PEOPLE TO REMEMBER KING CYRUS KING DARIUS EZRA

PEOPLE TO REMEMBER KING CYRUS KING DARIUS: EZRA 1: 1 EZRA 1 -6 (536 BC)? (538 -516 BC)? ESTHER QUEEN OF PERSIA (58 YEARS) (478 BC)? ARTAXERXES: EZRA 7 -10 ARTAXERXES LONGIMANUS: (458 -457 BC)? (465 -424 BC)? ZERUBBABEL - SHESHBAZZAR - LEVITE GOVERNOR OF JUDAH HAGGAI 1: 1 (536 BC)? LEVITES WHO CAME WITH ZERUBBABEL NEHEMIAH - PRIEST EZRA 2: 2 (536 BC)? JEREMIAH - PRIEST NEHEMIAH 12: 1 (536 BC)? JESHUA - HIGH PRIEST NEHEMIAH 12: 1 (536 BC)? EZRA - PRIEST NEHEMIAH 12: 1 (536 BC)?

PEOPLE TO REMEMBER NEBUCHADNEZZAR: JECONIAH: AHASUERUS: VASHTI: MORDECAI: KING OF BABYLON (498 BC)? KING OF JUDAH (498 BC)? KING OF PERSIA (483 BC)? AHASUERUS’ EX-WIFE GREAT-GRANDSON OF KISH - A BENJAMITE (A EUNUCH)? HEGAI: EUNUCH IN CHARGE OF KING’S HAREM ESTHER: FIRST COUSIN OF MORDECAI BIGTHAN & TERESH: KING’S DOORKEEPERS SHAASHGAZ : KEEPER OF THE KING’S CONCUBINES HIGH PRIESTS SERAIAH JOZADAK JESHUA JOIAKIM KINGS OF PERSIA CAMBYSES CYRUS DARIUS XERXES STOCK OF JUDAH JECONIAH SALATHIEL ZERUBBABEL HANANIAH

PEOPLE TO REMEMBER AHASUERUS: KING OF PERSIA 478 BC? VASHTI: AHASUERUS’ FIRST WIFE MORDECAI: (A EUNUCH)? GREAT-GRANDSON OF KISH - A BENJAMITE ESTHER: FIRST COUSIN OF MORDECAI HEGAI: EUNUCH IN CHARGE OF KING’S HAREM BIGTHAN AND TERESH: KING’S DOORKEEPERS (EUNUCHS) HAMAN: THE AGGAGITE - DESCEDENT OF KING AGAG HATHACH: EUNUCH THAT ESTHER SENT TO SEE MORDECAI

OUTLINE ESTHER CHAPTER THREE MORDECAI REFUSES TO REVERENCE HAMAN: V. 1 -3 HAMAN WANTS TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS: V. 4 -7 HAMAN ASKS THE KING’S PERMISSION: V. 8 -9 THE KING GIVES HIM AUTHORITY TO DO SO: V. 10 -11 THE DAY IS APPOINTED FOR THE MASSACRE: V. 12 -15

READ: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. WHO IS HAMAN? WHO WAS HAMMEDATHA THE AGAGITE?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 WHO IS HAMMEDATHA THE AGAGITE? READ: 1 SAMUEL 15: 3 3 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. '“ (NKJ) WHAT DID THE LORD TELL SAUL TO DO?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 WHO IS HAMMEDATHA THE AGAGITE? READ: 1 SAMUEL 15: 8 -9 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. (NKJ) DID THEY DO WHAT THE LORD COMMANDED? WHO DID THE SPARE? AGAG?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. WHAT DID THE KING DO FOR HAMAN? WHAT AUTHORITY WAS GIVEN HAMAN?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 1 -2 2 All the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. HOW DID THE KING’S SERVANTS GREET HAMAN? DID THE KING COMMAND THIS? HOW DID MORDECAI GREET HAMAN?

READ: ESTHER 3: 3 -5 3 Then the king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress king's command? " 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 3 -5 3 The king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress king's command? " 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. WHAT DID THE PEOPLE SAY TO MORDECAI? HOW DID HE RESPOND TO THEIR COMMENTS? WHY DID THEY TELL HAMAN? WHAT HAD MORDECAI TOLD THEM?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 3 -5 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. WHAT DID HAMAN SEE? WHY WAS HAMAN FILLED WITH WRATH? WHY WOULDN’T MORDECAI PAY HIM HOMAGE?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 3 -5 WHY WOULDN’T MORDECAI PAY HIM HOMAGE? WHAT DID MOSES SAY? READ: EXODUS 17: 16 16 For he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. “ (NKJ) READ: DEUTERONOMY 25: 17 17 "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, (NKJ) DID MORDECAI KNOW WHO HAMAN WAS?

READ: ESTHER 3: 6 -7 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus-- the people of Mordecai. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 6 -7 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus-- the people of Mordecai. WHAT DID HAMAN WANT TO DO TO MORDECAI? WHY DID HAMAN CHANGE HIS MIND? WHAT DID THE PEOPLE TELL HAMAN? WHAT DID HE SEEK TO DO TO ALL THE JEWS? WHY CALL THEM ‘THE PEOPLE OF MORDECAI’?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 6 -7 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. WHY DID THEY ‘CAST PUR (LOT)’? WHAT WERE THEY TRYING TO DETERMINE?

READ: ESTHER 3: 8 -9 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. 9 "If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries. "

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 8 -9 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. WHAT DID HAMAN SAY TO THE KING? WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE? DOES HAMAN IDENTIFY THEM AS ‘JEWS’? WHY WERE THEIR LAWS DIFFERENT? WHAT DOES HAMAN WANT THE KING TO DO?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 8 -9 9 "If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries. “ WHAT DID HAMAN REQUEST THE KING TO DECREE? WHY SHOULD IT BE ‘WRITTEN’? WHAT WAS HAMAN WILLING TO PAY FOR THIS? 2, 000 - 3, 000 BRITISH POUNDS

READ: ESTHER 3: 10 -11 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, "The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you. "

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 10 -11 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, "The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you. “ WHY DID THE KING GIVE HAMAN HIS SIGNET RING? WHAT AUTHORITY DID THIS RING GIVE HAMAN? WHAT DID THE KING SAY TO HAMAN? WHAT PEOPLE DID HE GIVE TO HAMAN? DID THE KING KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE?

READ: ESTHER 3: 12 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded-- to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 12 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded-- to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring. WHAT DID THE SCRIBE’S DO ON THE 13 TH DAY? WHERE WAS THIS DECREE TO BE PUBLISHED? BY WHOSE AUTHORITY WAS IT DECREED? DID THE KING KNOW WHAT HAMAN WAS DOING?

READ: ESTHER 3: 13 13 And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 13 13 And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THESE LETTERS ? WHEN WAS THIS TO BE CARRIED OUT? WHY PLUNDER THEIR POSSESSIONS?

READ: ESTHER 3: 14 -15 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed. (NKJ)

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 14 -15 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. WHERE WERE THESE LETTERS PUBLISHED? ALL 127 PROVINCES? WERE THE JEWS ADVISED OF THIS? HOW LONG DID THEY HAVE TO PREPARE? HOW WOULD THEY PREPARE THEMSELVES?

QUESTIONS: ESTHER 3: 14 -15 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed. (NKJ) WHY DID THE COURIERS ‘HASTEN’? WHY PROCLAIM THIS DECREE IN SHUSHAN? WHAT WAS HAMAN AND THE KING DOING? WHY WERE THE PEOPLE OF SHUSHAN PERPLEXED?