A Decree is Signed

          The king put Haman above all the princes and commanded all in his province to bow and worship him. All the king’s servants that were in the king’s gate would bow and worship Haman, but Mordecai did not bow nor worship him. The king’s servants asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”

          Mordecai explained to the servants that he was a Jew and that he only worshipped Yahweh. They spoke daily to him about this matter, but he still would not bow down to Haman.

          The servants told Haman, so he watched to see if their words were true. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow nor worship him, he was filled with fury. He instantly thought to find a way to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews.

          In the first month, Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman said to the king, “There are people scattered in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from ours, and they are not obeying your laws. It is not profitable for you if they continue to be. If it pleases the king, let it be written to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to each worker to do the work.”

          The king took his ring form his hand and gave it to Haman and said, “The silver is given to you, also the people, to do with them as seems good to you.”

          The king’s scribes were called on the 13 day of the first month, and it was written according to all that Haman desired. The letter was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring. The documents were sent by the runners into all the king’s provinces saying to destroy all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, on the 13 day of the 12 month, and to take what they owned for a prize. A copy of the writing was given to every province to be ready for that day.

          When the decree was given in Shushan, the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city was disturbed over this news.

1. What man was put above everyone else in the palace? _____________

2. What man would not bow down to any one except Yahweh? _________

3. What month did the command go out to kill all the Jews? ____________

4. What month were the Jews to be killed? _________________________