Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Apr 3, 2012 13:42:37 GMT -5
CHAPTER III.
THE TERRIBLE EDICT.
Here was one man who, among all the princes and governors of the Persian empire, stood highest in favour with King Ahasuerus; and about the time of the royal marriage
this Haman was advanced to so much power that the common people, and also those of the king’s household, bowed down before him as he passed to and fro, just as their customs compelled them to do in the presence of their monarch.
But one person, and only one, throughout the city of Shushan, refused to pay this homage to Haman, and that was Mordecai the Jew, who dwelt at the outer gate of the palace. The servants at the palace-door reproved him many times; and perhaps believing that; as a stranger in Shushan, he did not know the rules which had been made in that city, they told him that this reverence to Haman was shown by the order of the king, and that all must obey. It was all in vain; Mordecai still refused to bend his knee when the royal favourite passed through the palace-gate; and some of the servants called Haman’s attention to this, hoping to bring him into disgrace and themselves into favour.
It is thought that Haman suspected Mordecai of belonging to the Jewish nation,—the nation he disliked and despised. But whether he did or not, it is certain that he was a proud, bad man; and it made him very angry to find a person in the whole empire who dared to refuse him that homage which he received by the express order of the king.
At that time he had no ready plan of revenge, but he set a watch upon Mordecai; and when he found that he persisted in his want of reverence, his dislike turned into
hatred, and he determined to punish him. Death was the common sentence for all
offences in those times,—so common that Haman did not consider it sufficient to take
the life of Mordecai. Nothing would make up to him, he thought, for this act of
disrespect but the destruction of every Jew throughout the length and breadth of the
kingdom of Ahasuerus.
To secure this, he offered to pay into the royal treasury ten thousand talents of
silver if his desire were granted; and he received full power from the king to execute his wicked plan. A talent of silver was, according to the great historian Josephus, worth £375, — a talent of gold worth £648; so it was a large sum of money which Haman proposed to give up for the pleasure of destroying the poor Jewish people, and probably he offered to do this so that the king might not be tempted to refuse his request by considering what he should lose from the taxes which these people were accustomed to pay. But Ahasuerus made no objections, for Haman’s will was dear to him just then; and he took the ring from his hand and gave it to the wicked, revengeful man, saying, “As to thy money, keep it for thyself; as for the people, do with them as seems good to thee.”
Haman was greatly rejoiced: it was a fresh proof of the royal favour; it gave him the certainty of being rid of the one man against whom his heart was inflamed with revenge, and he proceeded with his plans, employing those persons who were appointed to be scribes or writers of all the king’s messages and decrees, bidding them
send letters to every judge and governor throughout the provinces wherever the name of Ahasuerus was known, bidding them allow the Persian people to rise against the Jews, both young and old, men, women, and even innocent little children,
wherever they could be found, upon a certain fixed day.
These letters, after being written and examined, were sealed with the king’s own ring, 80 that those who received them would understand it was a royal command not to be disobeyed; and the same order was posted on the walls of the city of Shushan, where wicked Haman was engaged in feasting with the king in token of his joy at the speedy overthrow of the Jewish people.
To those who were threatened, it was a great alarm to see their sentence flaming
upon the walls. They were but a small handful of people in the midst of the Pers
ians, and there was no prospect of overcoming in a struggle. Mordecai, too, was
greatly troubled by the destruction which threatened the Israelites — perhaps it
seemed, at the first moment of surprise and fear, that God had forgotten his own people.
The Jewish custom was to make great outward signs of grief. They would tear their garments, clothe themselves in sackcloth, and putting ashes upon their heads as a token of humiliation and sorrow, cry aloud as they paced the streets. This,
then, was how the poor frightened people went about the city of Shushan when the cruel edict against them. was proclaimed; and thus attired Mordecai stationed
himself at the outer gate of the palace.
His one hope lay within that palace, — upon Esther’s influence with her royal husband; and though he knew how weak and faint the ground of that hope was, he
believed that God’s power could bring about the salvation of the Jewish people through the intercession of their own Jewish queen.
So Mordecai longed to make his way to Esther, and tell her of the anguish and fear of her kindred; but he dared not pass within the gate, because the laws of the city forbade any one dressed in sackcloth to come near the royal presence. However, his crying and wailing attracted the notice of those who passed in and out, and the news was soon carried into the palace that Mordecai was sitting at the gate clad in garments of mourning and with ashes upon his head. When her maidens told this to Queen Esther, it made her very unhappy, and. she sent servants with proper clothing to him, begging them to remove the sackcloth in which he was wrapped. But when these messengers returned to say that Mordecai refused the queen’s apparel, and would not cease his lamentations, Esther grew more alarmed, and, sending for the chief officer of her household, whom she could trust with any secret communications, she bade him hasten to the palace-gate and tell Mordecai how much she was distressed by hearing that he was sorrowing thus; and she also told the messenger to inquire what calamity
had befallen him. So the officer went to the palace-gate, and found Mordecai there
in sackcloth and ashes; and Mordecai told all that had happened, — how Haman had
persuaded the king to destroy the whole Jewish people who could be seized upon a
certain day, how he had even offered to pay in money to the treasury if he might
be allowed this revenge, and how the men and women of Israel were mourning and weeping throughout the nation.
The servant whom Queen Esther had sent to Mordecai must have been in her confidence,
and known to what people and country she belonged. Very likely her sweetness
and gentleness had made him willing to do her any service, so that he did not betray
her to others of the household; and he returned with a copy of the order for the
destruction of the Jews, which had been placed upon the walls of the city, and a
message from Mordecai telling her she must go to the king and intercede for her
people.
The queen was frightened, for it was known throughout the country that if any
one — even the greatest prince — should enter the king’s inner court without being
sent for, he should instantly be put to death. Only one thing could possibly save
any who had done this: if the king should hold out his golden sceptre, it was a sign
of mercy and pardon which would spare his life.
How then could Esther plead for her people with Ahasuerus? Thirty days had passed without him sending for her into his presence, and she dared not venture to approach him; so she sent back the messenger to remind Mordecai of this law, and to show hm how impossible it was for her to help her people in their trouble and distress.
When Mordecai heard her message, he sent word to her that she must take courage to do what he asked. He said, too, that if she failed to help her own nation, then
it would be delivered by some other means, while she and her family would fall from
their high estate as a judgement from God for her want of fidelity; and he begged
her to think that probably it was for this very purpose of saving the Jewish people
that the divine providence had brought her to the position of queen.
No doubt Mordecai was quite right. God, who watches over all his creatures, had foreseen the calamity of his own chosen Jewish people, and had determined to save them by means of Esther’s influence with King Ahasuerus. Although God can do all things, it is his way to use different instruments to bring about his plans. Sometimes it may be a child — a little weak child — who is made the means of doing God’s work; sometimes it is a word written or spoken, as it seems by chance, and yet there has been no “chance” in it, — it is all part of the good purpose of the Almighty from the beginning of the world.
What a blessed, happy thing it is, to be useful to God! — to be an instrument in his
hand for bringing about what he means to happen! And Esther thought of this when
Mordecai’s last message reached her; for she seems to have hesitated no more, but to have sent word to her uncle to gather together all the Jews in the city of Shushan to pray for her, while she and her maidens should fast for three days, and pray also,
and then she would go in and plead with King Ahasuerus.
You see that Esther knew the power of prayer. There is nothing to be done without it, and there is nothing which will not be done with it; for humble, trustful prayer to God, will lift us above every sorrow, help us through every difficulty, and keep us straight upon the path to heaven. Even if we do not get the very thing we ask for, or if we have to wait so long that our patience and confidence are ready to give way, we must try to be quite sure that God is listening, and that when it is the best time he will do what we want, if it is good for us.
Accordingly Mordecai asked the people to fast, after the manner of their country,
casting themselves upon the earth in their garments of mourning, as they besought
God to look with mercy upon them in this day of peril. At the same time Esther was offering up her prayers that she might receive help from Heaven to brave the anger of the king, and that God might soften his heart towards her; and while she prayed, she abstained from all the delicate meats and drinks which were put before her during those three days and nights.
When the time had come to plead her cause before Ahasuerus, the queen changed her garments for the richest apparel, because the king delighted to see her adorned. Thus, and taking two handmaidens with her, she left her chamber and went to the hail of Ahasuerus, where he was sitting upon a throne in all his grandeur, with his servants at his feet.
Esther trembled under his glance, as she knelt before him, glittering in her costly robes which she had chosen to please his eye. Old histories tell us that his expression was so fierce that all the colour left her cheeks, and she sank fainting to the ground; and that Ahasuerus was alarmed, and in a moment his wrath turned to mildness, and all in haste he sprang from his throne and raised her up, soothing her with gentle words until she came to herself
“Thou shalt not die,” he said. “The law is not for thee, but for others.” Then Esther began to regain her courage, and as Ahasuerus extended to her the golden sceptre for a sign of pardon, she drew near and kissed it. Then he said to her, “What is thy request?” and even promised that should it be a favour so great as to ask for the half of his kingdom it should be granted.
Esther knew then that she was not to die for transgressing the law which forbade
any one to approach the king unsought; but she still felt timid and fearful because
of the greatness of the request she had to make. It seemed as if she dared not tell
her secret and plead for her people — it would be perhaps easier another day; so
she humbly asked Ahasuerus to come to a banquet she had prepared, and to bring
with him Haman also. The king consented, and sent messengers to his favourite, bidding him obey the queen’s will; and at the appointed hour they both went to Esther’s apartments, where they partook of the choice dainties which she had ordered to be served to them.
Ahasuerus was evidently fond of banqueting, and the dishes which appeared
were pleasant to his taste; the wine, too, was such as he loved, and, after drinking
freely, he was still better disposed towards Queen Esther, and again he asked what
request she had to make, promising that however great it might seem it should
most surely be granted.
Once more Esther hesitated to press her petition. If we wonder she should do so, and if it seems to us that she was lacking in courage, we must remember that a formidable task lay before her. Not only had she to ask a great favour, one which was directly opposed to the will of the powerful Haman, but she had to tell her secret — that she, an unknown Jewish maiden, whose ancestors had been carried
captive to Babylon, was there as a queen, the queen of Ahasuerus! She knew that if he became angry he might destroy her without delay; and she was young, and would naturally tremble at the thought of a sudden, cruel death. But still worse
would it be if she, who longed to help her people, should fail, and then they would
be slain without mercy, and Haman’s triumph would be complete.
All this, it is probable, passed through Esther’s mind as the king urged her to make known her petition; and so she tried to delay yet a little longer, until she should know better what words to use as she pleaded for herself and her friends; and begging
Ahasuerus to come to another banquet on the next day, and to bring Haman along with him, she promised that then she would surely make known the favour which he had power to grant.
THE TERRIBLE EDICT.
Here was one man who, among all the princes and governors of the Persian empire, stood highest in favour with King Ahasuerus; and about the time of the royal marriage
this Haman was advanced to so much power that the common people, and also those of the king’s household, bowed down before him as he passed to and fro, just as their customs compelled them to do in the presence of their monarch.
But one person, and only one, throughout the city of Shushan, refused to pay this homage to Haman, and that was Mordecai the Jew, who dwelt at the outer gate of the palace. The servants at the palace-door reproved him many times; and perhaps believing that; as a stranger in Shushan, he did not know the rules which had been made in that city, they told him that this reverence to Haman was shown by the order of the king, and that all must obey. It was all in vain; Mordecai still refused to bend his knee when the royal favourite passed through the palace-gate; and some of the servants called Haman’s attention to this, hoping to bring him into disgrace and themselves into favour.
It is thought that Haman suspected Mordecai of belonging to the Jewish nation,—the nation he disliked and despised. But whether he did or not, it is certain that he was a proud, bad man; and it made him very angry to find a person in the whole empire who dared to refuse him that homage which he received by the express order of the king.
At that time he had no ready plan of revenge, but he set a watch upon Mordecai; and when he found that he persisted in his want of reverence, his dislike turned into
hatred, and he determined to punish him. Death was the common sentence for all
offences in those times,—so common that Haman did not consider it sufficient to take
the life of Mordecai. Nothing would make up to him, he thought, for this act of
disrespect but the destruction of every Jew throughout the length and breadth of the
kingdom of Ahasuerus.
To secure this, he offered to pay into the royal treasury ten thousand talents of
silver if his desire were granted; and he received full power from the king to execute his wicked plan. A talent of silver was, according to the great historian Josephus, worth £375, — a talent of gold worth £648; so it was a large sum of money which Haman proposed to give up for the pleasure of destroying the poor Jewish people, and probably he offered to do this so that the king might not be tempted to refuse his request by considering what he should lose from the taxes which these people were accustomed to pay. But Ahasuerus made no objections, for Haman’s will was dear to him just then; and he took the ring from his hand and gave it to the wicked, revengeful man, saying, “As to thy money, keep it for thyself; as for the people, do with them as seems good to thee.”
Haman was greatly rejoiced: it was a fresh proof of the royal favour; it gave him the certainty of being rid of the one man against whom his heart was inflamed with revenge, and he proceeded with his plans, employing those persons who were appointed to be scribes or writers of all the king’s messages and decrees, bidding them
send letters to every judge and governor throughout the provinces wherever the name of Ahasuerus was known, bidding them allow the Persian people to rise against the Jews, both young and old, men, women, and even innocent little children,
wherever they could be found, upon a certain fixed day.
These letters, after being written and examined, were sealed with the king’s own ring, 80 that those who received them would understand it was a royal command not to be disobeyed; and the same order was posted on the walls of the city of Shushan, where wicked Haman was engaged in feasting with the king in token of his joy at the speedy overthrow of the Jewish people.
To those who were threatened, it was a great alarm to see their sentence flaming
upon the walls. They were but a small handful of people in the midst of the Pers
ians, and there was no prospect of overcoming in a struggle. Mordecai, too, was
greatly troubled by the destruction which threatened the Israelites — perhaps it
seemed, at the first moment of surprise and fear, that God had forgotten his own people.
The Jewish custom was to make great outward signs of grief. They would tear their garments, clothe themselves in sackcloth, and putting ashes upon their heads as a token of humiliation and sorrow, cry aloud as they paced the streets. This,
then, was how the poor frightened people went about the city of Shushan when the cruel edict against them. was proclaimed; and thus attired Mordecai stationed
himself at the outer gate of the palace.
His one hope lay within that palace, — upon Esther’s influence with her royal husband; and though he knew how weak and faint the ground of that hope was, he
believed that God’s power could bring about the salvation of the Jewish people through the intercession of their own Jewish queen.
So Mordecai longed to make his way to Esther, and tell her of the anguish and fear of her kindred; but he dared not pass within the gate, because the laws of the city forbade any one dressed in sackcloth to come near the royal presence. However, his crying and wailing attracted the notice of those who passed in and out, and the news was soon carried into the palace that Mordecai was sitting at the gate clad in garments of mourning and with ashes upon his head. When her maidens told this to Queen Esther, it made her very unhappy, and. she sent servants with proper clothing to him, begging them to remove the sackcloth in which he was wrapped. But when these messengers returned to say that Mordecai refused the queen’s apparel, and would not cease his lamentations, Esther grew more alarmed, and, sending for the chief officer of her household, whom she could trust with any secret communications, she bade him hasten to the palace-gate and tell Mordecai how much she was distressed by hearing that he was sorrowing thus; and she also told the messenger to inquire what calamity
had befallen him. So the officer went to the palace-gate, and found Mordecai there
in sackcloth and ashes; and Mordecai told all that had happened, — how Haman had
persuaded the king to destroy the whole Jewish people who could be seized upon a
certain day, how he had even offered to pay in money to the treasury if he might
be allowed this revenge, and how the men and women of Israel were mourning and weeping throughout the nation.
The servant whom Queen Esther had sent to Mordecai must have been in her confidence,
and known to what people and country she belonged. Very likely her sweetness
and gentleness had made him willing to do her any service, so that he did not betray
her to others of the household; and he returned with a copy of the order for the
destruction of the Jews, which had been placed upon the walls of the city, and a
message from Mordecai telling her she must go to the king and intercede for her
people.
The queen was frightened, for it was known throughout the country that if any
one — even the greatest prince — should enter the king’s inner court without being
sent for, he should instantly be put to death. Only one thing could possibly save
any who had done this: if the king should hold out his golden sceptre, it was a sign
of mercy and pardon which would spare his life.
How then could Esther plead for her people with Ahasuerus? Thirty days had passed without him sending for her into his presence, and she dared not venture to approach him; so she sent back the messenger to remind Mordecai of this law, and to show hm how impossible it was for her to help her people in their trouble and distress.
When Mordecai heard her message, he sent word to her that she must take courage to do what he asked. He said, too, that if she failed to help her own nation, then
it would be delivered by some other means, while she and her family would fall from
their high estate as a judgement from God for her want of fidelity; and he begged
her to think that probably it was for this very purpose of saving the Jewish people
that the divine providence had brought her to the position of queen.
No doubt Mordecai was quite right. God, who watches over all his creatures, had foreseen the calamity of his own chosen Jewish people, and had determined to save them by means of Esther’s influence with King Ahasuerus. Although God can do all things, it is his way to use different instruments to bring about his plans. Sometimes it may be a child — a little weak child — who is made the means of doing God’s work; sometimes it is a word written or spoken, as it seems by chance, and yet there has been no “chance” in it, — it is all part of the good purpose of the Almighty from the beginning of the world.
What a blessed, happy thing it is, to be useful to God! — to be an instrument in his
hand for bringing about what he means to happen! And Esther thought of this when
Mordecai’s last message reached her; for she seems to have hesitated no more, but to have sent word to her uncle to gather together all the Jews in the city of Shushan to pray for her, while she and her maidens should fast for three days, and pray also,
and then she would go in and plead with King Ahasuerus.
You see that Esther knew the power of prayer. There is nothing to be done without it, and there is nothing which will not be done with it; for humble, trustful prayer to God, will lift us above every sorrow, help us through every difficulty, and keep us straight upon the path to heaven. Even if we do not get the very thing we ask for, or if we have to wait so long that our patience and confidence are ready to give way, we must try to be quite sure that God is listening, and that when it is the best time he will do what we want, if it is good for us.
Accordingly Mordecai asked the people to fast, after the manner of their country,
casting themselves upon the earth in their garments of mourning, as they besought
God to look with mercy upon them in this day of peril. At the same time Esther was offering up her prayers that she might receive help from Heaven to brave the anger of the king, and that God might soften his heart towards her; and while she prayed, she abstained from all the delicate meats and drinks which were put before her during those three days and nights.
When the time had come to plead her cause before Ahasuerus, the queen changed her garments for the richest apparel, because the king delighted to see her adorned. Thus, and taking two handmaidens with her, she left her chamber and went to the hail of Ahasuerus, where he was sitting upon a throne in all his grandeur, with his servants at his feet.
Esther trembled under his glance, as she knelt before him, glittering in her costly robes which she had chosen to please his eye. Old histories tell us that his expression was so fierce that all the colour left her cheeks, and she sank fainting to the ground; and that Ahasuerus was alarmed, and in a moment his wrath turned to mildness, and all in haste he sprang from his throne and raised her up, soothing her with gentle words until she came to herself
“Thou shalt not die,” he said. “The law is not for thee, but for others.” Then Esther began to regain her courage, and as Ahasuerus extended to her the golden sceptre for a sign of pardon, she drew near and kissed it. Then he said to her, “What is thy request?” and even promised that should it be a favour so great as to ask for the half of his kingdom it should be granted.
Esther knew then that she was not to die for transgressing the law which forbade
any one to approach the king unsought; but she still felt timid and fearful because
of the greatness of the request she had to make. It seemed as if she dared not tell
her secret and plead for her people — it would be perhaps easier another day; so
she humbly asked Ahasuerus to come to a banquet she had prepared, and to bring
with him Haman also. The king consented, and sent messengers to his favourite, bidding him obey the queen’s will; and at the appointed hour they both went to Esther’s apartments, where they partook of the choice dainties which she had ordered to be served to them.
Ahasuerus was evidently fond of banqueting, and the dishes which appeared
were pleasant to his taste; the wine, too, was such as he loved, and, after drinking
freely, he was still better disposed towards Queen Esther, and again he asked what
request she had to make, promising that however great it might seem it should
most surely be granted.
Once more Esther hesitated to press her petition. If we wonder she should do so, and if it seems to us that she was lacking in courage, we must remember that a formidable task lay before her. Not only had she to ask a great favour, one which was directly opposed to the will of the powerful Haman, but she had to tell her secret — that she, an unknown Jewish maiden, whose ancestors had been carried
captive to Babylon, was there as a queen, the queen of Ahasuerus! She knew that if he became angry he might destroy her without delay; and she was young, and would naturally tremble at the thought of a sudden, cruel death. But still worse
would it be if she, who longed to help her people, should fail, and then they would
be slain without mercy, and Haman’s triumph would be complete.
All this, it is probable, passed through Esther’s mind as the king urged her to make known her petition; and so she tried to delay yet a little longer, until she should know better what words to use as she pleaded for herself and her friends; and begging
Ahasuerus to come to another banquet on the next day, and to bring Haman along with him, she promised that then she would surely make known the favour which he had power to grant.