ESTHER

 CHAPTER 8

Vs 1

The king gives all that belonged to Haman over to Esther. Then Esther confesses that Mordecai is her relative so the king calls him into his presence and promotes Mordecai to Haman's position. Mordecai is now essentially the Prime Minister of Persia The king wasn't too interested in the daily details of running a kingdom, so Mordecai is now extremely powerful.

Esther then appoints Mordecai to manage the house of Haman that she was given.

But there is still a problem…. The edict of death was unbreakable. Even the king could not undo or reverse an edict that had been given under the law of the Medes and Persians. This was a similar situation to Daniel in the lion's den. The king then could not find a loophole to save Daniel's life. It was an unbreakable proclamation.

Esther goes before the king a second time without an invitation. He stretches out the scepter again to save her life.

She asks the king to reverse the death decree, but he can't do that under the law. It cannot be reversed. However, the king tells Esther and Mordecai that they have the full power and authority of the king. They have the power to write another decree in his name and send it out.

• Once again, the details are irrelevant to him. He isn't that interested.

Vs 9

It is now the 23rd of the 3rd month. The scribes all come in and Mordecai issues a new decree:

This decree cannot reverse the first, but what it does do is give the Jews the permission to defend themselves on one specific day - the 13th day of the 12th month. Anyone who attacked the Jews on that day would themselves be a target and the Jews would be armed and ready for the attack.

Mordecai went out wearing new garments from the king, with the kingdom's colors and symbols, and the city rejoiced.

CHAPTER 9-10

The day has arrived: the 13th day of the 12 month.

The Jews were ready and overpowered those who attacked them. The rest of the people were afraid. (Just like in Exodus)

Remember that the majority of the Jewish people still lived in Babylon/Persia, but the exiles who had returned to rebuild Jerusalem were also still under the Persian Empire so that this order from Haman would have applied to every Jew.

Also, all of the officials and governmental leaders helped the Jews because they were in awe of Mordecai. He became great and was famous throughout the land.

In the city of Shushan, 500 Persians died, including all 10 sons of Haman. This was the end of the line of Amalek that Saul failed to eradicate.

But Esther knows it's not over yet. The order was for the Jews to defend themselves ONLY on this one day. What about tomorrow? So Esther convinces the king to allow the Jews in Shushan to defend themselves the next day as well, and also to impale Haman's sons on pikes that everyone would see.

Multiple times throughout the Bible we are told that "cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree."

This was also a standard practice in those days to display the bodies of those where were killed as a warning to others not to follow in their footsteps.

Throughout the rest of the kingdom, 75,000 Persians were killed.

The next day: the 14th of Adar:

Another 300 were killed in the city of Shushan. Apparently they didn't get the message.

Only in the city of Shushan did the Jews have to defend themselves again. Throughout the rest of the kingdom, the Jews rested and feasted. Those in Shushan would rest on the 15th day.

They did not take plunder:

Notice this is repeated 3 times. The Jews defeated the enemy, but did not take plunder or riches. They only defended themselves. 

The Jews established a feast and holiday.

Also notice "many people became Jews" because the fear of the Jews fell on them.

Mordecai was elevated in power, authority and respect throughout the kingdom because he sought the good of his people (seek first the kingdom of God) and speaking peace to all the Babylonians (seek the peace of the city where He has planted you). He balanced the good of the Jews as well as the good of the Persians.