The Story of Mordechai and Esther, Ahasuarus and Haman PART SIX

Time to see what happens at this banquet!

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

THE FIRST BANQUET OF ESTER

Later that day, the king summoned Ester, because he wanted to speak with her yet again. All he could do is think about her and her stunning beauty and her flattering words.

Esther appeared before the king, in much better condition and the king said “What is it Ester, what is your request, up to half my kingdom it shall be granted to you.” She responded meekly, “if it pleases your majesty, this is my request: come tomorrow to a banquet which I have prepared for you and bring your trusted advisor Haman with you.” And the king ordered “Have Haman (boo!) quickly fulfill the request of Queen Ester!

The king was flustered at her request, because her beauty had surpassed anything he saw previously in her and her countenance was to him like a goddess. He felt honored and privileged to have been invited to a banquet in his honor and counted the days to the event with great joy.

At the banquet, which was completely over-the-top fancy dancy, the king and Haman drank an excessive amount of wine. The king drank to overcome his nervousness of being in the presence of Ester, Haman drank to keep pace with the king, so he didn’t look weak, not handling a lot (and I mean a lot) of wine.

The two of them were more than just a little tipsy when the king said “You’re so bueaful, Ester (hiccup), whatever you ask for (hiccup) shall be granted (hiccup) and whatever request you make (hiccup) shall be honored even if it’s (hiccup)… even if it’s half (hiccup) my kingdom.”

Ester (who was completely sober) said “this is my petition and request: If I have found favor in your sight and it pleases your majesty to grant my petition and honor my request, come tomorrow to another banquet, and I’ll tell you my request.”

The king smiled and clapped his hands in delight, knowing there was another banquet to look forward to. Haman was also very happy, I think it was just the wine and his evil disposition.

THE EVIL PLOT THICKENS

The next day Haman was in a good mood. Everything was going his way, he got the king to issue a decree to destroy the Jews and there was no disputing it, it was right there on his calendar, written in pen, not pencil.

He was singing his sinister song “I just can’t wait for the blood of the Jews to flow in the streets of Persia, there will be screams and pandemonium for a time, but I’ll bring order and silence with my heavy hand over the blood thirsty people and they will submit to my authority, because I’m me!”

When he got to the city gates, everyone bowed down to him and it just made him that much happier… that is until he saw MORDECHAI standing there looking very unimpressed.

OOOOOOOOH, that MORDECHAI. Haman (Booo!) was so angry, he stormed off fuming, shaking his fist at the sky. He yelled at the sky “Why do you have to be so good, why can’t you be like me! King Akav-Sheriff knows that I should be his trusted advisor, why is it that you selected a people for yourself, to be so…. good. Argh, I must wipe them out and You can’t stop me!”

He went home and summoned his wife and friends to make himself feel better. He recounted his riches, boasted about his ten sons (which was tricky because they were all worthless rich kids), and recounted how he was the trusted advisor to the king of the whole earth and how he was promoted to second in command over all the nobles of the land. But to top it all off: the Queen of the World, the beautiful Ester, invited Him to a private banquet held just for the king and he was invited to yet another coming up soon. Nobody could top THAT!

His wife said “What about that MORDICHAI, is he bowing yet?”

This enraged wicked Haman (booo!) and he said “That man MORDICHAI will be laying in the streets dead soon, it’s just a matter of time.”

His wife said “Why wait? Just construct some gallows for him now and have him killed. You ARE second in command after all, you might as well BE the king. Just say it, and it will be done. Make the gallows very large, like 50 feet, or maybe 100 feet tall, so everyone can see his hanging rotten corpse and know that you is the greatest in the land and nobody can mess with him. Besides, it’ll cheer you up for the banquet coming up.”

Haman (boo!) was pleased with this idea and made the gallow 200 feet tall, just because he could.