Bible Stories

Esther
                      Part 3

King Ahasuerus asked, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you even if it is half my kingdom."

 "My lord, if it please the King, would you and Haman come to a banquet I have prepared for you both today?"

The King turned to his aides and said, "Tell Haman to hurry."
So the King and Haman went to Esther's banquet.

At the banquet, King Ahasuerus said to Esther, "Now tell me what you want. I will give it to you, even if it is half my kingdom."

Esther answered, "Please come with Haman to another banquet that I shall prepare for you tomorrow. Then I will tell you what it is that I want."

As Haman left the palace, there was Mordecai sitting there.
He refused to bow and honor him.
That made Haman furious!

He said nothing to him and went home.
When he got home, Haman called for his friends and family, and bragged to them about how wealthy he was.
"The King has promoted me.  I am the most powerful man next to the king," he boasted.
"Queen Esther invited only the king and me to a banquet with her tonight and I am invited again tomorrow night to be with the queen and the king."
Haman went on and on about how Mordecai never bowed to him and refused to stand and give him the respect he thought he deserved.
"All Of this means nothing when Mordecai sits there in front of the gate refusing to bow to me," he said bitterly.

Then Zeresh, his wife, said, "Make a gallows seventy-five feet high and tomorrow ask the king for permission to hang the man! Then you can be happy at the queen's banquet."

Haman loved the idea.
He called the men together to begin building the gallows the very next day.

That same night, King Ahasuerus had trouble sleeping.
He called for the historical records from the library thinking it would help him sleep.
As he was looking through them, he ran across the item telling of the plot to kill him.
He remembered that Mordecai was the one that saved his life.

"What reward did we give him?" asked the king.
"Nothing," they replied
"Who is in the outer court?" the king asked
As it just so happened, Haman was there.
He wanted to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he was building.
"Haman is here, Sire," they said to the king.
"Bring him in here to me," ordered the king.
Haman came in and the king asked him, "What should I do to honor a man that truly pleases me?"

Of course Haman thought the king was taking about him.
He was so proud when he answered, "Send the king's robe, the king's horse, and the king's crown, to one of the king's most noble princes, and let him dress the man in your robes, put your crown upon his head, and lead him throughout the city on your horse, shouting to all the people, 'This is how the king honors those that truly please him!' "
 King Ahasuerus was so pleased.
"Excellent, Haman! Hurry now! Take these robes of mine and get my horse.  Take my crown and do as you have said to Mordecai the Jew that sits at my gate. Do all the things that you have said!"

Since he had no other choice, Haman did as he had been told.
He reluctantly dressed Mordecai in the King's robe and crown, and led him through the city on the King's horse shouting to all the people, "This is how the king honors those that truly please him!"

How awful for Haman.
He hated Mordecai.
After he had finished, he took Mordecai back to his job.
Haman was completely humiliated.
He went home and told his wife and friends of what the king had ordered him to do.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
It was the king's messengers.
It was time for Queen Esther's banquet.

Haman met the king at the palace.
They attended the Queen's banquet.
The king so enjoyed himself.
Again he said to her, "What is it that you want, my Queen? What is your request? Whatever it is, I will give it to you, even if you desire half of my kingdom."
Queen Esther replied, "If the king is pleased with me, I request that the king save my life and the life of all Jews. We face death soon. I and all my people are to be killed."
King Ahasuerus became very angry.
"Who would dare touch you or any of your relatives?" he demanded.
Esther replied, "This wicked Haman is our enemy."
The king became so outraged he stormed out to the palace gardens.
Haman became pale with fright.
He knew the king would be so angry for what he intended to do to the Jews.
Haman jumped up and ran to Queen Esther who was sitting on the couch.
He begged her for his life.
He was desperate.
He was scared.
He threw himself on her begging for his life.
Just then the king entered.
He was alarmed at what he saw.
"You would dare touch the Queen?" he yelled.
The servants came running and held him away from the queen.
Harbona, an aide to the king said, "Your Majesty, Haman was constructing a 75 foot gallows to use on Mordechai, the man who saved you from assassination.  It stands in Haman's courtyard."

The king was furious.
He was seething with anger.
"Use it on Haman," he ordered.
And they did.

King Ahasuerus gave the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther.
The king appointed Mordechai prime minister.
Queen Esther put Mordechai in charge of Haman's estate.
King Ahasuerus reversed the decree against the Jews.
There was much gladness and celebration in the streets.
The Jews were honored everywhere.
 
 

Go to Naaman

Go back to menu