5

Esther goes into the court of the king and the king is pleased to see her and holds out the golden sceptre to her and promises to grant her any request to the half of his kingdom.

Esther requests he and Haman come to a feast. After the feast the king asks Esther what she wants and she asks them to come again tomorrow.

Haman goes home very happy and feeling honoured but he sees Mordecai sitting as he passes by and he doesn't bow or even rise and he is angry. He boasts in front of his family and friends about his successes but finishes by saying how none of it matters to him while Mordecai will not bow to him. His wife Zeresh recommends he orders a gallows fifty feet high to be built to hang Mordecai on and tomorrow he can ask the king for permission to execute Mordecai. Haman is pleased with the plan.

Observations

Even though the story is a familiar one it is easy to forget some of the details. It is a dramatic story. Haman has no idea how all the things he is doing will ultimately show how much of a villain he is to the king and lead to his own execution. Nevertheless the story is still full of suspense because Haman is trusted to such a great degree he may be allowed to carry out his plans. Furthermore king Ahasuerus is shown in the first chapter to be impulsive and thoughtless, can he be counted on to come to the rescue? Not necessarily, Esther isn't even sure he would hold out the golden sceptre to her. He's been satisfied without seeing her for 30 days. Esther may be his favourite but she knows she is just one of many.