Category: Scripture

Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advise of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.

Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace early in winter of the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He also so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone. Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem, and Mordecai had become a palace official, Esther continued to keep her background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home. (vv. 16-20, NLT)

At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name as Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled form Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchanezzar. This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When the father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his faimly and raised her as his own daughter.

As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other youny women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harm to find out about Esther and what was happening to her. (vv. 5-11, NLT)

On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine-he told the seven eunuchs who attended him-….to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the kind furious, and he burned with anger.

He immediately consulted with his wise advisors, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked for their advice…..They meet with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

“What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through eunuchs?”

Memucan answered the king and his nobles. “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti refused to appear before the king.” (vv. 10-17, NLT)

“So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a low of the Persian and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she.”When this decree is published through the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives.” (vv. 19-20, NLT)

These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. At that time, Xerxes ruled from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all of his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media, as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. The celebration lasted 180 days-a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. (v. 9, NLT)

For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites through out the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbal, harps, and lyres. The singers were brought together from the regio around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites. They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem. The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. (vv. 27-30, NLT)

Then the rest of the people-the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, and daughters, all who were old enough to understand-joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as is issued by His servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulation, and decrees of the Lord our Lord. (vv. 28-29, NLT)

On October 31st, the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. Those of Israelite decent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read to them aloud. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. (vv. 1-3, NLT

Then the leaders of the Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Seherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah – called out to the people: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for He lives from evelasting to everlasting! Then they prayed:

“May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above, all blessings and praise!

You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels who worship You.

You are the Lord God, who chose Abraham and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham. When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. You have done what You promised, for You are always true to your word.” (vv 5-8, NLT)

On October 9, the family leaders of all the people, together with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to go over the law. As they studied the Law, they discovered that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelite should live in shelters druing the festival to be held that month. He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to to to the hills to get branches from olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm and other leafy trees. They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during the festival , as prescribed by the Law.

So the people went out and cut branches an used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate. So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were al filled with great joy! The Israelite had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.

Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival. Then on the eighty day they held a solemn assembly, as required by law. (vv 13-18, NLT)

In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, al the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to to obey.

So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included men and women and all the children old enough to understand. He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseih. To his left stood Hash-Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

Than Ezra praised the Lord, the great God , and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted up their hands. Then they bowed down with their facs to the ground. (vv. 1-6, NLT)

At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, an noe of the houses had been built. So my God gave me the idea to call together the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there:

Here is the list of the Jewish exiles who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. (vv. 4-6, NLT)

So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women. They took with the 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. (vv. 66-69, NLT)

So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, , the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. (v. 73, NLT)