ESTHER CHAPTER 8

Esther Chapter 8

8 On the same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther all the household of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Then Mordecai was brought before King Ahasuerus, for Queen Esther had told the king how they were related. 2 The king took off his signet ring (the one he had taken back from Haman) and gave it to Mordecai. Then Esther put Mordecai in charge of all of Haman’s household.

Reformation Study Bible

8:1 According to Persian custom, the property of a traitor was confiscated by the crown.

King Ahasuerus made a gift of Haman’s confiscated property to Queen Esther. He elevated Mordecai to Haman’s former position as second in command to the king. Esther gave Mordecai complete charge of his enemy’s estate and servants. Just as Joseph had providentially been made second to Pharaoh when he had been captive in Egypt and subsequently saved the Jews from drought, Mordecai is now put in a position to help his people.

Q – Can you think of other times that God raised up a surprising choice to a position of power?

Esther 8:3 Esther came before the king once more. This time she fell at his feet, wept, and begged the king to do something to stop the evil plan that Haman (the Agagite) had brought upon the Jews. 4 The king, as before, extended his golden scepter to Queen Esther; and she stood to her feet before him.

The problem of the edict written by Haman still remains. So Esther approached the king again to beg for her people.

Queen Esther: 5 If it pleases the king, and if I am in his favor, and if the king believes it is the right and just thing to do, let there be an official decree written that will cancel out the order that Haman (son of Hammedatha, the Agagite) had written to rid all the king’s provinces of the Jews. 6 For I can’t bear to see this catastrophe brought against my people; how can I live another day if I witness the destruction of my kindred?

Esther asked the king to please do something to undo this. She asked him to break his own laws to lift this unrighteous, catastrophic edict. But if he revoked the edict, he would look weak in the eyes of the Persians.

King Ahasuerus (to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew): 7 Look, I have given you, Queen Esther, Haman’s household because of his vengeful actions against your people. That is also why he hangs on the pole he had made for Mordecai. I have done all I can do; the rest is your responsibility 8 because no order that has been written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring can be overturned. So you must write a new order to the Jews to remedy the situation; it, too, must be written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

King Ahasuerus reminds Esther and Mordecai how he had recompensed them by turning over Haman’s property to the king. Then the king reminded Esther and Mordecai that once something is sealed with the king’s signet ring, it cannot be nullified. The king gave his blessing for them to write a new order that would rectify the situation and seal it with his ring. He gave them carte blanche to compose a plan that would save his queen and her people.

Esther 8:9 So the royal secretaries were summoned together on the 23rd day of the 3rd month (the month of Sivan). The king’s new orders were written down exactly the way Mordecai dictated them, and they were written to the Jews, the rulers, the governors, and the nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The orders were written down in every script and every language spoken in the provinces, including the Jewish script and the Jewish language. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with his signet ring. Then, these orders were dispatched to the provinces by couriers who rode on the finely bred horses sired by the royal stud.

Mordecai was the author of these new orders. He had them translated into every dialect spoken in the various provinces, including Hebrew so the Jews could read it for themselves. Mordecai no had the power Haman once enjoyed to write an edict in the name of the king and seal it with the signet ring. The king dispatched these new orders by the fastest means available, couriers riding the best horses sired by his own stud horse. He wanted the message out quickly for the Jews to have adequate time to prepare.

Esther 8:11 The king’s new orders gave the Jews in every city the right to gather together, to protect themselves, and to kill or destroy any army of any nation or province (including their women and children) who might attack them. The orders also gave the Jews the right to take over the assets of their enemies. 12 These new orders were set to go into effect on the 13th day of the 12th month (the month of Adar). This was the same day Haman had determined by casting lots to kill the Jews. 13 An official copy of the king’s order was to be issued to every province and read publicly to all nationalities, so that the Jews would be ready to protect themselves against their enemies. 14 The couriers were quickly dispatched by order of the king, and they left the capital riding on royal steeds. Then the decree was publicly proclaimed in the citadel of Susa.

The new edict, worded much the same as the original, gave the Jews the right to fight back and even confiscate the spoils of the battle. It would now be a fair fight instead of a virtual slaughter of the Jews. Ahasuerus could not think of a plan himself, so the Lord had him give this task to Esther and Mordecai who definitely rose to the occasion. As Mordecai told Esther months before, God had elevated her for the purpose of saving her people.

Q – Historically, God had protected the nation of Israel many times. According to Scripture, He will continue to preserve a remnant of His people Israel. With this in mind, how should we relate to Israel?

Esther 8:15 Mordecai went out from the king’s presence donning blue and white royal robes, a large gold crown, and a fine linen and purple cape. When the people of the city of Susa saw this, they exploded into joy. 16 For the Jews, it was a time of celebration. Darkness had turned to light. Sadness to joy. Shame to honor. 17 In every city and province, wherever the king’s law and orders were received, there was happiness and joy among the Jews. They feasted, they danced, they celebrated—and people from other nations living among the Jews professed to be Jews because they were afraid of the Jews’ sudden political power in Persia.

Mordecai went from sackcloth and ashes to regal robes. Remember that when Haman’s edict was heralded, it threw the population of Susa into confusion and chaos. The new edict caused them to burst forth with joy. The Jews could now hold their heads up as the people of the queen! The people who had been the Jews’ enemies or had even been on the fence suddenly wanted to be their buddies. They claimed to be Jews out of fear now that the Jews had the upper hand.

APPLY THIS TO YOUR LIFE:

1.      Mordecai demonstrated faith when he prophesied that Esther was promoted to queen for this critical time. Look for how God has used seemingly unrelated circumstances to bring you to your current situation in life. Trust Him to direct your path, and do not take another step without seeking His will and way.

2.      When times seem to be at their darkest, pray and remind yourself, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (ESV)