Presents
Pamphlet #4203
My Note: The King's insomnia Ref. Scripture Ester 6:1 & Prov. 25:2
All because of the king's insomnia!
Scripture: Esther 6:1 ¶On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Complete text: Esther 2:21 ¶In
those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains,
Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought
to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai,
who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof
in Mordecai's name.
23 And when inquisition was made of the
matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and
it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Esther 3:1 ¶After these things did
king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced
him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king's servants, that were
in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded
concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3 Then the king's servants, which were
in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's
commandment?
4 Now it came to pass, when they spake
daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to
see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he
was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed
not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on
Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom
of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 ¶In the first month, that is, the
month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that
is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to
the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There
is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in
all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people;
neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit
to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written
that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver
to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it
into the king's treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his
hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews'
enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver
is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to
thee.
12 Then were the king's scribes called
on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according
to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the
governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people
of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people
after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and
sealed with the king's ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into
all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish,
all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even
upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar,
and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment
to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they
should be ready against that day.
15 The posts went out, being hastened by
the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace.
And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
Esther 4:1 ¶When Mordecai perceived
all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with
ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and
a bitter cry;
2 And came even before the king's gate:
for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever
the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among
the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth
and ashes.
4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains
came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent
raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but
he received it not.
5 ¶Then called Esther for Hatach,
one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her,
and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it
was.
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto
the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had
happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised
to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing
of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto
Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go
in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before
him for her people.
9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words
of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and
gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
11 All the king's servants, and the people
of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman,
shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there
is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall
hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called
to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther,
Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more
than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace
at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the
Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed:
and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai
this answer,
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that
are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three
days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will
I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish,
I perish.
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according
to all that Esther had commanded him.
Esther 5:1 ¶Now it came to pass on
the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner
court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king
sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of
the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther
the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight:
and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand.
So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt
thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee
to the half of the kingdom.
4 And Esther answered, If it seem good
unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that
I have prepared for him.
5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make
haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to
the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 And the king said unto Esther at the
banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and
what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition
and my request is;
8 If I have found favour in the sight of
the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform
my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare
for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.
9 ¶Then went Haman forth that day
joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's
gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation
against Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself:
and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his
wife.
11 And Haman told them of the glory of
his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein
the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes
and servants of the king.
12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the
queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had
prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the
king.
13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so
long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.
14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his
friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow
speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou
in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman;
and he caused the gallows to be made.
Esther 6:1
¶On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring
the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai
had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers
of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity
hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that
ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 ¶And the king said, Who is in the
court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to
speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared
for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth
in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be
done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought
in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to
myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth
to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear,
and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set
upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of
one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal
whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through
the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done
to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel
and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that
sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai,
and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed
before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth
to honour.
12 ¶And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman
hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing
that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto
him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun
to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before
him.
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's
chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had
prepared.
Esther 7:1 ¶So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther
the queen.
2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the
banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted
thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half
of the kingdom.
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour
in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me
at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain,
and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had
held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen,
Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.
Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 ¶And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his
wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for
his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined
against him by the king.
8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place
of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther
was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the
house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king,
Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai,
who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then
the king said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for
Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
Esther 10:1 ¶And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the
land, and upon the isles of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration
of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great
among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking
the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
All
because of the king's insomnia!
How
much do you suppose God had to do with the king having insomnia on that
particular night?
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
God is in control of human destiny, but,it is man's responsibility to search out matters!
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
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