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EstherBright Star

in a dark place(Chapter 8)

By Samuel E. WardFor text version: cbckck.blogspot.com

Introduction

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Chart of the Book of Esther

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I. God’s Hand Prepares for the

Future—Chapters

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II. God’s Hand Rules in the Present—

Chapters 3-8

III. God’s Hand Brings Judgment

in its Time—Chapter 9:1-19

IV. God’s Hand Executes Justice in

the End—Chapters 9:20-10:3

The Great Banquets

Dethronement of Vashti

The Choice of a New Queen

Haman’s Plot – Plot #1

Mordecai’s Plan

Esther’s 1st Banquet

Haman’s Plot – Plot #2

Haman’s Humiliation

Esther’s 2nd Banquet

Mordecai’s Elevation

A Great Slaughter

A Great Vengeance

A Great Celebration

Mordecai’s Letter

Esther’s Confirmation

Mordecai’s Greatness

 

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In the previous chapters of Esther we have observed . . . I. God’s Hand Prepares for the Future - The

Dethronement of Vashti and Installation of Esther

II. God’s Hand Rules in the Present - Mordecai’s and Esther’s contemporary situationA. Haman’s Plot, Esther 3 – Exterminate

his enemy Mordecai and Mordecai’s people from the empire.

B. Mordecai’s Plan, Esther 4 – Save Mordecai’s people from destruction.

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C. Esther’s First Banquet, Esther 5:1-5 – The first step in Esther’s attempt to have the king intervene in Haman’s plot to destroy her people

D. Haman’s Second Plot, Esther 5:9-14 – The nature of Haman described and demonstrated

E. Haman’s Humiliation, Esther 6:1-14

F. Esther’s Second Banquet and Petition, Esther 7:1-10

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In Esther 8, we see the final prepar-ations made for the deliverance of God’s people from Haman’s evil scheme to exterminate the Jews. Remember always that even the evil intents of wicked people are in God’s hands. Joseph had come to understand centuries earlier that his own brothers could not change the course of God’s will for his life by the evil they had done to him.

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Genesis 50:20 (NIV2011) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives

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Israel has hope because of their God Who is always near, always watching, and always keeping the promises he has bound Himself to keep.

Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV2011) 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

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G. Elevation of Mordecai, Esther 8:1-17.

1. What Once Belonged to Haman Is Given to Mordecai, Esther 8.1-2.

F. B. Huey notes that “Persian law gave the state the power to confiscate the property of those who had been condemned as criminals”

--The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 4: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job.

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Mordecai had shown himself faithful in looking out for his people while he was but a gatekeeper. He had shown himself worthy to manage much more on behalf of the king. This is not unlike the point of the parable Jesus told in Luke 19 where He rewards a faithful servant with these words in Luke 19:17.

Luke 19:17 (NIV2011)  “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’”

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It is a biblical principle that God rightly evaluates our ways and rewards us accordingly. 

Proverbs 14:14 (NIV2011)  The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.  

Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV2011) 7  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8  because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

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2. What Once Was a Decree of Death Is Replaced by a Decree for Defense, Esther 8:3-14.

a. Esther petitioned for stay of execution, Esther 8:3-6.

b. King Xerxes authorized Mordecai to write a new order to make the old order ineffective, Esther 8:7-8.

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c. Mordecai successfully wrote and sent the life-saving orders to all the provinces where the Jews would be threatened, Esther 8:9-14.

1) The extent of the decree,Esther 8:9

2) The content of the decree, Esther 8:10-12

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Because the previous edict of Xerxes was still in effect, it could not be changed. With the king’s permission, Mordecai wrote a decree which would be a counter to it. The important features of this edict were: 

The right of Jews to assemble and protect themselves.The right to kill any and all who would attack them.

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The right to take plunder from their enemiesThe defense would be made on a particular day in order to give an opportunity for any who were not Jews to refrain from hostile actions against the Jews and be assured of no harm.

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Far from the characterization of the God of the Old Testament as being a harsh and unforgiving God, is the God who says to Israel when they are in danger of judgment… Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV2011) . . . “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?”

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This same mercy applied to Gentiles if they would repent of their wickedness.

Jeremiah 18:7-10 (NIV2011) 7  If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8  and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9  And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10  and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

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We observe in the book of Jonah that the Ninevites did respond to God’s warnings of judgment and were spared. Jonah 3:10 (NIV2011)  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

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3) The pronouncement of the decree, Esther 8:13-14.

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d. The empire rejoices with the Jews over their writ of defense, Esther 8:15-17a.

e. The glory of Israel’s God is acknowledged by some from many nations as they turn to the faith of the Jews, Esther 8:17b.

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Conclusion:The Reversal of the

Decree of Death

As with the Jews in Esther, so it is with Christians today: A. The Reversal of the Judgment

Against Us Is a Demonstration of God’s Love, Rom 5:8-9.

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Romans 5:8-9 (NIV2011) 8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

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B. The Release from the Penalty of the Law by Christ’s Obedience to It on Our Behalf Has Removed Our Condemnation, Rom 8:1-2.

 Romans 8:1-2 (NIV2011) 1  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

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There is a similar process in Esther 8 that reflects how we pass from the sentence of death for our sins to eternal life by Christ’s provision of salvation. 

We plea for Christ’s salvation.

Romans 10:9-13 (NIV2011) 9  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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10  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11  As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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We accept for Christ’s payment for our sins, Col 2:13-15.

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV2011) 13  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

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We receive Christ’s Holy Spirit and His ministry to us, John 8:37-39.

 

John 7:37-39 (NIV2011) 37  On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood aand said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

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We celebrate our salvation, Luke 15:3-7.

 Luke 15:3-7 (NIV2011) 3  Then Jesus told them this parable: 4  “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6  and goes home.

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Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.