Esther 9:1-17

How does God protect his people and deal with his enemies? Join us in Esther chapter 9 (one of the toughest chapters in the Old Testament) as we continue to see reversal of outcomes, and God's hand on Esther, Mordecai, and their people.

Christians and Christian beliefs are under constant assault.  Why? They stand in the way of those who want to live like they want, who desire no moral restraints, and who don’t want ever to hear anything that contradicts or challenges their worldview(s) or lifestyle choices.  So, that which is sacred is sullied to demean it. That which is logical is labeled as illogical so that it can be dismissed. That which is normal is deemed hateful, so the abnormal can be embraced as normal.

Multiple issues are used as battering rams to sideline and silence the Bible and anyone who’d dare believe in its teachings.  If praising the supposed glory of transgenderism on Christianity's most holy day works at shocking saints and besmirching the death and resurrection of Christ, then the ram batters away.  If ‘problematic’ Christians are arrested for singing hymns and praying outside an abortion clinic, then the battering ram is getting the job done.  These are just two of a plethora of battering rams being used today in an attempt to marginalize and terrorize Christians and their biblical beliefs.

Sometimes, it seems like living for God in a godless time is quite hopeless. Victories are few, and the advances of evil are many. Yet, from my study of the Word of God, I know that when God’s people are down, God is preparing them to move up. Adversity is never enjoyable, but it is biblical. Just study Moses or Paul. God uses it to hone the character of His people, deepen their faith, crystalize their thinking, and position them for maximum spiritual impact.

Such is the story of Esther. When it looked like the ruthless pogrom (a Russian word that means to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) perpetrated by the Amalekite, Haman, against the Jews would be realized, two divinely positioned Jewish saints, Esther and Mordecai, courageously stepped forward, and with God’s help, turned the tables on their ancient enemy. In a divinely orchestrated ironic reversal, Haman wound up on the gallows he built for the Jew, Mordecai, and the genocidal law he established was reversed to allow the Jews to defend themselves from anti-semites inflamed by Haman’s wicked ideology. Turning to Chapter 9, where the effect of this law reversal is played out, we cannot help but isolate this one central spiritual motif:

Though Assailed, God Positions His People To Sail

I don’t know what is happening in your life right now, but God does. I'm sure the fire you are experiencing for your faith is intense.  You might even feel powerless as you seek to live a Christian life in the belly of the Babylonian beast.  But I’m here today to remind you that encouragement is the order of the day.  Why? God is working in the hardness and hopelessness to position you to see things you never dreamed you’d see . . .  like advances of the faith, coupled with people turning from darkness to light you never thought would turn. He’s also setting up events to use you to keep evil in check by standing up for your faith at the right time and place.  So, hold on. A fresh wind from the Spirit of God is coming. Believe it.

How does God position His people to sail when the wicked winds of opposition swirl around their vessels so fiercely that it doesn’t seem forward momentum is an option? We gain answers to this query as we methodically move through this historical narrative. Four answers emerge as we study:

God Reverses The Seemingly Irreversible (Esther 9:1)

Haman abused his power and position to (erroneously) portray the Jews in Perisa as a threat to the kingdom. Like a skilled propagandist, he first demonized his target before he moved to destroy the target, who were innocent Jews. King Xerxes embraced this evil propaganda and empowered Haman to write a law calling for the genocide of Jews. That decree went out on the 13^th day of the first month in the Jewish calendar, Abib (March-April). It was destined to be fulfilled on the 13^th day of the last month of the Jewish calendar, Adar (February-March). During that time, Haman was executed, but the vile law continued to whip up a bloodlust of anti-semitism among the populace.  Some Persians sided with the Jews after Queen Esther’s Jewish heritage was revealed, and King Xerxes elevated Mordecai, her cousin, to the number one position in the empire. But still, the majority of Persians hated the Jews and sought their eradication, as we shall see.

¹ Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them (Esther 9).

On the exact day the Gentiles were supposed to eliminate the Jews from the country, the new law on the books orchestrated by Queen Esther and Mordecai gave the Jews permission to arm and protect themselves.  No Persian politician saw this coming.  Their laws were never reversed.  But this one was, and Jews, not Persians, reversed it.

This is jaw-dropping, and it reminds me of what happened during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973.  As 150 Syrian T-55/T-62 tanks sought to pass from the Bekka Valley through the choke point at the base of Mount Bental, two Israeli Centurion/Sho’t tanks knocked out 60 tanks in a 30-hour battle. I stood next to one of those Centurion tanks in the Bekka Valley last May.  What that tank crew accomplished when outnumbered and outgunned was astonishing.  They hid their tanks behind large rock formations at a higher elevation, skillfully emerged, fired, hit their targets, and retreated behind the stone cover. Who would have ever thought this could happen? But it did.

God is a God who orchestrates shocking reversals to protect His people, be they ancient Jews or saints living in the Church Age.  His most significant reversal occurred when the evil forces of the world aligned to kill His son, Jesus Christ.  No sooner had they placed Him in the grave than He used His divine power to break the bonds of death and to rise in life. That same God is quietly working in your life to reverse the seemingly irreversible.  Will you trust Him? Will you wait for Him? Will you live for Him despite the opposition you face? Esther and Mordecai did these things and lived to see God perform a work they never thought would happen.  God is now waiting to do the same for you. Trust in the truth of this.

Second,

God Makes the Fearless, Fearful (Esther 9:2)

Think about this. Under King Xerxes, the Persian Empire reached a height of 2.1 million square miles.  That encompassed millions of people, many of whom did not like the Jews. So, for many months, these pernicious people had amassed weapons and devised strategies for how they would eliminate the Jews from their land.  For months, the Jews cowered and feared the inevitable. For months, the Persians spread throughout the vast empire appeared cocky, self-assured, and invincible because the law, numbers, and weapons were on their side. That all changed with a new edict from Queen Esther, a Jew, and the second in command, Mordecai, another Jew.  What was the result? I’ll let the divinely inspired author tell you:

² The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples (Esther 9).

When it came time for battle, the fearless Persian antisemites became fearful. Shocking and ironic. Where did the fear come from? God. I know it doesn’t say this, but in the Old Testament, the presence of dread in the lives of Israel’s enemies is always of divine origin. Consider God’s words to Moses concerning Israel’s entrance into the land of promise:

²⁴ 'Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle. ²⁵ 'This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble and be in anguish because of you' (Deut. 2).

When God makes your enemies have fear, they freeze up. They are not able to think straight because of fear.  They tend to balkanize and break ranks because of fear. They lose courage and become cowards because of fear. And when you realize the battle, which in our day is spiritual in nature (2 Cor. 10), that your cause is righteous and just, you move from cowardice to courage, knowing that God is with you. The Jews in Persia courageously moved out to engage the forces arrayed against them because they knew God was with them and would go before them because they had no doubt He had sovereignly arranged all of the reversals they had witnessed.

The fierce folks you are dealing with right now are living on borrowed time, for the time is going to come when God establishes a situation(s) where they will be lowered, and you will be raised, where they will be powered down and you will be powered up for the sake of justice and righteousness.  Your incorrigible non-Christian boss will be defanged when God deals with him to bless you. Your wicked ex-daughter-in-law, who uses the grandchildren like toys to make your life miserable, will be frozen in fear when a judge suddenly rules in your favor against her.  The highly liberal group of surgeons who are training you to be a surgeon while also seeking to pressure you into abandoning your faith will be dumbfounded when God advances your career despite their best efforts to sideline you. The godless school board pushes its godless agenda unabated because they don’t fear God will suddenly hit a brick wall when the living God moves in and through you.  When that happens, they will not be able to stand against your facts and arguments for the sake of all that is moral, decent, and holy.

Today, evil advances at an alarming rate, as it did in Esther and Mordecai’s day. It advances because people do not fear the living God or His people. But they will because a holy God cannot and will not remain static. He will graciously wait for sinners to repent, but eventually, He will move dynamically. Believe it.

Third,

God Flips The Opponents To Proponents (Esther 9:3-4)

Wicked politicians typically don’t break ranks.  They remain loyal to their political group’s ideology no matter what so they can further their carnal cause(s), continue to enjoy the benefits of power and keep the money rolling in their coffers. This truth is what makes the following two verses simply mind-numbing.

³ Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king's business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. ⁴ Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater (Est. 9).

What? The Persian politicians who had sided with Haman now side with Queen Ester and Mordecai. That’s precisely what happened. Who would have ever thought this would happen? No one. Who would have ever thought these anti-Jewish politicians were now firmly pro-Jewish? Again, the last clause explains the mystery: “Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house.”  In the Old Testament, this statement denotes divine activity.

⁷ Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.

 ⁸ And he built the city all around, from the Millo even to the surrounding area; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him (1 Chron. 11).

When the living God elevated a no-name, unknown, possibly uneducated older Jewish man with no apparent political experience to the second position of power, the professional politicians got the memo. God was with this man, so they had better fall in line.  Interesting. Again, no one saw this coming, but it came because God orchestrated it to deliver His chosen people.

Think about our day.

When Hamas viciously attacked innocent Israelis on October 7, 2024, the majority of the world was outraged at the brutality of the incursion.  The IDF has naturally responded to protect its people and to secure the release of many hostages, hopefully.  It is, in my view, a just, though sad and tragic, war, but Hamas forced Israel’s hand.

The world, however, has grown more vocal in its opposition to the Jewish response because of clever propaganda formulated by Hamas. In this worldview, Israel is the evil occupier, and they are guilty of genocide, even though historical evidence does not support the conclusion. History shows just the opposite.  Unfortunately, the Democratic Party in the U.S. has collectively embraced this false messaging and is leading the charge against Israel, a former loyal ally in the region.

Yet, there is leakage in the person of one lone Democratic politician: Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania.  On multiple occasions, this man, who has supported a variety of progressive causes, has shocked everyone as he has courageously stood with Israel. Who would have ever thought this would happen? Not I.  But it has.  Why? I believe it has occurred because Fetterman understands what’s at stake in this war, who the real enemy is, and how important it is for the implacable enemy to be dealt with so they don’t feel free to do this again. I also think that the living God is working quietly in the Senator’s life, showing him the importance of siding with Israel as God’s people who are constantly attacked from various quarters.

Always remember, no matter what is going on, that God works through complex, tragic events to turn opponents into proponents to further His kingdom cause, protect His people, and establish justice where there has been injustice. Ostensibly, this means that some non-Christians who oppose you and your faith right now and in the future may be the ones God turns to support you so righteousness flourishes. Again, I say, believe it.

Fourth,

God Empowers The Powerless (Esther 9:5-17)

Before the new Esther/Mordecai mandate, the Jews did not possess weapons to protect themselves.  Like the Jews in Nazi Germany, they were defenseless against those armed with a crooked, twisted law and countless weapons, coupled with the power of the State to implement the pogrom. After the Esther/Mordecai edict, everything changed.  With the new mandate being implemented on the twenty-third day of Sivan, or the third month (May-June), the Jews had many months to gather weapons and devise intricate plans to protect their communities from the onslaught of the die-hard Haman types.  The following verses detail what transpired on D(eath)-Day, the thirteenth of Adar (February-March).

⁵ Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

These are not Jewish mobs killing anyone and everyone. On the contrary, it was armed Jewish men engaging all those who dared to defy the new edict and attack them. Nowhere does it say they killed women and children. They only responded to armed insurgents, like Hamas terrorists, bent on their destruction.

The following few verses detail the body count.

 ⁶ And in Susa the capital the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men,

These individuals would have been those closely allied with Haman, and as such, they cooperated with the spirit of this Amalekite. By so doing, they placed themselves (unknowingly, most likely) under God’s ancient curse for atrocities they committed in the wilderness against defenseless and innocent Jews (Deut. 25:17-19  ). Haman’s hatred of Jews was a hatred these men shared. Hence, they attacked when they should have surrendered . . . and the Jews eliminated them.

In the following four verses, we learn that Haman’s ten sons were also taken out in the capital.

⁷ and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, ¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

Why wipe out the family line?  Again, they were under the divine curse of God.  Further, to permit them to live, since we must assume they attacked Jews on this day, any one of them left alive would have mounted attacks in the future.  To remove them was to remove the probability of future brutality toward unsuspecting, innocent Jews. As a side note, this sounds much like what is occurring in Gaza right now.  The world clamors for Israel to show mercy and permit the leadership of Hamas and their remaining soldiers to live, but Israel will have none of it. Why? They know that to leave these men alive is to court future attacks for two reasons: (1) Their religious ideology calls for this, and (2) Their history demonstrates this is how they behave.

Now, what is most interesting is the conversation King Xerxes had with Queen Esther after he received this body count:

¹¹ On that day the number of those who were killed in Susa the capital was reported to the king. ¹² And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in Susa the capital. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done."

Since the thirteenth of Adar was supposed to be the day for the “military” engagement, I’m convinced the king must have thought Esther and Mordecai had achieved their goals once he heard the body count.

Esther’s response is interesting:

¹³ Then said Esther, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows."

She realized the battle was far from over, so she told the king the Jews needed an additional day to deal with their enemies.  What a woman.  She could have said enough was enough, but she realized that if the anti-Semites were not definitively dealt with, they’d regroup and rise on another day. So, she pushed for an additional day of defensive maneuvers. Plus, she asked for the dead bodies of Haman’s sons to be publically hung on the gallows as well. Wow.  Why did she ask for this? She wanted to use their dead bodies as a deterrent to further attacks on Jews. Was she vindictive? No. Was she smart? Yes.

How did the king respond? Read on and see.

¹⁴ So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged.

This is amazing. A powerful Persian king accepted military advice from a woman, his queen. I’m sure that was a first.

What happened on day two of the fighting?

 ¹⁵ And the Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

There were still three hundred Haman adherents holed up in the capital.  They couldn’t be allowed to survive since it would be easy in the capital for them to assemble secretly and devise new pogroms.  So, the Jews flushed them out and took them out.

What happened in the 2.1 million square mile kingdom? I think you will be shocked as you read:

¹⁶ Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

Haman’s hatred of the Jews must have spread like wildfire in the empire, for the massive body count here shows just how many Persians launched attacks on the thirteenth and fourteenth of Adar.  Scholars estimate that the figure represents around 600 deaths per province. Hence, even though the Jews were numerically outnumbered, God empowered them to be victorious.  And I think this is what is critical here.  When God’s people, Israel, were outnumbered, He empowered them so His kingdom and messianic promises would not be thwarted.  Whether it was Israel against the Egyptian army at the Exodus or Gideon fighting the Midianites, God historically reveals that He can, and will, make the underdog the top dog in a providential, decisive fashion in due time.

And why does it say three times that Israel took no plunder (Esther 9:10, 15, 16)? Why didn’t they take the spoils of war? The Persians would have like the Nazis did many years later. To take wealth would have diluted their cause, and they didn’t want to do that.  They fought for life and justice, not what they could gain from their fallen enemies.  They also followed the model of Abraham, who took nothing from his defeated foes (Gen. 14:22-24).  His wealth came from God, not from the spoils of his military victories.  This is wise.

Never should we do anything that diminishes the godly goal God has put before us.  We should always live as people of sound, godly principles.  When God empowers us, and He will, to win battles, without using weapons, of course, because we are to follow our Lord’s example of non-retaliation (Matt. 5:39; 26:52), we are not to get greedy and grab what we can from our foe, but we must be thankful with the victory and then move on.  And what are our weapons? Our weapons are our godly examples, the Word of God, prayer (public and private), logical argumentation focused on reason, not rhetoric, laws and lawyers (Thomas More Law Center, Alliance Defending Freedom, Christian Legal Fellowship), and love for each other, to name a few.

Finally, what should we do when the world is arrayed against God’s first chosen people? We should stand with and support them, for God will never forget them (“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me” Isaiah 49:15-16).  When we see the world arrayed against God’s first chosen people, as is prophesied to occur before the Lord returns, we should remember that a golden age is on the horizon when the Lord will humble the nations (Mic. 7:7-19) and save and bless Israel as well as all those who trust in Him.

In the meantime, remember that though you are assailed by the wicked, God will put wind in your sails. How will He do it? Probably in one of these ways, so be expectant:

• God Reseverses The Seemingly Irreversible (Esther 9:1)
• God Makes the Fearless, Fearful (Esther 9:2)
• God Flips The Opponents To Proponents (Esther 9:3-4)
• God Empowers The Powerless (Esther 9:5-17)