DBG - June 4 - Esther 6-10

In this chapter Haman is forced to honor Mordecai.

vs. 1-3 – The king, suffering from insomnia, asks that the royal chronicles be read to him.  He is reminded of the time that Mordecai reported an assassination plot and saved him from it back in Chapter 2.  He is amazed to find that Mordecai had not been rewarded in some fashion.

vs. 4-11 – You cannot read this and think that God does not have a sense of humor.  The king seeks for some noble to reward Mordecai, and Haman just happens to enter the palace to ask to hang Mordecai.  The king asks Haman how he could pour honor on someone.  Haman, no doubt assuming it was he the king was speaking about, suggests being paraded through town on the king’s horse wearing the king’s clothes and crown.  The king likes the idea and commands Haman to do that very thing for Mordecai.  Haman performed the task because he had no choice otherwise.

vs. 12-14 – Haman is distraught after having to parade Mordecai through the city.  His family and friends try to console him by reminding him that in a few months Mordecai would be killed anyway.  Before he could hatch another plan, he is called to attend Esther’s feast.

In this chapter Esther reveals Haman’s plot.

vs. 1-4 – We come now to the second day of the feast.  The king asks again for Esther’s request and she makes it.  She asks the king to spare her and her people because of a pot to destroy them.  She says that her enemy could not repay the loss the king, hinting at Haman’s offer of 10,000 silver talents to help pay for the attacks against the Jews. 

vs. 5-6 – Esther reveals that Haman is the mastermind behind the plot.  Has anyone fallen so fast as Haman in those few moments?

vs. 7-10 – Xerxes is furious and storms out of the feast into the garden.  Haman takes the opportunity to beg Esther for his life.  The king returns and accuses Haman of trying to rape the queen.  Haman is arrested and then hung upon the gallows intended for Mordecai.  Thus the enemy was removed but the plot still remained.

In this chapter the king counteracts Haman’s plot.

vs. 1-2 – It just keeps getting better.  Haman’s palace and position are given to Esther and Mordecai.  Mordecai replaces Haman in the king’s court.

vs. 3-8 – Esther again enters the king’s presence without a summons and again the king bids her to come to him.  She begs the king to save her people.  The king cannot undo the law Haman had made, so he authorizes Mordecai to send orders to counteract it. 

vs. 9-14 – New orders are sent out on the 23^rd day of Sivan, our June-July, under the authority of the king’s seal.  This is rushed out through the legendary Persian postal system.  The authorization to attack the Jews could not be undone, but now the Jews were told to gather and defend themselves from the attack.

vs. 15-17 – The results of the new decree are the turning of the Jews from mourning to celebration.  The impact of the events led to many becoming Jewish proselytes.

In this chapter the Jews are delivered and the Feast of Purim established.

vs. 1-11 – The day finally arrived when the Jews had been determined to be eradicated by Haman.  That is not how it happened, thanks to Esther and Mordecai.  The Jews, now back by the might of the Persian government, defend themselves and it is their enemies who fall.  500 are killed in the palace and the ten sons of Haman are captured.

vs. 12-16 – Esther requests one more day for the Jews to defend themselves and seek out their enemies.  The king grants it.  The sons of Haman are hanged and 300 more were killed.  In total, 75,810 are killed during these two days.  The Jews are careful to exact vengeance and justice, so they forgo claiming the spoils from their fallen enemies.

vs. 17-19 – The danger passed, the Jews rest from their fighting on the day after the attacks.  In Sushan this is the 15^th because they fought an extra day.  In the provinces it was the 14^th. 

vs. 20-32 – The feast of Purim is established by Mordecai.  This and Hannakuh are the two major feasts that the Jews added to their calendar that were not commanded by Moses.  It is called Purim because that is the name of the lots cast by Haman to his own destruction.  It was to be a time of joy and giving of gifts.

In this chapter we see the exaltation of Mordecai after the Jews were delivered.

vs. 1-3 – We close the book with a brief account of the growing greatness of Xerxes and Mordecai.  The purpose for the tax levied by Xerxes is not given, but history tells us that he continued to battle the Greeks of the Delian League.  Not much is known about this era between the Persian invasion of 480-479 B.C. and the Peloponnesian War of 421-404 B.C.  We do know that Xerxes suffered a loss at the battle of Eurymedon in 466 B.C.  Perhaps he was attempting to fund yet another expeditions against the Greeks.

I am reminded of Psalm 2 as I read through Esther.  In that song, the enemy rages at God.  How does God respond?  He laughs at them.  Haman, no doubt influenced by Satan, tried to eradicated the Jews.  This would of course prevented the Messiah from coming.  But God turned what seemed like sure defeat into absolute victory.  Only God can do that.  Remember that when all hope seems lost.

Our hymn today is “Almighty God! Thy Special Grace”.  This was written by Penina Moise, and it was first published in the 1842 “Hymns Written For the Service of the Hebrew Congregation Beth Elohim” in Charleston, South Carolina, where it appears under the heading, “The Feast of Esther”, that is, Purim.  That synagogue is claimed to be the oldest Reform synagogue in the United States.

Almighty God! thy special grace
In seasons of distress,
Hath ever by the Hebrew race
Been gratefully confest.

When lots were cast with evil aim
Thy people to destroy,
From thee the great decision came
That turned their tears to joy.

Earth's mightiest at thy decree
E'en to the frailest yield,
And Susa's shore, and Egypt's sea,
Proclaim thee Israel's shield.

The mourner at the palace gate,
The maiden on the throne
Were but the instruments of fate
To make God’s mercy known.

To thee alone the praise belongs,
Who with a Father’s hand,
From Judah’s race averts the wrongs
By adversaries planned.

Let proud, ungodly men elate
With triumphs of an hour;
Remember Heaven can frustrate
Each dark device of pow’r.

Sov’reign of worlds! thou wilt extend
Thy sceptre to the just,
The rights of innocents defend,
And bring their foes to dust.