The people of Judah had disobeyed God long enough. Therefore, he turned them over to another nation, and they were taken into captivity. Sometime after this event, we have the events recorded in this study. It appears to take place after the Jewish people were given permission to return to their homeland meaning the people in this story—for one reason or another—remained behind in the place of their captivity.
Ø Do you believe God works in the lives of Christians?
Ø Do you believe he works in your life?
Ø Are there times you don’t feel like he is working?
One of the strangest things people point out concerning this book is that it nowhere mentions God, but even though it doesn’t mention the Lord’s name, we see his hand at work throughout it. As a matter of fact, I think this book really reminds us as Christians that even though we may not see God working in our lives, he is still there. Most of us live our lives without seeing our hearts and our brains, but they are obviously at work. Likewise, even though we may not see God, he is still at work in our lives.
The book of Esther is like a rags-to-riches story of a beautiful woman. It begins by focusing on a king who has everything going his way, but something happens—there is trouble at home and the queen is removed from her position. A search is started for a new queen, and Esther is found. It seems as if this will be a Cinderella story where the king and queen will live happily every after, but something else happens—someone comes to power who despises Esther’s family and seeks to have them killed. At just the moment it appears he will be successful, he loses his life, and her family is rescued. A great celebration then takes place—one that is still celebrated today.
There is a lot for us to learn in the book of Esther. Here are a few of them—
One of the things I like about the book of Esther is that it takes place in a very ungodly world. Most of the people we see are not believers. Nevertheless, we see a couple of God’s people taking a stand when the time is right. You might even say they took the challenge to live godly in an ungodly world. We all know most of the places we go—school, parties, hanging with our friends, just living in our neighborhoods—are mainly ungodly. As a matter of fact, in many of these situations, we may be the only Christian we know. As we see Esther risking her life to take a stand for her people, I hope it will challenge us to take a stand for our Lord no matter what the cost involved. If we answer this challenge and learn the truths of this book, it can be a study that will greatly benefit us. I hope it’s your desire to rise up to the challenge allowing God to use the book of Esther to challenge and even shape your life.
1-4 – Ahasuerus ruled in the area we now know as the Middle
East. He had many people serving under
him. His fortified palace was in
Shushan. In the third year of his reign, he made
a feast unto all his princes and his servants.
He showed them the riches of his great kingdom and the honor of his
excellent majesty for 180 days.
Ahasuerus is the Hebrew form of the title
of the person who ruled in Persia. Some
believe this is the man historians and encyclopedias refer to as Xerxes I. He is a very powerful man with a lot of
territory under his control—127 provinces. The throne of his kingdom was in Shushan (or Susa),
which had a fortified palace complex (translated citadel by
others) built above the city for protection.
It was
in the third year of his reign that he made a feast unto all his
princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes
of the provinces, being before him.
In other words, he had all the leaders and officials serving under him
join him to show them everything he has—the riches of his glorious kingdom
and the honor of his excellent majesty.
If you were one of these officials, it was like being invited by the
richest, most powerful man on earth to spend time with him as he would take you
around showing you his wealth and majesty, and the amazing thing about it is
that it lasted many days, even 180 days—one half of a year. Imagine a man being so powerful and so rich
it takes him half a year to show you all his wealth, power, land, servants,
etc.—that’s more wealth than we thought one man could own!
Even
though the Bible doesn’t give us the purpose of this meeting, we are told this
may correspond to a story in history when Xerxes was planning to invade
Greece. In other words, it’s as if he
is showing all his military leaders his power saying, “I want to show you all I
have so you will know how powerful I am so when I tell you I want to conquer
another country, you will give your whole-hearted support knowing we can be
victorious.” I guess you could say
instead of just ordering them to obey him, he is “pumping them up” for the
battle.
5-9
– When the
180 days ended, the king invited everyone to attend a feast in the palace
garden. This feast would last seven
days. It was beautiful—there were
white, green, and blue curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple
material to silver rings and marble pillars; the couches were made of gold and
silver; the floor was made of red, blue, white, and black marble; the people
drank from gold cups—each cup being uniquely crafted. The king provided his best wine, and people could drink as little
or as much as they desired—there was no limit.
The queen, whose name was Vashti, made a feast for the women in the
king’s royal house.
After
the 180 days were over, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan
the palace. Everyone was invited to attend for seven
days. After spending 180 days
showing off his glory and power, the king wanted to throw the party to end all
parties. The writer describes the
beauty and magnificence of this party—beautiful linen, costly seating, and
expensive flooring. There was more royal wine than you can imagine
served in gold cups. Each person
was allowed to drink according to every man’s pleasure. Also, Vashti the queen made a feast for
the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. While the men are partying hard, she
entertained the women.
When you read this account of the wealth of the king, had you been there, do you think it would have been tempting to become jealous of him? Why or why not? When you see people around you who have something you want (money, popularity, possessions, dates, talent, etc.), is it tempting to be jealous of them? What should we do about this?
10-11
– On the
seventh day, when the wine was affecting the king, he commanded seven of his eunuchs
to bring Vashti the queen to him. She
was to wear the royal crown and display her beauty before all the men, for she
was a very beautiful woman.
186 ½
days have taken place exactly like the king wanted. He has overwhelmed them with his power and wealth, and now they
are really enjoying themselves. The heart of the king was merry with
wine when he turned to the seven chamberlains that are named here. These are eunuchs—men kings would have
castrated and placed into their service.
Obviously, the king could leave one of these guys alone in the presence
of his wife and not worry about any sexual activity taking place. The command he gave them was to bring
Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal. He wanted to show the people and the princes
her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
Ø What seems to have caused the king to make this decision?
Ø Do you think alcohol influences people’s decisions today?
Ø What are some things it can cause them to do?
Ø Why do you think people turn to alcohol?
Ø What can we do to help them?
12-15
–The queen
refused to obey the king. Therefore he
became exceedingly angry. He turned to
his advisors who were next to him and asked, “What should I do to the queen
because of her disobedience?”
Vashti was probably still entertaining
all the women when the eunuchs approached her.
She was not pleased with the king’s request, and the queen Vashti refused to come at the
king’s commandment. There are all sorts of reasons given as to
why the queen refused to obey the king.
The suggestions range from “the king was asking her to do an indecent
act and she was being decent” to “she was trying to show the women she didn’t
let her husband push her around.” Quite
frankly, we don’t really know why she said, “No,” so these are only suggestions. However, let’s consider both.
Let’s consider he was asking her to display her beauty in an indecent way. Beauty is something given by God and is not to be used for the wrong reasons. It isn’t meant to be shown off in any lewd way. When God tells us to keep ourselves pure, it goes way beyond the sexual act—it involves our attitudes, minds, and even the way we present ourselves. Young ladies, please don’t use your body as a boy magnet. Don’t show it off in a way that is trying to catch a guy. If that is your intention, you are setting yourself up for a fall. You see, if your attitude advertises sex, you will need to give it to him to keep him—and you will end up hurt because he will pressure you so much you may end up doing something you will regret as a Christian. And if your attitude advertises sex and you don’t give it to him, he will probably leave and hurt you that way. And guys, if she is advertising sex, remember, it’s a good chance that as a Christian this isn’t the girl for you. She may provide way too much temptation.
On the other hand, if Vashti is just trying to show herself to her guests, then she is very wrong. It’s not right for any mate to try to impress others more than trying to please their mate. It’s not right for a woman (or a man as far as that goes) to say, “I’m going to show everyone who is the boss in this family.” Marriage—and dating—is not about impressing others. Instead, it’s about two people caring about each other before God.
Ø If a date uses you to impress others (to show their “power” over you or to just show how beautiful a person he or she can “catch”), what is the date doing?
Ø Is that something you want in a date?
No matter what the king meant by
it and no matter what the queen’s excuse for behaving the way she did, the king
was not happy—his anger
burned in him. Imagine—he is the king whom no one disobeys,
and after impressing all these people for 186 ½ days showing them how powerful
he is, when they expect the queen to walk out and display her beauty, out walks
this man who says, “I’m sorry, the queen has refused to obey the king.” Imagine the silence that falls over the
crowd. The impressions have left. The thought could now be, “He wanted to show
us his power—his own wife will not listen to him.” Just think, if this was a demonstration of his power to influence
everyone to agree on invading another country, this one act could change their
minds.
Ø Do you think the people are jealous now?
Ø
When you are jealous of others, do you think part of
the problem is that you don’t know everything about them—is it possible they
don’t have it as good as you think?
Oddly enough, the king didn’t
know what to do. He turns to the seven princes of Persia and Media who were around him and asked, What
shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not
performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? In other words, he wants to know what the
law says about this situation—how is he supposed to handle it?
16-20
– Memucan has
an answer. “Vashti the queen did more
than wrong the king—she wronged every man in the king’s dominion. When other wives hear what she did, they
will follow her rebellious ways and disobey their husbands. This will produce too much fighting and
anger. Therefore, if the king is
willing, pass a law that can’t be changed getting rid of Vashti and put a
better woman in her place. This way,
when women hear of Vashti’s punishment, they will be afraid to dishonor their husbands.”
As everyone
considers how to answer the king, Memucan speaks. He tells these people Vashti the queen
has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all
the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. He says when other women find out what
happened, they will follow the queen’s lead and despise their husbands
which will bring too much contempt and wrath. In his mind, he pictures this one act inciting a riot among
women. He thinks as a result of this
one act there will be chaos in all families.
Therefore, he
advises the king to make a royal commandment—a law if you will—that removes Vashti from being the queen. In other words, he is to divorce her and
give her position to someone that is better than she. Now the king had all sorts of power, but
there was one thing even he could not do.
When a decree became part of the laws of the Persians and the Medes,
it couldn’t be altered.
Therefore, if the king took his advice, even he could not bring Vashti
back into his own presence—she could never be queen again. Memucan’s thought is, “If the women hear
what happened to the queen for disobeying her husband, the rest of the women
will be afraid to disobey their husbands.
Therefore, they will honor their husbands and do what they are
told.”
I must
admit I don’t know what to think about Memucan. On the one hand, I see his point. By that I simply mean if rebellion goes unpunished, it does
spread. Rebellion is much easier to
deal with when it begins than after it has spread throughout a kingdom;
therefore, on the surface, it appears to be wise advice for a king. However, I’m not so sure that’s what he has
in mind. You see, maybe this law is more
about the male ego than it is rebellion.
Maybe he is married and is afraid this will happen to him, and he won’t
know how to handle it. I’m not too sure
which thought is in Memucan’s head, but either way, I don’t think he uses a lot
of wisdom in handling the situation, and unfortunately, the king follows his
advice.
21-22 – The king and the rest of his advisors were
pleased with Memucan’s words; therefore, he wrote a law that could never be
changed and sent it to all the people in their own language. He wanted to make sure they understood the
husband was to be like a prince in his home and the wife had to obey or suffer
the consequences.
The king listened to the word of Memucan. He took his advice, removed Vashti from being queen, and sent
letters into all the king’s provinces (in the language of the people in
order for them to understand) that stated the man should bear rule in his
own house. The word for bear
rule is a word that has to do with being a prince. It’s like saying, “Here is the king—his wife
disobeyed and she is out the door. Men,
you are like princes of the king—rule your own house.” And I take it the thought may have been,
“Women, if you don’t listen to your husband, you will be out the door just like
Vashti.” (I don’t think the law was
stating, “Men, make sure your wife obeys you” because the king’s wife didn’t
obey him. Therefore, it seems to be a
stern warning to the women that they will face the same end as Vashti if they
disobey their “prince” husbands.)
Consider what the king’s words are actually saying—wives,
obey your husband or else! Is that the
way a home is to be ran? Who has a
better plan for running the home? How
do you think the attitudes that are being shaped in you now will affect you
when you one day marry? What can you do
in your dating life (and even when you are not dating) to help you have a good
home life in the future?
Unfortunately, that’s the way many men in the world as well as many in the church have tried to run their homes—“Obey me or else!” With that type attitude, even if they get obedience from their wives, I don’t think they have much of a home life. That’s why Christ’s plan is the only one I know that works for the home. Yes, Christ does tell the wife to be submissive to her husband, but he also tells the husband to love the wife like he loved the church—and he gave his life for the church. You see, that’s a house built on love where both mates have submissive, loving spirits. I hope that’s the type home in which you are being raised, and I also hope it’s the type home you one day have for yourself if it’s God’s plan for you to marry. And the only way I know for a home to really have loving, submissive spirits is for the home to be made up of people who have been changed by God—people who have trusted Christ to save them and are living their lives for the Lord. Make certain this describes you, and when the time comes to marry, make certain it describes your mate. One of the ways to do this is to make certain it describes the people you date—especially seriously—even now!
1-4 – Some time later, when Ahasuerus’ anger decreased, he remembered Vashti and
all that had happened. The king’s servants suggested, “Why not
appoint officers in all the provinces to find beautiful young virgins to bring
here to the palace? Your eunuchs can
take them making certain each girl looks her best when she comes before
you. The one you like the most can
become your wife as well as the new queen.”
The king was pleased with this suggestion and decreed that it be done.
Ø What are some of the dangers of anger (especially when it comes to relationships)?
Ø What advice does Ephesians 4:26 offer concerning when we are angry?
Ø Read the following verses concerning anger—Proverbs 15:1, 18; 16:32; 19:11.
There
is a space of time between the ending of the last chapter and beginning of
this chapter, but notice the wrath of king Ahasuerus was
appeased. His anger finally decreased, but it may have
taken a very long time. If he was still
angry with her, his thoughts were obviously on her, but now that his anger is
gone, his thoughts are still upon her—he remembered Vashti, and what she had
done, and what was decreed against her.
My guess is that he is hurting—anger has turned to pain as he misses his
wife but knows he can never have her again.
There
are many situations in my life in which I would have handled differently if I
had simply kept my cool. (Is it the
same way in your life?) Well, all too
often when we react badly in an angry situation we have let our minds slip off
the Lord and failed to remember he is in control. I’m sure Ahasuerus didn’t realize God was in control, and he let
his anger get the best of him. Because
of this, I think the king is having regrets and really misses his wife. In saying that, please understand he apparently
has concubines which means it wasn’t sex he was missing. A person can have all the sexual partners he
can imagine and still be lonely. That’s
because we have an emotional emptiness that is not filled by sex—it is filled
by the closeness of a mate who truly cares for us. As great as sex can be, it is not the best part of a
relationship, and it is certainly not the part that will hold the two
together. Therefore, when a guy (or
girl) tells you in order to keep your relationship with him you need to become
sexually active, please understand it is not you he has in mind—it is
himself! And quite frankly, he probably
doesn’t even know what he needs himself—he just has some desires, wants to
fulfill those desires, and has bought into the world’s lie that says sex is
what really fulfills us. Only God meets
the deepest needs of the heart, and God has set it up so that only a faithful,
loving mate meets a part of our emotional needs. I think it is that part—the emotional needs—that is hurting the
king and is dominating his thoughts at this time.
The
king had servants that ministered unto him. They want to cheer him up but can’t, and one of them realizes
what he needs—he needs a wife. Their
suggestion is to let there be fair young virgins sought for the king. People will search throughout the country
looking for beautiful young virgins, and the king will have his own beauty
contest—all can apply, but only the young, pretty virgins will be accepted. Once these are chosen, they will be brought
to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women. They will go through a purification
process getting the royal treatment—anything that will make them even more
beautiful. When the time is up, they
will appear before the king, and he will be the only judge for this contest,
and the one who pleases him the most will become the queen of the nation, the
wife of the king. The king loves this
advice, and the search is on!
5-7
– There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace whose name was
Mordecai. He was from the tribe of
Benjamin being the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had
been carried away from Jerusalem into captivity in the days of Jeconiah king of
Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Mordecai brought up Hadassah (Esther), his uncle’s daughter. Her parents had passed away, so Mordecai
took her into his home and treated her as his own daughter. She was very beautiful.
Many
years before this, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to take the people of Judah into
captivity because of their sin.
God loved them, but they kept leaving him for sin, and he chose to deal
with them by turning them over to their enemies. At first it seems that Mordecai was one of those people;
however, some suggest this phrase is speaking of one of his ancestors here
mentioned and not himself (that seems to fit because if not, this is a very old
man with an apparent very young first cousin—maybe more than 100 years
difference in their ages).
Ø Do you think there is a lot of sexual pressure today?
Ø Is it possible to remain pure until your wedding night?
Ø
What does it say when you see Esther living in an
ungodly world but remaining pure?
Now,
Mordecai is in Shushan the palace possibly serving the king in some
manner. We see he had a deep love for Hadassah. She was an orphan who was born to Mordecai’s
relative, and when her parents passed away, he determined to take her in and
raise her as if she had been his very own daughter. She is better known to us as Esther. We don’t know a lot about her—other than the
fact that she is very beautiful—and that she has kept herself sexually pure
even in a wicked part of the world.
8-9
– When the
king’s commandment and decree was given, many young women were gathered
together unto Shushan the palace. They
were placed under the care of Hegai.
Esther was one of these young women, and he was very pleased with
her. He showed her much kindness and
quickly gave her anything she needed for her purification, including seven
maidens. He even gave Esther the best
he could give.
The
search begins. They gathered together unto Shushan
the palace. Hegai meets these contestants and is
in placed in charge of them. Esther
stands out to him and she obtained kindness of him. If you have ever watched a beauty contest
and saw someone become a “crowd favorite,” then you can understand this
situation. When people meet Esther,
there is something about her that attracts them to her. Hegai thought she was special and even gives
her the best place of the house of the women. Concerning the process, we see Esther is
given things for purification.
To put it in our modern day thought, she is given everything she needs
for a beauty treatment along with seven maidens which were probably
seven women who would wait on her and help her in any way. More than likely, these things are given to
each and every girl in this contest.
10-11
– Esther did
not reveal her nationality because Mordecai had told her she shouldn’t. But Mordecai walked each day before the
court of the women’s house to see how Esther was doing.
The nation that was ruled by Ahasuerus was made up of
people from various backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Esther kept silent concerning her people and her kindred. For some reason, Mordecai
had charged her that she should not shew it. They were Jewish people but didn’t speak out
concerning their heritage. It could
have something to do with Ezra
4:6 which speaks of a decree that was made against the Jewish people (early in
Ahasuerus’ reign). If she volunteers
information concerning her background, it could cost her. The time isn’t right for them to speak out
concerning their heritage, but the time is coming, and when it does, they will
be very faithful to speak what they should say and do what they should do—even
if it costs them.
Ø Are you ever afraid to speak out for the Lord, letting others know you belong to him? Why or why not?
Ø If others know you are a Christian, what are some things it could cost you today?
I hope
we will have the same attitude. In this
part of the world, identifying ourselves with Christ is not likely to get us
killed, but it can cost us. It probably
won’t cost us our lives, but it may cost us friends and dates or make us face
ridicule and rejection, but no matter what the cost, I hope we are willing to
pay that cost, for when God would have us speak, I hope our thoughts turn to
God and what he thinks rather than our peers!
Notice
Mordecai’s concern—Mordecai
walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did,
and what should become of her. He loves her so
much. She may be the only family he has
left. She is in his thoughts
constantly. He only hopes this turns
out for her good and doesn’t harm her in any way. He wants what is best for her and would never do anything to harm
her. It will be important to remember
this love he has for her because later on he will ask her to put her life on
the line which means it will have to be a very serious situation.
12-14
– Each young woman was appointed a time to go before the king. However, before she could present herself to
him, she had to be purified twelve months (rubbed six months with oil of myrrh and six months
with sweet fragrances). When the time
came for her to go before the king, she was given anything she requested. She went in the evening, and the next day
she went to another house of women—the house of the king’s concubines. She would not be allowed to come before the
king again unless he liked her enough he requested her by name.
When I
read this story, one of the things I would like to know is—were the girls
nervous? I mean, consider what they are
facing. This is so serious their beauty
treatments last twelve
months. The words for purifications and purifying
are words that have to do with rubbing.
For six months they were rubbed down with oil of myrrh and
six months with sweet odors.
Together I think these served to cleanse the skin, make it silky smooth,
and make it very fragrant. But consider
what they faced when the preparations were complete and her name was
called. At the appointed time, the
particular girl would approach the king.
She would arrive in the evening, taking anything she would like
to take with her, and she would leave the next day. What took place during that time, we don’t know. However, we do know what would happen when
her time ended—she returned into the second house of the women, to the
custody of Shaashgaz. He was
another of the king’s eunuchs who kept the concubines. That’s right—the king had plenty of women on
the side, and if you were not the one chosen to be the queen, you became a part
of this number and would never be with the king—nor any other man—again unless
he called for you.
You should be thankful to live in a nation where the
Bible has been taught and women are no longer treated this way. In many areas where the gospel has not
penetrated, men treat women as property.
Even many unsaved guys who want to date you today follow their same
pathway and care more about using you than he does loving you. If you are going to get serious about a guy,
please wait for the guy who really cares about God because he has the best
chance of really caring about you.
15-18
– When it was
Esther’s turn to go before the king, she only took what Hegai suggested, and
all who saw her liked her. So Esther
was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month (which is
Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign.
Out of all the women, he loved Esther the most. He set the royal crown upon her hea, and
made her queen instead of Vashti. The
king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s
feast, and declared a holiday, giving very nice gifts.
It’s
Esther’s turn to go before the king.
She is allowed to take anything she wants. I don’t know what that involved in her day, but in our day I
guess it would range from the most expensive jewelry to the most elegant
clothing to her choice in music for the band to be playing—anything she thought
would help her impress the king. What
did Esther ask to be given?
Nothing. That’s right, she asked
for nothing—she
required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the
women, appointed. I think this is showing her humility—just
taking what was suggested. As others
saw her, something happened—Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them
that looked upon her. And that goes
for the king as well for he loved Esther above all the women. She impressed him that much. It is in the seventh year of his reign
that he meets her. He places the royal
crown upon her head, making her queen (remember, this book began in
the third year of his reign). It’s as
if she has gone from rags to riches—from the little orphaned girl to the queen
of a nation. What a wonderful story! There is a great feast given unto
all his princes and his servants—I guess it was called Esther’s feast—and
the king made a release to the provinces (possibly a nationally holiday
where people were even released from paying taxes). The king even gave gifts, according to the state of the king
which means the gifts were not cheap!
It’s not the outward beauty that should concern us so
much (our own as well as others). No
matter how much we change outwardly, it doesn’t change the inner person, and
that’s the part of us with which God has the most concern and so will our
future mate (provided he or she is mature enough to look at us the right
way). So what is it we need
inwardly? There are many things, but
sticking with what we have seen with Esther, we need the right, humble
attitude. When you work on the inward
beauty, you develop qualities that can be attractive to so many
people—including God who should be the most important person in your life. According to Philippians 2, we are to have
the same mindset as Jesus who because of his humble obedience left heaven to
live as a man serving us by giving his life to save us. Remember, that inward quality is worth more
before God than all the physical beauty in the world.
When
we consider this passage, a question comes to my mind—what is it that made
everyone like Esther so much? The
obvious answer begins with her beauty.
There was something about her appearance that seemed to attract
people. In verse seven we were told she
was fair and beautiful. The original
words actually give us beautiful figure and good appearance. However, for all who see her to like her, I
think it says much more about her than just her looks. Remember, Vashti had all the looks a woman
could want—or at least the king thought so—even when he divorced her. Others must have liked Vashti’s looks as
well, but it was her looks that started this whole mess. Had she not been so beautiful, the king
would have never tried to show her off to his guests causing her to disobey
him. What is it the king needed in a
woman right now? He needed someone who
would submit to him, and in order for him to really choose her at this time, I
believe he had to see humility—there was no way he wanted to face the same
thing again that he faced with Vashti.
Esther certainly appears to be a woman of humility. She has submitted to Mordecai’s request to
keep her identity quiet, she has submitted to the king’s command that all young
virgins appear before him, and she has apparently followed Hegai’s advice throughout
this entire ordeal without feeling she had to demand her way about
anything. She has had that nice, quiet,
humble spirit that can be very attractive to anyone. This attitude probably helped her live up to her principles and
be a woman of morality keeping herself pure.
In other words, Esther has a beauty that runs much deeper than her skin.
19-20
– When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai sat in the
king’s gate. Esther had not shown her lineage because Mordecai had been telling
her to keep it quiet—he had told her this ever since she was a child.
The
virgins were gathered together the second time. Some suggestions
concerning what this means are that this could be the wedding and the women are
watching, they were gathered the first time when Vashti was chosen and this
second time is when Esther is chosen, or maybe even after Esther is chosen the
king brings them back together to see which ones he prefers to keep on the
side. Either way, when it occurred Mordecai
sat in the king’s gate. When you
see someone sitting at a gate in the Bible, it doesn’t have the same idea of
our day. We just think of someone
sitting and waiting. Instead, this is
probably saying Mordecai held some position in the king’s palace—that he was
some type of official. And as it points
out, even after being chosen as the queen, Esther still hid the identity of her
people—Mordecai thought it was best if she did.
21-23
– While
Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh,
keepers of the door, were angry, and wanted to kill king Ahasuerus. Mordecai learned of their plans,
told it to Esther the queen, and Esther told the king giving credit to
Mordecai. The king had the matter
examined and discovered it was true.
The two men were hung on a tree, and all this was recorded in the king’s
journal.
Now we find out why we are told Mordecai sat in the king’s gate—because he was familiar with two of the king’s officials Bigthan and Teresh. For some reason they became very angry with the king and decided to kill him. Mordecai overheard their plot, told it unto Esther the queen, and she told the king. An inquisition was made of the matter and determined Mordecai was right, and the two men were taken and hung on a tree. We are told this may have been a type of crucifixion or they may have had a big piece of wood driven through them. Either way the end is the same—capital punishment for plotting the death of the king. All this was written in the book of the chronicles before the king—like a journal of all the actions concerning the king—and will play an important part in our story in a future chapter.
1-4 – Later on, king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, setting his seat above all the princes that were with him. The king commanded all his servants to bow to Haman paying him
reverence. But Mordecai would not obey. The king’s servants asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s
commandment?” They tried to get him to bow on a daily basis, but he wouldn’t
listen to them; therefore, they told Haman, to see if Mordecai’s reasons would
stand, for he had told them the reason was because he was a Jew.
Ø Do you know someone who is really stuck on himself / herself?
Ø What do you think of them?
Ø
Are there some people who really like people like this?
As we
are watching our story develop, we come upon another one of the main characters
who is named Haman. He comes
from Hammedatha the Agagite. He
receives a promotion—a very big one that advanced him and set his seat above
all the princes that were with him.
To a certain degree, we would probably say he became the king’s right
hand man with a higher position than the king’s other officials. The king really liked Haman and even commanded
that when Haman passed by, people were to bow down and reverence him. This could be a sign of respect towards his
high office, or it could go much further because the term used for reverence
is a word that is often used with worship.
In
this scene of the story it’s as if Haman walks by, and all the king’s servants
are bowing down—all except one, and that one is Mordecai. Others, who are bowing, look at him and say,
“You should be bowing—it’s the king’s orders, so in refusing to bow you are
disobeying the king.” Nevertheless, he
would never bow. When asked as to his
reason for refusing to bow, his answer was, “I am a Jew.” One day, word of this reached Haman. The next verses give us Haman’s response,
but before moving on, let’s consider the reason Mordecai refused to bow.
The
Bible doesn’t go into detail giving us the reason why Mordecai refused to
bow. Some say it was his own pride, but
since he had told Esther not to reveal that she was Jewish, for him to speak up
and say he was a Jew doesn’t sound like it’s pride to me. Instead, even though it was okay for a Jew
to pay common respect to a person (which in the Middle East could involve
bowing), it wasn’t okay for a Jew to worship anything or anyone other than
God. One of the commands of God was
that you could not have an idol and could not worship it. Anything you worship (other than God) is an
idol. I believe Mordecai is thinking,
“If I bow down in worship of Haman, I am disobeying God. I have the choice—disobey the king and tell
people I belong to God or disobey God and bow.” If that is his line of thinking, thank God for Mordecai!
Ø Are we supposed to obey authority? (Read Romans 13:1-2)
Ø
Suppose you have two people in authority over you and
they give you two opposite commands—which must you obey?
God
wants us to obey those in authority over us.
As a matter of fact, if we don’t obey those in authority over us, we are
not really obeying God. However, please
understand—God’s authority is always higher than anyone else’s authority. If you disobey authority, there is a cost to
pay. Therefore, if we ever face a
situation where we must decide between obeying God and authority, I hope we
choose to obey God regardless of the cost.
However, something is about to happen that never crossed Mordecai’s
mind. I think he understands that
refusing to obey Haman can cost him, but I don’t think he realized how evil
Mordecai really was. To say this man was
stuck on himself is a great understatement because notice how much pride he
has. It becomes very evident when he
learns that out of everyone he sees, one person refuses to bow.
No matter what rule anyone gives you, if it goes against God’s Word, you should choose to obey God rather than man. Some good examples are—
§ Daniel who prayed even though it was illegal
§ The three Hebrew children who refused to bow to the statue even though the king ordered them to do so
§ Peter and John who refused to stop preaching even though the religious leaders said they must stop preaching.
What are some rules people today are given that may go against God? (not praying in school, not having a Bible in certain places, not witnessing, etc.)
Please understand when disobeying we should not do so
with an arrogant attitude nor one that is trying to dominate the system. Instead, in those three examples above, each
person simply did what was right before God with an humble, respectful spirit
that didn’t try to harm, tear down, or curse those in authority over them. We must have that same attitude as well—if
not, it will look like we are disobeying out of rebellion instead of obedience
to God.
5-6
– And when
Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bowed nor pay him reverence, he became filled
with wrath. He thought it was a waste of his time to kill Mordecai alone. He had been told Mordecai was a Jew;
therefore, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole
kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Ø What is pride?
Ø Is it good or bad?
Ø What does God say about it in Proverbs 6:16-19?
Ø Why do you think he hates it?
Haman
is one of the proudest men you will ever meet.
When he saw that Mordecai bowed not, he was full of wrath—he
was so angry we can’t even explain how angry he had become. It even says he thought scorn to lay hands on
Mordecai alone. It’s as if he is saying, “I am not satisfied
making Mordecai pay for his actions—how foolish that would be because that
wouldn’t punish him enough. Therefore,
since I have heard he is a Jew, I will destroy all the Jews throughout
this kingdom.” This is a madman. He is insane—one person didn’t bow down to
him, so he decides to kill an entire race of people for one man’s actions.
Ø What does it mean to be prejudiced?
Ø What are some groups of whom people are prejudice today?
Ø
In what ways do we see this prejudice?
7-11
– In the
first month, Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (the
lot) before Haman to represent each day to the twelfth month, the month Adar. Haman went to king Ahasuerus and said, “There is a certain race of
people scattered among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; and
their laws are different from all people; they don’t even obey your laws;
therefore it is not for the king’s benefit to put up with them. If it please the king, have a law written to destroy these
people. “I will pay ten thousand
talents of silver into the king’s treasuries to fund this mission.” The king liked Haman’s suggestion, took his ring from his hand,
and gave it unto Haman, the Jews’ enemy. And the king said unto
Haman, “Keep your silver; take the people you need and do as you please.”
This is
the twelfth year
of king Ahasuerus
ruling this country. In the first
month, Haman had people cast Pur, that is, the lot, before
him. I am not sure what their method of
casting lots involved, but in our day it would be like he is drawing straws to
see who gets the shortest straw or rolling dice or anything like this. He is trying to decide which day of the year
is the best for killing the Jews. He
was a superstitious man looking to the gods of “luck” to help him. So he would say, “Should I do this
tomorrow?” They would then cast the lot
and it gave them the answer, “No.” He
would then say, “Should I do this the next day?” They would then cast the lot and receive the same answer. When he says, “Okay, now this roll
represents the thirteenth day of Adar,” they rolled and the answer came
up, “Yes.” He was casting the lot in
the first month of the year, and the answer was given saying the “luckiest” day
of all for accomplishing this task was in the last month of the year (and as we
see in the next passage, the thirteenth day of the month). Therefore, he has almost one year to prepare
for this event.
When
the day is chosen, Haman pays a visit to the king. He tells the king “There is a certain group of people scattered throughout your
kingdom; and their laws are different from ours—they don’t even keep
your laws; therefore it is not in your best interest to let them live. If
you would like, we can pass a law that will have them put to death. I will even 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.” Haman
wants the king to think it is for the king’s benefit that this be done, when it
is actually because of Haman’s own pride.
But notice how much he despises Mordecai—Haman is willing to finance the
mission himself. He is willing to pay
10,000 talents of silver. Because of
different values of money throughout history, we are not sure what this is
worth. However, it is estimated that
this would be (by conservative estimates) almost 100,000 pounds of silver. Today, silver is valued at about $6.60 an
ounce which means we are talking about nearly $100,000,000 by today’s standards
(possibly even a whole lot more). When
you are willing to pay out that kind of money to have someone killed, that’s
what I call serious hatred!
Ø What does the king do?
Ø What did his ring have to do with anything?
Ø What does the king say?
Ø What will happen to the Jews if this plan works?
Ø
Who do we know that is a Jew (other than Mordecai)?
And
the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman.
In ancient times, a person’s ring was often used as a signet—it was like
a person’s seal that would close a deal (kind of like a seal from a Notary
Public today). And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to you,
the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.
The king basically says, “Keep your money, Haman. I’ll finance the mission. Take anybody you need for this mission and
do whatever you please.” Haman has
tricked him into thinking he is doing this for the king when in all honesty
Haman is doing it for himself. What
neither the king nor Haman realize is that in planning this attack, it will go
against the queen herself. And by the
way, in case you are thinking, “When the queen tells the king she is a Jew the
king will change the law,” remember we learned in the first chapter than once
the king made a law, not even he had the power to change it. That’s right—when Haman seals the order with
the king’s ring, no one has the power to change the law. The Jewish people will be doomed. Of course, that only applies if God has
forgotten about them, and I assure you he has not!
12-15
– The king’s
scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the law was
written according to Haman’s command.
It was written in the name of king Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s
ring. The letters were sent by posts
into all the king’s provinces giving orders to kill all Jews (both young and
old, little children and women) in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, which is Adar, and to take their possessions. They could take the Jews possessions. The people were to be prepared for this
event. When the decree was given, the
people were confused, but Haman and the king sat down to drink.
The law is written so everyone can read it—in their own language. It is written on the thirteenth day of the
first month concerning the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which means the
people have eleven months to get ready to carry out the orders of the
king. The letters were sent out
into all the king’s provinces telling the people to destroy, to kill, and to cause to
perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day. The people were to gather their weapons and be ready. To motivate the people, the orders were
given that said they could keep whatever the Jews had in their possession. The decree was given and the people heard
it, and the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was
perplexed. Haman and the king drink
a toast to celebrate their victory over their enemies, but when the decree is
read, everyone is confused. They know
what the decree orders, but they can’t understand why they must kill everyone
with a Jewish heritage. To say they are
confused is probably an understatement, but the beauty of this is that before
the story ends, Haman will be more confused than maybe anyone in history
because before this event is over, he won’t know what hit him!
Aren’t you glad God is in control of this situation? Aren’t you glad he is in control in what takes place in our day? Just think, there are many times when we may not see God at work and wonder why things are going the way they are. We don’t understand why Bin Laden could bomb America or why people can take innocent lives. We don’t understand why God doesn’t intervene in certain situations. However, what I want us to realize is that he does intervene—he is there. I believe there are many times he stops these things and we never know about them. And in those times he doesn’t stop them, I believe the reason he doesn’t stop them is because he has a purpose he wants to see accomplished. We may not always understand and we certainly can’t always figure out why, but we can always know who is ultimately in control. Yes, he allows man to do evil within certain limits. And I think one reason he does is because the wickedness around us is so great that he wants to turn their attention towards him, but in allowing that wickedness to be judged, even innocent people get hurt. Therefore, we need to be in prayer for our nation—praying that we will turn to the Lord and that God would open the eyes of those in power that they might see him and that they might exercise caution and have the wisdom to see these things before they take place in order to stop more of these events. Thank God they do see some in advance and stop it, but we need to pray that they will see even more of this danger in time and be able to deal with it swiftly and sternly. And by the way, please pray for the protection of our leaders, military, police, etc. who have to face these things throughout the day—they need God’s protection. And no matter how dark things may look around us—or even just in our lives—don’t ever give up hope in the Lord. Things are really looking dark for the Jewish people living in Ahasuerus’ kingdom. They will continue looking dark for some time, but right before this horrible event takes place, God will shine his light upon the situation, and his people will be saved.
1-3 – When Mordecai realized what had taken place, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes. He went into the middle of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry. He came to the king's gate but didn’t enter because no one is allowed to enter while mourning. All over the country, when people heard the king’s decree, the Jews mourned, fasted, wept, and wailed. Many put on sackcloth and ashes.
Ø What does Mordecai do?
Ø What has made him so sad?
Ø As a Christian, is it okay to get this emotional?
We are emotional beings—we are
created that way by God—and part of life involves displaying our emotions. When things really hurt us, we express our
sadness in different ways. In Bible
times, they had a very different way of expressing their sadness which is
demonstrated here—Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes. In a show of sadness and emotional pain,
people would tear their clothing. It
was a visible, outward sign of the way they were feeling on the inside—that
their heart had been torn in two. They
would also put on sackcloth and ashes.
Sackcloth was a bag used to hold grain (in our day we would think of a
burlap sack). They would wear this
sackcloth (which was very uncomfortable) and put ashes on their head. If you saw someone like this, you would know
this person was heartbroken and wanted everyone to know it. He also went out into the middle of the
city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry. Mordecai went and stood before the king's gate, for none might
enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. In other words, he is standing outside the
gate because the king has a rule—no one who is this visibly sad is allowed to
come into his dwelling.
As the king’s commandment spread
throughout his kingdom, Jews all over the place started doing the same thing
Mordecai was doing, and who can blame them because before the year is ended,
they are supposed to lose their lives by the decree of the king!
4-9 –Esther's servants told
her what was taking place. She was
greatly bothered by this and sent more clothes to Mordecai, but he refused
them. Esther called for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, and told him
to find out why Mordecai was so upset. Hatach obeyed. Mordecai told him of all that had happened
concerning Haman’s actions. He even
gave him a copy of the king’s decree to show it to Esther and to ask her to
talk to the king and have him do something about it. Hatach returned to Esther and did as Mordecai requested.
Ø When you see someone hurting, what do you do?
Ø What is the difference between trying to cheer someone up and entering their pain? Give an example of both.
Ø Which is hardest to do?
Ø What shows more love and compassion?
There is talk concerning Mordecai—people
tell her he is out in the street in sackcloth crying bitterly. Her initial response is to send clothes for
Mordecai to put on. In other words, she
wants him to cheer up and look his best.
But Mordecai received it not and continued as he was. He was hurting, and this was a time for
grieving—not a time to act like everything was okay because it was not. When word reaches Esther that Mordecai will
not accept the clothing, she called for Hatach, one of the king's
chamberlains who waited on Esther.
She now wants to know what is wrong with him. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened. He also had a request—that Esther go in
unto the king and ask the king to do something for her people. Hatach took Mordecai’s words back to Esther
and waited for her response. (I don’t
know if Mordecai and Esther are sending notes back and forth or if they are
just talking to the messenger who is conveying their words—if it is just talk,
the messenger finds out about Esther’s heritage, so it may be letters being
taken back and forth.)
10-12 –Esther spoke unto
Hatach again concerning Mordecai. She
wanted him to remind Mordecai of the law that everyone knew—that whoever shall
come unto the king in the inner court, who is not called will be put to death,
except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may
live. She also wanted Mordecai to know
she had not been called to come in unto the king for thirty days. Hatach told Mordecai
Esther's words.
Esther is married to the king, but she is afraid to go before him. The reason is a strange one (at least to us). In that day, the king was to be protected at all cost. Therefore, no one—not even a family member—was allowed to approach the king unless the king was the one giving the invitation. If anyone approached the king when he was in the inner court—without being invited—that person would be put to death. The exception was that if the king shall hold out the golden scepter, then the person’s life would be spared. And lest we think that didn’t create a problem for Esther, she has not been called by the king for the past thirty days. Remember, Vashti was divorced simply because she disobeyed him one time—the punishment for the disobedience Mordecai wants her to do is death. So the message is given to Mordecai that Esther is afraid to enter the king’s presence.
13-14 – Mordecai sends word back to Esther saying, “Don’t think you will escape just because you are in the king’s house. If you keep quiet in this matter, some Jews will be spared, but you and I will die. Just think, maybe this is the reason you have been put in the position you have been given—to speak up for your people.”
I love Mordecai’s words—they are
a real challenge. He starts by saying,
“Are you thinking you will escape this judgment just because you are in
the king’s house? You will not—if this
decree is not stopped, when people find out who you are, they will kill you
too.” Mordecai continues by saying, “If
you altogether hold your peace at this time, I want you to know that you
and your family will be destroyed; however, the Jews will still
survive—our race will not be completely destroyed for some of us will continue
to live because they will receive deliverance… from another place.” Why would he say this? I think he would say it because he knew they
were the people of God, and he knew God would preserve his people. He may allow some to die, but there were too
many promises concerning God’s people that had not yet been fulfilled, and God
wasn’t about to allow Haman or anyone else to make him into a liar!
Even though God’s name wasn’t
mentioned, I believe Mordecai has God in mind knowing God will preserve the
Jewish nation even if Mordecai and Esther fail to act. I also think Mordecai has God in mind in his
next statement because I think he is seeing the providence (the control) of God
in bringing Esther to the position she has had these last few years. He says, Who knows whether you are come
to the kingdom for such a time as this?
He is saying, “There is a reason for you going from a poor orphaned girl
to the queen of a great nation. God had
a reason for this great change. Esther,
consider that maybe this is the one reason why God put you in the position he
gave you—that you may speak for his people and spare their lives. Esther, I challenge you to be faithful to
the calling God has given you!”
What a great motivational speech
Mordecai has given! It is one we need
to hear often. It is one that reminds
us that God has us in the situations, positions, and even predicaments we are
in for a reason. He could change any of
that without even blinking. When things
come our way and we find ourselves in difficult situations at no fault of our
own, stop and ask, “God, what is it you want me to do? I know you have me here for a purpose, and I
want to be faithful to fulfill all you want of me.” Then rise up to the challenge to be faithful to God no matter
what the cost. Yes, it could cost
Esther dearly, but God has brought her to this position, and she must be
faithful to God no matter what the cost.
I hope you can agree with Mordecai no matter what your position may be.
Consider where you are in life right now. You may be—
§ Recently dumped by a date or hurt by a friend
§ In a class taught by a really tough teacher
§ In a family that is struggling (financially or emotionally)
§ In a church with some problems
§ Struggling with a sickness or disease
There are many situations you may be facing—too many to name—but I have a question. Have you ever just stopped and asked, “Okay, God, you have me here for a reason—what is it? What do you want to accomplish through me?” I hope you will ask that question, and when you do, I hope you have the attitude that says, “No matter what it is you want to accomplish and no matter what it costs me, Lord, I want to be faithful to you.” If you have that attitude, even if you never really see what it is God was trying to accomplish, I believe you are right where God wants you to be, and if you are not, with that attitude I think he will move you to where he wants you. Remember, God doesn’t always want to take us out of “bad situations” because it is in those situations that we often grow more mature as Christians. It is often when we are better witnesses for him. For example, pretend you are facing a lot of peer pressure. You want it to end. One day it will, but God may be allowing you to face that peer pressure so you can grow stronger for the next battle you will face in your Christian life. And as you continue resisting the pressure, there may be another Christian who is weaker than you who will be encouraged to resist peer pressure and there may even be an unsaved person who will see you and think, “Wow! I always thought that Christian stuff was fake, but if that person can be faithful to their beliefs with all that pressure, it must be for real.” And either then or later on, maybe that person will surrender their heart to the Lord as well—all as a result of seeing you faithful in a situation you didn’t want to face. Remember, God is in control, and his providence has you where you are for a reason.
15-17 –Esther had them return
this answer to Mordecai, “Go gather all the Jews in Shushan together, and fast
for me—don’t eat or drink three days; I and my maidens will also fast; then I
will violate the law and go in unto the king. If I die, I die.” Mordecai
went his way and did as Esther requested.
Ø What was Esther’s answer?
Ø Why do you think she called for a fast?
Esther receives Mordecai’s response and realizes he is right. Therefore, she sends word back to him saying, “Gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days and nights. My maidens and I will do the same, and then I will go before the king, breaking the law, putting my life at risk. If I die, then I die, but at least I will have done what I was put here to do.” Mordecai liked what he heard and called for a fast among his people.
In case you don’t know, a fast is simply giving up something in order to focus better on God. Even though we don’t see the word “pray” in this passage, a person fasting could replace their eating time with time given to prayer. As they went longer without food and their hunger grew, instead of thinking about food, they were to think on the Lord. It was a more intense time with God than just the casual prayer we so often give. In a sense, it shows God we mean business. It is also a time God can reveal our sins to us so we can repent and draw even closer to him. A fast can involve food, drink, sleep, sexual relations with a mate, etc.—basically anything your body craves. When the desire comes on, it’s as if we are saying, “God, I want you more than I want to fulfill this desire.” Does the Bible teach that God is more likely to answer a sincere prayer that is done during fasting than a sincere prayer that is done any other time? I don’t think so. I don’t think the purpose of the fast is meant to appeal to God as much as it is to simply get our focus on him so that our prayers are deeper and more intimate with him. Therefore, even today it can be good to see a desire you have and occasionally say, “Today, I’m going to give up this desire, and when the craving for this hits me, I’m going to spend that time in prayer.” I think that is what these Jews are doing. Of course, the word prayer is not mentioned, but if it wasn’t associated with prayer, there was no purpose for the fast. The only other purpose I know for a fast is to lose weight, and it wouldn’t make much sense for Esther to say, “I’ll go before the king and risk my life if we all lose five pounds in the next three days.” No, their thoughts are on God even though he is not named in this passage. For some reason, God wanted this book to be written without reference to him. As already pointed out in this series, I think one reason he does is so we can remember that even when we don’t clearly see his hand working in our lives, we can still know he is working in our lives. What an encouragement that should give us!
Ø What are some situations you face where you have never really seen God work? (giving you a date, mending a friendship, easing peer pressure, making your teacher nicer, putting your family back together again, etc.)
Ø Have you ever prayed concerning these situations?
Ø Did you ever get the idea God wasn’t at work in them?
Ø
How can the story of Esther—where we don’t see God at
all but know he is there—help you?
1-5
– On the third day, Esther put on her royal clothes and entered the inner court
of the king’s house. When the king saw
Esther the queen, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held the golden scepter. Esther
walked closer and touched the top of the scepter. The king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther, what is your
request? I will give you up to half of
the kingdom.” Esther answered, “If it
pleases you, I would like for you and Haman to come today to a banquet I have
prepared.” Then the king said, “Get
Haman, and tell him to do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.
The
Jews have been fasting these past three days.
Esther believes the time is right, and she knows she must act on behalf
of her people. Therefore, she puts on her
royal apparel and goes to the inner court of the king’s house. Death is now staring her in the face—if the king doesn’t extend
the golden scepter to her. What
will the king do? Well, she obtained
favor in the king’s sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden
scepter that was in his hand. He
was so pleased with her that he said, “What do you want, queen
Esther? And what is your request? It shall be granted to you up to half
of the kingdom.” This is his way of
saying, “I will give you any reasonable request that I can possibly give.” He really does care about her.
The
answer Esther gives is going to sound like a very strange one. She responds, “If it seem good unto the
king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have
prepared for him.” I don’t really
know why Esther made this request. I
don’t know why she didn’t just blurt out her desire. Maybe she was afraid and was trying to work up the courage (like
we do when we are afraid to ask our parents for something), or maybe this was
part of her plan to try to woo him over to her side (like when we act extra
special to someone when we want them to do something for us). Or maybe an even better explanation is that
maybe it wasn’t God’s timing for the king to hear her real request. I think that is the real reason, and Esther
doesn’t even realize it. You see,
between now and the time Esther makes her request, God is going to work. Some things will take place that will help
shape the outcome of the king’s answer.
The king sends
word to Haman that he is invited to a banquet, and you better believe he shows
up. With his pride, there is no way he
is going to miss this event!
Never forget—God’s will is important and so is his timing. There are times when we want something from God and we want it NOW! We must be patient because if it is something God wants accomplished and it isn’t accomplished now, then he obviously has a reason for waiting. We will not always know what that reason is, but the reason is there! It could be that he is trying to prepare our hearts for it, change some situations so the plan will fit more perfectly, or even change the hearts of others involved.
6-8
– At the banquet of wine, the king asked Esther, “What is it you want? I will give you up to half of the
kingdom?” Esther answered, “This is my
request—if I have found favor in your sight, I would like you and Haman to come
to a banquet that I will prepare for you tomorrow, and then I will tell you my
request.”
The
king and Haman attend the banquet of wine prepared for them by
Esther. Of course, the king is
curious. He doesn’t think she risked
her life just to ask Haman and himself to come over for a drink—he knows there
is more to it than this. Therefore, he
asks her once again, What is your petition? Once again he
tells her he will grant any reasonable offer she makes. And once again she invites them to a banquet. This time she tells him if they show up to
the banquet she prepares, she will tell him what is on her heart—but he will
have to wait until tomorrow. I
have a feeling the king’s anticipation is really building, but we are not told
what is going through his mind.
Instead, the story is going to change—instead of following Esther or the
king, it will now follow Haman, and we will see what takes place in his life
between the two banquets.
9-13
– Haman departed joyfully with a glad heart, but when he saw Mordecai sitting in
the king’s gate, without bowing to him, he was filled with indignation against
Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman refrained
himself. When he came home, he called
for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
Haman told them of his greatness—the glory of his riches, the multitude
of his children, and the promotions he had received. He then said, “Esther the queen prepared a banquet and only
invited the king and myself, and she is doing the same thing tomorrow. However, all of this means nothing as long
as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
This
passage really shows us what Haman is like. To me, it shows he is not much of a
man. We already know he is a man of
great pride, but the vastness of his pride really shines through on this
passage. In a sense you would say there
is nothing more that Haman would want than an invitation to a private banquet
with the king and queen. His attitude
is probably one of walking home from the banquet, jumping up in the air,
clicking his heels, while saying, “I always knew I was important—now even the
king and queen know it. Out of everyone
in the world, they only invited me to a banquet, and they have invited me
twice.” But while he is joyful and with a glad heart, he walks by Mordecai, and notice what Mordecai
does—nothing. He stood not up nor
moved for him—he simply kept his seat.
Now, instead of being full of joy, he is full of indignation—he
has a burning anger.
Haman
continues on his way until he reaches his house. As he arrives, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife. When they arrive, he speaks of the glory of his riches
just telling them how much money he has.
He speaks of the multitude of his children—about how many
children he has brought into the world and how they are so great. He then speaks of how the king had
promoted him and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the
king. All this is already well
known to his guests. He is doing this
simply out of pride. He is saying,
“Look at me. I am so great and so important. I am so rich and wonderful, but I’m sure you
all already knew this, but what you don’t know is that I have just attended a banquet
given by the queen, and she allowed no man to join her except the king and
myself, and now she has invited me to another one tomorrow.” You can just picture him going on and on
about himself when all of a sudden something deep within him comes out—“But all
this means nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew
sitting at the king’s gate refusing to bow in my presence.”
Please,
never become a Haman. Never become so
filled with pride that you don’t have a clear focus of what is taking place
around you. Don’t be so filled with
pride that you see something you want and adopt the attitude that says, “That
is the only thing that matters to me—I must have it.” Don’t be so selfish that you want everyone to think you are so
great that if one person treats you the wrong way it destroys your whole day. If you do become like this, you may learn
the same proverb Haman learned the hard way—Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before
destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Haman will both fall and be destroyed.
14 –
His wife and friends said to him, “Build a gallows about 75 feet tall. Tomorrow, talk to the king asking permission
to hang Mordecai on it. Then you can go
to the banquet a happy man.” Haman was
pleased with their advice and ordered that the gallows be built.”
Haman’s wife sees
how bothered he is by Mordecai, and she and his friends have some advice—build
a gallows
that is seventy-five feet tall and tomorrow go to the king and ask him to have
Mordecai killed with it. Then you can
go merrily with the king unto the banquet. In other words, if Mordecai is dead Haman can then enjoy being at
the banquet with the king. Haman was so
pleased with this advice that he caused the gallows to be made.
There are times when people allow emotions to dominate their thinking. In those times, they need wise people who care enough about them to stop them from making foolish decisions. For example—
§ When a person is greedy and is thinking about shoplifting
§ When a person is filled with passion and thinking of giving into sexual pressure
§ When a person is angry and thinking of getting revenge
§ When a person is filled with pride and is really trying to show himself (maybe even at the expense of others).
In those situations and so many more, if you see a friend
about to act upon these emotions, what would you do? Or if you are the one about to act upon your emotions, how would
you respond if a friend corrected you?
With that in mind, what should Haman’s friends have said to him?
Now
it’s all set. Instead of waiting until
the end of the year to kill Mordecai with the rest of the Jews, he will go
ahead and have Mordecai put to death tomorrow.
This is his plan, but as we will find out, when God is in control, what
a difference a night can make!
1-4
– On that
night the king couldn’t sleep, so he had the journal containing the kings’
actions read to him. The servants read
concerning Mordecai saving the king’s life when Bigthana and Teresh wanted to
grab him. The king asked, “How was
Mordecai rewarded for his actions?” The
king’s servants replied, “Nothing was done for him.”
I
think we catch another glimpse of God working right here. For some reason, on that night could not
the king sleep. Therefore, he
commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles and have them read
before the king. This book is like
a journal that is used to record all the things that relate to his kingly
duties and all that happens involving him—maybe it’s so boring he hopes it will
help him fall asleep. However, he hears
something that causes him to get wide awake.
Earlier in this series we learned of Mordecai saving the king’s
life. Mordecai heard that Bigthana
and Teresh had turned against him and were seeking to kill him; therefore,
he reported this matter, and they were stopped. The king hears this read and says, “Wait. This man Mordecai saved my life? What honour and dignity has been done to
Mordecai for this?” He was shocked
when he heard the answer—nothing!
Ø Since Haman is on his way to have the king kill Mordecai, do you see
how the timing of the king learning of this is perfect?
Ø
Then who do you think kept
the king from sleeping?
I know
there are a lot of times in my life when I wrestle with worry—I get all upset
wondering what will happen. I want us
all to understand if God can wake a king, put within his heart to have a book
read to him, have that person turn to the exact portion God wants him to turn
to, and have the king’s heart desire to help Mordecai—and all this be at the
perfect time (one day later would have been too late), then I should trust him
with anything in my life, shouldn’t I?
It’s been said that God is never late but seldom early. This is definitely one of those times. You see, I think he likes waiting until the
last minute because he likes giving us the opportunity to trust him and to
demonstrate that trust.
4-6
– The king
asked, “Who is in the court?” Haman had
come into the outward court of the king’s house to speak to the king concerning
hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. The king’s servants answered, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.” Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for
the man whom the king desires to honor?”
Haman thought, “Who would the king desire to honor more than me?”
While
the king is considering the fact that the man who saved his life was never
honored, Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house. Without even realizing it, it’s as if Haman
is wanting to say, “King, I think we should kill the man who saved your
life.” However, before Haman could
start talking, the king had a question for him—what shall be done unto the
man whom the king delights to honor?
Of course, the only thing Haman can think is, “To whom would the king
delight to do honor more than to myself?”
His pride automatically makes him think, “Oh WOW! The king wants to honor someone—who could
that someone be? Since I’m the greatest
around, it must obviously be me!” His
own pride is setting him up for a tremendous fall.
7-9
– Haman
answered, “For the man you desire to honor, let the royal apparel be brought
which the king wears and the horse the king ride and the royal crown which is
set upon his head; let this apparel and horse be given to one of the king’s
most noble princes that he may array the man whom the king desires to honor and
bring him on horseback through the street of the city proclaiming, “This is
what will be done to the man the king desires to honor.”
Haman
knows the king would want to honor someone great like himself. Therefore, he thinks of what he would like
others to do for him. It must have been
almost a dream of his to experience this, so he advises the king to put the royal
robe upon the person, have the royal horse with the royal crown
delivered to this person by the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes,
and have the noble prince lead this honorable person throughout the city street
proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to
honor.”
10-11
– Then the
king said to Haman, “Hurry taking the apparel and the horse as you have said,
and do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at my gate; don’t allow anything you
said to go undone.” Then Haman took the
apparel and the horse and arrayed Mordecai and brought him on horseback through
the street of the city proclaiming before him, “This is what will be done to
the man the king desires to honor.”
Wouldn’t
you love to see the expression on Haman’s face when he hears the words of the
king? Imagine he waits to hear the
king’s approval of his suggestion, and then the king says, “Great suggestion
Haman. Hurry up. Get the apparel and the horse, and do just what you suggested.” Haman must be getting very anxious—he’s
waiting to hear which of the noble princes will be leading him when all of a sudden
he hears the king say, “I want you to do all that to Mordecai
the Jew that sits at the king’s gate.
And by the way, let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.” Can’t you just see his jaw drop and nearly
hit the floor? This has got to be the
most disappointing news he has ever heard—he himself now must take this Jew he
despises and lead him throughout the streets of the city telling everyone the
king is pleased to honor Mordecai, and when the king is pleased to honor
someone, this is how that person is treated.
Haman obeys, and now everyone knows the king is honoring Mordecai more
than he is honoring Haman—and Haman is the one who is telling everyone. I would love to have heard the tone of his
voice as he spoke!
Do you have people who are against you—who really try to make your life miserable? Maybe you face a—
§ Snob who shuns you or looks down on you in some way
§ Old date who despises you, spreads rumors about you, and ruins your name
§ Fellow classmate who does things against you trying to hurt you (maybe insults)
§ Teacher who is really tough on you and does more to harm your grade than help it
§ Boss who makes you work harder than the rest of the people and shows you no appreciation.
Maybe someone is treating you like this simply because you
are a Christian or maybe they just don’t like you. I’m not saying this will happen, but I do want you to know if God
so chooses to do so, he can turn the situation around so that the very person
who is against you has to pay you honor in some way. It may not be what they want to do, but if God chooses for them
to do it, they will have to do it. That
thought should encourage us because it means our suffering will only last until
God chooses to stop it. We don’t know
when that will be, but we do know this—if he hasn’t stopped it yet, he has a
reason for allowing it to continue because according to Romans 8:28-30, he
causes all things in the lives of his people to work together for our
good. It may not seem good right now,
but it is working towards that goal.
You see, God has been working in this situation all along. It has looked as if Haman would kill all the
Jews. It looked as if God would allow
it to happen. But now the time is right
to turn it all around, and in the next passage even Haman’s wife knows he is in
trouble.
But just think of what must be going through Mordecai’s mind. He knows Haman has worked to have him and all Jews killed, and now he rides behind Haman on a horse, and Haman is paying honor to him at the king’s command. Mordecai may be thinking, “WOW! God is really working in this situation! He has taken the very man who wants to kill me and made him praise me. God is so good!” Maybe he even thinks about Proverbs 16:7 which tells us, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” You see, he caught a glimpse of God working in this situation. Maybe now more than ever he has been encouraged and knows God will work this out according to his will. Maybe he knows when others oppose you the important thing isn’t to fight back but to just be faithful to God no matter what.
If you have others opposing you right now even to the point they can’t stand you, I know our natural reaction is to retaliate, fight back, or just give them a piece of our minds. However, what we really need to do is learn to put it in the Lord’s hands and simply be faithful to him. I promise you, his plan for handling it will be better than anything we could ever devise!
12-14
– Mordecai
returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried home mourning with his head
covered. Haman told Zeresh his wife and
all his friends every thing that happened. They responded, “If Mordecai before
whom you have started falling is of the seed of the Jews, you will not prevail
but will surely fall before him. While they were still talking, the king’s
chamberlains, came to take Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.
After
this little parade was over, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate,
and Haman returned to his house.
Haman was mourning and having his head covered. What a change for Haman! He went into the king’s house filled with
pride and joyful that his friends had such a wonderful suggestion. Moments later he was morning and went into
hiding. We are not told, but I have a
feeling Mordecai also had a change of attitude—the exact opposite of
Haman’s. He may have gone from mourning
to rejoicing! Why the sudden change in
both the wicked and the righteous?
Because God was at work. If we
could just see through the eyes of the Lord, when a problem comes the way of
the righteous, they would have no reason to get all down and depressed and the
wicked would have no reason to rejoice!
As
Haman arrived home, he told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing
that had befallen him. Just a
little while ago he was there telling them how he was so great. Now he tells them how he had to be the one
who paid honor to his enemy. What an
humbling event this has been! They have
a response to his situation. They tell
him, “You have started falling before Mordecai—if Mordecai is a Jew, you will not
prevail but will continue to fall.”
Why did they say that? Maybe
they saw that things were turning and just figured they would continue to turn
against him. Or maybe they had heard of
the Jewish people and how God had worked for them in mighty ways all throughout
their existence. Maybe they thought
Haman was high enough he could win, but now they had a change of heart—they
knew things were looking pretty bad, and they realized what they moments ago
thought was going to be his greatest victory will end up being his worst
defeat. How quickly things can change
when God is on the throne—so quickly we should never give up hope in the Lord
no matter how bad things may get.
With
the words of Haman’s friends, the king’s chamberlains enter the scene
and tell Mordecai to hurry up—it’s time to attend the banquet that Esther
had prepared.
1-4 – Once again, the king and Haman went to Esther the queen’s banquet. Once again the king asked Esther, “What is
your request? I will grant you up to
half of the kingdom.” Esther answered,
“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please you, spare my
life and the life of my people, for we have been sold unto death. If we had been sold into slavery, I would
not have bothered you concerning this loss.”
As the king and Haman arrived at the banquet with
Esther the queen, they had no idea what they were going to face. The king asks her again, “What is your petition,
queen Esther?” I cannot imagine how
shocked he must have been when he heard her response because she is actually
pleading for her life. She says, “If
I have found favor in your sight, if it pleases you, my petition is that
you spare my life…and my people.
We have been sold for the purpose of being destroyed so
that all my people will perish and no longer exist.” She even adds the statement, “If we had
been sold into slavery, I would have held my tongue and not brought
this matter up to you.” The last phrase
she makes is hard to understand in English, but it’s possible she is saying,
“If we had been sold into slavery, at least the king would have received some
benefit from our work, but if we are killed, the king will suffer loss that
can’t be repaid.”
5-6
– Then king
Ahasuerus asked, “What person would think he could get away with this? Where is he?” Esther responded, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” Then Haman was afraid before the king and
the queen.
The
king must be in shock. He cannot
imagine who would be so stupid as to try to destroy the woman he loves more
than anyone else in the whole world. He
is a man with great power and authority—what idiot would try to hurt him that
way! He asks, “Who is he and where
is he that did presume in his heart to do so?” If Haman hasn’t realized she is Jewish, he must be ready to
destroy the man himself. But can’t you
see his jaw drop, his eyes bulge out, and his heart almost stop beating when
Esther turns, points her finger in his direction, and says, “The adversary
and enemy is this wicked Haman”? I
think one of the biggest understatements of the Bible is the next phrase—then
Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. You better believe he was!
7-8
– The king was so angry he left the banquet of wine and went into the palace
garden. Haman stood before Esther to
plead for his life. When the king
returned, Haman was upon the couch with Esther. Then
the king said, “Will he force himself upon the queen in my own house?” The men who were present then covered
Haman’s face.
The
king’s anger was so great he had to leave the room. He went into the palace garden. However, Haman remained with the queen and tried to plead for his
life. He realized there was evil determined against
him by the king. That is, he knew the king was going to make
him pay for his actions. When the
king returned out of the palace garden, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Esther was reclining upon the bed
(couch), and Haman was laying upon it as well.
He was pleading for his life, but the king said, “Will he force the
queen also before me in the house?”
It was as if he is saying, “Is he trying to rape my wife right here in
my own house?” There were men standing
around, and just as soon as the words came out of the mouth of the king, they
covered Haman’s face. Someone has
said, “When they cover your head, you are as good as dead.” I don’t think the king had to give the
order—they knew he was going to be killed.
They knew his actions had crossed the line and the king would deal with
him in a severe way.
9-10
– And
Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said, “The seventy-five foot gallows Haman
ordered to be built to kill Mordecai—the man who saved the king’s life—is now
ready.” Then the king said, “Hang Haman
on it.” They did, and the king’s wrath
was satisfied.
About
the time they covered Haman’s head, Harbonah comes walking in with a
message for Haman. He wants to tell him
the gallows is finally complete.
I am sure Haman really wishes he would shut up, but he doesn’t. He announces that it is the gallows which
Haman had made for Mordecai, and he even adds a little phrase who had
spoken good for the king. It’s as
if Harbonah is saying, “King Ahasuerus, Haman ordered us to build a gallows seventy-five
feet tall. We did. He built it for the purpose of killing
Mordecai and hanging him high so everyone can see him. By the way king, the Mordecai he was going
to kill is the same guy who saved your life.”
Here
you have the king thinking, “Haman was going to kill my wife and all her
family, he then tried to rape my wife in my own house, and now I find out he
wants to kill a man who saved my life.”
Of course the king now says, “I have a new plan for the gallows—take
Haman and hang him thereon. They
did, and the king’s wrath was reduced.
What a
character Haman has been. He has been
filled with so much pride, but now he is destroyed. He had laid a trap for his enemy, but now he was the one who was
caught in his own trap. He was killed
by the very instrument of death he had built for God’s faithful man. May we never be like Haman! May we recognize God desires humility and
not pride!
Humility and pride are total opposites—they are enemies. Pride causes you to do what Haman did in only being able to see himself and what he desired. Humility causes you to do like Philippians 2 points out where we are told to have the mind of Christ—even the mind that would cause us to care for the needs of others rather than our own and that would cause us to serve others. James 4:6 tells us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. One thinks of what he “deserves” and demands it. The other knows he deserves nothing; therefore, he simply follows God’s plan for his life no matter how “low” others think this plan may be. The question is—which had you rather be, the proud whom God resists or the humble who receives his grace?
1-6 – King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther
the queen. And Mordecai came before the
king because Esther had told him what Mordecai was to her. The king took the ring he had taken from
Haman and gave it to Mordecai. Esther
put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s house.
Esther fell down before the king and besought him with tears to put away
the mischief Haman the Agagite had devised against the Jews. Then the king held out the golden scepter
toward Esther, so she arose and stood before the king. She said, “If it please you, if I have found
favor in your sight, if it seem right, and if I am pleasing to you, write a law
to reverse Haman’s law, for how can I live if I see my people destroyed/”
It seems strange that God gave Mordecai the position Haman once had and now Haman is dead—how can that encourage us concerning the people who are against us?
What a
turn of events! Haman has sought to
kill Mordecai and all the Jews, and now Esther, a Jew, has been given the
house of Haman. Apparently,
everything he had owned was now placed into the queen’s possession. Esther told Ahasuerus that Mordecai was her
cousin who had taken her to be his own child, and the king took off his
ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. It is possible the king is giving Mordecai
Haman’s position. Esther even set
Mordecai over the house of Haman—she now owned it and wanted Mordecai to
manage it. Don’t you just love how God
has a way of working things out—Haman has tried to kill God’s man and now God’s
man is in charge of Haman’s riches!
Haman’s plot seemed to work so well for a time, but in the end, we see
that God was in control all along. What
a comforting thought for you and me—once again we are reminded that even if you
don’t see the hand of God you can still trust his heart and know that he is
working behind the scenes in a way that will bring him honor and reward his
faithful people.
I know God doesn’t always have it work this way, but you
can take comfort in the thought that if someone dislikes you and plans evil
against you, if God so chooses, he can turn it completely around so they fall
in their own trap and we come out victorious.
And even if he chooses to allow your enemy to be on top for awhile, we
know he has a purpose in it—a purpose he will turn to our good!
Once
again Esther spoke before the king.
This time she fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to
put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised
against the Jews. She is lying at
his feet weeping, sobbing. She knows
the law is still in place even though Haman is not. The king held out the golden scepter toward Esther to show
he accepted her and that her coming to him pleading in this manner was not
inappropriate. (Remember, he didn’t
allow sadness—such as mourners—in his presence. He extends the scepter as a sign of his approval.) She then speaks, pleading for the life of
her people—“Isn’t there something you can do to reverse the letters devised
by Haman? If my people are
destroyed, how can I endure it?”
7-8
–King
Ahasuerus said to Esther and Mordecai, “Behold, I have given Esther the house
of Haman, and Haman has been hanged.
Write a law for the Jews as it pleases you in my name and seal it with
my ring because if you do, no one can change it.”
Even
though Haman has been hanged upon the gallows, the law is still
in place—not even the king had the authority to remove a law. Maybe the king doesn’t know what to do, so
he turns to Esther and Mordecai and tells them to write whatever they
please in the king’s name and seal it with the king’s ring. He even reminds them whatever they write and
seal with his ring will stand because no man can reverse it.
9-14 –The king’s scribes were called on the twenty-third day of the third month, and Mordecai told them what to write. This message was to be taken to all one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in the language the people understood. It had the king’s authority. The law granted the Jews permission to gather together and stand for their lives—to even destroy those who came against them—even women and children—and to take what belonged to their attackers. The Jews could do this on the same day Haman’s law would be executed—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Men went out on horses and camels carrying the decree across the nation.
Considering what has taken place in this book, why do you think God brought Esther into the position of queen? When she was chosen to be queen, do you think she had any idea what God had planned for her? Do you think God has a plan for your life—one he is working on right now even though you may not realize what it is?
Haman’s
writing has now had a little over two months to circulate. The Jews are very nervous because they know
by the end of the year (the thirteenth day of the twelfth month) their lives
will be taken by order of the king.
However, here is Mordecai’s plan.
With the king’s permission and authority, Mordecai had the king’s
scribes write another law that now gave the Jews permission to gather
together and prepare to fight.
Basically, the same permission is granted them that Haman gave to his
people—the Jews could now destroy…slay…and…cause to perish those who
followed Haman’s order to assault them.
They could even take their spoil…for a prey. That is, just as Haman gave his followers
permission to take anything that belonged to those they killed, Mordecai now
granted the Jews permission to take anything owned by those attacking them. This letter went throughout the provinces
telling the people to be ready against that day to avenge themselves on
their enemies.
Lest you think Mordecai is being just as brutal as Haman, understand Haman wanted to destroy an entire race just because Mordecai didn’t bow to him. He was taking innocent lives. Mordecai isn’t telling the Jews to just kill—he is granting permission to kill the people (even women and children) if they are in the group that is attacking them. It is self-defense. And it’s even interesting to note when it actually occurs, they have permission to take the possessions of these people, but several times you see them destroying their assailants and then the statement is made saying they didn’t take the spoil. In other words, it wasn’t about greed—it was self-defense.
What I
want us to understand here is that God had a purpose for Esther and the events
that had taken place in her life—one reason she was next to the king was so she
could save her people. God didn’t allow
her to become queen just so she could have some great position; instead, he had
something planned for her all along, and in order to carry out his plan, she
needed to be in the position of queen; therefore, God gave her that position. But realize this—all throughout her life
until the time Mordecai sent her the message to take a stand for her people,
she had no idea what God had in mind for her to do. Everything up to that point was preparing her for this task. She was queen for over four years before she
saw this work God had her to do, but thankfully, she was faithful in carrying
out God’s will for her life.
Please never forget this. God has a purpose for you! Read Ephesians 2:8-10. Even though he saved you by grace through faith, he has a plan for your life that involves good works, and we are the workmanship of his hands—he is constantly molding and shaping us into what he would have us to be so we can better perform that which he has for us, and just like God was working in Esther all this time without her realizing it to put her in a position to save her people, God is working in us. I believe the events that take place in your life are there to help shape and form you into what God would have you to be (Romans 8:28-30). This better prepares you for what he wants to accomplish through you. It may be something we would call “big” or something we would call “small”—it doesn’t really matter because as long as we do what God wants us to do, it’s great because we are obeying the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of our souls. Even understand the very things you dislike about your life may be there for a very interesting purpose later on. Therefore, when things are going crazy and your life seems like a mess, make certain you are following God’s will and just say, “Lord, what are you trying to do in me? I don’t understand why things are happening the way they are, but I trust you to work them according to your will, and I just pray that I would be faithful to you and fulfill your plan for my life even if I don’t understand what that involves!” It may be tough to say that right now, but in the end, I know we won’t regret it. Just let him work in you by surrendering to him each area of your life! Be faithful to God no matter what because he does have a purpose for you!
15-17
– And
Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel—blue and
white—and a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple. The city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews celebrated whenever they heard the
king’s commandment, and many of the people of the land became Jews, for the
fear of the Jews fell upon them.
What a
turn of events! Haman is now dead and Mordecai
is walking around in royal apparel and a great crown of gold. How did this change take place? Mordecai was faithful to the Lord and Haman
was not. Therefore, God exalted the
humble and brought low the proud. The
city Shushan that was recently perplexed now rejoiced and was glad. As the news spread the Jews had light,
and gladness, and joy, and honor.
There is happiness and rejoicing over the new proclamation of the
king. They even feast—they
celebrate. And by the way, please
understand the danger is still there.
Haman’s law could not be altered because it had been sealed with the king’s
ring. The enemies would still
attack. This new law just gave the Jews
permission to get together and defend themselves. Why would that cause so much rejoicing? I think one reason is because this would remind them that God had
not forsaken them and was still at work.
Maybe they hadn’t seen God’s hand at work in some time. But come to find out, he had been working in
the background all this time to work this out according to his will.
For the true Christian, can you think of anything that brings greater joy than realizing God is at work in your life? The times we see God’s working should be some of the greatest times in our lives.
Don’t
you love it when God works in you! When
he does, please understand this—he is doing more than working in you for he is
also working through you. As God was
working in the background to bring rejoicing to his people and they responded
in joy, something happened—it began affecting other people as it says, “And
many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon
them.” The Jews were living in a
foreign land. They were living among
people who followed idols and not the true and living God. However, after seeing these events that
occurred, it was as if their neighbors came up to them and said, “How can we
get in on this? We saw what happened—we
know your religion is greater than ours.
What must we do?” They wanted to
have a part in the Jew’s religion. That
simply makes this turn of events far greater because one of the goals for every
person who belongs to God should be to see others come to know him as well.
Please pray that others will be saved, and please pray that each of us will live faithful lives even in the face of adversity as well as speak for the Lord when we are given opportunity. Remember, the mission of the church is to—
§ Praise God
§ Grow more mature in our Christian walk and help others do the same
§ Point the lost to Christ.
There is a lot the church does, but I think almost all the good things we do—the things we should really care about the most—fall under one of those three headings. It would help us greatly to remember it and strive to grow in all three areas. As a matter of fact, if we do the first two, I believe the last one will be much more effective.
1-4
– On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (Adar), when the king’s decree was
about to be put into practice—the day the Jews’ enemies hoped to destroy
them—the Jews gathered together in their cities to fight against their enemies,
and no one could withstand them, and fear fell upon all the people. Even the king’s officials helped the Jews because the fear
of Mordecai fell upon them. Mordecai
was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the
provinces as he increased more and more.
The
dreaded day has arrived—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month
is now upon us. This is Haman’s day,
and just like he wanted, there is a lot of fear; however, he had no idea
the fear would be coming from his own people.
You see, Haman is dead. The
people now know the queen is a Jew.
They know Mordecai has been given a position and is getting more
and more powerful. The Jews gathered
themselves together to protect themselves from their enemies, and no man
could withstand them. Even the
king’s officers gathered to help the Jews. What a wonderful story!
Haman has hated this one little man Mordecai and decided to kill his
entire race, but the tables have turned and this one little man now has so much
power it’s as if the whole nation is in fear.
Please don’t forget—God is
greater than all our enemies. No matter
what reason our enemy presents that may cause us to fear, when the Lord is on
our side, they are the only ones who have a reason to fear. At any moment he so chooses, he can turn the
situation around and have us come out on top.
What an encouragement when we are facing pressure and even danger from
others!
5-10 – The Jews destroyed their enemies with the stroke of the sword. They destroyed five hundred in Shushan the palace and even destroyed the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. However, they did not take the possessions of their enemies.
Ø Why did the Jews kill these people?
Ø What are we told concerning the spoil, and what does this tell us about this battle?
The
Jews were victorious. In the city of Shushan
alone, they killed five hundred men.
They also killed the ten sons of Haman—the man who started this
war. Please understand something—the
Jews were not killing just to be killing.
They were killing the people who gathered together to fight them. The Jews didn’t start this war—they simply
defended themselves. When the Jews
killed their enemies, we see the statement but on the spoil laid they not
their hand. That simply means when
they fought for their lives and destroyed their enemy, they had the right to
take the person’s house, possessions, money, etc. However, they didn’t.
Haman motivated his people through greed—“kill and you can take that
which belongs to another.” The Jews had
the same right but refused. This means
it was all about self-defense and not greed.
11-12
– The king learned of how many had been killed in Shushan and said to Esther,
“The Jews have killed five hundred men in Shushan along with the ten sons of
Haman; what have they done in the rest of the kingdom? What is your petition? Ask, and it shall be done.
Ø
What does the king ask
Esther?
The
king speaks to Esther and tells her the Jews have slain and destroyed five
hundred men in Shushan the palace.
Either among them or in addition to them were the ten sons of Haman. The king then asks Esther what she would
like done next.
13-15
– Esther
answered, “If it is okay with you, grant the Jews in Shushan permission to
fight their enemies tomorrow just like today.
Also, let Haman’s sons be hung on the gallows.” The king commanded for Esther’s request to
be granted, and it was obeyed. The Jews
in Shushan kept fighting one more day and killed three hundred more of their
enemies, but once again, they did not take what belonged to their enemies.
Ø What was Esther’s request?
Ø Did they take what belonged to the people they killed?
Esther’s
request of the king was a simple one—let the Jews…in Shushan continue
destroying their enemies one more day, and take the bodies of Haman’s ten
sons and hang them on the gallows.
(If you recall we said this gallows may have been a pole that would be
driven through the bodies, and if they used the one Haman had made, their
bodies were put high up for many people to see and take note.) The king agreed and it was done, and on the
following day (the fourteenth day also of the month Adar), they killed three
hundred of their enemies, but once again they didn’t take the possessions
of these people.
16-19
– The Jews in other locations fought on the thirteenth but had rest on the
fourteenth. Therefore, the Jews in the
villages made the fourteenth a day of gladness, feasting, and giving to one
another. However, the Jews in Shushan fought both the thirteenth and fourteenth
and made the fifteenth a day of celebration.
Ø What did this group do on the fourteenth?
Ø What days did the Jews in Shushan fight?
Ø When was their celebration?
On the thirteenth
day of the month when the Jews outside of Shushan defended themselves
against their enemies, they slew seventy-five thousand. Once again, they didn’t take the possessions
of the people because it wasn’t about greed.
On the fourteenth day they had rest from their battle and made
it a day of feasting and gladness.
However, the Jews in Shushan assembled to fight on the thirteenth
and fourteenth, and they had rest and celebrating on the fifteenth. This was a party time—there was happiness,
lots of food, and the exchanging of gifts.
In other words, it was a great holiday the Jews enjoyed, and as we will
see in a few verses, it becomes a Jewish tradition that is still celebrated
today.
Ø
If someone is against you,
do you believe God can give you victory in the situation no matter who it is?
Ø Do you believe he can take any situation you face—no matter how bad it looks—and turn it to a reason for joy?
I hope you understand God has the power to do as he desires to do. No one and no thing can stop him. I don’t care who takes a stand against you—no matter how bad they hate you and no matter how many of them there may be—they can’t do one thing against you unless God allows it, and he will not allow it without a purpose. With that thought in mind, we should take courage to stand for the Lord being true to him no matter what comes our way. Read 2Kings 6 and see what happened in Elisha’s life when he needed God’s protection. This should encourage us to be more and more faithful to him no matter what comes our way. Like Elisha when the tough times come, we need to pray, “Lord, open our eyes!” If we do, maybe God will give us a glimpse of his protecting hand or at least give us the courage we need to face whatever comes our way! If that happens, even days of mourning can give us a reason for celebration for we can celebrate the Lord and his goodness.
20-22
–Mordecai
wrote these things and sent letters unto all the Jews in Ahasuerus’
kingdom. He established the fourteenth
and fifteeth of Adar as days of celebrating, giving to one another, and helping
the poor.
Ø
What days were they to set
aside as days of celebration?
Ø
To whom were they to send
gifts?
Ø Do we have poor people today? If so, do we care for them like we should?
It’s
almost ironic that Mordecai told the Jews when they destroyed their enemies
they could take their enemies’ possessions, and instead of taking their
possessions it became a time when the Jews were to exchange gifts with one
to another and were to give gifts to the poor. When God really gets a hold on your heart, you
will care for others. That goes for
each of us, and we won’t just care about those who can give back to us;
instead, we will especially care for those who cannot care for themselves as
well as we can. Mordecai wants to make
certain that even on this day they care for those in need.
I personally believe one of
the areas the church seems to have failed in is in caring for the needs of
others. I believe when we see people in
need it gives us an opportunity for ministry.
In them having a need it opens a door for us to help meet that need, and
as we do it may even open the door for us to be able to share Christ with them
if they are lost, and if they are saved it gives us a chance to enjoy a true
Christian fellowship of encouragement and self-sacrifice to help meet our
brother’s need. Please, don’t overlook
the poor and needy, and as you do reach out to them, remember their deepest
needs are spiritual.
23-32
– The Jews did as Mordecai commanded.
Haman had cast Pur; therefore, this celebration was called Purim. This celebration was to continue throughout
the history of the Jews as a remembrance of their fastings and their crying and
how Esther stood before the king, their enemy was defeated, and the Jews were
victorious.
This
passage simply reflects over what has already happened—that Haman made a decree
to destroy the Jews but the decree came back to destroy him, and the Jews were
victorious over their enemies.
Therefore, they named the celebration Purim and set it into law
that the Jews should forever celebrate this feast as a time of remembrance of
their deliverance. Even today this
feast reminds the Jews of how a man decided to destroy them, but they continue
to live. And even though we are not
told why, we know the reason—because God was looking out for them. Thankfully, God watches out for all his
people, and he has even promised that he will never leave us nor forsake
us. He has promised that the Jewish
people will continue, and against all odds, they have. What an encouragement to remember God keeps
his word because he has promised those of us who are saved that we will
continue with him on throughout eternity even though we face much adversity,
opposition, and scheming from the devil and his followers in this life! To God be the glory for the promises he has
given, and may he be praised for being the One who always keeps his word!
1-3 – King Ahasuerus taxed the people. The things he did as king are written in the book of the kings of Media and Persia. This includes his declaration concerning the greatness of Merdecai and how the king advanced him, for Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, was 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.
This is obviously a very short chapter—one of the shortest in the Bible. The first thing we are told is that the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land and upon the isles of the sea. In other words, he imposes a tax upon all those under his rule. Some say this was an additional tax over and above any other taxes he had been charging, and others feel this is simply reinstating the taxes he stopped when Esther was made queen (see Esther 2:18 where he released the provinces—possibly speaking of taxes). If the second is the case, he has allowed his nation to live tax-free for some five years.
The next thing we are told is
concerning Mordecai and the way king Ahasuerus treated him. Apparently the king grew to have a great
deal of respect and love for Mordecai.
He advanced him to be next unto the king. I guess we would say he has become either
the king’s right-hand-man or he is second-in-charge. Either way, what a change has taken place! Not long ago one of the most important men
in the country had sought to destroy Mordecai, and the king had been tricked
into the same. Now, the king loves him
and has given him a great position. But
even though the king may have given him a great position, please understand it
wasn’t the king who made him a great man.
Instead, it was God who made Mordecai into the man he was. It was God who worked in Mordecai’s life to
give him the courage to do what was right.
And ultimately, it was God who took this one who belonged to him who was
about to be killed, brought him above his enemies, and set him even above a
nation. Did Mordecai allow it to go to
his head? No he didn’t. How do I know? Because instead of using his position for selfish gain, he used
it to be seeking the
wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. He spoke for their welfare and looked out for them.
What a great God we serve!
He is so wise he knows how to work out all situations. He has the authority to be in charge of all
situations. He has the power to handle
all situations. And he has the love he
needs to work each situation out for our good and his glory. Only God can take a situation like we have
in the book of Esther and bring about the ending we have here. And only God can take our lives—with all
their fears, worries, heartaches, pain, etc.—and work them in a magnificent way
to be just what he would have them to be.
What a great encouragement to turn to the Lord no matter what we face
and simply trust him. And don’t forget
the lesson of the book of Esther—to trust him even when you don’t see him,
because even though you don’t see him, he is always there and always working in
the lives of his people. Therefore,
even when he seems so far away, trust God—take your situation to the Lord and
trust Him to work it according to his will.
In the end, you will be glad you did.
Ø
What have we learned in this series concerning
times in our lives when we don’t see God at work?
Ø
How does the book of Esther teach us to trust
God?
Ø How do Mordecai and Esther’s lives encourage us today?