Esther 7 and 8
While, the king and Haman were at Queen Esther’s banquet the second time, the king again inquired what she wished him to do for her.
The queen then told her request, and spoke very earnestly; she said,
“If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish.”
She told the king that it would also be a loss to him if the Jewish people were killed, for they were faithful servants to the king, and also paid an income to him.
The king was very surprised and angry that someone wanted to take the lives of Queen Esther and her people. You remember that the queen had not told that she belonged to the Jewish nation, so he had not known that the wicked cmmoand, to kill all Jews, which he had given Haman authority to send, was against his own queen and her people. So he asked,
“Who He is he and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so?”
The queen then said it was Haman who was the enemy of her people. Haman was ashamed, and afraid to hear this charge made by Queen Esther, and he begged for his life, but we do not read that he was sorry for His plan to kill the Jews.
The king did not listen to Haman’s words for mercy; but when one of his officers told him. of the high gallows which. Haman had made to hang Mordecai upon, the king in his great anger, at once ordered that Haman himself should be hung on that gallows. So the proud prince had what is called a death of shame, because of his awful hate of the Jewish people.
The queen again spoke earnestly to the king about the dreadful order to kill the Jews everywhere, for she was not content that her life should be saved without the lives of her people; and she begged the king with tears, to stop the order of Haman. But the great king had not power to change his own command when sealed with his ring; so all he could do was to have a new order written to give the Jewish people permission to fight against any who should attempt to kill them.
So the new order was written in all languages by the scribes, sealed with the king’s ring, and men were sent to all parts of the empire to carry the order to the rulers and to the Jews to know the right was given them to resist any who would attempt to harm them.
The new order was written in the third month, so there was still time for the carriers to go to the far lands before the set day in the twelfth month.
When the new order was proclaimed in Shushan and all the lands, there was great rejoicing among the Jews, and even others joined with them. Surely none could have been more happy and thankful to God, than Queen Esther and Mordecai; they had proved the words,
“God is our-refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Ps. 46:1.
ML 03/24/1940