Bible Stories

Esther
                      Part 2

Haman went to the king with his plan.
He told the King that there was a people in his land that did not respect him or his laws and would soon cause trouble for him and his kingdom.

"Who are these people?" King Ahasuerus asked.
Haman answered, "Oh King Ahasuerus, they are the Jews."
King Ahasuerus was so mad!
Haman quickly spoke up.
"Your majesty, I have a plan to get rid of them."

"What is your plan?" asked the King.
"If it pleases you, oh King, let there be a decree issued to destroy them and I will put the money in the royal treasury for the men that will do this," Haman said, pleased with his own plans.

The king agreed to this plan, "Keep your money. Do what you think best with these people."
Haman was so happy.
He had his revenge.
He smiled as he thought, "Now Mordechai would be sorry for not bowing to me."

As the King's decree spread over the land, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing.
Many wore sackcloth and ashes.
When Mordechai heard the news, he was just devastated.
He too, wore sackcloth and ashes.

Esther's maids came to her and told her that Mordechai was very upset.
She asked to see him but Mordechai refused.
She sent her friend, Hathach out to talk to him.
Mordechai told him the awful news about Haman's plan to kill the Jews.
He gave to Hathach a copy of the decree that doomed the Jews.
He asked that Queen Esther talk to the king and save her people.
Hathach went back immediately with the message.
Queen Esther listened intently.
She was so bothered by what she had heard.
She sent word back to Mordechai saying:
"I cant go to the king's inner court without being asked to.  I will be killed unless he holds out his golden scepter.  He hasn't asked for me in more than a month."
When Mordechai heard this, he sent word back to Queen Esther:
"No one knows you are a Jew.  Perhaps God sent you to the palace, made you queen for this time; for when your people need you."
Oh my!  Esther hadn't thought of this.
Was God really using her?
Did He make her queen for this reason?
She thought about it for a while.
"Hathach, give Mordechai this message. Tell Mordecai to get all the Jews together and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. When this is done, I will go before the King. If I perish, I perish."

Go to Esther, Part 3

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