 Previous Chapter |
 Return to Outline |
 Ask Questions |
 Next Chapter |
Chapter 3 brings the "villain" into the story. Haman, an Amalekite, a descendant of Esau, found favor in the eyes of the King and was promoted to the job of Prime Minister, second only to the King. He required that everyone bow to him when he passed by. Mordecai refused and Naman issued a decree, sealed by the King's ring, that all Jews would be killed on the 13th. day of the 12th. month (Feb. 28th.)
The King had a problem with this at first. He first thought of the loss of revenues. The Jews were rich and paid large sums into the King's treasury. Haman agreed to pay 10,000 talents directly into the King's treasury to compensate for this loss. This eased the King's greed but not his conscience for he had began to like the Jews. So Haman trumps up some false and malicious charges against them. "They are a people without a country." "Nobody knows where they came from." "They are scattered throughout all the providences." "They create problems wherever they live." "They are a dangerous people."
When King Xerxes hears all of these false charges against the Jews, he agreed to go along with Haman and signified this by removing his ring and giving it to Haman. To put his plan in action, Haman sent letters, sealed with the King's ring, to all the 127 Provinces, decreeing that all Jews, young, old, man, woman or child, must be killed on the 28th. day of February of the following year, their order of execution would be determined by lot. This decree occurred 5 years after Esther became Queen. This gave Esther and Mordecai 11 months to find a way to keep this decree from being carried out.
Afterward, the King's conscience bothered him and he went on a drinking spree. The decree also caused confusion and panic amongst the Persians as, by now, the economy of Persia was intertwined with the business skills of the Jews.
Previous Chapter |
Return to Outline |
Ask Questions |
Next Chapter |