ASSIGNMENT:
Read 7:6-10
1. There is a bit of irony here as Haman falls down before Esther. What is it?
Historical Note
In Persian protocol, the king was the only man who could be left alone with a woman of the harem. Even in the presence of others, a man was not to approach a woman of the king’s harem within 7 steps.
The fact that Haman was close enough to fall on the queen’s couch was unthinkable! Xerxes’ quandary as to what to do with Haman is resolved. Haman’s serious breach of protocol is enough to condemn him to death.
2. What was the king’s state of mind after Haman was hanged?
What does this say about the source of his concern?
Xerxes was probably mostly ________ that Haman had deceived him … so ridding himself of Haman, relieved his _______ .
3. Haman, probably like all evildoers, believed himself to be justified in his evil actions because he believed he had been ___________.
Haman had all the resources of the empire on his side as he schemed and plotted, but it all came to nothing because of a king’s night of _________ (i.e. God’s intervention).
4. The irony of the story continues:
1) The Jew who would not bow down – wears the king’s robe and sits astride the king’s horse … led through the city by _________.
2) The banquet Haman regarded as the ultimate personal honor, becomes his
L _ _ _.
3) The 75 foot gallows Haman had erected on which to hang Mordecai is used to hang _________.
5. Generations before Haman began plotting Mordecai’s death, God had already decided upon the destiny of the Amalekites (Deut. 25:17-19). You may recall that Haman was (assumedly) a descendant of Agag, who was king of the Amalekites during Saul’s reign.
During the time of the wilderness wanderings, God had promised He would “blot out the ____________ of _______ from under heaven.”
