ESTHER — Part Five
ESTHER USED FOR HISTORICAL IMPACT
ESTHER USED FOR HISTORICAL IMPACT
Haman has been exposed and judged, but there is still a decree authorizing the annihilation of the Jews. Remember Esther’s commission? She was to plead to the king for the lives of the Jewish people. So far, she has exposed Satan’s plot, but she has not asked for the lives of her people.
ESTHER 8:3–8
3. Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews.
4. And the king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.
5. Then she said. “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
6. “For how can I endure to see the calamity which shall befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”
7. So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.
8. “Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”
Verses four through six give the details of verse three. We should note Esther had no qualms about entering the king’s court unbidden this time. What is different? If the king did not extend the scepter she would still be put to death. Obviously, Esther has grown in her spiritual maturity. The Christian life works this way. We first do what God commands, we learn more about what God will do, and we mature spiritually. The things we used to fear no longer matter. Priorities start to fall in place. We learn to let God control the outcome. A spiritually mature person no longer expects the worst to happen. They have a hope that goes beyond human reasoning.
Another thing that we have to appreciate is that God continues to use Esther in her role as a woman. Notice in verse three that it says that Esther “wept.” Women weep — not men. There are very few men that can resist the genuine tears of a woman; especially, if the tears are real, and not affected tears. We need not fool ourselves, ladies, men might not recognize a “tears” manipulation the first time, but it doesn’t take them long. However, Esther does not try to manipulate the king. She is sincerely distressed about Haman’s decree. Since Esther is a woman, and since women are more emotional then men, Esther’s tears were a natural result of her distress. God wanted Esther to make the plea because she was a woman. Being a woman, and making the plea before the king would have more impact on the king. Mordecai could have made the request since he was now in Haman’s position of the kingdom (of Esther 9:1–2). Yet, Esther was chosen for this honor, and isn’t it wonderful that God gave this honor to a woman?
We need a short review to remember what started Esther on the road to her spiritual maturity. It started with her obedience to her authority, Mordecai, when he instructed her to keep quiet about her nationality. It cannot be emphasized enough to women to understand that we have to start with what we know. God cannot begin to use us until we show we will obey His known will. Some might say, “surely God doesn’t plan to use me to deliver a nation?” Who says? Do any of us know the mind of God? One thing we can know is that if we are not ready to be obedient to His will, He will not use us.
ESTHER 8:10–12
10. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud.
11. In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil,
12. on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is the month Adar).
On this day 75,000 enemies of the Jews were slaughtered, but the Jewish people took no plunder (c.f. Esther 9:16). In Susa Esther made an additional plea to the king to have the edict extended one more day, and an additional 300 enemies were slaughtered.
ESTHER 9:13–15
13. Then said Ether, “If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.
14. So the king commanded that it should be done so, and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged.
15. And the Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
The scripture doesn’t state why Esther asked for the additional day of slaughter in Susa. Therefore, we can only speculate on her motives. One thing we can know from our own experience is that to be used of God for victory over His enemies is the most gratifying and humbling feeling of life. Esther knows she has been privileged to participate in this victory. No one who has ever been enabled by the power of God to be used wants it to stop. Just one victory is all it will take to spur us on to be used again and again. There is nothing like it in the human realm. We can just imagine that Esther felt this way. So many of the enemies of the Jews have been destroyed, that Esther’s desire will be to see as much of them as possible destroyed. For us, one privileged experience of bringing one unbeliever to the saving knowledge of Christ will fill us with awe and humility. This one experience will be an incentive to be more evangelistic. Even just the privilege of giving a struggling believer the answers that God previously showed us, will be an incentive to go forth, learn more, and be available again. Victory in the Christian life can be so addictive, and it’s wonderful.
Esther’s acts produced more impact than the destruction of the enemies of the Jews. For the first time since their captivity the people of the Babylon Empire realized the Jews’ God was mighty and powerful. They learned to fear Him. Prior to this when they noticed the Jews they were a subjugated and defeated people. After these events, because of Esther and Mordecai, they became a respected people.
ESTHER 9:3 — Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king’s business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.
Many of these people will go on to learn about the Jewish God, and many will be converted. This is impact.
Not only did Esther have impact in time, but also her actions of faith, her obedience to commands have impact to this day. The Jewish people still observe the custom for Purim as Esther and Mordecai established. The feast of Purim is celebrated annually on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the twelfth month (Jewish calendar) as a remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction. The Jewish people consider these days of Purim as holidays, and they are days of feasting, rejoicing, sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
ESTHER 9:29–32
29. Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.
30. And he sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth,
31. to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.
32. And the command of Ether established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.
Notice verse 32. Mordecai and Esther made the declaration to recognize Purim, however it was the “command of Esther” that established it. God preserved for eternity the outcome of Esther’s faith. He did this so that women for all time can see her example. Whenever people try to tell us that God doesn’t use women like men, they are right. What we should know and understand is that God will use women in their unique role as women, and their impact and their victories can and will have lasting effect.
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Thank you for reading this study of Esther and her historical impact.
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