365 Reflections

The story of Esther ends with a celebration. The feast of Purim is inaugurated in Jewish life and still remains to this day. So cool. But evidently, some people needed reassurance that the threat against them was indeed over and they had the king's authority to defend themselves AND that they should CELEBRATE.  Esther 9:29–32 (ESV) Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. A second letter is necessary for the Jews to hear the news of their victory and ...

Esther 9:1–2 (ESV)  Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. Esther 9 is the complete opposite of every other chapter in this book before it. Thus far we have seen the Jews as a helpless people, with Mordecai targeted for death, Esther as the harem girl for the king's pleasure. But all that has changed. Now Mordecai and Esther are ambassadors of the King and writing the laws of the land into effect to not only save the Jews from extermination but to empower them for triumph over their enemies.  It's a wond...

The quiet and timid, identity-hiding Esther is no more in Esther 8. Now we have the bold, assertive and persuasive she-warrior for God.  She has seen Haman hanged on his own gallows and revealed her relation to Mordecai to King Xerxes. The King has given her Haman's house and Mordecai Haman's position. The turnaround is happening fast and furious. But the edict of the Jewish destruction is still on the schedule and Esther goes to work again, pleading with the King to wipe it out.  His response? To let her and Mordecai write the laws themselves! Esther 8:7–8 (ESV)  Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked...

We have discussed that Esther may have taken the long way to gain the proper audience with the King, but we see that God works through it both to deliver the Jews and grow her in boldness and faith. Esther 7:2–3 (ESV) And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. Let us not miss that wine and feasting were involved here. There are three ways to a man's heart and this verse involves two of them. But Esther's grace always wins the day. At every moment the king sees her he is pleased with her and welcomes her in to his presence and offers to answer whatever request she has. We have already mentioned that this is a picture...

Esther 6:1–4 (ESV) On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. The details of God's deliverance begin to come together in Esther 6. All of it begins with insomnia. This is interesting since this King seemed to like to party in Esther 1. But insomnia was the perfect prescription here as the remedy is perhaps the most boring of activities - ...

For all the fear and hesitation in Esther's life regarding her approach to the King in Esther 4, the response of the King to her mere appearance suggests she's living completely disconnected from reality. The king sees her and instantly favors her and invites her into the throneroom. Then, when she arrives, he's more than willing to give her whatever she may desire: Esther 5:3 (ESV) And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” Perhaps we need to realize something about God here. He WANTS us to approach Him with our requests. He wants us to ask and not doubt. He wants us to be bold in our approach and grand in our desires of Him. This whole event reminds me of the parable Jesus tells of the widow who cried out to the unjust judge who cared neither about God nor man but saw that she got justice because she never stopped asking.  Now what Esther asks for here is NOT what she really wants. Es...

At some point, you're going to die. I know this is hard to hear but it's also important to realize. An important question is: "How should you live when you know you are dying?" Esther entered the royal harem and was selected among all as queen and in many ways, it had to cause her to think she was truly alive. But she was still dying, as we all are. No matter how high you climb, you're still dying. No matter who loves you or admires you, you're still dying.  And I would like to suggest something to you.  You don't start really living until you are ready to die for something.  That is the place Esther came to in Esther 4 after Mordecai's stinging rebuke to her for hesitating to step in to save her people. The phrase that must have clinched it for her were these words, "if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish ." (Esther 4:14). In other words...

Esther 4:1–3 (ESV) When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. A favorite phrase among the Jews (I learned this week from a podcast) is, "We survived, let's eat." Of course, that would refer to the countless attacks and campaigns to wipe out the children of Abraham from their inception. Mind you, it has never happened and it will never happen. Why? Because the Lord is faithful to work through the histories of societies and bring the right person to the right moment to bring them back from the brink.  Now you cons...

Esther 3:1–2 (ESV) After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. To bow or not to bow. That dilemma has faced the people of God in different ways in all generations. Sometimes we cry persecution over the smallest of inconveniences. But we should examine the Bible. So far, Esther has been taken into the King's harem without consent while Mordecai lives in exile from his homeland powerless to save her from this event. What comes next is the result of Mordecai's first act in civil disobedience. Haman the Agagite has been promoted to a place of honor. As a result, the people bow before him. But Mordecai will not. And you wonder, why does Mordecai choose this moment to act in defianc...

Esther 2:1–4 (ESV) After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so. So far, in the book of Esther, for all the pomp, power, glory and authority that Xerxes has going for him, he still largely plays victim to the events of his life and the opinions of those around him. It was his wife that refused him and sent him into a rage, it was his advisors that told him to cast her out and now in chapter 2 it is once again his you...

The world has always had a number of bad men in charge. These men have usually seen fit to glorify themselves at the expense and/or embarrassment of others without much thought. Take for instance the beginning of the story of Esther. We often focus on Mordecai and her efforts to save the Jews but we should take a long look at chapter 1 which underscores the culture into which both of these "heroes" of faith found themselves. It was a culture of chauvinistic dominance at the hands of the Persian king, Xerxes (Ahasuerus). Esther 1:1–4 (ESV) Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatn...