Tag Archives: Esther 8-10

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2023 Bible Study — Remembering And Celebrating The Times When God Has Rescued His People

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 8-10.

I have a tendency to view today’s passage as just the wrap up of the story being told in the Book of Esther.  I suspect that many others join me in that.  We do that because the “exciting” stuff happens before today’s passage.  However, there really is some stuff for us to think about in today’s passage.  The first thing I always think about is how many people of other nationalities became Jews in response to these events.  We should always think about how God’s saving power can draw others to worship Him.

Further, at Mordecai’s prompting, the Jews took it upon themselves to establish an annual festival where they would give presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor in remembrance of God’s deliverance.  They committed themselves, their descendants, and those who would join them to continuing this reminder of God’s goodness.  We should similarly celebrate the ways in which God has delivered us from disaster and include those who join us after the events we are celebrating.  Perhaps we should join the Jews in celebrating Purim, remembering not just when God rescued his people from Haman’s plot, but every occasion when God has rescued His people.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2022 Bible Study — Government Power Is Limited In The Face Of United People

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 8-10.

I always struggle to understand how the edict Mordecai wrote managed to offset the one which Haman had written.  However, perhaps in a way I can.  Haman had written his edict ordering the government officials to attack the Jews, but Mordecai wrote his edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves.  So, those choosing to follow the edict from Haman would have had the force of government behind them, but the Jews would have had all who would choose to side with them.  It serves as a reminder of the principle that a government can only govern with the consent of the governed, or by dividing them up.  So, Haman’s edict worked in two ways.  First, it united the people against an abuse of government power.  Second, it gave those government officials not already committed to antipathy to the Jews an excuse to refrain from attacking them.  In many ways it shows us that it does not take much to stop evil, even government sponsored evil.  Yet, the Book of Esther also reminds us that we need to be willing to take risks to face down evil.  While things ended well for those who took the risks in this account, it does not always work out that way, but it is always better to take the risks then to stand idly by.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2021 Bible Study Mordecai Establishes The Feast Of Purim

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Esther 8-10.

So, Haman had issued an edict in the king’s name and with the king’s seal (which made the edict official) that the Jews should be killed and their property plundered on a specific date. Under Persian law, such edicts could not be revoked.  After it was revealed to the king that Esther was a Jew, and thus subject to that edict, the king gave Mordecai his signet and told him to issue whatever edict he could devise to counter that edict.  The edict which Mordecai issued in the king’s name granted the Jews the right to assemble and do to those who attacked them what Haman’s edict had ordered be done to the Jews.  Mordecai’s edict turned the tables on those who had planned to use Haman’s edict to wipe them out.  Afterwards Mordecai sent out a letter instructing the Jews to annually celebrate their success in defeating Haman’s plot against them, a celebration which the Jews carry out to this day.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2020 Bible Study Haman and Mordecai, a Study In Contrasts

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 8-10.

In a way, the Book of Esther is about the contrast between two men who rose to great power, Haman and Mordecai.  Haman spent his entire life seeking power in anyway that he could find it.  Mordecai, on the other hand, spent his life doing what he believed was right.  Haman sought continuously to expand his power.  When he discovered that Mordecai did not live in fear of him, Haman sought to destroy not just Mordecai, but all of his people.  In contrast, when Mordecai discovered a plot against the king, he reported it, and then returned to his regular duties without seeking reward or honor.  Even before that, he never made any effort to capitalize on his cousin and adopted daughter becoming Queen.  Both men rose to the highest rank short of becoming king.  Haman had sought that power for his own benefit.  Mordecai sought that power for the benefit of his people.

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2019 Bible Study — Dueling Edicts

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 8-10.

In order to fully understand how the edict which Mordecai composed worked to counter that which Haman had sent out I needed to go back and read what was recorded in chapter 3 about Haman’s edict.  The two edicts were remarkably similar.  Haman’s edict ordered that all of the Jews, men, women, and children, be killed on one day and that those who killed them would be given their property.  Mordecai’s edict gave the Jews the permission to defend themselves by killing those who attacked them or their kin and take their property.  Haman’s edict caused confusion, people did not understand why the Jews were targeted.  I perceive two reasons for the success of Mordecai’s edict.  The first being that Mordecai was alive and in a position of power when the two edicts went into effect, while Haman had been executed.  Everyone would have understood that the king may have officially issued both edicts, but he stood behind that of Mordecai, not that of Haman.  The second is a little more nebulous.  People were uncomfortable with Haman’s edict, which called for the murder of women and children.  Mordecai’s edict on the other hand only called for the death of those who threatened the lives of Jews.  Another key factor in how things turned out: Mordecai’s edict allowed the Jews to take the property of their enemies but they did not do so.   

 

 

 

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2018 Bible Study — Standing Up For Your Belief

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 8-10.

    Because of the nature of law in the Persian Empire, the edict which Haman had issued in the King’s name could not be repealed. That edict had ordered complete genocide against the Jewish people, with those who carried it out entitled to claim the property of the Jews for themselves. However, the King allowed Mordecai to issue another edict. Mordecai’s edict gave the Jews permission to band together to defend themselves against those who would attack them. Those who wished harm upon the Jews had planned to attack them with the tacit support of the government. Instead what happened was that the Jews had the explicit approval of the government to defend themselves. One result of the edict authorizing the Jews to defend themselves was that many people converted to Judaism. There are two things I want to make a point about here. The reason the Jews survived was because they were able to defend themselves. If you look at other genocides in history they have all occurred in situations where the victim population had their ability to defend themselves diminished before the genocide began. I want to place some distance between this first conclusion and the second point I want to make. When we stand up for our beliefs in the face of opposition people become attracted to those beliefs and are more likely to see our example and adopt our beliefs for themselves.

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2017 Bible Study — Establishing The Festival of Purim

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 8-10.

    After King Xerxes dealt with Haman there was still the matter of the edict which Haman had sent out. Unfortunately, under Persian law once a king issued an edict it could not be revoked. So, Mordecai needed to come up with an edict which would supersede the previous one. Mordecai issued an edict allowing the Jews to band together to protect themselves and kill those who attacked them. The outcome of Mordecai’s edict (issued in the king’s name) was that between the time it was issued and the date it was to take effect (the same date as Haman’s edict) many people chose to become Jews. In addition, King Xerxes made Mordecai the second most powerful man in the kingdom. As a result, when the day chosen by Haman came the Jews were able to mobilize and defeat those who had hoped to profit from destroying them. Despite the fact that Mordecai’s edict had authorized them to do so, the Jews did not seize the property of those they destroyed while defending themselves. Mordecai and Esther combined to use their positions to get the Jewish people to establish a festival celebrating their deliverance, the Festival of Purim (so named because Haman cast purim, or lots, to determine the day to attack the Jews).

Daily Bible Study

June 9, 2016 Bible Study — Crowds Are Fickle

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 8-10.

    This passage gives us an insight into how crowds work, in particular violent crowds. Due to the peculiarities of Persian Law, the decree which Haman had put out encouraging people to gather into mobs and kill Jews to acquire their wealth, with government sanction, could not be repealed. However, the King granted Mordecai the right and ability to put out an edict to counter it. The second edict gave the Jews the right to gather to kill those who moved against them and to take their property, also with government sanction. For many years when I read this I did not understand how Mordecai’s edict made any difference. However, if we look at these edicts in light of Nazi Germany and other pogroms throughout history we can discover some interesting things. The Nazis never enjoyed majority support in Germany and neither did most of the other pogroms in history. In most of these cases a motivated minority managed to obtain government support for their violence, as Haman initially did here. The majority will not interfere and an additional minority, who otherwise had no hostility to the victims will often get caught up in the moment and join the mob in attacking its victims. However, if the prospective victims organize and defend themselves, and the government expresses support of that defense, no one except for the hard core fanatics will join in the assault and an additional minority will help the victims defend themselves.

Daily Bible Study

August 20, 2015 Bible Study — Nothing Is Worth Doing Without Love

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:23-24

    The wrong word at the wrong time is almost always the source of trouble. If you are able to control your words, you will be able to control the rest of your behaviors. The first step to controlling your words is to desire to do so.

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Psalm 37:1-11

    This psalm reminds us that we should not spend out time worrying about what others do, not even those who do evil. Let us commit ourselves to the Lord in everything we do. He will judge the wicked in His time. Instead of worrying about the apparent success of the wicked and envying them, let us wait patiently for God to act. If we serve Him in all we do He will show us what to do and reward us for our faithfulness. We may never have the wealth that we see the wicked have, but we will never suffer the torment that comes from their wickedness.

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1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

    Paul concludes his metaphor comparing how the different gifts make us different, but necessary, parts of the Body of Christ by describing what some of those parts are. He points out that we do not all have the same skills and that that is the way it should be. We should therefore seek the most helpful gifts. I realized two new things about what Paul was saying here (besides the understanding I have had for years). The first is that while some gifts help the Church, we only need a few people with them. On the other hand, there are other gifts of which there are never too many people who have them. The second realization I came to is that Paul was telling us that which gifts we should seek will vary from generation to generation as the situation the Church finds itself in changes.
    Having told us to seek the most helpful gifts, Paul tells us that he will now show us the best way to live our lives. Then he writes about love. All other spiritual gifts only have value in as much as they are guided by love. No matter what we do in this life, no matter the sacrifices we make, if we do not do those things out of love for others, we have done nothing of lasting value. Let us seek the gifts which can do the most to help those around us, recognizing that we will not, we can not, help those whom we do not love.

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Esther 8-10

    Haman had sent out an edict under the seal of King Xerxes saying that the Jews should be killed and that those who killed them could claim their property. By Persian law, this edict could not be repealed. However, King Xerxes allowed Mordechai to draft another edict designed to offset Haman’s edict. Mordecai’s edict allowed the Jews to unite and defend themselves. The results show that those who seek to profit by abusing and killing others will themselves be abused and killed.