Esther 8-10 part 5
Last week, we learned what happened when Esther went before the king unannounced and how she revealed that she was a Jew and that Haman was an evil man. We ended our lesson with Haman being arrested and hung on his gallows. Tonight we learn what happens next and we finish up this wonderful book.
Esther 8:1
On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of
the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was
related to her. 2 So the king
took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to
Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
On the day that Haman was
hung, the king gave Esther the house of Haman, which would have included all
his possession and his servants. Mordecai had already proven his allegiance to
the king by spoiling the plot against his life, and since he was the foster
father of his queen, it made perfect sense to make him the prime minister in
the place of Haman. He was given the signet ring, which meant he now had the
power to seal documents that could not be altered even by the king. This was a
great honor and it required great responsibility and Mordecai was certainly
qualified for such a task.
Esther made Mordecai the
head of Haman’s household and so he lived in his home and enjoyed the riches
that he had.
Esther 8:3 Now
Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with
tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had
devised against the Jews. 4
And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and
stood before the king, 5 and
said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and
the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it
be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's
provinces. 6 "For how
can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure
to see the destruction of my countrymen?"
7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the
Jew, "Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged
him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 "You yourselves write a
decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it
with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and
sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke."
While Haman was dealt
with, his evil decree was not. Remember, the king said that he would give the
queen whatever she wanted up to half his kingdom. Since nothing had been done
to stop the slaughter, Esther went before the king crying this time. Our text
implies that Esther went before the king unannounced again because he held out
his golden scepter.
Esther’s plea was for the
king to reverse the decree that was sent out, but once a decree was sealed with
the signet ring not even the king could reverse it. However, there is always a
way around rules like this and we see how the king made it possible for Esther
to save her people because he gave her permission to send another decree that
would make it impossible for the slaughter to occur.
Esther 8:9 So the
king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the
month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according
to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and
the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and
twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to
every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and
language. 10 And he wrote in
the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and
sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift
steeds. 11 By these letters
the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together
and protect their lives -- to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of
any people or province that would assault them, both little children and
women, and to plunder their possessions,
12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the
thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the document was to
be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that
the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers who rode on royal
horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king's command. And the decree
was issued in Shushan the citadel.
Around 2 months had
passed since Haman had made his decree, but now a new decree was made by
Mordecai that would protect the Jews. Now they would be allowed to rise up and protect
themselves from anyone who tried to slaughter them.
A great lesson we can
learn from this is that as Christians we need to realize that there is nothing
wrong with us rising up and defending God’s truth against the Haman’s in our
world. There are many in our country that would love to control us, and they
despise us because we oppose their evil ways, but we must never allow them to
beat us down and cause to conform to their ways. Instead, we must be like these
Jews and rise up and defend and put our trust in God.
Esther 8:15 So
Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and
white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and
the city of
Mordecai was dressed in
all the royal clothing that proved that he was in control and had the favor of
the king. The first Jews to learn about Mordecai’s new decree was the city of
God has never wanted
people to follow him out of fear. If someone becomes a Christian for sole
purpose of not wanting to go to hell then I think they have missed the point of
what Christianity is because our number one reason for becoming a Christians
should be because we love God and what He has done for us, which should cause to
draw near to Him and want to be pleasing to Him.
Esther 9:1 Now in
the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the
time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day
that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite
occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in
their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on
those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of
them fell upon all people.
The day of the great
battle had begun. Those who hated the Jews were hoping they would be able to
overpower them and wipe them from the face of the earth, but God was on the
side of Jews and they prevailed against their enemies. On that day all the Jews
gathered together in each city and they defended themselves and no one could
conquer them, because their enemies were afraid of them. I believe this great
fear happened by the providence of God.
Esther 9:3 And all
the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing
the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon
them. 4 For Mordecai was great
in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for
this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their
enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did
what they pleased with those who hated them.
6 And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed
five hundred men. 7 Also
Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha --
10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of
the Jews -- they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
The Jews were not alone
thanks to Mordecai’s position and the influence of God. The king’s leaders,
servants and most likely his military force were all helping the Jews survive
Haman’s decree. So, the enemies of the Jews did not stand a chance.
In Shushan alone the Jews
killed 500 men including the 10 sons of Haman. Now the Jews had the right to
plunder their enemies goods, but the chose not to because they were not
interested in increasing their material wealth, they only wanted to save their
lives.
Esther 9:11 On that
day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to
the king. 12 And the king
said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men
in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the
rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be
granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be
done." 13 Then Esther
said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in
Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let Haman's ten
sons be hanged on the gallows." 14
So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and
they hanged Haman's ten sons. 15
And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the
fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan;
but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
The king finds out how
many of been killed in Shushan and he wonders how many been killed in his other
provinces and he lets Esther know this information. We can see how much the
king favors Esther because he wants to know if there is anything more he can
give her.
Esther requested 2 things.
First, that Haman’s 10 dead sons be hung up on the gallows, which would serve
as warning to all those were enemies of the Jews. Second, she wanted her people
in Shushan to be able to carry out the decree made by Mordecai for one more
day.
The king grants this
request and 300 more men are killed in the city, but once again we are told
that Jews chose not to plunder their goods.
Esther 9:16 The
remainder of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered together and protected
their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of
their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was on the
thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth day of the month they
rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were at
Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the
fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of the month they rested, and made it a
day of feasting and gladness. 19
Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated
the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a
holiday, and for sending presents to one another.
We find out that the Jews
in the other provinces had killed 75,000 of their enemies on the 13 day of Adar
and they rested on the 14th day, but the Jews in Shushan fought on
the 13th and 14th and rested on the 15th
day. This is why there was two days of
feasting and celebration because most of the Jews rested on the 14th
day, while the rest of them rested on the 15th day. This event is
where the feast of Purim originated from. We learn more about it in next
verses.
Esther 9:20 And
Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who
were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that
they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of
Adar, 22 as the days on which
the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow
to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them
days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the
poor.
Mordecai wants to make
the feast of Purim official, and its theme is how the Jews sorrow was turned
into joy and their mourning into a holiday because they were allowed to defend
themselves and to defeat their enemies. Part of the celebration called for them
sending presents to one another and giving gifts to the poor. This event was
certainly worth remembering.
Esther 9:23 So the
Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to
them, 24 because Haman, the
son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against
the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to
consume them and destroy them; 25
but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this
wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on
his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 So they called these days
Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter,
what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and
imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them,
that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to
the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should
be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every
province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be
observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not
perish among their descendants.
The Jews thought this
feast was a great idea, and they accepted it. We learn that it got its name
from Pur, which means lot. Then they made it plural by calling it Purim, which
indicates that many lots were cast against them. Again, this feast was to be
celebrated yearly as a reminder of what Haman did and how Esther overturned his
evil plot.
This is a feast that is
still observed by the Jews today. Notice what the following commentary says
about this:
The decree issued by Mordecai and Esther was to be
kept for all time to come. This is still
an annual festival of the Jews commemorating their deliverance from death in
the
Esther 9:29 Then
Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full
authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent
letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the
kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim
at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed
for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants
concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther
confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.
Once the Jews accepted
the feast of Purim, the queen send out a second letter that made this an
official civil rule that was recorded in the book, which is most likely
referring to the book of the chronicles of the king. Esther’s letter included
fasting and lamenting and so a day of fasting before for the feast of Purim was
observed as well. Notice what Burt Coffman said about this:
Quite appropriately, the day of fasting was called
the Fast of Esther, stressing the anxiety and danger that existed when, after
three days of fasting, she went unbidden into the presence of Ahasuerus. That fast is observed on Adar 13th, and the
two days of feasting on the succeeding two days. "The Jews still keep this day as Esther's
fast, prior to the Purim celebrations proper, marked by the reading of the roll
of Esther in its original chant, accompanied by blessings and hymns."
Esther 10:1 And King
Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the
sea. 2 Now all the acts of
his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which
the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Media and
In this last chapter, we
get our last glimpse of what happened in King Ahasuerus’ reign. The word
tribute in verse one means forced labor from the original Hebrew, so the King
had imposed forced labor throughout his vast kingdom.
The last two verses give
us a summary of the greatness of Mordecia and how he became second in command
and how his people respected him. All of this was recorded the chronicles of
the king.
There are a lot of things
that would be nice to know, like how long did Esther remain queen? Or how long
did Mordecai serve as the prime minister? But, Esther was not written for this
purpose because its main thought was to record how the Jews were saved from
Haman’s evil plot by the providence of God.