Esther 9:22

Esther 9:22 says, As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.  The Jews went from mourning at their upcoming doom to celebrating their victory.  They began to feast in joy.  As followers of Christ, we have been restored from the doom of everlasting punishment for our sins to restoration to a right relationship with God, so how much more we should rejoice in Him.  They also shared with their fellow Jews and gave gifts to the poor.  We need to share in worshipping spiritually with all Christians and we are also told to help the poor around us. 

Verse twenty-three adds, And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;  The Jews began to attempt to do as Mordecai had written for them to do.  We as Christians need to start attempting to live by God’s word under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  The more that we do this, the easier it should become to make that the way we live each day.  We will at times fail, but that doesn't mean that if we do, we should then just quit trying. 

Verse twenty-four continues, Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;  They celebrated because Hamn had devised a plot against them by casting the lot, or Pur, claiming it was a god who had directed this action.  People who are doing things that are against the will of the one true God may often claim to be doing them in the name of some false god.  We as Christians must stand in opposition to this and proclaim the truth of God, even if it brings trouble to us in the world. 

Verse twenty-five states, But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.  It is just restated that because of Esther’s intervention, what Haman had devised as a way to destroy the Jews was turned on him instead.  We can be sure that one day, all the plans that men have made to destroy God’s people will lead to their own destruction when God’s judgment comes. 

Verse twenty-six adds, Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them;  The feast was called the feast of Purim referring back to the way Haman had used the Pur to claim that the Jews were to be destroyed. 

Verse twenty-seven continues, The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;  The Jews established these two days to be observed forever by their descendants.  This was so that their descendants would not forget the great things God did for His people.  We don’t have a lot of feasts to help us remember the good things that God has done for us as His followers, but Jesus Christ did institute the Lord’s Supper to commemorate what He did for us.  We also observe Christmas as the day the birth of Jesus and Easter as the day of His resurrection, but the Bible really doesn’t specify that we are to do so.  This is not to say that we shouldn’t observe these two days, and I believe it is good that we do, but the Bible does not decree that we should as it does with the Lord’s Supper. 

Verse twenty-eight concludes, And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.  This is a further statement that these feast days should be observed by the Jews forever.  We as Christians celebrate Jesus Christ dying for our sins and we need to share His gospel with the next generation so that He will always be worshipped as they accept Him as their Savior and Lord. 

Verse twenty-nine says, Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.  Esther as queen and Mordecai by the fact that he had been honored for saving King Ahasuerus were now in positions of authority and they wrote the second letter of Purim.  There had been quite a change in their status, from a slave girl and a condemned man, to positions of power in the kingdom.  We have quite a change in status when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, from a slave to sin and under a death sentence because of it to a forgiven child of God.  This doesn’t mean that we are in charge of everything though. God will always be in charge, but we are to observe times of worshipping Him.  Verse thirty adds, And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,  The word went to the Jews in all the provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus.  We likewise need to share the gospel with all the world today and not just with certain countries.  Wherever we are in the world, as followers of Christ we are all brothers and sisters spiritually.

Verse thirty-one adds, To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.  These days of Purim were to be observed from then on, by those alive then and their descendants.  We are to share the gospel and teach God’s laws today and in the generations to come as we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Esther 9:15

Esther 9:15 says, For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.  The Jews continued to gather together and defend themselves and kill those who would have killed them.  I don’t believe that they went out looking for their enemies to kill but simple killed them while defending themselves.  I do know that we are not called on to go out looking to kill those who oppose us or even those who might want to kill us as Christians, but we can defend ourselves if we are attacked.  They still didn’t take any of the material goods of their enemies. 

Verse sixteen adds, But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,  Throughout the provinces, the Jews stood together and killed their enemies, killing seventy-five thousand of them.  They were able to do this because God was with them in the battle empowering them.  If we today are to be successful as followers of Christ, we must stand together with our fellow believers under the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Once more, it is stated that they didn’t do this to profit materially but only to protect themselves.  Matthew Henry points out that they had been authorized to kill all those who opposed them as well as their wives and children, but they only killed those who were armed against them.  They were also authorized to take all their goods, but Matthew Henry says they left them for the women and children to live off of.  We can never fight against sin in the world simply hoping for material rewards but must do so for the glory of God and we should never leave widows and children of our enemies without a way to live.

Verse seventeen continues, On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.  After defeating their enemies, the Jews then rested and feasted in gladness.  Our enemies have already been defeated if we put our faith in Jesus Christ and we need to simply rest in the peace of the Holy Spirit and give God the praise. 

Verse eighteen states, But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.  It seems that those at Shushan gathered and had a feast the day after the other people did.  They both celebrated the day after their work of defending themselves was finished, and we need to celebrate every day because the work of defending ourselves spiritually has already been completed by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Verse nineteen adds, Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.  The people of the areas surrounding Shushan made the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of celebration ever year.  We have various days that we celebrate events in the life of Christ, but I don’t believe that we need days to celebrate particular days that we have had success in our spiritual life.  We are to celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death every day. 

Verse twenty continues, And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,  Mordecai, instead of being killed, had become a voice of authority for the Jews.  Jesus Christ, instead of just being killed, arose again to become the voice of authority for those who put their faith in Him. 

Verse twenty-one concludes, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,  Mordecai established both of these days as a yearly celebration.  They are not called holy days Matthew Henry points out because we are not told that God established them.  Matthew Henry also points out that Nehemiah gave God the credit openly for all that was done and that Mordecai didn’t mention Him at all in his writing of these events, but that God was still at work.  He didn’t force them to choose one or the other but chose to have them celebrate both.  We were not all saved on the same day, but we should all celebrate not only our salvation but the salvation of others as well, and we do this when we celebrate Easter.  We may or may not always openly give credit to God for all the good in our lives, but we should never forget that He is responsible for everything good. 

 

Esther 9:6

Eshter 9:6 says. And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.  This verse and the next few verses tell us of the people who were destroyed by the Jews.  As followers of Christ, we don't need to list the non-believers that we have destroyed but the number of those who we have reached with the gospel instead.  Our calling will never be to destroy them, even though we might at times have to fight against them if they are trying to destroy us and God’s word.

Verse seven adds, And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 

Verse eight continues, And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 

Verse nine states, And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, 

Verse ten adds, The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand. 

Verse eleven continues, On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.  After the death of these men, the number of those killed in Shushan palace was brought to King Ahasuerus.  He had given them permission to defend themselves, but he still wanted to know how many people had been killed in the process.  Among those killed were the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews.  This was all done in self-defense.  They did not take the spoils even though they had been authorized to do so by the king.  We certainly shouldn't destroy our enemies in order to enrich ourselves.  If we do have to destroy them, it should only be in self-defense and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  We should never do so out of anger at the person and for our own enrichment. 

Verse twelve says, And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.  Ahasuerus noted to Esther how many people had been killed in the palace including the ten sons of Haman, but he wasn’t angry with her.  He simply asked how many had been killed in the rest of the country and then asked Esther what else she wanted.  If we have to kill someone who is trying to kill us, especially if that is because we are Christians, I don’t believe that God is going to be angry with us, unless we begin to attempt to enrich ourselves in the process. 

Verse thirteen adds, Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.  Esther requested that the sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows as their father had.  Since we are told that the sons of Haman had been killed, this was a sign to those who opposed the Jews of their power I believe.  I don’t believe that we today as Christians will ever be justified in doing such a thing.  We are not called to have the world fear us nor to humiliate those who don’t. 

Verse fourteen continues, And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.  The king agreed with Esther’s request, and the bodies of the ten sons of Haman were hanged on the same gallows as their father had been, the one he had built to hang Mordecai on.  One day, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and work to destroy His people will be sent away to everlasting punishment and I believe they will also feel the humiliation of their choice.     

 

Esther 9:1

Esther 9:1 says, Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them.  The day drew near when the people who hated the Jews thought they would have the power to execute them according to the first decree of Ahasuerus.  It would turn out because of his second decree that the Jews would have power over them instead because of his decree that they could arm and defend themselves.  The people of the world may think that certain laws are going to give them power to destroy Christians or at least make them ineffective, but the law of God fulfilled with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of all mankind gives us our everlasting defense.  Manmade laws will not be able to spiritually defeat Christians. 

Verse two adds, The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.  When the day came., the Jews gathered as Ahasuerus had decreed that they could and were ready to seize those who would destroy them.  They united to defeat their enemies.  As Christians, we are not to physically seize those who are trying to destroy us, but we are to put our faith in God that by His decree we are forever saved.  We are also to work together spiritually as one group of believers, even if we are physically miles apart. 

Verse three continues, And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.  Even those that could have been attempting to kill them joined with them in defending themselves because they feared Mordecai.  Haman had opposed Mordecai, and he had been hanged and Mordecai elevated to a position of honor, so the people began to fear Mordecai.  We shouldn’t want people to look on us with fear as we share the gospel, but they should fear the coming destruction of those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  I believe people should come to God out of love for Jesus Christ and what He did for them on the cross more than out of fear of Him. 

Verse four concludes, For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.  The people feared Mordecai because he became more and more powerful in Ahasuerus's kingdom.  Once more, I don’t believe that people should come to Jesus Christ out of fear of Him, but there will never be anyone more powerful than He is. 

Verse five states, Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.  The Jews defeated all those who would have destroyed them, not because of the power of Mordecai but because of the power of God.  We will never be saved by anyone other than Jesus Christ, which is why it is necessary for us to put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord.  God is the one who will ultimately destroy all our spiritual enemies, so we just need to trust Him.