What makes you jealous? How can you best handle those feelings?

This is a very good question for me, and probably a lot of ohter people out there.  An example of something that makes me jealous is when I know someone is able to do something that I also can do, let's take singing for example, and I would be trying out along side this other person for a solo, adn I know that I did very well with it, but then, the other person got chosen to sing the solo.  When finding out this result, I would initially feel like "how dare you?" and then feel a little steamed about it for a while.  But really, the best way to handle this sort of feeling is to just do the best you can for that particular situation and hope for the best, but also, keep an open mind about the chance that the total opposite could happen, and usually I pray to God to keep reminding me about both posibilities that are at stake.

Gomer

The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel:

~Hosea 1:1

Compare this verse with Deuteronomy 18:21-22.  How could the people know Hosea actually spoke "the word of the Lord"?

• Here is what Deuteronomy 18L21-22 says:
   

  You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?”  If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed

  I would say that they knew he spoke the word of the Lord because he had prophesied before and it came true

When a minister or evangelist speaks the word of the Lord today, how can you know if it's true or not?  What can you measure his or her words against to be sure they are from the Lord?

• If some of the statements he or she makes is a little far fetched to be teh truth
• If they quote something from the bible and you might question the accuracy of their memorizatoin, you should look it up yourself

When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the LORD.”  So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

~Hosea 1:2-3

What sin is the Lord accusing his people of committing?

• Adultery

How would you compare the people of Isreal and their sins with the nation you live in today?  How is your nation like Isreal?  How is it different?  What do you think God would say through Hosea to your nation?

• I would say that sin has not changed for the good by very much at all today. 
• I think Hosea would tell us to repent or our natoin would be destroyed without warning

Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.  In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”

  Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them.  Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the LORD their God, will save them.”

  After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son.  Then the LORD said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

~Hosea 1:4-9

What do each of the names of Hosea's children signify?  How clear should that message have been to the people of Isreal?

• Lo-Ruhamah would signify something similar to a break-up, wherase Lo-Ammi would signify disownership
• This message should have been very clear as to what God was going to do.

How does God speak to us today?  How clear is his message?  Are we any better at understanding and following as the Isrealites were?

• It's definitely not an audible voice we can here, but I think I experience God speaking to me by the way my feelings might change when I speak to Him.
• His message should be clear to us, but there is so much that we either might not understand or might misinterpret, so I would say that we are definitely no better than the Isrealites were

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’  The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

^]“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’

~Hosea 1:10-2:1

Put these beautiful words of God for his people in your own words.

• My people will be very numerous. You may have been told that I no longer call you mine, but now you shall be called mine once again.  Both nations will congregate and create a ruler for themselves.  You are my people and loved ones.

What do these words mean for you today?  How has God been faithful to you even when you have been unfaithful to him?

• God loves us no matter what we do
• He forgives me for my sins

The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

  So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.  Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

  For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods.  Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.

~Hosea 3:1-5

In this chapter, Hosea's relationship with his adulterous wife is again compared to Gods relationship with the unfaithful Isrealites.  Did Gomer return of her own accord or did Hosea go out and seek her?

• It's not really clear, but I suppose we could assume that Gomer came back herself

Note especially the word "bought" in verse 2.  Hosea paid fifteen shekels (about six ounces) of silver, plus about ten bushels of barley for Gomer.  Just as Hosea will go to extreme lengths to get his wife back - not so much what he paid for her, but the very fact taht he paid - God will go to extreme lengths to get his people back.  What ultimate price did god pay for his people?

• He has his son, Jesus, die for our sins on the cross



Words like holiness and purity are heard in many churches today. Do you think we take God for granted and approach him too casually?

Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the LORD.

~Numbers 8:11

I think if we become full of pride, we tend to stray away from God and we think we can take care of any situation ourselves

The Shulammite Woman

Solomon’s Song of Songs.

  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

How right they are to adore you!

  Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

  Like a lily among thorns
is my darling among the young women.

  Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
and let his banner over me be love.
Strengthen me with raisins,
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.

  Listen! My beloved!
Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”

  My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
Catch for us the foxes,
the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom.

  My beloved is mine and I am his;
he browses among the lilies.
Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
on the rugged hills.

All night long on my bed
I looked for the one my heart loves;
I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
“Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
till I had brought him to my mother’s house,
to the room of the one who conceived me.
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.

 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and incense
made from all the spices of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
escorted by sixty warriors,
the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
prepared for the terrors of the night.
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
he made it of wood from Lebanon.
Its posts he made of silver,
its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, come out,
and look, you daughters of Zion.
Look on King Solomon wearing a crown,
the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
the day his heart rejoiced.  

How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from the hills of Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
not one of them is alone.
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
built with courses of stone;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle
that browse among the lilies.
Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
I will go to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of incense.
You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
there is no flaw in you.

 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the crest of Amana,
from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon,
from the lions’ dens
and the mountain haunts of leopards.
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much more pleasing is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume
more than any spice!
Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
milk and honey are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride;
you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.
¹³ Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
with choice fruits,
with henna and nard,
  nard and saffron,
calamus and cinnamon,
with every kind of incense tree,
with myrrh and aloes
and all the finest spices.
You are a garden fountain,
a well of flowing water
streaming down from Lebanon.

  Awake, north wind,
and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,
that its fragrance may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved come into his garden
and taste its choice fruits.

I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.

Eat, friends, and drink;
drink your fill of love.

  I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again?
My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
I opened for my beloved,
but my beloved had left; he was gone.
My heart sank at his departure.
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
if you find my beloved,
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.

  How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women?
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us?

  My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
by the water streams,
washed in milk,
mounted like jewels.
His cheeks are like beds of spice
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with myrrh.
His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.
His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as its cedars.
His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem.

Where has your beloved gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way did your beloved turn,
that we may look for him with you?

  My beloved has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to browse in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
he browses among the lilies.

  You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
as lovely as Jerusalem,
as majestic as troops with banners.
Turn your eyes from me;
they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin,
not one of them is missing.
Your temples behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Sixty queens there may be,
and eighty concubines,
and virgins beyond number;
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique,
the only daughter of her mother,
the favorite of the one who bore her.
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
the queens and concubines praised her.

  Who is this that appears like the dawn,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
majestic as the stars in procession?

  I went down to the grove of nut trees
to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see if the vines had budded
or the pomegranates were in bloom.
Before I realized it,
my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.

  Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite
as on the dance of Mahanaim?

How beautiful your sandaled feet,
O prince’s daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!
Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
  and your mouth like the best wine.

May the wine go straight to my beloved,
flowing gently over lips and teeth.
I belong to my beloved,
and his desire is for me.
Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
let us spend the night in the villages.
Let us go early to the vineyards
to see if the vines have budded,
if their blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates are in bloom—
there I will give you my love.
The mandrakes send out their fragrance,
and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
that I have stored up for you, my beloved.

If only you were to me like a brother,
who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
and bring you to my mother’s house—
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me.
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.

  Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

  We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

  I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one bringing contentment.
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon;
he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels of silver.
But my own vineyard is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.

  You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!

  Come away, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
on the spice-laden mountains.

~Song of Songs

Song of Songs is, of course, very different from the sorts of love poems we are accustomed to today.  However, it is very descriptive and ammorous.  Choose one or two passages you think acchrately describe the love relationship, physical and intimate, between a husband and a wife.  If you can, put these ancient words into your own words.

• Well, I'm not married, let alone in a relationship, so I'm not sure if this question exactly applies to me right now.  Even if I was, I'm not sure if my boyfriend woudl want me to exclusively release my choices on this - at least in the intimate sense of things

Many of the images used in this poem give, indirectly, the idea of lengths of time spent together: "resting" (Song of Songs 1:13); "sit" (Song of Songs 2:3); "browse" (Song of Songs 2:16; 6:2); "go," "spend the night," "go early" (Song of Songs 7:11-12).  The impression is of long lengths of time spent together quietly and intimately.  What picture does that give you of the love between this man and woman?  What does it tell you about the need for time together with the one you love?

• that they spend a lot of time together alone
• the need for time together with soeone you really love is very important in a relationship.  This is a place where you can share any of your deepest secrets you might have and you know you can trust that your significant other will not tell anyone else what that secret is.

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

~Song of Songs 8:6-7

These verses express the undying committment of the lover and the beloved.  What do you think is required to have the love descrived in these verses?  Is it something that just happens or is it somethign that must be worked out?  Give reasons for your answers.

• I think it can go either way.  In some cases you have people taht just fall in love with someone right away, in other cases you have people taht have an interest in someone and they must test the waters to see if they will fall in love with that person

Throughout history, intimate love relationships have been shamefully distorted and profaned.  Song of Songs gives God's picture of the beauty of the relatoinship.  What can you do to foster this purer love in your own marriage relationship?

• again, this question doesn't exactly apply to me

Sometimes we think of the disciples as saints or heroes, but Mark shows their weak spots. What weak spots keep you from following Jesus as you might?

Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?

~Mark 8:18

Simplly, nowadays, I would say that my impatience is a weakness that makes me stray from following Jesus at times.

The Woman of Proverbs 31

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

~Proverbs 31:10-12

Describe the relationship between this woman and her husband.

• This is a relationship full of trust and love.  The woman cares for and obeys her husbnad's wishes, and encourages him if he is low in esteem

What aspects of this relationship do you wish were part of your relationship with your husband if you are married?  What can you do to improve your relationship in that area?

• Well, for one thing, I am not married.  I indeed hope to be someday.  But when I am, I hope to have all these aspects in my marriage

She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

~Proverbs 31:13-22, 24, 27

List some of the different tasks that keep this woman busy.  Now list how she goes about her work.

• shopping, cooking, gardening, sowing
• she goes to the merchants to buy or sell, she gets up early to make meeals for her family, she plants crops in order to make food for her family, she makes clothing for her family or to sell to the merchants at the market

What keeps you busy?  In what ways can you improve your attitude about your work?

• exercising, reading, practicing piano, helping mom with stuff online
• staying disciplined in keeping a good practice time frame, and being patient with my mom

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

~Proverbs 31:23, 25-26

Why can the woman of Proverbs 31 "laugh at the days to come"?  Doesn't she have anything to worry about?  Why or why not?

• because she is confident that nothing will be wornged against her or her family

What worries you?  What can you do to be more like the woman of Proverbs 31 and "laugh at the days to come"?

• being alone
• trust in God that he will find me the perfect person to be with

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

~Proverbs 31:28

What do this woman's children and husband do when she comes into the room?  Why do you think they are so respectful?  What do you think the woman of Proverbs 31 has done to earn such praise from her husband and children?

• they call her blessed
• because she does most of the work around the house

Does this verse seem out of touch with reality to you?  Why?  What would you have to do or how would you have to change for the verse to be more of a reality in your life?

• maybe a little bit because may women that have children don't get much respct form their children
• I don't exactly know that I would have to change much because I would teach my children to respect me

“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

~Proverbs 31:29-31

what is the thing that is most praiseworthy in any woman?  What if she isn't much of a housekeeper or isn't handy at crafts or isn't very good looking?  What would maker her still worthy of praise?

• the fact that she is nice and careing and does her best to make everything perfect
• the fact that she tries her best at pleasing her company

What's most important to you?  Charm?  Beauty?  The fear of the Lord?  How is that evident in your day-to-day life?

• I would say out of all of these that the fear of the Lord is the most important
• knowing someone that thinks that their faith is very miportant to them and that they can't live without God's strength, is a very important aspect in a person to me

As you read Mark, what "eyewitness details" stand out to you?

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.

~Mark 5:37

The thing that stands out to me most is that Mark gets to witness a lot of the miracles that Jesus performes first hand

Suppose that Jesus had never come, that God had merely sent an elaborate love note. What difference would that make?

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

~Mark 4:41

This is a very interesting question.  I think that this world would have been very much different today than it is.  Usually, if we recieve a note from someone that may proclaim how much they love us, in very great deail, and there's a chance we don't even know who that person is, we might say to ourselves "oh really?"  It doesn't mean that the letter isn't necessarily good enough, but it is probably better if we find out the truth from the very person that sent this letter.  This is why God sent us Jesus so that way we would have no excuse to doubt what He was trying to tell us.

Esther

This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush: At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,  and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

  For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.  When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa.  The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones.  Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality.  By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

  Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

  On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas—to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.  But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

  Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.

  “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”

  Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes.  For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’  This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.

  “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.  Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

  The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.  He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.

Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her.  Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.  Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.  Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

  Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.  Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

  When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.  She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

  Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.  Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

  Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.  And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.  In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

  When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.  She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

  Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.  And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

  When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.  But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

  During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.  But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.  And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.  All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

  Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”  Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

  When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.  Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

  In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

  Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.  If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”

  So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.  “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

  Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.  Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.  A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.

  The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.  But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.  In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

  When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.  Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

  So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate.  Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.  He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

  Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.  Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,  “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

  When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

  Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:  “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

  So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.  When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

  Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

  “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

  “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”

So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.  As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

  Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

  Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.  Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.

Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,  Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.  “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.  But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

  His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.  It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

  “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

  The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

  His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.

  When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?”  So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.  Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

  “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

  So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

  Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,  and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!”  While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

  Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.  For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

  King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

  Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.  The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

  Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”

As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.  Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!”  So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.  The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

  Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.  Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

  “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.  For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

  King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up.  Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

  At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.  Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

  The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.  The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.  A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

  The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

  When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.  For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.  In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.  The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.  And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.  Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

  The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.  In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.  They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,  Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,  Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,  the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

  The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.  The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

  “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”

  So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman.  The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

  Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.  This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

  The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

  That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

  Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar  as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

  So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them.  For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction.  But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.  (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them,  the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.  These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.

  So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.  And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance—to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.  Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores.  And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia?  Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

~book of Esther

Examine each of the main characters of the story.

Vashti: queen during the reign of Xerxes; also held a banquet for the women of the kingdom; was asked to be in teh presence of king Xerxes and his nobles; refused to come; is dethroned by Esther

Xerxes: ruler over 127 provinces from India to Cush; ruled from the citadel of Susa; gave a banquet for his nobles and officials; when in high spirits from wine he commanded his seven eunuchs to bring queen Vashti so she could be in his presence along with his nobles; becomes furious when Vashti refused to come; consulted his wise men as to what should be done to queen Vashti; a decree is created saying that all men shoudl be ruler over their households and women; was appealed by some advice from his personal attendants who said "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti."; was pleased by Esther's beauty and  Immediately provided her with beauty treatments, special food, and assigned her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem; made Esther his queen and threw her a banquent; found out from Esther that two of his officers were conspiring to kil him; was told by Haman “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them."; gives Haman permissoin to do with the people as he pleases; finds Esther in his inner court and is pleased by her presence; asks Esther to make her request; attends Esther's banquet; asks Esther to make her next request; is reminded about who saved his life from his two conspiring officers; asks his attendants as to if anything has been done to honor Mordecai; asks Haman how he should honor Mordecai; attends Esther's second banquet; asks for Esther's next request; asks Esther who has annailated and destroyed her people; is furious that Haman is the culprit; has Haman impaled; gives Esther Haman's estate;  approves of another edict be written to revoke the edict made by Haman; has Haman's son's impaled; allows another edict be written so Purim is established

Esther: more known by this name, but her real name was Hadassah; cousin of Mordecai; was taken care of by Mordecai after her parents died; was taken to Xerxes' palace according to the edict and won his favor; Xerxes provided her with beauty treatments, special food, and assigned her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem and was made queen over Vashti; would not reveal her nationality or background to Xerxes because Mordecai forbade her to do so; found out from Mordecai that two of Xerxes' officers were conspiring to kill Xerxes' and reported it to Xerxes; becomes stressed when she finds out about her cousin and asks one of her eunuchs to ask him what is wrong; explains to Mordecai that if she goes to Xerxes without being summoned she could be put to death, but instucts Mrodecai to fast with his people and that she will do the same .  After she finishes fasting with her attendants, she will risk her life going to Xerxes; goes into the inner court of the palace and makes her request for Xerxes and Hamn to attend a banquet she has prepared; tells Xerxes and Haman to come to the banquet she will prepare for them the next day; asks Xerxes to spare her and her people's lives from annailation; reveals the evil doer, Haman; is given Haman's estate; asks Xerxes that another decree be made so that Hamman's plan to get ride of the Jews is revoked; asks that Haman's sons be impaled

Mordecai: a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah and now living in the citadel of Susa; took care of his cousin Esther (Hadassah) after her father and mother died; forbade Esther to reveal her nationality and background to Xerxes; he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem every day to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her; overheard two of Xerxes' officers conspiring to kill Xerxes and told Esther to report it to Xerxes; would not kneel down to pay Haman honor and refused to tell the official why he would not kneel; became greived when the edict was proclaimed; explains to Esther's eunuch what has happened to his people; instructs Esther to beg xerxes for mercy; Mordecai is homored by Xerxes; is appointed over Haman's estate by Esther; writes out the edict taht Purim should be established

Haman: son of Hammedatha, the Agagite; was honored by Xerxes; was told that Mordecai would not kneel in honor of him and that Mordecai was a Jew; was enraged by Mordecai's behavior and in result asked Xerxes if a decree be issued to destroy the Jews; is given permission by Xerxes to kill the Jews; attends teh banquet that Esther has prepared for him and Xerxes and is invited to her next banquet; is enraged to find Mordecai still alive and sitting at the gate; takes his wife's idea about setting up a pole for Mordecai to be impaled on; waits in the outer court to talk to Xerxes abou the pole that is ment for Mordecai; is instructed by Xerxes to prepare Mordecai to be honored; attends Esther's banquet; becomes terrified when Esther reveals him as teh annailator of teh Jews; Begs Esther and Xerxes for his life; is impaled on the pole meant for Mordecai

List one or two primary characteristics of each character.

• Vashti: powerful, self-centered
• Xerxes: powerful, kind
• Esther: kind
• Mordecai: caring
• Haman: evil, selfish

With which character do you identify most closely. Vashti (rejected)?  Xerxes (powerful)?  Esther (fearful)?  Mordecai (determinded)?  Haman (evil)?

• Esther

Esther's royal position was no accident.  She was in a position of influence for a very specific purpose.  Your position in life is not an accident either.  What do you think God might have for you to do right where you are, right now?

• As I sit here typing this, he would want me to be as honest with my audience as I possibly could be

Have you ever had to be brave like Esther in order to step out and do the right thing?  What were the circumstances?  What was the outcome?

• yes I believe I have been.  I may have had to ask someone a question that I felt stupid asking , however I would receive a very kind answer back

How have you been delivered like the Jews in this story?  How do you celebrate your deliverance?

• when a friend helps me when I am in need, and I celebrate with happiness

Huldah

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.  He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

~II KIngs 22:11-13

Judah had followed false gods for many years.  What do you think made Josiah receptive to God and this reading of his law?

• I think that it was the fact that if his people did not follow God's law, most of the tme they would be put to death

think of a time you were tremendously sorry for your past or for something you had done.  How did you pray?  How did you feel?

• I prayed with deep sorrow in my heart.  As I did so I coudl feel myself trembling as I asked for forgiveness

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

~II KIngs 22:14

Describe what you think Huldah might have been like: her person, her character, her relationship with God.

• I think Huldah would be welcoming, honest, and that she would have a great relationship with God

What about your description of Huldah would you like to be true of you?  What can you do to develope that part of your character?

• A lot of what I said above I believe I already have in my life.  But I know we all could use a tune up now and then when it comes to our relationship with God.

She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,  ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read.  Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’

~II KIngs 22:15-17

Why was God so angry with his people?  What was he planning to do?

• God was angry with the people because they were worshiping false gods, so he was going to destory them

What has our nation done to deserve God's judgement?

• Although not all politicians are bad, but there are many out there to satisfy their own needs

Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:  Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.  Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

~II KIngs 22:18-20

What was God's specific word to Josaih?  Why was God's response to Josiah different from his response to the people?

• Obey my laws or I will send judgemetn upon you
• because he saw how sorry Josiah was

What have you done that deserves God's judgement?  Do you think God's response to you will be like his response to Josiah or to the people?  what will make the difference?

• Keeping secrets from people
• I hope, since I'm sorry about it, this His response will be more like what Josiah received
• the difference is whether you have prayed about your sins or not that will determine how you will be judged
  

If someone examined the way you spend your holidas and weekends, what would he or she conclude about your priorities?

On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

~Lrviticus 23:40

That person would observe that I spend a lot of time with my family and loved ones during those moments.