Part 3 - Esther - An Orphan becomes Queen

Part 3 of 5

Chapter 5

Esther entered the palace inner courts. The King saw her and was pleased and invited her in and held out his gold scepter to her and she touched the end of it. The King adored Esther and was pleased to see her. 

The King asked her whatever she wanted including half the kingdom would be granted to her if she so desired. She invited  King Xerxes and Haman to a banquet  she had prepared for him, and asked him to bring Haman along too.  The King agreed to do what she asked and accepted her invitation. 

 Haman still enraged that Mordecai would not bow down to him, went home and boasted to his family and friends how wealthy he and his family was ,and how the king had elevated him among all the nobles in the country, and how only he alone was invited to the banquet that Queen Esther was having. But he also stated how he was still displeased that Mordecai a Jew, was still sitting at the King’s gate and he would not bow down to him.  

Then Haman’s wife and friends suggested to him to have a very tall pole erected and in the morning ask the King to have Mordecai impaled on it. Haman liked this idea and had the pole erected immediately. 

Chapter 6

That particular night, the King could not sleep, so he ordered that the book of chronicles of his reign be read to him.  In the book it was read to the King how Mordecai had exposed the plans of Teresh and Bigthana, the two officers who guarded the gate had conspired to assassinate him and the King learned that the person who exposed the plot was Mordecai. The king asked his servants, “What honor and recognition has this man Mordecai received for exposing this?” His attendants answered, “Nothing has been done for him.”

At that very same time, Haman had entered the king’s courtyard and was waiting to speak to him about having Mordecai impaled on the pole he had erected. The King said, “ Who is in the court?” The attendants answered, "Haman is standing in the court.”

When Haman entered, before he could make his plea to the King, the King asked him, 'What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?’ Haman, wondering who the king was referring to and wanted to honor more than him.  Haman answered the king and said,  “Have them bring a royal robe that the king has worn and  a horse the king has ridden, and place a royal crest on his head.  Also place a robe on this man Then let a noble prince of the king lead the horse and the man through the city streets, proclaiming, “ This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.”

So the king chose Haman to be the prince who was to lead the horse and Mordecai through the city on horseback to be honored.  And Haman was forced to say as he led Mordecai through the city. “This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor.”

This must have been a humiliating thing for Haman to do to the man he despised most in the city, who would not bow down to him. 

Later Mordecai came again by the King’s gate and Haman hastily returned home with his head covered. Haman told his wife - Zeresh and all his friends what had happened, they said to him that he shall fall and not prevail against the Jew - Mordecai. And while they were still speaking, the king’s men came and quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared for them. 

More to come……..to be continued…..