Category: Exile and Return Notes

Haman Impaled The banquet hosted by Esther takes place. On the Second day while drinking wine, the king again asks Esther what her request is. She asks for the life of her and her people to be spared. When the king asks who is threatening her, she replies that it is Haman. The king is…

Mordecai Honored The king could not sleep and asked for the chronicles of history to be read to him. When he heard the story of how Mordecai had foiled the assassination attempt against him, he asked what had been done to honor him. He then asked who was in the court and it was Haman.…

Esther’s Request to the King Esther approaches the King and he is pleased to see her. He promises her whatever she wants, up to half the kingdom. She requests the presence of him and Haman at a banquet she will host. Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai Haman is puffed up that he is being invited to…

Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help Many of the Jews are in mourning because of the King’s edict. Mordecai is in sackcloth and ashes and is not permitted into the palace while in mourning. Esther hears through her servants and finds out what is troubling him. He asks her to help. Esther reminds him that it…

Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews Haman is honored by King Xerxes and a command goes out that everyone should bow to him. Mordecai will not bow, which infuriates Haman. When Haman realizes Mordecai is a Jew, he determines to not only punish Mordecai but to find a way to punish all Jews. Mordecai convinces…

Esther Made Queen King Xerxes issues an order for a search to be made for the new Queen. Mordecai, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, had a cousin whose parents had been killed. Her name was Esther. She was one of the young women chosen to be given beauty treatments and presented to the…

Queen Vashti Deposed King Xerxes ruled over a large area of Media and Persia. To celebrate his reign, he held a an exhibition that lasted for 180 days and at the end held a 7 banquet open to everyone in his kingdom. At the end, he sent a message to Queen Vashti to come and…

Those Guilty of Intermarriage The rest of chapter 10 lists those who had intermarried with Gentile women and that some had children by these marriages.

The People’s Confession of Sin As Ezra was praying and weeping bitterly, people from Jerusalem started gathering and stood with him and agreed with him. They realized that they had sinned by marrying foreign women and something needed to be done to correct it. One man suggested that they be sent away, but it must…

Ezra’s Prayer about Intermarriage Ezra is told by the priests that those who returned have intermarried with the neighboring people who practiced abominations in God’s sight. Ezra concludes with a heartfelt prayer of confession and thanks that God has not treated them as they deserve.