Below is a sermon manuscript from December 1, 2024. Watch the sermon here.
Esther 8
Introduction
Beating your rival doesn’t get you to where you want to be.
In 2021, a football coach famously said that he would hang 100 points on his rival. It has been four years, and he’s still 16 points away from that, averaging 21 points per game, on top of that, each of the games was a loss. For the team on the other side, beating the rival is a big deal, but it still leaves some unfinished business. It’s enough to redeem a bad season. But the goal is often higher. While there is joy, the drive for more is still there.
The Book of Esther is more than a football game. It’s more than winning and losing or having fun rubbing it in. This is life and death. The stakes are high. We see Queen Esther recognize the stakes, and we see her not content with the downfall of Haman but having a healthy desire for more.
Plead With the King
Difficulty brings out what was hidden
The way the narrative is constructed, especially with the absence of any mention of God, draws us into wonder. One of the things we might think is what might have been. Here, Esther once again identifies with her people. This is a reversal of her hiddenness in the beginning. If she had never hidden her identity at the request of Mordecai would any of this have happened? Would Mordecai have been promoted instead? Would there ever have been a need for all of this? Sometimes, it’s the fear of what might come about that keeps us from doing what we should do. The consequences that we anticipate instead of the true consequences.
While we are left to wonder about Esther, it is clear that we often find ourselves in difficult places because of past compromises. Last week, we saw how, regardless of how far away we get, it is one step back. We wander, but there is forgiveness in Christ. But that doesn’t mean we are freed from the consequences of our sin and compromise. One commentator says it this way,
It is worth reminding ourselves that the sin we think will smooth our path in fact often complicates our lives in unforeseen ways and leads us into even greater difficulties than the ones we feared. The way of the transgressor is not only morally wrong, but frequently it is also far harder than the way of obedience would have been.[1]
Is this you? Are you right now walking in disobedience to the Lord because it’s the easy path because you are afraid? Turn back now. Don’t think it’s too late, that you are in too deep. That is like a person stubbornly driving in the wrong direction, thinking – well, I’ve already gone this far maybe it will work out. No, you won’t see your family in New Jersey if you are heading for a Welcome to Colorado sign. The farther you travel, the more time-consuming and pricey the way back.
Be concerned with more than just your welfare
Regardless of what led to this moment, we see Esther take the initiative again. There have already been reversals taking place. But these have been more related to the personal enemy of her family. There was still work to be done. Here, we can sense her passion for her people at large. Here, she may have been safe. No one would likely have attacked the queen, and if Mordecai was recognized by the King and paraded in town, he likely would also be safe. But now, things are still in motion. We see the tact and dignity from the previous approaches fall away,
Whereas before she had retained her royal dignity, always appearing as the stately queen before the king, now she threw herself down like a common beggar, crying and asking desperately for mercy for her people. The similarities and differences with Haman in the previous chapter are striking: he fell down before Esther, but his concern was simply to plead for his own life, and he was unsuccessful in his petition (see Esth. 7:8). Esther fell down before King Ahasuerus to plead not for her own life, but for the lives of her people, and she was granted what she asked.[2]
But do you notice how the King responds at first? He basically says, look, I gave you a bunch of loot and killed your enemy, what more do you want? Notice that the King doesn’t say he killed Haman because he wanted to lay hands on Esther but because he plotted against the Jews. He frames things to appeal to the audience he’s talking with. It also looks like he assumes that this will be good with Esther. You want more…alright… But this shouldn’t surprise us. Esther has identified with her people. She is not content until they are safe, as well. She places herself at the mercy of the King so that her people might live. In doing so, she points to Christ.
Too often, we can adopt the posture of the Empire: us and ours are good, so everything is good. But the glasses of the Kingdom fix our nearsightedness. For those of us today who are united to Christ, we see our call not only to our physical family but also to love and expand our spiritual family. We see our work at home, at work, as citizens as a call to bless others for their good. Our task is larger than ourselves. This is not at the expense of physical family. Our families benefit when the Kingdom flourishes. One way for us to think about that is even within the bounds of the local church. Sometimes, people pit the church against family as if they are a zero-sum game. But if we adopt the posture of Esther here, we can see it’s a both/and not either/or.
Success depends on a pleasing intercessor
Her plea was directly linked to herself in her relation to the King. Do you see that? Look at verse 5.
And she said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes.”[3] Then… she presents her request. If she fails to be acceptable to him, then her people fail to be protected.
Do you know that Jesus pleads for us? He is the intercessor for all believers. Esther’s plea depended on whether the King found her pleasing or not. This wasn’t so sure. But Jesus’ pleading is sure: why? First, because we see that the Son is pleasing to the Father. In Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven says, this is my son in whom I am well pleased. This is an acceptable mediator! Second, because it was the love of the Father that sent the Son to be a mediator and intercessor for us. It was part of His plan. We know this is true of us if we have been brought to new spiritual life by the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin and unites us to Christ by faith.
Call to Defend
In the decree, we see parallel language to the original decree. This seems to imply that in the same way that Haman decreed the Jews to be annihilated, now they can defend themselves to the same extent. It matches the parallel language used throughout the narrative. To reduce the language or change it might seem to imply that favor was against the Jews. But still, we see language about women and children, is this merely parallel in this way? We don’t see any record of women or children being killed, only men. But it still raises questions.
It seems to be more than self-defense.
Does this have to do with God’s judgment on the Amalekites?
The theme of Holy War shapes the decree. We see in Exodus 17:14-16,
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”[4]
God instructed Saul to carry this out through the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15
And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’[5] ”
Saul failed to do this. And we might wonder if this is seen as completing the unfinished task. A clue may be that we have a reference to Haman’s lineage for the first time since chapter 3. Is that intentional? Is the author helping us see this as God’s continued judgment? The reference to Agagite is mentioned twice within a short distance, both in verse 3 and verse 5.
Differences between this account and the amalekites
We have seen the similarities between this and the amalekites. But there are also differences. While Haman is identified with the Amalekites, is it overreading the narrative to place that on all the Persians who follow the command? Also, in the command to Saul, it was from God through a prophet after it had been communicated generations before. It wasn’t just an out-of-the-blue command. It also wasn’t just something that felt right. It was directly from the Lord and Saul was held to account for not fulfilling it. As many questions as this might raise in our minds about how this could take place, here in Esther, there are many more.
Commentators are split on trying to make sense of this. This makes sense because we are not given definitive interpretive clues. One writes,
Without denying the need for the Jews of Persia to defend themselves, we can find this aspect of Mordecai’s counteredict chilling. A very unfortunate resemblance between the Jews and their enemies begins to emerge at this point: the Persian Jews seem capable of the same violence as their enemies. As the story proceeds, the moral justification for their actions will become even shakier.[6]
Others see the similarities to Holy War rhetoric and see it along those lines. The issue is with us, at a different time in redemptive history, not with the decree itself. We should note that though the language here is used of men, women, and children, this is likely ancient war rhetoric to indicate complete victory. Similar to if we were to say Penn State completely annihilated Maryland. We would take that to mean they won the game in a dominant way, not that they caused them to cease to exist. Again, even within our text, we don’t see any evidence that non-combatants were killed.
But the language of man, woman, and child is instructive. Holy War was God’s judgment upon the nations, those who have sinned and are guilty are both men and women, old and young. Further, it’s not just other nations that experience this, God’s people experienced the judgment of Holy War as well. It relates to all sinners, not just particular nationalities, genders, or ages. An indicator of this being Holy War might be found in the explicit mention of not taking the spoil in Esther 9:10 and 9:15-16 as aligned with the terms God laid out.
One thing that Holy War should teach us is that we cannot mistake God’s patience in dealing with evil for his indifference toward evil.
Still, we can say a couple of things definitively about this,
The passage highlights reversals
First, the key idea is reversal, and we see that clearly. While it is OK to wrestle with some of these concepts, we shouldn’t dismiss these questions. We also need to be careful not to let the questions surrounding the text cause us to miss the main point of the passage. There are clear reversals over and over in the passage.
The concept and idea of Holy War has been fulfilled in Christ.
Baldwin suggests an essential component in understanding the moral dimension of holy war when she writes that the decree as understood to give permission to kill the women and children of the Jews’ enemies highlights its barbarity “by comparison with the New [Testament]” (emphasis added). Why is it that retributive violence is found throughout the Old Testament but in the New Testament Jesus teaches us to love our enemies as ourselves (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35)? How are these two contradictory ideas to be understood?
The death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, provides the only basis for the cessation of holy war, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit provides the only power by which one may love one’s enemies as oneself. All of the vengeance God’s people would like to wreak on those who practice evil has now been satisfied in the suffering and death of Jesus. He has taken the wages of sin, he has suffered the vengeance of evil. The vengeance due to us for our sins against others and due to them for their sins against us has been satisfied in Jesus’ body on the cross. It is only on the basis of recognizing that the penalty has been paid by Jesus that we can forgive others as we have been forgiven. [7]
Cause for Celebration
This new edict was a cause for celebration for the Jews within the kingdom. Given the context of the last idea, we might add a question mark here. Was it? Certainly, it was in the preservation of the people from whom a Messiah would come. The hope that would end Holy War would come from this preservation.
Redemptive reversals bring joy
We see the joy spread throughout the kingdom. In opposition to the edict that caused sorrow and sackcloth, now we have feasting and celebration, we have Mordecai clothed in royal honor. Again, taken with the association of lineage, this may show God as victorious over enemies and as protector of his people. We, too, see how redemptive reversals bring joy and celebration. We should celebrate through protection and God’s hand in our lives as well. This is a theme we have touched on already in the series, but it’s one that, hopefully, we continue to keep in front of us. Do you regularly reflect on God’s hand in your life?
On our trip to Michigan, a Tractor-Trailor blew through a stop sign just in front of us. If we had been 20 seconds earlier, we likely would not have been here this morning. It’s easy to power through that and think, “well, that was lucky.” But that robs us of seeing God’s hand. It robs us from reflection. It robs us of understanding that, though the driver is responsible at that moment, God is sovereign over all.
People self-identify with Judaism/power/popularity/favor
Here, we see many who start calling themselves Jews. We might think, “yes, this is great!” And there is certainly a reversal here. From Esther hiding her Jewish identity – perhaps because of Mordecai’s fear – to many within the Kingdom declaring themselves Jews because of fear. Maybe this is a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 11:25, which uses the same word, “No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.[8]”
But still, we might ask, is this a genuine conversion? Did they see the string of events and conclude that surely the God of the Jews is the true God? This may be the case. But it’s not as clear as in the story of Daniel. We also have to wonder how many would have known of all the events that transpired. Perhaps they were just aware that there was a decree when Haman was in charge. And now there is a decree when Mordecai is in charge. Maybe the thought is that it’s better to side with the momentum of the day and those who are in power.
Regardless of their perception, this is positive for the Jews. But we can see how it could be insufficient for others. It might remind us of a kind of cultural back-and-forth today. Some cultures are influenced by Christianity, and it makes sense to identify or align with Christianity when it has power. But when it wanes, and it’s not as culturally advantageous, there is a drop in those who identify.
Coercion does little to change the heart. We are not called to persecute but to persuade for the sake of the Kingdom. But there can be the other extreme as well, where we fail to acknowledge or praise God for providential blessings of Christian influence. Still, this is insufficient, and we should treat it as Esther treated the partial victory, we should be thankful for any blessings but also desirous of a greater victory. Not only in which there are superficial claims to Christ for self-preservation but one where hearts long to follow after the King of Kings because they love the one who first loved them.
Conclusion
Is this you?
Because Esther was found pleasing, her family was clothed in honor, and the nations identified with her people. Because of the work of Jesus, who is pleasing to the Father, the nations will be clothed in his righteousness and be fellow heirs with Christ for all of eternity. This is true for all who repent and believe. And those who are united to Christ by faith are called to a new kind of warfare, one that proclaims the work of Christ and follows after the pattern of Christ.
[1] Iain M. Duguid, Esther and Ruth, ed. Richard D. Phillips and Philip Graham Ryken, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2005), 100.
[2] Iain M. Duguid, Esther and Ruth, ed. Richard D. Phillips and Philip Graham Ryken, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2005), 100–101.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Es 8:5.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 17:14–16.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 15:1–3.
[6] W. Brian Aucker, Eric Ortlund, and Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Ezra–Job, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. IV, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 283.
[7] Karen H. Jobes, Esther, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 183–184.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Dt 11:25.
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