king’s gate and refused to bow when Hmon walked by. He wouldn’t kneel. He wouldn’t honor this man. He simply remained as he was while everyone else around him fell to their knees. Verse three shows us that this didn’t go unnoticed. Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mori, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” They questioned him day after day about his refusal. This wasn’t a one-time act of defiance. This was ongoing, public, and impossible to miss. Every single day, Mordei refused to bow. And every day the other officials asked him why he was disobeying the king’s direct order. Verse 4 tells us how this situation escalated. Day after day they spoke to him, but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Hmon about it to see whether Mordeai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. Here we learn something crucial. Mordei had revealed his identity to the officials at the gate. He had explained that he was a Jew. Whether this was his reason for not bowing or simply information he shared when pressed, the text doesn’t say. But now the officials knew and they brought this information to Hmon. Hmon the Agajite, the descendant of Israel’s ancient enemies, now knew that a Jew at the king’s gate was refusing to honor him. The old hatred between their peoples buried for generations was about to surface in the Persian court. And this time the Agajite had all the power of the empire behind him. Verse 5 describes Hmon’s reaction. When Hmon saw that Morai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. This wasn’t mild annoyance or wounded pride. This was rage, deep, burning anger at this one man’s refusal to bow. Hmon had been elevated above everyone in the kingdom. Everyone else showed him honor, but one Jew at the gate wouldn’t kneel, and it consumed him. But verse 6 reveals something much darker. Yet, having learned who Mordeai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordei. Killing one man wasn’t enough for Hmon. His rage expanded beyond the individual who had insulted him to encompass an entire people. Instead, Hmon looked for a way to destroy all Morai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. This was no longer about respect or honor. This was about genocide. Because one Jew refused to bow, Hmon wanted every Jew in the empire dead. His anger had found a target big enough to match his wounded ego, an entire nation scattered throughout 127 provinces. He began looking for a way to accomplish this massive act of destruction. And so the threads came together. An orphan Jewish girl sat on the throne as queen, her identity hidden. Her cousin Morai sat at the king’s gate, refusing to bow to the king’s highest official. That official was a descendant of Israel’s ancient enemies, now consumed with rage and planning something terrible. And none of them knew yet how these pieces would collide. The record of Morai’s loyalty sat in the royal archives unnoticed and unrewarded. Queen Esther lived in the palace following Mordeai’s command to keep her nationality secret. Haymon stood at the height of power, honored by everyone except the one man he hated most. The stage was set, the players were in position, and a plan was forming in Hmon’s mind that would force everyone to reveal their true identities and choose their loyalties. The rise of an orphan queen was complete. She had climbed from nothing to everything, from the lowest position imaginable to the throne of the greatest empire on earth. But she had no idea that her greatest test was coming, that the hidden identity she carried would soon become the only thing standing between her people and total destruction. The crown on her head would mean nothing compared to the choice she would soon have to make. Hmon didn’t rush his plan. He wanted to choose the perfect day for what he was about to do. Chapter 3:7 tells us in the 12th year of King Xerxes in the first month, the month of Nissan, the purr, that is the lot, was cast in the presence of Hmon to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the 12th month, the month of Adar. The purr was a form of divination, a way of determining fate by casting lots. Hmon cast it over and over, day after day, month after month, looking for the most favorable time according to his superstitions and beliefs. He was treating this like a sacred act, consulting what he believed were the forces of fate to find the right moment for destruction. The lot kept being cast until it finally landed on a date, the 13th day of the 12th month. This gave Hmon almost a full year from the first month to the 12th month. Nearly 12 months stretched between the casting of the lot and the chosen day of destruction. It was a long time to wait, but Hmon was patient. He believed fate had chosen this day, and he would use the time to make sure everything was perfectly arranged. The irony was thick. Hmon was casting lots to determine when the Jews would die, trusting in chance and superstition to guide him. He thought he was controlling destiny, but he had no idea that the same providence he was trying to manipulate was already working against him, arranging pieces on a board he couldn’t see. With his date chosen, Hmon went to the king. Verse 8 records his carefully crafted pitch. Then Hmon said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.” Notice what Hmon did. He didn’t say the Jews. He called them a certain people. He made them sound mysterious and dangerous. He claimed they kept themselves separate and had different customs. He accused them of not obeying the king’s laws. He presented them as a threat to the kingdom, a problem that needed to be solved. And he framed it all in terms of the king’s best interest. But Hmon wasn’t finished. Verse 9 shows his master stroke. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them. and I will give 10,000 talants of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury. This was an enormous sum of money, enough to fund armies, enough to make a king pay attention. Hmon was essentially offering to buy the destruction of the Jews, sweetening his proposal with a fortune. Where would Hmon get this money? Most likely from plundering the Jews themselves after they were killed. He was betting that the wealth taken from an entire people spread across 127 provinces would more than cover his promised payment. It was a business transaction wrapped in genocide. Verse 10 tells us the king’s response. So the king took his signate ring from his finger and gave it to Hmon son of Hamadatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. The king didn’t ask who these people were. He didn’t investigate whether they really were a threat. He didn’t question Hmon’s motives. He simply handed over his signate ring, the ultimate symbol of royal authority. With that ring, Hmon could seal any decree and make it law. Verse 11 records what the king said, “Keep the money and do with the people as you please.” The king was essentially telling Hmon he didn’t even need to pay. He trusted Hmon completely. He gave him total authority over a certain people he couldn’t be bothered to identify. With a few words and the transfer of a ring, the king had just authorized the destruction of an entire nation. He didn’t know their name. He didn’t care about their fate. He simply handed the power to Hmon and went back to his wine. Hmon moved quickly. Verse 12 describes what happened next. Then on the 13th day of the first month, the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Hmon’s orders to the king’s satrups, the governors of the various provinces, and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. This was official. This wasn’t a secret plot or a quiet assassination. This was a public decree written in every language spoken in the empire, sent to every province, sealed with the king’s authority. The machinery of the empire was being used to announce a massacre. Verse 13 tells us what the decree said. Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children, on a single day, the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. Read those words again. Destroy, kill, and annihilate. Not just the men, not just the leaders or the troublemakers. all the Jews, young and old, women and children, every single one in every province on the same day. It was systematic, total, and legal. And as a bonus, everyone was authorized to take their property. It was genocide with a profit motive. Verse 14 explains how the decree was distributed. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day. The couriers went out at the king’s command and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa. These weren’t sealed secret orders. The decree was public. Everyone in every province was supposed to know about it. The 13th day of Adar was marked on the calendar. People had 11 months to prepare. The Jews had 11 months to dread what was coming. Their neighbors had 11 months to decide whether they would join the killing and take the plunder. The countdown to destruction had begun, and there was no way to stop it. Persian law was clear. Once a decree was sealed with the king’s ring, it could never be revoked. Verse 15 gives us a stark contrast. The king and Hmon sat down to drink, but the city of Souza was bewildered. While death sentences hung over an entire people, while fear spread through the Jewish community, while confusion gripped the city, the king and Hmon celebrated, they sat down together with wine, satisfied with their day’s work. Hmon had gotten what he wanted. The king had handled a problem he didn’t understand. And the Jews had been condemned to death by a law that couldn’t be undone. When Morai learned of all that had been done, chapter 4:1 tells us his reaction, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. This was the traditional expression of devastating grief. Tearing clothes, wearing rough sackloth instead of normal garments, covering yourself with ashes. These were how people showed that something terrible had happened. And Morai’s wailing was loud. He wanted to be heard. Verse two says, “But he went only as far as the king’s gate because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. Even in his grief, there were rules. Mourning clothes couldn’t enter the palace area. So Mordei stood at the gate as close as he could get to where Esther was and mourned there. Verse three shows us this wasn’t just Mordei. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes across the entire empire in all 127 provinces wherever Jews lived. The same scene was playing out. They had read the decree. They knew they had been sentenced to death. They knew the date and they mourned because there was nothing else they could do. But verse 4 reveals a problem. When Esther’s Unix and female attendants came and told her about Mordei, she was in great distress. Esther was inside the palace, isolated from what was happening in the city. She didn’t know about the decree. She only heard that Morai was at the gate wearing sackcloth. She had no idea why. So, she sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Esther was trying to solve what she thought was a simple problem. Get Morai proper clothes so he wouldn’t be in morning garments. She didn’t understand. She was cut off from the crisis unfolding beyond the palace walls. The queen of Persia had no idea that her people had just been condemned to death. Verse 5 tells us what Esther did next. Then Esther summoned Hathac, one of the king’s unics assigned to attend her and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordei and why. She needed information. Something was clearly wrong and she needed to know what it was. Verse 6 says, “So Hatha went out to Morai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. He found Mordeai and got the story.” Verse 7 tells us what Mordei shared. Mordei told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Hmon had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. But Morai didn’t just explain the situation. Verse 8 shows he gave Hathac something concrete. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation which had been published in Susa to show to Esther and explain it to her. And he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Morai was clear about what needed to happen. Esther had to go to the king. She had to reveal her identity. She had to beg for her people. There was no other option. She was the only Jew with access to the king, the only one who might be able to change his mind. Verse 9 says, “Hathac went back and reported to Esther what Mordei had said. Now she knew the decree existed. Her people were going to be killed.” Mordei wanted her to approach the king and plead for them. But verse 10 shows us Esther’s response. She instructed him to say to Mordei, verse 11, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned, the king has but one law, that they be put to death, unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives.” But 30 days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” Esther was explaining her impossible situation. There was a law. Anyone who went to the king without being summoned faced automatic death. The only exception was if the king held out his golden scepter, but that was up to him. She couldn’t control whether he would spare her or not. And she added a crucial detail. It had been 30 days since the king had called for her. She hadn’t seen him in a month. Their relationship was clearly not as close as it once was. if she walked into his throne room unbidden, he might simply let her die. Verse 12 says, “When Esther’s words were reported to Mori, he didn’t accept her reasoning.” Verse 13 gives us his response. He sent back this answer. Do not think that because you are in the king’s house, you alone of all the Jews will escape. Morai was direct. He told her she wouldn’t be safe just because she was queen. When the killing started, her hidden identity wouldn’t protect her forever. Verse 14 continues his message. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this. These words would echo through history. Morai was telling Esther that God would save the Jews somehow even if she did nothing. But if she stayed silent, she and her family would die anyway. And then he asked the question that defined everything. What if this was why she became queen? What if her whole journey from orphan to palace to throne was for this exact moment? What if she was exactly where she needed to be when she needed to be there with the access and position required to save her people? Verse 15 tells us, “Then Esther sent this reply to Mori. Verse 16, go gather together all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for 3 days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther had made her decision. She would go to the king. But first she needed three days. Three days of fasting. No food, no water day or night. This wasn’t a symbolic gesture. This was serious preparation. In that culture, fasting was connected to prayer and seeking God’s help in desperate situations. Esther was asking all the Jews in Susa to fast with her. She and her attendants would do the same. And then she spoke the words that defined her courage. If I perish, I perish. She was going in knowing she might die. She wasn’t confident in her beauty or her relationship with the king. She was simply choosing to act, whatever the cost. Better to die trying to save her people than to die hiding while they were slaughtered. Verse 17 says, “So Morai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions. The fasting began for three days and three nights. The Jews of Souza abstained from all food and water. Esther and her attendants did the same inside the palace. They were preparing for the moment when she would walk into the throne room unbidden and uninvited, gambling her life on the king’s response. Those three days must have felt endless. Every hour that passed brought Esther closer to the moment of truth. Would the king extend his scepter or let her die? Would he be angry at her interruption or pleased to see her? She had no way of knowing. She could only prepare, fast, pray, and then walk forward into whatever waited for her. Chapter 5:1 tells us, “On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. The three days were over. Esther dressed in her finest clothes and took her position in the inner court where the king could see her. She stood there waiting to see if she would live or die.” Verse two gives us the moment everything hung on. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. She lived. The king was pleased to see her. He extended the scepter. Esther could approach. She walked forward and touched the tip of the golden staff, the symbol that she had been granted permission to live and speak. Verse three shows the king was more than just tolerant. He was generous. Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” This was the traditional royal formula, a way of saying he would grant her a significant favor. The king was in a good mood. He wanted to please his queen. He was ready to give her almost anything she wanted. This was the moment Esther could have spoken immediately. She could have told him about Hmon’s plot, revealed her identity, begged for her people. But verse 4 shows she did something unexpected. If it pleases the king, replied Esther, let the king together with Hmon come today to a banquet I have prepared for him. She didn’t ask for what she really wanted. Instead, she invited the king and Hmon to dinner. She was buying time, setting a scene, creating the perfect moment for her real request. Verse 5 tells us, “Bring Hmon at once,” the king said, “So that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Hmon went to the banquet Esther had prepared. The king agreed immediately. He called for Hmon and they both went to Esther’s banquet. Verse 6 tells us, as they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” The king was enjoying himself. He asked again what Esther wanted, renewing his promise. But verse 7 shows Esther still wasn’t ready to reveal everything. Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this, verse 8. If the king regards me with favor, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Hmon come tomorrow to the banquet, I will prepare for them.” Then I will answer the king’s question. Another delay, another banquet, another day. Esther was extending the tension, waiting for exactly the right moment. The king agreed they would come back tomorrow. Verse 9 tells us, “Hmon went out that day happy and in high spirits. He had just been invited again to a private banquet with the king and queen. Only him, no other nobles. It was the highest honor imaginable. But then his mood crashed. The verse continues, “But when he saw Mordeai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordei. There was Mordei still at the gate, still refusing to stand or bow, still showing no fear, and all of Hmon’s happiness evaporated into rage.” Verse 10 says, “Nevertheless, Hmon restrained himself and went home. He controlled his anger long enough to leave. When he got home, verse 10 continues, “He called together his friends and Zeresh, his wife.” Verse 11 tells us what he did. Hmon boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him, and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. Hmon listed everything he had, his money, his children, his promotions, his position. He was trying to remind himself of how great he was. Verse 12 continues his boasting. And that’s not all, Hmon added. I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave, and she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. He was the only one invited to these private dinners with the king and queen. It was the ultimate sign of favor. But verse 13 reveals the poison in his soul. But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Morai sitting at the king’s gate. Everything Hmon had meant nothing because one man wouldn’t bow. All his wealth, all his honor, all his access to power, none of it satisfied him because Mordei still sat at that gate in defiance. Verse 14 gives us the solution proposed by his wife and friends. His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up reaching to a height of 50 cubits and asked the king in the morning to have Morai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Hmon and he had the pole set up. 50 cubits was about 75 ft high, a massive structure that everyone in the city would see. Hmon loved the idea. He would ask the king in the morning for permission to execute Morai on this pole and then the problem would be solved. He could enjoy the banquet knowing his enemy was dead. So Hmon had the pole built that night, ready for Morai. But verse one of chapter 6 introduces a problem Hmon knew nothing about. That night the king could not sleep. So he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign to be brought in and read to him. The king had insomnia. He couldn’t sleep. So he asked for the official records to be read aloud, probably hoping the boring lists would help him drift off. Verse two tells us what happened. It was found recorded there that Morai had exposed Big Thana and Tes, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. The reader happened to land on the entry about Morai saving the king’s life. Of all the events in all the records, this was the one being read that sleepless night. Verse three shows the king’s response. What honor and recognition has Morai received for this? The king asked. Nothing has been done for him, his attendants answered. The king discovered that the man who saved his life had never been rewarded. This was a problem. Kings were supposed to honor those who showed loyalty. The fact that nothing had been done for Mori was embarrassing. Verse 4 tells us, “The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Hmon had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordei on the pole he had set up for him. The timing was perfect and terrible. The king was thinking about how to honor Morai, and at that exact moment, Hmon walked in planning to ask permission to kill him. Verse 5 continues, “His attendants answered, Hmon is standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered. The stage was set for a collision that Hmon couldn’t have anticipated. He thought he was walking in to get approval for an execution. He had no idea the king had just been reading about Mordeai’s loyalty. He had no idea what question was about to be asked. When Hmon came in, verse 6 of chapter 6 tells us the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor.” Now Hmon thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” His ego answered the question before he even considered other possibilities. Obviously, the king was talking about him. Who else would deserve such honor? So, verse 7 shows us Hmon’s answer. Hmon answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor.” Verse 8, “Have them bring a royal robe the king has worn, and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.” Hmon was thinking big. He wanted the king’s own robe, the actual garment that had been on the king’s body. He wanted the king’s horse with the royal crest, symbols that would make him look almost like royalty himself. But he wasn’t finished. Verse 9 continues his proposal. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.” Hmon wanted a full parade. He wanted to be dressed in royal clothes, riding the royal horse, led through the streets by one of the highest princes, while someone announced his honor to everyone watching. Verse 10 records the king’s response. Go at once, the king commanded Hmon. Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Morai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended. Morai, the Jew, the man at the gate who refused to bow. The man Hmon had built a 75- ft pole to execute that Mordei, the king wanted Hmon to do everything he had just described, but for his worst enemy, and Hmon himself would have to be the one to honor him. Verse 11 tells us what happened next. So Hmon got the robe and the horse. He robed Mori and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.” Every single step was agony for Hmon. He had to dress Morai in the king’s robe with his own hands. He had to place him on the king’s horse. He had to walk in front of that horse through the streets of Susa and shout the exact proclamation he had designed for himself. Everyone who saw the parade knew what was happening. They could see that Mordei, the Jew who refused to bow to Hmon, was being honored by the king. And they could see Hmon serving as his herald, walking in front and announcing Morai’s honor to the entire city. The reversal was public and complete. When the parade finally ended, verse 12 tells us, “Afterward, Mordeai returned to the king’s gate. Morai simply went back to his usual spot. He didn’t let the honor change him or inflate his ego. He returned to where he always sat, resuming his normal position as if nothing extraordinary had happened. He remained himself. But Hmon’s reaction was completely different. The verse continues, “But Hmon rushed home with his head covered in grief. Covering the head was a traditional sign of deep shame and mourning. Hmon couldn’t stay in public after what had just happened. He couldn’t face the people who had watched him honor his enemy. He fled to his house, devastated and humiliated, his head covered to show his distress. Verse 13 shows us what happened when he got there and told Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends everything that had happened to him. He recounted the entire terrible experience. How he had to honor Morai. How the parade went. How everything had turned against him. His advisers and his wife Zaresh said to him, “Since Morai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him. You will surely come to ruin.” His own family and closest friends saw what was coming. This wasn’t just a bad day or a temporary setback. This was the beginning of Hmon’s complete destruction. And they told him directly, “You’re going down. You can’t win against this Jew. Your downfall has already started.” Verse 14 tells us, “While they were still talking with him, the king’s unix arrived and hurried Hmon away to the banquet Esther had prepared. Hmon didn’t even have time to process what had happened or recover from his humiliation. The king’s servants rushed into his house and took him away immediately. He was being hurried to the queen’s second banquet, walking straight from his worst moment into what would become his final meal. Chapter 7:1 tells us, “So the king and Hmon went to Queen Esther’s banquet. They sat down to eat and drink together. The king was relaxed, enjoying the wine and the private company of just his queen and his highest official.” Verse two continues, “And as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” For the third time now, the king asked Esther what she wanted. He renewed his generous promise. He was ready to give her whatever she requested, up to half of his entire kingdom. This was the moment Esther had been preparing for. She had delayed twice, but now the time had come. Verse three records her answer. Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, your majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life. This is my petition, and spare my people. This is my request.” The words hung in the air, “Grant me my life.” The queen of Persia was asking the king to let her live. She was telling him she was under a death sentence. And not just her, her people were condemned as well. The king had no idea what she was talking about. Verse four explains why this was so urgent and serious. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. Esther laid it all out clearly. She and her people had been sold for complete destruction. She made it very clear this wasn’t about slavery or some minor oppression. This was about total extermination, being destroyed, killed, and annihilated. She even said that if it were just slavery, she wouldn’t have bothered the king about it. Verse 5 gives us the king’s shocked reaction. King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he? The man who has dared to do such a thing. The king was stunned. Someone had dared to threaten the queen’s life. Someone had planned to destroy her people. He demanded to know immediately who would dare to do this. Verse 6 records Esther’s direct answer. Esther said, “An adversary and enemy, this vile Hmon.” She pointed straight at him, the man sitting right there at the banquet table. The man the king had elevated above everyone else in the kingdom. the man the king trusted completely. Hmon was the one who had planned all of this. The verse ends with Hmon’s reaction. Then Hmon was terrified before the king and queen. Everything had just collapsed around him. The king now knew that the certain people he had authorized Hmon to destroy included his own wife. The queen herself was one of them. And Hmon sat there at the table, completely exposed and terrified, knowing his life was finished. Verse 7 tells us, “The king got up in a rage, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden.” The king’s fury was too much to contain in that room. He needed to think. He needed air. He needed to process what he had just learned, that he had authorized the death of his own wife. So he walked out into the garden, leaving Hmon alone with Esther. The verse continues, “But Hmon, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.” Hmon knew exactly what the king’s rage meant. He knew he was finished. His only possible chance now was to plead with Esther. Maybe she would show mercy. Maybe she would ask the king to spare him. It was his last desperate hope. Verse 8 describes what happened next. Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Hmon was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. In his complete desperation, Hmon had thrown himself toward where Esther was, begging for his life. But the timing couldn’t have been worse. The king walked back in at that exact moment and saw Hmon over his wife. The king exploded in fury. The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she’s with me in the house?” The king interpreted what he saw as an assault on the queen happening right in front of him in his own palace.” Hmon’s position looked completely wrong at the worst possible moment. The verse ends with devastating finality. As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Hmon’s face. The servant standing nearby immediately covered Hmon’s face with a cloth. This was the traditional sign of condemnation in the Persian court. When someone’s face was covered in the king’s presence, it meant they were sentenced to death. There would be no trial, no defense, no second chances, no mercy. Hmon was done. Verse 9 introduces one of the servants. Then Harbona, one of the unics attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of 50 cubits stands by Hmon’s house. He had it set up for Morai, who spoke up to help the king.” Arbona helpfully mentioned the gallows that Hmon had built. The massive structure 75 ft tall that stood at Hmon’s house, and he made sure the king knew exactly who it was meant for. Morai, the man who had saved the king’s life by exposing the assassination plot. The king’s response was immediate and decisive. The verse continues, “The king said, “Impale him on it.” There was no hesitation, no investigation, no discussion. The king simply ordered Hmon to be executed on the very gallows he had built for someone else. Verse 10 tells us the outcome. So they impaled Hmon on the pole he had set up for Mordei. Then the king’s fury subsided. The reversal was complete and poetic. The execution device that Hmon had constructed to display Morai’s dead body now displayed his own. The man who had cast lots to destroy all the Jews died on the instrument of death he had personally prepared for a single Jew. Only then, after Hmon was dead, did the king’s anger finally cool down. But there was a major problem that Hmon’s death didn’t solve. The decree to destroy all the Jews was still in effect. It was still sealed with the king’s signate ring. It was still scheduled to happen on the 13th day of Adar, and according to the unchangeable laws of Persia and Media, it couldn’t be revoked. Hmon was dead, but his genocide was still completely legal and supposedly unstoppable. Chapter 8:1 tells us, “That same day, King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Hmon, the enemy of the Jews, and Morai came into the presence of the king. For Esther had told how he was related to her.” On the same day Hmon died, his entire estate was given to Esther. And Esther finally revealed publicly her connection to Mordori. He was her cousin, the man who had raised her as his own daughter. Mordeai was brought before the king and given direct access to his presence. Verse two continues, “The king took off his signate ring, which he had reclaimed from Hmon and presented it to Mordei, and Esther appointed him over Hmon’s estate. The ring that had sealed the death decree was now in Mordeai’s hands. He was elevated immediately to Hmon’s former position as the highest official in the kingdom. Everything Hmon had owned, his house, his wealth, his property, now belonged to Esther. and she put Morai in charge of it all. The reversal of fortune was dramatic and swift. But Esther wasn’t satisfied with just this. Verse three shows her falling at the king’s feet again. Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Hmon the Agajite, which he had devised against the Jews. Hmon was dead, but his evil plan was still alive and active. The decree was still law. The Jews were still condemned to die. Esther needed the king to do something about it. Verse four tells us, “Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther, and she arose and stood before him. Once again, just like the first time she approached him unbidden, the king showed her favor. He extended the scepter. He was willing to listen to what she had to say.” Verse 5 records Esther’s carefully worded request. If it pleases the king, she said, “And if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Hmon son of Hamadatha the Agagite devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.” Esther asked for a new decree to cancel out Hmon’s order. She wanted the death sentence lifted from her people. Verse 6 shows the emotion behind her request for how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family? She couldn’t just stand by and watch her people be slaughtered. She couldn’t stay silent knowing her family and everyone like her would be destroyed. But there was a serious legal problem. Verses 7 and 8 give us the king’s response. King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordei the Jew because Hmon attacked the Jews. I have given his estate to Esther and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you and seal it with the king’s signate ring. For no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked under the king explained the reality of Persian law. It was absolutely permanent and unchangeable. Once a decree was sealed with the king’s signate ring, it couldn’t be cancelled or revoked. Not by anyone, not even by the king himself. But the king gave them a solution. Write a new decree. They couldn’t erase or cancel the first law, but they could create a second law to work against it. Verse 9 tells us what happened immediately. At once the royal secretaries were summoned on the 23rd day of the third month, the month of Civven. They wrote out all Morai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Kush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. Morai took charge of the situation. He dictated the new decree in every language spoken across the empire, including Hebrew, specifically for the Jewish communities. The message would go to all 127 provinces, just like Hmon’s death decree had been sent everywhere. Verse 11 gives us the critical content of this new decree. The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. This was brilliant legal strategy. The first decree said that everyone in the empire could attack and kill the Jews on the 13th of Adar. This second decree said that the Jews had the legal right to defend themselves and fight back with full force. They could gather together. They could organize and prepare. They could kill anyone who attacked them. They could even take the property of their enemies. Verse 17 describes the response across the empire. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. The mood among the Jewish people changed completely and immediately. They went from mourning and despair to celebration and hope. They had been given a real fighting chance to survive. And something very interesting happened. Many non-Jews decided to convert to Judaism. They saw what was coming and calculated that it was much safer to be counted among the Jews than against them. Fear of what the Jews might do on the 13th of Adar made people seriously reconsider their loyalties. Chapter 9 verse 1 brings us to the actual day. On the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them. But now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. The day finally arrived. Both decrees were officially in effect simultaneously, but everything had completely reversed from what Hmon had planned. The enemies who had been planning to attack and plunder the Jews found themselves facing organized, prepared, and legally authorized Jewish resistance. Verse two tells us, “The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those who sought to destroy them. No one could stand against them because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. The Jews gathered together in their communities and fought back and they were successful. People throughout the empire were afraid to attack them because everyone knew the Jews now had the full backing and support of the king himself. Verse 5 describes what happened. The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them. And they did what they pleased to those who hated them. This was complete victory. The Jews defeated everyone who came against them. Verses 7-10 give us specific details. They also killed Parandatha, Dalon, Aspatha, Paratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Visatha. The 10 sons of Hammon son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. All 10 of Hmon’s sons were killed in the fighting. Every single one of them died. But notice the important detail that’s repeated. The Jews did not take the plunder. Even though the decree gave them legal permission to take their enemy’s property, they chose not to do it. This wasn’t about getting rich or taking revenge for material gain. This was purely about survival and justice. Verse 16 summarizes what happened throughout the empire. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed 75,000 of them, but did not lay their hands on the plunder. Throughout all the provinces, 75,000 enemies were killed. The number shows how widespread and serious the threat against the Jews had been. But once again, the text emphasizes the same point. They did not take any plunder. This phrase is repeated multiple times throughout the chapter to make it absolutely clear. The Jews weren’t motivated by greed or a desire for wealth. Verse 20 tells us, “Mordi recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far. Morai made sure to write down everything that had happened. He wanted the complete story preserved. He sent official letters to Jewish communities everywhere across the vast empire, both near and far from the capital. Verse 21 continues, to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar. Morai established these days as an official holiday that should be celebrated every single year. This wasn’t meant to be a one-time celebration. It was to become a permanent part of Jewish life. Verse 22 explains the reason for this celebration as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. This was the heart of why they should celebrate because of the complete reversal of their situation. They went from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy. From mourning certain death to celebrating miraculous deliverance. From facing total destruction to experiencing complete victory. And Mori specified exactly how they should celebrate with feasting and joy by sharing food with each other and by giving gifts to poor people who needed help. Verse 26 tells us where the holiday’s name came from. Therefore, these days were called purim from the word purr because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them. The holiday was named Purim after the purr, the lot that Hmon had cast to choose the day of destruction. The very method he used to plan their death became the name of their celebration of life. It was a permanent reminder that what was meant for evil was turned into good. Verse 28 emphasizes the permanence of this observance. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews. Nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants. The command was absolutely clear. Never forget what happened. Every generation must remember. Every family must observe it. Every city and province where Jews lived must celebrate. The days of Purim should never stop being celebrated and the memory of these events must never die out or fade away among future generations. Chapter 10:3 gives us the final summary of how things ended. Morai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. This was the conclusion. The orphan girl who had lost her parents became the queen of the most powerful empire on earth. The exile who refused to bow to evil became second only to the king in authority. The people who were marked for complete destruction became the people who defeated all their enemies. The day that was chosen for their annihilation became the day of their deliverance and victory. And the lots that were cast to seal their doom gave their celebration its name, Purim. The festival that forever remembers when everything reversed. when the plan meant for evil was turned into something good. And when courage in the face of certain death ended up saving an entire nation. If this story impacted you the way it impacted me, do me a favor. Hit that subscribe button and share this video with someone who needs to hear it. Maybe they’re facing their own impossible choice. Maybe they need to be reminded that one person’s courage can change everything. The story of Esther isn’t just ancient history. It’s a reminder that you might be exactly where you need to be for such a time as this. 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