Esther 3:12–15
So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. [It is estimated that King Xerxes has been king for 13 years at this point.] It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. [Because of the extent of the empire, it took almost twelve months to notify and prepare all those responsible for putting the edict into effect.] The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.
RESPONSE
- King Xerxes is the decision-maker in approving Haman’s decree. What responsibilities come with leadership, and how might leaders influence the lives of those they govern?
- The prominent theme in today’s text is justice—people desiring to receive what they deserve.
- In what ways do you see injustice in this story?
- What might justice look like in this situation?
3. How do you react when decisions are made that impact our lives yet we don’t have a say in them? What’s it like to live with the consequences of someone else’s decisions?